Jia Hao walked down the courtyards to where he knew his father's room was.
Everywhere he passed the servants bowed in loyalty to him.
It had been almost a year since he had left the kingdom.
He was on a hunt for his brother's killer and he would not stop.
He had only returned because he had received urgent letter informing him of his father's worsened illness.
Once he reached the door he paused for a short while.
Then he turned to his men that had followed him behind.
"I want to do this alone." He said.
They nodded and left.
Then his second in command stood remaining behind him.
"I will be waiting for you outside." Xi said.
Xi knew more than most people knew about the crowned prince and even at that he still knew little.
Prince Jia Hao kept to himself and dealt with all the pains by himself.
Xi also knew that the prince and his father were not on very good terms.
In fact they had never been on so good terms.
Jia Hao nodded then he turned to the large doors.
The guards opened it for him and he stepped in.
He saw his father lying in his bed while the servants were slowly fanning steam in a circulating way so that it would enter his body.
The physician who was treating the emperor quickly bowed when he saw prince Jia-Hao.
"Your majesty." He bowed.
The emperor Wei turned and saw Jia Hao.
"You have returned."
Jia Hao went down on his feet to bow to his father.
"Rise." Emperor Wei replied.
Jia Hao rose but remained kneeling down at his father's bed.
"How is he?" Jia Hao asked the physician.
"His royal highness is responding well to the treatment." The physician replied with smiles.
Emperor Wei hissed. "That is a bloody lie. I am dying and the treatment is merely sustaining me."
The Physicians face fell.
Jia Hao knew his father. Very stubborn.
"I had assumed that you would not return home." Emperor Wei said after coughing.
He coughed again and then the servants who were assisting the physician quickly brought a cloth towards his mouth.
The Emperor was lying in such a position that he was seated and resting back against large numbers of pillows.
He coughed and coughed and then he coughed some blood out.
The servant wanted to clean his mouth for him, but the Emperor snapped. "I am dying not dead yet!"
He snatched the towel and cleaned his mouth and flung it at the poor servant.
Then Emperor Wei sighed and turned to his son.
"It is time for you to take your rightful place as the next emperor." Emperor Wei said.
"Long live his majesty." Jia Hao said. "But I have wars to fight. The spirits above will keep you alive."
"FOR HOW LONG?!" Emperor Wei yelled back.
His eyes were bloodshot and his eyes were red and then he began to wince.
"Your majesty. Please take things easy. Your heart is weak." The physician pleaded.
The King glared at the physician and then he turned to Jia Hao. "You are too stubborn! You owe the people! You owe the kingdom. You owe your own brother!"
"With all due respect your majesty." Jia Hao managed trying to suppress his anger. "My decision to fight wars as is in the best interest of the kingdom."
The emperor spat. "Your own brother if he were still alive would never have done this! I would never have had to deal with you!"
Jia Hao had had enough. He rose to his feet and said. "You are a disgrace to my late brother."
The emperor's mouth dropped open.
The entire room went quiet.
Jia Hao stormed out of the room.
Xi tried to follow him, but Jia Hao was already marching ahead so he let him be because he knew that he wanted to be left alone.
Jia Hao stormed raging in anger.
He went past as number of gardens and finally found himself where he went to as a child to gather his thoughts.
He sat down on a bench in the small garden.
It was now already evening and the moonlight shown in the garden .
There was a pool and the garden was filled with beautiful trees.
Jia Hao had loved to come here because people hardly came and they all knew as his was his private place.
He took off his clothes and decided to take a deep in the pool to cool his thoughts.
When he stepped into the cool water he closed his eyes and then he thought he heard singing.
He opened his eyes and went to investigate.
There was a part of the pool that was shrouded by plants.
He opened it and saw a naked woman bathing.
She turned and screamed.
"YOU!"