Chapter 504 — A Single Branch

The Jinwu Guard was responsible for security within the forbidden palace; beyond a single gate, the Five Barracks Army took charge. But the palace gates were barred at night, so the so-called patrol amounted to nothing more than a single circuit around the Hall of Heavenly Purity.

Song Yan made his unhurried way from the Gate of Moonlight Splendor toward the Gate of Abundant Prosperity.

When he reached the Gate of Phoenix Radiance, he saw Wang Ge standing beneath the eaves of the Hongde Hall, waving him over.

Song Yan considered a moment, then smiled and walked over to cup his hands in salute to Wang Ge.

Wang Ge returned the greeting with a smile and gestured toward the side rooms adjoining the Hongde Hall.

Song Yan nodded, and the two of them went in one after the other.

Wang Ge let out a long breath, and even straightened his back: "This autumn tiger—cold one moment, hot the next—has put the Emperor in a foul mood, and the rest of us have to be on our toes every waking second."

To attend the sovereign was to attend a tiger. In years past the Emperor would stay at the Western Park until the eighth month before returning to the palace. This year, in mid-seventh month, Consort Liu—who had accompanied him to the Western Park to escape the heat—suddenly fell gravely ill and died, and the Emperor lost all taste for the mountain retreat. He returned to the palace in late seventh month, leaving every one of them who served at his side trembling, terrified of provoking his wrath by the slightest misstep.

The side room held only a bed, a chair, and a table.

Song Yan sat down unhurriedly in the room's single armchair and said with a smile, "By the Double Ninth Festival, the Emperor's mood will improve."

Perhaps it was a matter of advancing years: the Emperor, who once treated the Double Ninth as a day for climbing mountains, had for two years running hosted banquets for retired ministers at the festival, and each year the occasion grew grander than the last.

"And that means more trouble for the likes of us in the Twenty-Four Offices," said Wang Ge, more openly than usual, a faint arrogance creeping into his tone. "I'd sooner His Majesty went climbing. At least then the Jinwu Guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Banner Guard would share the burden—there'd be a few fellow sufferers."

Song Yan smiled faintly.

Wang Ge smiled and steered the conversation elsewhere: "I asked you here, Heir Apparent, because I have something to show you." As he spoke, he drew from his sleeve a hairpin wrapped in a handkerchief.

The pin was no more than three inches long, of pure gold, set with a sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg, and around the sapphire a ring of rubies the size of grains of rice.

Under the dim yellow lamplight it glittered brilliantly.

Song Yan's expression changed drastically. He sprang to his feet, his gaze shooting toward Wang Ge like a blade, like an arrow.

Wang Ge could not help flinching, but quickly steadied himself and said with a smile, "It seems the Heir Apparent and the Heir Apparent's Consort are indeed as devoted as everyone says—you recognized her belongings at a single glance. Then I'll speak plainly, as one sensible man to another. His Highness the Prince of Liao means nothing else by it—he has merely invited the Heir Apparent's Consort and young He to stay a few days at the Prince of Liao's estate. Once His Highness has had his audience with the Emperor, he will send the Consort and the boy home. I ask the Heir Apparent to make things easy."

Song Yan gave a cold laugh, the veins standing out at his pale temples: "To bargain with me—you are not nearly qualified enough!"

Wang Ge resented above all being looked down upon, and a flicker of rancor crossed his eyes.

Then a voice, faintly smiling and thus seeming almost genial, sounded in the room: "Am I qualified enough?"

Song Yan's eyes narrowed, a needle-sharp glint flashing as he turned toward the sound.

A tall figure in eunuch's robes stepped out from behind the bed.

The Prince of Liao!

Song Yan's face showed shock, and he blurted out, "How did you get in here?"

The Prince of Liao grinned, his smile unable to conceal his pride: "The Jinwu Guard may hold the gates, but the men who serve inside them answer to me."

Hence the seizure of the palace!

Hence the treason!

Song Yan said nothing.

The Prince of Liao said, "Yantang, you and I grew up together—you know better than anyone how I have treated you, and how the Crown Prince has treated you. I understood when you refused me before; with your family's honor at stake, you had to choose one side. Today I bring you Lady Jiang's hairpin to give you a way to account for yourself before the world. Why cling to old rules, why insist on standing across my path and turning friend into foe? To speak honestly, I too am driven to this; have you ever known a Crown Prince who, once enthroned, let his legitimate brothers by a different mother live? Do not blame me for being ruthless!"

Song Yan pressed his lips together and said not a word, though his expression was somewhat stubborn.

The Prince of Liao looked at him and sighed. "Yantang, I know you placed men around Lady Jiang. If I remember rightly, the leader is called Lu Ming. I hear he is a fine hand, and the men under him are capable of much, so I asked Shi Chuan to deal with Lu Ming. And your brother-in-law Chen Jia is a man of talent too—Shi Chuan has praised him to me more than once. By now he should have been summoned by Shi Chuan to the Embroidered Uniform Guard's offices, with Liu Yu keeping him company over tea. As for Lady Jiang, man and woman must keep their distance, and it would not do to send anyone else, so I asked your honored father and your younger brother to help: they will pretend to have sprained an ankle while out on an excursion. However little you like Song Han, I think Lady Jiang's sense of propriety would oblige her to give Song Han the courtesy of resting a while at the estate. And your young uncle—the Jiang family has always been loyal and upright, and I was still a little uneasy. So I brought him with me this time and lodged him for now at the Prince of Liao's estate, under Geng Li's watchful eye…"

Every detail had been reckoned; not a flaw remained.

Song Yan stood quietly where he was, his expression obscure.

The Prince of Liao did not press him, but stood facing him in silence.

Wang Ge dared make even less sound.

The room was utterly still.

The fourth watch drum carried faintly from afar.

The Prince of Liao frowned.

Could Song Yan mean to stall for time?

He was about to speak when Song Yan's voice came, hoarse: "Let me see that hairpin."

The Prince of Liao's and Wang Ge's expressions eased at once, and Wang Ge, all eagerness, presented the pin with both hands.

Song Yan stepped to the lamp and studied the shaft of the pin closely.

A tiny oval mark, like the petal of a peony, carved with two small characters in ancient seal script: "Shouyuan."

Song Yan gripped the hairpin tight, his fingertips going white, and closed his eyes in anguish.

The Prince of Liao and Wang Ge exchanged a swift glance, their hearts easing with relief, faint smiles rising at the corners of their mouths.

Song Sui suddenly recoiled, shouting at the top of his voice, "An assassin!" and kicked open the door of the side chamber.

A commotion broke out beyond.

Lamps were being lit one after another.

Wang Ge's smile froze at his lips.

The Prince of Liao, however, wore a composed and forbidding expression, and said coldly, "Song Yantang, did you truly think I would blunder into danger so recklessly? Since you spurn the wine and force me to serve you the forfeit cup, do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

Before his words had even faded, the Chief Standard-Bearer accompanying Song Yan on his inspection had already drawn his blade and slashed at Song Yan.