The summons arrived not with the clamor of guards, but with the quiet, oppressive weight of the imperial will. A single eunuch, his face a placid mask, delivered the scroll. It was sealed not with the Crown Prince's personal seal, but with the lesser seal of the Hall of Literary Brilliance. A summons to a place of knowledge, not a throne room of power. It was a subtle, deliberate choice.
Yingluo unrolled the stiff, yellowed paper. The characters were sharp, severe, and utterly devoid of warmth. "The star called Chan is brightest in the winter sky. The Royal Library is cold. Bring a cloak."
It was a command disguised as a piece of celestial poetry. A test. The old Yingluo might have bristled at the tone. The new Yingluo felt only the calm, clear hum of a bowstring being drawn. This was it. The first step onto the path the older Li Xun had laid out for her, a path she now had to walk with the man who didn't know he was destined to walk it with her.
