Xianyang, the Great Qin Imperial Capital. Zhenhua Palace in the Forbidden Palace.
As the residence of Qin Shi Huang's most beloved princess, Zhenhua Palace had once rivaled Empress Dowager Zhao Ji's palace in luxury and prestige.
Now, however, it was cold and deserted. Few Great Qin Imperial Guards patrolled its surroundings; there were only secret guards watching Princess Huating. The throng of chattering maids was gone, leaving only two pretty servants who had grown up alongside her. Gone were the sumptuous silks surrounded by pearls and jade; all that remained was plain, tidy clothing.
This seemed less like a palace within the Forbidden Palace than a forgotten corner of the world-if not for the shadowy figures of secret guards appearing and disappearing around it.
A chilly garden, a quiet pavilion.
Princess Huating and her two maids watched butterflies playing among the flowers and white clouds shifting overhead, utterly bored. Resting her head on her fair arm, Princess Huating murmured as though to herself:
"Xiaoping, Xiaotao! I seem to have sensed Father's presence. Do you think he might have come back to life? I believe Father will definitely return..."
"Are you missing the late emperor again, Princess?" Round-faced Xiaotao fanned Princess Huating with one hand as she asked wistfully.
Back when Qin Shi Huang was alive, even a little maid like her had enjoyed standing comparable to a third-rank official. And now? She often could not even collect her full monthly pay. Every new emperor brought his own courtiers!
Princess Huating pouted and protested indignantly, "No! This time, I really sensed Father's presence. It wasn't the illusion you think it was!"
"But... Princess! From what those Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs have been discussing in private, the strange signs in heaven and earth earlier seem to have come from the