"The Son of Heaven has his own execution platform."
The winter sunset carried a biting chill, leaving residual snow that melted into water dampening the ground. Walking along the path, knee-high shrubs curled their icy leaves, brushing against Song Zhiluan's skirt.
Song Zhiluan had dismissed all her attendants, drinking several cups of fruit wine in the Warm Pavilion before returning at dusk.
Her elaborate palace dress trailed long upon the snowy ground, leaving twisted, heavy marks.
Passing through the moon gate, she saw a figure in black standing beneath the crabapple tree.
She slowed her steps, supporting her wine-warmed face, trying to see clearly.
Hearing the sound, Xie Yujin turned around. Seeing her condition, a coldness from the depths of her memory surfaced in his eyes.
"You've been drinking?"
The chill was faint, quickly vanishing.
Having recognized him clearly, Song Zhiluan felt like laughing, and indeed laughed aloud. Now Xie Yujin was the most powerful figure in the court, holding exclusive authority, while she was merely a princess of the late emperor. Since her imperial brother didn't care about her elder sister, how much genuine concern could he have for her?
There was no need for him to show her any kindness anymore.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
Step by step, Song Zhiluan approached the figure before her, her tone carrying a faint, almost imperceptible sob that even she hadn't noticed.
Xie Yujin gazed at her deeply, offering no explanation. In his eyes, her affairs perhaps required no explanation.
Song Zhiluan lifted her head, no longer wishing to speak with him, and walked straight toward the courtyard.
"Before the capital moves, we shall separate."
Song Zhiluan suddenly halted, as if she hadn't heard. She walked forward several steps in a daze before slowly stopping, her fingers lightly curling to touch the damp, cold branches and leaves.
After a long while, she finally said, "Separate?"
"This marriage was never my wish. Correcting it now is not too late." Xie Yujin's voice grew distant and cold, icier than the water droplets falling on Song Zhiluan's cheeks. "After years as husband and wife, if you have any requests, you may speak them."
Song Zhiluan felt waves of heartache, as if wind and snow had fallen inside her body, freezing her with unbearable pain.
"I have requests," she laughed lightly, her smile full of bitterness, "and I may speak them to you?"
"There's only one thing I've ever asked for. Since you never intended to help, why bother hypocritically asking me now?"
Song Zhiluan lost her composure, feeling as if a dagger were slowly carving out her heart, the pain spreading through her chest.
Compared to her state, Xie Yujin's calmness made her feel even more defeated.
His gaze rested on her without any emotion.
The sunset deepened, the day about to end, taking with it the last trace of warmth.
Xie Yujin walked slowly toward her.
Just as he was about to pass her, he said quietly, "If you refuse to separate, we shall take the Bianliu River as our boundary. You remain in Western Jing, I go to Eastern Capital. For decades to come, we shall never see each other again until death."
Song Zhiluan laughed until tears came, putting distance between them as she murmured, "Why not separate? Xie Yujin, in my youth I was naive, always thinking you had a heart. Ten years have passed, and I've finally seen you clearly. Why should I continue offering my sincere heart for you to torment me?"
Having said this, Song Zhiluan took the first step toward her own chambers.
After she left, Xie Yujin remained motionless for a long time.
Dark clouds gradually gathered above the Guo Gong Fu.
The rumble of thunder rolled through the sea of clouds.
The crabapple tree in the courtyard had been planted joyfully by Song Zhiluan when she first moved into the Guo Gong Fu. Now it stood tall and graceful, its branches and leaves lush and abundant.
A strand of gold thread from her skirt had snagged on a low-hanging branch, swaying gently in the breeze.
Xie Yujin lowered his gaze, watching that strand of gold thread.
After he killed Song Huaizhang, she would surely wish to kill him.
Once they divorced, all the infamy he was destined to bear would no longer concern her.
He had clearly made up his mind long ago, so why did his chest ache with dull pain?
Xie Yujin had no time to ponder this, as more pressing matters awaited him.
He hooked the gold thread down, and it coiled tightly around his finger as he departed.
In the Imperial Garden, the pond had frozen over. Beneath the icy surface, six or seven fish swam past the young man's feet.
"…Xiao Luan has been willful all these years. Thank you for tolerating her."
The young emperor's voice remained as gentle as ever, reminiscent of warm spring sunlight bathing one's skin.
"…"
"I grant the divorce. Speaking of which, when Father Emperor was still alive, I had already agreed with you that I would bring up your marriage with Xiao Luan to him at an appropriate time. Once everything was settled, whether to maintain or dissolve this marriage would be entirely up to you, Yujin. Never did I expect… not only did you end up marrying someone you didn't love, but you also suffered humiliation. I have always felt guilty toward you."
"…"
Clad in his Purple Python Robe, Xie Yujin had shed the lean youthfulness of earlier years, maturing into a steady and reliable presence.
He had always been a man of few words, and Song Huaizhang didn't take offense—when they first met, he had been even more reticent than now.
"Recently, there have been rumors at court that I intend to appoint you as chancellor. What are your thoughts?"
"I accept Your Majesty's decree."
Song Huaizhang seemed pleased with Xie Yujin's response. "Speaking with intelligent people saves effort. Yujin, we've known each other since we were young. I've always regarded you as a brother. Now that you've fulfilled your promise and helped me ascend the throne, I hope our relationship won't become distant due to the distinction between ruler and subject. What do you think?"
"Yes."
"Good. Gao Gonggong, escort the General out of the palace."
"As you command."
After having the eunuch see Xie Yujin off, Song Huaizhang received a report that the Princess of Linghuai had sent her attendant Yunu for an audience.
He did not summon her immediately.
Toying with his jade thumb ring, Song Huaizhang narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze profound as he watched the young man's retreating figure.
Xie Yujin had previously won illustrious military achievements for him, commanding the generals. Now, with his merit in aiding the emperor's ascension, if he desired power, he could already dominate the court. If he wished to seize control, he could have taken his life during the palace coup and installed a child emperor—without him, the eldest prince was only five years old.
To say he cared for the common people was absurd—the censors in Jing had already listed a hundred charges against him.
Whether granting him official positions or now stripping him of military power, he remained so composed.
Song Huaizhang summoned Yunu.
Just like this attendant by Xiao Luan's side—the daughter of a Northern Dynasty military prostitute—he appeared cold and unapproachable while serving under the late emperor, seemingly flawless, yet he too had weaknesses.
A man without ambition would not have the strength to survive on the battlefield.
The Princess Manor had long been uninhabited. Zhinu arranged for servants to clean it, while craftsmen gradually entered to make repairs and trim the flowering branches.
Song Zhiluan emerged from the private room at Hua E Lou in the Imperial City. A fox fur cloak enveloped her figure, the fragrant breeze from inside mingling with the snow to form a chilling scent.
The fresh, cold air filled her lungs, leaving her exceptionally clear-headed.
As the New Year approached, the streets were adorned with lanterns and decorations. Auspicious red couplets stood out vividly against the snowy landscape. The common people, having endured years of war, now cherished these fleeting moments of peace like a once-unattainable dream.
"Tomorrow marks the capital relocation. Yunu should be seeing His Majesty soon lately."
These days, Xie Yujin left early and returned late, while the guards at Guo Gong Fu had been secretly replaced—none of this escaped Yunu's notice.
Song Zhiluan possessed keen instincts.
The Imperial City was likely on the brink of upheaval.
Between the two people she had once been closest to.
Zhinu said, "Yunu left two hours ago. They must have met by now."
Song Zhiluan withdrew her gaze and lowered her head.
She didn't know who would emerge victorious, nor did she care at this point. Her only desire was to secure a path to survival for Yunu, Zhinu, and herself.
Since Xie Yujin had blocked that path, she could only pray that Song Huaizhang would show some mercy when he read her letter.
Under a hazy sky thick with the scent of blood, the execution platform dripped crimson. The common folk clamored restlessly below, while children nibbled on blood-stained steamed buns. No one noticed the peculiar grandfather and grandson pair.
The clan elder covered Xie Yujin's face, holding him close as he muttered like a madman, urging the boy to remember the faces of these officials.
With skeletal hands, he smeared his parents' blood across Xie Yujin's cheeks, rasping: "This is a blood feud, Yujin. You must fight them to the death. Make every betrayer of Xie Jia pay with their lives. Choose a new sovereign—don't repeat your father's mistake of sacrificing our Guanbei Xie clan for so-called loyalty! Brand this in your heart: even if they shatter your bones one by one, you must rise and tear their flesh with your teeth. Remember! Hah… You're our clan's last hope. I traded my only grandson for your life—my six-year-old boy who still called me Grandpa, who died smiling thinking I'd save him… He couldn't bear this burden. Only you… only you can bring peace to the wronged souls of Xie Jia…"
Xie Yujin watched tears stream down the elder's face. When the old man straightened his hunched posture, the boy asked: "What about them?"
The elder, hearing Xie Yujin's childish voice, thought of his own sensible grandson and replied vaguely: "Who do you mean?"
"These common people."
Following Xie Yujin's gaze, the elder saw the straw-sandaled peasants, women carrying children on their backs, fathers hurrying home with food.
Xie Yujin continued with innocent seriousness: "Shouldn't they die too?"
A chill shot up the elder's spine, his expression turning horrified.
"Yujin," he knelt, staring into the boy's calm eyes, "listen to Grandpa. The commoners are innocent. I was too agitated earlier—did I frighten you? Never entertain such thoughts again, understand?"
Under the gaze of this seven-year-old prodigy praised by the clan, he suddenly felt as if being judged from a superior height.
After a long pause, young Xie Yujin suddenly smiled—a expression as pure as the snow falling around them, indistinguishable from any child his age. "Grandfather, I was merely asking. You worry too much."
…
In the whirling snow, Xie Yujin stood atop a high tower, his ink-black robes fluttering. Loose hair swept across the white jade railing as wind howled.
An old attendant approached: "General, the princess is currently at Hua E Lou. Shall we request her return?"
Xie Yujin remained silent for a long while.
"Tomorrow, escort her into the palace as per protocol. Dispatch shadow guards to ensure her safety."
"General, the journey to the Eastern Capital is likely fraught with peril. You…"
The young man cast him a cool glance.
The old attendant said, "…Understood. This subordinate will make the arrangements immediately."
Song Huaizhang sat before the sandalwood desk. On his left, the wind rustled the tattered, yellowed booklet, while a blot of ink bled across the xuan paper.
The message delivered today by Song Zhiluan's envoy had stirred up a long-buried memory.
When his father first entered the Imperial City, he had asked the assembled generals what they thought of this palace that had witnessed two dynasties.
The answers varied—flowery words of flattery, one and all.
Back then, he seemed to have heard one distinct response.
Xie Yujin said this palace resembled an execution platform.
Commoners had their execution grounds.
Generals had their execution grounds.
And the Son of Heaven had his own.
Now, Song Huaizhang understood what Xie Yujin truly wanted.
Ink flowed across the fine xuan paper as he abruptly threw down the brush, slammed both hands on the desk, veins bulging at his temples.
"That madman!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" The attending servant immediately knelt, trembling with fear.
Song Huaizhang's chest heaved violently. After a fit of harsh coughing, he gradually regained his composure.
Picking up the letter, he narrowed his eyes at Song Zhiluan's handwriting.
Xie Yujin had no interest in the throne. Even if he sought to drag everyone down with him, why would he choose this moment to rebel? What had suddenly sparked his ambition?
And why seek divorce before raising arms?
Song Huaizhang swiftly pieced together fragmented clues. The deeper he pondered, the more complex and grim his expression grew. The court lady's conveyed words of concern twisted into taunts in his eyes. He crumpled the letter into a tight ball.
"Linghuai."
Was it merely because I refused to bring Song Heyan back to court that you now seek to kill your own brother?