The palace felt strangely quiet after the turmoil of the General's funeral. The hasty burial had left a vacuum, both in the military high command and in the court's collective sense of security. The very air seemed thin and watchful.
Qingxue walked quickly through the corridors, the crumpled piece of rice paper which was the final confession of General Wei kept hidden tightly in her sleeve. She found Liu Hao waiting for her outside the main council hall, his face etched with worry.
"Your Majesty, welcome back," he said, bowing low. "How was the funeral? I hope the Prime Minister did not try to cause any trouble while you were out of the palace."
