"Eunuch!"
An anxious cry came from outside. Ma Shunde seemed to snap awake from a daze, staggering to his feet. The hat atop his head tipped off, and his hair was already frosted white.
"Eunuch!"
The calls from the outer room rang out again and again, like death warrants, making his heart all the more unsettled.
"Did His Majesty win... or... Prince Qi..." Ma Shunde's face darkened, his steps unsteady. "No matter who it is, they will grant me death—this one does not want to die!"
A wave of ferocity surged forth. Mad thoughts grew and spread through his heart like waterweeds, terrifying even himself.
"If His Majesty won, he would surely vent his anger on me. Feng Bao was the example! Therefore... His Majesty cannot win!"
"If Prince Qi ascended the throne, I would certainly die as well. Prince Qi must die too!"
"Therefore, someone else must ascend the throne!"
"The Imperial Grandson was originally the Crown Prince's son, and now he is the heir apparent. He also commands the Imperial Feather Guards. This one has offended him repeatedly; I fear he would not spare me either!"
"This one is kind-hearted, so I shall invite the princes to raise troops. If, by some chance, another prince can ascend the throne, this one may yet survive!"
"If there truly is no way out and I must die, having all the princes buried alongside me would still be worth it!"
Ma Shunde threw back his head and laughed viciously, his voice sharp and miserable. Once his laughter stopped, he picked up brush and ink. His writing flew swiftly; in barely a hundred words, he finished it in one breath.
"Prince Shu has operated for many years and has deep roots in the Three Adjacent Regions. He often employs schemes, yet though