Chapter 42: Chilly Breeze

Gao Yin opened his eyes to see a ceiling that was both magnificent and unfamiliar.

As his consciousness gradually coalesced, his mind raced. He opened his mouth and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"An hour and a half; the hour of You is nearly over."

The hour of You—the period between five and seven in the evening—was when the sun began to set. In ancient times, people retired at sunset, making this the moment of greatest exhaustion after a long day’s toil, yet also the time to enjoy the finest evening meal. It was the hour for the wine that could not be drunk during the day, hence the name.

With the hour of You drawing to a close, it was nearly seven o'clock. Gao Yin hurriedly rose and had his servants dress him. Just then, a messenger arrived from the palace, stating that the Emperor had summoned the Crown Prince to the Zhaoyang Hall.

The Taiji Hall was the main palace of the Northern Qi capital, Ye. It was a massive structure spanning thirteen bays in width and eight in depth, with a central section seven bays long and two deep. It stood upon a nine-foot-high foundation of Min stone, surrounded by one hundred and twenty pillars. Its doors and windows were adorned with gold and silver, and the rafter ends were capped with golden beast heads. The roof, tiled with dark-blue-black shingles coated in walnut oil, shimmered with a brilliance that displayed the opulent glory of the imperial palace.

Porticoes surrounded the Taiji Hall, forming a vast courtyard. To the east stood the Cloud Dragon Gate, to the west the Divine Tiger Gate, and about thirty paces to the north, the Vermilion Flower Gate. Crossing this gate, Gao Yin entered the Zhaoyang Hall.

To the east and west of the Taiji Hall lay the East and West Halls; the Zhaoyang Hall shared this layout. The eastern structure was the Hanguang Hall. In later years, when Gao Zhan ascended the throne, his son, Gao Yan, the Prince of Dongping, would handle state affairs here and receive the obeisance of his elders. Incidentally, while unrelated to this specific hall in Ye, it was the Hanguang Hall where Emperor Wen of Liu Song—the one who left behind the lament, "The Yuanjia reign was rash, seeking glory at Wolf-Xu Mountain, only to look back in panic at the north"—was murdered by his son, Liu Shao. It was also this same Emperor Wen whom Yang Yin had invoked when admonishing Gao Yang on the Golden Phoenix Terrace for his habit of patrolling the walls with a candle.

West of the Zhaoyang Hall was the Cool Breeze Hall, also known as the Cool Breeze Pavilion, as the Northern Qi frequently used the terms hall and pavilion interchangeably. This place was a veritable landmark for the most notorious events in Northern Qi history.

First, it was the burial place of Gao Bainian. Gao Bainian was the son of Emperor Xiaozhao, Gao Yan. After Gao Yan died, Gao Zhan ascended the throne. A man named Jia Dezhou had once taught Gao Bainian calligraphy, and the boy had practiced writing the character "Chi" (Imperial Decree)—a character not to be trifled with. Jia Dezhou presented these practice sheets to Gao Zhan, who was incensed. He summoned Gao Bainian to the Cool Breeze Pavilion and forced him to write the character again. Finding the handwriting similar to what Jia had presented, Gao Zhan, feeling his throne threatened, ordered his attendants to beat the boy mercilessly. He then commanded that the boy be dragged around the hall while being struck. The floor was soaked in the blood of the dying Gao Bainian, who pleaded, "Spare my life, and I am willing to serve as your slave, Uncle!"

Gao Zhan killed him and tossed his body into a pond, turning the water crimson. He watched personally as the boy was buried. Gao Bainian's wife, the eldest daughter of Hulü Guang, refused to eat; she clutched a jade ring until she died a month later, her fist still so tightly clenched that her father had to pry it open himself. One can only imagine the torment of Hulü Guang at that moment.

A similar fate befell Gao Yin's second younger brother, Gao Shaode. When Li Zu'e failed to keep her daughter by Gao Zhan alive, Gao Zhan flew into a rage and killed Gao Shaode in front of her. This time, his fury was even greater, for he struck the boy to death with his own hands and had him buried in the Cool Breeze Pavilion. When Gao Wei later ascended the throne, a child's skeleton was unearthed nearby; the eunuchs whispered among themselves, some claiming it was Gao Bainian, others that it was Gao Shaode.

The Cool Breeze Pavilion was also the site of Hulü Guang's demise. When Gao Wei moved to eliminate him, he lured him into the pavilion. Liu Taozhi attempted a surprise attack from behind but could not knock the formidable warrior down. As Hulü Guang cried out, "I came to pay my respects to His Majesty, what are you doing? Liu Taozhi, you villain, you do this often, but I have never betrayed the state," he was strangled by Liu Taozhi and three other strongmen using a bowstring. His blood stained the floor, impossible to scrub away.

One wonders what Hulü Guang thought in the afterlife, knowing he and his son-in-law had perished in the same spot. Gao Wei, however, was likely quite pleased. Later, he annihilated the entire Hulü clan. The Emperor of Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, was even more delighted, declaring a general amnesty across the land to celebrate the news of Hulü Guang's death. Two months later, Gao Wei deposed his Empress—Hulü Guang's second daughter—and reduced her to a commoner.

But these stories had yet to unfold, and the Cool Breeze Pavilion had not yet been stained by so much blood. At this moment, it was one of Gao Yin's residences. Since the ninth month of the first year of the Tianbao era, Gao Yin had lived there, overseeing state affairs.

From the sixth year of Tianbao, Gao Yang had held court in the Zhaoyang Hall. During the former Wei dynasty, Emperor Xiaojing had used the Taiji Hall as his primary office, but after the founding of the Qi, Gao Yang sought to erase the influence of the Wei. He renovated and commissioned the Zhaoyang Hall, which gradually replaced the Taiji Hall as the seat of power—a design choice that would even influence Emperor Wen of Sui's planning of the Daxing Palace.

The Zhaoyang Hall stood on a nine-foot-high Min stone foundation, supported by seventy-two pillars. The beams and brackets were carved with exotic birds and beasts, and the rafter ends were capped with golden beasts. Spanning ten bays in width and six in depth, it was a magnificent structure, second only to the Taiji Hall and the true political heart of the Qi state.

When Gao Yan would eventually stage his coup and confront Gao Yin, Li Zu'e, and Lou Zhaojun, it would be within this very Zhaoyang Hall. At that time, over two thousand palace guards loyal to Gao Yin, led by E Yongle, stood in the corridors of the courtyard—a testament to the hall's immense scale, sufficient to host an indoor sporting event without issue.

The Zhaoyang Hall’s decor was even more luxurious than the Taiji Hall’s. In the later years of Gao Zhan and Gao Wei, the Xiuwen Hall, Yanwu Hall, and Shengshou Hall alone were adorned with eight hundred jade pendants and twenty thousand mirrors, providing ample inspiration for the future Emperor Yang of Sui on how to squander a fortune through decadence.

Although Gao Yin had the memories of these materials, this was his first time visiting since crossing over. Upon entering the Zhaoyang Hall, he felt slightly dazed by the decadent atmosphere of the feudal imperial system. It was no wonder everyone craved the throne; being an emperor was truly magnificent.

"If one were to smash this hall, why worry about a lack of state funds?" Gao Yin whispered to himself.

An attendant, his hair adorned with sable tails and golden cicada ornaments, stepped forward with a fawning smile and asked, "Your Highness, what did you say?"

"Why has the Emperor summoned me?"

The attendant chuckled. "This servant does not know, but the Empress Dowager and the Empress are both present; it must be a matter of great importance. Please, follow me, Your Highness."

Gao Yin followed him into a side hall, where a group of palace servants awaited to bathe and dress the Crown Prince once more. Although he had already tidied his robes before arriving and had traveled in a golden carriage drawn by four horses under a vermilion canopy, the cool breeze had still ruffled his hair and clothes.

As he changed, however, a sense of unease grew within him. The imperial crown he wore had nine jade pendants, with crimson silk ribbons for the chin strap, blue cotton balls for the ear covers, and a rhinoceros horn hairpin. His robe was black with a reddish tint, the skirt a pale red like the sunset glow. It was embroidered with nine patterns—omitting the sun, moon, and stars—worn over a white gauze undergarment with embroidered borders. The cuffs, hems, and front and back lapels were all blue, secured by a golden belt with hooked ends. It was an exceptionally solemn attire, worn only for sacrificial rites, ancestral temple visits, coming-of-age ceremonies, or the taking of a Crown Princess.