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Twisting the Stars: Braiding Fate, Shaping the World
墨書 Inktalez
Su Wan knelt on the Vermilion Lotus Pattern Mat, the San Zhai Crown pressing against her, causing thin beads of sweat to form behind her ears.
On the Celadon Tray lay a Jiu Luan Hairpin crafted from Western Region Fat Jade by her mother, but the Ceremonial Officer's gnarled hand reached for the Lacquer Box, only to grasp the cracked Biyuzan with its bamboo pattern.
The wrist of Dali Temple Deputy Qianjin Zhao Yun trembled as he held the Chained Gold Thread Cloud Pattern Brocade Box.
A waft of fragrance from the Gilded Peony Incense Burner enveloped Qing Yan. Ministry of Rites Deputy Lin hastily lifted his sleeve to wipe his forehead, while the Pan Chi Pattern Bronze Goblet reflected a cold glint from Guanzi—half a piece of Water Red Gold Skirt inscribed with annotations of "Silk" peeked out from the creases of his sleeve.
My nails nearly broke through the Copper Rust Taste, my throat tightening: "This hairpin..." I could almost taste the Previous Dynasty Qianshou Underground Palace, "The Previous Dynasty Qianshou Underground Palace looks new; it must be... an old item from the Hall Front Golden Silk Nanmu Screen?"
The Wine Vessel crashed to the ground.
Amidst the clear sound of the Deep Blue Gold Weaving Flying Fish Robe hitting the floor, a man wielding a Chun Dao Hilt stepped forward swiftly.
He pressed the Zao Sha Guan Mao adorned with Nanhai Pearl against my throbbing temples, and beneath his lowered Lady Zhao, his thin lips moved to utter, "What Su Wan has secretly kept is actually the Vermilion Lotus Pattern Mat?"
The sound of Mantan Pearl and Jade colliding abruptly ceased.
The Dong Zhu on the Zhao Yunzhu Hairpin struck against the edge of a Bronze Zun, shattering into two pieces. Lin Shilang suddenly drew his Zhang Dao from his side, but was ensnared by a Jade Morning Bead thrown from nowhere—just moments ago, he had knelt behind the Grand Tutor's chair, revealing a Cloud Pattern Indigo Robe typical of palace guards.
"Sheng Gong Wan An—" The eunuch hurled Yu Fu onto the Chun Deng splattered with Zhuangyuan Red Wine. "This morning, we received an Anonymous Memorial stating that someone from Ministry of Rites Deputy Lin has been excavating the Xian Crown Prince Mausoleum." He flashed a toothy grin at me, his back molars glinting faintly: "Thanks to Su Girl, we can finally pin down the Rebel."
Court Official Zhang Zelin suddenly kicked over the Incense Table, attempting to pour leftover wine onto Lin Shilang's Xiu Zhong, but was struck on the wrist by Xiu Chun Dao. The Wine Liquid wove into an Amber Curtain in midair, reflecting the blade of Mu Zhao poised at my neck while the new emperor Shou Shu's red seal on "Xuanji" had yet to dry.
"The Gilded Name List is hidden in Miss Zhao's Sheng Chen Gang?" He stepped over scattered Sui Yu in his dark gold-trimmed boots. As he leaned closer, the scent of agarwood mixed with whispered words: "Su Girl said Burial Goods refer to evidence concerning His Highness Mu Li?"
I saw the red coral pendant entwined in the golden hairpin atop Qianjin Zhao Yun's mother’s head, just as it fell into the bronze vessel containing the Spring Examination List. Amidst the crisp sound reminiscent of a rattle drum, Lin Shilang was forced to kneel before the screen depicting virtuous women, his Official Hat tumbling into the scattered red jewels gifted by the Eldest Princess.
Suddenly, a clear sound of jade ornaments echoed from behind the screen, and a woman dressed in dark golden brocade emerged, her attire adorned with eighteen strands of white jade. The Fulu Shuangquan Bracelet on her wrist struck Lin Shilang's head: "What a coincidence! The seal bestowed upon This Palace by the Crown Prince before his passing was stolen just yesterday."
The next day, the sound of heavy rain pounding on the glazed tiles drowned out the rustle of turning pages. My father held his purple brush suspended over the Cao Yun Ledger for Wu De Year Three, the tip dripping vermilion ink onto the entry for "March 24th, Fire on the Cargo Ship," splattering blood-like stains across the page.
After twenty years, his jade ring suddenly cracked. When Sui Yu bounced against the Gilded Suanni Incense Burner, my wrist bracelet felt as cold as if I were holding a piece of millennia-old ice. Outside, I heard the sound of Xiu Chun Dao sheaths clashing against Gold Bricks.
Mu Zhao's chilling voice slipped through the window cracks: "At Yin hour, just after the rain stopped, sixteen Yima horses from the Ministry of Revenue headed to the Salt Tax Office." From beneath his Xuan Se Pi Feng, he revealed half of a Huang Lingwen Shu, which was a special dispatch from the new emperor to Xuanji Pavilion.
Upon hearing this, my father slammed his hand on the table, startling the Zhi Wei Ling on his Official Hat to tremble wildly. The Antecabinet and Qingci Paperweight rolled toward Cao Chuan Tu—the wave patterns perfectly aligned with ink stains on the Cao Yun Account.
As thunder rumbled over the roof, I pulled out a Salt Transfer Ledger from the Dark Compartment of an antique shelf, its pages smelling faintly briny. My fingers brushed over damp Xuan Paper and encountered several pinhole marks arranged in a Beidou pattern—these were ciphers used during handovers between Lianghuai Salt Merchants and Guan Cang. Suddenly, shadows from outside began to shake violently, startling seventeen Black Feather Albatrosses into flight; one at the end dropped its Bamboo Tube into the rain curtain, which my father caught mid-air.
Suddenly, the entire study began to tremble; cinnabar in a copper vessel seemed to be held aloft by an invisible hand, red particles suspended in mid-air forming constellations.
My mother’s Zitan Screen crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces that revealed half of a Birth Chart written in Arsenic—this was precisely the name of today’s Imperial Censor who was impeaching the Su family in court.
At that moment, Deputy Li from the Ministry of Revenue kicked open the Carved Door. His Official Boots were splattered with Canal Water Grass as he accidentally dropped his teacup onto Qingteng Paper where he was copying Yan Yi numbers. The brown stains from Tea Soup blended with dark patterns from Bamboo Tubes to form Yazise Shou. I noticed Mu Zhao and Dao Qiao's cold reflections enveloping Deputy Li's Jade Belt at his waist—within a Chilong Pattern reserved for officials of fourth rank and above, there was a crucial pair of Dragon Horns missing.
"Liang Huai's Salt Transport Commissioner drowned this morning in Qinhuai River," Mu Zhao suddenly grabbed my wrist and pressed it onto the Salt Transfer Ledger. My jade bracelet struck against the Qingtian Stone Inkstone with a resonant chime. "The deceased was found clutching a blank Yan Yi bearing Gai Fengyang Mansion's great seal; its quantity precisely matched that of Guanfang Seal Paste stolen from the palace days ago."
Suddenly, my father let out a muffled groan. The area he was pressing with his fingertip on the account page, softened by the rain, revealed a pattern resembling dragon scales.
I had seen this design before on the congratulatory gift presented by the Former Emperor to the Eldest Princess during the Qianqiu Festival—it was a mark exclusive to the Inner Court Twelve Supervisors, made from Cold Gold Paper. The Geng Lou began to flow again, and grains of sand fell to the ground, forming the four seal characters "Chou Shi San Ke."
I pulled out the Chained Silk and Jade Hairpin from my cloud-like hairstyle and held it up to the candlelight. The shadow cast by the pin on the Salt Transfer Ledger transformed into a topographical map of the Salt Field. Just as I was about to speak, Mu Zhao suddenly covered my mouth, his palm burning like a hot iron. "Does Su Girl mean to say that this batch of Official Salt never left the warehouse?" The hairs on the back of my neck stood up instantly as I heard the clicking sound of a crossbow being drawn outside, like countless centipedes gnawing at the beams.
The corridor erupted with a loud bang as the Golden Birdcage burst open, startling the Peacock Pheasant, which flapped its Golden Long Tail towards the curtain of rain. Amidst the flurry of feathers, I spotted seventeen figures in black hanging from the roof of Wu Dian. They held Steel Cables that glimmered with blue light—these were Poisoned Chains commonly used by the Eastern Depot's Fanzi.
My father suddenly lifted the Persian Carpet, revealing beneath it an Azure Brick painted with Zhu Sha, depicting the Lianghuai Salt Field Map. The wave patterns on the Two Huai Salt Fields Map perfectly matched the water stains on the Cao Yun Account.
"The Salt Tax Memorial that must be presented to the Cabinet at the end of Yin time..." Before Mu Zhao could finish his sentence, Deputy Li collapsed onto the ground, spilling ink that stained the Cao Yun Dock on the Two Huai Salt Fields Map pitch black. My jade bracelet suddenly warmed like melting snow as my father shook out from his Xiu Zhong a Feng Chuan Mu Dan Jin Nang, spilling out a key—it was indeed the Seven Star Key for the Ministry of Revenue's silver vault.
As I heard the Morning Bell Sound from afar, a gust of wind blew open the study door. Twelve Qi Si Feng Deng lamps lit up one after another along the Han White Jade Steps, illuminating the shadowy Panlong Huagai in the rain.
The Grand Eunuch beside the new emperor stepped into the room amidst the chaos. Yun Lu crushed half a Jade Ring in his hand. "Su Daren has quite a skill; just received news from the Ministry of War about an Eight Hundred Li Urgent report..."
His latter words were shattered by a thunderous clap that echoed in my throat. I stared at the rainwater mixed with Zhu Sha on the ground; a liquid resembling Blood Pearl crawled towards where "Imperial Merchant" was marked on the Two Huai Salt Fields Map, gradually forming into a character meaning "to kill."
The Wisteria Shadow fell upon Qing Lu's window screen, rolling like waves as Su Wan felt a sudden sharp pain in her wrist while holding her pen. She should not have been sitting among this group of Noble Daughters of the Hou Family during yesterday's lecture at Guozijian.
A girl adorned with a Golden Sparrow Hairpin suddenly laughed derisively. "Su Girl has managed to guess all of day after tomorrow's Exam Questions based on her three days of copying 'Salt and Iron Debate.'" The ink spread from her pen soaked through my Bamboo Slip; amidst gasps around me, I gazed at my own transcribed five strategies for salt management—clearly taken from my father's private Imperial Edict pressed under a paperweight when we visited the Salt Field two months ago.
Suddenly, a Copper Bell Sound rang out from outside. The Third Prince, clad in a Dragon Robe infused with Dragon's Blood Incense, stepped over scattered poetry scrolls embroidered with Gold Thread Chiwen. As he stepped on my fallen Paper Drafts and lifted my chin with his folding fan, it left behind a bruise.
Yesterday, I personally examined the Salt Case and stumbled upon an intriguing object. The Xuan Tie Ling Pai was resting on the edge of the table, precisely the Su Mansion Jade Token that I had dropped while disguised during my investigation. He gently stroked the loose strands of hair at the back of my neck, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "Such intricate methods... Why not tell me if you are willing to accompany me to the Eastern Palace to witness the punishment?"
The noble ladies at the table covered their lips with silk handkerchiefs, and I felt a burning pain in my throat. As Yin Ling began to consume my sanity, a dark Flying Fish Robe suddenly entered my line of sight. The Silver Thread cloud patterns from Mu Zhao's arrow sleeves sliced through the dim light in the room.
"Third Prince, be cautious with your words." Xiu Chun Dao blocked his Dragon Robe's wide sleeves with its sheath. The tassel of Mu Zhao's sword dangled a fish pendant, the very one I had falsely claimed to have thrown into Taiye Pool a month ago. His scarred brow twitched slightly as he said, "The Su Girl is an envoy from Xuanji Pavilion, and her investigation is backed by the Imperial Gold Medal."
Suddenly, the Third Prince burst into laughter, his hollow gold Aromatic Pouch swaying and releasing a peculiar fragrance. He rolled up the strategy paper I had written and publicly unfurled the marriage proposal drafted by Tai Chang Si: "This Zi Wei Dou Shu is quite clever; for the Phoenix and Dragon to sing together, E Huang Nu Ying must coexist—since the Su Girl excels in deciphering heavenly mysteries, tonight the Eastern Palace happens to lack a suitable child."
The Jade Bracelet glimmered with frost flowers as a metallic sweetness surged in my throat, darkening my vision. I looked at the red silk that suddenly floated up in the corridor; it was the brocade prepared by the Empress for selecting a consort for the Crown Prince. "Thank you for your misguided affection." My fingertip pierced through my palm, and I heard my own sweet yet trembling voice say, "I am willing to serve as E Huang Nu Ying."
As thunder rolled over the vermilion walls, the Third Prince's wild laughter caused glass lanterns to tremble and fall. However, that night, a fire suddenly broke out in a side hall of the Eastern Palace. The next day, palace servants unearthed two charred corpses embracing beneath the burnt beams—those of the Crown Prince who feigned illness to refuse marriage and the Daoist Cauldron kept by the Third Prince.
When Mu Zhao knocked on Su Mansion's corner gate at dawn, his hair was adorned with dew from stars and moonlight. He took out fragments of Yu Que that I had secretly tucked into his Aromatic Pouch; they were dark patterns ground from the Third Prince's token: "Why is Han Tie refined from Salt Field embedded in the Royal Seal?"
The still-wet Songyan Ink Marks of the Salt and Iron Debate manuscript thudded onto Azure Stone Brick, startling sparrows resting under dripping eaves. I stepped barefoot over shards of cracked ink wash scattered across the ground, my fingertips brushing against a Liujin beast-faced furnace. The scent of burnt earth from three days prior still lingered in my throat.
"May I ask you, Master of Rituals?" As I tore off my Apricot Yellow Headband, Qing Si cascaded like a waterfall over Xue Lang Jian filled with Salt Tax figures. The ink in the inkstone reflected a Blue Robed Official from the Ministry of Revenue; his teacup fell with a crash, shattering into eight pieces resembling Qiu Haitang.
Suddenly, outside in the corridor arose a mournful cry of wild geese; fifteen Gongyuan Carrier Pigeons marked with Zhu Sha collided with bright tiled windows. As they fell into Yan Chi's clear mud, I tasted Tie Xiu on my tongue—the ironic prophecy about Pigeon Plague from yesterday was coming true amidst the sound of dripping bronze.
Old Sacrificial Wine dripped down from Yu Guan's Xuan Si tassels without restraint: "The Su Envoy speaks recklessly about salt production; could it be an attempt to confuse Chunwei?" Behind him, twelve Saint portraits fluttered without wind as Song Yan's ink mixed with Carrier Pigeon blood bled out strange totems on Xuan Paper.
The Carved Door suddenly screeched. Mu Zhao burst in with Golden Guard Token tangled in his arrow sleeves while Xiu Chun Dao swept away bloodied pigeon feathers scattered across the ground. "The Lianghuai Salt Field's actual output exceeds reported figures by fifty percent." He stepped over shards of celadon ink wash; his sword handle bearing twin fish pendants struck against my burned hand from yesterday. "The additional thirty percent Han Tie has been transformed into Locking Soul Nails for Eastern Palace."
Suddenly, sounds of jingling bells echoed through the corridor. The Third Prince toyed with Liujin Xiangqiu while leaning against a railing, cradling an entertainer whose features closely resembled those of the Crown Prince: "Zhao Lang slandering our family like this? Are you not afraid of what Su Girl might say..." His fingertip glimmered silver as an explosion of pain erupted in my throat.
"Third Prince, be cautious." Mu Zhao's Dao Qiao accurately struck the poisoned silver needle, while Xiu Zhong's Xuan Tie Ling Pai embedded deeply into the beam. "The remnants of the iron-casting Gu sculpture furnace are currently simmering a nourishing soup at the Southern Town Pacification Office."
I suddenly staggered and leaned against the rosewood table. A fragment of a secret letter, caught by a claw of a Carrier Pigeon, pierced my palm. The edge of the silk cloth was embroidered with the dark pattern of a Three-Legged Golden Toad—this was indeed the totem of the secret medicine tribute from Miaojiang Tusi. Blood spread across the broken character "exterminate," as Mu Zhao's thumb suddenly pressed heavily against my tiger's mouth.
The ancient cypress trees in Guozijian trembled, shedding a thousand years of frost. The hem of the Thirteen Great Scholars' gauzy robes swept across the chaotic floor, and Master of Rituals' aged fingers nearly poked my forehead. "How would you women know the way of sages! According to your view on this Salt and Iron Debate..."
"Utter nonsense." I bit my tongue, swallowing the pain as blood filled my mouth, allowing Yin Ling's backlash to course through my veins. Mu Zhao suddenly swung his knife to sever the Jinsi nanmu beam, and the falling mortise accurately struck Third Prince's Aromatic Pouch in the Dark Compartment: "What Su Ge Lao said was—when adhering to the old system of Gaozu, investigate the issues with salt and iron."
A Jade Bottle rolled out from the Dark Compartment, imprinted with Miaojiang Runes, its contents of Heiblood corroding an Azure Brick. The tip of Mu Zhao's knife lifted my skirt hem to cover the dead pigeon, and in a sudden whisper close to my ear amidst gasps from all around: "The wax seal on that Secret Letter is made from Bee Corpse Glue specially supplied by the Eastern Palace Shadow Guard."
As Third Prince kicked over a bronze crane-shaped lamp and rushed out, I caught sight of red silk in the palace corridor through the swaying Pearl Curtain. Mu Zhao suddenly wrapped my bleeding fingernail with a fragment of the blood-stained Secret Letter; on the back of the silk cloth was half a line written in Zhu Sha small script—this was indeed my father's handwriting from his last memorial before drowning.
In Yan Chi, a dying Carrier Pigeon suddenly convulsed violently, fifteen clusters of Zhu Sha marks coalescing into a Gu Worm shape in the ink. Mu Zhao's body heat seeped through his Flying Fish Robe as he tightened his grip around my waist; blue veins bulged on his hand as he said: "The message on the edge of that torn cloth reads 'Wan Gu Ku Ritual.'"
Outside, I heard the sound of Jinwu Guard marching in formation. I swallowed down the metallic taste in my throat and reached for the Secret Letter. My fingertip brushed against something cold and scaly when Mu Zhao suddenly crushed the jade pendant at his waist; dark red Blood Pearl fell from his wrist bone into my palm—it was half a jade token engraved with Father's Private Seal.
"Beware of pigeon claws laced with poison." As he swept away my hairpin with his palm wind, I glimpsed a Miaojiang map emerging within Sui Yu. Master of Rituals roared as he reached for the Secret Letter; his hand froze mid-air as a Three-Legged Golden Toad totem suddenly bulged into a tumor behind his neck.
In the corridor, Jin Ling sounded abruptly; fifteen tolls of Death Knell startled flocks of crows across the city. Mu Zhao's Dao Feng pierced through my lower back, tearing through my thin garment as warm blood flowed down my spine into my skirt: "The back of that Secret Letter bears Su Shilang's handwriting." His bloodied thumb brushed over my cracked lips. "It reads: Third Prince communicates with Miao."
The Bronze Crane Incense Burner suddenly toppled over, gray powder igniting into eerie blue flames upon contact with air. As Mu Zhao ripped off my outer garment to wrap around the Secret Letter, Third Prince’s close guard’s Sleeve Arrow pierced into his left shoulder. I stared at the twisted Gu Worm pattern on the ground when a sudden headache struck me—it was unmistakably a sign that Yin Ling's backlash was about to erupt.
The sound of Copper Lock hitting the ground startled crows perched on eaves. I tightened the Binding Cloth beneath Xuan Se Pi Feng while Yu Guan concealed Qing Si within black gauze, yet could not hide the strange glint in Mu Zhao's eyes as he examined me in male attire.
The people from the Ministry of Justice were still watching the Canal's painted boat. Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao lifted the curtain of the Liu Shan Men archives, casting a web-like shadow on his profile from the copper-patterned window screen. I deliberately threw the stolen case file from the Ministry of Revenue towards the Southwest Direction, saying, "We can't just arrest people at the City God Temple."
The chain mail of Mantang Tiki emitted a crisp metallic sound. Mu Zhao's thumb suddenly pressed hard against an old wound on my palm, where remnants of yesterday's Gu Worm bite still lingered in a purplish hue. "Northwest Dog Watch, San Ke." As he turned, Dao Sui swept across my bandaged left wrist. "You have only Half Incense Stick left."
I kicked over the stool that Ti Qi had handed me, and splintered wood flew towards the direction of Da Xiangguo Temple. In that moment when Mu Zhao turned, I caught a glimpse of his hand gesture as he sheathed his knife, revealing three silver needles—exactly what had been extracted from the throat of the Eastern Palace Shadow Guard last night.
Blood-sweetness seeped through the seams of the Evidence Room's Azure Brick. The sizzling sound from Huo Qi's seal meeting heat was reminiscent of the Gu Worm's scream from within the Third Prince's Aromatic Pouch on that fateful day. As my Silver Hairpin pried open the fourth layer of the Dark Compartment, a tingling sensation shot through my fingertips—an omen of Yin Ling's backlash.
A half piece of Peacock Blue Glass Eye rolled across the brick surface with a crisp sound, overlapping with memories of my coming-of-age day when Feng Chai broke. From the Dark Compartment wafted a putrid scent of Dragon's Blood Incense, and Mu Zhao's knife handle suddenly pressed against my lower back. "The two characters 'Mao Lin' in Lantingji Xu appear as Tao River Breach Point on the Ministry of Works' blueprints."
I pressed a fragment of a Secret Letter against my copy of Lantingji Xu. Zhu Sha danced between the letters to form a River Diagram and Luo Book, with winding lines piercing through Xuan Paper—exactly mirroring the breach that had washed away Yan Cheng Dam during last year's torrential rain.
"Su Girl." Mu Zhao's breath brushed against my hair at the nape of my neck, revealing half an inch of blood-stained bandage from his sleeve. His fingers suddenly combed through my scattered Jia Bin hair, drawing three blood streaks across the table—a representation of the character "danger" from Miaojiang Tusi Cipher.
The sparks from Candlewick startled a Gecko perched on the window frame. The Peacock Blue Smoke seeping from Copper Lock Hole coalesced into spider silk, slowly drifting towards the northwest corner where the Bronze Xiezhi Statue stood. Suddenly, Mu Zhao's knife tip pierced my index finger; as Blood Pearl fell into Qingtian Stone Inkstone, it surprisingly revealed half of the Great Xiangguo Temple Underground Map.
"In the Nursery Rhyme it says Midnight, Bloodline passes through." I realized Mu Zhao's jade pendant had somehow entwined itself around my Diao Xie Belt, revealing half an Azure Phoenix Mark inside its hook. His Boot Tip ground over gaps in Floor Tile filled with Azure Glass Shards: "If read backward, it tells us to wear Bloodline to uncover heavenly secrets."
I abruptly yanked off Diao Xia Yu Kou and hurled it towards Northeast Direction. Mu Zhao’s cloak unfurled like an eagle as he burst through the broken window; twelve Jinyiwei followed him toward Da Xiangguo Temple’s glazed Tower Tip. Amidst the Evening Drum Sound, twenty-three Children’s cries leaked from Underground Palace, startling copper bells atop Tower.
Returning to Liu Shan Men, Mu Zhao held up half a blood-stained Miaojiang Silver Ornament with Dao Feng. My throat burned sharply at Yin Ling’s wound—its Silver Ornament pattern perfectly matched what my father had clutched on Drowning Day with Sui Yu. The Antecabinet’s Lantingji Xu copy spontaneously ignited without wind; between words licked by Fire Tongue appeared gradually the shadowy outline of Third Prince’s Seal inscribed among “majestic mountains.”
The Northwest Night Sky brightened abruptly. Thirteen flaming Kongming Lanterns ascended towards Da Xiangguo Temple’s Tower Tip, arranged in Beidou formation; Mu Zhao’s sheathed knife handle still bore warmth. His bloodied Fingertip brushed against my ear behind Jia Bin: "On the stone wall of Underground Palace is inscribed half a verse from Nursery Rhyme, signed by Su Shilang Men Sheng."
I pulled out my Silver Hairpin and pierced my Palm to stay awake. The South Red Agate at its tip reflected Blood Moonlight as Mu Zhao suddenly crushed a Jade Plaque at his waist and scattered its powder into the fire basin—Ashes rising revealed Yan Wen, astonishingly depicting next year’s Imperial Tomb Water Conservancy Map to be constructed by Ministry of Works.
As the drum struck three in the morning, cracks suddenly appeared in the beams of the Evidence Room. In the moment that Mu Zhao pulled me back, the Seventy-Two poisonous thorns pierced the spot where I had just stood, arranged in a toad formation used for Miaojiang rituals. He tore open the blood-soaked bandage on his shoulder and wrapped it around my hand, saying, "Be careful what you say; the owner of the Liuli Eye Pearl can hear us..."
With a loud bang, the Bronze Xiezhi Statue in the Southeast Corner exploded. Hundreds of Blood Cicadas surged forth, each cicada's wings imprinted with the hidden accounts of the Ministry of Revenue's deficits. I bit my tongue to suppress the backlash from Yin Ling, only to see Mu Zhao draw his Pei Dao, its three-inch cold light gleaming like snow—reflected on the blade was a snake tattoo belonging to the Third Prince's guards.
Twelve blood-stained Kongming Lanterns fell onto the shattered Xie Zhi statue. I stepped on the last Blood Cicada's silver wings as Mu Zhao's blade pried open a Salt Transport Secret Order hidden within the blood foam—thirteen Zhu Sha seals marked with Cao Gang insignia exuded a fishy smell.
"This is definitely not the work of salt smugglers," Mu Zhao said as his Xiu Chun Dao sliced through the night wind, pinning the secret order beside a dry well in the southwest corner. The white frost on the well's edge shattered and revealed a bluish-gray hue, reminiscent of arsenic frosting at the Third Prince's Lantern Festival banquet.
Thirty Jinyiwei clad in chain mail glided across Yan Well's icy surface. Suddenly, Mu Zhao positioned his Pei Dao across my knees; dried blood on Dao Qiao formed four seal characters: East, South, West, North. My throat burned with Yin Ling's backlash as I gasped, "Each must occupy one place: East, South, West, North!"
"Northwest Dog Watch," Mu Zhao declared as his black boots crushed the last remnants of Salt Frost. The sound of his Xiu Chun Dao striking against the walls of an abandoned house startled seven cold crows into flight. I tore off my Diao Xie Belt and threw it toward the Northeast Direction; as Yu Kou hit the ground, it exploded into Peacock Blue Smoke—just like what I had seen in last night's document storage.
The foul stench of fish from Eastern Depot's Fanzi fish-skin boots mixed with the salty air from the well. Mu Zhao suddenly removed his cloak to cover my mouth and nose; a silver chain wrapped around my left arm’s bandage, revealing half a Liuli Eye Pearl embedded in its clasp. "Be careful of backlash," he warned just as I was pushed into the ruins of Northwest Courtyard.
Forty-nine boxes of Official Salt glowed ghostly white under the moonlight. Mu Zhao’s blade pried open the top Salt Bag, but instead of snowflakes, hundreds of Fire Thunder fuses formed a web that glimmered with phosphorescence.
"Cao Gang has quite an operation!" I scoffed aloud as Yin Ling's backlash tingled through my veins to my fingertips. Suddenly, Mu Zhao extinguished my Firestarter and wrapped my bloodied bandage around my wrist bone. "You think this is smuggling?"
A thunderous explosion erupted from Southeast Corner. I opened my mouth to scream but was silenced by his hand over it; pain shot through my palm as I realized he had padded his martial attire with gilded paper from the Third Prince's Residence—the intricate patterns on it perfectly formed a Salt Transport Seal.
The Northwest Night Sky erupted with seven Poison Smoke Peonies. As Mu Zhao pulled me up onto a beam, thirty boxes of Fire Thunder veered southwest along with my throat’s burning pain—explosions transformed into a sky full of fireworks, illuminating within the salt boxes East Factory Commander's Private Seal.
"Su Shilang Drowning that day..." Mu Zhao’s knife handle lifted a charred section of Cao Yun Account; mold spots spread across "Chongwenmen Tax Silver" like human sores. My throat bone suddenly cracked lightly; Yin Ling’s backlash caused blood to seep from my eyes: "This account must be complete!"
Shreds of paper fluttered down like snowflakes from between the beams. Mu Zhao’s blood-stained index finger traced along my neck’s blue veins, revealing twelve hidden account locations as his fingertip glided over them. As the last piece of paper fell to the ground, we heard the sound of drums announcing dawn outside Yamen.
The blood-stained fragments of fireworks suddenly froze. Mu Zhao's cloak swept past the last box of Official Salt, and the bottom of the Dark Compartment clicked open. Fifty Liuli Eye Pearls turned in unison towards me, their pupils reflecting the blood-red plaque of Dongji Shichang.
"Be careful with your words." Mu Zhao suddenly pried open my tightly clenched fist, revealing that the bloodstains on my palm perfectly matched the seal on the Salt Transport Secret Order. He tore off the blood-stained inner lining of his sleeve to wrap around my hand. "The owner of the Liuli Eye has come to collect."
A dull chime echoed from the end of the northwest alley. Three Bai Ju, their bodies covered with Eastern Depot talismans, opened their eyes simultaneously, while Fingertip moss grew wildly into the four blood characters of Zhu Sha Xuan Ji.
Mu Zhao's sheathed Xiu Chun Dao suddenly emitted a dragon's roar, yet the reflection on the blade showed my broken Liuli Crown from my coming-of-age ceremony—its broken hairpin dripped with salty Blood Pearls, pooling on the ground to form four small seals: The Emperor Commands the Minister to Die.
As Feng Luan rolled over the Salt Frost fragments, I was in the process of tearing apart the third Diao Xie Belt embedded with Liuli Pearls. Mu Zhao abruptly elbowed me, knocking a jade hairpin from my hair. Peacock Blue poison mist splattered onto the passionflower-patterned carpet, forming the inverted characters for Eternal Life.
"This gift from Su Ge Lao is quite unique." The Empress Dowager's fingertip, stained with vermilion, brushed against the Liuli Lamp, causing strands of blood to suddenly appear in the Snow Mountain Ginseng Soup within. As her fingers gripped the armrest of Feng Zuo tightly, a dark green viscous liquid began to seep from her hairpin adorned with turquoise.
My throat suddenly convulsed violently. "Empress Dowager, may you be in good health!" Before my words shattered, Seven Apertures had already released Blood Pearls. Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao struck heavily against the Azure Brick seam; the dark patterns on its hilt rubbed against his calloused palm, producing a short-long signal.
The sound of something fragile hitting the ground shattered the silence as the Western Region Envoy’s Deep Blue Gold Weaving Flying Fish Robe fell. The Empress Dowager's Armor suddenly burst apart; as her fingernails lifted, they revealed writhing Gold Thread Gu Worms beneath her white bones. "Summon the imperial physician—" The Matron's scream caught in her throat as her neck veins visibly swelled like worms.
Mu Zhao's cloak swept away my Aromatic Pouch, and the bitter taste of Five Poisons Purification Pill mixed with blood filled my nostrils. Twenty-nine palace lanterns exploded simultaneously into green flames. I stumbled and fell to sit beside Dan Chi; Xiu Zhong's silver needle had already pierced my Index Finger: "This poison has no antidote!"
The wool felt tribute from Persia suddenly erupted into a ghostly blue Fire Flame, while bubbles of blood frothed in the fine liquor within Third Prince’s Deep Blue Gold Weaving Flying Fish Robe. Mu Zhao’s blade tip lifted my blood-stained collar; the dark embroidered Silver Thread crane pattern twisted into a demonic visage amidst the poison mist.
"Since Su Ge Lao claims it is not a secret poison from the Western Regions..." The East Factory Commander’s python-patterned boots crushed shards of glass scattered on the ground as his cold gaze swept over my bleeding earlobe. "You must have discerned how to detoxify it?"
The bones in my throat made a faint cracking sound. I broke apart the sandalwood Buddhist beads on my wrist; Blood Pearl fragments splattered onto a Liujin silver candlestick: "This poison cannot be cured!" At that moment when the beads shattered, a Gu Worm made of Gold Thread on the Empress Dowager's cheek suddenly stiffened and fell, landing directly into Mu Zhao's prepared Xuan Tie Xia.
Mu Zhao flipped his wrist and threw the Xiu Chun Dao, the hilt embedded with half a Liuli Eye Pearl, which lodged perfectly into the gap of the East Factory Commander's ring. Gasps filled the hall as seven Golden Wing Gu Kings emerged from the cracks in the Empress's Armor, their wings unfurling and shedding phosphorescent powder that formed blood characters spelling "Xuan Gui Wu Guo."
"Su Wan!" Mu Zhao suddenly pried open my tightly clenched jaw and stuffed a blood-soaked bandage between my teeth. A silver chain around his wrist constricted my bleeding left hand, twelve dark purple marks aligning to form the Cao Gang emblem from last night's Salt Well Secret Order.
The leader of the Persian Envoy Group suddenly convulsed and collapsed, while the snake-patterned bronze bottle slipped from Xiu Zhong's grasp and rolled to my feet. The bottle's mouth was sealed with red wax bearing the private seal of the Third Prince's Residence, and a dark green-black viscous liquid oozed from its cracks, matching the color of the Empress's nails.
"The Imperial Physician is here—"
"Wait!" I broke free from Mu Zhao's grip and lunged at Feng Zuo, my last remaining Liuli Hairpin piercing through the Empress's fingertip. At that moment, as Heiblood gushed forth, Mu Zhao struck away the silver needle from the physician's hand, its tip coated with a ghostly blue poison that shimmered under the palace lanterns, revealing lotus patterns from Dongji Shichang.
The Incense Burner beneath Dan Chi suddenly exploded. As Mu Zhao pulled me away from the toxic smoke, a secret letter from the Third Prince's Residence fluttered down into the pool of blood. The words "Zhu Xuanji," written in Zhu Sha ink on the Secret Letter, blurred in the blood water, merging into "Preserve the Nation," in the handwriting of the Former Emperor.
A horrifying gurgling sound escaped from the Empress's throat as Jin Fen suddenly spilled from her Seven Apertures. I clutched Mu Zhao's blood-stained sleeve, and the searing pain from Yin Ling surged through me, forcing my voice to shatter: "The Phoenix body... is about to pass away!"
The Night Pearl atop the Nine Dragons Cloud Pillar exploded in response. Mu Zhao suddenly gripped my nape, forcing me to look up; his lips, stained with Salt Frost, brushed against my ear: "When you say she is passing away, her heart pulse is reviving."
As the last trace of Jin Fen dissipated from the Empress's fingertip, Hu Jia in the arms of a musician from the Western Regions spontaneously ignited. Mu Zhao’s blade lifted a burning sheepskin scroll, revealing a charred inscription showing an exchange between the East Factory Commander and Cao Gang Leader—the very ominous hour engraved on my shattered Liuli Crown from my coming-of-age day.
"What a Killing Two Birds with One Stone," Mu Zhao sneered coldly, shaking loose dust from the beams above. Ashes drifted into an Imperial Censor’s wine cup, coalescing into the final missing half of an Official Seal from the Salt Well Secret Order. At that moment, the Empress opened her eyes; her murky pupils reflected my blood-stained official robe hem—where seven Dong Zhu were embedded, oozing a toxin matching that of Gold Thread and Gu Worms.
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