"What are you planning, Your Majesty?" Li Gaosun asked his noble daughter with displeasure.
Empress Li Hua ignored his reproach. She handed the silk back to Ah-Zhi and said, "You've been here long enough. Hurry back to Yang Palace. If you're gone too long, Consort Hua may grow suspicious."
Ah-Zhi obeyed at once, clutching the silk and departing hastily.
After she was gone, Li Hua turned to Zhong Lin. "How many consorts are to be buried alongside His Majesty?"
"Around fifty, Your Majesty," Zhong Lin replied.
"Can you embroider phoenix banners for each of their carriages within the next three days? I want every carriage to bear one."
Though puzzled by her mistress's strange command, Zhong Lin dared not ask. She merely nodded and answered obediently.
"If I work day and night, it should be possible."
"I recall that last year, Lu Kingdom sent us a bolt of identical silk. Retrieve it and begin at once."
Li Gaosun frowned at his daughter's plan.
"Have you lost your mind, just like that harlot?"
"I am perfectly sane," she replied seriously. "What I'm doing is to prevent Zheng Shihwei's agents from rescuing Consort Hua."
Li Gaosun still didn't understand.
"What do you mean?"
"Consort Hua had Ah-Zhi embroider the phoenix on her banner so Zheng's men could identify which carriage she would be in. That way, they could retrieve her quickly without drawing attention."
Li Gaosun scowled.
"If that's the case, why not simply remove the banner from her carriage? That way, no one would know where she is. Why waste effort embroidering so many?"
"It's essential that all the carriages bear phoenix banners," Li Hua said firmly. "Without them, my plan will fall apart."
"What plan?" Li Gaosun demanded.
"When Zheng's agents can't determine which carriage holds Consort Hua, they'll panic. They'll begin attacking carriages one by one. Amid the chaos, I'll strike."
"Strike how?"
"I'll send someone to assassinate her. Father, I need to enlist the Shadow Wolf."
Li Gaosun frowned deeper.
"You'd call upon an elite assassin to kill one woman?"
"Yes," the Empress nodded. "Don't underestimate her. If she were just a woman, we would've gotten rid of her long ago. Her cunning and deceit run deeper than anyone expects."
Li Gaosun thought it over and finally agreed.
"Very well. I'll summon the Shadow Wolf. But there's still one problem: if every carriage has a phoenix banner, how will he know which one holds Consort Hua?"
Li Hua smiled triumphantly.
"He'll know. The banner that Ah-Zhi embroidered for her… it will mark her grave."