The scent of the rare agarwood incense, a gift from the Empress Dowager's own private stores, filled the Pavilion of Clear Autumn. It was a heavy, cloying fragrance, meant to soothe the soul, but to Wei Yingluo, it smelled of a challenge. The Midnight Orchid sat on a table by her window, its dark petals drinking in the morning light. The entire palace was abuzz with the story. The Empress Dowager, in her infinite wisdom and generosity, had taken a shine to the Empress's new advisor, bestowing upon her a treasure so rare it was spoken of only in botanical scrolls. It was a public declaration of favor, a golden shield that Yingluo had been forced to wear.
But she knew the truth. It was a gilded cage, and the lock was made of poison.
