A misty drizzle fell over the Eastern Palace, pattering against the roof tiles. A woman adorned in wealth and splendor clutched a dead infant, refusing to let go.
"No, it can't be! My child!"
The woman's eyes seemed ready to bulge from their sockets as she stared at the child in her arms and screamed herself hoarse. "Impossible! He was fine before. How could he have died overnight?"
"Someone must have harmed my son! Someone harmed my son!"
Crash, clatter...
Shattered objects littered the palace floor. The palace maids and servants knelt together with their heads bowed, drenched in sweat but not daring to make a sound as the woman crazily smashed those expensive possessions. Even the dead infant in her arms had turned a bluish black from her crushing grip.
The emperor was reviewing memorials in the main hall. When a servant brought him the news, his expression changed at once. He hurriedly abandoned his pile of work and left the hall.
As he stepped through the doors of the bedchamber, the emperor allowed only one eunuch to accompany him inside, leaving all the other maids and servants outside.
Seeing the wreckage strewn across the floor, the emperor frowned and rushed forward to seize the woman's wrist. Then he saw the dead infant cradled in her other arm and immediately understood.
Heavy grief flashed through the emperor's eyes. He sighed, drew the Empress into his arms, and gently patted her back. "The child is fine. Get some rest. Once you've rested, the child will be all right too."
The woman trembled, asking over and over:
"That old Taoist told us from the very beginning that our first child would be premature and die young, but I didn't believe him. I didn't believe him... He was perfectly fine yesterday. How