The gates of the Central Palace were opened and the Crown Prince walked in to find the Crown Princess waiting outside.
Everyone in the compound bowed their heads to pay him their respects while Emperor Ningzong still seated inside beside his wife Eunuch Deng rushed in.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived." He reported to him and hearing this the Emperor stood up instantly infuriated and charged out of the building.
"His Majesty the Emperor?" Beiyuan announced his presence and throwing the doors open the old man appeared at the top of the staircase in front of him.
"Greetings Your Majesty." The Crown Prince and Princess offered their salutations in unison as the Emperor descended the stairs and finally stopped in front of the young man and his wife.
"Leave us." He said, "take the Crown Princess too." He mentioned to Eunuch Deng who with all the other staff withdrew from the Courtyard leaving the two men all alone.
"You must have heard." He said.
"The Empress' ailing struck a very deep and sombre note in my heart that I had to hurry up and travel back here immediately." Zhao Hong said.
"She waited earnestly for both Your Highness and the Crown Princess to offer your morning salutations despite being fatigued, Your Highness, her son travelled to the Yongmaoling Mausoleum to honour the deceased Empress Han instead." Emperor Ningzong muttered.
"What are you implying Your Majesty?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"Why did you punish her like this?" The Emperor mentioned.
"I was only fulfilling my duty as a filial son." Zhao Hong responded.
"But the woman you choose to dishonour is your legal Mother as well, she's your living protectress should anything happen to me." Emperor Ningzong insisted.
"I am sorry Your Majesty." Zhao Hong said.
"Are you?" Emperor Ningzong asked while the latter remained silent.
"Remain kneeling and reflect on what you have done wrong, see the Empress at sundown." He ordered and the Crown Prince bowing his head the Emperor walked away.
"How is it that the Crown Prince of this nation disobeys his mother?" The Hanlin scholars asked themselves.
"He honours a Rebel's niece that is as good as challenging the loyalty of our fathers." They protested.
"How can he be a good ruler in future if he cares too little for the reputation of the Imperial house?" They continued to say and at a distance Shi Zhaizhi, Shi Miyuan's eldest son insisted and the rest of the scholars in unison broke into a loud uproar.
Consort Cao seated in her room waited anxiously to hear from outside when Linxiang barged through the doors and rushed up to her presence.
"Your Grace." She said bowing her head.
"How is the Empress?" She inquired.
"Still unconscious." She reported, "but His Majesty is displeased with the Crown Prince for having decided to honour the deceased Empress Han over his living legal mother." She added.
"He sure is full of surprises." Consort Cao said.
"But aren't you worried about the General public's opinion as this could mar the Crown Prince's reputation and could give the Empress' supporters a chance to retaliate against him?" Linxiang said.
"This strife has gotten more and more interesting." Consort Cao responded while smiling at herself, "arrange for me to have a meeting with the Minister of Personnel tonight." She ordered.
"What are you going to do Your Grace?" Linxiang inquired.
"Now that the Crown Prince has started the fire it is only right if we add fuel to it." Consort Cao responded confidently.
The time flying by slowly, the sun eventually set while the Crown Prince was still kneeling outside.
Xiaoyang keeping a close watch at the firmament confirmed that it was dark and accompanied by a couple of ladies in waiting with lanterns they descended the stairs and approached the young man.
"You may go in Your Highness." They said and the latter standing up from where he was seated lit the path for him as he mounted the stairs that led to the Empress' bed Chamber.
Moving in, he saw the Empress lying in her bed behind a silk curtain and slowly, he moved forward step by step as he approached her.
A mild wind howled throughout the room that he felt the chill and lifting the curtain alas he saw the Empress for himself.
He lowered his face and studying her expressionless body he smirked fairly.
"How sad, how tragic it is to see you lying here, half lifeless, defenceless, you can hardly move it lift a finger, I can't help but keep wishing that you remained like this, I can't help but wish that you never woke up, I wish death devoured you whole Your Highness, to make up for the atrocities that you committed in your entire life." Zhao Hong whispered to her as he slowly stood up from the bed side and bowed his head, before he turned around and started walking away.
"My body is still warm and you already wish to bury me?" A voice he least expected emerged from the silence that forced him to halt in his footsteps.
Empress Yang opening her eyes sat upright and decided to face him while he turned around and looked at her as well.
"I see Your Highness is well." He said while she picked up her handkerchief and spat something from her mouth into it before folding it.
"It's just a small trick with the pigeon heart, you didn't think that it was the poison from the chrysanthemum tea or the books that you sent over, did you?" She asked him and seemingly surprised momentarily, he brushed it off with ease.
"Your Highness just has a way with death." He remarked.
"You don't sound quite enthusiastic having realised that but you see Your Highness isn't the first of many people that have tried to get rid of me and neither shall you be the last, I may age but some people still find me young and beautiful I suppose you could call me immortal." She bragged.
"But can your immortality compete with my youth?" Zhao Hong asked.
"You'd be quite surprised Your Highness." Empress Yang responded.
"You are trapped within this room, His Majesty may be furious but he is a very old and tired man, the Grand Internal Prince is on my side as the father of the Crown Princess at the very least for the safety of His daughter, I can't help but wonder, now that we are a family and I have inherited half of your power by taking your niece as my bride, how many more people are hopeful that you can protect them in the near future even from me?" He asked while the Empress kept quiet.
"Is that your way of treating me?" She inquired.
"Should I call you mother? " He asked.
"Can you afford to do so after honouring my dead enemy?" She asked.
"The Late Empress Gongshu was also my father's first Principal wife." He responded.
"I see." Empress Yang mentioned, "but how many people do you think you could win over that easily?" She asked him confidently and finding her rather suspicious he remained silent when the doors of the room were flung open and Manyin rushed in.
"Your Highness?" She cried as she kowtowed to her while the latter nodded her head for her to proceed.
"Forgive me for intruding but I regret to inform you that the scholars of the Hanlin Academy backed by the public have risen in protest against the Crown Prince's immorality." She said as the Crown Prince instantly turned around and faced her.
"What do you mean his Immorality?" Empress Yang asked.
"How is it that the Crown Prince of this country dares to acknowledge the niece of a traitor as his legal mother and even honour her?" Manyin responded as the Crown Prince clenched his fists furiously and the Empress smiling at Manyin, she slowly withdrew from their presence.
Empress Yang faced the Crown Prince instantly when she realized that he was frozen in one place.
"You think that a few Courtiers on your side are enough to challenge my hegemony, I'm so sorry that you could be so gravely mistaken, I am far from owning the Imperial Court, I also move the Seigniors, scholars and the nobles so, before you can bury me, how about you first focus on protecting your public image along with the dignity that your office commands?" She asked him as she smiled at herself ghastly.
"What!" Emperor Ningzong exclaimed in shock.
"Forgive me Your Majesty but the Hanlin scholars seem to have leagued with one another once the News of the Empress' illness broke out and spread amongst the people, they censure the Crown Prince for having disregarded his living legal mother and ultimately exhaulted the niece of a rebel." Eunuch Deng reported and the Emperor at a loss of strength fell into his seat.
"The Crown Prince was so careless, I understand that he must have been compelled by his need to challenge the Empress and now his actions have brought him to err against the nation's elites. " He remarked.
"Then is Your Majesty suggesting that the Empress is responsible? " Eunuch Deng asked.
"Given her health condition, we can't hold her accountable, I am rather inclined to believe that the Grand Chancellor must have been instigated by the Crown Prince's actions as his top priority isn't his service to the State but his need to protect the Empress at all costs." Emperor Ningzong responded.
"It is reasonable." Eunuch Deng remarked.
"But what are you going to do Your Majesty because if the Scholars raise such public discontentment then I am certain that it's only a matter of time before the Courtiers move." Eunuch Deng cautioned.
"Are you that wary of them?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"I can't pretend to not feel anything Your Majesty because the mere fact that this union could weaken the Imperial authority, power might shift from the Imperial Dragon throne and dissolve amongst the officials....." He responded.
"And the era of the Huizong Emperor might arise in our midst again." Emperor Ningzong said.
"We must guard against the same calamity that brought an end to the Northern Song Dynasty, we can not allow the Jingkang incident to befall us again." Eunuch Deng said.
"All the signs are visible, but why do you think Jingkang of all things?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"We all understand that it can't be entirely the Court of the Qinzong Emperor to blame and as an Emperor must promote unity amongst all his people, I fear that the actions of the Crown Prince might convince the Seigniors and nobles that their loyalty is misplaced." Eunuch Deng responded, "an Emperor can not reign if the Nobles abandon him." He remarked.
Mu Lang looking through the records at the Imperial Office of Records suddenly came across an old book.
He slowly carried it to the table nearby where the faint candlelight glowed in the darkness and opening it he perused through its pages.
Suddenly, he realised that one of the pages was torn out when he heard someone coming into the office he immediately blew out the candle and hid behind one of the shelves.
The doors of the room being opened he saw from a distance a dark silhouette which appeared feminine, he stared more intensely as she removed the veil that was hanging over her face.
A short while later, someone else walked in after her dressed like an Imperial guard and the two facing each other he recognized them as Consort Cao and the Minister of Personnel Ye Shi.
"Your Grace." He greeted her.
"Everything seemed to have been progressing with ease until the Crown Prince acted a bit out of haste without informing me." She said.
"The Hanlin scholars have the people vibrant more than ever as the worship at the Mausoleum only brought back memories of Han Touzhou's tyranny, the Courtiers backing the Empress must be preparing themselves as this is their opportunity to challenge the Crown Prince.
"They'll certainly bring it up at the Daily Assembly tomorrow." Consort Cao said.
"If only we had something on the Empress." Ye Shi said.
"Something like what? " Consort Cao asked and Ye Shi thinking about it, she suddenly realised something.
"There is something." She said.
"What is it?" Ye Shi asked.
"Han Touzhou was the greatest of the Empress' political rivals I am certain he knew a thing or two about the Empress and there was this one time that he brought up an issue that was left hanging." She confessed.
"What was it?" Ye Shi inquired.
"At once it was foretold at the time the Empress was pregnant with the Imperial Prince Zhao Zeng that the birth of twin Princes would be the end of the Empire unless the boys and their mother were killed, around the same time the Physician who was working for Han Touzhou vanished without a trace and the medical team that was supposed to help the Empress with the delivery was secretly swapped, one of the Empress' closest guards while she was still a Consort Bo An vanished and Han Touzhou continued to believe that he is the one who took the other twin outside the Palace to kill him which is yet he never returned." Consort Cao responded.
"Zhao Zeng barely made it past infancy, the other twin might have equally died as well, it has already been over twenty-one years, who would believe us? " Ye Shi asked.
"We just have to create the twin." Consort Cao responded, "as it is the Empress hearing this will be more curious and we shall use her curiosity to our advantage to rein her into our own trap." she added as smiled at herself ghastly.
Zhao Hong barging through the doors of his Chambers he was infuriated as his gaze landed on his father Zhao Kai who was standing right in front of his vacant table.
"You said that if I did this alone then I would have the support of the officials." He said.
"It didn't occur to me that things would go this far out of hand Your Highness." Zhao Kai responded.
"Or you allowed yourself to be shortsighted, the Empress knows that we tried to poison her and pulled off a trick with the pigeon heart, the Hanlin scholars have been excited, I shouldn't have trusted you to believe that your ploys were flawless." Zhao Hong said.
"Do you still not realise how advantageous this is to us Your Highness?" Zhao Kai inquired as he got closer to his son.
"And what are you trying to imply father? " Zhao Hong said.
"The Courtiers were bound to retaliate since it meant publicly disregarding the Empress, but what's more is that His Majesty will realise that the Empress isn't just their sensitive spot but her influence alone runs deeper than he'd imagined, if the Empress' supporters league together against you then I speculate that His Majesty will have no choice but to be more inclined to protecting you." Zhao Kai responded.
"You are saying that you provoked the Empress with the intention of revealing her true colours to the Emperor?" Zhao Hong said.
"This is perhaps the right time for the Emperor to know which of those Courtiers belongs to him and which doesn't in particular." Zhao Kai responded.
"But what if the Emperor doesn't see things the way you see them?" Zhao Hong asked.
"Then this will help us understand how much we can expect from His Majesty." Zhao Kai responded.
The Empress quietly seated in her Chambers, Manyin walked in before her.
"You called for me Your Highness?" She inquired.
"I want you to relay a message to the Grand Chancellor for me." She said.
"Whatever it is Your Highness." Manyin remarked as the Empress got an envelope and handed it over to her while she took it instantly into her hands and walked out of the room.
Shi Miyuan seated in his study the doors were slid open for Dong Hua who walked through up to his presence.
"Your Excellency." He said kowtowing to him as he handed over the white envelope which he took into his arms.
Opening it he took out a piece of paper which he unfolded to read through.
Once he had concluded reading its contents, he slowly folded it and holding it over the candle next to him, he burnt it down to ashes and threw it on the ash tray.
"What did the Empress say?" Dong Hua asked.
"We can't act rashly because of what the Crown Prince did, now more than ever we should act more cautiously and even more cunningly than ever." Shi Miyuan responded, "we'll have the others notified immediately with a secret code and they'll know what to do at the daily Assembly tomorrow." He added as he picked a piece of paper and wrote down a sutra on it which he handed over to Dong Hua.
The messages were circulated throughout the Empress' supporters and Peng Zishou getting a hold of it hurriedly picked up a book which was titled, 'THE HISTORY OF TANG'
Flipping the pages and cracking the code, he landed on the Biography of Emperor Xuanzong and decoded two words in particular, 'abdication' and 'regency,' which left him startled.
The sun rising over the Palace, the Courtiers with the Emperor gathered in the Grand Hall, Ye Shi along with the supporters of Consort Cao were most humble while the Grand Chancellor Shi Miyuan and the supporters of the Empress were alert themselves.
The Emperor bored from the awkward silence spoke up.
"You are all aware that the Crown Prince travelled to the Imperial Mausoleum to honour the deceased Empress Gongshu, as such there are quite a number of unpleasant rumours that are spreading all over the Capital." He said.
"If I may Your Majesty?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"Please do." Emperor Ningzong said.
"We as the Imperial Court do understand that His Highness is in a tough position, however, this not only concerns the safety of the Government but also that of the Imperial house and I am certain that the Crown Prince wherever he is must have realised his grave mistake and he is therefore sorry." Shi Miyuan spoke up surprising a number of people including the Emperor himself.
"You really are concerned for the Crown Prince?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"We can't expect much from him, His Highness wasn't raised to become the heir apparent to the Imperial Dragon throne, however, as it so happens to be that the heavens willed that one day the Mandate of Heaven will be rested in his hands, I think that as the Imperial Court it is only right for us to accord him our full support that he might mend his faults and become a righteous and worthy heir." Shi Miyuan responded.
"Then what is it that Your Excellency suggests?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"With your permission Your Majesty, I was hoping that effective immediately, the Crown Prince not only keeps up with his studies but also joins us regularly to discuss and participate in State affairs as an Imperial Regent." Shi Miyuan responded and Ye Shi and the rest of his clique surprised burst into an endless murmur.
"You are asking me to formally recognize the Crown Prince as an Imperial Regent and allow him to participate in State affairs?" Emperor Ningzong inquired.
"As the Imperial Court at best what we can do is to support His Highness by which his designation as the Imperial Regent will help him protect his claim on the Imperial Dragon throne, besides, seeing that Your Majesty is old and of frail health it is better for him to help you handle your official duties which for him will be gaining hands-on experience, considering that it shall give him adequate time to adjust for his future role as the monarch, you'll watch him closely and help him as your future successor." Shi Miyuan responded.
"But the Crown Prince is merely a sixteen-year-old boy, isn't he too young for the job?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"It is because he is young that it is not necessary, it is because when the time comes it's necessary for the Crown Prince to ready, besides, when he brings in good counsel and able leadership he might be further endeared to the people and slowly, rumours concerning his inappropriate behaviour might slowly come to an end." Shi Miyuan insisted.
"I think His Excellency the Grand Chancellor is right Your Majesty." The Grand Secretary Peng Zishou said.
"It is only right that the Crown Prince be given this opportunity." Yang Gu, the Vice Minister of Rites equally agreed.
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty." The Empress' supporters spoke in unison as the Emperor turned to Ye Shi the Minister of Personnel.
"Everyone appears to be in favour of the Crown Prince's designation as the Imperial Regent, however, only you seem to be quiet amongst all the high officials of the six Ministries." The Emperor pointed out.
"The Minister of Personnel recognizes talent and capability well enough, surely his opinion would be of great importance." Yang Shi pointed out as the latter uneager found himself cornered by everyone in the hall.
"The Entire Court speaks in unison, besides, the Crown Prince proved himself a worthy successor by passing the test that had him designated as the heir apparent to the Imperial Dragon throne, surely, I seem to find it rather appropriate to have him designated as the Imperial Regent and participate in State Affairs after all, at the end of the day it will make him prepare adequately to take the reins of power one day and of course the final say will still rest with you Your Majesty." Ye Shi responded.
"Very well then, the Crown Prince will surely be allowed to function as the Imperial Regent and participate in the affairs of State however I insist that until the time is right, only I shall reserve the final say on all military matters." Emperor Ningzong said.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Courtiers responded in unison.
"I shall leave the Grand Secretariat to prepare the Imperial Edict, for now, the Assembly is hereby dismissed." Emperor Ningzong said and the Courtiers kowtowing to him, stood up and walked out of the hall while Ye Shi turned and looked at Shi Miyuan who still seemed calm and resolved.
"What!" Consort Cao exclaimed.
"At the very least we were all ready for the Grand Chancellor and the rest of the Empress' supporters to admonish the Crown Prince for his mistake but none of us had seen the possibility of them requesting the Emperor to designate him as an Imperial Regent." Ye Shi said.
"Something isn't right." Consort Cao said.
"I don't understand, the Empress is aware and so is the Grand Chancellor, the designation of the Crown Prince as the Imperial Regent will only give him more power and the more powerful he becomes the harder it will be to supplant him." Ye Shi remarked.
"But the Empress wouldn't necessarily be one to make a rash move, doesn't she realise that this one thing could make the Crown Prince the final Victor in this battle?" Consort Cao said.
"I don't think I can think of another way that the Empress would benefit from this." Ye Shi mentioned.
"Even then, regardless of what it is that the Empress is after, what matters is that she has helped us move a step closer to our goal." Consort Cao said.
"It will be much easier for the Crown Prince to garner the political support that he requires." Ye Shi said.
"And now that the ground is fertile it is high time the rumour suffices." Consort Cao said as she smiled at herself ghastly while Ye Shi still looked suspicious.
Shi Miyuan seated in front of the Empress slowly tapped the table while he looked at her.
"I did as you asked me Your Highness," he said, "however, you haven't told me why you took such a huge gamble despite knowing that the result could harm you." He insisted.
"What would be the cost of giving the Crown Prince immense power?" She rhetorically asked.
"I can't help but equally wonder?" Shi Miyuan responded.
"You must have heard the old famous saying that with Great power comes great responsibility," The Empress muttered, "if the Crown Prince isn't big enough or doesn't wield as much influence as possible His Majesty wouldn't view him as a significant threat to his power." She responded.
"I see." Shi Miyuan finally started to comprehend.
"The Crown Prince desires power for himself, we shall give it to him, he'll have either two fatal choices to make, the first which I believe will be to prove to the world that he is an unworthy successor." She mentioned.
"And the second, what if he succeeds Your Highness?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"To prove that he can kill a Dragon." Empress Yang replied as she smiled at herself ghastly while Shi Miyuan appeared to be more worried than ever before.
The Empress' supporters appealed to His Majesty to designate the Crown Prince as the Imperial Regent, that's the last thing I expected." Feng Ba professed to Hua Jin.
"There's no doubt she must have an ulterior motive." Hua Jin remarked.
"Not all that glitters is gold, she could lose just as much but she isn't the type to take a huge gamble and play a risky game with an uncertain outcome." Feng Ba responded.
"Then what could the Empress be plotting by giving the Crown Prince wings to fly higher?" Hua Jin said.
"As long as she grants the Crown Prince a chance to wield immense power there's only one way she would be very likely to benefit from it and that's if the Crown Prince misuses it." Feng Ba replied.
"In other words, the Empress wants to use this as an opportunity to show that the Crown Prince is incompetent?" Hua Jin said.
"There's no better way of explaining it." Feng Ba responded.
"Then what are we going to do Milord?" Hua Jin said.
"Everyone is caught up doing their own thing, there's no better chance to strike than now." Feng Ba responded, "arrange for me to meet with Consort Cao." He ordered.
"Yes Milord." Hua Jin responded as he withdrew from the room immediately.
Zhao Kai seated with his son he couldn't stop smiling.
"I expected the Empress to use the worship of the Deceased Empress Han to repress me, who would have thought she'd protect me and empower me instead to become the Imperial Regent?" Zhao Hong questioned.
"It is too good to be true." Zhao Kai responded.
"Automatically, the Empress would be interested in taking such a risk because she's bent on trying to expose my weaknesses and incompetencies to the world." Zhao Hong said.
"It's the most reasonable answer." Zhao Kai remarked.
"We'll prove her wrong instead, if she has granted me a chance to wield this much power then the best way to beat her at her game would be to prove to her that I am fit for the job." Zhao Hong concluded.
"Surely, there couldn't be a better way to win the confidence of both His Majesty and the people." Zhao Kai remarked confidently.
Very early in the morning, the Crown Prince seated on a small chair that had been prepared for him in front of the Emperor's throne while he observed the Imperial Court was in session.
"There has been an increase in the number of robberies the past couple of days and foreign merchants are more worried than ever for the safety of their lives and goods, we'd like to know from the Crown Prince, what could we possibly do as the Increase in manpower is barely efficient." Yang Gu said.
"The number of soldiers in the capital patrol isn't what matters but rather, how good they are, if they are not competent enough then they should be thrown out of the force." Zhao Kai responded.
"But if everyone isn't good enough then Your Highness realises you are asking us to disband the Capital Patrol guard, if we do so then who will maintain law and order in the Heart of the Empire?" Yang Shi asked.
"Then we'd need to recruit new and able members into the peace keeping forces." Zhao Kai responded.
"Has Your Highness considered the cost of replacement and retraining, it would take more than a year to restructure the capital patrol guard and train average men to become soldiers, besides recruitment would equally be something difficult, as a matter of fact when considering experience, the inexperienced will mean that the capital would be liable to attack sooner or later, as such there would be more confidence amongst the bandits and insecurity would only increase." Peng Zishou said.
"Then we'd keep the force intact and improve it." Zhao Kai said.
"That means that we'd keep even the incompetent ones in the force?" Yang Gu asked.
"But that would be very much against what Your Highness proposed in the beginning." Shi Miyuan remarked.
"For a challenge like this, we'd need to employ a variety of methods." Zhao Kai said.
"For example.....?" Peng Zishou inquired and at that moment the Crown Prince convinced was speechless while the Emperor watched momentarily before he broke his silence.
"What do you think Crown Prince?" He asked the young man who unable to say a word started shaking uncontrollably while everyone was watching.
"If I may?" Shi Miyuan requested and the Emperor agreed.
"Since the problem is with the Capital Patrol guard then I suggest that we have it investigated and examined to figure out its weaknesses first, if it's the leadership first then we can have it changed, if it's the shortage of supplies and weaponry we could have that increased, besides, it's likely that the soldiers aren't happy with their pay, we could increase it a little bit and lower the taxes, increase merit-based promotions which will make the force more effective and as such in both the short and long-run periods, National security, law and order would be guaranteed." Shi Miyuan responded.
"The Grand Chancellor is right Your Majesty." The rest of the Courtiers supported him in unison.
"What about the Crown Prince, what do you think about this idea?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"The Grand Chancellor is right Your Majesty." Zhao Hong reluctantly agreed.
"I understand that it's not easy but as the session has just started, I am sure you'll be better off at the end of the Assembly." Emperor Ningzong tried to comfort him.
The Assembly progressed for the next hour and the Crown Prince silent could barely answer the questions or even contribute to the matters that were being proposed.
With every question harder and harder than the former he got angrier until eventually the Emperor tired he wound it up.
"We shall continue from there tomorrow, as of now, the Assembly is dismissed." He announced before he got up and walked out followed by the Crown Prince as the Courtiers kowtowed at each other.
Empress Yang in her Chambers Manyin rushed into her presence where she knelt.
"How was the Assembly?" She inquired.
"His Highness couldn't contribute and where he did, he was inconsistent and schizophrenic, the performance was poor and your late brother's sons Yang Shi and Yang Gu outshined him." She responded.
"The Future Emperor of our Greater Heavenly Empire can't even stand firm to think for himself." The Empress remarked.
"He returned to the East Palace infuriated, I am sure that he must be breaking things seriously by now." Manyin said.
"Send word to our people in the East Palace," Empress Yang said, "spread tale bearing that His Majesty is suffering from dementia." She added.
"Yes Your Highness." Manyin responded as she stood up and walked out of the room leaving the latter smiling at herself ghastly.
Mu Lang lost in his thoughts as he recalled the words that he'd overheard Consort Cao and Ye Shi exchanging as he paced back and forth in the Crown Prince's Chambers.
The latter throwing the doors open barged through furiously that Mu Lang moved to the side.
"No." He shouted at the top of his voice as he threw down the things on his table.
"Please calm down Your Highness." Mu Lang pleaded with him but the young man not ready to hear a thing turned around and faced him.
"How can I calm around when those Courtiers are mocking me?" He asked his eyes nearly getting teary and Mu Lang concerned he pulled his head closer to his and resting his forehead on his he looked him in the eye.
"This is what the Empress wants." He said, "if you lose your temper like this Your Highness then it only means that the Empress is winning and you are helping her fulfil her objectives." He convinced him and slowly, the young man started to calm down.
"Take a deep breath Your Highness." Mu Lang said to him and he complied.
"The Courtiers are trying to make a fool of me." He said.
"That's their nature." Mu Lang responded as he helped Zhao Hong sit down while the latter sighed in disappointment.
"What is left for me to do?" He asked.
"Maybe there is something that you should know." Mu Lang responded.
"And what would it be?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"Her Highness lied to His Majesty and lied to all of us." Mu Lang responded.
"How so?" Zhao Hong was curious.
"I was looking through the Imperial Records in the Office of Records when I caught on an interesting conversation between Consort Cao and the Minister of Personnel, there was once a time that Han Touzhou caught on the fact that the Empress was expecting to bear twins but he failed to expose it." Mu Lang said.
"Twins?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"Your Highness may be unaware but there was a prophecy that circulated around that time, according to its interpretation, it was foreseen that, 'THE BIRTH OF TWINS WOULD SINK THE NATION.'" Mu Lang responded.
"But it's been a very long time since then, for all we know if the Imperial Prince Zhao Zeng died what guarantee have we that the other survived beyond the palace walls, besides, what proof has Consort Cao to reveal that?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"It is clear from Consort Cao's desperation that if they don't have proof they are ready to create some." Mu Lang responded.
"Then what are we going to do now?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"Let's focus on the most important thing right now and that is retaining your Crown Your Highness." Mu Lang responded.
Empress Yang seated in her Chambers Beiyuan suddenly walked in swiftly.
"Your Highness, we have a bit of a problem." He said.
"What is it?" Empress Yang inquired as he took a white piece of paper from underneath his sleeve and handed it over to her while she unfolded it.
"This letter was intercepted on its way to the Rongchang Palace." He reported as the Empress perused through its contents instantly.
Studying her expression he could tell how worried she was.
"Who was delivering it?" Empress Yang inquired.
"It was a stranger, one that I happened to send men after but lost him close to the City square." Beiyuan muttered.
"It's already been over twenty years, why now?" Empress Yang asked herself.
"It appears that there is someone out there who knew about the birth of the other twin." Beiyuan remarked.
"But they chose to speak up now of all times, it is strange." Empress Yang said trying to show some composure.
"Do you think they have any proof concerning this Your Highness?" He inquired.
"Whatever it is, the only thing that matters now is that we find out who this person is and why is it that they chose to contact Consort Cao in particular, besides, if Consort Cao is suspicious then it is only right that we know the extent to which that suspicion stretches and how much she knows." Empress Yang responded as she tightly clenched the letter in her fist.
Mu Lang stepping outside the East Palace he was walking through the streets of the city lost in his own thoughts as he tried to recall his findings patching them together with what he'd overheard Consort Cao and Ye Shi talking about.
He seemed to recall everything that he had found out concerning the quilt.
"If this Bo An worked beside the Empress while she was still a Consort then maybe if I was able to find him I'd be in the position to save His Highness." He thought inwardly.
Approaching a bridge he then saw a young girl around nearly thirteen years of age standing and facing the small river underneath, she was dressed in a blue and white hanfu and her hair tied back in a simple bite as she took a deep breath and sighed.
Intrigued his gaze froze on her and feeling as though someone was presently fixing their attention towards her she turned around and her eyes met his.
With a pair of small bright eyes and narrow temples, her cherry-like lips were tiny topped by a fairly small pointed nose and her face round and flawless ended in a chiseled chin.
The world fell silent instantly and everything appeared to slow down as the young woman walking towards him.
He froze where he was standing and the young woman walking past him he picked the peony fragrance that was coming from her body.
He could tell from her character that she was most likely from noble birth and turning around he noticed her slowly vanishing from sight.
"Who is she, he couldn't help but keep wondering, awed by how she looked enchantingly beautiful momentarily until all of a sudden he noticed a strange face secretly walking down the nearby street.
He could tell that it was Bao Langya from a distance and out of so much curiosity he decided to stealthily follow them.
Bao Langya accompanied by a group of five elite guards swiftly made their way through the nearby alleys and negotiating a couple of corners towards what appeared to be a somewhat abandoned end of the city, they approached a small Manor that stood right next to the wall of the Capital.
Bao Langya knocking on the door it was eventually opened for him and as he made his entrance, the gatekeeper looked around to confirm if there wasn't anybody nearby until he was convinced that it was safe enough.
Mu Lang drew closer and moved around the fence, there he saw a tall jujube tree which he climbed only to realize that the manor was a martial school that was training a couple of men who were more efficient even than the Palace guards.
Bao Langya seated under a small woodshed was there with another fairly young man.
"How is the training?" He inquired.
"As you can see Your Excellency they are all working out well and the private army will certainly be an efficient force." The latter responded.
"Is that so?" Bao Langya inquired.
"You shouldn't have any doubts Your Excellency." The supervisor responded.
"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind proving to both Her Highness and me how great of a supervisor you are." Bao Langya said.
"What could I do for Her Highness?" The supervisor inquired.
"You must have heard about the Crown Prince and the type of person that he is, Her Highness has tried bearing with him but his character is unbearable therefore I have a job for you concerning the East Palace." Bao Langya said.
"Just give the order." The Supervisor muttered.
"In three days, pick out the best people that you can trust, whatever it takes, be it sunshine or rain Her Highness wants the Crown Prince dead." Bao Langya said and Mu Lang hidden in the tree touched his mouth and covered it in shock.
"Leave everything to me, Your Excellency." The Supervisor said.
"I knew that I could count on you." Bao Langya said and standing up from where he was seated, the two men kowtowed to one another before he moved out of the facility while Mu Lang was watching everything.
Emperor Ningzong standing on the pavilion that overlooked the capital beyond the walls of the Imperial City, the Empress suddenly appeared there accompanied by her retinue.
"Your Highness." Lan He and Eunuch Deng offered their salutations to her in unison as they kowtowed to her.
"At ease." She responded as she walked up to the Emperor who appeared absent-minded.
"Your Majesty." She said to him when he realised at that moment that she was present.
"My Empress!" He exclaimed in shock.
"I wanted to see you as I heard that you were there for me while I was ill." She responded.
"And seeing that you are doing better my heart is set at ease." He mentioned.
"Just as mine is grateful for your care." Empress Yang responded while he took a deep breath and sighed.
"You seem rather bothered." She pointed out.
"When was the last time that I enjoyed this view?" He responded as though asking himself.
"Does it hurt you?" She inquired.
"I feel like every day one or two of the most precious memories of my childhood and youthfulness is lost, other times I feel that over the years my humanity has waned, once my father as an Imperial Prince brought me here and showed me the world after which he told me that I would own it one day, I frowned and instead of getting serious with my duties I ran around the Palace and played." He responded.
"What innocent days!" Empress Yang remarked.
"The people that placed me on that Imperial Dragon throne died one by one and slowly descended into the pages of oblivion, in one year I buried my first Empress, my mother and then my father along with Qi'an'er as well." He remarked.
"It couldn't have been easy." Empress Yang mentioned.
"What kind of monarch do you suppose the future generations shall think me to be?" He suddenly asked her.
"An ardent, a loving, a peaceful Emperor." She responded and turning to look at her he faintly smirked.
"I was lonely in the world, the burden of the Crown grew heavier on my shoulders with every passing day, I longed for strength, at times I longed for peace, when I stood and mused beyond the walls of the Palace, when I breathed the soft air of the mourning, when I slept in comfort and nursed sympathies for myself, once I remembered I was a man but what made me the happiest man in the world was that in that solitary darkness where I slowly lost myself, I was with you, you loving me and you holding my hand until my very last breath." He mentioned.
"Don't you regret loving me Your Majesty?" She asked.
"No." He responded.
"Until now all I have ever done is keep on receiving from you, you gave without expecting much from me which is why regardless of every sin I have committed it wasn't because your hand was inadequate but because I too wanted to give you something in return. " Empress Yang mentioned and at that moment Beiyuan quickly mounted the stairs that led to the pavilion and hurried up beside them.
"Your Majesty, please allow me report something very urgent. " He said as he went on his knees and the two of them turned around to look at him.
"What's the problem?" Emperor Ningzong inquired.
"Someone is spreading an insidious rumour Your Majesty and the entire Capital is bustling with it. " He responded.
"How bad could a rumour be? " The Emperor brushed it off lightly.
"Forgive me Your Majesty if I may sound impudent but talebearing has it that Your Majesty is suffering from Senile dementia." Beiyuan reported.
"What!" Empress Yang exclaimed.
"It is true Your Highness." Beiyuan responded.
"Who dared to spread such an insidious rumour and slander the son of heaven?" Empress Yang asked.
"I don't know Your Highness however there's one thing that everyone seems certain about." Beiyuan responded.
"What is it?" Empress Yang asked.
"The rumour itself started from the East Palace." Beiyuan replied.
"So are you telling me that the Crown Prince was responsible?" Emperor Ningzong inquired.
"You must be sure of something before you mention a word Superintendent Beiyuan, slandering a member of the Imperial family especially if that member is the Crown Prince is considered treason," Emperor Ningzong said, "you above all people should know best the sentence that is offered to people that commit this type of heinous sin." He cautioned.
"Have you any proof Superintendent Beiyuan?" Empress Yang asked her.
"Your Highness may break my limbs if you will, Your Majesty may sever my head from my body if I have spoken out of turn, but as it is my duty as a Eunuch to ensure the safety of His Majesty and Your Highness reputation and desist from compromising the social appearance of the Imperial family, only by interrogating the servants of the East Palace can we finally come down to an answer. " Beiyuan responded.
"Suppose you are mistaken?" Empress Yang asked him.
"Then I shall be willing to accept my sin and lay down my life to pay for it." Beiyuan responded as he kowtowed to the two while the Empress gazed at him.
"Xiaoyang?" Empress Yang called to her and the latter immediately rushed to her side.
"Yes Your Highness?" She responded bowing her head.
"Order the Ladies' Investigations Bureau of the Imperial Palace to round up the servants of the East Palace along with the Imperial State Tribunal, find out the one's behind the spread of this insidious rumour." Empress Yang ordered.
"Yes Your Highness." Xiaoyang responded as she immediately withdrew and joined by a couple of ladies in waiting, she left the pavilion while the Empress turned to the Emperor.
"Forgive me Your Majesty as I have been negligent as the Head of the Inner Court and the harem and additionally the commander of the six Palaces, rest assured though, whoever the criminal is I shall gladly bring him to justice if I must." She said and the Emperor responding with silence, she immediately left the place as well.
"Is it so?" The Crown Prince Zhao Hong inquired from Mu Lang who was kneeling right in front of him.
"Yes Your Highness." He responded, "I saw with my two eyes and overheard Bao Langya myself, the Empress has been honing her own private army within the capital and in three days they are going to attack the East Palace with the aim of assassinating you." He reported.
"Who would have thought that Her Highness was willing to go this far?" Zhao Hong muttered under his breath as he smiled at himself ghastly, "is she not afraid that it might induce the masses to turn against her?" He inquired.
"Publicly I have noticed that she has a renowned personality, despite everything that you did to her the Courtiers alone showed their discontentment and protest in one way while she reserved her silence more than anyone else in this entire Empire they would think her to be the type of person that is tolerant, but most importantly, considering that as a Crown Prince and herself your legal protectress amongst many it would seem that she'd need you alive to protect her position and life as well." Mu Lang responded.
"It is a very smart move." Zhao Hong remarked.
"We must stop the Empress then." Mu Lang said.
"On the contrary, if we act now it would be too hasty of us and we might lose a splendid opportunity as the Empress and her people would only become overly cautious." Zhao Hong responded.
"Then what else can we do?" Mu Lang inquired.
"We'll let the Empress have her way and fully orchestrate her ploy, it would only be more interesting if we caught Her Highness Red-handed." Zhao Hong responded as he smiled at himself ghastly when the doors of his chambers were flung open and that very instant, the lady Investigators along with some guards from the Imperial State Tribunal made their entrance which forced him and Mu Lang to stand up on their feet.
"How dare you barge in here like this, do you think you can get away with coming into the Chambers of the Crown Prince of this country without being summoned?" He lashed out at them while Lady Mo stepped forward.
"Forgive us for intruding on Your Imperial Highness' privacy but our presence here is mandated." She professed.
"And on whose order is it so?" Zhao Hong furiously inquired.
"It is on my order." A familiar voice emerged from outside and the doors slid open, Xiaoyang made her entrance before the Crown Prince and she bowed her head.
"The Empress' Head Lady?" Zhao Hong muttered with disgust all over his face.
"I speak for Her Highness and my words are her words, the Staff of the East Palace shall be investigated for spreading the insidious rumour intended to misguide the nation and the Imperial Court that His Majesty our Supreme Greater Heavenly Emperor is suffering from Senile Dementia." Xiaoyang said.