Late in the twelfth month of the twenty-eighth year of the Jin Dynasty.
“By imperial command, Chunyu Ming is to enter the palace and attend an audience with His Majesty…”
“Your subject accepts the decree.” A woman in plain white robes knelt on the ground, her face lowered and hidden. All that could just barely be seen were purplish-red marks crisscrossing her skin, made even more grotesque by the dim light.
Only after the messenger had left did the woman slowly rise. She watched the figure disappearing beyond the door, her gaze sharp and filled with emotions no one else could understand. A faint smile curved her lips. “Gu Qingyi, Chunyu Lian, I’m back.”
