Wen Zhuo slowly withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his figure gradually vanishing beneath the covered corridor.
Perhaps drifting clouds had veiled the sun, for the sky darkened several shades in an instant.
Emperor Shunyuan remained rooted on the rosewood lotus throne, unmoving for a long while.
Even Wen Wanshan was unwilling—or unable—to give himself a definite answer.
The matter of choosing a consort for the Crown Prince had thus reached an impasse, and remained so for three whole months.
In the blink of an eye, late autumn had descended upon the capital. Whenever the wind blew, yellow leaves rustled down across the courtyards.
Emperor Shunyuan’s health deteriorated by the day.
He had grown impossibly thin; if he lost any more weight, nothing would remain but a skeleton. Every morning after waking, he had to lie quietly on his couch for the time it took half an incense stick to burn before the dizziness passed and he could barely manage to rise.
He was not truly old—in fact, he was only fifty-four—but his internal organs had long since been depleted beyond repair.
He remembered that great fire all those years ago.
Though he had never ventured deep into the flames, it was as if he had inhaled smoke that could never be dispersed. His lungs and viscera had been damaged from that day onward.
In his youth, he had still been able to suppress the illness with decoctions. But as the years passed, it became a lingering, incurable disease.
It was as though Ying Xingluo’s death had taken a part of his body with it.
From then on, he had supported the vast realm of Great Qian with that broken body.
Emperor Shunyuan slowly rose, leaning on Liu Quan’s arm as the two of them took a leisurely stroll through the courtyard.
Suddenly, he gave a soft laugh. “Grand Steward, you and I are nearly the same age. How is it that you’re so much sturdier than I am?”
Liu Quan hurriedly bent even lower. “Your Majesty, what are you saying? Your health is perfectly sound. You will surely live to be a hundred.”
Emperor Shunyuan waved a hand, his tone calm. “Living to a hundred sounds pleasing enough, but it is nothing more than self-deception. Throughout history, every ruler who sought immortality brought turmoil to the court and hardship to the people. I know I lack the Founding Emperor’s talent for opening new territories. All I wish is not to trouble the officials or burden the common people. If I can do that, then I will have given the world the last of my strength.”
Liu Quan’s heart ached, and he choked out, “Your Majesty has ruled for twenty-five years. You have never neglected your duties, indulged in pleasure, grown arrogant or complacent, or wielded tyranny recklessly. Looking across all of history, Your Majesty is already a rare benevolent ruler. Please, do not belittle yourself!”
Emperor Shunyuan gave a bitter laugh. “Since ancient times, the world has praised only tyrants and overlords. The Founding Emperor once led three thousand elite soldiers to rout an enemy ten times their number. With a single silver spear, he conquered three cities in one day. In his youth, his valor and martial prowess were peerless. The Dukes Xing and Ping devised strategies for him, while thirty-three generals fought to the death on his behalf. The four seas submitted to him, and his achievements shone through the ages. Compared with our ancestor, I am as insignificant as dust, as feeble as a candle flame. Centuries from now, among the countless people of this realm, who will remember me?”
Tears spilled down Liu Quan’s face and soaked his robes. He quietly raised a sleeve to wipe them away. “There has only ever been one Founding Emperor, just as there has only ever been one of Your Majesty. In this servant’s heart, Your Majesty is the finest ruler in all the world.”
Emperor Shunyuan pretended to be displeased. “That is an awfully bold thing to say.”
Liu Quan smiled through his tears but did not apologize.
Nor did Emperor Shunyuan truly take offense.
After walking a few rounds of the courtyard, Emperor Shunyuan’s strength began to fail. Liu Quan helped him back toward the hall.
When they reached the threshold, Liu Quan stopped and exerted himself to help the emperor step over it first. But Emperor Shunyuan suddenly came to a halt.
He said softly, “Grand Steward, you’ve sensed that something is wrong as well. The list of candidates has not been sent to the Palace of Benevolence and Peace again, yet no one there is anxious or pressing the matter. The fact that this has dragged on for so long is the Crown Prince’s intention.”
Liu Quan’s entire body stiffened, and his expression changed drastically.
But after serving at the emperor’s side for decades, he had long since cultivated a deeply guarded composure. In an instant, he concealed his emotions and lowered his head deeply. “Your Majesty…”
He could say nothing more after those two words.
To offer more perfunctory reassurances now would be nothing but self-deception. To acknowledge the truth outright would be tantamount to piercing that fatal layer of paper.
All he could do was remain silent.
Emperor Shunyuan slowly raised his head. A gust of wind swept past, stirring his white beard.
“It isn’t only the Crown Prince who refuses to marry. The entire court of civil and military officials has joined him in deceiving me.”
His voice was calm, yet it filled the air with dread. “I have already been stripped of my power.”
Liu Quan felt ice run through his entire body. His legs gave way, and he dropped heavily to his knees with a thud.
Emperor Shunyuan turned his head and glanced at him indifferently, his voice still calm.
“Get up.”
—
In the twenty-fifth year of the Shunyuan era, at the end of autumn, Shen Chen finally emerged from the rear quarters.
He was still young, yet several fine lines had already crept into the corners of his eyes. Against his innocent-looking face, they formed an indescribable contradiction. His steps remained unsteady; after hurrying a few paces, he would sway dangerously and have to brace himself against a wall for a long while before he could barely regain his balance.
Following the familiar route from years past, he made his way toward the princes’ residence in a daze.
The palace that had once been so lively had long since lost its central figure. It was now pitifully run-down. The servants had grown lax and listless, and weeds had even pushed through the corners of the walls.
When he finally returned to his quarters, there was no Consort Yi waiting to greet him in tears, nor any sight of Gong Jinjin smiling through tears of joy.
Shen Chen was instantly consumed by rage. He shouted furiously, “Where is everyone? Where the hell is everyone?”
The malice between his brows surged. The eunuchs all lowered their heads in fright, trembling like cicadas in winter.
Shen Chen swept out a sleeve and paced back and forth across the courtyard, roaring, “Have you all lost your tongues? I’m still alive! I haven’t fallen yet! Tell me everything that happened inside and outside the palace over these past three months. Speak!”
A young eunuch began tremblingly, “Y-Your Highness… Nothing major has happened at court these past three months. His Highness the Crown Prince has governed with great ability, and the court and the country are full of praise for him. When His Majesty has free time, he busies himself choosing a Crown Princess for the Crown Prince. It’s just… it’s just that most of the daughters of the various officials are already betrothed, so the choice has yet to be settled. His Majesty is terribly troubled by the matter.”
“What? Ha? Hahahaha… hahahahaha!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Chen suddenly burst into wild laughter. His body leaned backward as his sunken, gaunt cheeks pulled into deep creases, the corners of his mouth nearly splitting apart.
“Serves him right! It truly serves him right!”
The eunuch was scared witless and wished he could stab his own ears deaf.
In this world, who would dare say that the emperor deserved it?
Only after laughing to his fill did Shen Chen slowly straighten. His expression turned as cold as ice.
He spread his arms, displaying the filthy, tattered robe he wore, and said darkly, “Bring me fresh clothes. I’m going to see Father. I’m going to offer my thanks for his grace.”
Shen Chen knelt outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, listening to the incessant coughing and wheezing within. He was not surprised in the least.
By his reckoning, Emperor Shunyuan had less than a month left to live.
After waiting roughly a quarter of an hour, Liu Quan emerged on silent steps and informed him in a low voice that he could enter.
Shen Chen brushed the dust from his knees and stepped inside. The heavy scent of medicinal herbs rushed toward him, choking and constricting his chest.
When he looked up and saw the man on the imperial couch—with his head of white hair, withered features, and body reduced to little more than a skeleton—not the slightest trace of sorrow arose in Shen Chen’s heart. Instead, intense contempt welled within him.
This father of his, incapable of distinguishing loyalty from treachery and blind to the truth, had trusted Shen Zheng and Wen Zhuo, exiling some of his sons and imprisoning others. In the end, he too had been stripped of his power and left utterly alone.
In this life, Shen Chen did not want his father to learn of Wen Zhuo’s deeds only at the moment of death. He wanted the emperor to fully experience the fury of realizing he had been deceived.
In an instant, Shen Chen arranged his features into an expression of grief. He hurried forward and fell to his knees before Emperor Shunyuan’s couch, his voice thick with sobs.
“Father, your son has come to see you!”
Emperor Shunyuan gazed at Shen Chen and gave a feeble nod. “I hope that from now on, you will be cautious with your words and actions. Remember the lesson you have been taught, and do not commit another act of defiance.”
Shen Chen lay prostrate across his knees, tears streaming down his face, looking every inch the picture of a repentant sinner. “Your son will never forget Your Majesty’s teachings.”
Emperor Shunyuan did not push him away. He merely let out a long, weary sigh. “You are over eighteen now, the same age as your fourth brother. Leave the palace and establish your own residence.”
Shen Chen jerked his head up, unable to believe his ears. “Are you trying to clear away obstacles for the Crown Prince, Father? In your eyes, have I always been nothing but an obstacle?”
Emperor Shunyuan remained silent.
He was tired of watching his own flesh and blood tear each other apart. He only wished for the Forbidden City to welcome its next master in peace.
The veins on Shen Chen’s forehead bulged. His blood surged to his head, and his eyes swelled red, terrifying in their intensity.
He clutched the hem of Emperor Shunyuan’s robe, his grief and outrage reaching their peak as he screamed, “I have heard that Your Majesty has been choosing a consort for the Crown Prince, yet has found no one suitable. Even now, does Your Majesty still not understand why?”
Emperor Shunyuan’s gaze suddenly darkened. “What did you say?”
It was as though Shen Chen had thrown caution to the wind. With the resolve of one who had already accepted death, he said, “Even if Your Majesty confines me to Fengyang Terrace, I must say this today! Everything Xie Langyang said is true! Father, everything Xie Langyang said is true!”
Emperor Shunyuan’s chest heaved violently, and he nearly lost his breath. His lips trembled. “Shut up! I said, shut up!”
“Wen Zhuo favors men, and the Crown Prince is involved with Wen Zhuo! The Crown Prince has refused to marry all this time because he dares not offend Wen Zhuo! Does Your Majesty truly believe that, from a hostage returned to the court to someone firmly seated as Crown Prince, he accomplished it all by himself? Whose hand do you think made it possible?”
Emperor Shunyuan pressed one hand hard against his chest. His knuckles turned white with the force. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he kicked Shen Chen away and roared hoarsely, “Get out!”
Shen Chen crashed to the floor, the veins in his forehead throbbing wildly. His throat was nearly raw from screaming, yet he continued, his voice carrying the metallic taste of blood.
“In the Spring Terrace Weiqi Tournament case, all eight of his meridians were destroyed, and Shen Zheng rose to fame in a single stroke!”
“In the Mo Shu case, the Cao faction collapsed, Shen Zhen was confined to Fengyang Terrace, and Shen Zheng gained Huang Ting, the Crown Prince’s strategist, thereby gaining complete control over Prince Xian’s weakness!”
“In the Mizhou tribute case, Prince Xian was demoted to Zhangzhou, Bu Zhangyi and Tang Guangzhi were thrown into prison, and Wen Zhuo’s old associate Gu Weizhi rose to prominence!”
“At the Long River fire sacrifice, Shen Ting and I both suffered heavy losses, and we permanently lost Your Majesty’s favor!”
“In the Wanshan Rhapsody case, Xie Langyang implicated three entire clans, Gong Zhiyuan’s whole family was imprisoned, and the last force opposing him was completely wiped out!”
“Case after case, incident after incident—the only one who ultimately benefited was Shen Zheng! Wen Zhuo has played you for a fool, turning you into the blade he used to choose the Crown Prince and eliminate his enemies!”
This time, Emperor Shunyuan did not rebuke him.
He merely leaned against the couch and looked at Shen Chen, who seemed to have gone mad. The fury in his eyes had vanished, leaving behind only a bottomless chill.
After a moment, he finally rasped an order to Liu Quan, who stood rigidly at his side. “The Sixth Prince is emotionally unstable. Take him back to the princes’ quarters and see that he receives proper treatment.”
The eunuchs half-dragged, half-carried Shen Chen out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation as he roared and struggled in unwilling fury.
The palace doors slammed shut.
A sudden itch rose in Emperor Shunyuan’s throat. A rush of hot blood surged up, and he spat it onto his dragon robe, the crimson spray stark and horrifying.
“Your Majesty!”
Liu Quan turned deathly pale. He hurried forward to support the emperor’s swaying body, fumbling for a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips.
But Emperor Shunyuan paid it no heed. His hand, speckled with blood and trembling uncontrollably, suddenly clamped around Liu Quan’s wrist.
His fingers were thin and withered, yet his grip was astonishingly strong. Amid his labored breathing came a single sentence—
“Make the arrangements.”
“Have Xie Langyang… submit another confidential memorial.”
Liu Quan’s entire body stiffened. He raised his eyes to the ruthless emperor before him, a chill running down his spine.
“…Yes.”
