The chamber remained quiet after Yao Qing finished speaking.
The soft sound of wind brushing against the curtains was the only movement in the room. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts, trying to make sense of what had happened to the Empress and the strange rumors Yao Qing had just mentioned.
The Emperor stood near the window for a moment longer, staring outside at the palace courtyard.
His expression slowly hardened.
There was something he had been hiding.
Something he had not told anyone.
Until now.
He turned around slowly.
"There is something all of you need to know."
His voice immediately caught everyone's attention.
The Duke looked at him seriously.
"What is it?"
The Emperor hesitated for a brief moment, as if weighing whether this secret should truly be revealed.
But the situation had already crossed the point where silence was safe.
