Less than a hundred li west of the capital’s outskirts, cradled by emerald peaks and jagged ridges, lay Yu’an County.
This late-spring rain had arrived with sudden ferocity. It pattered and pulsed, shifting from heavy downpours to light drizzles, lasting three days and nights before finally tapering off into a fine, silken mist.
This was the characteristic weather of Yu’an. From the onset of spring until the arrival of winter, the moisture-laden clouds drifting from north and south would become trapped within this basin. Over time, this had fostered lush vegetation and sprawling forests, where every bird and beast seemed a rare treasure, and every breath drawn was filled with a refined, spiritual essence.
Yet, this land nurtured by soft rains and gentle winds had now withered into ruins. The old city walls were shrouded in green moss, leaving not even a fraction of its former prosperity visible to the eye.
Yu’an—a name signifying a land of abundant rain and long-lasting peace.
But since the rebel uprising over a decade ago, Yu’an existed in name only. Aside from a military presence more stringent than anywhere else, only the ceaseless rains of the four seasons remained, silently washing away the blood that had once soaked this earth.
The saturated soil could hold no more water. Shallow puddles gathered on the official road, and as the carriages and horses pressed forward, those puddles turned into deep ruts of mud. Had the road not been reinforced with pebbles and gravel, the wheels of the trailing carriages would likely have mired deep within the sludge.
Jixiang’s temperament had soured again. It loathed the sensation of its hooves sinking into muddy water; it reminded the horse of that freezing spring rain on the road to Huozhou years ago.
Though the procession consisted of fine horses and sturdy carriages, the rain forced everyone to slow their pace. The surrounding scenery grew blurred, and the sky ahead remained a relentless, endless grey.
From her very first night in Yu’an, Xiao Nanhui had been jolted awake by pain.
At first, she thought it was a nightmare, but after a few ragged breaths, she realized the agony was not fading. Instead, it grew sharper and clearer as she regained consciousness.
Both of her legs felt as though they had been struck repeatedly with wooden clubs. The joints of her ankles ached with a cold intensity. Though the scarred skin appeared normal, the flesh beneath seethed with a churning pain that tormented her without pause.
It was a pain that seeped from the very marrow of her bones—dense, pervasive, and inescapable. During the day’s march, it was barely tolerable, but in the dead of night when all was still, it became agonizing, to the point where even breathing seemed to aggravate it.
These were the injuries left from her time in Bijiang. Hao Bai had mended her bones and sinews, but he could not heal the pain lodged deep within them. Whenever the dampness grew heavy, it would draw out the old wounds.
Xiao Nanhui understood that this pain might accompany her for the rest of her life. Every time the overcast rains returned, it would find her. It served as a recurring reminder: the souls drifting over those savage lands were not illusions, and the bones buried beneath millions of acres of sand would never truly erode.
She had been changed, after all.
Both in spirit and in body.
She fished a half-empty wineskin from Jixiang’s saddle. After a few gulps of yellow wine, the pain in her legs receded slightly, and she drifted back into a heavy, muddled sleep. Consequently, her alertness was lacking at daybreak; she only woke when that fellow Xu Shu was already standing right in front of her.
Xu Shu’s boot was planted firmly on the hem of her robe, the sole smeared with fresh horse dung.
Seeing Xiao Nanhui look up at him, he wore an expression of feigned surprise.
"Ah, I didn't see Attendant Xiao resting here. My sincerest apologies."
Xiao Nanhui paused. She slightly bent her aching right leg and suddenly exerted force, snapping her hem out from under his boot. A brown smear was crushed into the center of her official robes.
Fortunately, the attire of an Attendant-at-Arms was designed for the rigors of riding and archery; it was made of dark, durable material. Unless one looked closely, the stain wasn't overly conspicuous.
She casually brushed at the mud and glanced at Xu Shu’s sneering, mocking face before silently picking herself up.
In the past, she would have certainly unleashed a sweeping leg-lock followed by a flurry of punches to discipline this obnoxious brat. But today, perhaps because her energy was low, she suddenly found she had no desire to deal with him.
Xu Shu was annoying, but he was *merely* annoying. Compared to the lethal Yan Zi, the haunting Pu Huna, or the bloodlessly murderous Bai Yun... he was truly far beneath her notice.
Xiao Nanhui walked toward the small stream beside the camp without a backward glance, leaving that face—which had shifted from mockery to surprise—stranded where it stood.
Xu Shu had anticipated many possible reactions from Xiao Nanhui, but he had never expected this one.
He judged that the woman must be suppressing her rage, so he led his horse over to the stream as well.
As Xiao Nanhui knelt by the water to wash, Xu Shu let his horse play in the water upstream from her.
She acted as if she were blind to it, continuing to scrub her face with focused effort, still unwilling to waste a single word on him.
After a moment, Xu Shu’s voice finally drifted over, light and airy.
"The Right Attendant has always been a position for the brave and strong. I heard Attendant Xiao previously suffered the shoulder-shackling punishment; I fear those shoulders and arms are likely useless now. If you can neither ride nor shoot, how can you possibly uphold the duties of this office?"
*A dog can’t stop eating filth, and Xu Shu can’t stop being a prick.*
A summary thought drifted through Xiao Nanhui’s mind. She felt a sudden urge to laugh, and then she actually did.
That laugh thoroughly incensed Xu Shu.
He raised an eyebrow, the scar at its corner twitching with a provocative edge.
"I heard you caused another disturbance at the Prince of Xuanyuan’s manor a few days ago, resulting in the Second Prince being placed under house arrest. It seems the matter with Jiao Song didn't teach you a lesson. Or is it that your 'good' adoptive father, having climbed back into the graces of his old flame, no longer cares to manage you and has left you to fend for yourself?"
Xu Shu had always known exactly how to sting Xiao Nanhui’s heart.
But this time, he had miscalculated.
Xiao Nanhui’s face was as calm as a mirror, her heart as still as water. She even found the time to let her mind wander, wondering how many days that half-skin of yellow wine would last her.
Reflecting on her years of bickering with Xu Shu, she suddenly understood many things in a single instant.
Xu Shu did not hate her; he simply looked down on her.
He looked down on her origins, her rank, and the fact that she, a woman, dared to mingle within the military ranks.
In the past, she would have been driven to a frenzy by a few words from him because, deep down, she felt she truly was inferior to him and was always desperate to prove something.
Now, she no longer needed any of that. With a single exchange of glances, she understood: Xu Shu was already nothing more than a grain of sand she had left behind when she crossed Sanmu Pass.
Wiping the last drop of water from her face, Xiao Nanhui prepared to turn and leave.
Xu Shu opened his mouth to say more, but the woman suddenly looked behind him and made a formal gesture of salutation.
"Greetings to Lady Cui."
Xu Shu’s entire body stiffened. When he turned around with trepidation, he found not a single soul behind him.
Xu Shu, who had used this very trick to prank others for years, never expected to have his own medicine forced down his throat. He stared at the woman’s gallant silhouette as she mounted her horse and rode away, momentarily stunned.
She seemed different than before, yet she also seemed exactly the same.
It was a truly irritating day.
When the procession set out again, the Left Attendant’s expression remained sour, while the Right Attendant’s mood had brightened considerably. She even began to hum a little tune.
It was a folk song from the Xuanmen Ridge area that she hummed often. She only remembered one line, so she hummed it over and over again, until Xu Shu was so annoyed he spurred his horse far away from her.
At the start of the hour of the Horse, the traveling party finally reached the old city of Yu’an.
The Emperor’s residence was not within the city itself, but at the newly built Yulin Villa. This site had once been the barracks of the Yueze Army. Its entire layout and design were similar to a military camp, with only a few pavilions and gardens added to soften its harsh, rigid atmosphere.
Such a place was lacking even when compared to the Jiao Song Palace. Xiao Nanhui did not believe this was due to any lack of preparation by the officials arranging the spring hunt.
It was only when she truly stepped onto the grounds of Yulin Villa that she understood why the Royal Carriage had stopped here.
Yulin Villa had no obvious walls or boundaries, and thus occupied a vast area. There were over a dozen outposts and camps scattered around its perimeter. Because it was garrisoned by heavy troops year-round, its offensive and defensive facilities were incredibly robust. These points connected into lines, and lines into planes, forming an invisible wall far more formidable than the conspicuous old city walls.
Furthermore, the villa’s location took full advantage of the terrain. Yu’an was already surrounded by mountains on three sides, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. The terrain where Yulin Villa sat was the most complex of all, yet it commanded the upper reaches of the streams and possessed tens of thousands of acres of fertile land. This not only ensured a secure water source but also allowed for self-sufficiency, reducing the need for external supplies.
All of this was thanks to the Yueze Army’s original site selection.
The four armies of Tiancheng each had their specialties: Subei excelled in cavalry, Guangyao in heavy armor, Yanchi in sabers, and Heiyu in archery. But once, Tiancheng had a fifth army.
The name "Yueze" perfectly summarized this once-secretive force. In times of war, they were experts at surveying the veins of the earth and selecting natural strongholds as bases. In times of peace, they excelled in hydraulic engineering and construction, capable of raising cities and producing grain almost overnight. They were a small but vital force.
However, during the Bai clan rebellion, this entire army had turned into outlaws. The name "Yueze," once carrying supreme glory, had been covered in dust ever since.
By the evening of the second day, the spring hunt procession officially reached the heart of the villa.
The rain continued unabated, and the sky was somber. By dusk, the light had vanished entirely, and the villa’s unique stone walls grew as blurred as distant mountains in the twilight.
After traveling for most of the day, Xiao Nanhui’s legs began to ache again. She had begun to figure out the pattern of this pain: it was milder during the day and worsened at night, flaring up intensely during rainy weather.
When entering the inner gates, protocol dictated that everyone must dismount.
As she stepped down, her uncooperative ankles caused her to stumble. She quickly stole a glance around, letting out a small sigh of relief when it seemed no one had noticed.
An Attendant-at-Arms nearly falling while dismounting—if such an embarrassing story reached the military, she wouldn't be able to stay in any camp.
However, the very next moment after she steadied herself, his voice sounded from behind her.
"The roads are slick in the rain. It seems Attendant Xiao’s boots aren't quite up to the task. Come to the courtyard later to change into a new pair."
She adjusted her posture and turned her head, only to see his back as he left the carriage for a palanquin, moving away with Cui Xingyao.
She blinked, truly unable to tell if he genuinely wanted her to change her boots or if he was simply teasing her.
She wanted to catch up and offer a few words of self-justification, but as she stepped forward, she landed right in a puddle of slushy mud. Turning her head, she met Ding Weixiang’s omnipresent gaze. In her frustration, she ultimately gave up.
The mud-caked boots became very heavy, and every step she took dragged at her legs, making the pain worse.
Perhaps even the heavens were reminding her to remember her fate of standing in the mud and not to covet things that did not belong to her.
Xiao Nanhui stomped her feet hard twice, but the sludge seemed to have grown onto her boots, refusing to budge. Fury rose within her. Without waiting for Xu Shu to come over and mock her, she simply undid her gaiters and yanked the boot off entirely. Ignoring Xu Shu’s blatant stare, she walked forward with one foot bare, limping as she went.
The civil and military officials in the procession numbered fewer than a hundred. Most traveled light, and no one dared to put on airs at such a time. Yet Xiao Nanhui had noticed that, aside from the arrangements surrounding the Royal Carriage, there seemed to be thousands of accompanying carts and horses.
During the previous stops for rest, those people never seemed to step out of their carriages. Upon reaching Yu’an, they had all vanished into Yulin Villa together.
Yulin Villa seemed to have no end, like a bottomless sack. No matter how many people entered, they could disappear without a trace in an instant.
The various courtyards were shaped like the character "回" (Hui)—no distinction between side or main, no front, back, left, or right. Countless "Hui" courtyards were connected in the shape of the character "品" (Pin), accessible from all sides yet shielding one another.
The accompanying officials and their attendants were scattered throughout the villa, divided by intimacy, vocation, rank, and their roles in the spring hunt. Dozens of eunuchs led hundreds of palace servants in a coordinated effort, taking a full two or three hours to settle everyone in.
By the time the last candle in the courtyard was extinguished, it was already midnight.
Having changed into a pair of soft cloth shoes, Xiao Nanhui slipped out of the courtyard under the cover of darkness.
The night before they departed, she had specifically passed by the secret camp of the Black Feather Brigade and, as expected, encountered Lu Songping.
For the spring hunt, Lu Songping, as the leader of the Black Feather Brigade, would certainly be responsible for the security of the procession and Yulin Villa. If she wanted to know if the person she was looking for was in the convoy, Lu Songping was the best person to ask.
Lu Songping was not an easy man to fool. She had prepared herself thoroughly for the encounter, but he had given her the answer she sought after only a few words.
Yes, Zong Hao would be traveling to Yu’an with the Royal Carriage.
The moment she learned that news, a premonition had stirred in Xiao Nanhui’s heart.
The answer she had been chasing all this time was going to reach its conclusion here in Yu’an.
She had been looking for an opportunity throughout the journey. During the day, as an Attendant-at-Arms, it was inappropriate for her to leave the vicinity of the Royal Carriage for long. She had only managed to find a chance to mark the ruts of various carriages with white ash, intending to slip out after they settled into the villa and the night grew still.
Dragging her aching legs, Xiao Nanhui managed to scale the moss-slicked courtyard wall. She followed the ash-marked ruts she had left earlier, searching "door to door," hoping to find the courtyard where Zong Hao was staying before dawn.
The night air in Yu’an held a strange scent, like a blend of a hundred different fruits and flowers mixed with the decay of countless dead insects and plants.
Xiao Nanhui’s nose began to itch again. She pulled her neck scarf higher to cover her nose and mouth, feeling her way along the damp stone steps into the distance.
In the rainy weather, the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse. The ancient stone houses grew cold as the temperature dropped, and a mist began to rise within Yulin Villa.
The terrain here was flat with slight undulations. As the mist drifted, it made one lose all sense of location. Even the surrounding stone walls looked identical, making it impossible to distinguish direction.
Xiao Nanhui explored for another half-hour before she dared go no further, silently marvelling at the brilliance of the Yueze Army’s formations. Never mind that she was currently too afraid of exposure to light a lamp; even if she had a lantern, she likely wouldn't fare well in this "soul-confusing maze."
Just as she was about to turn back the way she came, a sound came from the mist not far to her front-right.
Xiao Nanhui grew tense, worried that her "night wandering" had been discovered.
But as she listened closely, the sound was unusual. There were four distinct beats of equal weight—not the sound of a person walking, but rather the movement of a four-hoofed animal like a cow or horse.
Had some general’s mount broken loose?
Having sacrificed her sleep and dragging two ailing legs, Xiao Nanhui didn't actually want to meddle in such trivial matters.
But then she thought that if Jixiang were lost, she would be too worried to sit still. So, she changed direction and headed toward the sound.
After dozens of paces, the mist thinned slightly, revealing a small patch of soft meadow.
Several blurry shadows paced upon it, occasionally punctuated by the sound of snorting breath.
It was a herd of deer.
Xiao Nanhui breathed a sigh of relief.
But immediately after, she realized something and looked ahead toward the center of the herd with disbelief.
In the middle of the deer stood a man.
He was still dressed in those brown clothes. Because he stood there perfectly still, he looked like a withered old tree, blending seamlessly with the ancient trees that had grown there for centuries.
Two phoenix-birds with snow-white bodies and scarlet crests were perched on his shoulders. He held two bundles of green wheat in his arms, and several fawns were competing for the food, wagging their tails happily.
It was a perfect scene of feeding birds and tending deer.
Who could have imagined that the man before her was once the ruthless shadow guard by the late Emperor’s side?
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
雨安 | Yu'an | Lit. "Rainy Peace." A county west of the capital.
阙城 | Quecheng | The capital city.
参乘 | Attendant-at-Arms | An official escort/guard for the imperial carriage.
左参乘 | Left Attendant-at-Arms | Xu Shu's current title.
右参乘 | Right Attendant-at-Arms | Xiao Nanhui's current title.
髃刑 | Shoulder-shackling punishment | A punishment involving the shoulder/collarbone area.
羽林别苑 | Yulin Villa | Lit. "Imperial Forest Villa." A former military site used for the spring hunt.
岳泽军 | Yueze Army | The "Fifth Army" of Tiancheng, experts in engineering and geography.
崔淑媛 | Lady Cui | Cui Xingyao's title (Shuyuan is a high-ranking concubine rank).
宗颢 | Zong Hao | Former shadow guard to the late Emperor.
鹿松平 | Lu Songping | Leader of the Black Feather Brigade.
玄门岭 | Xuanmen Ridge | A geographical location, likely Xiao Nanhui's home region.
