Chapter 29
Emperor and empress start the journey to the temple. Sun slowly peeps over the range of mountains, making the whole scene serenity. Birds gave a cheerful song that would lift even the most sorrowful of spirits including the emperor and the empress who didn't have a smile. A light fog wraps around the mountain range.
The slight chill in the air is enough to give a gentle shiver, but not enough for the need for a robe. A breeze tickles the trees, making their leaves shake and sway. Sunlight seeps in past the thick canopy of branches and reached the ground.
There is a relaxing feel of the mountains making it perfect for letting the stress disappear and peace find its way to one's soul but what was waiting would destroy this serenity scene in a moment. Many people were waiting for the emperor to lose the throne, and the empress to lose her title but there were even more people who doesn't care about the power struggles but the peaceful and happy life.
They finally came to an open place since it was a good place for an ambush. Emperor and empress drank the water given by the maid. Maid and the eunuch were following them with water and food.
Right, at the moment more than 50 men surround the 4 people. There was a chuckle behind the people and the few men give way to the coming man.
"Pray for the country? Pray for yourself instead. Let's be short, do you have any death wishes? My dear brother? My dear ex-wife?" Prince Jing said while looking at each of them.
"I do have"
"What is it?" Xiao Feng smiled making prince Jing grit his teeth. He this smile of Xiao Feng.
"I want your right hand?"
"Right hand?" Prince Jing was confused. An arrow came and hit his right hand and everyone panicked and look around.
"You lost it?" Xiao Feng looked at him with an innocent look. "May be left" Prince Jing panicked and looked around. The next arrow was shot to the left hand and there was a rain of arrows and not any arrow went waste. In a second all assassins were dead leaving only prince Jing. Xiao Feng pouted.
"It is also lost. Then legs?" Prince Jing took a sword and blocked a few arrows that were only aiming at his legs. An arrow went nearly scratching the back of his right knee as he knelt. Xiao Feng grinned like a child who got her candy.
"It's so bad that uncle has such sons since uncle said that if killing will solve the problem then just kill. So" She looks at the emperor and the emperor step on a near sword and took the sword and shot it toward prince Jing. The sword went through his left heart.
"Let me tell you something before you die, your secret sweetheart Xiao Qi never gave birth to a son, she gave birth to a daughter"
"Xiao Feng!!" prince Jing screamed with his all might, making the birds fly away from the near trees. She blinked pressing her lips together as he fell facing the ground dead.
In a conflict to gain power and positions, concerned parties indulged in acts of revenge. Revenge can lead people to do horrible things, whether it is a dispute between family and friends or even revenge between two parties involving hilarious acts that usually kill a lot of innocent people. Prince Jing finally received what he deserved, death.
Shi Lin, Liuyang, and their men with bows and arrows.
"Your majesty, you should take Xiao Feng back since this place is bloody and Xiaoting and Xiaoying are still at the foot of the mountain"
"I know"
Emperor assembled a temporary court.
"So, what exactly happens to prince Jing?" Emperor asked.
"Your majesty, we found him dead near the forest and there were a few more dead bodies some are prince Jing's people and others are can't be identified but sure to be assassins"
"Find who the murder is!"
"Yes," Liuyang cupped his hands and bowed.
"Make sure prince Jing will have a good burial. Prince Jing was the only remaining" Emperor sighed.
"We will go back to the palace tomorrow"
"Yes, your majesty" Everyone went away after bowing. Everyone had a bold thought that the emperor was the one behind it, but no one dared to oppose the emperor. There was no powerful man alive who could oppose the emperor except the empress.
Empress was beside the cradle of the little prince and little princes and a eunuch came inside the empress's chamber in the hot spring mountain villa he report everything happening in the court and the empress chuckled as the eunuch take his leave.
"Like master like subordinate. Sure, knows how to act" Xiao Feng forgot she was an actress more than them.
"11 months of 6th emperor of Sui: Emperor and nobles went on a new year outing to hot spring mountain villa. Imperial consort Wei was found dead in her Blooming palace garden together with her maid and nanny. Prince Jing ambush the emperor and empress on the way to the mountain temple and got killed. Emperor's trusted man Liuyang reported to the court as prince Jing was assassinated by unknown people. 12th month of the 6th emperor of Sui: Wei kingdom lost to the North-kingdom. 1st-year 1st month of 6th emperor of Sui: Everyone was in peace. 6th prince who started to pray to Buddha was making plans while staying in the temple. 1st year Second month of 6th emperor of Sui: 8 kingdoms were abnormally silent. Nobel consorts Huan and Kang were promoted to imperial consorts. Emperor engaged prince Sheng and princess Jiayi after promoting her to a second-rank princess. Imperial consort Jin adopted princess Jiayi. Imperial consort Huan gave birth to a prince in that month. 1st year of 3rd month of 6th emperor of Sui: Nobles who were loyal to the throne started being murdered one by one. The reason remains a secret. 1st-year the fourth month of the 6th emperor of Sui: Consort Jin gave birth to a prince. Xiao Qi killed her daughter and her nanny in the countryside to hide the truth. 1st year of the fourth month of the 6th emperor of Sui: Consort Mei was promoted to a noble consort and got favor from the emperor. Emperor never visits the empress since then. He went mad after finding the cause of the death of loyal ministries and nobles as the 6th prince. In the same month emperor, Zheng faced 6 assassinations. Emperor declares the edict to kill the imperial family tree, without leaving any imperials alive afraid of any threats to the throne. Delightful spring became bloody. 1st-year fifth month of 6th emperor of Sui: Emperor of West was sick and princess Heping became the regent to the throne. In the same month, the emperor of the West became bedridden leaving the kingdom to his one only child princess Heping. Emperor got injured because of a eunuch trying to kill him. 1st-year sixth month of 6th emperor of Sui: A 3rd ranked merchant rise to the left prime minister. Emperors start killing anyone who would become a threat to the throne including nobles and scholars who are intelligent and their families even without leaving a woman or a child. The edict was to kill males and though it wasn't written in the edict emperor had permitted anything with women. The woman got harassed by soldiers and got sold to the red district. I as the empress helped many nobles, ministries, and scholars who are loyal to escape death and make them leave the capital for the time being with protection. Servants became more loyal to the empress because of the emperor's behavior. Kingdom Sui started to decline slowly and lost it's previous prosperity"
Empress was looking at her babies who were sleeping in cradles.
"Empress" A eunuch came in and Empress motioned to be silent after asking nanny Chen to take care of the little prince and princess and take them to the inner palace she came to the center pavilion.
"What's the rush?"
"Empress, Duke Ming got killed"
"Isn't he one of most trusted ones to your majesty?" Eunuch just hangs his head low.
"Linlin, summon Shi Lin to come to the palace, your majesty doesn't need to know about it" Linlin nodded and went away.
"Weining, prepare for Xiao Ting and Xiao Ying to leave the palace"
"Empress?"
"Palace is no longer the same, I can't control it anymore that I have been silent for a lost few months but if I still stay like this, the kingdom will fall sooner. Something has happened in these months while I pay my whole attention to Xiaoting and Xiaoying. It's time to give attention to the kingdom. If they are still here, I will be worried and distracted. Prepare everything to send them to the West kingdom. Don't attract attention and they need to be seen by their great grandfather"
"Yes, empress" Xiao Feng waits in her seat and Shi Lin came with Linlin.
"Empress"
"Shi Lin, I want a favor from you"
"It's my duty"
"Brother Shi Lin, I decide to send Xiao Ting and Xiao Ying to the West kingdom, will you protect them on the way?"
"Empress?"
"You know the state of the kingdom, so please" Shi Lin bowed.
"I will protect the little prince and little princess with the cost of my life" Xiao Feng nodded.
"Stay with them, when the time comes, I will call you back"
"Yes"
"Today, the soon the better" Shi Lin look at the empress and then bow back.
"Yes"
"Weining, let's go to your majesty's palace"
"Yes"
"Xiao Feng, you should take care of yourself" Xiao Feng looks back at Shi Lin giving a soft smile, and nods.
"You should too" They went out and they went to the emperor's palace. When she was going there Liuyang had put his sword to minister Qing who was begging for his life. The New left prime minister was beside them. Emperor also was standing a few steps away while noble consort Mei was beside him.
"Please, your majesty. I will never be bold enough to go against your majesty" Minister Qi begged. No one saw the empress nor did no one announce her appearance afraid the emperor will kill them for the disturbance.
"Kill," Emperor said looking away with a mad look. Liuyang raised the sword though he was hesitant it was his master's order. Empress took the Jade token that was hanging on the waist of her guard beside her. She sends it towards Liuyang's wrist as his sword fell from his grasp. Emperor was startled and looked at the empress. Liuyang and other servants were relieved that the empress came out of Peony palace to save them. Minister Qing quickly crawled towards the empress.
"Empress, please tell your majesty, that I will never betray your majesty"
"Your majesty, what did minister Qing do to deserve death?"
"Empress shouldn't have come here and to let you know, he was one of ministers who are an accomplice of 6th brother's conspiring against me"
"Your majesty, empress looks like she wants to save ministry Qing, could it be" Noble consort Mei said in an innocent mixed feared tone. Empress took the sword from the same guard that she took the jade token and this time she sent it towards consort Mei she freezes on the spot and the sword went slightly injuring her cheek and stuck in the middle of the emperor's seat.
Consort Mei's eyes were filled with tears and she had a timid look as she put herself on the emperor's feet. She was like a kitten who needs the protection of others and depend on others. "Your majesty, empress she almost killed me"
"As a mare consort, you shouldn't talk when the emperor and the empress are talking"