Shangyuan Prefecture, east, Misty Cloud Mountain.
The territories of the three kingdoms were all gargantuan. Northern Qi had ten circuits, Southern Jin had nine, and Western Chu had twelve. Below the circuits were varying numbers of prefectures, and below those lay counties and towns large and small.
With layer upon layer of divided rule, many people never left the bounds of a single prefecture in their entire lives.
The Shangyuan Li Clan held Southern Jin's realm in its grasp. Even if the six Noble Families paid lip service while defying orders in secret, and local prefectures obeyed deployments but ignored decrees—so that any policy leaving the capital vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea—the Shangyuan Li Clan still occupied an entire Dragon Terrace Dao, more than enough for its descendants to squander in leisure and luxury.
Xiang Yuan merely mentioned a hunting excursion to the eastern outskirts, and Li Yuanrong arranged the royal hunting grounds at Misty Cloud Mountain that very day. Before dawn broke the next morning, a mighty procession of carriages rolled out through the capital's gates. Such efficiency and grandeur showed just how deep the Shangyuan Li Clan's coffers ran, and how freely they usually threw money at food, drink, and amusement.
Misty Cloud Mountain sloped gently, with neither perilous peaks nor steep ridges. Towering ancient trees were scarce in its forests; low shrubs and scattered trees were far more common. The open sightlines made it ideal for galloping on horseback and drawing bows in pursuit of game.
Around the hunting grounds, Imperial Guards in golden armor stood like a forest, their long halberds catching the sun with a frigid gleam.
At the foot of the mountain, dozens of dragonblood steeds raised their heads and whinnied. Three presentable-looking princes stood surrounded by fiercely loyal guards,