The midday sun bathed the Song Dynasty's capital in gold, and the marketplace bustled with life. Merchants shouted over one another, displaying silks, spices, and freshly baked mooncakes. Children darted between stalls, their laughter mingling with the clatter of bronze coins.
It was peaceful—until the thunder of hooves shattered the calm.
"Clear the way! Justice of Song!"
Shouts erupted as Prince Long Xun, clad in dark riding armor, galloped down the main street atop his black stallion. Behind him rode a dozen elite soldiers, banners of the Justice of Song Court snapping in the wind. His sharp gaze locked on a fleeing man weaving through the crowd.
"Guanglie! Stop!" Long Xun's voice was like a whip crack.
The fugitive, a wiry man with eyes like a cornered wolf, overturned a cart of fruit in his path. Apples rolled under the hooves of soldiers' horses, and vendors screamed as stalls collapsed in the chaos.
Still, Guanglie was fast—too fast.
Just as he turned into an alley, a blur of movement cut him off. A young woman stepped into his path, her stance loose but unshakable. In one swift motion, she sidestepped his attack, seized his arm, and twisted. Guanglie crashed to the ground with a gasp, wind knocked from his lungs.
The crowd gasped. The woman's movements were clean, efficient—too refined for an ordinary market girl.
Long Xun reined in his stallion, dismounting in one fluid motion. His soldiers swarmed around them, binding Guanglie's hands.
The lead captain bowed slightly to the woman. "On behalf of the Justice of Song, we thank you for your aid, miss."
The woman brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, her eyes calm. "I only stopped him from trampling more people. No thanks needed."
Before Long Xun could speak, a voice called out sharply: "Miss, We're late!"
A young maid—Wenxiu—hurried over, her arms full of wrapped bundles. She eyed Guanglie warily before tugging at the woman's sleeve.
Wu Lanyin—though Long Xun did not yet know her name—nodded once to the soldiers and turned away. Her long braid swayed as she disappeared into the crowd with her maid, leaving only the faint scent of jasmine behind.
Long Xun watched her go, something in her quiet strength catching his attention. "Find out who she is," he murmured to his captain.
Back at the Justice of Song Court, the air was heavy with the smell of damp stone and fear. Guanglie knelt on the cold floor, his face pale. Chains clinked as guards forced him forward.
"You know the law," one soldier growled. "Those who strike against the throne answer for their crimes."
The captain glanced toward the high dais where Prince Long Xun stood. With a flick of the prince's hand, the interrogation began. The room echoed with the sound of fists, the splash of water, and Guanglie's ragged breathing.
Still, he spat blood and smiled through split lips. "You think you've won, little prince? This is only the beginning…"
Long Xun's jaw tightened. His instincts told him the man wasn't acting alone.
And far across the city, Wu Lanyin and her maid returned home, unaware that this brief encounter had already set her on a path into the heart of the empire's most dangerous game.
To bee continued.