Following Jing Jiu's suggestion, Azure Bird traveled through this world, searching for those who might see through the Heavenly Mechanism. Only at the very end did she visit Zhao's Imperial Palace.
She disliked visiting Zhao's Imperial Palace, because it was always filled with the smell of medicine and gloom, utterly unlike Zhao's image on the continent.
And she particularly disliked that eunuch.
Azure Bird landed on the corner of an eave, looking like a roof beast in the twilight.
He Zhan glanced at her without giving anything away, then withdrew his gaze and continued reading the Chu Emperor's edict of self-reproach in his hands.
His eyebrows were slender, his complexion somewhat pale. The longer his gaze lingered on the edict, the higher those slender brows rose, and the more sinister his expression became.
He had remained in the illusion for too long and had already forgotten many things. There were also many things he could not forget, such as the suffering of his childhood, that annoying Azure Bird who occasionally appeared, and certain people's identities-he knew that the Chu Emperor was someone like himself, and knew even more clearly that the Heir of Prince Jing ought to be his friend. Yet perhaps it was precisely because of the word "friend" that he had never contacted Cangzhou directly.
The Heir of Prince Jing's death did not grieve him. Instead, this edict of self-reproach made him feel stifled and angry on the Chu Emperor's behalf, and left him utterly bored.
Living really was a dull, flavorless affair.
He Zhan left the Imperial Study and came to a hall, where he took the medicine a palace maid handed him.
He had prepared this medicine himself. The dispensary was under the strictest supervision, and no one could poison it. Feeling the warmth coming through