The carriage descended Baixian An Mountain, escorted by a troop of 500 men—lined up in neat formations before and behind it.
Lord Yu rode a horse at a steady, unhurried pace. She hadn't looked into his eyes since the moment they exchanged vows. His gaze was far too cold to hold, his expression too dark to face. Still, she couldn't help herself—she pushed aside the curtain of the carriage and peeked at him through the window.
He was riding just beside her carriage, his eyes fixed straight ahead—cold, lifeless. Dressed in a flowing black robe, he looked every bit the enigma. Jade beads hung at his waist, and the fabric of his robe bore a velvet insignia she didn't recognize: a stylized S, with what looked like a dragon peeking through its curves.
Lord Yu shifted slightly in his seat, and his gaze dropped—right to her.
Startled, she quickly snapped the curtain shut before their eyes could meet.
She drew in a breath.
"I hope he didn't see me."
Beside her, Lingfei was fast asleep, snoring softly. By the time they had left Baixian An Mountain, night had already fallen. They'd made an immediate stop at Shingang Inn to rest.
While waiting for Lord Yu's men to arrange rooms for all 500 soldiers in the large inn, Lingfei had gently reached for Sanxi's hand, her expression filled with quiet worry.
"Are you okay, Young Lady Han?" she had asked softly.
Sanxi had forced a smile and nodded.
"Lord Tei San dropped by," Lingfei had added gently.
The smile vanished from Sanxi's face.
"Madam Bixia asked me not to tell you," Lingfei continued, "but I thought you should know. He came bearing a gift."
Sanxi swallowed. "What gift?"
"A hair clip."
Lingfei reached into the sleeve of her robe and carefully brought out a jade hair clip—plush, elegant, still gleaming despite its journey.
"Madam Bi tossed it into the bin," Lingfei whispered, "but I picked it up for you."
She handed it to Sanxi.
Sanxi accepted it wordlessly. A single tear slid down her cheek as she cradled the hair clip in her palm.
FLASHBACK – A Few Days Before Sanfei's Wedding
Sanxi and Lord Tei San sat together in a tea pavilion just outside the capital.
He had sent her a letter requesting to see her one last time before wedding preparations began. Their conversation over tea was friendly, light. But as they stood to leave, a man carrying a tray of tea stumbled forward—his footing lost. Hot tea flew toward Sanxi in midair.
In one swift motion, Lord Tei San had grabbed her hand, yanking her toward him, twisting just in time to shield her from the spill. The tea splashed onto his white robe, staining it immediately.
He held her close, gently cradling her head against his chest.
Amid the chaos, her jade hair clip had fallen—and broken.
PRESENT
A soft knock on the carriage door jolted her back to the present. Quickly, she tucked the hair clip into her dress.
"Your room is ready, Young Lady Han," a voice called from outside.
Lingfei stepped out first and helped her down from the carriage. Together, they made their way into the inn.
It began raining shortly after, and Sanxi could barely close her eyes, not to talk of sleep. So, she got up on the mattress and took a peek out of the window. It was raining softly.
She draped a cloak over her head and made her way to the balcony of the inn. As she took a stroll around, she heard hushes from afar. Her feet guided her toward those hushes, and they were Lord Yu's men—probably on night watch.
"To be truthful, this marriage benefits the Han household more than it benefits His Grace and the people of Yu," one of them said.
"Could the Han household have a leverage on him?"
"Nonsense!" said another.
"No, wait. He is onto something," another said, drawing a breath. "His Grace had many options—many better options that could very well benefit him and his reign. Even the Princess of Ying submitted a proposal. And Danxui, of the five cousins. Those were women who could give him more power."
"But he went for a lowly family like the Han household. Something is indeed fishy."
"I'm suggesting he was bewitched."
"No way!" another protested, clicking his tongue. "Stop spewing nonsense. There is no such thing."
"You can't be sure! My aunt used to have talisman at the side of her bed."
"And it had never worked."
"It did! She always prayed for good luck and got it."
"She told you that?"
"Yes."
"So, she just told you—you hadn't seen for yourself?"
"Well..."
"Comrade Qi..."
Sanxi excused herself from there. She hadn't even thought about it. She hadn't thought to ask how the marriage alliance had even come to be. All she thought was that the heavens answered her prayers by betrothing Sanfei with Lord Yu.
How come, out of all proposals—and even the Princess of Ying—he picked theirs? The Han household? The household known for growing bankrupt? The household of the impeached Governor, Han CiXuo?
Realization dawned on her. Lord Yu had chosen to marry her sister for a reason. He had a plan. He was planning something. And it probably wasn't good, because no one ever benefited from Lord Yu's plans except himself. So, does this mean the Han household had fallen into whatever trap he set?