Before the Great Qin, the world was divided into three.

To the east was the State of Dai, with its vast territory. Its eastern and northern borders met the Desert Sea, while its southern border touched the Southern Sea. With a thousand li of fertile fields and a dense network of rivers and lakes, it was a land of abundance, blessed with plentiful resources and a peaceful populace.

With the State of Dai as the axis, Old Qin and Yanling were situated to the northwest and southwest respectively. Old Qin, in the central plains, was a vast desert of yellow sand for a hundred li, with scarce resources. Yanling was mountainous with treacherous terrain, numerous rivers and lakes, but little arable land. For many years, the two states depended on the State of Dai. To trade for grain and goods, they established the Alliance of Pengcheng with Dai. The State of Dai opened Pengcheng, Piling, Fuquan, and Jiangdu as four commercial ports, while Yanling and Old Qin paid an annual tribute of ten thousand taels. For the next hundred years, trade and commerce flowed ceaselessly between them.

In the twenty-ninth year of the Yuan calendar, the ruler of the State of Dai, Chen Yu, passed away. Crown Prince Chen Zhao ascended the throne, with Holy Empress Zongzheng Yan ruling from behind the curtain.

In the same year, the Alliance of Bianyang was established, ordering the states of Yanling and Old Qin to offer ten thousand slaves annually as tribute for the construction of the imperial mausoleum.

The State of Dai was profligate, levying exorbitant taxes, and oppressing and enslaving its people. The Holy Empress was obsessed with the ways of ghosts and gods, bringing chaos to the imperial court. Unable to bear the oppression any longer, Yanling and Old Qin were no longer willing to bow their heads to the State of Dai. They secretly formed an alliance to plot an attack on the State of Dai.

In the thirty-seventh year of the Yuan calendar, to solidify their pact, Yanling and Old Qin secretly engaged in hostage diplomacy. The Prince of Han, Xiao Huan, younger brother of the Prince of Yanling, and the Heir of Old Qin, Chu Jin, eldest son by the principal wife, were ordered to serve as hostages, though they were publicly declared as envoys.

The Prince of Yanling received the Heir in the capital, Xiangjing, and held a half-month-long banquet to welcome him. Afterwards, under the pretext of an academic exchange, he sent the Heir to Heshan Academy.

The day Chu Jin entered the academy, Shen Mengzhi had glanced at him from afar in Duji Hall.

It was a warm and bright spring day with boundless and lovely scenery. In the courtyard, the ginkgo leaves were a tender yellow, fluttering like butterflies in the wind, rustling against his clothes. The Heir from the cold, misty north stood lazily before the steps of the main gate, his smile brilliant and his bearing graceful, surpassing even the lovely scenery.

News traveled fast in the academy. Everyone had already heard that the Heir of Old Qin was enrolling and was extremely curious, though they couldn't show it. They could only wait until after class was dismissed to have a look. Only Shen Mengzhi was kept behind by the teacher, who said he had a few words of instruction for him.

The teacher was over fifty, his hair and beard already white. Decades of struggle in the sea of officialdom and at the imperial court had not dulled his sharp edge, and he had an air of authority without being angry.

Shen Mengzhi respected him immensely and said deferentially, "Please speak, Teacher."

"The Heir of Old Qin is enrolling today. This is the king's decree." The teacher's voice was grave. "Do you know what this means?"

Shen Mengzhi lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment before answering, "Our two states are currently on good terms, and we have each sent envoys. When the Heir came to court, His Majesty did not keep him in Xiangjing but sent him to the academy instead. Perhaps he does not wish for him to interfere in the state affairs of Yanling."

The teacher nodded. "Correct. His Majesty has always been cautious. Keeping the Heir in the capital would ultimately be a hidden danger. Only by sending him to this secluded place can we prevent Old Qin from overreaching."

"But this is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Hearing this, Shen Mengzhi looked up and asked, "What are your instructions, Teacher?"

"Not instructions, but a slight worry." The teacher frowned. "I served as an official in the previous court for decades and have met the current king several times. I know well that he is a suspicious man. Although he has sent the Heir to the academy, his suspicions may not be entirely dispelled. I expect he will send people to monitor him in secret."

Shen Mengzhi's expression shifted slightly.

The teacher continued, "We do not yet know the conduct of this Heir of Old Qin. To prevent the king's suspicions from damaging the relationship between our two states at a critical moment, you must pay more attention to him from now on."

"This student understands."

Only after the teacher left did Shen Mengzhi stand up. He had intended to return directly to his room, but a thought stirred in his heart, and he slowly approached the windowsill of Duji Hall.

And then, he saw that Heir of Old Qin.

It was said that Old Qin produced heroes and Yanling produced beauties. This was because the environment shaped its people; the beautiful mountains and rivers of Yanling were known for producing beautiful women, while the harsh, cold lands of northern Old Qin had no shortage of tall, strong men.

However, contrary to Shen Mengzhi's expectations, this Heir of Old Qin was so exquisitely beautiful that he could rival any famous belle of the era. A smile played on his lips, his robes trailing on the ground as he stood in the courtyard. The evening sun of a clear sky fell on his pearl-white profile, like glaze on fine porcelain, his eyes filled with a radiant glow.

Shen Mengzhi momentarily forgot what he had just been thinking. Only a sentence that Qi Yu had once mentioned idly echoed over and over in his mind—

"I hear this Heir of Old Qin is called the Pearl of the Nine Provinces."

Chu Jin quickly established himself at Heshan Academy, integrating well with the group of Yanling princes, nobles, and scions.

Qi Yu, the son of the current Grand Censor Qi Jue, was someone who loved to be in the midst of excitement. He was straightforward, outspoken, and righteous, and quickly became familiar with Chu Jin.

At first, he was simply drawn by the Heir of Old Qin's appearance. But upon conversation, he was surprised to find that the other was a man of refined tastes, much like himself, and very much to his liking. So he volunteered to show Chu Jin around the academy, under the noble pretext of familiarizing him with the environment.

The Heir readily agreed.

The two strolled leisurely, starting from the main gate of the academy and walking slowly along the winding corridor.

Qi Yu said, "Heir, have you heard of Heshan Academy before?"

"Of course." Chu Jin smiled. "Young Master Qi, there's no need to be so formal. I am currently an envoy of Old Qin, and we are fellow students. We can just call each other brothers."

This was just what Qi Yu wanted. He immediately dispensed with the formalities and clapped his hands. "Alright! Then I'll call you Brother Chu from now on. Brother Chu, back in Old Qin, have you ever been to Heyin Academy? How does it compare to this place?"

Chu Jin thought for a moment. "It doesn't compare. Heshan Academy is, after all, the foremost academy in the world."

"This place is great in every way, except that it's too remote." Qi Yu sighed, shaking his head. "Back then, when my dad sent me here, he had to chase me with a whip. Xiangjing is so wonderful, who wouldn't want to stay? But no, I had to come to this wilderness to study."

He walked a few more steps and said regretfully, "Brother Chu, you really didn't think it through, giving up the great city of Xiangjing to come study here."

Chu Jin, of course, knew why he had been sent here. It was simply because the Prince of Yanling, Xiao Zhuo, feared that Old Qin had spies in Xiangjing. Keeping him in the capital would be like exposing his own secrets to him.

He smiled nonchalantly and said half-jokingly, "Then does Brother Qi have any good ideas?"

Qi Yu spread his hands. "No way. Once you're in, don't even think about getting out, unless you're ordered to withdraw."

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener read into it. Chu Jin paused, then said with deep meaning, "Oh..."

Beside him, Qi Yu was still impassioned. "It's a one-way trip! But my dad is so stubborn, insisting that the scions of Yanling's noble families must attend Heshan Academy! If you ask me, any old place would do for studying. I'm too lazy to learn anywhere, anyway."

"Brother Qi, I heard that Heshan Academy only accepts students from noble and powerful families," Chu Jin said. "Is that true?"

"Yes and no." Qi Yu was being mysterious. "Heshan Academy does indeed only accept students from prominent families publicly, but it also makes exceptions. For rare talents with great potential, it welcomes them regardless of their humble origins. For example, the current Supervisor of Attendants of Yanling, and the great scholar Mu Pinglan, were both such people. But they are a minority, after all."

He puffed out his chest and said proudly, "I, Qi Yu, love making friends. I know everyone in this academy inside and out. Brother Chu, if there's anyone you want to meet, just ask me!"

Chu Jin smiled. "No rush, we can take it slow."

As they chatted and laughed, they arrived at the door of the Xuan Study. Qi Yu pushed open the door and led him inside for a look around, introducing it. "This is the Xuan Study, your future residence. The painting sage Zhou Xihe once lived here. He also chose the name 'Xuan', from the line 'the noble crane of the green fields'."

Chu Jin glanced back the way they came. "This is quite close to the main gate."

"Indeed. Brother Chu, you've got a great spot. It's not far from the lecture hall either. I'm really jealous."

Qi Yu stood in front of the courtyard and pointed to the towering ginkgo tree in the main courtyard of the academy. "From the window of the Xuan Study, you can see this old ancestor. It's a spectacular sight, especially in autumn when the ground is covered in fallen yellow leaves."

Chu Jin asked, "What is that room behind the tree?"

"That's the lecture hall, called Duji Hall." Qi Yu explained, "The teachers hold their lessons there."

The two walked past the Xuan Study and then passed by several other residences, visiting them one by one. They came to a secluded high cliff, where from a distance they saw a pear tree in full bloom like a profusion of snow, scattering the ground with what looked like shattered jade. Behind the cliff was a white waterfall, like a hanging river, separating Qingxue Cliff from the main body of Mount Heshan with a curtain of water. Mist poured down like smoke, washing over the rocks like shattered jade and carved ice.

Qi Yu stopped. "This is Qingxue Cliff, a place for practicing swordsmanship and discussing the Dao."

Chu Jin said sincerely, "It truly lives up to its reputation."

"This is the edge of the academy, backing onto Mount Heshan, so it's the most secluded area. But because it's so far, not many people live here." Qi Yu led him away from Qingxue Cliff along a cobblestone path and turned into a long corridor. "The teachers live over here, and Senior Brother Jiang..."

"Senior Brother Jiang?"

This was the first time since entering the academy that Chu Jin had heard the words "Senior Brother".

Qi Yu explained, "He is the teacher's personal disciple. He has been here longer than us, so the teacher wants us to call him Senior Brother. But I'm on good terms with him too, so he doesn't mind if I call him by his name in private."

"Is he also a scion of a noble family in Yanling?"

"Not at all, he's actually one of that minority." Qi Yu said, "Senior Brother Jiang comes from an ordinary family. The teacher saw his natural talent and took him in as a student."

Chu Jin murmured an "Oh."

The two walked towards Jiang Zhen's residence. As they walked, Qi Yu said, "This is the Firefly Study, Senior Brother Jiang's residence."

"Firefly Study." Chu Jin repeated the two words softly. "Is there any special meaning to it?"

Qi Yu scratched his head. "I really don't know about that. Senior Brother Jiang chose the name himself, but he's never mentioned what it means."

With that, he knocked on the door a few times and called out, "Senior Brother Jiang, are you there? Jiang Zhen!"

He knocked several times, but there was no answer.

"Strange, where did he go?" Qi Yu wondered. "Could he be with the teacher?"

Chu Jin said, "I have to visit the teacher sooner or later anyway. Why don't we go and see now."

Qi Yu nodded.

The teacher's courtyard was not far from the Firefly Study. Qi Yu said, "The teacher's surname is Fang, and his given name is Hechao. He was the prime minister of the previous Yanling dynasty. After retiring, he requested to come to the academy to teach."

When he mentioned Fang Hechao, he put away his earlier playful demeanor, his face showing respect. After a pause, he added, "The teacher is always very strict, so we'll have to be on our best behavior."

Someone who could make a scion from such a noble family restrain himself was certainly no ordinary person. Chu Jin nodded. "Of course."

The two walked to the end of the long corridor, where a rustic little courtyard was revealed. In the courtyard was another ginkgo tree, much smaller than the one in the main courtyard of the academy; it must have been planted a few years ago. Beneath the tree was a bamboo recliner that creaked and swayed with the breeze.

In front of the main house was a water vat containing several koi fish. The surface of the water was covered with lotus leaves, through which the flick of a fish tail could be faintly seen.

The two walked around the water vat and headed inside. Just as they did, they saw a person about to come out from the inner room.

The man was dressed in cloud-white robes, the sleeves and hem adorned with large, ink-like patterns, as if he were wearing a monochrome ink painting. His features were gentle, which softened his beautiful face by a few degrees. But when his light-colored pupils looked at someone, there was an indescribable aloofness, making him seem as distant as the bright moon—to be admired from afar, but not to be profaned.

He was startled to see Qi Yu and the other man. Although his expression barely moved, it was like the first crack in ice, the water's color suddenly brightening, becoming as lively as spring water.

A man like the bright moon, faint, warm, and cool.