The Emperor's private study was both austere and magnificent. Scrolls lined the carved shelves, incense coiled in the air like whispers from another world, and beneath the dragon throne, polished jade tiles reflected the flicker of golden light.
When Yun Xi entered, her heart thudded against her ribs. She kept her eyes low, playing her role as the humble scholar.
The Emperor, tall and broad-shouldered despite his youth, studied her with curiosity. His gaze was neither cold nor indulgent—it was sharp, searching, like a hawk examining an unfamiliar prey.
"You are Yun Xi?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Yun Xi answered, voice lowered to match the timbre of a man.
The Emperor unrolled the memorial Yun Xi had written, the very one that had caused murmurs across the court. "You dare to write so boldly against the corruption in the Ministry of Works. Were you not afraid it might cost you your career before it even began?"
Yun Xi knelt lower. "To remain silent is a greater crime, Your Majesty. If a scholar values his position over the empire's welfare, then he is unworthy of the brush he wields."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed, then softened into something like approval. "A sharp tongue, and a sharper mind. I will test you, Yun Xi. Serve in the Imperial Secretariat. Let me see if your pen can hold against the storms of court."
Yun Xi bowed, concealing her racing heart. A step into the Secretariat was a step into the lion's den. Yet it was also the path she had long dreamed of walking.
Unseen behind the carved screen, Empress Lian observed silently. She had come under the pretense of delivering tea but lingered to study this new scholar. His—or rather, her—calm words had unsettled something deep within the Empress. The harem's intrigues she knew well, but the court's storms? Those belonged to men. And now this Yun Xi threatened to tip the balance.
Interesting… the Empress thought. If he is loyal, he may be useful. If he is not—he must be watched.