As heavy snow shrouded the city, lamps had already been lit in the Hall of Supreme Harmony shortly after Shen Hour, a little past four in the afternoon. Beneath the flickering candlelight, the solemn faces seemed all the more inscrutable.
At that moment, a guard hurried into the golden hall to report that Vice Minister of the Dali Temple Sun Shaozong had escorted the Grand Heir into the palace and had now arrived outside the Noon Gate.
The Retired Emperor handed his teacup to the old eunuch beside him and, unable to conceal his weariness, ordered, "Open the Main Entrance and welcome the Grand Heir into the palace."
The two middle-aged eunuchs beside him immediately cried out in unison:
"By the Retired Emperor's Imperial Decree, open the Main Entrance and welcome the Grand Heir into the palace!"
The central gate of the Noon Gate could be passed through only by the emperor, the Empress on the day of her wedding, and the top-ranked scholar of the Palace Examination.
By declaring that the Main Entrance be opened to welcome the Grand Heir, the Retired Emperor was signaling that the Grand Heir would soon inherit the throne.
As the two gates, sealed shut for many days, slowly opened, Sun Shaozong sharply snapped the reins and drove the carriage straight into the forbidden precincts.
After stopping the carriage outside the hall, the Grand Heir, dressed in mourning hemp, climbed the steps in the center with the Crown Princess supporting him. Sun Shaozong followed closely behind.
Once inside the hall, Sun Shaozong furtively surveyed the surroundings. The officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts stood there like clay statues and wooden idols, their gloomy expressions making the place seem like the underworld.
The Grand Heir was plainly affected by the atmosphere. He gripped