The palace never slept, yet that night the silence was suffocating. Word had spread that the emperor summoned both Wan Mei and Li Yue to the Hall of Radiant Virtue. Such joint summons were rare—dangerous.
Wan Mei arrived first, clad in gold embroidery. Her smile gleamed as always, but her hands shook behind her sleeves.
Li Yue entered moments later, serene in a pale blue gown. She bowed low, her eyes lowered, calm as still water.
The emperor's gaze shifted between them, troubled. "Too long have I heard conflicting whispers. Tonight, truth must prevail."
A maid was brought forward, trembling. It was the same girl Wan Mei had struck. At first she hesitated, glancing fearfully at her mistress. But under the emperor's stern eyes, her words poured out.
"She punished us for the smallest mistakes. She smiles before Your Majesty, but when you leave, her kindness dies. Many maids… many suffered."
Wan Mei paled. "Lies! They are jealous of me. Someone manipulates them!"
The emperor's brows furrowed. "Manipulates?"
Wan Mei seized the chance. "It must be Li Yue! She envies me, poisons your mind with stories, spins tales to drag me down."
All eyes turned to Li Yue. She lifted her gaze, calm, almost sorrowful. "If I envied, why would I save that maid when Wan Mei struck her? Why would I counsel Your Majesty to be cautious, not accuse?"
Her words were soft, but the weight of them bent the room.
Then, she reached into her sleeve and drew forth the jade hairpin. "This was found in the garden where a concubine mysteriously vanished weeks ago. A witness saw it fall from Wan Mei's hair. I dared not accuse without proof, but…"
Gasps erupted. The emperor's face darkened.
Wan Mei shook her head violently. "No! This is planted! She twists everything!"
Her voice cracked. For the first time, her perfect mask slipped, fury and fear spilling out.
"Without me, you would be nothing!" she shrieked, forgetting the emperor, forgetting decorum. "I am the heroine! The one meant to shine!"
The hall fell into stunned silence.
The emperor's eyes grew cold. "A heroine does not need to declare herself so. A true jewel shines without words."
Wan Mei collapsed to her knees, sobbing, clawing at her gown. The mask was shattered.
Li Yue bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, the truth stands unveiled. I ask no reward, only that justice guides your judgment."
The emperor rose, his decision unspoken but final in his gaze. Guards moved forward. Wan Mei's cries echoed as she was dragged away, no longer the palace's favored star.
That night, for the first time, Li Yue stood beneath the lanterns of the Lotus Court, her place no longer forgotten, her heart no longer silenced.
The heroine had fallen. The stage was hers.