The temporary court had been set up beneath a large canvas pavilion near the center of the hunting camp. Long tables, created in haste, lined the space in a poor imitation of the throne room, and soldiers lingered on the edges—pretending not to watch, pretending not to choose a side.
The Emperor sat stiffly on a raised travel chair, dressed in too many layers for the heat of the plains. His expression curled as Zhu Mingyu approached.
"You've grown brave," the Emperor said, not rising. "Keeping us here like prisoners."
Mingyu didn't stop walking. His white robe was still bloodstained, his sleeves rolled to the elbow, and the seal of the Crown Prince gleamed proudly from his waist. "I'm not stopping you."
He moved past the Emperor without a bow, without a glance, and seated himself on the travel throne usually kept behind the old man.
"I'm just not stopping anyone else," Mingyu added with a pleasant smile, "from killing you should you decide to leave."
