(The plot hasn't gone off track. These are the Young Prince's parents.)
Night lay like ink, pressing heavily upon the glazed roof tiles of Prince Xin's Residence.
The residence blazed with light, yet none of it could dispel the gloom hanging over Prince Xin and his consort's hearts.
The consort sat before her dressing table, drawing a jade comb again and again through her waterfall of black hair. Her movements lacked their usual leisure, carrying instead a trace of irritation.
Looking at Prince Xin's reflection in the bronze mirror, she couldn't help complaining, "Your Highness, tell me, isn't that Steward Wang getting more outrageous by the day?
"A few days ago, I merely wanted to visit the temple outside the city to pray for your well-being, yet he forcibly stopped me, claiming the roads were unsafe.
"I'm the mistress of this residence, after all, and now I don't even have the freedom to go out. Isn't he overstepping his bounds?"
Prince Xin sat nearby in a grand armchair, long since losing the inclination to turn the pages of Strategies of the Warring States in his hands.
Hearing her complaints, he set down the book and rubbed his brow, saying helplessly, "My dear, there's something you don't understand. Steward Wang was sent here by His Majesty himself.
"His Majesty pays particular attention to our residence's every move. Steward Wang is the eyes and ears he planted at our side. We have no choice but to act cautiously."
The consort's slender brows shot upward, her eyes brimming with resentment. "Hmph, so what if His Majesty sent him?
"Must I watch his expression before doing anything in my own residence?
"Whether we're purchasing supplies or entertaining guests, he always sticks his oar in and orders everyone about. He truly infuriates me!"
Prince Xin