Desecrating Imperial Power in a Female-Dominated World. [Yuri/GL]

Chapter 8: Serendipitous Encounter

Serendipitous Encounter

After the New Year had passed, the curfew was lifted, and the various households had long extinguished their lights. The streets were now dark and deserted, illuminated only by the radiant moonlight.

A fiery figure strode boldly along the Qing Shan boardwalk, their features somewhat obscured in the moon's glow.

The click-clack of footsteps echoed distinctly in the tranquil night, the rhythmic steps and the eerie sound of wooden clogs creating an uncanny ambiance.

Suddenly, the figure came to a halt.

"Hahaha..."

An extravagant and unrestrained laughter erupted, sharp yet melodious. The voice made it challenging to discern the person's gender, evoking an air of mystery.

In the pitch-black night, a pair of intense, crazed eyes could not be ignored, brimming with emotions of destruction. They glanced towards the direction of the palace, then swiftly shifted to another.

A cruel smile twisted across crimson lips as a hand rose, causing a burst of blood flowers to explode not far away.

Flesh and blood, accompanied by vivid crimson, formed a chilling and enigmatic tableau on the icy ground, casting a cold gleam under the moon's soft light.

After the New Year celebrations, the various regional chieftains were expected to enter the imperial city to pay their respects. Just ten days later, all the chieftains arrived at the imperial city with their tributes.

The fresh green shoots of the New Year's willows and the grasslands sprouting with life presented a scene of flourishing vitality. Scholars, poets, and even young masters from various provinces loved to gather and socialize at this time, exchanging poems and essays or enjoying spring outings together. It was a refined and elegant practice.

In the Mu Xin Garden of the first courtyard in the imperial city, several groups of people who had come out to play had gathered. Young masters wore robes, some plain and others colorful, adorned with innovative conical hats or veils. The open-minded nature of Yunqi allowed men to appear in public without political constraints. Some capable individuals even engaged in commerce and gained considerable fame in Yunqi, not inferior to women in any way.

Despite their noble appearance, they concealed their faces to avoid unwanted attention and potential conflicts.

Today, by coincidence, several talented scholars appointed by the imperial city and the four attendants of the princess's palace happened to meet.

The story begins with Zuo Qianchen.

Zuo Qianchen knew that his heart belonged to Chao Yang, but now he served as an attendant to Chao Huang. This was an unchangeable reality, yet he couldn't let go. The torment of unrequited love, one of life's eight sufferings, had visibly worn him down.

Chao Yang's rejection made him yearn for her even more. He knew Chao Yang's habits well; every year at this time, she loved to stroll in the Mu Xin Garden, claiming its air was the freshest in the entire imperial city. Inviting the other three attendants to the Sen Yuan was his private hope of encountering Chao Yang…