The air was charged with tension so strong Ru Yi could feel it vibrate in a violent rush down her spine.

Chains did not bind her this time, but the weight of all the eyes on her made her feel light-headed.

Maids, guards, they were all gathered outside the detention centre. Everyone scrambled to catch a glimpse of her.

Ru Yi let her eyes sweep past them, only stopping when she caught Lang Ying’s gaze. Beside her was the head maid.

She quickly looked away. She couldn’t bear the pity or the guilt that swirled in their eyes.

All she could do was trust that the Empress and Han Shuying would keep their word and drop her charges.

But she knew very well how cruel reality could be, it was better to prepare herself for the worst case scenario.

The great hall fell into a hush as Ru Yi was brought in once more. Ministers lined the court in ordered rows, their robes a sea of muted authority.

At the head of it all, the Emperor sat upon the dragon throne, his presence diminished, his silence louder than any decree.

Still, for a brief moment Ru Yi could see the tired lines at the corners of his mouth and those dark circles around his eyes. His condition was getting worse.

Ru Yi wondered how long it would be before the poison finally got the best of him. Not for long, that she was sure of.

Beside him—

Empress Shen Lihua sat in all her glory. Poised. Untouched.

Ru Yi was forced to her knees.

The minister in charge of the trial started. "Palace maid, Ru Yi," his voice was deep, ringing through the space around them. "You stand before the court once again. Your crimes were not easily concluded the last time."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

Ru Yi kept her head lowered.

"You were found beside the late Princess Lin Yuexin on the night of her death. Her blood on your hands, with no witness to defend you. The crown prince had pleaded your case..."

Crown prince Zhao Chen sat on a platform below the emperor’s. His eyes were equally tired with a tint of red around the rims.

"I’ll let him take over and present any proof that will affect the judgement of the case."

The crown prince was about to stand up when the Empress shot up, determined. "No additional information has been brought forward by the investigation so we can proceed."

Zhao Chen opened his mouth and closed it without a word. He’d managed to buy some time but hadn’t been able to come up with any clear solution that wasn’t running away.

He looked at the triplets, their faces calm and composed, a direct opposite of his.

Qingyue had come up with a plan that would save Ru Yi, and he’d trusted her even if she hadn’t said what it was.

His knees bounced, his heartbeat racing from anxiety.

"Does the accused have anything to say in her defense?" General Han Zheng’s voice rang out from where he stood below the throne.

It was never the Emperor that spoke.

Ru Yi lifted her head, but before she could speak—

"Objection."

The single word cut cleanly through the hall. All eyes turned in its direction.

Three figures stepped forward as one.

Shen Qingyue led, her expression calm and gaze unwavering. Lieyin stood at her right, sharp and restless like a drawn blade. Yexue lingered just behind, her usual lightness replaced with something colder. Her eyes kept darting to Ru Yi on the floor.

The Empress’s smile faltered—just for a moment. She didn’t think they’d really interfere.

"On what grounds?" General Han Zheng asked, though his tone suggested he’d expected this to happen.

Qingyue bowed to the Emperor, movement precise and controlled. She lifted her head.

"On the grounds that the wrong person stands accused."

There was a stir amongst the ministers as they watched the scene unfold before them.

Empress Shen Lihua’s fingers tightened against the sleeve of her robe. "How bold. And who, Princess Qingyue, do you propose is the true culprit?"

Qingyue did not look at her. She looked at the throne, then past it—

"It is her majesty, the Empress."

There was absolute, suffocating silence.

Then—an uproar.

"Outrageous!"

"Have they lost their minds—"

"This is slander!"

General Han Zheng did not raise his voice, but the room quietened anyway.

"Princess Qingyue," he said, "you would do well to understand the weight of such an accusation."

"I do," Qingyue replied calmly.

Shen Lieyin stepped forward, unable to hold back. "Princess Lin Yuexin was not killed by the maid. She was murdered in cold blood because she—"

"Wasn’t Ru Yi harboring ill feelings towards the late princess because she was in love with the crown prince?" General Han Zheng cut her off, earning a glare from Lieyin who fought the urge to reach for the hilt of her sword.

"That’s not true!" Ru Yi blurted out, only to be hit at the back by the guard behind her, ultimately shutting her up.

Shen Yexue and Zhao Chen subconsciously reached for Ru Yi, only pulling themselves back before anyone could notice.

Qingyue didn’t let any of this deter her. "Princess Lin Yuexin was killed because she began uncovering something she, or anyone else, was supposed to see."

The Empress laughed, a low disbelieving sound. "And you expect this court to entertain such...fantasies?"

"The truth does not need anyone to believe it for it to stand true," Qingyue replied, her irritation carefully tucked away from her voice.

"Do you have any evidence?" General Han Zheng asked.

Shen Qingyue reached into the sleeve of her robe and brought out a folded document. "Forgeries can be dismissed, rumors can be buried, but records...are less forgiving."

For the first time, the Empress’s composure cracked. She’d gotten rid of all the original documents she had confiscated from Princess Lin Yuexin’s chamber. But one couldn’t be too cautious, especially with wolves as cunning and fearless as the ones before her.

"These," Qingyue continued, holding the papers up for the court to see, "are correspondences recovered from your majesty’s private chambers. All bearing your seal."

A single word landed like a stone dropped into still water.

"Peony."

The reaction was immediate. Ministers leaned forward. Whispers erupted again, sharper, more urgent.

Han Zheng’s gaze darkened. "Submit the evidence," he ordered.

Shen Qingyue stepped forward. The distance between her and the throne had never felt longer.

Behind her, Ru Yi remained kneeling...forgotten. But for the first time since her arrest, she no longer felt alone.

Because in that moment—she realized how easy it was for power to shift from one hand to another.

"As the evidence suggests," Qingyue said, ready to deliver the final blow. "The Empress murdered Princess Lin Yuexin..." there was a brief pause— "because the Princess found out she was poisoning the Emperor."