"Hah!" Liu Che cast a cold, sidelong glance at Lin Gao, remaining silent for a long while before uttering that single syllable. Princesses committing adultery, the Crown Prince plotting rebellion, high officials embezzling funds—they certainly were a capable bunch.
He had always treated the Wei family with great favor, never expecting to raise a pack of ungrateful wolves. However, the words of Lin Gao alone were not entirely trustworthy. If he could use this opportunity to test his two sons, it might not be a bad idea.
Panic gripped Weiyang Palace. The Minister of the Household and the Minister of the Guards were conducting rigorous inspections throughout the palace; for a time, everyone felt their lives were at risk.
Liu Ju’s expression was grim as he paced back and forth within Bingjia Hall. He had only just heard of his Imperial Father’s nightmares and was preparing to pay his respects at the bedside when he was stopped at the gates of the Crown Prince’s Palace. He was told that by His Majesty’s decree, the entire palace was under lockdown, and even he was no exception.
Not a shred of news from outside could reach him. The Crown Princess, Xue Qi, approached with the imperial grandson, Liu Yong. She urged Liu Ju to sit and refilled his tea. "Your Highness, do not fret. At a time like this, no news might be the best news. At the very least, please have some breakfast."
Liu Ju gripped the teacup, dazed for a moment, before saying through gritted teeth, "Imperial Father suspects witchcraft in the palace, yet he locks down my palace—what is the meaning of this? Does he suspect me?" It was one thing for his father to be biased all these years, but how could he harbor such suspicion? Since the palace was sealed, would the next step be his execution?
Now that he was confined, Liu Fuling remained outside, watching like a tiger stalking its prey.
His mind was a chaotic mess.
Following his usual early morning routine, Liu Fuling finished reading a scroll and then went to pay his respects to Yan Zheng, acting as if he did not see the grim-faced guards standing outside Jiuhua Hall.
Currently, only the mother and son resided in Jiuhua Hall. When he reached the Hall of Veiled Hearts, Yan Zheng was already dressed and seated on the couch, waiting for the servants to set out breakfast. Judging by her complexion, she had not slept well.
Liu Fuling properly greeted his mother and asked, "Did Mother not rest well?"
Yan Zheng always maintained her composure before her child, and she managed a forced smile. "It was a bit noisy outside, so I didn't sleep well. It’s nothing."
Liu Fuling sat opposite her, propping his face in his hands. "Mother need not worry. Once Imperial Father finds the one practicing witchcraft, everything will naturally return to normal."
The servants finished setting the meal and stood aside. He placed an egg roll on his mother’s plate and took one for himself. After a bite, he said seemingly casually, "I see it is very quiet outside, and this breakfast is quite lavish, so I presume all is well. Furthermore, if one acts uprightly, there is nothing to fear."
Yan Zheng sighed. "I only fear the ulterior motives of others." Her son seemed exceptionally bright since birth; despite his young age, he acted with more stability than other children. His Majesty often lamented how much Lady Chen had wished to see this child born, but alas, she never did...
She had heard that Lady Chen had come to see her before passing, but she had been asleep. She had thought it was a brief parting, never imagining it would be a final farewell. Her eyes stung, and she nearly shed tears.
"Is Mother thinking of Lady Chen again?" Liu Fuling tilted his head to look at her. His Imperial Father rarely visited the harem, yet his mother’s face never showed a hint of melancholy because of it. However, whenever she thought of Lady Chen, she would always be moved to tears.
Yan Zheng’s hand paused as she wiped her eyes, and she smiled. "I have made a fool of myself before Fuling."
By the third day, the Emperor still had not lifted the confinement of the two princes. Instead, both heard rumors that the Emperor suspected them of witchcraft and rebellion. It was said that Empress Wei had knelt outside the Emperor’s hall to plead for mercy, only to be harshly rebuked and ordered back to the Pepper Room Palace, forbidden from leaving.
On the fifth day, the Crown Prince, in a fit of rage, injured an inner eunuch in Bingjia Hall. Meanwhile, news spread from Jiuhua Hall that the Sixth Prince had contracted a cold and was suffering from a fever.
Liu Che was startled in his bedchamber and immediately dispatched the Imperial Physician.
Liu Fuling understood the situation perfectly.
On the seventh day, the Crown Prince’s attempt to send messages to the Pepper Room Palace and the Chancellor’s manor via a young eunuch was intercepted. The Emperor sent an envoy to reprimand him.
On the tenth day, the Sixth Prince attempted to leave with a sword. The guards surrounded him, but he told his attendants, "I have heard there is no deep-seated hatred between father and son. Please convey my message: I wish to see the Emperor." He was refused.
On the eleventh day, the Sixth Prince forced his way out of Jiuhua Hall. When the guards tried to stop him, he held his sword to his own neck. He walked all the way to the front of the Emperor’s bedchamber, discarded the sword, and prostrated himself. He cried out, "As a son and grandson, to hear that my father is ill and be unable to serve him personally is unfilial! As a subject and servant, to hear that my sovereign is troubled and be unable to ease his worries is disloyal! I do not wish to be a man of disloyalty and unfilial piety, thus I have come to beg for an audience with my Imperial Father!"
Liu Che lay on his couch, clutching several letters Liu Ju had tried to smuggle out. A smile finally touched his face. Seeing Lin Gao looking over, he pulled back his smile. "It’s not enough. Let him keep kneeling."
He wanted to see just how long a six-year-old child could kneel.
When it was time for the midday meal, Lin Gao looked at the sun outside and finally spoke up to persuade him. "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is only six. He has been kneeling for an hour already. Let him get up, or his knees will be ruined."
Liu Che, who had been slowly sipping his soup, paused. He frowned and instructed Huang Yu, "Go and tell him to come... tell him to go back."
Lin Gao shook his head. Even now, the Emperor was still testing him. Although he felt that His Majesty had become less cold-blooded over the years compared to the historical records, his old habits of suspicion and distrust still surfaced from time to time.
Huang Yu went out and bowed to Liu Fuling. "Your Highness, His Majesty asks you to return."
Liu Fuling shook his head, his lips pale but his gaze incredibly firm. "I will not return until I see my Imperial Father." As he spoke, he gasped for breath several times, as if he might lose his wind entirely. He had knelt for so long; if he went back now, wouldn't all his previous efforts be in vain?
Huang Yu tried to persuade him repeatedly, but the Sixth Prince refused to budge. Having no choice, the eunuch returned to report the truth to the Emperor.
Liu Che sighed, his estimation of Liu Fuling rising significantly.
Fifteen minutes later, news arrived that the Sixth Prince had fainted. Liu Che stood up abruptly and ordered the boy to be carried in.
When Liu Fuling saw Liu Che, his eyes suddenly welled up, and tears as large as beans spilled over. He clutched Liu Che’s sleeve, his voice filled with immense grievance. "Does Imperial Father no longer want me?"
Lin Gao secretly gave Liu Fuling a mental thumbs-up.
Heartbroken, Liu Che hurriedly coaxed his youngest son and sent for the physicians.
In the second year of Tianhan, the Emperor investigated the witchcraft case in the palace. It was found to be the work of the Attendant Li Ji and Li Guangli. Furthermore, reports surfaced that Li Ji was having an affair with members of the harem. Consequently, the entire Li family was executed, and the Crown Prince’s Consort, Li Yan, was ordered to commit suicide.
In May of the third year of Tianhan, the Emperor traveled to Ganquan, accompanied by both the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince. The Crown Prince’s horse suddenly went mad and collided with the imperial carriage, causing an injury to the Emperor’s arm. Enraged, the Emperor deposed the Crown Prince, re-titling him the Prince of Changyi. He stripped the Empress of her seals and moved her to the North Palace.
On the fourteenth day of the seventh month, during the Emperor’s birthday celebration before the civil and military officials, he announced the appointment of the Sixth Prince, Liu Fuling, as the Crown Prince.
***
The Soul Induction Bureau.
Qin Sheng held down Huan Jiujun, forcing him to study the rules of the Underworld properly. As his disciple and someone who had recently earned merit, Huan Jiujun couldn't afford to make mistakes on his first day as a soul reaper. Qin Sheng couldn't quite explain the rules himself; during that great battle at Xunyang, he had been guarding Nagmen Palace. That day, a swarm of demons had rushed toward the palace, which had misled them.
Combined with the barrier outside the fleet, they hadn't sensed the death of a soul reaper until both evil dragons were dead. Zhong Yu’s soul had dissipated on the spot, and Chen Ajiao’s soul had shattered into fragments. Had it not been for the Houtu divine power within her, her fate would have been even worse than Zhong Yu’s.
Now, Shen Zhi was keeping Chen Ajiao’s soul in a small bottle at the bottom of the Yellow Springs to nourish it. It was unclear how it was progressing, but Qin Sheng estimated it would take decades before it even regained a shape.
A short while later, the Celestial Master Yun Yue and the Ghost Emperor Fei Kang walked in hand-in-hand. Yun Yue looked at Qin Sheng for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a bag of candy and handed it to him, smiling. "Here, here, I'm handing out candy to you and your disciple."
Qin Sheng looked at the candy, thinking that mortal customs were becoming increasingly common in the Underworld. He asked, "Thank you, My Lady. Has something auspicious happened with Yun He?"
"Indeed! He’s become the Crown Prince in the mortal realm. Fei Kang and I went to take a look today. Oh, you wouldn't believe it—that boy looks completely different after reincarnating. He’s not rowdy anymore; he’s quiet and steady, with that same air of forced solemnity his father has." Yun Yue burst into laughter.
She laughed for a while before turning serious. "By the way, regarding that Sheng Bu we caught earlier—the two Sovereigns have ordered his transfer from the Soul Induction Bureau to the Reincarnation Bureau. They will come to collect him personally in two hours. Get things ready."
"The Reincarnation Bureau? Why there? They don't have a prison."
"Oh, Shen Zhi said he can be refined and tossed into the Mirror of Reincarnation to help stabilize it."
Qin Sheng: "..."
Once Yun Yue and Fei Kang had walked away, Huan Jiujun leaned in and asked, "Can evil spirits really be refined? Was that Princess Guantao’s idea?"
Once an evil spirit was refined and forged into a spiritual tool, it would become something like a tool spirit, yet weaker than a naturally born one and without its own consciousness.
Qin Sheng nodded. "It certainly looks like it. I heard that Shen Zhi’s wife has been crying by the Yellow Springs every day these past few years." Women... they certainly know how to hold a grudge!
The master and disciple whispered for a while longer before continuing their lessons on the Underworld’s regulations.
***
In the first year of Zhenghe, the Emperor moved to Jianzhang Palace, while the Crown Prince remained in Chang’an to oversee the state.
In the second year of Zhenghe, the Emperor fell ill and moved to Luoyang to recover. The Crown Prince stayed in Chang’an, acting as regent for all affairs.
In April, the Prince of Changyi, Liu Ju, requested to travel to Luoyang to attend to his father’s illness, but the Emperor refused.
The Crown Prince investigated a certain case and found it to be true, subsequently dispatching the Colonel of the City Gates to the princedom to arrest the Prince of Changyi. Stricken by fear, Liu Ju raised an army and fought the Colonel in the outskirts. He was executed, and his three sons were made marquises.
When Liu Che received the Crown Prince’s report of the death in the Luoyang palace, he only shed a few tears, then praised the Crown Prince for being just and impartial.
Over the years, he had heard much from Lin Gao about the history of another world. He hoped to avoid the things he would have originally done. Unfortunately, Lin Gao’s memory was not very clear, so he had to investigate and decide many things for himself.
Furthermore, he decided to attempt delegating power while planning the future path of the Great Han—a decision he had never made before. Even with this decision, he inevitably placed his confidants in Chang’an.
Regarding Liu Ju’s death, the Crown Prince had not acted wrongly. This child had never been indecisive; he was ruthless and resolute. He felt that Ajiao’s judgment had indeed been correct—this child was very much like him, from temperament to ability.
In the first month of the second year of Houyuan, the Emperor returned to Chang’an. The Crown Prince led the officials to welcome him outside the city.
Liu Che felt he was very ill. Lin Gao said that according to the timeline, he was supposed to die this year. So he returned to Chang’an. He had already moved Ajiao’s remains to the Maoling Tomb a few years ago. After he died... he didn't know if he would see her again.
The Crown Prince supported the Emperor back to the Xuan室 Hall. As the Emperor leaned against the couch, the Crown Prince remained kneeling by his side. Liu Che patted his shoulder, signaling for him to sit. After declining several times, the Crown Prince finally moved a mat to sit beside the Emperor’s couch.
Only then did Liu Che look up at the officials waiting outside. In recent years, the court officials had almost entirely been replaced by the Crown Prince’s men. Even if there were important positions the Crown Prince didn't dare touch, he certainly had his people planted underneath.
Perhaps he was intimidated by Lin Gao’s words, or perhaps it was because of Ajiao’s past expectations, but he felt he had been indulgent toward Liu Fuling to the extreme—to the point where it seemed he could no longer control him. Perhaps, he no longer needed to.
"The Crown Prince has done well. Let them disperse; let us father and son have a talk."
The Crown Prince bowed his head in obedience and dismissed the officials outside.
"Is there still no one in the Crown Prince’s palace with child?" Liu Che held his tea, blowing away the steam before taking a sip. Through the hazy mist, Liu Fuling could not see the Emperor’s expression clearly.
He stepped back and kowtowed. "This son is incompetent." To this day, the Crown Prince had no offspring, and the imperial physicians could find no physical issue.
Liu Che sighed and waved his hand. "Perhaps the time is simply not yet right. I was nearly thirty before I had a son."
The Crown Prince kowtowed again.
On the Dingmao day of the second month in the second year of Houyuan, the Emperor passed away in the Xuan室 Hall.
On the Wuchen day of the second month, Crown Prince Liu Fuling ascended the throne as Emperor, changing the era name to Shiyuan.
