Mu Xueshi had assumed the prince would return by the following day at the latest.
Three days passed.
Not a shadow.
Unable to endure it any longer, he sought out Eunuch Tai’an.
With calm composure, the eunuch replied, “His Highness’s mother consort has passed away. The prince must observe seven days of mourning, kneeling before her spirit tablet without leaving even a single step. Meals and garments are delivered by appointed attendants.”
The words struck heavily.
At once, Mu Xueshi’s spirits sank. The lively decorations around him no longer stirred excitement.
The prince’s mother had died.
If his own mother… No. He could not even imagine it. To lose one’s closest kin—how unbearable that grief must be.
He did not blame Eunuch Tai’an for failing to inform him sooner. He himself had never asked. He had acted on impulse.
Restoring the chamber to its former solemnity would be difficult. Perhaps… perhaps when the prince returned, the brightness might ease his sorrow.
Steeling himself, Mu Xueshi changed into proper attire and prepared to visit the prince.
Eunuch Tai’an hurriedly blocked him.
“During mourning, no one may disturb His Highness. If discovered… it could mean execution.”
Execution.
That gave him pause.
Risking his head for a single glance seemed somewhat excessive.
He retreated to the study and sat in a daze. Then his eyes fell upon a box of dark cosmetic paste.
An idea sparked.
If he smeared it upon his face, no one would recognize him. With the prince’s token hanging from his neck, who would dare stop him?
Convinced that the Third Prince could settle any matter—as though he were already emperor—Mu Xueshi hastily slathered the dark paste across his face. The result was both miserable and absurd.
He found it satisfactory.
Perhaps he had grown numb to his own reflection long ago.
At that very moment, the Third Prince knelt before Consort Mu’s spirit tablet, his expression utterly devoid of sorrow.
After Lin Yue’s death, not even her remains had been intact. A woman who had committed so many evils—why should she be granted dignity in death?
If one day he ascended the Dragon Throne, the first act would be to tear down her spirit tablet and leave her without burial.
While tallying her sins in silence, he heard footsteps.
Likely the meal attendant.
He did not turn.
Yet the steps drew closer—and not toward the meal table, but toward him.
His vigilance sharpened.
Then—
A small, pitch-black face popped into view, wearing a mischievous grin.
The Third Prince was startled—not by how Mu Xueshi had entered, but by why he had come.
Mu Xueshi hurriedly whispered, “Don’t worry! I slipped in through the side door. I called out to the girl delivering food, and she handed it to me. Clever, right?”
The prince nearly smiled.
The maid had surely seen the token on his chest—and that terrifying face—and been too frightened to protest.
Yet Mu Xueshi stood there smugly pleased.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment