Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  After combing his hair, he turned around, and while grinning from ear to ear, asked, “How do I look?” His eyes were dark and hollow, as the moonlight illuminated his face with a thin veil of whiteness. He seemed ever so handsome with his long and narrow eyes and tall nose, along with his porcelain-like face. He exuded the aura of royalty, yet a glimpse of death spread from within the center of his eyes, as his complexion turned an unnatural white, like white jade covered with dust. 

  Chu Qiao forced a smile. “You are exceedingly handsome.” 

  Li Ce frowned and asked, “Are you praising me?” 

  Seeing Chu Qiao nod, he then smiled happily, like how he had when he first met her. 

  “Li Ce,” Chu Qiao tried to suppress the sadness in her heart as she asked softly, “do you have any wishes in your heart?” 

  “Wishes?” Li Ce frowned and thought for a while before lightly laughing, “I have none.” His breath suddenly started to grow light and hurried. Stretching out at her, Li Ce lightly asked, “Qiaoqiao, let me hug you.” 

  The wind outside suddenly got stronger and blew open the small window. The moon colored the huge hall a milky white, and the surroundings were all polished; white like snow. Wind blew from the Tai Qing pond from afar, bringing with it a waft of a lotus aroma. Chu Qiao’s throat seemed to have been bitten by someone and hurt significantly. Kneeling on the ground, she leaned into his bosom, as tears rolled down her face, wetting his clothes. The breathing on the top of her head gradually vanished, like the sakura blossom that had fallen, without any sound left. With the moon shining from the side, it was as though time had reversed, as the attractive man in crimson clothes, with his jet black hair, landed behind her, asking her, “Are you not stopping?” 

  Time was like a dream, and as the grandiosity faded away, only a vast emptiness was left. 

  Chu Qiao’s eyes were like a piece of amber that shimmered alone, glimmering with a dying light. With her hollow eyes, she sat up and look over. He merely sat there silently with his head slanted as though he had sunk into a deep dream. 

  The fragments of memories started to fall apart, as the man who had been covered with a facade of royalty and wealth had shed his disguise layer by layer. Whether it the beautiful women he had courted, or the luxuries he had enjoyed, all but loneliness had vanished like the dying lights of a setting sun, dissolving into the darkness of the night. 

  The doors to the room suddenly opened, and the pale moonlight illuminated her figure. One could see a crowd of officials and ladies kneeling in the distance. 

  Sun Di stared at her, with a question in his trembling eyes. She stared back at him, completely without a soul in her eyes, and her entire body felt numb. Ultimately, she still slowly nodded. 

  “The Emperor has passed on––” 

  A cacophony of crying pierced the skies and rocked the palace. The horns of grieving pierced through the night fog. 

  Lifting up her head, Chu Qiao’s thin clothes fluttered in the wind. In the empty sky, she seemed to see a clean face with a pair of long eyes smiling slyly at her like a fox. 

  A servant rushed over from an alleyway and quietly reported to Sun Di. They were too far, but the wind still blew traces of their words into Chu Qiao’s ears. 

  “When the grieving horns sounded…… Smashed head onto a table corner…… Full of blood, can’t be saved…… Ultimately……is the mother to the emperor……” 

  In the frosty moonlight, Chu Qiao’s blood seemed to have frozen, as a stream of clear tears rolled down her cheeks yet again, dripping onto the ground of this palace that had seen too many lives and deaths. 

  The street of the Tang Capital seemed ever so beautiful, as a refreshing aroma of lotuses diffused into the atmosphere carried by the wind. The trees swayed in the wind like the torso of dancers. With the arrival of dusk, the birds flew back to their nests, and the crimson-colored world seemed like it had been colored in blood. 

  With the tragic passing of the Tang Empire, everyone wore simple mourning clothes, and even the lanterns were hung up with white cloth covering them. Walking on the streets, one could even smell the desolation. As the sky dimmed and light gave way to the darkness, the round moon rose in the distant sky. 

  It had already been one month since Li Ce’s passing, and it was now a festival known as the White Moon festival. Zhuge Yue had sent his men countless times to fetch her away, yet she stubbornly remained. A lingering thought remained in her mind, causing her to be unable to leave freely. Occasionally, she would wake up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat. With Li Ce leaving, he brought along with him the music and parties in the palace, as the vast palace sank into a destitute silence. Walking in the long and narrow pathways in the palace, one could even hear one’s heartbeat. The rhythmic beating would continuously remind her of the fact that some people had left, and that there are still some who are alive, and that there are still some things that she had yet to do. 

  She had walked this path with Li Ce before. That night, as she woke from her coma, he was like a big boy as he held her hand, and passing through nine layers of gates, many gardens, and even passing through layers of ornamental mountains, they exited the palace. Sharing one horse, he sat before her, chuckling while pointing out the direction. Not only that, he would occasionally turn back to laugh at the guards who were worried like ants on a hot plate. 

  In the blink of an eye, things had changed, and some things, some people, had vanished into the river of time. The streets of today were nowhere as busy as that day, and was silent everywhere; only a few shops remained open. In the middle of national mourning, all festivities were canceled, and civilians no longer headed out of their house. Without customers, naturally, the shops would not open. The usually bustling street turned into a ghost town, with only the withered leaves falling through air, occasionally falling onto her pure white clothes. 

  After walking for very long, she reached the noodle shop that Li Ce had ate with her in. Surprisingly, they were still open, but there were no customers. The man was sitting on the chair and seemed like he was almost going to fall asleep. Seeing that she had entered the shop, he jumped up, and after carefully inspecting her, he wiped a table clean and signaled for her to sit down. His wife still looked the same, and the passage of time seemed to have left no trace on her face. She always exuded the same diligent aura. Walking before Chu Qiao, her eyes remain unfocused, yet she smiled and greeted her, “Missy, it has been a long time.” 

  Chu Qiao was taken aback, and asked, “You remember me?” 

  “He could recognize, and had called me out.” The lady sincerely smiled and pointed to her husband standing behind her. Blushing lightly, the man smiled, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. 

  “Where is that Mister? It has been long since he last came here.” 

  That woman suddenly asked, still smiling with her eyes looking like two new moons. Wind had blown from the other side of the street. The man immediately took a step up, blocking the dust from his wife. That stream of motion seemed ever so natural. 

  Chu Qiao was a bit surprised by the man’s actions, and for a moment she forgot to reply to the female owner. The woman continued to ask, “Missy? Missy?” 

  Chu Qiao turned to her, and lightly smiled. “Oh, he headed to a distant place.” 

  “Oh.” The woman nodded. “Then, when will he come back?” 

  As the autumn wind continued to blow, and the leaves piled up in corners, Chu Qiao’s heart froze up bit by bit. Her complexion turned pale, and she felt a choking sensation in her throat. After thinking for a moment, she softly replied, “He moved away, and perhaps he will never come back.” 

  The woman could not see Chu Qiao’s expression and wanted to continue to ask, yet she was tugged on by her husband. This intelligent lady immediately understood, and turned around and left. Before long, a bowl of steaming noodles was served, along with a plate of beef and half a plate of prawn dumplings. Even from afar, one could smell the vinegar. 

  Chu Qiao picked up her chopsticks, and after wiping it with her handkerchief, she started to eat. The noodles were boiling hot with diced spring onions sprinkled over the top, giving off a pleasant aroma. Chu Qiao ate slowly. It had been too long since she had eaten a proper meal, and her stomach was flipping with acid, as though she was about to vomit. 

  “The dumplings will get cold quickly,” a crisp voice sounded out. Chu Qiao turned around and saw a girl who was about ten-years-old, she looked extremely familiar. Looking at the female owner, Chu Qiao could instantly remember this girl, and she called out, “Qian’er?” 

  The kid frowned, and completely serious, she asked Chu Qiao, “You know me?” 

  Chu Qiao smiled and did not speak much. The child sat on the chair next to her and asked, “You came here to eat before?” 

  “Yes.” Chu Qiao nodded. 

  A familiar sound of aninstrument resounded. Chu Qiao lifted her head, only to see that the shadow puppet play at the corner of the street started performing again. 

  “Do you like to listen to those plays?” the kid asked. 

  Chu Qiao could not help but smile gently as she caressed the kid’s hair while asking, “You are still interested in those plays?” 

  “I am here with my parents every day, and there was nothing I could do anyways. Hearing your accent, you must not be a local. Can you understand what they are saying?” 

  Chu Qiao shook her head. 

  The kid quickly suggested, “Then let me explain the story to you.” 

  “I heard you tell me the story before.” 

  “It is a new show!” The kid explained, “It is a show from last, last, last, last, last month, a new show!” 

  Seeing her enthusiasm, Chu Qiao had no choice. “Go ahead, tell me the story.” 

  The singing began, and it certainly sounded like it was different from the past. Not only that, but there were more singers and more instruments, yet their business seemed like they were failing. The surroundings were empty, with only two toddlers rolling around before the stage without a single proper audience. They still carried on the performance with the utmost professionalism. The shadow of a lively shadow appeared on the screen. Even from afar, one could see the intricate designs of the facial features. 

  “He is the Prince.” It was the same introduction, only that the prince now was different from in the past, as the intricate craftsmanship could suggest, along with much more detailed instruments. No matter how one look at it, one could tell that it was no longer a poor group. 

  At this time, another shadow appeared. 

  “That is a lady,” the kid explained seriously. “There was a time that the prince headed out of his country and encountered this lady. The lady knew martial arts and beat up the prince. The prince was rather angry and wanted to take revenge, but later, something happened, and the prince fell in love with her.” 

  In these years, the kid had clearly improved in her storytelling abilities. Lifting her head up at Chu Qiao, the kid asked, “Do you want to know what had happened?” 

  Chu Qiao’s hand that was holding her chopsticks froze, and she stiffly nodded. 

  Proudly, the kid smiled and continued, “There was a time that they met an evil person, and the kind lady saved the prince a few times. The prince thought that this lady was so honorable, he wanted to bring her back to be his wife. Unfortunately, the lady did not like this prince but liked someone else. Later on, she left with that person.” 

  At this time, another person appeared on the stage. This figure was different from the other two, and the puppet was poorly made, as it did not even wear clothes, and in its hand, there was a wooden stick. 

  “But that man was a bad man. Not only was he unreasonable, but he was also ugly and poor, and liked to bully others. In the end, the lady suddenly came to her senses, so she left this man.” 

  At this time, another character appeared on the stage. 

  “The lady fell in love with another person. But this man was not good either. Not only was he arrogant, but he was also a bully, and very ugly. He might even have some special interests as he had been particularly close with another prince in the country. In any case, this new man could very well be a crazy person.” 

  And with that, the young girl heaved a long sigh and continued, “Finally, the lady grew up, and finally realized her mistake again, and with all her determination, she left the second person as well and came back to look for the prince. The prince had already risen to power and became the Emperor. Not only was he handsome, but he was also rich and well disciplined. He was kind and sincere. The lady was regretful and cried and knelt before the house of the Emperor, pleading to marry him. In the end, the Emperor reluctantly agreed.”


  Chapter 233: Chapter 233 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  The two characters on the stage disappeared, leaving two shadows on the table. The child said with a glancing smile, “After that, they got married and lived happily ever after. They had many children together. The boys were as handsome as the big Emperor, and the girls were as pretty as the Emperor too. They lived in bliss to a ripe old age, till their teeth all dropped off. Finally, when the deity in the sky learned about this, he made them deities, promising to let them spend the rest of eternity together, never to be apart.” 

  She started to feel another bout of sadness surging up her heart. Her eyes started to ache slightly; the pitch of her voice changed a little as she asked, “I didn’t hear you say this story the last time round.” 

  “That play was bought by a young master who was a wastrel. He came here often to eat noodles. He let them perform this play here daily, till everyone got sick of it. The boss of the play, Granny Qin, was very sad. You’re a foreigner. Did you enjoy hearing that story for the first time? Do you like this story? Do you want to go to Granny Qin’s house to hear it again? She’ll be very happy.” 

  As the wind blew, Chu Qiao used her sleeve to cover her face and turned around. The child asked in a warm tone, “Did something get in your eye?” 

  As Chu Qiao remained silent, the child thought that she had really got something in her eye. The child said hurriedly, “Wait here. I’ll get some vegetable oil for you.” 

  As the child finished her words, she jumped off the table to retrieve the item. When she came back, the seat was empty. A full bag of silver was left on the table. 

  The streets were cold; there were no pedestrians, acrobats, merchants, nor dancers. The surface of the lake was tranquil; no boats could be seen. She was the only person on the street, like a wandering spirit floating around in solitude. As she passed by a candy shop, she stopped in her tracks for a while before heading in to buy some snacks. Those were what Li Ce had bought for her last time. There were candied fruit, dates, osmanthus cakes, and chestnuts, all packaged in one bag. As she walked, she ate slowly. She chewed the snacks in a robotic motion. As she thought of the child’s story earlier on, her eyes started to tear again as the tears flowed into her mouth. The salty smell of the tears, along with the scent of the candy, made the taste in her mouth very bitter. Her memories were like fragments, floating around in her head. 

  “You should thank me properly then. Saving your life is no ordinary favor. Why not you stay here in Tang and marry me to repay the favor?” Back then, he stood in front of her as he mentioned these words to her jovially. 

  As she was surrounded by Zhao Yang, he intervened at the critical moment. With a certain type of swagger and ruggedness, he embraced her as he said repeatedly: It’s alright. It’s alright. 

  As she wandered in the depths of the abyss, he appeared in front of her and consoled her by saying: Qiaoqiao, why don’t you let yourself off? 

  In that cold night at the palace, he appeared in a drunken state and hugged her unknowingly. After that, he said with a smile: Fu’er’s figure is much better than yours. ……

  She had not known all along. The bottom of her heart was like a forbidden zone—she had never explored it. She did not know whether she really felt indifferent, or if she had just been deceiving herself. She did not want to know anymore. 

  The clear, pale moonlight shone on the ground, illustrating the beauty of the crabapple flowers by the roadside. They glowed a bright red, like the color of high-grade cosmetics. As the wind blew across them, the flower petals fluttered in mid-air before landing on Chu Qiao’s hair and clothes. 

  “Foxy Li, did you like anyone else before?” In the radiant courtyard of Mihe Residences, they sat shoulder to shoulder under the crabapple tree that they had shifted from the street back to the palace. As she frowned, she questioned and looked at Li Ce suspiciously, who was diligently trying to pick the portrait of the most beautiful woman. 

  “Of course!” Li Ce raised his eyebrows and replied in a serious tone, “Yesterday night, I loved Yu’er from Ranli Palace. Her skin was smooth as silk, her legs were so long. Compared to……” 

  “Shut up, shut up!” Chu Qiao interrupted him as she frowned. “I’m talking about……about……that kind of ‘like’. It’s like…… It’s like……” 

  Li Ce looked at her from the side of his eyes and added in disdain, “Like how that Zhuge fellow likes you, right?” 

  Chu Qiao blushed and replied nonchalantly, “Yes! You’re right! So what?” 

  “What can I do to you?” Li Ce sneered as he lowered his head to continue picking his portrait. After a while, he suddenly nodded and exclaimed. 

  Chu Qiao was stunned as she asked, “What was that for?” 

  Li Ce replied impatiently, “Didn’t you ask me whether I liked someone else like that Zhuge fellow? I’m answering your question.” 

  “Ah? You liked someone else before? Why didn’t I know?” 

  Li Ce laughed heartily as he looked up towards the sky, saying with a glimmer in his voice, “If you could guess my thoughts that easily, wouldn’t I lose all my face?” 

  Chu Qiao continued to probe with the intention to gossip, “What does your crush look like?” 

  “Nothing special,” Li Ce mentioned casually. “Her figure is ordinary, she has a short temper, she likes to split hairs. Most importantly, she has someone else in her heart already. She doesn’t like me.” 

  “Ah?” Chu Qiao was shocked as she asked subconsciously, “Why don’t you tell her then?” 

  Li Ce smiled chicly and replied, “It’s better to keep that sort of stuff in your heart. Why say it out? Furthermore……” His voice droned out as he paused slightly. The wind blew from the direction of Taiqing Lake, lifting up a loose strand of hair on his temple. He looked up and gazed afar at the surface of the lake, appearing lost in the moment for an instant. “Furthermore, I may never have the chance to tell her that in my life anymore.” 

  Chu Qiao looked at him silently back then, seemingly visualizing the landscape in the distance through his eyes. She had thought of Princess Fu, who had hung herself on the sycamore tree. She had thought of Murong Fu’er, who killed herself on the day of her wedding for the king of Luo. She sympathized with him as she thought to herself: If not for that, this lad might have been a decent person. 

  Her eyes started to water up again as the tears flowed down her face. The cold winds blew as the red petals of the crabapple flower scattered around in mid-air, making the sight seem like a flower storm. 

  The desolate winds swept through the city, leaving behind it a trail of red. The black curtains in the palace were replaced with white ones. In one night, the emperor had passed away, while the empress dowager had killed herself. For the next 49 days, the funeral bells rang out as the nation grieved. 

  On the day Li Ce was buried in the imperial mausoleum, Chu Qiao moved out of Jinwu Palace. As the autumn leaves became a rarity, the landscape looked bleak. She was dressed in a cotton white dress as she stood atop Xilan Gates, looking at the party sending him off on his final journey as they disappeared at the end of the street. 

  The sunset painted the landscape a golden yellow. Tall patches of weeds had grown on the wastelands outside Tang Jing as they swayed around with the desolate autumn winds. Amidst the twilight, the birds flew southwards. A bright red color appeared in the sky. As her shadow became longer and thinner, it reflected onto the city walls of Tang Jing, which had gone through hundreds of years of storms. 

  Li Ce, forgive me for not being able to send you off. Take care. 

  As the sun set, the moon soared above the mountain peaks, projecting its rays of light onto her clothes and pale face. As she inhaled the airs of autumn, a sour feeling suddenly started to brew within her heart, spreading across her body. Her heart was cold. 

  Meixiang walked towards her and whispered, “Miss, let’s go.” 

  She stared at the street for one last time, before turning around and stepping away inch by inch. The city walls were dark and looked ferocious, like a dormant beast waiting to eat away at her last bits of determination. 

  The dust was swept up as she stepped on the ground. The big birds spread their black wings as they circled in the sky. She walked down, step by step, as if she was wandering into a deep swamp. Behind her was a barren wasteland. Further on, the majestic mountains of Tang, prosperous cities awaited her. Finally, the pass was stationed at the end of those places. After that, the territory of Xia lay in wait. 

  Having traversed through countless lands, she did not manage to escape the river of fate as she was swept along by its currents. 

  A carriage stopped under the city gates. Sun Di was dressed in a green outfit and appeared handsome as he stood at the side to welcome her respectfully. Softly, he said, “Miss, please get in the carriage.” 

  “I want to walk alone,” Chu Qiao replied softly with a calm expression on her face. 

  As Meixiang wanted to butt in, Sun Di handed a lantern over to Chu Qiao and said, “The journey at night is difficult. Miss, please head back early.” The finely cultivated paper lantern was wrapped around the light, as it gave off a pale white glow. Chu Qiao nodded as she turned around to leave with the lantern. Meixiang followed behind her in a hurried manner, but was held back by Sun Di as the young man shook his head slightly. The crescent moon shone on the young lady as she wandered off into the distance. 

  Today was Li Ce’s funeral. There was not a single soul on the streets, only the crabapple flowers swaying by the roadside and scattering its petals about. 

  “Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao……” In that instant, she seemed to hear him calling out again. The man frowned with a cunning look in his eyes, as he looked at her with a smile. 

  The landscape looked utopian as the lights sparkled. The fog clouded the man’s eyes, making them appear pale and lonely. Finally, he leaned on the chair as he smiled at her weakly, reached out his arms, and called out, “Qiaoqiao, let me hug you.” 

  A teardrop flowed out of the young lady’s eyes. She did not wipe it off as she continued to walk along. The lantern let out a faint ray of white light, similar to the moonlight. 

  She had been through a lot for the past ten or so years. Half her life, she had wandered along a difficult path. She had fallen and picked herself up many times, but she had ultimately ended up on an uncertain path. Her past self had been trapped by love. She had experienced it all, from being touched, to being helpless, to being stubborn, weak and to being sad. Presently, that incompetent woman had died along with her unfortunate plight. 

  “Life is a bed of thorns. If one’s self and heart remain unmoved, one will not get hurt. If one’s self and heart are moved, the pain will pierce all the way through to the bones, making one’s life a living hell.” 

  Zhuge Yue, you were right. I’m like you, having been thrown into that bed of thorns. Instead of shutting my heart off, why not I open up and cut off the thorns around me? 

  As her tears dropped into the lantern, a gust of wind blew towards it as well, extinguishing the flame inside the lantern. All that was visible was a foggy road that led upwards. She took a deep breath and threw the lantern to the ground. She straightened her back and walked forward. She swore to herself that this would be the last teardrop that she shed in her life. From then on, she would not cry again even if she bled herself dry. 

  There were bright rows of lights ahead. From afar, a flamboyant residence sat amongst the colorful flowers. The majestic lights shone everywhere, making the sight a spectacular one. 

  Sun Di was dressed in a clean outfit as he stood in front of the door holding a palace light, awaiting her return. “Miss, have you sorted your thoughts out?” 

  Chu Qiao looked at him as the silvery-white moonlight shone on her face. She nodded silently and said in a heavy tone, “I’ve never been so clear.” 

  Sun Di laughed and handed his paper lantern to her. With that, he said with a smile, “The journey at night is difficult. Let this lantern light the way for you then.” 

  “The candlelights can be extinguished by the wind, but the flames of passion in the heart cannot.” Chu Qiao walked in front of him towards the flamboyant residence and added in a heavy tone, “From now, my eyes will be my lantern while my heart will be the flame in the lantern.” 

  When she stepped into the gates of the residence, an intense array of lights greeted her, blinding her for an instant. A white jade passageway led all the way from the entrance to the front hall. The water in the pools by the sides of the room was pristine clear. There were countless rooms in the building, adorned by portraits and statues. A fragrance lingered around the walls of the building. Curtains that were made of brocade and pearls hung everywhere. The pillars were made of gold. The setting was like the spring winds in the third month of the year, mesmerizing anyone who got in contact with it.

  Chapter 234: Chapter 234 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  Qiu Sui stepped up, and with deference, she firmly declared, “Lady, after you left, His Majesty began to build this place, and after over two years, it was finally done.” 

  Many servants knelt on the ground and kowtowed upon seeing Chu Qiao arrive. 

  Chu Qiao walked along, only to see that the palace was constructed using sandalwood, and lighting was encapsulated in crystals, with fragrance exuding from the walls. The waves of the veils looked like a sea, and large crystals were embedded in the walls, emitting a weak light as though they were the moon in the night. There was a multicolored bird carved on the central pillar, decorated by golden powder, gleaming in the shine of the candlelight. At the side, there were drawings of Yulan flowers. The display had probably been aptly soaked with the Yulan aroma oils, as the fragrance of the flower wafted in the area. She was suddenly reminded of that night when he had childishly snatched the headdress of the maidservants and stuck it along with a flower into her head. 

  I hereby specially decree that, you, Lady Chu, for your diligence, wisdom, honorable conduct, along with your kindness and generosity, I will bestow upon you the title of (____). May you be blessed forever. 

  Below those scripts, there was the sign of Li Ce’s stamp, and only the title was not filled up. 

  Sun Di walked up, and firmly informed, “On that day, His Majesty had not decided on the title. Even after discussing with others multiple times, and even the Ceremonial Department sent some suggestions, His Majesty was still displeased, and as a result, it was left blank. Who knew, after delaying, he had lost the chance forever.” 

  Chu Qiao quietly stood there, and the light gently shone on her pale face. Biting her lips, her finger held the piece of paper with all her force that even her knuckle turned white. 

  Within the room, there were all kinds of rare treasures dowries that he had prepared for her. It was apparent that those items had been stored here for a long time. 

  Her tear glands started to warm up, as her brows furrowed up. Her voice was deep, with a slight tremble, as she calmly said, “Since I had not been given a title, that matter shall be left to rest. Do not bring it up again.” 

  Sun Di nodded, “Lady, you are indeed wise. It is pretty late already. Please rest, this subordinate will leave first.” As he finished his sentence, he left. 

  The maroon door slammed shut. The boom seemed like a distant thunder rolling past the floor of the mansion. 

  Mei Xiang walked over with a letter in her hand while frowning, “Miss, Master Zhuge sent letters again.” 

  Chu Qiao’s expression softened. Receiving the letter, she clenched it in her fist but did not open up to read its contents. The cold sweat in her palm soaked into the letter, turning it slightly moist. 

  Mei Xiang frowned, and reminded her, “Miss, this is the ninth letter. If you do not reply, Master Zhuge will get worried.” 

  Quietly sitting there, Chu Qiao did not respond. Her eyes stared at the candlelight by the window, as though her mind was lost in thought. 

  Yan Bei and the Xia Empires resumed their battles. Below Yanming Pass, there had already been four battles. The frontlines stretched all the way to the south side of Batuha lands. 

  Along with the Mu family in Ling Nan, and the young master of Jing, Jing Han, Zhao Yang had commanded the entire strength of the Southwest forces. They stood opposing Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che’s Northern forces at the Phoenix Tower. The situation in Xia was extremely volatile, as though things could fall apart anytime. 

  The Emperor had been sick for too long, and had already not appeared in court for over one year. Wei Guang had claimed that he was sick too, and had stepped away from the limelight of politics. Who knows what this cunning old fox was plotting. At this time moment, the entire scene in the Xia Empire was like a can of gunpowder. The moment anyone struck even a single match, it would explode into a fireball of chaos. 

  This point was something that even she could understand, how could he not? 

  Mei Xiang could not help but ask, “Miss, what are we doing now?” 

  Chu Qiao’s vision turned to her, with frost in her gaze. Slowly, and coldly, Chu Qiao spat out only one word, “Wait.” 

  The succession ceremony of the new Emperor was to be held the next day. 

  In the gigantic palace, a young kid was sitting on the huge dragon throne. Behind the veils that were situated at the back of the throne, there were two neatly dress women. They were the mother of the Emperor, Empress Yuan, and Noble Consort Zhan. 

  In the spacious palace, Zhan Ziyu, as the King of Shezheng, sat quietly, with his figure along causing pressure. His jet black clothes were embroidered with six dragons, and his lips were curled up in an almost undetectable smile, utterly confident in himself. 

  As Li Ce had never declared his Empress, and he had no siblings, along with the fact that his death was all too sudden and even the previous Empress had passed on, there was no other choice but to instate the eldest son Li Xiuyi as the Emperor. The mother of the eldest son, Lady Yuan, was from the lowest class and was not judged to have the blue royal blood that fully qualified her to listen to the morning court. As such, Lady Ming became the stepmother to the young Emperor, and would supervise the morning court. 

  The Emperor was merely six years out. With the two ladies listening on the national matters, it became clear as day that others had grasped the actual authority. Empress Yuan had no family, so the entire power was in the hands of the Zhan siblings who had been exiled to beyond the Tang Empire prior. 

  The changes in the politics were so quick and furious, much like the deep undercurrents of the oceans. One could never see them coming, yet they were swift and deadly. 

  The loyal subordinates of the previous emperor were undoubtedly suppressed. Most of them were locked up by the court and investigated based on suspicion of assisting the Luo King during the rebellion. All the servants that were by Li Ce’s side on the day of his passing were beheaded, and all the ladies of the harem were chased out of the palace and were forced to convert to nuns. 

  The new rulers had created a stir, sweeping through the Tang Empire like a typhoon. The cold sword of death hung by a hair above the entire Tang Empire, and anyone who dared oppose the new rule would be awarded death. 

  Under this ruthless rule, many hesitating old officials changed their sides, and even after the morning court, they would crowd at the Residence of the King of Shezheng like a pack of wolves. 

  What surprised Chu Qiao was that under such a situation, the first person to stand out and oppose this was Elder Liu who had repeatedly gone against Li Ce. 

  On the first of September, before the gates of Jinwu Palace, Elder Liu scolded that the Zhan siblings were the people who had staged everything, and the first assassination was full of suspicious points. Zhan Ziyu, Zhan Ziming were traitors who deserved to die. After saying that, he slammed himself onto the blades of their guards while shouting the name of Emperor Li Ce. With that, he died on the spot. 

  Zhan Ziyu was sitting in the carriage and had not even appeared even once. Only when EIder Liu’s body had already been taken away did he walked out. He threw out some money and told the relatives of Elder Liu to use the money for his funeral. 

  Chu Qiao was eating when she heard that notice. Pingan had told her this information cautiously, and even then, hearing that, Chu Qiao’s hand trembled so hard that half her soup spilled out from her spoon. After that, she thought over that incident for a long time. 

  After the incident about Elder Liu was spread throughout the entire Tang Empire, there was a huge upheaval. All kinds of scholars gathered at Tang Jing. The enraged academics wrote long essays and those had spread to within the palace requesting for the law enforcement departments to properly investigate the incident. 

  Two days later, Zhan Ziyu had begun his ruthless suppression of those scholars. For a moment the prison was filled with people shouting angrily. The supervisor of the jail frowned as he asked Zhan Ziyu as to what to do. The young King of Shezheng casually left behind a sentence, “Isn’t there still place at the Huangquan hill outside of the city?” 

  The supervisor felt chills down his spine. The Huangquan hill was a mass grave, so he naturally understood what this young King of Shezheng meant. 

  In the afternoon of the same day, the jail accidentally caught fire, and the prisoners in it were mostly injured or killed, turning into bodies that had been burnt to a crisp. Those bodies were thrown messily into the mass grave without any cover from the elements, turning into the food of beasts. The jail ended the incident by handing over two jail guards who had been drunk while on duty. 

  27th of September, it was deep into autumn, and it was a windy day. 

  The morning court on this day was a tad different from usual, and was handled entirely by the King of Shezheng, Zhan Ziyu. There was only Zhan Ziming behind the blinds listening in as well. The imperial doctors said that the Emperor caught a cold, and his mother was taking care of the Emperor, and would be absent as well. 

  Before the crowds had time to react, there was a golden throne that was lifted out from the back of the main palace. There was a dragon carved onto the seat, and with nine tails fluttering with majesty, it was as grandiose as the Emperor’s throne. 

  The messenger who usually read the royal decree praised Zhan Ziyu without any sense of shame, before reaching for the royal decree and announcing that that seat was ordered by the Emperor himself, and that considering Zhan Ziyu’s weak constitution, the Emperor wishes that Zhan Ziyu could seat on the seat. Not only that, the Lingxiao Palace that was situated within the Jinwu Palace would be given to the King of Shezheng to reduce the travel time every day. 

  Zhan Ziyu seemed to be reluctant at receiving this honor, but after the crowd convincing him for a while, he sat down on the new throne. At one glance, it was hard to tell which seat was the actual throne. 

  On that night, after Chu Qiao put down a letter she had just read, she heaved a sigh before telling Tie You, “Go back and look after the Emperor. The time is near.” 

  In the middle of the night three days later, a loud cacophony erupted in Jinwu Palace. Those who were deep in their slumber were rudely awoken, as the officials and civilians rushed out of their home and looked at the origin of the noise. All that they could see was that in the direction of Jinwu Palace, even the sky was colored by the bright crimson of flames, with sounds of fighting breaking out almost everywhere, with groaning and shrieking sounding off everywhere. 

  At that moment, everyone was all stunned. Some cowardly men quickly brought their family into their house and shut all their doors and windows tight in fear of being caught up in the conflict. The only ones left spectating were some officials who stared at the palace and murmuring, “Seems like power will be changing hands again.” 

  At midnight, the palace gate had been opened up. In a gown of blood, Lu Yunxi rushed out with his 3,000 elite soldiers, and informed Chu Qiao who was standing before the Tai’an Gate, “Lady, we had already taken over the Lingxiao Palace.” 

  Under the pitch black backdrop of the sky, Chu Qiao’s dark maroon clothes seemed to merge into the night. On her clothes, there was a golden embroidery of the mandarin duck, and her jaded like complexion stood out in the jet darkness, her beautiful feature shining through the fog of the night like a lighthouse. Behind her, there were the 10,000 strong Xiuli soldiers. Completely calm, He Xiao sat on his war horse and guarded by her side. The white flag that had a red cloud on it fluttered high above everyone’s head. The rainclouds loomed over everyone’s head, covering any other light from the moon and the stars. Even as the warm light from the torches shone onto Chu Qiao’s face, she seemed like an emotionless sword, ready to strike. 

  “Enter.” Her cold voice softly sounded off, yet, it was firm, and pierced into everyone’s ears. 

  As the wind raged passed, it sent Chu Qiao’s clothes fluttering. Lifting up her sharp chin, Chu Qiao squinted as she lightly tapped the stomach of her horse with her feet, signaling for the horse to enter the majesty palace. 

  As the last guard of Xiaoling Palace fell, the inferno in the west palace had been extinguished. Du Pingan led a group of soldiers up, with a gleam of determination shining in his eyes. It was as though in this one night he had matured as a man. 

  With all her forces consolidated, more than 10,000 soldiers stood behind Chu Qiao, with their bright torches illuminating the entire sky, along with the countless bodies that litter the marvelous palace. 

  Chu Qiao’s horse trotted up the white marble stairs. The banner that indicated that this was the residence of the King of Shezheng, something that normal people would not even dare to look up at, was smashed onto the ground and with the horses’ trampling, there were crisp sounds of it shattering into a million pieces. 

  A servant who was good at observing stepped up and loudly hailed her and welcomed this great marshal. Seeing him, Chu Qiao stepped on his back without reservation, using him as a step to get off the horse as she paced toward the palace. 

  The palace door suddenly opened as she was welcomed with a wave of cold wind that was infused with incense, sending her maroon cape fluttering in the wind. Her sword that hung at the waist gleamed with a lethal coldness that seemed to pierce deep into her enemy’s hearts. In the empty hall, Zhan Ziyu sat alone, and it was like the two of them had returned to those days when the man in a green blouse sat on a wooden wheelchair while facing the crashing waves of the rivers. She could still vividly remember his crystal clear eyes and his deep voice as he asked, “Who was there?”