The Hall of Ancestral Rites was the coldest place in the palace.
Tall pillars carved with ancient dragons rose into the shadows, and rows of ancestral tablets glowed under flickering candlelight. The air was heavy with incense and authority — the kind that pressed down on even the emperor himself.
Emperor Jin Longwei entered with a storm in his eyes.
The Empress Dowager sat at the center of the hall, draped in layers of silver silk, her hair adorned with phoenix pins. Her expression was calm, but her gaze was sharp enough to slice through steel.
"Longwei," she said, her voice smooth and cold. "You kept me waiting."
He bowed slightly — respectful, but not submissive. "Imperial Mother."
She studied him for a long moment. "I hear you brought a woman into your private chambers."
The emperor's jaw tightened. "I did."
"A maid?" Her eyebrow arched. "Or something else?"
He didn't answer.
The Empress Dowager's lips curved into a thin smile. "The harem is in chaos. Noble Consort Zhen nearly tore apart the Jade Courtyard demanding answers. The Empress is furious. And the ministers will not stay silent if they hear you've broken protocol."
Jin Longwei's voice dropped to a dangerous calm. "I do not care about their opinions."
"You must," she snapped. "You are the emperor. Every action you take ripples through the empire."
He met her gaze without flinching. "Then let it ripple."
The Empress Dowager's fingers tightened around her prayer beads. "Who is she?"
Silence.
"Longwei," she pressed, "you have never brought a woman into the Dragon Hall. Not once. Not even the Empress. And now you bring in a stranger with no background, no family, no record?"
His eyes darkened. "She is under my protection."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the only one you will receive."
Empress Dowager inhaled slowly, her expression shifting from irritation to something more calculating.
"Is she connected to the prophecy?"
The emperor's eyes flickered — the smallest reaction, but enough.
The Empress Dowager leaned forward. "So she is."
Jin Longwei said nothing.
But silence was confirmation.
The Empress Dowager's voice softened, but her words were sharp. "Prophecies are dangerous, my son. They inspire hope in the weak and fear in the powerful. If the court believes she is the woman from the stars, they will either worship her… or kill her."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Anyone who tries will die."
"Even the Empress?" she asked quietly.
His answer was immediate. "Yes."
The Empress Dowager exhaled, troubled. "You are playing with fire."
"I am the fire," he replied.
For a moment, mother and son stared at each other — two forces of power, neither willing to bend.
Finally, she spoke again. "Bring her to me."
"No."
Her eyes widened. "You refuse?"
"I do."
"Longwei—"
"She is not ready," he said. "She does not understand this world. She does not understand the danger. And I will not throw her into the wolves' den."
The Empress Dowager's expression hardened. "You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment."
He stepped closer, his voice low and lethal. "I am making a decision as emperor."
A tense silence filled the hall.
At last, the Empress Dowager leaned back, defeated for now. "Very well. But understand this — the harem will not sit quietly. The Empress will not tolerate a rival. And the court will demand answers."
"They will receive none," he said.
"And the girl?"
He turned away, his voice softening in a way that startled even her,
"She will remain where she is."
"Hidden?"
"Protected."
The Empress Dowager watched him leave, her expression unreadable.
As the doors closed behind him, she whispered to the empty hall:
"So it begins."