Chapter 8 — The Secret the Empress Dowager Concealed

Standing outside the gates of the celestial prison, I laughed.

I said, "Last night, I was locked inside the celestial prison. My hands and feet were shackled."

The assassin replied, "You sent someone with a message."

"Who sent it?"

"A palace servant."

"What was their name?"

"I do not know."

"What did they look like?"

"Their face was covered."

"Was it a man or a woman?"

The assassin faltered. I stared at him. "You do not even know if the messenger was a man or a woman, yet you dared to come and assassinate the Emperor? Your choice of jobs is certainly sloppy."

A soft gasp rippled through the hall. The Empress Dowager scolded sharply, "How insolent!" I bowed my head. "I am merely a commoner who finds this assassin's work entirely unprofessional."

Xiao Zhi turned his face slightly. I suspected he wanted to tell me to shut my mouth again. The assassin gritted his teeth and snarled, "You gave me the token!" Emperor Yuan Sheng’s eyes flickered.

"What token?"

The assassin spat out, "The Phoenix Feather Jade." My heart constricted. I had personally handed that piece of jade to Emperor Yuan Sheng earlier that day. If the assassin knew of it, then someone within the palace must have leaked the information to him. The Emperor arrived at the same conclusion; his face darkened.

"Chang An."

Eunuch Chang stepped forward immediately. "This servant is here, Your Majesty."

"Where is the jade?"

Eunuch Chang’s expression faltered. "Earlier today, Your Majesty instructed me to store it in the secret compartment of the imperial desk."

The Emperor looked toward the Empress Dowager. She remained impassive. "Since the assassin claims there is a token, bring it forth to verify his words."

Eunuch Chang hurried into the inner chamber. The hall fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the rhythmic clicking of prayer beads. I knelt on the cold ground, a chill racing down my spine. If the jade remained, the assassin’s lies would crumble. If it were gone, then someone within this very hall had dared to touch the Emperor’s property. Moments later, Eunuch Chang returned, trembling as he held a lacquered black wooden box. His face was ghostly pale. The Emperor stared at him.

"Open it."

Eunuch Chang collapsed to his knees, his hands shaking violently. He opened the box. It was empty. My Phoenix Feather Jade had vanished.

The emptiness of the box seemed to freeze the air in the hall. My heart hammered against my ribs—beat by beat, rhythmic and loud, like a drum pounding in my ears. The Empress Dowager spoke first.

"Your Majesty," she said, her voice heavy. "If an item stored in the imperial desk can be stolen, it proves just how deeply this young woman’s identity is entwined with this treachery."

I lifted my head to meet her gaze. "Empress Dowager, if an item goes missing within the Emperor’s own hall, how does that implicate me?"

She looked down at me. "If not for your accomplices, who else would dare steal that jade?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "That stands to reason."

The Empress Dowager’s expression eased, but I continued, "In that case, I suggest Your Highness begin by locking up everyone currently inside this hall. After all, I have only just set foot within the palace gates; my reach certainly does not extend this far yet."

Her face darkened instantly. Emperor Yuan Sheng gave a soft cough. This time, I was certain he was suppressing a laugh. Xiao Zhi announced, "Seal the hall." The commander of the Imperial Guard looked toward the Empress Dowager. She remained silent. The Emperor raised his eyes.

"I am not dead yet."

The commander fell to his knees. "I would not dare!"

In an instant, the front and back exits of the hall were sealed tight. The palace attendants were corralled to one side. The Empress Dowager’s head lady-in-waiting stood behind her, eyes downcast. I watched her. It was not because of her beauty, but because of her chilling composure. While everyone else in the hall panicked, she did not even flicker an eyelid. Xiao Zhi stepped in front of the assassin.

"You claim Xie Ming Duong gave you the Phoenix Feather Jade."

"Correct," the assassin replied.

"When?"

"Last night."

"Where?"

"A deserted alley outside the celestial prison."

Xiao Zhi’s voice turned icy. "Last night, she was held in the Ministry of Justice prison."

The assassin quickly corrected himself. "It was her subordinates who delivered it."

I asked, "What did my subordinate look like?" The assassin refused to look at me. "Their face was covered."

"A man or a woman?"

He gritted his teeth. "A man."

I let out a sharp laugh. "A moment ago you couldn't answer, and now you decide it was a man. Did the Empress Dowager give you a look that helped you remember?"

The Empress Dowager slammed her hand onto the table. "Xie Ming Duong!"

I lowered my head. "I spoke out of turn." I looked up again, adding, "But this assassin’s memory certainly is convenient."

The Emperor stared at the assassin. "Continue."

The assassin let out a long breath. "Xie Ming Duong said that if I killed the Emperor, the old members of the Phoenix Feather Bureau would support her claim to the throne."

I was stunned. I pointed to myself. "Support me in taking the throne?"

"Yes," the assassin replied.

"Even though I only learned what the Phoenix Feather Bureau was yesterday?"

The assassin gave a cold, mocking smile. "You play the part well."

I turned to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, may I ask him a few questions?"

The Empress Dowager barked, "Do not be insolent!" But the Emperor waved a hand. "Ask." The Empress Dowager’s prayer beads went still. I looked at the assassin.

"You claim I instigated you to kill the Emperor."

"Yes."

"And what is my motive?"

The assassin paused, then spat, "You want to usurp the throne."