"Heaven's Will was unfathomable. No—it was that I dared not imagine it."
Eunuch Zhao replayed the scene from moments ago in his mind, as if the Emperor's words still echoed beside his ears. From his own observations, the Emperor did not truly lack fatherly affection. He still held some tender affection for Prince Shu and Prince Qi.
Otherwise, given the two princes' temperaments and deeds, they would have been dealt with long ago. How could they have been let off so lightly?
But Prince Dai, who had already been decreed and invested as the Imperial Grandson—no matter how Eunuch Zhao thought about it, the Emperor did not seem to hold deep affection for Prince Dai.
Why had the Emperor suddenly decided to invest an Imperial Grandson this time? And was the purpose of those ten rounds of caning and one year of confinement to let Prince Qi extricate himself?
Who knew how much time passed before someone approached and lightly knocked on the door several times. It was a secret signal.
"Who is it?"
"Eunuch Zhao, it's me."
The low voice from outside made Eunuch Zhao rise and go over. The door opened, and someone quickly slipped inside.
Eunuch Zhao shut the door. Even in the darkness, he could make out that the visitor was the Empress's eunuch who had come to see him before.
"Why have you come again?" Eunuch Zhao frowned and asked unhappily.
At a time like this, when all factions had their eyes fixed on the Imperial Palace, even a chief eunuch like him had to watch his words and actions carefully, lest trouble arise.
The young eunuch said quietly, "How would this servant dare disturb you? Her Majesty asked me to inquire: what exactly does His Majesty intend by decreeing the investiture of an Imperial