In the late autumn Capital, a biting chill clung to ginkgo leaves that littered the palace paths like aged, yellowed letters. With every step, they crutched softly underfoot, whispering of hidden pasts within the imperial court. Shen Mingyue stood within the shadow of the palace wall, her exhausted silhouette cast against mottled bricks.
The Saintly Clan mark upon her wrist grew faintly warm against her heartbeat, a silent reminder that her mission remained unfulfilled. This was her third attempt to seek an audience with the New Emperor, yet each time she had been turned away at the gates. The previous night, Old Xu had braved the rain to deliver a confidential letter.
Its oiled paper still bore damp water stains along the edges, and though the ink had bled slightly in the wet, the characters remained clear and resolute. It stated that Grand General Zhenyuan had finished compiling the evidence and awaited only the right moment to present it. She gazed toward the direction of the Imperial Study, where bronze bells beneath the eaves swayed in the wind, chiming with an ethereal ring that failed to dispel the gloom in her heart.
Chapter 134