Princess Zhenguo's Estate was softly veiled in a thin mist, resembling a hazy ink wash painting. Wisps of smoke curled from the kitchen chimney, and the cloying, sweet scent of osmanthus cake drifted through the air, blending with the damp vapor to refresh the spirit. Shen Mingyue leaned against the carved window, the steam rising from the celadon teacup in her hand blurring her features. Her fingers unconsciously traced the side of the cup; the description of the ice-crystal weapons in last night’s battle report felt like a sharp thorn in her heart, impossible to ignore. When the maid entered holding a gold-plated hand warmer, she caught her mistress staring blankly out the window, her soul seemingly adrift in some distant place. A breeze brushed past, causing the bamboo in the courtyard to sway, the intersecting shadows on the flagstone tiles bearing a startling resemblance to the Dark Ice Clan totem deep in her memory. In a daze, she felt as if invisible hands were slowly peeling back the dust of long-forgotten events.
"Your Highness, the former Vice Minister of Revenue requests an audience," the butler’s voice echoed through the corridor, shattering Shen Mingyue’s thoughts. She placed the cup gently on the green jade table, causing the tea within to ripple, much like the slight agitation in her own heart. The Vice Minister was an old official from the previous reign who had retired on the pretense of illness after the New Emperor ascended the throne, leading a reclusive …
Chapter 102