The fourth year of Qingzong.
Great chaos erupted in the Central Province; the imperial court went up in flames.
Grand Commandant Li Zhouzhao suddenly led eight thousand elite troops in an assault on the imperial court, cutting down the chief eunuch Zhu He and Zhou Changjun beneath his blade before setting the imperial palace ablaze. The thousand-year foundation of the Great Yuan imperial dynasty was destroyed overnight.
That same year, unrest broke out in the border province of Yizhou. Prefectural Commandant Xu Shinian was assassinated, and his son Xu Yan threw open the city gates, leading the foreign Wu Army north. The realm was shaken.
A soft, delicate melody from a zither flowed slowly like a clear spring.
Within Xuanjing City.
Inside a tranquil, leisurely courtyard.
Wei He and Wang Shaojun sat facing one another, playing black and white stones.
At the side, a songstress softly played and sang.
A circulating water timer in the courtyard automatically struck a bamboo segment every minute, producing a crisp sound.
Not far away, Wan Qingqing sat with Wang Shaojun's principal wife, Xie Xue, discussing every detail that would need attention in caring for the child later on.
Xie Xue had already given birth to a chubby, adorable baby girl. More than six months old now, she could already toddle shakily across the floor.
Wan Qingqing's belly was growing larger by the day, and her time to give birth was drawing near. Yet as a Bone Forging martial artist, she had precise control over when she would deliver.
Moreover, with a martial artist's strong, healthy body, she did not have to endure the same difficulties and caution as ordinary pregnant women.
Wei He withdrew his gaze from the distance and casually placed a black stone.
"You named your daughter You Ning. Was it because