The Storm Beneath the Silk

The autumn wind rippled the flags above the rear palace. Flowers bloomed in the gardens of the central palace of Xianyu, yet bore no scent—like a beautiful stage masking the stench of an unfolding power play.

Inside the diplomatic guest quarters, candlelight cast the silhouette of a young woman seated before a golden silk-embroidered screen. Though moonlight gently filtered through the carved wooden windows, her shadow was cold—like that of a predator cloaked in the dark.

"The word 'rules' exists only for the weak to obey."

The voice of Princess Bai Yuening was icy, yet full of unwavering confidence. Her slender hand slowly lifted a teacup as her eyes stared at a map of the royal treasury spread out before her.

Behind her sat foreign envoys and scribes from allied states, quiet and respectful.

They knew full well—this princess had not come to negotiate. She had come to anoint the board of Xianyu's power game… with blood.

"Is it true… that Princess Xianlan now manages the entire rear palace treasury this year?" Bai Yuening asked coolly.

"It is, Your Highness," one official answered softly. "After a reshuffling of personnel in the inner court, the Empress decreed that a royal woman take direct control. The Fourth Princess has held that post for nearly two months now."

The young woman nodded slowly.

"Then it's time… to release the stench," she said with a thin smile. "Start whispering in the markets—say that half of the rear treasury's funds this year have vanished. Then shift the topic toward the extravagant purchases made under the Fourth Princess's palace—"

"Your Highness… wouldn't that implicate the Empress herself?"

The concerned question from an older envoy made her chuckle quietly.

"And so what? Do you think I'd rather befriend the Empress… than destroy her?"

Silence fell over the room.

The truth was colder than ice at the bottom of a ravine.

Bai Yuening gently set down her teacup, then turned toward a quiet corner of the chamber.

Seated there was a young woman in a black-and-gold diplomatic robe. Her expression was solemn, her face calm.

"Xinluo… emissary of dual bloodlines. Are you still certain we've made the right move?"

Jiang Xinluo met the princess's gaze in a long, loaded silence.

"I carry out my mission," she finally said. "But I'm not certain what that mission will ultimately bring."

"It will bring down that woman, of course," Bai Yuening smiled, stroking the map before her as if she were laying threads across embroidered silk.

"How long do you think 'the Fourth Princess of Xianyu' can maintain her grace once rumors spread about embezzling the rear palace funds?"

Jiang Xinluo did not reply.

Her heart felt tightly clenched.

She remembered that young woman well—

Even when bullied by Su Mengyu, pressured by Consort Su Zhen, or mocked by the women of the court, she had never lowered her gaze, never lost her dignity.

"And if we lose this game?" she asked at last.

"What if Xianlan strikes back?"

Bai Yuening laughed quietly.

"If she has the pieces to retaliate, I'd love to see it," said the princess of the alliance state.

"It would make the game more exciting. And the more she struggles, the more beautiful it will be… when I drag her from the throne."

Jiang Xinluo fell silent once more.

From where she stood, she could already smell the scent of blood in the crisp air.

This was no longer a petty game between palace women.

It was the shadow of a war for a kingdom.

And within that shadow…

She no longer knew how long she could remain on this side.

⸻

At Yuhan Palace – The Same Day

Xianlan felt an odd wind brush across the wooden balcony of her residence.

The gentle sunlight, which should have brought warmth, instead carried a quiet chill.

Though no rumors had formally surfaced, she could already sense the shadow of a storm beginning to form beneath the luxurious carpet of the palace.

"Someone's making their move…" she murmured.

In the beautiful eyes of the Fourth Princess,

A new flame—one meant for war—had begun to burn quietly.

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