After the deep autumn passed, when winter had just arrived, Yunqin’s Central Continent City experienced some light snowfall. It became colder by the day.

After Leng Family replaced Huang Family, Government Sector’s Sector Head Wen Xuanshu taking over the position of Yunqin’s grand secretary, in this overly chilly autumn, the yearly assessment of Yunqin’s officials began ahead of schedule. Many officials were removed from their posts and many officials were promoted. Once again, a great purge was carried out in Yunqin’s royal court.

Most of Yunqin’s low level officials merely followed the crowd blindly, extremely uneasy as they faced this storm. They didn’t know what kind of confrontation the emperor had with the individuals behind the layers of curtains, but after those Imperial Censors who knelt outside the golden imperial palace were forcefully seized, everyone knew that the war against the south was already set in stone.

That old Grand Secretary Wenren also began to call in sick, not making an appearance. The Justice Sector’s righteous faction also entrusted their final hopes onto the imperial princess.

However, after nervously waiting an entire autumn, these people discovered that the imperial princess who similarly had important influence on Yunqin’s political situation seemed to have maintained absolute silence before the emperor’s powerful will as well.

…

Inside Flourishing Heights’ Cheng Family’s courtyard, there were beast coals ignited in copper basins, every room as warm as spring.

Cheng Manying changed into a new yellow wolf fur coat, giving off a...