Bian Yunxin was pregnant.

“I’m going to have a brother!” Liang Ye’s eyes sparkled as Nanny Tao grabbed his collar to wipe his little face. He was so excited that he was waving his arms and stamping his feet. “I’m older than my brother! By five years!”

He was immersed in the joy of being a big brother, watching the stream of rewards being carried into the palace, watching the dilapidated palace from his memory become completely renewed. Even his own small side hall became beautiful. He happily circled around Nanny Tao and Qiu Gan.

Naturally, he didn’t notice the worry and vigilance in their eyes.

An even happier thing was that Bian Yunxin had also become kind to him. Although she still refused to hold him, she was willing to straighten his little collar, tug at his crooked lapel, or smile and pat his head.

Liang Ye felt that he was living better than his Sixteenth Brother.

New Year’s Eve was approaching. He pestered Qiu Gan to take him to play in the Imperial Garden. For some reason, Qiu Gan and Nanny Tao had been restraining him lately, not letting him go out to play. He was almost going stir-crazy.

“Qiu Gan, let’s go out to play,” he tugged at Qiu Gan’s clothes and climbed onto his back, hugging his neck. “Qiu Gan, Qiu Gan, take me out to play, and I’ll give you my prettiest little stone.”

Qiu Gan pulled him down from his back and tried to stop him. “Little Highness, the palace has been very unsettled recently. The Ninth Prince and Thirteenth Prince were drowned in the Imperial Garden the other day. The Thirteenth Prince passed away that night, and the Ninth Prince probably won’t make it through New Year’s Eve. Could we not go out, please?”

“No.” Liang Ye hung his little head. “Mother scolded me again today. I want to go out to clear my mind.”

Qiu Gan couldn’t help but stroke his head. “All right then, but we can only play for a little while. If Nanny Tao finds out, we’ll both be in big trouble.”

“Big trouble!” Liang Ye grabbed his little clothes, pretending to hold something in them, exclaiming excitedly, “Let’s go!”

Qiu Gan sighed helplessly.

The Imperial Garden was rather deserted lately, but Liang Ye was having a great time. Even breaking off a dry tree branch would keep him occupied for quite a while. “Qiu Gan, I want to be a martial hero in the future! Roaming the jianghu!”

Qiu Gan just smiled at him, reaching out to lift him down from the tree. “The jianghu is not fun at all.”

Liang Ye touched his blind eye. “Does it hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t.” Qiu Gan whispered, “Does the Little Highness know about bone-shrinking skills and disguise techniques?”

Liang Ye’s eyes lit up. “I do! Nanny told me about them!”

“I’m already quite old,” Qiu Gan said with a smile. “But I’d be happy to grow up with the Little Highness one more time.”

Although Liang Ye was clever, he was still just a child. He still remembered Qiu Gan’s youthful appearance from years ago, and now he looked like a big brother. “Big brother.”

“I cannot be the Little Highness’s big brother.” Qiu Gan held him and pinched his face.

Liang Ye hugged his neck and turned his head to point something out to him. “Sixteenth Brother.”

Qiu Gan held him, preparing to leave. “We’ve been playing for a long time, Little Highness. We should go now.”

“I want to see Sixteenth Brother. He was sick a few days ago, and I haven’t seen him for a long time.” Liang Ye refused, wriggling out of Qiu Gan’s arms like a loach. He ran pitter-patter to the edge of the pavilion and hid behind a tree, secretly watching Liang Xuan.

Liang Xuan had the best temper and was the most handsome among all his brothers. Although Liang Ye had never spoken to him, every time he went to the Imperial Garden, he would drag Qiu Gan along to see him.

“It’s Sixteenth Brother,” he turned to Qiu Gan and said softly. “Where’s his foal?”

“The foal grew up and was sent to the stables,” Qiu Gan squatted beside him.

Liang Ye lay behind the tree, eagerly watching him eat pastries. The eleven or twelve-year-old boy was watching the snow with a cold expression. The eunuch beside him said, “Your Highness, the Nineteenth Prince is here again.”

Liang Xuan raised his eyes to look at the little figure peeking out from behind the tree. He picked up a plate of pastries and stood up.

“Your Highness, that’s not appropriate.”

Liang Xuan turned to look at him expressionlessly. “I’m going to say goodbye to Nineteenth Brother.”

The man didn’t dare persuade him any further.

Liang Ye had rushed out to play without eating, and now the plate of pastries looked extremely tempting. Even when he saw Liang Xuan walking towards him, he couldn’t move his legs. Yet he was also afraid, hiding behind the tree trunk with only half of his little head showing.

Liang Xuan’s elegant and exquisite long robe spread out on the snowy ground. He knelt on one knee and handed the plate to Liang Ye. His voice was cold, “Nineteenth, have some pastries.”

Liang Ye stared at the plate of pastries and swallowed hard. He looked up at Qiu Gan.

Qiu Gan nodded to him imperceptibly.

Liang Ye reached out with his dirty little hands to grab a pastry, but was unexpectedly caught by a large hand. He was startled and tried to pull his hand back.

Liang Xuan put down the plate of pastries, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped his little paws. He even pinched them softly with an expressionless face. Before Liang Ye could respond, he stood up and left.

Liang Ye grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into his mouth. The fragrant, sweet taste instantly made his eyes brighten. It was osmanthus-flavored, just like the scent on his Sixteenth Brother.

He ate the pastry while watching his Sixteenth Brother, but only saw a cold, retreating back.

Before New Year’s Eve passed, funeral music sounded throughout the palace.

“The Sixteenth Prince has died,” Qiu Gan lifted the curtain and vigorously shook the snow off his clothes. “I heard he went to a temple to recover a few days ago but fell ill on the way.”

“Alas, that’s the third one already,” Nanny Tao sighed, holding the sleeping Liang Ye by the brazier to warm him.

Qiu Gan looked toward Bian Yunxin’s main hall, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction. “She had to make trouble at this time. The Emperor is too kind. If it were up to me, I would just—“

“Qiu Gan.” Nanny Tao called his name in warning, then looked down to meet Liang Ye’s blinking eyes. She immediately smiled, “Oh my, is Your Highness awake?”

“What happened to Sixteenth Brother?” Liang Ye rubbed his eyes drowsily, reaching out to rummage through Nanny Tao’s colorful ball of yarn in her sewing basket.

“Nothing happened. The Sixteenth Prince went to the mountains to recover,” Qiu Gan squatted by the fire stove and took out a warm sweet potato from his sleeve. He carefully peeled it for him. “Your Highness, eat it while it’s hot.”

Liang Ye blew on it and began to eat in small bites. Outside, the wind and snow howled, but Nanny Tao’s embrace was warm and secure. He ate half of it before falling asleep again.

When he was awakened next, he saw a bloody eyeball rolling onto the ground, crushed under someone’s foot.

“Ahhh—” Qiu Gan, kneeling on the ground, instantly screamed in agony. Beside him was Nanny Tao, whose ear had been cut off.

Liang Ye was frightened into stillness. “Qiu Gan, Nanny?”

“Your Highness, go back to sleep…” Qiu Gan collapsed on the ground, smiling weakly at him with his last breath.

A room full of tall, armored soldiers in black armor loomed large. The young man leading them had a cold expression. He perfunctorily cupped his hands toward Liang Ye. “Nineteenth Prince, please forgive me! I am Jian Hao, commander of the Black Armor Guards. I am here on the Empress Dowager’s orders to arrest spies in Qiuyang Palace. This person resisted arrest, disturbing Your Highness!”

“Qiu Gan and Nanny Tao are not spies!” He crawled down from the bed using hands and feet, but was grabbed by the arm by a Black Armor Guard. He was immediately shocked and angry. “Qiu Gan and Nanny Tao are good people!”

Jian Hao wouldn’t listen to a child at all. “What were your plans, infiltrating the Nineteenth Prince’s side? Confess truthfully!”

“Qiu Gan! Nanny!” Liang Ye looked at the bloody socket on Qiu Gan’s face and Nanny Tao’s cut-off ear. His whole body was trembling, and he cried out, “They are good people! Let me go!”

“Continue!” Jian Hao waved his hand.

There was a flash of cold light, and blood splattered all over Liang Ye’s face.

“Commander, they don’t seem to know any martial arts,” someone beside him said. “Could we have made a mistake?”

“Better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one go,” Jian Hao sneered. “The lady of Qiuyang Palace is so capable of carrying an imperial heir, how could she not save her own palace people?”

Bian Yunxin, clutching her belly, stood at the door with a deathly pale face, supporting herself against the doorframe. “Commander Jian, I truly didn’t know anything about this. The Nineteenth Prince must have been bewitched by these two servants to think they were good people! You… you may handle them as you see fit!”

“No! Qiu Gan and Nanny are good people!” Liang Ye struggled while crying. “Stop! Don’t kill them!”

“Shut up!” Bian Yunxin suddenly rushed over and slapped the wailing Liang Ye twice across the face. Liang Ye was struck dizzy, his head drooping softly to one side, but he still struggled to save them.

The Black Armor Guard holding him had a violent temper and was about to kick him. Seeing this, Bian Yunxin snatched him away and held him tightly in her arms. “Gentlemen! Don’t quarrel with a child. I will take him away right now!”

Liang Ye struggled and cried in her arms. Bian Yunxin covered his mouth and nose tightly, dragging him toward the exit.

“Stop.” Jian Hao sat in a chair and smiled. “Since the Little Highness is so deeply attached to these two spies, and the Consort is with child, why don’t you stay and watch the execution?”

Bian Yunxin, her face white, was forced into a chair. Jian Hao found Liang Ye’s crying too noisy, so he had him gagged with cloth strips and tied to a chair.

“Little Highness, if you want to save them, why don’t you tell me who they really are and why they stayed by your side?” Jian Hao smiled and bent down to look at him. “Perhaps you could save them, hmm?”

Bian Yunxin forced a laugh. “Commander Jian is joking. He’s just a child, what would he know…”

“I don’t think I asked the Consort.” Jian Hao suddenly dropped his smile and looked at her.

Bian Yunxin clutched her belly and gripped the armrest tightly.

Liang Ye, gagged and struggling desperately, stared at the growing pool of blood and dismembered limbs on the ground. Tears streamed silently from his eyes. Small as he was, he couldn’t move the chair.

“Your Highness… Your Highness… don’t be afraid…” Qiu Gan, who had been bringing him delicious food just before bedtime, was now barely recognizable as human. “You’re dreaming… when you wake up, it will all be fine… don’t be afraid…”

Nanny Tao’s rough yet broad palm rolled to his feet. Liang Ye breathed rapidly, his tearful pupils reflecting nothing but the brutal bloodshed.

Not until the sky darkened outside did the screams in the room finally fall silent.

“Oh well, it seems I was mistaken.” Jian Hao sighed helplessly, then turned to bow to Bian Yunxin and Liang Ye. “Please forgive me, Consort and Your Highness. After all, the palace has been unstable lately. The Empress Dowager is worried sick trying to find out who’s harming the imperial heirs, she can’t even sleep well. It wouldn’t be good if another little prince were born at this time… don’t you agree…Consort?”

Bian Yunxin clutched her belly in terror.

Jian Hao straightened up with a smile. “This is just a warning for the Consort. If you’re intelligent, you know what to do. I should report back to the Empress Dowager now.”

The Black Armor Guards left in a grand procession, leaving behind only dismembered limbs and thick blood. Bian Yunxin, pale-faced and clutching her belly, stared at the blood on her legs and suddenly began to scream, “Mingzhu! Mingzhu! I’m going into labor! Quickly—“

The palace people outside hurried in to support her back to the main hall. Some carried her, some boiled water, others called for the imperial physician. No one spared a glance at the child tied to the chair.

Liang Ye’s gag had already been worked loose halfway. He stared blankly at the unrecognizable heads of Qiu Gan and Nanny Tao on the ground, calling out softly, “Qiu Gan… Nanny… I’m scared…”

Why wouldn’t this nightmare end?