The Duke of Anguo was no different in this. His gaze swept across the assembled princes. “I wonder if any of the Highnesses has something to say?”

The Fourth Imperial Prince, who was ordinarily so eager to distinguish himself, kept his mouth firmly shut. This was not a role he could afford to take on.

The Third Imperial Prince was no fool either. The matter had its advantages and its dangers — and on careful reckoning, the dangers outweighed the advantages. If their Imperial Father had truly met with some misfortune, then yes, this would be an incomparable merit of rescuing the Emperor. But if their Imperial Father was simply using this as an opportunity to observe who leaped forward most eagerly, would he not simply be the fool who jumped into the pit himself?

Too great a risk. He would do better to hold his ground.

The Fifth Imperial Prince simply bowed his head and pressed his sleeve to his eyes, overcome with grief and too distressed for words.

The Sixth Imperial Prince kept his gaze lowered; no one could tell what he was thinking. Just as the assembled officials were beginning to feel their hopes fading, the Fourth Imperial Prince spoke: “Xiao Liu, didn’t you say earlier that as long as you could get into the palace, you would be willing to pay any price? I’m not trying to force you — but you have the Old General Sun as your backing. Even if something should happen, Father would have to weigh the matter more carefully on account of him. When you think about it, you are the most suitable one.”

To act so transparently in front of all these officials — to scheme so nakedly — it was nothing short of mindless. Duke Dingguo felt a surge of anger, and a deep chill in his heart for Daqing that such a man might be among the candidates for the throne. With the question of the crown prince still unresolved, it was not impossible that this man could become the next Emperor. If Daqing’s future were placed in his hands, Duke Dingguo could not imagine what would become of the realm his ancestors had built.

He was just about to speak when the Sixth Imperial Prince’s voice — still carrying the edge of youth — rang out: “Xiao Liu is willing.”

He cast one cold glance toward the Fourth Imperial Brother, then gave a bow toward the assembled officials. “Xiao Liu is willing to step forward. As a son, I am concerned for my Imperial Father — and I believe that even if I were truly to appear before him, Imperial Father would surely understand and make allowance for a son’s concern. Whatever consequences may follow, Xiao Liu is prepared to bear them alone.”

The entire hall fell silent — and then, led by Duke Dingguo, every official, regardless of whatever thoughts each privately held, bowed toward him. Such resolve — what did youth have to do with it?

Duke Dingguo felt as though he were looking at the hope of the imperial family, and even in a moment like this could not help letting a smile show. “The Sixth Highness may proceed without worry. This official will bear the consequences alongside you.”

The Duke of Anguo stepped forward. “This official as well.”

After him came the Six Ministries, then the rest of the officials: “We are willing to bear the consequences alongside the Sixth Highness.”

The Sixth Imperial Prince’s heart swelled with a surge of feeling. His master had said that in this world, there are things one ought to do and things one ought not to do — and this, he felt, was a moment that called for action. His Imperial Father had not appeared for ten full days. Standing on the ground of righteousness, even if he overstepped, it would be entirely justifiable — no one could pin the label of coercing the throne upon him. His master had said Hao Yue’s situation was not right, and once he was inside the palace, everything would become clear. He trusted his master’s judgment.

And he was also genuinely worried about his grandmother.

He bit his lip and looked toward Duke Dingguo without any pride, asking openly what he did not know: “What should I do now?”

“Please have General Zhou Jing lead the central garrison troops to stand ready outside the palace gates. Then please lead the officials in kneeling before the hall. If after one hour His Majesty still does not appear…” Duke Dingguo gave his sleeve a firm shake. “We will go in to rescue him.”

The Sixth Imperial Prince drew a slow, steady breath, removed his imperial prince’s authority token, and handed it to the Minister of War, Chen Yuanqing. “Send word to General Liu to stand ready outside the palace gates. Starting from this moment, if no further word is received within one hour, he is to immediately lead his troops into the palace.”

Chen Yuanqing’s outstretched hand trembled slightly. He forced himself to be calm, and went personally to see the matter through.

The Sixth Imperial Prince turned to look at the several imperial princes. “Alone, Xiao Liu’s weight may not be sufficient. Please — I ask that my three elder brothers seek an audience with our Imperial Father as well.”

The Third and Fifth Imperial Princes had no objection. At this point they had remained behind without bearing any responsibility for what came next, so there was no particular reason to refuse. The Fourth Imperial Prince, however, was a different matter.

He needed to leave. Right now.

But with the Sixth Imperial Prince’s words having been spoken, to leave now would be impossible to explain away to anyone.

Duke Dingguo looked at the Sixth Imperial Prince with open admiration. He had taken a blow and found a way to return it — in a fashion that still left no one grounds for complaint. Truly well done. Today’s Sixth Highness had shown both courage and wit, enough to make the Duke see him in an entirely new light.

In the past, the Sixth Imperial Prince had kept such a low profile in the palace that he and the Fifth Imperial Prince were comparable — making no mistakes, but drawing no attention either. But since the time the Fourth Imperial Prince and the First Imperial Prince had conspired to harm him, he seemed to have shaken himself awake and undergone a transformation. He was still quiet, but a new aliveness had come into him.

When it later came to light that he had simply, as a matter of course, gone to live a perfectly ordinary life among the Hua Family — more than a few jaws had dropped. From a psychological standpoint, that was quite extraordinary in itself. Not every imperial prince could set aside the identity of being an imperial prince and simply be an ordinary person — that sense of innate distinction was woven into their blood from birth, and the thought of relinquishing it simply never arose. Likewise with that position — the moment they came into the world, it was the thing they craned their necks upward to look at, and the thing they spent their lives wanting to occupy.

Though everyone already knew Hua Zhi held the status of imperial tutor to a prince, it had never been formally acknowledged by the imperial family — until this moment, he himself had acknowledged it. And from this point forward, it would inevitably receive the recognition of everyone else as well. Simply on the merit of having taught the Sixth Highness to face things with such resolve and courage, that acknowledgment was rightly deserved.

To be a teacher is not only about mastery of learning — first and foremost, one must teach a person how to live.

In this regard, Hua Zhi had clearly done superbly.

Kneeling before the hall, Duke Dingguo let these thoughts drift in and out of his mind, half-idle, half-intent. He even suspected that ever since Hua Zhi’s return to the capital, what held the Sixth Imperial Prince’s faction together behind the scenes was her steady hand — which was why, no matter how unfavorably the situation turned against them, they had not once taken a wrong step.

Even with Hua Yizheng himself in the capital, it was questionable whether he could have managed it better than Hua Zhi. She fell short, perhaps, of leaving absolutely nothing to chance — but in the matter of holding the line, she had already done nearly everything that could be done. Previously, he had held no particular preference for any one candidate among the imperial princes — they were all, frankly, unremarkable. Now, at last, a distinction had emerged. Perhaps that much could be counted as a silver lining.

Moment by moment the time crept forward, and as the officials quietly shifted their postures through countless small adjustments, the inner palace remained utterly without sound or movement.

Until the very last moment — when the door connecting to the inner palace finally swung slowly open. The officials, forgetting that one is not meant to gaze upon the imperial countenance, all raised their eyes together to look — but what came through was, again, Attendant Chang, with no one behind him at all. Disappointment crashed down in waves.

Attendant Chang was likely well aware he was unwelcome. He stumbled over his words: “His Majesty has decreed — His Majesty is suffering from a minor ailment and asks that all the loving officials please withdraw.”

Duke Dingguo rose to his feet; the prolonged kneeling had clearly taken its toll, and his body swayed visibly for a moment. At his side, the Duke of Anguo — a military man by background, and a few years the younger — had found the kneeling painful as well, but had managed to endure it. Seeing this, he stepped forward immediately to steady the older man.

“Sixth Highness — the door has opened.”

The hand hidden within the Sixth Imperial Prince’s sleeve tightened into a fist. He raised his head and gave the order: “Seize Attendant Chang.”

Armed men present obeyed immediately, moving to apprehend the attendant who had already begun to flee. Attendant Chang struggled and cried out: “Outrageous! How dare you! I am the Emperor’s own envoy — release me at once!”

One of the warriors simply pulled off the attendant’s own shoe and stuffed it into his mouth. Quiet was restored.

The Sixth Imperial Prince gave his next order: “Wait for General Zhou Jing to arrive with his troops to rescue the Emperor.”

“Sixth Brother — perhaps you should reconsider. Is this not tantamount to coercing the throne?”

The Sixth Imperial Prince raised his head. The corner of his mouth curved with a cold, measured calm. “If the Fourth Imperial Brother has seen our Imperial Father, he is welcome to go and submit his account directly.”

The Fourth Imperial Prince, caught off guard by the rebuff, gave an awkward smile. “How could I bring myself to report such a thing? I was only asking out of concern for you.”

“My thanks to the Fourth Imperial Brother for his concern.” The Sixth Imperial Prince gave a slight cupped-hand bow, then turned away. “To forestall any suggestion from the Fourth Brother that I am coercing the throne, I will not wait for General Liu’s arrival.”

Duke Dingguo stepped forward. “This official will go in alongside the Sixth Highness.”

The greater part of the court officials followed — among them men from the Fourth Imperial Prince’s own faction, including Wei Cong Wen. At a moment like this, the higher ground of righteousness stood before them.