The Blade That Draws No Blood

In the inner palace, some blades need not be stained with blood… to cut the deepest.

As dusk fell, twilight cast a cool veil over the rooftops of the abandoned palace halls. The breeze of early spring whispered through groves of fragrant wood and slender bamboo, rustling softly along glazed tiles. Twice the bell atop the Hall of Oaths rang out clear and haunting as if to stir the sleeping shadows into wakefulness.

In the Forbidden Quarter, even a single footfall could spell danger. Yet tonight, no eunuch dared report the trespass, for the one moving beneath moonlight was no mere intruder, but a shadow agent of Guifei Su Zhen a woman whom even the Emperor approached with caution.

—

Beneath the cover of trees bordering the Xianyan Palace grounds, Jiang Xinluo crouched low, cloaked in a muted blue robe. Her slender fingers gripped the hilt of a hidden dagger beneath her sleeve. In her sharp gaze lingered both wariness and calculation.

"The earth is still soft... someone passed through not long ago."

She scanned the faint tracks left upon the soil, framed by the drifting scent of white plum blossoms. The rumor she had followed of something planted beneath the flowering tree could well have been a trap.

But what she had not expected was "You're one step too late."

The calm but firm voice echoed from the shadows ahead. A tall figure stepped out from beneath the trees Wen Yichen, his long robe fluttering lightly in the breeze.

Xinluo didn't flinch.

He tossed her a pale cloth bundle, which she caught and opened.

Inside was a vial of pitch-black liquid, its lid carved with ancient script the very same kind of poison used years ago in the incident that led to the disgrace of Consort Yi Fei, Xianlan's mother. The very accusation that had named her a traitor from the shadows.

Moonlight filtered through the bamboo, casting a pale sheen on Xinluo's expressionless face.

"What do you plan to do with it?" she asked quietly.

Wen Yichen cast his gaze toward the plum tree."Have it sent to the Tribunal. But not by me it must come from someone with enough standing to ensure it doesn't vanish along the way."

Xinluo hesitated.

"I'm merely a foreign envoy… I have no right to submit such evidence directly."

He looked at her truly looked at her.

"You're choosing sides now, Xinluo. And this time, there's no room left to walk the middle path."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, doubt flickered in her eyes but then it was gone, replaced by unwavering resolve.

"I'm not choosing because I like anyone. I choose because I refuse to see another silenced… without a single cry."

Wen Yichen gave a slight nod. A breeze stirred the folds of their robes like the breath of unseen shadows bearing witness.

—

In the hidden chamber of Xianyan Palace, silence reigned.

A lone oil lamp cast a warm, amber glow across the old library shelves. Dust clung to the carved panels of phoenix and sky motifs. Xianlan sat before her desk, a silver needle in hand, delicately prying open the seal of an old letter.

As the wax finally cracked, she unfolded the parchment with steady hands that trembled only slightly.

The letter contained the name of the very palace that had once served as the distribution base for Consort Yi Fei's medicines ten years ago bearing the exact same seal now forged in the recent case.

Xianlan murmured to herself,"So… this seal wasn't forged for the first time in my era. It was used to deceive even in hers…"

The lamplight glinted in her eyes, now sharp with clarity.

My enemy is not just Su Mengyu… not just Guifei Su Zhen…But a system of shadows that has sealed the lips of truth for generations.

She set the letter down and turned to the moon outside the window, as if seeking an answer from the heavens.

—

Later that evening, in the bamboo courtyard, Su Yeyan appeared.

There was hesitation in his eyes, but more than anything there was silence, as though gathering the courage to speak.

"I… remembered something," he said at last. "On the day your mother… was taken, I was there. At Guifei Su Zhen's residence."

Xianlan looked up from her book. For a heartbeat, her gaze met his directly.

"And what did you do that day?"

Her voice wasn't harsh, nor accusing yet it offered no hint of pardon.

Su Yeyan looked away. "…I stood beside Su Zhen. I said nothing."

Silence.

A silence so deep that even the falling of a leaf rang louder than his heart.

"Was it fear? Or did you choose to remain silent?" she asked again, this time with unmistakable clarity.

Su Yeyan had no answer.

When he finally turned and left, Xianlan remained beneath the plum trees, watching white petals drift onto her shoulder.

"Even if his blade drew no blood…He once watched it fall without a word."

Her voice lingered in the air, as if inscribed into the shadowed branches.

—

Later that night — Under the Red Lanterns of the Side Palace

At midnight, only two lanterns remained lit in Xianlan's quarters. Their dim glow was just enough to cast the dancing silhouette of a plum tree beyond the half-open door.

Xianlan sat upon a long couch, fingers gripping the edge of a letter she had just finished reading. Her lips were still, but her eyes were not.

The creases in the paper smoothed beneath her slender fingers.

"Everyone has their own reason for staying silent…But none of those reasons can stop the past from bleeding anew."

Beside her, Liu Meirong placed a teacup down with a slight tremble.

"Your Highness… If this truth is exposed, you'll face opposition from both sides Guifei, and the ministers still loyal to the Inner Court."

Xianlan nodded slowly.

"Yes. But I will not use the noise of a mob as my weapon anymore."

She reached for a small wooden box and opened it.

Inside lay a scrap of cloth once part of her mother's robe. The embroidered phoenix and dragon had been smeared with ink, the fabric stained with tears long dried into memory.

"Once… she was a phoenix chained in mud, condemned by the voices of those who had never seen her."

Her voice faded as she gently placed the cloth back into the box.

"But I will make sure that phoenix… sings across the open sky."

—

The Silent Hero… Whose Shadow Never Wavers

Within the hidden library of the Crown Prince's residence, the only source of light came from a lone hanging bird-lantern, its amber glow casting soft ripples across the surface of a thin iron box laid open before Feng Yuhan.

In his hand was an ancient signet ring, its surface engraved with a soaring phoenix amid swirling clouds. It had only just been returned alongside a detailed report from Wen Yichen.

He closed his eyes briefly, recalling the faint smile that had lingered on Xianlan's lips that day.

"You are laying a trap… drawing all into it barefoot and unknowing. But do you not realize, Xianlan… the one standing in the center of the flames is you."

Dipping a brush into dark ink, he wrote a single line onto a small slip of paper.

"When silence holds the sharpest blade, I only hope you will not become the phoenix burned by its own fire."

He signed the note with a single character: Han (寒).

Then, without a word, he placed the note beneath his sandalwood fan… as if entrusting it with words too heavy to speak aloud.

—

A Blade in Motion — Along the Path of Shadows

On the stone bridge connecting the Eastern Halls to the Imperial Archive of Trials, Jiang Xinluo stood beneath the moonlight. Its silver beams washed over her slender shoulders, casting a long, solitary shadow across the cold stone beneath her feet.

In her grasp was a small cloth bundle, wrapped tightly around a vial of pitch-black liquid an item long thought buried, the key to the poisoning scandal from nine years past.

Footsteps sounded softly behind her.

"Will you deliver it yourself… or shall I?" Wen Yichen asked as he stepped closer.

She shook her head.

"Not this time… I refuse to remain just a bystander."

She moved one step forward, then added softly,"A blade does not always need an edge. Sometimes… it is silence what people dare not face that cuts the deepest."

He gazed at her for a long moment, then offered a faint smile.

"I'm beginning to think… you, too, carry a blade the eye cannot see."

—

Beneath a Roof No One Watches

Under the eaves behind Guifei Su Zhen's palace, Su Mengyu stood still. The evening breeze stirred the edge of her silken cloak, making its hem flutter like a whisper.

She stared into the distance, toward Xianyan Palace.

In her hand was a list of key witnesses along with the name "Zhao Rusu," her close aide who was now on the brink of becoming a liability.

"You're stepping into a battlefield littered with shards of broken glass… Xianlan."

She closed her eyes, as if in prayer.

But no one would ever know… for whom that silent prayer was made.

"This chapter has been updated with improved narrative and deeper character perspective. The plot remains unchanged."

*********

✨ Thank you for reading this chapter of Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress!If you're enjoying Xianlan's journey, please add this story to your Library, leave a comment, or tap a heart 💖 your support truly fuels the fire!