THE SECRET SCROLL
603 Words
The clash of steel echoed through the Imperial Archives.
Prince Zhao Yun's sword sliced through the air with precision, forcing the masked intruder to retreat between towering shelves of ancient bamboo scrolls.
The stranger moved swiftly, knocking over a wooden stand to block the prince's path.
Without hesitation, Zhao Yun leaped over it.
"You cannot escape," he said calmly.
The intruder remained silent.
With a sudden flick of his sleeve, he released a cloud of fine white powder.
Zhao Yun immediately covered his nose and stepped back. Before the dust settled, the masked figure disappeared through an open window.
The prince rushed after him, but only silence greeted him. The palace rooftops stretched into the darkness, and the intruder was gone.
He returned to the archives.
The bamboo scroll still rested on its shelf.
Its golden seal had been broken.
Zhao Yun carefully unrolled it.
His eyes narrowed.
Inside was not a military report, but a handwritten record from nearly thirty years earlier.
It spoke of a terrible secret surrounding the birth of an imperial prince—a secret that had been hidden by order of the late Empress Dowager.
Before Zhao Yun could continue reading, footsteps echoed outside.
He quickly rolled the scroll shut.
The Chief Eunuch entered and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."
---
Inside the Emperor's private study, only a single candle burned.
Emperor Zhao Tianlong stood by the window, looking toward the moonlit palace.
"You encountered an intruder tonight."
"It appears Your Majesty already knows."
The Emperor nodded.
"I expected someone would come for that scroll."
Zhao Yun was surprised.
"You knew?"
"For many years."
"Then why leave it in the archives?"
The Emperor turned slowly.
"Because I wished to know who would risk everything to obtain it."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Finally, the Emperor spoke again.
"The palace is no longer safe."
"Even those closest to me may be hiding their true intentions."
He looked directly into Zhao Yun's eyes.
"From this day onward, trust no one without proof."
---
Meanwhile, in the residence of the Second Prince, Zhao Ming received unexpected visitors.
Three influential ministers entered through a hidden passage.
After ensuring no servants were nearby, one minister whispered,
"Your Highness, several officials are prepared to support your claim to the throne."
Another added,
"But the First Prince grows stronger with each passing day."
Zhao Ming poured tea calmly.
"We do not fear strength."
"We fear impatience."
He smiled faintly.
"A hunter who reveals himself too early frightens away his prey."
The ministers exchanged uncertain glances.
None of them realized that one servant standing outside the room had overheard every word.
---
Far beyond the northern frontier, the Black Wolf Tribe celebrated its recent victories.
Their leader, Chieftain Arslan, stood before a large map of the Great Tian Empire.
"The Emperor is old," he said.
"The princes distrust one another."
He pointed toward the imperial capital.
"We will not defeat this empire by force alone."
A mysterious adviser wearing a dark robe stepped forward.
"Then how shall we conquer it?"
Arslan smiled.
"We shall let the princes fight for the throne."
"When brothers become enemies, the empire will destroy itself."
The fire crackled as the adviser bowed.
"The game has begun."
Back in the capital, Prince Zhao Yun stared at the sealed scroll in his hands.
He could not shake the feeling that its hidden truth was connected to the empire's future.
Outside his chamber, unseen in the darkness, a pair of watchful eyes followed his every movement.
The battle for the Dragon Throne had entered a far more dangerous stage.
- Writer
