Great drifts of snow were blown by the wind toward the sole swept path before the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The six palaces blazed with light, countless ceremonial lanterns flowing like a river of light surging toward the hall’s entrance, converging into a massive formation of radiance before its doors.
The sky had not fully darkened; at the western horizon, a thread of dying light still struggled against the gathering dark.
Deng Ying had just returned from the Eastern Depot prison and was presenting his ivory tablet at the East Prosperity Gate. The snowy wind made his robes snap and flutter. In the bitter cold, his leg wound had been acting up severely these past two days, and even standing in the wind for just that brief moment was truly difficult to endure.
“Director, sorry for the delay.”
As Deng Ying raised his hand to take back his ivory tablet, he suddenly heard shouts carried on the snowy wind: “Lock the city gates! Lock the city gates!” The cries grew louder and louder as they approached.
The guards atop the gate towers heard the sound and immediately echoed the command in unison—”Lower the bars…”
Deng Ying turned his head. The heavy city gates were being pushed closed by the guards’ combined strength. At the same time, Li Da, the general of the night watch of the Imperial Guard, had also rushed to East Prosperity Gate.
“Who dares enter the palace at this hour? Seize them and take them to the Commander’s office for questioning!”
The Imperial Guards who had followed him immediately moved to make the arrest.
The gate guards hurriedly blocked them, saying, “General, it’s the Director of the Eastern Depot.”
Li Da narrowed his eyes, finally making out the figure through the snowy shadows. He clasped his hands and bowed, “Director, forgive my offense. This humble officer’s eyes failed him.”
Deng Ying asked directly, “Why are the gates being locked at this hour?”
General Li replied, “We received orders from the Commander’s office to seal all four gates. Once they’re sealed, the moat outside will also be placed under strict guard.”
Early gate closure and heightened moat security were measures only implemented when the capital fell or when an emperor passed away.
After hearing this, Deng Ying quickly asked, “When did the Commander’s office issue the order?”
Li Da answered, “At the hour of shen (3-5 PM).”
Deng Ying asked, “Has the Hall of Mental Cultivation announced the death notice?”
Li Da hesitated for a moment. “Director, we dare not speak carelessly. When we received our orders, we had not yet heard the death announcement, but all the imperial consorts had gone there, and several princes from outside the palace entered earlier.”
After hearing this, Deng Ying asked no more questions. Enduring the pain in his foot, he hurried through the snow toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Halfway there, he suddenly saw Li Yu running toward him, who abruptly fell to his knees before Deng Ying and said, “Master… He has passed…”
“When?”
Li Yu choked out, “Just now…”
Deng Ying raised his head to look toward the hall’s entrance. Behind the doors, the formation of lanterns stood in silence, the sound of flames battling against the howling snow-laden wind. Only human voices remained caught in their throats, stammering and faltering as they waited for the signal to begin the mourning wails. He bent down to help Li Yu up and was about to continue forward when suddenly a deep voice came from behind.
“Director Deng.”
Deng Ying turned around to see it was Zhang Luo who had called him.
Zhang Luo wore armor today with a sword at his waist, each step crunching the accumulated snow beneath his feet.
He walked up to stand before Deng Ying, also glancing inside the doors, and said evenly, “There’s something I need to tell you. The Empress Dowager has fainted from grief, and now inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it’s the Empress leading the Second Prince in viewing the body.”
Deng Ying was silent for a moment before asking, “What of the Crown Prince?”
“He kneels outside with Princess Imperial Jiayi.”
“Has the final edict been issued?”
“Not yet. The Ceremonial Office has stated directly that the edict won’t be presented to the Cabinet for discussion until tomorrow.”
“Has anyone in the Cabinet questioned the matter of the edict?”
Zhang Luo withdrew his gaze from inside the doors. “Not yet, but though the edict hasn’t been issued, allowing the Second Prince to view the body—the intention is already quite clear.”
“Indeed.”
Zhang Luo gripped his sword hilt. “Let me ask you first: if someone questions the edict today, what will the Eastern Depot do?”
Deng Ying replied, “You and I need to have an understanding—whether it’s the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, we both watch coldly and don’t touch the officials who raise questions.”
Though Zhang Luo didn’t verbally acknowledge these words, he turned his back and nodded slightly.
“Deputy Commander Zhang.”
Deng Ying called out to him.
Zhang Luo stopped walking and raised one hand to indicate he should speak.
Deng Ying took a step after him and asked, “When did you first have doubts?”
Zhang Luo turned around and said directly, “In front of Clear Wave Pavilion, when she said I wasn’t worthy—that’s when I began to doubt.”
At this time, imperial consorts, royal relatives, and several close ministers of the Cabinet were kneeling from the hall’s entrance all the way to the Imperial Road.
The hall doors were locked from within, and those outside could only see faint shadows of figures through the doorway.
The Head Eunuch of the Ceremonial Office, Hu Xiang, stood before the hall and called out in a loud voice: “Begin the mourning!”
Immediately, wailing shook the heavens outside the hall.
Consort Chen and other consorts without children, knowing they couldn’t escape the fate of following their lord in death, were filled with boundless grief. One after another they beat their chests and struck the ground, crying until they fainted.
Attendants immediately came forward to carry away these unconscious consorts, leaving a trail of fallen hairpins and jewelry as they were dragged away.
However, apart from these women of “true feeling,” the remaining royal relatives and close ministers mostly produced sounds of crying without visible tears.