Behold the hideous.

The tea banners above the tea house fluttered wildly in the air. Not far away, the Imperial Guards paced back and forth in front of the Tian family’s malt sugar shop. Silver-gray clouds surged across the sky; the wind was cold and biting, and the city of Shangdu was brewing a heavy snowfall.

The chill seeped into the bones. Xia Yunhe huddled by the tea master’s stove, warming her hands while sipping tea to soothe her stomach. Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and while shops were gradually reopening, the Tian family’s shop remained tightly shuttered, its owner nowhere to be found.

Taking the day off, she had wandered aimlessly to a tea house near Pingkang Ward. The shop was inconspicuous and usually quiet, but because it sat directly opposite the Tian shop, it was now packed with crowds. Spectators were stacked layer upon layer, spilling out even beyond the doorway.

"Who could have imagined... that honest old Boss Tian was actually a spy for the Northern Rong!"

"Who's to say otherwise?" someone chimed in. "I heard he was beaten to death in the Zhao Prison. You know who did it."

"Nonsense," another countered. "He got word and ran off long ago."

The crowd grew restless, pushing the man who had spoken to reveal more. The man, enjoying the attention, raised his hand to summon the tea master for three more bowls of hot tea. He gulped them down in one go, wiped his mouth haphazardly, and struck a pose. Everyone went quiet, hanging on his every word.

Xia Yunhe listened for a while, but it was nothing more than street gossip—rumors without legs, spun into something fantastical. She curled her lips into a smile, paid for her tea, and left the tea house.

She had submitted the memorial regarding the "Wolfsbane" poison, betting that Chen Haizhou was secretly colluding with the Northern Rong and must have known the sugar was tainted. If that were true, even with Chen Haizhou’s towering influence, he would not escape punishment.

Unfortunately... everything was far from her expectations.

Xia Yunhe looked back at the Tian malt sugar shop, chuckled, and said softly, "Completely unrelated."

Chen Haizhou had no idea the malt sugar was laced with wolfsbane, nor was he in league with the Northern Rong...

Lately, she had not seen Chen Haizhou, only heard that he had been ordered by the Emperor to further investigate the Changle Garden affair. The Emperor’s intent was clear: he meant to deal with the Wan family, and Chen Haizhou was the sharpest blade for the task.

Emperor Hehui understood everything...

A rumble suddenly echoed from the end of the long street. Moments later, a troop of heavy armored black cavalry thundered past, kicking up dust that obscured the sun, heading straight for the Tian shop.

"First the Imperial Guards, now the Xuan-armored soldiers..." The smile still lingered on Xia Yunhe’s lips. "It seems that Boss Tian was hiding many secrets."

She turned her head and lowered her eyes, brushing the dust from her sleeves and coughing behind her hand. In her previous life, the Chu State had fallen only ten years after her death; who was to say the wolfsbane hadn't been the hidden poison destroying the nation?

In this life, she had stumbled upon the wolfsbane by chance, and Emperor Hehui had followed her advice to excise this hidden threat. That, at least, was something worth being happy about.

Xia Yunhe couldn't help but laugh aloud. She turned to the street, where workers were hanging lanterns, moving across the walls like acrobats, one after another. She became entranced, only realizing upon coming to her senses that the long street was already filled with lanterns.

Today was the fifteenth, the Lantern Festival, a day meant for eating tangyuan. However, in Shangdu, people preferred rolling yuanxiao. Xia Yunhe wasn't used to those; in previous years, Zhen Niang had always made tangyuan at home. This year, she wanted to try.

Just then, the clouds parted, and a warm ray of sun shone on her face. She raised her hands to shield her forehead and looked toward the light, finding the golden glow beautiful.

...

The wind and clouds churned in the sky, and sunlight slanted through the clouds, casting a glow on the side of the Xia residence gate in Wulü Lane, falling before a pair of white-soled black boots.

Xia Yunhe stood still, clutching a bag of yuanxiao. She lifted her gaze to meet the owner of the white-soled boots, and her breath hitched.

Chen Haizhou!

She knew her memorial would draw Chen Haizhou’s attention, but she had not expected him to appear so suddenly.

"Official Xia, you are certainly hard to corner. How could you report me to the Emperor in our little game?" There was a triangular scar on Chen Haizhou’s temple from an inkstone, adding a touch of absurdity, yet combined with the sneer on his lips, his presence felt inexplicably ominous.

Her heart skipped a beat. She stepped back instinctively, lowering her head, trying to avoid him.

But Chen Haizhou reached out to block her path. His half-closed eyes opened slowly, filled with malice. "You thought I was colluding with the Northern Rong? Hiding poison in malt sugar? Hoping to use the Emperor’s hand to kill me?" With every sentence, he took a step forward, closing off her retreat in three strides.

"Trying to protect the secret of your identity?" Chen Haizhou leaned down slightly, staring into her eyes as the smile on his lips faded. "What a pity. I’m just a street thug with no grand ambitions. The brilliant scholar Xia has miscalculated."

Cold sweat slid down her temple, and she could hear her own frantic heartbeat. She furrowed her brows, trying to remain calm, and replied with a smile, "Official Chen, my memorial didn't mention your name once. Attributing this to me—isn't that a bit narrow-minded?"

"What a sharp tongue. The Xia family has raised quite the venomous girl. Hmph!" The shadow in Chen Haizhou’s eyes deepened. He clamped his hand around Xia Yunhe’s throat and tightened his grip. "A creature I could crush with one hand, daring to mock me?"

Choked suddenly, a wave of suffocation washed over her. She struggled, but it was like a mayfly shaking a tree—entirely futile. The yuanxiao in her hand fell to the ground, the white balls scattering and rolling along the wall, leaving a trail of white dust.

Chen Haizhou looked down at her, a flash of murderous intent in his hawk-like eyes. He gripped her chin, forcing her to look up. "I will let you see with your own eyes how the Xia family perishes. That will be far more interesting than just killing you."

He suddenly released her. She collapsed to the ground, coughing uncontrollably. An unprecedented terror filled her, making her heart race.

Chen Haizhou snorted heavily and walked away.

Xia Yunhe forced herself up and pounded on the door of the Xia residence, but there was no response for a long time. Unable to hold on, she leaned against the door, gasping for air.

The Xia family... she had to protect them...

Tears blurred her vision; her eyelids felt heavy, so sleepy...

In her dreams, she saw the old Xia mansion, sealed off on all sides. She couldn't escape, and a great fire started from nowhere, flames reaching toward the sky...

"Don't let it burn!"

Feeling someone calling her, Xia Yunhe opened her eyes in a daze to see the faces of two women. She recognized one as Zhen Niang and, sobbing, threw herself into her arms, whispering hoarsely, "The Xia family burned down, it's all gone."

"Dreams are the opposite of reality." Zhen Niang wiped her tears with a pained expression. "We received a letter from the Old Madam; the Xia family is perfectly fine. But young master, who did this to you?"

San Niang bent down to pick up the scattered yuanxiao, placing them back into the bamboo basket one by one, asking anxiously, "And the injury on your neck, young master?"

Xia Yunhe lowered her head, the movement causing the wound to sting. She weakly tilted her neck for Zhen Niang to see and muttered, "It hurts."

There were red welts on her neck, now turning a dark, bruised purple, the fingerprints clearly visible.

San Niang gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "What kind of heaven-forsaken devil did this?!"

As she spoke, she took Xia Yunhe from Zhen Niang’s arms, supporting her. While waiting for Zhen Niang to open the door, she comforted her, "Don't worry, young master. Just rest well. Once you're healed, write another memorial and have the Emperor punish these thugs properly."

Though Zhen Niang remained silent, her trembling hands betrayed her inner rage.

San Niang handed the basket to Zhen Niang and coaxed Xia Yunhe into the house, helping her sit in a chair before going to prepare the bedding. "If we had known, we wouldn't have gone out, causing you to suffer like this."

"Chen Haizhou."

"Huh?" San Niang’s hands froze as she smoothed the quilt. She tilted her head toward Xia Yunhe. "What did you say, young master?"

Xia Yunhe lowered her eyes and repeated in a hoarse voice, "He held a grudge because of the memorial."

San Niang covered her mouth, eyes wide, pointing at the bruise on her neck.

Xia Yunhe nodded, her eyes filled with grievance.

...

Seeing the tears fall, San Niang hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them away. "We can't provoke him. From now on, we'll avoid him. If he goes east, we go west; if he goes south, we go north." San Niang stomped her feet on the ground and spat, "He’s just a bullying crab. Let him flaunt his power; our young master won't bother with him."

Zhen Niang pushed aside the curtain, bringing in a bowl of ginger soup, and heard the tail end of San Niang’s words. She agreed, "Young master, drink this bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold."

She sipped the soup slowly, unable to stop coughing. San Niang stood by, gently rubbing her back.

Taking the opportunity, Zhen Niang filled a hand warmer and a hot water bottle, handing them to Xia Yunhe before tucking the bottle under the quilt. Seeing Xia Yunhe finish the soup, she said, "Young master, lie down, let me see your injury." She then told San Niang, "Get the ointment for bruising; the one we used for the Third Young Master last time."

...

The two carefully applied the medicine and coaxed Xia Yunhe to sleep. When they came out, it was already dark, so they reignited the stove and made do with some leftover porridge.

After eating, San Niang sighed, "This is the first time I've seen the young master like this."

Chicken soup was simmering on the stove. Zhen Niang noticed the fire was low and added a few thin branches. "Shangdu is a place where dragons, snakes, tigers, and leopards gather. The officials in court look kind-hearted, but their hearts are twisted and tangled, one worse than the other. No matter how mature the young master acts in front of others, she is still only in her twenties. How can she stand against these old, cunning courtiers?"

"Then why not resign and return home? Wouldn't there be fewer worries without an official post?" San Niang crossed her arms, resting her chin on one hand, and said firmly, "I think the young master misses the Old Madam terribly. If she resigned and went back to Jiangnan, the Old Madam would surely be happy."

Zhen Niang stirred the chicken soup with a ladle and tasted it. "If she could go back, she would have long ago. The young master’s entry into the capital was personally appointed by the Emperor. Unless the Emperor speaks, she cannot leave Shangdu."

"Huh?"

The room fell into a heavy silence. The sound of the chicken soup bubbling was exceptionally clear, and soon the whole kitchen was filled with its fragrance.

San Niang sniffed and propped her chin on the other hand. "Just because she is a Xia, the Emperor won't let her go?"

Zhen Niang stopped speaking. She took down a long spoon, picked up an empty ceramic bowl, and while scooping the soup, she warned San Niang, "That is not something to be said. What the Emperor thinks is not for us to guess. The young master is not weak. Since the Old Master passed away, she has cried many times and had many arguments with the Old Madam. Then she entered the capital in a fit of pique and saw her mentor, Li Song, commit suicide. She cried until she was devastated, yet the next day she acted as if nothing had happened and went to take her exams... She cries once and then moves on. She has had a mind of her own since she was a child. We just need to do our duty and ask nothing else." With that, Zhen Niang picked up the chicken soup and signaled to San Niang.

San Niang acknowledged, took a wooden tray, received the bowl, and headed toward the main room.

Zhen Niang held onto the door frame. Suddenly, a "bang" echoed in the air. The woman looked up and saw a burst of gold and silver fireworks blooming, illuminating the dark night sky. Lowering her gaze, she dimly saw a blurred figure standing at the base of the kitchen wall.

"Who's there!"

The visitor stepped forward, revealing a well-defined face.

Zhen Niang’s eyes widened. "His Highness, the Prince of Qin!"

The woman didn't know when Xie Yi had arrived or how long he had been listening. She only felt a sharp, cold chill radiating from the youth, and in the moonlight, his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"Is this how you take care of the Master?"

Xie Yi’s voice was dark and cold, devoid of any of his former gentleness.

Zhen Niang was stunned, stammering, "Your, Your Highness..."

She gritted her teeth, thinking to herself that since the Prince of Qin had come, she would vow to vent Xia Yunhe’s anger, so she told him everything about Chen Haizhou’s threats.

"Chen-Hai-Zhou." Xie Yi snorted, his voice making one’s heart tremble. "I have noted this grudge."

Suddenly, Xia Yunhe’s hoarse voice came from behind him. "Your Highness, why are you here?"