FYM - 130

On the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the first year of Guangyou, thunder suddenly struck Jinling, and torrential rains persisted for several days without end.

The night before, the Yinping Prince’s mansion had been alive with music and revelry that lasted until dawn. The officials who attended the banquet were all thoroughly drunk, losing their senses entirely. Shi Hong and Du Zehun, in particular, indulged themselves to the fullest, drinking heartily and conversing candidly with Yinping Prince Wei Bi. In the end, both were too intoxicated to stand and decided to spend the night in the guest quarters of the mansion.

As dawn approached, the rain poured down in torrents, and the thunder roared ominously from behind the black clouds. Shi Hong, plagued by a splitting headache, was unable to sleep. Pulling the quilt over his ears only made the noise seem louder. Annoyed, he got up to investigate. Through the window, he saw shadowy figures moving about. The muffled disturbances that had been bothering him weren’t distant thunder at all—they were unmistakably the sounds of approaching swords and armor!

A jolt of alarm shot through him as he leapt out of bed. The next moment, the door was kicked open violently, and several heavily armored soldiers stormed in, blades drawn. Their uniforms identified them as part of the imperial guards stationed at the Southern Palace. His mind, still foggy from last night’s drinking, didn’t have time to process the situation before instinct took over, and he began fighting back. But outnumbered and disoriented, he was quickly subdued, his arms twisted painfully behind his back.

“I am the military governor of Lingnan—a high-ranking official of the third rank!”

“Who sent you? Release me at once!”

His shouts were loud but muffled by the thunderous roar of the storm. As he was dragged stumbling into the rain-soaked courtyard, he saw his friend Du Zehun similarly bound and kneeling in the downpour. Standing before them were two familiar faces—none other than the Lou brothers they had met just days ago.

“…Lou Feng! Lou Wei!”

Shi Hong erupted in fury, his face drenched and utterly disheveled.

“You dare insult your superior officer like this! Have you lost your minds?”

“I will report you to the emperor! Your entire family will pay for this!”

He seemed particularly fond of mentioning the Lou clan, his words dripping with disdain and condescension. Lou Wei frowned slightly at this, while Lou Feng remained expressionless. Standing in the rain, his figure silhouetted against an endless expanse of dark clouds, his gaze on Shi Hong was cold—as if looking at a dead man.

“Report us to the emperor?”

He sneered, his tone mocking yet tinged with satisfaction.

“That depends on whether your lordship can live long enough to do so.”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, a streak of lightning tore through the sky, followed immediately by deafening thunder. Shi Hong’s heart skipped a beat.

“You… you dare kill me?”

Lou Feng neither confirmed nor denied it, his superior demeanor unsettling the two envoys further. Even the usually reserved Du Zehun could no longer contain himself, shouting loudly: “I demand to see the Empress Dowager! I demand to see the emperor! We are loyal servants of the state, men of merit! How dare the court treat us like criminals and trample upon our lives!”

Shi Hong quickly echoed his words. Lou Feng ignored their cries, simply waving his hand dismissively to order his men to escort the two outside the mansion. Amidst the struggle and commotion, Yinping Prince Wei Bi finally arrived. Disheveled from his drunken stupor, his face was ashen with rage. Seeing the Lou brothers drawing swords within his own residence, he exploded: “This is rebellion! Treason!”

“This prince is of the Wei imperial clan! Even the emperor himself would address me as ‘Uncle’! You dare bring armed men into my home—are you truly planning to rebel?”

The irony of the situation was palpable. It eerily mirrored the events that unfolded six months earlier after the late emperor’s death. Lou Feng smirked faintly, bowing mockingly to the prince.

“Your Highness, please calm yourself. Shi Hong and Du Zehun are suspected of harboring rebellious intentions and plotting treason. I am merely following orders to apprehend them. Please do not make things difficult for us.”

Treason?

Such an accusation was no trivial matter. At the very least, it meant execution; at worst, it entailed the extermination of one’s entire family. Even during the late emperor’s reign, such charges were not taken lightly. Was the young Empress Dowager in the palace truly so audacious?

“Absurd!”

Yinping Prince’s anger flared even higher. He felt as though this was a direct affront to his dignity, orchestrated by that presumptuous Song woman. Why else would they choose to arrest these men in his own mansion? Everyone in court and beyond was watching. If he backed down now, he would become a laughingstock, reduced to a spineless coward manipulated by a mere woman.

“The punishment of a military governor is a grave matter that requires the joint deliberation of the three judicial departments to determine guilt! You claim to be acting under orders? Show me the imperial edict from the Empress Dowager and the emperor!”

Seeing Yinping Prince defend them emboldened Shi Hong and Du Zehun, who began shouting louder, demanding an explanation from the Lou brothers. Lou Feng showed no sign of backing down, his icy demeanor unchanged even in the presence of one of the Five Regents. With a seemingly respectful bow, he said: “Everyone in court knows why these two envoys came to Jinling. I urge Your Highness not to involve yourself in this mess. If you harbor doubts, you may seek clarification from Lord Fang Xianting.”

“Take them away!”

His sharp command cut through the storm like a blade, more decisive than the thunder itself. The Southern Palace guards obeyed without hesitation, dragging the two officials out into the rain. Shi Hong and Du Zehun struggled and shouted, but to no avail. They repeatedly turned back, pleading for help from Yinping Prince, who stood silently, his face dark and unreadable. Even with attendants holding umbrellas for him, he was splattered with rain and mud.

Fang Xianting…

Wei Bi watched helplessly as the Southern Palace guards marched away arrogantly. His fists clenched tightly, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

The rain continued relentlessly, unceasing and merciless. Within the Taicheng, an oppressive gloom hung heavy in the air.

The fierce wind rattled the intricately carved windows of Fuqing Hall, and even the thick bed curtains inside the inner chamber could not block out all the noise. Song Shuyan slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred. The elaborate phoenix patterns adorning the room were as uninspired as they had always been, except for the lingering haze of intoxication, which lent a strange freshness to her confusion.

She raised her heavy arm, gently massaging her throbbing temples. As her vision cleared, a vivid red mark encircling her wrist came into view, its faint purplish hue startling. In the next moment, fragments of memory flooded back—the shadow of him suddenly appeared before her, his hot breath seeming to linger near her ear, his hands gripping her heart tightly.

Last night… it seemed…

She abruptly sat up straight, and the pain in her neck sharpened with the sudden movement. She looked down at the deep red marks left on her skin, trailing downward… all the way to…

“Shuyan…”

He had kissed her chest, his strong hands leaving reddened imprints on her waist through the thin summer fabric of her dress. The sound of tearing cloth had been so cruel, yet his final embrace had been tender, his fingers brushing her cheek with heart-stopping gentleness.

He…

More and more fragmented details surfaced, and her heart raced uncontrollably. She had resolved to sever ties, yet now…

Her eyes squeezed shut, her entire body trembling slightly. No one could tell whether it was the shiver of passion or the terror of destruction. Forbidden love was inherently perilous, and tasting its fatal sweetness often came at unimaginable cost. She felt lost, more vulnerable now than she had been in her drunken haze the night before. Her desire to see him was so intense that she despised herself for it. Yet there was no denying that his embrace was the only place where she could find fleeting peace.

Third Brother…

Her mind was a whirlpool of unease, her heart racing as she wondered where he was now. Outside the bed curtains, the palace maids had already heard her stirring. Chaohua and Xixiu respectfully approached, calling softly: “Your Majesty…”

Their voices were tentative, waiting for her response before lifting the curtains to assist her in dressing. Startled, she glanced at the red marks on her neck, her heartbeat quickening. Fortunately, the composure she had honed since taking control of the palace allowed her to maintain some semblance of calm. Clearing her throat feebly to feign exhaustion, she asked: “…What time is it?”

The palace attendants outside the bedchamber, hearing her impatient tone, assumed she was still recovering from her drunkenness and replied cautiously: “It is already the third quarter of the Chen hour.”

She froze. Today was not a rest day, and she should have attended the morning court session at Qian’an Palace at the Mao hour. Nearly two hours had passed.

“And why did no one wake me?” She furrowed her brow, pushing aside her distracting thoughts and hastily adjusting her clothing as she stepped down from the phoenix bed. “What about Gui’an Palace? Did His Majesty attend court today?”

No one responded. She personally pulled back the curtains to look at the frightened faces of those kneeling before her. A foreboding sense of dread washed over her.

“Reply, Your Majesty. It was… Lord Fang…”

Chaohua kept her head bowed low, her face pale and expression fearful.

“This morning, the Marquis of Yingchuan sent word into the palace, claiming bandits were causing trouble in the city and that a curfew must be imposed for the day. He then requested that a eunuch announce the suspension of court. The message was delivered to all the residences before the third watch of the night…”

This…

Song Shuyan’s expression hardened. The lingering traces of longing dissipated instantly, replaced by a crushing anxiety that pressed in from all sides. Deep down, she realized everything had begun to spiral out of her control since last night.

—Bandits, curfew, suspension of court… And last night, he had told her…

Boom—

A rumble of thunder echoed from the horizon, its deafening roar sending shockwaves through the air. Song Shuyan’s eyes widened, and she suddenly raised her voice: “Where is the Lieutenant General? Summon him to Fuqing Hall—”

But she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes betraying a flicker of panic. Instead, she asked: “And General Lou Wei? Is he still in the palace?”

The palace attendants hesitated, their nervous expressions reminiscent of the time when Yinping Prince had cornered them. Xixiu, her eyes red and swollen, replied: “General Lou Wei has also been summoned by Lord Fang to leave the palace… Most of the Southern Palace guards… have moved…”

Her worst fears had come true. Song Shuyan’s eyes grew vacant, as if she had fallen into an icy abyss. Outside the hall, the violent storm threatened to tear the heavens apart. She knew that beneath the gathering clouds stood the man whose presence overshadowed everything.

“Summon Lord Fang to the palace immediately…”

Her composure shattered, her voice rising in panic and desperation.

“Order him to cease all current affairs and come to see me at once!”