Zhu Qiyue was momentarily speechless.

The spring night was slightly cool. He sheathed “Green Cliff” and sat down beside Zhu Nanxian: “Thirteenth, I’ve always wanted to ask you—are you and this Su Shiyu truly as the rumors outside suggest?”

Though Zhu Nanxian had never personally heard the so-called rumors, he imagined they spoke of him having a penchant for men and being involved with a court censor.

He thought for a moment and said: “I don’t care what Su Shiyu thinks, but over these years, apart from her, I truly have never been moved by anyone else.”

Zhu Qiyue said: “Then you shouldn’t refuse to take consorts or start a family just because of him. Father Emperor has always doted on you most. If he knew of this matter, angering him would be minor—harming his health would be serious.”

Zhu Nanxian asked: “How is Father Emperor’s health?”

“He’s mostly asleep now, rarely awake.” Zhu Qiyue said. “Even when he wakes, he’s confused. When I went to see him yesterday, I heard from Medical Administrator that these days when he occasionally awakens, he only calls out Mother Empress’s given name a few times, then lies with his eyes open waiting for a while. When Mother Empress doesn’t come, he falls asleep again.”

Having said this, he sighed and finally compromised: “Very well. Tomorrow is Qingming Festival, and Seventh Brother won’t be in the palace. I’ll have someone make arrangements for two Eagle Guards to escort you to Minghua Palace.” He added: “Su Shiyu has now been promoted to Vice Minister of Justice and can visit Father Emperor’s bedchamber. Tomorrow after you see Father Emperor, I’ll have him wait for you outside Minghua Palace.”

Zhu Nanxian silently went over Zhu Qiyue’s words in his heart, then nodded: “Good, many thanks, Twelfth Brother.”

Zhu Qiyue patted his shoulder: “What’s there to thank me for?” Then he stood and left the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Nanxian watched Zhu Qiyue’s retreating figure, his eyes gradually growing somber.

Before the prayers at Zhaojue Temple, in refusing the marriage arrangement with Qiling, Zhu Nanxian had been punished by Zhu Jingyuan to kneel at Minghua Palace for an entire night. The next day before dawn, Zhu Jingyuan suddenly dismissed everyone and bestowed upon him a secret edict. The edict stated that should Zhu Minda die, the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Zhu Nanxian should inherit the position of Crown Prince, assume command of the Twelve Guards’ military authority, and ascend the throne as Emperor.

It turned out that Zhu Jingyuan had long known that each of his sons was no easy lamp to deal with. During the winter hunt, he had secretly dispatched the Tiger Guard to protect Zhu Minda’s safety. Though nothing happened afterwards, he hadn’t completely set his mind at ease. He knew that even if Zhu Minda successfully inherited the throne, there would eventually come a day of princely separatism and uprisings throughout the land.

Thus Zhu Jingyuan issued this secret edict known only to Zhu Nanxian, storing it in a location within Minghua Palace, ordering that once trouble arose, Zhu Nanxian should lead the Nanchang Prefecture troops back to the palace to retrieve it himself.

No one expected the shocking incident at Zhaojue Temple, where Zhu Minda died tragically. Even Zhu Nanxian couldn’t return to Nanchang Prefecture, and was instead confined to the Eastern Palace.

The next day at the hour of yin, Zhu Zhaowei led a group of imperial clan members from the eastern gate of the imperial city toward the Yingtian Imperial Mausoleum.

Not long after he left, Zhu Qiyue used the Imperial Noble Consort’s madness as an excuse to transfer away the Feathered Forest Guards stationed at the Eastern Palace. He gave his token to Zhu Nanxian and had two Eagle Guards escort him to Minghua Palace.

Minghua Palace had always been guarded by the Tiger Guard. Whenever anyone entered the hall, whether imperial clan members or court officials and palace attendants, they had to be searched inside and out.

Upon entering the inner palace, Zhu Nanxian saw Zhu Jingyuan lying on the couch. His eyes were tightly closed, his entire body wasted to nothing, no longer possessing his former majesty of looking down upon the world, but rather resembling a lonely old widower.

Zhu Nanxian felt as if a boulder pressed on his heart. He walked forward two steps and asked Li, Director of the Imperial Medical Academy: “How is Father Emperor?”

Director Li was collecting medicine bowls beside the couch. Hearing this question, he discovered it was Zhu Nanxian who had come. He quickly led the palace attendants and medicine servants behind him to bow down, then said: “To be truthful with the Thirteenth Prince, His Majesty’s condition is very poor. These past few days, he can’t even swallow medicine. What used to be one bowl of medicine now requires three attempts to feed. This morning His Majesty woke once, recited the late Empress’s name several times, and called out twice for you, Thirteenth Prince, before falling asleep again.”

Having said this, the words stuck in his throat like a fishbone. There was something he wanted to say but swallowed back—Zhu Jingyuan’s time should have come long ago. He was holding on by sheer will alone until today, surely to see Zhu Nanxian one more time.

Zhu Nanxian nodded slightly: “I understand.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he added: “You may all withdraw. Let me keep Father Emperor company alone.”

Director Li complied and led all the palace attendants and maids out of the palace.

As the inner palace door creaked shut, the somber, worried look in Zhu Nanxian’s eyes seemed to light up with a spark. He bit his teeth, not going first to the bedside to check on Zhu Jingyuan, but instead looking around this vast inner Minghua Palace.

Back when Zhu Jingyuan had finished reading the secret edict, fearing that Zhu Nanxian carrying such an edict would invite unnecessary trouble, he didn’t hand it to him directly but said: “I shall store this secret edict within Minghua Palace. If there comes a day when you truly need to use it, I will naturally hint to you where it is.”

Outside, day had broken. Inside, the candles remained lit, their flickering light casting deep shadows on the palace furnishings.

Looking at these wavering light and shadows, Zhu Nanxian knew that Minghua Palace was too large. If he had to search through everything one by one, there wouldn’t be enough time. But after the Zhaojue Temple incident, he had never been able to see Father Emperor again. Where was the hint Father Emperor spoke of?

At this thought, Zhu Nanxian suddenly recalled something Zhu Qiyue said yesterday when mentioning Father Emperor—these past days when he occasionally awakens, he only calls out Mother Empress’s given name.

That’s right. Mother Empress’s belongings had all been moved to the Western Guard Office. Now in Minghua Palace, the only thing related to her was a portrait that Zhu Jingyuan had personally painted of her.

Zhu Nanxian’s gaze instantly fell on the yellowed portrait on the palace wall. He strode over in two quick steps, took down the portrait, and first carefully brushed his hand across the wall—nothing unusual. Then he looked at the painting in his hand—also nothing suspicious.

Zhu Nanxian frowned. Just as he was about to hang the portrait back to examine it more carefully, raising his hand he suddenly felt something wrong—the scroll rollers in the palace were all made of fine rosewood. Why was this painting so light?

Understanding dawned on him immediately. Zhu Nanxian held the scroll upright, lifted his thumb to pry slightly at the roller opening, then inverted it and tilted it outward. A bright yellow secret edict indeed fell out from the hollow roller.

It was exactly the one Zhu Jingyuan had issued to him back then.

Besides the imperial jade seal, the edict also bore Zhu Jingyuan’s private seal—it couldn’t be faked at all.

Zhu Nanxian took a deep breath, tucked the secret edict into his bosom, hung the portrait back exactly as it was, and only then came before the dragon couch to look at this Father Emperor who had doted on him for half his life.

Earlier, Director Li and the palace attendants had withdrawn hastily, not even wiping clean the medicine remaining at the corners of Emperor Jingyuan’s mouth. Zhu Nanxian silently raised his sleeve to wipe away the medicine, then held Zhu Jingyuan’s withered hand. For a moment, he recalled the last words Zhu Jingyuan had said to him after finishing reading the secret edict that day—

“Nanxian, I actually don’t wish to issue such an edict to you. Among all my sons, only you are benevolent of heart and upright as a whetstone. With your character, in a prosperous age you would certainly be a wise ruler. But now the situation is chaotic, and hidden troubles lurk everywhere throughout the realm. Only by breaking can one rebuild. To command the realm, only the ruthless are fit for the task.

“In my private heart, I hope you will never need to use this edict in your lifetime, and that you remain pure and unwavering forever.”

The boulder in his heart pressed down until Zhu Nanxian could barely breathe, but he understood that now was not the time for sorrow. There were too many things waiting for him to do.

Zhu Nanxian released Zhu Jingyuan’s hand, came before the couch, lifted his robes and knelt down. He earnestly kowtowed three times, saying in his heart: “Father Emperor, your son doesn’t know if today will be the last time he sees you. These three kowtows are as if your son is seeing you off to the afterlife. But your son still hopes you can wait until I return with my troops.

“Your son actually doesn’t want to be this emperor either. My willingness to fight for the throne today ultimately stems from selfish thoughts—fear that I can no longer protect those I wish to protect in my heart.

“But Father Emperor, rest assured. Though your son doesn’t understand what ‘break to rebuild’ means, if there comes a day when your son inherits the throne, he will do his utmost to guard every inch of Great Sui’s territory. He will bear the common people, the realm, and the state on his shoulders. He will live up to Father Emperor, live up to the people, live up to the realm, and live up to his own heart.”

Having finished kowtowing, Zhu Nanxian raised his hand to touch the place over his heart where the secret edict rested. The edict had been hidden in the scroll for so long that it gave off a faint sandalwood fragrance. He looked at Zhu Jingyuan one last time, then stood up and walked toward the exit of Minghua Palace without looking back.

Su Jin arrived at Minghua Palace at the hour of chen, but because she hadn’t been summoned, she was stopped by the Tiger Guard. Fortunately, she didn’t wait long before seeing Zhu Nanxian leading two Eagle Guards descending from the high terrace.

The mourning period had passed, and the headband on his forehead was gone. The white jade steps complemented his deep blue python robe. His entire bearing was calm and composed.

Su Jin stepped forward to pay her respects.

Zhu Nanxian said: “I heard that Imperial Censor Su will soon be promoted to Vice Minister. I should properly congratulate you, but unfortunately, I’ve been recuperating from my injuries in the Eastern Palace recently and couldn’t spare the time.”

Su Jin said: “Your Highness is too kind. Official rank is empty; duty is weighty. Whether censor or vice minister, both are serving to advocate for the people. How dare I trouble Your Highness to offer congratulations.”

Zhu Nanxian smiled: “Yes, yesterday after I finished sparring with my Twelfth Imperial Brother, I still—”

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly groaned, clutched his chest and collapsed to his knees, as if unable to catch his breath.

Su Jin quickly supported him, raised her eyes to look at Commander Fu of the Eagle Guards following behind, and demanded: “What’s going on?” She asked again: “His Highness’s injury hasn’t healed, and yesterday he sparred with the Twelfth Prince. Did you have a medical administrator examine him carefully?”

Commander Fu said bewildered: “Because after the Thirteenth Prince finished sparring yesterday, he showed no abnormality, so we subordinates did not summon a physician.”

Su Jin rebuked: “Just because he showed no abnormality, you didn’t summon a physician? The Thirteenth Prince’s body is precious. If something happens to him, can you take responsibility?” Without waiting for his reaction, she ordered decisively: “His Highness will be watched over by me. You two go immediately to the Imperial Medical Academy to fetch a medical administrator. One of you guide the physician, the other fetch medicine and come back first.”

Commander Fu was still hesitating, but then thought that these layers of palace prohibitions were heavily guarded, and this was the territory of Minghua Palace, where normally even a mouse couldn’t escape, let alone two living people like Su Jin and Zhu Nanxian. He immediately cupped his fists: “Your Highness, my lord, this subordinate will go and return quickly.”

Once the two Eagle Guards’ figures disappeared at Minghua Terrace, the melancholy between Zhu Nanxian’s brows caused by illness suddenly vanished. He tightly gripped Su Jin’s hand and said quietly: “Let’s go.” Then, holding her hand, he strode with great strides toward a side room in the auxiliary hall of Minghua Palace.