1 Prologue

In front of the golden dragon throne, two lifeless bodies--Emperor Han and Crown Prince Zhu Dai-- lay in the puddle of their blood. Unfamiliar armed men occupy rooms in the Imperial Palace, and flaming fires surrounds them, lighting up the night.

Six-year-old Han Zhi Lan is the adored princess of the Qiu Kingdom. That night was seemingly normal for her when her parents tucked her in after kissing her goodnight. But a night of routine became the night she witnesses the murder of her father and grandfather by the sword her uncle held.

Prince Zhu Dong has always had his eyes on the throne. It's evident he's not favored by his imperial father though. He served and bled in battles for the Qiu Kingdom. He wanted the emperor to acknowledge him just once. But his father named his younger brother Crown Prince anyways. Why Zhu Dai? He has everything already! He even got Lan Hua.

"Han-Zhu-Dong! You dare rebel against me?!", Emperor Han feels as if he's going to vomit blood watching his son betrayed him.

Zhu Dong is done being in the shadows! That night is going to be the night where he gets all that he deserves! All in one go, his sword slices through not only his father but also his brother.

It was the act that ends it all for a new beginning.

The two men who have the most power in the Qiu Kingdom drop to the ground. Their blood races to meet the most ground surfaces. What's also racing were the tears of Zhi Lan and her mother as they watched the two men they love/respect die.

The room that's full of cries suddenly echoes with laughter from the killer himself. Zhi Lan stares at him with tears continuing to stream down her face. Her mother pulls out a dagger from under her belt and points it at him. Zhu Dong chuckled at the pitiful attempt. He had already planned to take the throne for himself and have Lan Hua as his empress. For years, he could only watch and love her from the side, but not anymore.

Lan Hua, the person responsible for bringing Zhi Lan into the world. In her generation, she was a well-known beauty, for there were no girls who can compare to even a strand of her hair. Of noble blood, she is the only daughter of a retired prime minister, and men all over the continent of Mingyue wanted her hand in marriage. But there's a silent acknowledgment that the person most suitable for her beauty and gentle nature was none other than Prince Zhi Dai, Zhi Lan's father. Zhu Dong believed otherwise.

The thought of staying with the killer of her husband and father-in-law revolted Lan Hua instead.

"Kill the bastard", Zhu Dong ordered. The soldiers obliged and marched towards the mother-daughter pair. Zhi Lan cries harder understanding what her uncle meant. Lan Hua heard the command and panics. She puts the dagger away knowing it's useless against those soldiers and got on her knees to beg mercy for her daughter. She promised to follow whatever he says as long as Zhi Lan gets to live.

Lan Hua had surrendered herself to him.

Zhu Dong laughs in the satisfaction of her deal and agrees. He told his men to bring Zhi Lan to the dungeon instead.

Lan Hua kissed Zhi Lan's forehead and hugged her. She whispered "Lan'er, mother and father love you very much. Later, forget about me and use this dagger and run. Don't look back. Stay alive and live well my child. I love you." She tucks the dagger that Zhi Dai had gifted her on their wedding night into Zhi Lan's dress, and lets her go.

Zhi Lan gets picked up by a bulky soldier and headed out of the room. The throne where her grandfather used to sit is now where her uncle sits. The image of her mother kneeling in front of him becomes smaller and smaller as she gets carried further away. Zhi Lan cries for her mother, wondering why she did that. They could've run away together. Why did she make her go alone? Why is she alone?

The dungeon where Zhi Lan is ordered to stay is located next to the forest that connects the Qiu and the Xia Kingdom. The soldier threw Zhi Lan over his shoulder because carrying her was deemed difficult when she kept pushing and kicking. When Zhi Lan saw that they were relatively isolated, she slowly took out the dagger from under her dress.

The dagger is basic iron with a wooden handle, but at the bottom, it's carved 'ZDLH'. Zhi Lan realizes it's the initials of her parents and is saddened again realizing she may never see them anymore.

Waiting for a chance when his guard is down, Zhi Lan takes the dagger and stabs the man in the back. He screeched of pain, and instinctively dropped Zhi Lan. In that second, she immediately ran through the forest and never looked back, just like how her mother had instructed. She ran until the flames of the palace was no longer in sight. She ran, crying, for she doesn't know when she can ever go back home. She knew she only yearned to be with her mother, her father, and her grandfather again. But she still ran without a destination ahead.