Prologue: Nightmare

In the dark, endless night of her dream, she groped along the path, the lantern in her hand casting a faint glow as she walked hurriedly. 

The moonlight illuminated the narrow, winding road, creating a dance of shadows between her slender figure and the swaying lantern light, akin to a messenger from the underworld prowling into the night.

Up ahead at the very end of the alley, bright lights illuminated a gathered crowd. The air resonated with a discordant mix of chatter, cries, men’s roars, and women’s screams, as if the underworld had spilled into the mortal realm, sending chills through her body.

She emerged from the alley and melted into the crowd, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. Fragments of whispered conversations reached her ears: “What crime has the Gu family committed to deserve such punishment?”

“What crime?” a nearby onlooker remarked. “Lord Wang simply lacked military provisions, so he needed to slaughter a fat sheep^[1]Slaughter a fat sheep is an idiom meaning to take advantage of a situation to gain benefits for oneself. In this context, since the Gu family is the wealthiest in Yangzhou, by pinning them as … Continue reading to feed his troops.”

She glanced over and recognized the speaker as the well-known storyteller from the eastern part of the city, renowned for his keen access to information.

Sighing heavily, the storyteller recounted the recent events. “After Prince Liang’s^[2]Liáng Wáng (梁王): Since the royal family’s surname is “Li” then the “wang/prince” from Prince Liang is likely an honorary title. Such titles are usually gained through as rewards for … Continue reading rebellion, Fan Xuan led his troops into the Eastern Capital under the guise of purging the rebel prince’s accomplices. However, he massacred the entire Li family in one night.”

His expression grim, the storyteller continued, “While holding the Empress Dowager and court officials hostage, he forced them to declare him as the new emperor. A mere military governor dared to proclaim himself the Son of Heaven.”

Shaking his head, he mused, “How could the land’s heroes submit to such audacity? Now, military governors everywhere have declared themselves kings, under the pretext of vanquishing the usurper. The era of chaos has descended upon us, and our Lord Wang was simply following the tide.”

Pointing with his fan towards a vermilion gate, the storyteller added, “But the Gu family’s plight is not without blame.” There, soldiers dragged a screaming woman out by her hair, yet the crowd remained unmoved.

“The Gu family was already wealthy, and had relied on their connection to Prince Liang to act tyrannically in Yangzhou in the past. Their unfilial son, Gu Jiusi, squandered his days gambling and causing trouble. If he hadn’t broken the leg of Lord Wang’s eldest son back then, perhaps this disaster wouldn’t have befallen them today.”

The crowd murmured in agreement, their voices overlapping. Another voice chimed in, “He not only broke the leg but also nearly trampled Jiu Sheng’s mother to death while riding his horse recklessly.”

With this opening, the floodgates of gossip burst open. In mere moments, Liu Yuru clearly heard that the playboy who only enjoyed fighting and gambling had transformed into a demon who committed murder, arson, and all sorts of evil deeds in the eyes of the crowd.

Liu Yuru found it difficult to breathe, unsure why such emotions gripped her heart. But she knew Jiu Sheng’s mother made a living by extorting money, and everyone used to curse her daily. But now, in the eyes of the crowd, she had become a pure and miserable old woman.

Rumors once painted Lord Wang’s son as a true lecher, ruining innocent girls with impunity. However, he relied on his family’s power and influence, leaving everyone helpless against his wicked deeds.

Liu Yuru quietly observed the scene, and her grip unconsciously tightened on the lantern. A commotion drew her attention to a young man dragging out a luxuriously dressed woman. Behind them, another young man rushed out, his voice raw with anguish, “Mother!”

Despite his tears and anger, the young man’s handsome features remained striking. His eyes, like delicate peach blossoms, and his eyebrows, reminiscent of distant mountains, lent him an air of elegance. Tall and slender, with a detached mien, his delicate features did not make him feminine but rather evoked a refined grace, like a stately pine or bamboo.

The moment he appeared, the chattering crowd fell into a hushed silence as their eyes all turned to him. The man dragging his mother stopped and turned his head with a smirk, “Gu Jiusi, weren’t you quite capable? Now you only know how to cry?”

Trembling slightly, Gu Jiusi responded, “Wang Rong, one person’s actions should be borne by that person alone. Let go of my mother.”

“What nonsense is this?” Wang Rong laughed and casually swung the whip in his hand. “Your family followed Prince Liang’s rebellion. Can this crime be yours alone? Don’t worry, your mother won’t die. My father is lenient. We’ll keep your family’s women and children. Oh, you have no son, do you?”

Wang Rong seemed to find the situation a bit unfortunate and sighed, “Alas, you haven’t even married a wife or a concubine. Your family only has your mother and father’s concubines to sell. But they’re old and unattractive, so they can only be sold to the lowest-class brothels. What a pity.”

“Wang Rong!” Gu Jiusi roared furiously. 

Wang Rong laughed, “Isn’t this perfect? Someone will care for your mother, so you and your father can leave without any worries.”

Gu Jiusi fell silent, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as the rain began to drizzle. Beside him, the screams of women pierced the air. The men of their household would undoubtedly face death, so they all stood with swords drawn, seemingly trying to protect their wives and children.

Gu Jiusi’s eyes were filled with despair and sorrow as he quietly looked at Wang Rong. He was like a proud yet resolute lone crane trapped in a desperate situation.

Finally, he whispered, “Wang Rong, what do you want to release my mother?”

“What do I want?” Wang Rong chuckled, stroking his chin as he pondered for a moment. “How about this? Kowtow thrice and become my godson. As my father’s grandson, perhaps he’ll spare your Gu family.”

Gu Jiusi’s eyelashes fluttered, betraying his inner turmoil. 

As the rain intensified, soaking her lantern, Liu Yuru watched silently, her expression inscrutable. The onlookers dispersed, leaving her lone figure standing there.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard Gu Jiusi softly utter, “Alright.”

Trembling, he lowered his head and bent his knees to kowtow.

At that instant, the woman beside Wang Rong drew a blade, stabbing it into his abdomen. The guards beside him reacted swiftly, and their swords swung at the same time the woman drew her blade.

Gu Jiusi let out a heart-wrenching cry and lunged to protect the woman, but blades descended upon them from all directions. The mother and son were immediately pierced by more than a dozen weapons.

“My son…” The woman trembled, caressing Gu Jiusi’s face with a bloodstained hand. She gasped, “Better to be a dog in peace… than a human in chaos…. On the road to reincarnation… don’t take the wrong path…”^[3]This a reference to Buddhist and Taoist beliefs about the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. There are two ways we can view this: First is the literal. When Gu Jiusi died, instead of choosing the … Continue reading

Gu Jiusi motionlessly knelt there as blood poured from his mouth, watching the woman slowly close her eyes. With a voice barely above a whisper, he responded, “Your son… obeys.”

He grasped the sword embedded in his body and pulled it free, the sound of metal against flesh drowned out by the pattering rain. 

He slowly rose to his feet, his blood mingling with the relentless rain, forming a crimson stream that flowed to her feet. As he turned to face her, his bloody silhouette illuminated by flashes of lightning seemed more demon than man.

The remaining crowd was so shocked that they couldn’t help but take a step back.

Gu Jiusi, his hand wrapped tightly around the sword’s hilt, staggered towards her, his gaze never wavering from her face. 

“Save me…” The words tore from his throat while his eyes locked on hers.

“Liu Yuru,” he called out her name, his voice raw with emotion, “Save me!”