Just as Emperor Zhong predicted by the time he had regained consciousness the news of his blackout had spread. Speculation was ripe among the citizens, more so in the camps of the four princes. The Crown Prince tried to get information about the Emperor's current condition but in the end, got no results as Chief Eunuch Caihong cut out all information as per the Emperor's order.
Zhongshan Ling felt a lot more uneasy as his spies returned with no information, he was left with no other choice than to brave the public scrutiny and entered the palace. Unlike his three Imperial brothers, Zhongshan Ling had certain special privileges that they lacked. One of these privileges enabled him to make such a daring visit without any heavy repercussion. Apart from fueling certain rumours about his morality, he wasn't affected as much since he could claim to enter the palace for official purposes.
