Sashaying through the doors of her Chambers, Empress Dowager Yang moved to her seat in the presence of Bao Langya, Yang Shi and Yang Gu.
"Your Highness." They greeted her.
"Yes?" She responded.
"How did the meeting go?" Yang Gu asked.
"They must all be dumbfounded as we speak, I doubt that they'll comfortably make it through the night." She responded.
"Wouldn't it be a good thing for them to let their daughters marry into the Imperial family?" Bao Langya inquired.
"Suppose it easy, either way, I am unwilling to give them control of the Central Palace, it may be vacant, but not just anyone can take it." She responded.
"How can we help you Your Highness, from what you are saying it only implies that if they acquisce to your demand then they'll directly be aiming at rivalling your power by providing an Empress to the Dynasty." Yang Shi pointed out.
"How are their troops?" Empress Dowager Yang inquired.
"They are all reserved even sering how we seized their military tokens, yet surprisingly some appear to show signs of resistance and quite a number that we installed as spies amongst them have come to notice that five armies numbering to sixty thousand soldiers in total are disorderly." He responded.
"What's that percentage in general?" She inquired.
"Roughly fifty-five percent Your Highness." Bao Langya responded.
"Slightly more than half." Empress Dowager Yang mentioned.
"Is this helpful Your Highness?" Yang Gu asked.
"There's one thing about lies, however much you try to make them believable there is still something that makes them look like lies still." Empress Dowager Yang responded as she looked at Bao Langya.
"What?" He asked.
"And who are the leaders of these five armies?" She inquired.
"Wu Chenghua the Governor of Jingxi, Lu Jinghua the Governor of Huainan, Xiao Chen the Governor of Lizhou, Chu Yizhan the Governor of Jinghu and Luo Yiyang the Governor of Guizhou." He responded.
"All these are provinces that are distant from the Capital." Empress Dowager Yang remarked, "it isn't so bad that they are uneasy about the situation." She asserted.
"Isn't it a bad thing if they resist Your Highness?" Yang Gu asked.
"A beast shows its true colours in the face of danger so the same goes for people." Empress Dowager Yang responded.
"In any case, you must have orders for us." Bao Langya said.
"Mobilise our men and tell them to be on standby, before the coronation all the Governors will have given me their replies." She said.
"What will you do Your Highness?" Yang Shi asked.
"If any of the other seven governors agree to my offer then you shall move against them." She responded.
"What if they refuse Your Highness?" Yang Gu inquired desperately.
"Then we'll make them move." Empress Dowager Yang replied.
The Seven Governors led by Fan Huangjing had gathered in a small secret room and each of them staring at one another silently, there was a sudden voice that emerged from outside.
"All prepare to receive Her Grace." It said and each of them standing up they bowed their heads as an unfamiliar silhouette darkened the doorway.
It was the crude image of a woman dressed in a long black hanfu with a dark veil hanging over her head and as she progressed through their midst she took her seat behind a lowered silk curtain.
"You called for us Your Grace?" Fan Huangjing sought clarity.
"Seeing that you are all here I trust my message was well received." She said.
"Yes Milady." Fan Huangjing responded.
"I see." The woman muttered, "what did the Empress speak with you?" She inquired.
"Her Highness seemingly more surprising than we had expected declared her wish to extend our political influence to the Empire's Central Administration, she asked us to forward our daughters to the harem as Imperial Concubines of His Majesty." Fan Huangjing responded.
"Is that so?" She asked.
"We here all understand the vitality of the situation, we here know that if we say yes then it would be not only sending our daughters as the Empress' prisoners but also our direct motive to gain control of the Central Palace." Xiang Hao, the Governor of Hubei pointed out.
"And if we reject at this point it would only reveal our intention to rebel against her hegemony we'd be identifying ourselves as her enemies." Jiang Yue, the Governor of West Guangnan asserted.
"In any way even if you tried to be neutral then the Empress will be more cautious seeing that you would seem to have seen through her ruse." The strange woman muttered.
"We have until the beginning of the coronation to give the Empress our answer Your Grace, however, it seems that we are in a bit of a tight spot not knowing what we must do." Han Renyu, the Governor of Zhengdu spoke up concerned.
"It seems that the Empress Dowager has already made up her mind as we speak and it won't depend on the answers you'll give her to keep your lives but something else." The mysterious woman spoke up.
"What could it be Milady?" Fan Huangjing inquired.
"A beast will only show its true colours in the face of danger so naturally, it must be clear that the Empress Dowager doesn't intend to win over the provincial governors, she prefers to gain control of them by all means necessary and for that to happen she'll most probably get rid of every one of you." She responded.
"So this was the gist of everything after all?" Fan Huangjing spoke to himself.
"However, if it is a response that the Empress needs then we'll give her one." The woman mentioned.
"What shall we do Milady?" Sima Tuo, the Governor of Fuzhen asked and the latter picking up a cup of tea in front of her, she took a sip before she lowered it onto the table finally smiling at herself ghastly.
"Why did it have to be here of all places?" Chen Xiao asked the others.
"I don't know." Luo Yiyang responded when they heard another voice emerging from outside.
"All prepare to receive Her Grace." It sounded to be a man and the same masked woman made her entrance as they all stood up and kowtowed to her while she took her seat behind a lowered black silk curtain.
"You requested a meeting with us Milady?" Lu Jinghua asked.
"Yes." She responded, "I am well aware that you had a word with the Empress Dowager, I was reliably informed of her demands." She pointed out.
"Then you must be aware....." Xiao Chen said.
"That she asked for you to send over your daughters as Imperial Concubines for His Majesty, yes." She responded.
"We have until tomorrow before the coronation to give her an answer, however, the more we think about it, each of the answers is a death knell to us." Chu Yizhan pointed out.
"We are at crossroads Your Grace, we are uneasy and can't help but wonder how we could overcome this." Wu Chenghua mentioned.
"I have heard you all, don't worry, all you have to do is do as I say and I assure you that you might have a chance to keep your lives, after all as it is the Empress must be certain that you all stand on two opposite sides of the feud so we shall keep it that way." The woman said.
"Yes Milady." They all replied in unison and her eyes still veiled and hidden, they seemed content and confident after seeing the smile on her face.
The strange woman having exited the room was accompanied by a young man as she moved into a side chamber where another young man was seated.
His eyes dark and fierce with his face round and ending in a chiselled chin, he had those prominent jaw bones and temples and only one who was knowledgeable enough would tell that he was very much like the Deceased Crown Prince Zhao Jun.
"Your Highness." She said bowing her head to him.
"What happened?" The young man asked.
"Rest assured, it is certain that Her Highness believes that the Provincial Governors are divided and what's more is that they believe that we will make him the Emperor instead." She responded.
"I see." The young man muttered.
"Don't worry, tomorrow we will make our move to secure a justification to our resistance and at the end of it all I assure you, we shall get rid of those miscreants and I shall give you the throne that you deserve my brother." She said.
"Don't worry, I trust that you will sister, after all, the Late Crown Prince Zhao Jun's bloodline was the one which was meant to initially inherit the Imperial Dragon throne." The young man said, "I shall continue my father and our mother's legacy." He said.
"And I shall see to it that you will." The veiled woman responded.
The new day dawned and Zhao Yun with the help of Eunuch Deng and a few Court Ladies and Eunuchs was being dressed in his Imperial Dragon Robes.
The Deposed Crown Prince Zhao Hong seated in his Chambers Eunuch Ling walked in accompanied by a couple of other Eunuchs and they stood in front of him.
"It is time Your Highness." They notified him.
"Alright." He responded as he stood up and walked up to them slowly, his face overwhelmed with intense sombreness even if he seemed very calm at the moment, he spread his arms open.
They moved closer and slowly started stripping him of his expensive robes until he was left in a plain white linen undergarment.
"Bring in the exilee's robes." Eunuch Ling ordered and at once, the doors of the room being flung open, two Eunuchs walked in holding in their hands a long white cotton robe.
They proceeded further closing the distance between the young man and themselves and throwing it on him, they tied the loose nylon belt and mounted on his head a simple copper hairpin.
He was no less a common man and his regalty was long lost, he was himself no different from the peasants on the street his once bright face having turned pale for a moment he looked sickly.
"Let's go." He said and everyone in the room paving way for him he walked through, approaching the doors which were opened up for him as he met a number of Court ladies kneeling outside.
"Your Highness?" They expressed their heartfelt sorrow in tears, burning with desperation as they looked at him, Bao Langya and the Imperial guards present couldn't help but feel uneasy.
He descended the stairs of hid Chambers, very much reminded of the day he'd walked into the East Palace as its Master, he appeared to have a hard time living in the reflection of what was supposed to become one of the most significant scenes of his youth but this time round with his role reversed.
With only Eunuch Ling proceeding with him, the Imperial guards surrounded him as though he was a prisoner, shielding him from the gaze of others in the public, they led him to a simple dark palanquin.
He made his entrance and at once they embarked on their journey, leading him out of the Imperial City through the East Gate so that they couldn't disrupt the coronation ceremony, Bao Langya watched as the carrier made its exit.
Empress Dowager Yang in her room was getting dressed in front of her mirror, Manyin and Xiaoyang supporting the heavy phoenix Crown they bore it and rested it on her brow after which she smiled at her reflection.
"You look splendid Your Highness." Manyin remarked as she stepped back to admire the crimson and turquoise robes which had been embroidered with gold and silver thread in the likeness of Dragon and phoenix patterns.
"Alas, this day has come." She whispered to herself as she offered them her hands and they helped her onto her feet, turning around and taking her to her seat in the audience hall at the very moment that Bao Langya's presence was announced.
She permitted his entry and the latter proceeding into her presence, he bowed his head and offered his salutations.
"Tell me." She demanded to know.
"The Crown Prince has departed from the Palace and I have received the responses of the provincial governors." He reported as he handed the papers to her.
She took them into her hands and her eyes perusing through their contents she suddenly froze before she clenched her fists and crumpled them.
"What's the problem Your Highness?" Bao Langya surprised by his reaction asked.
"Move our men against the governors." She responded.
"Which ones in particular?" He inquired.
"All of them." She replied.
The trumpets were sounded and the drums shortly afterwards, with the Courtiers and lesser officials gathered in the Grand square outside the Grand Hall, Eunuch Deng stepped forward in front of the masses who were gathered beneath holding in his hand an Imperial Edict.
"WITH HEAVEN'S BLESSING, THE SUN OF THE EASTERN SKY IS ABOVE US AGAIN, THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN IS THEREFORE ENTRUSTED TO THE IMPERIAL PRINCE ZHAO YUN AND THE ZHAO DYNASTY DOES LOOK TO HIM AS OUR UNDOUBTED SOVEREIGN AND EMPEROR OF GREATER EMPIRE, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FOR THE JOY OF OUR PEOPLE AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR NATION." He read when Beiyuan turning to the gates spoke up aloud.
"His Majesty deigns you with His Presence." He announced and the gates being flung open the young man dressed in his turquoise Imperial robes, embellished with precious rubies it was surmounted with twelve tassels and the twelve beaded Crown on his head.
He held in his hand a beautiful ceremonial jade tablet rightly twenty centimetres tall and around his waist was a remarkable jade belt with a set of six gold strings and beads attached.
Gracefully, he treaded the uneasy path of the Emperor that had been vacated, himself accompanied by sixty-two Eunuchs carrying fans and provincial banners which were headed by six Royal standards and six national flags.
The ministers and officials seeing him marvelled at the sight of the exquisite pageantry, bowing as the young man passed through their midst approaching the Imperial Dragon throne while the three Chancellors, the Grand Secretary and the Six Ministers treaded behind him.
Approaching the stairs to the throne, they stopped while he went further ahead to mount them, slowly taking his time with his eyes on the gilded seat and slightly to the Empress Dowager who was standing in front of her own smaller throne that was slightly lower than his.
Momentarily, he drifted back into the finest memories of his youth with the Deposed Crown Prince, overwhelmed with immense guilt that was plaguing his heart with every step he felt it was a knife deep in his soul.
"Forgive me Your Highness," he thought to himself inwardly, "I always thought that should this day come I would be beside you as your most trusted subject." He continued to remind himself.
"This is one big cruel world, all these faces I see swearing their allegiance are no less than hounds waiting for the right time to devour me." He convinced himself recalling that awful conversation that he had had with the young man before he petitioned for his deposition, bringing back another string of promises he believed at that time he was forced to keep as he seized with his last step facing the seat.
He studied its remarkable construct and appreciated its beautiful and fancy nature, he'd never seen it that close but what was even more confusing for him was the mere thought that he was the one going to own it from that point onwards.
He turned suddenly to face the masses in front of him including the Empress Dowager who was now looking up to him as well.
"I only wish that you had seen your son here Your Majesty," she thought to herself, "his radiance reminds me very much of that night it must have been equally as hard on you." She inwardly lamented as the young man spread his arms wide open and raised them to the skies.
The officials gathered with the soldiers present and ladies of the harem and the Inner Court, soon departing to the nunnery they went on their knees and bowed their heads.
"Long Live Your Majesty, Long Live our Emperor, Long Live our Sovereign lord of a thousand years and father of our Country." They shouted with gusto in unison as the young man closing his eyes he took a deep breath and sighed.
"Don't worry Your Highness, don't worry my dear friend, I will use this power that our Sovereign country has bequeathed to me and I shall build a strong country and the Great Empire of your dreams." He swore inwardly while the Empress Dowager for what had appeared to be a long time in her life finally freed a sincere smile on her face.
"Don't worry my dear, don't worry Your Majesty, as I have set our son onto the throne of your forefathers, I shall use all the power that has been bequeathed to me by the people of our Sovereign State, I shall protect our child, I shall protect your legacy, I'll let you see a beautiful world, I'll let you see your most beautiful Mei'er." She inwardly vowed as well.
The Deposed Crown Prince Zhao Hong being transported in his dark palanquin couldn't help but feel what was a sharp knife driven through his heart, he appeared to have grown wearier holding back that eventually he too closed his eyes and shed a tear.
Shi Miyuan looking up at the new young Emperor met his fierce gaze which made him certain that he was angry, himself no longer youthful still believed and looked strong enough to fight that he only responded with a more intimidating glare.
"I'll end you Your Excellency." Emperor Lizong spoke.
"Bring it on Your Majesty." The latter challenged him inwardly as well.
The Coronation was concluded and the young Emperor Lizong stood at the balcony of the Grand Hall that overlooked the East Palace.
Empress Dowager Yang along with her retinue approached him and the latter upon realizing her presence he kowtowed to her.
"Your Imperial Highness." He said.
"My Liege?" She responded kowtowing to him.
"You shouldn't Your Highness." He insisted.
"You are the ruler of this country and I am your subject." She responded.
"But in this Palace, you are my senior, our laws dictate that and I very much wish to be a filial son unlike his former Highness the Deposed Crown Prince." He asserted.
"I like that you are quick-witted, and now that you have finally ascended the Imperial Dragon throne I trust that you will understand your responsibility." She pointed out.
"I just hope that in honour of our alliance, Your Highness will keep your word and protect my brother." Emperor Lizong reminded her.
"I won't go back on my word, however, you should be well aware by now that the circumstances have changed and your brother isn't the brother of the Commandery Prince anymore but the brother of the Emperor." She said.
"What are you trying to say Your Highness?" He asked.
"You must be aware, that the history of our forefathers has never been bloodless and even thrones can turn the closest brothers into enemies." She responded.
"Your Highness, the moment my brother bleeds his last I shall send us both to the Netherworld." He spoke up to her.
"I am not so sure that I should be the one you tell that," she responded, "you for one should know better than anyone else what it could mean to officials and rebels being the brother of the Emperor." She muttered.
"So you are telling me that I shouldn't be afraid of you Your Highness?" Emperor Lizong asked.
"An assertive old woman is very useless to those power-hungry politicians and their best chance at survival is manipulating the young and powerful who are weak, in any case, I was hoping that you would understand best that there's no safer place for your brother than the Palace." Empress Dowager Yang replied.
"There's no way I am going to imprison my brother within the confines of these walls." Zhao Yun protested.
"Then it is up to you Your Highness, I can adopt him once you ask me to but I just wish you remember that hunting has always been easier for officials outside the Palace than within it." She said to him and bowing her head, she slowly walked away leaving the young man dumbfounded as her words lingered at the back of his mind.
"What was that, Your Highness?" Beiyuan asked, "do you sincerely wish to protect Prince Zhao Yurui?" He inquired.
"His Majesty may not be a filial son but he sure is a loving brother." She responded, "besides, seeing that he is for now His Majesty's most sensitive spot, I am certain that he shall be useful to me one day." She asserted as she approached her Chambers.
The ladies in waiting received her and granted her entry and as she moved inside, she found Bao Langya waiting for her.
"Your Highness." He greeted her as she proceeded to her seat in front of him.
"Is everything ready?" She inquired.
"We just need to wait for the provincial governors to move." He responded.
"Very well." Empress Dowager Yang responded as she smiled at herself ghastly, "now the real game is about to begin." She whispered to herself.
At roughly around the hour of noon, Fan Huangjing in his residence stepped outside to get some fresh air on the balcony of the expensive villa.
He mused at the beautiful garden in the backyard when suddenly, something reflected the sunlight into his eyes from a tree close by.
He heard the sound of an arrow cutting through the wind and using his quick reflexes he dunked as the arrow went straight for the post behind him narrowly missing his head.
While silence followed briefly and the wind whooshed shaking the trees around, a large group of assassins leapt over the rooftops and launched themselves towards him.
He instantly withdrew into the room behind him and the assassins landing in the yard they rushed after him making their entrance as well.
The sooner they had penetrated the Inner Courtyard, they were welcomed by a series of arrows emerging from the Central building where Fan Huangjing's elite guardsmen were stationed.
The latter leapt from the shadows with their bows and arrows aimed at the masked intruders but themselves hardly intimidated, they advanced towards them.
Fan Huangjing's men responded by firing their arrows and the assassins guarding against them launched themselves forth with their swords thus commencing the clash.
The guards of the old Governor engaged themselves with their swords as well and conflict broke out, the masked men proving their prowess and skill which was unsurpassed, their counterparts put on an efficient resistance nonetheless as the old man watched.
The fight got more and more fierce and before they could each cool down, a large number of Fan Huangjing's other soldiers numbering up to fifty marched through the gates of the residence.
The assassins caught off guard noticed the threat beforehand and ahead of them, one that was more muscular than the rest led a retreat as he was joined by his colleagues who flew onto the rooftops and dispersed, dropping what appeared to be a small piece of paper on the ground.
Fan Huangjing noticing it immediately advanced towards it under the aegis of his men and picking it up, he noticed that there was something written on it.
Slowly, he unfolded it and his eyes widening with surprise, he recognized the drawing on it as his face with a message saying "KILL AT ALL COSTS."
"Your Excellency......" one of his subordinates speaking up suddenly quietened down when he recognized what appeared to be a small mark of a signet ring at the lower left of the paper.
Making out the character that had been stamped, he recognized it immediately as the surname 'WU'.
"Is that......." His retainer became speechless having recognized the character as well.
"Governor Wu's official family crest." Fan Huangjing concluded.
"Why?" The latter inquired.
"There can only be one explanation." Fan Huangjing responded as he furiously clenched his fists.
Wu Chenghua seated in his study mused at a piece of paper that was placed on his table.
"You are telling me that you intercepted this from Governor Fan's secret residence?" He inquired.
"Yes, Your Excellency." The young man in front of him affirmed, "it appears that the Empress Dowager didn't keep our locations a secret and disclosed the details of our accommodation, but what's even more appalling is that it appears that both Governor Fan and the Empress Dowager have been working together all this time." He insisted.
"Under our noses all this time, it is most likely the reason that the Empress Dowager summoned us into the Capital and along with our troops wasn't to grant us a chance to move but to imprison us." Wu Chenghua asserted.
"It's logical, she possesses our authentic tokens, if we die here, naturally it would be much easier for her to dissolve our forces." His retainer pointed out.
"Our best way forward would be to report this to Her Grace but we can't find her if she isn't the one to seek us." Wu Chenghua said.
"We should reach out to the others first." The young man said.
"How can we trust that they are one of us and not the Empress Dowager's people?" Wu Chenghua asked as he looked at the young man, "Mo Yuan, if there is one traitor living with us under the same roof it only means that we can't commit ourselves to trusting anyone else." He remarked.
"But we can't do nothing Your Excellency." Mo Yuan pointed out.
"There's only one thing we can do." He responded, "we have to draw Her Grace to seek us." He muttered.
"How do you plan on doing that Your Excellency?" Mo Yuan inquired.
"Right now Her Grace greatly values the life of the Crown Prince who is being transported to a secret location as we speak, my guess is that the Empress Dowager wouldn't disclose his real location with fear that he might be found useful by someone so the only thing she would do is to make sure she keeps him close where no one can see him." Wu Chenghua responded.
"We have to induce the Empress Dowager to move the Crown Prince?" Mo Yuan finally grasped the situation.
"If there's a change of plans then Her Grace will certainly seek us out." Wu Chenghua responded.
"But even if that's the case, we only have until tomorrow to leave the Capital, if we should act now I fear we are a bit too late to know the whereabouts of the Crown Prince." Mo Yuan muttered.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you but you're wrong about that." Wu Chenghua said, "I knew beforehand that the Crown Prince would be useful to us that is why I made sure to watch him closely." He assured the latter as he stretched his hand underneath the table and pulling it up he placed a blue scroll in front of the latter.
Mo Yuan upon his invitation held it into his hands and unfolded it while his eyes looked through its contents, they widened with awe.
"The Empress Dowager doesn't intend for the Crown Prince to leave the Capital after all." He said.
"There's only one way the Empress can protect the Emperor and eventually hold down the Deposed Crown Prince, he has to take Buddhist vows and become a monk so that he can keep his life." Wu Chenghua mentioned as he smiled at himself ghastly.
"How did you get a hold of this Your Excellency?" Mo Yuan inquired.
"The Empress Dowager might be a very careful person but the same doesn't apply for her people, if I couldn't keep an eye on the Empress then I just had to keep it on her people because they are the ones who make the moves she thinks up." Wu Chenghua confidently responded.
Xiang Hao the Governor of Hubei seated in his room stared at a small liquor pot in front of him.
"So you are telling me that this liquor which Governor Chen gifted to me is poisoned." He asked his retainer who a fine young man who appeared to be in the early years of his youth stood in front of him.
"One of the household servants was secretly tasting it and drank a cup, he passed out and died immediately as he had been suffering from bechet's disease but when we identified the cause of death, the Physician realised that the wine was in fact containing bittern." He reported.
"And naturally the bitter salty taste would make it hard to tell and a silver needle wouldn't be in the position to turn black, besides bittern being used to carry out post mortems would make one reluctant to believe that it was the real cause of death." The old man pieced everything together.
"I don't quite understand why Governor Chen would do this despite knowing the fact that you are allies." The young retainer remarked.
"You are too naive Li Chou, you might be unaware but some time back Her Grace talked to me personally, she told me that she trusted me more than the others and I seem to have finally come to learn why she was so cautious around others including him." Xiang Hao mentioned.
"Then in any case, could it be the reason that he's trying to get to you?" Li Chou inquired.
"Governor Chen might be short of words but he has always been a meticulous man, if he grasped the situation and had knowledge of it then he'd mean to quietly silence me without raising public suspicion." Xiang Hao responded.
"What are we going to do now Your Excellency, it would have been better to inform Her Grace and get it done with there's no way we can reach out to her." Li Chou muttered.
"Then there's only one thing left for us to do," Xiang Hao responded, "Seeing how he devoted himself to try and annihilate me we should certainly return the favour." He said.
"How Your Excellency?" Li Chou asked but the old man reserving his silence he looked at the liquor pot instead.
Shi Miyuan perusing through his gardens, Dong Hua stepped behind him.
"The Coronation was a glorious ceremony today." He suddenly remarked.
"I believe so too Your Excellency." He responded.
"Have the Governors made any moves as we speak?" Shi Miyuan inquired.
"Except for moving and acting as Her Highness ordered, no." Dong Hua replied.
"Have our skills become too outdated?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"It only means that the person behind them might be more cunning than we expect." Dong Hua replied.
"Then I believe you should be working to finding out who is behind them." Shi Miyuan suggested.
"Forgive my incompetence Your Excellency, however, there's something that I seem to have found intriguing." He said.
"What is it?" Shi Miyuan asked.
"There's someone else who has been watching them but pretending as though they are not bothered, under such circumstances my impression is that if they aren't helping them then they are making them feel safe." Dong Hua responded.
"As far as I know, in this Capital, if I am not mistaken there's only one person that would be capable of covering such huge lies." Shi Miyuan muttered to himself when suddenly one of his household servants rushed towards the two.
"Your Excellency, Her Highness the Empress Dowager is here requesting a word with you." He reported.
"Where is she?" He asked.
"I led her to your study." He responded and the latter turning to Dong Hua who was behind him, he marched off into the direction of the building.
Sliding the doors open, he walked into the dark room where he found the fairly old woman standing with her eyes fixed on the painting of the Dynasty's map on the wall, she'd turned her back on him.
"Your Highness?" He said to her bowing his head.
"You haven't visited me so often for the past couple of days that it had me overly concerned which compelled me to instead present myself at your house, it has been a while after all since I have been to this place, don't you think?" She asked after which she slowly turned and looked at him.
"Forgive me Your Highness, with the Provincial Governors in the Capital I can't rest easy for your sake and that kept me too occupied." He excused himself.
"Did you find anything suspicious about them." She asked.
"No." He responded.
"You and I know what that answer means." Empress Dowager Yang remarked.
"We could have underestimated the real player of the cards." Shi Miyuan replied.
"Whoever it is seems to take so much after me, it isn't that much of a bad thing seeing that once it was a similar game I played with the Late Empress Ciyi, however, I am more worried that it wouldn't be so easy on you." Empress Dowager Yang mentioned.
"Your Highness must be in the know of something perhaps." Shi Miyuan pointed out.
"I disdain hiding anything from you because I rely on and trust your protection the most, as much as I hate to admit it at first I thought that we could win over some Governors to our side but it seems that all of them are nothing but a set of useless knives that have been sharpened against us." She remarked.
"You can't make a mistake Your Highness because I believe single-handedly rising against them you must know what it means, you must understand better than anyone else the political gravity of that decision." Shi Miyuan cautioned as she walked closer to him.
"But I have you," Empress Dowager Yang responded, "are you no longer confident in yourself?" She asked.
"I made a promise to myself Your Highness, I'll do anything for you as the Empress of this Country even at the cost of my life." He responded and hearing this she smiled at him.
"I know you will, I know you can, but don't worry, there's still one move, there's still one thing I shall do, I will break those so-called governors, I will make them kneel to me." She swore.
The Deposed Crown Prince Zhao Hong stood in a small courtyard, unable to recognize his surroundings, save for a couple of monks that walked back and forth, he was certain that he was at a temple.
Still puzzled with a couple of guards behind him, one of the temple Elders a man who appeared to be roughly over eighty years old walked up to him, his head clean-shaven, he was dressed in a set of orange and yellow robes as he caressed a string of huge brown beads in his hands.
"Merciful Buddha." Zhao Hong said as he kowtowed to him.
"You must be him." The old man said.
"It sure is humble of my mother to cast me here of all places." He muttered.
"Perhaps it is the safest place for you in the world." The old man said.
"Seeing that you know me we should each be well acquainted with each other." Zhao Hong insisted.
"You can call me Master Tao." The latter responded, "you have questions and are seeking answers perhaps." He pointed out.
"I wouldn't say so." Zhao Hong replied.
"There's no shame in fighting however you should know that the harder it is you are willing to hold out, the harder the journey becomes." Master Tao said.
"Isn't the path to enlightenment an uneasy one?" Zhao Hong inquired.
"And what is enlightenment to you?" The old man challenged him.
"What do you think Your Eminence?" Zhao Hong mentioned.
"Just not a child that fights against his mother, just not a man that only seeks victory regardless of the weight of his decision on the generations to come. The Heavens can not tolerate a child who fights his parents, this nation too can not tolerate a ruler that does the same." Master Tao muttered.
"So Your Eminence would pacify me to accept Her Highness haven't I done just that, everything that I have given up from the people I love and care about, haven't I done just that, I only asked to keep my life however dark and awful it may be as long as Her Highness is still Merciful, however between me and you who is it between the Divine Buddha and the Empress Dowager of this country do you serve?" He asked.
"For that I shall tell you, I ask you to hear me well, the Maitreya of the battlefield that defends the children of this nation, the Divine incarnate that's quenched the thirst of our soil with her blood and sweat. I understand that to many their perception of an Emperor is a god among men, but to people like me a god is the lover and defender of all peoples great and small." Master Tao spoke as he walked up to the young man, "what did you hope to achieve exactly by becoming the ruler of this country, I am sure for you it was to seek vengeance for those that died for you by granting more power to those who are already strong and taking it away from those that are already weak, is that a peaceful country to you?" He asked him before he turned around.
"Then this must be a peaceful one to you I suppose." He said.
"I noticed that in the eighty-nine years of my life for the first time, even the poorest of people can have three meals a day, otherwise, in all the four previous reigns that was not the case." Master Tao said, "prepare to be ordained." He added before he continued and the young man with his guards advanced further into the temple.
At a distance a couple of masked warriors keenly watching them one gave the order, it was from the surrounding trees that arrows flew onto the scene.
"Assassins." One of the hermits shouted when the intruders saving no breath immediately charged onto the holy ground cutting through all the young men they could find.
Governor Chen in his residence was quietly seated in his study when a group of assassins suddenly leapt into his yard, colliding with his personal guard strife broke out as well.
Empress Dowager Yang stepping outside Shi Miyuan's study, she found Bao Langya waiting for her.
"How's everything going?" She asked.
"The Governors are fighting amongst themselves, at least they think." He responded.
"Then I suppose the conflagration is intense enough." She remarked.
"There's only one thing left for us to do." Bao Langya muttered.
"Lure the snake from its hole." She said.
"Yes, Your Highness." Bao Langya responded.
"Gather the Imperial soldiers and mobilize them along with the Capital patrol." Empress Dowager Yang ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness." Bao Langya responded as she descended the stairs and continued her way.
The masked woman along with her brother seated next to the window that overlooked the Imperial Palace, one of the waiters at the restaurant poured them some liquor and withdrew from the room when an informant made his entrance.
"Milady, Milord." He greeted the two, sweating profusely and his breaths uneasy for a moment they seemed to understand that what he had brought with him wasn't good news.
"What's the problem?" The masked woman inquired.
"It appears that there is infighting amongst the Governors." He reported.
"How can that be when they have been on good terms for the past couple of days?" The young man asked.
"I don't seem to know the details very well but it appears that there have been a number of assassination attempts in broad daylight and what's even worse is that there is word circulating all over about the Deposed Crown Prince's abduction from Huanggak Temple." He reported.
"What was the Deposed Crown Prince doing at a temple?" The Prince asked.
"He couldn't be involved in a political conflict if he took the full vows of the monk, in other words the Empress Dowager wouldn't get rid of him and shed blood on His Majesty's throne so she preferred to diminish his worth instead and make him a useless piece." The masked woman responded.
"The Deposed Crown Prince is very vital to us and if the Empress Dowager is insisting on seeking him out it certainly must be because he might have not taken the vows yet." The young man remarked.
"We need him either way if we are to justify resistance against the Empress Dowager and the new Emperor, however, it seems clear to me that the sudden conflagration among the governors is far from a coincidence." She muttered.
"You mean to say that it's likely that the Empress Dowager is behind it?" Her brother asked.
"There isn't another that would benefit from it much more than her." She responded.
"Then what is the Empress Dowager after, is it likely that she has realised it by now?" He asked.
"Perhaps, suppose we say she did?" The masked woman asked.
"What are we to do now?" Her brother inquired.
"The Empress Dowager's objective is already clear before us and I believe she's waiting for us to make a decision, one thing is certain she is looking for me by cornering the governors and if I do not stop them from drifting apart then we won't be in the position to manipulate their concerted effort and use it to our advantage," she responded, "we'll just give him what he wants." She concluded.
"I am worried that things might go South." The young man mentioned.
"We can't stay hidden forever besides, if it is a face that Her Highness wants then we shall give that to her." She replied as she smiled at herself ghastly.
Governor Chen along with Shi Yuzhi inspected the casualties in his square as the old man furious was trying so hard to retain his silence.
"We've made an effort to ensure that your locations remain secret, I don't know how or why the assassins made an attempt on Your Excellency's life because judging from their skills, they are more efficient than the Imperial troops or guard." He said.
"It can't be any of them." Governor Chen said.
"How can you be certain Your Excellency, do you have anyone in mind or recent enemies that you think would want you dead?" He asked.
"Not that there is any I could ne aware of." He responded.
"Since you are His Majesty's guests he is unwilling to let go of this matter, he wishes the investigation of this case to be entrusted to the Imperial State Tribunal." Shi Yuzhi said.
"I dislike the thought of having to bother His Majesty with my well-being when there are more important state affairs for him to deal with." Governor Chen remarked, "Seeing that I am safe thanks to you for me I wouldn't bother asking for anything else." He insisted.
"If you say so, I'll convey your kind words of gratitude." Shi Yuzhi said and the two having reached the gate, they kowtowed to each other before the young man marched out with the rest of his relief forces.
Governor Chen smiled until they vanished before he turned to his retainer who was a couple of steps behind him.
"Who was it?" He asked.
"Forgive me Your Excellency but I am certain that those men were Governor Xiang's." He responded.
"What have we to prove it?" He asked when the latter getting closer he stealthily placed something in his hand.
The latter looking down opened it and beholding a small armour screw it had the insignia of Hubei province.
"That pathetic imbecile." The old man cursed.
"Why would he do such a thing to you Your Excellency?" His subordinate inquired.
"I can only seem to find one logical explanation." Governor Chen responded, "he is a naive man but opportunistic enough that my guess is that it might be the Empress Dowager." He responded.
"But we all are allies." His retainer pointed out.
"We hoped that by changing the Emperor we would be in the position to exert our power over the Central Government yet as it seems that the Empress Dowager is herself an old woman that doesn't have a long life to live, this would be the best time for one of us to gain control of the Empress' Palace." He responded.
"I never thought that the Empress Dowager's invitation was sincere." The young man said.
"It wasn't sincere to begin with, Her Highness just presented an idea and even if no one seemed interested after what has happened I can't possibly guarantee that it's the case anymore." Governor Chen replied when another of his private guards moved up to him.
"Your Excellency, it's a message from Her Grace." He notified the latter and Governor Chen taking it into his hands he opened it and perused through its contents.
"What's the matter Your Excellency?" They asked him.
"Her Grace has asked to see us tonight." He responded.
Bao Langya, Shi Yizhi and Lan He had gathered in the office of the Imperial Grand Commandant when an informant walked in before them.
"How's everything?" Bao Langya inquired.
"The Provincial Governors will gather tonight within the Capital." He responded.
"You may leave us." Bao Langya ordered and the young man withdrawing from the room Shi Yuzhi and Lan He turned their attention to him.
"What do we do now?" Lan He asked.
"Her Highness gave us orders and the Imperial troops are ready, tonight, we capture the provincial Governors and take them in." Bao Langya responded.
"Why, I understand that these men have ill intentions towards the government but we can not just take them in without any definite reason as it would induce the people to protest against us." Lan He cautioned.
"Pardon me but you might be unaware given the fact that this is the first time for you, trust me, for people like them, the Empress Dowager always has a plan." Shi Yuzhi spoke up in response to Lan He's concern.
Empress Dowager Yang seated in her Chambers quietly she slowly tapped her table with her index when Xiaoyang walked through her doors.
"Your Highness." She said, "Commander Bao has asked me to relay the message that the operation has commenced." She reported.
"Very well then," Empress Dowager Yang remarked, "now let's induce the smouldering." She muttered to herself as she smiled ghastly.