The Year-End Banquet had drawn to a close, and the rituals of watching over the passing year had concluded. The Emperor had retired to rest, and the ministers gradually made their departures. The Empress had left as well, and the consorts returned to their respective quarters in silence.
For some unknown reason, despite the vibrancy of the night, everyone felt a strange, inexplicable heaviness in their hearts. Prince Jin, the Eighth Prince, and the Ninth Prince had been missing; no one knew where they had gone, though they had rushed back just before the end of the year, clearly flustered. The same was true for Princess Consort Mo.
Yet, only Prince Jin, the Ninth Prince, and Princess Consort Mo had returned. Princess Jin was nowhere to be found, and neither was the Eighth Prince. It was not necessarily a matter of great importance, but at a time like this, their absence was unbecoming. They truly had not appeared.
Chapter 748