The palace had changed.
It had only been a few weeks since Lady Su's pregnancy was announced, yet already, the balance of power had shifted.
Zhao Long had not ignored her.
He had not let her remain just another concubine.
No.
He had made it clear she carried the first imperial heir, and she would be treated accordingly.
Lavish gifts were sent to her quarters.
The imperial physician was placed at her personal disposal.
Delicacies fit for kings were delivered daily to ensure her health.
Her rank had not officially changed but in the eyes of the court, she had already risen.
And the harem?
They burned with jealousy.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"She was nothing before," a concubine sneered, adjusting her bejeweled hairpin.
"She was only a minor lady-in-waiting! Now look at her," another muttered, watching as servants carried fresh silk and embroidered pillows into Lady Su's chambers.
"The emperor dotes on her," one sighed, voice laced with bitterness.
And while they whispered Lin Ruyi did nothing.
(A Queen Who Refused to Speak)
Ruyi's silence was not born of submission.
It was a deliberate choice.
She had not spoken a single word to Zhao Long about the pregnancy.
She had not acknowledged the gifts.
She had not attended a single gathering where Lady Su was present.
She had not even glanced in the emperor's direction.
She simply continued as if none of it mattered.
And that that infuriated Zhao Long more than anything.
(A Chessboard Between Them)
Zhao Long had not meant to seek her out.
Or so he told himself.
But as he passed through the Moonlight Pavilion, his golden eyes caught an unexpected sight.
Ruyi.
Seated at a small bamboo table, her sleeves folded neatly as she moved a single ivory chess piece across the board.
Across from her, Xiao Tao studied the board intensely, her brows furrowed in frustration.
"Ugh!" the maid groaned. "Again? My lady, do you ever lose?"
Ruyi did not even glance up.
She simply lifted another piece.
Moved it.
And tilted her head slightly.
"No."
Zhao Long smirked.
His amusement was brief.
Because then Ruyi lifted her gaze.
And saw him.
(An Emperor Who Joins the Game)For a moment, they simply stared at one another.
Ruyi's face was calm, unreadable.
And Zhao Long?
He saw it.
The sharpness behind her stillness.
The challenge she would never speak aloud.
His smirk widened.
"Playing chess, my wife?"
Ruyi folded her hands in her lap.
"Would Your Majesty prefer I play something else?"
The words were neutral, but the meaning was clear.
Would you prefer I play the fool?
Would you prefer I pretend this does not bother me?
Zhao Long chuckled, stepping forward.
He gestured to the board.
"May I?"
A beat.
Then Ruyi gestured to the seat in front of her.
"As His Majesty pleases."
Ruyi moved her pieces with calculated grace, forcing him into a defensive position almost immediately.
Zhao Long was not a man who lost easily.
But tonight he lost.
Checkmate.
Ruyi smiled politely.
"Your Majesty played well."
A pause.
Then, Zhao Long tilted his head.
"Again."
The Second Match
This time, Zhao Long was more aggressive.
He moved swiftly, forcing Ruyi into a corner.
For a moment, it seemed like she had no escape.
And then with a single, effortless move, she turned the game back in her favor.
Checkmate.
Again.
The air between them thickened.
(The Third Match – A Message Passed in Silence)
This time, Zhao Long played carefully.
Watching. Waiting. Testing.
And yet Ruyi remained untouchable.
Her pieces slid across the board with perfect precision, each move tightening the space around him.
And when she made her final move Zhao Long stilled.
Checkmate.
For the third time.
For the third time, she had beaten him.
And for the third time she had said nothing.
But the message was clear.
This is what happens when you underestimate me.
This is what happens when you try to push me into a corner.
This is what happens when you forget who I am.
Zhao Long exhaled slowly, his golden eyes unreadable.
For the first time that evening, he spoke without amusement.
"You refuse to speak about it."
Ruyi lifted a single brow.
"My lord?"
Zhao Long's fingers drummed against the edge of the table.
"Lady Su."
The words hung between them.
(A storm ready to break.)
Ruyi's expression did not change.
She simply picked up her captured chess pieces, placing them neatly in a row.
And then without looking up, her voice quiet and even she finally spoke.
"She carries your child. What is there to say?"
Zhao Long watched her carefully.
Waiting.
For a flicker of emotion.
For a sign of weakness.
For anything.
But Ruyi simply folded her hands in her lap.
Calm. Composed.
Untouched.
That was when he realized something terrible.
She was not indifferent.
She was waiting.
And when she finally decided to act it would be too late for him to stop her.
For the first time in their marriage, Zhao Long felt uneasy.
And Lin Ruyi his beautiful, unreadable wife
Had already won this battle.
A Conversation Between Husband and Wife
The air between them remained tense.
Zhao Long leaned back slightly, fingers still resting against the chessboard.
Ruyi sat poised, expression calm, the flickering lanterns casting a soft glow on her delicate features.
He had forced her to speak.
But he had not gotten the reaction he wanted.
So he pushed further.
"You truly feel nothing about it?" His voice was low, measured.
Ruyi tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words.
Then softly, without hesitation
"She is a young girl, chosen by fate to carry a burden greater than she ever expected."
She placed a single captured chess piece back on the board, her fingers lingering on the ivory.
"Am I meant to hate her for that?"
Zhao Long watched her carefully.
"She carries my child."
Ruyi's lips curled slightly.
"Does she?"
His golden eyes darkened.
She was not asking if the child was his.
She was asking if he had claimed the child as his heart's desire.
And for the first time, he had no answer.
Ruyi exhaled softly, knowingly.
Then, as if the conversation was nothing more than a passing breeze, she rose to her feet.
"I wish Your Majesty a peaceful evening."
And then without another word, without another glance, she left.
Leaving Zhao Long alone with a chessboard he had already lost.
The Decision That Shook the PalaceTwo days later, the court was stunned.
Lin Ruyi the emperor's beloved consort, the woman most expected to remain indifferent to Lady Su's existence
Had requested to visit her.
The concubines were bewildered.
The noblewomen were suspicious.
And Consort Mei?
She smiled.
Slow. Calculated.
Because for the first time in weeks, she saw an opportunity
A Meeting Between Two Women
Lady Su's pavilion was humble, decorated in soft pastels, an untouched embroidery frame resting near the window.
She had not expected Ruyi to come.
She had braced for the emperor's cold expectations.
She had prepared for the harem's jealousy.
She had even steeled herself for Ruyi's resentment.
But when the consort arrived, stepping through the doors like a quiet storm, dressed in the finest silk yet carrying an air of unshakable calm
Lady Su had no idea what to say.
She lowered herself immediately into a deep bow.
"My lady"
"Enough."
Ruyi's voice was gentle.
Lady Su hesitated.
Ruyi's emerald gaze swept over her form and for the first time, she truly saw her.
A girl.
Not a rival.
Not an enemy.
Not a threat.
Just a frightened, fragile girl.
And suddenly she thought of her sister.
She thought of her cousin.
She thought of the women she had once seen forced into roles they had not chosen.
A slow exhale.
Then softly, deliberately
"Sit."
Lady Su obeyed, her fingers trembling slightly.
She did not understand why Ruyi was here.
She had expected poison, threats, or cold indifference.
Not warm tea, soft cushions, and an unreadable gaze watching over her.
A silence stretched between them.
Then Ruyi reached out.
A single hand.
She gently placed it over Lady Su's.
Lady Su stiffened.
Then her eyes burned.
Because for the first time since learning she was with child…
Someone had touched her with kindness.
And that—that was enough to shatter her resolve.
Tears welled in her eyes, her fingers clutching Ruyi's sleeve.
And the entire palace watching, whispering, waiting
Had no idea what to make of it.
(The Court Watches And Misunderstands)"She's playing the long game."
The concubines whispered behind silken veils, their voices filled with suspicion.
"She wants Lady Su to trust her," one murmured.
"Or perhaps she's trying to gain the emperor's favor back," another said.
"Or"
A third voice, sharper, more amused.
"She's simply waiting for the child to be born."
The room stilled.
Then soft laughter.
Yes.
Perhaps Lin Ruyi was simply waiting.
But waiting for what?
That no one could answer.
(The Emperor Learns of Her Mercy)Zhao Long had expected anything but this.
When his attendants informed him of Ruyi's unexpected visit to Lady Su, he had nearly laughed.
And then he had waited for the inevitable.
For the whispers of jealousy, resentment, manipulation.
For the stories of Ruyi punishing the girl in quiet, subtle ways.
Instead
"She brought medicine, Your Majesty."
Zhao Long's fingers paused mid-writing.
"She personally arranged for Lady Su's diet to be adjusted for her health."
The emperor blinked.
"And…?"
The eunuch hesitated.
"She held her hand, Your Majesty."
A long silence.
Then a slow exhale.
Zhao Long leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the wood.
And to his own surprise he felt relief.
Not triumph.
Not curiosity.
Just relief.
As if something heavy had been lifted from his chest.
As if, deep down, he had been waiting for something far worse.
His golden eyes flickered.
And for the first time in weeks, he smiled.
Soft. Unreadable.
Because Lin Ruyi had done something no one expected.
And that—that was what made her the most dangerous person in the palace.
(The One Who Saw the Truth)Consort Mei stood in the shadows of the harem, watching.
She watched as the court struggled to understand Ruyi's kindness.
She watched as Lady Su clung to her, blind to the world around her.
And she watched as Zhao Long so sharp, so ruthless
Felt relief instead of suspicion.
Consort Mei smiled.
Because she saw it.
She saw what even Zhao Long did not see yet.
Lin Ruyi was not just playing the long game.
She was changing the rules entirely.
And one day she would bring everything crashing down.
When that day came…
Consort Mei would be ready.