The snow of Jinling City swirled like willow catkins, falling upon the Liuli tiles of Jinluan Hall and shattering into glistening fragments. I knelt beneath the raised dais, the coolness of the bluestone seeping through my fingertips until it felt as though the chill had soaked into my very marrow. Behind me, my father's head hung high above the city gate, his eyes wide open as if with words left unsaid. And I, Su Qinghe, daughter of a disgraced official, ought to have followed my father into the netherworld; yet it was those eyes, deep and cold as a winter pool, that brought about the turning point of my destiny.
"Raise your head." The voice was like the bright moon among pine trees, crisp and clear, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
Slowly, I raised my head to meet the gaze of the man upon the dragon throne. He wore a bright yellow dragon robe, bound at the waist with an unblemished piece of suet jade pendant. Yet I knew that these very eyes had stirred up bloody tempers in the imperial court, making countless powerful ministers tremble with fear.
Chapter 36