Since returning to the imperial capital, Shen Han had changed.
Those who served beside him in the court of Hua noticed the difference almost immediately, though none of them could have explained precisely what had changed. On the surface, he remained the same disciplined soldier who had spent years protecting the empire and now serving as regent. His manner was still composed, his voice steady during discussions in the court, and his conduct toward the throne never once crossed the line of disrespect.
Yet beneath that calm exterior, something within him had hardened.
The journey to Tughril had forced him to accept a truth he had never imagined facing.
Lian Zhi had chosen another man.
Even now, when the memory of her standing beneath the flowering branches of the palace garden returned to his mind, Shen Han could still hear the certainty in her voice when she said she had already made her decision.
She had chosen the Khan.
