** MOON PAVILION **
The emperor leaned slightly toward one of the guards standing nearby and spoke quietly. "Send that dancer to my chambers tonight."
But before the guard could leave...
"Your Majesty," the Imperial Shaman whispered from beside the emperor.
The emperor turned slightly toward her, faint impatience crossing his features. The old shaman stepped forward slowly, the beads around her wrist clicking softly together.
"Tonight is the night the heavens open the imperial bloodline," she said carefully. "The stars are finally aligned for the arrival of an heir. If Your Majesty shares his bed with another woman tonight…" she continued slowly, "the spiritual balance will break."
A faint frown appeared on the emperor's face.
"The consort must be the only woman by your side tonight," the shaman continued firmly. "Otherwise, the blessing meant for the royal heir may be lost entirely."
The emperor remained silent for several seconds before finally leaning back against his throne.
Then calmly, he lifted a hand slightly, stopping the guard from leaving, and the guard immediately bowed and stepped back.
Liang Wei swirled the wine in his cup lazily, amusement flickering briefly across his face.
"So my imperial uncle must behave tonight after all," he said lightly with a sneer.
Liang Wei lazily swirled the wine in his cup without taking his eyes off me, a faint smile curving onto his lips. "I want her brought to the Moon Pavilion," he said calmly to Zhao Ren behind him. "No one else touches her before I arrive."
........
The ceremony finally came to an end.
The dancers were dismissed, and I quietly followed behind the others, hoping to disappear unnoticed into the crowd.
This was the perfect chance to escape. With the palace distracted by the celebration, slipping away now would be easier than ever.
But then there was the new consort. I still needed to know if the woman beneath that bridal veil was truly Xiu Mei. I couldn't just leave her here alone without knowing the truth.
Unfortunately, before we could leave the outer courtyard, hurried footsteps approached from behind.
"Stop her!" they called, pointing in my direction.
I stiffened instantly.
Senior Lin appeared beside me again, her sharp eyes filled with irritation as though my existence alone offended her.
"You," she snapped impatiently. "Come with me."
The other dancers immediately shot me jealous looks. One of them whispered quietly, "She must've been chosen."
"Lucky her…"
Lucky? I almost laughed. Nothing about tonight felt lucky.
I obediently followed her deeper into the palace while servants lowered their heads respectfully as we passed.
Then suddenly, another group approached from the opposite direction. My steps slowed immediately when I recognized the familiar figure standing at the front.
Zhao Ren.
He was still dressed in his dark military robes, his sword hanging calmly at his side. The moment his eyes landed on me, his expression changed. Surprise flashed across his usually calm face for the briefest second.
"You?" he said quietly.
Senior Lin looked between us suspiciously. The excitement that had appeared on her face the moment she came before Zhao Ren faded at once.
"You know her?" she asked, but she was completely ignored.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Before I could answer, Senior Lin scoffed loudly. "She's one of tonight's dancers from the brothel," she said bitterly. "Apparently skilled enough to catch noble attention."
Something dark flickered briefly across Zhao Ren's eyes. Without warning, he grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me a few steps away from the others.
Senior Lin's brows furrowed immediately. From the way Zhao Ren looked at me, the concern in his expression, a jealous thought instantly formed in her mind.
Don't tell me she's one of Commander Zhao's secret women? she thought, her face darkening. Or worse… someone he secretly visits at a pleasure house? Her nails dug into her sleeves bitterly.
Nearly every unmarried woman in Xuan admired Zhao Ren, and Senior Lin was no exception. He was known for his handsome face and was respected and feared on the battlefield. Even noble daughters tried desperately to gain his attention, yet he remained indifferent to all of them.
"Why's he looking at this lowly dancer with such concern?" Senior Lin murmured.
"You should not be here," Zhao Ren muttered.
I frowned. "I had no choice. I was mistaken for a dancer and got dragged out."
For the first time since meeting him, Zhao Ren looked genuinely speechless. Then he sighed quietly, rubbing a hand against his forehead. "Do you even understand where they're taking you?"
Before I could answer, a lazy voice echoed from inside the chamber ahead.
"Zhao Ren."
All conversation stopped instantly, and then the voice came again, calm and commanding.
"Bring her in."
My heartbeat quickened immediately.
Zhao Ren's jaw tightened almost invisibly. For a brief second, it looked as though he wanted to say something else, but in the end, duty won. Slowly, he released my wrist.
Senior Lin immediately straightened smugly beside us. "Go," she ordered coldly.
I hesitated. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run. But there was nowhere to run inside this palace.
Zhao Ren stepped aside reluctantly and pushed the chamber doors open. With no choice left, I walked inside, and the doors shut heavily behind me.
I turned slowly and nearly froze at the sight before me.
Liang Wei lounged lazily across the edge of his large bed, not fully reclining but propped on one elbow, a silk robe hanging loosely from his shoulders. He looked far too comfortable for a man who was said to carry the future of an empire on his shoulders.
His outer robe hung loosely from his frame, revealing the sharp lines of his bare chest and firm stomach beneath. The dark silk sleeves slipped low along his arms while his long black hair fell freely over his shoulders, slightly messy as though he had already been drinking for hours.
A low table beside him held several jade wine flasks and half-filled cups. The warm candlelight dancing across the room only made him look more dangerous.
His dark, hooded eyes gleamed with a hunger that made my skin prickle as his gaze slowly traveled over me. He picked up a jade cup, filled it lazily, lifted it to his lips, and swallowed the wine in one smooth gulp.
Then his voice rang out, filling the room. "Take it off."
I blinked, not sure what he meant. "…What?" I mumbled.
Without looking away from me, he poured himself another cup and swallowed, the apple of his throat moving slowly. "Your dress," he repeated, his voice as smooth as the liquor he held. "Take it all off."