The Crown Grandson was ordinarily cold and sparing with his words, not inclined to speak at length. Today, however, in a rare departure, he spoke in a flowing and unbroken stream, expressing his views directly and without reservation.

The Crown Prince’s face had been suffused with fury at the outset; as he listened through to the end, the anger in his eyes gradually receded, replaced by contemplation and gravity.

The Crown Grandson said no more, still kneeling and awaiting his reprimand.

After a long silence, the Crown Prince finally spoke: “Whatever your intent may have been, this manner of acting was far too bold. You have no idea specifically what plan Prince Yan is working toward — what grounds do you have to speak of guarding against it and being prepared? If Prince Yan were to act against your imperial grandfather and cause harm to his royal person, would that not be a loss that cannot be recovered from?”

The tone, though still a reprimand, had eased considerably.

The Crown Grandson replied with a composed expression: “There are only the two of us here, father and son — let me say something unfilial, and I ask Father not to take offense. So long as we, father and son, firmly hold the interior of the palace together, hold the court officials firmly in hand, even if His Imperial Grandfather were to meet with some misfortune, it would not threaten Father’s position. What then is there to fear?”

The Crown Prince’s whole body went rigid. He stared hard at the son kneeling before him, a flash of shocked fury crossing his eyes: “Do you know what you are saying?”

These words went far beyond brazen audacity — they were outright treasonous against every principle of loyalty and filial piety.

It stopped just short of saying outright: If His Imperial Grandfather were to die, it would not matter — Father could simply ascend the throne all the sooner.

Faced with the Crown Prince’s outrage, the Crown Grandson showed no sign of panic or disarray. He lifted his handsome, cold, impassive face and met the Crown Prince’s gaze directly: “Every word I have spoken is the truth, and Father knows it full well in his own heart. There is no one else present here — for whose benefit is Father performing this display of fury? Does Father truly not wish to sit upon the dragon throne sooner and become the Son of Heaven?”

The Crown Prince: “……”

The Crown Prince’s expression shifted through a succession of changes, wavering between kicking his son and delivering him a hard slap across the face.

“His Imperial Grandfather has grown old — and when a person grows old, he grows muddled and can no longer see right from wrong clearly.”

The Crown Grandson continued in a cold, detached tone: “Father has been Crown Prince for so many years, conducting himself with constant care and never permitting himself the slightest fault. And yet how has His Imperial Grandfather treated Father? He has known full well that Empress Xu harbored towering ambition, known that Prince Yan was secretly building factions and colluding with allies, scheming to seize the position of heir apparent. And yet over these past years, His Imperial Grandfather has simply pretended not to know, and deliberately indulged Prince Yan and his mother.”

“Empress Xu’s conduct in her household fell short of a consort’s proper virtue and her position was stripped from her — Prince Yan’s influence has shrunk as a result. And yet even in such circumstances, His Imperial Grandfather has not grown cold toward Prince Yan; on the contrary, he has kept him at his personal side and showered him with even greater favor than before. Those officials with ears to hear and eyes to see in court — how could they not perceive this? The moment Prince Yan re-enters the court, a great wave of supporters will rally behind him.”

“His Imperial Grandfather clearly sees all of this, and yet continues to indulge Prince Yan without restraint. His blatant partiality is known to all. Father labors exhaustingly day after day with never a word of praise from His Imperial Grandfather to show for it. They are equally sons of His Imperial Grandfather — and yet the difference in how they are treated is this stark and plain. Does Father truly harbor not even a trace of resentment?”

How could he not?

As the Crown Prince of a nation, he had given his whole effort and dedication to the affairs of the court, and yet he could not win the Emperor’s favor — he could not compare to Prince Yan’s flattery and ingratiating. He had swallowed humiliation and resentment he could not count. And outwardly, he could not let even a fraction of it show; in the Emperor’s presence, he still had to project the magnanimity and forbearance of an elder brother toward Prince Yan.

Even a saint, enduring this for so long, would inevitably feel resentment kindle in his heart.

The Crown Prince’s most painful wound had been struck. The smile drained from his face entirely, and his eyes turned stone cold.

In that moment, the two of them — father and son who shared such alike features — wore expressions strikingly, startlingly alike.

The Crown Grandson observed the Crown Prince’s shifting countenance and continued on: “That Prince Yan could not restrain himself and has made his move works in Father’s favor — it is not a bad thing but a good one. The only concern is that we do not yet know what stratagem Prince Yan will employ. We must also redouble our vigilance in these coming days and guard against him in secret.”

“So long as we, father and son, remain unharmed and secure, Prince Yan — however formidable — will not be able to stir up any true storm.”

“Father was not privy to this matter — everything was done on my own initiative. Should anything happen in the future, none of it touches Father. Father need only remain steady within the palace; I will see that all matters are dealt with cleanly.”

The Crown Prince kept his silence.

After a long interval, the Crown Prince finally exhaled a long breath: “Enough — stop kneeling as well. Get up.”

The Crown Grandson’s knees had gone somewhat numb from kneeling so long, yet his motion in rising was still quite agile: “Thank you, Father.”

At last, he had persuaded Father. It had not been wasted effort, all that he had said.

……

The imperial retreat was situated at the foot of a mountain in the western outskirts of the capital. Setting out from the imperial palace in the morning, it was not until dusk that they arrived.

Manager Wang, who had been overseeing the retreat, had received word ten days earlier and had already led the attendants and palace maids in sweeping the retreat inside and out until it was immaculate. He stood at the gates smiling from ear to ear, awaiting the arrival of the imperial procession.

The retreat had been constructed more than a decade ago. At the time, the Emperor had already held the throne for ten years, his position firmly established; the great Dazhou was blessed with favorable weather and seasons, its treasury overflowing.

And so the retreat had been built with considerable elegance and luxury, filled throughout with many rare and precious objects. The gardens were in the style of the Jiangnan region, stocked with many uncommon and rare plants and trees, and a variety of birds and animals were kept within its grounds.

Each year, the cost of maintaining and tending to just the retreat alone was a staggering sum.

In previous years, the Emperor would come to stay at the imperial retreat for a month or two annually; but for the past two years, owing to the imperial person’s declining health, he had not come at all. Returning now to this familiar place, the Emperor was in markedly good spirits, and smiled as he addressed Manager Wang and the others kneeling before him: “All of you, rise!”

Manager Wang and the others again gave their thanks for the imperial grace before rising with respectful care to their feet.

Prince Yan — tall and upright of bearing, and handsome of face — stood smiling at the Emperor’s side, one hand gently supporting the Emperor’s arm: “Your Majesty, the evening draws on. Let us first get settled and rest well through the night. Tomorrow your son will accompany Your Majesty on a tour of the retreat.”

Princess Anya stood at the Emperor’s other side and chimed in warmly upon hearing this: “Indeed, Your Majesty — you have been riding in a carriage all day long, and even your daughter feels exhausted. Your Majesty’s health has only just recovered; please, do not tire yourself.”

The Emperor’s face was open and contented. Supported on either side by Prince Yan and Princess Anya, he made his way into the retreat.

Wei Xianfei and the other consorts followed closely behind.

Behind them came Wei Yan and Imperial Physician Zhou, along with Chief Eunuch Ding and the others.

Ling Jingshu and Xinyun, along with the other consorts’ attendants, fell a little further back still. Through the layers of figures and moving forms ahead, one could not truly make out which figure was Wei Yan.

And yet Ling Jingshu kept glancing instinctively in the direction where Wei Yan would be.

Knowing that he was not far away, she felt a particular fullness settle within her, and her mood lifted for reasons she could not quite explain.

The five hundred Imperial Guard cavalry had already dismounted, taking up every critical position within and around the retreat. These five hundred guards were the finest soldiers of the Imperial Guard — agile, composed, and strictly disciplined to a man. As they assumed their positions, not one person raised his voice. Their every movement carried with it a force that commanded quiet awe.

As young and beautiful palace maids and female officials moved gracefully past, the Imperial Guard soldiers kept their eyes fixed ahead without the slightest wander. None glanced around, and there was no laughter or banter to be heard.

Only once everyone had entered the retreat and settled in did Guard Commander Yang Qu allow himself a quiet breath of relief. He issued the order for the guard soldiers to be divided into three rotating shifts, maintaining continuous patrol through the night.