Chapter 25
"Younger sister, please!" Xiao Li begged.
"Sister, will you forgive me, if it was me who killed your son? Will you forgive me even though I am your biological sister? So don't talk about any relationship because taking out it will make me angry more and more. And you!" Xiao Feng looks at the fourth prince. "Listen, I am telling you, 3rd prince, I took his head by own hand that no one knows. My uncle wanted his head to rest in peace. So, I brought his head. If you want his head now it is in the imperial memorial"
Saying "my uncle" she pointed out that she is more filial to her uncle than her uncle's own children. Xiao Feng turned and walk back to the throne.
That day, Xiao Feng returned to Sui and met with the emperor for the first time.
"Other conditions I haven't thought about yet"
"I will agree to anything you say"
"And your majesty, I was the one who killed the 3rd prince. It was one of the last wishes of her uncle. Would you still consider me as the Xiao Feng you knew?"
"So, if he asked for my head would you do it too?" Xiao Feng looked into his eyes and shook her head.
"He didn't ask me and even though he did, I don't think I will do it" Xiao Feng mumbled the last words but the emperor still could hear it clearly making him smile. It was a fact that in a war many people would die. He will just think as 3rd prince has died in the war.
Empress was in front of the throne.
"Emperor, empress" Everyone looks at the entrance to see the owner of the familiar voice. It was left prime minister. Xiao Feng gracefully turned and sat down beside the emperor.
"Left prime minister, you are here" He came to the front and greeted the emperor and empress.
"Your majesty, I heard my Second daughter and son-in-law was taken to the palace as a suspect of crime so I came to the palace as soon as I heard about it"
"Prime minister Xiao is well informed but at the time you came the fourth brother is no longer a suspect and he is the mastermind" Prime minister look at his youngest daughter on the throne.
This child is his favorite. She was born to sit in that seat but he could no longer see the past Xiao Feng. He can no longer understand her. She has changed.
"Your majesty, my only grandson is just born. Please don't make him fatherless"
"Yeah, he is the only grandson of you and Sheng is only my son too"
"He is just a concubine-born child" He mumbled. Xiao Feng looked at Linlin and Linlin kick his knees and make him kneel.
"Fourth prince, did you forget your own origin by having a luxury life in past years?"
"Xiao Feng!" Xiao Li called out.
"Empress, for the sake of our relationship can you please let your highness go? He is the father of the grandson of me and late king"
"What relationship are you talking about Prime Minister Xiao? I think the relationship you're talking about had been long broken. It was broken when you turn a blind eye to 1st sister's doing. It was broken when you decided not to be fair. I don't want to bring out any Xiao family matters here. Prime Minister Xiao can talk to this as prime minister, not some father or father-in-law. If not, you can go back"
"You!" Both Xiao Li and the prime minister called out with anger. Xiao Feng was gripping her dress. Seeing it, the emperor held her hand to calm her down.
"Then how about I exchange something with the fourth prince's life?"
"Do you have anything that is valuable enough to exchange for a huge criminal?"
"I will step back from my post and never meddle with state affairs," the prime minister said kneeling and taking off his official hat. It's not that valuable to them but Xiao Feng looked at the emperor and he nodded.
"Then we will forgive you for Prince Sheng's case" Emperor looks at Xiao Feng and smile knowing the meaning behind the words.
"Empress, please don't play word games with me. I want your majesty and empress to forgive the fourth prince totally" Xiao Feng chuckled.
"Prime Minister Xiao may don't know, 5th prince took his son's case for himself. We can't just forgive the fourth prince about it, right? How about this, ask 5th prince to palace right now, we will talk, and then maybe we can totally forgive you"
"Empress, don't you think you're too much to make conflicts between imperial families? Didn't the late emperor ask you to take care of the imperial family? But here you are creating conflicts between them" Prime minister Xiao said his mind.
"Yeah, he did and that's what I am doing here. He asked me to take care of imperial blood. But right now, 3 imperial family members have died and one's life is in danger. Don't you know uncle himself ask us to take the 3rd and 7th prince's life in the main hall? I don't think he will hate me for doing justice for dead babies and-" Xiao Feng looks at Weining and Weining took an incense burner and give it to Xiao Feng as she throws it toward the prime minister's legs as it landed in front of his leg.
"This?" She looks at the fourth prince and didn't say more as Prime Minister glared at both his Second son-in-law and daughter.
"Weining, give this to prime minister Xiao" Weining took a letter from her sleeves and went towards Prime Minister Xiao.
Yesterday, Xiao Feng was reading the remaining letter of the late emperor. "I know in this path you will lose your closer ones and many relationships but for the sake of future generations and country please bear with it. If something happened or the country is at stake because of the imperial family, just kill them without thinking. I am reluctant to say so but protect them till that time and punish them when needed. No one in the imperial family is honest and fair. I have given you full authority to do anything to anyone. There is a letter under the first emperor of Sui's memorial" After reading the letter empress went to the imperial memorials.
After burning the incense, she took 2 letters from the memorials. She opened it. "Left prime minister, Xiao Feng is doing what I have asked. You don't have to infer with it. Just let her do the duty I asked her to do. She is a sensible child and knows what she should do, she can handle it alone. By telling this I am asking you to retire. Do it. – the fourth emperor of Sui" then she opens the other one "for Xiao Feng:" She closed it and put the letter for her inside her sleeve.
"Weining, keep this well" She gave the other one to Weining.
Prime minister was sweating by reading a few words and he went a few steps backward and look at the sign very well. He looks around to see if the emperor was still alive and was watching them. The letter loosed and fell down and Xiao Li also took it and read it and she had the same shocked expression. After a while prince Jing came inside.
"Your majesty, empress" Xiao Feng looks at the emperor who was watching everything with a smile. Emperor doesn't need to talk. His empress is doing everything.
"Prince Jing, how is the case going?"
"Replying to the empress, I am still investigating but I have found something belonging to the fourth brother's manor in the dead maid"
"Right, your majesty asked you here not just to ask about the case. Do you know that the same day prince Sheng also got poisoned?"
"I heard about it"
"So, the criminal is right next to you," Xiao Feng said looking at the fourth prince.
"Empress?"
"He has admitted it"
"You!" Prince Jing looks at the fourth prince and then looks at the front.
"Your majesty, empress. A humble subject asks for justice"
"Emperor also wants to have justice but you know that left prime minister's only grandson is just born and the child doesn't want to be fatherless or to be a criminal's son"
"Empress, are you going to protect them since your sister is married to the fourth brother? the fourth brother has killed my newborn son and also tried to kill prince Sheng" Xiao Feng smiled.
"I would like to do the justice in public but left prime minister brought up a good deal and we have agreed but just to forgive prince Sheng's matter but not yours"
"Your majesty?"
"It means you can decide to either forgive the fourth prince or not"
"The matter is unforgivable!"
"Do you know why he did so?" Prince Jing shook his head.
"This prince doesn't know"
"For killing 3rd prince"
"But I didn't"
"We know, because it was me. I give the fourth prince a chance to revenge but he refused so will you forgive him?" Prince Jing looks around thinking if they are all on one side and fooling him.
"May I ask what the deal was?"
"Left prime minister post. The left prime minister will step back from his post and will never meddle with state affairs. 5th brother, do you think it's a great deal?" Prince Jing was astonished and speechless for 3 seconds.
"What do you think?"
"It's indeed a great deal but my son"
"If you can forgive him, I will grant you any wish"
"Then can I recommend the people for left prime minister?" Everyone in the hall gasps. Is prince Jing a fool or he is being too bold? Xiao Feng was still calm but he was staring at him.
"I also want to go back to the north border"
"Prince Jing"
"Okay, I will grant it"
"Thank you, your majesty"
"Also, I heard what happen to the 5th princess consort. So, if you have someone just marry since your daughter should have someone to care"
"Yes, your majesty"
"Dismiss, today matter for not to talk anymore"
"Yes, your majesty" Emperor and empress stand up and were going to go back while holding hands but Xiao Feng stopped and look at the left prime minister.
"Old master Xiao, I think you should discipline your children well. Don't disgrace my grandparents by turning a blind eye" Older master, Xiao was embarrassed as he bowed and they all went back after the emperor and empress went away. In front of 2 carriages at the palace entrance, they were standing.
"You both should go and rest now"
"How can sister do it? Prince Jing will recommend is an ally to be the left prime minister" Older master Xiao was a little mad.
"At least now restrain yourself. Xiao family would not be powerful as before without the support from inside the palace" He sighed. "We had only Xiao Feng to help us since mother went back to father's hometown"
"Xiao family is everything! Father, I also can be a phoenix. How can you treat me like that instead of helping your son-in-law to the throne"
"Didn't you read the letter too? There are no 3 phoenixes in the Xiao family" He turned and went to his carriage.
"Father!! What do you mean?! Father!"