Li Gu dismissed court for three days.

The Prime Ministers naturally refused to accept this. They came to knock at the palace gates demanding to see the Emperor. Blocking them was Hu Jin, the commander of the inner guards.

Prime Minister Mo challenged him: “Hu Jin! You dare cut off all communication between the inner and outer court!”

Such an enormous charge was too much for Hu Jin to bear. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he said: “Please don’t misunderstand, Prime Ministers — His Majesty truly has an urgent matter!”

The Prime Ministers demanded to know what on earth the matter was. Hu Jin did not dare say.

The Prime Ministers lost their patience. A group of white-haired old men forced their way into the palace. Not a single one of them could be casually pushed around. Hu Jin did not dare to obstruct them. The old men stormed into the Zichen Hall and finally came face to face with the Emperor.

One hour later, the Prime Ministers emerged from the palace. Every man’s face was dark and grim.

Very soon, everyone knew what had happened — the First Imperial Prince had died in infancy.

When Xie Yuzhang received the news, she was stunned for a long while, then asked: “How did he die?”

Yuan Yu had only just returned from gathering information and said: “Unknown. There is no news coming from the palace.”

Xie Yuzhang was silent for a long time, then said: “I am going to the Yang Mansion.”

Yang Changyuan saw her and was unsurprised, saying: “You’ve heard as well?”

Xie Yuzhang asked: “Uncle, how did the First Imperial Prince die?”

“Ah.” Yang Changyuan sighed, then said: “His Majesty is not speaking of it, only saying it was an accident. The palace has been transporting bodies outward for several days now.”

What “accident” could possibly occur in the inner palace? The First Imperial Prince was the Emperor’s firstborn son — treasured and adored, precious as gold and jade. How could he possibly have an “accident”? It could only be a man-made disaster.

Xie Yuzhang thought of Li Gu not attending court for three days, and felt only a deep sadness in her heart.

“Zhuzhu…” Yang Changyuan hesitated, as if about to say something, then stopped.

Xie Yuzhang understood what he wanted to say. She too was caught between two competing emotions — the compassion she felt on Li Gu’s behalf, and the rational clarity she had cultivated over so many years.

In the end, rationality won.

She said: “Palace affairs are difficult to speak of. It is best we both keep our distance.”

Having made her own choice, Yang Changyuan let out a breath of relief.

Xie Yuzhang returned to her own residence and also shut her doors to all visitors.

If the First Imperial Prince had died of illness, as the Second Imperial Prince had, she would certainly have entered the palace to check on Li Gu this time. But three days had passed since the First Imperial Prince’s death, and the palace had still given no clear account of it — plainly, there was something going on. She would absolutely not get involved.

And yet, leaning against the bolster cushion and reclining on the daybed, with the warmth of the incense burner, scented water vapor drifting out from the water-and-fire stove, the damp fragrance comforting to the heart and lungs — Xie Yuzhang felt a restless unease.

Thinking of Li Gu, a man of such strict self-discipline, actually dismissing court for three days and refusing to see his officials — Xie Yuzhang remained silent and said nothing for the entire day.

On the fourth day, the palace officially announced to the world the news of the First Imperial Prince’s premature death. The First Imperial Prince was interred in the Imperial Princes’ Mausoleum.

Throughout these several days, the palace had not stopped transporting bodies out through its gates. No one knew how far the reach of what had happened extended.

No one was willing to get involved in this matter — all feared that if they were not careful, they would find themselves stained with its filth, their reputations ruined.

Xie Yuzhang did not know whether, by treating Li Gu this way once again, Li Gu might finally and completely lose all hope for her.

What he had originally wanted from her was simply a place of peace for his heart.

He was welcome to seek that here — but if he wanted to bring her into his disordered rear palace, she would never consent.

Two more days passed, and Xie Yuzhang thought: if things continued like this, perhaps Li Gu would simply never come again.

But Li Gu still came.

He arrived at Princess Yongning’s residence in the evening. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his eyes were bloodshot — clearly he had not rested properly for many days.

Xie Yuzhang studied him for a moment and then knelt in salute.

Li Gu fixed his gaze on her.

“If I don’t come, you won’t go.” His voice was cold. “You’re the same as Lin Shi — selfish and cold-hearted. Your hearts are made of the same iron.”

Xie Yuzhang did not argue with a man who had just lost the son he loved most.

She only bowed her head and said softly: “Yes.”

Li Gu stared at her for a long time, grinding his teeth with fury. He swept his sleeve aside and strode past her, going directly into the inner chamber.

He had entered her inner chamber twice before — both times after the Xiaoyao Marquisate’s destruction. Once when he had carried her back after she had fainted, and the second time when he had come to check on her the next day.

After that, whenever he came to the Princess’s residence, Xie Yuzhang received him in the main hall.

But now, without a word of inquiry, without asking her permission, he walked straight into her inner chamber.

The serving women all dared not raise their heads.

Xie Yuzhang paused for a moment, then followed him into the inner chamber.

Li Gu had already crossed to the daybed by the window and turned to sit on its edge. He did not look at Xie Yuzhang, only said: “Tea!”

The serving women hurried toward him, but Li Gu suddenly bellowed: “Get out!”

The Emperor had never shown his temper so openly in the Princess’s presence before, and moreover, his expression looked like a man who wanted to kill someone.

The serving women were frightened and retreated hastily. In the inner chamber, only Li Gu and Xie Yuzhang remained.

Li Gu said: “Tea!”

Xie Yuzhang had no choice but to pull down her sleeves and go to do it herself.

She stood beside the daybed and used the long-handled ladle to add water to the stove. She had only just set down the ladle when Li Gu’s arm reached out, hooked around her waist, and swept her into his arms.

Xie Yuzhang stumbled onto Li Gu’s lap. His arms tightened around her like iron bands, as though he might squeeze the life from her.

Xie Yuzhang held her breath.

Li Gu buried his face in the back of Xie Yuzhang’s neck. After a long while, he said: “Yuzhang, Little Azure is gone.”

Xie Yuzhang quietly covered Li Gu’s hands — the hands clasped around her waist — with her own, and gently patted them.

This Emperor, who had killed without number, was at this moment utterly fragile. His fragility could only be laid bare before her.

“He was my first child. He looked a great deal like me.” He said. “You don’t know — when I saw him for the first time, I felt something burst open inside my chest. A joy I couldn’t put into words.”

“Everyone said that once a child passed five years of age, he was considered firmly established. So when he peacefully passed his fifth birthday, I was so happy — I wanted to give him a grand celebration.”

“I never, in a thousand guesses, could have imagined… I assumed that in a place full of women, even if there were some jealousy and struggle, it would never come to blades and bloodshed.”

“I thought…”

His voice went hoarse and he could not continue.

Xie Yuzhang listened without saying a word. Her hands covered his hands.

What was it that Li Gu wanted from her?

Verbal comfort? Physical solace?

Did he want her to tell him that none of this was his fault?

Xie Yuzhang was not incapable of comforting him with warmth and tenderness. But she thought — it was time for Li Gu to wake up.

“The inner palace has always been like this — it has always been this way.” She said. “You are the Emperor. First you are Emperor, and only then are you a husband, and a father. Your household is destined not to be an ordinary household. The struggle for favor, the struggle over the heir, the struggle for the supreme position — from the moment your first son was born, from the moment you ascended to the throne, it had already begun.”

Li Gu tightened his hold on her: “Xie Yuzhang!”

Xie Yuzhang lowered her gaze.

“You came to me because you had nowhere else to go, didn’t you? Have you lost your trust in the women of the rear palace?”

She asked: “Who did this?”

But Li Gu was silent and did not answer.

Xie Yuzhang said: “You looked upon them as wife and concubines, as family. But you must understand — every woman in the rear palace… wants to become Empress, and then Empress Dowager.”

She heard the sound of Li Gu’s jaw clenching.

Li Gu asked through gritted teeth: “Do I not deserve to have a family?”

Xie Yuzhang said calmly: “You already have the imperial throne. You cannot be greedy.”

Li Gu released his hold.

Xie Yuzhang rose from his lap. Before she had even turned to look at him, he had already gotten to his feet, strode past her, and left.

The Emperor had come quickly; he had left just as quickly.

The water in the tea kettle had not even come to a boil yet.

He was gone, and only then did the serving women dare to enter.

The water was coming to a boil.

Princess Yongning sat on the daybed. She scooped a ladleful of water and set it aside, added the tea powder, then poured the earlier water back into the kettle — calmly preparing tea.

The following evening, Li Gu came again.

“Yuzhang,” he said, “make me a bowl of tea.”

Xie Yuzhang asked: “Did you attend court today?”

Li Gu said: “I did.”

Xie Yuzhang asked nothing more. She prepared the tea for him, divided it into bowls, and set it before him.

Li Gu then said: “I am hungry.”

But whenever he came here, he always drove the serving women away. The serving women dared not linger and all retreated to the outside of the main hall — there was no one in the room to answer a summons. Xie Yuzhang had no choice but to get up and go outside to call someone herself.

After instructing the serving women, she returned to the inner chamber. In the dim lamplight, that figure was slumped over the daybed table, already asleep.

Xie Yuzhang watched him for a moment, took the silk quilt from the bed, and gently draped it over him.

She closed both sets of latticed screens and withdrew to the main hall. She summoned Hu Jin and had him brought inside.

She asked: “What actually happened?”

Hu Jin showed a troubled expression.

Xie Yuzhang said: “I am only asking — who did this?”

Hu Jin’s expression was also murky and veiled, as he said: “Everyone.”

All three senior consorts, all three lesser consorts — all six of the inner palace had been drawn in.

The first person to act was Deng Wan.

Deng Wan had no intention of harming the First Imperial Prince. She had only been provoked by Cui Ying and wanted to vent her anger.

The imperial palace of the former Zhao dynasty was vast. The rear palace of the Mu dynasty ran on a streamlined staff, and the area used for daily living did not amount to even a third of what it once had. Large sections of abandoned palace buildings remained untouched throughout the palace grounds.

Deng Wan’s people had lured the First Imperial Prince to one of these abandoned sections — they only intended to leave him there, give him a fright, and make Cui Ying anxious.

Deng Wan’s intentions were that simple — nothing more than a desire to vent her anger.

Her people had hidden themselves and were quietly watching, and in truth were also worried about the First Imperial Prince coming to harm.

But then someone created a disturbance that startled her people into fleeing.

The person who created the disturbance had originally intended to catch Deng Wan’s people in the act. But Deng Wan’s people fled so swiftly that nothing was captured. When they went back to find the First Imperial Prince, he was gone.

Because while this person had been trying to catch Deng Wan’s people, yet another person had lured the First Imperial Prince into an unoccupied palace room and bolted the door from outside.

No one would discover her. If the matter blew up, all the blame would fall on Deng Noble Consort.

She left.

But she did not know that after she left, yet another person appeared.

This person stood outside the door and made ghostly sounds to frighten the First Imperial Prince.

At this point, it was still nothing more than an attempt to make the matter bigger, to heap more blame onto Deng Noble Consort’s shoulders.

After all, she had been the first person to act. After all, she had been unable to resist everyone’s taunting.

At this stage, no one had intended to cause the First Imperial Prince’s death.

The Emperor was still in his prime, and the imperial princes were all still young — it was not yet time for true bloodshed. What Xie Yuzhang had spoken of — “the struggle for favor, the struggle for the heir, the struggle for the supreme position” — had only just entered its first stage.

At this point, it was still women fighting women.

Not a single woman truly wanted to harm the First Imperial Prince. The crime of injuring the imperial heir was not something anyone could bear.

But the First Imperial Prince was a lively, energetic boy, his body just as robust as his father’s.

Terrified, he found a window he could open and tried to climb out and escape. It was winter, and it grew dark early — he could not see clearly outside. Thinking it was solid ground, he jumped.

But outside the window was in fact water that had only frozen over. This was a palace room that jutted out halfway over the water.

The First Imperial Prince leaped down, and the ice shattered.

The person who had been watching the entire scene realized something had gone wrong, and finally jumped out to save him.

But it was too late. The First Imperial Prince drowned.

The person who tried to save him was one of Li Zhenzhen’s people.

Li Zhenzhen had originally intended to sit back and watch the spectacle, watching the tigers fight for her own amusement.

At this point, all five of the inner palaces had fallen.

Li Gu, overwhelmed with grief and fury, sealed off the inner palace and began a thorough investigation.

The result of the investigation: not a single person had intended to kill the First Imperial Prince. All of them, together, had jointly caused his death.

Xie Yuzhang was silent for a long while, then asked: “What is the situation in each palace now?”

Hu Jin said: “The inner guards have moved in and sealed off all six palaces.”

Five of the inner palaces had been implicated, and Li Gu had sealed all six.

The First Imperial Prince — how precious and exalted he was. Where had all the people at his side gone, that he could be lured away so easily?

Even Cui Ying had failed to keep herself entirely uninvolved. Having been companions for many years, she knew Deng Wan’s character intimately. She had been absolutely certain that Deng Wan would not truly hurt the First Imperial Prince, and had boldly used her own son as bait, intending to set a trap for Deng Wan.

She had reached out to knock against an earthen jar, only to shatter a jade vessel. Did she regret it?

Every participant had believed the situation was under control. With everyone exerting their force together, the situation had spiraled entirely out of control.

Every concubine and imperial consort in the six palaces — all had fallen.

Li Gu had treated his rear palace as a home, had regarded his consorts as family, and in the end had suffered the agony of losing his son.

Laughable and pitiful.