The assembled officials had already withdrawn far away.

Zhu Yiheng continued: “This morning I requested permission from Seventh Brother to take府 troops and a detachment of Imperial Forest Guards to pursue the Thirteenth and see if I can find my lost thirteenth brother. Seventh Brother granted permission, and I too am about to leave the palace. Thinking of Fourth Brother’s campaign departure, I came along the way to see him off.”

Neither Zhu Yushen nor Liu Chaoming responded immediately.

Zhu Yiheng turned to glance at the palace servant who had come with him.

That palace servant understood and immediately presented a pot of strong liquor.

Zhu Yiheng took cups and poured three servings: “Since we’ve all happened to come so coincidentally, Lord Liu, why not join me in toasting Fourth Brother, to see Fourth Brother off on his journey?”

Liu Chaoming was silent for a moment, then accepted a cup from his hand. Together with Zhu Yushen and Zhu Yiheng, they sprinkled yellow earth into the wine, and all three drank together.

The hour for departure had arrived; horns blew throughout the western city.

Zhu Yushen set down his wine cup, glanced at Liu Chaoming and Zhu Yiheng, and said: “This prince does not know when he will return from this campaign. You two must take care.”

Having spoken, he turned, mounted his horse in one fluid motion, and led the departing soldiers and generals to set out.

Brocade banners fluttered. The departing guard formation was like a long dragon, reflecting against the spring colors of the vast sky, slowly emerging from Xianchi Gate.

Liu Chaoming and Zhu Yiheng stood at the city gate, waiting until the guard formation disappeared from view before turning back together, walking shoulder to shoulder toward the palace interior.

The long avenue stretched deep. Palace servants on both sides, seeing the two of them, bowed from afar and moved aside.

After quite some time, Zhu Yiheng said somewhat ambiguously: “Lord Liu, this is the first time…”

Though Liu Chaoming understood clearly, he didn’t respond. The first time, due to his personal selfish thoughts, he had Su Jin deliver a message to the Office of Transmission, nearly destroying the overall situation. And this second time, he risked his life going to the west of the city to find Su Jin but fell into danger himself, and it was Zhu Yushen who came to rescue him.

Zhu Yiheng smiled: “If we say that Lord Liu’s past assistance to Fourth Brother was only because of a gentleman’s agreement from ten years ago, because of a broken jade circlet, then now, today, since you were willing to come see Fourth Brother off on the day of his campaign departure, does this mean you’ve accepted Fourth Brother’s grace, and from now on, you and I are thoroughly comrades and allies?”

Liu Chaoming casually adjusted his sleeves and said: “The Tenth Prince uses the realm as a game board, a butcher’s blade as game pieces. Between the turn of a hand, together with the Fourth Prince you laid a ten-year trap, cutting down the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, the Fourteenth, and soon after Zhu Zhaowei and even Zhu Nanxian within it. Such meticulous scheming, such stunning brilliance—Liu is no match. Being a spectator is acceptable, but I have no desire to muddy the waters with you.”

“Lord Liu jests.” Zhu Yiheng said. “You hold great power, lord, already half-immersed in muddy waters. If you don’t stir things up in the water, wouldn’t you needlessly miss three parts of the beautiful scenery?”

He continued with a smile: “The times are like a whirlpool—those who follow prosper, those who resist perish. Though Fourth Brother and I can lay plans, we don’t always have everything firmly grasped and under control. Take today for instance—Fourth Brother’s final words ‘you two must take care’ were precisely because he unexpectedly learned that the Thirteenth holds a secret edict establishing the heir, telling us two to find a way out with the Thirteenth.”

“Haven’t you already found your way out?” Liu Chaoming curved his lips in a smile. “You volunteered to take soldiers and guards to pursue Zhu Nanxian. Is it really to find and bring him back? Isn’t it rather to use the pretext of pursuit to secretly help him return to Nanchang, so that the future new Crown Prince, the Great Sui heir apparent, will remember this favor and spare your life?”

Zhu Yiheng said: “The feeling is mutual. Lord Liu allied with Su Shiyu—was it really only to save her? Wasn’t it to leave yourself a way out?”

Liu Chaoming smiled again: “Think what you will.”

A long wind swept over. Between their words, the two had already reached Fengtian Gate. The majestic palace towers stood in silence, but the iron wind chimes on the gate tower rang out, clanging. Palace servants walked hurriedly through the corridor pavilions with bowed bodies, carrying expressions full of worry and bewilderment.

This heavy, endless deep palace.

After parting ways with Zhu Yiheng at the terrace steps, Liu Chaoming turned back to look at the flying dragon stone carvings atop the palace hall roof, imposing as a rainbow.

Clearly desiring to soar into the clouds, yet bound beneath heavy eaves.

Somehow, he thought of ten years ago, when he was merely sixteen years old, standing in the Fourth Prince’s residence filled with the cold air of iron, hearing Zhu Yushen ask: “Liu Yun, do you have anything precious?”

In this desolate life, only two people had treated him with deep affection and loyalty—one was his mother who passed away early, the other was the old censor who later adopted him.

He removed a jade circlet from his waist and presented it forward: “This is my mother’s only keepsake. If Your Highness values it, it may serve as modest repayment for Your Highness’s life-saving grace when I escaped from the Liu residence years ago.”

The jade circlet was warm and smooth, its pale white luster faintly luminous.

But Zhu Yushen said: “This prince does not want your repayment. This prince only wishes to use this as a token, to establish a gentleman’s covenant with you.”

Speaking thus, he took the jade circlet and smashed it on the ground.

Under Liu Chaoming’s stunned and helpless gaze, that jade circlet—almost as important as his life itself—shattered into four pieces.

Zhu Yushen collected the broken jade pieces, then took from the sword stand behind him a sword entirely black as ink, inlaid with gold-traced dark patterns, and handed it to him: “Though dead, a knight’s bones remain fragrant; no shame before the heroes of this world. This is this prince’s token.”

—Today, this prince establishes a covenant with you, Liu Yun. When I ascend the throne in the future, I hope to receive your assistance four times.

—And this prince shall also grant you three promises.

—The northern frontier is in turmoil, the people cannot make a living. Tomorrow at dawn, I will volunteer to command troops in campaign. This first promise—this prince grants you peace in the northern frontier.

The sound of horns from Zhu Yushen’s campaign departure ten years ago was identical to today’s, though from very far away, very long ago, yet still echoing through the palace.

The three fragments of broken jade kept in his sleeve pocket were as cool as they had been years ago. Liu Chaoming took out one piece and held it in his palm, rubbing it repeatedly to generate some warmth. Suddenly he no longer wanted the last jade piece.

Worldly matters are inherently imperfect—why seek perfection?

Like the palace before his eyes, without sorrow or joy, walking to this day when the realm changes hands, it too must feel utterly desolate in its heart.

The spring light that had been so vibrant in the morning was scattered by wind by noon. Layered clouds pressed down upon the borders, spreading canopy after canopy of darkness above the deep palace halls.

Rain was coming again.