Rumors, once loosed, are harder to contain than wildfire. Within a week, whispers spread across the palace: Lady Wan is not as gentle as she appears.
No one could say where the gossip began. Some swore it was the palace maids, others claimed eunuchs. But the effect was undeniable.
When Wan Mei walked through the gardens, heads bowed a fraction lower, greetings carried less warmth.
At the embroidery pavilion, a maid accidentally pricked her finger, spilling a drop of blood on Wan Mei's gown. In the past, Wan Mei would have smiled, waved it off. This time, she slapped the girl so hard she fell to the floor.
Silence rippled through the hall. Dozens of eyes saw it.
Li Yue, seated nearby, set down her embroidery hoop and spoke gently. "Sister Wan, she meant no harm. Should anger fall so swiftly on clumsy hands?"
The girl wept in gratitude at her defense. Wan Mei's lips trembled as she forced a smile. "You are right, Sister Li. I… lost my composure."
But the damage was done.
That evening, the emperor visited the Lotus Court. Wan Mei greeted him with her usual grace, but he noticed the faint bruises on her maid's cheek, the way the girl flinched when spoken to.
"Wan Mei," he said slowly, "why does your servant look so frightened?"
Her smile faltered. "She… she made a mistake. I only—"
The emperor's eyes darkened. "A ruler must show restraint. Even in private."
Wan Mei's heart pounded. For the first time, she felt the icy edge of disfavor.
Meanwhile, Li Yue received a sealed letter slipped beneath her door.
'The emperor doubts Wan Mei. Strike now, and she will fall.'
The handwriting was the same as the first warning. Her mysterious ally still moved unseen.
An Ruo urged caution, but Li Yue only smiled. "A fracture must widen before it breaks. Let her reveal herself further."
She held the jade hairpin in her palm, the cold weight a silent promise.
That night, Li Yue gazed out at the moonlit courtyards, her eyes calm but gleaming.
Wan Mei, your role as heroine weakens with every smile that cracks. When the mask slips, the audience will see you as I once did—cruel, grasping, false. And then… it will be my turn to claim the stage.