SAINTS AND SINNERS

"What is the Empress Dowager here to do or see?" Emperor Guangzong asked, "Is she here to check if I still have any breath left in my body or to make fun of me?" He added.

"Your Majesty....?" Eunuch Qin spoke up but the Emperor stopped him.

"Or she felt uneasy learning that I survived she's here to check if I am still breathing?" Emperor Guangzong asked.

"Why not hear her out, suppose you declined then you'd only make yourself look awful Your Majesty." Eunuch Qin advised.

"Just the other day you took the blade for my sake and I am only thankful that the sound wasn't deep and the sword itself wasn't poisoned." Emperor Guangzong remarked, "you tell me yourself, what should I prove? Maybe you are too benevolent and you quickly go over any grudge regardless of how big it may seem, but when people that are close scheme against me for my throne every now and then have you ever wondered how I feel?" He asked.

The latter kept quiet.

"Yes." Emperor Guangzong muttered, "Her Highness as Senior member of the Imperial family is in deed flawless in virtue others can't compare to her." He added.

"Pardon me Your Majesty." Eunuch Qin apologized.

"Let her in." Emperor Guangzong said and the latter bowing his head he withdrew and a short while later the doors of the room were opened and the Empress Dowager walked in.

Halting right in front of the Emperor she bowed her head and paid her homage.

"Quite a pleasant surprise Your Highness." Emperor Guangzong remarked.

"Uneasy I became hearing that Your Majesty was poisoned, I feared greatly that your condition was critical and I couldn't help but wonder how brazen one could be, dare to lift a finger against the son of heaven and the light of the people." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

"I survived nonetheless." Emperor Guangzong said.

"But it remains treason." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

"And who to tell would be capable of such a treasonous act, when I am surrounded by enemies unable to tell where and when a new one shall emerge, even Courtiers themselves have misplaced loyalties the notables and Seigniors bow to me but serve different masters who can say that the dynasty is at peace?" Emperor Guangzong asked.

"I understand Your Majesty." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

"And apart from Your Highness who would understand me better?" Emperor Guangzong asked.

There was some silence.

"When I was young I told myself over and over again, Taizu was a conquerer, Gaozong a defender but I wanted to be like my father, a sustainer, to push this nation to a height that is greater than any other in history and lands beyond the peninsula and the Prairie would worship us and call us the Great one, that once more the lands beyond the Great wall would return to the descendants of Zhao and our people might enjoy a golden age of prosperity we would rise above the heights of the Han and the Tang and never fall below." Emperor Guangzong said.

"What happened to Your Majesty's most innocent dream, can't you still not look up to your father or be like him?" Empress Dowager Wu asked.

"I am afraid to take his nature, I am afraid to own it, I fear for the Crown Prince leaving in fright all his life I fear for this Dynasty and it's children weathering the schemes of this schizophrenic Courtiers." Emperor Guangzong replied.

"But you are the people Your Majesty." Empress Dowager Wu asked.

"Am I?" Emperor Guangzong asked.

"We might not hold in our rage but we can't let it control us, one moment we are surrounded by men we think to be allies the rest they turn into the most vicious monsters that we have ever seen." Empress Dowager Wu replied, "Your Majesty, the most important thing about being a monarch, more than living a splendid life, building legacies and castles and enriching the land with the wealth from other nations is doing something that you'll never bring yourself to regret." She added.

"I hear as you speak Your Highness." Emperor Guangzong muttered.

"Then please whatever it is that is burdening you you can let it go, gladly you survived only become strong for the people and somethings pretend to not see but if there is something that Your Majesty should he certain about then it is the fact that His Majesty and I wish for nothing but your good fortune." Empress Dowager Wu muttered.

"And how is it that I could possibly forget, how could I possibly look aside, How could I ignore on the other hand the moment you became the reason that I sat on that Dragon throne?" Emperor Guangzong asked.

"I was living to the promise I made to his late Majesty that I'd guard this kingdom, that I'll give you the sons of Zhao the mandate of heaven, that I'd protect you and teach all men to worship you." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

"And I am grateful Grandmother." Emperor Guangzong said and the Empress Dowager bowing her head one last time she slowly withdrew from the old man's presence and turned to get out while Eunuch Qin returned only to find his master in silence.

"Is Your Majesty alright?" He asked.

"Do what I won't regret?" The Emperor muttered to himself, "guard this Great Kingdom?" He went ahead to say.

"Your Majesty...." Eunuch Qin speaking the Emperor closed his eyes.

"What happened to the Imperial family, where did the common households become much better than we are?" He asked in the most sombre tone tears falling from his eyes, "just like that old loyalties waned with the wind, just like that my father became a man that I can not understand and a man that I do not wish to see." He added.

"Calm down Your Majesty." Eunuch Qin tried to console the old man.

"At times like this I am forced to wonder if I am even his biological son." Emperor Guangzong whispered under his breath less confident in everything around him.

Empress Li sat face to face with her son and his gaze trying hard enough to avoid hers for a moment she felt confident and she took a deep breath and she sighed.

"Talk to me." She demanded, "I am your mother after all." She attached a very soft and caring tone as she held his hand on the table.

"About Sister Qi'an." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"What about her?" Empress Li asked.

"She is already the age of marriage and she would need a husband in her life." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"And I suppose you are concerned?" Empress Li asked.

"You don't look to well yourself mother and I am concerned about your health as well, even at a time like this you seem to be tense every now and then thrice I notice you barely have any meals and seven times you sleep late, you are discussing with some Courtiers and there isn't a lady in waiting to apply balm to ease your migraines that you are aging too fast when you are still in your youth." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"You sound just like me." Empress Li muttered.

"You need strength and father needs to secure his position, our family needs to remain together and the Courtiers who plan on exploiting us should realise much later that they are making a fool of themselves." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo said.

"You speak like an Emperor already." Empress Li remarked.

"Mother taught me well." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"Alright." Empress Li said, "what do you have in mind, I am eager to hear it." She added.

"I understand how well mother cherishes Qi'an, I understand well how good she is and her future husband would be the luckiest man in the world." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied, "I noticed of recent that she takes quite an interest in scholar Shi, the son of the Grand Chancellor and studying with him made me realize that he was a very upright young man with great talent and poise, he is so we'll refined and his intelligence is unmatched, he has cultivated both virtue and filial piety I can tell that there is an aura of greatness that surrounds him." He added.

"Your Highness has an eye out for talent." Empress Li muttered.

"And mine being a very humble opinion I might as well need your guidance but I am defeated by him to the point of inquiring if he would make a very good in law." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo said.

"Shi Miyuan?" Empress Li asked.

"From a respectable family, he'd be as lucky to be affiliated with the Imperial clan, as such we can be sure of his protection in future and when the Chancellory sides with the throne is it not the most powerful couple in the whole world?" Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"Perhaps I understand." Empress Li said.

"The Crown Princess is the blessing of Han Touzhou meaning that he hopes for an Empress that will suit his cause, on the other hand a Chancellor that we bless might be the sufficient might that we need to counter his immense power." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied as the Empress seemed to be taken aback by his words.

"Great." she muttered.

"Sister knows nothing about politics but she believes with her heart that she certainly loves Shi Miyuan, I can only say this and in return I hope that mother can pull all the necessary strings for her." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo said as he stood up and knelt down in front of the Empress who keeping quiet she stood up as well and walked away hardly saying a word to him.

"I have heard what you have said." She remembered to whisper in a distance but along with the whisper there was no assurance that followed the young man out of the hall.

Crown Prince Zhao Kuo stepping outside Lan He was waiting for him.

"What did Her Highness say?" He asked.

"Nothing." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied as they walked.

"Really?" Lan He asked seemingly curious.

"At the very least she seemed very pleased with the idea but whether she'll put it into consideration or not that is something that I can not guarantee as of yet." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"That's quite pitiful." Lan He remarked.

"Not so." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied.

"Is there any more that we can do apart from what we have had to offer so far?" Lan He asked.

"Now that mother is aware of the situation we must eliminate every possibility of nullification of this offer." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo replied, "after all it is said that actions speak louder than words I am sure that a good move shall respond within the walls of the Palace." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo added.

Emperor Xiaozong and Eunuch Gao in the Palace of Virtue and Longevity it's gates were flung open and through its doors a new set of Imperial guards that were led by Li San rushed in only to be blocked by the Retired Emperor's personal force.

"This is an Oral Edict from His Majesty the Emperor." Li San announced and the soldiers present hardly listening to him they unsheathed their swords and pointed them at their guests.

"I repeat, this is an Oral Edict from His Majesty the Emperor." General Li San announced aloud but the Retired Emperor's guards still maintaining their position seemed most unprepared for a negotiation and resistance could be felt in the air as the young man smiled ghastly.

Raising his hands the Archers emerged from behind through the gates and forging what appeared to be their own frontier with shields ahead of them they aimed at their fellows who were only a couple of metres away.

The Retired Emperor's guards surrounding his Chambers emerged from other corners of the palace and stationing themselves on the balconies their archers aimed down at the proud generals men the two hostile camps seemed very prepared for warfare any time soon.

"If you do not heed the Oral Decree of His Majesty the Emperor you are Rebels of the state, Rebels by order and rule of law in our Dynasty shall be traitors and the punishment that is granted to those traitors and the unfaithful is death by Imperial order." General Li San muttered.

"His Majesty the Retired Emperor is just as much a father of the nation that you have no right to budge in here with men that are armed as though you intend to confine a criminal." Commander Xie remarked as well his men standing confidently behind him.

The doors of the Retired Emperor's Chambers were opened that very moment by the ladies in waiting that had positioned themselves outside and in the view of the two parties Eunuch Gao appeared humble yet serious judging from his facial expression.

"Enough." He muttered and everyone going silent the guards paved way for him while he walked up closer to the edge of the staircase where he trusted himself to be in everyone's view.

"His Majesty the Retired Emperor is not feeling well." He muttered and everyone looked at each other while Li San studied the expression on the Eunuch's face.

        "And that is what brings us here." He said.

        "And just to whom do you address the Imperial Edict, is it to His Majesty?" Eunuch Gao asked, "should I perhaps get him out here in the cold to bow and go onto his knees or have you mismanaged your authorities and I'll advised the Emperor to perform the most unfilial act in the History of the dynasty?" He added.

        "There's no such thing." General Li San replied.

        "Or is His Majesty's defence lacking?" Eunuch Gao asked.

         "A couple of days ago the Main Palace was attacked by assassins who threatened the life of His Majesty thus tampering the stability of this nation, out of concern it is His Majesty's decree that his father's security be replaced with that which is more efficient." General Li San replied.

        "And the safety of the nation rests with the safety of the Sovereign, the security of His Majesty the Retired Emperor is an issue that he believes should be discussed with him.

        There hasn't been a recorded attempt on his life as of yet like it has been in the main Palace, in your opinion General and Commander of the three divisions of the Imperial Guard, which seems to be more insecure?" Eunuch Gao asked and the latter reserving his silence the old man smiled.

       "I have my answer." He said.

       "Do you mean to rebel?" General Li San asked.

        "His Majesty merely wishes to protect his son and how could he put his safety first ahead of that of the nation?" Eunuch Gao asked, "rather he'd die leaving behind this Country in capable hands as it is that he is old and his time is soon at hand, His Majesty dares not interfere." He added and turning around he returned inside the room while the angry general looking around at the Retired Emperor's guardians he felt infuriated that he clenched his fists.

        Empress Li seated in her Chambers she recalled each one of the words that her son had mentioned to her and her mind drifting away into all those thoughts she couldn't help it but sigh when the doors were flung open and Li San rushing through with fury he sat down and smacked the table aloud.

        "How dare he?" He asked that the Empress quickly turned to him and she seemed calm.

         "What is it this time?" She asked softly.

         "I did exactly as you had asked, convinced His Majesty to pass an oral Edict to Change the guard of His Majesty the Retired Emperor which he did, all in vain I had an earful from that old Eunuch who is barely a man, and he scolds at me so much even those soldiers could not bend and bow their heads with honour." General Li San replied.

        "In the very least it's not that frustrating." Empress Li remarked.

        "How can you say so when we practically made a fool of ourselves knowingly?" General Li San asked.

         "Perhaps the old man is too predictable and His Majesty at the time only too versatile, a combination of the two nothing would be surprising as both father and son or hard headed suppose they collided who would soften to the other?" Empress Li replied.

        "I don't understand." General Li San asked.

        "And you won't understand even if I repeat myself over and over again unless perhaps I told you." Empress Li replied with a ghastly smile on her face.

         "Enlighten me." General Li San requested.

         "A huge flame can be born from a simple spark, the Empress Dowager's visit very likely to have down some seeds of reconciliation it was necessary to retaliate slightly otherwise." Empress Li replied.

          "Retaliate slightly otherwise?" General Li San asked.

         "You can think about it on these terms." Empress Li replied, "there are things that are a little bit too painful but must be accepted and one is the fact that His Majesty might be the Reigning Emperor but regardless, he shall never be above his father in this kingdom." She added.

        "So you are trying to imply that he can't possibly have everything that he asks for?" Li San asked.

         "As usual." Empress Li replied, "even the law can not permit it so he'll eventually have to concede to the mere fact that the only way he could possibly have the whole world in his hand is to send his father out of it." She added.

         "I see." Li San said.

         "His Majesty doesn't have that long to live anyway, but if there is one thing that must be then it's the mere fact that I can not allow my husband to be remorseful in the future about his passing." Empress Li muttered as she smiled at herself ghastly.

         Emperor Xiaozong was quiet inside and Eunuch Gao standing beside him he bowed his head.

         "Do you realise what you just did?" The Emperor asked.

         "Yes Your Majesty." Eunuch Gao replied.

         "Why?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

         "They dated to belittle you, that's why." Eunuch Gao replied.

         "Do you even feel sorry?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

         "I regret nothing Your Majesty." Eunuch Gao replied.

         "Great." The Retired Emperor muttered, "just great." He said nodding his head with approval as he clenched his fist and smacked the table that was right in front of him the latter so frightened he rested his forehead on the ground.

         "Since when do you fix words in my mouth, confine me to silence and set me to sleep and speak out your opinions?" Emperor Xiaozong asked angrily. 

         "All my years in the palace Your Majesty not more than five years in your service I thought I know you to well, my conduct in the Palace demands that I protect you that is with my life and additionally on the other hand it demands that I place you above any other that is because my life is in your hands." Eunuch Gao replied.

       "But clearly you do not know my deepest intuitions, you don't understand any of my heart's concerns, you don't even understand the language of my soul." Emperor Xiaozong scolded.

         "For I am quite muddled Your Majesty." Eunuch Gao spoke aloud.

         "And you still remain arrogant in front of me?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

         "Your Majesty.....?" Eunuch Gao replied.

         "Can you in the very least defend yourself?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

         "Then perhaps I should have carried Your Majesty to that ground and helped you receive the oral Edict, are you faculties really that questionable that you can not decide those that can and can not protect you, clearly His Majesty is suspicious but what image do you think he intends to make of his name, is it not that a father shall become the prisoner of his son or otherwise is he not too filial when until now what he despises more than anything else in the world is a sight of you?" Eunuch Gao muttered that the Emperor furious he picked up the cup on his table and threw it at the latter who immediately started bleeding from the side of his head.

        "Stop." The Retired Emperor commanded.

        "Heaven itself can justify my deepest loyalty to Your Majesty but still if there is someone that you wish to hold responsible as well I won't decline any punishment you have to offer." Eunuch Gao confessed as he bowed his head to the Emperor one more time the old man startled he turned the other way.

        "Get out." He demanded and Eunuch Gao standing up he bowed his head.

        "From now on you shall oversee the Retired Empress." He demanded and the latter widening his eyes the Retired Emperor turned around and looked at him.

        "It's the very least that you can do to earn my most sincere forgiveness." The Retired Emperor went ahead to say and Eunuch Gao bending he chuckled lightly.

         "Your wish is my command Your Majesty." He muttered in tears as he withdrew from his presence the doors were shut behind him while the Retired Emperor sighing he started to violently cough and in the event he covered his mouth with a handkerchief.

        He pulled it off later and stared intensely at the thick red patch he had formed with his blood before folding it that very instant and closing his eyes.

        "This is outrageous." Empress Dowager Wu remarked.

      "It's clear that the Empress doesn't intend to reconcile father and son." Wan Mei muttered.

       "Every effort we make is in vain it seems because once every last bit of this relationship has crumbled then we won't last long within these walls safe as well." Empress Dowager Wu said.

        "But is there nothing that we can do?" Wan'er asked.

        "To be honest even I don't know." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

        "And Yang Meizi?" Wan Mei asked.

        "She's been too reserved lately, she's hardly been to the Palace of Virtue and Longevity on the Retired Emperor's order, but much as I know she spends time supervising other activities within the six palaces." Wan'er replied.

        "Is that so?" Empress Dowager Wu asked.

        "What more can she do?" Wan'er asked, "there is already a bloody strife within the Palace and the longer it endures she's rather at ease." She added.

        "Perhaps she'd rather watch." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

        "You seem to say that she is up to something Your Highness." Wan Mei muttered.

        "I recall the same about her mother, her only difference is that she is more composed when it comes to things like this, at times I find it strange but she stirred up one of the biggest storms in the Palace she should have a way of benefit." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

       "All that she ever wanted in her life was vengeance." Wan Mei remarked.

       "And that made her our most efficient but most untrustworthy ally." Empress Dowager Wu replied.

        "Then surely her silence could mean good on our side, after all, if the Empress falls all power shall return to you." Wan'er flattered.

        "I am too old as well, yet she shows disinterest in the Palace, I only wish that after this fight is over there'll be an end to the bloodshed, at last I shall be able to face my husband and the ancestors in the after life and I would confidently tell them that I guarded the Great Song." Empress Dowager Wu spoke up.

       "Head Lady Yang requesting for an audience with Your Majesty." A Eunuch announced right outside the Retired Emperor's quarters.

        "I do not wish to see anyone right now." Emperor Xiaozong replied but the doors of the room being open nonetheless Yang Meizi accompanied by Nuwa moved up to his presence and they bowed their heads to him.

        "Did you mean to disobey my order because as far as I remember you aren't deaf and I am your master?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "What I have done is a crime that is worthy of death Your Majesty but I don't intend on repenting." Yang Meizi replied.

        "First Eunuch Gao and now you as well?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "Save Your Majesty, save the Great Song, by now you would have your answer even after you sent me out of the Palace for the lantern festival and by now you should understand much more than anyone that clearly you can no longer blame me." Yang Meizi replied.

        "And you are here to show off in my face?" Emperor Xiaozong asked, "don't worry much, I get your point clearly." He went ahead to say.

        "No." Yang Meizi replied.

        "Then what else brings you here?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "I have lied to Your Majesty and I deserve death yet until now even those Courtiers you once trusted and they in turn supported the Empress have turned you into an unjust monarch and ruler of our people.

        Your time is too little and that's why you wish to confine yourself to this hall, assure the world that there is prosperity and good health is with you at last you love His Majesty very much and you feel this is retribution for all your past mistakes." Yang Meizi replied.

        "You dare?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "Certainly." Yang Meizi replied and looking at Nuwa she brought over a tray that was veiled and removing the small scarlet piece of cloth she revealed two scrolls one in the model of an Imperial Edict and the other in the model of a blue ordinary scroll.

        "What is this?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "In the year of 1170, A Court Entertainer Zhang Shansheng perished and her body was found in the Imperial pond and shortly later Yang Cairen died under strange circumstances, these two people possessed the same thing that threatened a powerful figure whose influence Your Highness must have noticed has become quite significant over the years." Yang Meizi replied as the Emperor took the scrolls and opened them one by one to looked at their contents while Yang Meizi reserved her silence.

His eyes widening with surprise the latter was convinced that he got the point that was written inside.

"Barbarians came to threaten the border and our people perished in the strife when General Yang was ordered to march to the capital with his troops unaware that the Edict he received was a fake manipulation of the Emperor's brush." Yang Meizi said.

"Impossible." Emperor Xiaozong remarked.

"The News in the capital must have been alarming as it was a sign of rebellion but regardless of the warnings that were sent none could ever cause the latter to turn around and return to Xiangyang because all the Messengers were intercepted and killed alas an Imperial army had to be put together to cause the rebels to surrender when in actual sense they started off by butchering them until the very last man had forced them to put their hands in the air." Yang Meizi replied.

"Enough." Emperor Xiaozong said.

"As usual." Yang Meizi replied, "the rulers look up to their ancestors and the people look up to you, you dismiss them with silence and in just a matter of time for them the world is no fair place but the most cruel one." She added.

"And why are you telling me this now?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

"You can only imagine how painful my silence once, yet nonetheless with enemies behind me I dared less confident in what Your Majesty would say or if you would believe me, perhaps I was not different from those scheming Courtiers and perhaps I wasn't the most upright citizen, but thosands of people lost their lives protecting theses secrets and a thousand more entrusted their lives to me Your Majesty." Yang Meizi replied.

"So it's who you are to them, a heroine?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

"More or less I am a human just like they are, once I'd be a mother, another time perhaps a wife, yet I am another's daughter and sister as well, and now you have seen for yourself what they are capable of doing, you have seen just how far they are willing to go even if Innocents are to be hurt in the end, and you have received that pain too." Yang Meizi replied.

"What do you want?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "What more could I ask for?" Yang Meizi replied.

        "There must surely be something." Emperor Xiaozong said.

        "Your Majesty has always been wary of me, at the same time you sent me out of the Palace but had a change of heart, I saved the life of the Retired Empress and I entered your service and no other's, only you can set me free Your Majesty, make me an ordinary woman once again and free me from this Cruel Palace." Yang Meizi replied.  

        The old man chuckled aloud and she on the other hand seemed surprised about his reaction.

        "Set you free, make you an ordinary woman once again and free me from this Cruel Palace?" The Retired Emperor asked.

        "It's not above Your Majesty, you know this too, I shall come nowhere close as you wish of me and Your Majesty shall push me as far as you want me to go." Yang Meizi replied.

        "Someone who could care for the welfare of others, you'd still dare to claim that you resent the Palace too much?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "My people and yours can rest in peace once Justice is served, when your will in heaven is born here on Earth and you have rid the Great Song of such poisonous traitors Your Majesty, you shall be remembered a King of the people and the father of many and the generations to come shall consign you what I believe shall be the most luminous legacy." Yang Meizi replied.

         "Should I refuse?" Emperor Xiaozong asked.

        "That is up to Your Majesty, as a woman this is the farthest that I can come, I believe that your intentions are not so hidden from me like they are from the world, so please set me free and let me live again." Yang Meizi replied.

         "Such piety, such overwhelming devotion, you would certainly place it above your life, leave me be and let the heaven's will manifest itself for now." Emperor Xiaozong muttered as the latter stood up and with Nuwa bowing their heads to the old man, they withdrew from his presence not turning back around.

        Upon reaching outside and walking away, Nuwa who was keeping a distance from her mistress got closer towards her ear.

        Only four years between them and Yang Meizi being the younger wasn't enough, she commanded while the latter stuck to her promise to protect her.

        However at that time there was something little about Nuwa that had changed and she was still not sure that it was something that would one day become very big, and drawing her into question with Yang Meizi she seemed to notice before she spoke the change in her behavior it forced her to halt at once.

        "There's something on your mind?" She asked.

        "Yes." Nuwa replied.

        "What is it?" Yang Meizi asked.

        "Since when did you plan to leave the Palace?" Nuwa asked.

        She temporarily kept quiet.

        "Do you love it here?" Yang Meizi asked.

        "Honestly until now it's the first time that you spoke something that surprised me to." Nuwa replied and Yang Meizi smiling she continued to walk while Nuwa followed.

        "What brought us into the Palace?" She asked.

       "To avenge our brethren." Nuwa replied.

       "And until now every breath of ours devoted to this dream pushed me this close to the Retired Emperor that I might perceive its reality and I realised a bit too soon that I had done more than enough in the end rather than become the victims of this Cruel Palace, perhaps I would give all our colleagues that survived the freedom to choose any path in their lives." Yang Meizi muttered.

       "But only we could protect them here." Nuwa said, "if you demand to leave who will remain behind to see to their needs or to comfort them, to safeguard their positions when equally they did just as much to make us realise our cause." She added.

       "And if we stay we shall be no different from those Nobles and those Seigniors, we shall have made them slaves to our will in the future their service to us might put a price on their heads on the side of our enemies." Yang Meizi said.

        "Between Milady and me, I would perhaps understand the longing of your heart and perhaps your fear." Nuwa spoke up.

        "And I would understand that you have your reason to stay behind, isn't it?" Yang Meizi asked.

        "You begged the Retired Emperor so allow me to beg you on their behalf." Nuwa replied and Yang Meizi smiling at her she sighed as she moved to the bridge that stood right above the Imperial pond.

        "You have followed me all your life Nuwa and it would be unjust for me to keep you tied to myself, you don't need my permission to live that life of yours as you wish and I couldn't be more grateful because you have done for me more than enough I wouldn't even dare to contain you." She said.

        "Milady...?" Nuwa called.

        "Regardless of how this fight might end I still won't hold onto you, for once we shall be free from this prison and in the end we shall learn to live again." Yang Meizi said.

        "Thank you Milady." Nuwa said as she kowtowed to her.

Empress Li in the comfort of her Chambers she thought deeply about everything that her son had mentioned to her and while she caressed her temples in silence she was interrupted when her brother walked in through the doors.

       "Your Highness." He said bowing down to her while the Empress on the other hand faced him.

       "What do you think about Han Touzhou?" She asked first.

        "Is Your Highness worried about him?" Li San asked.

        "When have I never been?" Empress Li asked.

        "He is quite powerful and there are Courtiers that respect him, on the other hand there is the Empress Dowager and her nephews that might with time come to wield tremendous power." Li San replied.

       "Is that supposed to make me feel any better?" Empress Li asked.

        "There's just about enough might to counter his own." Li San replied.

        "And we should be stronger." Empress Li muttered.

        "Your Highness seems to have an idea." Li San said.

        "Shi Hao is quite powerful and as Grand Chancellor I heard that he is beloved by the people, he seems to be playing the neutral party and that alone could jeopardize any of our plans if the Empress Dowager or Han Touzhou got to him first." Empress Li replied.

       "But just as you know him he isn't that type that we can easily win over." Li San said.

        "Which is the other unfortunate bit I consider however there is still some hope." Empress Li replied.

        "Tell me." Li San replied.

        "Princess Qi'an." Empress Li replied.

        "What about her?" Li San asked.

        "I heard recently that she has a liking to Shi Miyuan who happens to be Shi Hao's son and perhaps I had ignored his capabilities I realised that his achievements are just as grandiose, at his age having excelled in the Liberal Arts and already dominating over the Imperial Court's lower position he is just a young and very outstanding talent that would be used to our best advantage." Empress Li replied.

        "But what gives you the impression that Shi Hao shall agree to this marriage, he is a well known Noble who is strong and economically sound and on top of that marrying an Imperial Princess into his household would weaken him absolutely because it would reduce his powers and merge them with yours." Li San remarked.

        "He is much older than I am and on top of that he couldn't have as many allies, with this alliance being a dual one we could each depend on one another for power to Counter Han Touzhou as Imperial favour would propel him to rise to higher ranks with his Grand children, additionally I can use Princess Qi'an as a way of protecting him and his clan." Empress Li replied.

        "But I find it a bit too unreliable, you could use the Princesses Wen'an and Hezheng, why does it have to be Qi'aner?" Li San asked.

        "Princess Qi'an is my flesh and blood it makes her more reliable, the others might resent me for their mothers lacking the Emperor's Imperial favour and failing to rise in rank." Empress Li replied while her brother kept quiet.

        "I have thought about it and I need to strengthen both my position and the position of my grandchildren in the Palace, the hope of Han Touzhou is the blessing of an Empress coming from his house it would in turn make him a more powerful ally and he'd rally against us." She said as she held her brother's arm onto the table, "if you are seeking allegiance that is eternal, power that is enough to make your allies meet their bare subsistence shall keep them under your control." She remarked.

        "But we have to worry about Shi Hao or his son saying no." Li San emphasized.

        "Not necessarily." Empress Li replied, "there is a way that we could give them much less of an option." She added as she smiled at herself ghastly.

         Emperor Xiaozong looking at the scrolls that Yang Meizi had left in front of him he couldn't help it but think about the words that she had mentioned when one of the Eunuchs at the door spoke up.

        "Her Highness the Retired Empress." He announced.

        "I wish to be alone." The Emperor replied in what was a lowly tone that the Empress holding with her a tray on the other side she kept quiet for a while.

          "What happened to His Majesty?" She asked the Eunuch.

          "Your servant knows too little but earlier in a day the Emperor sent over Imperial guards with an oral Edict that His Majesty didn't honour or listen to." The Eunuch replied.

          "Alright." Empress Xie remarked as she turned around to walk away but before she'd go any further she halted and turned her head around slightly.

         "Has His Majesty seen anyone?" She asked.

         "Apart from Eunuch Gao, only Head Lady Yang had stepped in to serve him." The Eunuch replied and the Retired Emperor hearing everything on the outside he chose to reserve his silence briefly while the Retired Empress herself seemed to feel that he was listening to her every word.

         "I brought over some snacks hoping that His Majesty would enjoy them, rice cakes and the lotus soup." She muttered as her servant Daiyu took them into her possession and handed them over to a Eunuch who gave them to the nearby Head Lady.

         "Thank you Your Highness." The Eunuch said.

        "Make sure to give it to His Majesty." Empress Xie ordered.

        "I certainly will." The Eunuch replied and bowing his head, the Empress and her retinue walked and vanished from sight while the Lady in Waiting who had ceased the lunchbox looked at it carefully in her hands.

        "Bring it in." Emperor Xiaozong said and the doors being opened the young lady carried the box inside and placed it at the table in front of the Emperor.

        "Get out." The Retired Emperor said.

        "Allow me to serve you." The Lady in waiting requested and bowing down to open the box the Retired Emperor halted her with his hand.

        "Your Majesty..." She insisted.

        "Which one of my orders wasn't clear?" The Retired Emperor asked.

        "None." The young woman replied.

        "Then get out." Emperor Xiaozong ordered.

        "Aye." She replied as she withdrew backwards bowing her head until eventually the doors were shut behind her.

        The sky darkening, Yang Meizi stood at the bridge and she watched the stars while the Crown Prince Zhao Kuo and his retinue passing by he beheld her in a distance.

        He signalled for Lan He and the others to halt and not make a sound and sneakily he walked up behind her as he maintained his distance while she did little to notice the presence of the latter.

         In her hands she embraced the plum blossom pendant and thinking about everything that had happened between Shi Miyuan and her the previous nights she could hardly put her mind to ease.

        "Mother?" She called, "I have come." She went ahead to whisper to the wind, "all these years of silence have brought me here and growing colder each and every day I never thought that there would ever be someone to cherish me." She remarked and Shi Miyuan listening he was certain that they weren't talking about him, Lan He in very close proximity understood better than anyone else that a sombre note had been struck in his master's heart.

        "Your Highness..." He opted to speak out of consolation but the other only reserving his silence could barely find the strength and courage to utter any word.

         "I have never been more desperate to desert this palace but if I must just grant me one wish from the skies." Yang Meizi said, "in this life I won't be empty handed and after everything I promise you that I shall live my life well." She muttered shedding tears and closing her eyes that moment before she turned around to walk away only to realise the Crown Prince's gaze stuck on her.

       "Your Highness." She said bowing I her head to him.

        "You have never been more desperate to desert this Palace?" He asked. 

        "Pardon me, I didn't recognize your presence." Yang Meizi replied instead.

        "You didn't answer my question." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo scolded.

"Do you really not understand a thing Your Highness?" Yang Meizi asked.

"Do you resent me that much?" Crown Prince Zhao Kuo asked.

"And what is the palace to me?" Yang Meizi asked, "would you say that I chose to be here?" She added.

"Then is there another reason that I do not know of?" Crown Prince Zhao Kuo asked.

"And what would you know Your Highness, could you feel the whispers and echoes of all the ghosts and corpses beneath our feet, or could you feel the loneliness that is buried within these Crimson walls?" Yang Meizi asked, "you were born in this place and it will always be a home to you, I was raised in the wild with a faint memory of the past yet I do recall that there I had a mother and there I had a family, there I had someone to comfort me and I had a shoulder to bear me through the miserable times, someone to keep me warm in the cold and shelter me from the rain, hold me in their most loving arms and when empty they would make me feel whole again." Yang Meizi spoke on the verge of breaking down.

"I offered you a choice." Crown Prince Zhao Kuo said.

"And I offered you a choice as well Your Highness, I offered you a reality and I gave you every reason that my heart can never accept you." Yang Meizi confronted him as he got closer while she moved a number of feet away.

"You will in the end have your Palace and I shall have my freedom Your Highness because regardless of everything that you do I shall never reciprocate the feelings that I have towards him and I hope that it is something that you shall understand." Yang Meizi said as she bowed her head and she moved past him.

"Come to me." He muttered before she could go any further but the latter still confident in her choice she continued her way while the Crown Prince infuriated he clenched his fists in the silence unable to face Lan He and the rest.

He walked up to his master and he ceased him by the shoulder the latter turning around he embraced him tightly into a hug.

"I have done everything." The Crown Prince muttered his senses seemingly lost at the moment.

"It shall be alright Your Highness." Lan He comforted the latter who nodded with disapproval.

"No." The Crown Prince muttered, "it won't." He went ahead to speak content in his thoughts.

"Your Highness....?" Lan He called out of concern.

"Ssshhh." The Crown Prince whispered into his ear still embracing him as the latter quietened down and he brought his mouth close to his ear.

"It's either me or Shi Miyuan." The Crown Prince whispered coldly they finally broke apart and he looked him in the eye himself seemingly composed yet he appeared frightening just as well.

"The sooner the better." The Crown Prince remarked.

"Your Highness, the consequences could be dire and the image of the Imperial family shall be put at stake." Lan He cautioned.

"What do I have to worry about, why should I grieve and wail?" Crown Prince Zhao Kuo asked with a smile on his face, "if mother is hesitant it won't help, if I must force her hand then I shall certainly do it." He swore so confidently that his eyes burned with so much rage.

The doors to the Empress' small living room were opened and right through them a man who appeared to be in his late thirties walked in and looked up at the Empress who was seated on her throne.

"Greetings Your Highness." He said while bowing his head to the fairly old woman who hidden behind a thin scarlet silk curtain she stared at him intensely.

"There's no need for formalities." Empress Li muttered.

"I heard that Your Highness summoned me." The man said and the Empress somehow studying him entirely, she smiled as Chiyun Ling who was carrying with herself a small chest she quickly rushed to his side and handed it over to him.

"What's this Your Highness?" The man asked.

"Open and see for yourself." Empress Li replied and the man hesitantly holding onto the lid of the trunk, he lifted it up to see it's contents but his expression changed that he quickly shut it down.

"Your Highness?" He spoke as though out of fright shivering entirely.

"I heard that you have spent about seven years from Goryeo and I heard that it mustn't have been easy for a foreigner like you to survive in this land, I understand that there might be relatives you cherish and you meet dearly and at the time that you had an ailing mother and a poor sister that worked as a harlot on the streets of Gaegyeong." Empress Li muttered.

"Your Highness is overly concerned about this worthless servant, pardon me greatly for bothering you." The man said.

"Yom Salhwa?" The Empress called.

"Yes Your Highness." He replied.

"In the trunk ahead of you there are one hundred taels of gold and that is a mere glimpse of the freedoms that I can give you." Empress Li replied as Liu Zhan fanned her and Chiyun Ling looked at the old man.

"I can turn you into a wealthy man in Goryeo but that is only if you help me to help you win back your freedoms." Empress Li went ahead to say.

"Your wish is my command Your Highness." Yom Salhwa replied while bowing his head to the Empress whose smile appeared from the other side of the curtain clearly.

"Well done." She remarked , "I need you to do something for me." She added.

"What is it Your Highness?" Yom Salhwa asked.

"I want you to kill for me someone." Empress Li replied and the latter widening his eyes he raised his head and looked at the Empress who seemed sure of what she was saying.

"Kkkkkilll Someone?" He stuttered.

"Someone with questionable health, yes, make a corpse certainly, in the cleanest way possible that no one would dare suspect and in the long run to get that blood on the hands of another." Empress Li replied as she smiled at herself ghastly while Chiyun Ling gave the man a rather frightening gaze he started to sweat profusely in the presence of the Empress whose mere gaze seemed effective enough to warn him against defectiveness.