The Capital in late autumn was shrouded in a gray, misty haze, resembling a scroll soaked in ink. Withered yellow leaves swirled at the base of the palace walls, only to be ruthlessly crushed by the heavy leather boots of patrolling guards, emitting a faint, whimpering sound. As Shen Mingyue lifted the curtain of the carriage, a bone-chilling wind rushed in, causing her to shiver involuntarily. By chance, she glimpsed the eaves of the Hall of Supreme Harmony at the end of Zhuque Avenue, looming in and out of the mist. The bronze bells at the corners of the eaves whimpered in the wind, as if mourning a storm about to break. Gu Jinghong wrapped his cloak tighter around himself. Although his wounds had scabbed over, they still throbbed on overcast, rainy days, like countless tiny silver needles piercing his flesh. Subconsciously, he pressed a hand to the inner pocket containing the Emblem Fragment; the damp scent of the Southern Frontier Ancient Tomb still lingered there, as if carrying an untold past.
"Lady Shen! Young Master Gu!" An urgent cry came from around the corner. A secret guard emerged, his face pale and beaded with sweat, wearing an expression of rare panic. "The Second Prince... has died suddenly in the Ministry of Justice prison." Before the words had even faded, the Jade Pendant in Shen Mingyue’s hand suddenly turned searing hot, so hot she nearly dropped it, as if the pendant itself had sensed this sudden, tragic news. Gu Jinghong’s pupils contracted like a vigi…
Chapter 36