During her qì-recuperation in Chang'an, Zetian fills her evenings with lessons from Wan'er and dinners with Taiping, who gradually grows subdued under the revolution's pressure. When Taiping's friend is arrested under the Mutual Responsibility Unit policy for failing to report fleeing neighbors, Zetian refuses to grant a pardon, citing fairness and the rising boldness of reactionaries emboldened by Kong Zhuxi's presence—sabotage of armories, factories, rails, and roads has spread.

Zetian competes with Qin Zheng over staying awake, since disconnecting from his dream realm unleashes nightmares of those she's lost and, increasingly, Shimin's traumatic memories of his childhood apartment in Longxi. Determined to strengthen her spiritual link to Shimin to eventually hunt the Heavenly Court, she decides to visit the apartment in person, accompanied by Yizhi (in Wan'er disguise) and bodyguard Qieluo.

En route, traffic stalls due to a reactionary truck bombing. Zetian seizes the photo op, revealing herself to soldiers and paramedics while Yizhi films her denouncing the reactionaries for sabotaging food supplies. She reflects that Zhuge Liang and Kong Zhuxi must be eliminated before the gods can be challenged.

Arriving in Longxi, Zetian recognizes the city through Shimin's memories. The apartment has been converted into a tacky tourist attraction recreating the murder scene. Inside, she experiences overlapping visions—Shimin's father's fatal attack, his brother Jiancheng's death—but also tender mundane memories of Shimin's childhood with his father and brothers.

Qieluo tactfully steps outside to give them privacy. Yizhi shows Zetian photos he extracted from Shimin's distant relatives, particularly his uncle Li Zhi, the only one who spoke kindly of him. They share laughter over Shimin's awkward photos, then quietly mourn together, hands close but not touching, grieving the pieces Shimin left behind in them both.