Yusang reached out to touch the jade bracelet Yan Qige had given her, and the fear and terror in her heart diminished slightly. She stepped forward and reached out to push the palace gate, but was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled back several steps. At the same time, the palace gate she had just touched burst into flames – but the firelight was ghostly blue, not conspicuous, causing no damage to the gate’s wooden materials yet radiating scorching heat that pressed against people, clearly not ordinary flames.

Yusang felt cold sweat break out on her back. Looking behind her, she saw Yan Qige’s face.

“This is netherworld flame, specifically designed to ward off demons and evil spirits.” Yan Qige released her hand and stepped forward, making two strokes on the door, and the flames immediately disappeared.

“Weren’t you accompanying the emperor at chess?”

Yan Qige habitually didn’t answer Yusang’s question. He pushed open the hall door with his hand, surveying the interior while saying, “We have to return in half an hour – we need to hurry.”

Yan Qige summoned the Soul Collector lantern to carry in his hand as he entered the hall. Yusang followed closely behind. After entering, she discovered this was a Buddhist hall with a golden statue of a bodhisattva over three zhang tall in the center, an incense table below with three tripods holding various fruit offerings, and prayer cushions for Buddhist worship scattered on the floor.

“Go look at the second lotus petal at the bodhisattva’s feet.” Yan Qige commanded Yusang while raising the lantern higher and looking around.

Yusang made a sound of acknowledgment and felt her way forward in the dark. She groped around under the golden statue, counted carefully, and found the second lotus petal. Testing it with her hand, she discovered it could move.

“It can move…” As Yusang spoke, she casually triggered the mechanism. Before she could finish her sentence, the ground beneath her feet gave way, and she fell into the trap.

Yusang landed painfully and looked up with a groan to see an opening like a skylight above her, about five zhang high. Yan Qige was crouched at the opening, holding the lantern, looking down at her.

“You did that on purpose.” Yusang glared up at him angrily.

Yan Qige illuminated below with the lantern, then leaped down himself. After steadying himself, he extended his hand toward Yusang with a faint smile, saying, “I only told you to find it – I never said to tamper with it.”

“Sophistry.” Yusang heavily grasped Yan Qige’s hand and stood up, rolling her eyes without good humor.

Yan Qige showed a slight smile and didn’t retaliate. He turned to illuminate the surroundings with the lantern, then headed toward a passageway, saying, “Let’s go. Don’t touch anything here randomly.”

Yusang snorted to show her dissatisfaction, but didn’t stop walking, following behind Yan Qige. Entering the passage, they felt along the cold cave walls, moving forward. The further they went, the more penetrating the cold became. The path underfoot continued downward, and later, both walls had seepage, making the ground wet and slippery.

Yusang walked extremely carefully but still slipped when stepping on a piece of bluestone and fell. Fortunately, Yan Qige was quick with his hands and eyes, promptly turning to catch her shoulder. Yusang borrowed his strength and was about to steady herself when, unexpectedly, she slipped forward again, pulling Yan Qige with her against the cave wall. Without warning, their noses brushed against each other, and their lips grazed past each other’s faces.

Silence. Both froze there rigidly, staring blankly at each other’s faces in the light of the Soul Collector lantern. Yan Qige’s breathing rhythm fell warmly on her face, making Yusang’s face burn like fire, her heartbeat like war drums.

A small flickering flame rose in the Soul Collector lantern, and only then did the two seem to wake up in alarm. Yusang hurriedly stepped back but was suddenly grabbed by the hand.

“Be careful.”

“Oh.” Yusang squeezed out a single word, feeling her face and ears burning hot.

“Let’s go, we’re almost there.” Yan Qige turned to continue forward, but the hand holding Yusang’s never let go again.

Yusang looked down at her hand being led forward, unconsciously tightening her grip slightly. The two walked forward wordlessly. After a short while, they reached a stone door. Yan Qige skillfully found a movable mechanism behind a protruding stone. As the stone door opened with a rumbling sound, everything before their eyes couldn’t help but shock Yusang.

An underground hall several dozen zhang wide was built in a回-shaped layout. The outer layer was a circle of flowing water, with a marble platform built in the center. On the platform stood a palace model. Yusang walked closer and discovered it was a miniature model of Huadu’s imperial palace. Craning her neck for a more careful look, she was so frightened she stepped back half a pace. The model had lights and moving people inside, even the wind blowing through treetops was identical. No matter how unintelligent Yusang might be, she understood this was not a simple palace model.

“This is a phantom realm barrier.” Yan Qige saw Yusang’s surprise and spoke to explain.

A phantom realm barrier, as the name suggests, is a shadow-like barrier. Such barriers all use existing real objects as material, creating an identical replica. If someone were cast into this kind of barrier, unless someone deliberately broke the barrier or found the person inside to bring them out, the trapped person would very likely lose their sanity inside, unable to distinguish reality from the barrier, forever trapped within.

“Who would build such a barrier in the imperial palace?” Yusang turned to look at Yan Qige.

Yan Qige didn’t speak, only frowned slightly as he looked at the barrier. He stepped forward, curved his fingers to recite an incantation, lightly traced to tear open a small opening above the barrier, then affixed a yellow talisman to the opening to prevent the barrier from collapsing before saying, “In the past, the Empress Dowager had kindness toward me. Ten years ago, when she was dying, she wanted to see the late emperor once more and asked me to build this barrier. I sent her soul into the barrier to let her repeat her former life inside. In a few more days, it will be ten years, and then I must break this barrier to let her enter reincarnation.”

“Building such a barrier must be very difficult – how did you manage it?” Yusang examined the barrier, finding it more complex the more she looked. Without powerful spiritual support, it could never take form.

“Have you never seen this barrier before?” Yan Qige turned to look at Yusang, a strange expression in his eyes.

Yusang frowned, not understanding why Yan Qige asked this, saying, “What do you mean? Didn’t I just come here with you?”

Yan Qige parted his lips as if wanting to speak but hesitating. In the end, he still said nothing, saying, “Forget it, perhaps I mistook you for someone else. Let’s go.”

Yan Qige led Yusang out by the path they had come. When they reached the mechanism where they had fallen, Yan Qige manipulated something on the wall, and a stone door appeared before them. When the stone door opened, Yusang was immediately dazzled by the bright light outside and raised her hand to shield her eyes.

When Yusang lowered her hand to look again, before her was the east wing room where she had been resting. She lay in bed, properly covered with an azure brocade quilt, with sunlight streaming in through the window. Looking to the side, there wasn’t half a trace of Yan Qige’s shadow anywhere – everything was like a dream.

The morning meal was delivered to her room by palace maids. The imperial kitchen’s skills were naturally excellent. After eating, Yusang felt she should take her leave from the palace. Just as she was thinking this, Consort Chen’s palace maid arrived, saying Consort Chen had invited her to the flower garden for tea.

Shanglin Flower Garden was on the east side of the imperial palace’s Imperial Garden, quite close to Consort Chen’s Zhaode Palace. Since Consort Chen entered the palace and gained favor, she had enjoyed undiminished imperial grace. Shanglin Garden had also benefited from Consort Chen’s favor – all varieties of precious flowers and trees had been moved in, providing flowers to appreciate in all four seasons. Now, in early autumn, there were osmanthus flowers and chrysanthemums in clusters scattered on the ground, creating a spectacular and gorgeous sight.