LoT Phoenix 1

Chapter 52: Under Control

As you and Yin Zhen expected, the Crown Prince immediately presents the proof of Yin Zhen's crimes to the Emperor in the morning meeting. The Emperor gets mad, Yin Zhen gets punished, and the Crown Prince gets happy. It's almost like everything's been perfectly orchestrated.

Xiu Ying: Nothing to worry about. It's all going according to plan.
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The Empress Dowager is hungry for your chestnut cake, so you begin working at her kitchen early morning. You want to take a stroll outside the kitchen as the dessert is cooking, but you hear footsteps and a few man talking outside.

Xiu Ying: (It's the princes. What are they doing outside the kitchen?)

14th Prince: Let's wait for grandmother here before she wakes up. It's peaceful here.

7th Prince: I can't get over it. Our brother got punished so severely over something so little. Yet what the Crown Prince has done... father didn't even seem to get mad.

Yin Zhi: Talk to father then if you can't get over it.

7th Prince: [Annoyed] You know well who father favors. Still, it's rare to see you on our side, brother.

Yin Zhi: I'm just here to visit grandmother. But the 14th Prince dragged me here with you.

7th Prince: You sound like you don't want to be here.

14th Prince: Please, brothers, can't we get along. Aren't we all here for the Fourth Prince?

Yin Zhi: You guys can talk, I'm leaving.

7th Prince: Our 3rd Prince is always like this. Seriously if he's going to be so infuriating, why doesn't he do it to the Crown Prince!

6th Prince: Okay, enough. The walls have ears!

You freeze out of fear as the 6th Prince says that.

Unexpected, the chestnut cake starts to make noises.

7th Prince: [Furious] Someone's here! Who's there, get out here!

You walk out against your will.

Xiu Ying: Greetings, princes. I'm making chestnut cake for the Empress Dowager. How about a taste?

The princes know you from the assassination incident. As you are important to the Emperor, the princes won't give you a hard time.

Xiu Ying: [Shyly] I fell asleep a while ago. Thankfully the 7th Prince woke me up.

You pretending to not have heard anything allows the princes to let you go. The 14th Prince winks at you with a smile as you leave.

You bring the cake to the Empress Dowager after the princes leave. The Empress Dowager lies against the bed, looking tired. The fight for the throne is fierce and clandestine. Still, the first opponent for all the princes is the Crown Prince. The series of events made the princes uneasy. No one wants to wait for their eventual death. How should you talk to the Empress Dowager?

Xiu Ying: Your Highness, you are looking exhausted.

Empress Dowager: I am indeed, despite having just slept. Not that I couldn't sleep though. I'm just tired inside.

Xiu Ying: The princes have come to say hi this morning. Were they able to make you happy?

Empress Dowager: The princes try to make me happy, and I'm glad. Still, I'm not happy about the troubles in the family. The boys didn't have the guts to tell the Emperor themselves, so they came to me to spill their dissatisfaction of the Crown Prince.

Xiu Ying: I know that if there's sibling rivalry, they'd usually tell the grandmother to set things right.

Empress Dowager: [Laughs] Would be nice if it were that easy. Maybe you are thinking, why do the Empress Dowager and the Emperor both favor the Crown Prince. But you have no idea how important bloodlines can be! The Crown Prince is problematic, and I wish he would change, but it would seem now that...

The Empress Dowager sighs. There's no need for words.

Empress Dowager: That's why I want to ignore everything, now and later. If he hasn't done anything unforgivable, then he'll remain the Crown Prince.

The Empress Dowager doesn't want to be involved, but still has these things on mind. Furthermore, she, like the Emperor, has high hopes for the Crown Prince still.

Xiu Ying: (A quick and painful solution is better than dragging things on. You'll soon see the true face of the Crown Prince!)