The Revelation of Xuanji
The scent of sandalwood and old secrets clung to the hidden chamber as I stared at the reunited jade in my palm. The two halves fit together with a soft click, emitting a faint glow that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
Han Sheng's voice cut through the silence like a blade:
"Your mother didn't die as a traitor." His fingers brushed a hidden mechanism on the bookshelf. "She died as Xuanji Pavilion's last master."
The wall slid open, revealing a cavernous hall below. Torches flared to life along the stairwell, illuminating murals that told a different history—one where my mother stood at the center of a web spanning three dynasties.
"The Moon Case wasn't her downfall," Han Sheng murmured, leading me downward. "It was her masterpiece. A gambit to plant you where you needed to be."
The chamber below took my breath away.
Hundreds of scrolls lined the walls, each bearing the same seal—my mother's personal insignia intertwined with the Xuanji emblem. At the center stood a massive sand table depicting the entire capital, with colored markers placed at every major power center.
"The Crown Prince's faction—red. Xiao Jing's wolves—black. The Emperor's shadows—gold." Han Sheng's hand hovered over a white marker placed precisely where my humble quarters stood. "And you...the wild piece that changes everything."
I touched the sand table, sending ripples through the carefully constructed battle lines.
"All these years...I thought I was surviving." My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. "When I was actually being groomed."
Han Sheng's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Your mother's final move was sacrificing herself to remove you from the board—until the time was right." He pressed a scroll into my hands. "Now...the game begins in earnest."
The scroll unfurled to reveal three names:
The Crown Prince's true birth records
The Emperor's incurable illness
Xiao Jing's secret blood oath
At the bottom, in my mother's elegant hand:
"Choose your first move wisely, daughter. For the player who controls the board never reveals all their pieces at once."
Outside, dawn's first light crept across the capital.
But in the hidden heart of Xuanji Pavilion—
The true master had finally awakened.
[That morning, three unprecedented events occurred simultaneously:
The Emperor abruptly canceled all audiences
Xiao Jing's forces mysteriously withdrew from the border
A white fox was seen entering the Crown Prince's bedchamber
By noon, the entire court was whispering one question:
Who moved the pieces?]
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