The north wind carried shards of crushed ice, like countless tiny flying blades, fiercely scraping across the vermilion walls of the Capital. The icicles frozen in the crevices of the wall bricks swayed in the wind, refracting a cold, sharp light that seemed like the watchful gaze of this imperial city. Gu Jinghong tightly wrapped the blind Shen Mingyue in his cloak, the soft fox-fur collar brushing against her pale cheek.
When his fingertips touched her chilled face, his heart contracted violently, as if grasped by an invisible hand. The bits and pieces of his past time with Shen Mingyue surged into his mind like a tide—from her spirited shrewdness when they first met, to her fragile yet resilient appearance now that she had lost her sight—every scene pierced his heart. The "New Emperor Ascends the Throne" brocade banner on the city gate tower fluttered wildly in the wind, its vermilion background dazzlingly bright, making his eye sockets ache.
In just over a month, the once-familiar capital had undergone a complete transformation; the familiar streets and bustling markets seemed like distant memories, replaced by a suppressive and unfamiliar atmosphere. Pedestrians on the street walked in a hurry, their eyes filled with fear and unease, while the occasional reprimand of soldiers broke the dead silence, adding an even greater sense of tension. Most of the shops along the street kept their doors tightly shut, letting only a faint light seep through the cracks, as if hiding …
Chapter 96