The courtiers fell silent as Yan Qianshan finished speaking. Dozens of gazes converged upon Wu Huang. They had been so vocal before; why were they silent now?
General Dugu, clearly a hawk, was the first to react: "Your Majesty, this is surely another trick of the Li Kingdom. You must not be deceived."
Yan Xiao'er felt like yawning. It was the same old rhetoric every time—all driven by self-interest, no doubt to keep the two lovers apart. She was admittedly biased toward the Li Kingdom, and seeing her great-grandfather standing right there, feeling a surge of reverence for her ancestor, she wished she could immediately answer for Wu Huang and agree to the meeting. However, Yan Xiao'er remembered that in "history," there had never been any peace negotiations—only war after war, victory and defeat, until the final collapse.
Wu Huang’s resolve seemed to waver for a moment under Yan Xiao'er's influence.
"I agree," she blurted out. Immediately sensing the impropriety, she amended, "I can agree, but I have one condition."
"Please, speak your mind, Your Majesty," Yan Qianshan replied.
"I will choose the location for our meeting, and each side may bring only one person."
"Very well, as you wish, Your Majesty."
Wu Huang looked at him in surprise. "You have the authority to decide this?"
"The monarch has instructed me to agree to any request the Emperor Xu might propose."
"Oh? And what if I demand that the Li Kingdom surrender right here and now?"
"Your word is final, Emperor Xu. Such jests are beyond the scope of my authority."
"I see. Then if I add another condition—that you must commit suicide on the spot before I consent to go—that surely falls within your authority?"
"Of course." Yan Qianshan smiled, clearly prepared. "Your Majesty, pray, grant me a sword."
How could Yan Xiao'er watch her great-grandfather die? She blurted out, "No! You can't!"
A cold sneer echoed in her mind: "So you really do have a connection to him. Speak, or he dies right now."
Terrified, Yan Xiao'er no longer dared to hide the truth. "He... he is my great-grandfather. But I truly had no idea I would see him here. I only heard that my grandfather was a posthumous child; his father—my great-grandfather—had died before he was even born."
Oh no. Yan Xiao'er stared in shock. Could it be that her great-grandfather was destined to die here, right now, because she had interfered with Wu Huang's state of mind? The guilt was immense.
"Heh, it seems you came prepared. But I will not be branded a killer of envoys. Go now, and remember what I told you." Wu Huang waved her hand.
Yan Xiao'er watched her great-grandfather—the man she had tracked through souls and hardship—turn and walk away. A lump formed in her throat.
"So, you are actually a person of the Li Kingdom."
Yan Xiao'er blinked. Right, her identity was exposed, and she could hardly escape death now. Being crushed by the will of the last Empress was perhaps slightly more meaningful than simply fading away, she supposed.
"A descendant of the Wulian Clan, yet a citizen of the Li Kingdom a century later? Is it truly possible that the two nations might one day reconcile?"
Yan Xiao'er wanted to retort that, no, a century later, people were even more cutthroat. But she felt a strong sense of restriction in her mind.
"My mind is made up. I will not ask about your future again, and you must not volunteer it to me." Wu Huang’s voice was firm. "This spell will not harm you. Should I break my oath or should you be coerced, it will only serve to protect you from the soul-searching arts of others."
Wu Huang was evidently quite stubborn on certain matters. "Heaven has its own destiny; I shall act only according to my heart."
The ministers in the hall, each with their own agendas, dared not speak as their Empress remained lost in deep thought.
...
"Tell the envoy: three days from now, at the Lingxu Platform." Wu Huang’s voice was heavy and unquestionable. "And tell the Li monarch that the only person he may bring is Yan Qianshan."
The ministers erupted in a stir, though there were few objections.
"That is the place where the first Emperor Xu performed the rites to Heaven."
"Her Majesty has finally unsheathed her blade; our nation is blessed."
General Dugu was the first to step forward. "I am willing to accompany Your Majesty."
Just as Yan Xiao'er expected Wu Huang to decline for her sister’s sake, she answered clearly: "Granted."
She truly couldn't understand it; the Empress's mind was too difficult to fathom. Yet, she was overjoyed to see her great-grandfather again, having feared she would be parted from him forever.
After the morning court, Wu Huang did not return to her chambers but walked out of the hall. The palace looked nothing like the Li Kingdom palaces Yan Xiao'er had visited with her mother in the future. The main palace of the Xu Kingdom was built on the highest peak of the mountains; the view was magnificent. No wonder that day at the Mirror Stone, she had seen the vast mountains and valleys—she had simply been too afraid at the time to admire the scenery.
"These are all illusions."
What? Yan Xiao'er was stunned. Could the scenery be faked so realistically?
"It is not the kind of illusion you imagine. It is a safeguard against invasion or internal treachery. Neither the ministers nor anyone entering this realm knows where the true entrance or exit to the Xu Imperial Palace lies."
"Then how do the ministers come for court?"
"To become a high official of the Xu Kingdom, one must first pass a trial of the soul and sign a contract of eternal loyalty. Only then are they given the mental key to enter this realm."
"But you just said it was to prevent traitors. If they pass the test, shouldn't it be impossible for a traitor to join?"
"Human hearts are fickle, and even contracts are but agreements between people." Wu Huang paused. "A hundred years ago—from your perspective—the Guardian of Souls, who controlled the soul contracts, was bribed by the Li Kingdom. Several spies who hadn't truly passed the trial were let in. They lay in wait for years, finally launching a rebellion when the thirtieth Empress of the Xu Kingdom was on her deathbed."
"What happened next?"
"Do not ask too much. There is a great secret here, but suffice it to say, they were all destroyed, exactly as the Empress had foreseen. Ever since then, the office of the Guardian has been held by the Empress herself. Unless she plots against herself, such a thing will never happen again."
Yan Xiao'er was flattered that Wu Huang had told her so much. If she stayed any longer, she feared she might truly "switch sides." After all, the people of her original country only wanted her dead.
"By the way, why choose my great-grandfather?" Yan Xiao'er’s underlying question was: *Was it for me?* She rubbed her finger expectantly.
"Because of Dugu Yue. He has always held himself in high regard, but I noticed that day he bore no hatred toward Yan Qianshan; there was a hint of mutual respect in his indignation. If this is truly a peace talk, he is the most suitable choice."
*Well, it had nothing to do with me,* Yan Xiao'er thought, feeling slightly foolish.
"I can tell you one more thing. Do you know? The Lingxu Platform is where the first Empress of the Xu Kingdom and the first monarch of the Li Kingdom swore their vows."
"What!" Yan Xiao'er felt she had stumbled upon a massive secret.
"It wasn't the kind of romantic promise you’re thinking of." Wu Huang smiled. She had no one to share her thoughts with, and this soul of a descendant who had wandered into her life made her feel a rare urge to confide in someone. "They agreed that between the two nations, there would be no intermarriage and no war. Each would follow their own heart to build an ideal kingdom and seek peace for all the people."
"But as the generations passed, the emperors kept the 'no intermarriage' rule but could not stop themselves from warring. When will the killing ever end?"
Yan Xiao'er felt Wu Huang’s exhaustion—it wasn't just about the war.
"Sister."
Wu Nian’s voice rang out suddenly.
"Nian'er."
"I saw you standing here for a long time, Sister. That is rare. What were you looking at?"
Yan Xiao'er strictly followed Wu Huang’s instructions from the day before and kept silent. But as Wu Nian moved slowly in front of Wu Huang, her eyes, which were usually cast downward, stared straight into the depths of Wu Huang’s gaze.
Suddenly, everything turned black.
"Sister? Sister, what’s wrong?" The voice sounded genuinely concerned.
A message came through their shared consciousness: *I am feigning a faint. Do not let my sister sense your presence.*
Then, a cold voice entered her ears: "Sister, you must drink the medicinal soup I brew while it’s hot after every court session. Look at you, getting later and later every day. This won't do."
Wu Huang slowly opened her eyes. "You are right, sister. It is my fault. Let us go."
Though they had narrowly escaped Wu Nian’s probing, Yan Xiao'er felt a chill down her spine. Indeed, as Wu Nian walked away, she remarked, "Sister, you are so perfunctory with me, yet you are so kind to Brother Yue. Why take him to suffer when you go to meet your lover?"