The morning sky over the Eastern Pavilion shimmered with a soft blush of rose-gold, like a well-kept secret. Lin Ruyi stepped out into the corridor, her eyes shadowed with sleep but her lips curved with knowing. Today, she wasn't just a consort adjusting to her place in the palace she was about to set the gameboard.
She wore a pale orchid robe, light as breath, embroidered with cranes and peonies. The sash trailed behind her like the tail of a comet, and every gesture she made seemed accidental yet not.
As she walked through the Hall of Radiant Virtue, she bowed gently to every servant, every guard, every passing noblewoman. Sweet, polite… and faintly amused. The kind of smile that made people wonder if they'd been praised or played.
The Game Begins
By midday, the harem buzzed not with gossip, but with a subtle anxiety.
Ruyi had requested honey-plum tea not from the palace kitchens, but from her own quarters. She invited a few select handmaidens from rival consorts' courts to taste her confections. No threat, no challenge. Just sweetness offered with a tilted head and curious eyes.
"Is it not tiring?" she had asked one of them gently, chin resting on her hand. "To hate a woman you haven't even played chess with yet?"
It sounded like kindness. But the servant returned shaken.
The older consorts murmured in their courts. "She plays the fool but she's dressing the palace in strings."
/The Princes Enter the Court/
It was later that afternoon, during the Annual Tribute Rehearsal, that the Emperor summoned Ruyi to the Imperial Garden Pavilion, a quiet, enclosed terrace with white magnolias blooming overhead and koi swirling in mirrored ponds.
There, for the first time, she saw them.
Three boys. Young, bright-eyed, and curiously hesitant.
The eldest, Prince Zhen, stood tall with a composed expression, a boy of fifteen with the posture of a warrior and the eyes of an observer.
The middle one, Prince Rui, was leaner, sharp tongued even in youth. Barely thirteen, but already too clever with his words. A future problem, Ruyi thought with a touch of admiration.
The youngest, Prince Liang, just ten, ran around with wild joy, dragging a red ribbon behind him.
She bowed deeply.
"These are the sons of the Emperor," the Grand Chancellor said. "Brought forward only now because... until your presence, His Majesty hadn't opened the family court for visitation in months."
So that was it, Ruyi realized. She had stirred the silence of a father.
/Sweetness with Edges/
Ruyi leaned closer to the youngest prince later that afternoon, pretending to tie his hair ribbon. "Careful," she whispered with a glint in her eye. "Your brothers may not want me to become your favorite."
"I like you already," he said plainly, grinning.
She glanced sideways at the older two, catching the way Prince Rui narrowed his eyes.
Perfect.
Back in her chambers that evening, Xiao He clapped lightly. "Mistress… you are planting peaches in a field of wolves."
Ruyi only smiled. "Let the wolves eat fruit then. We'll see who chokes first."
But her words lingered longer than she meant them to.
/ Sugar in the Bone Broth/
The rain came softly in the early morning, whispering against the silk blinds of Lin Ruyi's quarters. She sat by the lacquered window, her fingers tracing patterns in the condensation, while Xiao He poured jasmine tea with the reverence of a priestess and the devilry of a fox.
"Do you want to cause trouble today?" Xiao He asked, far too casually.
Ruyi tilted her head. "What sort?"
"The good kind. The kind where someone trips, and no one knows who put the thread across the floor."
A silence passed between them, thick and strangely sweet.
"Should I flirt with the Chancellor?" Ruyi asked dryly.
Xiao He choked. "No unless you want a petition to exile you to the northern frontier. No, no. Better: smile at him too long during court and then offer the Empress Dowager one of your special lotus cakes. Confusion is always more useful than offense."
Ruyi smirked. "You're worse than a courtesan and twice as cunning."
"I try."
Then, leaning in, Xiao He's voice dropped to a whisper. "You've given them too much peace. Now they're adjusting. You need to become unpredictable again. Seduce with silence, punish with laughter. Make them wonder which part of you they should fear."
Ruyi took a sip of tea and stared into the rain.
"Maybe," she said, "I'll give the Emperor nothing for three days. Then one night, I'll wear his favorite red silk and say I missed him in front of the entire garden."
Xiao He grinned. "You'd be adored and hated all at once. Perfect."
/A Meeting in the Hall of the Dragon/
The Emperor had called for a court meeting, an unusual second session in the same week. Rumors swirled of bandit attacks in the western provinces and increased silver taxes.
As ministers bowed and argued, Empress Dowager Gao sat like a shadow at the far end, her eyes half-lidded, yet every word was registered. Ruyi entered not through the front like a consort should, but was quietly seated behind the Emperor's screen, a gesture he insisted upon "so she might learn the pulse of rule."
But it was more than that. He liked knowing she was listening.
Zhao Long's voice carried easily across the jade floor, "The people grow hungry. Yet the governor in Yanling reports full granaries. Who lies?"
A beat of silence.
Ruyi leaned in and whispered, just loudly enough, "Li Minister of Grains hasn't bowed since entering. Perhaps his conscience is too full."
The Emperor blinked. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Minister Li," he said calmly, "do bow again. Perhaps it will help loosen your memory."
A shuffle. A sweat. A silence.
Ruyi met the Empress Dowager's gaze briefly. The old woman's eyes narrowed with something like amusement or warning.
/The Princes Return/
Later that day in the Southern Courtyard, Ruyi found Prince Liang chasing butterflies with his sleeves rolled up, hair sticking to his forehead.
"You're muddy," she said.
"You're nosy," he replied, grinning.
Prince Rui, the sharp one, lounged beneath a plum tree reading war scrolls, glancing at her only once. "So the Emperor teaches you now?"
"No," she said, "I just listen better than most men."
Zhen, the eldest prince, simply nodded in acknowledgment. He had begun to watch her in the way soldiers assess generals without blinking.
"Do you like him?" Liang suddenly asked.
Ruyi blinked. "Whom?"
"The Emperor."
"I like my own reflection," she said sweetly. "But sometimes, I find dragons hiding in it."
That answer seemed to satisfy no one, and everyone.
/An Evening That Almost Burned/
Later, during an evening chess match, the Emperor stared at her across the board.
"You play now like someone who thinks she's already won."
"I play like someone who doesn't mind losing as long as I know how the game ends," Ruyi replied, placing her rook in a bold forward motion.
Check.
He studied the board. Studied her. "You were talking to the princes."
"I live in the palace. So do they. Should I ignore them to avoid your jealousy?"
"Should I blind them to protect my pride?"
Her eyes flickered. "Is your pride so fragile?"
His knuckles tightened around the white pawn.
But before he could speak, Xiao He arrived with fruit. "Apologies, your Majesty. The peaches were chilled just right. A delicate balance, much like your conversation."
The tension cracked like dry silk. The Emperor barked a quiet laugh.
"Sometimes, I wonder who the real empress is," he said.
Xiao He bowed, grinning. "Whoever holds the teacup last."
/A Palace on Its Toes/
Ruyi's quiet influence was spreading through the palace like perfumed smoke visible only when the light hit it just right, and too late to escape once it filled the room.
The court had begun to notice.
She didn't interrupt debates.
She didn't sway the Emperor openly.
But when she poured his tea with two fingers instead of three, he'd scowl for a moment, then agree to a proposal.
When she yawned during military briefings?
The generals became nervous.
When she laughed softly at a minister's trembling hands?
That minister mysteriously requested early retirement the following day.
/A Scene of Imperial Theater/
The midday court had gathered in the Hall of Jade Assembly to finalize tax reforms. Ministers argued, eyes flicking to the Emperor and then uncomfortable to the quiet figure seated behind the side screen.
Ruyi sat, a folding fan resting beneath her chin. She didn't speak.
She only smiled.
And the room, filled with educated men, commanders of armies, and scholars of statecraft Trembled.
"Your Majesty," Chancellor Wen said stiffly, "we must speak plainly without being observed."
Zhao Long raised a brow. "Who observes, Chancellor?"
Wen's lips twitched. "The Consort's presence is unprecedented during matters of state."
Ruyi tilted her head slightly. "And yet so refreshing."
The hall went quiet.
The Chancellor stiffened.
And Ruyi, oh so softly, added, "But if you'd prefer, I can cover my ears. Or would you prefer a blindfold so my gaze doesn't haunt your conscience, Chancellor Wen?"
The Emperor barked a laugh.
And just like that, The ice cracked again.
/A Private Moment An Unexpected Question/
Later, in the imperial gardens, Ruyi walked alone or so she thought.
The Emperor caught up to her beneath the flowering magnolia trees. His robes trailed like dark smoke behind him, face unreadable.
"You've made a fool of my Chancellor."
Ruyi didn't stop walking. "I didn't make him anything. He shaped himself."
Zhao Long exhaled sharply. "Are you trying to make the court fear you?"
She turned then, and there was something glittering and dangerous in her gaze.
"No," she said. "I want them confused. Confused men think longer before they strike. And frightened ones? They don't think at all. But confused…"
She stepped closer. He didn't move.
"Confused men are useful."
Zhao Long stared at her for a long time.
Then quietly,"And what do you want from me?"
Ruyi smiled.
"A little more patience," she said, "and a bit less arrogance."
He watched her walk away, and for the first time in days, he realized
He had no idea whether he'd just been seduced or warned.
/The Princes Are Watching/
That evening, during the calligraphy reading in the outer court, Prince Rui leaned toward his elder brother and whispered, "She dances around him like a ribbon."
Prince Zhen said nothing. But his fingers, poised over the brush, pressed tighter.
"She's more dangerous than Mei," Rui added. "She uses kindness like a sword."
Zhen finally spoke. "Then we must decide if we'll serve her or survive her."
/An Unexpected Visitor in the Dowager's Wing/
Empress Dowager Gao rarely summoned Ruyi.
So when the call came at dusk, Ruyi was dressed in silver. Subtle. Graceful. Unapologetic.
She entered with a bow.
"You've made quite a stir," the Dowager said without greeting. "Even I can feel it in the walls."
Ruyi said nothing.
The older woman studied her for a long time. "You remind me of someone," she said at last.
Ruyi tilted her head. "Should I be flattered or worried?"
"Both."
A silence.
Then, unexpectedly the Dowager laughed.
"You're not here to warm his bed, are you?"
Ruyi's smile was sharp. "Heavens no. I'm here to make sure his enemies sleep uneasily in theirs."
The Dowager leaned forward, eyes glittering. "Then I'll be watching more closely."
"I would expect nothing less."
/But Then A Turn No One Expected/
As Ruyi exited the Dowager's wing that night, a eunuch stumbled toward her in a panic.
"Your Ladyship! It's Lady Su, she fainted. The child there's blood."
Ruyi's breath stilled.
In a blink, her fan snapped shut, and the soft curve of her smile vanished.
She didn't speak.
She didn't scream.
She ran.
/A Break from Schemes: Fried Dumplings and False Peace/
It was a rare kind of afternoon
a breeze actually touched the imperial courtyard, soft and playful, rustling the peach blossoms overhead like giggles in the wind.
And Lin Ruyi, Consort of the Dragon Emperor, Political Phantom of the Jade Court
was standing over a charcoal stove, in her own garden, flipping dumplings in sesame oil.
Xiao He sat nearby, fanning herself, eyeing the smoke warily.
"My lady, if anyone sees you like this, they'll think the Emperor no longer feeds you."
Ruyi shrugged, tugging her sleeve back as she turned the dumplings with practiced precision.
"Let them. Fear breeds caution. Starvation breeds loyalty."
Xiao He blinked. "That makes no sense."
Ruyi popped a crisp dumpling into her mouth. "It does if you're hungry enough."
/Enter the Chaos: The Imperial Princes/
A loud whack came from the plum orchard, followed by giggles.
Prince Liang skidded into view, robes grass-stained and hair wild.
Behind him, Prince Ruiwalked like he'd been forced to endure a poetry recital, and Prince Zhen, ever watchful, trailed behind with his hands behind his back and wariness in his eyes.
"Consort Lin," Liang chirped, eyes lighting up as he caught the scent. "Are those fried dumplings?!"
Ruyi raised a brow. "Would you like poison or pork?"
Liang gasped. "You made poison dumplings?!"
Xiao He choked on air.
Ruyi handed him one anyway. "No. But you're brave to assume you're safe."
Liang took a huge bite and grinned. "This is better than the Empress Dowager's soup."
From the distance, thunder rumbled.
/Prince Rui Learns Not to Mouth Off/
Prince Rui sniffed suspiciously at a dumpling and sat with his arms crossed.
"So the Emperor's beloved consort can cook. What's next? Chop wood? Braid out hair?"
Ruyi narrowed her eyes and handed him a dumpling directly.
"Say one more clever thing and I'll make you my kitchen maid."
Zhen, for the first time, snorted.
Rui turned bright red. "You can't do that!"
Ruyi smiled. "Can't I? I have a kitchen, I have dumplings, and I have witnesses."
Xiao He cackled from the side, already reaching for more plates.
"She once made a general clean vegetables for insulting her soup."
"Which general?" Zhen asked, genuinely intrigued.
Ruyi winked. "One you've never heard of again."
/The Princes Begin to Shift/
For a brief moment,there was no court. No hierarchy. No thrones.
Just a consort feeding dumplings to three boys who had learned to carry knives in their sleeves.
Zhen, ever watchful, asked quietly, "Why do you do this?"
Ruyi glanced at him. "Do what?"
"Act so kind when you know it makes everyone suspicious."
Ruyi finished rolling a dumpling and put it into the pan.
"Because sometimes," she said lightly, "people forget that kindness is just another flavor of control. Sweetness lowers the guard. Then comes the meat."
Rui stared at his dumpling mid-bite.
Liang asked, "What kind of meat?"
Ruyi smiled. "The kind that wins empires."
And Then The Shift
Just as Prince Liang reached for another dumpling with his oily fingers, a eunuch dashed into the garden, gasping for breath.
"My lady Lady Su has fainted. There's blood."
The moment shattered.
Ruyi's hand froze mid-reach.
The scent of sesame oil vanished beneath the weight of those words.
Prince Zhen stood instantly. Rui's smile disappeared. Liang dropped his half-eaten dumpling.
Ruyi straightened, calm but only on the outside.
"Xiao He," she said, voice like glass.
"Yes, my lady?"
"Take the stove off the fire. The court will be hungry for something else soon."
And she turned the robe sweeping behind her like a blade and walked into what would become her next war.