As the ruler of a state—especially a fatuous ruler—Zhao Shun had no fewer than six bedchambers. Four were within the imperial palace, one was in the Summer Palace west of the Capital City, and one was in the Sheep Palace in the southern suburbs.
The Summer Palace was for escaping the heat, while the Sheep Palace was for hunting, sightseeing, and leisurely excursions.
The four bedchambers in the imperial palace had likewise been built according to the needs of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The Summer Palace stood beside an artificial lake shaded by lush vegetation, while the Winter Palace—the bedchamber currently on fire—faced south from the north and received sunlight around the clock.
The Spring Palace stood beside the imperial garden, while the Autumn Palace was built on a low hill in the western park, convenient for viewing the autumn scenery.
Now that the Winter Palace had burned down, it was certainly no longer fit for habitation. The Imperial City Directorate's imperial guards escorted Zhao Shun in a grand procession toward the Summer Palace by the artificial lake.
The commander of the imperial guards had originally opposed it, because the assassin who had just escaped was clearly a Water Ghost. Living by the lake was practically offering one's neck to the enemy—far too dangerous.
But His Majesty insisted on having his way, and as his subjects, they could only obey.
Under bright candlelight, Zhang Yuanqing lay in the lavish bedchamber, no less extravagant than the Winter Palace, with both hands behind his head as he stared blankly at the crisscrossing beams overhead.
He went over the dungeon's plot so far.
The Northern Dynasty had dealt with the foreign tribes on the grasslands and marched south in force, seeking to destroy the Southern Dynasty. At this critical moment,