I Invite You to the West Tower (Slay the Phoenix)

Lou Ju was reborn in Jiang Yin's memories.

Yet he still failed to save his clan before the Lou family was framed.

He didn't understand what schemes, both covert and overt, a clan of loyal and courageous people would have to use to survive under royal power.

He never asked the history books to write of him with affection or make his name live forever.

All he wanted was a way to keep his family safe while remaining true to both loyalty and righteousness.

In the end, he could neither obtain what he sought nor keep them from drifting apart.

“What I want isn't an empty reputation for loyalty and martyrdom.” Standing in the Golden Throne Hall, his gaze burned bright.

At first, Lou Ju only wanted to secure a peaceful end for the Lou family.

“Minister Lou, even now, do you still think we're only passing through each other's lives?”

But later, looking at the young man he had personally supported in both lifetimes, Lou Ju could no longer hold back. He drew him into his arms.

“I give you power, but I don't want you to be a minister who bows his head. I want you to be the blade that cleaves through this corrupt world.”

Jiang Yin once proclaimed to all the land that no private tomb could be built for Lou Ju, and that no offerings or sacrifices could be made to him. Yet he himself was the one who became hopelessly entangled.

“How could a tombstone tell the story of his whole life?”

“Above the censors' voices, I want heaven and earth to weep together. Beneath the brush and ink, I want all ages to mourn as one.”

Lou Ju, I want you to uphold the land beneath the bright moon and bring peace to every corner of the world.

Theme: Good and evil hinge on a single thought. Even a treacherous minister may harbor loyalty to his country. May peace fill the world.