The courtyard was lush with flourishing plants and dense banyan trees. The pond was clear enough to see the bottom, its surface dotted with light green duckweed. The occasional shadow of a fish would flit by, lending the scene an air of tranquil seclusion.
Two women of peerless beauty, yet with starkly different auras, stood facing one another. One was as ethereal as an immortal—transcendent and detached—sizing up the other with intrigued curiosity. The other, radiating imperial might and peerless grace, stared right back, refusing to show any sign of weakness.
"And how exactly can you help me?" After a long moment, Jiang Ruxian withdrew her gaze and asked casually.
Emperor Xia replied, "If I wish to help, I will naturally find a way."
