Chapter XCIV - The Box from Seven Years Ago
The rain continued through the night.
Soft.
Relentless.
Like fingers tapping against the palace windows.
Inside the imperial study, nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because the document inside the wooden box had changed everything.
Again.
-
Prince Rui stared at the faded report.
The words remained exactly where he remembered them.
The same code name.
The same operation.
The same nightmare.
Seven years ago.
A mission that supposedly never existed.
A mission the court officially denied.
A mission that nearly killed him.
And now-
proof sat openly before him.
-
The Emperor watched silently.
The Crown Prince watched carefully.
Shen Li watched Prince Rui.
Only Prince Rui.
Because she noticed something no one else did.
His hands were perfectly steady.
Too steady.
The dangerous kind of steady.
The kind that came before storms.
-
Finally the Emperor spoke.
"Read the last page."
Silence.
Prince Rui turned the document slowly.
One page.
Then another.
Then another.
Most contained military observations.
Reports.
Assessments.
Surveillance.
Yet the final page was different.
Completely different.
Because someone had written directly across it by hand.
Not typed.
Not copied.
Written.
Personal.
Prince Rui froze.
Because he recognized the handwriting immediately.
Not the Emperor's.
Not Consort Xu's.
Someone else.
Someone he had not seen in years.
-
Then quietly he read aloud.
"Subject continues exceeding expectations."
The room remained silent.
Then:
"Northern deployment failed to reduce influence."
Another line.
"Military loyalty increasing."
Then the final sentence.
The final sentence that made the entire room go cold.
"Alternative measures should be considered."
Silence crashed down.
Because everyone understood what those words meant.
Assassination.
Elimination.
Removal.
Political language rarely used direct terms.
But the meaning remained obvious.
Then Shen Li noticed something.
A signature.
Tiny.
Almost hidden.
At the bottom corner.
Then softly she asked:
"Whose handwriting is that?"
Prince Rui did not answer immediately.
The pause felt dangerous.
Then finally-
very quietly-
he said:
"Grand Tutor Liang."
The room froze.
Absolute silence.
-
The Crown Prince stood abruptly.
"Impossible."
The denial came instantly.
Because Grand Tutor Liang had been one of the empire's most respected officials.
Scholar.
Advisor.
Mentor to princes.
Dead for nearly five years.
The Emperor's expression darkened.
Because unfortunately-
he looked less surprised than everyone else.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then Shen Li's eyes widened slightly.
Liang.
Not Liang Wenxuan.
A different Liang.
An older Liang.
Yet suddenly-
something clicked.
A connection.
Family.
Then quietly she asked:
"Related to Liang Wenxuan?"
The Emperor nodded.
Once.
Heavy.
Reluctant.
"His grandfather."
The room became still.
Because suddenly-
a family name that had haunted Shen Li's past had reappeared inside Prince Rui's.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
-
Then the Emperor slowly leaned back.
Looking older than ever.
Tired.
Regretful.
Then softly he admitted:
"I never trusted Grand Tutor Liang completely."
The Crown Prince looked stunned.
"Father-"
"But I underestimated him."
The interruption came immediately.
Firmly.
Then:
"By the time questions arose..."
"He was already dead."
Convenient.
Far too convenient.
Prince Rui's eyes narrowed.
Because dead men could not answer questions.
Dead men could not defend themselves.
Dead men made excellent scapegoats.
Then quietly he asked:
"You believe he acted alone?"
The Emperor fell silent.
Long enough to answer.
No.
He did not.
-
Outside-
thunder rolled faintly across the capital.
The rain intensified.
And somehow-
the room felt smaller.
Because if Grand Tutor Liang helped create Project Northern Wolf...
Then someone else had helped continue it.
Someone alive.
Someone still operating.
Someone powerful enough to erase evidence for seven years.
-
Then suddenly-
a palace guard burst through the study doors.
Breathless.
Pale.
Terrified.
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
The Emperor stood.
"What happened?"
The guard dropped to one knee.
Then delivered words that changed everything.
"Your Majesty."
"Consort Xu has been found."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Emperor stepped forward.
The Crown Prince froze.
Prince Rui's eyes darkened.
Then:
"Where?"
The guard swallowed hard.
"In Grand Tutor Liang's abandoned estate."
The room stopped breathing.
Because that was impossible.
The man had been dead for years.
The estate abandoned.
Empty.
Forgotten.
And yet-
Consort Xu had somehow ended up there.
-
Then the guard spoke the final sentence.
The one that made even Prince Rui go still.
"She refuses to speak to anyone."
"Except Prince Rui."
Silence.
Thunder echoed outside.
Rain hammered against the windows.
And somewhere in the capital-
a woman who had spent years plotting from the shadows was finally ready to talk.