The morning began the same as always.
Shen Yao moved through his forms in the courtyard, breath misting in the pre-dawn air. His body was responding better now—the weakness that had plagued him since waking in this world was fading, day by day, replaced by something leaner. Harder.
He finished the last form and exhaled.
Xi Shu appeared with a towel and cold tea. Shen Yao drank, wiped his face, and sat on the stone bench to catch his breath.
That's when he heard her footsteps.
Shen Miao appeared at the courtyard entrance, the familiar basket in her hands. Bai Yue and Bai Yin followed a half-step behind, their expressions carefully neutral.
She crossed the courtyard and stopped at the edge of the training area, not quite close enough to intrude.
"Brother." She held out the basket. "For your morning."
Shen Yao nodded. Xi Shu stepped forward to take it, but Shen Yao raised a hand.
"Wait."
He turned to the side and waved two fingers.
One of the maids standing at the courtyard edge stepped forward, carrying a small wooden box. Polished dark wood, simple but elegant. She handed it to Shen Yao, then retreated.
Shen Yao held the box out toward Shen Miao.
She blinked. Confusion flickered across her face.
"For you," he said. Flat. Casual. As if handing his sister a gift was something he did every day.
Shen Miao looked at the box. Then at his face. Then back at the box.
Her hands moved slowly, like she was afraid it might disappear if she reached too fast.
She took it.
"Thank you, Brother," she said softly.
Shen Yao grunted, turned back toward the training space, and picked up his sword. "It's nothing. Go. You'll be late for school."
Shen Miao bowed slightly, turned, and walked out of the courtyard. Her steps were even, composed, the picture of a proper noble miss.
But Bai Yue and Bai Yin, following behind her, exchanged glances.
Their young miss was practically floating.
Once they were out of sight, Shen Miao stopped. She opened the box with trembling fingers.
Inside, nestled on a cushion of silk, lay a hairpin. Light green with decorative flowers dangling from the sides—one light pink, two light purple. Delicate. Beautiful. Nothing like the extravagant jewelry her cousin Shen Yiyi flaunted.
This was... thoughtful.
She touched the dangling flowers gently, as if afraid they might break.
"Miss," Bai Yue whispered, "we really should—"
"I know." Shen Miao closed the box and held it to her chest. Her smile was small, but it reached her eyes in a way that rarely happened.
She walked toward the carriage with lighter steps than she had entered.
Behind her, Bai Yin nudged her sister. "Did you see that?"
Bai Yue nodded. "We saw."
Neither of them said a word. Some moments weren't meant for words.
---
Back in the courtyard, Shen Yao had barely resumed his training when the maid came running.
Not walking. Running. Her face pale, her breath coming in short gasps.
"Young Master—" She stumbled to a stop and bowed hastily. "An urgent message from the palace. The emperor has summoned you."
Shen Yao's expression didn't change.
But inside, his mind was already racing.
Now? Why now?
He handed his sword to Xi Shu, who had gone rigid at the maid's words.
"Prepare the horse," Shen Yao said. "Black robes."
Xi Shu hesitated. "Young Master, without an escort—"
"I won't need one." Shen Yao was already moving toward his quarters. "Not for this."
---
He changed quickly. Black robes, dark and unassuming, nothing that would draw attention. He didn't bother with the hood—not for the palace. The emperor already knew his face.
Within minutes, he was mounted and riding through the capital streets, Xi Shu following on a separate horse despite Shen Yao's dismissal. Xi Shu had given him a look that said *I'm coming whether you like it or not*, and Shen Yao hadn't argued.
The palace gates loomed ahead. Guards bowed as he passed. He dismounted, handed the reins to a waiting attendant, and walked.
Eunuch Tan was waiting for him at the entrance to the inner corridors.
The new Chief Eunuch—promoted after the previous one's mysterious drowning—smiled with the practiced warmth of someone who had learned to smile at everyone and trust no one.
"Young Master Shen." He bowed. "His Majesty awaits. Please follow."
He turned and walked. Shen Yao followed.
The corridors were emptier than usual. No guards at the intersections. No eunuchs hurrying past with scrolls or tea trays. Just the echo of their footsteps on polished stone.
Shen Yao's instincts prickled.
He slowed his pace slightly, falling a half-step behind Eunuch Tan, and spoke in a voice barely above a breath.
"Why are there no guards?"
He wasn't speaking to the eunuch.
The air around him seemed to still. Then, against his ear, so faint it might have been imagined:
*"There are five. Inside the study. Hiding."*
Shen Yao's expression didn't change. His pace didn't falter.
*Five hidden guards. No visible security.*
This wasn't a summons. It was a test. Or a trap.
Or both.
Eunuch Tan reached the study door, announced Shen Yao's arrival, and slipped inside.
Shen Yao stood alone in the corridor.
He glanced around once more—casually, as if admiring the architecture—and confirmed what Yu Xie had told him. No guards in sight. No witnesses.
*Five men inside. Armed. Hidden.*
And the emperor, waiting.
The door opened. Eunuch Tan emerged, still smiling.
"His Majesty will see you now, Young Master Shen."
Shen Yao inclined his head and stepped inside.