Guifei Xiang silently observes the room, a mixture of shadows and soft light filtering through the silk curtains. The moon casts a faint glow on the figure of her daughter, who sleeps peacefully in bed next to Lianhua, whom she even had to order to sleep because she wanted to stay awake on a futile watch.

  Since her daughter was born, Guifei Xiang had felt a deep connection with her, albeit one fraught with uncertainty. She clearly remembered the pride that overwhelmed her when she held that beautiful, peaceful baby for the first time. And then came the devastating news that Sun Wen's legs were unresponsive, and her heart was filled with fear for what might happen to her.

  Fortunately, her worst fears did not come true, and Guifei Xiang was able to keep her daughter, who grew up with almost no problems despite her issues because she was very calm, almost too calm. And Guifei Xiang had begun to think that her daughter was not normal.

  Because of these fears, Guifei Xiang began to recall legends of ancient cultivators who, upon death, were reincarnated into new bodies. For a time, she couldn't help but wonder if her daughter might be one of those ancient souls, but she eventually dismissed the idea. Her daughter was brilliant, yes, but her interest and brilliance were directed toward what could be considered trivialities, simple things with no real relevance to the path of cultivation. No ancient cultivator could have shown such innocence and lack of interest in what was truly important.

  As she watches her sleeping daughter, memories of her inventions and ideas come back to her mind. The girl had shown unusual creativity from an early age. One of those memories made her smile, the abacus her daughter had designed, something so simple yet so useful, and whose reward for creating it had made her so happy. However, as brilliant as her ideas were, most of them lacked any real usefulness in the court or on the path of cultivation, although she, as a mother, couldn't help but feel proud of each and every one of them.

  But there was something that worried her more than anything else. During their conversations, although her daughter always treated her with respect and a familiarity befitting a mother-daughter relationship, Guifei Xiang could not ignore the absence of a feeling she had hoped to find, and that was the simple love of a daughter for her mother.

  It was a subtle void, but it was there, like an ever-present shadow.

  She knew that among the nobility, maternal relationships tended to be cold, as child-rearing fell to nannies and maids, as it had been in her own childhood. But Guifei Xiang had tried to change that, had tried to be closer to her daughter, to be more involved in her life, and yet she had not managed to make Sun Wen love her in return.

  As she continues to watch her sleeping daughter, she wonders where she went wrong, what she could have done differently. She thinks about the decisions she made, the times she could have been more understanding or present, but she knows that these reflections will not bring back the lost time.

  Finally, she resigns herself to the inevitable. She knows she cannot change the past, and now all she can do is wait. With a silent sigh, she sits down next to the bed, never taking her eyes off her daughter, waiting for the news that will determine both their futures.

  The sun shines high in the sky, bathing the courtyard of a pavilion in the outer palace in warm golden light. Peony petals flutter gently in the breeze, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. Seated on a carved wooden chair, a consort gazes distractedly at the garden, while her maids delicately arrange a tea tray on the marble table in front of her.

  Suddenly, the creak of the courtyard door interrupts her thoughts and a middle-aged eunuch enters with his usual bow and neutral expression, but there is something in the way his eyes avoid hers that tells her he brings important news.

  “Furen”, the eunuch begins in a controlled voice. “I have news that must be communicated in private.”

  The consort raises an eyebrow and carefully sets her teacup on the table. She leans forward slightly as she looks curiously at the eunuch.

  “Accompany me to my office”, she orders in a firm voice as she rises from her seat, the soft rustle of her silk gown accompanying her movements. With a wave of her hand, the maids step aside, respecting their mistress's privacy.

  The eunuch follows the consort through the palace corridors, their footsteps echoing on the polished stone. Finally, they arrive at the consort's office, which is a large, elegantly decorated room. She sits behind her large desk and gestures to the eunuch to speak.

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  “What news do you bring? I hope it is important enough to interrupt me”, she asks, looking at him with her sharp, blade-like eyes.

  The eunuch bows deeply before speaking, his voice low but clear “My contacts at court have reported that the emperor has ordered the confinement of Guifei Xiang and her daughter, Zhāohuán Wen, in the Pavilion of Clouds' Fragrance.”

  The consort blinks, surprised. Her lips, normally curved in a sneer of disdain, tighten into a thin line.

  “Confinement? And for what reason?” she asks, unable to hide the curiosity in her voice.

  The eunuch bows his head with a barely perceptible smile on his lips. “It seems that during her first cultivation lesson, Zhāohuán Wen broke through and completed Skin Tempering. When questioned by the emperor, she confessed that she had begun cultivating after the attack on the night of her seventh birthday.”

  The consort leans back in her chair, processing the information. Suddenly, a soft but clearly sarcastic laugh escapes her lips “What excellent news. This is practically a slap in the emperor's face, especially after what happened six years ago.”

  The eunuch nods, keeping his expression carefully neutral “That's right, Your Excellency.”

  The consort interlaces her fingers, resting her hands on the desk as her mind works quickly “Perfect. This situation could be more advantageous than I imagined. I want you to find out as soon as possible what the sentence will be. I don't want to be taken by surprise.”

  The eunuch bows deeply, his right hand on his chest “Of course, Furen. I will take care of it immediately.”

  With those words, he turns and leaves the office silently, his footsteps barely audible in the hallway.

  Once alone, the consort rises from her seat and approaches the window. From there, she looks out at the inner palace courtyard, her thoughts revolving around the possible consequences of this new situation. Her gaze hardens as she contemplates the possibility that both Guifei Xiang and Zhāohuán Wen will be exiled and stripped of their titles, thus ridding her of two rivals who have been a thorn in her side for far too long.

  The consort flashes a cold smile.

  “Just like with Fei Zhi”, she murmurs to herself, remembering how she had manipulated the situation to get rid of the former favorite consort. “Everything is unfolding perfectly.”

  She remains silent, patiently waiting for confirmation that, once again, fate has played in her favor.

  In the quiet gloom of the imperial office, Sun Hao, emperor of the Taijin Empire, stares intently at the abacus resting on his desk. His fingers play with the wooden beads, but his mind is lost in recent events.

  The atmosphere is suddenly disturbed when the door bursts open, revealing the imposing figure of Jiangjun Han Xin, the chief general of the empire's left army. Han Xin, tall and thin, with a large mustache framing his face, enters unceremoniously, slamming the door behind him.

  “What madness is this that I have heard, Sun Hao?” Han Xin asks, his tone a mixture of disbelief and frustration. “Is it true that you have ordered the confinement of Guifei Xiang and Zhāohuán Wen?”

  Sun Hao looks up, his eyes meeting Han Xin's, but he remains silent, contemplating how to approach the conversation. After a few moments of tense stillness, he reaches out a hand toward an almost imperceptible mark on the surface of his desk. As he touches it, the mark begins to glow softly, and immediately several areas of the room's walls begin to glow with inscriptions reminiscent of those in the Qi gathering formation.

  Han Xin looks with surprise at the inscriptions revealed on the walls and then turns his questioning gaze to the emperor “What is happening, Sun Hao? Is what you are about to tell me so serious that you need to activate a privacy formation?”

  Sun Hao stares at him before speaking “Wen has completed Skin Tempering in her first session... without having cultivated before.”

  Silence fills the room. Han Xin blinks, processing the information before speaking “Are you telling me that Wen has cultivated Skin Tempering in a single day?”

  A flash of amusement crosses Sun Hao's eyes as he shakes his head “She didn't do it in a single day.”

  Han Xin, visibly relieved, lets out a sigh that seems to ease the tension that had built up in his chest. But his relief is short-lived, as Sun Hao adds “She did it in just under three periods.”

  The impact of Sun Hao's words leaves Han Xin paralyzed. Without saying a word, he strides purposefully toward the small table laden with liquors, picks up a bottle, uncaps it, and takes a long swig straight from it. Then, with the bottle still in his hand, he turns to Sun Hao.

  “Are you sure she's not the reincarnation of some old cultivator?” Han Xin asks, still incredulous.

  Sun Hao shakes his head "She's not. I tested her using the method of snatching her Qi control. No reincarnated old man would have such weak strength.“

  Han Xin, bottle in hand, slumps heavily into a nearby chair ”I feel sorry for her having to go through that. But then, this is a good thing, isn't it? If she's so talented, the sect will recruit and protect her."

  Sun Hao looks at him seriously before replying “Are you so sure? Consider the problem with my daughter's legs.”

  Han Xin reflects silently as he takes another long swig from the bottle. A flash of understanding crosses his eyes, and he finally nods his head “You're right. In the sect's environment, the little one wouldn't last a year.”

  Sun Hao nods, as if he had come to the same conclusion long ago “I've decided to say that she had already cultivated before the age of eight. Normally, that wouldn't be so serious as there would be no consequences, but after the Xiang affair six years ago, everyone will expect me to make an example of her for disobeying my orders.”

  Han Xin looks up, curious “What do you have in mind?”

  “I'm going to send them to the mansion in Xi'An for two years. That's more than enough time for people to calm down”, Sun Hao replies.

  Silence returns to the room as Han Xin thinks about the emperor's decision. Sun Hao, meanwhile, leans back in his chair, his gaze lost again in the abacus, as if the weight of his decision still keeps him trapped in his thoughts.