Xiao Jue’s answer, before it could leave his mouth, was already drowned in Qin Chang Ge’s suddenly rising zither music.

The opening notes were light and slow, like lovers’ whispers, bright and alluring, fine rain in a thousand threads with gentle wind for ten thousand li.

A trace of smile spread across Xiao Jue’s lips. The grief and anger from before gradually faded as he temporarily forgot those various questions. Past events flowed clear as rivers before his eyes – those beautiful memories, colorful as falling blossoms, eternally brilliant as crystal, made even more vivid and unforgettable by shared blood and gunpowder: looking back on long streets, light frost on plank bridges, Yunzhou plum groves, fighting together at Red River, flying crossbows in Yingdu… His gaze softened, seeing from the edges of time that woman in light robes parting clouds and chasing the moon, smiling gently as she approached.

…The zither music gradually became ethereal and flowing, drifting like catkins. Like sitting atop distant mountains, hearing pine sounds in ten thousand valleys, watching such twilight colors with gaze reaching white clouds meandering; at sky’s edge, frost bells rang distantly. At this time the moon was at mid-heaven with spirit peaceful and empty, contentedly unaware of how much worldly vicissitude had passed.

That wisp of moonlight under the broken bridge, half a cup’s fragrance of wine under deep snow – all at this moment surged into lungs and heart empty for so long. Coming and going, real or not, famous swords gathering dust, azure blood transforming to butterflies, traveling once through the red dust turned out to be nothing but a vain dream…

His heart ached as he looked up and sighed with melancholy.

…The little finger brushed, and the zither music gradually entered sorrowful, weeping depths. Lonely Orchid Terrace with silent bright moon, flying snow in vast sky with scattered delicate red. Those lightly curtained, deeply painted dark brows and red faces all turned traceless with flowing light. Long wind like this sees no human sorrow and separation, permits no heroes and beauties to grow old together. In the end, only gaining drunkenness before the cup, melancholy white hair growing.

What use was the empire? Lonely throughout the four seas, when evening wind ceased, on whose lap to lie drunk? Cold night not yet finished, tears wetting long robes.

…Suddenly splitting sounds arose, strings震惊ed in alarm, wind and thunder rolling on all sides ready to move, iron cavalry burst forth with clashing blades and spears, while above the long sky colorful phoenixes soared, wings sweeping lightning and flying clouds… Light rising, clouds gathering, fire born, stars falling – everything born above wind and clouds, hidden between vast seas, momentary brilliance finally becoming meteoric… Vast seas surging with infinite grief and anger…

Xiao Jue’s heart swayed, ears ringing and eyes dizzy, unable to stand steady, actually losing grip and pulling down entire curtain drapes.

Curtain drapes floated down to earth. Slender fingers swept once, strings like tearing silk all snapped and broke, stopping abruptly.

Qin Chang Ge slowly raised her head. With one brush, she pushed aside that priceless famous zither like discarded shoes, smiling pale and gorgeous as flowers from the other shore: “Such a fine thing, placed in this filthy dark place, is truly unfortunate. Better to… destroy it!”

“Instead it’s a kind of fulfillment, isn’t it, Your Majesty?” She looked up with gentle laughter, her gaze cold and penetrating.

Xiao Jue stood silently. Under candlelight his tall figure stood jade-like, his features also carved like jade with handsome and profound lines. His gaze deeply focused on Qin Chang Ge, secretly pondering in his heart – that zither piece just now startled wind and clouds alike, the musical realm was vast, the musical meaning endlessly profound, expressing a peerless beauty’s strange and dramatic life. This absolutely couldn’t come from an ordinary woman’s fingers. Who was she? A certain answer seemed about to emerge, yet these days’ chilling experiences made him dare not hold any absurd hopes about worldly matters. Those most intimate, most trusted could all be overturned in one morning – how dare he extravagantly hope heaven would treat him so kindly?

Meeting his gaze, Qin Chang Ge rose as if no one else were present. First she smiled gently at Empress Dowager Jiang whose eyes showed panic, smiling until she shivered and shrank to the bed corner. Only then did Qin Chang Ge say to Xiao Jue: “Your Majesty, from what you’ve heard and seen today, do you have any sudden realization?”

“Who are you?” Xiao Jue gradually calmed down, his sharp eyes tightly staring at this mysterious woman who suddenly appeared in Changshou Palace’s inner hall. “You’re not a palace maid… Did you come to avenge Chang Ge?”

“Who am I? I think you should know – I am the late empress’s person. What I want to do is avenge the late empress, and this should have been your affair, Your Majesty,” Qin Chang Ge’s tone was calm. “Unfortunately you’d rather blind your eyes than face reality. Now truth has walked before your eyes. What do you intend?”

Pointing at Empress Dowager Jiang, she said: “What role Prince Zhao played on the day of the incident – some you already know, some you don’t yet know. Now I only want to ask you face to face: Are you willing to know?”

Are you willing to know?

Qin Chang Ge felt she was being very merciful, giving Xiao Jue a chance.

If you’re willing to know, then I’ll hand over the right to handle this to you. Husband avenging wife’s wrong is natural justice. The dead Ruiyi watches you, the living old ghost myself watches you. Want to know who I am? Fine, but if you don’t fulfill your duty, I fear you’ll have no face to meet the returned Qin Chang Ge.

If you’re not willing to know, then sorry – from now on we’re strangers. Qin Chang Ge won’t entangle with hypocrites who shout about love but abandon their lovers for various messy reasons when things come to a head.

The founding empress who penetrated human hearts never played those affected games.

Smiling sweetly, Qin Chang Ge waited leisurely, methodically untangling and reordering the silk tassels of a palace fan.

Xiao Jue stared at her movements and after a long while said: “I believe in A’Chen.”

Qin Chang Ge carefully made the already smooth silk tassels even smoother, looking up with a smile: “Hmm?”

Xiao Jue’s gaze remained bright and compelling in the darkness: “The Son of Heaven has no personal interests. Why should you and I secretly discuss in dark rooms whether Prince Zhao is innocent? If you have ironclad evidence, then present it! I grant you pardon for petitioning the palace to accuse without crime, allowing you before the golden hall to explain your grievances, laying everything bare under everyone’s eyes. For the case of the late empress’s murder, I want the whole world to personally watch how I vindicate the empress. I also want historical records sharp as knives to never have opportunity to slander me!”

“Only,” he said grimly, “if these are all just your schemes and arrangements, all just a plot to trap my imperial brother, if you cannot prove his guilt but he proves his innocence… you should know the consequences of commoners falsely accusing imperial family.”

Qin Chang Ge looked deeply at Xiao Jue.

Wasn’t he also forcing himself?

Hadn’t he given himself any retreat?

Xiao Jue, oh Xiao Jue, you’re also afraid you’ll soften in the end, find it hard to choose between beloved brother and beloved wife, convince yourself with reasons like “the dead cannot return, the living should be treasured,” and let Xiao Chen go?

Looking at Xiao Jue who in just a few short days had lost a whole circle of weight with faint blue-black under his eyes, remembering that elegant youth on the stone bridge’s cold frost years ago, remembering those brothers tearfully smiling and declining hot cakes, she rarely felt somewhat soft-hearted.

Mm… I won’t force you anymore… you just watch.

“Then, Your Majesty, prepare to see my petition,” Qin Chang Ge smiled as she walked past Xiao Jue’s side, her fragrance as cool and penetrating as her voice. “Also, prepare red scarves and emerald sleeves.”

Third year of Qianyuan, winter, first day of the twelfth month.

Guiwei year, Guihai month, Wushen day.

Auspicious for: sacrifices, bathing, hunting, capturing, netting, sweeping house.

Inauspicious for: marriage, betrothal, alliances, setting up beds, breaking ground, burial.

Sky high and clouds pale, clear river like silk. Wind passed over distant high hills, carrying a thread of unfaded fallen leaves’ fragrance, lifting the woman’s black hair and plain sleeves. She raised her head slightly as if listening to mysterious sounds from distant, even more distant places. After a long while, she softly chanted:

“Please rise with stars and constellations, watch the long wind enter through curtains into chambers, unceasing like silk threads, brushing away my three thousand red dust dreams, not declining such flowing light. Dancing long sword, old times hard to remember? Let me compose red beauty in fragrant ink, playing silver zither with chaotic strings to get new verses, cutting penetrating snow into cold rain.”

“Why send worldly old affairs? Sighing at legends, heroic feelings not yet ended, how to entrust them? Vast cloud seas with wind about to rise, let’s together compose ceremonial prose, temporarily setting aside devoted magnificent songs. Don’t recall that year’s dragon wilderness snow, toward this misty vapors and smoky rain, discussing rise and fall under iron hooves.”

Her voice was clear and light, expression lofty and distant. Qi Fan stood beside her, listening to these magnificently spirited lyrics, focusing on her expression, sighing softly after a long while.

Hearts originally somewhat excited and somewhat anxiously uneasy facing major events also gradually calmed due to the woman before them – her composed, gracious, eternally steady elegance and bearing.

Only Xiao Baozi, regardless of whatever was about to happen, tugged at his mother’s sleeve corner muttering: “You’ve been very disloyal lately, hiding things from me wherever you go.”

“I’m going to mess with people,” Qin Chang Ge bent down smiling at her son. “Not suitable for children.”

“How can messing with people work without me?” Baozi protested. “I’ve had small poisons daily since childhood, big poisons never leaving my hands. You’re not as skilled as me.”

“At this I’m more skilled than you,” Qin Chang Ge smiled very sincerely, whispering softly in her son’s ear: “Without my prenatal education, where would your cunning come from? I’ve practiced for several lifetimes – you’re still early.”

She stood up, looking at those gray-faced people following behind her, and smiled.

“Everyone, your wives, children, concubines, lovers, and beloved silver, jewels, property, estates, plus reputation, status, and petty scheming… after you do what you should do, will all be returned to you intact – don’t worry about my credit, because even if my credit is bad, you must still listen to me now.”

Extending her hand, Qi Fan handed over a stack of paper scrolls.

Patting the scrolls, Qin Chang Ge smiled: “Being an imperial merchant is quite successful indeed…” She winked at Chu Feihuan who insisted on seeing her off despite his unhealed injuries, laughing lightly: “Don’t worry, evil should be punished, and truth will ultimately be revealed to the world. When that time comes, what you lost should be retrievable too.”

“I don’t need to retrieve anything,” Chu Feihuan looked at her quietly. “I only hope you can always return safely each time.”

“Of course,” Qin Chang Ge crouched down, looking into his eyes. “I’ve never disappointed your hopes, have I?”

Smiling slightly, Chu Feihuan arranged her hair, his gesture light as plucking strings: “Mm.”

Standing up, Qin Chang Ge looked toward Rong Xiaotian who nodded and made a gesture to her.

Qin Chang Ge nodded, turned, and waved dashingly.

“Off to petition the imperial court!”

Winter sunlight had somewhat spacious meaning, shining bright and white on the clean street before Yingdu Prefecture office.

“Dong! Dong! Dong!” Heavy, thick bell sounds rang before the giant drum at Yingdu Prefect’s gate, sounds like muffled thunder spreading far, startling neighbors. Soon a crowd gathered before the prefect’s gate to watch excitement.

People looked with astonished expressions at that leisurely beautiful woman holding drumsticks, striking the drum once per beat. Her manner seemed afraid of accidentally breaking the drum. They’d seen plenty of grief-stricken plaintiffs who wanted to explode the drum, but really hadn’t seen anyone drum so carefully about wasting energy.

Next they stared even wider – because they saw the usually serious and steady Yingdu Prefect Du Changsheng with his hat askew, rushing out almost the moment drum sounds began.

According to Xiliang custom, petitioners first struck drums at Yingdu Prefecture to declare grievances. The prefect received petitions, then decided based on case circumstances whether to submit them to the imperial presence. But today everything was exceptional. The inner court had sent down edicts early. Yingdu Prefect Du Changsheng had waited since early morning, fully dressed and restless in the back hall. Hearing drum sounds now, he jumped up with a “bang,” no time to wait for attendants, hurrying out urgently.

When doors opened, under sunlight, the drumming woman immediately stopped, looking over with charming smiles, plain robes fluttering in pale golden light like a banished immortal.

Uh… this was the plaintiff His Majesty had mentioned, the one petitioning imperial court?

Du Changsheng was after all an official who’d weathered political seas for years, long accustomed to restraining emotions in his heart, not rejoicing in things nor grieving for himself. At present he only maintained normal expression, following protocol to hold court, question, and receive petitions.

When the finest ink-darkened flower gold-threaded petition was handed up, his eyebrows twitched… This paper wasn’t something ordinary people could use. What was this woman’s background?

His Majesty’s secret edict only said to bring the imperial petitioner to Great Ceremony Hall, but didn’t mention it would be such a timid, strangely acting woman.

He frowned looking at Qin Chang Ge, slowly opening the petition.

“Crack” – the petition fell to the ground. Du Changsheng, later called “Iron-faced Prefect,” this time truly turned iron-colored in face.

At the top of the gold-threaded petition, ink dripping in large characters:

“Commoner woman Ming Shuang accuses Prince Zhao Xiao Chen of murdering former Empress Ruiyi.”

!!

After being dizzy for quite a while, Du Changsheng took a deep breath, carefully sealing the petition with trembling hands, not daring another glance. He solemnly descended his seat, extending his hand in invitation.

“Miss, please follow me to the golden hall for imperial audience.”

Great Ceremony Hall – jeweled dome with glazed dragon and phoenix ornate tiles gleamed colorfully under bright sunshine.

Palace gates layer upon layer slowly opened before her one by one, then slowly closed one by one.

The shrill voice of inner attendants standing straight on long steps cut slowly through solemn silence like sharp thread, the final note picking sharply toward the sky like a blade.

“Summon Ming Shuang for audience—”

She smiled lightly, robes flowing as she stepped up the jade steps of the great hall rising ten zhang tall into clouds. She passed through canopy fans like clouds of attendants, walked serenely through hundreds of officials standing like geese and wild ducks in vermillion robes with purple sashes, passed calmly through many surprised, prying gazes. Snow-colored skirt hem meandered like clouds over deep red gold-bordered ornate carpet in layers like dreamscape.

A chilling yet alluring dreamscape that people dared not disturb, seeing its deeply hidden blood color.

Above the cinnabar hall, atop golden steps, thirty-four rows of dragons fierce and solemn, on the gold-inlaid jade-embedded imperial throne, Xiao Jue in formal imperial court crown and robes, his gaze deep, watched this woman approach fearlessly and leisurely.

Like seeing that year’s woman about to become empress, phoenix crown like rosy clouds, overlooking heavenly palaces.

Du Changsheng had long since prostrated himself, silently presenting the petition.

Qin Chang Ge knelt gracefully, smiling at Prince Zhao Xiao Chen who stood first on the left among nobles and royalty, watching her with calm expression.

Xiao Chen actually smiled back at her, expression indifferent, not caring at all.

On the imperial throne, Xiao Jue held his breath, slowly unfolding this petition destined to shock the world, shake the four seas, concerning the life and death truth mystery of a legendary divine empress.

“Commoner woman Ming Shuang accuses Prince Zhao Chen of murdering former Empress Ruiyi.”

“…Prince Zhao Chen harbored treacherous spying intentions, implemented thunderous killing actions, falsely celebrated birthdays to escape, withdrew palace guards, hid in Changle, conspired with former Imperial Guard Commander Dong Chengjia in dark chambers, committed murder in the imperial palace. On the second month’s yisi day, he arbitrarily transferred guards of Changle and Changshou palaces to plot against the empress mother… Deep grievances await vindication, ghostly souls sing long laments, chief culprits roam free, right and wrong are reversed. Sages cannot be recorded in historical annals while treacherous villains still stand honored in court. Under bright heaven and sun, the empress mother’s blood tears go unseen. In the vast clear sky, what injustice exists like overturned basins?… Today I prostrate before the cinnabar hall, petitioning the nine heavenly gates, appealing treachery to Your Majesty’s throne, hoping with sage wisdom to pursue all villains and restore our former empress’s innocence! Only then can souls beneath nine springs and depths of abysses smile with satisfaction!”