The little emperor she raised takes power and orders her bones dug up from Prince Xiao's tomb, then has them reburied with full honors in the late Emperor's mausoleum.
Back then, Prince Xiao was at the end of his rope. He tossed a dagger at her feet. If she did not die, she could not prove her love for him.
Now, the little emperor uses her bones to proclaim to all under heaven: The Empress Dowager could not bear the humiliation Prince Xiao inflicted on her, so she killed herself. If she did not die, she could not rightfully continue to be the late Emperor's wife.
But none of it was true. None of it.
Short stories of a similar type, Twenty-Four Meetings, Phoenix Holds the Cup, Aftershock, No Delight for the Sparrow, and Heaven's Fire Is Coming, can be found in the author's collection.
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