Chapter 14
"As for Shan Yuan, I decide to break up with him today"
"But" Weining was stupefied. Her mistress and his highness get along well and they even do it almost every day.
"If my guess is right, I can't just change the fate and for now I can't challenge it too. I have to send Shan Yuan back to the Yang kingdom soon. I don't want to involve him in the Xiao family and royal family of Sui's matters. Don't tell anything about this to anyone"
"Prepare tomorrow we will go to the capital alone. I should give uncle's last edict"
"Last edict?"
"Uncle gave me a letter before he dies and the thing, I did yesterday was to find the letter from a hidden place and read it. He has known that the crown prince is still alive. He had seen this coming and he said there is an edict passing the throne to the crown prince. So Weining, when we went back to the capital you will go back to prime minister manor with other servants and Linlin you will help me to take the edict"
"Yes, your highness"
"Weining help me with dressing"
"Yes"
"Don't wake up him, he must be tired" she said getting help from Weining to stand up. They went out and a Shan Yuan sit up in the bed. He had a mix of emotions.
"Come inside" Bai Qi came inside.
"Did you find out about it?"
"Yes, your highness"
"Since she already decides it, she must have a plan, I will play my part"
In another room, Weining was helping Xiao Feng to change.
"Linlin, when we go back to the palace, you go back to imperial memorials with my token. Find the royal heirloom jade under the former empress dowager's memorial. Bring it to me" Linlin nodded. It was lunchtime and Xiao Feng and Shan Yuan were walking along the road.
"Can you walk?" She glared at Shan Yuan.
"Isn't the criminal in front of me?" Shan Yuan smiled wholeheartedly. He likes to tease Xiao Feng and it may be the last teasing it will for a long time. He wants to calm his mind about the things that are coming future. They went to a restaurant and was eating together.
"Shan Yuan, I am so sorry"
"Why are you sorry?"
"Let's break up for the best"
"It's not a time for a joke. We have to go to the capital tomorrow"
"Not we, Me. Me only. Shan Yuan, I have lost interest in you. You can go on your way. I will go on my way"
"What do you mean? Xiao Feng? Even yesterday we-"
"Forget the past just like a dream you saw last night. Wake up from the dream. Do you think you can achieve your dream of following a girl? I am not like you; I don't want to live in a dream. Just don't come in front of my face from now on. We are over. If we meet again, we are only… strangers" Xiao Feng stands up and went out without saying or listening to anything. Shan Yuan looks at the figure which was already out of vision. Xiao Feng was crying silently as she walked. Suddenly the rain starts pouring and Weining held an umbrella. Shan Yuan looks at the rainy sky as he drank the wine there and closed his eyes. He felt a great pain in his heart.
"I got ready for the better but why am I still feeling so painful and it hurts" Xiao Feng was back in the manor they stayed and she enter the room as she start crying after closing her room's door while continuously saying sorry.
The next morning Xiao Feng was in front of her carriage she was pale. She couldn't sleep the whole night and finally could sleep after thinking she is doing this for the bigger picture but it was already morning. The housekeeper was behind her.
"The man went away?"
"Yes, your highness. He and his servant went back yesterday evening"
"Good" Xiao Feng signaled Weining as Weining gave a money bag and he measured the bag and thanked Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng got in the carriage with Weining and Linlin following inside. She took 2 tokens from the bag beside her.
"Weining, this is the token of Prime Minister Manor. Only second to the prime minister and my mother. If someone dares to bully you in the manor or find faults with servants staying there, just tell them your 3rd Ms. People" Weining took the token and nodded.
"Linlin, the token of princess royal grand. With this, no one will stop you unless the token of the emperor or himself" Linlin nodded.
By evening they came near to the capital and Xiao Feng was sleeping when the carriage stopped suddenly.
"What's happening?"
"The guards asking for checking even after showing the edict" Xiao Feng opened her eyes and nod towards Weining and Linlin. They went out with Xiao Feng following them from behind.
"Do you not know who your highness is?"
"Pardon me, but the emperor has ordered to check any entry," the guard said.
"How dare you?" Everyone looks at the person who was there and the imperial eunuch gets off the horse.
"This is princess royal grand. Emperor himself respect princess royal grand"
"But" Imperial eunuch shows the emperor's token. Everyone quickly bowed except Xiao Feng.
"Princess royal grand, everyone was waiting for you" Xiao Feng nodded.
"Imperial eunuch, I am going to report to the emperor, just send my people to Prime Minister Manor. Linlin will be enough" Imperial eunuch looked at Xiao Feng and nodded.
"Weining, hand over the gifts that were for the palace. Remaining take those to prime minister Manor. Mother sent those gifts to sisters and brothers' families. I will personally give them since I haven't seen them for a while"
"Yes, your highness"
"Linlin, take the painting of Chaoshi mountain. I promised uncle to find the painting before and I finally found it but uncle is no longer in the world"
"Your highness is sure to close to the emperor" Weining signaled and a few servants brought a few gift carts in front. Xiao Feng and the imperial eunuch were walking toward the court when Xiao Feng asked Linlin to go to the imperial memorial but was stopped by the guards who escort them.
"Your highness, you can personally put the painting before the late emperor after reporting"
"Imperial eunuch, I neglect my duty to keep assisting the emperor. I ignore the court affairs so I am afraid to face uncle, not for now" Imperial eunuch nodded and signal them to let her go. Xiao Feng was finally in front of the great hall. Ready to face any storm.
"Princess royal grand is here" A eunuch announced. The imperial eunuch went inside walking quickly and standing beside the emperor. Emperor was looking down so Xiao Feng couldn't look at who really, he is with the distance. Xiao Feng steps inside and walks to the front. Xiao Feng saw everyone was looking forward to what was going to happen next.
"Xiao Feng, pay his respect to the emperor" Xiao Feng bowed. She doesn't have to kowtow.
"Please rise" Xiao Feng recognizes the voice and looks at the emperor trying to be calm.
"You're not surprised?"
"Your majesty, I was away from the capital for 2 months. I see some things have changed and it does surprise me, but I am curious about what happened when I was away instead of being surprised" Emperor chuckled a bit. Left Prime Minister Looks at his daughter. He had mixed expressions. He was thinking if it was Xiao Feng's scheme or not.
"Indeed, Xiao Feng has grown up. The right prime minister? Why don't you say what happened"
"Your majesty, princess royal grand, a month ago former emperor was guilty of not handling court affairs well. He couldn't take decisions and let the former empress take the decisions in the court which brought trouble for the country. So, he gave the throne to the crown prince knowing he is back"
"Right prime minister, it's natural for the empress to take care of court affairs if the emperor is ill or not doing well"
"Princess royal grand, the court is under the emperor-" Xiao Feng looked at the minister and the minister shut up and looked down.
"Princess royal grand, empress indeed can take care of court affairs when the emperor is sick and there is no prince or prince regent or emperor dies without an heir but none above happened and former empress make a mess with her way of handling things" Xiao Feng had expressionless eyes but still she smiled.
"I see, my older sister is in wrong here. I think she has already got punished for her mistakes. Father, did his majesty send the oldest sister and late emperor back to the Xiao manor or Guan country"
Guan country is where fallen royal families stay. Xiao Feng looks at her father and he shook his head a little. Xiao Feng looks at the emperor for an answer.
"Since emperor died former empress decide to mourn for him in the palace for 3 months"
"He is dead"
"My second brother is stupid. He killed himself" Xiao Feng took a deep breath calming herself.
"It just ends the mourning period of my uncle and right now my cousin is also dead" She deliberately said the relations so now no one can say that she curses the kingdom though she did it.
"I see, Xiao Feng is indeed close to my father and still thinks about him"
"Princess" Xiao Feng look aside and saw guards stopping Linlin. Xiao Feng looks at the emperor and he did signal to let her inside. Linlin came and gave a box to Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng took the box.
"Your majesty, I am so happy that your majesty came to the throne. Your majesty, I would not beat the bush since we were friends before I think your majesty let go of my sister"
"I haven't kept her, left prime minister, when the court ends how about you take 1st Ms. of Xiao back. She must miss home"
"Thank you, your majesty"
"Thank you, your majesty. Your majesty, I also have a gift for you" Xiao Feng opened the box and take out the jade.
"Royal family heirloom by the former emperor"
"Princess royal grand, you didn't give the heirloom to the former emperor," A minister said.
"Ministry of education, it was the national mourning period. I decide to give it after the mourning period since its end I ask to bring it here but we have another new emperor. It's not my fault, right? Your majesty, I request you to make a new heirloom since the new emperor has to have a new one"
"I see" Xiao Feng threw the jade to the ground and crashed with a sound making everyone gasp. Xiao Feng gave the box to Linlin and took the red-colored token to the ground. She walked towards the emperor. Everyone was panicked. Royal guards had their swords tightly grabbed to take any action at any time. Everyone was tensed.
"Your majesty, I think" Xiao Feng was one step parted from the emperor. Emperor was 2 steps parted from the throne seat and was standing. Xiao Feng walked to the seat as the emperor look what she is going to do. She took off the cloth in the seat as another wave of gasps left from court ministers.
"Xiao Feng, if you go too far, I think even I will not able to stop the outcome" She put the token in the place as the throne seat opened and she took the edict.
"Your majesty, I am giving you a gift. I said it was a gift. I am sorry for my rudeness" Xiao Feng took the token back and put it inside her sleeve. The opened secret place closed itself. She opened the edict. Xiao Feng's eyes didn't show a little bit of hesitation or scare but only determination and bravery.
"Receive the last edict from the fourth emperor" Everyone knelt except the present emperor. Xiao Feng looks at the emperor and he hesitantly knelt. She read the edict which has to give the throne to the crown prince. That's they get the difference between the former edict and the present edict.
In the former edict, princess royal grand said it was the edict and now it was the last edict. In the former edict, the late emperor entrusts the throne to the 2nd prince and asks him not to change ministers during the national mourning period but now the throne was given to the crown prince and there wasn't anything about ministers.
"Subjects received the edict!!" Everyone kowtowed.
"Thank you, father emperor"