In the aftermath of Xie Jianyu's untimely passing, the palace fell into a state of somber stillness, the usual hum of activity replaced by a hushed reverence for the departed.
The mourning staff moved about with a sluggish gait, their faces etched with the profound grief that gripped their hearts.
Amidst this atmosphere of profound sorrow, Mingyu and Head Servant Zhou did not have the time to curl up and cry. They bore the weight of an additional responsibility for they had to take care of two little princes who just lost their mother.
Judging by the look of it, they might have lost their father too.
Since his return from Wuyang Palace, Zhang Fengxi had been an immovable figure, his body a steadfast sentry guarding the lifeless form of his beloved wife.
Clad in the very armor that bore the blood and grime of his fallen foes, he cradled the Crown Prince's empty and cold shell, pouring his spiritual energy inside to shield it from decay.
