"In today's Great Qi Empire, who holds the highest honor after the Emperor?"
Within the Jianjia Palace, Consort Mei repeated these words, her eyes dark and unreadable.
"Aunt, the side consort has lost all sense, completely obsessed with Song Shihuan now," Shen Hua'er said anxiously. "If Prince Qin accompanies His Majesty to the Heavenly Altar for the sacrificial rites this time, not only will the Eastern Palace have no future, but even Prince Qi's Mansion will never rise again."
At the mention of Prince Qi's Mansion, Consort Mei let out a cold laugh.
"Now that he’s merely cleared his name from that scandal with the palace maid, does he think he can change the fact that he’s utterly witless?" Consort Mei tightened her grip on her prayer beads. "You're right about this matter. We absolutely cannot let Prince Qin seize this opportunity."
Seeing her plan succeed, Shen Hua'er returned to the Eastern Palace in high spirits.
The next day, Consort Mei visited Consort Hui at Linghuan Palace, and the two reached an agreement on the matter.
With the Eastern Palace weakened, if the Crown Prince’s health did not improve, he would undoubtedly be deposed.
Given the current circumstances, it would be best for Song Yanzheng and his brothers to accompany the Emperor in the Crown Prince’s stead.
After all, they were mere illegitimate sons—hardly a threat.
"Sister, remember to speak with Prince Qi as well," Consort Hui said gently. "Yanzheng and the others are good boys. It’s time they shared the Crown Prince’s burdens."
"You’re absolutely right."
Consort Hui’s smile brightened further. Unlike Consort Mei, who had no grandsons, she had Yan Hong.
If, in the future, Yan Hong were to...
Several days later, in the imperial court.
For once, the factions of the Eastern Palace, Prince Chu's Mansion, and Prince Qi's Mansion were in rare agreement, united in isolating Qin Prince's Mansion.
And they were determined to strike first.
"This subject has a proposal," said Wang Kan, a former associate of the Chang family. "Your Majesty, the sacrificial rites are imminent, yet the Crown Prince is too ill to accompany you to the Heavenly Altar. Therefore, I propose that his sons take his place."
"Minister Wang speaks wisely."
The one who echoed this was Cui Qian, a nobleman once promoted by the Crown Prince himself.
Once this suggestion was made, the supporters of Prince Chu's Mansion and Prince Qi's Mansion quickly joined in. Emperor Yuanyou silently glanced at Song Yu.
But Song Yu merely stared at the ground, unmoving.
Infuriated, Emperor Yuanyou snorted. How could this fool be so indifferent to such an important matter?
Did he expect his own father to beg him to attend the rites?
The Emperor’s cold snort silenced the ministers, who assumed they had angered him.
Seeing this, Emperor Yuanyou waved his hand dismissively. "We shall discuss this later. Court is dismissed."
......
After court.
Emperor Yuanyou found fault with Song Yu again, leaving the latter red-faced with frustration.
"What have I done to offend you now?"
Was there any father in the world as difficult as this?
"You fool, can’t you show some ambition?" Emperor Yuanyou said, exasperated.
"I’m about to take the imperial exams—isn’t that ambitious enough?"
At this, Emperor Yuanyou gave Song Yu a long look before choosing to remain silent.
He had realized that no matter what he said, it was like talking to a brick wall.
Had Song Shihuan been present, he would have laughed at the Emperor’s futile efforts.
Returning to Qin Prince's Mansion in a foul mood, Song Yu exaggerated the incident to Song Shihuan. "Ah Huan, don’t you think his temper is getting worse?"
Song Shihuan grinned and swiftly changed the subject:
"In previous years, the Crown Prince always accompanied His Majesty to the Heavenly Altar. If this time, the Emperor doesn’t allow the Eastern Palace to send a replacement, they’ll be furious."
Song Yu immediately sat up straighter.
"Then this Prince will go in the Crown Prince’s stead."
Anything to infuriate the Eastern Palace—he was all for it.
"Father, as the eldest legitimate son, your claim is rightful," Song Shihuan said, flashing his canine teeth.
Song Yu chuckled, already picturing the Eastern Palace’s outrage.
"Tomorrow, this Prince will go to the palace and tell His Majesty that I’ll accompany him for the rites."
Meanwhile, at a tavern.
Several officials aligned with the Crown Prince gathered in a private room, each with a cup of fine wine and a beauty in their arms—except for Cui Qian, who seemed to keep a deliberate distance from the women.
"Minister Wang was quite impressive today," someone remarked. Wang Kan, his face gleaming with oil, drank heavily.
This was a task personally entrusted to him by the Crown Princess.
Her seeking him out proved his loyalty to the Eastern Palace. With the Shen family’s backing, there was still hope for the Crown Prince.
"Only by standing with..." Wang Kan bowed toward the Eastern Palace, "...can men like us prosper."
"Minister Wang speaks wisely."
Cui Qian, the sole heir of the Cui family for six generations, owed his current position entirely to his family’s service to the Eastern Palace.
"Minister Cui, these past two years, you’ve refused to drink and always leave on time. Could it be you’ve hidden a beauty at home?" another teased. "If you refuse again today, we’ll follow you back to the Cui residence and see for ourselves."
Cui Qian’s expression shifted.
"There’s no beauty. My wife dislikes me drinking, but today, I’ll make an exception. Let’s drink until we drop."
Reluctantly, he raised his cup and downed it in one go.
As night fell over the capital, the stifling heat gave way to rain.
Inside the Zichen Palace.
Listening to the raindrops pattering on the roof, Emperor Yuanyou tossed and turned.
For the sacrificial rites, he preferred Prince Qin as his companion.
But that fool was still too weak.
Too spineless.
Just as the Emperor turned restlessly, a deep, resonant drumbeat echoed through the night.
Emperor Yuanyou bolted upright, his voice trembling.
"Wu Qi, go see—has the Petition Drum been struck?"
Since the founding of Great Qi, the Petition Drum had never been sounded.
Elsewhere, Cui Qian, stumbling drunkenly down the street, also heard the drum. He scoffed.
"What fool would strike the Petition Drum in this day and age?"
"Come, this official wants to see the spectacle."
......
But when Cui Qian saw who had struck the drum, his drunkenness vanished instantly.
"Madam Wei—how could it be you?"
How could it be his wife, who had been mad for years?
A disheveled woman, her hair wild and her body emaciated, dropped the drumstick and pointed a skeletal finger at Cui Qian.
"I accuse him! It’s him! His garden... hides so many corpses, and you stupid officers never noticed!" Madam Wei laughed hysterically. "Go and see for yourselves! Every night... every night, I hear them weeping!"
"Aaaah—"
She began shrieking, her mind clearly shattered.
The Minister of Justice arrived swiftly. Seeing Cui Qian’s legs give way, he ordered his men to raid the Cui residence.
That night.
No one in the capital slept well.
The garden of the Cui residence was dug up, revealing the remains of twelve young girls.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Wu Ming, led his team in a thorough search of the Cui residence. Hidden within the secret passage of the study, they discovered thirteen portraits of young girls hanging on the wall.
At the very center was one particular portrait.
The child depicted was gaunt and sallow, her hair dry and disheveled—yet her eyes shone with an astonishing brilliance.
