Entering the Imperial City, Speaking of Zijing at Night

At last, three years after leaving Jinling's imperial city, Wang Xian stepped into Tianfeng's imperial city in the Southern Frontier.

Hu Keke, wearing a mask, brought Wang Xian to a small courtyard in Autumn Wind Alley, three streets away from the imperial palace.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, clearly uninhabited for many years.

Fortunately, Wang Xian wasn't fussy about where he lived; all he needed was a courtyard.

The two of them tidied up together. Wang Xian's eyes lit up as he looked at the table and stool inside the house. It was clear this had once been the home of a wealthy family.

Hu Keke didn't say anything, and Wang Xian didn't ask.

Before the sun had even set, he sat quietly in the courtyard beneath a cassia tree and brewed a pot of hot tea.

To Hu Keke, the young man beneath the tree looked as if he were waiting for someone.

Inside Hu Keke's room, the crow lay in a bamboo basket, still fast asleep. Even if the sky fell, it would have nothing to do with him.

Just as Hu Keke was loudly complaining that she was starving, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. It was Song Tian and Bai Xue, who had come after receiving Wang Xian's message.

Hu Keke opened the gate and called out to Bai Xue, "You didn't come empty-handed, did you?"

Bai Xue giggled. "How could we? Wang Xian said he'd share some money with me!"

Wang Xian could only cough at that. "Bring out the food first. Let's see if Hu Keke approves."

Only then did Hu Keke smile with satisfaction.

Pointing at two rooms with their doors shut, she said with a grin, "There are plenty of rooms here. You can clean them yourselves in a bit. I