Son of Heaven

The gates of Bianjing opened to welcome Guo Wei into the city.

Guo Wei went straight home, only to find it empty, without a single person inside. There seemed to be bloodstains in some places. Was it the blood of his kin?

Or someone else's?

Guo Wei could not tell.

A few soldiers followed behind him.

Guo Wei remained silent for a long while. Then he turned to the soldiers and said slowly, "Find them! Find everyone who urged the Son of Heaven to slaughter my family. I want to question them, one by one. I, Guo Wei—just how have I wronged the court? How have I wronged them?"

"Yes."

They nodded.

Before long, only Guo Rong remained behind Guo Wei.

Guo Rong clenched his fists, suppressing his grief.

"Child!"

"Our... our home is gone!"

Only then did Guo Wei burst into tears. Upon hearing those words, Guo Rong could no longer hold back his own tears and began to cry as well.

The two grown men clung to each other and wept bitterly in the courtyard, their cries mournful.

Their sobs pierced the heart.

Outside the gates.

Verdant Green Maiden tilted her head up at the sky. Snow fell in fluttering sheets, and it came down heavily. In the blink of an eye, it blanketed all of Bianjing.

"Cold."

Verdant Green Maiden murmured.

She felt cold again.

Only after Guo Wei's men had taken control of all Bianjing did he enter the palace to meet the Empress Dowager.

The Guo and Liu families had long been acquainted. The Empress Dowager knew that the emperor had been the one in the wrong, so she could not blame Guo Wei for anything.

"Empress Dowager!"

Guo Wei looked at her and drew a deep breath.

Seeing how solemn he was, as though