Eighth Prince's Residence.
Inner treasury.
Soft night-luminescent pearls illuminated the inner treasury, three zhang square.
A faint stale odor lingered in the air from the lack of ventilation over the years.
Jiang Ning's figure slowly appeared beside Ji Minghao. His calm gaze swept across the prince's inner treasury.
Compared to the luxurious hoard one might expect of imperial nobility, the sight before him seemed somewhat empty, even shabby.
Only three rows of blackwood shelves stood against the stone chamber's walls. Two rows were completely bare. Scattered across the remaining row were six items, all jade boxes emitting a faint fluorescent glow.
In the deepest corner of the stone chamber, a sheathedless longsword of dull darkness hung on the wall. Its blade was ancient and simple, with faint blood-colored patterns surging beneath its surface.
Beside it hung a great bow and a long saber.
Next to the three was an ancient bronze mirror about the size of a palm, its edges engraved with strange cloud patterns. Dust coated its surface, leaving it without any shine.
Yet it inexplicably drew another glance from Jiang Ning.
The reflection in the mirror was not the stone chamber at present, but a hazy chaos, as though it contained a world within.
Ji Minghao's gaze shifted slightly at Jiang Ning's sudden appearance. He steadied himself, then followed Jiang Ning's line of sight.
A bitter smile appeared on his face. "Brother Jiang, forgive the embarrassment. Since Father Emperor fell unconscious and Imperial Uncle took regency, although I still retain my position as prince, the imperial household's various allowances have been cut. Most of what this residence accumulated over the years has been spent on smoothing things over and maintaining necessary connections. Together with the batch I gave Brother Jiang previously, this is all that remains in the