Yufeng Mountain was covered with snow.

Leng Qingtang, dressed in a black robe and a fox-fur cloak, climbed to the viewing pavilion on the mountainside.

At this moment, there was a person in the pavilion, sitting beside the stone table leisurely. His golden-lotus robe was shining as fierce as fire. Among the thousands of miles of snow, it was particularly eye-catching.

Leng Qingtang looked down at the steaming copper pot on the stone table, the fresh venison slices in the long dish, and the hot wine simmering on the small carbon stove. And then he turned his eyes to Yu Xuanji who looked calm and smiled,

"You really know how to enjoy life. You even come to such a place to drink and eat venison hot pot on such a cold day."

Yu Xuanji smiled, exhaling white air from his mouth while speaking.

"It will be really cold when the snow melts. Yufeng Mountain is the best place to enjoy the snow. Besides, meeting in such a place will make you worry-free. Sit down and eat it together."

There was a cushion on the stone chair. Leng Qingtang sat down and then picked up the clean bowl and chopsticks. He scooped some sauce from the white jade cup, and then picked up a piece of venison with chopsticks, and put it into the boiling copper pot.

Yu Xuanji poured a cup of wine for him.

"Concubine Yu is pregnant, but the imperial harem is still calm. Do you think those people will let her give birth to this baby safely?"

Leng Qingtang sneered, his eyes shining brightly. He picked up the well-down venison slice from the boiling water.

"Calm? I think there is a fierce undercurrent."

"If someone knows about Concubine Yu and Min Rui's relationship but still hurts her, his real target should be Dongqing Fleet..."

Yu Xuanji took a sip of wine, sneering.

"After all, those two people both worked for Huanan Ze on the surface, but they are at odds with each other secretly."

Leng Qingtang narrowed his eyes and snorted.

"No man is content. I haven't even thought about Dongqing Fleet, but he begins to covet it. He is trying to snatch food from the jaws of a tiger! It's really wishful thinking. But since you said that, you must have heard some news, right?"

Yu Xuanji nodded, added some warm wine to the cup at hand, and said,

"I took charge of Observatory. A few days ago, I heard that Director Gong had a sudden illness and couldn't be treated. Since he had been an official for 20 years, the emperor allowed him to retire and planned to promote the vice-director Song Xiang."

"Song Xiang used to be a good-for-nothing, having no original opinion. The emperor's decision is a bit anxious. However, after he took over the position, he put a new-comer in an important position."

"Really?"

Leng Qingtang put down his chopsticks and tightened his brows, "What's the surname of this person?"

"Lin!" Yu Xuanji replied with certainty, "He hasn't been in the imperial palace for long, and he is less than 30 years old. Do you think there is something wrong as well?"

Leng Qingtang thought for a while, losing his appetite for wine and food. He stood up, walked to the red-lacquered rail, and looked into the distance with worried eyes.

The clouds were rolling. The mountains were wrapped in whiteness and zigzagged along the frozen river valley to reach the peak of the sky.

"The Eastern Depot has been investigating what you asked me to look into last time. During an unannounced visit to Peng County, I got a message from a relevant criminal..."

After a pause, Leng Qingtang slapped the wooden fence with his hand, turned to Yu Xuanji, and continued,

"Priest Wu, who has been in contact with the imperial palace, once acknowledged a person as his teacher. This person moved back and forth between the Eastern Sea and Da Yi secretively. If I guessed right, he should be the man you and other factions are chasing after. He is Lei Huan, the traitor of Tianyan Faction."

Yu Xuanji's eyes turned sharp in an instant, looking into Leng Qingtang's eyes.

"If they take actions, what should we do?"

Leng Qingtang smiled, "Meet changes with constancy."

...

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, the snow stopped when it was still dark. The ground was covered with fragments of flower buds. Stepping on it, people would hear the creaking sound which was extremely pleasant.

According to folk customs, this day was called small Lunar New Year's Eve. Every family would steam buns, buy wine, and prepare for the New Year's Eve dinner the next day.

But on this day, a plague befell people suddenly. Tens of thousands of people got sick overnight, and more than a thousand people died. Before it turned bright, constant screaming and wailing reverberated the capital, which was like human purgatory.

Furthermore, on New Year's Eve, a nursery rhyme spread out in the capital.

"The world is covered with wind and snow, and the pitiful capital is afflicted by the plague. The western Mars transferred to the east, and the black dragon is the cause of the disaster."

Emperor Jingxiao was no longer interested in celebrating the New Year. He summoned all the civil and military officials to the court to discuss the plague and the nursery rhyme.

Song Xiang, the newly appointed director of Observatory, was in a dark green official gown. He bent down, cupping one hand in the other before his chest. The wings of the black gauze cap on his head trembled.

"Your Majesty, the Observatory has been observing the astronomical phenomenon at night recently. The western Mars was glorious like fire, moving eastward towards Qinglong Star and then overlapping with Xin Star for a moment. This astronomical phenomenon is called 'Mars guarding Xin Star', which is a greatly bad omen! I'm afraid that the falling of the plague and the nursery rhyme just corresponded with this!"

After the long speech, Director Song put on a more terrible look, burying his head lower.

Emperor Jingxiao sat on the dragon throne motionlessly for a while. After he came back to his senses, he took a gasp.

His eyes changed slightly. The emperor clenched his fingers, leaning forward.

"So what does that sentence 'the black dragon is the cause of the disaster' mean?"

"I... I am guilty, Your Majesty!"

Director Song immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

Among the civil officials, Leng Qingtang stood silently with a cold complexion. He looked down slightly, knowing what they intended to do then.

It turned out that these people wanted to make trouble on the pretext of the astronomical phenomenon...

Emperor Jingxiao had been impatient for a long time on the dragon throne. He waved his hand and said with anxiety,

"Speak quickly!"

Director Song faced the ground in panic and replied with a trembling voice.

"Your, Your Majesty... Xiaoye Chamber of the imperial harem belongs to the east. 'The western Mars transferred to the east' alludes to Xiaoye Chamber, and the sentence 'the black dragon is the cause of the disaster' means... It means that Concubine Yu's baby is ominous."

"Nonsense!"

"It's nonsense!"

In the hall, Duke Min and the emperor shouted in unison with indignation. Their words echoed in the hall.

Director Song turned even more panicked, crawling on the ground and shouting, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Duke Min immediately walked out of the queue of military officials.

"Your Majesty, the astronomical phenomenon is absolute nonsense. How can my daughter have an ominous pregnancy? It is clear that someone tries to take the opportunity to frame her!"

One of the civil officials walked out of the queue, cupped his hand in the other, bent his body, and said,

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, nursery rhymes have been prophecies. We can't ignore them. Every time the astronomical phenomenon 'Mars guarding Xin Star' happened in the past a hundred years, there was a corresponding disaster. It is indeed a greatly bad omen."

The emperor had a pale face with bloodshot eyes and distorted facial features,

"Yaoer has always been gentle and kind. The child inside her is mine. How can he be ominous? Do you mean that I am also ominous?"

Director Song straightened up at this moment, cupping his hand in the other upwards,

"Your Majesty, you are the emperor, so how can the astronomical phenomenon mean that you are ominous? According to the inferences of the Observatory by the Eight Trigrams instruments, the demon star comes to the world every 100 years. It will come to the world by the pregnancy of Concubine Yu this time. The plague at this time is just the sign of that!"

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

The person who spoke was Xu Langxuan, the Defense Minister and the father of Concubine Xu. In the imperial harem, his daughter had a good relationship with Concubine Yu, and Xu Langxuan knew this naturally.

The accusation that Concubine Yu was pregnant with a demon fetus was yet to be known. It was very likely that someone made trouble on purpose, so Minister Xu would speak for Concubine Yu of course.

Minister Xu gave a fist-and-palm salute and said with certainty,

"There must be some tenable reasons that astronomical phenomenon and demonology could coexist with our country for thousands of years. However, the old saying goes that we should respect the ghosts and gods and stay away from them. Otherwise, we will be harmed. And this time the reincarnation of the demon star is related to the descendant of our dynasty. Your Majesty, please make a final conclusion after careful consideration."

Director Song said then,

"It's necessary to consider carefully, but people in the capital can't wait anymore. If we considered for too long, once the demon fetus turns into a human shape and its power turns stronger..."

"You are clearly trying to force Your Majesty to hurt my daughter!"

Min Rui screamed in anger and pointed at Director Song. He strode forward, intending to hit him. But he was stopped by Minister Xu.

Emperor Jingxiao was restless and waved his hand helplessly.

"We will discuss it after I have a careful consideration. It's all for today."

Due to the raging plague outside the imperial palace, the banquet in the imperial palace on New Year's Eve was cancelled. The emperor distributed the food used for the banquet to the people suffering from illness.

However, when they received the kindness from the emperor, they began to gather forces at the same time. Soon, those in good health all went outside the imperial palace to present a petition, entreating Emperor Jingxiao to comply with the astronomical phenomenon and take measures to eradicate the demon fetus as soon as possible.

There was chaos outside the imperial palace, and it was a mess as well inside the imperial palace, especially the imperial harem.

After the morning ritual, the news about Gu Yunyao's demon fetus was leaked. Some people believed it while some did not. Some were overjoyed while some were angry. Everyone felt insecure.

The Lunar New Year's Eve was too special this time. Empress Qian followed the example of donating money to Jiangan after the snowstorm, ordering the concubines to donate more for this plague.

Gu Yunxi led two eunuchs to send the donated funds from Chuxiu Palace to The Imperial Ceremonial Service. And then she returned after the account was checked.

It was gloomy and the palace lanterns were lit, illuminating the icy edges of the tiles and the walls. But looking around, the fabulously rich residences looked so forlorn.

Gu Yunxi walked with her head down with a gloomy look.

She heard about the reincarnation of the demon fetus of Xiaoye Chamber at noon. She was in anguish as if she had been surrounded by boundless darkness. Her heart was cold.

She knew the eldest sister best. She had been kind and gentle since she was a child. Even if there were really demons in the world, how could she accept the retribution and cause the disaster since she had never done anything bad? She had to ask Master Leng for help!

Unexpectedly, a shadow flashed in front of her. Someone rushed to the side of the road.

Gu Yunxi halted in a hurry, and then she smelled a peculiar smell. Then she realized that she almost walked into someone as she walked carelessly.

When she looked up, she saw the man standing on the side of the palace road. He was in a blue robe of eighth-ranked civil officials. He looked ordinary and his age was about the same as that of Imperial Doctor Jiang. She didn't know him.

Looking at each other, Gu Yunxi lowered her head and said respectfully to that person,

"I'm sorry to offend you, sir! Please forgive me!"

The man smiled. Perhaps he saw that Gu Yunxi was in a court dress of fifth-ranked chief maids. He talked with her in a very polite tone.

"It's okay. It's my fault to walk carelessly on the snowy day. I'm sorry, Madam."

Cupping his hand in the other, the man walked away quickly.

As the night fell, a cold wind blew. A strong scent wafted into Gu Yunxi's nose.

The scent was special, not smelling like the balm. What was it?

Gu Yunxi gazed at the strange man who was an eighth-ranked official disappearing out of sight, frowning. An inexplicable sense of strangeness suddenly surged in her heart.

…

Outside the gate of divine prowess, Cheng Wanli, the Chiliarch of the Eastern Depot, visited the capital with secret guards overnight. He had spent two days secretly investigating the source of the plague, and Jiang Huaian from the Imperial Hospital accompanied him in casual clothes.

Walking to a place to have a rest, they sat on the ground around a well. Seeing Jiang Huaian's solemn expression, Cheng Wanli asked.

"What are you thinking about? Did you find anything?"

Jiang Huaian shook his head slowly, looking into the distance.

"Mild cases can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases can cause a high fever, breathing difficulties, and finally even death. This is clearly the most obvious symptom of a plague. But after hundreds of doctors treated them with the right drugs, they didn’t get better at all. Why?"

With a tired sigh, Jiang Huaian leaned back against the cold rock wall of the well. As if feeling uncomfortable, he dilated his eyes suddenly, turned his head in horror, and stared at the well with blank eyes...