“This official believes that the Prince of Second Rank allowed his concubine to behave with impropriety and disrespect, which constitutes a lack of reverence toward Your Majesty and the Empress. He should rightfully be stripped of his rank and reduced to a commoner, barred from ever approaching the imperial presence again.” The newly appointed Grand Counselor stepped forward to advise.

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow. If there were no deeper motives behind it and it had truly been nothing more than a single dance, that punishment seemed rather severe.

“Your Majesty, we officials believe the Grand Counselor’s words are entirely correct.” The assembled officials, as though they had coordinated beforehand, rose one after another to voice their agreement.

Supported by a maidservant, the Prince of Second Rank walked to the center of the great hall and spoke with apparent sincerity. “Your Majesty, this official was unaware beforehand of the sort of disgraceful dance my concubine would perform. Please, Your Majesty, spare this official from punishment.”

“Your Majesty, over these many years, this official has given so much for Xuanzhao. To now be stripped of rank and reduced to a commoner over a concubine’s single dance — Your Majesty, you have chilled this official’s heart.”

“Contributing to Xuanzhao — is that not simply what is expected of a subject?” Xuan Yanyu’s finely-jointed fingers idly turned his jade thumb ring, his tone entirely indifferent.

The Prince of Second Rank choked on his words. He concealed the dark flicker in his expression and, without drawing attention to it, tapped the tip of his finger three times.

“His Majesty is right — to contribute to Xuanzhao is a subject’s duty. It is truly improper to use that as leverage over His Majesty.” The Grand Counselor said with righteous indignation.

“We officials agree with the Grand Counselor.”

A unanimous chorus rang through the great hall.

The Prince of Second Rank clenched his back teeth. Not one of so many officials had spoken a word in his defense. The situation was deeply unfavorable to him. Even if he had just signaled the people he had arranged beside the Crown Prince to bring the child over, with no one to support him, he could not possibly unseat Xuan Yanyu.

The signal had already been sent — it was too late to take it back. He had no choice but to tear off all pretense. Fortunately, he had brought quite a few men into the palace today.

Thinking of the nearly hundred thousand soldiers he had cultivated over the years, the Prince of Second Rank exhaled with relief. As long as he had the Crown Prince as a hostage, he need not fear His Majesty and the Grand Emperor refusing to yield.

“Since all our beloved subjects are in agreement, then…” Xuan Yanyu’s lips curved slightly, and he spoke in an offhand, unhurried manner. “Throw him in the imperial prison. Grant him a white silk cord or a cup of poisoned wine — the Prince of Second Rank may choose for himself.”

The moment his words fell, the Prince of Second Rank threw his head back and laughed out loud, dropping all pretense. “Fool. For Xuanzhao to have a ruler like you is a disgrace. Losing your mind over a woman — what a joke.”

The words landed, and a wave of sharp, collective indrawn breaths rippled through the great hall.

The Prince of Second Rank swept his gaze over the officials, each one frightened out of their wits, and let out a cold sneer. “Am I wrong? The rear palace stands empty, governance is abandoned — if not for the Grand Emperor holding things together, would there be a Xuanzhao today? Is this how a ruler of Xuanzhao ought to behave?”

“What His Majesty does is not for us as subjects to comment upon,” the Minister of Justice said mildly. “Prince of Second Rank, you have overstepped.”

“And so what?” The Prince of Second Rank was entirely untroubled.

The Minister of Revenue shook his head with a rueful sigh. “All show and no substance — a sheep in a tiger’s skin, spinning your own cocoon. Prince of Second Rank, do you understand?”

Imperial power now rested firmly in the Grand Emperor’s hands. His Majesty and the Grand Emperor had never given the soldiers the Prince of Second Rank had cultivated a second thought. The Prince of Second Rank’s only card was to threaten His Majesty and the Grand Emperor with the Crown Prince as hostage.

Never mind that the Prince of Second Rank’s own men were actually in His Majesty’s service — even if they were not, would the Grand Emperor surrender Xuanzhao over a single Crown Prince?

No. The Grand Emperor would certainly abandon the Crown Prince. Whether or not His Majesty was willing, the Grand Emperor would compel him to select new consorts and extend the imperial line — that was his duty as the ruler of Xuanzhao.

The Prince of Second Rank’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

The Minister of Revenue gave the Prince of Second Rank a look of complex feeling and said nothing.

What did he mean? He would know soon enough.

No one else spoke. The great hall fell into a terrible silence. The Prince of Second Rank belatedly looked at the composed Xuan Yanyu, then noticed the frequent glances the officials were directing his way. He was no fool. In that instant, he understood.

“Your Majesty, this official knows he has erred. This official has misspoken — he deserves to be struck.” The Prince of Second Rank limped two steps forward and, without mercy, slapped himself hard across the face.

Xuan Yanyu did not spare him a single glance. He took Yan Yunning’s hand and, in a voice low and forlorn as the turning of a page, said, “I have been wronged today. Grant me one request.”

“Hmm? Your Majesty, the Prince of Second Rank wronged you — why should I be the one to grant your request?” Yan Yunning was somewhat at a loss for words.

In the next breath, she heard Xuan Yanyu being entirely unreasonable. “When Xiaoxiao is wronged, you bring him candied hawthorn skewers to comfort him. I am wronged — what is wrong with you granting me one request?”

“I’ll bring you a candied hawthorn skewer tomorrow. Don’t ask for anything else.”

The man lowered his head, the disappointment and dejection in his eyes entirely undisguised.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. “Fine, tell me. What do you want me to agree to?”

“Forget it, don’t trouble yourself.” Xuan Yanyu gave a bitter smile and shook his head, saying with self-mockery, “Perhaps the Prince of Second Rank was right — perhaps I am foolish, perhaps I am a disgrace.”

Yan Yunning felt a sudden pang in her heart. “I am not troubled. I agree to it. The Prince of Second Rank was talking nonsense — don’t take it to heart.”

At an angle she could not see, the corner of the man’s lips curved upward. Yet his voice remained strangely subdued. “May I hold your hand?”

“You may. Of course you may — you may do anything.” Yan Yunning said quickly.

“Good. I will remember that.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice could barely contain its delight.

Yan Yunning stared at the man who had changed his expression with astonishing speed, blinking twice. A phrase suddenly came to mind: “A woman who pities a man deserves to be tricked.”

But… she was willing to be tricked by him.

The officials below the imperial steps watched the Emperor and Empress lean close together, exchanging words unknown to anyone else. They saw His Majesty’s expression visibly brighten with a smile and all gave a collective shudder — surely he had not just thought of some new way to punish the Prince of Second Rank?

“This subordinate greets Your Majesty and the Empress.” Imperial guards dressed in the attire of the Prince of Second Rank’s manor escorts walked into the great hall and tossed a small, round figure with a black cloth over its head onto the floor.

With a thud, the little round figure rolled twice across the ground without stirring awake.

Upon hearing the word “subordinate,” the Prince of Second Rank’s heart sank. His gaze fell on the little figure sleeping deeply on the floor — a small, round, chubby little body. It was not the Crown Prince; the Crown Prince was not nearly that plump. This was most likely his own son.

“My lord, as instructed, we knocked out the Crown Prince and brought him over. Please take a look — is this to your satisfaction?” The imperial guard gave the little round figure at his feet a kick.

The Prince of Second Rank closed his eyes and said nothing.

The nearly hundred thousand soldiers he had taken such pride in — they had almost certainly all been turned to Xuan Yanyu’s side long ago.

“Gentlemen, should anyone else wish to seize the throne under the guise of recruiting household guards and escort personnel, they are welcome to consider joining our ranks.” The imperial guard’s face broke into a grin as his gaze swept across the assembled officials. “Drawing two salaries is not a bad arrangement.”

The Prince of Second Rank’s fist tightened. Two salaries?

They had not been turned — they had always been Xuan Yanyu’s men from the very start.

He stared in horror at the man reclining lazily against the golden imperial throne up on the high dais. His pupils contracted again and again. All these years — everything he had done, Xuan Yanyu had known.

All along, there had been no reaction, no punishment. It was simply to watch him make a fool of himself like a clown bouncing about.

“Why has everyone gone so quiet? We are very professional.” The imperial guard spoke at an unhurried pace.

“Enough of this nonsense. Does everyone think they can behave like the Prince of Second Rank?” The man on the high seat raised an eyebrow. “Should you not apologize to our beloved officials?”

“Yes, this subordinate knows he erred.” The imperial guard bowed respectfully. “This subordinate spoke out of turn. We beg the pardon of all our lords.”

“No matter.”

“Think nothing of it.”