Late at night, there were no pleasure boats on the Clear River. Only a few merchant ships laden with goods came and went with the river wind.
Clear Water Villa was brightly lit. Palace maids and eunuchs had hung up the red palace lanterns that the empress liked in the villa halfway up the mountain. From afar, it was beautiful and gorgeous, like a heavenly palace under the moon.
On the white stone path at the foot of the mountain, there were already imperial guards dressed in qilin armor standing guard. There were also obstacles, ballistas, and other objects by the roadside. The remaining imperial guards and constables formed groups of five and started to investigate inch by inch from 2 kilometers around Clear Water Villa. There were even people checking the bottom of the river to ensure that nothing unexpected appeared in the empress's sight.