BLOOD AND AMBITION

The glow of paper lanterns cast long shadows in the abandoned temple not far from the palace. Prince Kwan knelt before the ancient altar, not to worship any deity, but to hold meetings best kept from prying eyes.

"You're certain this plan of yours and Prince Yong's will succeed?" The voice came from a hidden figure in the shadows

"It already succeeds," Kwan replied, not bothering to rise from his meditation pose. "Twenty thousand Qiushan troops are on imperial soil. My brother rides to war."

"And if he returns victorious? His position will be stronger than ever."

Kwan smiled without humor. "He won't return."

"You sound very confident."

"I've arranged matters thoroughly. Either he dies on the battlefield, or..."

"Or?"

Kwan's hand drifted to his sword hilt, running his fingers over it like someone dear. ''Or I slay him with my own hands. And sit upon the Dragon Throne before summer's end.''

The hidden figure shifted. "And our arrangement stands? The northern territories in exchange for recognition of your rule?"

"The North is yours," Kwan confirmed. "Along with marriage to your daughter to cement our alliance."

"You ask much, Prince Kwan. My daughter was raised to be more than a pawn in a blood-soaked game." He said.

Kwan finally looked up, smirking at the shadowed form of Chancellor Li. "Your ambitions for Lady Xiulan are well-known, Chancellor. Wouldn't you prefer her as empress rather than my brother's concubine?"

Kwan stood smoothly, hand still resting on his sword. "History doesn't remember blood, Chancellor. History remembers names. In twenty years, no one will care how I came to power—only what I accomplished with it."

Li's gaze hardener. "You presume much, Prince Kwan."

"I presume nothing. I plan. I act. And soon, I rule." Kwan offered a mocking bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have preparations to be done."

As his personal guards fell into step behind him, Kwan allowed himself a smile. His brother's sudden change in behavior was unexpected but useful, making his plans go smoothly. And the wheels were already in motion.

The Phoenix would rise. The Dragon would fall. And Emperor Tao's mysterious transformation would be nothing but a historical footnote in the glorious reign of Emperor Kwan.

__

Kwan's personal guard, Captain Wei Lin, maintained a respectful distance—close enough to protect, far enough to afford privacy. Unlike the mindless sycophants who surrounded his brother, Wei Lin knew when to be invisible.

"The carrier pigeon arrived an hour ago, Your Highness," Wei Lin said, producing a tiny scroll case. "From Prince Yong."

Kwan took the case from Wei Lin's palm. "Any eyes see it arrive?"

"None but mine, Your Highness."

Kwan nodded, breaking the seal. The message was brief, written in a code they had established months ago.

Eagle flies west. Dragon follows. Serpent waits in grass.

He smiled thinly. Prince Yong was many things—brutal, impulsive, sadistic—but never good with his metaphors. The invasion proceeded as planned. The Emperor—the "Dragon"—would soon march west. And the "Serpent"—their agent within Tao's inner circle—was positioned to strike when the moment came.

But something little troubled Kwan. The cold, calculating ruler who'd systematically destroyed Kwan's every attempt at recognition had been replaced by... something else. Someone who asked for opinions. Someone who seemed to value Kwan's military expertise.

It was unsettling.

"Do you believe in spirits, Wei Lin?" Kwan asked suddenly.

The captain stiffened. "Your Highness?"

"Ancient texts speak of body-walkers. Spirits that can inhabit the flesh of others." Said Kwan.

Wei Lin's face remained blank. "Superstitions, Your Highness. Tales to frighten children."

"Perhaps." Kwan crushed the message in his fist. "Or perhaps not. My brother is... different."

"The assassination attempt—"

"No." Kwan's voice was sharp. "This isn't a man changed by a brush with death. This is... something else." He stared at the moon, remembering the strange light in Tao's eyes. "Whatever wears my brother's face—spirit, man, or monster—it won't see the end of summer."

Wei Lin bowed. "Then your preparations for journey to the west would be complete."

Kwan nodded, rolling the crushed message between his fingers until it formed a tight ball. "And our other preparations? The special arrows?"

"Five hundred, as requested. Black shafts, untraceable to any imperial forge."

"And the poison?"

"The deadliest the Xi tribe offers. Untraceable in death. The victim appears to die from natural causes—heart failure."

Kwan tossed the paper ball into a nearby pond. ''Good. My brother has already decided I should accompany him to war. How convenient.'' His lips curled into a cold smile. ''One arrow, in the chaos of battle—that's all it will take. And who could say whether it came from a Qiushan bow or our own?"

"And General Zhou? He's loyal to the Emperor."

"Zhou is old. Set in his ways. But practical." Kwan's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "He knows which way the wind blows. Once I rule, he'll kneel or lose his head. I suspect he'll choose the former."

"And Chancellor Li? He seemed... hesitant at your last meeting."

Kwan laughed, a sound devoid of humor. "Li overestimates his importance. He believes I need his support to secure the throne." He turned to his captain. "Do you know what motivates men like Li?"

"Power, Your Highness?"

"Legacy." Kwan plucked a perfect lotus bloom from the pond, examining it in the moonlight. "Li wants his bloodline connected to the Dragon Throne. His daughter as empress, his grandchildren as princes and princesses." He crushed the flower in his fist. "I'll give him what he wants—after I secure what I want."

Wei Lin hesitated. "And Prince Yong? Can he be trusted to uphold his end of the bargain once you're Emperor?"

Kwan's smile turned predatory. "Prince Yong serves his purpose—a blunt instrument to draw my brother into war. But a man who betrays his own father for ambition will betray anyone."

He dropped the mangled flower into the pond, watching it swirl in silence. "Like a flower may float for a time, but in the end, all things sink beneath the weight of ambition."

"Once I sit upon the Dragon Throne, Prince Yong will find his usefulness at an end."

"And if your brother succeeds against Yong's forces?." Wei Li asked

"He won't." Kwan's voice hardened. "Because I'll be there to ensure he doesn't."