It is a glorious day for the people of the Qin Empire's capital as they cheer, play music, and hang red lanterns all over the city in celebration. The people had learned several days ago that powerful enemies several times their army's number ambushed their glorious crown prince Wang Bing Long and the brothers in arms under him, however; they still emerged victorious because of the crown prince's quick thinking. Today is the day that the crown prince will march victoriously through the capital with a portion of his remaining forces to report to his imperial father.
"There he is…. there he is!!! Our crown prince has returned victorious!!"
"Kyahhh!!! Although I am not worthy of bearing you monkeys…. This girl can at least warm your bed, my lord!"
The crown prince was leading the procession on horseback with a magnificent beauty sitting right behind him. Speaking of beauty... the crown prince was one himself as his face and muscles that looked to be crafted from the finest and most flawless of jade, hair so dark that no light could escape from it, and eyes like the purest of azure sapphires. He was wearing war armor with the official dark blue and gold colors used only by the royal family within the Qin Empire.
"Shut up, you stinky girl…. can't you see our future Empress is sitting right behind the crown prince on his horse? Why would he look at you when he has a beauty right behind him?"
The girl sitting behind the crown prince on his horse was what one would call a "City-toppling beauty". You see that she has skin as white as snow on a clear day, hair was white like the light of the moon, her eyes were a deep shade of red like the darkest rubies, and she had a sternness in her gaze that showed she was no wallflower. To sum it up, it was as if she were a rabbit that lived on snow-covered mountains granted human form.
"Ha ha…. naturally anyone who compliments my little bunny like that must be a wonderful person." Wang Bing Long thought as he overheard the chatting ladies amongst the excited crowd.
One soldier amongst the procession of battle-worn men had his horse gallop to the side of the future emperor and empress. The craftsmanship that went into the design of this soldier's armor showed that he was a soldier of lofty rank amongst Wang Bing Long's army. He had a bit of a grizzly appearance because of the hardships of war, but he'd be a handsome man in his own right with a nice bath and a shave.
"Ha ha…. it seems like my future brother-in-law cannot keep his future wife's charms to himself for long." The young war-god of Qin laughed as he moved his horse alongside his lord.
Her brother's words embarrassed the future empress, of whom kicked him in response.
"Now, now Ye Fei…. can't you be nicer to your older brother?" the soldier said as if he was unbothered by his sister's childish antics.
"Hrmph….. I'm not talking to you Ye Wei, but as the young war god of the Qin empire…. you should be more mature or my future sister-in-law will leave you for someone else."
"You little…" Ye Wei mumbled as he resisted the impulse to hit his sister in public.
"Are you done?"
"Ah yes..… ahem…. as ordered your highness, I had a few of my most trusted men rush ahead to the capital and get in touch with the Shadows. They've already reported back with what they found."
"Hmmm… when did I ask you to do that?"
Wang Bing Long wasn't trying to play cute with the young war god, but it was that he's truly confused given his expression.
"You need not worry about these matters your highness… I've taken steps to ensure they've departed in absolute secrecy."
"But…. I really didn't order that. Ahhhhh damn… did someone misunderstand me again?" Wang Bing Long thought.
"Elder brother, who was it that almost got the two of you killed?"
"Oh, damn… better channel my inner Ainz-sama, and fast."
"There is no need…. only one person could have leaked the army's movements like that."
"As expected, your highness… your wisdom knows no bounds. My interrogators are already at work… we will have proof soon enough."
"Indeed." Wang Bing Long said while thinking, "If only I knew who this person was. Also, this crown prince you speak of sounds like a wise and just person. To think someone who also shares the name Wang Long Bing could easily make such deductions off the top of their head. IF ONLY I COULD MEET THIS CROWN PRINCE!"
"Now let's not talk about this bleak nonsense you two… and let's just enjoy the celebratory mood."
"As my future empress wishes."
"Bastard… I never agreed to be your empress."
"To think my precious little bunny would use such language, but don't forget that you agreed to my proposal."
"I… shut up!" Ye Fei yelled as her cheeks turned red from embarrassment.
"Ha ha…. only you would dare to describe my fierce tigress of a sister as a cute little rabbit my lord."
"Nonsense…. she's nowhere near being qualified as fierce in this prince's eyes and will instead always be a cute little rabbit,"
"Then when I hope when the time comes I can be a good uncle to many little baby rabbits." Ye Wei said in a teasing tone as he glared at his sister.
"God... I hate having to refer to myself in the 3rd person in public….. it makes me feel like such a prick. Just why…. why did it have to be a Chinese-cultured world?" Wang Bing Long thought, "Hmmm… oh… yes, I hope the same."
Although the crown prince's earlier words were truly a random utterance, it however through the ears of his future empress sounded like he was bullying her in his usual aloof manner of speaking.
"This bastard pair of friends… they're using the fact that we're in public against me." the future empress said as she grumbled in anger, "I can't attack my brother in front of all these people, but teaching this icy pervert in front of me shouldn't be a problem."
Ye Fei gently shook her wrists as a few thin needles fell, betwixt her fingers from the sleeves of her robe. This act escapes the notice of the commoners cheering from the sidelines and the soldiers marching behind her, however, it doesn't escape the notice of her older brother.
"Little mèimei, no!"
Yei Fei blatantly ignored her brother's warning as she thrust the hand holding the needles forward, intending to stab Wang Bing Long in the acupoints that controls his bowel movements. The crown prince happened to, by chance, grab Ye Fei's wrists before the needles in her hand could even come close to the gaps in his armor.
"Now now… I know your nervous little rabbit by being paraded through the city, but don't worry I'm here to protect you."
"Thankfully, no one else noticed her actions, but please do me a favor your highness and please pretend what my sister tried to do just now."
"Why would I want to pretend? It's obvious that my little bunny was so nervous to be in front of a crowd that she wanted to find comfort by wrapping her arms around me. I know we live in a society where women must be conservative with their appearance, but I'm sure no-one would mind under the circumstances. It's not like she'd try to attack me since that's a crime punishable by death." Wang Bing Long said in what's perceived to be a stoic yet teasing tone.
"This icy pervert…. now he's just blatantly trying to blackmail me!" Ye Fei though.
Either Ye Fei admits that she tried to attack someone who was both her future husband along with being royalty and gets executed or risks losing face by acting like some love-struck girl.
"Hehe… as long as everything is fine." Yei Wei said as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the soldiers marching on foot behind the Ye siblings and Wang Bing Long did not see Ye Fei's actions, they could still hear large portions of the conversation going on between the three of them and were all unified in mind by the following thought.
"To think our proud crown prince could shamelessly flirt with his fiancée in front of us single brothers. Please god… the sight of our crown prince ordering someone's death without the slightest ripple in emotion would be preferable to this."
The cheers for the soldiers taking part in the victory march grew louder as they got closer to the palace. Upon entering the palace, those in the march had a hot bath and a clean set of clothes provided for them. Servants directed the common soldiers to a celebration of their own while they directed the officers to a banquet being held in the largest open courtyard in the palace where many powerful people were in attendance. It was there the war god of Qin, the crown prince, and his future empress were each kneeling before the emperor…. the legendary 50-something years old dragon ruler who in the early years of his rule, brought many well-received reforms to the Qin empire.
"Hahaha well done…. our armies have brought glory to Qin... though the basta… excuse me though the uncouth fools that fought for the other side was decimated by the crown prince's quick thinking….. you did well young war god to eliminate their remaining forces with so few casualties." The emperor declared.
"This general only did his duty as a leader of his majesty's armies. To do anything less than protect the happiness and prosperity of the people of Qin would mean that I have failed in that duty."
"Ha ha…. we do not wish for you to be so self-critical on such happy tidings, but still…. we must reward you. Eunuch Bai, are you present?"
At that moment an elderly eunuch wearing forest green colored robes emerges from out of nowhere to standing at the emperor's side.
"This servant is here, your majesty. What is your will?"
"For record-keeping purposes… we wish for you to write the following as an impromptu imperial edict."
Eunuch Bai waves his hands, signaling a pair of servants off to the side to bring him some plenty of parchment, a fine brush, and some expensive long-lasting ink.
"Your majesty, this servant is ready for your words.
"Ye Wei, the young war god of Qin… for leading our armies to endure against the onslaught of the forces of the treacherous alliance of nations, dealing them a grievous blow after the heavens decreed your fortunes of war to be reversed, and for expertly protecting the crown prince under those dire straits…. You are henceforth promoted from the rank of Viscount to the rank of Marquis, granted an estate to paid for by the royal family's personal treasury, and you'll granted additional treasures after being decided upon by the court. This news is to be spread to all corners of the empire in order to inspire the people to improve themselves and show the generosity of the royal family."
"This general accepts and is honored by his majesty's edict."
"Haha… this is a celebration so we believe that you should relax and enjoy the festivities. You should take a lesson from your sister and mellow out more."
"I am no one worth admiring your majesty." Ye Fei pointed out.
"Nonsense... my little bunny is the cutest in the world and deserves admiration by all..... from a distance…. an enormous distance." the crown prince thought.
"We know how you used to be a spoi…. Excuse me…. to have a rather aggressive and stubborn personality and….. a lacking talent in cultivation while you were engaged to the previous crown prince, but we are gladdened to see you mature and contribute to the empire as your father did... with your impressive medical skills the principal of the Imperial Medical Academy speak of."
"I realized your majesty that I couldn't continue behaving in such a manner that brought humiliation down upon my family and friends, so I sought to improve myself."
"Ha ha…. we appreciate your humility. Truthfully, we were tempted to reward you with a noble rank, but since we will soon be able to call you our daughter-in-law... we realized that something else which came to mind would be better. Eunuch Bai, prepare an additional set of parchment."
"I've already prepared multiple sets just in case your majesty."
"Very good….. ahem... Yei Fei, for your various contributions to the practice of medicine… in particular, the tremendous reduction in wartime casualties caused by disease brought forth by the new Military Field Hospital guidelines you created, the Imperial Medical Academy is to be expanded with a new wing paid for by the state with you both in charge and determining the direction of its construction. Whether to teach or to perform research, we hope you continue to contribute your medical skills to the wellbeing of the Qin Empire. Let this news spread across the empire in order to inspire doctors all over to improve their skill and ensure the wellbeing of our next generation of talents."
The emperor continued to speak on, but the future empress Ye Fei became giddy on the inside upon learning she'd have her own wing of the Imperial Medical Academy to play with as she sees fit.
"Ahahahahahaha.... All those rare medicinal herbs….. my precious babies…. since you'll be with mama soon… ohhh we'll create many wonderful remedies together." Yei Fei thought as she hides the fact that she's drooling with anticipation.
"Lady Yei Fei, you dare to be absentminded before his majesty?!" Eunuch Bai rebuked.
"Huh? Ohh…. I beg your forgiveness, your majesty… the reward you have bestowed upon myself is shocking."
"Haha… we are fine with your reaction as never has a reward on such scale been given to Qin's medical practitioners before. We only hope you'll take full advantage of it... and if you do…. then that is enough for us."
"I will your majesty."
"As for you…. our greatest imperial son…. we hope you haven't thought that we have forgotten about you."
"There are many more people who deserve rewards ranging from the common soldiers, the military officers, and the officials who managed the logistics. This prince is more than willing to wait his turn." The crown prince retorts.
"It's good to see that you are patient, my son. Now then…. this is something we have been thinking about, but your performance in decimating the enemy army and preventing the decimation of our own through the use of Dragon's Breath has made it for us. Eunuch Bai, prepare your brush once more as barring someone with the audacity to ruin the evening…. this shall be our final edict of the night before everyone can begin enjoying the evening's festivities."
"Your will shall be done, your majesty." Eunuch Bai said as he prepared a fresh batch of ink.
"Your performance in the recent battle, and your contributions to our Qin Empire over the years, has convinced us that our time of leading the people into happiness and prosperity has reached an end. In 6 months during the eve of new year celebrations, I Wang Cao the 18th emperor of Qin declares that I will abdicate the throne and hand it to my son the crown prince and the future 19th emperor of Qin, Wang Bing Long!!!"
"When the emperor speaks, the officials must be silent." This rule had been kept in place to preserve the sanctity of any official function, no matter how casual. The rewards given to the Ye siblings are as expected given their contributions, but the "reward" given to the crown prince was shocking in a manner akin to tidal waves created from Mt. Tai being dropped into the ocean. The officials present could not stay silent after hearing such a bombshell.
"Truly a wise decision your majesty!"
"The crown prince will lead our Qin Empire into a new golden age!"
"Forgive this official for his rudeness, but although the crown prince is a talented young man and would make a great emperor…. however, the keywords are that he is still too young and lacks experience."
"This subordinate agrees with the minister, so please don't be too hasty with this decision, your majesty."
Some sung praises for the emperor's wise decision, others believed that the emperor had many years left in him to lead the empire to continued prosperity and that the crown prince wasn't ready, however, the officials and members of the royal family in opposition to the crown prince felt a sense of dread upon hearing the emperor's decision. They have either lived through or heard of the purges that go on in the transition period between ruling emperors. Whether as a light stream or a torrential river, the blood of officials and royals will flow during these times. With the famed ruthlessness of the Qin empire's icy crown prince, torrential river of blood will only be the minimum of what will flow, and that is only under the assumption Wang Bing Long is feeling merciful.
"Enough!!!" the emperor bellowed, "Our decision is final…. those of you who wish to object…. may do so at the next court session as nothing may ruin tonight's festivities. Have we made ourselves clear?!"
"It honors this son to…. to degrees I could never describe your majesty, but as some officials have stated…. this prince is still inexperienced in many matters. Imperial father should continue to rule until this one is 100 percent ready." Wang Bing Long declared as all present wondered what he thought of the emperor's declaration.
"There is no need to be humble, my son…. your results have proven your ability and potential as an emperor. As for the things you lack….. you will get them with time, others with experience, and the officials at your side will make up for the rest. Even we cannot rule our nation alone."
"In that case, I have a gift I would like to present to his majesty father." Wang Bing Long said as he pulled a small bottle and a pair of tiny serving bowls out of his robes.
"Oh….. we were not expecting a sign of filial piety from you… please come forward and present it to us." the emperor said with curiosity.
"What this prince has brought for imperial father is a small sample of the new wine the Zhao Kingdom was developing….. by chance we found some while searching through the enemy encampments for anything useful."
"Ah… we have heard of this…. is it true it does not use traditional methods of wine brewing?"
"Yes, imperial father…. we learned from a few of their soldiers we captured that they make it from grains fermented in an air-tight barrel made from trees exclusive to the kingdom. Please allow this prince to share a drink with his father."
The crown prince poured a small amount into the serving dish he brought with him and passed it to his father, of whom consumed it in one go like a horse that had not had water in days.
"Hahaha… superb wine… so smooth yet strong. If you can bring such a rare treasure before me…. then we have doubt Qin will be in good hands after 6 months. Oh, yes…. did you learn what the Zhao Kingdom named this wine."
"Reporting to your majesty, the Zhao Kingdom named this wine 'Thousand Years of Life.' Though this drink lacks the power its name implies, this prince still wishes to toast you, father. May you live a thousand years and allow the future descendants of Qin's people to enjoy the honor of your wisdom."
The officials present nod their heads in understanding….. after all a sign of power and wealth any person let alone an emperor is the ability to gain rare treasures. It's clear to all here that the crown prince presented this gift to show all naysayers and neutral parties that he possesses the ability to rule when the time comes. Little did these officials know just how wrong they were regarding this assessment of their crown prince.
"God damn it, you stupid old man…. you're an emperor, right? You survived the oriental edition of Game of Thrones, didn't you? Then how come you're not reading between the f***ing lines? I'm telling you, idiot father, that you should run the empire for the rest of your life… I don't want to be the emperor..... besides….. that's whiskey you're drinking… not freaking wine!!!" the crown prince thought as he maintained his usual cold expression despite the various thoughts galloping in his mind.
"Still…. you are the biggest star of the night my son….. before we begin with the night's festivities…. we think you should give a speech to your future subordinates."
"Forgive me, imperial father…. it's not that I'm unwilling to say anything, but this prince was so surprised by your reward such that I don't know what to say."
"Why not a summary of your rise to glory?" one of the random officials present suggested.
"We think that is a wonderful idea. No doubt such a tale would help inspire the people of Qin to work even harder for the sake of the country." The emperor declared as he clapped his hands in approval.
"Very well….. I believe my rise began with a strange dream I had over a decade ago. I was just a commoner in a land whose culture, art, architecture, and countless other things were similar yet different from our own. The scariest thing I can recall from this dream is being run over by a large metal carriage being pulled along by a lone powerful horse….."