The Crown Prince

Zhonghe Court - Capital

The morning sun had barely risen when Chng Li arrived in haste. "Lord Xu Zixuan, His Majesty has summoned you to the morning assembly."

The words sent a ripple of urgency through the household. Servants quickly gathered his robes, and a steward hurried to prepare his horse. Xu Zixuan, still fastening the last ties of his official attire, did not waste a moment. He had long served in the court, yet an urgent summons before dawn was unusual.

As he mounted his steed, the crisp morning air nipped at his skin, but his mind was already elsewhere. What could be so pressing? A border skirmish? A political dispute? Or had something far graver occurred within the imperial court?