She came back a few hours before dawn, relieving Ah-Liu of his duty. Though the boy opted to remain until dawn to avoid any suspicion anyone might have. Ah-Liu’s talismans, infused with his dark qi that allowed her to use illusions to get in and out of the Palace undetected, were a godsend. She could see that he was tired and hated herself for putting him through this. Hopefully, she would not need this anymore.

  She slept well into the morning, hours after sunrise, which was quite unlike her. But honestly, she was tired and now that her plan had come to fruition, her body just … gave away.

  Thank god she was being punished with confinement because otherwise, people would have questioned why she was not in the training field where she had taken to going or, alternatively, why she was not at the morning tea, if one was being held.

  Her maids also did not wake her up. Not that she was unaware of their arrival. She had just gone back to sleep the moment she determined that they were not assassins or hostile persons. They went about their work without waking her up or realizing that she ever woke up at all. Whether it was because they wanted to let her rest after the altercation last night or Ah-Liu had told them to let her rest citing the very same reason, she did not know. Either way, she was grateful they did not.

  By the time she awoke, Manu was already gone for his lessons. A soft smile graced her lips. He had been very, very quiet getting ready to leave, trying not to wake her up. He failed, of course, but he did not need to know that.

  The maids were incredibly gentle as they cleaned and dressed her up, serving her breakfast. Ah-Liu hovered and fussed over her, but she waved him away.

  It was only after she was done with the breakfast and the maids had cleared everything away that Ah-Liu dropped the bomb.

  “Oh, I forgot to mention,” the little shit started as if it was no big deal, “The Emperor said he would have lunch here today.”

  Samaya stared at Ah-Liu and then looked upwards to any deity that might be existing in this world to give her strength.

  After the moment passed, she turned around. “Yu, Su!” She called for the maids. “The Emperor will be having lunch here. Inform the kitchens. Make sure to have roast duck.”

  That was one of his favorite dishes.

  Samaya paused and pinched the bridge of her nose.

  Dear god, she was acting like an actual concubine.

  Fuck, she hated herself already.

  She took the rest of the time to calm herself as she waited for the man.

  When he finally arrived, the usual formalities were carried out. Ah-Liu and the maids bowed deeply, their voices in perfect unison as they welcomed the Emperor. Samaya, draped in soft pastel silks that contrasted against her dark skin, did her own salutations. The Emperor acknowledged her with a faint smile.

  “I see you are well.” The man nodded. “That is good. We heard there was an … altercation last night.”

  “You could say that.”

  Samaya’s reply was entirely unhelpful.

  “The Empress punished you, We hear. Confinement and … writing scriptures?”

  Samaya supposed that the news had spread. She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  “Do you know which scriptures you have to write?”

  Samaya paused. Shit.

  The man must have gotten the answer because he chuckled. “We shall ask the Empress to send you the scriptures.”

  The maids worked swiftly and efficiently, setting an elaborate spread on the low table in the dining hall. Roast duck, steamed buns, delicate soups, and an assortment of side dishes adorned the table, each dish meticulously prepared to please the imperial palate. Once the table was arranged and the Emperor gave a slight nod, the maids were dismissed.

  As the doors closed behind the last maid, a sense of discomfort descended upon the room. Samaya sighed and, almost mechanically, poured tea for the Emperor, her movements precise and calm. They began eating in silence, but Samaya knew it would not last. Sure enough, after a few bites, the Emperor set down his chopsticks and looked at her with the intensity of someone who had spent hours deliberating a matter.

  “We need to discuss the evidence,” he began, his tone measured.

  Samaya raised her brows slightly. “Evidence, Your Majesty?”

  “Yes. The note you gave Us.” He leaned back slightly, his fingers drumming on the table. “We had Our scribes pull all the Imperial Examination papers from the last thirty years and cross-check them with the handwriting in the suicide notes.”

  “The Imperial Examination papers?”

  The Emperor nodded. “It is a logical place to start. The examinations require the utmost skill in calligraphy. If the note matches a past examinee’s handwriting, it would give us a lead. Thirty years should be enough to give us all living members of the Kang family.”

  Samaya tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you being a bit too short-sighted, Your Majesty?”

  The man mirrored her expression. “There are very few who would accuse Us of being short-sighted, beloved concubine.”

  She ignored that jab. “That could not have been written by a woman,” she pointed out. “And women are not allowed to sit Imperial Examinations. Unless the system has somehow changed without my knowledge, and the society has progressed enough to allow women to become state officials.”

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  “You are correct,” he conceded. “But narrowing the scope is necessary. If nothing comes of it, we will expand the search. For now, this is the most efficient route.”

  Samaya’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And if the writer is not an examination candidate?”

  The Emperor’s lips quirked into a faint smile, almost amused by her persistence. “Then, we search elsewhere. I have already ordered my subordinates to gather the examination papers of every living Kang family member. If none of those match, I will personally send my shadow guards to infiltrate the Kang residence and collect samples of the family’s calligraphy.”

  “And Kang Yuxin?”

  “What about her?

  “Are you going to send your Shadow Guards to collect from her too?”

  “Perhaps.” The Emperor frowned ever so slightly and then tilted his head, as if he had not given the matter much thought. “Although … it would not be hard to collect some calligraphy from her when I visit her.”

  Samaya could not help the frown that marred her face. The thought of the man visiting Kang Yuxin was … unpleasant, for some reason.

  She shook her head to get that thought out. It was stupid.

  “Very well. I hope you will keep me informed of any new developments in this matter?”

  The man tilted his head, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. “As you wish, beloved concubine.”

  The tension in the air eased. Samaya relaxed as she took a few more bites of the food.

  “Would it be enough to get the Kangs?”

  The man paused and then put down his chopsticks. “No. No matter what, the Kangs won’t be brought down by the death of two maids. Three,” the man stopped her before she could speak as she opened her mouth to speak, “if you wish to be precise.”

  “Then what is the point of this.”

  “The point is that it allows Us to legally and openly investigate them. After all, one of the deaths was connected to the attack on the Imperial Prince. Once we start investigating, who knows what we may find.”

  “How do you know that they won’t hide things the moment you start investigating?”

  “Oh, they will try. That is why We will have Our men on guard.” A soft smirk graced the man’s lips. “And whatever they find, will be a legitimate result of the investigation. After all, We were only taking precautions.”

  It took her a moment to understand, but she smiled as she did. The man could easily gather evidence using his Shadow Guards and Embroidered Uniform Guards. But that would cause an upheaval in the political scene if the Emperor used his men willy nilly to spy and gather evidence on the noble families. The Court would become unstable. He would need an excuse to do so, which he did not have. Until now.

  “Clever.”

  “High praise coming from you, beloved concubine.”

  “It is,” she admitted shamelessly.

  Chuckles echoed in the room as they continued their lunch.

  Several days passed, and Samaya’s confinement finally came to an end. She welcomed the freedom. Good Lord, she had not realized how much she had gotten used to her visits to the training fields until she had been confined. Her hands were cramping from writing scriptures which were basically some stupid text about the duties of a concubine. Her maids had to stop her quite a few times from burning the damn things.

  Finally, it was over and she could go beat a damn straw dummies.

  She felt better after a session and when she came back, there was a surprise waiting for her.

  The summons from the Empress Dowager.

  The meeting was held in the Empress Dowager’s private chambers in the Nuanfugong. The older woman sat with a serene expression, her piercing eyes betraying her shrewdness.

  Samaya stepped inside and knelt, bowing. She was not the biggest fan of formalities but this was one woman with whom she did not feel comfortable without formalities.

  “Your Highness.”

  “Lady Qing,” she began, her tone gentle but firm, “I have been observing you.”

  Samaya straightened. “Your Highness is too kind.”

  “Let us not waste time with formalities.” The Empress Dowager’s tone sharpened slightly. “It seems you have enraptured the Emperor. I heard about the spar you had with His Majesty and the frequent visits.”

  Samaya tilted her head. “The Emperor does what the Emperor wants. I have little hand in it, Your Highness. His Majesty requested the spar, and I could not refuse.”

  The Empress Dowager’s gaze bore into her. “Be cautious, child. The Emperor’s attention is a double-edged sword. Too much of it, and you risk alienating others in the harem - or worse, making enemies within the court.”

  Samaya nodded. “I am well aware, Your Highness. I will tread carefully.”

  “See that you do.” The Empress Dowager’s tone was as sharp as ever. “ A concubine who becomes a threat to others rarely survives long. From what I have heard, you have already made quite a few enemies.”

  Samaya let the silence simmer for a moment before she spoke. “As much as I appreciate the advice, may I ask why Your Highness has decided to grace this lowly concubine so?”

  The Empress Dowager had rarely ever paid attention to her, except her first visit to this place. So, why now?

  There was a long pause as the woman took the time to drink her tea.

  “A concubine who arose to her position from the peasantry,” the woman started as she looked at Samaya, “You have only been here a few months. And in those months, you have not only caused quite a few upheavals, including targeting a High Noble family in court, you have also caught what seems to be the undivided attention of the Emperor. You are … an anomaly in the Harem. One who, as much as I am loathe to admit it, seems to have breathed new life into my son.”

  Samaya blinked at that. That … was not what she had expected.

  “I do not understand what you mean.”

  “You do not have to,” the woman replied. “Take it how you will. An Empress Dowager’s concern for the stability of the Harem or a mother’s concern for her son; it does not matter. What matters is that you do not cause any more chaos than you already have. I do not care much for you either way, but I know my son would be loathe to see something happen to you. Therefore, you must stay, and you must stay quiet.”

  “I… see.” She tilted her head. “‘Stay in your place and don’t get into any more trouble.’ Is that it?”

  The woman smiled. “I knew you were smart.”

  Just then, there was a knock at the door. A servant entered, bowing low. “Your Highness, a summons has arrived from His Majesty for Lady Qing.”

  The Empress Dowager raised a brow and gestured for the servant to proceed. The letter was handed to Samaya, who opened it with steady hands.

  Her eyes scanned the parchment, her lips pressing into a thin line.

  “What is it?” the Empress Dowager asked.

  Samaya folded the letter neatly and tucked it away. “His Majesty has summoned me to the Outer Court.”

  Author's Note: Sorry for the late update! Things are ... chaotic, let's say. I will try to get another chapter out in a day or two!

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