Moonlight bathed the jade stone pathway in front of an abandoned palace.
The Palace of Sixin — once the residence of Consort Yu — now stood in stillness, a forsaken relic of the past no one dared to unearth.
Emperor Li Sichen stood silently before its gates,
with Eunuch Liu holding a lantern behind him.
Though the Emperor's gaze betrayed no emotion,
his heart stirred with unrest too deep to ignore.
"Will Your Majesty be entering?"
"Open the palace."
His voice was steady and low,
yet carried a commanding weight.
The old wooden doors creaked open, revealing a room untouched for over a decade.
The sheer curtains fluttered in the night breeze —
and faintly, the scent of lotus lingered still.
Upon the dusty table rested a hand-written scroll of essential oil recipes — penned by Consort Yu herself —
and a pale green jade lotus once gifted by the Emperor.
Li Sichen stepped quietly inside, reaching out to touch the jade.
Its surface was cold… but something burned within his chest.
"Why… did you truly have to leave?"
A rush of memories flooded back —
Consort Yu's smiling face,
her soft laughter as she played with a young Xianlan.
He remembered everything —
but he had chosen to let it all pass.
Even her death…
He had never once investigated it with his own hands.
"That day, all they said was there was a fire…
But why did not a single servant survive?"
"Why were there no signs of struggle?"
The questions echoed silently in his mind.
And from the darkness — no answers came.
⸻
Elsewhere, in the palace of Consort Su Zhen —
The sound of a fan snapped softly against her palm as Su Zhen flicked it back and forth with irritation.
"Why would he visit Sixin Palace?
Why is he thinking of her again?"
Su Mengyu stood silently nearby, unsure how to respond.
A flicker of unease appeared in her eyes.
She had never seen the Consort this shaken.
"If the Emperor starts digging deeper…
If the truth behind Consort Yu's demise is revealed—"
"Imperial Aunt…"
Su Mengyu's voice was soft, hesitant.
"I think… you should stay silent, for now."
Su Zhen spun around, her eyes flashing.
"You… dare speak to me like that?"
"I only wish… we don't repeat the mistake of that day."
The words that day cast a chilling silence across the room.
No one had dared speak of it in over ten years —
The day Sixin Palace burned,
when Consort Yu and all her attendants perished without explanation.
⸻
At the Ministry of Grand Affairs —
Wen Yuchen quietly unrolled a report, speaking with a calm voice:
"Sources from the South confirm the scent used by the Fourth Princess came from genuine stock stored in the rear palace's archives."
Feng Yuhan stood by the window, his eyes calm —
like still water before a storm.
"Interesting how the mere scent of perfume could compel His Majesty to revisit a forgotten palace."
"What's more," Wen added, "two Left Court ministers have begun to question their allegiance to Consort Su."
Feng Yuhan chuckled softly.
"So much for mere fragrance…
It's enough to crumble an alliance in the inner court."
"Xianlan grows more skilled with every move she plays."
Wen raised an eyebrow.
"Are you pleased by that?"
"Pleased she dared to act…
but displeased that I'm starting to grow soft."
The last words were barely audible,
but Wen Yuchen heard them all — and smiled bitterly to himself.
⸻
Later that night —
Within the quiet chambers of Fenghua Residence,
Xianlan lit an oil lamp and began writing in her journal with calm, steady strokes.
"If this scent can wake him from forgetfulness,
I will light it every night
until justice returns
and those who deserve punishment have nowhere left to hide."
She paused mid-sentence as footsteps approached.
Feng Yuhan appeared silently at the door,
a jade box in his hand.
"I have something for you."
Xianlan raised an eyebrow.
"A gift?"
He opened the box, revealing a jade plaque granting access to the Imperial Secret Treasury.
She froze in shock.
"I received it from His Majesty — without reason.
I thought you might want to see the financial records of Consort Yu's residence…
from her final year."
Xianlan took the box slowly, eyes scanning him with growing caution.
"Are you helping me…
or searching for truths of your own?"
Feng Yuhan paused.
Then replied quietly—
"Perhaps…
your past and mine are more connected than either of us knows."
He gave her a faint smile, then turned to leave.
Xianlan stood silently, staring at the jade box in her hands.
Tonight, the moon was full.
But the shadows cast on the ground twisted strangely —
like the secrets buried deep within the Forbidden Palace.
✨ 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!