The Jade Courtyard was usually filled with music, laughter, and the scent of sweet plum wine.
Tonight, it was silent.
Too silent.
Noble Consort Zhen sat stiffly on a cushioned seat, her wrists still red from the guards' rough handling earlier. Her eyes burned with humiliation and fury.
"How dare he confine me," she hissed. "Over her."
Across from her, Consort Mei poured tea with trembling hands. "His Majesty has never punished you before… not even when you argued with the Empress."
"That's exactly why this is dangerous," Zhen snapped. "He has never cared for anyone. Never favored anyone. Never defended anyone."
She slammed her cup down.
"And now he does. For a stranger."
The other concubines exchanged uneasy glances.
A soft voice drifted from the doorway.
"That is precisely why we must act."
Everyone turned.
The Empress entered the courtyard, her crimson robes trailing behind her like a river of fire. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp with calculation.
All the concubines immediately knelt.
"Your Majesty."
"Rise," the Empress said. "We have matters to discuss."
They obeyed, though none dared meet her gaze.
The Empress took her seat at the head of the courtyard. "You all know why I am here."
No one spoke.
She continued, "The emperor has brought a woman into the Dragon Hall. A woman with no background, no rank, no name."
Noble Consort Zhen clenched her fists. "She bewitched him."
The Empress's lips curved slightly. "Perhaps. Or perhaps she is something else."
The concubines exchanged confused looks.
The Empress leaned forward. "The emperor is not a man who gives affection easily. If he is drawn to her, it is not by chance."
Consort Mei whispered, "Do you think she's… dangerous?"
The Empress's eyes darkened. "I think she is a threat."
A chill ran through the courtyard.
"No."
The Empress's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Zhen froze.
The Empress continued, "You acted impulsively today. And you were punished. If you try again, you will lose more than your freedom."
Zhen's face twisted with anger, but she bowed her head.
The Empress looked around the courtyard, her gaze sweeping over each concubine.
"We must be patient. Strategic. United."
"United?" Consort Mei echoed. "But we've never—"
"Then we begin now," the Empress said. "Because if we do nothing, that woman will rise above all of us."
A tense silence followed.
Finally, Zhen spoke. "What do you want us to do?"
The Empress folded her hands gracefully. "Watch her. Learn her weaknesses. Find out where she came from."
"And then?" Zhen asked.
The Empress's smile was cold.
"Then we remove her."
The concubines shivered.
The Empress stood, her voice soft but deadly.
"The emperor may protect her now. But he cannot watch her every moment. And when he looks away…"
She paused, her eyes gleaming.
"…we will strike."
The lanterns flickered as a cold wind swept through the courtyard.
The harem had declared war.
And Lin Yue didn't even know it.