The guards all swallowed hard. They treasured their life. But they were all palace guards who swore their lives to the throne.
"Are you willing to die for an Emperor who doesn't even care about the life of his citizens, the life of your family, the well being of your siblings, or the hard work of your parents?" Ren Shou took a large step as he said those words.
The guards cornered themselves in front of the throne room's massive door.
"You must be thinking 'Death with honor or Living with dishonor', which life I will choose?" Ren Shou's voice depend like it came from the depths of hell.
"You forgot one option. Submit your life for the sake of the Empire, for the prosperous future of your sons and daughters, and for serving me, the rightful Emperor. You can choose to-" Ren Shou raised his other hand and offered it to them,
"-follow me and we will build a better Ren empire. You don't need to die to show your loyalty. You need to live, to live up with your loyalty for the Empire." Ren Shou's tempted the guards with his words.
These guards were also a part of Ren Empire. He doesn't want to kill citizens of the Ren Empire, as he believed it was like cutting his own fingers. These people could be a part of the future army of the new Ren Empire. He needs to save much as he can.
Finally, the vice-captain of the guard threw his swords away and kneeled.
(A/n: The captain has just died, the head that just rolled..it was the captain's)
"I serve my loyalty to the new Emperor!"
The other guards also followed.
"We swear our loyalty to the new Emperor!"
Ren Shou's expressionless face finally cracked a smile. But that smile contained darkness and tyranny within.
"Good. You are all wise. Now open the door to the throne room."
The guards stilled at his orders. Ren Shou noticed it. His perfect brow furrowed.
"What's the matter?" His frightening voice made the guards lowered their heads.
"T-the Emperor is not in the throne room! We are buying time for the Emperor and the Empress to escape at the back palace." The vice captain said.
Ren Shou's eyes darkened.
He then instructed to his men who were standing at the side.
"Check the throne room and every room in the palace. Gathered everyone you find to the square. The rest, follow me to the back palace."
Ren Shou's eyes chilled.
"We have an Emperor to kill."
*****
In the Gong City, the city next to the capital, Li Amm was being held in the master's room of the auction house.
This city was full of the Emperor's men. It seemed like half of the Imperial guards moved to this city.From time to time she would hear shouts from every battalion to march to the Lin City. It was to aide the Emperor's men who were fighting in the next city.
Li Amm was in a spacious and luxurious room. This was the first decent structure she saw when they entered this city. It was an auction house. It was better than a warehouse filled with cockroaches and rats. So she immediately suggested this place to the guard when she realized that they were not going into the capital. If she was going to be held hostage, she wanted to be as comfortable as possible.
"You will stay here until we received further orders. Please make yourself comfortable." The guard was still polite to her.
Li Amm nodded her head. Even though she wondered why they were not entering the capital or to Imperial Palace, she did not ask about it and acted like an obedient guest. She smiled magnanimously to the guard.
"It's alright. This place is good enough for me. Thank you, young sir."
The guard bowed to bid goodbye when Li Amm suddenly called him.
"Ah. Young sir!" The guard looked back.
"Young Sir, this lady's throat was a bit parched. I just escape from the city in fire. May I ask for a warm tea? Also, the journey and stress of being held were getting into me. May I have some soup? A fish soup will do."
"Uhm..let me see what I can do." The guard said hesitantly. This city was deserted and all of the people here were men who would have to go to war at any moment. There's no maid here who could serve the lady.
"Thank you."
Li Amm showed her most gracious smile to the guard. That smile of her was blinding that the guard immediately left to do her bidding.
After the guard left, Li Amm sighed a relief. She had become a hostage. But at least the children and Twelve was already in the capital. She hoped that Twelve knew what to do and bring those children to Ren residence. With the assurance that she managed to get the children out of Lin City, Li Amm's uneasy heart relaxed a bit.
She sat on the golden chair. Her eyes bored at the golden table.
Wait.
Li Amm studied the table in front of her. It was purely made of gold. She then looked at the chair she was seating at. She suddenly stood up, feeling her butt was feeling shy kissing the golden chair.
Her eyes then wondered at the golden frame of the two massive doors. She was stunned. She looked around the room.
There was a big vase as tall as her waist in the center of the room. Just the texture of the porcelain made Li Amm had the thought that this was very expensive. She entered the bedroom. The curtain was made of the highest quality of silk. The bed quilt was so soft as feathers.
"Aigoo, the master of this auction house surely live well."
There was probably a lot of corruption here for the master of the auction house to have a room made of gold.
Li Amm flopped on the bed.
But who cares?
Her eyes were turning into crescents as she finally met her dream room.
Aigo, maybe her days as a prisoner here would not be bad at all.*
*****
A group of people was running hastily. Their life depended on how fast they ran. The person in a golden robe suddenly fell and grunted.
"Your Majesty!" The shadow guards help their Majesty up and ran without pause.
They were now in front of Gong City. Once they were in, the Emperor's life would not be at risk. That city was overflowing with the Majesty's men.
When they were finally entered the Gong City, numerous men awaited to them. It was the Emperor's men.
"Q-uick, p-prepare a place for Us to rest." The Emperor ordered between puffs.
"Prepares us a warm bath too. My imperial dress is dirty all over." The Empress said in disgust.
Earlier, they received reports that Ren Shou's men were attacking Lin City. The Emperor took this opportunity to bring down Ren Shou. So he sent the majority of his army to Lin City. But who would have thought that after the Emperor's army leave the capital, he had received news from his spies in the city that Ren Shou's men were already in the capital and marching towards the palace?
The Emperor thought he could still fend of Ren Shou's men in the capital. However, when he received the reports of the prowess of Ren Shou's men in the capital, the Emperor paled.
Ren Shou has a total of five thousand men in the capital! While the Emperor only has two thousand since the rest was in Lin City. At that moment, the Emperor knew Ren Shou had planned every single detail since the beginning of his return.
How could five thousand men suddenly appear out of the blue in the capital? This was a scheme laid by Ren Shou to topple his rule in the Ren Empire.
The Emperor had no choice but to regroup in the Gong City, the city next to the capital and traveled to the southern border. He sill have men there who could support an army for him.
When Ren Shou stepped in the palace, the Emperor, the Empress, the crown prince, and princess had already made their way to the back palace and escape.
Since everything just happened so fast, they haven't prepared any carriage and ran from the woods all the way to Gong city.
This was such an ultimate humiliation for the Royal family.