The phoenix-embroidered flag with ruby eyes fluttered above the very carriage she now sat in. And now, since Minister Zheng had called off the operation to rescue Consort Hua, should her father arrive instead to save her, the assassins of Shadow Wolf would mistake that flag as the signal to commence the assassination. In that moment of confusion, she would be identified as Consort Hua and killed in her place.
"I suppose I'll take my leave now. What a pity I won't get to witness your final moments," Consort Hua sneered. "I do hope your father arrives just a bit too late—because I would very much prefer to see you die beside His Majesty in the imperial tomb."
"Fire! Fire!!"
The shrill cries of the eunuchs echoed throughout the procession, quickly followed by the screams of startled maidservants. Suddenly, the carriage came to a screeching halt. Both Consort Hua and Empress Li Hua lurched forward from the abrupt stop. Not only her carriage, but every carriage in the procession had halted one after another.
At first, Consort Hua thought Prime Minister Li had launched a rescue for Empress Li Hua. But then she realized—that wasn't his style. Minister Li Gaosun would never resort to setting a fire to stop the convoy. A strange sense of unease crept into her chest. She swiftly pulled a scarf over the lower half of her face to conceal her identity and stepped out to investigate.
What she saw was a large tree engulfed in flames, its charred trunk collapsed across the road, blocking the path ahead. Her instincts screamed—something was very wrong. Everything was veering off course from the plan.
"Get out of here now."
That was the first thought that came to Consort Hua's mind. She took advantage of the chaos and began slipping away from the convoy. But in her moment of distraction, she turned a corner and collided with a man. The scarf that had concealed her face slipped off, revealing her true identity.
Startled, Consort Hua quickly pulled the scarf back up, heart pounding at the thought that the man might have recognized her.
But that man was none other than Chang Hu.
At first sight of her face—so breathtaking, like the goddess Ma Gu herself—Chang Hu was utterly stunned. It was as though he had been struck by an enchantment. His heart pounded erratically. Though he had encountered many women before, never had anyone made him feel this way.
Chang Hu, who had once scoffed at the notion of love at first sight, now knew—
it was real.