When we came out of Zhongming Temple, the sun had already risen high in the sky.

After the snow, the sky clears, and it's bitterly cold. As I walk down the stone steps, the trees beside me are covered with red ribbons. These are prayers offered by pilgrims, creating a unique and beautiful scene in this freezing, white landscape.

Following behind Ji Meiniang, Xiang Wan's mind was preoccupied with the fire that had broken out at the Cao residence earlier that day. She adjusted the fox fur around her neck when her arm was suddenly tugged.

Looking up, she saw an Indian man holding a red ribbon and smiling at her under a tree not far away.

That smile was warm and affectionate, like that of an old friend not seen for many years, or like a greeting between lovers.

Xiang Wan's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to avoid him, but then she saw him walking straight towards her.

When Ji Meiniang and the others saw this, they knew that A-San had something to say to Xiang Wan, so they went to wait in the pavilion not far away.

After nearly a year, Ji Meiniang had come to understand Xiang Wan's thoughts. Although her opinion of A-San had changed somewhat, she was still a little uneasy. But her trust in Xiang Wan was one hundred percent.

Xiang Wan walked towards him and came to the stone steps.

Ah San was dressed in a moon-white robe, with pure white fox fur on his wrists and collar. His handsome face had bright and captivating eyes.

"Xiang Wan, shall we tie this ribbon together?"

The bright red ribbon fluttered in the wind from the outstretched hand.

Xiang Wan smiled slightly, took the ribbon, and said playfully, "Want me to pray for your marriage? Sincerity is key. Where is your sincerity?"

Ah San raised his hand and pointed to his chest, "Here."

As evening fell, a strand of long hair slipped from her temple.

As Ah San watched, he couldn't help but reach out to tie up that strand of hair for Xiang Wan, but she turned her head away.

His eyes darkened, he sighed, and said, "I may have to go on a long trip."

Xiang Wan looked up and saw the complex emotions and reluctance in his eyes. She lowered her gaze and said, "Be careful when you're out and about."

"you……"

"Aren't we going to tie ribbons? Let's go."

As evening approached, he stepped to one side, and Ah San stood there for a while before following him.

The snowfall last night was light, and the snow on the roadside was slowly melting, but the messy footsteps had already trodden countless muddy tracks into the ground.

The two silently walked to a maple tree as thick as a thigh, staring at the trunk already adorned with three or four ribbons, unsure where to tie them. Too low wouldn't work, and too high was out of Xiang Wan's reach.

As they hesitated, the Indian man took the ribbon and asked, "What is your wish? I can help you tie it into the ribbon."

"Peace is the best hope; everyone seems to like praying for peace," Xiang Wan replied without hesitation.

Ah San's eyes flickered. He pulled Xiang Wan aside, making her face away from the tree to block Ji Meiniang and the others' view. He leaned forward, pinning Xiang Wan between him and the tree, and whispered, "Is this to pray for my safety?"

Just as Xiang Wan was about to deny it, Ah San stuck out his index finger and said, "Shh! It won't work if you say it out loud."

Looking up, she saw his smiling face and felt his approaching presence. Xiang Wan turned her head away.

To her surprise, instead of the warmth she expected, she heard a low laugh coming from her chest.

"Surprising, isn't it?"

Feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he gently embraced her, Xiang Wan neither pushed him away nor responded. Let it be.

Perhaps it was Xiang Wan's inaction that pleased him, for Ah San took a half step back and chuckled, "Girl, you really have a heart of stone. Remember? The first time we met, you tried to drive me away. The way you looked when you were angry, your annoyed tone, your cunning eyes, your cold rejection—it all keeps replaying in my mind. Back then, I wondered what your expression would be when you were moved… The longer we work together, the more familiar I become with you, the more curious I get about what's going on in your little head. I guess you probably don't fall for anyone. Girl, remember, you provoked me first."

As he spoke, Ah San took a few steps back, turned around, and waved goodbye to Xiang Wan, "Girl, wait for me to come back!"

He took long strides, and in just a few breaths, he disappeared around the corner of the stairs. That smiling face was still lingering in Xiang Wan's mind.

Ji Meiniang and the others arrived at Xiang Wan's side at some point and asked, "Wan'er, what did he say to you?"

Xiang Wan shook her head, turned around and looked at the big tree behind her. The ribbon was tied high on the tree and fluttered in the wind.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the Emperor, accompanied by his concubines, princes, princesses, and ministers, ascended a high place to celebrate the festival with the people. Suddenly, a secluded warehouse in the east of the city exploded and caught fire, flames shooting into the sky. The Emperor was furious and dispatched the commander of the Imperial Guards to investigate.

The explosion occurred in a warehouse storing glass products. The old man guarding the warehouse, who was indulging in a drink, accidentally knocked over a candlestick, which ignited the cloth, causing the wine he had been storing to explode. The explosion collapsed the warehouse and set the neighboring courtyard on fire as well.

As the Imperial Guards passed by, they happened to see a dark figure running hurriedly outside. Some chased after the figure, while others, while investigating the source of the explosion, discovered a cellar in the adjacent courtyard, filled with gunpowder and weapons.

The Emperor's face was as cold as frost, and he ordered a thorough investigation to begin overnight.

The dark figure disappeared into a dead end and vanished. Then the Imperial Guards saw Wu Yan, disheveled, engaging in intimate relations with Princess Jinyi, the daughter of the Third Prince.

At the same time, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review received an anonymous letter accusing the Third Prince of conspiring with the Wu family to rebel. The weapons workshop was built in a remote mountain valley five miles away from the city, using a hunter's thatched hut as cover.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has never been close to aristocratic families, nor has he ever had much interaction with imperial relatives; he is the emperor's man.

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