Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

Outside Zhangde Hall, the night grew even deeper.

When Emperor Ling of Han returned from Chongde Hall, he did not go back to his bedchamber, but went straight into a side hall.

The lamps were lit early, and the gift book was spread out on the table, as if someone had paved the way in advance, just waiting for him to step on it.

Zhang Rang was waiting by the door. When he saw the emperor enter, he immediately bowed.

Emperor Ling of Han walked to the table, but without looking at him, he first gathered his sleeves and pointed to the ceremonial register:

"Summon the Imperial Clan Court and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices tomorrow. Draft an imperial edict and proceed according to the established rites."

Zhang Rang's eyelids twitched, but he still spoke steadily: "Titles, fiefs, and official positions—must all be granted according to precedent?"

"As per precedent," Emperor Ling of Han said calmly, "the more we follow precedent, the less trouble we have."

"The fertility of the fiefdom and the actual value of the estate shall be submitted to me for my decision; the officials and servants of the prince's residence shall be ranked into three categories as candidates; access control shall be maintained in accordance with the old system, with provisions for accountability."

Zhang Rang understood in his heart: this was not about giving Liu Xie a great benefit, but about giving the world an explanation—when the emperor bestows favors, the system of rites and ceremonies is self-consistent.

But he also understood another layer: following the precedent meant being able to "follow it as closely as possible".

Zhang Rang looked up and tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to inform the Crown Prince?"

Emperor Ling of Han paused, then pointed his finger at the table:

He will know.

-

The next morning, at Chengde Hall.

Liu Bian had just finished his breakfast, and the soup bowls on the table were still steaming a little, when Xun Yu came in.

He skipped the unnecessary pleasantries, pulled a roll of paper from his sleeve, and gently unfolded it. A paperweight pressed against the edge of the paper, the ink marks as dense as a net.

Liu Bian glanced at it, recalling the words spoken at Changqiu Palace last night, and just as he opened his mouth:

"Sir, last night I went to see my mother—what she said was—"

Xun Yu spoke first, his voice calm:

"Do nothing."

His fingertips paused on the paper, as if casually pressing down on a particular line, and then added:

"But don't let people think you didn't see anything."

Liu Bian didn't say anything, but put down his chopsticks, wiped his fingertips with a handkerchief, and looked back at the scroll of excerpts.

Xun Yu opened the scroll and gently tapped the two words on it with the back of his finger—"agreed".

"Your Highness, please take a look," he said. "The regulations are written very politely. Because they are polite, they leave room for exceptions. The title of a king can be granted as a prefecture and a county, which sounds like a reward, but the writing makes it sound like a loan—to whom is it lent for discussion and to whom is it lent for decision-making."

Liu Bian's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't reply.

"The same applies to the officials and servants of the Prince's residence."

"What is written can be placed, what is not written must be placed. What is written can be set up, what is not written must be matched. If you really fill him with people—those who are in power today will use the Prince's mansion as their banner tomorrow."

As he spoke, he picked up the teacup that Liu Bian had used from the table. The tea was no longer hot, and a thin layer of white foam floated on the surface of the cup.

Xun Yu gently swirled the cup, and the foam dispersed, then slowly gathered back together.

"Your Highness, you don't need to stir it up. Just let it gather on its own. The faster it gathers, the faster it will reveal itself."

Liu Bian then spoke, his tone still steady:

"What about access control?"

"As usual," Xun Yu repeated softly, "they love those two words the most. Because whoever holds the precedent can speak for themselves."

He looked up at Liu Bian, his words carrying a hint of warning:

"Access control, registration, and daily reports—these three things are most effective when they remain silent. But when they are activated, no one has a way out."

The sky was overcast, as if it were about to snow, or perhaps just thick clouds.

Liu Bian looked out the window and suddenly said:

"Then let the system of rites preserve the dignity of Father Emperor and also stop me from taking action."

Xun Yu picked up the teacup, but didn't drink; he merely twirled the rim of the cup between his fingers.

"Your Highness only needs to remember one thing—the more it seems like you're trying to share His Majesty's burdens, the easier it is to act."

-

Afternoon, at the Ministry of Personnel.

The three officials—the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat—sat in a side hall with the draft of the imperial edict spread out in front of them.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies, surnamed Zhou, was an old scholar who had always valued propriety. He flipped through the scroll of rites, his brow furrowed.

"To confer a title of kingship...where is the fiefdom? How much is the estate? If these things aren't clearly stated, how can we discuss it later?"

The Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, surnamed Liu, was from a distant branch of the imperial clan. He spoke slowly, but every word he uttered was perfectly to the point.

"The genealogy must be verified first. Only when the status is legal can things proceed smoothly."

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, surnamed Cui, was the one who suffered the most—the rites were under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the genealogy was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court, but after the process was completed, it ended up in his hands, and he had to stamp it and take responsibility.

He put down his teacup and sighed.

"Don't look at me, you two. I only have one question—what's the situation with the Crown Prince?"

The Minister of Ceremonies and the Minister of the Imperial Clan exchanged a glance but remained silent.

Just then, a report came from outside the door:

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The three of them stood up at the same time.

Liu Bian entered, followed only by Xun Yu. He was dressed in plain clothes and carried no ceremonial regalia. After glancing at the three people in the room, he sat down in the empty seat of honor and spoke in a flat tone:

"Are the three of you discussing the bestowal of titles upon kings?"

The Minister of Ceremonies quickly replied, "Your Highness, that's right. There are some details regarding the rites that still need to be discussed and agreed upon."

Liu Bian nodded, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, put it down, and then said:

"I have come today to discuss something."

All three of them were looking at him.

Liu Bian's voice was neither hurried nor slow:

"My father said last night: the fiefdoms and estates should be submitted for approval first, the officials of the royal palace should be listed as candidates, and the rules for entry and exit should be kept so that there can be a record of those responsible. All of you should follow this advice."

The Grand Master of Ceremonies was taken aback.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He knew perfectly well that with the emperor's verbal edict, the Crown Prince's intervention would be considered "obeying orders."

Liu Bian, seemingly oblivious to their reaction, continued:

"But Xie is young, and the affairs of the Prince's Palace need someone to oversee and verify them. If someone uses the name of the Prince's Palace to cause trouble, it will ruin Xie's future and also put Father in a difficult position."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the three faces:

"I am willing to preside over the ceremony to demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence."

"The access control, official registers, and daily entry and exit reports of the Prince's residence will be temporarily verified by the Crown Prince's Records Office."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The Minister of Ceremonies was the first to react, and quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Your Highness is too kind."

The Minister of the Imperial Clan nodded in agreement, and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat also breathed a sigh of relief—since the Crown Prince was willing to step in, the responsibility was no longer solely on his shoulders.

Liu Bian stood up and straightened his cuffs:

"Then it's settled. The three of you should come up with the detailed rules and send them to the Crown Prince's Palace for review."

He turned and walked out, but stopped abruptly at the door. Without turning back, he simply said:

"Don't let unclean people tarnish the Emperor's kindness."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out.

The three people inside stood there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

The Minister of Ceremonies was the first to react, whispering, "What is the Crown Prince doing...?"

Zong Zhengqing raised his hand to stop him, shook his head, and said nothing.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat picked up the cup of cold tea, took a sip, and felt a chill on the back of his neck.

-

When the news reached Zhangde Hall, Emperor Ling of Han was leaning against his couch, listening to Zhang Rang read something.

When Emperor Ling read the line "The Crown Prince is willing to preside over the ceremony," he gently tapped the armchair with his hand.

Zhang Rang stopped and looked up at him.

Emperor Ling of Han did not speak, but simply raised his hand to signal him to continue reading.

When Emperor Ling of Han read the sentence, "The gate control of the Prince's Palace, the register of officials, and the daily reports of comings and goings shall be temporarily verified by the Eastern Palace," his finger stopped.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

"He certainly knows how to pick his timing."

Zhang Rang lowered his head, not daring to reply.

Emperor Ling of Han leaned against the armchair, looking at the crossbeams on the roof of the palace, and pondered that sentence in his mind, turning it around twice.

Matters concerning the Prince's residence are to be verified by the Crown Prince.

This means that Liu Xie's Prince's Mansion, in essence, had to go through the hands of the Crown Prince.

Emperor Ling of Han suddenly smiled.

The smile was brief, almost imperceptible, but Zhang Rang saw it and his heart tightened.

"His Majesty……"

"It's alright," Emperor Ling interrupted him. "Let him handle it."

Zhang Rang was stunned for a moment.

Emperor Ling of Han offered no explanation.

He simply leaned against the armrest, closed his eyes, as if he were thinking about something, or as if he wasn't thinking about anything at all.

But Zhang Rang knew that His Majesty had added a few more lines to his mental tally.

-

Chongde Hall.

When the news arrived, Empress Dowager Dong was sitting by the window basking in the sun. The sun wasn't strong, and its rays warmed her deep-colored robe.

After the personal attendant finished speaking, he stepped back and waited for her to speak.

Empress Dowager Dong remained silent.

She simply held her teacup, gazing at the sky outside the window for a long time.

Then she smiled.

The smile was brief, almost imperceptible, but the eunuch noticed it and his heart tightened.

"Empress Dowager..."

"It's alright," Empress Dowager Dong interrupted her, her voice calm. "Let the child handle it."

She paused, looked down at the water in the teacup, and murmured:

"Indeed, it was He who gave birth to him."