"Father!" Prince Zhao Yifeng stepped forward. "She was attacked! She's injured! She needs medical attention, not imprisonment—"
"I will not debate this," the Emperor said. "She will be questioned. Properly. By officials trained in extracting truth." His eyes, fever-bright, fixed on Soyeon. "If she's innocent, she has nothing to fear. If she's guilty—" He swayed slightly. "—she will face appropriate punishment."
The guards began dragging Soyeon away.
Panic flooded her system. She twisted in their grip, her eyes finding Prince Liang Jian's.
"Liang Jian!" She called out his name, his personal name, not his title, breaking every rule of propriety in desperation. "Please! You have to listen! The Empress Dowager is—"
A hush fell over the courtyard, as if even the wind dared not stir.
