The copper water clock outside the hall dripped with slow droplets, lightly striking the water jar gilded with gold and silver beast patterns. Inside the hall, everyone had their own thoughts, and for a time no one spoke.

The Emperor’s emotions surged—one moment recalling Huo Chong’s voice and countenance, the next pondering how to handle Huo Buyi’s subsequent treatment. He was the ruler of a nation. No matter how grieved his heart, he couldn’t act like a woman. He naturally needed to give the court ministers an acceptable explanation, but Huo Buyi’s future prospects also had to be arranged brilliantly to be worthy of his sworn brother’s heroic spirit.

While the Emperor was planning in his heart, the impatient Third Prince spoke again: “This son knows Father Emperor is merciful, but the Ling brothers are truly detestable. This son believes only complete clan extermination is sufficient to console the heroic martyrs! Kill every last one of them, and see who dares collaborate with enemies and betray the nation in the future!” It would have been better if he hadn’t spoken. Once he opened his mouth, he perfectly reminded the Emperor of another matter.

The Emperor sat up straight and glared: “Those surnamed Ling naturally cannot be lightly pardoned, but you can’t escape either! Last night Zicheng’s unauthorized troop deployment wasn’t for himself, was it? You two little wretches have put on quite a show these years—either not associating or having nothing good to say when meeting. Turns out you’ve long been in collusion! Speak! Did you instigate Zicheng?!” While saying this, he imperceptibly glanced at the brocade curtain.

The Third Prince felt as if someone had grabbed his throat and stuffed a rotten peach in it. He stammered: “Well, that… Father Emperor, actually Zicheng and I also argue back and forth in private. It’s not all pretense…”

Huo Buyi smiled bitterly: “Your Majesty, this subject and Third Prince have indeed long associated, but this subject dares swear to heaven that Third Prince absolutely knew nothing of events two nights ago—because this subject used the Eastern Palace seal one step ahead to draw the tiger from the mountain, sending His Highness to Red Willow Camp to investigate a case of military supply theft. When several lords impeached this subject for forging edicts, they were absolutely correct.”

The Emperor forced himself not to look at the brocade curtain and roared angrily: “You, how can you face the Empress and Crown Prince like this?!”

Huo Buyi lowered his eyes and said quietly: “Naturally I cannot face them.” —He not only wronged the Empress and Crown Prince, there was another person he now didn’t even dare think about.

The Third Prince stretched his neck stubbornly: “Father Emperor, stop scolding Zicheng! When he was carried up the cliff this morning, he was not only covered in wounds but burning with fever. That he can sit up now is already difficult. If you want to scold someone, scold this son!”

“Of course I’m going to scold you! What has the Crown Prince done to wrong you that you’re so dissatisfied with him! In the past when you fought with the second prince, the Crown Prince nearly got his head smashed protecting you! And the Empress—when you were young you were raised by her. You ungrateful, bewitched wretch, have you forgotten all this?!” The Emperor’s roar was full of vigor. Indeed, scolding his own son was more refreshing.

“This son naturally hasn’t forgotten.” The Third Prince’s expression didn’t change. “But this son dares swear on his life that over these years, I’ve never harmed the Crown Prince by even a finger! Actually, several times when Zicheng was campaigning abroad and incidents occurred in the Eastern Palace, this son secretly resolved them. If Father Emperor doesn’t believe it, you can investigate!”

“Don’t tell me when Lou Jing and Wang Chun had their troubles, you weren’t secretly delighted!”

“One is a false gentleman, one a true scoundrel. Before there was no excuse, so I could only watch the Crown Prince trust and value them. Now that they can finally be driven away, does Father Emperor want to keep them in the Eastern Palace past the Shangsi Festival?!”

“Shangsi has already passed!” The Emperor roared.

Despite the melancholy in Shaoshang’s heart, even now she wanted to laugh. Looking through the curtain gap, that pair of imperial father and son roared at each other earth-shakingly, the veins bulging on their foreheads in nearly identical positions.

Excluding the one who died young, the Empress and Consort Yue had given Uncle Emperor a total of ten sons. Though Uncle Emperor had a gentle temperament, he was still the supreme sovereign holding power of life and death. When his face darkened, every prince and princess would be alarmed and show humble compliance. However wild the Second Prince was, he didn’t dare talk back before the Emperor—this was the first time Shaoshang had seen such a scene.

After taking two breaths to calm himself, the Emperor said in a deep voice: “Don’t deflect so cleanly! Though you didn’t know about Zicheng’s troop deployment two nights ago, what you’ve secretly planned over these years, what thoughts you harbor in your heart—there’s no need to hide or cover up now. If you have the courage to do it, you should have the courage to admit it. Speak!”

Indeed, ginger was still spicier when old—these words hit the mark. The Third Prince’s expression changed several times before he gritted his teeth and said: “That’s right! I believe the Crown Prince is unfit to be heir apparent. He cannot bear the weight of this realm!”

These words were far too blunt. Huo Buyi sighed lightly at his side.

The Emperor erupted in fury. He forcefully pressed down to rise, took down the precious sword hanging on the wall, and struck the Third Prince heavily with it, scabbard and all, cursing loudly: “Rebellious son’s wild words! If he cannot bear the realm, can you?! No matter how inadequate the Crown Prince is, at least he’s more benevolent than you!”

After only a few strikes, Huo Buyi hurriedly rose to stop the Emperor.

The Third Prince took two hard blows, his jaw clenched so tight it showed on his cheeks. He took a deep breath and said: “A ruler need not be benevolent or harsh, only act according to reason and emotion. Rewards and punishments are originally two sharp weapons in a sovereign’s hands—above they control assembled ministers, below they govern the common people. But the Crown Prince’s benevolence is precisely abandoning these two weapons. From the Crown Princess to the Eastern Palace ministers, Imperial Brother neither rewards those who should be rewarded nor punishes those who should be punished, creating hidden dangers everywhere around him. Does Father Emperor think this kind of benevolence is good?”

“You’re narrow-minded yourself, so you criticize your benevolent elder brother. Good, good, good! I hadn’t seen this side of you before! I also love benevolence, I also praise the Crown Prince’s benevolence—what will you do about it?!” The Emperor’s right hand gripped the sword hilt tightly, making as if to draw it.

The Third Prince seemed to have thrown caution to the wind and simply said it all in one breath: “Emperor Yuan was also very benevolent, which is why even though Emperor Xuan didn’t like his weak scholarly nature, he ultimately didn’t depose him! But the chaos in the previous dynasty’s governance began precisely in Emperor Yuan’s reign! Emperor Xuan had two other sons—Prince Huaiyang was perceptive and skilled in law, Prince Chu was intelligent and talented. These two governed their fiefdoms for decades with hardly any wicked errors. If Emperor Xuan had simply established either of them, how could court governance have deteriorated to such an irreparable state!”

“You wretch!” The Emperor’s whole body trembled with rage as he drew out a section of blade with a whoosh.

Huo Buyi forced his pain-wracked body to push the Third Prince forcefully: “Accept small punishment but flee from great punishment—Your Highness, hurry and leave!”

The Third Prince only came to his senses after speaking his mind. Seeing he’d angered his father terribly, he quickly grabbed his robe and ran out of the inner hall with his head down, disappearing in a flash.

The Emperor didn’t call for anyone to apprehend him, only hatefully threw down the precious sword, then glared at his adopted son: “What a fine thing you two have done!… Hurry and sit down, go lean over there!”

Huo Buyi smiled, pressed his wounded areas, and slowly sat down leaning against an armrest.

The Emperor forcefully steadied his breathing and turned his head: “Are you also like Ziduan, feeling the Crown Prince must be deposed?”

Huo Buyi lowered his head without speaking.

The Emperor pitied his adopted son’s decade-plus of hardships and suffering. Unable to bear beating or scolding him, he could only earnestly advise: “Have you gone mad? The Crown Prince is honest and benevolent, and trusts and values you. Once he ascends the throne, you won’t have to worry for the rest of your life! Switch to the third prince—hmph, one day when you two quarrel and he loses his temper and demotes you to some deep mountain forest, let’s see where you’ll cry! If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, it’s good for all the other princes and princesses, good for the Empress and Consort Yue!”

Huo Buyi suddenly said: “Why is it good for the princes and princesses, good for the Empress and Consort Yue? Why not good for the realm’s common people, good for the nation and ancestral altars!”

The Emperor choked and cursed: “You’re also here to anger me?!”

“This subject wouldn’t dare.” Huo Buyi’s expression was gloomy. “This subject has associated with Third Prince for over ten years, but the thought of changing the heir only arose four or five years ago. From that time on, this subject knew I would be unable to escape the name of disloyalty, ingratitude, and betrayal in the future. But, Your Majesty…”

He slowly raised his head, gazing at his adoptive father. “This subject has only been at the Crown Prince’s side for a few short years, yet I can already command all the Eastern Palace’s military forces, officials, tax revenue, and intelligence reports. All command tallies and seals are in this subject’s hands. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, this subject could immediately monopolize state governance and hold all power! Your Majesty, would you be willing to see this?”

The Emperor’s hand made a cracking sound—he’d actually split a crack in the solid, reliable lacquered wood armrest with his grip. He said with a somber face: “Then why don’t you monopolize state governance and hold all power?”

Huo Buyi said: “When this subject was young, I once heard Father tell Mother that back when heroes rose together contending for the realm, he was older than Your Majesty, had greater family wealth than Your Majesty, and in reputation and talent wasn’t necessarily inferior to Your Majesty either. Yet he was still willing to assist Your Majesty. Because he saw in Your Majesty a brilliance—like boundless earth, calm and solid; like ceaselessly rushing rivers, surging and magnificent; strong but not oppressive, gentleness overcoming strength—Father was certain you were the true Son of Heaven who could stabilize the realm and treat the common people well.”

The Emperor showed his first smile of the night, though his face remained stern: “You were only how many years old then? How do you remember so clearly? You’re not making it up, are you?”

Huo Buyi smiled faintly: “This subject has had a good memory since childhood.”

The Emperor nodded: “In that you resemble your mother. I remember after they married, your father often boasted about his new wife’s extensive learning and good memory.”

Huo Buyi’s heart constricted, tears gleaming, yet he still smiled: “Mother’s memory was indeed good. No matter how long ago brothers and sisters committed errors, she could recount them clearly off the top of her head.”

The Emperor knew he’d touched his adopted son’s painful spot and could only change the subject: “Still, you can’t deploy troops without authorization! How will you get past this threshold now? Have you thought about it!”

Huo Buyi said: “This subject had no other way. More than one person has told Your Majesty about this matter. Marquis Yu hinted to Your Majesty at a banquet—Your Majesty pretended not to understand. General Wu shouted that the Crown Prince doesn’t understand military affairs and it’s useless for him to visit military camps again—Your Majesty just had this subject go help at the Eastern Palace. And Divine Immortal Yan—the year the Crown Prince married, he said the Crown Prince wasn’t suitable as heir… Your Majesty wouldn’t even listen to Divine Immortal Yan’s words. What other methods did this subject have except to let Your Majesty see with your own eyes the result of the Eastern Palace’s power falling into other hands! Even if it weren’t this subject, as long as someone is skilled in calculation and good at maneuvering, gaining the Crown Prince’s trust is not difficult at all.”

“Well said!” A jade hand suddenly extended from the brocade curtain at the side. The Empress slightly lifted the curtain and walked out.

The Emperor sighed quietly. Huo Buyi’s face was full of guilt.

The Empress stood before Huo Buyi and said calmly: “What Zicheng says makes perfect sense, but you should also know that since ancient times, deposed crown princes rarely have good endings.”

Huo Buyi painfully closed his eyes, then looked directly at the Empress: “That year when the scholar came to Changqiu Palace to lecture on history and spoke of High Emperor’s story, Your Majesty said that though High Emperor lacked benevolence and righteousness, shared his birth father’s flesh for food, and abandoned a pair of children, he was ultimately a good emperor. No matter how much he loved Consort Qi and Prince Ruyi, since it would harm the court, he didn’t dare forcibly change the heir, even though he knew Empress Lü wouldn’t spare them.”

The Empress’s fingers trembled as she stared fixedly at Huo Buyi.

Huo Buyi continued: “In High Emperor’s heart, the nation and ancestral altars far outweighed beloved consort and young son, whereas Emperor Xuan clearly knew the Crown Prince was unsuitable yet still let things be. In his heart, his feelings for his original Empress were more important. Thus, beginning with High Emperor, the previous dynasty produced six enlightened rulers in succession—they swallowed mountains and rivers, dominated all under heaven. But after Emperor Xuan, the court situation gradually descended into chaos…”

“What fine words of heartless abandonment of love!” The Empress said coldly. “High Emperor knew his beloved son couldn’t escape death but endured it for the nation and ancestral altars—so must you also abandon all feeling and affection?”

Huo Buyi knelt before the Empress and said word by word: “This subject knows I’ve wronged Your Majesty and the Crown Prince. I’m willing to die to repay this kindness and righteousness.” After a pause, he added, “Originally, this subject never expected to return alive anyway.”

The Emperor braced against the armrest to half-rise, wanting to say a few words for his adopted son but worried about the Empress, so could only hang suspended there.

“You’ve misunderstood. I’m not speaking of myself and the Crown Prince.” The Empress said. “When you entered the palace you were already eight years old—sensible and clever, studious and modest, healthy with few illnesses. I didn’t worry much over you. If we truly speak of nurturing grace and teaching responsibility, you should thank His Majesty. On the contrary, later you maneuvered back and forth for the Crown Prince, rushing about to clean up messes—your contributions were extremely great. If not for you, the Crown Prince’s reputation would have been ruined long ago—though I know you were actually doing it for His Majesty, not wanting him to worry and be troubled by it.”

Though she said this, after years of marriage the Emperor could still see the Empress was angry, so he dared even less to interject.

“I’m speaking of Shaoshang.” The Empress said coldly. “In this entire matter, His Majesty established the heir inappropriately, the Crown Prince is mediocre and incompetent, the third prince has grand ambitions, you have a blood feud, and I am an indulgent mother who ruins her son… Only Shaoshang. This matter had nothing whatsoever to do with her, yet you innocently dragged her into it!”

What little color remained in Huo Buyi’s face drained completely clean. His lips trembled slightly, unable to speak.

“Just now you spoke so logically—abandon small affections for great love, bestowing blessings on all under heaven. Fine. Now I’ll ask you: from the moment you rushed to the Ling family villa and deployed troops without authorization, did you already resolve to abandon Shaoshang?!” The Empress asked heavily.

Huo Buyi painfully pressed his wounded areas. After a long while he said with difficulty: “…Correct.”

The Empress laughed coldly: “Well said!” With that, she walked to the Emperor’s writing desk. On it sat a half-foot-tall delicate lacquered wood frame from which hung a crescent-shaped flat bronze gong. The Empress drew out the small bronze hammer from the frame and urgently began striking it.

When the Emperor discussed secrets, he permitted no palace maids or eunuchs at his side. They all attended from afar in the surrounding palace rooms. To summon them required striking this bronze gong.

Huo Buyi still didn’t understand, but the Emperor was already covering his forehead and sighing.

The Empress walked to the side of the curtain again, reached behind a column post to find a rope and pulled it forcefully.

The ornate, dense brocade curtain pulled open from both sides like a waterfall. In the inner chamber knelt a frail young girl, long hair covering her back, slightly turned snow-white cheek. She knelt completely motionless, her back toward Huo Buyi.