The Crown Prince’s face changed in an instant, and he immediately moved toward the door. “Divine Physician Yu is still in the palace — have someone fetch him at once.”
This was the inner palace, where the others could not follow. Even Hua Zhi could not enter the inner sanctum without a summons.
In his urgency, the Crown Prince remembered this. He turned back and gave his instructions: “Wait here for word. Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor — if anything arises that this subject cannot return in time to address, I leave the judgment to you both.”
Both gave their assent.
With the Crown Prince gone, the others gathered once more around the terrain model, searching its faithfully rendered topography for anything that might be suspicious.
Hua Zhi looked up abruptly and addressed Chen Yuanqing, the Minister of War. “With the need for troops pressing across all fronts, has the Ministry of War conducted another round of conscription?”
Chen Yuanqing nodded. “Three rounds within a short span of time.”
Three rounds. Hua Zhi’s thoughts drifted for a moment. Ancient wars were fought by filling the gaps with lives — how many households had already lost a husband, a son, a father. She had no power to stop it. First she had to ensure enough troops to hold the enemy at the borders, to keep the people alive — and yet as someone sitting behind multiple layers of protection, in the position of one above, she could not feel entirely at peace with that.
The Grand Preceptor took up the pointer and traced shapes across the terrain model. “The Crown Prince resides in the Hall of Quiet Mind. Might they be concealed in the area closest to it? As the Grand Tutor said — the most dangerous place is the safest…”
“Wait.” Hua Zhi raised her hand and cut in, heedless of rank, brows drawn tightly together. “The most dangerous place is the safest — which means, turned the other way…”
Hua Zhi slapped herself across the face. She spun toward the door at a run, shouting as she went: “His Highness is in danger! Alert the Seven Lodges Division — bring the black powder to the Palace of Blessed Longevity at once!”
Turned around, that meant — the safest place is the most dangerous place!
The room snapped to attention. Every face went pale. The Grand Preceptor darted outside and seized the nearest palace attendant, relaying Hua Zhi’s words and adding one of his own: “And send word to Fu Gang — have him bring his men there immediately!”
The palace attendant, reduced to a trembling wreck by the sight of the ordinarily composed and measured Grand Preceptor in such a state, fell over himself with confirmations and scrambled away at a stumbling run.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince had already arrived at the Palace of Blessed Longevity. He did not harbour a single doubt about Yuxiang — who would think to suspect a servant who had devoted her entire life to her mistress? And yet he had been raised in the depths of this palace, and Hua Zhi had drilled wariness into him for years — his instincts were intact. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, something felt wrong. He did not stop to think — following his instincts, he immediately stepped back.
At that moment, Shadow One appeared. “Your Highness — this subordinate has failed you. We are surrounded.”
“If they were easily found, they would not have managed to hide this long.” The Crown Prince looked at Yuxiang, who had followed him back out, his face tight with anger he did not release. He only asked, in a measured voice: “How is my grandmother?”
Yuxiang smiled — and it was nothing like her usual warmth. The tender, elder-to-child gentleness was gone from her eyes. Yet she had been a servant so long that the habit of deference still clung to her posture, and she answered in the manner of one below. “The Crown Prince may go in and see for himself. This servant still remembers — when Consort Zhen passed, it was the Empress Dowager who brought Your Highness to this very palace. Will you not go in and see her now? Perhaps this is the last chance you will have.”
The Crown Prince did not take the bait. Hua Zhi would notice something was wrong — he only needed to buy time. “This subject has suspected many people, and yet never imagined the one inside the palace would be you, Nanny Yuxiang. To spend a lifetime in service so that a great cause might be achieved — Nanny is truly a person suited for great things. And yet this subject cannot help but be curious: you and the Empress Dowager have weathered decades side by side. Is there truly not even a trace of reluctance in you?”
Yuxiang lowered her head with a smile and smoothed a strand of hair at her temple. There was still something in that gesture that suggested she had once been a lovely young woman. “Your Highness said it himself — a lifetime of service. Whatever trust she placed in me, whatever regard she showed — all of it was bought with the whole of my life. Why should I feel reluctance? I feel only relief.”
Yuxiang’s expression grew agitated. “I can finally leave this cursed place. I am going home — to my homeland. Even if all that is there is water and more water, no palace grandeur, none of the dazzling splendor of the capital, it is still the place that has haunted my dreams, and there is still…”
Something seemed to catch in her mind. Yuxiang cut herself off abruptly, her expression tightening. “Begin.”
From places that had seemed empty, figures emerged one after another. In a short time there were a great many of them pressing in — the Crown Prince did a rough count and estimated at least fifty visible, with no telling how many more were still hidden in the dark. That so many enemies had been concealed within this very palace, all this time, and he had been entirely unaware—
The thought alone sent a chill down the Crown Prince’s spine. He vowed, then and there: this would never happen again. When this palace was his to control, nothing like this would be permitted a second time.
Of course — that was contingent on there being a second time.
Shadow One sent a series of hand signals. A portion of the shadow guards materialized and formed a protective ring around the Crown Prince. Shadow One lowered his voice: “Hold them off as long as possible.”
The Crown Prince had a dagger in his hand as well. After seeing the Grand Tutor always carry one for protection, he had taken to doing the same. He had never expected it to be useful this night — not for striking enemies, but when the moment came, perhaps he could at least land an extra blow.
Hua Zhi was running at the fastest pace she had managed in her life, and as she ran, she silently berated herself. How could she have been so blind? Of all the places in this palace, where would be safer than the Palace of Blessed Longevity, where the Empress Dowager resided — not even a search that turned the entire palace upside down would have reached that place!
She should have thought of it. She should have seen it sooner!
She glanced around quickly as she ran, caught sight of a palace maid, and stopped her with a sharp command: “Go immediately and bring Gu Yanze to the Palace of Blessed Longevity. Move!”
“Yes — yes, right away!”
Leaning against a corridor pillar to catch a ragged breath, Hua Zhi pushed forward again. As she passed down a long covered walkway, she could already hear faint sounds drifting from ahead. Her heart clenched — then loosened.
He was still alive!
Only if he were alive would the shadow guards be fighting this fiercely for him!
She took another step forward — and then stopped, turning to look behind her. Wind-lanterns swayed in the darkness, shapes shifting and flickering, but not a soul in sight. Of course — from here onward there was no one. Not a single maid or palace attendant remained. They had all been, in all likelihood, quietly removed.
Hua Zhi pressed her lips together and ran on. The clash of blades grew sharper and closer. When at last she reached the scene, she felt some of the urgency drain from her. The shadow guards were not ordinary fighters — her throwing herself in with her limited abilities would not meaningfully change anything. What she needed to find was the Strategist. Deal with him — just deal with him — and the crisis facing Great Qing tonight would be more than half resolved.
Keeping carefully to the shadows, she surveyed the fierce fighting on both sides. It appeared the shadow guards had not all revealed themselves — half were engaged openly, while the other half struck from the dark. The Chaoli fighters had to guard against attacks from concealment, which was why, despite their numerical advantage, they had not been able to bring the Crown Prince down.
And the Crown Prince — Hua Zhi watched him and felt something that was not far from pride. A young boy of no more than twelve, and yet in the midst of all of this, not a shadow of fear crossed his face. He moved precisely in coordination with the shadow guards, dagger in hand, eyes unwavering. She liked that look in his eyes.