That same night, at the Shen Residence.
Snow fell soundlessly, and thin ice lined the eaves.
Shen Duan had set a table beneath the veranda, alone with cloudy wine and a solitary lamp, drinking as he watched the snow.
He recalled the emperor's words that day, spoken neither harshly nor lightly.
"Mired in worldly passions, committing unrighteous deeds in private, believing no one knows, brazenly without shame-day by day, you will sink to the level of beasts without even realizing it."
Shen Duan's hand trembled slightly as he raised his cup. Then he gave a mocking laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha..." His laughter sounded especially desolate in the snowy night.
When Feng Yan had been there, the emperor might have loathed him, but Feng Yan had still served as a balancing weight at court.
Shen Duan had stood at one end, Feng Yan at the other, with the emperor seated between them. None had ever gone too far.
In those days, though he had fortified every step, his footing had been secure.
Now Feng Yan was gone. The upright officials had splintered.
And he, Shen Duan, stood alone at the center of the scales.
The emperor had not even hesitated to speak those words openly.
"How... did I, Shen Duan, come to this!" He tipped back his head and drained his cup.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the gate.
The steward led someone toward him through the snow.
Clad in a blue robe, with clear, handsome features, it was Shen Yi, newly returned to the capital.
"Grandfather!" Shen Yi called from a distance.
Shen Duan set down his wine cup and looked at his eldest grandson. His gaze softened a little, but he merely beckoned:
"Yi'er, you're here. Come, sit beside your grandfather."
Shen Yi obeyed and sat beside the table.