The hall had never been so silent.
Every noble, every servant, even the braziers burning along the walls seemed caught between one breath and the next as the Emperor's words echoed.
You were chosen by me long before tonight.
Song Lingfang's posture sharpened like a blade. Prince Yang's eyes glinted with something dangerously close to murder. And Jiao Shui felt the ground tilt beneath her all over again.
The Emperor broke the stillness first.
"Tonight's announcement is concluded." His tone returned to its typical unhurried warmth. "All participants will receive further instructions by sunrise."
He turned slightly, but not before his eyes grazed hers again, lingering just long enough to twist her heartbeat.
Prince Yang's smile stretched in a way that promised chaos."Your Majesty," he said silkily, "if you view Jiao Shui as your savior… does that not create bias in the selection?"
The Emperor's gaze snapped to him, serene but sharp."Brother, since when have you cared about fairness? You only raise the question when you fear losing."
The nobles inhaled collectively, muscles bunching like startled deers.
Prince Yang's expression didn't waver, though something venomous curled beneath the surface."I care about the stability of the Empire."
"And yet you disrupt it more than any rebel could," the Emperor responded lightly.
Somewhere near the entrance, a court official fainted from pure stress.
Before the tension could break into open hostility, the Emperor addressed Jiao Shui again.
"Tomorrow," he said, voice softened, "you will be escorted to the Inner Court. Until then, rest."
Rest.As if her world hadn't just been torn open again.
He turned to leave, robes trailing like starlight across polished stone.
Prince Yang watched him with a predator's stillness, jaw twitching. When the Emperor finally disappeared into the corridor, the tension snapped like a stretched instrument string.
Song Lingfang immediately turned to Jiao Shui. "Are you alright?" His voice was low, restrained, vibrating with concern.
She nodded, though her mind felt like a basin overflowing.
Prince Yang approached with a deceptively gentle smile.
"You must be overwhelmed," he said, tone dripping with false sympathy. "To be claimed so boldly… though I can't decide whether it's romantic or pathetic."
Song Lingfang's hand twitched at his side."Prince Yang—"
"Oh hush," Prince Yang interrupted. "Let the girl breathe. She will need her strength for tomorrow."
Jiao Shui stepped back before he could move closer. "Whatever game you're playing—"
"Game?" His brows lifted. "My dear Shui, this isn't a game. The Emperor's interest changes everything. And you should be… afraid."
The hall emptied around them, cautious nobles fleeing like startled birds.
Finally, only the three of them remained.
Prince Yang's voice softened, turning intimate in a way that chilled her."You saved him once. But you will not save yourself from me. Not again."
The halls swallowed him as he walked away, his silhouette folding into the shadows.
Jiao Shui let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
Song Lingfang touched her elbow gently. "Come. You shouldn't stay here."
She allowed him to guide her out of the Hall of Celestial Echoes, her steps echoing like quiet warnings.
Every corridor felt different now.Every lantern flame stretched taller, whispering secrets.Every carved dragon on the pillars seemed to watch her with knowing eyes.
Song Lingfang glanced at her.
"We have until dawn," he murmured. "After that, you'll be in the Inner Court. Under the Emperor's eyes."
"And Prince Yang's," she said quietly.
His jaw tightened."I won't let him corner you again."
Her heart warmed with gratitude — and fear.Because the closer dawn came, the more she realized something terrifying:
The Emperor didn't just recognize her.He remembered her.
But from which life?
And why now?