28 Chang'An

Seeing my carriage, the crowd of soldiers standing at attention by the city gates suddenly marched closer, each and every step in unison. Their drumming footsteps mirrored my pounding heart in rhythm.

"We are here to greet the Liang princess and escort her to her temporary residence," a general stopped by the window of the carriage, dipping his head and putting his hands up in a ritualistic gesture. The metal armor he wore clanged against itself as he briskly motioned to the guards around him, each action stiff and perfectly trained. "We greet Your Highness."

Admittedly, hearing that he was an envoy, I initially breathed out a sigh of relief. But then again, from this initial impression, I wasn't quite sure how I would ever allow this foreign country that was more akin to a military base than a city to become my home.

"Part the crowd!" He bellowed in a serious tone, his voice seeming to ring for miles. Immediately, the orderly line standing at the city gate parted to two sides as the awaiting people dipped their heads and wordlessly shuffled away.

Passing through the gates, it was clear that the Sui capital of Chang'An was more than double the size of Jiangling, the walls being at least at least twice the thickness.

And though there were beggars sulking at the base of the walls as well, they immediately hushed themselves upon seeing the procession. At home, I could only imagine how they would jump at the sight of a lavish carriage.

Immediately, there was an air of solemness, but whether it was from the city's lasting historical background, the sheer number of guards posted, or the overwhelming systemic nature of the citizens, I do not know.

All I could say was that it was the literal opposite of welcoming. Especially once we entered the city, my vision was dominated by a mass of gray. Back home, even poor commoners wore patterned gowns of various colors, but here, most donned either white or a faded blue as if in uniform.

Unlike Liang, there were no gathering crowds, much less any street performances. Not very many people were smiling, and when they saw us, they immediately averted their glances. It wasn't the same as the people who bowed to royals at home. Their actions, though potentially improper, had emotion while these citizens seemed to be following an unspoken rule.

Compared to the orderly movements of the commoners, the unevenly paved streets formed a maze, none going on for too long before being intercepted by another. Some buildings were obviously unkempt, with cracks in the wooden beams or mold growing alongside the rooftops.

But even so, every inch of the city commanded a presence. The air itself carried with it a weight of history. I thought back to my favorite Han poems. Would they have been potentially residing within the adjacent tavern when they composed?

"Yield!" A voice boomed at an intersection, accompanied by the loud clanging of a gong, and the carriage briskly turned for the side of the road and then halted abruptly.

"Prime Minister Gao is passing through!" Immediately, all passersby shuffled to either side of the street and bowed. The general we led the way dismounted as well, putting his hands together and bowing deeper than he had once he greeted me. Before long, only I was gazing around confusedly.

The carriage of Prime Minister Gao was plain but carrying with itself an unspoken authority as even its pedestals were higher than those on mine, much less normal carriages.

As the carriage passed by, perhaps it was my imagination, but I saw the window draping lift up by a sliver before being dropped the next moment.

"Resume!"

Contrary to my expectations, we arrived at a manor instead of the inner palace.

But even so, the palace was manor inside the rest of the city but was yet separate. If anything, it seemed to loom above the rest of the dull streets as ferocious stone statues guarded the entrance, barring their teeth and telling all intruders to beware of the wrath of the imperial court.

"Princess of Liang, the most Honorable Emperor and Empress would summon you, but they are busy now as the court is in session. They said for you to temporarily reside with Princess Leping until your marriage," the general informed me.

"They are both at court?" I asked. Though Empress Dugu had a reputation for jealousy, I had never heard of an empress joining the emperor at court. Per tradition, their roles should have been split, the emperor taking care of the country while the empress stabilized the internal harem.

"Empress waits outside each day until Emperor dismisses the officials," he replied nonchalantly, as if what he was speaking was common knowledge.

Passing through the manor, I realized that it was more suffocating than the palace at Liang. Here, the only sounds in the narrow alleyways were the howling winds. They seemed to be telling stories of the unknown, the many tales of wandering ghosts.

We stopped in front of a modest palace, and I was escorted inside by the guards. At this point, I felt more like a prisoner than a bride.

"Are you my future sister-in-law? Wow, you're so pretty!" a little girl around A'Yu's age skipped toward me, a little cloth bunny in her hand. "I'm so envious of Second Brother right now. I'm sure Eldest Brother is too."

Was this the Princess Leping? She was much younger than I expected.

"A'Wu, how many times have we told you. It's Crown Prince and Prince of Jin now," a woman walked out, carrying herself with poise. She was at most in her twenties, but in her eyes was a sense of wariness. Especially when she said those words, sadness seemed to creep into her very being as she let out a soft sigh.