The old man dragging the wagon with the corpse made his way through the dark streets as he negotiated a small corner towards the abandoned East end of the city.
Nearly half the buildings had their lights out save for a few lanterns that hung outside on the doorposts and the wan moonlight illuminating the path that he followed, a couple of masked men trailed him.
For a moment he didn't seem bothered as they slowly closed the distance between themselves and him and it was after he realised that there were some people blocking his path that he gracefully lowered the cart.
"So much for a smart man, you should have realised it at least sooner or later that we were trailing you but awkward enough this isn't the place where the traitor's corpse should be disposed of." The leader of the gang muttered.
"You didn't see anything, please, I beg you." The man said.
"It's hard to ignore injustice within these walls." The leader responded.
"And what is injustice to you?" The strange man inquired.
"Who are you?" They asked him.
"For your sake, it's best that you do not know, after all even if you are a thousand men, I can singlehandedly beat you." The old man muttered while his pursuers hearing this instantly unsheathed their swords.
Charging towards him while he barely moved, none appeared to foresee what was going on when the latter held around his waist and he pulled out a small flexible sword.
He dodged through the first three splitting open their bowels as they fell onto the ground dead and his eyes finally meeting those of the leader of his pursuers he studied them.
The captive could tell instantly, that the old man that was holding him had fury burning in his eyes, for all he could tell the face might have somewhat been familiar to him, given those thick dark brows and wide temples that closely resembled those of Bao Langya.
"Who are you?" He persistently asked, "do you think you can get away with what you have done here today?" He continued to challenge the latter.
"This isn't your business to deal with." The old man said, "One thing is certain though, no one can ever beat the crouching dragon." He responded as he knocked out the young man who fell instantly.
Picking up his cape that had fallen to the ground, he slowly cleaned it before he wore it on his head again and picking up the wagon that he had been pulling prior to the incident, he continued his way unbeknownst to himself that there in a small cranny of one of the nearby buildings, another masked stranger stood watching him with his colleague.
"I knew that he was no ordinary coroner." He remarked.
"We've already lost three of our colleagues then why have you still done nothing?" His fellow inquired.
"Inform the others about what happened, I am certain that the Grand Commandant would find things a bit more interesting." The latter responded brushing off the issue lightly.
"Yes." His colleague responded.
Shi Miyuan seated in his study Dong Hua suddenly made his entrance.
"Your Excellency." He greeted him.
"How is the Crown Prince?" He inquired instantly.
"Our informer has something urgent to report." Dong Hua responded and stepping aside, a young woman who was dressed in a set of velveteen robes appeared before him.
Pulling off the veil she turned out to be the lute-playing girl that had served him in the East Palace.
"Greetings Your Excellency." She offered her salutations.
"How is the Crown Prince doing?" He inquired.
"He's hardly eaten or slept for the past couple of days and just yesterday I was playing the lute when he chased me from his presence." She reported.
"He could barely live as a filial son so how could he still uphold his dignity as the Crown Prince of this country after losing so badly?" Shi Miyuan rhetorically asked.
"His Highness may not seem like it but in my humble opinion there's only one expectation from someone like him." The young woman professed.
"What do you think?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"Pardon me for sounding impertinent Your Excellency as I am worried, His Highness swore openly that even if he must tear off all his limbs he will surely ascend the Imperial dragon throne, he swore that he shall kill the Empress with his own two hands and banish Your High Excellency along with your supporters further South as slaves to wreak his father's vengeance upon the entire world." The girl responded and hearing those words the old man folding the sleeves of his hanfu lightly smirked at himself.
"The Crown Prince of this Empire said those very words?" He asked the lute-playing girl still standing in front of him.
"Yes Your Excellency, it is as I heard with my two ears." She reported.
"Very well then, you may leave." Shi Miyuan ordered and the latter standing up, she bowed her head and then instantly withdrew from the room leaving him alone with Dong Hua.
He took a deep breath and then he sighed.
"It appears as though this time round, we really broke the Crown Prince." Dong Hua remarked.
"All the hatred he must be feeling, I am not new to it, I understand what he must be going through seeing that I once was there." Shi Miyuan remarked.
"Now that he is too filial a son, he won't let this rest, he gave in to buy himself time, time to survive and become powerful enough." Dong Hua said.
"And that day will come." Shi Miyuan suddenly agreed.
"Your Excellency seems strangely eager." Dong Hua pointed out.
"I can't help but wonder, for Her Highness who must be well aware of this result, what could be going on in her mind that compels her silence now of all times when it is most unnecessary." Shi Miyuan mentioned.
"I can't say I am any better at analysing the situation but of course judging from Her Highness' personality she'd best be waiting for you to confront her." Dong Hua responded.
"Perhaps." Shi Miyuan responded.
"What do we do now Your Excellency." Dong Hua inquired.
"Convene all the other Officials." He responded.
"Yes, Your Excellency." Beiyuan responded.
Bao Langya and a couple of other Imperial guards had arrived at the scene of the Crime, there on the ground with patches of blood still fresh the whole place reeked like a butchery.
He got closer to two of the corpses and studying them closely he touched one of the wounds.
"Careful Milord." one of his subordinates said.
"A very thin blade to inflict such a fatal blow, this person is beyond average." He muttered.
"But why would an Imperial Coroner be interested in the corpse of a traitor?" Shi Yuzhi inquired.
"Were there any words that the man said?" Bao Langya inquired as he slowly turned and faced one of the survivors.
"Something about beating a thousand soldiers, something about the Crouching Dragon." He responded uncertain that momentarily the latter froze.
"Did you say, the Crouching Dragon?" He asked yet again.
"Yes." The witness clarified.
"This is very serious." Bao Langya asserted, "it is clear that there could be other discontented underground circles and if these murders escalate then the capital shall be plunged into chaos." He remarked.
"What should we do Your Excellency?" They asked him.
"I'll request an audience with the Empress as this Coroner is no ordinary person, what's worse is that we are yet to know if there's anyone else who is influential behind him which is why I ask that you dispatch the secret police to search for this individual." Bao Langya responded.
"Yes Sir." His subordinates replied in unison as they withdrew from the scene at once leaving him alone with Shi Yuzhi who seemed to notice that he was quite bothered.
"There's something going on isn't it?" He asked.
"Yes." He responded.
"By any chance is there someone you know?" He inquired.
"It's been long I hope that pain isn't in vain, one thing is certain though, regardless, I am hoping that all will be well." He responded.
The old man seated next to Mu Lang, he caressed his forehead, he was only starting to recuperate while his body still covered in wounds and bruises had been treated.
"You headstrong boy, you little unruly bastard, look what you brought upon yourself, look what you nearly did." He whispered to him.
His eyes twitched momentarily and there and then he opened them to study the face that was hovering above his.
Yes, those features were much too familiar, he could tell from the wide temples and the prominent jawbones, underneath that unkempt hair, staring into those dark soulless eyes, like an abyss that was endless but painful, there was some concern, some affection he was perhaps once used to.
"Father?" He said to him in a very weak voice as he tried to gather his strength and sit up in his bed.
"Don't move too much as you are yet to regain your strength." Bo An said.
"What about the Crown Prince's father, what about him?" Mu Lang inquired desperately
"He should be the least of your worries now that you are publicly dead." Bo An responded coldly.
"No." Mu Lang refused.
"I don't expect you to be this hard-headed and I refuse to let you risk your life again." The old man scolded, " have you any idea how hard it was to get you out of the Imperial State Tribunal safely?" He questioned.
"Then why did you risk doing so father?" Mu Lang asked.
"Why is it that you ran away from home, why come this far into the capital, go deep into the heart of the Palace?" He confronted him.
"Do you really not know the answer?" Mu Lang asked.
"Your birth and your paternity are best left reserved." Bo An insisted.
"Why?" Mu Lang asked.
"Are you really that curious to know even if it could change the status between you and the Crown Prince, even if it would turn you two into enemies, into bitter rivals with one another that he'd very much loath everything there is in the world that you could come close to possessing?" He lashed out at him and instantly, Mu Lang found himself cooling down a bit.
"Why can't I be next to the Crown Prince?" He asked.
"You must have at least heard a thing or two from the quilt that you took, I don't intend to keep you in the dark on it as well, I was once one of the closest guards that served the Empress in the Palace, many of course knew me by the nickname of the Crouching Dragon." He muttered.
"What happened?" Mu Lang asked.
"His Majesty bed with one of his concubines and when the Empress learnt it and she asked me to kill the child on the day that it was born, that the position of her son the Imperial Prince Zhao Zeng would never be threatened by another Prince but being perhaps as merciful as I could I found you another family, close enough in the line of succession to the Imperial throne." Bo An responded and hearing this Mu Lang smirked at himself as he sighed.
"So I am a Prince after all." He muttered under his breath.
"Now you see why I strived so hard to keep the truth from you all along?" He lied.
"What does it change?" Mu Lang asked.
"Perhaps Your Highness is better off as a Common Commandery Prince, perhaps it's better to go back to being a distant member of the Imperial Clan, however, if even word of your paternity is made public or should even the world care to embrace the fact that you are a direct descendant of the Emperor himself then either the Empress will kill you or if she doesn't the Crown Prince will." Bo An responded.
"Why didn't you tell me in the first place, why did you have to wait until now?" Mu Lang asked.
"Your caste is a weapon that can either shield the people that you love or destroy them, for what it's worth I promised myself that I would protect you until the very end even from the truth." Bo An lied.
"So you threw your life out of the window, became a farmer and raised me alongside my foster parents as though I were your own, what deep affection it must have been that you had for me, in deed too deep to even make you relinquish the military titles, styles and honours." Mu Lang insisted.
"Then please return the favour Your Highness." Bo An said.
"What!" He exclaimed.
"Forsake this Princely path for me and leave the Capital, leave in peace before more of this becomes disclosed I beg you at least." Bo An said as he stretched out his hand and held his, "if you really care for the Crown Prince let him inherit this Empire without you stepping in as an impediment to hinder that." He insisted and the young man remaining silent the latter stood up.
"You have until dawn tomorrow, to make up your mind." Bo An notified him before he slowly walked out of the room leaving Mu Lang lost in his thoughts all alone.
"Did you say the Crouching Dragon?" Empress Yang inquired.
"Yes Your Highness." Bao Langya responded and hearing this at once the old woman's heart flattered.
"It can not be." She said, "after all those years." She said.
"What do you think Your Highness?" Bao Langya inquired.
"I don't know what I should say, however, the situation at hand is more and more perilous, to de drawn into this distant memory now of all times is the least I expected to happen, find him at all costs, for my sake." She responded.
"I've already dispatched the Secret Police to look into the matter without drawing the attention of the officials and other likely enemies, if any word suffices then it shall be directly into our ears." He assured her while the Empress feeling unsettled started breathing heavily.
The Courtiers secretly gathered with Shi Miyuan in their usual room all silently looking at each other while he on the other hand was busy cleaning his sword.
"What is it that you wished to discuss with us Your Excellency?" Peng Zishou finally gathering up some courage inquired from him.
"Forgive me for having caught you off guard, however, as this is an issue that concerns the well-being of our government I wish to understand your stance that is if you are seated in this Hall with me." He responded.
"Does something bother you?" Wei Yuanzhang asked.
"I believe the bigger question we should be asking ourselves here is how much do we trust the Crown Prince." He responded.
"His Highness must have realised right now that even if he has the will he doesn't have the reserves to contend with our might." Peng Zishou muttered.
"But does it guarantee our safety in the future?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"No." Yang Gu responded firmly attracting everyone's attention suddenly that Shi Miyuan found himself intrigued by the response.
"Why do you think so?" He asked.
"His Highness might be the Crown Prince of this nation but he is still the son of a traitor, for all we know if the coup had been a success then the story would have been different, if we had not pleaded for his dethronement then we would have been pleading for our lives along with the lives of our families, along with the lives of our children." Yang Gu confidently responded.
"Save for me is there anyone else who thinks that this is a big problem?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"Her Highness may be silent but I am sure that she must be thinking the same thing, it isn't enough for us to just show the Crown Prince what we are capable of doing with our power but rather to ensure that we keep him in check." Yang Shi supplemented.
"Her Highness' lifelong efforts were to ensure that we don't have a tyrant placed on the throne and now that we have ruffled the Crown feathers it is still far from a guarantee unless we step up." Shi Miyuan suggested.
"Judging from the current state of affairs I believe Your Excellency has already considered something." Peng Zishou advanced.
"Feelings concerning the coup are still protracted and the Crown Prince is yet to define his position, as a result the government is restless along with the Scholars and many still wish that the position of the Crown Prince be revised." Shi Miyuan responded, "we should prepare ahead of time and the best way to ensure that the Crown Prince performs to his best is if we step down his arrogance." He suggested.
"And there's no better way than finding him someone who can match up to his strengths and capabilities." Peng Zishou said.
"We should petition to His Majesty to take in another child from the Imperial Clan under his parentage." Shi Miyuan remarked while everyone else remained silent.
"I think it is right." Yang Gu said.
"I second the thought." His brother muttered.
"What does the rest of the house think?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"Seeing that this is all happening because of His Highness we can't be held responsible, if anyone should shoulder the burden then it most certainly has to be him." Peng Zishou said and all the others nodding their heads in approval Shi Miyuan smiled at himself.
Perusing through the booklets on his table, the Emperor smiled at himself.
"Anything new?" He inquired.
"There are more and more petitions coming in from the officials since morning and each of them is demanding a revision of the installation of the Crown Prince." Eunuch Deng responded.
"Any word from the Central Palace?" Emperor Ningzong inquired.
"The Empress is preparing for the Imperial Princess' wedding to divert the attention of the public from the issue of the Crown Prince temporarily, aside from that she doesn't seem to take an interest in this issue." He responded.
"She should be bothered the most, after all is it not the Crown Prince's position that will decide her fate?" He pointed out.
"Why do you choose to remain silent Your Majesty?" Eunuch Deng inquired.
"She personally chose to estrange the relationship between the Crown Prince and herself, besides, it does me no harm knowing that people must certainly learn from themselves to avoid making the same mistakes." He responded.
"It's not like the Empress would let them have their way, perhaps it's most probably because Your Majesty still thinks that there is hope for the Crown Prince." Eunuch Deng remarked.
"Everyone only claims that the Crown Prince acted arrogantly because he lacked the competitive company, at least he should do this much to prove his worth to me and to this country." Emperor Ningzong muttered.
The Crown Prince seated in his Chambers read the memorial in his hands keenly, twitching out of fright and disappointment he could hardly refrain himself from cramping it up in his hands and throwing it down.
"You are telling me that the Officials and scholars leagued themselves to petition to His Majesty that my installation as the Crown Prince be revised?" He asked the Eunuch standing right beside him.
"Yes Your Highness." He responded.
"You may leave." The Crown Princess ordered and at once the young man withdrawing from the room left the two seated alone together.
"What are you going to do Your Highness?" She inquired.
"What do you suggest I do Crown Princess?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"As the Crown Prince of this country, what do you expect to do if you just let those pathetic officials disregard your very presence?" She lashed out at him.
"It must be pleasant to your sight." Zhao Hong remarked.
"Why would you think so Your Highness?" She inquired.
"The Empress is your aunt after all." He responded.
"And it is because she is that you should be grateful." Crown Princess Wu responded as she looked him in the eye, "Who cares even if you grovel, every now and then they only wish to put a price on your desperation they distrust your sincerity they can not be blamed for your weakness or how many times you are going to beat yourself up." She insisted, "beg the Empress, survive at least." She emphasized to him.
"This life, this Crown, it's a shackle that holds me down, it breaks me." Zhao Hong said.
"Your Highness has just experienced what happens to those who rebel, you have been through what it means to lose so much and gain nothing, you should know much better than anyone else what survival means and only if you intend to learn the repercussions of a ruler's decisions could you be more careful about the choices you make, only then could you be more careful as a man." She muttered and standing up in front of him, she bowed her head and slowly withdrew from the room leaving him alone and infuriated.
The Empress standing on top of the bridge which overlooked the Imperial Pond Beiyuan slowly approached her reluctantly while holding in his hands a memorial.
He handed it over to her while she stared at it expressionless.
"What's the problem?" She inquired.
"It's a petition from the Grand Chancellor." He responded as she took it up gracefully and opening it her eyes perused through its contents before she closed it and handed it over to Manyin.
"So the Courtiers have joined their hands against the Crown Prince?" She inquired.
"It so seems." Beiyuan responded while she smirked at herself.
"How unfortunate for him!" She exclaimed.
"The future Grand Internal Prince Consort is also waiting to have an audience with you Your Highness." He notified her.
"Really?" She seemed surprised.
"I could send him away if you wished." He insisted.
"It's a good time to share some chrysanthemum tea from underneath the golden lotus pavilion so I don't see any reason as to why you should keep him waiting." She responded.
"Yes Your Highness." Beiyuan responded.
While Manyin prepared the chrysanthemum tea, the Empress seated in the pavilion mused at the beautiful scenery as Feng Ba was ushered into the shelter.
"Your Highness." He said kowtowing to him while she studied his features and was overwhelmed with too much awe.
"Such a fine young man, no wonder Consort Cao seemed fond of you to have you as her proposed son-in-law." She profoundly remarked.
"You overestimate me Your Highness." Feng Ba said.
"You wished to see me." She pointed out.
"As I heard that Your Highness acquiesced to me marrying the Imperial Princess I couldn't help but traverse to offer my sincerest appreciation in person." He responded.
"You are a son of the Lin family, when I come to think about it, you don't boast quite the remarkable history it leaves me so much surprised." She remarked.
"I come from a clan of traitors that once served the deposed Grand Chancellor Han Touzhou." Feng Ba responded.
"Should I consider it that Consort Cao intends to use you to gather political support with those that should naturally be my enemies?" Empress Yang inquired.
"It is safe to say so Your Highness." Feng Ba responded.
"Lin Cun?" She called him.
"Yes?" He responded.
"There's something else on your mind." She pointed out, "all that are left are a bunch of homeless people, each of them too weak and barely surviving like slaves." She remarked.
"Consort Cao wants survival, I want protection, Your Highness wants peace in the realm, I thought that I could at least be of much help in ensuring that you fulfill your longing." He responded.
"There are things that I don't quite understand because based on my perspective of things, your prepositions seem rather ideal, is yours not a futile, is it not so innocent a dream?" She pointed out.
"This Imperial marriage is convenient to every party involved, after all, His Majesty of all people to consider it is as good as him having considered forgiving the Lin Clan for attempting to install another Emperor on the throne, Consort Cao too would get away with getting her one and only daughter married to a noble-born man that would by no means whatsoever attract the attention of higher political circles." Feng Ba said.
"And what am I to benefit from this?" Empress Yang inquired.
"A crime may or may not be forgiven but that doesn't change the fact that it is a Crime, after all if I will remain the descendant of a traitor even if the traitor is forgiven, this is itself big enough an impediment that can be used to Your Highness' advantage in the near future." He responded.
"Is this love?" Empress Yang inquired.
"Perhaps." Feng Ba responded.
"But the Imperial Princess knew not many men growing up in this Palace, you too were hardly close enough to being a ghast of wind that could be felt, yet a man with obscure histories, remarkable intellect would rather not seek for himself the power to redeem an entire bloodline but would rather serve eternally as a political slave?" She asked.
"Which type of son-in-law would Your Highness require if not a selfless one in deed?" He asked.
"Sometimes the weight of selfishness is measured by the one who perceives and not the giver." Empress Yang responded.
"If power were to land in the hands of a traitor, it would only shake the country." Feng Ba said.
"So you personally sought me out, seeing that you understand the type of person I am it is only right that I am more cautious." She professed.
"Yet Your Highness can't stop this wedding." Feng Ba said, "it would be going back on your own word and if not going against His Majesty's." He insisted.
"And now that the Future Grand Internal Prince Consort is going to be you it has strangely enough won more of my attention than I had intended to accord it." Empress Yang said.
"Then I will prove you wrong Your Highness." Feng Ba said.
"I'll gladly accept your challenge but before that I believe that there is something you should know." She mentioned as she picked up the tea pot and poured some tea for the young man into the Jade cup in front of him.
"A sword is more terrifying when it remains sheathed therefore even if I may cherish the smart it has never been my habit to forgive the arrogant." She remarked.
Feng Ba looking at the tea cup in front of him he slowly stretched out his hands and seizing it pulled it closer to his lips and took a sip before he lowered it down.
"Don't worry Your Highness, for your sake and for the sake of this Imperial family, for the sake of Our Greater Heavenly Empire, I promise you, I shall survive." He responded.
"Yes, yes you will." Empress Yang muttered as she smiled at him while he too returned the most sincere smile that he could find and the young man standing up, he kowtowed one last time to her before he withdrew from her presence.
The Empress watching closely while Xiaoyang kept her gaze fixed on her.
"Your Highness, were you really bothered by him?" She inquired.
"Of course." She responded, "all the years I have been in this Palace, I have never come across a young man as daring as he is and yet the same as ambiguous as I am." She remarked.
"He must take a lot after you Your Highness." Xiaoyang muttered.
"And because it felt as though I was staring into a mirror, because it felt that I was talking to another part of myself, it greatly bothers me that someone as intelligent as he is would be Consort Cao's son-in-law, but what's more appalling is the fact that he is personally choosing to tie himself down for my sake." Empress Yang mentioned.
"If it bothers you so much Your Highness then why not win him over?" Xiaoyang inquired.
"A man like him isn't the type to be swayed that easily." She responded.
"Then what does Your Highness hope to do about him?" Xiaoyang asked.
"Since he won't willingly give in we should forcefully make him give out." Empress Yang responded, "it is only after a man realises what he is capable of losing that he learns the value of what has." She said to herself as she smiled ghastly when Manyin walked up to her.
"Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince requests to have an audience with you." She reported.
"Let him in." She responded and instantly the young man was ushered in.
"Your Highness." He muttered as he bowed his head to her.
"You must have heard seeing that you are here." She asserted.
"I begged you Your Highness." Zhao Hong said.
"And I tried my best to protect you Crown Prince." Empress Yang mentioned.
"Yet it isn't enough." Zhao Hong said.
"Your Highness seems to forget that aside from me even the Courtiers are human they worry for themselves, you threatened to overthrow an entire Government by challenging me that naturally it is their political instinct to retaliate." Empress Yang remarked as the young man fell silent.
"I heard that you could barely sleep in comfort these past couple of days, you have taken quite a profound interest in drinking and talking less, of course I can't forget, you must observe your filial requirements but of course to acknowledge a traitor as your father how do you think the Officials perceive it?" She asked.
"Advise me Your Highness, in your sincerest opinion what is there that I should do?" Zhao Hong
"The Imperial Court is doubtful of Your Highness' loyalty and it's because of this that they are unwilling to give you their full support, I am not one to take sides hastily however considering the past events that have transpired it is necessary that I guarantee the security of my future power." She responded.
"Please Your Highness, I'll do whatever it takes." Zhao Hong pleaded.
"I have no doubts that you won't." She remarked, "but still it is much more desirable that precautions are taken." She insisted.
"Then tell me what I should do Your Highness?" He begged her while she kept quiet momentarily before she took a deep breath and finally sighed.
"It worries us that perhaps your arrogance could have stemmed from the fact that you lack a competitor, it worries the entire country to the point that the scholars themselves are still pleading your consideration as Heir apparent to be revised, of course if this persists then you could lose your title." Empress Yang reported.
"But I am certain that isn't something that Your Highness can not contain." Zhao Hong pointed out.
"It shouldn't be my patience your testing but your own." Empress Yang muttered, "I shall have another of the Imperial Princes chosen as your Cohort." She mentioned.
"Just as I thought." Zhao Hong mentioned.
"If of course Your Highness wishes to keep your Crown, the very least that you should do is endure this, use this as an opportunity to prove that you have turned a new leaf, that you are a worthy successor of His Majesty and surely the Mandate of Heaven shall be vested in you." She insisted.
"And what if I fail?" He inquired.
"You know the answer to that question my Prince, you can never let the ambitions of the Courtiers seem like a hamper to you, honour the meritorious subjects while choosing your friends and allies wisely if it is your earnest wish to inherit the reins of this country one day, if it is your earnest wish to refrain from being faced with dire consequences." She responded.
"Yes Your Highness," he responded reluctantly, "I'll keep your kind words at heart." He vowed.
"I know you certainly will." She responded as she smiled at him in the most sincere way that she could find while he on the other hand was only trying very hard to hold himself back.
Bo An walking through the streets in broad daylight he suddenly halted in his footsteps when he beheld a group of soldiers in front.
Moving slowly towards them they identified him from a distance and he didn't seem to restrain himself from moving closer.
Once he noticed that they weren't intimidated by his presence he moved into a nearby alley and themselves realising that he had noticed them they swiftly marched up towards him.
He negotiated a corner and then around there he caught sight of a couple of straw baskets behind which he hid only for them to turn up barely catching a glimpse of him.
"He was just here." one of his pursuers pointed out.
"Look around because he couldn't have possibly gone far." The leader of the team ordered and his subordinates splitting up Bo An couldn't bring himself to breathe at ease.
Mu Lang still seated in the small cottage where he was being nursed was trying hard enough to get onto his feet with little success when the old man appeared through the doors panicking.
"We need to leave the Capital immediately." He said.
"What's the problem with you right now?" Mu Lang inquired.
"The longer we remain here the more dangerous it's going to become, there are soldiers all over the city searching for me we can not risk revealing ourselves." Bo An responded.
"I wish that I too would leave but I can't move my legs." Mu Lang reported and Bo An curious he moved closer to him and inspected his feet.
The young man seemed to notice that the latter was suddenly speechless.
"What's the problem with me, what's wrong with my feet?" He asked.
"It is only a matter of time for you to heal, however, I am afraid that time isn't something on our side." Bo An responded.
Empress Yang quietly seated in her Chambers, Manyin rushed through the doors.
"Your Highness." She greeted her, "It's a message from The Police Superintendent." She said as she handed over the envelope to her while the latter instantly unfolding it she perused through its contents.
Momentarily she appeared to be awestruck.
"What does it say, Your Highness?" She inquired.
"Prepare my Palanquin." She ordered.
"Yes Your Highness." Manyin responded as she instantly stood up and rushed out of the room being closely accompanied by her retinue.
Emperor Ningzong seated in his study the doors were flung open and through them Lan He rushed up to his presence with worry written all over his face.
"Your Majesty, there's been a bit of a problem." He reported as the old man turned his attention to him.
"What's the problem right now?" He inquired.
"Her Highness the Empress insists on leaving the Palace." He responded and hearing this he stood up from where he was.
"On what grounds does the Empress dare?" He asked.
"Forgive me Your Majesty but Her Highness is troubled, seeing that Consort Cao publicly disregarded her position as the Head of the Harem and the Inner Court and you shielded her wrongdoing leaves her so grief-stricken and as it is that you have made public her incapability to manage the Imperial family, she has personally chosen to vacate the Palace." He responded.
"What are you saying?" Emperor Ningzong asked, "the Empress, she couldn't possibly do that." He tried to convince himself otherwise.
"Rumours have already spread about, the blessing of the Future Grand Internal Prince Consort was Your Majesty's consideration in disregard of the Empress' opinion, and as it was championed by Consort Cao the ladies of this country take it that His Majesty has errored by exalting a Concubine above his legal wife." Lan He responded.
"Where's the Empress?" He asked.
"Her Highness' procession for Jiangning has started." Lan He responded.
"Ready my carriage." Emperor Ningzong ordered.
"Your Majesty....." Lan He hesitant spoke in protest.
"Do you intend to defy me?" He asked.
"An Emperor as dignified as yourself must retain the dignity of the Imperial family, you can not bend because the Empress is publicly asking you to do so." He pointed out.
"Empress or not, she is still my legal wife," Emperor Ningzong said, "as it is that I have disregarded her position myself only by making it up to her can I possibly have my people honour me." He insisted.
Bo An walking out of the cottage he hurried down the street when at a distance, a group of skilled guards trailing him finally led him into a deserted alley.
He halted in his footsteps while they got close enough and unsheathed their swords.
"Who are you?" One of them suddenly asked but the latter unwilling to reply held around his waist and unsheathing his small flexible sword they charged towards him.
"Leaping forward he stepped aside guarding against the first blade that was swung towards him and slightly bending forward he struck the abdomens of two more that had openly confronted him repelling them briefly.
They were immediately reinforced by another group of six soldiers and these altogether made a second attempt.
He charged forward through them, swinging his sword back and forth as he sliced their hands disarming them momentarily it was clear that he wasn't intent on killing them.
"Something is wrong with him." One of Bao Langya's subordinates said when at that very moment studying the movement of his feet the latter seemed awed.
"Don't harm him." He ordered and the rest of the guards nodding in approval charged towards Bo An who was desperately fighting as though his life depended on it.
One of the guards making a direct strike with his fist was brushed off and in a spectacular move seized off his feet and thrown back right into a wagon that was carrying a lot of silverware to the brim.
Most of it falling it started to rattle, an event which induced what appeared to be Bo An's screams as he tightly covered his ears that it became clear that his weakness was that sound finally.
Bao Langya noticing this could hardly hold back any longer and unsheathing his sword he finally rested it above the old man's neck halting everyone at the moment that the conflict seized.
"Don't move, I beg you." He said to him while the veiled stranger silent he let go of the sword in his hands.
"Enough." A strange but familiar feminine voice emerged from within the nearby alley and right through it a masked woman walked out.
She halted in front of them and removing the veil hanging over her head it turned out to be the Empress.
"Your Highness." Everyone greeted her as she moved to the forefront, her eyes trying to study the strange man in front of her whom more than anything she appeared longing to see.
"An Imperial Coroner as skilled as yourself, you remind me of someone I once cherished, someone who would one time burn down the whole world for me." She said.
"Forgive this humble servant Your Highness, it must be pitiful with that person out of your reach, my presence alone has been as calamitous, I ask, at least if Your Highness is merciful enough, grant me the opportunity to depart from your sight." He responded.
"Bo An, could you really throw out our sworn brotherhood away like that?" She questioned him and the old man in tears he knelt on his knees while everyone was watching closely.
"Forgive me, Your Highness, forgive this servant of yours, how is it that I can still be of service when I am deficient in the reserves to ensure your satiety?" He asked as he slowly removed the straw hat that was covering his face and raising his eyes to look at her, in place of his dark pupils there was nothing but a pair of white cataracts.
Everyone gasped in shock as they seemed to realise then that the man they had been confronting all that time was blind while the Empress all the more graceful as she was knelt in front of him and held his right hand.
"Did this happen because of me?" She asked him her eyes becoming teary.
"Please let me go Your Highness." Bo An insisted when he felt the last of things he expected to feel, a tear from her own eyes running onto his hand, still warm, she sobbed a little, cried for a man which she had never done in a long time.
"How is it that I became so cruel, how is it that I blamed you for not coming back to me, I am sure living must have been as hard but if you too leave me again how is it that I can carry on when I think of the things that you have lost, the blood that you have shed?" She mentioned.
"I can no longer serve you blind Your Highness." Bo An said.
"Then leave that to me to decide." Empress Yang responded, "leave that to me as my person, as someone I call my family." She muttered as she raised her right hand and slowly, she patted his cheek.
"The Empress left the Palace!" Feng Ba exclaimed.
"His Majesty agreed to arrange the Imperial Princess' marriage to you without hearing her opinion, as such the Empress was belittled to the point that His Majesty himself had to oversee a matter of the harem and the Inner Court." Hua Jin responded.
"It could be best considered that he didn't regard her presence." The young man pointed out.
"I find it too strange that the Empress would make this much of an issue especially after she expressed her satisfaction with the match initially." Hua Jin remarked.
"It must be because of the fact that talebearing has it that Consort Cao manipulated the situation." Feng Ba said.
"So it may seem that His Majesty sided with a concubine against his legal wife?" Hua Jin asked.
"Yet the Court officials and the members of the Imperial family will be disgruntled but not to the point of embarrassing His Majesty." Feng Ba responded.
"Then what do you think the Empress intends to do Milord?" Hua Jin asked.
"If the worst comes to the worst for Consort Cao then I fear that she might lose the last thing she's been holding onto." Feng Ba responded.
The Empress seated with Bo An they earnestly watched as the Imperial Physician inspected him.
He put his tools once he had concluded the diagnosis.
How is his condition?" She inquired.
"The issue isn't too serious and thanks be to God if we can treat him immediately then seeing again won't be a problem." The Physician responded.
"I am relieved to hear you say that." The Empress remarked and the latter withdrawing from the room he left the two alone.
"You needn't concern yourself with me Your Highness." Bo An insisted.
"I won't listen to any excuse." She responded.
"Your attention leaves me humbled." He remarked.
"Yet I am more grateful to you." She pointed out before an awkward silence prevailed between them and the Empress seizing it to her advantage she advanced her question.
"What happened to the child?" She asked, "what ever happened to my boy?" She asked.
"He died." Bo An lied.
"I see." She mentioned.
"But it wasn't your fault either." He consoled her.
"I am one to hardly believe that." She said, "his very presence was much threatening and not something that I was willing to embrace, as long as he remained in the Palace, as long as the world learnt that I bore His Majesty twins, I would have never sat on the Imperial phoenix throne, I would have died another unfortunate concubine within that lonely castle." She confessed with a hint of guilt in her voice.
"Your Highness must have known me well enough, however heartless your decision was, it couldn't be Bao Langya but me, after all you knew that even in the worst case, even if it meant that I had to defy you, I would never shed the blood of your child, I would never have you turn into a mother that killed her own son for power." He pointed out.
"But where's the worth in that when at the end of it all he still died s miserable boy that was never accepted by his family?" She inquired.
"I'm sorry Your Highness." Bo An muttered.
"Forget it," she responded, "I am still curious though, what were you doing at the Imperial State Tribunal with a corpse of one of the traitors missing?" She inquired.
"Your Highness can consider it that I owed one of the Crown Prince's people a favour, my duty was to ensure that at least his personal retainer's remnants rested peacefully in the hands of his family." He responded and the Empress buying the answer she smiled at him.
Bao Langya along with the rest of her retinue waiting outside the small room, the Empress walked out s couple of moments later.
"Come with me." She ordered and they instantly followed her, halting at a distance in the nearby corridor where Bao Langya got much closer to her than anyone else.
"Did you identify the missing body?" She asked.
"It was in deed the Crown Prince's retainer and the former head of his guards." He responded.
"So he wasn't lying after all." She remarked.
"Is there a problem Your Highness?" Bao Langya inquired.
"I want you to look into his family background and all his records in detail, report to me everything there is concerning his ancestry and parentage, I want to know everything that happened to his family, just make sure that as Bo An is recovering, he doesn't find out." She ordered.
"Yes Your Highness." Bao Langya responded as he immediately left the place while Beiyuan and Manyin got closer to the Empress.
"It is strange enough that Bo An would risk his life for a young man with an ambiguous background." Beiyuan remarked.
"I heard that His Majesty's procession is on its way here." She mentioned.
"He'll be here by tomorrow of course, considering that he arranged a Grand procession to invite Your Highness back into the Palace." Manyin responded.
"What about the Imperial Censors?" She inquired.
"They'll make their move in due time." Manyin responded.
"That's good," the Empress remarked as she smiled at herself ghastly.
Consort Cao infuriated she smacked her table with her fist.
"The Empress left the Palace because His Majesty refused to regard her say in the marriage of my daughter, surely, now that His Majesty sides with his concubine against his legal wife it must be good enough to stir the sympathy of the masses." She remarked.
"She acquiesced to the match herself, it can't be that she'd be willing to make such a big issue of this small thing." Linxiang mentioned.
"I must have overestimated Her Highness to the point of barely realizing that she'd be willing to accommodate my presence in the harem, it appears that as long as I am still a High-ranking Consort in the Palace she'll always live a wary life." Consort Cao lamented.
"The rumours themselves are very harsh Your Grace and according to many sources it is rumoured that the Imperial Censors are alleging that Your Grace has been seeking favours with officials trying to meddle in the politics of the country, if this persists then the Imperial Princess' marriage to the young master of the Lin Clan could be annulled." Linxiang remarked.
"Could it be so that Her Highness dreads him that much?" Consort Cao inquired.
"What do you think Your Grace?" Linxiang questioned
"I don't know." Consort Cao responded.