Wu Chang said: “Does Your Lordship not know that when Thirteenth Highness departed today, he only permitted Censor Su alone to see him off?”

Liu Chaoming froze.

He didn’t know. He only knew that Su Jin had been constantly running errands for the Eastern Palace recently. Fearing she would figure out the cause and effect and rush to Zhaojue Temple together with Shen Xi, he had used delivering a letter as an excuse to send her away.

Liu Chaoming asked: “Zhu Nanxian delayed his itinerary because he accompanied Su Shiyu to deliver a letter?”

“Precisely.” Wu Chang said: “The reason His Highness chose the sixth day to have Qian Zhihuan retire, besides clouding Shen Qingyue’s vision, was more importantly because the key point of this scheme—was to wait for Thirteenth Highness to leave the capital before ordering Seventh Highness to act. Since Your Lordship had already decided to stay out of it, why did you insert yourself because of Su Shiyu? Does Your Lordship know that precisely because of Your Lordship’s moment of personal sentiment, His Highness’s decade of planning, our accumulated years of painstaking effort, will all fall short at the final step?”

Liu Chaoming lowered his gaze, watching the slightly swaying candlelight in the wind lantern in his hand: “Did His Highness have you say these words to this official?”

Wu Chang shook his head: “His Highness is magnanimous and hasn’t reproached Your Lordship by half a word. These words are this old servant’s grievance on behalf of His Highness, on behalf of all those who devoted their hearts and blood to this scheme.

“Over these years, His Highness has at all times trusted and respected Your Lordship. Since Your Lordship has also set foot on this path, even if only because of a jade pendant alliance, you should know this path is narrow and perilous, with no room for Your Lordship’s personal sentiments or reservations. With Your Lordship’s wisdom, can you still not see clearly Shen Qingyue’s cautionary example?”

As Wu Chang spoke, he bent and performed a deep bow toward Liu Chaoming: “This old servant has said all there is to say. Your Lordship probably cannot remain uninvolved any longer. As for the rest, it depends on whether Your Lordship can turn the tide.”

The night grew deeper. Liu Chaoming stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant sky. The moonlight that had been somewhat dim earlier brightened with the deepening darkness. The moon’s radiance saturated the clouds, even swallowing the stars surrounding it.

For a certain moment, Liu Chaoming was actually hesitant and indecisive.

Since entering the Censorate, rising from a Surveillance Censor to Left Censor-in-Chief, he had inherited the old censor’s will.

Even though his path to survival, his principles for establishing himself, even his true beliefs all differed from the old censor’s, he only wanted to persist in walking his own original intention forward.

As the Censorate’s chief seat, this degree of power was just right—others couldn’t harm him, couldn’t move him, and he could proceed methodically within the scope of his control.

But if he took today as the starting point and moved forward, walking into the depths of this vortex, then what he held in his hands would no longer be the great power of court officials, but absolute power.

Such absolute power, like that bright moon at the horizon swallowing the stars, once touched, could never be shaken off again.

Liu Chaoming didn’t know where this surging absolute power would push him.

But what choice did he have? Because of his personal sentiment, he had triggered today’s dangerous situation—should he watch Zhu Zhaowei ascend in one step to sit on the throne of the realm? Wouldn’t that run counter to his original intention?

He could only wield absolute power to balance absolute power.

The instant Liu Chaoming walked out of the Censorate, he turned to look back at the three imposing characters “Censorate” on the plaque.

Reflecting the brilliant lamplight, he suddenly thought of the old censor, thought of Su Shiyu, thought of her saying to him that day in the warm pavilion: “Your Lordship is family to Shiyu.”

The two characters “family” were truly distant and strange words to him, Liu Yun, Liu Chaoming thought.

At four years old, when his mother died, he knelt in the mourning hall to observe filial piety for her. For every tear he shed, his father struck him once with a discipline ruler. He told him that Liu family people should not be moved to joy by external things, nor moved to sorrow by their own circumstances.

Later, though the old censor treated him well, he never voiced this goodness aloud.

It was laughable to say—Su Jin’s two characters “family” were the first time in his life he heard that someone was actually willing to regard him as a close person.

So he suddenly couldn’t suppress the personal sentiment in his heart. The floating leaf that fell into the lake, took root, and grew into fields of lotus leaves was the most beautiful scenery to him. He wanted to preserve this beautiful time, so he couldn’t help but hint to her not to get too close to the Eastern Palace, even using delivering a letter as an excuse to let her avoid the disaster she might encounter.

He was also human. Walking alone for too long, one always hoped someone could understand oneself, see through one’s joys and sorrows.

That year, looking through wind, mist, and rain, he hadn’t been without hope that this Su Shiyu, whom the old censor had mentioned for many years, might be his fellow traveler.

Unfortunately, in the killing season of deepest winter, in the swift passing of declining years, the fields of lotus leaves that had finally grown in his heart caused great error because of personal sentiment in a single night. They could only wither and decay, becoming the withered, tangled grass on this solitary path.

He shouldn’t seek anything more, shouldn’t give birth to false hopes.

When Liu Chaoming raised his eyes again, the desolation in his gaze had completely dissolved. His cold jade-like eyes held complete indifference.

“An’ran.”

“Does Your Lordship want An’ran to go to the Northern Pacification Office to request Commander Wei, Wei Zhang?”

Liu Chaoming glanced at the sky: “There’s no time.”

In past years, the “ministerial disaster” had implicated too broadly. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had earned infamy for torture and massacre and was once abolished. Though re-established in recent years, they could only remain stationed at the Pacification Office and couldn’t enter the palace interior without summons.

“Go to the Guard Station and find Golden Crow Guard Zuo Qian. Have him immediately wait for this official outside Minghua Palace. If he doesn’t understand, ask him whether he still wants to save Zhu Nanxian’s life.”

“Yes.”

After An’ran left, Liu Chaoming called again: “Yan Xiu.”

This Surveillance Censor of gentle temperament who often followed by Su Jin’s side emerged from the night, respectfully bowing to Liu Chaoming: “This subordinate is here.”

“Dispatch personnel to the Pacification Office. Have Wei Zhang claim to be following the Emperor’s oral decree and lead two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards directly into the main gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

“This subordinate receives your command.”

“Simultaneously, send people to various estates in the capital to summon the Grand Secretaries of the Hall of Central Supremacy, the Hall of Establishing Supremacy, the Hall of Literary Glory, the Hall of Martial Valor, and the Pavilion of Literary Profundity to immediately enter the palace to receive the decree.”

“Yes.”

“Additionally,” Liu Chaoming raised his eyes to glance at the not-distant Hanlin Academy, “find someone to drag Shu Wenlan out for this official. Only his forgeries of the Emperor’s handwriting are indistinguishable from the real thing.”

Yan Xiu hesitated: “But in this cold early spring, Lord Shu always sits at home warming himself by the fire—how could he be at the Hanlin Academy?”

Liu Chaoming said coldly: “What kind of person is Shu Wenlan? Today such chaos occurred—even if it costs him half his life, he’ll wait in the palace to watch the spectacle. At most, he’ll have a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau watch over him so he doesn’t accidentally die.”

Yan Xiu said: “This subordinate was negligent. This subordinate will give orders immediately.”

Liu Chaoming knew that Zhu Nanxian’s so-called remaining half life didn’t refer to his severe injuries being difficult to sustain, but rather that although he could preserve one life and return from Zhaojue Temple, after returning to the palace, with Zhu Zhaowei wielding great power, could he survive under this towering authority?

Right now, Zhu Jingyuan’s condition was critical—he hadn’t awakened until now. Zhu Minda was dead and the Eastern Palace had fallen. Imperial power had inadvertently fallen into the hands of Zhu Zhaowei, the prince with the strongest influence.

He had troops, capable officials, grain and money. Zhu Twelve’s command authority over the Soaring Eagle Guards could even allow him not to fear Zhu Jingyuan awakening again, because Zhu Zhaowei could easily use this sole personal guard command authority to deploy people to secure Minghua Palace, blocking any news of Emperor Jingyuan awakening afterward.

After all, he’d already killed the current Crown Prince—what couldn’t he do?

Therefore, before Zhu Zhaowei returned to the palace, an influence powerful enough to counter him urgently needed to form in this palace to ensure he couldn’t do as he pleased in the future, to ensure Zhu Nanxian could survive under Zhu Zhaowei’s nearly all-encompassing authority, survive until he returned to Nanchang, then led troops back to compete with Zhu Zhaowei for the throne.

And surveying the palace today, the only one who could become this influence and gain the trust of all sides was Liu Yun himself.

The night was deep. Zhu Zhaowei rode on horseback on the road back to the palace, gazing at the increasingly near towering palace pavilions, still finding it hard to believe.

A few days ago, he was still thinking about how to escape from this dangerous situation, how to lead troops into the capital, even how to fight his way out from Lanshan’s lofty mountains and precipitous ridges to preserve his life. Yet today, at this moment, he was about to stand at the pinnacle of this palace complex and become its master.

This dreamlike, illusory feeling made Zhu Zhaowei involuntarily ask himself: shouldn’t he be the master here? Shouldn’t that supreme throne belong to him?

No, it all should be his.

His mother consort had taught him since childhood that if he wanted something, he must strive to compete, strive to seize. His Father Emperor’s favor was thus, supreme power was thus—sometimes even one’s own life had to be fought for and seized to preserve it.

Zhu Zhaowei had fought for half his lifetime, competing with Zhu Minda to a life-or-death degree. He had invested so much effort—why shouldn’t all this be his?

The Feathered Forest Guards and Soaring Eagle Guards formed ranks behind him. Under his leadership, they entered Chengtian Gate with imposing momentum. The guards on both sides bowed in respect upon seeing them, their greeting “Welcome, Seventh Highness” much more respectful than before.

Zhu Zhaowei thought: his next step was to have the Soaring Eagle Guards secure Minghua Palace. This way, regardless of whether that old thing could awaken, in everyone’s eyes, he would never awaken again.

Oh right, he still had to kill Zhu Nanxian. By the fifteenth of the first month, welcoming spring at the city gates should be his to do, inspecting the three armies should be his to do. After that, it would be time to receive the Mandate of Heaven and assume the imperial succession with great fanfare.

The sound of iron horses behind him was like hymns. Zhu Zhaowei couldn’t help but curl a smile on his lips.

Passing Meridian Gate—closer now, he was getting closer and closer to that position.

In the dark night, the Gate of Supreme Harmony opened before him with a trace of ancient hoarseness. Zhu Zhaowei wore a smile, slowly riding in. However, the next moment, his smile froze on his lips, because he saw the person standing below the platform waiting for him.

From the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the platform, Golden Crow Guards held blazing torches standing on both sides, illuminating the entire night palace complex with fire-bright radiance. Liu Chaoming, wearing a crane insignia, holding a bright yellow imperial decree, led a group of court officials walking toward him step by step.

Drawing near, Liu Chaoming neither knelt nor bowed, but raised his hand to unfold the decree, saying lightly: “Seventh Highness, Your Highnesses, dismount to receive the decree.”