Back to the present.
The silence in the banquet hall hung heavy, punctuated only by the clinking of a stray spoon against a bowl.
"Everyone on your feet." Cao Meng commanded.
Then, like a pebble dropped into a still pond, a voice shattered the quietude. It was a voice low and silken, yet possessed of an edge that seemed to slice through the air itself.
Heads snapped towards the source. Elder Hua and those closest to Su Yen bolted upright, a tense tremor rippling through their shoulders.
The Cao clan followed suit, their expressions a mix of awe and anticipation. They knew that voice, knew the weight of power it carried. Who dared remain seated when the Emperor himself graced their gathering?
Cao Meng, her own breath caught in her throat, surveyed the stunned crowd. "Yes," she repeated, her voice echoing against the gilded walls, "the Emperor has arrived."
