Page 64 of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Xifeng kept her eyes down, satisfied that her plan had at least led to this small victory.

The Emperor continued speaking to his wife, pointedly ignoring Lady Sun’s departure. “The Crown Prince himself agreed with me, and one of your ladies as well. Xifeng, I believe, is her name.”

She froze as the Emperor’s eyes found her in the crowd. Everyone in the room turned to her, even Lady Sun, who stopped in her tracks, her face drained of color.

“Come forward, if you please.”

The room was still as Xifeng obeyed. She caught a glimpse of Lady Meng muttering to someone and Master Yu’s lips turning downward in disgust as she bowed to the Imperial couple. When she straightened, the Empress was staring at her like she had never truly seen her before.

Her Majesty’s jaw worked, and beneath her silken sleeves, her clasped hands were white. “I wasn’t aware you knew of my birthday gift, Xifeng. How... kind of you to keep it a surprise.”

Her voice was gentle as ever, but Xifeng flinched inwardly as though she had shouted. She had spoken to the Emperor only twice, and they had never said or done anything remotely close to betraying the Empress, but still her gut twisted beneath the older woman’s stare. It was so different from the way she’d looked when she had thanked Xifeng for caring about her.

Her end is your beginning...

“Xifeng happened upon the map in the course of her duties,” the Emperor said carelessly. “I echo her poetic words to you, my dear one. For your birthday, I give you the world.”

“She is quite the poet.” The Empress still wore her strange, disconcerted expression. “She recited a beautiful verse about motherhood when we first met.”

Xifeng flushed as she met Emperor Jun’s gaze. There was interest in those handsome eyes, and not a small degree of confidence. Clearly,he thought her certain to fall if he pursued her; he believed he had as good as won her already. She bristled at his arrogant presumption that she was like a maid he could tumble after eyeing her once.I am not one of them.

She would not be another plaything to frolic with in a tub of rose petals, only to be flung aside when he got tired of her. She would be his Empress, his equal, and nothing less. She steeled herself against those eyes, which regarded her with even more interest.

“Would you do us the honor of reciting another verse for the Empress’s birthday?”

She took a deep breath and focused only on the Empress. “It would bemyhonor.”

The Empress’s eyes softened a bit.

Perhaps because it was the celebration of the full moon, Xifeng found herself reciting the lines she had found in Guma’s mysterious volume of poetry:

The moon shines down upon us, beloved

The water a vast and eternal mirror

A voice whispers from every tender branch

Turn your face from the world’s apple-blossom fragility

And embrace this boundless night

The Emperor and Empress led the room in polite applause. Xifeng retreated among the ladies, exhaling when the attention turned fromher once more. But she felt their awareness still, especially Lady Sun, who stood watching her for a long moment before leaving at last.

All through the celebratory birthday banquet and the musical performance that followed, Xifeng’s skin prickled with foreboding. She noted the Emperor and Lady Sun were both absent.

“She’s exploding at His Majesty in private again,” Kang informed her. “All the eunuchs are talking of it. She’s been screaming in her apartments, threatening to leave him.”

Xifeng waved her hand dismissively. “That’s nothing new.”

“She accused him of ignoring their son to chase after a ‘farm girl’s skirts.’ Be on your guard. She’s angrier and more desperate than anyone has ever seen her, andyouare her target.”

And in spite of herself, Xifeng felt gooseflesh emerging on her arms. The concubine would take her revenge, and Xifeng could either wait... or take action first.

The next morning, a eunuch approached their table and interrupted their meal. He looked vaguely familiar to Xifeng. “Lady Sun wishes to see you in her apartments,” he told her.

Xifeng exchanged glances with Kang.Thatwas where she knew him from—he was one of the guards stationed in the concubine’s living quarters. “What could she possibly want with me?” she asked, arching a brow calmly though her pulse picked up.

“She and Lady Meng wish to speak to you.”

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