The palace at night was both beautiful and terrifying. Lantern light spilled across jade corridors, yet every shadow seemed to whisper secrets. Li Yue sat alone at her desk, a single candle flickering before her. She had just returned from the empress's tea gathering, her mind alive with new calculations.
The empress had not openly supported her, but that faint curve of approval at the corner of her lips was enough to ignite suspicion. Why would the empress notice someone as insignificant as Li Yue? Unless… she saw a potential piece on the board.
Li Yue tapped her brush against the inkstone. If I want to survive, I cannot be a pawn again. I must become a player.
The next morning, news spread through the palace like wildfire: a precious jade hairpin belonging to Consort Lin had gone missing. The empress called for an investigation, and whispers swirled through the courtyards.
An Ruo wrung her hands nervously. "My Lady, they say the eunuchs are searching every chamber."
Li Yue's eyes narrowed. She remembered this incident from her past life. The missing hairpin had been "found" in her quarters. Accused of theft, she had been publicly humiliated, the emperor's disgust sealing her downfall.
But now, forewarned, she was ready.
When the eunuchs entered her room, she greeted them calmly. "Search as you please. Leave nothing unchecked."
An Ruo's face turned pale. "But—!"
Li Yue gave her maid a sharp glance. "Do not fear."
The search dragged on. Chests were opened, cushions overturned, drawers rifled through. Finally, with a triumphant cry, one eunuch pulled the glittering jade hairpin from beneath Li Yue's bed.
The others gasped. "It's here!"
An Ruo choked, tears brimming. "Impossible! My lady would never—"
But Li Yue's voice cut through the clamor. "Bring it to me."
The eunuch hesitated, then handed over the hairpin. Li Yue turned it over in her palm, her eyes narrowing. A small scratch along the edge, a faint smear of wax—details only visible if one looked closely.
"I see," she said softly. Then she smiled, a smile so calm it unnerved even the eunuchs. "Take me to the empress."
The empress sat in her hall, surrounded by consorts eager to witness Li Yue's disgrace. Consort Lin looked triumphant, her laughter hidden behind a delicate sleeve.
"Your Majesty," the chief eunuch announced, "the hairpin was discovered in Lady Li's chambers."
Gasps rippled through the gathering. The empress's gaze sharpened. "Lady Li, what do you have to say?"
Li Yue stepped forward. "Only this: the thief was careless."
The hall fell silent. Li Yue lifted the hairpin for all to see. "This pin bears a smear of wax. It was not hidden beneath my bed, but planted there—after being pressed against a candle to soften its edge. Whoever framed me did not realize the evidence would remain."
Murmurs broke out. Faces turned to Consort Lin, who flushed crimson.
The empress raised an eyebrow. "You claim you were framed?"
"I do not claim. I state it as fact," Li Yue said, her voice steady. "The palace is filled with eyes and ears. If you order the eunuchs to question the servants, you will find who last carried this pin."
The empress studied her for a long moment. Then she laughed softly, a sound like silk sliding over steel. "Very well. The matter will be investigated."
Consort Lin's triumphant smile had vanished, replaced by tight-lipped fury.
As Li Yue bowed, she caught the empress's eye. For an instant, she thought she saw approval there—a flicker of acknowledgment.
Walking out of the hall, she whispered to herself, The forgotten concubine no longer exists. They will remember me now.
That night, An Ruo clasped her hands together. "My Lady, you were magnificent. But Consort Lin will not forgive this."
Li Yue's gaze was cold. "Let her hate me. Fear is stronger than mockery. And tonight, I planted the first seed of suspicion in the empress's mind. That seed will grow."
She extinguished the candle, plunging the room into darkness.
In that darkness, her resolve burned brighter than ever.