1 Chapter 1

Inside the palace hall Emperor Jiang Wei threw a scroll at the kowtowing officials. His once handsome face had started to grow tired, his black hair slowly turning grey. His eyes were heavy, burning like coal. His fingers gripped the side of his seat, turning his knuckles white. He looked around the room, glancing at each of the trembling officials. Pausing at Liang Liqin, his heart flashing with momentary regret, before spiking again with anger.

"Listen to my order," Emperor Jiang commanded, a eunuch stepped forward bowing before his king ready to follow his command. "The traitor Liang Liqin conspired against the queen and sought to take her life. He colluded with the enemy nation of Jin Guo becoming an enemy to our great nation of Yanyang. His entire family, from the youngest to the oldest, male or female, servant or Master, will be exterminated without mercy. His assets will be ceased and offered to our allied country of Xingan as a show of good faith towards our treaty."

The eunuch dared to glance behind him. A feeling of fear racing through him. Who didn't know that Liang Liquin was innocent? Why had he been chosen as a scapegoat? Perhaps he'd gotten too powerful recently, or maybe it was merely because he was the only option.

Liang Liqin didn't move for a moment; he calculated the situation. The many lives that were at stake were more than just his family. He wanted to cry out and demand the Emperor to be wise and rethink his order, but how many lives would be saved with the death of his family.

He slowly raised his head, his expression steeled-his eyes cold. They met the eyes of the Emperor, a first for him. "The Emperor is wise, and his mercy is boundless. Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years of health." Even the officials that always opposed Liang Liquin felt a deep feeling of respect and admiration at these words. Not even one of them would have acted the same.

Emperor Jiang's eyes flashed, the regret from before rearing again. He briefly turned away before hardening himself. "What are you doing, servant? Why haven't you called the guards?"

The eunuch flinched and quickly created the edict for the Emperor to sign. Within a matter of minutes, the fate of an entire clan, more than three hundred people, was decided.

....

Inside the Liang estate, soft snow covered the ground. The pear and peach trees were covered in the soft white powder. It was a peaceful scenery like a painting. Inside the rooms and courts, the Liang family slept without concern.

The imperial guards broke the silence. They pulled people from their beds, dragging them and beating them. In the center courtyard, a eunuch announced the decree to the pleading household members, and soon the white of the floor became a river of blood. Bodies were splayed across the grounds, screams, and cries for mercy filled the silence.

The young Crown Prince Jiang Tan Peizhi and the second prince Jiang Yi Feng were here on the Emperor's orders to oversee the execution. Crown Prince Jiang Tan Peizhi, a young man of sixteen, had seen his share of death already. He had already fought at the border before. The mercy that wanted to extend to this family was squashed deep into the recesses of his heart. There would be no helping them. They were doomed before the night even started.

Second, Prince Jiang Yi Feng, on the other hand, was fifteen and had yet to see combat and the horror of what it meant to be beneath the king. But in his heart, there was no mercy to be pushed down. He watched the scene without apathy and little regard for what was happening. He watched the blood flow out of a woman's body, following the trail against the paleness of the white snow with minor interest.

He was neither happy nor sad, scared, or uncomfortable. His heart was frozen over his feelings long repressed. If watching an unknown and tossed away family could cause him fear or pain, how could he have possibly survived the years he already had in the Palace.

The two princes watched from a short distance inside the largest courtyard. The younger Prince looked tired, the older Prince looked stoic. Crown Prince Tan Peizhi drifted his eyes from one shadow to the next. Doing his best not to settle on one spot. The sound of screams seemed endless.

He suddenly stopped, noticing a small figure hiding between a fake decorative boulder and a group of flowering bushes. His heart sped up. His fingers clenched then unclenched. The eyes of the small figure stared at him with an endless depth he couldn't describe. He walked towards the figure, lifting his cape as he did, blocking the view of the young girl from anyone who might be watching him. He then lazily leaned against the rock as if he had intended to do so from the beginning.

The young girl's heart pounded inside her ears. Her fingers bled from the constant scratching at the rock she leaned against. Laing Lia Jiao was the youngest daughter of the third rank official Liang Liquin. She was seven years old. She was delicate and beautiful, pampered, and loved by her doting father. She had come here tonight, hiding in this small crevice to surprise him when he came home. It wasn't unusual for her to tease him this way, and she knew that he would only lightly scold her before letting her spend a little time with him before she went to bed. Tonight, he never came. She slowly lost the thrill of surprising him, replacing it with worry. When the gates opened, she ran back into the crevice, relieved by his return only to be shocked beyond description as the scene began to unfold before her.

The second prince's eyes passed over the Crown Prince. His head tilted slightly, noticing a small slip or pink fabric peeking out from behind his brother's tall frame. He smirked but otherwise said nothing. He was only here because his father had told him to come, not because it mattered to him who lived or died.