In the cover of darkness, Ning Zhuo was quiet as he returned to the house of General Xun.  The only reason he had really even come was due to his own investigation and leads into the case he had promised his lover to find.  General Xun was responsible for secretly investigating the Chu massacre incident, before being stopped by the emporer once it came out that it was he whom was the criminal.The general had been ascended to a due to his loyalty to the crown.  Even in burying the case without question, the duke had been good at hiding his tracks.  Everything was sabatoged to stage it as if the task has been completed by bandits, instead of by the true perpetrator.  Another reason that Ning Zhuo was interested in the duke was whether he was aware of his reputation as an assassin.  Duke Xun was either beyond caring about the case or a much smarter man than he appeared to be.  To have that kind of control of emotions, would be str

Ning Ren looked out into the open street and laughed darkly as he held the missive that had just been handed to him from his shadow.  Throughout the city there had been several strange incidences with his elder brother which had led him to do a private investigation.  The news started to pour in slowly of the traumas of Xun Manors and the fates of the unfortunate occupants which was leaving the public in quite an uproar.  It was so much beautiful death that served no purpose which was the hallmark of a lovesick assassin whose idea of inpressing his beloved was to kill her surroundings until only he remained."Oh brother, Ning Zhuo . . . you have always been better than me in every aspect.  Father lavished attention on you when you were adopted by the empress.  Our mother is the same in blood, but in death, she will never be named as yours.  This pain was such a delight to use to twist and mock you from the kind person I could rely on to someone I

Shaved heads of the nuns descended and rose in succession as Yan Sha tried to follow.  The formations the nuns changed from as they prayed were fluid.  Yan Sha tried to keep the attention away from herself as the nuns were all one unit and if she was even a step late, she was going to stand out like a sore thumb.Yan Sha cursed low as she realized this time that she had been two quick and she had stood up instead of lying to pay her respects to the two story high buddha in front of her.  It was a serene image which was the absolute opposite of how she was feeling.  She wanted to burn everything in her anger at her helplessness between the machinations of men.After the prayer was ended, Yan Sha was quickly to head to the side of the temple where the private quarters were located.  Here Ah Mi was sleeping soundly as she had been unable to sleep in the prison.  Yan Sha wasn't worried as this wasn't the first time, nor did she honestly think

"Wow, I can't believe that we've actually done this.  There is not pile of books waiting for me in the afternoon to pour over.  I just get to enjoy really beautiful food."  Yan Ming put her hands in the air as she twirled around.  The simple clothing she wore were matched with simple silver bead accessories in a braid pattern which were common in country folks around Jungpi.Yan Sha was the only person who today had helped her dress.  It was a funny exercise as Yan Ming was fussy that she could not bring her own maids with her.  The queen was not happy about such an excursion after Yan Sha's experience in Caiwong, but the addition of her own personal shadows seemed to be enough for Langhua to relent in pleasing her two daughters.There was an entire regiment of soldiers from Jungpi who guarded Yan as this state was actually the closest ally to Jungpi.  Yan Sha had chosen the friendliest place for the duo to go.  There was no dang

The shriek ran through the palace as Ning Zhuo walked anxiously from one side of the room to the other.  It positively infuriated him that they wouldn't let him inside of the birthing room.  He had fought in wars all high life, his training in the martial way was more than enough to prepare him for the horrors of birth.  In the side corridor the preparations had already been made for him to leave.  The seige in Yan had already reached a critical point.  Ning Ren had been using up valuable resources and allocating them haphazardly such that it was obvious that the young prince was fighting a losing battle.  As someone was persevering again and again against such insurmountable odds, it was inevitable that the talk began that the stick puppet of Caiwong, Yan, was not as easy to blow over as a leaf anymore.The lion of Jungpi, whispered the common folk.  Ning Zhuo had heard his petty little maids arguing about it as they cleaned th