The Moon-Locked Green Hills: A Silver Hairpin and a Maiden’s Finery

Consort Li clutched the midwife’s hand, her knuckles white as ice. The cries from the birthing room were as faint as a kitten’s mew. The newborn was not the eldest prince she had wagered her claim to the throne on, but a delicate-looking baby girl. The baby boy hidden in the secret compartment was fast asleep, while this girl was a candle flame that had to be snuffed out.