Chapter 1, A Crime That Cannot Be Forgiven

Her cell is clean, and no one else has been brought in, yet she constantly smells this foul odor

The wind howls mournfully over the snow-covered city, emitting a faint whimper, as the entire capital loses its color, withering away in the wind into a tragic ink wash painting.

The hour of noon has arrived," the execution officer shouted

The city walls remain desolate, and a person like her, who has committed patricide and regicide, with no home and no country, ultimately must depart in such a forlorn manner, deserving of her fate, with no grounds for defense

Perhaps she is guilty of heinous crimes, utterly unable to reincarnate, eternally trapped within decaying bones? Forever sinking into darkness and solitude?

It has come to the point where the knife is at her throat, and all notions of love and hate have vanished. She simply feels that, regardless of whether his feelings for her are insincere or if he is one to burn bridges after crossing them, he should come. Whoever does not come, he should still come.

In fact, the time is very short, from the clouds to the mire, from life to death, merely ten days; yet she feels it is very long, so long that she has become desperate and numb, losing her perception of the surroundings, her mind filled only with wails, curses, and foul odors

Lan Dan lowered her eyes, and without needing to look, she knew that those who could scold her in such a manner were certainly common folk. She had heard the new court's verdict against her, which was eloquently articulated and filled with literary flair, using carefully chosen words to accuse her of patricide and regicide, of harboring the dark and biased tendencies of a mere woman, bringing calamity to the people, and overturning the previous dynasty. After all those ostentatious phrases, was it not just to reiterate the two sentences spoken by the old man earlier?

Lan Dan waited, the time for the knife to fall felt incomprehensibly long. Suddenly, she became worried. When she eventually saw her father, the emperor, her mother, and others, would saying an apology feel too insipid? Perhaps she would directly descend to the eighteenth level of hell, where no one could be seen.

It turns out that it is not allowed

She foolishly indulged in grand delusions, and now she must remain buried underground for eternity to atone for her sins, unable to utter a single cry of injustice or a single sound of pain, all of which she deserves

If it is so, she has no way out; she deserves the most brutal punishment. Having not been subjected to slow slicing or being torn apart before death, this is also without complaint or regret after death

The foul odor is that of decay.

She always feels that she cannot repay him, always wanting to give everything for Shentu Cheng, wanting to reciprocate his heartfelt intentions towards her; at this moment, even the Emperor is not as important as he is

Loneliness... has accompanied her for a full eighteen years

The wind grew stronger, and the snow fell more heavily. Lan Dan felt cold and closed her eyes. The howling wind in her ears and the bone-chilling cold enveloping her inexplicably plunged her into memories—a bright and warm spring, with pink and white peach blossoms blooming all over the mountains. Petals floated in through the window, landing on the table as well. This was the best spring of her life; she had finally met that person—someone who cherished and adored her.

Lan Huang is indeed well-suited to this noble name, born as a magnificent and proud phoenix, beautiful, intelligent, skilled in music, adept at painting, and capable of singing and dancing... Lan Dan truly does not know what she lacks or what is not good about her, as if the heavens have bestowed upon her all the spirit and beauty. Being compared to someone like Lan Huang, one cannot even feel jealousy, for one is genuinely convinced.

It is quite inexplicable; these are all living royal relatives and nobles, not yet deceased, so where does the stench of decay come from? Perhaps it is the pervasive scent that accompanies the fall of a dynasty

The city tower appeared exceptionally gloomy and solemn amidst the wind and snow, perhaps reflecting her own troubled emotions, as the palace looked quite desolate... In the past... when she was still Princess Danyang, she would occasionally accompany her brothers to the tower to watch the executions of criminals. The Crown Prince often wore a disdainful expression, coldly scoffing that it was merely the death of a criminal from the Great Min, and that there would always be more outstanding and superior individuals to take their place. However, the Fifth Brother would show a hint of regret, saying that this person had some strategic insight, but had merely taken a wrong step; otherwise, it would have been good to have him in their service. The Seventh and Ninth Brothers would chime in agreement. As a princess who was not favored, her thoughts tended to be more delicate and perceptive. Lan Dan vaguely sensed that the Fifth Brother harbored some disloyal intentions, and during moments of boredom, she would secretly ponder what she would do if that day ever came... Ironically, before the Fifth Brother could take any action, she had already handed over the vast territory of the Great Min to Shen Tu Cheng herself, and now, it seemed, no one in the Xiao family needed to worry anymore.

Wailing, cursing, and foul odors constitute death

Now it is her turn to be executed publicly, her head severed from her body, yet there is not a single acquaintance to witness the spectacle, as everyone is likely preoccupied with their own troubles

Lan Dan tried to move, but not a single part of her body responded, and she felt extremely heavy, with a tightness in her chest. Well, she must have been buried. But why was she still in her body? Wasn't she supposed to walk the path of crimson flames, meet her father and others at the Platform of Longing, and then face the consequences of her actions?

Is she dead

Because she is truly too ordinary, too dull

Decapitation is not a method of execution for royal sinners, but now it is the case in Dayan, and she is no longer a member of the royal family. In just ten days, she has already been reduced to a remnant of the previous dynasty, and is branded as a heinous criminal who poisoned her sovereign father. Both moral and legal codes cannot tolerate her; in both the new and old dynasties, she is a villain whose crimes are unforgivable.

Lan Dan smiled slightly, understanding that he had been escorting her all the way to the road of the underworld

But... isn't Shentu Cheng coming to see her off?

It is difficult to specify exactly where the pain is; it seems to be everywhere. She has no other option but to endure, unable to utter a sound.

Lan Dan ultimately could not help but raise her eyes to glance at the audience below, then turned her head to look at the distant city tower... At this point, she still did not understand why she needed to confirm once more, indeed no one had come to see her off on her final journey

In the depths of her heart, she also wishes to become a girl like the one from lanhuang mhetushu . comcom, cherished by all. Her father cannot provide that for her, can Shentu Cheng?

Thus, she spent the happiest summer and autumn of her eighteen years, experiencing for the first time that life could be filled with hope and joy. Her palace, her sky, seemed to suddenly brighten. She had been trudging along in difficulty and numbness, unsure of her direction, when suddenly someone took her hand and began to run, so light and excited. She thought they would keep running like this, to a more beautiful and better place...! ... Winter came, and she stared at him, listening to him say with his own mouth: To avenge the Emperor and settle the score!

The admiration of Young Master Shentu was, for her, like a brilliant meteor cutting through the dark night, sweeping away the gloom of her eighteen years, along with all the bitterness and sorrow. She was utterly astonished and filled with trepidation.

The people around him quickly nudged him, as nowadays mentioning "Da Min" seems to invoke the taboo of the authorities, so it is naturally better to say less about it

She was buried underground

Pah! An old man with half-white hair spat loudly, "Even a father would be poisoned by such a beast! The Great Min Dynasty is doomed at the hands of such a woman!"

Although she had never received great favor, she was after all a princess living in luxury within the deep palace, how could she possibly know what the stench of decay was? However, once she was thrown into the prison, and in an instant the dynasty changed, she came to understand.

It turns out that the place he intends to take her is here, the platform used for beheading

The Emperor has nine princes and twelve princesses. Among the princes, the most favored are the Crown Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Ninth Prince. Among the princesses, the most distinguished is Princess Lanhuang, born of the Empress, while her sisters are named after colors; she, however, chose the homophone "Huang". The extent of the Emperor and Empress's favor towards her is evident.

He referred to the sovereign as her father, and he intended to kill her, Xue Hen. Then, he would rightfully become the emperor and establish the Dayan Kingdom

The dark, heavy clouds hung low, and sparse snowflakes drifted down with the wind, striking against Lan Dan's face with a sharp sting. She knelt in the center of the high platform, listening to the executioner behind her spraying wine onto the long knife. As a princess, she had experienced countless kneelings—kneeling to others and having others kneel to her. Little did she expect that the final kneel of her life would be like this. She did not feel desolate, nor was she afraid; she only felt a sense of liberation

Lan Dan felt that she should have long been accustomed to loneliness and to being overlooked, but when the opportunity to escape these circumstances arose, the desire and enthusiasm she displayed surprised even herself

The blade approached her neck coldly, and she felt no pain, only the sensation of her entire being falling onto the icy, bone-chilling snow

There was neither sound nor light, and as time passed, she felt lonely again

As the executioner raised the knife, the wind swept across the blade, producing a sharp ringing sound

Lan Dan could not move, and everything before her was pitch black, accompanied by intense pain

From the high platform, the spectators are few and far between. The world has suddenly changed; the imperial power has shifted. Which day do we not see a few remnants of the previous dynasty being dragged out and executed? It has become nothing new.