When he left Prince Xiaoyao Mansion, night had fully fallen.
Ming Capital's nights were always lively. Soul Guidance Lamps lit up one after another along the streets, their brilliant glow illuminating the whole avenue as bright as day.
The shops lining the street were still open, and the clamor of people raising their cups drifted from a restaurant in the distance. A few children chased a little calico cat past an alley entrance, their clear laughter carried on the evening breeze, full of life.
Xu Yanli walked slowly, with no attendants by his side. He was alone.
After all, with Xu Yanli's strength, he had no need for guards.
His moon-white casual robe gleamed softly in the lamplight. The familiar Jade Fan hung at his waist, and he strolled along with a lazy, carefree air, looking like an ordinary man with nothing to do, out for a walk to settle his dinner.
But the moment the people passing by caught sight of him, they all stopped in their tracks.
Some bowed in greeting. More simply fell to their knees by the roadside, pressing their foreheads against the cold bluestone and hardly daring to breathe.
Xu Yanli paused slightly and glanced over the kneeling crowd. A trace of helplessness passed through his eyes, but in the end, he said nothing and continued on at an easy pace.
Some rules, once engraved in people's hearts, could never be changed.
Once the people's awe of him had taken root, it was harder to uproot than any obsession.
The main gate of the imperial palace had long since been opened especially for him.
From afar, the guards on duty spotted the familiar white-robed figure and immediately straightened. They bowed respectfully, skipped even the step of announcing his arrival, and moved aside to clear the