The Emperor lay upon his bed, pale and half-dead, his heavy eyelids a testament to his arduous battle with death. A lady-in-waiting dabbed the cold sweat from his brow with a white handkerchief. Just then, an attendant entered quietly, carrying a tray with a decoction. With the lady-in-waiting's assistance, the Emperor propped himself up, leaning against the headboard. The royal physician, standing by the bedside, offered the bowl with a respectful bow:
"Your Majesty, your draught is prepared. Pray, partake of it."
The Emperor took a sip, but the bitterness was so wretched that his face contorted in disgust. He spoke in a frail voice:
"Ugh... I can bear this vile concoction no longer."
The physician withdrew the bowl and bowed low:
"Well… as you command, Your Majesty."
With desperation etched onto his face, he gathered his things and hurried from the room.
In the quiet corridor, the Grand Minister blocked his path. The physician bowed hastily. The Minister asked, without preamble:
"How fares the Emperor?"
The physician, head bowed and voice trembling, replied:
"His condition is deteriorating, Your Excellency. The treatments are no longer having any effect..."
A flash of greed gleamed in the Minister's eyes, but his tone remained menacing:
"Do whatever is necessary. He must stay alive. Do you understand?"
The physician replied tremulously, "Yes, Your Excellency," and was dismissed with a wave of the Minister's hand.
It was there that Master Míngdé (明德) appeared from behind a pillar and whispered:
"I must speak with you at once."
The Minister replied coldly: "I am listening."
Míngdé said, "Not here. Let us go elsewhere."
They proceeded to a secluded corner of the palace courtyard. Once certain they were alone, Míngdé said:
"Excellency, word has arrived that..."
The Minister, seeing the anxiety in his eyes, snapped:
"Be quick about it, what has happened again?"
He said: "The officer guarding the Chángchuān (长川) Pass... do you remember him? The one who brought news of the Crown Prince and his retinue's disappearance."
"Yes," the Minister replied.
Míngdé continued: "Did you... speak with him?"
The Minister answered impatiently:
"No. I am not wasting my time on such matters. He reported directly to the Imperial Counsellor. Since the court has not sat for several days, the Counsellor took him straight to the Emperor to explain the details in person. What relevance does this have now?"
The Master said, clearly agitated:
"The relevance lies in the very details of that incident. This man claims the Crown Prince and his retinue... never set foot towards Chángchuān pass at all!"
The Minister's eyes widened: "What are you saying? Where, then, did they go?"
Míngdé replied: "He says he heard from a farmer in those parts that they changed course towards the Mòguǐ (魔鬼) Forest."
The Minister's heart began to race: "Why?"
"I do not know," Míngdé continued, pausing before adding:
"This officer heard that, along the way, they encountered a wealthy man and joined forces with him."
Infuriated, the Grand Minister grabbed Míngdé by the collar:
"You incompetent fool! Why did you not tell me this the very moment you knew?"
Míngdé stammered:
"Please, forgive me, Excellency. I assure you, I have only just learned of this myself."
The Minister released him and paced the courtyard with nervous strides:
"Where is the Jīn (金) army? Why is there no news of them?"
Míngdé lowered his head: "I have no information whatsoever."
With a face twisted in anger, the Minister muttered, "Damn it... summon the Ministers of Finance and the Chariots to a meeting at once!"
Moments later, in the meeting chamber, the Minister of Chariots slammed his fist onto the table:
"Who is behind this treachery?"
The Minister of Finance said in a shaky voice:
"All this time, the Liángwáng (良王) army has been camped behind the secret camp, watching our every move. I am certain he is behind all of this!"
The Grand Minister roared at them:
"As long as I am surrounded by fools like you, it is no wonder I find myself in such a predicament! Liángwáng could not have known of our plans, or he would have attacked by now."
He then lowered his voice: "We have been played by our own allies."
The Minister of Chariots whispered in terror: "Lord Yìfēng (逸風)?"
The Grand Minister clenched his teeth:
"I have had no word from him for ages. That hellish snake… has abandoned us."
A deathly silence filled the room. The Grand Minister cast a piercing gaze at those present:
"Control of the situation is slipping away, but I will not permit them to discard me. I must seize the Tiger Tally (虎符 - Hǔfú) by force..."
The Minister of Chariots asked in horror: "Do you mean... you intend to...?"
The Grand Minister cut him off instantly:
"He is dying regardless. We must act preemptively. And if necessary, we shall take Yìfēng's sister hostage."
He then turned to Míngdé: "I require two thousand elite warriors for a coup in the capital."
Míngdé said: "Gathering that many in the current state of security will be difficult; it will take several days."
"There is no other choice," the Grand Minister replied. "Begin at once."
Míngdé performed a rapid zuòyī (作揖) and departed. The Grand Minister then turned to the remaining ministers: "I have critical missions for you both..."