One Night in the Vermilion Tower, Beneath the Purple Palace

As the regent, I wielded power over the imperial court, yet in secret I also controlled Yunxi Pavilion, the most mysterious organization in the martial world. The leaders of its five branches were all my sworn brothers. Together, we secretly manipulated the shifting tides of the entire realm. One day, I deliberately called in sick and skipped court, secretly laying a trap to lure the enemy faction into it. Unexpectedly, the emperor sent Su Yunluo, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, the very person I was most wary of, to treat me. The moment her fingertips touched my pulse, I knew: she had detected the unique inner force of Yunxi Pavilion within me. “Your Highness’s illness seems remarkably similar to that of someone in the martial world,” she whispered in my ear. I grabbed her wrist, only to see in her eyes the same secret I was hiding.