"Has Censor Liu been frightened into silence by Princess Sheng An's words?"
No one had expected that a mere rainstorm would cause hesitation among their own group. Zhou Yushi, who had aligned with the Crown Prince long ago, scowled at Liu Yushi with visible irritation.
"If Princess Sheng An truly possessed the power to foresee natural disasters, then why, in all these years, has she never predicted a single one? Liu Yushi, you're not young. You must've dreamt your fair share of strange things over the years."
He gave a scoff.
"Who hasn't had the occasional bizarre dream? This is just a dream about rain. Why take it seriously?"
He gestured toward the downpour outside.
"You'll see. This rain will stop soon enough."
Liu Yushi could only murmur to himself, "Let's hope so."
The men huddled under the narrow eaves, casting worried glances at the increasingly heavy sky. At first, they could still stand with a shred of patience, watching the rain fall. But before long, their legs stiffened and their hearts grew restless. Pacing was inevitable.
The shelter was small. With several people moving about, it didn't take long before they were bumping into one another.
The first few collisions were tolerated. But after a while, tempers began to fray.
"Could you watch where you're going? My shoulder's soaked now!"
"It was you who bumped into me! I've got a wall to my side. Where was I supposed to go?"
"Enough! Stop bickering. Can't you all just stand still? My head's spinning from your pacing!"
"What do you expect us to do? Stand frozen until our bones turn to stone?"
What was a yushi good for, if not scolding someone?
But how many yushi were known for their gentle tempers? Especially in weather like this.
Liu Yushi turned toward Zhou Yushi with a dark look.
"Didn't you say the rain would stop soon?"
He pointed at the sky.
"Look at it now. It's been at least three shichen. The palace gates might be locking soon. Do you see any sign of it stopping? It's only getting worse!"
"It's just a heavy rain. Haven't you seen one before?"
Zhou Yushi was growing nervous too, though he would never admit it. He still refused to believe that Princess Sheng An could truly dream of a flood. But what if, by sheer chance, her prediction turned out to be right?
Then she would gain tremendous merit.
The thought alone filled him with irritation. Liu Yushi's accusatory tone only made it worse. His temper snapped.
"What use is panicking? I didn't hold a blade to your throat and force you to come, did I?"
"You didn't believe her dream either, and now you want to shift the blame?"
"Whether or not this rain truly mirrors Princess Sheng An's dream remains to be seen. Instead of complaining, why don't you conserve your strength and wait? Who knows, we might be spending the night here."
"...Spending the night? Surely not?"
That hit a nerve. Even the more composed among them began to crack.
"His Majesty must have been speaking in anger earlier. If this rain really lasts ten days or more..."
"Surely we won't be made to stay here that long?"
"Wait, is that Eunuch Sun from His Majesty's side?"
Someone spotted a familiar figure approaching—Sun Fu, the disciple of Li Dehai. He was coming toward them with a group of palace attendants in tow.
Hope flickered in their eyes.
"His Majesty must be sending someone to escort us out of the palace!"
"...But why does it not look that way?"
When they were farther off, the group had been partly obscured by tree branches. It wasn't clear what they were carrying. But now that they had rounded the corner—
This was not the posture of a departure escort.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence? Perhaps they're passing by?"
But someone immediately rejected that notion.
"Passing by here? There's nothing in this dead-end corner to pass by. They're coming straight for us."
As the confusion deepened, Eunuch Sun stopped before them.
"Gentlemen, I come bearing an imperial decree. His Majesty has sent you a few necessities."
Rain battered the oil-paper umbrella above his head, splashing outward in wide arcs. By chance or design, more than a few drops landed directly on Zhou Yushi's shoe.
Zhou Yushi dared not protest, not with the second-most favored eunuch at Emperor Xuanwu's side standing before him. He held his tongue and watched as the junior eunuchs behind Eunuch Sun set down several wooden trunks under the eaves.
"And what might these be?"
"Thin bedding," Eunuch Sun replied with a mild smile.
"Tonight's rain is unlikely to end. His Majesty, ever thoughtful, feared that standing all night under the eaves might take a toll on your health. He thus commanded us to deliver these trunks and quilts."
He gestured casually.
"Stack the trunks together and they form a makeshift sleeping platform. Throw on the quilts and endure one night. You'll be presentable for court in the morning."
The men stared at him in stunned silence.
They had still held a sliver of hope that the Emperor might release them. But now?
"...Must we give thanks for this?"
Seeing their stunned expressions, Eunuch Sun's smile faded.
"What are you waiting for? Have you not given thanks yet?"
Sleeping under a leaky eave in the pouring rain—and they were expected to give thanks?
Give thanks for what?
"Your servants offer our deepest gratitude for His Majesty's grace."
They cursed inwardly, but none dared disobey. All dropped to their knees and bowed.
As Eunuch Sun's group walked off, umbrellas swaying in the wind, Zhou Yushi kicked one of the trunks in frustration.
"What are you standing around for? Come help move these."
"...Are we truly to sleep here tonight?"
One of them still clung to denial.
"This is absurd."
"Then don't sleep," Liu Yushi snapped, face drawn with cold fury. He dragged two trunks together.
"I, for one, have no intention of standing upright all night."
And besides, who said standing all night was more dignified?
Since dignity had already been trampled, he might as well lie down in comfort.
The early summer nights in the capital were already cool. With the rain, the chill felt like a return to spring.
At first, a couple of them still clung to their pride, refusing to lie down.
But as the night deepened and the cold seeped in, even they relented, shivering as they wrapped themselves tightly in the thin quilts.
One by one, they all began to silently pray.
Let the rain stop soon. Please.
Let this ordeal end—a punishment more humiliating than painful.
But the rain did not stop.
It poured through the night, growing heavier with every passing hour.