Deep within the long-deserted palace, a sliver of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the window lattices, illuminating the dancing motes of dust. Zuo Canglang’s forehead rested against Murong Yan’s chin; his dark stubble pricked her skin with a slight itch.
She reached out to touch his face, but just as she was about to speak, Murong Yan shook his head. "Don't speak." He pulled her into his arms, and they embraced in silence.
In the boundless quiet, she felt his heartbeat once more. She reached out again, grazing his cheek with her fingers. He lowered his head, his feverish lips burning against the back of her hand. Their eyes met, and the years seemed to fall silent between them.
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Yunzhao entered. Seeing the two in the corner, he said nothing, merely making a gesture to Zuo Canglang indicating food.
Zuo Canglang remembered him saying that Murong Yan had not eaten for two days. Understanding immediately, she asked, "Your Majesty, shall we have something to eat first?"
Murong Yan did not answer, but Wang Yunzhao had already ordered servants to bring in porridge. Zuo Canglang took the bowl and fed him spoonful by spoonful. After a few bites, he finally asked, "Why have you returned?" His tone turned slightly sharp. "Did I issue a decree summoning you to the palace?"
Zuo Canglang replied helplessly, "The Third Prince missed his father and clamored to come back and see you."
Murong Yan gave a cold snort, but eventually asked, "He is back as well?"
"Yes," Zuo Canglang said. "Does Your Majesty wish to see him?"
Murong Yan finished the porridge in a few gulps and stood up, steadying himself against an antique shelf. "Let us go."
Zuo Canglang followed him out. The moment the sunlight hit him outside the palace chambers, his previous vulnerability vanished without a trace. His posture was as upright as ever, his brow carrying its usual air of decisiveness and majesty.
Zuo Canglang walked behind him. As he headed toward the Imperial Study, he commanded, "Summon the Prince of Anyang to see me."
Wang Yunzhao acknowledged the order and hurried to carry it out. Zuo Canglang originally intended to return to Nanqing Palace, but Wang Yunzhao signaled for her to stay, so she accompanied Murong Yan to the study. A moment later, Murong Xuan arrived, and a palace attendant presented a bowl of lotus seed soup.
Zuo Canglang served it into a small bowl to feed Murong Yan. He frowned slightly but ultimately opened his mouth and ate.
The attendants all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Murong Xuan knelt below, saying, "Your son pays his respects to Father King."
Murong Yan said, "It has been several years; you have grown. Rise."
Murong Xuan bowed again. "I thank Father King."
Murong Yan raised his hand, signaling an attendant to serve a bowl of the soup to the prince as well. After Murong Xuan expressed his gratitude, the King asked, "I heard you have achieved much in Anyangzhou. Zhou Zhuo’s memorials are full of praise for you."
Murong Xuan replied, "It is only due to Father King’s blessings. What talent or virtue do I possess to dare claim credit?"
"Merit is merit," Murong Yan said. "You handled the affairs of Anyangzhou well; there is no need for modesty. Merit deserves reward. Since you can govern Anyangzhou, I shall also grant you Xiaoquan Mountain. Though the borderlands are desolate, they are the gateway to Great Yan. Manage them well."
Murong Xuan was stunned. If Anyangzhou was merely a barren wasteland that could be granted on a whim, Xiaoquan Mountain was different. It was a strategic stronghold that the kingdoms of Yu, Guzhu, and Wuzhong had once fought over.
He knelt again to give thanks. Murong Yan said, "You have traveled far to return; you must be tired. Go and rest."
After Murong Xuan withdrew, Murong Yan sipped the porridge and suddenly asked Zuo Canglang, "This time, when do you plan to go back?"
Zuo Canglang wiped his mouth for him and asked, "Would you like a little more?"
He snorted coldly again, but in the end, he did not refuse.
That night, when Ban Yang came again to attend to the King’s illness, Wang Yunzhao stopped her. She understood perfectly—that person... had returned, hadn't she?
In Qifeng Palace, Jiang Bilan said, "Now that she is back, His Majesty’s health has improved significantly."
Keqing sat beside her and added, "Indeed. She truly is His Majesty’s best medicine."
When Jiang Bilan mentioned Zuo Canglang again, her words held no visible hatred. She merely said, "I heard she has raised the Third Prince quite well."
Keqing remarked, "A person like her hardly knows any characters. I imagine the Third Prince will grow up to be nothing more than a brute."
Jiang Bilan glanced at her and asked, "Didn't you come from her palace? Why is it that every time you mention her, you are filled with such resentment?"
Keqing froze. She thought for a long time but found she couldn't voice the reason for her hatred. She could only counter, "She caused the ruin of Your Majesty’s family. Does Your Majesty not hate her?"
Jiang Bilan lowered her head, continuing to embroider the belt in her hands. "If it were before, I would certainly hate her to the bone. But in truth... the one who caused my family's ruin was not her."
Keqing was puzzled, but the Queen said no more.
A few days later, Murong Xuan prepared to return to Anyangzhou. Zuo Canglang escorted him outside the Xihua Gate. Murong Xuan hesitated, wanting to speak. Zuo Canglang patted his shoulder and said, "Go. Xuan-er has grown up; you can stand on your own now."
Murong Xuan still asked, "Are you really not coming back to Anyangzhou with me?"
Zuo Canglang said, "No. Take good care of your mother."
Murong Xuan was uneasy. "I worry about you being alone in Jinyang."
Zuo Canglang smiled. "Before you were here, I was always alone in Jinyang."
Murong Xuan thought about it and realized she was right. He said, "Then wait for me to return. If you are unhappy here, come to Anyangzhou to find me."
Zuo Canglang lowered her gaze and smiled. "Mm."
Only then did Murong Xuan mount his horse. After riding a short distance, he looked back. She was still standing beneath the city walls, her sleeves fluttering in the wind as if she might ride the breeze away. He suddenly dismounted, ran back a few steps, and pulled her into a fierce hug. Zuo Canglang was startled, but after a long moment, she reached out and patted his back.
After passing through Xihua Gate, Murong Xuan felt as though he was being followed. Fearing Murong Yan’s suspicion, he and Zuo Canglang had brought no attendants when they returned to Jinyang. Thus, he was returning alone. But he felt a pair of eyes on him from the shadows. He was naturally alert—there were plenty of people in Jinyang who wanted him dead.
Consequently, he took a winding path, eventually entering a forest and refusing to come out. Before long, a monk found his way in. Murong Xuan looked confused. "Master, who are you?"
The monk turned around. Though dressed in monastic robes and straw sandals, he was surprisingly handsome. He said, "A-Zuo feared you would encounter danger and asked this poor monk to escort you back to Anyangzhou."
Murong Xuan said, "Just you? A monk?" He laughed. "If someone really wants to kill me, can you protect me alone?"
The monk didn't waste words. "Get moving."
Murong Xuan asked, "Master, what is your dharma name?" The monk ignored him. He chased after him, asking, "How does A-Zuo know you? Why has she never mentioned you?"
The monk still ignored him. Murong Xuan nodded, a sudden realization dawning on him. "You don't happen to have a grudge against my father too, do you?"
The monk stiffened slightly. Murong Xuan shouted, "Holy crap, you do! Zheng Chu said his comrades and mentors were all killed by my father. That’s tragic enough, but what’s your grudge? He didn't kill your whole family, did he?"
The monk finally spoke. "You could say that."
Murong Xuan slapped his forehead, looking pained. "Sigh, my father’s throne really wasn't easy to get. Truly, not easy at all."
The monk grew impatient. He grabbed the prince by the collar and cleared the forest in a few strides. Murong Xuan felt a blur before his eyes and found himself tossed onto his horse. Then, the horse’s rump was slapped hard, and the beast bolted like an arrow. He was stunned—this level of martial arts made Zheng Chu look like an amateur!
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "A-Zuo, this is too much! Why didn't you let me take him as my master—!"
The monk was, of course, Cangge. He followed behind. This boy was Murong Yan’s descendant. If he hesitated for even a moment, he might change his mind and take the boy's life. But then he thought of the time when Hidden Sword Manor was massacred and Feiyan died—the boy hadn't even been born then.
What fault did he have?
In Jinyang, Murong Yan’s illness grew heavier by the day. The imperial physicians were at their wits' end. Wang Yunzhao wanted to announce it to the world to seek famous doctors, but Murong Yan refused. He was like that—unwilling to show his wounds to others. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was hiding his sickness to avoid the cure.
The atmosphere in the palace grew more tense daily. Jiang Bilan watched the movements here almost constantly. Forces in the shadows began to stir while he lay lingering on his sickbed.
Yet Murong Yan never summoned Zuo Canglang again. He did not wish to see her while he was terminally ill. He didn't even want anyone attending his bedside. However, one night, while Zuo Canglang was reading, an eunuch suddenly rushed over. "General, His Majesty requests your presence!"
Zuo Canglang found it strange. She followed the eunuch out, but the path they took was not toward Murong Yan’s bedchamber.
Along the way, the Imperial Guards stood in dense ranks. Zuo Canglang looked around but did not see Xue Dongting. She asked, "Where has Commander Xue gone?"
The eunuch replied, "Reporting to the General, the Crown Prince’s wedding is approaching. Commander Xue has been dispatched out of the city."
Zuo Canglang nodded. "No wonder."
They arrived at the remote Fuhe Hall. Once Zuo Canglang was inside, the doors suddenly slammed shut behind her. Jiang Bilan, Keqing, and others were already waiting in the hall.
Zuo Canglang asked, "What is the meaning of this secret meeting, Your Majesty?"
Jiang Bilan said, "Have you not heard the news? His Majesty... has taken a sudden turn for the worse. I fear he will not last the next two days."
Zuo Canglang heard this and said, "Indeed, no one told me that."
Jiang Bilan rose and walked to her. "In truth, there should have been no enmity between us. If it were up to me, I would have preferred to call you a friend. But forced by circumstances, we are destined to be locked in a struggle until death."
Zuo Canglang looked around, seeing Vice Commander Lan Jinrong and other guards standing by. She asked, "What do you want?"
Jiang Bilan said in a low voice, "Imperial Guards, hear the command. His Majesty has decreed that upon his passing, this person is to be cast in bronze and iron and placed in the Imperial Tomb. She is to hold a lamp and a halberd to guard his grave for eternity. Now... His Majesty is near the end, and preparations must be made early. Why do you not act?"
Lan Jinrong and the others shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Zuo Canglang understood. "You are in such a hurry to kill me? Are you not afraid His Majesty might wake up?"
Jiang Bilan said, "Bring the poisoned wine. I wish to see her drink it with my own eyes."
Lan Jinrong brought forward a tray. Jiang Bilan said, "You are a person of status. Drink it yourself to avoid them having to use force."
Zuo Canglang asked, "Why must Your Majesty put me to death? After all, the one who threatens the Crown Prince is the Third Prince."
Before Jiang Bilan could speak, Keqing interjected, "Your Majesty, do not talk with her. Be careful she doesn't stall for time."
Zuo Canglang glanced at her and picked up the cup from the tray. The wine within shimmered with a faint blue light. She said, "Jiang Bilan, it was you who ruined them."
Jiang Bilan replied, "At this point, is there any meaning in saying such things?"
Zuo Canglang nodded and drained the cup in one gulp. There was no pain. After a short while, she slowly collapsed. Jiang Bilan clasped her hands together. Lan Jinrong stepped forward and said, "I shall take her to the Imperial Tomb immediately."
"Wait!" Jiang Bilan stepped forward and reached out to check her breath. Seeing that she was indeed breathless, she still felt uneasy and checked her heartbeat and pulse. After a long time, she finally said, "Go."
Lan Jinrong asked, "Will Your Majesty not go to witness it personally?"
Jiang Bilan said, "I cannot leave the palace. Huayue, you go with Vice Commander Lan to the Imperial Tomb. You must see with your own eyes that Zuo Canglang is cast into a bronze statue, lest we violate His Majesty’s decree."
Huayue replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Lan Jinrong ordered Zuo Canglang to be wrapped in white cloth and carried her out of Jinyang to the Imperial Tomb in the suburbs. Huayue followed behind. Just as they entered the underground passage, they saw someone inside. She was startled, and when she looked closely, she screamed, "Xue Dongting!"
Xue Dongting tilted his chin slightly. The guard beside Huayue drew his blade and slashed at her. She gave a wretched cry and died instantly.
Xue Dongting stepped forward, taking the cloth-wrapped Zuo Canglang from Lan Jinrong. "Proceed as planned."
Lan Jinrong acknowledged the order. He dressed Huayue in different clothes and had her cast into the wall at the end of the tomb's corridor.
Xue Dongting carried Zuo Canglang away from the Imperial Tomb and arrived at the eastern docks. The night was thick. A fishing boat was moored at the dock, and an elderly, thin man sat upon it, dressed in a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, his face obscured. Seeing Xue Dongting, he merely gestured for him to board.
Xue Dongting unwrapped the white cloth from Zuo Canglang. The old man checked her pulse and said after a long silence, "Leave her to me."
Xue Dongting said, "I ask Physician Jiang to head downstream and take her to Yishui Town. Cangge will be waiting for her there."
The old man was, of course, Jiang Xing. He said, "I know."
That night, the small boat drifted downstream, leaving Jinyang and vanishing into the heavy darkness.
When Zuo Canglang woke up, she felt a metallic taste in her mouth. She walked out of the cabin. Jiang Xing was decocting medicine at the bow. Outside, the green waves shimmered like gold under the setting sun; it was already evening.
She looked back, seeing only the vast, misty waters. From a nearby pleasure boat, a storyteller was recounting the *Legend of the Generals*, speaking of the famous commanders of Great Yan—Wen Li, Wen Qi, Zuo Canglang...
The setting sun was draped in gold and crimson, blanketing the rivers and mountains.
She sat down at the bow, her robes trailing near the water. The oars creaked softly, and the small medicine stove bubbled, sending up curls of light smoke.
Upon arrival, her slaughters shook the world;
Upon departure, the city walls fade into the dusk.
***
