Episode 4 — Where Wolves Gather
The war council chamber was carved from black stone.
It sat beneath the eastern wing of the palace, half-buried in the earth like a secret too dangerous to exist above ground. Oil lamps burned low along the walls, casting long shadows that bent and twisted across maps stretched wide on the central table.
This was not a place for debate.
It was a place where men decided who would die first.
Li Wei entered beside Shen Zhiyuan.
Conversation faltered.
Not stopped—only softened, like voices pressed beneath water.
Generals, ministers, border lords. Men whose hands were stained red in ways silk sleeves could never hide. Their gazes slid to Li Wei, sharp and invasive, measuring his worth, calculating how easily he could be broken.
And then—where Shen placed him.
At his right hand.
Not behind.
Not among attendants.
At his side.
A deliberate provocation.
"You're late," a voice drawled.
Lord Han Zhen sat across the table, fingers heavy with jade rings, his smile polite and venomous. He commanded the eastern fleets—and owed Shen Zhiyuan nothing.
"War does not wait," Han continued, eyes flicking to Li Wei. "But it seems you've brought… entertainment."
Li Wei felt the insult like a slap.
Before he could speak, Shen Zhiyuan rested one hand on the table.
The sound was quiet.
Final.
"Mind your tongue," Shen said. "Unless you'd like to explain why three of your supply routes vanished last month."
Silence snapped tight.
Han Zhen's smile froze.
Li Wei exhaled slowly, keeping his expression neutral. He was not naïve. This was protection—but protection sharpened into a weapon. Every word Shen spoke on his behalf bound Li Wei tighter to him.
The council began.
Reports of unrest at the northern border. Missing troops. Delayed reinforcements. Maps marked with red ink like spreading wounds.
Li Wei listened.
Patterns emerged.
Too neat.
"Someone is feeding false intelligence," Li Wei said suddenly.
The room stilled.
Several men turned sharply.
Shen Zhiyuan did not stop him.
Li Wei stepped closer to the table, pointing to the map. "These troop movements mirror an old defensive pattern—one retired after the River Siege. Only a handful of strategists would remember it."
Han Zhen laughed lightly. "You accuse ghosts now, Scholar Li?"
"No," Li Wei replied calmly. "I accuse men who believe the past is forgotten."
Shen Zhiyuan's gaze burned into him.
Interest.
Approval.
Something darker beneath.
A door creaked open.
A new presence entered the chamber.
Minister Xu Ming.
Elegant. Soft-spoken. Beloved by the court. And—Li Wei's former mentor.
Li Wei's fingers curled slightly into his sleeve.
Xu Ming smiled when he saw him. "Li Wei. You look… well."
"Alive," Li Wei corrected. "For now."
A flicker passed through Xu Ming's eyes—too quick for anyone else to catch.
Shen Zhiyuan did.
The minister bowed slightly. "General. Your… asset is impressive."
Asset.
The word landed heavy.
Shen Zhiyuan's jaw tightened. "He is not an asset."
Xu Ming raised an eyebrow. "Then what is he?"
Shen did not answer.
The meeting dissolved soon after—no conclusions, only sharpened suspicion. Men left in quiet clusters, whispering, calculating.
Xu Ming lingered.
"You should be careful," the minister said softly to Li Wei once they were alone. "Standing so close to power has consequences."
Li Wei met his gaze. "You taught me that."
Xu Ming smiled sadly. "Then you should know—General Shen does not protect without taking payment."
Shen Zhiyuan returned before Li Wei could respond.
Xu Ming bowed and withdrew.
Shen watched him leave.
"You trust him," Shen said flatly.
"I used to," Li Wei replied.
"That will get you killed."
They walked back through torch-lit corridors in silence until Li Wei finally spoke.
"You marked me tonight."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Shen stopped.
Turned.
"You want honesty?" he asked.
Li Wei nodded.
"Because they would tear you apart otherwise," Shen said. "And because letting them think you belong to me keeps you alive."
Li Wei laughed bitterly. "Belong."
Shen stepped closer. Too close.
"You misunderstand," Shen said quietly. "I am not claiming you to humiliate you."
"Then why does it feel like a leash?"
Shen's gaze darkened.
"Because," he said slowly, "you keep walking toward danger without realizing how many men want you silent."
Li Wei searched his face.
"Do you?" he asked softly.
Shen Zhiyuan did not answer immediately.
When he did, his voice was lower.
"I want you alive."
The words landed heavier than any threat.
That night, Li Wei did not sleep.
Nor did Shen Zhiyuan.
From his chamber across the courtyard, Shen watched the lantern glow behind Li Wei's window. Too alert. Too vulnerable.
Too close.
For the first time in years, Shen Zhiyuan felt something unfamiliar coil in his chest.
Not desire.
Not yet.
Possession, sharpened by fear.
Because if Li Wei died—
The empire would burn.
And something far more dangerous than war would be taken from him.