Chapter 107: Embers that refuse to die
The sky had already darkened by the time Yexue and Ru Yi left the inn. Lanterns flickered to life across the village, casting warm gold against worn wood and uneven stone.
The air carried something unfamiliar after everything that had happened. Laughter—carefree, careful and tentative.
Yexue wished they didn’t have to go back. She would give anything to spend the rest of her life with Ru Yi and the sanctuary she’d found in her arms.
Ru Yi slowed down as they approached Madam Xiao’s house. Her steps were unsteady, but not from injury.
A smile spread across Yexue’s face when she noticed. "Do you want me to carry you?" she asked Ru Yi who looked mortified.
She huffed. "No, thank you. This is all your fault."
"Walk straight," Yexue teased under her breath. "You don’t want to look suspicious in front of my sisters. They’ll catch on right away."
A wicked thought formed in Yexue’s head. "Or maybe...that’s a good thing. They’ll know to keep their hands to theirselves."
"I can assure you that your sisters do not care about me."
Yexue clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in a disapproving manner. "I didn’t think you’d be this dense," she said to herself.
"What?" Ru Yi looked at her from over her shoulder.
Yexue rewarded her with a grin. "Nothing. You can lean on me if you want."
Ru Yi looked at her for just a second. "I’m fine." But she didn’t move further away.
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Inside Madam Xiao’s house, Qingyue was already waiting. She stood near the table, still and composed. But the moment the door opened, her gaze snapped towards them.
"Where did the two of you run off to?" she asked, her gaze sharp and threatening. "Do you have any idea how worried we all were?"
Ru Yi looked down at her feet. "I’m sorry."
Yexue took her hand. "What are you apologizing for?" She looked at Qingyue. "Have the children been taken care of?"
Instead of answering, Qingyue looked at Ru Yi, her gaze lingering on the faint marks on her shoulder blade. She noticed how her body leaned into Yexue with natural ease. Even the faint flush that was still on her cheeks.
But she said nothing. For now.
"They’re in safe hands." She looked at Yexue. "Han Shuying remained true to her words. They’ve been stabilized. All of them will be taken to the capital for further treatment."
Lieyin sat nearby, arms crossed and her shoulders tense. Her eyes never left Ru Yi.
Before anything else could be said a knock came at the door. Loud and firm. Qingyue went to the door and opened it.
A man stepped inside—dust from travel still clinging to his clothes, his expression serious but not hostile.
Qingyue straightened slightly. "Who are you?"
"I was sent in response to your letter," he said, bowing briefly.
Qingyue’s eyes sharpened immediately. "From General Sheng?"
The mad nodded. "I am one of General Sheng’s retainers."
That changed everything for the sisters. Qingyue guided him to one of the seats and offered him tea.
"What did he say?" she said, seeming a bit nervous. "I didn’t think he’d respond at all."
The man reached into his sleeve, pulling out a sealed letter. "He instructed me to deliver this directly to you."
Qingyue took it and broke the seal without hesitation. Her eyes scanned the contents once, then again...slowly this time.
"General Sheng is a distant cousin of our mother," Qingyue explained to her sisters. "I wrote to him asking for his support."
"Do we have him on our side?" Lieyin asked.
"I’m not exactly sure but he wrote about an abandoned fortress, hidden beyond the Eastern ridges."
Lieyin frowned slightly. "And?"
Qingyue’s gaze lifted, hope shining through them. "It used to belong to our mother."
Silence dropped like stone.
Ru Yi’s breath caught faintly. "The former Empress?" she asked quietly.
Qingyue nodded. "Ashen Fortress."
The name itself felt heavy, like it carried history and blood.
Yexue frowned. "If it was hers then why abandon it?"
"It wasn’t abandoned," the messenger answered. All eyes turned to him. "At least not entirely."
Qingyue’s fingers tightened around the letter. "He believes," she said slowly, "that there are still people there."
"People?" Yexue echoed.
"An army," Qingyue corrected.
That shifted everything, even Lieyin was paying undivided attention now. "Loyal to her?" she asked.
Qingyue nodded. "They’re hidden. Waiting."
"For what?" Ru Yi asked softly.
Qingyue’s gaze flicked toward her. Sharp and focused. "For a reason to rise again."
The room fell silent because they all understood what that meant. This wasn’t just survival anymore, this was raw power.
Yexue let out a low breath. "So we’re not just exiles anymore."
Qingyue folded the letter carefully, her mind already moving ahead. Planning. Calculating. "If this is real, then everything might turn around in our favor."
Ru Yi watched the shift in them, the renewed hope that they might claim what was rightfully theirs all along and make their enemies pay along the way.
The messenger pulled out another paper. "This is the map to Ashen Fortress. The General says he’ll support you if you manage to claim the army for yourself." He stood up.
Qingyue smiled. "I am entirely grateful to him. I pray to the heavens you have a safe trip back."
The man excused himself after his task was done.
Qingyue turned to the others. "Looks like we have a solid plan now. We’ll be on our way to Ashen Fortress in the morning."
"How are we going to convince the army to fight for our cause?" Yexue asked.
"Let’s worry about that on the way there," Qingyue answered, suddenly light on her feet. "We need to get rid of Empress Lihua before anything happens to the Emperor."
"I’m afraid it won’t take long," Ru Yi whispered. "I don’t know what kind of poison she’s using but I’m surprised he has lasted this long."
If the triplets cared about his safety they didn’t mention it.
"We just need him alive until we can get back to the capital," Lieyin said. "But right now? I think we should be heading to the village square."
And somewhere far beyond the mountains, Ashen Fortress waited. Silent and unseen. But not empty...never empty.
And perhaps not forgotten either.
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