Chapter 22

Qin Kui felt a pang as if his heart were being torn apart, and tears streamed down his aged face. Qin Kui had no children of his own. His cousin, Lady Song, had been his childhood sweetheart. By a cruel twist of fate, Emperor Yuan had taken a fancy to her, forcing her to enter the imperial palace. Rumor had it that she and Qin Kui had continued their illicit affair in secret, though that was a story for another day and need not be dwelt upon now. Having no children, Qin Kui treated his cousin's son, Zhao Jian, as his own flesh and blood. He had long since regarded the Eighth Prince not merely as a son, but with an affection and devotion that even surpassed Emperor Yuan's. At times, even Emperor Yuan could hardly tell who the true father of young Eighth actually was!