Night smelled of plum wine and heated tiles. The nursery lamps were low. Even palaces had a nightly economy of secrets; whispers traded like coins in the dark. Long Yue registered them even if his eyes were still glassy with infancy.
SYSTEM: Security flag — raised. In utero poisoning flag: persistent. Recommended: surveillance on Consort Mei and kitchen staff.
The system's internal voice had the bluntness of a ledger. The thought prickled Long Yue's unconscious in an almost physical way. He did not yet know names for most threats, but the system did.
A rustle came—soft as the breath of a cat—outside the nursery. A footfall that tried to be unimportant. Bodyguard Shen's ears, trained by years on guard duty, twitched before the court's orchestrations could hide.
[Bodyguard Shen:] (low) "Who goes there?"
A small, trembling voice answered from the corridor. It was a servant boy, nose red from cold, clutching a tray with tea.
[Servant:] "Pardon me, sir. I bring tea for the midwife."
[SYSTEM:] Voice profile: nervous, possibly coerced. Recommendation: detain for questioning at dawn.
Bodyguard Shen's great hand closed the corridor like a door. The servant's eyes darted, and the boy broke into a plea. "Please—my mother—Consort Mei sent me. She wanted the midwife to deliver something…"
The Empress's gaze became a blade; she read the scene like a strategist surveys a board.
[Empress Wu:] "Bring him in."
Under interrogation—mild, stern—details fell like leaves. Consort Mei had asked the boy to approach the nursery. The object had been vague: a 'comfort charm' for the mother. There are many comfort charms in the world; most of them are harmless. A few are not.
SYSTEM: Potential threat level: Moderate. Immediate action: full sweep of nursery garments and foodstuffs. Mark: Consort Mei — interest in nursery proximity.
The sweep discovered an odd pin wrapped in fine silk, hidden in the folds of a blanket that had been labeled as a gift from a distant aunt. The pin was delicate, but a chemical residue analysis—performed by the palace physician in shortsighted secrecy—registered a faint toxin signature.
[Physician Wang:] "Not lethal in small doses, but chronic exposure could weaken a mother."
The soft implication of "weakening a mother" was a loaded phrase in palace politics; it suggested a shifting balance. The Empress's face did not betray much; she allowed the matter to be handled with the bureaucratic calm of someone who knew how to wait until an opponent made their next mistake.
[Empress Wu:] "Withdraw the gift logs. Mark the donor as delayed pending verification. Thank the midwife and keep the source confidential."
SYSTEM: Recommended response chosen: public calm, private inquiry. Political advantage: high. Suggestion: do not confront Consort Mei publicly; establish evidence chain first.
Long Yue's system snuck the thrill of victory inside his infant skull as if he had won a small game. Allies were useful because they noticed the little things—such as a pin in a blanket. The palace's machinery hummed, and the Empress's choice of silence was a small creditor's smile.
That night, when the nursery settled into the soft throb of sleeping servants, Aunty Lin hummed a tune and checked the blanket twice. Scholar Zhao stood at the doorway, supportive in a way that required no words.
[Aunty Lin:] (whispering) "He must be watched. The world is sharp."
[Scholar Zhao:] "So he will be taught sharper."
SYSTEM: Trust matrix updated: Aunty Lin +4, Scholar Zhao +3. Infant Charisma I progress: +6 for stable household morale.
Long Yue slept, if such a small word could be used for the twitching half-awareness of an infant. Danger had passed for now, but the court's teeth were visible in the dark. The system recorded the pin and the whisper; Long Yue filed them away in the growing palace of memories, to be used like bricks when the time came.
[MC / Long Yue:] (thought) "Keep the Empress safe. Keep the dumplings safe. Keep the allies closer."
SYSTEM: Quest: Maintain nursery security. Reward: 150 XP.
He drifted like a small moon, wrapped in silk, with strategies warming under his ribs.