The silk corridors of the Inner Palace always seemed quiet at first glance, but beneath their painted eaves and perfumed courtyards lay a thousand whispers sharper than blades.
That evening, Concubine Mei reclined on her carved chaise, a jeweled hairpin glimmering like fire against her dark hair. Two of her favored maids massaged scented oils into her hands, while another fanned the chamber with a peacock-feather screen. Yet her eyes were not on them, but on the crimson lacquered door that had just closed behind her informant.
"So," she said lazily, though her tone was edged with steel, "our noble Emperor has taken an interest in a mere scholar."
The maid bowed low. "Yes, Your Grace. The court has been buzzing since this morning. They say Scholar Yun's words moved His Majesty greatly."
Concubine Mei's lips curled into a smile both beautiful and cruel. "Moved? Hah. Does the Emperor not recall that I once sang verses to him that made him weep? Yet tears dry quickly, and songs are forgotten. Men are fickle, even dragons."
She rose, her silk robe slipping from her shoulder like water, revealing a glimpse of flawless skin. Her maids lowered their eyes quickly.
"If this scholar captures His Majesty's ear, then what need will he have for sweet words or gentle laughter?" she continued, pacing across the chamber. "No, I will not permit it. The throne is high, but the bedchamber is higher. A man may be swayed by politics, but his nights belong to us."
A spark of anger flashed in her eyes. "Summon Eunuch Liang. I wish to know everything about this Yun Xi—where he came from, who his family is, what skeletons may lie buried. If he threatens my place, then he will learn that silk may suffocate more swiftly than steel."
Meanwhile, Yun Xi walked the length of the Moon-Gazing Bridge, her footsteps light against the stone. She carried in her arms a stack of ledgers from the Ministry of Revenue, pretending calm while her thoughts churned like storm clouds.
The Emperor's gaze had lingered on her longer than she had expected. Admiration? Amusement? Suspicion? She could not tell. Every moment in the Dragon's shadow was dangerous.
A voice broke her reverie. "Scholar Yun."
Startled, she turned to find Eunuch Liang approaching, his steps noiseless, his smile sly. He bowed with exaggerated courtesy. "His Majesty's household grows curious of you. It is rare for a newcomer to rise so quickly."
Yun Xi inclined her head, her voice careful. "This humble servant merely serves as duty commands."
"Of course, of course." The eunuch's eyes gleamed like a fox's. "Yet duty has a way of tangling itself with… favors. Some in the Inner Court may wish to know your loyalties. If you are wise, you will choose your allies swiftly. The palace has no patience for wandering reeds."
Yun Xi tightened her grip on the ledgers. Beneath the eunuch's polite words lay a veiled warning. Alliances were demanded, and neutrality was a luxury she could not afford.
But to choose wrongly was to invite ruin.
As the eunuch departed with a rustle of silk, Yun Xi whispered to the silent bridge, "The trap closes faster than I dreamed."
And far above, in her lantern-lit study, the Empress marked another tally on her scroll. One piece moved upon the board. Soon the others would follow.