Volume One, Chapter 19: Shadows of the Spyglass

In the seemingly tranquil Xuanshi Palace, one person secretly observed everything: Daimao, who appeared to be an unremarkable maid by Linlang’s side.

She was an informant planted in Xuanshi Palace by Empress Dowager Deng during the earlier days. Unfortunately, she failed to win the favor of Xu Qing, and thus could not gather enough intelligence to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. Over time, her value in the palace dwindled, and Qingdai merely instructed her to keep a constant watch on Xu Qing’s movements.

However, when Lou Hongling first stepped into Xuanshi Palace, Daimao immediately sensed that the woman had arrived with the same mission as her own. Yet, to her frustration, this woman proved remarkably capable, earning Xu Qing’s deep trust within a mere few days. Daimao gnashed her teeth in secret. Though she did not know what specific task the Empress Dowager had assigned to Lou Hongling, she often glared at her with venomous intent. In her mind, she alone should be the one serving the Empress Dowager within these walls.

Late one night, Linlang ordered her to the kitchens to boil water for a heating stone to keep her bed warm in the bitter winter. As Linlang returned, exhausted and chilled by the biting wind, her long-standing resentment toward Lou Hongling deepened. Sensing her mood, Daimao immediately chimed in, "Do not be angry, Sister Linlang. She is merely enjoying a moment of triumph; she will not be able to stir up any real waves."

Suddenly, the sound of fluttering bird wings broke the silence. As a seasoned informant, Daimao immediately sensed someone using a carrier pigeon to send a message. A corner of her mouth curled up as a devious scheme formed in her mind.

"Sister Linlang, look, what is that?" Daimao pointed toward the roof of the side hall, feigning surprise.

Linlang tilted her head, catching sight of the snow-white feathers and flapping wings in the dim moonlight. "It is just a carrier pigeon, what is so strange about that?" she muttered impatiently.

Wait—a carrier pigeon...

Linlang seemed to realize something. She turned to look more closely, her brow furrowed. The pigeon, which had appeared to be wandering aimlessly, suddenly seemed to receive a summons, flying purposefully toward the window of the side chamber. After a long moment, it took flight again, rising sharply into the dark night. Those familiar with the palace layout knew that the direction it took could only lead to one place: Changle Palace.

Pigeons of this breed were particularly well-trained in the Shu region and were famous across the Central Plains for their loyalty and stealth. Linlang, being from Shu herself, recognized it at a glance. Daimao, naturally, knew this as well.

"Is that not the direction of Changle Palace?"

Even a low-ranking maid like her had heard of the power struggles within the palace. Everyone knew that while one might offend the Xu family, one must never offend the Dengs.

Linlang lowered her head, mulling over the implications. Seeing this, Daimao immediately dropped a hint: "Was that not the side room... where Lou Hongling resides?"

The remark was like the final brushstroke on a painting. A possibility surfaced in Linlang’s mind, and she felt as if she had been jolted awake. *So that is it,* she thought. *She wondered why Lou Hongling had been so devoted to Xu Qing—it was all a charade for a hidden agenda.*

Linlang’s expression smoothed out, replaced by a surge of confidence. Lou Hongling had only gained favor by appearing loyal to Xu Qing. What if it were revealed that she wore two faces? A plan began to form, and triumph shone on her face. *Just wait, Lou Hongling, I will make you pay.*

Beside her, Daimao wore a cryptic, cunning smile.

***

"Aside from Wei Xuan’s recent erratic movements, everything remains as usual. I have sensed the clues to Xu Qing’s external contacts and will report more clearly in the coming days."

After carefully tying the note to the pigeon’s leg, Lou Hongling blew a whistle in the dead of night to send it off. Recently, she had spent much time traversing the palace to gather intelligence, well aware that the imperial court was in chaos over the "bestowing of titles." Some said the Empress Dowager was threatening the Emperor with abdication to force his hand; others claimed the Deng clan was inviting their own destruction; and some whispered that the thirty-year-old dynasty was not as stable as it seemed, and that the future master might not be of the Xu line after all. While many of these rumors were mere marketplace gossip, Lou Hongling could piece together the turbulent state of affairs.

Xu Qing had been in low spirits lately. With the three-year mourning period nearing its end, the Empress Dowager could no longer restrain her desire to expand her power by conferring titles upon the Deng clan—and bestowing a title upon Deng Wei was only the first step. Wei Xuan’s frequent absences from Xuanshi Palace were surely related to this.

In her previous life, Deng Wei had successfully secured his title, becoming the first non-imperial prince of the dynasty. Although Xu Qing was the only surviving son of the late Emperor, there were still many distant relatives of the Xu clan holding titles across the provinces, the most powerful being Prince Qi, Xu Youbei, and Prince Liang, Xu Huaiyuan. The others were mostly weak, and the command of the Northern Army in the capital of Chang'an was firmly held by the Grand Marshal, Deng Wei.

She recalled that in her past life, the Empress Dowager’s first move had been to incite the ministers to support Deng Wei’s elevation to prince. With his position as Grand Marshal already among the Three Excellencies, adding a royal title made his influence truly overwhelming, causing many ministers to defect to his faction. Deng Wei was arrogant, intentionally remaining in Chang'an instead of heading to his fief, yet he continued to collect the taxes from his lands without fail. The next step had been to systematically dismantle the ministers supporting Xu Qing, until he stood isolated and was usurped by Deng Chumo.

The key to that downfall had been the intelligence she provided to the Empress Dowager, exposing the secret communications between the Censor-in-Chief, Liu Changqing, and Xu Qing, which caused their alliance and plans to crumble into dust. In this life, she was determined to use this opportunity to mislead the Empress Dowager and buy Xu Qing more time.

The next day, Xu Qing retired early, claiming he felt drowsy and telling her to return to her room to rest. However, Lou Hongling could see he had been deeply engrossed in his book, even sharing his insights with her just moments before.

Lou Hongling calculated to herself: today was the first day of the lunar month. The moon would be full, and the darkness within the palace gardens would be even deeper. Following the memories of her past life, she knew that Xu Qing was not resting in his bed as he claimed—or rather, he was not in the sleeping quarters at all.

Elsewhere, in an inconspicuous, dilapidated building in the Imperial Garden, Xu Qing, who should have been asleep, sat upright at a table, his eyes sharp and alert. Wei Xuan stood by with a solemn expression, hands behind his back. Seated opposite them was an elderly man who had all but faded from existence in the imperial court: the Censor-in-Chief, and former Imperial Tutor to Xu Qing during his time as Crown Prince—Liu Changqing.