The morning bell had not yet rung.
Yet the doors of the Empress Dowager's shrine in Cining Palace opened first.
It was highly unusual.
Normally at this hour, the hall would be filled with the steady rhythm of wooden fish drums and the drifting scent of sandalwood incense. Even palace servants walked carefully, barely daring to breathe.
But today—
No incense burned.
No chanting echoed.
Instead, a calm voice came from behind the curtain.
"Invite Director Qing."
Not summon.
Not command.
But invite.
When Qing Tian arrived, the shrine was empty.
The Buddha statue sat high above, its golden form solemn and unmoving.
But there was only one prayer cushion.
Placed directly in the center of the hall.
Qing Tian understood at a glance.
This was not just a seat.
It was a position.
And a statement.
She did not hesitate.
Lifting her skirt, she knelt immediately—her back straight as a blade.
The curtain stirred softly.
The Empress Dowager stepped out.
She wore simple Buddhist robes.
Her silver hair was pinned flawlessly.
Her expression calm—almost compassionate.
She looked at Qing Tian for a long time before speaking.
"I hear that last night… the granary was turned upside down."
Qing Tian did not defend herself.
"Yes."
The Empress Dowager's voice remained gentle.
"Do you know which grain is used for shrine offerings?"
It was not a question of guilt.
It was pressure.
Qing Tian bowed, her forehead touching the floor.
"I do."
"And precisely because I know… I dared not leave it uninvestigated."
The Empress Dowager smiled.
Not coldly.
It was the smile of someone long accustomed to power—
Looking down at someone who didn't know her place.
"You are a woman who climbed from the kitchens to where you stand today."
"I thought you would understand what should be touched… and what should not."
She sat slowly.
"And yet you did touch it."
"And what you touched was my offerings."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Tell me, Director Qing."
"Was it worth it?"
"Opposing me… may leave you with nothing."
The air froze.
Qing Tian lifted her head.
For the first time—
She met the Empress Dowager's eyes directly.
"Your Majesty," she said quietly.
"What I touched was not the offering."
"It was the killing hidden beneath the name of offering."
She spoke each word clearly.
The shrine fell into absolute silence.
Even the wind seemed to vanish.
The Empress Dowager's gaze changed.
"Killing?" she repeated slowly.
"Director Qing speaks quite dramatically."
Qing Tian did not retreat.
"At the end of this winter," she said,
"The number of Imperial Kitchen workers who fell ill from hunger and cold increased by thirty percent."
"Seven of them did not live to see the Spring Equinox."
"And their missing rations…"
She lowered her voice.
"Match exactly the shortages in the shrine offerings."
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time.
"And what of it?"
"Do you know who these offerings are meant for?"
Qing Tian answered without hesitation.
"They are meant for people's faith."
At that moment—
The temple bell outside suddenly rang.
The Empress Dowager slowly closed her eyes.
When she opened them again—
All traces of compassion were gone.
"Director Qing," she said softly.
"Are you trying to tear down the temple?"
Qing Tian bowed deeply.
"I would never dare."
"I only wish that the incense before the Buddha… is not bought with blood."
The Empress Dowager looked at her.
For the first time—
She did not respond immediately.
After a long pause, she asked quietly,
"Does the Emperor know you dare speak to me this way?"
Qing Tian hesitated for a brief moment.
Then she answered:
"He knows."
The Empress Dowager's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"Good."
"Then I would like to see…"
"How far the two of you can go."
The curtain fell.
The shrine returned to silence.
Qing Tian stood.
Only then did she realize her back was soaked with cold sweat.
But she knew—
She had not lost this round.
With the Emperor's support, she could continue the investigation.
And the countless nameless workers in the palace—
Needed someone to fight for their survival.
The winds inside the palace were changing.
Quietly.
But undeniably.