"The person you speak of is... the Grand Commandant?"
"Yes."
The Empress Dowager watched her with a barely perceptible smile. She still remembered that winter day when the two of them had walked resolutely into the heavy snow, their fingers intertwined. Even from behind, they had looked as if their love was stronger than gold. It turned out to be nothing more than that.
No, or perhaps it was purely one-sided.
The Empress Dowager shook her head, the emotion in her eyes obscure and hard to read. "It's rare for him to cherish someone so deeply."
Liang Wan smiled. "Deep love never lasts. It would be better for both of us to go our separate ways."
The Empress Dowager looked at her noncommittally.
Under her scrutinizing gaze, Liang Wan decided to speak frankly. "Matters of love are too illusory and ultimately unreliable. The only person a woman can truly trust is herself. If I wish to live well, I must plan for my own future."
