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Chapter 3 - A Scholar in the Dragon’s Shadow

The Hall of Literary Radiance had always been a place of quiet dignity, where court scholars discussed policies in hushed tones and ministers read aloud memorials for the Emperor's judgment. But that morning, the vast hall felt unbearably heavy, as if the golden dragon throne at the far end had drawn all breath from the room.

Yun Xi stood among the scholars, her hands hidden within her sleeves to hide the faint tremor in her fingers. Though her cap was neatly tied and her robe pressed in perfect folds, she felt the weight of every gaze upon her. She was the youngest among them, a newly appointed official whose name had only just entered the rolls. And yet she was to speak before the Son of Heaven.

The Emperor, seated high upon his throne, leaned lazily against the carved dragon armrest. His eyes, sharp and bright despite the casual posture, flicked across the officials before settling on Yun Xi.

"Scholar Yun," His Majesty said, his tone deceptively mild. "You are the one who submitted the memorial concerning the taxation of the border provinces?"

Yun Xi lowered her head, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "Yes, Your Majesty. This humble servant observed that the people along the northern frontier, already burdened by harsh winters, suffer greatly under increased grain levies. If the court continues at this pace, unrest may fester, and the empire's stability could be imperiled."

A murmur rippled among the officials. For a newcomer to speak so boldly—before even securing a patron among the senior ministers—was audacious. Some whispered that she must be reckless, others that she was too naïve to understand court politics.

But the Emperor chuckled. "You speak as though you have seen their plight with your own eyes."

Yun Xi met his gaze briefly, then bowed again. "This servant has never set foot upon the frontier. Yet the people's suffering is written in the figures recorded within the Ministry's archives. Numbers do not lie, Your Majesty. Grain that rots in storage while peasants starve tells its own story."

The Emperor's laughter rang out, startling the hall into silence. He rose slightly from his throne, his dragon-embroidered robe shifting with the movement. "At last, a voice that does not flatter but dares to speak truth! Yun Xi, I shall grant you the position of Assistant Minister within the Ministry of Revenue. See that your sharp tongue proves as useful in action as it is in words."

The hall echoed with the sound of ministers bowing in unison, yet Yun Xi could sense their concealed resentment. She had leapt past years of slow advancement with a single memorial, and such fortune would make her a target.

As she withdrew from the hall, she whispered to herself, "So it begins. One step higher, and the abyss grows deeper."

What she did not see was the shadow behind the curtains above, where Empress Lian watched through a hidden screen. Her eyes narrowed in thought. The scholar named Yun Xi was no ordinary man—his words carried both courage and precision. Perhaps too much precision.

And the Empress had learned long ago that nothing in the palace was ever as it seemed.

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