Three emperors passed away in succession, and a prince who had never been noticed inexplicably ascended the throne, finding himself surrounded by dangers on all sides.

The Empress Dowager did not like him, always wanting to install a new emperor who was even younger and more obedient;

His half-brothers did not like him, believing he had stolen the throne that rightfully belonged to them;

The eunuchs and palace maids did not like him either, feeling that he was not a true emperor...

The young emperor could only save himself.

Volume One: The Imperial Palace

Prologue

On the last day of the forty-first year of the Zongmiao era, a long age came to an end. The Son of Heaven of Great Chu, after years of suffering from illness, passed away that night at the age of fifty-eight, having reigned for forty-one years, and was posthumously titled Emperor Wu. The thirty-three-year-old crown prince succeeded to the throne at his bedside, with five regents appointed by the late emperor kneeling before him, and more than a dozen palace attendants prostrating on either side.

A month later, Emperor Wu was buried in the imperial mausoleum, and the new emperor officially ascended the throne. Like his ancestors, he selected a word from the Dao De Jing to set the new era name: "Xianghe."

According to tradition, the new era name would not be officially used until the first month of the following year, so the remaining months of this year still belonged to the late emperor who had been laid to rest. But the new emperor could not wait to set things right, abolishing a slew of decrees, releasing crowds of prisoners, dismissing notorious traitors, and promoting upright officials who had suffered injustice...

Of course, Great Chu was founded on filial piety, so every public edict from the new emperor had to include a string of elegant and symmetrical phrases praising Emperor Wu's achievements, before pointing out a few minor flaws and regrets, and then correcting them with utmost humility and trepidation.

During Emperor Wu's reign, Great Chu entered a golden age—no one could deny this. The only problem was that this golden age lasted a bit too long, like a lavish banquet where every participant indulged to their heart's content. But eventually, the revelry wanes and exhaustion sets in; no matter how much fine wine and how many beauties are present, one can no longer muster any interest, only wishing to collapse into one's own bed for a deep sleep.

The new emperor had no time for deep sleep; he had endured for too long and wanted to clean up the mess as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, heaven did not grant his wish. After giving Great Chu an emperor who reigned for forty-one years and an unprecedented golden age, it too grew negligent and failed to watch over the new Son of Heaven.

On the last day of the third year of Xianghe, the new emperor, only thirty-six years old, passed away, posthumously titled Emperor Huan, leaving behind a widowed empress and a fledgling court—a mess, to put it bluntly.

In the midst of misfortune, there was a sliver of luck: Emperor Huan had a legitimate crown prince, the rightful heir, with no one to contest him, and the regents appointed by Emperor Wu were still present, enough to maintain order in the court.

The young emperor was fifteen years old at the time, having been loved by both his grandfather, Emperor Wu, and his father, Emperor Huan, since childhood. He was personally taught by the most renowned scholars in the land. After ascending the throne, he had powerful ministers to assist him on the outside and the Empress Dowager to watch over him on the inside. He seemed destined to become another great emperor who would usher in a new golden age.

But heaven had not yet awakened from its negligence. Only five months later, at the end of the second month of the first year of Gongcheng, as the spring breeze began to blow and the snow had not yet melted, the young emperor suddenly fell gravely ill. Three nights later, he followed the late emperor into death, leaving no heir.

In less than four years, three emperors had passed away in succession.

Near midnight, less than half an hour after the young emperor's death, the Chief Eunuch William Turner staggered out of the emperor's bedchamber, running alone through the deep corridors, his heart pounding, sweat beading all over his body, gasping for breath as if he had just escaped death. For a man in his fifties, he was truly pushing himself to the limit.

William Turner's destination was the Empress Dowager's quarters. The news of the emperor's death had already spread, so he was not going to deliver a message, but for another purpose. He already regretted setting out too late, but he had to show his last bit of loyalty to the emperor he had raised with his own hands.

William Turner was one of the few people who could run freely within the palace. He quickly reached the Empress Dowager's quarters. The eunuchs guarding the door watched him run inside without stopping him, but there were more than ten eunuchs in the courtyard, and they were not so easy to deal with. As soon as they saw William Turner, they rushed forward, grabbed his arms, and began to push him out.

William Turner shouted at the top of his lungs, "Empress Dowager! Disaster is upon us! Disaster is upon us..."

One eunuch pulled off his pouch and stuffed it whole into William Turner's mouth.

Outnumbered, William Turner was about to be dragged out of the Empress Dowager's quarters when someone emerged from the east wing. "Stop," he said. His voice was not loud, but it was effective. The eunuchs stopped and slowly let go of William Turner.

William Turner spat out what was in his mouth, pushed away those around him, and, ignoring his aching muscles, strode toward the east wing, his heart full of contempt and determination.

The speaker under the eaves was a young eunuch, just over twenty, dressed in the palace's common blue robe and cap, perfectly tailored, clearly made with care. There was a trace of sorrow on his face, which made him appear even more composed and handsome.

His name was Henry Clark, a minor attendant in the Empress Dowager's quarters. William Turner did not want to speculate, but he truly wished he could find a few whiskers on Henry Clark's chin.

William Turner stared at Henry Clark's chin and said stiffly, "I have urgent business and must see the Empress Dowager at once."

Henry Clark smiled and said, "Please, we have been waiting for you, Robert Turner, for a long time."

William Turner took a deep breath and smiled as well. "Oh? So I am late after all."