Both Prince Kang and Ye Jing knew very well in their hearts that this trip to the capital was not simply to comply with the Emperor's request to celebrate the Longevity Festival; they were heading there for the sake of the throne.
Time can change many things. Over these twenty years, Noble Princess Consort Zhu and Prince Min had much of their power stripped away by the Emperor, Concubine Rou and Prince An also gradually lost favor, and the other Concubines and Princes, as if seeing new hope, swarmed to cluster around the Emperor.
The old Emperor was old now; he was not only suspicious by nature, but also liked to act on whim. Today he doted on this concubine, tomorrow he favored that little prince; the courtiers were tossed about by his shifting preferences until they were mentally and physically exhausted.
