Two weeks later, important officials gathered inside the throne room of Golden Stone City's Palace. All the hotshots of the kingdom were there. Standing beside the throne was the prime minister, an old man with a long white beard. His name was Zhu Yao. Outside the royal family, he was the man with the most power in this kingdom.
The princes and princesses were in attendance. Throughout his long life, King Huang Ti of the Echos Kingdom had sired sixteen children, nine males and seven females. Out of these sixteen, six were absent. One was late. As for the other five, their absence was not due to choice. It was because they no longer lived. Some died out of illness. Some were due to misfortune when venturing out. Whether the misfortune was intentional or not was up for debate, especially in the case of the death of the first and third Princes.
