I didn't know that we were expecting visitors.
Which, in my case, meant that someone had decided to be bold, was looking for death, or all of the above.
The Crown Prince's estate was quiet that morning—servants moving like shadows, guards stationed like stone. I had just finished my tea when footsteps echoed from the outer courtyard. Not the sharp march of eunuchs. Not the lazy drift of court women. This was military.
I glanced down at my sleeves, brushed off a stray thread, and stepped into the entry hall just as the steward bowed low.
"General Sun Longzi and Prince Zhu Deming request an audience with you and the Crown Prince," he said carefully. "They are… not alone."
That piqued my interest.
I nodded once, then walked to the front hall, where the soft scent of sandalwood and polish lingered. The doors opened smoothly, revealing the two men I had expected—and one I most certainly had not.
