The 12th year of Shaoxing, July.
The midsummer in Jiangnan is stifling and humid, with cicadas chirping incessantly.
On the surface, Yingtian Prefecture maintains the tranquility after the Emperor's expedition, with bustling markets and regular canal transport.
But secretly, an unsettling undercurrent has already surged to the surface.
Wan Qixie's purges are increasingly brutal, with prisons overcrowded, and innocent people accused of colluding with Northern traitors are frequently executed at the Caishi Port.
The blood soaks into the bluestone slabs, and even the air seems to be permeated with a faint, metallic tang.
The entire Yingtian Prefecture is in a state of apprehension, as silent as cicadas in winter.
Meanwhile, Zhao Gou, far away at the Northern Border, remains completely unaware, with nearly everyone losing contact with their Emperor.
...
Kaifeng Prefecture, the Jin Kingdom's temporary palace.
