◎ Grave Illness ◎
Zhou Tan knelt before Song Chang’s couch, carefully relighting each extinguished candle on the candlestick, one by one. The candlelight flickered throughout the hall, but his expression remained calm and grave; he did not even lift his eyelids.
Song Chang said nothing for a long while, only making a rasping sound in his throat.
Zhou Tan, with great patience, finished lighting the candles, then rose and poured a cup of tea from the side. The tea had been sitting in the hall for a long time and had grown somewhat cold.
So Zhou Tan said, “Let me pour Your Majesty a fresh cup of hot tea.”
“Xiaobai!” Song Chang called out sharply behind him, but seeing him turn around, his voice dropped low again, halting and broken. “My teacher already knew… you knew too… why…”
“Your Majesty, did you find what you sought beneath the True Ascension Palace?”
Zhou Tan looked at him quietly. “Whatever lies beneath—whether it exists at all—remained unknown before you built the Tower of Burning Candles. I don’t know, my teacher and the Late Emperor didn’t know either. The Late Emperor, even on his deathbed, didn’t wish to know. If Chancellor Fu hadn’t insisted on his own course, hoping to use this to turn Your Majesty’s suspicions against my teacher, this secret should have remained buried forever, known only to the Late Emperor and my teacher… Whether or not I know doesn’t matter. Because whether I know or not, you remain the sovereign of Great Yin. As long as it benefits this realm, the Late Emperor, my teacher, and I myself will all devote everything we have to serving you.”
Song Chang coughed violently for a long while, then asked in a low voice, “Xiaobai, are you disappointed in me?”
Zhou Tan shook his head but said nothing.
Song Chang forced himself to sit up on the imperial yellow bed, with no other attendants nearby. Zhou Tan stepped forward to support him, settling him against the soft pillows. Just as he was about to withdraw, Song Chang suddenly grabbed his hand. “You dare tell me the truth—aren’t you afraid I’ll have you killed?”
“If Your Majesty wished to kill me, why wait until today to act?” Zhou Tan showed a faint smile, utterly unafraid. “There are more than a thousand people within and outside the palace walls. Since Your Majesty summoned only me back from Ruozhou, there must be something you cannot entrust to anyone else.”
Song Chang loosened his grip slightly and asked, “In Xiaobai’s eyes, is the Crown Prince a worthy heir to the throne?”
He asked it bluntly. Zhou Tan was silent for a moment, then gently shook his head.
Song Chang seemed somewhat surprised. “Why? The day you left the capital…”
He trailed off suddenly, not continuing.
“Your Majesty still doesn’t trust me. Before I left, I already said that everything I did was for Your Majesty’s sake, not the Crown Prince’s,” Zhou Tan replied. “Now that Your Majesty is gravely ill, why hasn’t the Crown Prince come to attend to your medicine?”
Song Chang laughed bitterly. “You must have looked into matters before entering the capital—why ask when you already know? Last time the Crown Prince came to attend me during my illness, it happened that the Chancellor entered the palace late at night, and I wasn’t even allowed to see his men… I later learned the Crown Prince had listened to the Chancellor’s words from behind the curtain. Within days, the matter of the imperial seal occurred.”
He closed his eyes, seeming utterly exhausted. “The Chancellor has devoted decades of scheming entirely to the Crown Prince’s benefit. I once thought the Crown Prince should be closer to him than to me, his own father… What could possibly have been said, that made the Chancellor enter the palace in the dead of night, that made the Crown Prince show no regard whatsoever for old ties? These past days, I’ve tossed and turned over this, waking startled even in the middle of the night—if the Crown Prince could kill even Gao Ze so cleanly and decisively, what would he do faced with me?”
A vigorous son and an aging father—this has always been the greatest fear of every emperor in his twilight years throughout history. But the imperial family knows no true affection; how hard it is for an emperor to hope for a peaceful end. Throughout history, crown princes who died at their fathers’ hands, and emperors who died at their sons’, have both been countless—enough to make anyone wary.
Zhou Tan remained silent, so Song Chang continued, “I had originally hoped to raise up another son, so the Crown Prince wouldn’t grow so reckless. But I never expected my own health to fail so swiftly… In the past, I only thought the Crown Prince’s methods were somewhat harsh, but that he was still fundamentally decent. After the matter with the Chancellor, though, I began to fear that if he truly ascends the throne one day, he might rule with cruel unpredictability, betraying our ancestors’ legacy…”
“I understand what Your Majesty means,” Zhou Tan said suddenly. “Rest assured, Your Majesty—now that Old General Chu has returned to the capital, he’ll certainly be able to keep you safe. In the days ahead, I’ll do everything in my power to find out exactly what the Chancellor wished to say to Your Majesty when he entered the palace. Once I do, Your Majesty will know in your own heart whether the Crown Prince is fit to be heir.”
Song Chang gave a soft “Mm,” staring into his eyes. “You really are very much like your father.”
Zhou Tan smiled. “My father was a great general who lived by sword and horse; I’ve spent my whole life caught up in schemes and mire. How could we possibly be alike?”
Song Chang began coughing again. “I know you still resent me in your heart… But ever since we parted two years ago, whenever anyone comes from Ruozhou, I always ask after you. When I sent you letters, I received only a few sparse words in reply—even so, I still believed in my heart that you were as upright and loyal as your father…”
Zhou Tan thought to himself with no small mockery that the reason Song Chang could see him this way was probably because, two years ago, he had knelt humbly enough and spoken persuasively enough to win him over.
He bowed deeply before the couch. Song Chang’s expression eased somewhat, and he suddenly said, “Xiaobai, after I’m gone, beneath the throne in Xuande Hall, there’s something I’ve left for you. When the time comes, Qinggong will help you find it.”
Zhou Tan was somewhat taken aback, but in the end merely bowed his head and answered respectfully, “Yes.”
The two of them fell silent, looking at each other. Zhou Tan rose to take his leave, but after a few steps, Song Chang spoke heavily behind him: “In this life of mine, the one I’ve wronged most is probably your father… and my teacher. Take good care of yourself. No matter who ends up ascending the throne in the end, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
Zhou Tan paused mid-step, feeling a salty wetness rise in his eyes—not because of the old Emperor’s final show of warmth, but because he thought of the departed Xiao Yue and Gu Zhiyan.
Once a person is dead, the light gone out—what use was regret now?
He lifted his leg and stepped over the towering threshold of Shengming Palace.
The moment he emerged from the East Gate, Zhou Tan found Heiyi waiting there anxiously for him, pacing back and forth outside the gate in his agitation.
Rarely had he seen Heiyi in such a state. Surprised, he gave a light cough. “Heiyi…”
Heiyi rushed toward him at once, saying with uncharacteristic loss of composure, “My lord, Madam hasn’t returned to the residence yet… she was invited away by the Crown Prince.”
Zhou Tan’s chest tightened, and he asked in a startled voice, “What?”
Qu You had sat dazed in the palanquin for a while when she suddenly heard voices outside. She forced herself back to attention, lifted the curtain, and saw Heiyi’s intricately carved silver mask.
Zhou Tan was waiting for her in a small alley off Bian River Street. She got out of the palanquin, and not daring to show too much intimacy with him in public, only said, “The household is in an uproar right now, and the small kitchen probably doesn’t have enough hands—my husband and I should eat out before heading back.”
She dismissed the guard escort Old General Chu had left her. Zhou Tan got down from his carriage, and the two of them walked a stretch along the Bian River together; aside from Heiyi trailing at a distance, all other attendants had been sent back to the residence.
They reached a small pre-arranged boat waiting beneath the Twelve Bridges and slipped into its dark cabin, finally allowing themselves a breath of relief. Heiyi caught up and poled the boat toward Perch Wind Cottage.
Zhou Tan pulled her into his arms and found her back drenched in cold sweat. “What did the Crown Prince want with you? You gave me quite a fright—did he bring men to surround the Qu residence?”
Qu You reached up and held him tightly, saying nothing for a long moment; only the sound of flowing water could be heard around them.
Zhou Tan finally spoke again, his voice hoarse. “Things happened too fast—it was my own carelessness. Thank goodness you’re safe, or else… Let’s go see Master Ai first. Now that I’ve just returned, the Crown Prince hasn’t managed to plant anyone yet, but before long, it may become dangerous.”
“Xiaobai,” Qu You called him by his courtesy name, feeling her teeth chatter, though her mind was unusually clear. “There are a few things I need to entrust to you.”
Zhou Tan said, “Tell me.”
“Have someone send the entire Qu household out of the capital, along with Yunyue—send them to Lin’an or Jinling for now… but don’t let them travel together or meet along the way. They can reunite once they arrive.”
“I was thinking the very same. They aren’t safe within the city, especially after what happened today…”
“The Crown Prince agreed not to trouble them, but I’m afraid he might go back on his word, so we should act quickly. I’ll go back to the residence shortly to tell my parents.”
“Good.”
Bian River Street wasn’t especially long, and by the time they finished speaking, the boat had reached the shore. A few people dressed as commoners, seeing the boat arrive, approached cautiously to look them over before leading them to the familiar Perch Wind Cottage.
Ai Disheng was waiting right at the gate, and upon seeing the two of them arrive, broke into a smile. “Ah, Xiaobai, sister-in-law, you’re finally back…”
Once inside the main hall, Qu You found Bo Ying, Su Chaoci, and Song Shixuan already there as well. Song Shixuan pressed his palms together and bowed to Zhou Tan—he had just turned seventeen this year, and after two years apart, had grown quite a bit taller. “Ziqian pays his respects to his teacher.”
Zhou Tan patted his shoulder. “Master Su often writes to tell me about you. It seems you’ve made great progress.”
Song Shixuan said quickly, “I dare not fall short of my teachers’ expectations.”
He now had the bearing of a tall young man, so Qu You could no longer treat him like a child as before, and only said warmly, “Ziqian always works hard. In a little while, I’ll make you some lotus pastries.”
Zhou Tan nodded, then turned to Su Chaoci and said simply, “It’s done.”
Su Chaoci visibly let out a breath of relief and asked, “Did everything go smoothly?”
Zhou Tan lowered his eyes and said, “Mm.” “Tomorrow or the day after, submit your formal request to have an audience with His Majesty, and lay out your father’s old case in full detail. The evidence we gathered back then—you must have preserved it well.”
Su Chaoci said, “Of course.”
“Good… go as soon as possible. Looking at His Majesty’s condition, I doubt he’ll last much longer.”
Bo Ying, not having seen Qu You in a long while, came over to chat with her. “The western frontier’s climate must agree with you—you look quite radiant. Seems you’ve been doing well.”
Qu You gave a soft laugh. “You’ve been doing well too. With Thirteenth Master gone, no one’s around to pester you anymore.”
At the mention of Bai Shating, Bo Ying let out a heavy sigh. “That unlucky boy—getting demoted serves him right, honestly, though I don’t think we need worry about him. He’s always known how to make himself happy wherever he lands. It’s Chun Niangzi I’m worried about…”
Ai Disheng sighed to the side and asked Zhou Tan, “What should be done once Chaoci enters the palace? Have you thought it through? Even if His Majesty issues a decree to depose the Crown Prince, he’ll likely still need to name someone else as heir—given the Prince of Jing’s grandson’s status…”
Zhou Tan cut him off. “If Song Shiyan is deposed, he certainly won’t just sit and wait for his fate—there’s bound to be a palace coup within the inner court. We don’t even know if His Majesty will have time to appoint anyone else… In any case, I now have the old Lingxiao troops under my command, and inside the palace, Old General Chu should be able to hold off Li Wei’s men without much trouble. We just need time to wait for Little Yan to arrive. As for whether…”
Qu You took up where he left off. “We don’t know how long it’ll take them to get here. I’m only afraid Old General Chu won’t be able to hold off the Crown Prince’s forced entry.”
Ai Disheng frowned. “Li Wei’s men are mostly drawn from the capital garrison. Their numbers may be large, but they’re no match for Old General Chu’s troops. Holding the palace for ten or twenty days shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But…” Qu You’s gaze swept over everyone present, and she said slowly, “What if he borrows troops from elsewhere?”