Prisoner for life.

Despite living in one of the most luxurious places in the world, despite the power and influence he can still have, Tian can never stop feeling restless. Nothing manages to satisfy him, he can't feel alive.
As if his condition wasn't miserable enough, Choi comes to visit him in his quarters with a request, or better, to merely share a decision he had already taken: since a son of Tian would have more birthright than Choi to rule as Emperor, since the risk is too big and could cause serious troubles to the Nation, he must lose his ability to have children.
It may seem otherwise, but Choi only took such decision in order to ensure Tian's safety. Many, within the court, have often proposed to end his life to protect the throne from such threat. The Morning Sun realized that had he not acted to save his grandfather, for how unpleasant it would be for him, someone would have killed him eventually, whether he approved it or not.

Tian seriously can't handle such thing and, before the Imperial Doctor arrived, he tries to kill himself by using poison.
Needless to say, his action upset Choi beyond measure, but he still gave the order to the doctor to proceed with sterilization, after making sure he would survive naturally.

When Tian wakes up, he feels like the Gods themselves are mocking him. He has no power over his life, he can't even decide to die. Now, more than ever, he feels like a prisoner and he has been, for his whole existence. First of his father, then of the Generals and now of his grandson. That is the only way he manages to see it, even though Choi only wishes his good.

It is late night and he can't sleep. He has quite some big issues sleeping, overall. He is lied on his bed, staring at the portraits of the three Empresses he was married to. They all are dead, as well as the children he had with them. Three Crown Princes died before they were 6, two Princesses died in adult age.
He stops to look at the late Empress Pyonsuk, his last wife and also the youngest of the three. He really had a special feeling for her, despite she too died too soon. «How could you abandon me like that...» he murmurs, with tears in eyes. She had killed herself shortly after the death of their newborn child.
Before killing herself she went to visit him in his room. He was in a miserable state, not having taken the death of the nth Prince so well and being full of drugs. He has such pale memories of that moment, but something suddenly comes to his mind: she put her fan in his hand and whispered "Northern Palace" to his ear, before leaving.
He jumps up and decides to go to the northern palace, the residence of the Empress, to see if he can find the fan and the meaning of her message.
Followed by the eyes of every Palace Guard, the Evening Sun walks through the many gates separating his quarters from those of the Empress, which are of course empty and have been such since the death of his last wife.

The palace is clean and perfect, despite it has been uninhabited for almost twenty years. It is even lit.
Tian starts to look around and finds the fan almost right away. He opens it and notices that there are two words: right side. He looks to the right wall and the only thing of interest there is a bookshelf. He approached it and looks at the books. He knows there are many eyes on him, if he starts to frantically check every book they will find it weird and get some suspects that will be referred to Choi.
'It has to be a book I would guess, bit that would be of no interest for the Generals' — he thinks. And finally it comes to his mind: the small poetry book she had with her the first night he visited her. The one he read for her to reassure her.
He takes it from the shelf. There is something inside, pretty heavy. He doesn't open the book, though it brings such painful memories he collapses on the floor amd bursts in tears.
Hours later, he heads back to his palace, still upset, and orders his servants to not disturb him. He lies in bed and covets himself with a blanket, keeping the book hidden under it, so that npbofu will notice. Only when sure to be well covered, he finally opens it. The pages were digged to contain a big necklace, round, metallic and are of several movable layers.
On a page, he also finds the name of their son: Jaenjo Vi.