Chapter CIII - The Woman Who Returned
No one moved.
No one spoke.
No one even seemed to breathe.
Because standing in the doorway of the imperial court—
alive after seven years—
was Lady Shen.
—
The silence lasted so long it became painful.
Then Shen Li took a step forward.
Only one.
Enough.
Because suddenly all the years between them felt real.
Every unanswered question.
Every lonely birthday.
Every night spent wondering why.
Every moment believing her mother was gone.
Gone forever.
Then softly—
almost like a child again—
she whispered:
"Mother..."
The word shattered the silence.
—
Lady Shen's eyes immediately softened.
The calm composure she had carried into the court cracked.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Then she smiled.
A real smile.
The same smile Shen Li remembered from childhood.
Then:
"My little plum blossom."
The nickname broke something inside Shen Li.
And before anyone could stop her—
she crossed the court.
Fast.
Not caring about protocol.
Not caring about nobles.
Not caring about emperors.
Only caring about her mother.
—
The two women embraced.
Tightly.
Desperately.
Seven years of grief collapsing into a single moment.
The court watched in silence.
Even Prince Rui looked away briefly.
Not because he was uncomfortable.
Because some moments deserved privacy.
Even in front of a throne.
—
Eventually—
Lady Shen gently touched her daughter's hair.
Then looked past her.
Toward Prince Rui.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because suddenly—
the woman who had predicted his future years ago was seeing him properly for the first time.
Then she smiled.
Small.
Knowing.
"So fate truly ignored my instructions."
Prince Rui actually looked confused.
A rare event.
A historic event.
Then Lady Shen laughed softly.
"I hoped you would never meet."
The entire court froze.
Even Shen Li blinked.
Then Lady Shen continued.
"Because if you met..."
"You would stand together."
Silence.
Then:
"And if you stood together..."
"The Keepers would eventually notice."
The room chilled immediately.
Because everything that had happened proved she was right.
—
Then the Emperor stepped forward.
His voice low.
Serious.
"Explain."
No title.
No greeting.
No reunion.
Only urgency.
Because seven years of mysteries stood before him.
Alive.
Then Lady Shen nodded.
Once.
And finally turned toward the court.
—
The warmth vanished from her expression.
Only resolve remained.
Then:
"Prince An told the truth."
The hall froze.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then:
"The original order was exile."
The Emperor closed his eyes briefly.
Because he already suspected it.
Then:
"The murder orders came later."
Silence.
Then:
"After someone else inherited the Keepers."
There it was again.
The same missing figure.
The same hidden shadow.
The same final villain.
—
Then the Crown Prince asked:
"Who?"
Simple question.
Terrifying question.
The question everyone wanted answered.
—
Lady Shen looked around the hall slowly.
At ministers.
At nobles.
At generals.
At princes.
Then finally—
toward the throne itself.
And everyone immediately noticed.
Because she wasn't looking at the Emperor.
She was looking behind him.
Toward the wall.
Toward a portrait.
—
A portrait of the late Empress.
The Emperor's mother.
—
The room became very still.
Then Lady Shen quietly said:
"The Keepers were never controlled by princes."
Silence.
Then:
"Nor ministers."
Another pause.
Then:
"Nor tutors."
The atmosphere tightened.
Dangerously.
Then:
"They were controlled by the person everyone forgot."
—
Prince Rui understood first.
Of course he did.
Then Shen Li.
Then the Crown Prince.
Then finally—
the Emperor.
And when realization struck—
his face lost all color.
—
Then Lady Shen delivered the truth.
The truth hidden for decades.
The truth behind every conspiracy.
Every assassination.
Every manipulation.
—
"The founder was Prince Cheng."
Silence.
Then:
"But the true leader..."
"Was his sister."
The court stopped breathing.
—
Then:
"The Dowager Princess Yong'an."
Absolute silence.
Because everyone knew that name.
Everyone.
—
Not because she was powerful.
Because she was forgotten.
Officially dead.
Gone for nearly thirty years.
Erased from politics.
Erased from memory.
Erased from history.
—
Then Lady Shen quietly finished:
"And her bloodline never disappeared."
The room froze.
Because suddenly—
the heir.
The real heir.
The person behind everything.
The one Grand Tutor Liang feared.
The one Prince An lost control to.
The one who inherited the Keepers.
—
Was not Prince Cheng's descendant.
It was hers.
—
Then a voice echoed from the rear of the court.
Calm.
Elegant.
Applauding softly.
—
Everyone turned.
And for the first time—
Prince Rui smiled.
Not warmly.
Not happily.
Dangerously.
Because finally—
the last shadow had stepped into the light.
And the true villain had arrived.