Chapter 148

Part 1: The Dragon Robe Stained with Blood, the Homeland Reduced to Ruins The gilded imperial tassels swayed gently in the candlelight, reflecting Xiao Che's young yet already somber face. Three days ago, at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he had offered sacrifices to heaven and accepted the heavy burden of this vast empire from his father's hands. Clad in the dragon robe, he received the homage of hundreds of officials who shouted wishes for a myriad of years. Back then, he harbored grand ambitions and aspirations, hoping to emulate his ancestors and inaugurate a golden age. On the eve of the enthronement ceremony, he had even taken Shen Qingci's hand, whispering a promise: "Qingci, once I stabilize the court, I will take you to see the snows of the northern frontier and the spring of Jiangnan." Shen Qingci, his Empress, the daughter of the Prime Minister, was the woman he had adored since his youth. Gentle and intelligent, with eyes as clear as a mountain stream, she always offered him the tenderest solace whenever he felt lost. She would smile and nod, and the face beneath her phoenix coronet and embroidered robes was the brightest light in his eyes.