Braving the cold wind back to the capital, I returned to the imperial city by the evening of the second day. Xiao Qianqing was busy with state affairs and had no time to see me, so I first had dinner and returned to the Xuxiu Palace, which I hadn’t seen in half a year, to rest.

I had just returned to my bedroom when suddenly there was a knock on the window. If it was Xiao Qianqing looking for me, surely he wouldn’t need to climb through the window. I opened the window with some confusion, and Gui Wuchang’s face appeared.

He jumped in through the window, his masked face wearing a strange smile in the moonlight: “Young lady, you’ve finally returned. Little Ying said you were looking for me… so I had the Prince of Chu relay the message.”

So it was he who had Xiao Qianqing call me back. Weren’t he and Xiao Qianqing enemies? When did they become so close?

Among my thousand questions, one crucial one emerged: “Who exactly are you?”

Gui Wuchang smiled but didn’t speak. Instead, he slowly removed the mask that had always covered his face.

Noble and upright long eyebrows, eyes as bright as morning stars, slightly pale thin lips curling into a smile as warm as the spring breeze – appearing before my eyes was Xiao Huan’s face.

In the quiet night, the candlelight flickered gently as my eyes gradually widened.

The candlelight shone on the silver hair at his temples, creating faint golden sparkles. Gui Wuchang smiled softly: “I am Xiao Yu.”

Xiao, of the Vermilion Bird branch, a single-character name used only by emperors and crown princes. Xiao Yu?!

I held my breath: “You’re Emperor Ruizong?”

I must be going mad – the person before me was Emperor Ruizong, who had passed away nine years ago!

Gui Wuchang turned his eyes toward me and smiled: “Are you surprised?”

Only then did I notice that his eyes, like Xiao Huan’s, were deep double pupils that seemed bottomless. Previously, when the Empress Dowager told me that Xiao Huan looked very much like his imperial father, I thought she was just making casual conversation. Now I understood – they weren’t just very similar, their faces were identical. Even their expressions were eight parts alike. If not for their different voices and the obvious wrinkles in Gui Wuchang’s eyes, I would have thought Xiao Huan himself stood before me.

I twitched my lips: “Am I going crazy?”

It’s not my fault – a person who only existed in my childhood memories, who had been written into history books with final judgment by court historians as “resolute and wise, a ruler of restoration,” who had been called the Late Emperor for eight years and now wasn’t even called that anymore but directly as Emperor Ruizong, suddenly stood before me saying “I am Xiao Yu.” The fact that I remained conscious was already proof enough of my extraordinary talent…

Gui Wuchang laughed softly: “Is that so?”

I thought he would make a few more jokes, but after a pause, he asked: “What questions do you want to ask me? Go ahead.”

I pressed my lips together, feeling somehow nervous, and my first question burst out: “Who exactly is Sect Leader Chen of the Lingbi Sect?”

Gui Wuchang paused slightly: “Have you met her?”

I nodded: “That day she came to find me, saying if I wanted to kill Xiao Huan, I should go to her. What exactly is her identity, and why does she want to kill Xiao Huan?”

Gui Wuchang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “You’ve returned just in time. She’s still in the capital tonight.”

I was startled: “She’s in the capital?”

“Come with me,” Gui Wuchang said, gesturing for me to follow.

I quickly tucked the pistol from my bedside into my clothes, grabbed a pack of loaded bullets, and followed Gui Wuchang as he jumped out the window.

Gui Wuchang was exceptionally familiar with the forbidden palace’s layout and security, easily avoiding the guards and leading me directly to Xiao Qianqing’s sleeping palace.

Although Xiao Qianqing had his own prince’s mansion in the capital, after becoming the Regent Prince, he had moved into the inner palace for convenience in attending court and handling state affairs.

Now we arrived outside his sleeping palace and saw that the lights were still on in Xiao Qianqing’s room, but there were no attendants outside the door. There wasn’t a single soul within several zhangs of his sleeping palace – the palace maids, attendants, and guards seemed to have been deliberately sent away.

Standing on the steps outside Xiao Qianqing’s sleeping palace, I faintly heard people talking inside. One voice was Xiao Qianqing’s, and the other was an elegant and composed female voice – it was Sect Leader Chen Luomo whom I had met that day.

Gui Wuchang reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist, lightly leaping onto the majestic palace roof. His left hand firmly gripped the roof beam, securing our bodies in mid-air.

From this angle in mid-air, we could see perfectly into the room through the high ventilation window.

Sect Leader Chen sat at the table with her back to us, her posture leisurely elegant, holding a teacup in her jade-white hands that were like spring onions.

Opposite her was Xiao Qianqing, half-leaning on the table, one hand supporting himself on it, the other hand pressed to his forehead, his brows slightly furrowed, his tone carrying a faint weariness: “…No need to discuss further. I’ve said I’m tired of it. I now have a woman I love, and I don’t want to get involved in your grudges anymore.”

Sect Leader Chen laughed lightly: “Does Prince Chu no longer want the throne?”

Xiao Qianqing said flatly: “Call it jealousy if you like. I just can’t stand that imperial brother of mine. Whatever is in his hands, I want to take it away – the throne is no different. I don’t care about that dragon chair, but as long as I can take it from him, I’m happy. However, things are different now. The throne in my eyes is like worn-out shoes. I only want…” He paused, not continuing.

“Only want his woman? Taking his throne and taking his woman,” Sect Leader Chen laughed, her tone carrying some mockery, “aren’t they the same thing?”

Xiao Qianqing shook his head: “Sect Leader Chen, I won’t interfere with your old grudges, so don’t interfere with ours.”

Sect Leader Chen laughed again: “Indeed, I shouldn’t meddle. Then does Prince Chu still remember the deadly oath your father made back then?”

“That my father and his descendants must obey your orders? Or else die by a blade through the heart?” Xiao Qianqing gave a cold laugh, “Sorry, although I heard my father mention this oath, I’m not foolish enough to want to keep such a stupid promise.”

“Breaking promises isn’t good,” Sect Leader Chen still laughed lightly, putting down her teacup and gently curling up one finger, “I dislike people who don’t keep their promises.”

Xiao Qianqing lowered his hand and laughed softly: “What, does Sect Leader Chen want to punish me for breaking the oath now?”

Sect Leader Chen smiled as she rose from her chair, raising her finger: “And what if I do?”

Seeing they were about to fight, I grew anxious. Although I had never seen this Sect Leader Chen in action, the jianghu universally acknowledged the Lingbi Sect Leader as the number one martial artist of the current age. Even if Xiao Qianqing’s skills were on par with Xiao Huan’s, he would likely be in grave danger fighting her.

Just as I was thinking this, Sect Leader Chen’s finger flicked upward, a silver light flashed, and several extremely thin, tiny silver needles flew from her hand.

The needles moved with incredible speed. With a “swish,” before Xiao Qianqing could move, his left sleeve tore apart. He clutched his sleeve, his face turning somewhat pale.

Without time to think, my finger had already pulled the trigger. The bullets howled out of the barrel as I hung in Gui Wuchang’s embrace, firing six shots straight at Sect Leader Chen.

Before the gunpowder smoke could clear from my vision, a white ribbon attacked from the front.

Gui Wuchang reacted extremely quickly, his feet pushing off the window frame to dodge the white ribbon, carrying me down below the window.

The window below had already been shattered by Sect Leader Chen’s white ribbon. Gui Wuchang grabbed one end of her white ribbon with one hand while his other arm still held my waist. Standing outside the window, he smiled at Sect Leader Chen inside: “Luomo, how have you been?”

Sect Leader Chen held the other end of the white ribbon, smiling gracefully: “Who do we have here? It’s Your Majesty.”

Then she smiled at me: “Young lady, we meet again… I heard you shot and wounded Huaner?”

Xiao Qianqing didn’t know about this and turned to look at me with some surprise. I nodded: “Indeed I did.”

Sect Leader Chen smiled: “What a pity that shot still didn’t take Huaner’s life.” As she spoke, she sighed, “Being Huaner’s birth mother yet having to find ways to kill him, I’m quite troubled too.”

Her tone was casual, but I suddenly felt somewhat sick. I couldn’t help but ask: “You’re Brother Xiao’s birth mother?”

She nodded gently: “That’s right, I am Huaner’s birth mother.” As she spoke, she looked toward Gui Wuchang, smiling faintly, “I am also our Emperor Ruizong’s empress. Young lady, as empresses, your luck is much better than mine. Huaner is quite faithful. His father’s talent for philandering was much greater.”

As she spoke, she smiled at Gui Wuchang: “Your Majesty is in the mood to come see me today?”

When she spoke to me and Xiao Qianqing, her manner was perfectly proper, but when she started speaking to Gui Wuchang, she added some seductiveness, or perhaps it could be called girlish coquetry?

Gui Wuchang smiled and leaped with me through the window into the room, but didn’t release the white ribbon in his hand, smiling: “Indeed, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Luomo, I feared that if I didn’t look now, there might come a day when I would never see her again.”

Chen Luomo laughed softly, slowly walking toward us: “Your Majesty always says such things to make me happy.”

Gui Wuchang smiled: “As long as Luomo is happy, that’s better than anything.”

By now Sect Leader Chen stood very close to Gui Wuchang, and smiled: “Your Majesty’s feelings toward Luomo, I am truly grateful.”

With these words, a blue light suddenly flashed from her sleeve.

Gui Wuchang’s shoulder tilted, and there was a dull thud of a weapon entering flesh. He drew in a sharp breath, pressing his left shoulder and bending slightly at the waist.

With a light laugh, Sect Leader Chen’s figure flashed to the doorway, her voice still elegant: “Then please accept this token of gratitude, Your Majesty.”

Sect Leader Chen’s figure disappeared into the moonlight. I quickly ran over to check on Gui Wuchang’s condition. He was pressing tightly on an acupoint at his shoulder, where a three-sided dart glowing with blue light protruded, its tail visible. The clothes around the wound were already soaked through with blood, looking frighteningly gruesome.

I reached out to help Gui Wuchang remove the iron dart from his shoulder, but he hurriedly stopped me: “Don’t touch it, it’s been poisoned.”

I froze, only then noticing that the blood flowing from Gui Wuchang’s shoulder was an eerily dark red.

“Then what should we do?” I panicked a bit.

“Just need to pull it out with cloth padding.” Gui Wuchang smiled, quickly pressing several major acupoints around the wound, took out a handkerchief from his robes, and in one swift motion removed the dart, causing poisoned blood to splash out with it.

I helped Gui Wuchang press the acupoints around the wound and asked: “What next? Will the poison spread? Should we call the Imperial Physician?”

Gui Wuchang had already taken out another handkerchief and was skillfully bandaging the wound: “What Imperial Physician? Not much poison got into the blood, two rounds of forcing it out should do it.”

Looking at his movements, I asked in surprise: “Do you often treat your wounds?”

He nodded, seemingly unconcerned: “Yes.”

“Were they all inflicted by Sect Leader Chen?” I continued asking.

“Not all of them,” Gui Wuchang continued carefully wrapping the wound, “just eight or nine out of ten.”

“Master Li said my husband and I are the second most inexplicable couple in the world. The most inexplicable couple must be you and Sect Leader Chen, right?” I sighed.

“Mingshang? He seems to have said we’re the world’s most inexplicable couple,” Gui Wuchang finally finished bandaging the wound, beads of sweat on his forehead, “How did you know?”

Smiling sweetly while throwing poisoned weapons to harm someone, and seeming quite used to it… I sighed: “Meeting and immediately drawing blood, truly inexplicable…”

“Is it that inexplicable?” Gui Wuchang looked up with a smile, “Isn’t it similar to you shooting and wounding Huan?”

“I didn’t poison my bullets,” I answered, my face stiffening as the incident was mentioned yet again that evening.

“And my body is somewhat stronger than Huan’s,” Gui Wuchang smiled.

I turned to look at Xiao Qianqing, who had been standing to the side, his torn sleeve still hanging limply.

I remembered to ask: “Did the silver needles wound you earlier?”

Xiao Qianqing seemed to just notice something too, furrowing his brows as his expression changed slightly, suddenly clutching his chest: “Mm, it seems to hurt here.”

I broke out in a cold sweat from fright, quickly grabbing his shoulders: “Where were you hit? How deep is it? How much does it hurt?”

With a “puff,” Xiao Qianqing covered his mouth and laughed lightly: “Silly girl, I was just teasing you.”

I froze, looking up at his smugly smiling face, and immediately became angry: “What kind of joke is that? You’ll scare someone to death!”

Seeing me angry, Xiao Qianqing looked quite wronged: “I was just joking.”

I glared at him fiercely again: “That Sect Leader Chen is so ruthless even to her husband, she’s a dangerous person. You’d better keep your distance from her.”

“Alright,” Xiao Qianqing perfunctorily agreed, looking extremely happy, his smile bright as spring flowers.

I was momentarily dazzled by the radiant look in his eyes, and mumbled: “What are you so happy about?”

“Of course I’m happy,” his smile didn’t diminish, “I finally know that you worry about me too.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, I could only shake my head.

Gui Wuchang had somehow already seated himself in the wooden chair that Sect Leader Chen had just occupied, contentedly lifting her teacup for a sip: “Young lady, come sit down. To save you from asking one by one, I’ll tell you the whole story.”

Xiao Qianqing sat down too, smiling: “Uncle Emperor, would you like me to tell it instead?”

He called Gui Wuchang “Uncle Emperor” – it seems they had recognized each other long ago.

From Xiao Qianqing’s earlier conversation with Sect Leader Chen, it seemed he had been forced to obey her due to the previous Prince of Chu’s oath.

So now he was working with Gui Wuchang?

Gui Wuchang wasn’t feeling very well, so he just nodded: “Alright, Qing’er, you tell it.”

Xiao Qianqing smiled and began relating the story to me.

This origin is traced back to the founding of the dynasty.

The Lingbi Sect was established in the seventh year of Emperor Taizong’s Dechang reign, while Emperor Taizong’s Empress Shengchun was recorded in history books as having passed away in the sixth year of Dechang.

The founder of the Lingbi Sect was none other than Emperor Taizong’s first empress.

This Empress Shengchun was the Princess Imperial of the previous Zi dynasty. When Emperor Taizong raised his army back then, it was under the princess’s banner that he rallied troops who pledged loyalty to him.

Later, after Emperor Taizong won the empire, he married Princess Imperial as his wife and made her empress. Throughout Emperor Taizong’s life, there was never a second consort in his imperial harem.

History had long since been obscured, and now even the Xiao clan’s descendants no longer knew what grievances existed between Emperor Taizong and Empress Shengchun. They only knew that in the sixth year of Dechang, Empress Shengchun vanished from the palace. Emperor Taizong announced to the outside world that Empress Shengchun had died suddenly of illness and buried her ceremonial robes in the imperial tomb.

The following year, a sect called “Lingbi” appeared in the jianghu.

Emperor Taizong passed away in the eighth year of Dechang. Before his death, he left a secret edict warning future emperors: first, they must not use military force to suppress the Lingbi Sect; second, they must not restrict the sect’s development; and third, they must not harm the Lingbi Sect’s leader.

This secret edict was passed down through generations, and each head of the Xiao clan – that is, each emperor – would see this edict before ascending the throne.

The edict also explained why Empress Shengchun established the Lingbi Sect.

This mysterious jianghu sect existed for one day overthrowing the Great Wu Empire.

Since ancient times, no dynasty has escaped the cycle of rising to greatness only to decline. When a dynasty deteriorates from deep-rooted problems to terminal illness, it inevitably brings violent upheaval, during which time beacons of war are lit in all directions and the people can barely survive.

When Great Wu flourished, the Lingbi Sect remained peaceful in their corner, but once the current sect leader determined that the empire had begun to decline and that this decline was irreversible, the Lingbi Sect would use all its power and any means necessary to accelerate the empire’s destruction.

Now Chen Luomo believed that Great Wu had reached the point of no return and needed to be swiftly overthrown.

The previous events, including my master’s death and Xiao Qianqing’s attempted coup and usurpation, were all orchestrated by her behind the scenes.

After Xiao Qianqing finished explaining all this, Gui Wuchang smiled: “The King’s Wind is the symbol of Xiao dynasty emperors, while the Willow Wind is the token of the Lingbi Sect leader. Young lady, your Willow Wind was given to you by your master, right? It must have been Luomo who had him pass it to you.”

No wonder my master said nothing when he gave me the Willow Wind – I had thought it was just an ordinary sword.

Frowning, I asked: “What did Sect Leader Chen give me the Willow Wind for?”

Gui Wuchang smiled again: “Perhaps Luomo thought you would take her side.”

Would I? If the emperor wasn’t Xiao Huan, then perhaps I really would have.

I’m not a naturally docile person by nature, and the desire for destruction and rebuilding has always been with me.

But after I saw how Xiao Huan exhausted himself for this empire, seeing that even now while in the jianghu, he hasn’t slackened at all.

I won’t be bewitched by Sect Leader Chen’s words anymore… moreover, I never wanted Xiao Huan to die.

Even when I thought he had killed my master, even when I thought he was my greatest enemy… I never wanted him to die, or even to harm him.

That sword strike back then was out of shock, not knowing what to do. This time shooting and wounding him was truly an accident. I thought his martial arts were far superior, so even if he was unwell, he would be fine. In the end, I was too hasty and wounded him by mistake again.

If you truly love someone, you can’t wait to share all their pain – how could you want to harm them?

Placing my clenched fist against my chest, I looked up to see Gui Wuchang’s pale face. Now he looked even more like Xiao Huan, and I could barely bring myself to look at his face as I asked softly: “There are misunderstandings between you and Sect Leader Chen too, aren’t there?”

Gui Wuchang was silent for a moment, not answering directly, but instead spoke quietly: “When Luomo was pregnant with Huan, she was poisoned with the Ice Snow Love Curse, that’s why Huan was born with the cold poison.”

He smiled slightly: “The world’s coldest Ice Snow Love Curse requires submerging someone in a pool atop Mount Tian for three days and three nights to take effect.

“That pool contains mysteriously cold water that has remained unfrozen for ten thousand years, colder than thousand-year-old ice and snow. In that pool, a person won’t freeze solid or die – they remain terrifyingly conscious throughout. When someone is submerged in the pool for three full days and three nights, that cold becomes carved into their bones, following them like a shadow for the rest of their life, eroding their body until death.”

I felt cold just listening to this and couldn’t help asking: “You didn’t go save her?”

“At that time, I was amid passion with another woman.” Gui Wuchang smiled faintly, lifting his eyes to gaze at some distant void, “For three days and three nights, I was continuously intimate with another woman.”

I suddenly felt like I’d seen this expression of his before, and stared at him blankly.

He smiled faintly: “So Luomo is being too kind to me with her current treatment.”

I didn’t know what to say, and could only remain silent.

After talking for a while, Gui Wuchang grew tired too, raising his hand to rub his forehead: “I apologize, I’m somewhat tired. I won’t keep you company tonight.”

I quickly said: “You’re injured, don’t leave the palace. Just sleep in my palace chambers tonight.”

Before Gui Wuchang could agree, Xiao Qianqing frowned and spoke: “Even if Uncle Emperor is to sleep in the palace, wouldn’t it be more appropriate in my chambers?”

I was startled for a moment, then understood and couldn’t help but smile.

Among my elders aside from my father, most were casual by nature. Gui Wuchang had always given me the feeling of an elder, and now knowing he was Xiao Huan’s imperial father, I naturally felt closer to him.

But Xiao Qianqing didn’t see it that way – he was worried about how it would look if Gui Wuchang stayed in my chambers, wasn’t he?

Gui Wuchang smiled and said to me: “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

He still insisted on leaving the forbidden palace. Xiao Qianqing and I saw him out, and he said to Xiao Qianqing: “Qing’er, step aside for a moment, I have something to tell the young lady.”

While Xiao Qianqing always met Xiao Huan with cold hostility, he seemed to deeply respect Gui Wuchang. He said “Yes” and stood some distance away.

Gui Wuchang smiled at me: “Young lady, what you most want to know is why Huan didn’t return to the palace to find you after I revived him, but instead became the master of Phoenix Tower, isn’t that right?”

I nodded and sighed: “I know he won’t tell me, so I hope you can.”

Gui Wuchang smiled again and began explaining: “That day when Huan took the Ultimate Pleasure Incense to force out the remaining internal energy in his body, his internal injuries were extremely severe. After the drug’s effects wore off, the backlash of internal energy would have certainly killed him. My two palm strikes to his dantian and tianzhong points were meant to disperse his chaotic internal energy, preventing it from striking his heart meridians, temporarily saving his life.

“After Huan fell down the steps, Xiao Qianqing risked death to take one of my palm strikes, carrying you out of the forbidden palace, while I took Huan out as well, finding a secluded place where it took more than ten days to revive him through treatment.”

“After he woke up, I told him everything I knew, including his mother’s plans. Luomo is from the jianghu, and you understand that sometimes jianghu matters can only be resolved through jianghu methods, so I let Huan choose: either stay in the jianghu and find a way to stop Luomo, or disperse all his martial arts to preserve his life and live peacefully for now.”

Disperse all his martial arts? In the dim light of the corridor lanterns, I looked up at Gui Wuchang.

On that face identical to Xiao Huan’s was an expression somewhat like compassion as he smiled: “There is one method that could save Huan’s life, preventing him from dying of severe illness. Mingshang said he couldn’t save Huan’s life because Huan refused to use this method, which was to forcibly disperse all his martial arts.

“The cold poison in Huan’s body came from his mother’s womb, and precisely because it came from the womb, Huan’s constitution is more resistant to the cold poison’s erosion than ordinary people. From the age of three, Huan began practicing the internal arts of the Xiao clan’s Vermilion Bird branch. These internal arts are of fire nature, extremely yang and fierce, powerful and violent yet unstable – the slightest carelessness can lead to deviation, failing to master the skills and instead endangering oneself. Thus, when Xiao clan members practice their family’s internal arts, they often supplement it with yin-cold internal arts to balance the violent nature of their family techniques. Huan was born with an extremely cold constitution, so he didn’t need to practice other internal arts – his natural constitution could naturally counteract the excessive violence of the internal arts. Therefore, one year of his practice was worth two or three years of others’, and judging by pure martial power alone, Huan is probably on par with me now.

“However, it is precisely this increasingly profound internal energy that has become the greatest threat to his life. Huan’s constitution is extremely cold, while the internal arts he practices are extremely hot. To use an analogy, what would happen if you took a porcelain cup that had held ice water and suddenly threw it into a fire pit?

Gui Wuchang smiled faintly: “Huan is now like that cup in the fire pit – whether it will crack is just a matter of time.”

I listened quietly, clenching my hands again, and nodded.

“That’s why I let him choose – either stop Luomo or disperse his martial arts.” Gui Wuchang smiled, “He chose not to disperse his martial arts and to stop Luomo instead.”

I forced a smile, twitching my lips: “I knew he would choose that.”

“Perhaps letting him make this choice was forcing him to choose to stop Luomo,” Gui Wuchang smiled again, “If there’s anyone in this world who could make Luomo change her mind, it would be Huan.”

“What about you?” I blurted out, “Couldn’t you do it?”

“I cannot,” Gui Wuchang showed no surprise, still smiling faintly, “Long ago I asked Luomo if everything would end if I died, and Luomo said it wouldn’t.”

“Then why not just kill that Sect Leader? Wouldn’t everything be over if she died?” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

Sure enough, Gui Wuchang looked at me somewhat strangely and shook his head: “Emperor Taizong’s decree states that no Xiao clan descendant may harm the Lingbi Sect leader.”

I nodded and continued asking: “Is it only because of Emperor Taizong’s decree? What if there was no such decree?”

“If there wasn’t?” Gui Wuchang turned his head slightly, his face pale and peaceful in the dim lantern light, “No, I cannot harm Luomo, even if I were to die, I still couldn’t.”

He smiled again: “I’m sorry about hurting you with the hidden weapon at Shanhai Pass back then.”

I was startled for a moment. The hidden weapon in my chest hadn’t been deep, not enough to be fatal. If Gui Wuchang had truly wanted to kill me, it wouldn’t have been so mild.

So even then I had vaguely sensed some of his intentions.

I shook my head and smiled: “It’s nothing. If not for that incident, Brother Xiao and I wouldn’t have reconciled.”

Though he was quite willful – I was one thing, but Xiao Huan was his only son, yet he could be so harsh, putting Xiao Huan in danger.

But looking at Sect Leader Chen’s actions… this whole family was truly ruthless enough.

Smiling, Gui Wuchang finally said: “This battle at Mount Tian Sect was probably arranged by Luomo. She wants to take Huan’s life at Mount Tian, so Huan will go.”

I smiled and said to him: “Thank you.”

Gui Wuchang bid farewell and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the palace walls in the night.

Sure enough, on the second day after my return to the capital, Hong Qing brought news from Jinling: Xiao Huan had already led the remaining elite members of the Tower toward Mount Tian.

On the day I heard this news, the weather was very cold, with water freezing into ice. Thick dark clouds pressed down from the northern horizon – the first heavy snow of this winter was about to arrive.