The Emperor's retinue arriving outside the Taiping Palace, the staff present lining themselves towards the main entrance he stepped out of his Crimson carriage.
"Greetings Your Majesty." They greeted him in unison while bowing their heads and the Emperor silently walked up to Beiyuan instead.
"Where is the Empress?" He inquired.
"She is at the Yihyun pond." He responded and the Emperor smiling continued his way while his retinue followed.
The Empress musing at the ducks inside the pond stood at the top of the bridge when Xiaoyang approached her.
"His Majesty has arrived Your Highness." She notified him.
"Where is he?" She inquired.
"On his way here." The latter responded and taking a deep breath the old woman sighed before she turned around and suddenly noticed the Emperor at a distance facing her.
She bowed her head to him momentarily not receiving even the slightest response instead the old man seemingly more energetic than he usually was started moving forward.
He walked up to her while their servants withdrew from the scene and for a moment feeling that they had the privacy they wanted he broke the strange silence prevailing between them.
"Come to think of it, it has been a while since we both enjoyed the view." He pointed out.
"It isn't a vivid memory." She said.
"Have the years only made us grow more distant?" He asked.
"So it may appear Your Majesty that very many things in the end came between us." She responded.
"Who would have thought?" He mentioned.
"You came all the way here to invite me back to the Imperial Palace?" She asked rhetorically.
"Someone must be in charge of the harem and the Inner Court." Emperor Ningzong responded.
"Are you not curious as to why?" She posed a question.
"Perhaps it is because I approved of the Imperial Princess' marriage without your consent, it must be that for once I sided with Consort Cao which belittles you publicly." He responded.
"And the Courtiers would censure Your Majesty for my silence, I must in deed shine for the people to at least believe in me." She mentioned.
"Yet it isn't enough." Emperor Ningzong said.
"His Late Majesty the Xiaozong Emperor must have in deed dreaded me so much, the Late Grand Empress Dowager as well shouldn't have been an exception, many times the people will certainly curse me saying that I killed the Late Empress Han and usurped her throne, it must have been hard for Your Majesty to contemplate the type of person I am seeing that you were very reluctant to fulfill your Grandfather's will." She muttered.
"Does it worry you?" He asked.
"It could have not even been fathomed had I not learnt from the Late Grand Empress' closest lady in waiting, Your Majesty wouldn't probably understand what it felt like knowing that you the person I considered to be my sincerest sanctuary was also the sharpest blade hanging above my head..." She hesitated.
"You couldn't help but wonder why I chose that path nonetheless?" He concluded.
"Yes." She affirmed.
"So you decided to gain all the power you could in the World?" He asked.
"Only by using all the resources you provided the shield me, only by using the very power that you bequeathed to me perhaps could I stand out to become strong enough or perhaps even stronger than you could I protect my position." She said.
"So much that you lost yourself in the process." He said.
"I would have lived as a loving wife raising her Children and waiting for her husband to return home." She lamented.
"Yet tragically instead wound up being my political rival." He said.
"And somehow I am afraid that if no one has the will and the power to protect you like me hoping for your long life is in vain." Empress Yang remarked.
"Hearing that what do you suggest I should do?" He asked.
"Consort Cao being innocent as she is only gave me the right opportunity that I fervently longed for after all being the mother of the Imperial Princess and the Highest Consort in the harem second to me her presence is just as dangerous." She responded.
"What do you intend on doing my Empress?" Emperor Ningzong asked slowly turning bitter.
"She was never initially part of this Royal Romance but ended up confined to the odious Palace, my nights were never peaceful with worry for her and now that it seems her error revealed an unspoken ambitious side of her I intend on using it to consolidate my position and power once and for all." Empress Yang responded.
"Please don't my Empress." He insisted.
"As the Inner Court is an area where my jurisdiction reigns Supreme even when compared to yours Your Majesty if you want peace to reign then Depose Consort Cao." She strongly pressed.
"No." He responded firmly.
"A mere Consort interfered where her judgement was irrelevant and because of that the Empress of this country lost her dignity, if it is Your Majesty's sincere wish to have me return to the Imperial Palace as your legal wife then Consort Cao must vacate the harem and the Inner Court immediately." Empress Yang said.
"Are you willing to go this far my Empress?" He asked.
"Your Majesty may hate me as much as you like, I don't care if the world is to point fingers at me for being jealous and conniving, I must survive to protect you and the people that I love and the only way to ensure that is to eliminate any possibility of my enemies gaining power that is significant enough to challenge that." She responded as she bowed her head to him before she turned around and walked away.
"Your Majesty?" Eunuch Deng exploding with so much fright made his way right up to him that the old man gave him his attention.
"What's with the fuss?" He asked.
"There's a bit of a problem Your Majesty." He responded as he held onto his sleeve and handed over to him what appeared to be a cramped-up piece of paper.
Grabbing it from him his eyes perused through the contents with so much disbelief.
"What's this?" Himself infuriated, he asked the latter.
"These letters have been circulating about Consort Cao's ill behaviour and disregard for the Empress, her intervention in politics which is meddlesome to the state of affairs which greatly infuriates the people and the ladies of both the Inner and outer Courts." Eunuch Deng responded.
"What do the officials say?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"They are already gathered outside the audience hall having followed your procession here, I believe they are making a formal appeal for Your Majesty to depose her so that she can vacate the Inner Court." He responded.
"This can't be happening." Emperor Ningzong said, "call the Grand Chancellor, I wish to have a word with him immediately." He ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Deng responded as he immediately rushed off in the direction of the Audience Hall.
The Empress entering her Chambers she found Bao Langya standing in front of her seat and waiting for him.
"Your Highness." He greeted her.
"Did you wait for so long?" She asked.
"I just got here Your Highness." He responded as she sat down while he on the other hand stretching his arm into his sleeve pulled out a small booklet which he placed on the table in front of her.
She took it up hesitantly for a moment and froze before she could read its contents.
"What's the problem with you, Your Highness?" He inquired.
"Am I ready to see this?" She appeared to ask herself.
"Why shouldn't you be?" He asked her.
"Of course, why shouldn't I?" She mentioned as she opened it and permitted her eyes to peruse through its contents.
"This is all I could find regarding the Crown Prince's Chief Retainer, the name he went by Mu Lang isn't registered anywhere in official documents but tracing his ancestry he turns out to be the son of Zhao Xilu, a direct descendant of the Taizu Emperor." Bao Langya reported.
"Is that so?" She asked.
"Around the same time Your Highness gave birth to twins, the Imperial family of Zhao Xilu gave birth to a son, however only three years later there were rumours that the young child contracted small pox and died in infancy which propelled Zhao Xilu who at the time was expected to inherit his father's property to keep his child's death a secret so he found a substitute child from the Imperial Clan and raised him." Bao Langya responded.
"So you are saying that Zhao Yuju isn't Zhao Xilu's son?" She asked.
"In an altercation with his mother, he vanished from home and hadn't returned since, however when I inquired around about the man who brought the boy into the house everyone seemed to be certain that he was fairly old and quite muscular and strangely enough with cataracts in both his eyes." Bao Langya responded as the Empress froze.
"No." She muttered under her breath.
"Bao Langya never intended to kill the Imperial Prince knowing that he was your child, if he didn't have the heart to honour your command it's possible that he would have raised it far away where he would be certain that it was safe, safe enough to protect both himself and Your Highness." Bao Langya said.
"After all these years." She muttered as though with relief.
"I've tried to look through all other records but owing to the fact that the Imperial descendant Zhao Xilu having been an influential man before his passing they were either altered or not taken into note, one thing is certain though, if Bo An risked his life and secrecy to return to the Imperial State Tribunal, His Highness, the Imperial Prince is most likely still alive." Bao Langya reported.
"Bo An confessed that he died, he lied to my face, but even if he did I am grateful, that means that there's still at least one safe place where the boy could return after all this time." She mentioned.
"Do you intend to seek him out Your Highness?" Bao Langya inquired.
"He was fated to survive this long so why would I abandon him a second time, seeing that the Crown Prince was hardly someone we could control from the beginning at first I was worried about where to start looking but fate has played it well in my favour." Empress Yang responded as she looked at him.
"What should I do Your Highness?" He asked her.
"Have the Grand Chancellor send the Vice Minister of Rites Yu Tianxi to Shaoxing to pay his family a visit." She ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness." Bao Langya responded as he stood up and departed from the room leaving the Empress alone while tapping her table slowly herself lost within her thoughts.
Emperor Ningzong quietly seated in his study, Shi Miyuan appeared outside the doors.
"Inform His Majesty that I am here." He ordered Eunuch Deng
"Yes, Your Excellency." The old man replied as he moved in for a short while as Shi Miyuan anxiously waited.
Lan He eyeing him from a distance while the latter seemed unmoved it was only a short while later that the old Eunuch returned.
"You may go in." He said signalling for him to make his entrance that eventually, proud as he was he appeared before his Emperor.
"Greetings Your Majesty." He offered his salutation while kowtowing to him.
"At ease." Emperor Ningzong responded.
"I heard that Your Majesty asked for my presence." He muttered.
"Yes." Emperor Ningzong replied.
"What is it that My August Sire wishes to know?" He asked.
"Are you really unaware?" Emperor Ningzong asked as he got the letter that Eunuch Deng had handed over to him and he placed it on the table
"You are inclined to the Empress and her thoughts must certainly be your thoughts as well, you don't intend to force my hands along with the Courtiers to oust Consort Cao from the Palace because she took it upon herself to choose a son-in-law without the Empress' consent.
"Rules exist for a reason Your Majesty." Shi Miyuan responded.
"The last person to teach me that should be you." Emperor Ningzong pointed out.
"This may sound brazen coming from me but since ancient times the Inner Court might have been an area where the Minister's involvement is curtailed but all in all the Empress' jurisdiction reigns Supreme." Shi Miyuan remarked.
"And what does the Empress lose if Consort Cao retains her position?" He asked.
"The mere fact that she convinced Your Majesty to act in contrast with Her Highness is awful enough to attract public scrutiny and if Your Majesty wouldn't adhere to set norms and custom then how is it that you would expect to retain the honour and respect of the people?" He asked.
"You shouldn't be in the position to discuss honour with me because I doubt that you understand the weight of that word." Emperor Ningzong insisted.
"And do you intend to fight this Your Majesty despite knowing well that you'll still lose in the end?" He inquired as the old man still infuriated remained silent.
"Regardless of Your Majesty's reasons, the Empress' claims remain justified, myself along with the Entire Court will not leave this place as we believe that for peace to reign, Consort Cao must vacate the Inner Court by all means necessary even if we must gather all our power in against yours." Shi Miyuan asserted.
Consort Cao seated in her residence Linxiang barged through the doors as she made her entrance into the room.
Panicking the old woman seemed certain that she was bringing with her appalling news.
"What's the problem this time round?" She asked.
"We are in big trouble Your Grace, it is the Courtiers." She responded.
"What about them?" She asked.
"They have travelled to the Taiping Palace to personally ask His Majesty to ensure your vacation of the Inner Court." Linxiang responded.
"How dare they?" Consort Cao lashed out as she angrily smacked her table with her fist.
"They are basing on the fact that Your Grace induced His Majesty to select an Imperial husband for the Imperial Princess thereby disregarding the Empress' position, as it could make His Majesty seem disdainful of Her Highness they move him to have you ousted from his harem." Linxiang reported.
"The Empress is in deed very brazen." Consort Cao remarked.
"But I don't understand, the Empress could have expelled you from the harem and the Inner Court seeing that itself being the one area where her jurisdiction by social prerogative surpasses even the Emperor's." Linxiang pointed out.
"If the Empress' opposition was direct then certainly it would have induced the General public to speculate that it is out of her intense jealous, if she acts with reserve and the officials move for her sake, it makes her seem not only patient but long-suffering." Consort Cao responded.
"By any chance did Feng Ba foresee this possibility when he came to you?" Linxiang asked.
"He did say that It would hit me back hard enough to jeopardize my position." She responded.
"Then he did consider this possibility however you don't seem to be overworked by it, at least to the point that I had expected from you." Linxiang muttered.
"Because Feng Ba had cautioned me, he articulated his motive to keep me in check to my face as a way of gaining the Empress." She responded.
"So the Future Grand Internal Prince Consort intends to become part of the Dynasty and get close enough to the Empress?" Linxiang said.
"It's very difficult for me to trust his moves being unable to read even his innermost thoughts unlike Han Touzhou, if you ask me between his father and the Empress whom he takes after I'd be certain it's the latter." Consort Cao responded.
"So what are you going to do Your Grace." Linxiang inquired.
"Have my Palanquin prepared." Consort Cao ordered, "I'll personally go see the Empress in Jiangning." She muttered.
"Yes Your Grace." Linxiang responded as she immediately withdrew from the room.
"Please Your Majesty, For the sake of the Empress' dignity and the dignity of the Imperial household, Consort Cao who is ambitious and meddlesome in affairs none of which are her concern should vacate the Inner Court." Shi Miyuan leading all the other officials pleaded outside the Emperor's audience Chamber.
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty and let Consort Cao vacate the Inner Court." The Courtiers shouted after him in unison.
At that time Bao Langya appeared at the end of the building looking at Shi Miyuan and the latter noticing his presence excused himself for a moment and joined him privately.
"Your Excellency." He greeted him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"The Empress sent me to you Milord." Bao Langya responded.
"It must be urgent then I suppose." Shi Miyuan pointed out.
"It concerns the Crown Prince's position." Bao Langya muttered.
"We all seem preoccupied with the safety of Her Highness' position, she is very busy worrying for the Crown Prince!" Shi Miyuan exclaimed.
"Was it not the issue of the Crown Prince's political position that brought us this far?" Bao Langya asked.
"What does Her Highness have to say?" He asked as the young man pulling from his possession a small white envelope he handed it over to him.
Shi Miyuan taking it into his hands opened it and looked through its details.
"The Imperial Court was yet to choose a Cohort for the Crown Prince and Her Highness was concerned so she wished to share your burden, seeing that she expects the latter's protection she took it upon herself to locate a suitable distant relative of the Imperial Clan and low ranking official whom she'd be pleased to have the Vice Minister of Rites evaluate depending on a personal visit to his family which resides not so far from here." Bao Langya responded.
"Can this candidate be trusted?" Shi Miyuan asked as he folded the paper again and slid it back into its envelope.
"I believe that if it's more details you are looking for concerning the Empress' personal desire it should be Her Highness you are asking not me." He responded.
"Very well then, I'll see Her Highness later." Shi Miyuan responded.
"Should I consider it done Your Highness?" Bao Langya asked.
"You can report to Her Highness, let her rest easy now that I have heard." Shi Miyuan responded and bowing his head to him Bao Langya pulled away as Dong Hua got close to him.
"Your Excellency." He said.
"Call for me the Vice Minister of Rites, tell him that I have an important job for him to do now." Shi Miyuan ordered.
"Yes Your Excellency." Dong Hua responded immediately rushing to it that he left Shi Miyuan alone standing while facing the direction of the East Palace.
"What did he say?" Empress Yang asked Bao Langya who was kneeling in front of her.
"He agreed reluctantly." Bao Langya reported.
"It's his nature," she remarked as she smiled at herself casually and taking a deep breath she sighed.
"He also promised that he shall stop by Your Highness." He notified.
"I'll look forward to it but as we are bothering with this there is something that still concerns me." She mentioned.
"And what is it Your Highness?" Bao Langya asked.
"What is the Crown Prince doing?" She asked.
"He must be feeling bad, he must be beating himself, politically his lifeless without any allies powerful enough to strengthen his position since a majority of his loyalists were executed." Bao Langya responded.
"Of course, he'd feel down naturally." She muttered.
"All he does is have his servants brew wine for him and he eventually drinks most of it, he's not so serious with anything these days." Bao Langya reported.
"Keep watching him closely." Empress Yang ordered.
"Normally I would act the same if I were him, it's obvious that he acts like that so why should you be so overly concerned when there are more pressing official matters Your Highness?" Bao Langya inquired.
"You wouldn't understand my thoughts, you wouldn't understand my concern, the mere fact that someone like the Crown Prince is acting in an obvious manner to which your gaze has been confined is very dangerous." Empress Yang responded.
"You called for me Your Excellency." Yu Tianxi asked as he bowed his head to Shi Miyuan.
"There's something that I want you to do for me." Shi Miyuan responded as he handed over the envelope that Bao Langya had given to him and the young man taking it into his hands opened it and perused through its contents.
"What's this Your Excellency?" he asked.
"The Empress has identified a suitable young man that we could use to put the Crown Prince in check and these are some of the details concerning his residence and his personal life." Shi Miyuan responded, "I'll require you to make a trip to his family immediately after all amongst all the people in the Imperial Court there isn't another I would certainly trust to be a much better judge of character and talent like yourself." He asserted as Yu Tianxi folded the piece of paper and returned it to its envelope.
"Surely, if Your Excellency has placed his confidence in me then I certainly won't let you down." He said.
"I know you won't." Shi Miyuan responded as he smiled at himself.
"But will his Majesty agree to our choice?" The young man inquired.
"There's nothing that fragile old man won't do, after all since he seemed to respond with silence it is clear that opposition to the government was not something he intended to do after all had he been bent on protecting the Crown Prince he would have lashed out much earlier." Shi Miyuan responded.
"If you say so Your Excellency." Yu Tianxi muttered.
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty and let Consort Cao vacate the Inner Court." The Courtiers still pleading outside the audience Chamber, Emperor Ningzong quietly seated he stared at the petitions in front of him with Eunuch Deng by his side.
"You should make a decision soon Your Majesty." He muttered.
"I can't give in just yet." Emperor Ningzong responded.
"What are you going to do Sire?" He inquired.
"The Courtiers abandoned the Capital and travelled all this far it is their way of saying that one way or another they are determined to get justice for the Empress, furthermore, they expect me to give in to their demand sooner or later so where's the fun in letting them have their way quickly?" He asked.
"But the longer Your Majesty holds out then the more hostile those insidious rumours towards Consort Cao will become." Eunuch Deng mentioned.
"So it may seem." Emperor Ningzong said, "perhaps it's just that I am waiting for the right timing." He muttered to himself.
Feng Ba looking through the contents of a letter in his hands once he was done he folded it and placed it on his table.
"What does it say Milord?" Hua Jin inquired.
"The Courtiers are desperate to have Consort Cao ousted from the harem and the Inner Court." He responded.
"Who thought their hostility and demand for Consort Cao's deposition would be this intense?" Hua Jin remarked.
"The Empress is clearly pushing them but her using the Courtiers to shield her ambition from the public greatly worries me." He said.
"Why is it so when one way or another the Emperor having formally given the directive for your marriage to the Imperial Princess he can't go back on his word?" Hua Jin asked.
"Two things in particular, the first being that once Consort Cao vacates the harem and the Inner Court then she would be useless to us and the second being that once the Imperial Princess gets married it is mandatory that she has to vacate the Palace as well." Feng Ba responded.
"In your opinion, Her Highness would have two of her most powerful enemies out of her sphere." Hua Jin said.
"It's the Crown Prince who will be in the more difficult position being left with no one else to rely on." Feng Ba muttered.
"I never thought that to further weaken the Crown Prince's position by alienating him from any possible allies was the Empress' true intention behind this scheme." Hua Jin said.
"It can't be entirely true." Feng Ba said.
"Does something else come into mind Milord?" Hua Jin inquired.
"There's something else that the Empress is after that I am yet to confirm, before that, I need to have a word with the Crown Prince." He responded.
"I'll make all the necessary arrangements Milord." Feng Ba said and bowing his head he walked out of the room instantly.
Empress Yang quietly seated in her Chambers she was immersed in her thoughts when Xiaoyang's voice emerged from outside.
"Your Highness, His Excellency the Imperial Grand Chancellor requests to have an audience with you." She announced.
"Let him in." She responded and the doors being slid open the latter walked in humbly before her while she smiled at him.
"Your Highness." He said to her bowing his head.
"Your Excellency." She responded heartily before he sat down on the stool in front of her.
"You seem to have become more silent." He pointed out.
"Do you need to ask my opinion anymore?" She inquired.
"If it still feels relevant." He responded.
"Is it still relevant?" Empress Yang asked.
"Perhaps I have grown to trust that you are confident in me and in my talents, after all aside from myself is there anyone that would understand you much better than me Your Highness?" He asked.
"Maybe not." She responded.
"I moved the officials, and the scholars have adjusted to the same scheme of things, it may not seem as much but the Crown Prince's position is slowly crumbling every day." He reported.
"It can't be helped after all." Empress Yang pointed out.
"He challenged your presence." Shi Miyuan seemed to remind her.
"Which is worrisome enough because should the Crown Prince ascend the Imperial throne then whoever led his father to the scabbard shall pay by bleeding first." She mentioned.
"We have the same sword hanging over our heads Your Highness." Shi Miyuan muttered.
"Which is why I have thought about it." She responded.
"How is it that Your Highness intends to restrain the Crown Prince?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"You must have already noticed since I sent Bao Langya to you, I need another Imperial son." She responded, "I need to adopt another boy from the Imperial Clan." She insisted.
"You would have gotten rid of the Crown Prince if you willed it Your Highness, I am sure that it isn't something very difficult for you, I just can't help but wonder, how is it that you are still merciful enough to embrace the same person who nearly brought you and this entire nation to ruin?" He inquired.
"At the end of it all, fighting even for us who have grown old becomes a tedious venture." She responded.
"Are you tired Your Highness?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"What use is it to have a Crown Prince that doesn't learn from his mistakes?" She asked him and responding with silence while studying her smile, he simply lowered his head.
"Then after considering someone else, seeing that you asked me to send Yu Tianxi ahead there's something more to this?" He asked.
"It was around the same time roughly twenty-two years ago, I recall I was with Zhao Zeng's pregnancy." She responded as she looked him in the eye.
"What has this got to do with something that happened more than twenty years ago Your Highness?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"There's a secret, a secret that I have carried with me all my life, one that not even you yourself knew, only those closest to me to some point, enough to have me deposed or even worse killed." She responded.
"Your Highness..." He seemed unprepared to hear it.
"I lied to His Majesty, I carried two sons in my womb instead of one." She uttered openly while himself taken by surprise only tried his level best to restrain his feelings.
"What are you going to do Your Highness?" He asked.
"I thought that things would become better if he died, I sent my own son, my own flesh and blood outside the Palace to die so that I could save myself, I sent him to die so that I could survive." She confessed.
"Why now?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"All my life I thought that if I gained Imperial power to protect the people that I loved then I would gain purpose, what started as my journey to seek vengeance for those that I lost became a tragic tale of my suffering and continued loss of my humanity in the name of gaining love, fame and power." She responded.
"We coveted that power together." Shi Miyuan insisted.
"You coveted that power because you only wished to protect me." She responded.
"Then why do you wish to push all our effort down the drain?" Shi Miyuan inquired from her.
"Because if despite all that he still found his way back to me why is it that I should let fate daunt me?" She responded.
"This is odious Your Highness." Shi Miyuan pleaded with her.
"Then it's good enough for me Your Excellency, for what it's worth if I must survive, no one is a much better protector to the both of us than my own son, that's why I have decided that should the worst come to its worst, I'll set him on that Imperial Dragon throne being the son of the Emperor he is." She appeared to have made up her mind.
"Is this your resolve Your Highness?" He asked.
"Can you stand with me on this?" She asked him.
"If Your Highness truly wishes," he responded, "I am just your most humble servant, I am your most reliable sanctuary, if you want it even if I must lay down my life, I'll make sure that you have it." He responded.
"It's reassuring hearing that from you but if we intend to supplant the Crown Prince we can not do it directly because the public could Censure us." She said.
"I see." Shi Miyuan said.
"You can convince the officials to do my bidding and he is the son of both His Majesty and myself, what then stops him from inheriting that throne even if I must keep this truth hidden from the world and carry it to my grave?" She asked.
"I understand, Your Highness." Shi Miyuan responded.
Consort Cao's Palanquin arriving outside the Imperial residence, she stepped out with Linxiang holding her hand and she approached the gates where she found the Imperial guards waiting.
"Your Grace." They bowed their heads to her offering their salutations.
"I am here to see the Empress." She mentioned and at once stepping aside they paved way for her to make her entry.
Moving forward through the gates she was escorted to the heart of the Taiping Palace where the gates to the Empress' residence were opened for her.
She walked through, mounting the stairs that led to her audience chamber where she was intercepted by Manyin and Xiaoyang.
"Greetings Your Grace, how may we help you?" They asked her.
"I was hoping to see Her Highness as I am concerned." She responded and the two looking at one another they slowly turned and faced the doors.
"Your Highness, Her Grace the Imperial Consort Cao is kindly requesting for an audience." Xiaoyang notified her.
"Let her in." Empress Yang responded and the two ladies turning to her signalled for her to make her entrance into the hall which she did without any hesitation.
Walking into the dark room she was received by the old woman whose warm smile partially lifted her the mood.
"Greetings Your Highness." She said bowing her head to her while the latter nodded her head in approval with a smile which she took as an invitation to sit on the small stool in front of her.
"Today must be a very auspicious day seeing that I have received quite a number of important people visiting me all the way from the Capital." She proudly remarked.
"How could the Empress' sudden departure from the Central residence of this Empire not arouse our heartfelt concern as it's loyal subjects?" She joked.
"Seeing that you personally endeavoured to seek me out you must have heard what has transpired therefore I find it irrelevant that you should put on such a show and pretend to be a caring co-wife." Empress Yang muttered.
"Since Your Highness has permitted it acting contrary would make me sinful." Consort Cao remarked.
"Yes." She responded.
"Your Highness." She called.
"Consort Cao." She muttered.
"Why?" She inquired.
"Why!" Empress Yang exclaimed.
"It's callous of you to suggest that I vacate the Inner Court, it makes me wonder all the more, what is there about me that you fear, what is there about me that you dread so much given the things that you have taken?" She asked.
"Since you have asked and you seem desperate to know I'll give you a very sincere answer," Empress Yang responded, "your very self Your Grace, it makes my survival uneasy, you colluded with the Crown Prince behind my back in the first place that even if I triumphed over you against a man probably hating on me and desperately praying for an opportune moment to get back onto his feet stronger that he may settle the scores with me I can't help it but feel for once I am insecure, for once my position is compromised and the longer you live a step below me in line of the phoenix throne that uneasiness and uncertainty will always prey on me." She insisted.
"Being the most powerful woman in the world, has it not occurred to you that you might be overestimating me?" Consort Cao inquired.
"Perhaps it's because at one time you stood between me and the Empress' title, perhaps it's because of a rather fortunate turn of events on my part that hindered you from becoming the Empress of this country it didn't eliminate the possibility that you too had the chance to rise to the highest position a woman could attain which made me realise that as long as you and I reside within the same precincts my heart will never be easy." She responded.
"So you wish to banish me instead?" She asked.
"Depose you if it's not enough and strip you of every title that could grant you immeasurable power and even the slightest chance to stand against me." Empress Yang replied.
"And it would make your position feel more secure Your Highness?" Consort Cao asked.
"Was it not you that the heavens cast ahead of me as my greatest foe, once my best friend that it occurred to me there were weaknesses that you knew I had, fatal secrets that I harboured over the years yet still you chose to keep silent I wondered constantly if either it was the right timing that you were looking for or perhaps you were simply held back." Empress Yang muttered.
"So it brings you to believe that only in my absence can your heart find peace." Consort Cao pointed out.
"The Crown Prince would have been a traitor if I willed it, have you any idea how many bloodlines I have extinguished with just a single word from my mouth?" Empress Yang asked.
"Are you threatening me?" Consort Cao asked.
"Whether you live or die I get to decide that, besides it isn't that hard for me to annihilate you even if I must lose too much, you of all people should have known that resistance to me isn't just absurd but useless, if you still value the little things you hold because of my mercy then vacate the Inner Court." She ordered.
"Your Highness?" Consort Cao spoke up in protest.
"You are damned to think that His Majesty can shield you therefore you are to vacate the Inner Court or else I will drag you out of it myself." Empress Yang lashed out at her while she stood up from where she was seated, "please make your decision wisely, I am begging you that is if you wish me to accord you some mercy." She reminded her as she walked out of the room leaving the destitute Consort drowning in her own desperation that only moments later, Linxiang rushed in to her side.
"Your Grace." She said to her but the latter absent-minded she looked at the Empress' seat.
"I can't help but wonder, what would life have been like if only I had succeeded at my dream of becoming the Empress of this country?" She asked.
"Did you long for it that much Your Grace?" Linxiang asked.
"My life must have been so unfortunate, losing the one man I loved earnestly to my worst enemy, for all I know I could have been on top of the world yet sadly in the end the most I could reach was an Imperial Consort." She said as she offered her hand to her and Linxiang taking it stood up.
"Where is His Majesty?" She asked.
"In the audience chamber." She responded.
"Let's go, I'll see His Majesty." She ordered.
"Yes Your Grace." Linxiang responded and Consort Cao slowly turning around she exited the room.
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty and let Consort Cao vacate the Inner Court." The Courtiers still kneeling pleaded outside the audience Chamber when the Gates to the square were flung open
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty and let Consort Cao vacate the Inner Court." The Courtiers continued advocating as though not hearing it while Consort Cao walking through them she moved forward as she approached the stairs that led to the audience Chamber.
"Please hear our plea Your Majesty and let Consort Cao vacate the Inner Court." The Courtiers persisted as she gracefully mounted the stairs one by one until she halted right in front of the doors that separated the Emperor from the crowd, right in front of Lan He who along with the Emperor's retinue stood guard.
"Your Grace." He said bowing his head to her.
"I wish to have a word with His Majesty." She said
"Forgive me Your Grace but His Majesty asked to be alone." He insisted.
"Are you suggesting that I drag open those doors myself?" She asked.
"No, Your Grace." Lan He responded as he stepped aside while Consort Cao gathering all the courage that she could find she pushed the doors open herself while the Courtiers watching her were still pleading to the Emperor.
Emperor Ningzong seated in the dark room was moved by the brilliant beam of sunshine from outside and Consort Cao stepping over the threshold she darkened the walk way as she moved closer to the Emperor's presence.
Soon enough he recognized the silhouette and was surprised.
"Consort Cao!" He exclaimed.
"Greetings Your Majesty, it is I." She responded while bowing her head to him.
"You are supposed to be in the Capital, you are supposed to be in the Grand Imperial Palace, what are you doing here in Jiangning, what are you doing here in the Taiping Palace?" He inquired.
"I heard everything that was transpiring this far, I couldn't rest easy knowing that my arrogance has made things difficult for you." She responded.
"You shouldn't be bothered by it, you were only worried for the Imperial Princess, you were only worried as her mother." Emperor Ningzong tried to console her.
"But the Empress being the mother of this nation and Your Majesty's Principal Consort she is also Her Highness' mother." Consort Cao said.
"But even then my dear, your heart is uneasy." He seemed to sympathize with her and her eyes slightly appearing teary she smiled at him.
"How could I dare to be selfish, I should be grateful that Your Majesty has protected me up till now, I understand that Your Majesty isn't just my husband but you're also the ruler of our Greater Heavenly Empire therefore I can't ask for much more than I have already received as it would make me very selfish to have my husband protecting me and the Emperor of this country abandoning his people in the process." Consort Cao said.
"What kind of an Emperor do I become if I can't protect my wife from ambitious Officials, how can I protect everyone in our Greater Heavenly Empire if I can not protect my family that is being divided and ripped apart by those Courtiers?" He asked her.
"You must survive Your Majesty, at least for my sake, besides when I brought up the issue regarding the Imperial Princess' marriage as a mother well aware I knew that at some point this was bound to happen." Consort Cao insisted.
"Your Grace, this once, this last time, allow me to protect you." Emperor Ningzong insisted.
"All that I care about is the safety of Her Highness, all I care about Your Majesty is the safety of my one and only daughter, everything else is of secondary importance to me that's why I would willingly forsake every name or title for her sake after all that is what motherhood is." Consort Cao remarked, "please don't protect me anymore Your Majesty, I'll use everything that I can to protect myself." She insisted.
"Is this Your final resolve?" He asked, "should I depose you in this manner it will only mean that you shall accept to live like a criminal, you'll die lonely and miserable beyond the walls of the Palace, you'll struggle even if it means to weave for a living, you can imagine surviving but no different from a beggar on the streets." Emperor Ningzong spoke his eyes teary and his heart heavy for her sake.
"Your Majesty has always loved the Empress with your whole heart, save for my daughters and seeing you happy there was never a day when my heart was filled with thankfulness when reality struck me hard enough to finally learn that this gilded cage was no better place for me." Consort Cao mentioned as she slowly went onto her knees and the Emperor seeing this he immediately stood up from his seat.
"No, Your Grace." He rebuked.
"Hear your Courtiers' plea, this country doesn't need my husband anymore but its Emperor, allow me to vacate Your harem, allow me to vacate the Inner Court." She muttered bowing her head to him.
"Alright then, if it's your will then I won't hold you back any longer." Emperor Ningzong said as he slowly turned around and faced his throne, "you may leave, I wish to be alone." He insisted.
"I am grateful for your benevolence Your Majesty." Consort Cao said as she bowed her head to him one final time while Eunuch Deng with his ear placed on the wall, he'd eavesdropped their conversation and finally pulled away as he smiled at himself ghastly.
Appearing in front of the Empress immediately, he bowed his head to her.
"What happened?" She asked him as she slowly burnt some firewood in the brazier in front of her.
The sun had set and save for the saffron colour in the sky, the Palace was Brightly beaming with lanterns which were being lit carefully by the Palace maids and Eunuchs.
"Consort Cao asked His Majesty to allow her to vacate the harem and the Inner Court." He responded.
"And what did His Majesty say?" She asked.
"He protested against the idea but finally yielded." Eunuch Deng responded.
"I suppose he cared for her to some extent after all." Empress Yang muttered.
"What are you going to now do Your Highness?" Eunuch Deng asked.
"It is impossible to undo what has to be done, besides, seeing that things are coming to a wholesome State there's nothing more left for me to do, we shall proceed with the Imperial Princess' wedding plans but of course, before that, all necessary arrangements for the Deposed Consort's departure will be made once we hear His Majesty's final decision." Empress Yang confidently replied as she smiled at herself ghastly.
The Crown Prince Zhao Hong seated in his Chambers was somewhat drunk, his eyes bloodshot as he blankly stared into the empty darkness in front of him, against the wan moonlight that narrowly penetrated the screens of his window, he was hopeless and pathetic.
"May I come in Your Highness?" He heard a strange voice from outside.
"Do as you please." He responded in a lowly tone barely paying any close attention as the doors before him were slid open and a Eunuch walked in with his head low.
"Shall I prepare for you to sleep Your Highness?" He asked.
"I want to be alone." He responded and the entire room reeking of alcohol the young man took another sip of the contents in his gourd.
"After all that has been lost so far for Your Highness' sake is this finally the path you have chosen?" He asked and the young man finding the tone in his Eunuch's voice to be somewhat familiar he seemed interested in studying his face.
"Who are you?" He asked as the strange man in front of him finally raising his head was met with his intense stare.
"You!" He exclaimed identifying Feng Ba instantly.
"Yes Your Highness, it is I." He responded.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in a lowly tone.
"I was merely concerned for Your Highness' well-being." He responded.
"I barely noticed you ever since the coup, last I did you were walking out of the Central Palace after seeing the Empress." He said.
"Yes." He didn't deny it.
"Did Her Highness send you to me to check how I am doing?" He asked.
"No." Feng Ba responded.
"Then why are you here?" He inquired.
"Why do you think Your Highness?" He asked.
"Why should I care?" The Crown Prince responded more distraught than he had been initially that he picked up his gourd and took a sip again.
"As the Crown Prince of this country are you not ashamed?"
"Why does it bother you?" Zhao Hong lashed out at him as he smacked his hand on the table.
"It was your weakness that led you into this disaster in the first place and sitting here, drinking here will not make things better if you wish to vent out your anger then gather all the power that your position has bequeathed to you, get up and fight again." Feng Ba urged.
"And what have I to protect?" Zhao Hong asked, "because of me, Innocents that had devoted their lives to follow me perished, they died before my eyes while I was unable to do anything else, I couldn't even mourn them openly, I couldn't honour their sacrifice, I couldn't even grant their remains a proper funeral." He continuously lamented as he beat his chest.
"So, you choose to give up now?" Feng Ba asked.
"It's not like there is anything more I sm left to lose, I choose to keep my life for what it's worth, I choose to survive, it's the least I can do because dying now, losing my crown would make everything that I gave up to come this far meaningless." Zhao Hong said.
"You rebelled once, the Courtiers are compelled to have a member of the Imperial Clan chosen as your Cohort, taken as your lecturer, even if you remain silent with all that's transpiring, there's no guarantee that you'll inherit the throne." Feng Ba said.
"All I need to do is to remain a filial son, in remaining a filial son I shall retain my position as the Crown Prince, only if I am patient and I listen to the meritorious subjects, I shall become the Ruler of this Empire one day." Zhao Hong asserted.
"I hope your silence is worth it Your Highness, after all if this is the path that you have chosen then I'll not hold you back." He remarked.
"You seem to be holding up well enough seeing that you'll become the Grand Internal Prince Consort soon, I'm sorry if I misled you into thinking that you'd profit from me." Zhao Hong said and the young man standing up, he bowed his head to him and withdrew from the room leaving him seated all alone inside while the darkness and silence slowly preyed on his conscience, driving him crazy.