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Morning arrived quietly over the Great Empire of Tianzhou.
But despite the golden sunlight spilling across the palace rooftops and shimmering against the tranquil ponds of the imperial gardens, an invisible heaviness lingered throughout the inner palace.
The atmosphere had changed.
Servants spoke in hushed voices.
Guards stood straighter than usual.
And rumors-
Rumors spread faster than wildfire.
An intruder had entered the imperial palace.
Not just anywhere-
But the chambers of the emperor's beloved younger sister.
Inside the residence of Princess Xiao Lihua, the curtains remained drawn despite the morning light outside.
The room smelled faintly of medicinal herbs.
Several maids moved quietly around the chamber, their expressions tense as they carefully replaced damp cloths inside a basin of cool water.
At the center of the room-
Lihua sat against the edge of her bed.
Pale.
Silent.
Her usually lively face lacked color, and faint shadows rested beneath her eyes from a sleepless night. Though she had changed into fresh robes, the memory of cold fingers around her throat still lingered against her skin like invisible bruises.
Every time she closed her eyes-
She remembered that voice.
"No one can hear you, princess..."
Her fingers trembled slightly.
A maid beside her noticed immediately.
"Princess..." the young maid whispered worriedly. "Would you like more tea?"
Lihua forced a small shake of her head.
"No..."
Her voice came out softer than usual.
Fragile.
The maids exchanged worried glances.
Before anyone could speak again-
The chamber doors suddenly opened.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Every servant immediately dropped to their knees.
And moments later-
Emperor Xiao Zhenyu entered the room.
The emperor moved quickly.
Too quickly for someone known for calm composure.
The moment his eyes landed on his sister-
Concern immediately surfaced across his usually unreadable expression.
"Lihua."
His voice carried urgency rarely heard from him.
Lihua looked up.
"...Brother."
The emperor approached the bed without hesitation. His gaze swept over her carefully, as though checking for injuries himself.
His jaw tightened faintly.
Even though she appeared unharmed physically-
He could see the fear lingering in her eyes.
And that alone was enough to ignite fury within him.
Behind the emperor stood General Liang Fengxiao, his expression serious and visibly exhausted from the events of the previous night.
Several guards remained stationed outside the chamber doors.
The atmosphere inside the room felt suffocatingly tense.
Xiao Zhenyu slowly sat beside his sister.
"Did the physician examine you already?"
Lihua nodded quietly.
"The royal physician said I only need rest..."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the blanket resting on her lap.
The emperor noticed immediately.
His gaze darkened.
"Leave us," he ordered the servants.
The maids bowed quickly before retreating from the room alongside the physician, leaving only the emperor, the princess, and Liang Fengxiao behind.
Silence settled heavily afterward.
Then-
Zhenyu spoke again.
"What happened?"
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
But both Lihua and Liang Fengxiao recognized the dangerous anger hidden beneath it.
Liang Fengxiao stepped forward first and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, the intruder entered the palace sometime past midnight. He bypassed the outer patrol routes without alerting the guards."
The emperor's expression darkened further.
"That alone is already unforgivable."
Liang Fengxiao lowered his head slightly.
"This failure is mine, Your Majesty."
"No," Xiao Zhenyu interrupted coldly.
"The failure belongs to whoever allowed such weak security around the inner palace."
The room fell silent again.
Lihua looked between the two men nervously before speaking softly.
"Brother..."
The emperor immediately turned toward her.
Her fingers trembled slightly in her lap.
"He..." she whispered quietly. "He covered my mouth before I could scream."
Zhenyu's eyes sharpened instantly.
Lihua swallowed hard.
The memories clearly terrified her.
"He wore black clothes... and a mask..."
Her breathing grew uneven again.
"He said..."
Her voice faltered.
The emperor's expression softened slightly.
"Lihua," he said quietly. "You do not need to force yourself."
But the princess shook her head weakly.
"No... you should know..."
She lowered her gaze.
"He said if I screamed... he would cut my throat."
Liang Fengxiao clenched his jaw tightly.
The emperor's hand slowly curled into a fist atop his knee.
Lihua continued softly, voice trembling more with each word.
"He kept threatening me..."
Her breathing shook.
"He said he wanted me to suffer first..."
A silence filled the room afterward.
Cold.
Heavy.
The emperor slowly stood.
And for the first time since entering the room-
His anger became visible.
The air itself seemed to grow colder around him.
"That man dared enter my palace," he said quietly.
His voice sent chills through the room.
"He dared lay his hands on my sister."
His gaze shifted toward Liang Fengxiao.
"Was his identity discovered?"
The general hesitated briefly.
"...No, Your Majesty."
A dangerous silence followed.
Liang Fengxiao continued carefully.
"However... I managed to remove his mask during the pursuit."
Zhenyu narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You saw his face?"
"...Yes."
"And?"
Liang Fengxiao unexpectedly paused.
For some reason-
The image of silver-gray eyes beneath the moonlight resurfaced vividly in his mind.
Beautiful.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
The general quickly pushed the thought aside.
"I would recognize him again if I saw him."
The emperor studied him briefly before nodding once.
"Then you will personally oversee the investigation."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Zhenyu turned away slowly, walking toward the open window overlooking the imperial gardens below.
His expression remained unreadable.
But inside-
His thoughts were turbulent.
Someone had infiltrated the palace successfully.
Someone had targeted Lihua specifically.
This was no random attack.
It was political.
Calculated.
And dangerous.
His gaze darkened.
If enemies were already capable of reaching his sister-
Then keeping her here was no longer safe.
The emperor fell silent for several moments before finally speaking again.
"...Lihua."
The princess looked up.
"You will leave for the Guo'an Empire."
The room froze.
Lihua blinked in shock.
"...What?"
Zhenyu turned toward her fully now.
"You will depart within the week under military escort."
Her eyes widened immediately.
"Brother-!"
"This matter is no longer open for discussion."
"But I'm fine!"
Lihua quickly stood from the bed despite the lingering weakness in her body.
"You don't need to send me away just because of one assassin!"
"One assassin?" Xiao Zhenyu repeated sharply.
His voice startled her into silence.
"That assassin entered your chambers unnoticed."
"He held a blade against your throat while you slept."
The emperor's composure finally cracked slightly.
"And you call that fine?!"
Lihua flinched.
The room fell quiet.
Zhenyu closed his eyes briefly before exhaling slowly.
When he spoke again, his voice softened slightly.
"...You are my only family left."
Those words silenced her completely.
The emperor rarely spoke emotionally.
But now-
The fear in his voice was unmistakable.
"I will not risk losing you."
Lihua's expression slowly weakened.
"...But sending me to Guo'an..."
Her voice lowered.
"That means meeting Prince Guo Mingze."
The emperor nodded once.
"The engagement was already arranged."
"But I'm not ready."
"You do not need to be ready."
Lihua looked hurt by those words.
"I don't even know him."
"You will."
The princess lowered her gaze.
"But what if I don't want this marriage?"
Silence.
The emperor looked at her quietly.
Then finally answered-
"This marriage is not only for you."
His words carried the weight of a ruler now.
"It protects Tianzhou."
"It secures alliances."
"And right now..."
His eyes softened faintly again.
"It may also keep you alive."
Lihua's lips trembled slightly.
Tears slowly gathered in her eyes again-not from fear this time, but helplessness.
She understood.
But that did not make it easier.
The emperor approached her slowly before placing a hand gently atop her head.
A rare gesture.
"You will only remain there until the wedding preparations are complete," he said quietly.
"I promise your safety will be my highest priority."
Lihua lowered her gaze.
"...You always decide everything yourself."
A faint bitterness lingered in her voice.
Zhenyu's expression dimmed slightly.
Perhaps she was right.
But he was emperor before anything else.
And emperors did not have the luxury of hesitation.
Even when it came to family.
Liang Fengxiao remained silent nearby, watching the siblings quietly.
For the first time-
The mighty emperor before him did not look untouchable.
He simply looked like an older brother terrified of losing the last person he loved.
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(End of Chapter 16 )