“Sorry!” I exclaimed. “Just wanted some fresh air.”
“I can accompany you,” he replied. To my surprise, he tried to take my arm, but I evaded his touch.
“I changed my mind,” I said, backtracking. “Do not disturb me.”
I slammed the door shut behind me, annoyed but unwilling to wait. I leaned against the wall for several breaths, heart pounding, before eyeing the balcony inside my bedroom.
It would do. Sliding the screen door open, I scaled the balcony railing and climbed onto the nearby yinhua tree. It felt strange to sneak around again, after weeks of trying to do what was right and proper. My robes made it more difficult to run, but my body, rejuvenated with lixia, felt limber and free.
“See all that you can do with my power,” Qinglong murmured.
“You’re distracting me,” I snapped, as my heel missed a branch and I nearly plummeted into the lily pond below.
I heard his chuckle as I scrambled down the tree, landing softly on the nine-turn bridge.
“Should I target Princess Ruihua or Princess Yifeng first?” I whispered into the dark.
“I thought I was distracting you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What do you think?” he purred.
Princess Ruihua had a closer connection with Prince Yuchen, who seemed poised to act first. However, it was Princess Yifeng who would undoubtedly find herself at the heart of any gossip and intrigue. I headed in the direction of her rooms.
“I wouldn’t go that way, if I were you.”
“Oh, so now you’re helping me?”
“There’s someone approaching the Southern Gate.”
Skeptical, yet unable to resist the bait, I changed directions and was rewarded for it. I arrived just as an imperial messenger rode through the outer courtyard. Seconds later, Princess Yifeng’s lady-in-waiting came hurrying through the gallery.
“I came at once,” she said.
“Give this to your mistress,” said the messenger. “Prince Keyan returns in a day.”
She nodded, bowing to the messenger, who was already saddling a fresh horse for departure. Meanwhile, the maidservant sped back through the gallery, and I after her.
Princess Yifeng had a shrewd eye. Her maidservant was neither as young nor as pretty as most ladies-in-waiting, yet the way she moved—swiftly and silently—suggested other skills. Her face reflected years of honed awareness, her eyes alert to every subtle shift in the night. Cautiously, I kept my distance from her—until I almost missed her vanishing behind a tapestry.
Before she could disappear, I raced forward and caught the edge of the hidden door.
“What in the skies—”
I slipped inside and shut the door behind us, so that our only source of light came from the candle in her hand. Closing in on her, I stared straight into her eyes. “What is your name?”
It had been so long since I’d used my power. I’d forgotten how good it felt—like stretching your legs after a long confinement.
Her expression contorted, before going blank. “Wei Xu.”
“Give me the letter, Wei Xu.”
Shaking, she handed me the messenger’s scroll. I broke the seal and tore it open, reading beneath the wavering light of her candle.
Yi Fan,
The Imperial Commander has accused me of misappropriating treasury funds. There appears to be an accounting discrepancy concerning the imperial gold mines, for which I am held liable. I shall return tomorrow but must depart the following morning to conduct a thorough investigation. Kindly prepare mymedicines for the journey with all due haste. And ensure that our accounts are in order, should further inquiries arise.
