At the beginning of the founding of this dynasty, a great rebellion once occurred.

General Xia Weiming, who had helped Emperor Taizu conquer the Great Zhou empire, led one hundred thousand troops to approach the capital after Emperor Taizu’s death, attempting to overthrow the succeeding Emperor Xiaodi and establish himself as emperor.

The rebel army battled the fifty thousand Imperial Guards defending the capital for half a month. Xia Weiming finally broke into the imperial palace, killed Emperor Mingxiao who had been on the throne for less than three months, and the next day proclaimed to the world the establishment of a new dynasty.

Unfortunately, Xia Weiming was ultimately just a military man, skilled at conquering territory but completely ignorant of political intrigue. The Xia dynasty lasted less than one hundred days before Xia Weiming was mysteriously poisoned to death on the dragon bed.

After Xia Weiming’s death, Li Min of the Li imperial clan united with several young military generals to launch a palace coup, killing Xia Weiming’s two sons and controlling the imperial palace.

Since Emperor Taizu’s lineage had been completely slaughtered by the Xia clan, the court officials elected the imperial clansman Li Min to succeed to the imperial throne, restoring the Great Zhou dynasty name. Li Min became the later Emperor Gaozu.

Although the Li imperial family always refused to acknowledge the existence of the Xia dynasty, which lasted less than one hundred days, the fact that the Li clan had once had their ancestral home ransacked and ancestral temples destroyed was an undeniable reality. Therefore, this incident was a shameful humiliation that the Li imperial family could not bear to recall.

People of the Great Zhou dynasty knew more or less about the history of the Xia clan’s usurpation, but because the Li clan was unwilling to hear people mention this matter, many details were deliberately forgotten.

Therefore, many people didn’t know that the day Xia Weiming launched his rebellion was precisely during the ninth month’s chrysanthemum festival in the capital. The iron horses and spears of that year crushed the golden armor scattered on the ground, leaving only the Yi River outside the capital’s walls filled with bright red.

Legend has it that the Yi River’s water level rose six or seven feet during that half month, caused by the blood and bodies of fifty thousand Imperial Guards entering the river.

Ren Shimin painted this chrysanthemum picture might have been simply when evening clouds filled the sky, which is why the river appeared bright red, with no intention to allude to the Xia clan rebellion of that year.

However, in her previous life, after Ren Shimin’s death, this painting became leverage for Zeng Pu to threaten the Ren family. He claimed that the Ren family’s “rebellious painting” was meant to support Prince Yan Bei in emulating the Xia clan and raising troops in rebellion.

Ren Yaoqi had always thought this “Autumn Chrysanthemum Painting” was fabricated by Zeng Pu, because she had never seen this painting among Ren Shimin’s works.

Now it seemed that Ren Shimin had indeed painted such a picture, but he had painted it when going to the capital and, coincidentally, gave it to Han Yunqian on the way back to Yan Bei, which is why she had never seen it.

But how did this painting end up in Zeng Pu’s hands and even become his leverage to threaten the Ren family? What role did the Han family play in this?

As Ren Yaoqi thought about this, her gaze at Han You became somewhat unfocused.

Han You felt uncomfortable under her stare and couldn’t help but step back.

Ren Yaoting frowned and stood in front of Han You: “Fifth Sister, what are you doing?”

Ren Yaohua also found it strange and pushed her with her hand.

Ren Yaoqi came back to her senses and, seeing everyone’s surprised expressions, forced a smile: “It’s nothing, I suddenly thought of a dream.” As she spoke, she again directed her gaze to Han You standing behind Ren Yaoting, lingering for just a moment before showing a gentle smile again: “I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something else. I didn’t frighten you, did I?”

Han You breathed a sigh of relief and showed a relieved smile: “You startled me. I thought I had said something wrong to offend you. It’s good that it wasn’t that. What dream were you thinking of? Why don’t you tell us? My mother says that if you speak about nightmares, they won’t be scary anymore.”

Meeting Han You’s pure eyes that carried a hint of concern, Ren Yaoqi felt complicated emotions: “That dream… I was standing on a high cliff top with no one around. The only path was a steep mountain stairway leading to an unseen cliff bottom. One careless step would mean being shattered to pieces.”

This dream wasn’t something she had made up. In her previous life, after leaving the Ren family, she often had that dream. No matter how she climbed down the mountain stairs, there was no end and no visible way out. It always ended with her falling off the cliff and waking up in shock.

Ren Yaoyu scoffed: “What kind of scary dream is that? I thought there would be fierce ghosts or monsters!”

Ren Yaoqi smiled slightly and didn’t argue.

Children always thought fierce ghosts and monsters were the most frightening things. They didn’t yet understand that the most terrifying things in this world were despair and hopelessness.

“Although I’ve never had such a dream, I also think it’s quite scary,” Han You kindly comforted her.

“Stop thinking nonsense and you won’t have these messy dreams!” Ren Yaohua said dismissively.

Ren Yaoqi let out a soft breath, her face showing a relaxed smile: “Alright, where shall we go next?”

Ren Yaoyu immediately said first “Let’s go to the street behind Guan Gong Temple. I heard there’s a dragon dancing and a ‘Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array’!”

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua didn’t mind either way. Ren Yaoting looked at Han You, who smiled and nodded: “Good! I’ve long heard that the town will set up a ‘Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array’ this year. I heard this kind of lantern array takes great effort and requires experts who understand the Eight Trigrams and formations to design it, so it’s only set up once every five years. I’ve been wanting to see it.”

“Then let’s go have a look,” Ren Yaoting agreed.

“Let’s leave the carriage here and walk over. It’s not far anyway, and with so many pedestrians on the road, how lively it is!” Ren Yaoyu suggested.

At this suggestion, Han You’s eyes also lit up. She rarely had opportunities to go out, let alone walk so openly on the main street with friends. Seeing those young men and women strolling through the evening in twos and threes, she couldn’t help but feel quite envious. However, being naturally shy, she wouldn’t have made such a suggestion herself.

Ren Yaoting was observant and immediately agreed, then asked Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua: “What about Third Sister and Fifth Sister? Would you like to come with us?”

Though she asked politely, her meaning was clear—regardless of whether Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua agreed, they had already decided to walk there.

Ren Yaohua looked at the pedestrians on the street and was also somewhat tempted, so she glanced at Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi had never minded such things, so she nodded: “Then let’s walk there. Just make sure none of your servants and maids get lost. Although White Crane Town’s security isn’t bad, there are still many people coming and going.”

Ren Yaoyu interrupted with joy and impatience: “You don’t need to tell us that! These people wouldn’t dare lose us!”

So several people led a group of women servants and maids toward the street behind Guan Gong Temple.

Ren Yaoting and Han You walked arm in arm in front. Ren Yaoyu, bringing her own maids and women servants, walked while browsing the roadside stalls, excitedly buying more than ten lanterns for the people behind to carry back.

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua walked together.

“Doesn’t Third Sister want to buy lanterns?” Ren Yaoqi asked.

“If you want them, buy them yourself. I don’t want any. Where would I hang them when I take them back?” Ren Yaohua was just watching the excitement and wasn’t interested in lanterns.

Ren Yaoqi had only asked casually. Her mind was still on the matter of that painting—no matter what, she had to find a way to get that painting back.

The two walked in silence like this. When they were almost at the back street, they encountered a dragon dance parade, and all the crowds surged toward them. Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua stopped outside the crowd to watch for a while.

“Huh? Where are the Seventh Sister and the others?” Ren Yaohua craned her neck to look around and suddenly asked.

Ren Yaoqi also looked around. All she could see were people, but there was no sign of those three.

“They probably squeezed to the front,” Ren Yaoqi said uncertainly.

Ren Yaohua craned her neck to look again, but there were too many people in front of them to see who was who. “Forget it, they’re going to see that Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array. Let’s go wait for them there.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded, having no objection.

The two bypassed the lively crowd and went toward where the array was set up.

The Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array was set up on flat ground behind Guan Gong Temple, about two acres wide, with ice walls about seven feet high formed by pouring water, containing 360 lanterns inside. The entire lantern array had only one entrance and one exit. People who didn’t understand formations would always end up coming back out through the entrance, no matter how they circled inside—this was the peculiar feature of the Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array.

Setting up such a lantern array was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive.

When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua reached the entrance, they saw that there were already some people watching the excitement, but very few dared to go in and try it, as everyone was afraid of not being able to find their way out.

“This lantern array is so beautiful!” the maids said with joy.

The ice lantern array, illuminated by the lamplight, was as magnificent as crystal. Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but stare in amazement.

“Isn’t that Young Master Han?” Xiangqin pointed in the distance.

“Huh? Third Young Master is there too?” Xiangqin belatedly added.

Ren Yaoqi looked up and indeed saw Han Yunqian and Ren Yijun standing outside the lantern array, talking. No wonder Xiangqin had only noticed Han Yunqian at first glance—though he wasn’t very old, he had a calm temperament and outstanding bearing. Ren Yijun’s handsome features and gloomy temperament naturally paled in comparison.

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown. Weren’t Ren Yijun and Han Yunqian at odds with each other? How could they appear here together?

After thinking, Ren Yaoqi said to Ren Yaohua, “Since we’ve encountered them, we should go greet them.”

Ren Yaohua didn’t object, and the two walked up to Ren Yijun and Han Yunqian.

They just heard Ren Yijun say: “If you can get out within a quarter of an hour, I’ll believe you. How about it?”

Han Yunqian was about to speak when he looked up and saw the two sisters.

“Yaoqi, you came too?” Ren Yijun ignored Ren Yaohua and only greeted Ren Yaoqi with a very friendly attitude.

Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua curtsied, and Han Yunqian returned the gesture with cupped hands.

Ren Yaoqi smiled and said to Ren Yijun: “Earlier I wanted to invite Third Brother to come see the lanterns together, but heard you had already gone out. So you came with Young Master Han?”

Ren Yijun rolled his eyes: “Who came with him? We just happened to meet at a friend’s gathering. I said I wanted to come see the Nine-Turn Dragon Gate Lantern Array, and he also wanted to see it, so we came together.”