Ever since returning from Jiaosong County, Xiao Nanhui had prepared herself to return to a life of leisure.
The responsibilities of the Guangyao Camp differed from those of the Subei border, and the military ranks were structured accordingly. However, as far as the camp guards were concerned, her current rank was likely not much higher than her former position as a squad leader. In such a position, there was little work to be done in the camp during peacetime, let alone duties within the palace. Such tasks would never normally fall to her, unless...
Xiao Nanhui’s heart skipped an unsteady beat, and her first instinct was to flee. Yet she knew clearly that she could not afford to offend anyone from the palace. She could only change into her camp guard’s cloth armor, re-tie her hair, and head to the front hall with a heavy heart.
Two men stood in the center of the hall. One wore crimson robes and a black hat, with a jade tablet hanging from his wrist—an accessory worn only by those in the Emperor’s immediate service. The other wore black robes and a jade crown; he was the palace attendant surnamed Shan who served by the Emperor’s side.
The last time she had seen him was at the Jiaosong Summer Palace, where she had been alone in a room with his precious master and had managed to poke a bloody hole in the man's hand.
She truly was "accomplished" and "capable," having managed to thoroughly offend both of the people closest to the Emperor.
Xiao Nanhui let out a silent lament, hesitating for a long moment before finally stepping forward.
The moment she stepped out, she regretted it. Having been demoted, her standing was different than before, and Shan Jiangfei’s status was far higher than that of an ordinary attendant. She was still unsure of how to properly salute when the two men heard her movement and turned around.
After several days, Shan Jiangfei still wore that same smiling expression, seemingly having long forgotten what had transpired at the summer palace. However, Xiao Nanhui felt there was something extra hidden within that smile.
Before she could figure out what that extra something was, he spoke first.
"Officer Xiao, there is no need for such formality. We have only come to deliver a message on behalf of His Majesty, and to hand over an item."
As Shan Jiangfei spoke, he signaled to the red-robed attendant to bring forward a lacquer box.
"His Majesty wishes to remind Officer Xiao not to forget her vow."
Xiao Nanhui froze. After a pause, she stepped forward to take the heavy box.
It was a square, purplish-red lacquer box, devoid of mother-of-pearl inlays or patterns. However, its mirror-smooth surface and texture suggested it was of a quality reserved at least for sacrificial rites.
Applying a bit of pressure, she pushed open the lid. Inside the box lay the ceremonial sword she had shattered during the ritual that day.
For a moment, Xiao Nanhui felt a mix of shock and amusement. On that day, she had made up a lie on the spot, claiming she would find a master craftsman to reset the jade sword in gold and silver. Who would have thought that today, someone would grab her by the scruff of the neck and demand she fulfill that promise?
She had also never known that a man who had countless memorials and documents to review every day, and a myriad of complex matters to decide upon, would actually have the leisure to meddle in such trivialities.
Ultimately, these were words she had spoken herself; she could blame no one else.
Steeling herself, she closed the lid and lowered her head, murmuring in a muffled voice, "This subject shall surely keep her promise to demonstrate her loyalty."
"That is excellent." Shan Jiangfei’s smile was complete, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes nearly reaching his temples. He then made an inconspicuous gesture. "There is one more small matter. Could Officer Xiao step a little closer?"
Puzzled, Xiao Nanhui had no choice but to approach.
The man held his palm beside his mouth and lowered his voice.
"For the Shangsi Festival in March this year, His Majesty wishes to restart the Spring Hunt. The assessment for newly promoted military officers will take place around those same few days, so the colonels of each camp are very busy. They have had to second military officers of good character and experience to the palace to assist with the preparations."
*And?*
Xiao Nanhui blinked, looking again at the mysterious palace official.
Shan Jiangfei cleared his throat, his voice dropping even lower.
"Quite a few people in the Guangyao Camp recommended you. His Majesty has always favored promoting the talented and capable, and he does not care much for the size of one's rank. Therefore, Officer Xiao, this task has fallen to you."
Wait, how did this become *her* task?!
She had only been commissioned and transferred to the Guangyao Camp for about half a year, and for nearly half of that time, she had been alone in Lingxi. In the Guangyao Camp, aside from Su Pingchuan, there were probably only a handful of people who could even call out her name. Exactly who had "recommended" her?!
Furthermore, could this be considered a "small matter"? It was more likely to be nothing good.
Xiao Nanhui’s expression was complicated, the word "refusal" practically written across her face.
"This... perhaps the brothers in the camp were merely offering a few polite words of praise. His Majesty must absolutely not take it seriously. Moreover, I am of humble ability and low status, and having just been stripped of my rank, I am currently in a state of atonement. I fear I cannot shoulder such a heavy responsibility. If I were to fail His Majesty’s trust, would it not be..."
"Eh!" Shan Jiangfei adopted a look of disappointment, as if frustrated by her lack of insight. "How can Officer Xiao be so slow?! It is precisely because you lost your official hat that you can avoid the chaos of the military selections, allowing this new assignment to fall to you. You must know that the military selections are full of undercurrents every year, while the Spring Hunt is a leisurely post. As they say, when misfortune reaches its limit, fortune arrives; when the extreme of adversity is reached, prosperity begins. You must seize this opportunity."
The man’s rhetoric was highly sophisticated. On one hand, he acted under the guise of looking out for her, his every word sounding earnest, sincere, and well-intentioned. On the other hand, he had made his stance clear; if she were to decline again, it would seem as though she were ungrateful and insincere.
Xiao Nanhui forced a smile, attempting to retreat by advancing.
"May I ask where this so-called preparation work is to be carried out? And what exactly needs to be done?"
"That is easy to say. The hunt has not been held for many years, so many details need to be communicated and reported to His Majesty at any time. Naturally, the duty is within the city. As for what the specific tasks are, an outsider like me cannot explain them very clearly. It is likely just matters concerning horses, bows, arrows, and the beasts of the hunting grounds. Officer Xiao truly has no need for concern."
The more he told her not to worry, the more obvious Xiao Nanhui’s anxiety became.
At the thought of everything that had happened in the Jiaosong Summer Palace, tremors and unease crept up her spine.
Her intuition told her: beneath the calm, waveless surface ahead lay a pitch-black, bottomless vortex. If she moved forward, she did not know when she might fall into it, plunging into an abyss where she would never see the light of day again.
But now, she had no path of retreat. The Xiao Manor was no longer her safe harbor. If she did not move forward, where else could she go?
"Then, once I have handled the minor matters at hand, I shall go to report for duty."
"The Guangyao Camp has already been properly notified. The place for these preparations is not easy to find; it would be better if Officer Xiao followed me now to recognize the way and familiarize herself with the situation."
He had calculated from the start that she would go; even the next step was prepared. Xiao Nanhui wanted to make one last struggle.
"I still have some small items I need to prepare..."
"The Spring Hunt concerns the Imperial Family. All supplies are arranged directly by the palace to avoid giving anyone cause for gossip. If Officer Xiao has any other special requirements, you may state them directly to me; there is no need to trouble yourself with organizing them."
What special requirements could she have? She simply felt the matter was suspicious and wanted to linger a while longer.
But his words made it clear he intended to take her away right then and there. Even if she had ten thousand excuses, they would all be pushed back.
"Then I shall trouble you to lead the way."
When Xiao Nanhui left the Xiao Manor, she did not know that when Shan Jiangfei said "within the city," he meant within a military camp—and even less did she know it was the Black Feather Camp.
The Black Feather Camp had four locations in Que City. Two were within the city proper: one near the North Gate, and the other at the southwest corner of the Imperial Palace—which was where they were now.
The Black Feather Camp had a streamlined personnel, and the camp itself was not large, yet it occupied the highest point of the entire capital's defenses. The entrance was located beneath the West Bell and Drum Tower; it was hidden and narrow, but the interior was a world of its own, complete with a drill ground, barracks, and an armory.
Shan Jiangfei led Xiao Nanhui deep inside, relying on an iron ring identical to the one on Xiao Nanhui’s wrist.
The Black Feather defenses remained disciplined—relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside. The events in Jiaosong County seemed to have had no effect on the people in the camp. Everyone remained as unshakeable and well-trained as ever. After Shan Jiangfei showed his wristband, no one spared Xiao Nanhui a second glance. Everyone was busy with their own tasks; even the most ordinary soldiers appeared exceptionally dignified and full of self-respect.
Recalling her experiences starting as a lowly soldier in the Subei Camp, Xiao Nanhui felt a pang of bitterness. Turning her thoughts to her current situation, a sense of sorrow emerged.
She had thought that after years of struggling, she had finally made something of herself as a squad leader, but it turned out it was all just a dream and a shadow. Perhaps she was born only to be a squad leader or a corporal; as they say, her life was light and her fortune thin—she could not withstand any more nobility or power.
She was immersed in her self-reflection and did not think deeply about what it meant for Shan Jiangfei to enter the camp using a wristband.
"Officer Xiao, we are almost there."
Shan Jiangfei’s voice rang out at the end of a narrow alley behind the drill ground. She snapped back to her senses and hurried to catch up, only to find that the end was a dead end. Behind a wall several chang high were continuous dark pines and cypresses. The jagged blue-stone brick wall looked somewhat weathered, having grown a thick layer of green moss after three consecutive days of rain.
*This is the place?* Xiao Nanhui felt doubtful.
Shan Jiangfei kept his head down and did not look up to see her expression. He pulled a jade tablet from his robes and inserted it horizontally into a gap between the bricks amidst the moss. A dull "clack" echoed from deep within the wall, and immediately, a section of stone bricks recessed inward by about a chang, then sank into the boundless darkness.
A deep entrance with no visible path ahead appeared. A damp, cold air drifted out, brushing against Xiao Nanhui’s startled face.
"I shall leave you here. Officer Xiao may ascend the stairs from this point. There are regulations here; no candles or torches may be lit. Please watch your step, Officer Xiao."
Xiao Nanhui swallowed hard, her legs suddenly feeling a bit weak.
She was not afraid of the dark, nor was she afraid of ghosts; rather, she was afraid of the person she might meet beyond that darkness.
Once, she had met that man in the darkness of Old Man Zou’s cellar. At that time, he had been sitting on a pile of rotten cabbages. Although his occasional smiles were somewhat inscrutable, she had never truly taken him to heart.
After all, who would bestow much attention or emotion upon someone who might just be a chance acquaintance?
But the fate between people is already predestined in the unseen.
The bond she thought would last a lifetime had easily broken, while the connection she thought was merely a passing encounter was like spider silk and fine rain—no matter how she swung her sharp blade, she could not sever it.
With a sigh, Xiao Nanhui stepped into the boundless darkness.
The stone steps behind the entrance were narrow and steep, spiraling upward without an end in sight.
The darkness, laden with damp and cold air, surrounded and swallowed her. The light behind her faded, and gradually, she could only hear the sound of her own short breaths echoing against the stone walls.
The darkness and silence caused one to lose all sense of space and time. A mere fifteen minutes felt as long as a lifetime.
In a blur, she had a strange illusion: it seemed that at some point in the past, she had been to such a place with spiraling stone steps and no light of day.
But she also clearly remembered that she had never been to such a place.
Perhaps it was in a dream.
After an unknown amount of time, the darkness finally reached its end. First, a clear breeze brushed past her hair, and then she felt a shifting, flowing light shine upon her face.
Her eyes, long accustomed to the darkness, took a moment to adjust to the surrounding brightness. Only then did Xiao Nanhui realize that the moving light was a vast expanse of lake water, smooth as a mirror.
The end of the secret passage was an open platform. Above the platform was the sky, which had cleared after days of rain; a somewhat pale sun hung against the cool, light gray.
A flock of gray geese flying north passed by, the sound of their wings flapping breaking the quiet air.
Xiao Nanhui unconsciously took a few steps forward. She found herself atop a high tower, and directly in front of the tower was that expanse of lake water—square, barren, without even a single lotus leaf to be seen. Perhaps because there were many obstructions around it, the water's surface was terrifyingly still, as flat as a sheet of glass.
What a strange lake.
Xiao Nanhui looked down. Aided by the reflection of the mirror-like water, she saw the plaque on the tower she was standing on. It bore three large characters: "Still Wave Tower."
High towers and pavilions were traditionally structures that only the Imperial Family and nobility could enjoy. There were very few outside the palace walls, and among them, she had never heard of a tower named "Still Wave Tower."
Where exactly was this? Why was it deep within the Black Feather Camp? And why did Shan Jiangfei bring her here...
"Have you looked enough?"
A man’s voice rang out behind her. She had actually become so familiar with his voice that she could identify him by a single note.
Xiao Nanhui suddenly felt an impulse to throw herself off the tower.
Impulse aside, she still had to turn and salute.
"This humble subject pays her respects to Your Majesty."
She kept her head lowered and did not look at him; he did not move either.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The wind stirred the bronze bells on the eaves, making a faint tinkling sound and bringing a touch of post-rain chill.
The weather was pleasant and the surrounding view was expansive. If not for the current situation, this might have been considered a fine occasion for climbing high to gaze into the distance.
Su Wei lazily glanced at the woman who stood with her head bowed in silence.
"Come closer."
Xiao Nanhui raised her head slightly. Su Wei was leaning against the railing protruding from the high platform, wrapped in a heavy cloak with his arms hidden beneath it.
She hesitated for a moment but did not move.
He glanced at her, shifting his body slightly to change his reclining position. His left hand seemed to try and support his weight but touched his injury. He let out a sharp hiss of cold air, his figure becoming unsteady.
By the time he looked up again, the woman had already rushed forward. Her half-extended hand wanted to support him, but she stopped just before touching him, timidly pulling it back.
Su Wei saw this, his face remaining impassive. "When I am alone in a room with you, if any mishap occurs, it is due to your failure in attending the sovereign."
Xiao Nanhui froze. Knowing the man before her was threatening her, she felt that the bit of worry and guilt she had just felt was entirely superfluous. Hardening her heart, her words became reckless again.
"This subject came clad in armor. The armor is coarse and rough; I fear it may injure the Dragon Body."
A poor excuse.
Su Wei’s eyelids lowered slightly. "Indeed."
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the voice of the one on the seat rang out again: "Then remove your armor, and come closer."
Xiao Nanhui’s eyes widened as she looked up.
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