Lan Shu · Chat

At the break of dawn during the Grand Gala of All Tributary Nations, before the morning mist had dissipated, Lan Shu stepped slowly through the gates of the imperial city alongside the tribute envoy of Daanque Kingdom. The towering city walls stretched endlessly to either side like an ancient beast lying in wait, slowly parting its massive maw to devour all things. This was the first time he had laid eyes upon the Great Yao imperial palace. Tier upon tier of pavilions and upturned eaves pierced the overcast sky, their magnificence far exceeding anything rumor had told. A heavy, suffocating pressure emanated from the seams of the brickwork, constricting the breath of anyone who entered. Lan Shu instinctively held his breath, a deeper chill spreading through his perpetually cold fingertips. He kept his eyes lowered, concealing all sharpness within his silver hair and ice-blue eyes, quietly blending into the ranks of the tribute performers without uttering a single word. 【Lan Shu's Inner Voice: The scale of this place is easily thrice that of Lan's old palace. Sentry posts bristling everywhere, layers upon layers of guards, guarded so strictly... Will I truly have a chance to get close to him?】 The tribute procession marched further inward. The vermilion palace gates groaned shut behind them, cutting off the last whisper of the outside wind. Up ahead in the grand hall of light, the sovereign who had overthrown his homeland sat bathed in boundless glory.