Dawn was gradually breaking, and the sky was slowly clearing.
The Imperial Grandson, who had fought through the night, was still full of spirit. As soon as he neared the Empress's palace, he dismounted from his carriage, leaving it to follow behind while he went on foot to see the Empress.
Passing around an artificial hill and over a small bridge with carved Han White Jade railings, one came upon a small hall whose gilded plaque read, "Hall of Auspicious Fortune."
Green waters encircled it, flowers and trees flourished, with ancient pines and slender bamboo lending it a secluded, elegant charm.
This was the quietest place in the Palace of Eternal Joy.
When he arrived, the palace maids and eunuchs all knelt at the sight of the Imperial Grandson entering. He said nothing. Reaching the front of the hall, he looked up. A few zhang to the north stood vermilion palace walls, roofed in golden tiles, especially majestic and magnificent beneath the sunlight.
Armored guards surrounded the area like clouds, arrayed in layer upon layer, making the youth's heroic bearing stand out all the more.
This was the sight that met the Empress's eyes.
After entering the hall, he saw that although hanging curtains and gauze drapes had been lowered on either side, they could not block the wind blowing in from every direction.
The Empress was nearly breathless. Her eyes were merely red. The Imperial Grandson's arrival stirred not the slightest ripple in her; she simply raised a hand and quietly said, "Imperial Grandson, you have come."
"Your Majesty, this grandson-subject did not fail your trust." The moment Su Ziji entered, he gathered his robes and knelt, choking up as he said, "The late Emperor was murdered by Prince Qi. Your Majesty issued your decree out of profound grace