The carriage from the Crown Prince's Residence rushed into the Imperial City just as dawn broke fully.
More knights than usual guarded the palace gates along the way, and several corridors leading to Xue Ye's bedchamber had already been sealed off. Inside the carriage, Qian Renxue assumed Xue Qinghe's appearance again and changed into the Crown Prince's ceremonial robes. By the time the curtain lifted, her golden hair was hidden once more, and her face betrayed not the slightest trace of having just risen from bed.
Lu Yuan stepped out first, but the gray haze before his eyes never dispersed.
[Key item: Succession Edict] [Destiny deviation in progress]
The two lines grew clearer as they approached the bedchamber, yet Xue Ye's fate track showed no sign of impending death. Lu Yuan watched the entire way. Only after passing through the final palace gate did he lower his voice and say, "It's the edict that's deviating, not Xue Ye."
Qian Renxue did not stop walking. She merely nodded lightly.
Quite a few people already stood outside the bedchamber. Besides Xue Ye's most trusted attendants and imperial physicians, people from the Imperial Clan Court had actually arrived as well. Several elderly members of the imperial clan stood on either side, with two rarely seen Imperial Family Enshrined Elders behind them. What truly arrested Qian Renxue's gaze, however, was the long, narrow wooden case placed in the center of the outer chamber.
When they had left last night, it had still been beside Xue Ye's bed.
Now it had been moved into the outer chamber.
Seeing her enter, the Imperial Clan Chief first offered the customary bow, then said slowly, "His Majesty suddenly lost consciousness this morning. The imperial physicians cannot yet determine when he will awaken. Under the imperial family's