Chu Qiao’s suspicions were finally confirmed. The chaos in Tang finally broke out at the imperial mausoleum in Meishan after ten peaceful years. It came out of the blue, like a pot of cold water. Before the people inside could react in time, the pot of water was heated to its boiling point, implicating everyone within.

  At Hanshui, the conflict had escalated. After a few groups of cavalry troops trampled on the land, the city was destroyed. Homes were torched; the fertile land was instantly turned to a barren wasteland. The prosperity of the city went up in smokes. On both sides of the roads, corpses of the civilians littered the ground. A pungent smell of blood could be detected amongst the decomposing bodies.

  The king of Luo had started a rebellion in Meishan. The residents, who did not want to be branded as rebels, brought their families and migrated towards Hanshui, only to realize that Xu Su, one of his brothers-in-law, had taken over command of Hanshui Pass. The water crossing leading towards the east had been duly sealed off. The Tang troops located west of Hanshui Pass were disorganized and were heavily defeated by the king of Luo at the city of Hong. The life of the Tang Empire hung by a thread.

  Chu Qiao and her party’s journey was delayed as a result. Along the district of Hanshui, the civilians gathered in large numbers. As it was in the middle of summer, diseases were rampant within the city. In less than half a month, an epidemic broke out there. The noble aristocrats stayed in their houses, sending their servants to keep watch and patrol the areas. The inns and restaurants closed for business, causing rations to be in short supply. Chu Qiao and her party had no choice but to head towards the outskirts of the city. Luckily, they had prepared themselves for the long journey ahead; their rations and tents were sufficient to tide them over.

  As the days passed, they heard all kinds of different rumors. When Pingan and the rest went into the city to gather intel, their efforts did not come to fruition.

  The rumors were diverse in nature. Some people claimed that Li Ce had gathered an army of 800,000 elite cavalry troops in the east, and that he was headed towards Hanshui for a rampage. Some people claimed that the king of Luo had massacred the Nanhuai Army at Junshan a few days ago. The areas around Jiangzhe, the city of Fei, Nanwang, Anxi County and the Sunset Mountains had been heavily affected. The army of the royal capital had suffered heavy casualties, while the survivors had surrendered. In less than five days, the army of the king of Luo was to conquer Hanshui. Others claimed that the big households in the southwest rendered support towards the Luo King’s rebellion in the form of donating money and rations towards the cause, due to their displeasure with the current fatuous ruler. They sent out their private troops to join the Meishan Army, causing the king of Luo’s army to be almost 1,000,000 strong. More absurd theories claimed that Li Ce was no longer in Tang Jing, and that he had fled to Xia with his concubines. The Song Empire had constructed a boat for him, for him to escape to the seas.

  The people along Hanshui waited with bated breath. Although the rumors were not entirely valid, the army of the Luo King slowly approached Hanshui as each day passed. As the number of refugees entering the city decreased, it meant that the Luo King’s army was starting to surround Hanshui. A major battle was about to ensue.

  After seven days, the Luo King’s army finally arrived at Qibai Slope, less than 40 kilometers away from Hanshui. However, they stopped there, showing no signs of a head-on confrontation with General Xu Su. On the other side, Hanshui did not show any signs of defecting towards the Luo King either. The war suddenly entered a stalemate.

  Suddenly, the Xishuo Army of the royal capital detected that something was amiss. General Xu Su was a general of the royal army, who had followed Old General Murong in his early years. If he stood on Li Ce’s side, their hopes of victory would have been greatly boosted.

  After four days, the commander of the Xishuo Army, Lu Bingkuan, led 30,000 troops towards Qibai Slope, engaging in a fierce battle with the Luo King’s army. Although they suffered heavy casualties, they managed to breach the defense line of their enemy to advance towards Hanshui. Evidently, they sided with the Hanshui troops—they wanted to protect the royal capital of Tang.

  However, another twist in the tale occurred that night. Out of the blue, a massacre, which shook the entire continent of West Meng, broke out in Hanshui. All of Lu Bingkuan’s 13,000 soldiers were slaughtered by Xu Su that night, their blood staining Hanshui River red. Bloodstains were even visible at the undercurrents of the river, located more than 15 kilometers away. The mountain of corpses was sufficient to form a tall dam.

  Vultures congregated in the districts of Hanshui. In the middle of the night, they let out their sharp cries as they feasted on the decomposing corpses. It was a nightmarish sight.

  Three days later, the king of Luo, seemingly convinced by Xu Su’s loyalty towards him, entered Hanshui with his army of 150,000. The day after, with the support of his troops, the king of Luo proclaimed himself as the ruler of the place as he conducted his rituals to ascend the throne. He became known as the king of Jingheng.

  Two days later, the Meishan Army, consisting of 200,000 troops, arrived at Hanshui to side with the king of Luo. Together with Xu Su’s army of 180,000 troops, the military forces of the king of Luo approached 600,000 people. With this, the Tang Empire had been split into two, with each part colonized by a different ruler.

  Ten days later, the Tang Emperor, Li Ce, could no longer stand such an unprecedented humiliation. He finally issued a declaration of war, with many scathing statements written within. He would be leading his troops personally to fight the war. His army consisted of the Central Army (90,000 people), the Southeastern Army (110,000 people), and local provincial troops (200,000 people). After gathering them in one place, he headed swiftly towards Hanshui. A big battle loomed on the horizon.

  On the ninth day of the eighth month, the king of Luo stood atop Zhaoyang Platform and paid his respects to the ancestors. Thereafter, he led his troops and 150,000 other troops from the Meishan Army across the river, leaving 50,000 troops from the Meishan Army and Xu Su behind to guard Hanshui. Li Ce’s army stayed in their own camp, not daring to fight head-on. For five days, only small skirmishes broke out, resembling more like a minor riot compared to a battle of armies. In that instant, Li Ce became a laughing stock in Tang. The Tang Emperor was scared of the king of Luo, as he did not dare to fight head-on. This news became known to the whole world.

  As everyone thought that Li Ce was about to lose his empire, Chu Qiao instructed Meixiang to pack up and enter Tang Jing. Meixiang was perplexed as she questioned her motives.

  Chu Qiao looked at Xu Su’s camp towards the east, her sight suddenly becoming a little blurry as she thought of the massacre that had descended upon the Xishuo Army the other night. She remembered the non-stop cries of agony vividly.

  “This war is about to end.”


  On the 17th day of the eighth month, the Tang army brushed off all their cowardice, finally engaging in combat with the Luo King’s army at Hulin Plains. The battle lasted one day and one night, with both parties showing no intentions to compromise. Both parties knew that this was a battle for supremacy over the empire; a bright future awaited the winner. As for the loser, his entire family would be exterminated.

  As the battle entered its critical moment, General Xu Su suddenly appeared on the battlefield. The army of the Luo King cheered as they savored the taste of victory. However, before their celebrations had ended, General Xu Su turned on the Luo King’s army, carrying out a sneak attack from the back!

  On the 20th day of the eighth month, the Luo King’s army was defeated. Over 40,000 of his troops died, while the survivors surrendered. Under the escort of 2,000 elite troops, the King of Luo escaped to Hanshui, only to find that the 50,000 troops he had left behind had already been killed. In addition, there was no longer any water route out of Hanshui. Driven to desperation, he committed suicide by the bank of Hanshui River.

  With this, the king of Jingheng, who had ascended the throne for a mere 11 days, disappeared from the political scene of Tang. His disappearance was sudden, as if he had never appeared before.

  On the 21st day of the eighth month, the royal army tracked down the remnants of the Luo King’s family, wiping out more than 300 families in the southwest. The women were captured as prostitutes, while the men were executed. In one night, the entirety of his family along the southwest was uprooted; the region became a desolate, no man’s land.

  On the 27th day of the eighth month, the Tang Emperor returned to court, victorious. He allowed General Xu Su, who had accumulated major credit in neutralizing the rebellion, to continue leading the efforts to weed out any more rebels that remained. The bloodshed continued to spread across the land of Tang, outwards from Meishan.

  On the fourth day of the ninth month, the Tang Emperor declared that half of the assets seized from the southwest was to be donated equally to the various provinces and counties that had suffered from the war. In addition, he lowered taxes on the southwest for five years, for them to rebuild after the war. At that moment, Li Ce’s reputation soared to even greater heights. The people, who had lost their homes and families, thanked him for his grace in giving them a lifeline.

  On the ninth day of the ninth month, Chu Qiao and her party took a boat across Hanshui towards Tang Jing. A state of normalcy had been restored in Tang. The skies were still blue; the winds were still mesmerizing. The only thing that differed was that the deceased warriors could never be brought back to life again.

  The full moon shone brightly in the sky like refined jade on the 15th day of the ninth month. Large crowds of fireflies clustered around the sycamore trees outside the palace, giving off a blue glow as they circled around. The imperial palace was cold and deserted. White curtains were hung all over the place, while pale white candles replaced the bright palace lights.

  She followed behind the servants as she walked slowly. Jinwu Palace was still as big as ever, but it was now devoid of the melodious tunes that lasted into the night and the dancers with good figures. This majestic palace had suddenly become more spacious.

  The arrow pattern on her sleeve brushed against the two layers of clothes that she was wearing, causing a rustling sound. The night was peaceful; only the crows that flew over the sky could be seen nestling on the tall rooftops. The color of twilight spread across the land; a heavy incense smell drifted out from the dense clusters of pine and cypress trees. Chu Qiao looked far away, hearing the sounds of reverends chanting their sutras from the distance. A sense of emptiness filled her heart.

  Mihe Residences was still the same. Sycamore trees decorated the background along with lotus ponds, as the cicadas chirped time after time. The pale moonlight shone through the windows. A few windows were left ajar in the western part of the place, causing the humid winds to enter the building. The greenish-white curtains flew about in the air as an antiqued wine chime in front of the windows rang out. Its sounds were still crisp, sounding like someone that was hammering at a layer of ice.

  Li Ce sat at a table in between the curtains, with two mats by his side. A green jade teapot and two white wine cups were placed on the table.

  The green curtains danced along with the winds as it swept across the big, empty palace. Li Ce’s hair was let down and hung by his sides. He was dressed in a dark shade of purple, with layer upon layer of green clouds embroidered on his outfit, with a sense of exquisiteness exclusive to the royals. His face glowed a pale white as he sat there under the moonlight, appearing like a still figure in a portrait.

  Chu Qiao stood at the door as she supported herself against the green pillar, not knowing how to approach him.

  The night winds lifted the curtains gently. Li Ce turned around, the moonlight still shining on his face. He was still handsome; as his eyes squinted, he gave off his usual fox-like appearance. Gently, he said, “You’re here.” His voice was calm, but it evoked sadness in Chu Qiao’s heart as she looked at him. He was still the same old person when she left—cheeky and playful, but wise beyond his years.

  Time had passed in a flash. Many things had happened, which had overwhelmed her. At this moment, as she looked at him, she felt a sense of distance as her heart ached a little.

  Chu Qiao walked in front and squatted in front of Li Ce. Her eyes teared up as she pouted. Li Ce smiled and caressed her hair, deliberately messing it up just like he had done before. Laughing, he said, “Why the depressed face? I’m still alive.” He was always so cheerful. Chu Qiao felt even more saddened. Forcing out a smile, she nodded and replied, “It’s good you’re alright.”


  The window was half-opened; the last lotus flower could be seen as it bloomed.

  Li Ce lowered his head as he brushed his finger against the flower patterns of the cup. “He’s a rebel. He can’t be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I buried his body in Luofu Mountains.”


  A gust of wind blew into the palace, causing the wind chime to let out a series of sounds. As they looked up, they saw the exquisite patterns carved onto the wind chime. At its edges, beautiful art patterns of flowers could be seen, adorned with a layer of golden powder on top. Its color was still fresh despite having weathered the tides of time.

  Li Ce gulped down one cup of wine. With a calm look on his face, he said plainly, “Fu’er is buried there too.” He looked up, a deep look in his eyes. With a philosophical look in his eyes, he continued, “They were not born on the same day, but they are buried together. His death was not in vain.”


  The palace quietened down. Chu Qiao sat beside Li Ce, accompanying him as he downed cup after cup of wine. She did not sit opposite him, for she knew that the seat was not reserved for her. Under the lonely moonlight, he was waiting for a person whom he would never be able to see again.