Two days later, Prince Yan, who had been away inspecting river affairs, finally returned to the capital at dawn. Before daybreak, before he could even step foot into Prince Yan's Mansion, the Empress summoned him to the palace.
The Princess Consort remained in the mansion, her heart uneasy. After the death of Concubine Zhou, she had been restless, unable to focus on managing the household affairs, and simply let them pile up unattended.
Chengming's body still lay in the back hall, awaiting Prince Yan's return for arrangements. Cheng Zhen, frightened by the ordeal, had developed a high fever in the middle of the night, delirious and unable to recover even by daybreak. Weak and listless, he lay in bed, unable to rise.
The Princess Consort kept vigil by her child's bedside, her brow furrowed with worry as she watched her youngest son toss and turn in his nightmares.
