Among the many kingdoms scattered across the continent of Longyuan, Nanzhao held the smallest territory, yet boasted the longest history of any established nation.
Unlike other kingdoms that adopted a prefecture-and-county administrative system, the Kingdom of Nanzhao divided its territory according to ethnic settlements, called “clans,” each governed by a clan chief who served as the supreme authority within that clan, with all clan chiefs themselves subject to the Nanzhao king’s rule.
Among Nanzhao’s various clans, the largest were the Medicine Clan, the Beast Clan, and the Merfolk Clan, which controlled the coastline.
Nanzhao was surrounded by mountains on three sides, bordering Xijing to the west and sharing borders with Da Zhou to the north and east. The mountainous terrain along the Xijing border required no military garrison at all to defend, but the border shared with Da Zhou was different—Situ City guarded the western side, while the eastern side consisted of coastal plains, precisely the kind of terrain where cavalry and infantry could freely maneuver!
And yet, Nanzhao remained remarkably independent and isolated, rarely engaging with the outside world and generally averse to conflict. As a result, throughout the countless wars, large and small, that had swept across the continent of Longyuan over the centuries, Nanzhao alone had managed to remain untouched.
Ziqing could easily have bypassed Situ City entirely, heading straight for Nanzhao and avoiding the whole matter of Situ Xin’er altogether. But first, Jun Beiyue’s friendship with Situ City ran deep, and she couldn’t casually jeopardize that relationship on his behalf. Second, the clues regarding the seductive incense genuinely depended on Situ City’s assistance.
In any case, Ziqing arrived at Situ City that very evening. At the city gate, she found the city lord and his wife waiting to greet her, accompanied by only a modest retinue.
Being a person of high standing, Situ City’s lord carried an aura no less commanding than that of an emperor—a man in his forties, sporting a neatly trimmed goatee, his jade-like face composed and dignified. Beside him stood a woman whose appearance was, quite simply, a middle-aged version of Situ Xin’er—elegant and graceful, with languid, refined brows, a pair of large, alluring almond eyes brimming with charm, and an unmistakable shrewdness lurking beneath the surface. The moment she caught sight of Ziqing, she began studying her intently.
If Jun Beiyue himself had come today, the welcome would surely have been far more elaborate. Ziqing found herself thinking of him again, unconsciously imagining, as she always did, what if he were here.
Ziqing greeted them with a smile, and after Situ Haonan’s introductions, bowed politely to both elders. “I’ve often heard Prince Yao speak of you both. I’m truly honored to finally meet you today.”
“There’s no need for such formality, Ziqing. We heard about what happened with Beiyue quite a while ago—unfortunately, there was nothing we could do to help. If you need anything at all, feel free to tell Haonan. Whatever Situ City can do, we’ll do our utmost.” the city lord said earnestly.
Meeting his clear, sincere eyes, Ziqing felt a warmth spread through her heart. He had addressed her simply as “Ziqing” from the very start—she hadn’t expected such a stern-looking man to turn out to be such a warm, affectionate elder.
She had originally assumed the first thing he’d ask about would be Situ Xin’er, but he never did.
“Thank you, city lord. Young Master Situ has already helped me tremendously.” Ziqing said quickly.
“Haonan already told me everything about that night at the Court of Judicial Review. It truly wasn’t easy for you, a woman alone, to endure all that!” the city lord said, his voice full of feeling.
Since the whole affair had happened, this was the first time anyone had ever spoken those three words to her—”wasn’t easy.” Ziqing couldn’t help thinking, unbidden, how wonderful it would be to have a father like this.
Just then, Situ Haonan’s mother spoke up, addressing Ziqing directly without even glancing at her son. “Ziqing, Xin’er is set to become the official second consort of Prince Yao—she’s meant to be like a sister to you. Why didn’t you bring her along on this mission to Nanzhao? After all, she knows far more about Nanzhao than you do.”
Ziqing had known from the start that this particular lady would be difficult to deal with. She was just about to offer an explanation when Situ Haonan quickly jumped in. “Mother, didn’t I already tell you—little sister turned back halfway through the journey with us, crying and insisting she wanted to go to the Eastern Sea instead. You know her temperament—forget me, not even you or Father could have stopped her!”
“Go to the Eastern Sea, all by herself, out to sea!” Situ Haonan’s mother immediately exclaimed in alarm, about to launch into a scolding. Situ Haonan quickly added, “No, no, Ziqing sent quite a few shadow guards along with her, don’t worry! There are people waiting to receive her on the other side, at the Eastern Sea!”
This explanation immediately cast Ziqing as the reasonable one. Ziqing shot him a secretive glare, but had no choice but to play along. “Mm, madam, please don’t worry.”
The city lord chuckled. “Well, that’s good then. At least she can take care of Beiyue.”
Hearing this, an inexplicable pang of bitterness surged in Ziqing’s heart. She couldn’t help but glance over, and saw nothing but doting, paternal love brimming in the city lord’s eyes.
She couldn’t help mocking herself inwardly—no matter how kind and reasonable this father seemed, hadn’t he doted just as blindly on that spoiled, unreasonable daughter of his, Situ Xin’er? Come to think of it, wasn’t Situ Xin’er’s reckless sense of entitlement precisely something he himself had cultivated?
How could she have forgotten that it was these very two elders who had originally insisted Situ Xin’er marry Jun Beiyue in the first place?
However good a father might be, in the end, he belonged to someone else.
Ziqing forced a smile. “Indeed, someone does need to take care of Beiyue as well.”
“Ziqing, if there’s any word from the Eastern Sea, please let us know right away. With Beiyue unconscious, we simply can’t rest easy about that girl Xin’er.” Situ Haonan’s mother said quickly.
Ziqing nodded with a faint smile, shooting Situ Haonan a glance without meaning to. Whatever happened, she wasn’t responsible for maintaining this particular lie.
Amid pleasant conversation along the way, they finally reached the residence, where Ziqing discovered that the Situ estate was in no way inferior to Prince Yao’s own mansion. With this kind of power and standing, it was no wonder even the Da Zhou imperial house treated them with such deference.
After dinner, the city lord invited her to the main hall for tea, and only then did they begin discussing matters of real substance.
“The historical records do indeed confirm that on Nanzhao’s Lonely Isle, there once existed a clan whose members possessed bodies immune to all poisons. Your father is a native of Da Zhou, so I would guess your mother must have belonged to this Lonely Isle clan.” the city lord said earnestly.
“The seductive incense is both poison and medicine at once—or perhaps more accurately, an extraordinarily potent poison. This constitution’s immunity to all poisons stems from a unique physical trait that can naturally neutralize toxicity on its own.” Situ Haonan’s mother paused, then continued, “I would guess there’s a real possibility that different individuals with this special constitution possess varying capacities to neutralize toxins. If the poison isn’t fully neutralized in time, it simply remains within the body—either gradually broken down bit by bit with each flare-up, or perhaps, during certain flare-ups, the poison actually gains the upper hand in its struggle against the body and erupts fully. If that’s the case, then the more times it flares up, the stronger the poison would become with each subsequent episode!”
Situ Haonan’s mother was clearly well-versed in the properties of medicines and poisons, and her reasoning held up quite logically.
“Even if this poison eventually fades away entirely, I still want to know exactly who my mother was. Where exactly on Nanzhao is this Lonely Isle located, and why can’t I find any trace of it in Nanzhao’s historical records or maps?” Ziqing said flatly. Ever since learning of all this, she had investigated her mother extensively, yet had found not even the faintest trace, no matter how hard she searched.
Her mother’s grave lay in the outskirts of the capital. After more than a decade, there would be nothing left to examine now, and besides, she had no wish to disturb her mother’s peaceful rest.
Thinking of this, Ziqing unconsciously reached up to touch her own face, recalling the words her mother had spoken to her just before passing away.
“Qing’er, all men under heaven love beauty, and all men are fickle at heart. You were born this way, and it’s my own failing that I gave birth to you as an illegitimate daughter, your status and standing already lower than others from birth. This veil is all I can leave you with. Remember this—never, ever tear it away.”
Was this veil only about her beauty? Or did the face hidden beneath it, the very face that filled her with such dread, conceal some deeper secret?
Watching how seriously Ziqing was taking this, the city lord couldn’t help but frown. “The Lonely Isle—that’s one of Nanzhao’s forbidden topics.”