The surroundings were as dark as they were silent. Only the light of the moon filtered through the window lattices. It looked very much like a silvery lake disturbed by its own waves. Lu Yan lowered his head, softly kissing Shen Zhen’s forehead. “Speak and I shall answer you.” Shen Zhen’s body froze at his words, her heart jumping a …

As soon as the door was closed behind them, only he and Shen Ran remained in the torture room. Looking deeply into one another’s eyes, they could not but feel embarrassed and out of place. Lu Yan had to admit it, this Eldest Miss Shen truly had a way to present him with the most difficult and unexpected problems. They …

Early the next morning. As the morning sun dispelled the clouds with its joyful rays, Shen Ran dragged Qingli to the westernmost part of Chang’an. Getting off the Li Household’s carriage, the two of them walked straight into a drugstore. Chang’an’s drugstores were nothing like those one could find in a provincial town. They were spacious and comfortable, generally made …

The moment she walked out of Chengyuan, raindrops welcomed her and a thick fog rose from the street, making Chang’an look like something out of a sad, hazy dream. It was beautiful nonetheless. These streets had brought them so much pain, and yet they had retained their beauty even in her eyes. A pretty servant, no older than her mistress, …

Shen Zhen’s tears were no different from pearls falling from the broken thread of a necklace. Nothing could stop them from sliding down her pallid cheeks. Yet, Lu Yan continued to wipe at them, anguished more by her pain than by his own. “Stop crying now”, he whispered in despair. Shen Zhen misunderstood him. Remembering he loathed crying, she bit …

The rain outside had long stopped. Yet, Shen Zhen had the impression a dark cloud had settled above her and was pouring a bucket of water over her. Lightning and thunder raged in her ears. There was but one thought that crossed her mind — ‘Shen Zhen, everything is over. Everything … is over.’ Suddenly, Moyue’s anxious voice filtered through …

The next day, Lu Yan woke up early to pay the Old Madam his respects in her own Jia’an Hall. However, all the children and grandchildren of the Grand Duchy of Zhen’s three branches had gathered together to enjoy a morning in each other’s company. Central to the group was Old Madam Lu, making her great-grandson jump on her knee, …

There was rarely a sunny day during March in Chang’an. Generally, the air was heavy with humidity, there was a dull fog that enveloped the city and it was forever about to rain. Lu Yan returned to the Supreme Court at noon, after having carried out an autopsy under the guidance of Coroner Zhou. For a person with an obsession …

The night only made the candlelight playing along Shen Zhen’s face seem all the brighter. She appeared so serene while Lu Yan’s heartbeats reverberated throughout his body, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. He had never imagined that, one day, the girl he kept would think herself in need of worrying about incense money. Lowering his eyes, …

The next morning, Lu Yan led Bai Daonian into the Eastern Palace, taking him directly to the Crown Prince’s apartments. Lion-faced bronze furnaces welcomed them by diffusing a grey smoke all around their feet, while an Earth Dragon burned with violence, making the temperature in the royal residence soar to summer levels. (Translator’s Note: The ‘Earth Dragon’ was an ancient …