A light rain fell at dawn, washing away the fallen petals from last night's festival.
The cool breeze carried the dim shadows of the second watch as it slipped past the palace stone walls.
But for one person — this night was only just beginning.
Jiang Xinluo sat before a golden mirror in the diplomatic residence for foreign envoys.
Her long jet-black hair cascaded over a soft cerulean robe, while her sharp eyes remained fixed on the small wooden box laid in front of her.
A simple wooden box…
but inside, it held only one thing — a black feather with no shadow.
⸻
"Why return this box?"
She spoke softly.
The maid, dressed in court attire, kept her head bowed, not daring to answer.
"The sender didn't leave a name, Your Ladyship… It was left at the altar courtyard in front of Noble Consort Suzhen's residence."
Xinluo gently picked up the feather, examining its shape and weight with care.
It was so light, it felt like it weighed nothing…
And that—was the sign.
It was a code — a signal from the Nan Yan intelligence network.
⸻
"Feather without a shadow" was the highest-level code used by Lan Shui,
a covert branch tasked with tracking the movements of the Su clan and its relatives across kingdoms.
Its appearance meant only one thing:
"Something has gone wrong in the shadows."
⸻
She carefully pulled out a small slip of paper hidden beneath a false panel in the box.
There were only three characters written on it:
"Su Zhen — Two-Faced."
Jiang Xinluo stared silently at the note for a long moment before placing it down.
"So the real face finally begins to show…" she murmured.
⸻
From the moment she stepped into the palace,
Xinluo had known that Noble Consort Su Zhen was no mere concubine —
she was the agent of the Su family,
one of the central power blocs bridging Li Kingdom and Nan Yan.
But what was more concerning…
was their effort to push Su Mengyu into becoming Feng Yuhan's future wife.
This was no simple marriage—
it was a maneuver to surround the foreign crown prince with loyalists of their own bloodline.
⸻
"I once believed you had the courage."
A voice spoke behind her.
Xinluo turned slowly.
Feng Yuhan stood by the rear doorway—no one knew when he'd arrived.
"And now I'm certain," he said, stepping in and placing a small cloth pouch before her.
Inside it—was a list.
Names of inner court officials who had received illicit payments from Consort Suzhen's residence.
⸻
"You've known for a while?" Xinluo asked calmly.
"Of course," he replied. "I've been watching since the moment you set foot in this palace."
"Then why not expose them sooner?"
Yuhan sighed.
"Because some roots… if pulled out too soon, cause the earth to collapse."
He paused, then added,
"But now someone has quietly lit a fire—
and I need to know… whose side are you on?"
⸻
Xinluo didn't answer right away.
She simply looked into his eyes and replied softly:
"I stand on the side of truth.
And if that truth lies with Xianlan—then I'll stand beside her."
⸻
Her words left Feng Yuhan silent for a moment.
Then a faint smile touched his lips.
"You speak just like Xianlan…
A clever woman who doesn't need a sword to win."
⸻
The following morning, Xianlan received a package.
Inside was a single black feather
and a slip of paper that read:
"The shadows will no longer hide."
— One from the Shadows
⸻
She stared at the feather for a long time.
Her hand gently traced the wood of the box.
The fierce light in her eyes softened—if only for a moment.
"…Do you know what it means to trust no one?"
she whispered to herself.
Then she looked up at the pale morning sky.
"But maybe… just maybe,
I'm beginning to trust someone."
⸻
Elsewhere in the palace,
Noble Consort Su Zhen stared out from her residence, her expression grave.
A report had just arrived:
someone had infiltrated the flower storage warehouse…
and stolen key accounting records.
"It must have been that girl… Jiang Xinluo,"
Su Mengyu muttered, stepping into the chamber with a scowl.
"You must be careful," Su Zhen warned.
"If we let her be, soon there'll be no place for us to stand."
She then opened a hidden drawer and took out a golden seal.
⸻
"It's time we summoned… The Obsidian Shadow of Nan Yan,"
she said coldly,
with a smile that never reached her eyes.
⸻
The shadows had begun to move.
And the mysterious black feather…
was the harbinger of a storm no one could escape.
✨ Thank you for reading this chapter of Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress!If you're enjoying Xianlan's journey, please add this story to your Library, leave a comment, or tap a heart 💖 — your support truly fuels the fire!