The nine gates of the Deep Palace in Daliang correspond to the fate of the nine princes. The Ninth Prince Xiao Ce was born in the center of the whirlpool of the power struggle. He watched his brothers fight for the throne with his own eyes: some raised dead soldiers, some colluded with salt merchants, some relied on the false reputation of scholars to cover up their greed, and some took risks with the weapons of the imperial army. He grew up soft-hearted and sentimental, and learned to weigh his plans through bloodshed, exile, and confinement. Relying on the secret chess laid by Gu Yanzhi, he used censors, spies, and hidden secrets in the army to stir up trouble in the court, and finally ascended to the throne. The nine-layer palace retained the country, but it could not retain the young man's character. Only Shen Qingshang was left to accompany him all year round to relieve the loneliness of the emperor.
