The
first light of dawn was just beginning to break over the palace walls when the
sound of approaching footsteps shattered the predawn stillness. Dozens of
soldiers marched in perfect unison, their armor gleaming faintly in the dim
light. The Imperial Guards had arrived, their presence heavy with authority and
the Emperor's will.
Inside
the palace, Zhao Wei stood in the central hall, his tall frame casting a long
shadow in the flickering torchlight. His sharp black eyes scanned the room as
his shadow guards completed their final tasks. Chests filled with maps, silver
notes, and other irreplaceable documents were being carried out through hidden
passages, their contents too valuable to risk falling into enemy hands.
"Move
faster," Zhao Wei commanded, his tone cold and precise. "Leave nothing of
importance behind."
Chen
Hao appeared at his side, his expression tense but controlled. "Your Highness,
the last of the hidden vaults has been cleared. The items are being transported
to the northern cache as we speak."
Zhao
Wei nodded. "Good. Ensure the men take separate routes and rendezvous only once
they're clear of the capital. If even one of them is caught, it could
compromise everything."
"Yes,
Your Highness," Chen Hao replied, bowing deeply before hurrying off to oversee
the operation.
Chen
Hao hesitated briefly. "And the household, Your Highness? The women…"
"They
stay," Zhao Wei said firmly. "Everyone registered in the household must stay. There's
no way to hide anyone, they will just be hunted." He paused a moment, his gaze
steady his hand behind his back. "They shared my glory they will also bear the
suffering. That is their duty."
Chen
Hao bowed and left swiftly. Zhao Wei's sharp eyes lingered on the entrance to
the western wing, where Lady Hua's chambers had once been. She was gone—her
absence unnoticed by most, but a loose thread he could not yet unravel. There
was no doubt that she had betrayed him, whatever her secrets he would peal them
back one by one.
For
now, Zhao Wei's focus shifted back to the courtyard. The Imperial Guards would
arrive any moment.
The
imperial eunuch's arrival was met with immediate terror and obedience. As soon
as his lavish palanquin was spotted coming down the road, the guards of the
prince's mansion began shouting and scrambling. "The eunuch is here!
Everyone to the front courtyard at once!" The head butler's face drained
of color when he heard the news. He quickly rushed through the many courtyards
and halls, ordering all servants and slaves to stop what they were doing and
assemble to kneel before the eunuch.
In the
east wing, the maid Ying'er was tidying up her mistress's chambers when the
urgent summons rang out. Her mistress, Concubine Xu Xi Duo, showed no surprise
at the announcement. Calmly, she called Ying'er over and pressed a folded paper
bearing the official seal of freedom into her hand, along with a heavy bag of
silver coins. "Go home, Ying'er. You have served me well, but you need not
bear this hardship any longer. Live well, as a free woman."
Ying'er's
eyes were filled with shock as she accepted her unexpected liberation. Gripping
her precious gifts tight to her chest, she bowed low and hurried to follow
Concubine Xu out to the front courtyard, her thoughts unknown. All throughout
the mansion, nobles, musicians, scribes, cooks, and cleaning servants abandoned
their work and rushed to assemble before the intimidating eunuch.
Servants,
attendants, and guards scrambled into position, their heads bowing low in the
presence of imperial authority. Among them knelt Xu Xin Duo, her expression
calm and composed beneath the shadows of her eyelashes. Her robes blended her
into the group, masking her sharper features. Her sharp eyes flicked toward
Zhao Wei as he entered the courtyard, his commanding presence drawing all
attention.
Beside
Xu Xin Duo knelt two other concubines. Lady Mei, a striking woman with icy blue
robes and hair adorned with intricate silver pins, knelt stiffly, her lips
pressed tightly together as though to stop them from trembling. Her beauty was
cold and distant, her gaze never straying from the ground. Beside her, Lady An,
smaller in stature with soft, round features, fidgeted slightly, her nervous
energy betraying her unease. Her pale lavender robe and modest adornments gave
her a gentler air, but her constant glances at the guards suggested her
anxiety.
Zhao
Wei entered the courtyard with deliberate strides, his tall frame and black
robes exuding authority even in the face of condemnation. His long black hair,
tied loosely at the nape of his neck, swayed with the breeze as his dark eyes
fixed on the eunuch. He knelt fluidly, his calm demeanor unshaken.
The
eunuch's gaze flickered briefly, his unease evident, before he unfurled the
imperial decree. "By the will of the Emperor, Zhao Wei, the Duke of Yu, is
hereby accused of treason against the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty. His estate is to
be confiscated, and his titles stripped. Those loyal to him will be
investigated, and any resistance will be met with the full force of imperial
law."
The
words echoed through the courtyard, their weight pressing heavily on everyone
present. Xu Xin Duo's expression remained neutral, though her mind raced. She
relied only on what she and Artemis had discovered—the Emperor's mistrust,
Minister Du's schemes, and the fabricated evidence. Yet hearing the edict
brought an undeniable clarity to their danger.
As the
eunuch finished, he rolled the scroll with a sharp snap and gestured to the
Imperial Guards. "Search the palace! All items of value and evidence of treason
are to be confiscated!"
The
guards moved quickly, their boots striking the marble floors with heavy
precision as they spread out into the palace. Their orders were clear: take
everything, leave nothing.
Inside
the palace, the guards tore through the halls and chambers, their hands pulling
open drawers and smashing locks. They emptied cabinets of scrolls, searched
beneath furniture, and seized anything that could be construed as evidence of
rebellion.
One
group made their way to the vault, their eyes widening at the sight of the
treasures within. Gold bars, silk rolls, and ornate jewelry glimmered in the
torchlight, their presence a testament to the wealth of Prince Yu's household.
"This
alone is enough to finance an army," one guard muttered, awestruck.
The
captain barked an order. "Confiscate everything. The Emperor will decide its
fate."
The
vault had been carefully arranged by Zhao Wei to appear untouched, while the
true treasures and vital documents were already miles away.
Back
in the courtyard, Zhao Wei stood, No matter what he was still the son of the
emperor. His expression was unreadable as the guards ransacked his home. Xu Xin
Duo remained kneeling, her head bowed just enough to hide her calculating gaze.
Beside her, Lady Mei remained stiff and silent, while Lady An's nervous
shifting had calmed into stillness.
Chen
Hao approached Zhao Wei, speaking in a low voice. "Your Highness, everything is
proceeding as planned. The last of our men have left the estate."
"Good,"
Zhao Wei replied, his tone cold. "Let them take what they believe matters.
Their greed will blind them to the truth."
As the
sun climbed higher into the sky, the palace began to empty of Imperial Guards.
But Zhao Wei knew this was only the beginning.
The
Imperial Guards scoured the palace with ruthless efficiency. Servants stood
motionless in the corridors, their faces pale and strained as the clanging of
boots and breaking of locks echoed through the halls. Anything deemed of value
or importance was confiscated, from ceremonial robes to scrolls of poetry and
ornate artifacts. The guards paid no heed to the panic their search caused,
their focus solely on executing the Emperor's orders.
Zhao
Wei stood in the courtyard, his tall frame exuding an aura of control despite
the chaos unfolding within the walls. His dark eyes, sharp and calculating,
followed the movements of the guards as they carried out their task. Every
moment was another test of his resolve, but he remained still, a silent figure
of authority even as his empire crumbled around him.
Xu Xin
Duo knelt nearby, her composure unwavering as she observed the scene from
beneath her hood. She allowed her sharp gaze to drift briefly to Lady Mei and
Lady An, noting the subtle differences in their reactions. Lady Mei remained
motionless, her icy demeanor a shield against the humiliation of kneeling. Lady
An, in contrast, seemed to shrink under the weight of the situation, her soft
features betraying her discomfort.
'Artemis,'
Xu Xin Duo thought, her mind a calm sea beneath the surface tension. 'Analyze
the guards' movements. Are they sticking to predictable patterns?'
'Affirmative,'
Artemis replied, his synthetic voice precise. 'Their search is methodical but
lacks deeper strategy. They are focused on surface-level valuables and symbolic
displays of wealth, with minimal attention to hidden compartments. They are
looking something specific.'
Xu Xin
Duo's lips curved faintly—a subtle, unreadable expression that could be
dismissed as a reflex. She knew there would be planted evidence.
Inside
the palace, the guards reached the prince's private study. The room was
meticulously organized, its shelves lined with tomes and maps. A captain
ordered the men to pull the maps from their cases, his voice sharp and
commanding.
"These
are military documents," he said, holding up a map marked with troop positions.
"Confiscate them. The Emperor will want these reviewed."
Zhao
Wei had already removed the most critical maps, replacing them with outdated or
deliberately misleading copies. The thought of the guards poring over
irrelevant data brought a faint flicker of satisfaction to his otherwise stoic
expression.
However,
confusion began to ripple through the ranks as the search continued. The guards
overturned furniture, tore through storage rooms, and broke into vaults, but
the damning evidence they had been briefed to locate was nowhere to be found.
The
captain of the guard, a grizzled veteran with years of experience in the
Emperor's service, furrowed his brow as he approached one of the lieutenants.
"We were told there would be letters, secret documents—evidence of treason.
Where is it?"
The lieutenant
shook his head, his expression tense. "There's nothing here but gold, silks,
and trivial correspondence. If there was anything else, it's been removed."
The
captain's jaw tightened as he scanned the room. "The Emperor's intelligence
said this place was a den of conspiracy. Either the evidence has been hidden
too well, or… we've been misled."
Another
guard approached, holding a lacquered chest filled with ceremonial robes.
"Captain, we found these in the vault. They look valuable, but there's nothing
incriminating."
The
captain's frustration deepened, but he forced his expression to remain neutral.
"Take everything. If it isn't here, then the Duke of Yu has outmaneuvered us.
The Emperor will decide how to proceed."
Back
in the courtyard, Zhao Wei observed the Imperial Guards returning with their
spoils—gold bars, silks, and ornate artifacts. Yet he noted the subtle
frustration in their movements, the unspoken tension of a mission unfulfilled.
The
eunuch leading the operation approached him, his expression carefully neutral.
"Your Highness," he said, his thin voice carrying a practiced tone of
formality, "the confiscation is nearly complete. However, certain… expected
items were not found."
Zhao
Wei inclined his head slightly, his tone cutting but calm. "Take what you will.
My household has nothing to hide."
The
eunuch hesitated, his gaze flickering uncertainly before he bowed stiffly. "As
you say, Your Highness. The Emperor will be informed."
As the
guards prepared to leave, the sun climbed higher into the sky, casting long
shadows across the palace courtyard. Servants and attendants began to disperse
under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guards, their relief tempered by
lingering fear.
Chen
Hao approached Zhao Wei, speaking in a low voice. "Your Highness, the guards
are leaving, but the captain seemed… unsettled. They know they've come up
short."
Zhao
Wei's dark eyes glinted coldly. "Let them be unsettled. They will act on what
they believe they have found—or rather, what they failed to find. It will
occupy their minds, blind them to the truth, and sow doubt in their ranks."
Chen
Hao nodded, though his expression remained grim. "And Lady Hua's chambers? They
noticed her absence."
Zhao
Wei's jaw tightened briefly. "She is no longer my concern. If she has betrayed
me, she will answer for it. Focus on our preparations. The next move will be
ours."
Xu Xin
Duo rose gracefully from her kneeling position as the guards departed, her
cloak trailing behind her as she walked back toward her chambers. Lady Mei and
Lady An exchanged uneasy glances before retreating themselves, leaving Zhao Wei
standing alone in the courtyard. His tall silhouette was framed by the rising
sun, a stark reminder of the power he commanded even in the face of exile.
The first
battle had passed, but the war was far from over.