Xue Liulan returned to the palace to find Little Dingzi pacing by the gate like an ant on a hot pan.
"Little Dingzi."
The eunuch stopped dead, then nearly lunged at him. "My lord! You're finally back!"
"Of course I'm back. What happened?" Xue Liulan frowned, his heart sinking. Little Dingzi only panicked like this when it concerned Murong Jin.
"This…" Little Dingzi glanced at the guards. Spies for Guo Shangzhong, most likely.
"Speak," Xue Liulan ordered. Murong Jin must have heard about the Wuchuan victory. And she was smart enough to smell the rot beneath the celebration.
Little Dingzi's eyes darted around. Then he grinned. "Hehe, Your Majesty, it's nothing serious. Consort Guo missed you. She looked so sad today. I thought, since you dote on her, it wouldn't do for her to pine away while you're busy with state affairs."
Xue Liulan blinked, then smiled. "I see. I will visit her later."
"Shall I go tell her now?"
"No need. A surprise is better, don't you think?" He winked and walked toward the Imperial Study.
Murong Jin sat alone in the dark Zhaoyang Palace. Since Ning Bi left, she allowed no servants inside. In this nest of vipers, she trusted no one.
"Why sit in the dark?"
The door opened softly. Xue Liulan slipped in.
By the faint light from outside, he saw her silhouette by the window. Lonely. Desolate. His heart ached.
She whipped around. "You're back." She was in front of him in three strides. "The victory report. What happened in Wuchuan?"
"Don't panic." He took her hands, his voice gentle.
"Tell me." She gripped his arm. "My father? The Vermilion Bird Camp? Are they alright?"
He put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her.
"Your father sent a report. The Turks launched a surprise attack. He had defenses in place, but somehow… they bypassed them. The vanguard was wiped out. The Turks are at the gates of Wuchuan."
"Wiped out?" Her mind went blank. The Murong army had never suffered such a defeat.
"Just the vanguard," he said quickly, seeing her pale face. "Jin, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She forced herself to breathe. The words total defeat were a blow she hadn't expected. "What does my father say?"
"He suspects a traitor, but has no proof. He asked me to investigate." He led her to the couch by the window. He pushed it open, letting the moonlight flood the room, cold as frost.
Silence stretched.
"Xue Liulan," she said suddenly. "I'm leaving the palace. I have to go back to Wuchuan."
"Murong Jin!" His voice rose. "You are the Empress of the Dynasty now, not the Little General of Wuchuan."
"My father is fighting for his life! I can't sit here and do nothing!" She stood, looking down at him. "If an Empress can't go to war, then depose me."
His hand clenched into a fist. He stood, towering over her. "Murong Jin, are you insane?"
His voice was low, heavy with a dangerous pressure she had never felt before. It wasn't just anger.
She looked down, silent.
He softened. "You are the Murong family's anchor in Jindu. Their shield in the court. Do you want the family to fall apart?"
She nodded, looking up at him. Then, she stepped forward and buried her face in his neck.
He froze, then awkwardly patted her back.
"Xue Liulan, I'm scared." Her voice was tiny, fragile. In the darkness, she let her armor fall.
"It will be fine. Your father has fought a hundred battles. He'll turn it around."
"The battlefield changes in an instant. And there's a traitor. Xue Liulan, I'm terrified that one day I'll go back and find nothing but empty armor." She closed her eyes, tears soaking his collar. Cold as ice.
"I've ordered Li Yan to investigate. We'll find the traitor." He held her tighter. "And I've written to Gongzi Moran. Zhao is close to the Wuchuan line. With his troops harassing their flank, the Turks will have to think twice about their own camp."
She sighed. It was the best plan.
Besides Wuchuan, only Zhao, Yan, and Yin bordered the Turks. Yan was weak from infighting. Gongzi Suyi of Yin would help, and now with Zhao… Xue Liulan had done everything he could.
She pulled back, wiping her face. She hesitated.
"What is it? Hesitation doesn't suit you." He smiled.
"I have a question."
"Hm?"
"This was a perfect chance to eliminate the imperial in-laws. Why did you give it up? Letting the Murong family weaken would pave the way for you to suppress us later." She asked it all in one breath.
She knew he wouldn't tolerate in-law interference. But he hadn't moved. She had pretended not to notice, but now…
His face went cold. "What do you mean by that?"
"I just wanted to ask. It's… contrary to reason." She felt guilty. She knew he was helping out of kindness, but she couldn't stop her suspicion. The Murong family was too heavy a burden.
He laughed softly, pulling her to his side. "Murong Jin, helping my father-in-law is contrary to reason?"
She looked down.
"If that's unreasonable, is me being alone in a room with you immoral too?" He looked at her innocently. "Maybe I should leave, for your reputation."
He pretended to turn.
She grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head indulgently, pulling her back into his arms. "I know. The Murong family means everything to you. I can only promise you this: I will not fail them. At the very least, I will not fail your father's loyalty."
"The Murong family has been prominent since the founding of the dynasty. I know the moon waxes only to wane. I just hope… you will minimize the bloodshed." Her voice was a whisper, a sigh lost in the night.
To hold up a falling house… even Empress Murong hadn't been able to do it. How could she?