Undercurrents and Ice and Charcoal

After Xiao Shitou left, the autumn atmosphere in the capital seemed to deepen, with golden leaves swirling within the palace walls like silent sighs.

Life within the palace walls seemed to have returned to a certain tranquility, but the taut string in Ling Zhan's heart never truly relaxed. Over the years, she had learned to smell the metallic scent of impending storms even in calm—an intuition bestowed upon her by time and hardship.

On this day, a snowbird, entirely white except for a touch of crimson on its beak, silently landed on the window lattice of the side hall where Ling Zhan was handling matters related to "Shan Hai Su". A small bamboo tube was tied to its leg, like a hidden pawn cast by fate.

Ling Zhan's gaze sharpened as he recognized this as the channel used by Amu and Azhu—the most capable secret agents scattered among the people—to transmit the most urgent messages. They typically only reported on major anomalies or...extremely unusual movements of the "Shan Hai Su" network.

She untied the bamboo tube and pulled out a strip of paper that was rolled up very thinly inside.

Her movements were fluid and calm; years of experience had honed her ability to remain absolutely composed in the face of crisis.

The handwriting above is A-Zhu's; it's delicate yet conveys a sense of urgency:

[Recently, traces of activity have been spotted in the western market of the capital and the northeastern outer ward of the Imperial City by former members of the Eshui Gang's "Water Ghost" and the Black Tiger Gang's "Heart-Piercing Hand." These are die-hard remnants of the defeated Linzhou Prefecture, who have been lying low for many years. Their sudden appearance in the capital region, with their secretive movements, suggests they have ulterior motives. This may be detrimental to Your Majesty and the palace; please be extremely vigilant.]

The Eshui Gang? The Black Tiger Gang?

Ling Zhan's fingertips instantly turned icy cold, not from fear, but because a familiar, long-lost killing intent awakened in these names.

These names instantly transported her back to the bloody battles of Linzhou Prefecture years ago. Back then, she might have been more outspoken and assertive, but now she was more aware of the enormous vortex that might be involved behind these persistent fugitives.

Although the core leaders of these two gangs had been eliminated years ago, they never revealed the power they held. These remnants, like venomous snakes, had lurked for years, and their sudden appearance near the capital was no coincidence! An extremely ominous premonition gripped her—could this be aimed at him?!

She got up immediately without the slightest hesitation.

This matter cannot be judged solely based on a secret report; she must verify it personally.

This is a principle she has developed over the years: trust your intuition, but always corroborate it with facts.

An hour later, in a private room on the second floor of a teahouse facing the street in the western part of the capital.

Ling Zhan, dressed like an ordinary wealthy lady, sat by the window with several tea snacks in front of her. Her gaze seemed to casually sweep across the street, but in reality, it was like the most precise compass, measuring every anomaly in the air.

Sitting opposite her were Shen Hong and Sui He, a married couple who had rushed over after receiving her urgent message. In addition to being the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Shen Hong also held a sinecure in the Ministry of Works, as he possessed an animal-like intuition for terrain and environment. Sui He, on the other hand, was meticulous and steady, making her an excellent assistant.

"Mother, why did you suddenly summon us here? It's because..."

Suihe asked softly, keenly noticing the barely perceptible tension around Ling Zhan.

Ling Zhan pushed a piece of almond cake in front of her, his gaze still fixed on the bustling street outside the window, his voice extremely low:

"Look outside, do you notice anything unusual?"

Shen Hong frowned almost immediately. He didn't look around, but just squinted slightly, as if sensing the invisible ripples in the air, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup.

Something's not right...

His voice was low and tinged with confusion, “This West Market has always been bustling and vibrant. But today… beneath this liveliness, there seems to be a… ominous aura. It’s faint, deeply hidden, but like a needle, it pricks you.”

Ling Zhan's heart sank. Shen Hong's intuition was never wrong. This confirmed her worst suspicions.

Her gaze, sharp as a hawk's, slowly swept over the bustling crowd below: peddlers hawking their wares, strolling citizens, hurried pedestrians... everything seemed normal.

Suddenly, her gaze fixed on the second-floor window of a grandly decorated restaurant across the street, its signboard adorned with gilded gold. A glance, extremely subtle yet swift as lightning, swept across her, carrying a scrutinizing and...amused probing quality, like the flick of a venomous snake in the shadows, vanishing in an instant.

But this brief glance instantly struck a fragment deep within Ling Zhan's memory.

Several years ago, when she was selling herbs in Linshan Town, she had a conflict with a local bully. She remembered being looked at by someone from the second floor of the "Zui Xian Lou" restaurant across the street – fierce, wary, like a startled venomous snake.

That one glance!

Ling Zhan's heart clenched violently!

She would never mistake that look in her eyes! So many years have passed, but the coldness in those eyes has not changed at all.

These aren't remnants, these are key figures! They're back!

"Walk."

Ling Zhan immediately put down the tea money, stood up, and spoke in a calm tone with a rare hint of urgency.

She has been confirmed and no longer needs to stay.

Although Shen Hong and Sui He didn't understand why, they immediately followed based on their absolute trust in each other.

Back in the palace, Ling Zhan went straight to the Imperial Study. Her steps were steady, but her mind was already racing with countless plans.

If the target of the threat is clear, then protective measures must be upgraded and go beyond the norm.

Wei Jin was reviewing memorials. His complexion was better than a few days ago, but a deep gloom still lingered between his brows, a weariness born from being trapped in a solitary position and an emotional wasteland.

He seemed somewhat surprised to see her return!

He raised his eyes, and there was a very subtle fluctuation in the depths of his gaze, a fluctuation that even he himself might not have noticed.

"What's up?" he asked in a flat tone, with his usual sense of distance used for self-protection.

Ling Zhan walked to the desk and, without any beating around the bush, spoke directly, her voice clear and calm, just as she had when deploying the operation: "Starting tonight, I will move back to the main hall."

Wei Jin's hand, holding the pen, suddenly paused. A glaring red stain appeared on the memorial, mirroring his abruptly pounding heart. He looked up at Ling Zhan almost in astonishment, as if he hadn't heard what she said. Move back to the main hall? Share a room?

In an instant, countless thoughts exploded in his mind. Was it the argument that day that made her compromise? Was it Little Stone's words that had an effect? ​​Or was she finally... finally willing to bow to reality, willing to use this method to ease the relationship, and even... consider having children?

An indescribable surge of joy mixed with bitterness and complex anticipation welled up uncontrollably from the deepest part of his heart, almost breaking through his icy shell. He stared at her, trying to find even the slightest softening, the slightest emotion belonging to a "wife," on her calm and expressionless face.

He put down his pen and leaned back slightly in his chair.

He asked in a deliberately concealed tone, even with a hint of probing and sharpness that he himself was unaware of, "What? Have you finally come to your senses? Are you willing to... have a child for me?" When he mentioned the word "child," his voice carried a dry longing and deep pain that he himself had not expected, which was his deepest helplessness and expectation as an emperor.

Ling Zhan met his gaze and shook his head.

Her tone remained as calm as if she were delivering a tactical report unrelated to herself: "No. I don't want to have children." Her answer was clear and unwavering, instantly shattering the illusion Wei Jin had just built.

The glimmer of light that had just appeared in Wei Jin's eyes was instantly extinguished, replaced by a deeper gloom and anger.

As expected... it's still the same.

He almost sneered, that inexplicable rage surging up again, burning both her and himself: "Don't want children? Then what are you doing back here? Reliving old dreams? Ling Zhan, I'm not that idle! If you're just pitying me, or trying to fob me off with some nonsense about what will happen a thousand or ten thousand years from now, then get out of here!"

His words were harsh, like knives, meant to hurt her, but also to protect his own pathetic, easily shattered hopes. He felt a deep shame for his delusion just moments before.

However, Ling Zhan's next words were like a bucket of ice water, a mixture of clarity and cold, instantly extinguishing all his anger and delusions.

"You need protection."

She looked at him, her eyes devoid of any lust or compromise, only a pure, almost cold, vigilance and decisiveness. "People who shouldn't be here have infiltrated the capital. They are remnants of a Jianghu gang from Linzhou. I'm afraid they're after you. I must stay by your side until you completely eliminate them."

She paused, then added, as if she were planning a battle, precise and ruthless: "I am more familiar with the layout of the main hall, and I can react immediately to any unusual activity."

Wei Jin was completely stunned.

All thoughts about love, offspring, and compromise were instantly shattered by this cold reality.

So it wasn't a compromise, nor a change of heart. It was protection. Because there was danger, she, the "comrade-in-arms" who had once beaten him to a pulp, had come to fulfill her duty of protecting him. An extremely complex emotion welled up in his heart: immense disappointment, sharp self-mockery, a sense of the absurdity of fate, yet also a trace of... indescribable, bittersweet warmth? At least, she still cared about his life or death.

At least, in moments like these, she would choose to stand by his side, in her own unique and uncompromising way.

Actually, she's always been like this; he knows it in his heart. She just wanted more!

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something sarcastic, to maintain his crumbling dignity, but found his throat felt blocked, and all his words seemed pale and powerless. In the end, he simply waved his hand wearily and almost silently, indicating that she could do as she pleased.

This is a tacit acceptance, a surrender of the struggle, and also a profound sense of powerlessness.

Ling Zhan, having received tacit approval, said no more and turned to instruct the palace servants to begin moving her necessities. He was as calm as if he were directing a military mobilization, efficient and orderly, without any personal emotion involved.

That night, in the main hall of the emperor's bedroom.

The dragon bed, large and luxurious, capable of accommodating the highest power and intimacy in the world, now seemed to be separated by an invisible river.

The two stood on opposite sides, separated by a barrier thicker than the palace walls and heavier than the passage of time, along with their unspoken thoughts.

Wei Jin stood with his back to her, his body stiff. He listened to the almost constant, steady breathing of the person behind him, his heart filled with a mixture of ice and fire. That breathing reminded him of her presence, so close, yet so far. What he thought was a breakthrough, even just a tiny crack, turned out to be an even deeper abyss.

Warmth has not yet arrived.

Only the cold armor of the guardians and the loneliness of the emperor collided silently in this deep palace, echoing through the endless night.

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