After the icy lake tragedy, Meng Feng and her team searched for Yuwen Yue in the east, while some of her followers stayed with Prince Yuan Song. Yuwen Yue's grandfather refused to believe he was dead without a body, and a year passed without proof of life or death. Yue Qi, Yuwen Yue's bodyguard, also went missing, leading to speculation that he might have survived and hidden Yuwen Yue or been rescued by others. Yuwen Gao faced frustration from the Emperor and the 13th Prince Yuan Song due to his inability to provide updates, putting his position as Master of the Eyes of God at risk.
"Master, the bird has returned with a message," one of Yuwen's guards reported.
Yuwen Gao sprinkled appearing powder on the message to read it. It was from Yue Liu:
"Master Yuwen Gao, we have found no trace of Yuwen Yue or Yue Qi, and it has been a year since our deadline. Should we continue our search?"
Yuwen Gao quickly went to his table, drafted a reply, sprinkled disappearing powder on it, and sent it with the servant. The guard attached the message to the pigeon's leg, and the bird took flight.
"Yue Liu, here's a message from the pigeon," Meng Feng said as she handed over the paper snow.
Yue Liu sprinkled appearing powder on it and read:
"I cannot bear the shame my grandson has brought upon the Yuwen family. I have an Emperor to care for, so let us proceed with plan B."
Yue Liu's expression turned somber. "Meng Feng, we need to return to Red Plateau and declare them both dead to the empire. We must find a body to present."
"That's impossible!" Meng Feng exclaimed, turning away with tears in her eyes.
"Slaves obey," Yue Liu reminded her urgently. They had to act quickly.
He watched Meng Feng's back, feeling uneasy about plan B. While he understood the necessity, he hadn't expected it to come to this. He missed his master, Yuwen Yue, deeply, and felt the weight of loss, as all his brothers were gone except for him.
Their plan was to declare Yuwen Yue and Yue Qi dead by obtaining bodies, which broke Yue Liu's heart. Yuwen Gao had already fabricated evidence to convince the emperor, employing a whitewash strategy to close the tragic chapter of Yuwen Yue and Yue Qi.
At the Shen Jin Palace, the emperor had been feeling unwell lately when news arrived from the Yuwen household via paper snow. It read:
Dearest Emperor:
I am deeply grieved and cannot think or write clearly. We have found the bodies of my grandson and his bodyguard. It has been a year, so we had to cremate their bodies, but rest assured we confirmed through an autopsy that they are indeed my grandson and his bodyguard.
Yuwen Gao, Master of the Eyes of God
Upon reading the message, the emperor cried out, coughed, and fainted. His servants quickly called for the royal doctor, who arrived immediately. The doctor performed acupuncture on the emperor and advised him to rest.
Meanwhile, Yuan Song was informed of the news by a follower of Meng Feng. He remained gloomy, skipping his meals for the entire day. Retreating to his room, he wrote in his diary, crossing out a name and hesitating over another prominent one. Reflecting on Chu Qiao, he penned:
"As autumn approaches, so does the departure of your master. I hope for a short cold season and not an eternal winter. I dream of a day when we can sit together in our cherry blossom secret garden, watching the leaves fall, as you cry on my shoulder when I tell you that your master has passed into the afterlife."
Yuan Che was well aware that Yuwen Yue hadn't gone to the icy lake mountains as the Wei General or the Master of the Eyes of God. Instead, he came as Xinger's lover, wanting to see her one last time before she settled down to marry Yan Xun in Yanbei.
At that moment, Yuwen Yue took everything at face value regarding the discussions he and Chu Qiao had about government affairs and their personal lives. Despite warnings from Meng Feng and Yue Qi not to visit the temple near Xuili Mountain, Yuwen Yue made excuses to attend. He planned to rescue Yue Jui, one of the Yuwen household spies, who was in trouble after Yan Xun captured his siblings.
Yuwen Yue sent an invitation to the Xuili General to meet him at the secluded temple, and Chu Qiao came to see him. Upon her arrival, Yuwen Yue dismissed his guards, asking them to wait for him in the foothills.
Chu Qiao sat down and began to drink, while Yuwen Yue gazed at her, recalling the last time he held her in his arms when he saved her from Princess Chuner's blades. She had bravely fought for Hong Chuan, and he had left her as if nothing had happened.
Recognizing the tension, Chu Qiao thanked him for his help and suggested a toast. Yuwen Yue raised his cup, but after a deep breath, he mentioned her upcoming betrothal to Yan Xun, teasingly adding, "Maybe next time we see each other, I should call you the Duchess of Yanbei."
This comment was a veiled jab at Yan Xun's camp, aimed at luring the unsuspecting into a trap, using Xinger as bait. Chu Qiao, unaware of the deeper implications, responded naively, "When we meet again, maybe you'll have your own wife and kids as well."
Back at the Yuwen household, Yuwen Gao settled Yuwen Yue's ashes in a temple urn and placed his tablet beside that of his son, Yuwen Hao. Anger flared within him as he looked at the urn, and he ordered his guards to take it and cast it into a desolate place where vultures and ravens would feast on the ashes. He believed the urn did not deserve a place in the Yuwen ancestors' temple and was unworthy to be next to his son, as the remains inside were not truly Yuwen Yue's.
The fake ashes of Yue Qi were buried in a humble graveyard near the Yuwen ancestors' temple. Following the press release of Yuwen Yue's and Yue Qi's deaths, Yuwen Gao made an unprecedented announcement, banning any mourning rites for the former interim Master of the Eyes of God. No one expected this turn of events, and Yuwen Yue was left to bear the family's shame, serving as a scapegoat to deflect the Emperor's wrath while he took a leave of absence from his duties.
Yuwen Gao also ordered Yuwen Yue's name removed from the family records and prohibited it from being mentioned in the Green Hills courtyard, believing he brought disgrace rather than honor to the family.
Exhausted, Yuwen Gao lamented, "Yuwen Yue, if only you had listened to me, this would not have happened." He saw himself as a failure, burdened by yet another failure of a grandson, this time due to a maidservant.
Rumors spread like wildfire after Yan Xun received the news of Yuwen Gao's announcement about Yuwen Yue's death in the official government publication. Yan Xun aimed to weaken the Eyes of God, understanding that military strategies would not bring them downbut similar to that Helen of Troy who launched a thousand ships, a maidservant beauty will turn them into ashes.
Yan Xun stared at the Canhong Jian sword displayed in his war room, a heavy pain weighing on his heart. Each victory he achieved in battle seemed to turn his soul into cold stone, leaving him numb and isolated.
As the Eyes of God weakened, he felt his ambitions to take over the Wei state drawing closer to fruition, fueled by his father's blade. His ultimate goal was to sit on the throne of Wei and rule over the entire land. Yet, despite this power, the burden of injustice and the memory of his family's untimely deaths lingered heavily upon him.
"The news has spread throughout the empire, to every city and remote area," a messenger from Yanbei announced after a two-week journey to inform the realm about Yuwen Yue's and his bodyguard's deaths.
"Did you ensure the damage to the Eyes of God is irreparable?" Yan Xun inquired, his gaze still fixed on the sword.
"There is nothing left for the dead master of the Eyes of God after our press release. The public is disgusted by the news and has turned against them," the messenger reported.
"Good job. Now I will plot my next steps and expect to see results in a few months. I need to gather my financial resources to build a palace for the Xuili General in her memory." His eyes remained on the Canhong Jian, ignoring the messenger's presence.
The messenger nodded. "Is there anything else I can assist you with, Your Highness?"
"Call A'Jing. I have an important matter to discuss," Yan Xun commanded.
A'Jing, dressed in his casual military uniform, entered the room in response to the call. "Your Highness, I'm here."
"Have you gathered all the master builders?"
"Yes, they should arrive at any moment," A'Jing confirmed.
"What about the new taxes I imposed? Has there been any rebellion?"
"No, no one has rebelled, except for some lowly slaves forced to work harder to pay the double tax this year."
"Did you inform them of the punishments for disobedience?" Yan Xun pressed, his tone firm.
"Yes, I read it in front of the town people and everyone bowed their heads, and no one dared to speak against it."
"Good, then I expect Mr. Lui Xiu to bring me twice as much."
"Is there anything I can servethe world?"
"You are dismissed."
As A'Jing left the room, Yan Xun stepped into the war room. He unfurled a blueprint plan and laid it down on a long table made of shiny mahogany wood, studying the intricate designs with keen interest. The plans represented not only his ambitions but also the future he envisioned for himself and the empire under his rule.