emptycourtyard

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> It was a cloudy day after a midnight drizzle that they finally caught sight of Lanzhou. “So it’s about the previous dynasty, the Jiang?” Danlu bugged Xiyun about the book he held, again. “Maybe.” “But the title says ‘Weather’.” Danlu nudged his side. He and Yeon had traded spots. “It’s a compilation of records of the weather in each province during the period the Jiang Dynasty lasted.” “Isn’t reading that boring? Why would anyone want to know about the weather ages ago?” Xiyun shifted in his seat. “The records are dated […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The wide endless blue sky began to shift to gold. The lonely carriage rode forward next to a clear stream. Chu Danlu glanced at their sleeping customers and then at his father. “It’s rare for requests to Lan Prefecture. Are we taking the road we usually use when we go to Xiannan?” “Yeah, yeah, same road. The usual inn and teahouse are up ahead. Wake our customers up.” “Why don’t you do it?” “Unfilial thing, I’ll knock your head if you speak that way in front of the customers. This is […]

<< Previous Chapter Table Of Contents Next Chapter >> The sun hung lazily in the sky. The youth’s eyes remained closed. She laid on the sunlight-filled mat as several other sitting children pretended to read. She had a complexion darkened by the sun, black hair short enough to scatter about, and eyes a piercing hazel. She hummed a folk tune as time passed too slow for her liking. The other children in the large open room were talking to each other behind their bamboo scrolls. “My mother was talking about it.” “Lucky.” “So was my dad. Making a fuss.” “What […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The feeling of wind passed over them. After witnessing a blur, they were sitting on the side of a congested road and within a sea of buildings. There were people, horses, and carriages moving about in the busy morning. Food stalls and street peddlers opened in front of the restaurants and stores. The masses clattered under the blue sky. It all surrounded an open rest area where Yeon stood, and Xiyun sat, next to a stone bench and under a plum tree. The older girl in the green tunic had a […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The gates of the Liu Estate opened. Carriages lined up on the stone brick road as guests arrived. At the tail end of the line, a young girl in green led a man in gray along the white wall. As the girl skipped and the man hummed, they looked like any ordinary niece and uncle, or father and daughter, pair. Han Yeon engrossed herself in scrutinizing all the different carriages, clothing, and people. She had traversed through the mountains of the vast wilderness known as the Great Expanse, fending off an […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The sun touched the eastern horizon. The youth’s eyes opened. He pushed aside his bedding and made his way in front of the window. The youth opened the screen for the morning mist to spread throughout the hardwood floor. The first rays of day bathed the pale-skinned boy in yellow. The boy, around the age of twelve, finally thought to begin the day. Towards the back of the room, he made a soft hum. The doors slid open. A servant boy waded through the maze of books and scrolls organized across […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The woman stood alone in the great hall of jade and gold. A dark blood-soaked veil protected her long dark hair and loose black robe. She held a sword of unblemished steel and gazed at the ceiling as if peering at the stars. Her free hand retrieved a seal from inside her robe. Though shaped similarly, it wasn’t the jade Imperial Seal, but a seal made of black stone. Above the palace, the stars shone brighter. The black sky shimmered as if a layer of pure water reflected the moonlight inward, […]