Wei Lian's POV
The Emperor's sword stayed pointed at the woman claiming to be his dead sister.
Princess Shen Mei died three years ago. I watched her execution personally. His voice was deadly calm. So either you're an imposter using her face, or something impossible is happening.
Something impossible, Your Majesty. Shen Meiif that was really her, kept her head bowed. Just like your concubine here knowing poison combinations from seventy years ago. Just like her predicting floods and saving your son twice.
The Emperor's eyes snapped to me. You two know each other.
We met twice, Your Majesty. She contacted me because I stopped. How could I explain?
Because we're the same, Shen Mei finished quietly. We both died. And somehow, we both came back.
Silence stretched like a blade.
Then the Emperor laughed, a harsh, broken sound. This is madness. You're asking me to believe in resurrection? In time travel? In
In something you can't explain but can't deny, Shen Mei interrupted. How else does Wei Lian know things she shouldn't? How else am I standing here when you watched me die?
Witchcraft. Spies. Elaborate schemes
Then test us. I stepped forward, holding up my vial. This is truth serum. We were about to take it when you arrived. Ask us anything under its influence. We'll prove we're telling the truth.
The Emperor stared at the vials, conflict warring across his face. If this is a trick
Then we die. Again. Shen Mei's voice was bitter. Would that make you feel better, brother? Executing your sister twice?
He flinched. Actually flinched.
Don't call me that. My sister is dead.
I was dead. For three years, I was nothing. Then I woke up five years in the past, in my chambers, alive again with all my memories intact. Tears streamed down her face. I remembered you ordering my execution. Remembered watching your face as they led me away. You believed I betrayed you. But I didn't. I was framed by
Prime Minister Zhao, the Emperor and I said simultaneously.
Everyone froze.
How do you know that? the Emperor demanded, looking at me.
Because in my timeline, I discovered he's the mastermind behind most of the conspiracies. He framed your sister. He's planning to destroy this empire. I met his eyes. And he'll succeed unless we stop him.
The Emperor's sword lowered completely. He looked between us two women claiming impossible things, knowing secrets they shouldn't.
Prove it. Drink the truth serum. Both of you.
Shen Mei and I exchanged glances. Then, together, we drank.
The serum tasted bitter, burning down my throat. Within seconds, my head felt light, disconnected. Words wanted to spill out every truth, every secret.
Wei Lian. The Emperor's voice seemed to come from far away. How did you know about the Jiangnan flood?
I lived through it. The words came automatically, unable to stop. In my first life, I was executed for poisoning the Crown Prince, a crime I didn't commit. But my consciousness remained, trapped, watching. I saw the flood kill fifty thousand people. Saw the empire fall. Saw you die fighting rebels. Then I woke up three years earlier, reborn.
Who really poisoned the Crown Prince in your timeline?
Imperial Consort Hua Rong. She killed her own son to drive you into paranoid madness. It worked. You became a tyrant who trusted no one. That's what destroyed the empire, not external enemies, but internal collapse caused by her manipulation.
The Emperor's face went white. Hua Rong?
She's working with Prime Minister Zhao and external rebel forces. They've been planning this for years, since before I entered the palace. The truth kept pouring out. In my first life, I was invisible. You never noticed me. Never spoke to me except to order my execution. I was nothing to you.
Something flickered in his eyes. Pain? Regret?
He turned to Shen Mei. You. If you're really my sister, tell me something only she would know.
When you were eight years old, you broke Father's favorite jade dragon, Shen Mei said, voice distant. I took the blame because I knew he'd beat you worse. He exiled me to the outer palace for a year. You visited me every week, bringing stolen sweets and reading me poetry. You promised that when you were Emperor, you'd make sure I was never punished for your mistakes again.
The Emperor's sword clattered to the ground.
Mei? His voice cracked. Is it really you?
It's really me. Or what's left of me after dying and coming back. She swayed on her feet. I was framed for treason. You believed the evidence. Had me executed. I don't blame you, the proof was perfect. But Zhao Feng fabricated all of it because I discovered he was embezzling military funds.
Why didn't you tell me?
I tried! You wouldn't see me! You believed your ministers over your own blood! Shen Mei's composure shattered. I died knowing you thought I betrayed you. That was worse than the execution itself.
The Emperor stood frozen, staring at his supposedly dead sister.
Then he pulled her into his arms, holding her like she might disappear. I'm sorry. Gods, Mei, I'm so sorry.
She collapsed against him, sobbing.
I looked away, giving them privacy. The truth serum was fading, taking the compulsion to speak with it.
After several minutes, the Emperor released Shen Mei and faced me, his expression completely different from before. Vulnerable. Almost human.
If what you both say is true, if you really did come back from death with knowledge of the future, then we need to talk. About everything.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Not here. My private study. Now. He helped Shen Mei to her feet. Can you walk?
I think so.
We made our way through empty corridors to the Emperor's personal quarters, a place I'd never entered in either timeline. Guards stationed at the door looked shocked to see their Emperor with two women in the middle of the night, but said nothing.
Inside, the Emperor poured wine with shaking hands. Start from the beginning. Both of you. Tell me everything.
For the next hour, we did.
I described my execution, watching the empire burn, waking up three years earlier. Every disaster I remembered. Every betrayal. Every death.
Shen Mei described her execution, her fury at being wrongly accused, coming back five years in the past. How she'd spent those years carefully building information networks, learning to move in shadows.
The Emperor listened in silence, his expression growing darker with each revelation.
Hua Rong, he finally said, voice hollow. You're both certain?
Yes, we said together.
She gave me my son. She's been loyal for years
She's been playing you for years, Shen Mei corrected. Every action calculated. Every word planned. She's brilliant, brother. And she hates your family for something your grandfather did to hers.
What did he do?
Executed her entire clan for treason seventy years ago, I said quietly. She's the last survivor. Everything she's done, entering the palace, bearing your child, gaining your trust it's all been revenge.
The Emperor stood, walked to his window. Stared out at the dark palace grounds.
If I believe you and the truth serum proves you're not lying then everyone I trust is betraying me. The woman who bore my son wants me destroyed. My Prime Minister is a traitor. My court is full of conspirators. He laughed bitterly. Paranoia is what destroyed me in your timeline, Wei Lian. How do I avoid that fate when it turns out everyone really is plotting against me?
You have us now, Shen Mei said. You're not alone this time.
Two women who claim to have returned from death. One I executed myself. The other I barely knew. He turned to face us. How do I trust this? How do I trust anything anymore?
You don't have to trust everything, I said carefully. Just trust that we want the same thing you do, to save this empire. Test us. Watch us. Verify everything we say. But give us the chance to prove we're on your side.
And if you're wrong? If Hua Rong is innocent and I destroy her based on accusations from two women claiming magical resurrection?
Then we'll be wrong. And you can execute us. I met his eyes steadily. But we're not wrong, Your Majesty. We've lived through this already. We know how it ends.
He studied us for a long moment. Then: Three days. You have three days to bring me proof of Hua Rong's treason. Real proof, not just foreknowledge. If you succeed, I'll listen to everything else you know. If you fail...
We understand, Your Majesty.
As Shen Mei and I turned to leave, the Emperor spoke again: Wei Lian. Why save me? In your first timeline, I executed you. Why come back and try to change things instead of just... escaping? Starting a new life far from the palace?
I paused at the door. Because I watched you die fighting for this empire even when everyone betrayed you. Because you deserved better than what fate gave you. And because... I met his eyes, someone had to care enough to try.
Something shifted in his expression. Thank you. For caring when you had every reason not to.
Outside, Shen Mei grabbed my arm. Three days to prove Hua Rong is a traitor. That's nearly impossible.
I know.
But I have an idea. Her eyes gleamed. Hua Rong keeps a private study in the western palace. She thinks no one knows about it. But I discovered it in my first life, after she'd already won. She keeps records of everything there. Proof of all her schemes.
Then we break in and
And we'll be caught and executed as thieves unless we're very, very careful. Shen Mei smiled coldly. Good thing I've spent five years learning to be very, very careful.
When do we go?
Tomorrow night. During the Moon Festival celebrations when everyone's distracted. She squeezed my hand. Ready to commit treason to prevent treason?
Are you asking the woman who's already died once?
Fair point.
We parted ways, me returning to my quarters with my mind spinning.
Tomorrow night. Break into Hua Rong's secret study. Find proof of her conspiracy.
Or get caught and lose everything.
I entered my quarters to find Su Jin waiting, face pale.
My lady! Where have you been? I was so worried
I'm fine, Su Jin. I was just
Lady Chen is dead.
My blood turned to ice. What?
They found her an hour ago. Poisoned. The same poison she'd been putting in those sweet cakes. Su Jin's voice shook. Everyone's saying she accidentally poisoned herself. But my lady... I don't think it was an accident.
Neither did I.
Someone had killed Lady Chen. Someone who wanted to eliminate loose ends.
Someone who knew Chen had failed to poison me and decided she was a liability.
Hua Rong, I whispered.
She was cleaning up. Removing witnesses. Preparing for something big.
And we had less than three days to stop her.