Chapter Two: Within the Palace Walls

Li Meiyun had never imagined that her first step into the imperial palace would be as a prisoner.

The carriage creaked and rocked as it rolled through the towering gates of the Ming Court. Outside its embroidered silk curtains, she could hear the distant clang of bronze bells and the clipped cadence of soldier boots echoing across marble tiles. Incense hung heavy in the air, thick with sandalwood and rosewood—a scent that tried to soothe, but to Meiyun, only sharpened the sense of danger.

Across from her, one guard sat stiffly, eyes never leaving her face. Not that she looked threatening. Her healer's robe was smudged with dried blood, her hair tangled from the riverbank. But she didn't shrink from his gaze.

She was already in too deep to pretend to be meek.

The carriage finally halted. The door swung open with a groan. A tall woman in deep crimson robes stood waiting, her expression unreadable.

"Li Meiyun?" Her voice was clipped, formal. "You are to be brought before the Royal Physician Council."

"Not the Emperor?" Meiyun asked, stepping down slowly.

The woman's brow twitched. "His Majesty is… otherwise occupied."

That told her everything. The prince was alive, but not yet awake.

The palace was a masterpiece of architecture—curved roofs painted in celestial blue and imperial gold, stone lions standing guard, courtyards blooming with chrysanthemums despite the heat. But Meiyun barely noticed. Every step brought her deeper into a world she'd only ever glimpsed from story scrolls and the warnings of her mother.

They passed courtiers in fine robes, eunuchs with shaven heads moving like shadows, and a cluster of royal concubines whose painted faces twitched with curiosity. Whispers followed her like wind.

"The healer?"

"From the southern wards?"

"She touched the Crown Prince—by hand."

Meiyun kept her gaze forward. She would not let herself be swallowed by shame or fear.

Finally, they entered a long hall lined with hanging scrolls and candlelight. The Royal Physician Council waited at its center, seated behind a low carved table. Seven men and women, all draped in shades of ivory and blue. Scholars of medicine, trusted advisors, and gatekeepers of court health.

The eldest among them, a man with a silver beard and thin, ink-stained fingers, spoke first. "Li Meiyun. You are charged with the unauthorized treatment of His Highness, Crown Prince Wei Lian. Do you deny this?"

Meiyun bowed. "I do not. I treated him to save his life."

"Without permission. Without palace clearance. Without rank."

"I didn't know who he was when I found him."

Murmurs rippled. One woman leaned forward. "You used the Five Pulse Doctrine. It is forbidden outside the Scholar's Archive."

Meiyun's breath caught. "I used what I had to save him. Nothing more."

"A lie," another snapped. "We sensed it in the qi flow around his heart. The Doctrine leaves a trace."

Silence fell.

Meiyun straightened. "Then let that trace be my proof. He lives. You're welcome."

Gasps. Even the guards twitched at her boldness.

The old man regarded her for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, he chuckled. "Courage, or recklessness?"

"Both," Meiyun replied. "With respect."

He nodded, amused. "The prince remains unconscious. You will remain here as a 'guest' of the court. Should his condition worsen, your life will answer for it."

"And if he improves?"

"You will be watched. Tested. Judged. If the council finds your knowledge dangerous, it will be burned from your mind."

She stiffened. "With all due respect, you can't burn what you can't reach."

That earned her a glare—and a smile.

The woman in red stepped forward again. "You will be assigned temporary chambers in the East Pavilion. And a minder."

"A minder?"

"An imperial secretary. He will observe your movements and report them to the Council. Be careful what you whisper to shadows here, Meiyun. This palace has ears… and fangs."

Meiyun bowed stiffly.

As she was escorted away, the weight of a thousand painted eyes followed her through the corridors. Every step deeper into the palace made her more certain:

Whatever poison ran through the prince's veins had not started at the river.

It started here.

And if she wasn't careful, it would soon run through hers.