Forever Thus, Bodies Close, Hearts Close. Flower Cage Li Xian, Greatest of All Time

Since the founding of Great Yu, Nebula Palace had remained neither too close nor too distant from the imperial court through all its changes and evolution. In its middle years, it submitted to the court, accepting orders but not summonses. By the time of the Great Martial Dynasty, it had been renamed the Star-Picking Bureau, yet it still accepted orders but not summonses. Dynasties changed, times shifted, but the Star-Picking Bureau endured.

Wen Caishang knew Nebula Palace extremely well. Her identity, origins, and ancestral ties were deeply connected to Great Yu. Yet those old matters had passed, and she rarely spoke of them. When discussing the "Martial Founding Ancestor" of the Great Martial Dynasty, she was unstinting in her praise.

The two spoke beneath the bedding, their warm breaths brushing against each other. Every movement between them was like a cat scratching at their hearts, an indescribably enchanting feeling. Their bodies nestled together, their hearts drew close. Li Xian called himself "honest," but he was anything but. Wen Caishang was too embarrassed even to scold him, and given how intimate their relationship had become, she simply let him have his way.

The carriage's four walls stood open. The moon shone bright, stars scattered across the sky. A cool breeze brushed the willows, and snowflakes drifted softly down. Such a fine hour and beautiful scene filled their eyes.

Li Xian sighed. "Madam, I truly wish things could remain like this forever." Wen Caishang rested against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and savoring the closeness of their skin. Her heart brimmed with emotion. At first, perhaps it had been for profit, perhaps after countless calculations, but in the end, she had been the one to pick Li Xian out of the mud and gather him up. Back then, he had been