An Ominous Phenomenon Appeared, a Sign of Great Calamity

"...I never said I blamed you. If I truly forbade you to speak, would you have dared say all that today? You only spoke because you knew I indulged you. If you could stay quietly in your chambers, that would be like seeing a ghost in broad daylight."

Di Yunqian stared at her in thought for a moment, then sighed softly and raised a hand to tap her forehead. "All right, lift your head. How could I not know what's going on in that head of yours?"

His daughter was unlike ordinary princesses who wheedled and clung to others or used their power to throw their weight around. She was clever and quick-witted, the only woman to have been accepted as Gao Qian's disciple. Though occasionally arrogant and overbearing, she possessed a carefree freedom rarely seen among members of the imperial family. She had a princess's pride, but also the benevolence and righteousness to set aside her status, making people both love and hate her and treat her with a little more indulgence.

Most importantly, when Di Yunqian occasionally faced a headache, Di Qingyu offered him measured advice without overstepping, always putting him, her imperial father, first and seeking no gain for herself. Besides, she was a princess, unlike the princes who made him wary of having his throne usurped.

This thoughtful little padded jacket of a daughter let the emperor experience the bond between father and daughter in an ordinary family. If he did not openly dote on Di Qingyu, whom would he dote on?

At that, Di Qingyu, who had been listless only moments ago, secretly lifted one eye and was caught in the act. She immediately broke into a grin like a little fox.

"Imperial Father, no one knows a daughter better than her father. If I'm clever, isn't it because you taught me well?"

"But every word I just said came from the bottom of my heart. I only hope you won't damage your relationship with the Du family. After all, Imperial Grandmother is still there. I don't want you caught in the middle because of me."

Di Yunqian patted the back of her hand. "Mm, I know. You spend every day worrying about this and that. You're almost of age; I ought to find you a good husband to keep you in check."

Di Qingyu's face reddened slightly. "Imperial Father, you're talking nonsense again."

She lowered her head in embarrassed indignation, her lowered eyelids concealing a flicker of darkness.

After a few more words of idle chat, Di Yunqian left. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and though the court was on recess, affairs inside and outside the royal city still needed his attention.

"Chunzhi, are those four porridge sheds still operating today?"

Di Qingyu had lain down for a long time, so she got out of bed and sat leaning against the soft couch to rest. A charcoal fire burned in the room, making it exceptionally warm, while a light drizzle fell outside amid a biting wind.

Chunzhi came over. "Rest assured, Mistress. They're all still serving porridge."

Di Qingyu nodded faintly. "Mm. Have someone buy some mooncakes to give to the common people. Find someone to deliberately ask about my whereabouts in public, and say I'm feeling unwell and recuperating."

Di Yunqian had suppressed news of her injury the previous night, so not many people knew about it.

"Yes."

Night fell.

The Mid-Autumn palace banquet.

Many officials and their families had been invited. Aside from the four princes who had gone to provide disaster relief, two princes and four princesses attended.

The emperor sat in the seat of honor, the empress beside him, and the other consorts took their assigned seats.

At the banquet, the guests exchanged toasts as strings and wind instruments began to play, and the atmosphere grew lively.

The empress dowager did not appear, and neither did the Du family. Presumably, they were still troubled over Du Yutao's situation.

"Oh? Where is the sixth princess?"

Sharp-eyed Noble Consort Gao had noticed that Di Qingyu was absent. She loved joining in the excitement more than anyone, so why was she nowhere to be seen today?

Her words drew the attention of quite a few people. They all looked around, and sure enough, Di Qingyu was nowhere to be seen.

Could the sixth princess have fallen out of favor?

"Qingyu felt unwell last night, so she will not be attending today." Di Yunqian's words dispelled many people's malicious speculation.

At that, Gao Miling's heart sank, but she showed nothing on her face, merely smiling faintly.

"I see." She raised a cup of wine and drank, a hint of worry in her lowered eyes.

Inside Yaohua Hall.

Dressed in a thick fur coat, Di Qingyu sat alone in the courtyard, admiring the full moon that night. The merriment of others had nothing to do with her; she simply enjoyed her own peace and quiet.

"Mistress." Chunzhi entered from outside the courtyard, her expression solemn.

Di Qingyu glanced sideways and raised a cup of warm water to moisten her throat. "Is Shao Lan ready?"

"Mm. They're all in position. That thing won't be powerful enough to take the common people's lives."

Di Qingyu's lips curved slightly. She raised her eyes to the moon on the horizon again, her fingertip resting against the cup.

"Make your move."

This round marked her formal entry into the court's power struggle, one year after her rebirth.

"Yes."

The palace was lively, but outside it, the city was even more prosperous and bustling.

The common people had taken the day off, and after nightfall they poured into the streets to partake in the festivities. Colorful lanterns filled their eyes, crowds surged, and the clamor shook the heavens.

Along the moat, lanterns and pleasure boats crowded together, while people on the banks stopped to watch and pray for a bountiful harvest and peace in the coming year.

No one noticed more than a dozen plainly dressed people hiding in the shadows in an orderly fashion-on boats, along the bank, and on bridges. All of them were positioned around a stone stele by the moat.

The stele had been erected two hundred years ago by an eminent monk from Longhua Temple, with Buddhist power to suppress evil and protect the good. Over the years, whenever disaster befell them, many common people came to kneel before it and pray. It was said to be highly efficacious and was deeply revered by the people of the royal city.

At that moment, a small boat slowly glided beneath the bridge by the stele. A youth in blue lay silently concealed underwater at its bow. He saw someone on the bank nod to him, and immediately took three bundles hanging beneath the bow and hid under the bridge.

Just as the people were still immersed in the festivities.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Three sudden, deafening explosions left their ears ringing.

A wave carrying water from the moat and fragments of the stone bridge, which had been blasted apart, shot skyward and knocked down everyone nearby.

The blast raised a thunderous roar and shook the ground like nothing they had ever experienced. In that instant, everyone's heartbeat seemed almost to stop, as though leaving this world.

As everyone gradually recovered from the ringing in their ears, the next moment-

"Ah!! It hurts! My leg!"

"Ah! What happened? Help! It's a natural disaster!"

"Save my little sister! She fell in!"

The small bridge near the stele had snapped in two, sending the people on it plunging into the water. Quite a few others were struck by flying fragments of stone, bleeding at once and falling to the ground, howling.

The crowd was especially dense, and as everyone retreated in terror, a panicked stampede broke out. The scene was one of utter chaos and fear.

The dozen or so people who had been hiding in the crowd immediately jumped in and swiftly pulled the people from the water one by one.

"Ah, look! Look under the water! Blood, so much blood is coming up!"

"Ah!! Someone's dead! Is someone dead?!"

Worse still, before everyone in the river had been rescued, a scarlet color suddenly spread from beneath the water. Like human blood, it bared its fangs and brandished its claws like an evil ghost come to claim souls.

Soon, half the river had turned that color, a horrifying sight beneath the shifting light and shadows of the night.

"A ghost! The stele is bleeding! This is a sign of great calamity!"

Even the stele that everyone worshipped was inexplicably oozing blood, which wound its way down like an omen of wronged souls coming to claim lives.

The people's eyes nearly split with terror. Scrambling and crawling, they fled the river at once.

"Look, all of you! A stone is floating up in the river!"

How could a stone float in water?!