Great Chu Dynasty

Autumn, the Third Year of Jianshi

You stand on the dirt road leading to the South Gate of Tianqi City. Beneath your feet are blue cobblestones laid down by the previous dynasty, worn smooth and shiny by years of carriages and horses. In the distance, the palace walls rise like an iron-gray spine, splitting the city in two. To the west lie the sprawling estates of the nobility; to the east, the bustling markets of the common folk. The autumn sun is bleak, casting its pale light on the glazed tiles of the city gate's upturned eaves, offering little warmth.

The guards, clad in worn armor, lean lazily against their spears as they eye the passersby. You tighten your grip on the bundle over your shoulder—it contains everything you own. Among the crowd entering the city are merchants pushing carts, women holding children's hands, and solitary travelers like yourself.

"New here? Papers!" an officer in black robes stops you, his tone impatient.

You reach into your clothes and hand over your travel permit. He glances at it, then looks up at you, his eyes sharp with the shrewdness of a street-smart local. "East District or West District? The West District isn't easy to settle in; the ward chiefs are strict. The East District... is cheap, but chaotic."

Before you can answer, a crisp jingling of bells sounds behind you. A mule cart with royal blue silk curtains emerges from the city gate, bronze bells hanging from its eaves as it ambles along. The driver shouts for people to clear the way. A corner of the curtain is lifted, revealing a plump, pale face with eyes squinted into slits. He glances briefly in your direction before letting the curtain fall back.

Passersby whisper among themselves: "That's the carriage of the fourth master from the Grand Preceptor's Manor, heading to the East District again."

You keep that direction in mind.

Behind the Shadows

By the time you settle into your lodgings, dusk has already fallen. Sitting by the window of a simple inn, you watch the lanterns light up one by one along the street. In the distance, the Grand Preceptor's Manor is brightly lit, and the faint sound of music drifts through the air. In contrast, the Imperial City is as silent as ink, save for a few lonely lights on the corner towers.

A woman wearing an indigo headscarf quietly approaches you, lowering her voice: "Are you looking for a way forward, traveler? My master has an old acquaintance who wishes to meet you."

You follow her through several narrow alleys and enter an inconspicuous, black-painted gate. In the courtyard, a few parasol trees shed their leaves across the ground. The main hall is lit, and through a gauze curtain, you can see a slender figure slowly turning a string of Buddhist prayer beads.

From behind the curtain comes a soft, yet somewhat neurotic female voice: "Good child, come closer. Let me look at you."

You step into the hall. A woman in her fifties sits upright in the seat of honor. She has an oval face and gentle features, with a striking, bright red teardrop mole at the corner of her eye against her porcelain-white skin. Wearing an ochre-brown jacket embroidered with floral medallions, she holds the prayer beads, her back as straight as a pine. Yet her eyes wander, scanning the window from time to time as if she is constantly on guard.

"Grand Preceptor Wang has recently taken on several new disciples. Have you heard?" she asks abruptly, her gaze piercing you like a needle.

You realize that this woman, Empress Dowager Shengci, is testing you in her own way.

No Way Back

The Empress Dowager sizes you up, then suddenly smiles—a smile devoid of warmth, filled only with calculation.

"Good child, you are a smart one. The palace has been short of capable hands lately—someone needs to keep an eye on Anle Hall." She idly clicks her prayer beads, her gaze drifting to the parasol trees in the courtyard. "An old acquaintance lives there. Perhaps you would be interested."

When she mentions "Anle Hall," there is a tremor in her voice, barely noticeable to others. You recall the rumors you heard before entering the city: the deposed Emperor Xiong Shiyin and the imprisoned Empress Xie are confined in that place, which bears an elegant yet desolate name.

The Empress Dowager gives you a deep, searching look. "If you are willing, we will arrange the paperwork tomorrow. Of course, you are free to choose otherwise." She pauses, her smile deepening. "Tianqi City is vast, but no one who has stepped into this courtyard has ever walked out in one piece. Think it over carefully."

For a moment, the hall falls so silent that only the soft clinking of the prayer beads can be heard. You feel as though you have accidentally brushed against the edge of a massive whirlpool—and the Empress Dowager is smiling, waiting for you to plunge in.