Once all arrangements had been made, Gu Yanxi changed into mourning whites and knelt before the spirit hall. He had not even noticed that kneeling beside him was his own father, the Prince of Ling.

The Prince of Ling had not seen his eldest son for a long while, nor been this close to him in ages. Something in him stirred — a faint sense of unreality. The child who had once eagerly hoped for his praise had grown taller than him now, and had become the Prince Regent of Daqing, second only to the emperor himself.

“Father Prince…”

The Prince of Ling returned to his senses and lowered his head, instinctively asking, “Are you unwell somewhere? Father Prince will take you to see the imperial physician right away.”

The boy who looked no older than seven or eight was slight and frail, leaning against the Prince of Ling as he knelt. A cushion had been placed on the floor. He carefully concealed the jealousy and hatred in his eyes, shook his head at his father, and stole glance after glance toward Gu Yanxi, saying in a low voice, “Your son… has not seen Elder Brother in several years now.”

The Prince of Ling could not help but look in the direction of his eldest son as well. Under ordinary circumstances, he would naturally have been glad to arrange a meeting for his younger son. But not now. At home, they could make whatever kind of scene they liked — even if the entire city knew of the discord between father and son, what of it? Who would dare come to his face and pry? But this was the spirit hall of his imperial elder brother. If he caused a disturbance here, not only would the Empress Dowager be impossible to face, Yanxi himself would likely not spare him an ounce of dignity.

Having lived this long, he was not without that much sense.

He patted his younger son’s shoulder and adjusted the cloak around him. The Prince of Ling spoke warmly, “Once this is over, Father Prince will have your Elder Brother come and see you.”

Dissatisfied at having failed to succeed this time, the Prince of Ling’s second son, Gu Yanhe, spoke agreeably on the surface, then suddenly broke into coughing with such dramatic force it could have shaken heaven and earth. When he lowered the hand covering his mouth, his palm was stained a vivid red.

“Yanhe!” The Prince of Ling immediately scooped up his son and made to rush for an imperial physician. Gu Yanhe kept his gaze trained on Gu Yanxi all the while — yet to his disappointment, even after causing this great a commotion, that person still had not turned around to look at him. He would never forget that day several years ago — when he said he had nearly forgotten what Elder Brother looked like, and Father Prince went before His Majesty to request an audience, bringing that person before him. The look on his face then — all fury and humiliation barely contained — that was how his Elder Brother ought to look.

He stopped coughing. He lifted eyes filled with welling tears. “This is an old ailment. No need to see a physician — what will repeated visits change anyway? I want to keep vigil here for His Majesty, just like Elder Brother. Father Prince, can I… can I trade places with you? I want to be closer to Elder Brother.”

Before the Prince of Ling could respond, a cold voice came from behind. “I’ll have someone prepare a coffin. Why don’t you simply climb inside?”

Even the chanting of the monks seemed to falter for a moment. People ahead had already begun to steal glances back.

Shao Yao, who had entered the palace a step behind, walked slowly forward and looked down at Gu Yanhe with cold, indifferent eyes. She had always wanted to be rid of him. Every time she saw him, that desire grew stronger. Other children might be innocent — but this one, whose every glance and every expression radiated malice, was certainly not among them.

“Walk away on your own, or shall I help you?”

This was the first time the Prince of Ling had seen his daughter with her face free of those ghastly scars. On the few rare occasions they had met before, she had always removed her veil on purpose, deliberately showing him that face — skin torn and lacerated almost beyond recognition. Now that it had finally healed, a father ought to rejoice.

But that relief had not even had the chance to reach his expression before her words knocked it flat. The Prince of Ling frowned at once. “However you see it, he is still your own brother. What kind of words are those? This is before His Majesty’s spirit — would you make a scene here just to show your authority?”

“My own brother? Him?” Shao Yao’s expression conveyed her contempt with great vivacity. She stepped around both of them, picked up a stick of incense, and placed it into the censer. She knelt and performed a full nine prostrations. In her heart, she could not say she felt much grief — yet she felt a sorrow that settled heavy within her. In her imaginings of the future, the late Emperor had held a place. She had dreamed of becoming the first female general of Daqing, of fighting to expand the dynasty’s territory for her sovereign — and every time she said something like that, the late Emperor had always roared with hearty laughter. Over the years, his gifts to her had been no less than those given to any princess.

He had been a decent enough ruler in those days. Shao Yao raised her head and gazed for a moment through the curling wisps of incense smoke, then rose cleanly and stepped back to Yanxi-gege’s side. She looked at the Prince of Ling and his son, still standing where they were, and curved her lips into a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Would you like me to see you out?”

“Shao Yao.” Gu Yanxi picked up a prayer cushion and tossed it down at her feet. “Kneel.”

The Prince of Ling stared at his eldest son in disbelief. Was he — was he reprimanding Shao Yao on his behalf? How could that be?

Shao Yao had always been obedient before her elder brother. She let out a cold sniff, turned around, and knelt properly without further argument. At that moment, however, Gu Yanxi glanced over. His expression was utterly composed — as though he were looking at a complete stranger. “Since the young master is unwell, he should go see an imperial physician, so as not to disturb others. Someone come.”

The First Bureau Chief of the Seven Lodges Bureau stepped forward. “Your subordinate is present.”

“Please escort the Prince of Ling and his son to the Imperial Physician’s Court.”

“Yes.” The First Bureau Chief clasped his hands in a bow. “Prince of Ling, this way please.”

The Prince of Ling’s face darkened like stormclouds. What had he just been expecting? Given how his eldest son treated him, how could he possibly take his side against Shao Yao?

“Becoming Prince Regent has certainly made you commanding. What — if I refuse to leave, do you intend to lay hands on me?”

“Father Prince, Father Prince, please don’t be upset — Elder Brother cannot have meant it that way.” Gu Yanhe coughed and pleaded all in the same breath, each word coming out perfectly clear, entirely unimpeded by the coughing. The head lowered just so concealed that flicker of smugness with great precision.

How could he allow him to have everything go his way? A sound body. Abilities praised time and again by the late Emperor. Towering power and influence. The devoted heart of a beautiful companion… He already possessed so much. Then he would make sure there was one thing he could not have — a complete family. Ling Wang Manor belonged to him. No one was going to take it away.

Lost in those thoughts, what had started as a feigned cough became a real one. Once it started, it would not stop.

The Prince of Ling rushed to pat his younger son’s back, and the contrast between his two sons sent his fury surging even higher. “Gu Yanxi — no matter what, Yanhe is still your brother. Why must you treat him this way?”

Gu Yanxi did not spare him even a glance. He turned back and knelt perfectly upright. He was afraid that one more look might rekindle his urge to commit patricide.

The First Bureau Chief, reading the moment, immediately bowed and extended the invitation with great politeness. “Prince of Ling, please.”

“This is outrageous…”

The First Bureau Chief smiled — yet his stance was utterly unyielding, his posture that of someone fully prepared to step forward and assist with physical force. Their leader had given the order. If they were told to knock the man flat on the ground right now, they would dare to do it.

“Gu Yanxi!”

“Such commotion before the spirit hall. What manner of conduct is this?” The Empress Dowager arrived, carried in on a palanquin, her face full of exasperated disappointment. Could he not think of a way to ease the relationship with Yanxi instead of making it even worse?

The Prince of Ling was habitually impetuous, and especially so before his mother. “Mother Empress, it is not I who caused this scene — it is he who has gone too far.”

“From where I was, I only heard your voice from a great distance. I did not hear Yanxi’s.”

“Mother Empress…”

“Have him taken to the Imperial Physician’s Court — do you not see he has been coughing blood?”

The Prince of Ling looked down — and sure enough, there was blood. No further prompting was needed. He scooped up his son and rushed out at once.

On his father’s shoulder, Gu Yanhe looked back toward the man who had never once given him a proper look. He had managed to hold himself together until now — yet in this moment, something broke loose. He coughed until tears streamed down his face.