Li Mei entered the Great Hall of the Throne. The room was very large and the ceiling was painted with gold dragons. She did not look at the decorations. She used her golden finger to find the final cache of black powder. The smell of sulfur and saltpeter was stronger here than in the library or under the bridge. It was mixed with the scent of old grease and cold bronze. This told her that the explosives were connected to a mechanical device. She walked toward the Dragon Throne.
"Stay back," Mei told the palace guards. "This is a mechanical trap. If you step on the wrong floor stone the whole hall will explode."
She knelt on the floor near the base of the throne. She saw that the stones were not set tightly. She smelled the scent of burning hemp coming from a small gap in the wood. The Empress Dowager had hidden the largest amount of powder directly under the seat of power. Mei pulled a small silver mirror from her kit. She used it to look into the dark space under the throne. She saw a series of bronze gears and a heavy iron weight. This was a clockwork trigger. The fuse was inside a locked metal box.
"I need a thin wire and a steady hand," Mei said. She spoke to herself to maintain her rationality.
She realized that this was a time limited crisis. The gears were turning with a clicking sound. Every click brought the fire closer to the powder. This was the final hand of the Empress. It was a machine designed to destroy the palace even if the Empress was in prison. Mei took a deep breath. She smelled the dust of the hall. She also smelled the faint scent of winter mint. This was the scent of Prince Zhao. It gave her the emotional connection she needed to stay calm.
In the western desert Prince Zhao stood outside the black pyramid. He held the jade key in his hand. The sun was very hot on his armor. He knew that Li Mei was in great danger in Chang'an. He could feel her stress through the silver blessing in his blood. He looked at the jade key. It began to glow with a bright silver light.
"I need to reach the city before the sun touches the horizon," Zhao said.
He placed the jade key against the stone of the pyramid. A portal of light opened in the air. A large horse stepped out of the light. The horse was not made of flesh and bone. It was made of silver mist and starlight. Its eyes were the color of the moon. This was a supernatural mount provided by the Guardian of the First Wolf. It was an invincible creature that could run faster than the wind.
Zhao climbed onto the back of the silver horse. He did not need a saddle or reins. He communicated with the animal through his thoughts. The horse let out a loud cry that sounded like a trumpet. It began to run across the sand. Each step covered a distance of one mile. The desert blurred around him. He moved with a supernatural power that ignored the laws of the physical world. He was a hero returning to save his kingdom.
Back in the throne room Mei reached into the mechanical trap. She used a silver needle to stop the smallest gear from turning. The clicking sound stopped for a moment. She saw the fuse. It was only one inch long. She had to cut it before the flame reached the box.
"You will not win," Mei whispered to the absent Empress.
She used a pair of small iron shears to cut the fuse. The spark died. The smell of sulfur began to fade. However the iron weight in the mechanism suddenly dropped. This was a secondary trigger. A loud grinding sound filled the hall. The floor beneath the throne began to slide open.
"The powder is falling into a fire pit!" Mei shouted to the guards.