Chapter 209: An ancient scroll

The discovery beneath the eastern castle had left Qingyue unable to think about anything else, but she knew better than to make a decision of such magnitude without first speaking to her sisters.

The Heaven-Severing crown was supposedly hidden beneath the capital, buried beneath the ancient imperial temple upon which the current palace had been built, and if their mother’s records were truthful, the relic could give them something they desperately needed: a chance to challenge the Empress and reclaim the throne that had been stolen from their family.

But knowing where the Crown was did not mean they were ready to retrieve it.

By nightfall, Qingyue had summoned her sisters to the eastern castle, choosing the old council chamber because it was one of the few rooms that had survived General Sheng’s attack with most of its walls intact.

A brazier burned between them, its flames casting restless shadows across the stone walls while snow tapped softly against the windows.

Yexue entered first, followed by Lieyin, and both immediately noticed the ancient scroll lying open on the table.

Yexue pulled out a chair and sat down, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Qingyue. "Did you find something?" she asked.

Qingyue nodded slowly. "Our mother left a clue behind."

Lieyin moved closer to the table. "Clue?" she rubbed her forehead. "Please tell me it’s something that can actually help."

Qingyue took a breath before answering. "The Heaven-Severing Crown."

Silence settled over the chamber.

Yexue stared at her. "The imperial relic?" she asked, her voice suddenly more serious.

"Yes," Qingyue replied.

She pushed the scroll toward them. "It was hidden beneath the eastern castle. According to Mother’s records, the Crown was sealed beneath the ancient imperial temple in the capital."

Lieyin leaned over the parchment, carefully reading the faded writing. "And you want to go there," she said, already putting her sister’s thought process together.

Qingyue met her gaze. "It’s the only chance we have to make things right without bloodshed."

Yexue immediately shook her head. "I hate to break it to you but going to the capital right now is nothing short of a failed mission."

Qingyue looked toward her sister. "I haven’t even explained the plan."

"You don’t need to," Yexue replied sharply, pushing herself away from the table. "I already know where this is going."

Lieyin glanced between them. "Let her explain first."

"There is nothing to explain," Yexue argued, pointing toward the scroll. "We barely have enough soldiers to defend Ashen Fortress, half of them aren’t properly trained, our walls are still damaged, and we’re struggling to gather enough food to last through the winter. Going back to the capital now would be pure suicide."

Qingyue’s expression remained composed. "We don’t need to take the entire army."

"That makes it worse," Yexue snapped. "You want to take an even smaller force into the capital?"

"We aren’t going there to fight the imperial army," Qingyue explained calmly.

Yexue let out a humorless laugh. "And you think they’ll politely step aside while we search beneath their palace for an ancient relic?"

"That’s not what I said," Qingyue answered, feeling her anger start to rise.

"Then what are you saying?" Yexue demanded, her voice rising. "That we’ll sneak into the capital, somehow reach the ancient temple, awaken a relic that hasn’t been touched in centuries, and then walk back out before the Empress realizes we’re there?"

Qingyue’s jaw tightened. "We have to take the risk."

Yexue stared at her. "Why?"

The question lingered but Qingyue didn’t answer immediately.

Lieyin slowly folded her arms, studying her eldest sister. "You’ve been patient since we arrived here," Lieyin observed. "You haven’t rushed the repairs, you haven’t rushed the soldiers, and you haven’t even rushed our negotiations with Yunhai and Baihe."

Her gaze sharpened. "So why suddenly risk everything?"

Qingyue looked away.

Lieyin’s brows were furrowed in growing confusion. "You’re not usually reckless. What is this really about?"

"I am not being reckless," Qingyue replied.

"Yes, you are," Lieyin countered. She stepped closer to the table. "You’re doing this because you think if we reclaim the throne, you’ll have the power to find her."

Qingyue’s fingers tightened against the table.

Yexue’s eyes flickered with barely restrained annoyance. "So that’s what this is about," she murmured.

Qingyue looked at both of them. "I am thinking about our kingdom."

Lieyin shook her head. "No. You’re thinking about Ru Yi."

Qingyue’s expression faltered for the briefest moment.

Yexue noticed. "You still love her," she said quietly.

Qingyue lowered her eyes. "I don’t know what I feel anymore," she admitted, saying the truth for once. The confession seemed to take some of the anger out of Yexue’s expression.

"But you want to find her," Yexue said.

Qingyue was silent. Then, finally, she nodded. "Yes."

Lieyin closed her eyes for a moment before exhaling. She’d expected this from Yexue and not Qingyue who was always in control of her emotions.

"We should give it time," Lieyin said. "The army isn’t ready, the fortress isn’t ready, and we don’t even know whether the Crown will accept you."

Qingyue looked at her. "The longer we wait, the stronger the Empress becomes. She’s already raising an army as we speak."

"And the longer we wait," Lieyin replied, "the stronger we become too."

Qingyue didn’t answer.

Lieyin continued. "If we leave now, we’re gambling everything on a relic we don’t even know how to awaken. If we wait until spring, we can have more soldiers trained, more supplies stored, and perhaps enough allies to make the journey possible."

Yexue nodded. "She’s right."

Qingyue looked at her.

Yexue’s expression became complicated. "You know what I think?" she asked.

Neither sister answered.

"I think you’re both angry because loving Ru Yi made everything more complicated."

Lieyin’s expression hardened.

"Yexue—"

"No, let me finish," Yexue interrupted, her voice trembling with emotion. "You accused her of betraying us. You both looked at her like she was the only person who had ever done something unforgivable to us."

"She planted the seal," Lieyin reminded her. "She was the reason for our exile. Without her we would’ve remained in the palace."

"I know," Yexue replied immediately. "She caused our exile. She lied to us. She betrayed us. I know all of that." Her voice cracked. "But so did we."

Qingyue stared at her.

Lieyin’s brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Yexue laughed bitterly. "We were planning to get rid of Qingyue too, remember? We were only going to use her to control the crown prince."

Qingyue’s expression changed.

Yexue looked directly at her eldest sister. "We treated her worse than she ever treated us. Lets not sit around and act like she’s the only one at fault."

"That was different," Lieyin argued.

"How?"

Yexue stepped closer to her. "How was it different?"

Lieyin’s lips parted, but no answer came.

Yexue continued, her voice filled with frustration. "You two were willing to abandon someone you claimed to love, over something that never even mattered. If you want to blame anyone it should be Empress Lihua."

Lieyin looked away.

Yexue’s gaze moved toward Qingyue. "Don’t pretend we were innocent."

Qingyue remained silent.

Yexue’s eyes became wet, although she quickly blinked the emotion away. "You want to go to the capital? Fine! I won’t stop you."

Qingyue looked at her in surprise.

"But I’m not going." Yexue turned away from the table. "You can go ahead and do as you wish."

"Yexue—" Lieyin frowned. "You’re really going to stay here? But we always go together."

"Yes." She looked at both of them. "If you want the throne badly enough to gamble your life on it, that’s your decision." Her expression softened as she looked at Qingyue. "But don’t pretend this is only about the kingdom."

Qingyue’s fingers instinctively moved beneath her robes, finding the jade necklace hanging against her chest.

Yexue noticed. "I thought you said you were going to take the necklace off."

Qingyue’s hand closed around the jade. "I don’t see any reason why I can’t wear it. It belongs to Mother."

Yexue’s expression crumbled for a moment. "If that’s what helps you sleep at night." She eventually walked toward the door.

"I still love her too," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want her back but I’m not going to risk my neck like this. There’s also no guarantee she’ll ever want anything to do with us again."

Then she walked out and the door closed behind her.

Qingyue remained beside the table, staring at the ancient scroll while the brazier crackled softly.

Lieyin was the first to speak. "She may be right."

Qingyue looked at her. "About what?"

"About waiting."

Qingyue looked toward the window. Snow drifted silently through the darkness. "I don’t know if I can wait."

Lieyin studied her face. "Because of Ru Yi?"

Qingyue didn’t answer. Her hand remained wrapped around the jade necklace. For a long moment, neither sister spoke. Then Qingyue noticed something strange.

A faint glow had appeared along the bottom of the ancient scroll. She stepped closer. "What is that?"

Lieyin leaned over the parchment. Neither of them had noticed the additional writing before.

Slowly, ancient characters emerged beneath the faded ink as though they had been awakened by Qingyue’s touch.

Qingyue read them aloud.

"The Crown shall awaken only when the blood of the fallen and the shadow of the forsaken stand beneath the same sky."

Lieyin’s expression changed. "The shadow of the forsaken?"

Qingyue stared at the words. She knew exactly who that referred to. Ru Yi. It made her heart tightened.

And beneath the capital, buried beneath centuries of stone, something ancient stirred for the first time in hundreds of years.