A dull and aching feeling at the back of his neck added to nausea filling up his system. He hissed and took calming breaths before opening his eyes. On trying to touch his face, Zhao Ling felt a restraint and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He groaned when a dull headache shot at his temples before taking in where he was.
Zhao Ling noticed he was in one of the underground cells and became confused as to what he was doing, chained in a small and slightly air-tight room. He tried to remember what had led to him being in prison but each time he did, his headache, forced him to remain clueless.
The groaning of the metal door got his attention and he looked at it as it opened. A guard he recognized walked in and he struggled against his restraints. The guard barely acted like he was standing before him. He didn't even bow as he usually did and that unnerved Zhao Ling.
"Explain this atrocious act!" Zhao Ling commanded and the guard simply stood in a corner with a straight face.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a figure at the door, making him snap his head in its direction. The person had their face shielded by the black hat they wore. As they strolled into the cell, Zhao Ling recognized the walking steps and gritted his teeth.
"Zhao Feng," he said through his teeth.
The person tilted their head upward, revealing his face. Zhao Ling struggled once again at the sight of his brother who had a smile on his face. A lot of questions swam through his head the more he stared at the man.
"What is happening? Why am I chained up like a criminal?!" Zhao Ling barked and Zhao Feng laughed.
"Because you are a criminal, dear brother," Zhao Feng replied and crossed his arms. "At least to the people."
Zhao Ling frowned. "What do you mean by what you just said?"
Zhao Feng smirked and took a few steps toward him. He leaned a bit closer to his face and pointed his finger at his face.
"You sent those assassins to kill father," he accused.
"Zhao Feng!" He hollered.
Zhao Feng stood straight and shrugged before tracing Zhao Ling's face with the back of his hand.
"It delights me to see you in this state," he said and met his eyes. "So many years, I have lived in your shadows, despite how I know so much better than you. Especially the life of the royal court. All you do is slay people and take all the glory."
Zhao Ling felt anger brewing within him. The urge to break the chain and strangle his brother developed in him as he listened to his scandalous words.
"I stood in the shadows as father and the rest of the kingdom worshiped you like some god. I practiced every day, hoping that one day I will be king!" Zhao Feng grabbed his brother by his hair and tugged his head to the side.
Zhao Ling hissed at the pain and glared up at his brother. He could not believe what he was hearing. Out of every person he knew, he always cherished his brother until today.
"I could not take it anymore and took matters into my hands."
"What do you mean?" Zhao Ling asked and his brother smiled.
"The assassination attempts on everyone in our family, the threats, the wars you fought in… they were all my plan."
Zhao Ling felt his world freeze and darken at the revelation. He swallowed the bile that grew in his throat and parted his lips to speak but he was in so much shock to form a sentence.
"I am that powerful, brother Zhao Ling," he said and started walking around the cell. "I knew that if I sat and did nothing to take the throne, I would never be king and rule over the kingdom. So, I started communicating with our enemies with a deal that they are free to ally with our kingdom unless they kill you at war. But!"
Zhao Ling flinched at the sudden loud voice. He glared at his brother while imagining the numerous ways to end his life once he gets released.
"You stood strong. You simply got stronger. For years, my plans failed and my deals with those thugs were becoming weaker!" Zhao Feng laughed for some seconds before frowning. "I decided to make things easier for me."
Zhao Ling began to think back to all the times he had almost been assassinated. Even his family, including Zhao Feng. He was baffled at how cruel his brother was.
"Tonight, my plan finally came to pass. All it took was just a simple distraction to make things easier for my assassin," Zhao Feng said and a dubious expression masked his face.
The cell was silent for some seconds before footsteps echoed in it. Zhao Feng blocked the door, so it was hard for him to tell who had entered the cell until the person stood beside Zhao Feng. Zhao Ling felt his heart constrict at the sight of Lui Mei. She stood in a different attire which was far from the modest hanfu she wore. She had makeup on her face and her hair styled like she was part of royalty. On her face was a sly smile which cut deep into Zhao Ling's heart.
"Lui Mei?" Zhao Ling whispered in disbelief.
"Yes, my love," Lui Mei said and she laughed, Zhao Feng followed suit.
"Are you surprised?" Zhao Feng asked. "Lui Mei was part of my plan from the very beginning. She is my lover not yours. She has great powers that have you bewitched. She helped me get you in a vulnerable state and she will help me end your life for good."
Zhao Ling gulped when they both laughed.
‡‡‡
"Traitor!"
"Murderer!"
"Cheater!"
"Kill him!"
The angry yells from the villagers before him left him speechless and full of shame. There was no way he could defend himself as he knew they had all been brainwashed into thinking he had killed his father.
"Silence!" Zhao Feng ordered and the chaos settled. "I know we are all saddened by this news, I am too but what has happened, happened. He is here today to bid his last goodbye as he will be executed for this act of treason!"
The crowd cheered and he bowed his head in more shame. As his brother continued to speak, he zoned out and raised his head to stare at Lui Mei who was now back to wearing her simple hanfu. He tried to make himself believe that she was threatened to be the way she was in that moment but there was no sign of such on her. He shifted his eyes to his weeping mother who was glaring at him with so much anger and all he did was look away.
"... today, he shall meet his maker. He has brought dishonor and shame to our kingdom! To the royal name and to the world. This shall not stand as he will have to pay for the sin he has committed!" Zhao Feng said and the cross cheered.
Zhao Ling looked at the faces of the people he had fought to protect for years. It marveled him how they easily switched overnight. Not one face in the crowd believed him or had pity for him. Even the faces of the children held hate and all he felt was his heart burning from anger and a new emotion for his family and the people— Hate.
"Any last words before you are taken away?" Zhao Feng asked with a cocky expression on his face.
Zhao Ling remained silent. He knew there was no point speaking when no one would understand the atrocities that were behind his accusations. He was prepared to take any form of punishment for the act laid on him.
"Guards, take him!"
Zhao Ling grunted as he was manhandled by two burly guards. They dragged him down the steps to the people. They began to throw things at him, some hit him and others hurled curses and insults at him. As he walked through the crowd, a little girl caught his eye. The girl smiled at him and waved her small hand at him before she was pulled back by her mother. Zhao Ling looked away and let the guards take him to the execution weapon.
He was forced up the stone steps and pushed to his knees. Zhao Ling's heart burned from sadness, rage, and malice as he eyed the crowd. He looked past them and saw Zhao Feng raise a goblet with a smirk on his face.
Zhao Ling grunted when his head was forced onto the cold stone which had the stench of blood. He saw the girl in the crowd and a small smile appeared on his face. Some tears rolled down his cheek as the girl's smile broadened. The girl waved once again and that was the last thing he saw before a sharp pain and darkness took over.