Li Mei walked out of the Great Hall of the Throne. The palace guards carried the last of the black powder crates toward a safe stone vault. The sun had disappeared below the horizon. The sky was now a dark blue color. Prince Zhao walked beside her. He looked at the 108 wards of Chang'an. The city was not dark. Thousands of red and yellow lanterns were appearing on the balconies and in the streets. The people were celebrating the end of the silver plague and the safety of their homes. This was the Mid Autumn Festival. It was a time for families to gather and eat mooncakes.
"The city is breathing again," Zhao said. "I can hear the music from the East Market even from this distance."
Mei used her golden finger to analyze the air. She did not smell the sulfur of the explosives or the ozone of the werewolf curse anymore. She smelled the aroma of roasted duck and sweet bean paste. She also smelled the scent of incense from the local temples. However she detected one small discordant scent. It was the smell of old parchment and cold sweat. It was coming from the direction of the West Gate.
"There is one person who is not celebrating," Mei said. "I can smell the fear of a conspirator who is trying to leave through the merchant gates."
Zhao stopped walking. He called to a group of five guards. He was the main character and he was responsible for the final reconstruction of the order. He knew that even one traitor could cause a new crisis in the future.
"We will find this person before the festival ends," Zhao said.
They walked through the palace grounds and toward the West Ward. The streets were crowded with people. The citizens wore their best silk robes. They bowed to Prince Zhao as he passed. The emotional connection between the ruler and the people was visible. Zhao was no longer the cursed prince. He was the hero of the city.
Mei led the way. She followed the scent of the cold sweat. This scent moved through the narrow alleys behind the silk shops. She stopped in front of a small house with a wooden door. The door was locked from the inside.
"The person is in this building," Mei whispered.
Zhao stepped forward and pushed the door with his supernatural strength. The wood broke and the door opened. Inside the room sat the Chief Accountant of the Imperial Treasury. He was a man named Master Song. He was a recurring character who had always been very quiet. He was holding a small bag of gold coins and a list of names.
"Master Song, you were the one who funded the Empress Dowager's army," Zhao said. His voice was cold and firm.
Song looked up with a pale face. He dropped the bag of gold on the floor. He realized that his standpoint was no longer safe. The protagonist had found the last link in the power system of the conspiracy.
"I only did what I was told," Song said. "The Empress said she would make the Tang the strongest empire in the world."
"You sold the souls of our soldiers for gold," Zhao said. "Take him to the dungeons."
The guards led Song away. Mei picked up the list of names from the floor. She smelled the ink on the paper. This list contained the names of the merchants who had provided the arsenic for the potions. This was the final piece of evidence Mei needed to clear her father's name completely.
"Now it is truly finished," Mei said. She felt a great sense of achievement.
They walked back to the main square of the palace. A large table was set with food and wine. The physicians and the guards were waiting for them. Eunuch Gao was there. He was laughing and telling stories to the children of the palace servants.
Zhao took a cup of wine and held it up. He looked at Mei and then at the people.
"Tonight we celebrate the victory of the light," Zhao said. "Tomorrow we begin the work of building a kingdom that does not need monsters to be strong."
Mei sat down at the table. She took a piece of mooncake. She smelled the sweet lotus paste. She looked at Zhao and felt a deep trust. They had completed their first mission. The marathon of their life together was just beginning.