Rosy clouds floated out from the layers of clouds on the horizon, spilling onto the long street in endless billows.   Zhu Zi’an glanced back at the girl behind him sipping yogurt drink in small gulps, still cradling a packet of patterned rice cakes in her hands.   The rosy glow fell on her face,…

On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, at dawn, the full moon hung high in the sky.   With a “dang” sound, Jiang Kui changed into a set of archer’s clothes. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat, she quietly climbed over the wall and snuck out of the general’s estate.   As the morning drums…

The autumn rain continued falling late into the night.   Xie Wuyan was wearing an overcoat, sitting cross-legged at his desk writing. A small brazier kept his knees warm. After waking, he first had a long discussion with the Crown Prince’s tutor Ling Que in the main hall. Then he moved to the side room…

The afternoon was overcast. A cool breeze blew by, bringing with it a touch of autumn’s chill.   Jiang Kui yawned repeatedly as she made her way back to Penglai Palace, carrying writing supplies bundled in her arms.   She hadn’t slept since midnight. First she had fought at Tonghua Gate, then looked after the…

Knock knock.   A low rapping sound came from outside the door.   “The medicine is ready,” Luo Shiyi said from the doorway. “Young Master Jiang, I’m coming in.”   The wooden door swung open and hazy morning light spilled into the dim room. He entered holding a bowl of herbal broth, seeing the young…

At the horizon’s edge, the first line of dawn slowly illuminated the skies.   A single beat of the morning drum rang out from the Taiji Palace, stirring all one hundred and eight wards of Chang’an from slumber.   The awakening sequence rippled out from palace to outer city – first drums in imperial compounds,…

Here is my attempt at translating the Chinese passage into English:   The martial world has strict rules – those who broker deals never reveal their faces.   It’s far too dangerous exposing oneself.   As human bridges linking employers and assassins through intricate webs of information, the moment a broker’s identity becomes known, vengeance…

Xie Rong waited in Prince Xie Heng’s estate until late into the night.   Located in northeast Chang’an, the manor housed an artificial lake dug by eight hundred artisans harnessing the winding river’s waters. Surrounded by blue tiled whitewashed walls and roof edges adorned with upturned flying eaves, the finished grounds differed starkly from Chang’an…

Jiang Kui dared not let her thoughts wander further. Sitting straight, she listened to Teacher’s lecture, brush dipping ink from the black porcelain well to take notes on rice paper.   Teacher discussed a rather sensitive topic – the imperial examination policy responses from the Jingde Spring period. That year’s free-response policy critiques provoked heated…

When Jiang Kui awoke, she saw her father Jiang Cheng’s whiskery face looming over her, along with her three elder brothers peeking curiously behind him. Birds chirped softly outside the window – it was early morning.   She blinked once before quickly shutting her eyes again.   “Xiaoman,” her father said coldly.   Her lashes…