In the palace, the Emperor looked down at the young woman kneeling before him. Her posture was flawless — as though she had long been familiar with every court protocol. Interesting, he thought. Every woman who entered the palace had to spend considerable time learning the proper rituals before she could avoid making errors — and yet this one appeared as though she had been born and raised within these walls.

“I find myself rather curious,” the Emperor said. “The Seven Lodges Bureau apprehended the leader of the Seven Star Sect — so why was there no report to Us, and the matter was handled privately? Can you enlighten Us?”

From the moment she had been brought into the palace without warning, Hao Yue had been calculating her options. She did not know whether it would serve her better to present herself as a transcendent, otherworldly figure with the gift of prophecy — the leader of the Seven Star Sect — or as someone with a measure of ability but no earthly ambitions. In that very moment, she made her choice: the latter.

“In reply to Your Majesty — the head of the Seven Lodges Bureau suspected this commoner of connections to remnants of the Chaoli tribe. This commoner could only try to cooperate as fully as possible, to avoid being accused of being a rebel.”

“Is that so? Only that?” The Emperor thought of Hua Zhi, whom he found so thoroughly disagreeable, and asked with a measure of spite: “There is no private attachment involved?”

Hao Yue wanted to say yes — to confirm the relationship and perhaps prompt the Emperor to arrange a marriage, which would finally give her what she had hoped for. But instinct told her she must not agree. Her identity right now was that of a Seven Star Sect leader with thousands of followers at her peak. The Emperor would never bestow her upon the Seven Lodges Bureau chief, whose power was already towering.

In the space of a breath, her thoughts had turned over many times. She kept her expression perfectly still and said with composure: “This commoner was raised in a common village, but even so, she knows that private, unchaperoned relations between a man and a woman are not proper.”

“You have a proper sense of conduct, at least. Unlike some others.” Born to a family like the Hua household and still conducting herself in such an improper manner — he had no idea how that old man Hua Yizheng had raised her. The very thought of Hua Zhi filled the Emperor with discomfort, and by contrast the woman before him seemed far more agreeable. “Rise and speak.”

“This commoner thanks Your Majesty.”

Hao Yue did not dare reach down to rub her aching knees. She kept her gaze lowered, her expression distant and unreadable, as though she knew neither fear nor desire.

The Emperor found her interesting. He looked at her again, and the longer he looked, the more pleasing her features seemed. A thought began to form. He smiled and said: “Since there is no private attachment, then you shall enter the palace. We issue the decree — Hao Yue is named Noble Lady Yue and shall reside in the Rulan Hall.”

Lai Fu was inwardly startled and quickly bowed his head in acknowledgment. Hao Yue, meanwhile, was frozen.

How — how had this happened? Even if a marriage was to be arranged, she should have been betrothed to an imperial prince. How had it come to — how had she become — an imperial consort?

She stared at the Emperor’s aged and weathered face, and clenched her teeth hard enough to keep herself from screaming. How had she become a consort of the Emperor? No. No. This was wrong. She wouldn’t accept it. She had to see that man. She couldn’t live like this, locked away from daylight. She wouldn’t — she wouldn’t!

She prostrated herself again. With effort she kept her voice level. “This commoner was born a village girl and is unfit for so exalted a position. Please, Your Majesty, take back this decree.”

“A decree once issued cannot be undone. As for being born a village girl…” The Emperor looked at her. “We find your grasp of court etiquette superior to that of many who have newly entered the palace.”

Hao Yue’s composure faltered. She had been careless. A woman from the countryside would never know the rituals of the inner palace — how could she have made such a mistake? What was she to do now?

The Emperor suddenly leaned down and spoke softly near her ear. “Is this unwillingness? Do you find Us too old?”

“This commoner would never dare!” A flash of clarity shot through Hao Yue’s mind. “This commoner only swore an oath in her childhood that she would never marry. Hearing the decree so suddenly, she lost her composure for a moment. This commoner begs Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

The Emperor laughed at that, and personally lifted her to her feet. “We are the Son of Heaven. No oath holds weight before Us.”

“Your Majesty—” Hao Yue raised her head, about to speak, but she found the Emperor’s eyes — smiling though they were — cold as frost, and every word she had intended to say dissolved before it left her throat. She understood with certainty: if she dared say one more word, there would be no good end for her.

The Emperor patted her face lightly. “No need to leave the palace now. Lai Fu — escort Noble Lady Yue to the Rulan Hall. We will rest there this evening.”

“Yes.” Lai Fu bowed and stepped toward Hao Yue. “This old servant pays respects to Noble Lady. My Lady, if you please.”

Hao Yue felt as though her soul had floated free of her body. She watched herself express her gratitude, watched herself take her leave, watched herself step one foot after another toward the Rulan Hall, one step at a time… into the abyss.

This was not how it was supposed to be. None of this was how it was supposed to be. Had Heaven given her this opportunity only to make her play the role of a savior? She should have been married to the head of the Seven Lodges Bureau. She should have. She stared at the palace hall before her — a devouring beast, she thought — and stumbled backward, refusing to go forward. She did not want to be swallowed by this place. She did not want the sunless, lightless existence that awaited her. She refused — she refused — she wanted to see him. She had to see him!

Her retreating body was caught on both sides. Lai Fu’s voice came to her: “My Lady — your chambers are here. Mind you don’t take a wrong turn.”

Hao Yue shook her head. No — this was not where she belonged.

“I want to see—”

A palace attendant, guided by a glance from Lai Fu, immediately covered her mouth before the name could be spoken.

“Escort the Noble Lady inside.”

Hao Yue had no means at all within these palace walls, and all her belongings had been left behind at that residence — not that there had been more than a few steps’ distance anyway. In a very short time, she was forcibly steered into the Rulan Hall.

Lai Fu waved a hand and the attendants withdrew. Hao Yue, her face white with panic, lurched toward the door to flee — but Lai Fu blocked her path. He lowered his voice: “Noble Lady Yue — the decree has been issued and cannot be changed. No one can be seen at a time like this. You…would it not be wise to leave yourself a way out?”

A way out… Hao Yue was like a drowning person grasping a floating timber. She followed the thread of his words, her head moving in rapid nods. “Yes — a way out. I need to leave myself a way out!”

Lai Fu lowered his gaze, offered a bow, and turned to leave. His thinking was clear: if he wished to meet a good end, he still had to rely on the Shizi. The Emperor was a sun already past its zenith — the others could not be counted on. The Shizi appeared cold and hard, but he remembered kindness. So long as Lai Fu harbored no disloyalty, the Shizi would not treat him badly.

He glanced back once at the Noble Lady Yue, still standing at the entrance to the main hall, and felt not a trace of guilt. The woman was simply not clever enough. If she said anything that implicated the Shizi, did she imagine she could walk away unscathed? There would be nothing for her but death.

The Emperor and the Shizi were already at odds with each other — no need to add more fuel to that fire and make the rift between uncle and nephew any worse.

He quickened his pace back to the Piaoxin Hall and bowed as he delivered his report: “Your Majesty, this old servant has escorted the Noble Lady to the Rulan Hall.”

The Emperor looked up from the book in his hands without raising his eyes. “Is she pleased with it?”

“In this old servant’s observation, she appears somewhat frightened.”

“It is natural to be frightened when first entering the palace.” The Emperor raised his head. “Did she say anything?”

Lai Fu’s expression did not change. “Though the Noble Lady appeared flustered, she did not speak a word to this old servant, who is merely a low-ranking attendant.”

The Emperor considered this and found it reasonable enough, so he did not press further. His gaze returned to the book — but just as Lai Fu was quietly exhaling in relief, the Emperor spoke again: “Lai Fu — tell me what you think: that young man kept this person hidden for all this time. What was he thinking?”

Lai Fu’s heart hammered in his chest. He did not dare to guess. “This old servant would not presume to speculate.”

“We are telling you to speak.”

“Yes. This old servant only knows, from what has been found, that after the Shizi confined the Noble Lady, he made no further contact with her. And during that time he made several trips to Yuzhou. It is feared — it is feared that he was using the Noble Lady to look into some matter.”

“If he was investigating something, why conceal it from Us?”