Yueyin's POV
Fire! I shout, already running toward the door. We need to stop it before the documents burn!
The guard grabs my arm. Miss, you need to evacuate
No! Those chambers have important I catch myself. Can't say too much. There might be people trapped inside!
The Empress Dowager isn't there. She's with the Emperor. The guard pulls me toward the exit. Now move!
Qingyi stumbles after us, coughing as smoke starts filling the corridor. What's happening?
She stops midsentence, her eyes widening as understanding hits.
Someone destroying evidence.
The same evidence I was trying to find.
We burst into a courtyard where other nobles are gathering, all evacuated from the west wing. Servants run with buckets of water. Guards shout orders. Smoke billows from the Empress Dowager's chambers, flames licking out of windows.
It's too late. Whatever documents were hidden there, they're burning right now.
Yueyin! Father appears through the smoke, grabbing me. Thank the heavens you're safe. What were you doing in the west wing?
Qingyi and I were in the guest chambers. A guard evacuated us.
Father's eyes narrow slightly. The guest chambers are in the east wing.
My stomach drops. I mean... we were walking and
She was lost again, Qingyi interrupts smoothly. I was helping her find her way when the fire started.
Father doesn't look convinced, but he doesn't push. There are bigger problems right now.
Like the fact that all our evidence just went up in flames.
Who started the fire? I ask.
No one knows. It spread too quickly to be an accident. Father's jaw clenches. First the Emperor poisoned, then Prince Yizheng attacked, now this. The palace is under siege from within.
Maybe it's all connected, I say carefully. Maybe someone's trying to hide something.
Or trying to cause chaos. Father looks at the burning chambers. Either way, the council will have to meet immediately. With His Majesty incapacitated, decisions must be made.
Decisions about succession. About who becomes the next Emperor.
Zhengming's probably celebrating right now. Everything that could expose him is burning away.
Unless...
The fire started in the Empress Dowager's chambers, I say slowly. But what about her other properties? Her private villa outside the city? Would she keep important documents there too?
Father gives me a strange look. Why would you think the Empress Dowager has important documents?
Because in my first life, Yizheng found evidence there after he became Emperor. Letters, financial records, proof of treason hidden in multiple locations.
Just a thought, I say quickly. Important people usually keep backups of valuable things, right?
Yueyin. Father's voice drops low. What do you know about this?
Everything. Nothing. Too much.
I don't know anything, I lie. I'm just trying to understand what's happening.
Before Father can press further, a commotion erupts near the palace entrance.
Make way! Make way for the Empress Dowager!
She sweeps into the courtyard in a cloud of expensive silk and fake tears. My chambers! Someone burned my private chambers! Where are the guards? How did this happen?
Her performance is perfect the devastated victim whose rooms were destroyed. But I see how her eyes scan the crowd, sharp and calculating. She's not upset about the fire.
She's checking to see who's watching. Who suspects.
Your Majesty, a guard bows nervously. We're investigating how the fire started
Investigating? My personal belongings are being destroyed and you're investigating? She draws herself up imperiously. I want answers! I want whoever did this found and executed!
More performance. More distraction.
While everyone focuses on her dramatics, I scan the crowd for Yizheng. He should be here. He needs to know about the fire, about the evidence being destroyed.
But I don't see him anywhere.
Where's Prince Yizheng? I ask Father quietly.
Still being treated by physicians. The blade wound was deeper than they thought. Father's expression is grim. He lost a lot of blood. They're not sure if he'll survive the night.
My chest tightens. No. He can't die. He's the only other person who knows the truth, who remembers the future.
Without him, I'm alone in this.
I need to see him, I say.
Absolutely not. He's barely conscious
Father, please. It's important.
Why? What's so urgent that
Because he's my friend! The words burst out. He's always been kind to me, and now he's dying, and I need to see him!
It's not entirely a lie. In my first life, before everything fell apart, Yizheng was one of the few people at court who treated me like a person instead of a political tool.
I just forgot that. Forgot everything good about him because of how it ended.
Father's expression softens slightly. Yueyin...
Please.
He sighs. Fine. But only for a moment. And Lady Shen will accompany you.
No. Not Qingyi. She'll listen to everything we say, report it back to Zhengming.
Actually, Qingyi says sweetly, I should return home. My mother will be worried about the fire.
She's lying. She wants to report to Lady Shen, to Zhengming, to whoever's paying her for information.
But it also means she won't be following me.
Go ahead, I tell her. Thank you for staying with me earlier.
Her smile is poisonous. Of course. That's what friends are for.
She leaves, and I feel like I can breathe again.
Father escorts me to the medical wing where they're treating Yizheng. Guards stand outside his room, suspicious of everyone.
Five minutes, Father tells me. That's all.
He stays outside while I slip into the room.
Yizheng lies on a bed, pale as death. Bandages wrap his torso where the blade struck. His breathing is shallow, labored.
For a moment, I think he's unconscious.
Then his eyes open. Focus on me.
You came, he whispers.
The documents, I say urgently, keeping my voice low. There was a fire. The Empress Dowager's chambers burned. Everything's destroyed.
His jaw clenches. Zhengming moved faster than I expected.
What do we do now? Without proof
There's another place. His hand grabs mine weakly. My mother's old rooms. In the Cold Palace. The forgotten wing where she died.
I remember that place from my first life. Empty, abandoned, avoided by everyone because they said it was haunted.
Why would documents be there?
Because my mother knew. His voice is getting weaker. Before the Empress Dowager poisoned her, my mother discovered the conspiracy. She hid evidence. I found it after I became Emperor, but I never told anyone where.
So you're telling me now.
Because I might not survive the night. His grip tightens. If I die, you have to finish this. Promise me.
You're not going to die
Promise me!
I promise, I whisper.
He relaxes slightly. The Cold Palace. Third building. Her bedroom. Behind the mirror.
Behind the mirror. Got it.
But Yueyin. His eyes are intense despite the pain. The Cold Palace is dangerous. Not haunted that's just rumors. But Zhengming has guards watching it. He knows there might be evidence there too. If you go, you'll be walking into a trap.
Then come with me.
I can't even stand.
Then I'll wait until you recover
There's no time! The emperor's dying. Maybe hours left, maybe days. Once he's dead, Zhengming becomes emperor and we lose everything. His breathing becomes more labored. You have to go tonight. While everyone's distracted with the fire and the succession crisis.
He's right. But the thought of going alone, into a place where guards are watching, where Zhengming might have set a trap...
I'm scared, I admit quietly.
Good. Fear keeps you careful. He manages a weak smile. The naive girl who died would have rushed in blindly. But you're not her anymore. You're smarter now. Stronger.
Am I though? I feel like I'm barely holding on. Barely keeping ahead of all the people trying to destroy me.
What if I fail? I whisper.
Then we both die. Again. His eyes close. But this time, at least we tried to change things. That's more than we did in the first timeline.
The door opens. A physician enters, frowning when he sees me.
Miss, the prince needs rest. You must leave.
One more moment
Now, please.
I squeeze Yizheng's hand once more. He squeezes back weakly.
Then I'm being ushered out, back into the corridor where Father waits.
Did you say goodbye? he asks gently.
Goodbye. Like Yizheng's already dead.
He's not dying, I say fiercely. He's going to survive this.
I hope you're right.
We start walking back toward the main palace. My mind races with plans.
The Cold Palace. Tonight. Behind the mirror.
I can do this. I have to do this.
But as we round a corner, someone steps out of the shadows.
Crown Prince Zhengming.
Lady Xia. Prime Minister. How fortunate to run into you. His smile is sharp. I was hoping we could talk. About the fire. And about some very interesting rumors I've been hearing.
Father bows respectfully. Your Highness. What rumors?
Oh, just that Lady Xia was seen near the Empress Dowager's chambers right before the fire started. His eyes lock on mine. Almost like she knew it was going to happen. Curious, isn't it?
My blood turns to ice.
He's accusing me. Setting me up as the arsonist.
That's absurd, Father says firmly. My daughter was in the guest chambers when
Was she? Zhengming pulls out a small piece of fabric. Red silk embroidered with phoenixes. Because this was found at the fire's origin point. And unless I'm mistaken, it matches the dress Lady Xia wore tonight.
He holds it up, and my stomach drops.
It does match. Exactly.
Someone planted it. Framed me for the fire to discredit anything I might say about the conspiracy.
I've never seen that before, I say, but my voice shakes.
No? Zhengming's smile widens. Then perhaps you won't mind if guards search your chambers? See if they can find where this piece was torn from your dress?
It's a trap. A perfect trap.
If they search my room, they'll plant more evidence. Maybe documents linking me to the Northern Kingdom. Maybe letters proving I'm a spy.
They'll frame me for everything, and Father will go down with me.
Your Highness, Father begins, surely you don't believe
I believe in evidence, Prime Minister. And right now, evidence suggests your daughter has been involved in tonight's unfortunate events. Zhengming signals to guards. Take Lady Xia into custody. For questioning.
No! I back away. I didn't do anything!
Then you have nothing to fear from questioning.
Guards move toward me. Father tries to intervene, but more guards block him.
I'm being arrested. Being framed. And there's nothing I can do to stop it.
Unless I run.
I spin and bolt down the corridor. Shouts erupt behind me. Footsteps chase after me.
Stop her!
Don't let her escape!
I run blindly, heart hammering, taking random turns. Need to get away. Need to reach the Cold Palace before they catch me.
But I don't know these corridors as well as they do. Don't know where I'm going.
I round a corner and slam into someone.
Arms catch me before I fall.
I look up, ready to fight
And freeze.
It's Yizheng.
Somehow standing. Somehow conscious. Blood seeping through fresh bandages.
This way, he gasps. Hurry.
He pulls me into a hidden passage I didn't know existed.
Behind us, guards shout as they lose our trail.
You shouldn't be walking, I whisper. You're injured
Heard them arresting you. Couldn't let that happen. He leans heavily against the wall, face pale with pain. But I can't go much further. Take this.
He presses something into my hand. A jade token with the imperial seal.
What
My authority as a prince. It'll get you past some guards. Not all, but some. His breathing is labored. Go to the Cold Palace. Get the evidence. Survive this.
Come with me I'd only slow you down. Besides... He smiles weakly. Someone needs to lead them away from you. Give you time.
They'll catch you. They'll know you helped me, Let them. His eyes are determined. We're changing the future, remember? Maybe this time, instead of watching you die...
He doesn't finish. Doesn't need to.
This time, he's choosing to save me.
Even if it costs him everything.
Shouts echo closer. They're searching nearby passages.
Go, Yizheng urges. Now.
I want to argue. Want to refuse. But he's right together we're too slow, too obvious.
Don't die, I whisper.
Same to you.
Then I'm running again, deeper into the hidden passages, clutching the jade token.
Behind me, I hear Yizheng call out loudly: Over here! I saw her go this way!
Leading them away. Sacrificing himself.
For me.
I run toward the Cold Palace, toward the evidence, toward whatever trap might be waiting.
And I pray that both of us survive the night.