The towering fire from the direction of the Imperial Palace looked like the gaping maw of a giant beast, staining half the sky a sinister crimson. This eerie radiance filtered through the carved lattice windows of the wedding hall, casting mottled shadows across the ravaged banquet scene and reflecting off the twisted, terror-stricken faces of the guests. Shen Mingyue clutched the blood-stained secret missive and the jade hairpin, her nails digging deep into her palms. The stench of blood from the banquet floor mingled with the smell of smoke drifting from afar, turning her stomach. She knew that a greater storm had arrived, and this wedding was merely the prelude to the tempest.
Inside the hall, red candles flickered in the draft. Wax dripped down the dragon-carved candlesticks, congealing on the gilded trays into grotesque shapes that resembled twisted ghost faces. Shen Mingyue’s fingertips, gripping the gilded wine cup, turned pale; beads of sweat slid down the side of the cup, catching the candlelight. The *hunhun* powder floating on the surface of the wine shimmered with silver specks like scattered stardust, mirroring the sinister glint in the Second Prince’s eyes. "My dear, you must not let my good intentions go to waste with this nuptial wine." The Second Prince’s voice was wrapped in a smile, yet the tail end carried an imperceptible chill. It reminded Shen Mingyue of the raspy death rattle her father had made when his throat was being devoured by the *Gu Insect* of…
Chapter 63