At that time, the Eastern Palace suddenly became the most favored. For the first time, the Crown Prince felt the ups and downs of power. But he did not have any interest in it. The books of the wise men still had not mentioned these ugly details. Yet he had already felt uneasy beyond his age with his innate sensitivity. He always felt that ups and downs meant turbulence, when there were times when people were bustling about happily, there would be a time when it was quiet enough to catch a bird in the front yard.

Emperor Long An had few children, his eldest son was weakened, and the Third Prince was too young, his mother's status was low. Everyone thought that Prince Li Zheng was the noblest heir in Great Liang. But before he could share this same illusion with everyone else, he witnessed his father die in the chaos.

That day, the little crown prince held on his Fourth Uncle's hand tightly amid chaos. He was still a child at heart, witnessing the truth of power with a child's eyes, without any concealment.

For Great Liang, it was the starting point of the new emperor's accession to the throne, a new era, and new politics.

For the little crown prince in the Deep Palace, the whole world seemed to have changed.

The empress was born weak, always telling him over and over to try and please his Fourth Uncle, for the fate of the two of them widowed mother and orphan child now hung on his imperial uncle's goodwill. No one in the court could say for certain that he could remain a crown prince until he grew up.

Li Zheng used to like to be close to Imperial Uncle Li Min, but at that time, there was a period when he would feel enormous pressure in the face of his Fourth Uncle. The kind and knowledgeable young imperial uncle suddenly turned into the Emperor. For a time, even the way of addressing him had to be changed. Every day, the little Crown Prince braced himself to listen to the government affairs he only half-understood, bore all kinds of calculating or meaningful gazes around him, braced himself to pay respect to his imperial uncle, then went back to the Eastern Palace to listen to his mother's endless worries.

His mother could not be compared to Consort Lu. She did not have her own trusted confidant and no definite plans. She would only transfer the pressure to her son and tell him an empty sentence of "strive for success" every day.

But she did not have an idea of what he was going to fight for, or what kind of person he was expected to grow into in the future.