It was a clear winter afternoon.
The spring consort, Shunki, and an eunuch were crossing the noble bridge of the Takamiya. She was a delicate and youthful princess. The eunuch accompanying her wore an elaborate mask and carried a sword.
“It’s been a long time since the weather’s been this clear,” the eunuch remarked.
“Yes, it’s been snowing nonstop,” Shunki replied.
Seven days had passed since that morning, when poison had tainted the air. Guaran had recovered and was still close to Li Sha, the spring consort. They were on their way back from a summons by Empress Xin Hua.
“…Are you really alright, Princess?” Guaran asked gently.
“The Emperor… The Emperor is too much. Just because Princess Xue Mei has given birth to the imperial princess, he wants to have Spring Consort Shunki relinquish her position?” Li Sha responded, turning her head slowly.
“It’s fine. I’m more than willing to give it up. In fact, I feel a little relieved. This has, in a way, been a small compensation for Princess Xue Mei,” she added.
Empress Xin Hua had expressed her wish to welcome Princess Xue Mei to the palace. It was more of an idea from the Emperor, rather than the Empress. But only one consort could be chosen for each season.
This meant Li Sha would soon be stepping down.
When the year changed, Li Sha would be demoted to concubine. Her family would mourn, but Li Sha had no lingering attachment.
“I have you,” she said.
Guaran grumbled in response, but seeing Li Sha so joyful, he could say nothing more.
At that moment, a figure appeared crossing the bridge from the opposite shore. It was Zhen, the poison master.
Guaran ‘s eyes widened, and he tensed, recognizing the person as the same poison master from that fateful day. Zhen bowed respectfully to the spring consort. Li Sha, unaware that he was the poison master, simply returned the bow and walked past. As they passed, Guaran let out a low growl.
“You…” Guaran began.
“And what about me? I am a feng shui master. Are you not an eunuch?” Zhen responded quietly, making it clear that any leak of their true identities would lead to repercussions. As long as they remained silent, there would be no involvement with the Qiuqi clan.
“…I suppose I am just an eunuch,” Guaran muttered.
Zhen narrowed his violet eyes and turned away. His figure receded, cold and distant, like an unsheathed sword, frozen and alone.
(Is he the one at the bottom of the jar of insect poison?)
He wasn’t just carrying human poison. He bore the resentment of his entire family. What kind of hell had he passed through to arrive at this point?
(Isn’t that a curse?)
Li Sha turned around, whispering “Guaran ?” Her lips moved, but Guaran , in his past, seemed to shake off old chains and quickly approached her.
“It’s really a beautiful clear sky,” Li Sha remarked, gazing toward the sky with a smile. No matter how much time passed, her innocent smile remained unchanged from when she was a young girl. That was enough for Guaran . Until the moment he breathed his last, that was all he desired.
The man walked, as though guarding the back of his beloved flower.
Above them, a cherry blossom blizzard, out of season, fell around them, like a blessing that would never melt.
Meanwhile, the imperial palace had begun preparations for the Spring Festival, with the large-scale cleaning in full swing. From morning to night, it was a bustling time. The doors were decorated with spring couplets, and the windows with intricate cut-paper designs of birds and flowers. Even the buildings seemed to anticipate the arrival of the new year, as though they were dressed in red.
Especially in the Spring Palace, where the spring consort would soon be replaced, the eunuchs and maidservants were rushing around with the task of moving belongings.
The sunny weather continued, and the snow that had accumulated began to soften. In its place, the wind grew stronger, with occasional gusts that caused the hanging lanterns to sway.
Fei Ling, who had been out on official business in the Winter Palace, met Zhen on the high bridge. Both had been extremely busy, and since parting that morning, they had not seen each other.
“…Hello,” Zhen greeted.
There was a brief moment of tension. The next time they met, he would be a poison master, and she would be a healer. They both knew that their conversation would soon turn into a battle of words, and they would likely end up hurting each other.
“Such great compassion,” Zhen remarked, “saving the life of the poison master who tried to kill Princess Xue Mei.”
“Why did you try to kill Li Sha’s eunuch? You wouldn’t have acted just because Xue Mei was harmed,” Fei Ling shot back.
“That’s none of your business,” Zhen replied coldly.
“Were you bound by some fate as a poison master?” Fei Ling asked.
“I told you before, being too sensitive will destroy you,” Zhen warned.
His violet eyes twisted as he spoke, his traditional Hanfu fluttering in the cold wind.
They glared at each other silently, and Fei Ling furrowed her brow.
“You’re so poisonous,” she said.
“I’ve always been poison,” Zhen answered.
“Yes, but even so, you should have been able to conceal it.”
Of course, even now, the concubines and eunuchs wouldn’t sense his poison. But to Fei Ling, even his gaze was full of an overwhelming toxicity, and standing near him made her skin tingle with discomfort.
“And you,” he countered.
A strong wind blew, making the hanging bridge creak and sway.
“You cling to medicine after being so thoroughly confused,” Zhen added.
Fei Ling gasped, but the wind was too strong for her to respond immediately.
“Hey, what happened with Bai Ze? Your mother… why did she choose to die? She wasn’t given a poisoned cup by the Emperor. She drank poison on her own, didn’t she?”
The low voice, cutting through the wind, invaded Fei Ling’s ears.
“I… please, stop,” she whispered, but she couldn’t stop hearing the words.
“Bai Ze must have known. After the death of the previous Emperor, the earth’s poison would soon spread. And only Bai Ze’s wisdom could solve the poison plague.”
Fei Ling had often wondered what her mother had been thinking when she ended her life. She had thought it was because she couldn’t bear the world without the one she loved, that she had fallen into despair.
Yes, she had wanted to believe that.
But… was that really the truth?
(If love turns into poison, then that…)
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
At first, she thought the clouds were just moving with the wind, but something was wrong. Outside, the maids and eunuchs began to stir in panic. Their frightened cries and screams filled the air. Together, Fei Ling and Zhen looked up, speechless.
The sun was being eclipsed.
The bells that rang noon now signaled something far darker—like the sun itself being devoured by a greedy insect. The world was descending into shadow.
“…A solar eclipse,” Fei Ling murmured.
That night, the Emperor collapsed from the poison plague.
