The morning mist had only begun to lift when the steward, Wei An, arrived outside the Consort's quarters with a scroll and a bow.
"Lady Lianhua," he said evenly, "Lord Shen has summoned his senior command for review. You are invited to observe, if it pleases you."
It was not a request.
Revati dressed in a muted robe of deep rose and pale silver, the lotus motif more subdued than usual. Malati helped adjust the pins in her hair, while An Jing straightened the folded sleeves to court standards. Her face remained unreadable, as it had since her arrival.
"Will I be expected to speak?" Revati asked.
"No, my Lady," An Jing said. "Your presence is enough."
The main hall of Long Zhi's council wing was built like a northern temple—columns of black lacquer wood, floor lined with reed mats, the central dais raised for the Lord Governor's seat.
But Liwei stood, not sat, when his men arrived.
Revati entered silently and was led to a curtained alcove just left of the dais—present, yet slightly obscured from view. A tradition for Consorts in military review: seen, not heard.
The subordinates bowed one by one. Their armor bore signs of real battle—scratches, soot- darkened seams, worn buckles polished with care.
Among them:
Commander Zhao Yue, veteran of the northern front, with scars on both his hands and a mind sharp as flint.
Scribe-General Lian Hong, a small, wiry man with an encyclopedic knowledge of maps and murmurs.
Captain Yuchi, the youngest of the officers, eager-eyed and more blunt than tradition allowed.
Revati watched as Liwei —Lord Shen, as she reminded herself—issued instructions in his
clipped, low voice.
"We will begin deployment drills within four days. Scout patrols are to increase range to the northern ridge."
"There's movement beyond the upper valley," said Commander Zhao. "Riders. Light armor.
Likely Mongol bandits."
Liwei nodded. "Let them test the edges. If they cross, we respond."
Captain Yuchi hesitated. "Your Excellency, what about the Empress's command regarding cross-border—"
"I govern Long Zhi, not the Empress," Liwei said sharply.
The silence that followed was the sound of obedience reasserting itself.
Revati's eyes narrowed slightly. She had never seen him speak so firmly—not in the capital, not even during their wedding rites. But here, he stood like a man who had nothing to prove and everything to protect.
The review ended within the hour. The officers bowed and departed. Revati, unseen by them,
rose from her alcove. Wei An waited.
"My Lady," he said, "Tonight is the first eve of union. The rites will follow ancestral form." She nodded, her stomach tightening.
The chamber had been rearranged.
A small red lacquered table sat between two cushioned mats. On it—two shallow cups of white porcelain and a slender flask of warm rice wine, steaming gently in the cold air.
Revati entered first. She wore a midnight blue robe embroidered with silver plum blossoms. Her veil had been removed; her earrings replaced with Tiānguó jade.
Liwei entered moments later, his hair unbound and robe loose. His eyes, though calm, seemed almost wearied—as if even this ceremony was too much Weight.
They sat opposite one another. No servants remained.
Wei An stood at the door and recited:
"Two cups. Two names. One house." He stepped back and shut the doors.
Revati reached for the first cup. Her hands were steady.
Liwei reached for the second.
They drank.
The wine was soft, sweet—like snow melted over firewood.
He placed his cup down. "If you need anything, tell the steward."
She studied him. "Is there nothing you wish to ask me?"
A long pause. His eyes met hers only briefly.
"Nothing that must be answered tonight."
He stood.
She remained seated, fingers tracing the rim of the cup.
He walked to the far side of the chamber, where the second bedding mat had been arranged.
No touch. No ceremony of closeness.
Only the sound of footsteps on a woven mat.
And a silence that settled between them like a second wall.
Revati lay down on her side, facing the screen that divided the chamber.
Tonight, I shared wine with my husband.
I drank it alone.