Li Mei sat at a large desk made of dark rosewood. She was in the center of the Imperial Archives. The room was very large and had many shelves that reached the ceiling. These shelves were filled with thousands of scrolls and books. The air in the room was cool. Li Mei used her Golden Finger to identify the smells in the library. She identified the scent of old paper, pine soot ink, and the light aroma of jasmine tea. She also identified the scent of winter mint. This scent belonged to Emperor Zhao. He was standing in the doorway.
Prince Zhao walked toward the desk. He was older now but he still had a lot of muscle. He wore a heavy robe of gold and black silk. He was the main character who had turned a disaster into a stable empire. He looked at the book Li Mei was writing. It was the final volume of the Tang Medical History.
"The people in the West Market are setting up their stalls for the morning," Zhao said. "They are no longer afraid of what the moonlight brings. You have fulfilled the promise you made to your father."
"I have organized the records of every province," Mei replied. She set her brush down on a stone rest. "The knowledge of the silver curse is no longer a secret. It is a part of our science. This ensures that no person can use the arsenic trigger to control others again."
Li Mei had spent the last year confirming that every major city had a functioning Academy. She looked at a table that showed the reach of their kingdom building project across the empire.
Princess Lian entered the room. She was now a young woman. She wore the green robes of a Senior Alchemist. She carried a small iron box. She placed the box on the table.
"Mother, the new batch of the neutralizing compound is ready for the spring distribution," Lian said. "I have verified the scent. It is pure and does not have any bitter notes."
"You have done well, Lian," Mei said. She looked at her daughter with a sense of trust and pride. "You will manage the Academy with the same rationality that we used to save the city."
Zhao placed his hand on the iron box. He felt the cold metal. He remembered the time when he was a predator in the woods. He looked at the moon through the high window of the library. The moon was white and natural. It was no longer a source of a supernatural curse.
"We have built a foundation that will last for many generations," Zhao said. "The silver claw is now a symbol of protection and not a symbol of fear."
"The scent of the empire is the scent of growth," Mei said. She stood up and walked to the window with Zhao and Lian.
They looked out at the city of Chang'an. The sun was beginning to rise. The red roofs of the 108 wards were glowing in the light. The people were starting their day. They were healthy and they were safe. The apocalypse was a story from the past. The marathon of their lives had reached a peaceful conclusion.
"A physician heals the body, but a ruler who listens to the physician heals the soul of a nation. Let the ink of our history be the medicine for the future." — Final Entry in the Tang Medical History
Li Mei felt a strong emotional connection to her family and her city. She had used her ability to solve a great problem. She had cleared her father's name and created a new path for her people.