At year’s end with bitter cold, Emperor Zhengyuan had caught a chill and slept uneasily at night. During the ugly hour, palace servants came to report that palace buildings on the south side of the imperial city had their beams crushed by days of accumulated heavy snow.

However, this was not the only ill omen. At the yin hour morning court, when all officials came for audience, there were snow disasters in many places. Many suffered from hunger and cold, and incidents of frozen deaths among commoners and livestock occurred.

The government offices in Fengzhou had long fallen into disrepair. Local officials had petitioned the court several times without receiving funds. This year when the snow disaster struck heavily, the drum tower of the office collapsed, crushing the entire family of the drum craftsman to death.

The snow disaster was so severe that not only did it disturb local peace, it even caused palace buildings to collapse. This truly was not a good omen. Disasters are Heaven’s condemnation.

As Emperor of Great Qi, Emperor Zhengyuan could not but take this as a warning—to provide disaster relief locally, pacify his subjects, and hold a Heaven worship ceremony.

Emperor Zhengyuan believed in Daoism and was truly sensitive to the words “Heaven’s condemnation.” After the court decided that the Heaven worship ceremony would be held at Tai’an Hall, just traveling from Chaotian Hall to Qinghe Hall, the cold wind triggered his head ailment.

Ni Su could only enter the city at daybreak. After returning to South Sophora Street to change clothes, she came to the palace to get her pass, preparing to go to the southern suburbs estate.

“Where is Old Qin?”

Ni Su entered the main hall but didn’t see Old Imperial Physician Qin inside.

“His Majesty’s head ailment flared up. Old Imperial Physician Qin and the others all went to Qinghe Hall.” A medical student answered her casually.

As soon as he finished speaking, the door curtain was lifted from outside. On such a cold day, the Imperial Physicians who entered had fine sweat on their foreheads. Ni Su saw Old Imperial Physician Qin behind them, being supported by others, his legs seeming to have problems.

“Old Qin, what happened to you?”

Ni Su immediately stepped forward.

“Old and useless—slipped and fell outside.” Old Imperial Physician Qin forced a smile.

Several Imperial Physicians helped Old Imperial Physician Qin to the bamboo couch behind the tasseled curtain. Ni Su used soft pillows to cushion behind him and moved the brazier closer to him.

Tea was brewing on the stove. She glanced at it—not yet hot.

“How did His Majesty’s head ailment flare up again?”

Ni Su added charcoal to the stove.

“He was already ill, and today going to and from court he caught wind again,” Old Imperial Physician Qin coughed several times. “I heard accumulated snow crushed a palace building on the south side. Everyone says it’s Heaven’s condemnation. How could His Majesty not be anxious with fire attacking his heart?”

Ni Su saw Old Imperial Physician Qin’s expression was somewhat strange and asked: “What are you thinking about?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Old Imperial Physician Qin shook his head.

The Imperial Medical Bureau still had no better way to cure His Majesty’s head ailment. In the past when His Majesty’s head ailment was severe, compared to using the Imperial Medical Bureau’s insufficiently effective pain-relieving medicinal soups, His Majesty preferred to take golden elixirs.

After taking a golden elixir, the pain would stop in half a moment.

But today, though His Majesty was in such severe pain, he never once said he wanted to take a golden elixir.

Ni Su poured hot tea for Old Imperial Physician Qin and prepared tea snacks before going to receive the pass for the southern suburbs estate. Outside the palace gate, horses and carriages were prepared, driven by a eunuch from the Palace Domestic Service.

Ni Su had just handed her medicine box to the eunuch to place in the carriage and stepped onto the mounting stool, about to bend down and lift the curtain to enter, when she faintly heard the cold sound of armor clashing.

The sound of strict, orderly footsteps grew closer and closer.

Ni Su turned and raised her head. She saw Imperial Guards in red and gold armor running up in perfect formation, quickly clearing the roads on both sides, blocking carriages and pedestrians.

“What’s happening?” The young eunuch frowned. His nose tip was red from cold. Seeing this scene, he complained: “Blocking the way here, how can we pass?”

Standing on the carriage, Ni Su could naturally see over the human wall and farther ahead.

Cold wind howled and snow fell profusely.

Personal guards and Imperial Guards in armor bearing blades surrounded one person. That person wore thin robes. Every three steps, he would kneel and kowtow, crying out loudly: “His Majesty is benevolent and virtuous, ghosts submit and spirits revere! All faults of the myriad directions rest on this subject alone! I beseech Heaven above, transfer the disaster to this subject!”

Filthy mud soaked his robes, snow water saturated his hair. His complexion was pale, his lips already frozen dark purple. Without shoes or socks, he repeated standing up, moving forward three steps, then kneeling down and shouting.

Last night at the reed flower river bank,

Ni Su had seen his face.

She instinctively lowered her eyes. The faint mist at her sleeve’s edge disappeared. She looked around and saw that pale white-clothed figure had already silently crossed over the Imperial Guards’ human wall.

In broad daylight’s brightness, cold mist pervaded.

Xu Hexue almost instantly froze in the middle of the road. He looked at that person’s face, his feet seemingly weighing a thousand pounds.

“Your Highness…”

Guard Yuan saw Prince Jia having difficulty standing and wanted to help, but he waved away his hand.

Prince Jia gritted his teeth, both hands supporting himself on the damp ground to stand up. Forward one step, two steps, three steps, then knelt down again, repeating his previous words.

He gradually drew closer.

“Your Majesty…”

Prince Jia’s feet were bare. He staggered forward. After just two steps he fell. Xu Hexue took two steps forward to help, but his semi-transparent hands passed through Prince Jia’s sleeves and arms.

Prince Jia fell to the ground, only feeling the wind rushing toward him even more bitterly cold.

Xu Hexue watched him struggle to stand, then take another step forward.

So close—close enough for Xu Hexue to clearly see his current appearance. His features had shed their youthful tenderness, settling into some traces of time.

Taller now, yet still the same as in youth—so thin and gaunt.

“Yonggeng…”

His throat moved slightly.

Why return?

But the person before him couldn’t give him an answer. Xu Hexue watched him kneel down before him, kowtow: “His Majesty is benevolent and virtuous, ghosts submit and spirits revere! All faults of the myriad directions rest on this subject alone! I beseech Heaven above, transfer the disaster to this subject!”

Why like this?

Xu Hexue curled his knuckles tightly.

Prince Jia stood up, completely unaware as he walked forward, colliding with the lingering soul that scattered into faint mist. He suddenly stopped and turned back. Cold smoke curled in wisps, the north wind cutting to the bone.

“Your Highness?” Guard Yuan didn’t know what he was looking at.

Prince Jia also didn’t know what he was looking at. He turned back again, taking difficult steps forward—three prostrations and nine kowtows toward that palace gate, toward that imperial city.

As soon as Prince Jia entered the city, the palace had already received word. In Qinghe Hall, Emperor Zhengyuan’s head ailment pain hadn’t yet eased. Liang Shenfu standing to one side carefully said: “I heard he came all the way down the Imperial Street like this—Prince Jia barefoot, three prostrations and nine kowtows.”

Emperor Zhengyuan lay on the dragon couch, silent for a long time.

No one had anticipated that Prince Jia would dare defy the edict and return to Yun Jing. Pan Youfang and others who were about to leave the palace also gathered at Yongding Gate. They watched Prince Jia walk three steps, three kowtows, both bare feet covered in blood, his robes also stained with filth and bloodstains.

“His Majesty said he wants to see him?”

Pan Youfang asked Palace Censor Ding Jin beside him.

“Yes.”

Ding Jin stared at Prince Jia’s figure in the distance, his complexion somewhat dark.

Prince Jia defied the edict to return to the capital, yet His Majesty wanted to see him at this time—this was already very ominous.

Meng Yunxian sat upright in the back hall of the Political Affairs Hall, eyes closed in meditation.

“Minister Meng, just yesterday through your subordinates you criticized Minister Huang. Last night Minister Huang persuaded His Majesty to change his mind and increase the Imperial Guard deployment to protect Prince Jia’s return to Tongzhou. But today Prince Jia… came back on his own.”

Huang Zongyu was ordered to promote new policies together with Meng Yunxian. Though he was a conservative who didn’t advocate war, he also couldn’t be considered Old Party. For the sake of the realm and state, he naturally had his own considerations.

The Noble Consort’s unborn child’s gender was still unknown, so Huang Zongyu had to temporarily protect Prince Jia.

But the increased Imperial Guard deployment had only just left the city when Prince Jia turned back.

This truly exceeded Pei Zhiyuan’s expectations.

“How is it that you don’t look surprised at all?” Pei Zhiyuan noticed Meng Yunxian’s expression.

“If he doesn’t want to leave, isn’t that a good thing for us?”

Meng Yunxian didn’t open his eyes.

“But this is defying an edict, Minister Meng.”

Pei Zhiyuan sighed.

“Didn’t His Majesty want to see him?” Meng Yunxian leaned back in his chair. “The snow disaster has everyone in panic. Since ancient times it’s said that unclear rulership brings Heaven’s condemnation. Right now it’s precisely when His Majesty has a headache. Court officials all hope His Majesty will issue a self-reproaching edict to inform Heaven. But Prince Jia returned crying out ‘His Majesty is benevolent and virtuous, ghosts submit and spirits revere,’ with three steps and nine kowtows.”

This was loyalty and filial piety, beyond reproach.

From beginning to end, Meng Yunxian never opened his eyes.

Prince Jia knelt all the way to Qinghe Hall. Liang Shenfu saw his robe hem torn and worn bloody, his heart alarmed. He quickly called several palace servants to help him into the hall.

The earth dragon heating system burned in Qinghe Hall. Every bone in Prince Jia’s body seemed frozen like ice. Entering the warm hall suddenly, he almost immediately shivered.

The bitter smell of medicinal soup hadn’t dissipated from the inner hall. The snow particles on Prince Jia’s body began to melt. He broke free from the palace servants’ hands and knelt on the ground toward the curtain. “Father.”

His voice was already hoarse.

For a moment there was no movement from behind the curtain. Prince Jia’s hands pressed against the floor, prostrating quietly.

“Yonggeng, now you even dare to defy edicts? Do you know what crime defying an edict is?”

That voice was neither light nor heavy.

“I know,”

Prince Jia looked at his own shadow reflected on the floor. “But Yonggeng could not but return.”

“Do tell, why?”

“Yonggeng dreamed of Uncle Wang.”

He said, “Uncle Wang scolded me in the dream, saying that since I am the sovereign father’s son, I should not disobey you. I ought to be at your side, fulfilling a son’s filial duty… Since his passing, I haven’t dreamed of him once. Last night’s dream shattered my liver and gall. As a son, I have failed Uncle Wang and failed Father even more…”

He raised his head, his eyelids moist. “Uncle Wang awakened me. I thought, even if I must die, I should return to see Father.”

The “Uncle Wang” he spoke of was actually his birth father, Prince Gong.

“I have never dreamed of him either.”

His younger brother had been gone many years. Emperor Zhengyuan realized he could barely remember his face.

Emperor Zhengyuan suddenly had a violent coughing fit.

Liang Shenfu immediately went in to present a bowl of hot tea. Emperor Zhengyuan had just taken one sip when he coughed even more violently. He waved away Liang Shenfu’s hand and the cup suddenly fell to the ground.

“Father…”

Prince Jia called out once.

Emperor Zhengyuan took quite a while to recover, gasping for breath. “You are after all the son I acknowledged. Now you’ve performed three prostrations and nine kowtows for me to sacrifice to Heaven above. But if I take pity on your filial heart, then Yonggeng, what should you do?”

Though his voice was weak, it carried no less imperial authority.

Prince Jia immediately bowed lower. His elbows pressed painfully against the floor, both knees aching until his whole body trembled. Snow water dripped down from his temples.

He tightened his jaw and clenched his teeth.

His lips and teeth were tinged with the taste of blood.

Finally closing his eyes, voice trembling:

“Yonggeng is willing to obey Father’s edict and—sever righteousness with Commoner Li.”

“After spring begins, marry the Wu clan’s daughter.”