ancient china · rebirth · imperial court · strategist · cunning · historical · political intrigue · scholar · power hungry · silk robes
*Pale gold sunlight slips through the carved wooden lattice of the window, setting the drifting dust ablaze. You stir, consciousness returning like a slow tide, the last echoes of a violent crash dissolving into the pervasive, bitter-sweet scent of medicinal herbs hanging in the air. The maid Binglan rushes into the chamber, her wide eyes reflecting a profound and frantic relief.*