.
A light wind blew through the sky, and the clouds and mist parted slightly, revealing the westering sun. Viewed from the towering Chief Minister's Palace, the silent sunset cast out resplendent radiance as it slowly sank behind the mountains to the west. And the shadows of dusk closed in from three sides, like endless waves.
"Sun-Floating. Spring Mist. The sun is setting, dusk is falling, and the sky is about to go dark."
The Elder lay quietly on the bed, gazing at the western sky. The rosiness on his face gradually faded, and the light in his eyes was like a guttering candle in the wind, swaying on the verge of collapse. The aged Cacamatzin knelt before his bed, watching the father he had revered all his life step unstoppably into decline, and could not help bowing his head as tears fell.
"Cacamatzin."
"Honored Elder, I am here!"
Cacamatzin raised his grizzled head and looked at his silver-haired father, listening to his teachings for the last time.
"After I am gone, according to tradition, you will inherit the position of Chief Minister. But you are different from me. You must keep a low profile and restrain yourself. Do not involve yourself in the Alliance's internal affairs, and do not entangle yourself with too many nobles."
The Elder reached out and stroked Cacamatzin's head. He looked at his honest-natured eldest legitimate son, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Of course, with your temperament, I am at ease."
"Honored Elder, I will obey your teachings!"
"The Alliance's future situation will be nothing more than compromise between divine authority and royal power, the king's conquests and reforms, and, further in the future..."
The Elder pondered for a while, wanting to say something, to leave behind some further arrangements. But when he