Imperial Throne Hall – Morning Court

Scrolls rustled. Officials bowed low. The Emperor sat upon his dragon throne, face unreadable beneath his heavy jade crown.

Crown Prince Li Shenzhao stood at the center, calmly addressing grain reforms, taxation, and border patrol movements—his voice as measured as a tide. But today, the Emperor wasn’t listening to the words.

He was watching the woman seated behind the inner court screen.

Shen Lianhua.

Eyes lowered. Posture perfect. Every gesture the picture of refinement.
But there was something in her stillness. Something sharper than obedience.

“She commands the room without a word,” the Emperor murmured to his chief minister.

“Shall I investigate her lineage further, Your Majesty?” the minister asked.

“No,” the Emperor said. “Let her move. I want to see what kind of flame the Crown Prince has chosen to warm his future.”

Elsewhere – Zhou Manor, Underground Room

Zhou Mei paced the dark cellar beneath her home, lit only by a single lantern. Across from her sat a cloaked figure, hands stained with ink and blood.

“I need a way in,” Mei said. “To her. Her guards are too loyal. Her movements too protected.”

The figure tapped long fingers against the table. “You’re asking for something delicate. Something… deniable.”

“Exactly.”

“And what will you trade?”

Mei hesitated, then removed a silver pin from her sleeve. An imperial sigil stolen months ago from a drunk official. The figure’s eyes glinted.

“Then we have a deal.”

That Night – Crown Princess’s Quarters

Lianhua walked the inner garden with Li Shenzhao, moonlight spilling across the stones.

“My father is watching you now,” he said. “He trusts few who rise quickly.”

“Then let him watch,” she said. “I have nothing to hide.”

He stopped, then turned to her fully.

“But you do have something to lose.”

She looked up at him, heart steady.

“Not if I stand beside the one man no one dares to betray.”

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then: “You’re not afraid of my father?”

“I’ve already died once. Why would I fear an Emperor when I’ve defeated ghosts?”

He stared at her. A breath, a flicker of something more in his gaze.

Then he smiled—rare, and real.

“Good. Because I’ve begun to fear what I’d become without you.”

Later – Shadows in the Hall

A masked servant passed unnoticed through the palace kitchens, a lacquered tray in hand.

Inside, one porcelain teacup gleamed with pale powder—nearly invisible under its lid.