The next step was to visit the imperial palace. The moment Mufeng stepped into the palace grounds, an unfamiliar and oppressive sensation washed over him. Though the familiar vermilion palace walls still stood before his eyes, the passage of time and the shift of dynasties had cast a heavy layer of dust over the place.
The once majestic and solemn guards had long been replaced by new faces. Those soldiers, clad in brand-new armor, wore expressions of fierce loyalty and vigilance toward the new dynasty. Their uniforms differed greatly from the old ones, boasting brighter colors and more elaborate decorations, as if deliberately flaunting the prosperity and might of the new regime.
Mufeng's gaze lingered on them briefly, a complex swirl of emotions stirring in his heart—a mix of nostalgia for the past and sorrow over the present changes.
Chapter 182