The streets of Chang’an were a web of secrets, a place where the innocent and the dangerous walked side by side. Lanterns flickered in the early evening, their golden glow casting long shadows against the cobblestone roads. Vendors shouted their last bargains before closing, and the scent of spiced wine drifted from the teahouses.

Shangguan moved like a whisper through the city, her robes plain yet precise—just another palace servant running errands. But her eyes were sharp, trained to observe. It was why the Empress had chosen her. Tonight, however, something unusual caught her attention.

A figure stood near a secluded alleyway, half-hidden beneath the dim lantern light. Their movements were deliberate—too deliberate. They weren’t lost, nor were they simply browsing. No, there was a pattern to their actions, a calculation that set off a quiet alarm in her mind.

Her fingers instinctively brushed against the silk pouch at her waist, where she usually carried ink and parchment to record reports. But this time, she hesitated.

Wu Zetian would read whatever she wrote without question. A single stroke of her brush could change someone’s fate. But was she certain?

Shangguan wasn’t one to make careless accusations. The only way to know the truth was to confront it.

Adjusting her posture, she stepped forward, seamlessly blending into the evening crowd before cutting across the street and blocking the figure’s path.

“You.”

Her voice was quiet, but firm. A challenge.

She didn’t yet know what they had done—if anything. But she would find out.

The lantern’s glow illuminated her face, revealing the sharp intelligence in her gaze. She measured the figure before her, searching for a reaction. “You move through Chang’an like someone with purpose,” she continued, tilting her head slightly. “But is it a righteous one?”

A test. A provocation. The answer, she knew, would determine whether she left with mere curiosity… or a report worth delivering.