Dawn had not yet broken over the valley, but Yu Feng Shan Zhuang was already awake.

The manor sat on the slope like a sleeping beast of blue and red, its peacock-glazed tiles still wet with night dew, its vermilion pillars dark in the half-light. Mist pooled around its foundations and drifted over the hills beyond, where the Imperial City lay hidden. No sound came from within the house. Only the wind moved through the bamboo.

Below the main hall lay Shuang Sheng Chi.

The Twin Birth Pond was a contradiction that the old gardeners had long stopped trying to explain. Lotus and peony grew from the same water. Pink lotus stood tall on slender stems above the lily pads, their buds tight against the cold, while on the bank, peonies pushed their heavy heads forward, crimson and blush, petals loose and trembling. Three koi cut through the clear water, orange and white, leaving brief, vanishing ripples. A stone bridge, dark with moss, arched over the narrowest part. Willow branches hung low enough to brush the mist.

At the end of the path stood the gate.

Qing Tao Bie Yuan. The Clear Peach Retreat. Its doors were rosewood, painted red and studded with eighty-one golden nails, closed. Above it, a black plaque bore its name in gold. From the upturned eaves hung four Feng Lings — wind chimes in the shape of phoenixes standing on bronze pipes. When the wind touched them they sang, a clear, lonely ding-ling that carried across the empty courtyard. Petals had gathered thick on the steps, as if no foot had passed there for days.

In the peony courtyard, a girl stood among the flowers.

It was her eighteenth birthday.

Su Lian wore a red hanfu with wide sapphire-blue sleeves, the front embroidered with a golden phoenix rising from hem to chest, its tail dissolving into clouds and peonies. Her hair was long and straight and black, reaching past her waist, and in it sat the phoenix crown her mother had left her — gold, fierce, wings outspread, a pearl in its beak, with long blue silk tassels hanging past her shoulders and red coral peonies pinned at the sides. She did not move. The morning light fell on the gold of her crown and the gold of her dress.

Around her, peonies opened. Pink, red, white, all wet with dew. Behind her, the Lotus Pavilion's lanterns swayed, and on one of them, a small wooden plaque swung gently. It read: Eighteenth Birth — Coming of Age Rite. Someone had hung it before sunrise.

Far beyond the gate, beyond the peach corridor where petals still fell, a faint line of dust rose against the pale sky.

A faint line of dust rose against the pale sky

Someone was coming from the Imperial City.

At first it was just a line, thin like ink brushed across the horizon. Then it got thicker. The wind was blowing it forward, and with it came a sound that Su Lian had heard three times before. Hooves. One horse running too fast.

He entered Tao Hua Lang without slowing. A dragon guard in black armor, a yellow flag on his back with black dragon on it. The flag was snapping loud. Petals exploded around him as he rode, sticking to his armor, to his horse's legs. He didnt look at the peach blossoms, dragon guards never look. He rode straight past the Twin Birth Pond where the koi dived deep and disappeared, past the Lotus Pavilion where the small wooden plaque for her birthday was still swinging.

He stopped before the Vermilion Gate. The gate was closed. He jumped down and his boots crushed the pink snow on the steps.

Inside, Mama Zhou was already on her knees.

She had been kneeling since she heard the first hoof. Her old knees hurt, but she didnt stand. Her blue apron was dusty with petals that had blown in. She kept looking at the open doors, at the dust outside that was now bigger. She knew what four decrees meant in this empire. Three times you can say you are sick. Fourth time you are traitor.

The dust outside was bigger now. Inside the hall, petals kept blowing in through open doors and landing around Mama Zhou's knees. She was still on her knees, old hands tight on blue apron, looking at the open doors. The dragon guard knelt on one knee before the low rosewood table, golden scroll held high in both hands. His black armor was dusty from riding fast through Tao Hua Lang. He did not move. He was waiting for the owner of this house.

She stepped into the hall from the side room .. golden phoenix crown with long blue tassels and pearl in beak. Long black hair past waist. Her small black shoes with golden phoenix crushed petals silently. Her shadow fell over the golden silk on the table. Her hand was pale, no rings, fingertips hovering just above the red dragon seal. She did not touch yet. The petal on the seal trembled from her breath

Outside the main hall doors, the courtyard was no longer empty. Through the doorway you could see many yellow dragon flags, black armored soldiers standing in rows. Peach petals fell on their helmets and stuck. The mist from Yu Feng Shan still hung over the roofs behind them. No one spoke, no horse neighed. They stood still like stone statues, but their flags snapped hard in wind. The rumble she heard before was this — many feet, many horses, now stopped.

Then wind came from the bamboo grove behind the manor. It hit the four bronze phoenix wind chimes under the eaves. For three years they had made soft ding-ling in morning wind. Now they screamed. Bronze phoenixes clanged hard against jade discs, blue tassels flying straight out like they wanted to break. Petals tore from peach trees and flew sideways into hall. Mama Zhou covered her ears with old hands. The sound hurt.

Her fingers pressed. The red wax seal was still warm from the courier's chest, softer than she thought. It cracked under her nails with a small sound, like thin ice breaking on Twin Birth Pond in winter. The dragon coiled in wax split in two. Red pieces fell on golden silk. One petal that had been stuck on seal fell too, now stained with red wax. Her hand shook a little. The decree was open now.

On the rosewood table, the broken seal lay scattered. Big piece with broken dragon character, small red crumbs around it. Next to it the golden silk lay open, black ink sharp against gold. The edges were embroidered with two dragons chasing a pearl. Incense smoke from the corner curled around the red pieces. The characters were written by imperial brush, each stroke pressed deep. The words were short. Shorter than the three decrees before.

She lifted the scroll with both hands and read. The blue tassels from her crown brushed her cheeks. Her long hair moved with wind blowing through hall. Her brows pulled together, small crease between them. Her eyes was worried, not angry. She read once, then again, because her eyes did not want to believe. The silk was heavy, cold. Behind her, the wind chimes kept screaming without stopping.

She turned and looked out window, scroll still in hands. From inside you could see the courtyard full of black armor and yellow flags, peach trees above them losing petals fast. The same peach corridor she walked every morning since she was child was full. Her reflection in window was pale. The golden phoenix on her crown looked dull in this light. Her hands tightened inside blue sleeves.

Behind her on the table, three blue and white porcelain teacups shook. Tea spilled over, splashing on old wood. Next to them the broken red seal shook too, small pieces jumping with each distant hoof that still came through dust. Peach petals landed in spilled tea and floated. The whole hall smelled of tea, wax, sandalwood and dust. Mama Zhou was still kneeling, looking at shaking cups, not at soldiers.

In courtyard, a tall man dismounted from black horse. His black dragon armor had golden dragon on chest and shoulders, black cape with golden embroidery flying behind. Yellow dragon flags snapped behind him. Peach petals fell on his shoulders but he did not brush them. His face was cold, serious, eyes looking straight at main hall doors. He did not hurry. He knew the manor could not run away. His boots crushed pink snow on stone steps.

More horses came behind him, rows and rows, lining up before Vermilion Gate. They did not ride fast like first guard. They rode slow, steady. The pink snow that had gathered thick on steps for days disappeared under many hooves. The air was full of dust and petals mixing together, yellow and pink. The sound of wind chimes was now under sound of many horses breathing.

He was still kneeling at threshold. Black dragon armor with golden dragon on chest, black cape was still flying a little because wind keep coming from bamboo grove behind. He dont look up first, head bowed, shoulders big, blocking half doorway. Behind him whole courtyard was kneeling too, armor clanging same time when they kneel. Petals fell on his black hair topknot with golden pin. No one breathe loud. Same morning, same dust.

Inside hall, Mama Zhou came close and pull her sleeve. Old hands rough, tight, shaking more than Su Lian's hands. She was wearing same blue apron she wear every day since Su Lian was baby. "Xiao Jie, Xiao Jie you must say something, they will think you refuse again" she whisper. Her white hair messy from wind, eyes red not from crying but from dust. She was more than maid, she was family. She raised Su Lian when mother gone. She was scared but still standing near her.

Her hands inside wide sapphire blue sleeves was shaking bad. She clenched fists inside sleeves so soldiers wont see shaking. On rosewood table, broken red seal was still there, pieces scattered, some stuck in spilled tea. She feel cold fingers even though it was spring morning.

She step forward one step. Then another. Blue tassels from crown sway left and right when she move, brushing her cheeks. Petals on floor crushed under her black shoes with golden phoenix, but she make no sound. The main hall was same hall where this morning she and Mama Zhou was drinking tea and talking about making osmanthus cake, playful talk. Now hall feel big and empty and cold because many eyes was looking from courtyard. Her heart was beating loud like drum.

He lift head slowly. Their eyes meet in doorway. His eyes was dark, cold like black ice, but not cruel. There was tired line under them, like he also not sleep many nights riding through Tao Hua Lang. For one second his cold face soften a little when he see her shaking hands inside blue sleeves. Petals fell between them, pink falling slow. She quickly look away because her cheeks feel hot suddenly. Mama Zhou saw this and make small smile even though she scare, because young miss never look at any boy like this before.

In her head, a memory come same time, even though she still standing in same hall. When she was 6 years old, same peony courtyard but summer, not spring. She and Li Mei, her only friend from village, was playing in peonies, laughing, wearing small red hanfu same color. Mama Zhou was younger then, in same blue apron, shouting "Don't step on flowers!" but laughing too. They was so playful, putting peonies on head like crown. That was before Li Mei married and move far. Now garden outside trampled by boots.

On rosewood table behind her, three blue and white porcelain teacups was still shaking. Tea spilled more, making brown stain on old wood, mixing with peach petals. One cup roll but not break. Broken red dragon seal jumped little when wind come through doors. It was same table where this morning tea was hot and sweet. Now tea was cold, petals floating in spilled tea. Mama Zhou still kneeling near table, looking at shaking cups, not at soldiers outside. Her hands tight on apron.

Outside through big doorway you could see courtyard full of black armored soldiers kneeling with yellow dragon banners, peach petals covering stone ground like dirty pink snow now. Mist from Yu Feng mountains behind was still there, but flags cut through mist. They was all kneeling, heads bowed, waiting for her answer. No bird sound. Only wind chimes screaming from eaves. The whole world was waiting for one girl in same red dress with golden phoenix to speak one word.

Beyond Vermilion Gate, a black palanquin was waiting. It had yellow dragon curtains, thick and heavy, embroidered with golden dragons. Black horses in front, black armor drivers standing still. It was empty. It was for her. Curtains moved a little in wind, like it was breathing. Peach blossoms fell on its roof and stayed. She had never ride palanquin before, only walk through Tao Hua Lang on foot. Now they bring palanquin to take her away same morning, no time to pack.

She still holding golden decree in both hands. Same decree she broke seal in Episode 2, same golden silk with black ink. She read it again in head, words short and cold, same as before. Her face was worried, brows pulled together, small crease between them. Wind blew through hall, making her long black hair move, blue tassels tangled. She dont know what to do. If she say no, Mama Zhou and manor become traitor. If she say yes, she leave home she never left since child.

The four bronze phoenix wind chimes under eaves was still screaming. Not soft ding-ling like three years before. Now they clanged hard, bronze phoenixes hitting jade discs, blue tassels flying straight out like they want to break. Petals tore from peach trees and flew sideways into hall, landing on her red hanfu with golden phoenix embroidery. The sound hurt ears. It was same chimes that used to sing when mother was alive. Now they scream like warning.

She stand alone in doorway now, in same red hanfu with wide sapphire blue sleeves and golden phoenix crown with blue tassels, long black hair past waist, small black shoes with golden phoenix. Whole courtyard kneeling before her, General kneeling at threshold, Mama Zhou kneeling inside. She dont say yes, she dont say no. She just stand there, hands shaking inside blue sleeves, looking at black palanquin outside Vermilion Gate. Morning still morning, sun not yet high.