Fatty avoided the emperor's gaze, "Father, didn't you say to do it right the first time or don't do it at all?"
"Yes…" The emperor dulled. It was wonderful news that his son had surpassed him, but for the situation to devolve to this state had him forlorn.
Among his sons, he knew them all inside and out, except fatty.
Not because he was blinded with fatherly love, but because the kid kept everything too close to the chest for years and years. There was nothing the emperor could pick on to even make a rough sketch.
Crown Prince's greed and hypocrisy, second son's impulsiveness, all were easy targets for his ploy. Only his youngest son never left anything out.
Until the very last moment.
The emperor would welcome his first two sons' attacks with open arms, having contingencies in place of course. While his third son's move would come out of the blue for sure.
"You knew about the Crown Prince's poisoning trick?" The emperor sighed.
Fatty nodded, "I had planted someone in his circle, but didn't the imperial father know about it as well? With your cautious nature, the only way to get poisoned is if you let it happen by choice."
[What?!]
Crown Prince and Yongning were shocked.
The emperor gave a bitter nod, "I did know. But I was even more aware of how my body is waning one excruciating day after another. I realized that using Crown Prince's crimes today will be much better for paving your future."
Crown Prince choked, "Imperial father, am I not your son? Why are you using me for him?"
"It's not using you, but simply guiding you. What happened today is because of your greedy nature." The emperor snickered, "You reap all you've sown. A saint is void of desire, though that is easier said than done."
Fatty bowed, "I shall take it to mind."
"No, it is I who should." The emperor said, "The last topic was to give the Crown Prince one last chance. He just had to give me a proper response and I wouldn't have drank the poison. Would you have made the same choice, Cong'er?"
Fatty replied, "Success is built on the bones of others. No, I would not."
"I knew I made the right choice. Always strike true or never strike at all. Even if it is your kin that stops you, you shall crush them with the same impunity like anyone else. That's what makes you a ruler!" The emperor praised.
Crown Prince was bleeding inside.
Princess Yongning watched it all with sightless eyes, before all coming back to her and she raved, "You're insane, everyone's insane…"
She ran away in tears and bumped into someone's wide chest. As she moved past, the man grabbed her.
"It's been so long, princess, but your feisty nature hasn't changed a bit."
The imperial family frowned at the familiar tone.
Yongning raised her cute face and welcoming her was Zhuo Fan's trademark evil smile.
"Z-Zhuo Fan…"
Yongning jumped in his arms, crying for her life. The Best Steward Beneath Heaven froze there with a dumb look.
Yun Shuang at his side was annoyed for some unknown reason, pulling at Yongning's clothes gently but firmly, "Yongning, what's wrong?"
Yongning just hugged tighter and cried harder.
The Four Tigers of Tianyu's mouth twitched, [What's with Marshal always getting the girls? We're no less cooler than him!]
[Just because his Marshal title has the cool character inside, does that mean he's the catch?]
Luo Yunhai held his head high and rolled his eyes. [At least my jealous sister isn't here to blow out.]
Only the elders took it in stride with a vague smile.
[Steward Zhuo's a real casanova, too much in fact, he-he-he…]
With the sobbing princess, Zhuo Fan was so lost that he had no idea what to do with his hands. Sighing, he knocked her out with a precise blow to the neck.
His entourage froze stiff.
"Uhm, Steward Zhuo, what are you doing?" Li Jingtian asked.
Zhuo Fan handed Yongning over to the dumbstruck Yun Shuang with a shrug, "She's just too distraught. This is the only way to cool her down."
[The hell?]
Everyone sported dark faces. [Steward Zhuo is just too crude. One should treat the fairer sex with compassion. That goes double for the princess. Not rough 'em up like you. Sir.]
The Four Tigers of Tianyu cried dry tears.
[Why is it that a boorish brute gets the girls while we the handsome four get nada?](StarReader: the character for handsome and cool can also mean general/commander.)
Yun Shuang took away her dear sister, but made sure to bore a hole into Zhuo Fan with her eyes. Though for some unknown and mystical reason, she didn't hate him for it. In fact, she was perkier.
[At least Zhuo Fan has no feelings for her.]
The scared witless servants woke up at Zhuo Fan's call and took her away while he strutted into the hall.
The mastermind, Tianyu's emperor, soon came into sight.
[Time to end this…]
The emperor watched them come in with a stunned look, "I've lost completely…"
Fatty watched Zhuo Fan with a deep look.
"Ha-ha-ha, Your Majesty, we meet again!" Zhuo Fan saw the dark faced emperor, poisoned obviously, and laughed, "What's this, a family squabble?"
Pff!
The men behind him chuckled. [If this is a squabble, then why are there bodies around? I dare not think what a power play would be like.]
Ignoring his biting words, the emperor said, "Your arrival means Tuoba Tieshan's defeat. My Divine Dragons and shadow guard won't be returning either, right?"
"Bingo. I, for one, never leave loose ends." Zhuo Fan chuckled.
The truth hurt no matter how much the emperor foresaw it. All he could do was lament.
He took a long time to say, "Zhuo Fan, I know all about you and Luo clan. You didn't have the power to succeed so how…"
"Ha-ha-ha, it goes on to show, in fact, that you know next to nothing about me." Zhuo Fan looked behind him, at his men, and they laughed too.
Luo clan had been going about just as the emperor wanted, powerless to resist.
Then Zhuo Fan spent mere days in building a hundred thousand strong army of war puppets against Tuoba Tieshan's millions, while letting loose Impermanence Five on the Beast Taming Sect's elders.
Just these two aces alone had flipped the tables. Neither of them was a scenario the emperor could predict, no matter how much he brainstormed. Or that Zhuo Fan was with the Demon Scheming Sect.
That last one would've helped the emperor come to a totally different plan. In fact, it would've made him throw his plan out the window for that matter.
But through ignorance he planned it all, directed it all, and then lost it all.
Zhuo Fan's men knew everything, of course, and laughed it out like winners…
Lacking the details, but knowing the ending, told the emperor that Zhuo Fan had done something monumental to turn it around.
And these were all steps Zhuo Fan took after knowing the board and its players.
The emperor sighed, "You had it all figured out right from the start, even my deal with Quanrong, and made plans. Few people were in on it, and they were my most trusted aides. How did you know?"
Zhuo Fan put on a sadistic smile, pointing at Yun Shuang, "Just like Your Majesty, when in doubt ask the High Priest. Miss Shuang'er is the help Yun Xuanji personally offered me. And with a little help from my fatebraker self, I got to exploit everything, ha-ha-ha… "
Yun Shuang blushed, her mind going to a certain event…