The day of the trial arrived sunless and gloomy. The clouds overhead were slowly rolling with thunder. Samaya could smell the oncoming rain in the air. The Palace seemed darker than usual. It was the first time Samaya had seen this kind of weather since coming to the Palace.

It felt… ominous.

She was not the most superstitious of persons, but considering that the portal that brought her here also had parallels to old wives’ tales, she could not help but feel uneasy, her mind running wild with all the things that could possibly go wrong. It was unlike her. Even when missions went south and she had to go in guns blazing, she had never felt this slowly crawling dread that seemed to expand from her gut to her chest.

It did not help that the atmosphere was solemn as her maids got her ready. Manu was already at his lessons, along with a message from Samaya to keep the boy busy so he would not worry too much, sent through Lian. Ah-Liu was waiting outside. Samaya was dressed in light, solemn colours, a soft off-white robe, with royal blue embroidery and a sash. Her hair was tied up in a simple bun with a wooden hairpin. She looked in the mirror. One of the first things she learned at TEA was that appearances mattered a lot. The first impression you gave off would affect your whole mission, especially if it was a mission where you had to converse and convince.

The maids insisted on makeup, just the tiniest bit of rouge on her eyes, cheeks and lips. Samaya did not know why, She was wearing a veil anyway. The ranked women of the harem usually practised wearing a veil for official appearances in the Outer Court. It was not obligatory, but it was a well-recognized practice. She did not know how much wearing a thin piece of cloth over her face would affect the impression of those snobby nobles, but if it had a chance to do so, she would wear it.

Once she was done, she stepped outside, Ah-Liu falling in step behind her. Min was with Rin, so Su and Yu followed her as well. The trek to the Outer Court seemed to drag on forever.

“Is Rin coming?” Samaya asked, tilting her head towards Su.

The girl shook her head. “I do not know. The last time I spoke to her, she had not decided yet.”

Samaya nodded. She could understand the hesitance and fear the young woman was feeling. She wished she could find some way to bring Rin, her appearance and testimony would make her case heavy. But she could not force the girl. All she could do was hope, even if it was dwindling by the minute.

Once she arrived, she stood outside the gates, where guards stood on either side. They tensed, clearly they had been expecting her. The news of the trial had spread across the entire Palace, perhaps even outside.

Samaya stood straight. She wondered if she could delay this a bit, just to see if Rin would come. But after a moment of contemplation, she decided against that. After all the hell she raised over this matter, it would not do to be late.

She nodded at Ah-Liu, who stepped forward.

“Virtuous Lady Qing Samaya has arrived for the trial, as per His Mahesty’s orders!”

“Please wait a moment.” One of the guards used a side door to go inside, probably to inform the Emperor.

Standard procedure. Even though they knew she was coming, they had to make a show of announcing her presence, asking the Emperor for permission in front of everyone and the Emperor needed to give his permission.

It was only a few minutes later that the guard came back. “The Emperor has given permission for you to enter.”

Samaya frowned slightly and then looked back, trying to see if Rin would come. When she saw no sign of her, she sighed and nodded, indicating that she was ready to go in. The guards reached for the door and were about to push it open when-

“Lady Qing!” A familiar voice called out.

Samaya’s head snapped back and she saw Min, rushing Rin towards her. It was toeing the lines of all the protocols of the Harem but not quite passing over. Samaya walked down the steps to receive the girls, who were panting loudly. No doubt they ran here. Normally, she would disapprove but … not today.

“Are you sure?” She asked, not bothering with anything else. “You can turn back now. You do not have to go in.”

Rin clutched her clothes and nodded.

Samaya took her hand and slowly walked back up the stairs. The doors were parted by the guards and Samaya finally saw the Outer Court in its full glory. The last time, she had been hiding from the shadow guards. There had only been a few people here, one guest and some ministers. But now, ministers lined up in rows upon rows in front of the throne, with the middle in front of the throne left open, like some sort of invisible red carpet.

Samaya took a deep breath and tightened her hold on Rin, before walking inside. Ah-Liu and her maids waited outside. She could feel dozens of gazes on her, intensified by the solemn atmosphere and the knowledge of what was about to come. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she bowed, Rin following suit.

“Virtuous Lady Qing presents herself.”

“M-maidservant Rin p-presents herself.”

“Rise!” The Emperor’s voice reached them and both of them straightened in tandem.

“It is time for the trial to commence!” Samaya looked up to see the Emperor’s eyes trained on one of the Ministers on the front row. “Where is Kang Yanxin?”

Samaya turned to see one of the ministers, probably in his early fifties, step forward and bow. “Apologies, Your Majesty. My son is extremely sick and has been for the past few days. He is not able to attend the trial.”

That must be Minister Kang.

“How convenient.” Samaya couldn’t help but murmur. He was sure most of the ministers heard her. Good.

The man glanced at her once before turning to the Emperor.

“Well, he had been feeling under the weather since a week ago. He had been told not to go outside but he did, and his condition only worsened. I can call the Physician who saw to him. We also had servants go to the apothecary for his medicine, it can be verified there. He has been taking medicine, but his condition has not improved.”

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The Emperor listened to Minister Kang’s explanation with a measured expression. His hand rested on the arm of the throne, fingers tapping on the armrest. She knew by now that that was a sign of his annoyance.

"You must ensure your son’s health improves. Such untimely illnesses are concerning," he said, his voice carrying the weight of authority. However, there was an edge of scepticism in his tone. "Nonetheless, Kang Yanxin’s absence from this trial due to sickness is highly inconvenient. It would be wise to ensure that the truth, and not a clever evasion, is presented here."

Minister Kang bowed deeply, his head almost touching the floor. “Of course, Your Majesty. My son has indeed been unwell, but we fully respect the court’s decisions. We shall not object should Your Majesty decide to investigate. We are at Your Majesty’s mercy.”

The Emperor gave a slight nod, though it was clear from his narrowed eyes that he was far from convinced. He then turned his gaze to Samaya. “Virtuous Lady Qing, you have raised this matter to the highest court. The defendant may not be present, but the truth must come to light. Present your evidence.”

Samaya inclined her head, her veil fluttering slightly as she did so. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She turned to Rin for a brief second, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before stepping forward.

“I call upon the first witness, the waiter of the tavern Kang Yanxin frequents.”

The court doors opened, and a young man, dressed in humble but neat clothing, walked in. Ah-Liu had ensured that the boy would come on time. His steps were cautious, his eyes wide as he took in the grandeur of the court. He approached the centre of the hall and, after a few prompting glances from Samaya, bowed deeply toward the Emperor.

The Emperor’s gaze was unwavering. “You are the tavern waiter?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the man answered, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

The Emperor nodded at Samaya, who took the cue to turn to the boy.

Samaya gestured for him to speak. “Tell the Emperor what you know about Kang Yanxin’s whereabouts on the night of the 13th day of the 8th month.”

The young man nodded nervously. “Your Majesty, on that night, Lord Kang Yanxin did not visit our establishment. He is a regular at our tavern, always coming in to gamble and drink, but on that night, he did not appear.”

Minister Kang stepped forward, his expression impassive but his eyes calculating. “As I’ve stated, my son was feeling unwell that night. That is why he did not visit the tavern.”

Samaya smiled slightly, a glint of challenge in her eyes. “And yet,” she turned to the waiter, “you mentioned that Lord Kang was seen out and about the very next day, correct?”

The waiter nodded again. “Yes, Your Majesty. Lord Kang was in the tavern the very next evening. He seemed perfectly fine, gambling and drinking as usual.”

“And you heard something from him then, did you not?”

The boy frowned and opened his mouth before closing it again, clearly hesitating.

“Fear not,” the Emperor assured, understanding the source of his hesitance. “Speak freely. You shall be protected, no matter what you say.”

“He… he was boasting about … having eaten a ripened forbidden fruit.”

The tavern waiter spoke with such disdain, and it was clear to everyone what the implications of those words were. No one spoke like that about actual fruits.

Minister Kang’s face remained composed, but his brow furrowed ever so slightly. “That’s precisely the problem. My son, against his physician’s advice, left the house and worsened his condition. That is why he was able to visit the tavern the following night, but his health deteriorated further after that.” He tilted his head. “As for the comments, I admit that my son has a habit of … dallying with maidens of the lower class, despite me forbidding him strictly against it. It is not something this subject is proud of, and I shall work hard to rid my worthless son of that habit.”

Samaya clenched her jaw, realizing that Minister Kang was slippery, quick to weave a narrative to protect his son. And it was not like she could suddenly pin Kang for going after commoner girls. She doubted that even counted as a crime in these fuckers’ eyes. She glanced toward the Emperor, who tapped his fingers lightly on the arm of his throne.

“There is some inconsistency here,” the Emperor said slowly, “but it is not enough to conclude guilt.” He looked at Samaya expectantly. “Do you have further evidence, Virtuous Lady Qing?”

Samaya nodded, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on her shoulders. She had anticipated that the tavern waiter’s testimony might not be enough. And the fact that Kang Yanxin was absent from the tavern would not automatically place him in the Palace. Kang Yanxin’s father was clearly adept at covering his son’s tracks. It was a good thing she had someone who could actually place him in the Palace.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Samaya said. “I now call upon the second witness, a maid who works in the household of Liao Huimei.”

Samaya could see that the Prime Minister tensed ever so slightly. He was surprised. Good. It meant that they did not know she had this witness at her hand.

The doors opened once again, and the maid, a young woman in her mid-twenties, entered the court. She was visibly nervous, her hands trembling as she approached. Samaya felt a pang of sympathy for her. It wasn’t easy to stand in front of the most powerful men in the land and speak against someone as influential as Kang Yanxin.

The maid bowed low, her voice shaky as she greeted the Emperor.

Samaya took a step closer to her, her voice calm but firm. “Please state your name and your position at the time of the incident.”

The maid swallowed hard before speaking. “My name is Lan, Your Majesty. I am a maid in the Liao household.”

“Lan, do you regularly pass by the area of the incident?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, I pass by that area almost every night to get sleeping medicine for my lady.”

Samaya gave her a small nod of encouragement. “Lan, can you tell the court if you saw Kang Yanxin on the night of the 13th day of the 8th month?”

The maid looked down for a moment, her hands twisting the hem of her dress. She hesitated, her eyes flicking briefly toward Minister Kang, who was watching her intently. Samaya felt her stomach twist in anxiety, despite the fact that the girl had been manipulated by the Ah-Liu and that almost guaranteed a testimony.

“Well?” The Emperor asked. “Did you see him or not?”

Samaya’s anxiety increased, not - she found a moment later - in vain.

After a tense silence, the maid finally raised her head. She spoke, her voice was soft but clear.

“No. I did not see Lord Kang that night.”