Chapter 9

In the study, Wen Biesang was serving his punishment for eating one of Crown Prince Wuchang’s ice orbs, grinding ink with a listless, rhythmic motion.

As the tip of the brush grazed the inkstone, Chen Yun glanced at him and remarked, "Did you not eat today?"

Wen Biesang lowered his lashes and began to grind the ink with renewed vigor.

Chen Yun popped an ice orb into his mouth. As he picked up his brush to attend to a memorial, his expression grew cold and sharp. Wen Biesang’s gaze fell upon the document, noting that while it concerned the Thunderfire Battalion, the tone was not that of a report for the Emperor; it was biting, almost vitriolic, as if he were scolding someone.

Not only did he detail the state of the Thunderfire Battalion, but he was also brutally frank: the current situation had been laid out in full, and if any casualties occurred when the snowstorm arrived, he requested that His Majesty personally send someone to oversee the relief efforts.

Furthermore, there was this line: "The Thunderfire Battalion currently houses not a single soul proficient in the arts of thunder and fire; it has long since become a name without substance. In this subject’s opinion, Your Majesty might as well merge the battalion into the city guards and rename it the 'Snatch the Heir, Raise the Bastard Battalion'—that would be most fitting."

The beginning was clearly self-destructive and cavalier, while the latter part was steeped in mockery, highlighting the Emperor’s blatant bias. It was an act of extreme audacity. Having read the memorial from start to finish, Wen Biesang no longer found it strange that Chen Yun would go to the lengths of arresting a so-called "Dream Demon."

In Wen Biesang’s memory, Crown Prince Chen Yun had never been subjected to such cold treatment. Legend had it that he was born at the very break of dawn, just as the spring season arrived. The five-day blizzard that had raged suddenly ceased; news of victory arrived from the border; the two-year flood in the south was finally brought under control; and the three-year drought in the north was blessed with timely rain.

To thank the heavens for gifting this "Star of Fortune" to the Great Liang, the late Emperor personally named him "Sheng" and bestowed upon him the courtesy name "Chen Yun."

Usually, a man only receives a courtesy name upon reaching adulthood, signifying that he has reached an age of respect and should no longer be addressed by his given name. Yet, the Grand Heir Chen Yun was granted his courtesy name the very day he was born, signifying that from the moment of his birth, he was of unparalleled honor.

Moreover, the late Emperor had changed the reign title specifically for the arrival of this little grandson. Changing a reign title was no trivial matter; while past monarchs had done so due to celestial omens or to pray for the nation's prosperity, it was the first time in history it had been done solely for a newborn child.

It was said the Imperial Observatory had been in an uproar, as everyone felt it was incredibly dangerous to tether the nation’s fate to a newborn. After all, even the most noble child in the palace was fragile at birth. While no one dared speak it aloud, everyone wondered: "What if he dies prematurely...?"

Yet, the Grand Heir Chen Yun, bearing the weight of the nation's fortune, lived healthily and safely to this day. It was not until three years ago, when his father ascended the throne, that the reign title was changed to "Yongchang."

Because of him, every child born in the first year of Longxing hoped to wear a plaque around their neck stating their birth year, and families with many children doted more on those born in the same year as the Crown Prince.

The rumors of the "Dream Demon" had spread across the land, but wherever Wen Biesang traveled, people were either curious or cursing the demon; no one dared call the Crown Prince’s claim absurd. In the eyes of the common people, to touch the Crown Prince was to strike at the very foundation of Great Liang. If the Crown Prince said the Dream Demon was haunting him, then it was so—who dared to disagree? As long as the fire didn’t reach them, the people were only too happy to see their little "Star of Fortune" in good spirits.

Wen Biesang remembered that Zhou Lianqiong and Zhou Lianjing of the Chancellor’s Mansion were also born in the first year of Longxing—though they hadn't arrived in the first month, barely catching the tail end of that year in the eleventh month.

Today was the nineteenth of the tenth month. He had to leave the Crown Prince's mansion as soon as possible; he had many things to attend to.

"What are you looking at?"

Wen Biesang pulled himself back, averting his gaze to focus on the inkstone.

It is easy to go from luxury to frugality, but hard to go from frugality to luxury. Having been doted upon for so long, it was no surprise that the Grand Heir would react with such arrogant retaliation upon facing cold treatment.

Chen Yun summoned a palace servant to take the memorial away, then stared at Wen Biesang for a moment.

Wen Biesang’s expression was somber, his hand grinding the ink with much more effort than before.

Chen Yun rested his chin on one hand, watching Wen Biesang’s hand. It was slender, fair, and translucent; when he applied pressure, the pale knuckles were visible, reminiscent of thin, freshly fired porcelain.

To keep his sleeves from getting stained with ink, he had rolled them up, revealing a ring of old scars around his wrist, hidden beneath a sandalwood bead bracelet.

Chen Yun had seen these in his dreams; he knew that all four of his limbs bore these circular, old scars. They looked like...

A faint suspicion rose in his mind, which he shook away. He had no desire to understand this monster too well; it would only complicate the eventual slaughter.

Watching the ink thicken until it began to spill over the edge, Chen Yun spoke: "What are you thinking about?"

Wen Biesang came to his senses, realizing belatedly that the memorial was finished. "May I go now?"

"May you go now?"

Wen Biesang processed the question, looked down at his legs, and answered despondently, "No."

"Correct," Chen Yun said. "You cannot."

Wen Biesang swore that one day, he would smash that Palace Wuchang face of his into a pulp.

***

At the Chancellor's Mansion, Zhou Xuan poured himself a cup of tea as soon as he returned home; the dry winter air and cold wind had left him parched.

"Father," Zhou Lianqiong’s voice rang out, filled with excitement. "What did the Crown Prince say?"

Behind him, Zhou Lianjing looked nervous.

Zhou Xuan sighed. "The Crown Prince was demanding money again today, his face as dark as thunder. How could I dare speak to him?"

Zhou Lianjing asked, "A-Zi... has the Dream Demon truly been caught?"

"Caught, he certainly has been," Zhou Xuan said, sounding frustrated. "I just don't know how the Crown Prince intends to settle the credit for this..."

Zhou Lianjing’s expression shifted, his voice laced with anxious anger. "The Emperor views the Crown Prince as a thorn in his side. What is the point of you fawning over him?"

"What do you mean, what is the point?" Zhou Xuan retorted. "A thin camel is still bigger than a horse. Do you think the Empress is a pushover? The Stability Bureau has always been in her hands. Furthermore, the Censorate is comprised of the late Emperor’s men, who have always favored the Crown Prince. If I can secure their help, I might become the Minister of Justice!"

"Even if the Censorate wants to impeach, they would still need the current Minister..."

"A-Jing, you are too naive," Zhou Lianqiong interrupted. "While the Emperor favors Prince Chu, can the prestige the Crown Prince accumulated since he was the Grand Heir really vanish in a day? Why did the late Emperor not hand the Stability Bureau to the Emperor upon his passing? Instead, he explicitly left it in the hands of the Empress. He knew that if the current Emperor ascended the throne, he would favor the Imperial Noble Consort, and the Crown Prince’s position would be precarious."

"The Thunderfire Battalion is at most a test for the Crown Prince himself. If he can overcome it, it’s the icing on the cake; if not, he has other paths. The Emperor uses the battalion to target the Crown Prince simply because he cannot handle the Empress, so he attacks the younger generation instead... Now that I think about it, perhaps that rumor from back then was true: the late Emperor intended to bypass his son and pass the throne to..."

"Do you want to lose your head?" Zhou Xuan cut off his rambling. Zhou Lianqiong fell silent, whispering, "Actually, there is one thing I’ve never understood: why did the late Emperor dote on the Grand Heir so much? Could it be that the Crown Prince truly possesses the ability to hear the heavens?"

Zhou Lianjing cared nothing for their talk. "Father, is A-Zi truly in the Crown Prince's hands? Will he still be alive?"

"If he dies, he dies."

"Father!"

"I will go to the Crown Prince’s mansion tomorrow to confirm whether he is dead or alive."

***

The next day, at the Crown Prince’s mansion.

Zhou Xuan was led inside by a guard, his face fixed in a dignified, cautious expression.

That was until he saw Wen Biesang sunning himself under the eaves.

Last night, Crown Prince Wuchang had insisted on having him read aloud, leaving Wen Biesang exhausted. While Chen Yun was busy in the study, he had Pang Qi carry him out to catch some sun.

When Zhou Xuan entered, Wen Biesang was still a bit dazed, but upon recognizing the man, he slowly sat upright, his eyes locked onto him.

*...That monster.* Zhou Xuan felt his skin crawl. As he hurried after the palace servant to see the Crown Prince, he stole glances at Wen Biesang, and even after the monster was out of sight, he could still feel those eyes boring into him.

Zhou Xuan shook off the goosebumps. When he arrived at the study, Chen Yun was still busy, so he waited with growing impatience without daring to interrupt.

Not until the Crown Prince stretched and reached for his cup of strong tea did Zhou Xuan hurry to bow.

"Rise," Chen Yun said. "Vice Minister Zhou, you are here today—is there more good news?"

Zhou Xuan dared not state his own request immediately. A more pressing matter weighed on his mind, and the words tumbled out: "Your Highness, how can you let that monster move about the courtyard on his own?"

Chen Yun looked puzzled. "What’s wrong?"

"It is dangerous to leave him like that."

"Dangerous?" Chen Yun asked, as if he had heard a joke. "You mean that rabbit-like little creature is dangerous?"

"He is no rabbit!" Zhou Xuan burst out. "He is a venomous snake with colorful markings, a tiger disguised as a rose! Do not be deceived by his harmless appearance!"

Chen Yun paused, intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

"This..." Zhou Xuan’s expression flickered. He hesitated, then leaned in closer. "Although one should not air family scandals... Your Highness, how do you think he escaped the Chancellor’s Mansion?"

"How did he?"

"He used walnut shells as camouflage to craft a batch of thunderfire bombs," Zhou Xuan gritted his teeth. "On the night of my two sons' birthday, while fireworks filled the sky, he blew through six walls of the mansion and ran away!"

Chen Yun looked stunned.

After a long pause, he said, "He is proficient in the arts of thunder and fire?"

"Proficient is an understatement!" Zhou Xuan exclaimed. "His application of thunder and fire is masterful. After he escaped, my father, myself, my sons, and even the mansion’s steward—underneath all our beds were placed strange 'Black Dragons,' designed to detonate at a set time!"

*Timed detonation—?!*

Chen Yun immediately asked, "How did you discover them?"

"We didn't," Zhou Xuan said, still trembling at the memory. "We only realized it when they all exploded at once... He wanted to blow up our entire family."

Chen Yun looked him up and down.

Zhou Xuan looked at himself as well, his expression complex. "That night, after the guests had left, the children wanted to linger, so they stayed a while longer. My father avoided disaster by going to my mother’s room. My wife and I returned to our quarters early. My wife, sensitive to noise, kept saying she heard a 'tick-tick-tick' sound, like wood being tapped. I climbed out of bed with her to look. We had barely moved five feet away when the bed frame exploded. At the same time, the same explosions sounded in my father's and sons' rooms... Thinking back on it, it was a miracle we survived."