The Queen no longer pretends to be gentle in front of you after the poisoning incident. You are called over today, and given an intricate azure bottle.
Xiu Ying: [Surprised] Your Highness, what is this?
Queen: The more you know, the quicker you die. Do your really wish to know?
Xiu Ying: I await your instructions, Your Highness.
Queen: You will add it to every meal the Emperor has.
Amazing how impatient the Queen has gotten. She'd go as far as regicide to get the Crown Prince the throne. The love between rulers and their lady is all a joke.
Xiu Ying: Your Grace. All meals will be tested for poison. I'm afraid I can't do it.
Queen: Not to worry. The poison tester is with me. He's in no position to put in the poison however. You are more trusted, and it's natural that you should do it. You weigh your options. If you reuse, you are as good as dead. If you tell, your family will be dead.
Xiu Ying: I must accept.
Queen: [Satisfied] Then do it. I will wait for the good news in a few days.
You bump into Fu Heng on his patrol duty right after you leave the Queen. He frowns as he sees you coming out of the Queen's palace.
Fu Heng: [Moves towards you] You are with the Hall of Mental Cultivation. You need to be careful even it it's the Queen.
MC: Thank you, Lord Fu Heng. I know.
Fu Heng: Every time you say that. I don't think you do.
Xiu Ying: I said I know! But there's nothing I can do, okay?
Fu Heng: The Queen rules the back palaces, but the Emperor is the lord of all existence.
You look at Fu Heng disappear into the distance. Those odd words seem like he's reminding you of something. You take the azure bottle and return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation normally.
Emperor: Hm? What's with that look?
You approach him and kneel.
Xiu Ying: [Hold up the bottle with two hands] It is a matter of grave importance. I must tell Your Majesty even it it costs me my life. The Queen...
Emperor: [Laughs] Something that can hide from me in this palace?
Xiu Ying: [Shocked] Your Majesty, you are already aware?
The Emperor's expression shows that he knew indeed. Good thing you chose to tell, otherwise, you might not be able to escape harm based on how suspicious he can get.
Emperor: The Queen and her followers' power grows by the day. I have been lenient towards them, but they only take advantage of it to become even more reckless. And now they do this! Have I been too lenient towards them these years? I was right about you though. You remain loyal to me even when faced danger. Rest assured, no one will touch you or your family. I am the ruler of this country!
Xiu Ying: Your Majesty. There are a lot more I wish to inform.
You inform him of everything about the Crown Prince. The Emperor's face turns very upset.
Emperor: I used to think the Crown Prince wouldn't go as far as harming me even as absurd as he is. It seems he overvalues what he means to me. Alright. I will wait and see what the mother and son will do next.
You suddenly have a hunch that you might have been wrong since the beginning. The Emperor doesn't spoil the Crown Prince to that far an extent. He's really just using the way he favors the Crown Prince to get the Queen's clan to walk into his elaborate trap.
You feel blood rush away from your extremities as you realize that. Maybe he does favor the Crown Prince, but it slowly went away as the Crown Prince makes one mistake after another. It doesn't even come close to the importance of the country.
Xiu Ying: (And now he's getting rid of them with one fell swoop by taking advantage of their impatience for the throne?)
YOU ARE READING
LoT Phoenix 1
SonstigesThis is not my story. Post it here from a game for offline reading. PS: I wish they will make a drama out of this.
