Chapter 147: Mountain Rain Gathers, and Wind Fills the Tower

What is the will of Heaven? And what is mere coincidence? The sudden turn of events left Gou Ye deeply shaken. The wheel of history might veer onto another track, but it would never cease to turn. To a remarkable degree, its course remained startlingly similar. Gou Ye could not help thinking of Xiang Shaolong, the protagonist of The Qin Quest. Though a traveler from another age might stir the currents of history, he could not alter its course. Barring too many deviations, this era ought to be unfolding along much the same path as the age he had originally known.

Just as Xuanyuan Changfeng had said, the news of the Crown Prince's death was publicly announced throughout the capital on the third day. From early morning, the streets and alleys of the capital had been placed under martial law. Countless guards stood on either side of the vermilion palace gates, each wearing an expression of solemnity.

Before long, a funeral procession began to emerge from the palace. A group of lamas walked at the head, chanting in unison. Behind them came a line of eunuchs scattering paper offerings, followed by guards bearing the coffin. The court officials and members of the imperial family walked behind it, including the Crown Prince's younger brothers and sisters. Zhu Houzhao was among them, of course.

He walked with tears streaming down his face, weeping in mourning, his eyes filled with grief. Though he was not loved by his brothers and sisters, the Crown Prince had still been his own brother. They had never been particularly close, but the Crown Prince had never bullied him or looked down on him. Whenever he returned from a tour of the realm with their father, he would even bring Zhu Houzhao some novel trinket.

Among all the princes, the Crown Prince had shown Zhu Houzhao the greatest affection. He had truly behaved as an elder brother ought to. Thus, the Crown Prince's death was a deeply painful matter for Zhu Houzhao.

When the procession reached the street, Xuanyuan Changfeng and Gou Ye stood there with their heads lowered, stealing glances from the corners of their eyes. When Gou Ye saw Zhu Houzhao, the young prince had already become a figure of tears. Seeing his sorrow, Gou Ye could not tell whether he grieved because he was about to become the next Crown Prince or because his elder brother had died. Whatever the reason, as a friend, Gou Ye could not help feeling great sympathy for him.

Only after the procession bearing the coffin had passed beyond the city gates did the martial law come to an end. The crowd dispersed amid a clamor, everyone beginning to discuss the momentous news. What particularly puzzled Gou Ye, however, was that the Emperor's carriage had not appeared among the mourners. Perhaps, he thought, the old sovereign had been so overcome with grief that he could not bring himself to see his son off that day.

The old Emperor truly had it hard. Setting aside the loss of a prince he had spent years painstakingly cultivating, to lose a beloved son at the age of sixty—to have a white-haired father bury his black-haired child—was a tragedy beyond measure. The blow to the Emperor must have been immense. Gou Ye could not help thinking of the founding Emperor of the age he had come from, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had likewise lost his beloved son in his later years. By another strange coincidence, that son had also been the Crown Prince whom he had cultivated for many years.

Gou Ye stood in the street, lost in thought, until Xuanyuan Changfeng suddenly interrupted him.

“Hey, what is it? What are you thinking about?”

Gou Ye returned to himself and replied, “Nothing in particular. I just feel sorry for the Second Prince. And for the old Emperor too.”

Xuanyuan Changfeng nodded. “It is pitiful indeed, but it also means that enormous changes are about to take place within the imperial court. Another struggle, full of blood and violence, is certain to begin.”

“You mean a contest for the position of Crown Prince? Under normal procedure, once the Crown Prince dies, shouldn't the Second Prince simply inherit the position in his place? Why would there be any struggle?” Gou Ye could not help asking.

As he walked along the street with Gou Ye, Xuanyuan Changfeng answered, “My friend, it seems you truly know nothing about court affairs. I am beginning to worry about your future. Let me put it this way: the Crown Prince's death and the Second Prince's succession are perfectly proper as a formal process.

“But the real question is which of the princes is best suited to inherit the empire. Until the Emperor announces his decision and the position of Crown Prince is formally settled, anything may change. The factions that once supported the Crown Prince have suddenly lost their patron. Naturally, they will immediately begin searching for a suitable replacement.

“Thus, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince may all become the candidates supported by those factions. Their backing and recommendations will also influence the Emperor's deliberations to some extent. In the Emperor's eyes, the empire matters more than rigid adherence to tradition. So I believe that, in the days ahead, a bloody struggle for the position of Crown Prince will erupt within the court, while the various factions secretly fan the flames. This is not merely a question of who wins and who loses. It is a question of who lives and who dies.”

Gou Ye nodded. The affairs of the court appeared simple on the surface, yet beneath them lay such complexity. He could not help asking himself whether his decision to enter the court had been right or wrong. If Xuanyuan Changfeng was correct, then everything remained uncertain. Zhu Houzhao might not necessarily become Emperor. And yet, somewhere in Gou Ye's heart, there was a quiet suspicion—a suspicion so firm that it felt almost like certainty.

Though he had no idea what was happening within the court, Gou Ye could feel the tension spreading through the city each day as he walked its streets. There were twice as many patrolmen as before, while carriages racing out of the palace came one after another without pause. Even at dusk, he could see formations of guards running toward the city gates.

It was a spectacle no one had ever witnessed before. Though it had little direct connection to ordinary people, Gou Ye could see that many shops were closing far earlier than usual. Perhaps their owners feared that something might happen within the palace, or perhaps the oppressive atmosphere itself made them anxious that trouble could erupt at any moment.

Gou Ye felt as though a storm were gathering just beyond the horizon. Gazing at the towering, imposing walls, he wondered how Zhu Houzhao was faring inside the palace. Several days had passed without any news of his succession to the position of Crown Prince. Clearly, the Emperor was wavering over the matter.

It was hardly surprising. Given Zhu Houzhao's playful nature, perhaps the Emperor had never considered him a candidate for the succession at all. This sudden turn of events had caught him completely unprepared. If only Zhu Houzhao had shown a little more intelligence in his daily life, a greater willingness to study, or some exceptional quality that set him apart, perhaps the Emperor would not now have found himself in such a predicament.