"What?" She asked.
"General Li and his men as I heard that with the order of her sister they carried out an excursion which evolved into a blood bath and with very many of the members of the Fraternity massacred Lady Zhang herself and her foster brother weren't an exception." Wan'er replied that the Empress started coughing violently.
"No." She muttered under her breath.
"Since when was the Princess Consort closely affiliated to Han Touzhou?" Wan Mei asked.
"I don't know." Wan'er replied.
"It doesn't matter." Empress Wu said, "we've already done so much but for nothing." She added.
"Could this mean that Han Touzhou could get his hands on any evidence against him and destroy it anytime soon?" Wan Mei asked.
"Nothing's for certain but it can appear that we have fallen at a disadvantage and that perhaps now I need to find another way of toppling him." Empress Wu replied.
It was raining heavily and Han Touzhou still seated in his study and looking through a series of books the doors were slid open and Lin Xue walked into his presence.
"It's getting late Your Excellency, are you sure that the Princess Consort is going to make it?" He asked.
"It won't hurt to be a little bit more patient." Han Touzhou replied when another of his guards rushed into the room as well.
"Your Excellency." He greeted and Han Touzhou nodding his head for him to speak he complied.
"You have a guest." He said.
"Let him in." He ordered and bowing his head the young man left.
"What has she to say to you now?" Lin Xue asked.
"We'll see about that." Han Touzhou replied and hardly had he spoken when a dark silhouette darkened the doorway moving closer into the light a female physique became most beautiful a very young woman who was covering her body with a thick fur coat.
"Your Highness." Lin Xue greeted while she nodded her head and turning her attention to her father's ally in front of her she smiled.
"Pardon me, I hope I didn't make you wait too long?" She spoke so softly.
"If it is as vital as you claimed it is then I'm all ears and I wouldn't really mind that much." Han Touzhou said.
The Princess Consort looking at Lin Xue Han Touzhou understood what she was after and ordered for his immediate departure while the two were left alone in private as she looked at the whole place.
"What a beautiful study this is!" She exclaimed.
"I'm a man of organization and if you wouldn't mind could you sit down and share some tea with me?" Han Touzhou requested.
"It is a rather cold night, something warm would certainly do." Princess Consort Li replied and Han Touzhou pointing at the seat in front of himself, the Princess Consort gracefully sat down while he poured her some tea she took it in her hands and then brought it closer to her mouth and blew at it before taking a small sip.
She rested the cup back onto the table and smiled at him.
"The ginseng is fine." She remarked.
"We are noble so its better that we enjoy noble things." Han Touzhou replied.
"I will not forget your words." Princess Consort Li muttered.
"And speaking of which now that we are face to face I think it's high time you spelt out for me your mind." He said.
"You know that I mean business." Princess Consort Li said.
"And I am your father's aid." Han Touzhou replied.
"My father is my father and I am myself." Princess Consort Li.
"I'm listening." Han Touzhou remarked.
"I was hoping that a more intimate political relationship is something that the both of us should foster." Princess Consort Li replied.
"A coalition?" Han Touzhou Asked.
"Don't sound so devastated as yet." Princess Consort Li replied and placing her right hand on the table she removed it revealing the signet ring that Han Touzhou's eyes widening a little bit he studied her expression on one hand while she on the other seemed most calm.
"At last it found its keeper." He said.
"There's more where that came from and I am sure that you know that as well." Princess Consort Li replied while Han Touzhou took the ring and then inspecting it he was sure that it in deed was his original heirloom.
"Interesting." He muttered.
"I just was as surprised." Princess Consort Li replied.
"You seek an alliance and at the same time it is you that's preying off my loyal servants." Han Touzhou said.
"A little misunderstanding Your Excellency, I am not responsible but if you are looking for the person responsible the Cifu Palace holds that obvious answer and whereas the orchestrator I have permanently silenced I would offer you her corpse for your personal gains but her possessions I prefer to hold and keep as guarantee." Princess Consort Li replied.
"Is that how much you trust me?" Han Touzhou asked with a smile on his face that the young woman returned an equally sincere one.
"Your Excellency knows just as much as I know, in this life for survival you should trust no one more than you trust yourself." She Said.
"Perhaps." Han Touzhou replied.
"And now that you have my good faith why not tell you what it is that I want?" Princess Consort Li asked.
"Need you say it?" Han Touzhou asked.
"The Empress will naturally be against you and in the palace she'd even hold more power than you." She said as she placed both her hands on the table and leaned over, "your Excellency, can you tell why?" She asked.
"She wasn't my blessing to begin with and her allies are my very own enemies." Han Touzhou replied.
"But who controls the palace and who rules it I am sure that you know these are things that can easily shift like tempests at sea which never let the calm linger so permanently." She said.
"I love your ambition, but how do you think I'd turn the tables on her?" Han Touzhou teased.
"Bless me." Princess Consort Li replied as she stared into his eyes so seriously himself silenced searched her eyes for the slightest hint of weakness but she saw none at all.
"I understand that my husband is weak and His Majesty is most reluctant to have him designated as a Crown Prince yet before anything else could happen make me the Crown Princess and I can carry with myself your darkest and most despicable secret to my grave along with yourself enjoying the noble prerogatives with which you'll be graced." She added that Han Touzhou looked down at the cup on his table and picking it up he took a sip before he faced her once again.
"Why?" He asked.
"Your people and my people, we are all after the same thing I can conclude and it is big enough for the both of us to share." Princess Consort Li replied, "Help me gain this whole country and in return I shall certainly help you rule it." She added.
Lin Xue and Liu Zhan standing outside the doors of the room were flung open and Princess Consort Li walked out with a smile on her face.
"Is everything alright Your Highness?" Liu Zhan asked.
"I am fine." Princess Consort Li replied while she turned around to look at Lin Xue who was staring coldly at her.
"Gef used to me sir." He said and Liu Zhan holding out an umbrella for her she descended the stairs of the study and walked out of the inner Courtyard when Lin Xue remembered to walk into the building.
He found his master seated at gazing at the table in front of him he noticed the signet ring which was the Han family heirloom.
"Is it....?" He was asking.
"Yes." Han Touzhou replied without him finishing his sentence.
"Then...?" He said.
"They ceased the informer and robbed him of everything, if she annihilated the orchestrator and came in possession of the ring while facing me like this today then yes. She does have the blood letter." Han Touzhou replied.
"Is that a bad thing?" Lin Xue asked.
"All sins can be forgiven and we have no grudge, a common enemy is something that we share and perhaps our ambitions are paralleled but the calm on our side can rest as it is if I can help her fulfill one thing." Han Touzhou replied.
"What would she want all this time, as a Princess Consort she was blessed and that blessing came from you any other woman in that position would be content." Lin Xue replied.
"She is not like any other woman and however she is reasonable in her demand." Han Touzhou said as he looked up at Lin Xue and smiled at him, "all that I have to do is turn her from the Princess Consort she is into our Empress." He added.
A cart carrying hay ride through the gates of the city past the sentinels as it joined the dark streets that were close to abandoned along with all the other carriages that were flocking in that night.
It stopped near a small inn and while it parked there, the stable was closed and Mei'er and Nuwa that had been asleep woke up and raised their heads from the hay while their eyes inspected the place.
"Is this it?" Mei'er asked.
"We followed uncle's instructions and this must be the Capital." Nuwa replied as she got out of the carriage and then helped Mei'er down as well.
The two of them followed the narrow path through the back to the compartments where the horses had been confined until the stopped right in front of another small shed right behind the building.
"Where are we going?" Mei'er asked as she broke free from Nuwa's grip and moved to the small wooden pillar where she sat while leaning.
"I also wonder where." Nuwa replied, "with such a vast capital who can tell where to begin with or where Master Bao's house is." She added turning to Mei'er whom she noticed was lost in her own thoughts while her eyes felt blank as well.
She was recalling everything that had happened earlier in the day, the words of her mother and her uncle and how she had watched them perish that she slowly raised her hands to her face and looking at them she smiled a little.
"They died because of me." She said to herself.
"Milady?" Nuwa called.
"If I hadn't insisted on going after mother, she could have caught up with us at the cliff and we all would have ran away." She kept on saying while her eyes burst into tears that Nuwa held her hands.
"Until now we have been like sisters and I promised Uncle Zhang that I would look after you and protect you with my everything, you need to be strong Milady." She said to her.
"They are very bad people." Mei'er cursed, "I'll make them pay." She insisted.
"They will pay for their crimes." Nuwa said as she hugged the little girl and herself only eleven she seemed to have understood how everything in the world worked and how to survive.
Princess Consort Li arriving in her storage, she spread her arms while Liu Zhan removed her cloak and hung it on the rack nearby.
There she saw her brother Li San along with one other corpse that was laid on the table right in front of him that she walked up closely to confirm for herself.
Those pale eyes were in deed familiar with small dark marks that implied how much more of the make up the deceased usually wore, her slender and beautiful figure was still unchanged while her once flawless skin was already hanging with small tiny wrinkles and cuts from the rocks she'd come into contact with while protecting her one and only Daughter.
"At last." She said with a smile on her face as she turned to her brother.
"An entertainer and well known courtesan being dead at a time like this shall surely arouse the Emperor's attention." Li San muttered.
"And you're worried?" Princess Consort Li asked.
"I'm just being cautious." Li San replied.
"There's nothing for us to be afraid of right now and given the mere fact that there are many cuts on her body we could as well conclude that she fell into a pond with sharp rocks at the bottom that cut her so savagely." Princess Consort Li said.
"Where more would it be most believable?" Li San asked and his sister keeping quiet she moved to the side.
"I could give Han Touzhou the signet ring but he is aware that there is something more that I have in my possession to prove his guilt while on the other hand there was nothing else that we found close to this corpse or on it." Princess Consort Li remarked.
"But we can no longer interrogate her into telling us the truth and I doubt that the Empress herself knows about the evidence as you said that you intercepted the letter to begin with, in a very literal sense you can't keep up this guise and you need to find out what it is that Han Touzhou is afraid you might posses." Li San said.
"That's easy." Princess Consort Li replied, "Han Touzhou isn't so trustful of his allies on one hand and on the other the same goes for me so sooner or later he'll put in this vicinity someone to cautiously watch over me the best that I can do is to retaliate and do the same except a little bit more differently." She added.
"How?" Li San asked.
"I need to give both him and Lin Xue someone that they can trust." Princess Consort Li replied.
"But what if they are asked to act against you?" Li San asked.
"Trust me, they won't see it coming and besides I wish that you prepared me an informer on the side of Jin to the house of the General that attempted to march up against Xiangyang." Princess Consort Li replied.
"Yes sister." Li San replied while she turned around to walk out of the room only to halt at the invitation of her older brother.
"What are we going to do about this body?" He asked, "If the word reaches the Empress then she is likely to ask His Majesty to carry out a search around the whole capital and whoever is found with the corpse could be held accountable." He added.
"That's the best that could happen." Princess Consort Li replied, "the Empress was very fond of her that I'd wish to live her with this simple gift as a token of my gratitude for the favour she has done me." She added.
"I understand." Li San replied while his sister continued out of the building as he turned around to look at Zhang Shansheng's corpse in front of him.
"What a pity, a face as fair as yours and a remarkable skill that's incomparable to that of the rest your only fault was choosing the wrong side to fight with." He said somewhat sighing out of sympathy.
It was dawn and one of the palace maids waking up she walked out of her Chambers outside until she approached a nearby pond.
She bent over with her hands and dipping them in she washed her eyes while slowly she started to see everything clearly.
She moved her eyes around and appreciated the scenery before slowly noticing something else that wasn't really far from her left.
She stood up and stealthily she walked up to it while it became bigger and clearer in size she seemed convinced that it was a human being and moreso a woman.
She froze feeling herself uneasy as her urge grew out of honour and was unconfined while her doubt exceeding she turned the corpse over only to see that the face was very familiar.
She screamed out loud almost awakening everyone around the Cifu Palace that the Empress in her Chambers she shivered and poured some of the tea onto the ground.
"Impossible." She heard Wan Mei mutter and calling for her the young attendant quickly made her way up to the front where she was seated and bowed her head.
"Greetings Your Highness." She offered her salutations but the Empress who seemed eager to know something else her look sold her off.
"What's out there?" Empress Wu asked but Wan Mei kept quiet for the time being afraid to give her an answer.
"Are you suggesting that I go and check out for myself?" Empress Wu asked again.
"No Your Highness." Wan Mei replied.
"Then tell me." Empress Wu ordered.
"Your Highness, it's been two days since you met with Lady Zhang but it is quite unfortunate right now and I fear more than anything that we might be in trouble." Wan Mei replied.
"Then get straight to the point and tell me whatever it is that is going on." Empress Wu said.
"Your Highness, one of your ladies in waiting has found a corpse in the Imperial pond and close examination and analysis despite it's bloated nature shows that in deed it's none other than Lady Zhang's." Wan Mei replied and the Empress very frightened she rose up from her seat her eyes widened while she cast the tea jug from her table.
"Impossible." She Said.
"Appease your anger Your Highness but this is the Truth." Wan Mei said.
"How did it come to be?" Empress Wu asked.
"My sources have reliably informed me that Her Highness the Princess Consort's brother Li San under her orders reacted However all evidence of her being linked to this is likely to be nullified as the corpse being in your residence....." Wan Mei said but didn't bother to continue.
"The corpse being in my residence what?" Empress Wu asked.
"Your Highness, the Court would ask His Majesty to demand for an explanation and moreso an investigation, even if he wishes to protect you the only way possible is if a murderer was found." Wan Mei replied.
"Stop." Empress Wu said as she walked around her table and got closer to Wan Mei.
"What is it Your Highness?" She asked.
"What's the very worst that could happen?" Empress Wu asked.
"Your Highness being held accountable." Wan Mei replied.
"You're not so right but you are also not very wrong." Empress Wu said.
"Enlighten me Your Highness." Wan Mei spoke up.
"First the corpse has turned up in my residence the only missing thing is a murderer and if I am not so wrong then you do understand how believable it would be to the world that I was responsible if the murderer came from my Palace." Empress Wu remarked.
"It would be killing two birds with one stone." Wan Mei said.
"And a rather smart and intelligent person as the Princess Consort she is only waiting for the right time to strike and that is certainly at the morning Assembly." Empress Wu said.
"What should I do Your Highness?" Wan Mei asked.
"We need to beat her Highness to it first and then later I might teach her a lesson." Empress Wu replied.
"I understand Your Highness." Wan Mei said as she slowly withdrew from the room while the retired Empress walked up to the mirror that was nearby clenching her fists so angrily she stared at her own reflection.
"Bring it on Li'er and I shall also give you fire." She muttered.
Mei'er and Nuwa walked the streets while they studied the whole place, the capital was busy with people walking back and forth they were ignored by the crowd.
They moved around to the nearby alley having bumped into a number of people exhausted Mei'er hoped to rest for a while.
"What are we going to do?" She asked.
"We couldn't possibly find Master Bao's house in this place." Nuwa said while Mei'er thinking deeply about it she recalled the words that her uncle had told her.
"The Empress." She said.
"Which one?" Nuwa asked.
"Uncle said that we must see the Empress." Mei'er replied.
"We couldn't know any other common house in the Capital but at least the easiest place for us to find here would be the Palace." Nuwa replied.
"Yes." Mei'er replied.
"But how do we get to the palace?" Nuwa asked while she emersed herself in thought and a small convoy of carriages happened to be passing nearby carrying with itself a large set of trunks.
The Emperor was seated in the throne room while the Retired Empress took her place right behind him while her presence only virtual she was separated from the Courtiers by a silk screen.
"Greetings Your Majesty." Minister Li said as he kowtowed to him while the Emperor nodding his head the Empress maintained her silence with all of her supporters looking rather tense while Han Touzhou on the other hand seemed to be very calm.
"What is it that you wish to present to me?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.
"Your Majesty might have heard about the case of Cifu Palace." Minister Li replied while bowing his head the Empress confident that she was unseen she smiled a little while covering her mouth.
"I believe I have reliably heard of it as well." Emperor Xiaozong said.
"Your Majesty would care as we all do, rumours are all over the capital and we feel that this is now a matter of the state." Minister Li said.
"So you are proposing that we listen to the rumours?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.
"No Your Majesty." Minister Li replied.
"What is it then?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.
"I am proposing that this issue is ironed out." Minister Li replied.
"This is a case of the Inner Palace so why don't we hear from Her Highness?" Emperor Xiaozong asked while they all turned to the Retired Empress.
"Thank you Your Majesty." Empress Wu said, "as it is the dynasty is blessed with such forthright Courtiers that care for your well-being and also for your own people and yet as it is that something so unfortunate happened I couldn't also just watch that through my own investigation I hope to set your minds at ease entirely." she added.
"Tell us please Your Highness." Minister Li asked.
"There shouldn't be panic as there isn't a murderer within the walls of the Cifu Palace, rather it can be asserted that the Lady Zhang's passing was rather accidental." Empress Wu replied and nodding her head to Wan Mei, she took in her hands a memorial which she carried all the way to Eunuch Qin who gave it to the Emperor.
He didn't hesitate and taking it in his hands he unfolded it to look through it's contents while the Courtiers murmured amongst themselves.
"She wasn't a very good swimmer and it's the reason that she drowned besides there are numerous cuts on her body which were inflicted by the sharp rocks at the bottom of the pond, further examination shows that from her throat there was a stench that implies she took alcohol a short while earlier and could have been drunk." Emperor Xiaozong Said.
"As your Majesty has spoken in my own understand such accidents happen each and every day and this is a petty issue, as it was that I had invited her over for a chat who would have known that something this unfortunate would happen a day later?" Empress Wu remarked.
There was silence.
"It is logical in deed Your Majesty." Minister Li remarked and keeping quiet later from the expression on his face the Emperor concluded that there was something that he was not saying.
"Is that it?" He asked while looking at the Courtiers.
"Yes Your Majesty." They replied in unison but the Empress having remained relatively quiet she spoke up.
"If I may Your Majesty." Zhao Ruyu spoke up and the Emperor granting him an audience he brought up a memorial to his presence.
"I wish to submit an account to His Majesty." He said and Eunuch Qin taking it up into his hands he rose up mounting the stairs to the dragon throne and offered it to the Emperor who opened it and read.
It's contents seemed to be displeasing as the Emperor quickly smacked the table with his fist.
"Who dares to raise command of the Imperial troops?" He asked.
"Even I was as surprised Your Majesty." Zhao Ruyu said, "one section of the three armies was reported to have carried out heavy manslaughter in the suburbs around Lin'an and for a while the route from Mt. Tai was sealed off which paralyzed the travels of merchants to and from the Northern provinces." He added.
"Who was responsible?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.
"General Li San Your Majesty." Zhao Ruyu replied and the Emperor turning to the young man he lowered his head.
"Tell me General, is this true?" He asked.
"General Li reporting to His Majesty." He said as he moved to the front, "forgive my rash actions but if I may there was a lot if economic unrest especially after it was reported that there were bandits residing in the outskirts around the city.
When I was reliably informed about the base of these bandits I was compelled to retaliate by lifting the force of the Imperial troops and taking action against them." Minister Li replied.
"Whether they were bandits or not who is it up to to decide, the people feel threatened as it is that there was massive manslaughter even without further consultation of the superiors and as such it was but a reaction which discredits the governance.
To the eyes of the people it is but a blemish on Your Majesty's reputation if such a very strong and serious matter was dealt with without any investigation." Zhao Ruyu said.
"From a rather close analysis Minister Li is a very loyal subject but the state is built on principles which can not be breached at all and punishments must be conferred accordingly without any exception." Empress Wu spoke up.
"Your Highness is right." Zhao Ruyu said as he bowed his head, "I'd be most guilty as the minister of Rites in the eyes of the people and the future historians if I let something like this go on without my own criticism lest Your Majesty's regime be faulted and Your administration doubted." He added.
"I have listened and Hierarchy is the back bone of our country, the General Li might have secured the state but taking up arms without superior consent and moreso my own is a capital offense and a very bad example to our other talents in the military as you are considered a role model.
This being the case I won't punish you heavily and as always I'll accord you my benevolence.
"I accept whatever punish Your Majesty will give me." General Li said as he bowed his head.
"You shall be reduced to General of the second rank and the command of the third army shall be shifted while you'll become the forseer and magistrate around Mountain Tai." Emperor Xiaozong said.
"Yes Your Majesty." General Li replied while the Empress smiled behind her screen.
"Well done Your Highness." Wan Mei congratulated her as they walked back towards the Cifu Palace having returned from the morning Assembly.
"It was worthwhile." Empress Wu replied, "the Princess Consort could have not spared my back but at least I have taken just as much from her." Empress Wu replied.
"This is something minor on your side Your Highness." Wan'er praised and the Empress still absent minded and thinking about Zhang Shansheng she kept quiet and sulked.
"What's the matter Your Highness?" Wan'er asked when she noticed the sombre mood of her mistress.
"Have the remnants been pieced together?" She asked.
"About Lady Shansheng she has been laid to rest." Wan'er replied.
"That poor young woman, all that she did throughout her life was suffer fighting against her own people." Empress Wu said and halting in her footsteps she caught sight of two young girls that were running across the Courtyard.
She looked intently at them as she studied their every movement while one had a particularly strong aura that was attached to her the other too looked very diligent and smart.
She smiled at them while the shorter and younger turned around and looked at her.
"Your Highness." Wan Mei called Gavin realised that she was absent minded.
"Who are they?" Empress Wu asked and a couple of Palace guards at the front having trapped them the younger slid and passed through his legs while she continued for a while it seemed as though they were playing.
"How dare they?" Wan'er said as she hurried into the courtyard.
"Cease." She ordered and everyone complying they bowed their heads when they caught sight of the Retired Empress herself who descended in her Crown Jewels still fairly exhausted from the morning Assembly.
Mei'er and Nuwa having studied the way she was dressed were quick to conclude that she had to be the person they were looking for that they quickly moved on towards her and fell onto their knees.
"Spare us Your Highness." They said in unison and the Empress looking at Mei'er she seemed to find her just as charmingly beautiful as Zhang Shansheng had been.
"At ease." she said to the both of them that they immediately rose up from the ground while the Empress' eyes wandering around they halted at the arm of the sword that was attached around her waist.
"Come with me." The Empress Wu said and her attendants looking at one another along with the two children she led the way to her Chambers.
Princess Consort Li seated in her Chambers Liu Zhan barged in through her doors and quickly fell onto her knees in front of her mistress.
"Your Highness." She cried out but the Princess Consort closing the book that she was reading she placed it on the table and seemed calm nonetheless as she turned to her lady in waiting.
"What is it?" She asked.
"His Excellency." Liu Zhan replied.
"Could you be a little bit calm?" Princess Consort Li said.
"But Your Highness, His Excellency was stripped of some of his titles and he has been reduced in rank." Liu Zhan muttered.
"You think I did not know that?" Princess Consort Li asked.
"But Your Highness?" Liu Zhan said.
"That excursion of the Imperial troops was necessary and if it involved the superiors one way or another the Empress would be alerted and we could have lost out on an alliance.
It was obvious the outcome of messing with the cat's whiskers but now that the Empress has had her share of supremacy and has concluded with belittling me in her own sight what do you think will happen?" Princess Consort Li asked.
"She will lower her guard against you." Liu Zhan replied.
"And when she does like a viper waiting to strike who will take the other by surprise?" Princess Consort Li asked.
"Your Highness is wise." Liu Zhan remarked.
"There's first this and now that everything seems to be a little bit relaxed let's first wait for a petition to the Emperor." Princess Consort Li remarked as she smiled ghastly.
Empress Wu and the two children along with Wan Mei and Wan'er walked into her room and turning to her two ladies in waiting she nodded for them to shut the doors as she walked over to her seat while the young girls still looked at her suspiciously.
She sat and examined them.
"Come closer." She ordered and they complied hesitantly while she seemed to understand what they were feeling but she let it slide.
"Am I wrong when I say that it's Zhang Shansheng's sword that is fastened in the belt around your waist?" Empress Wu asked but the young girl kept quiet.
"The sword is as flexible as it's sheath and fastened around the waist belonged to the past leader Grandmaster Yan of the Silver Fraternity." She muttered.
"Two groups of people would know about the Fraternity, the people that were against my mother from within this big palace and another the people that my mother was helping." Mei'er said.
"Meizi." The Empress called and her eyes widened.
"You are the Empress we are looking for." Nuwa remarked.
"Would your attackers know your name and perhaps who else would she tell, it is henceforth logical for you to have learnt, the Empress of this dynasty once belonged to the Yin fraternity during the days that Kaifeng was fallen to the Jurchens." Empress Wu said.
"Perhaps." Mei'er replied.
"About your mother I am so very sorry." Empress Wu said.
"I watched her die before my eyes, death I even don't know what that is yet I stared at her asleep and no matter how much I cried and how hard I beat her body, she never yielded to that pain and she didn't wake wake up." Mei'er replied.
"The Empress shed a tear.
"At least you survived." She muttered.
"I don't just want to survive Your Highness." Mei'er suddenly spoke up as she went onto her knees and raised up her hands to her.
"What is it that you want, is this not enough for you, you are very young and I can only imagine the pain that you must be going through." Empress Wu said.
"My mother sacrificed herself and whatever the case is I know that the people that were against her were very bad people and I wish to be a very filial daughter and pay them back tenfold." Mei'er replied.
"Are you listening to yourself?" Empress Wu asked.
"I watched my brothers die and the fraternity turn to ashes Your Highness." Mei'er replied in tears.
"Do you even know where your mother is?" Empress Wu asked and Mei'er keeping quiet her eyes shifted to the girl that was next to her.
"Take them to her grave." Empress Wu ordered while she looked at Wan'er.
"Your Highness, what if the Princess Consort?" She asked.
"She needs to first be filial and Daughter and shortly after that she could think just so soberly she won't regret anything from now on." Empress Wu said.
"Yes Your Highness." Wan'er replied.
Emperor Xiaozong was seated in his quarters when Eunuch Qin walked in with a smile on his face he immediately fell down onto his knees.
"Congratulations Your Majesty." He said.
"It's alright." Emperor Xiaozong replied and himself standing up he came closer to the Emperor who studying him intensely he knew what he was about to ask.
"About His Majesty the retired Emperor , he has gained consciousness and is now in very good health." He said.
"Great." Emperor Xiaozong replied in a very lowly tone even Eunuch Qin was surprised himself.
"Isn't it a good thing Your Majesty?" He asked.
"It sure is." Emperor Xiaozong replied.
"Yet Your Majesty seems a little too sombre." Eunuch Qin replied.
"I can't help but wonder why my mother's courtesan was murdered and with the consequent rumours it's clear that someone was targeting the Retired Empress.
Moreso it hasn't been a week after the incident of General Yang and such turmoil stirring up in this Palace I can't help but think deeper myself what is going on." Emperor Xiaozong replied.
"Prince Weihuixian's health is getting out of hand and the Prince Zhao Ke is an upright and intelligent young man that greatly takes after you. To put it right the Courtiers are concerned that you too delaying the succession are in favour of the younger yet Zhao Dun the elder remains filial and hateless.
As a result I am forced to believe that in this strife everyone with their own supporters there is someone that could be benefiting from a very ill appearance or image of the retired Empress." Eunuch Qin replied.
"Minister Li's daughter is the Princess Consort, his son a General of the second rank, is my third son's position not so secure with such great pillars or perhaps you are saying that the younger is responsible?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.
"Once the succession is established then it can never be broken, besides there is the Retired Empress who as the second most senior member of the Imperial family will rise supreme in case the Retired Emperor dies.
From a very close analysis I would say that it's likely that someone merely wishes to safeguard against the possibility of the Retired Empress becoming just as powerful to influence the heir to the dynasty." Eunuch Qin replied.
"I see." Emperor Xiaozong said as he picked up a memorial which he showed to him.
"This was submitted by Han Touzhou who probably thinks that naming the Crown Prince is something that should be abandoned, as it is that I am still healthy and he fears that other scholars and Ministers might take advantage of him given that he inherited too much of my benevolence." He said and Eunuch Qin surprised he knew that there was obviously something the sly fox was after.
"When His Majesty designated Your Majesty as the Crown Prince the state was Peaceful because he surrounded you with wise and able ministers and entrusted you to the Empress.
As a nominal Regent she has allowed you to exercise your power and she has protected you for so long so if Han Touzhou fears that His Highness could be influenced because of his nature then why not put him in the care of the Retired Empress?" Eunuch Qin replied.
"Her Highness is already old to add to her burdens is something that I don't wish to do." Emperor Xiaozong said.
"The talented ministers Zhao Ruyu, Qin Xiji, Commander Wu are loyal to the Empress and if His Highness had them by his side then who would dare to exploit his weakness, besides, to make matters worse just as it is that it's likely that Prince Zhao Ke has his own ambitions then only they along with the Empress can protect them because if Your Majesty intervenes directly and shows your own favoritism then I fear that if the Princes are torn apart the worst case there could probably be is rebellion." Eunuch Qin advised.
The Emperor kept quiet for a while.
"Then could I really give my son to the Retired Empress?" He asked.
"The Princess Consort is distant with her own family and I reliably had that he favours his Secondary Consort Huang more than his most legitimate wife.
If Minister Li hopes to pull strings to bite off more than he can chew then it would be very difficult given the power and influence of the retired Empress." Eunuch Qin replied with a smile on her face.
"I'll think about it." Emperor Xiaozong said.
"Feel free Your Majesty." Eunuch Qin replied.
Han Touzhou walked through the gates of his manor with Lin Xue following him behind.
"Your Highness." He called but ignoring him he continued until he entered his study.
"I still fail to understand why you would petition to the Emperor and ask him not to designate the Prince Zhao Dun as his successor." He muttered and Han Touzhou approaching his seat he halted while placing his hands around his waist and turning to face him.
"Lin Xue." He called, "Do you really wish to know?" He asked.
"You said you trust me and I am always here by your side protecting in you, I wish you would confide in me your deepest thoughts and even if you see me simply as a subordinate in my eyes you are so much more." Lin Xue replied.
"Very well then, please listen." He said as he walked over to his seat and lowered himself down as Lin Xue got closer.
"It's safer this way and trust that my intent isn't wrong, even though this might seem a little bit like a very unlikely gamble but it's worth it and that for a fact I know." Han Touzhou replied.
"Tell me Your Excellency." Lin Xue insisted while he on the other hand he smiled.
"The Empress disagrees with me on everything so it's only natural that Eunuch Qin being her ally would do just as much." Han Touzhou said.
"How will he be as valuable Your Excellency?" Lin Xue asked.
"Eunuch Qin is a sky old fox that is very smart and no one could really know of his scheming nature any more than the Empress and myself." Han Touzhou replied, "if I were to request the Emperor to desist from naming Prince Zhao Dun as his heir to the throne and the next in the succession then what would be his first assumption?" He asked.
"The Prince Zhao Dun though filial he is weak and easily dominated so would he ascend the throne in the future without the Emperor then the most senior member of the family would exercise a greater influence on him and the politics of the country." Lin Xue replied.
"And that would jeopardize my own position in the Court." Han Touzhou added.
"It's but a buttered gamble." Lin Xue said.
"Eunuch Qin knows that I would be most desperate to do anything and moreso I have given him a clear perception of how the Empress could benefit he has higher chances of falling for the ruse." Han Touzhou remarked.
"What if the Emperor doesn't listen to him?" Lin Xue asked.
"In the whole Palace it's not the Retired Empress or the Empress Consort that knows the Reigning Emperor, neither is it his personal guard or his foster father but Eunuch Qin himself.
The Emperor is very trustful of his words as he seems to sow so much contentment in his heart and his most sincere loyalty." Han Touzhou replied.
"Naturally even with the advice of the others his words would carry a much greater influence." Lin Xue said.
"As long as Eunuch Qin can convince the Emperor to create his son Zhao Dun the Crown Prince under an buttered impression that the de facto power of the Empire would rest in the hands of the Retired Empress he would have made everything easy for us by orchestrating his own Political suicide." Han Touzhou muttered.
Wan'er and the two young girls arrived at the tombstone that looked very knew and there were written the characters "THE VIRTUOUS AND ACHIEVING LADY ZHANG."
Mei'er froze and placing her hand on the very cold rock she ran it through the characters as she recalled everything that had happened to the both of them the previous day.
How hard she fought and how she took the arrow for her unable to hold in her tears she let them flow ceaselessly while Nuwa stood by her side.
"Mother." She said, "you promised me that you'd never leave." She added as though expecting the grave to speak up to her but there was only silence that followed.
"Don't cry too much." Wan'er said.
"Why?" Mei'er asked.
"Your mother died because of you." She replied and Mei'er raising her eyes she turned and looked at Wan'er hatefully while she didn't seem bothered by it and instead she moved closer and stood between her and the tombstone.
"No." Mei'er said.
"If I were her I would be disappointed." Wan'er said.
"What are you saying?" Nuwa asked.
"The Truth." Wan'er replied as she smiled ghastly.
"What did you do to my mother?" Mei'er asked.
"The Empress did nothing and for a matter of fact it's very confident of you to ask for vengeance when I have every reason to believe that you don't know the weight of that word or what it means to fight." Wan'er replied.
"What did my mother do to deserve such a cruel fate?" Mei'er Asked.
"She had you for a daughter and she cherished you so much that she wished to protect you just as much." Wan'er replied while she bent over and looked at her in the eyes, "you couldn't return the favor because you were very weak and she died still because you were very weak." She added.
"Then teach me to be strong." Mei'er said.
"As long as Her Highness can keep you, as long as you can master the heart of being hateful to the world, when your composure is as strong and rigid as a mountain and if you can kill your every feeling and cling onto every opportunity as long as it lasts, if you can rise and trample the strong to make yourself stronger and can hold your heart so tightly regretting nothing and devoting your all to fight then you'll never be broken." Wan'er replied as she raised her head up high, "then and only then can you make your enemies pay and the spirit of your mother can find peace within the Netherworld." She added as she slowly turned around while Mei'er looked to the tombstone of her mother in tears.
"If you make up your mind then I am waiting to take you back to the Palace but if you are relying on heaven to get back to your enemies on your behalf then I can guarantee that you'll be sent far away from the conflict of the Palace walls." She muttered as she slowly walked away for a while leaving the two young children together.
"Milady?" Nuwa called but Mei'er raising up her hand halted her in her speech.
"I want justice for my mother." She said, "whether at the expense of my own life or not and that is either with or without you." She swore as she kowtowed three times before standing up and turning to Nuwa who was surprised by the drastic change in her personality.
Even at such a tender age she'd learnt that life was cruel and herself transformed her eyes had darkened with fire and her innocent soul had been crushed and devoured by her hunger for vengeance.
"I am for Milady and I swore to protect you even with my own life." Nuwa said.
"Then where is your honour?" Mei'er asked.
"In the promise that I made." Nuwa said, "that is my honour." She added so confidently the young Meizi convinced after hearing those words she walked away from the grave while Nuwa dutifully followed her from behind.