Pity the hibiscus blooming beneath your courtyard.

By the banks of the Wei River, the Yanxue Pavilion stood beside the water, its dazzling lights and revelry from the first floor reflected on the surface below, where fish and birds had settled for the night, yet the water still rippled with mottled waves.

Fu Lanchen, clad in a deep blue, brocade-patterned wide-sleeved robe, stood alone at the dock, gazing silently at the sky. On this night, there were neither stars nor moon; only the transparent hue of the Wei River, its cold light faint and fragile.

A black-clad man, armed with blade and arrows, approached quietly, standing behind Fu Lanchen and slowly kneeling. "Zhang Qi, Commandant of Shuozhou, pays respects to Your Highness."

Fu Lanchen remained unmoved at the sound, replying, "Commandant Zhang, rise and speak."

Just then, from within the Yanxue Pavilion came a melody of zither and strings—long and lingering, clear as shattered jade and flowing spring, lively and pleasing, yet unable to pierce the ink-black surface of the river.

Zhang Qi rose, bowed again, and said, "Your Highness, I have kept you waiting."

Fu Lanchen’s figure melted into the night and water, only his phoenix eyes shone bright as stars. "So, Wen Zhi did not come with you?"

Zhang Qi stiffened. "Your Highness... knows Wen Zhi came to Shuozhou?"

Fu Lanchen let out a faint laugh. "Last winter, after Wen Zhi attempted to assassinate me at Jiulong Mountain and was trapped in Guangling for several months, I arranged his escape. Yet I did not expect he would seek you out in Shuozhou."

Zhang Qi relaxed slightly, lowering his voice. "Then, Your Highness..."

Fu Lanchen turned to face Zhang Qi, smiling. "These past years, I have sent envoys to Shuozhou, hoping to form an alliance. Yet you never responded. Last month, you suddenly sent word, inviting me here tonight for a detailed discussion. I suppose Wen Zhi played a part in this?"

Zhang Qi did not directly answer, but his silence confirmed it.

Fu Lanchen continued, "You two are very much alike. Wen Zhi’s elder brother is the Commander of the Dragon Guard; your kinsman Zhang Wei holds the rank of First-class Military Marquis. Both your brothers are loyal generals to my father, yet you both have turned from your families and from my father as well."

Zhang Qi lifted his head, his tone resolute. "I have served in Shuozhou for years, but I have heard that Your Highness and His Majesty have long diverged in your paths."

After these words, the two fell silent for a long while; the music within Yanxue Pavilion had ceased, and darkness deepened all around.

"I still remember," Fu Lanchen said, "back then, Zhang Wei was deputy general of Chelan City. He submitted a military report to the court, accusing General Feihong of disregarding the bigger picture and advancing recklessly for glory. His Majesty and the court were shocked and sent the Dragon Guard to Chelan City to investigate..."

At these words, Zhang Qi’s face twisted with grief. "But alas, before the Dragon Guard could even enter the northern frontier, news came that General Feihong had fallen in battle and five thousand soldiers perished—complete annihilation."

Fu Lanchen looked coldly at Zhang Qi. "Where were you then, Commandant Zhang?"

... When memory surged, Zhang Qi’s mind was awash with blood, a raging tide scorching his limbs and bones. In agony, he closed his eyes, for all he saw was blood—blood-soaked mud, not a single clean inch.

Chelan City was not spared. The northern frontier, not spared. Nowhere in the human world was spared.

"At the time, I was leading reinforcements to Liaodong. When the news reached me and I rushed back to Chelan City, I found corpses and blood everywhere. My mind was blood-red; I searched for a long time, scouring the battlefield, but could not find the general. They told me... the Da Xiang army, after killing, set fire to the bodies, burning many corpses. So... I could not find the general..."

Six years ago, Zhang Qi was the youngest light cavalry commandant in the north, wielding a golden-hilted blade and riding a red-maned horse, a young general full of vigor leading his troops to Liaodong. Before he set out, he received a letter wishing him a swift and triumphant return.

Yet he came back early, only to never find his Feihong General again.

Now, streaks of white had appeared at Zhang Qi’s temples; the souls of the departed chilled the northern winds.

The river’s breeze swept over, chilling Fu Lanchen to the bone. His brows and eyes frosted, his words measured: "Even if General Feihong was defeated, it’s impossible that all fifty thousand men died in Chelan City. That battle must have hidden much we do not know."

Fu Lanchen’s words halted Zhang Qi’s descent into grief, bringing clarity.

Yes. He knew his general best—commanding the battlefield for over twenty years, rarely defeated. How could one battle end his life in Chelan City?

So, what truly happened back then?

Zhang Qi gripped his blade in his left hand, clenched his right fist, his gaze burning with anger. "After the general’s death and the destruction of the Marquis Wu Jing’s residence, I personally confronted Zhang Wei. He swore before me and the heavens that he only sent the military report, nothing else, and did not know where the rumors of treason came from."

"His Majesty believed the rumors, searched the associates of the Marquis Wu Jing, and the Dragon Guard investigated for half a year—yet nothing was ever announced. The general, loyal all his life, guarding the northern frontier, did not even earn a good name after death."

The general’s reputation shattered after countless battles; looking back, his comrades were forever lost.

Fu Lanchen lowered his eyes, placing a steady hand on Zhang Qi’s trembling shoulder. "I too asked my father why, after General Feihong’s death, the entire Marquis Wu Jing’s household had to accompany him to the grave. He said, without solid evidence, he would never give the death order."

Zhang Qi’s face paled in horror. "His Majesty’s meaning is they found evidence but never revealed it? Impossible! His Majesty was so ruthless then—how could..."

Fu Lanchen’s mouth curled with icy disdain. "Even you don’t believe it—how could I? But one thing is certain: besides Zhang Wei, others must have plotted that year. Otherwise, how could rumors of treason spread so quickly after the general’s death?"

"Such vile cowards, taking advantage of the general’s silence in death. General Feihong guarded the north for over twenty years, cherished every soldier and every citizen; whenever the capital was in danger, she led the charge. If even she is slandered as a traitor, heaven’s justice is truly lacking!"

"Heaven’s justice will prevail. I will not let this injustice be buried. More than fifty thousand lives cannot be lost in vain!"

Nor can his Ah Zhao die in vain.

In the tenth month of the fourteenth year of Chengxiao, Murong Xun, the famed "Jewel of the Southwest," Grand General of Fuyuan and Prince of Shu Nan, led ten thousand elite cavalry to the capital for an audience. The emperor ordered Crown Prince Fu Lanchen and Prince Qi to greet him at the Xuanming Gate.

Such honor was unmatched.

"This Young Prince of Shu Nan, Murong Xun, has remarkable lineage. Not only is he descended from the royal line of the southwest, his mother is the emperor’s eldest sister, Princess Suian. At seventeen, he was made General of the Cavalry; at nineteen, Grand General of Fuyuan; at twenty-two, he inherited the title of Prince of Shu Nan, overseeing the vast domain of Shu," Xu Zhouyan remarked with relish in Chunhui Hall, her tea cooling by her side.

Xu Guiyi rarely saw her proud second sister speak so highly of anyone.

"The Crown Prince has been busy for days preparing for the young prince’s arrival, leaving early this morning," Xu Guiyi said.

Xu Zhouyan scoffed. "The Crown Prince never cared for state affairs before. Only this year did he begin helping His Majesty with some tasks. But our emperor is strict—no matter how well you do, he’ll chastise you first to quell your spirit, before issuing any orders."

Xu Guiyi quickly frowned. "Second Sister!" She glanced around—seeing only family in the hall, she relaxed.

Xu Zhouyan’s eyes were cold. "You’re too cautious as Crown Princess, always on guard even at home?"

Xu Guiyi sighed. "Ye City is hundreds of miles from Guangling, high and far—Second Sister lives comfortably. You don’t know what it’s like for your little sister in the Eastern Palace." She truly envied the ease of a prince’s consort: provided for by the royal family, free from its strict rules.

Xu Zhouyan understood the Crown Princess’s plight—it was just a moment of spite. Seeing Xu Guiyi’s twisted expression, she quickly comforted her. "His Majesty values Shu Nan’s household greatly. This is the young prince’s first visit since inheriting his title—a matter of utmost importance. The Crown Prince being busy is for the best; let him be tempered by adversity."

Xu Guiyi fell quiet, consoling herself as best she could.

Xu Zhouyan returned to the topic, "The Prince of Shu Nan’s visit is a major event for the royal family. What does the Empress say?"

Xu Guiyi replied, "I visited the Empress yesterday. She said much the same: Princess Suian misses home and kin, so she requested the emperor’s permission to find a talented and beautiful noblewoman in Guangling as her daughter-in-law."

There were no princesses or county princesses of marriageable age in the royal family, so candidates had to come from prominent ministerial houses. Both the Empress and Noble Consort of the South sought to secure this match, but their own families lacked eligible girls.

Thus, the emperor turned to the family of Consort De—the Cao clan.

Xu Zhouyan was unsurprised. "In terms of talent and beauty, Cao Ziyin is the most outstanding. But Shu Nan is more than a thousand miles from Guangling. Who knows whether the Cao family feels joy or anxiety at this honor?"

Xu Guiyi pitied the Cao family’s daughter, but as Crown Princess, she was powerless, left only to sigh for her.

"Although His Majesty hasn’t announced it, aside from a few royal kin and Grand Tutor Cao, few know. But I think it’s settled, or you wouldn’t have returned to the capital. Aside from Prince Jiancheng, Prince Guangye and Prince Anyang have also returned. The royal family is preparing for a grand wedding..."

"If she leaves, it also removes a threat for you," Xu Zhouyan remarked. She believed all women should be wary, especially the Crown Princess, who failed to win the Crown Prince’s favor.

Xu Guiyi thought of that radiant woman, beautiful as a lotus, and sighed deeply. "Cao Ziyin is pitiable. She has admired the Crown Prince for years, comes from a good family, but the Crown Prince has abstained from women for a certain old flame. The falling flower is willing, but the flowing water is indifferent." Truly hopeless...

A passionate, brilliant daughter of heaven, tossed about by fate, her feelings pressed into the cold, damp river of winter, struggling until hope died.

Xu Guiyi was a player in the game; Xu Zhouyan, outside, saw more clearly. "Even if she and the Crown Prince loved each other, His Majesty would never allow the Eastern Palace’s power to grow. The Song family is already enough; add the Cao family and the Southern Noble Consort would stir trouble in Deqing Hall. Fortunately, your own father is just a regional governor, your family’s title merely honorary—no threat to the court. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting in the Eastern Palace drinking tea."

Xu Guiyi smiled bitterly. "Second Sister always sees so clearly and speaks so bluntly, leaving no room for ambiguity."

Xu Zhouyan spat, "Are you calling me sharp-tongued? Don’t worry, Crown Princess—I’m only this frank with family. I don’t waste my effort on others."

"All right, all right. You are the best Second Sister," Xu Guiyi conceded quickly in front of Xu Zhouyan.