WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 70: Strategy

Porta Daven looks over at Tang Pei before she begins. He gives them an exhausted nod, and they continue.

"It was in the evening when we got to Chang'An and the Palace was quiet. Since the Royal Court would assemble in the morning, we thought we could investigate the offices of the First Prince, Ciao Huji and Xue Nanping in case there was something happening that Your Highness needed to know about.

"But all three of these rooms are located in different parts of the Palace, so Tang Pei and I decided to split up, agreeing to meet up again a few hours later outside the hall where the court is held in the morning. He showed me where their offices are," they glare coldly at the two advisors who are cowering on the floor, not daring to look up at the Emperor ever since they got here, "And I found a shit ton of stuff, excuse my language!"

Porta Daven pulls out a qiankun chest and hefts it onto the little table in front of Tang Pei. The Emperor goes to it and begins looking through, still listening to them.

"What happened after that?"

"It took a bit longer to take everything potentially incriminating, but that's most of it. Once I had that in the bag, so to speak, I went and waited for Tang Pei. He never showed up, though. The court started on time, and I had to be in disguise for obvious reasons, until Hui Gai came and told me what to do. Thank you, Your Highness, for listening to your instincts and sending them," they look over to Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. "They came at exactly the right time."

"A-Pei. What happened to you?" The Emperor must be satisfied with whatever he finds in Porta Daven's evidence, and he goes back to his bed to sit down on the edge of it.

Wei Ying notices that he's a little paler now than before, and his hands are trembling.

They better wrap this up quickly. He wonders if Healer Fei has administered his famous foul tonic for restoring energy.

"They were so quiet, I had no idea I was walking into a trap," Tang Pei says, looking away from the Emperor.

"You may speak freely. I will not punish you for telling the truth." The Emperor reassures him.

"Very well. Ciao Huji and Xue Nanping held my arms while your son beat me. He was frustrated that you had left, and he did not know where you were, and he was angry that you obviously had help in getting away from him. And he wanted to know what you were going to do next." Even speaking this much was draining on Tang Pei.

"Healer Fei, do you think it will be beneficial for Tang Pei to rest in the infirmary for a while?" The Emperor asks him.

"Indeed." Healer Fei stands up.

"Here, let me help!" Hui Gai says enthusiastically, even though no one asked him, and a look of fear and resignation flashes across Healer Fei's face as the three of them disappear.

For a few minutes, no one says anything. The First Prince stares back defiantly at his father while the latter stares back, a sadness in his eyes. Prince Wu takes his father's hand and holds it tightly.

"You've been a bad person," he says to his older brother.

"Stay out of this, A-Wu. This is between me and him," Prince Sheng snarls, staring his father down.

"What happened to you, Haizi? I don't understand it." The Emperor rests his head on his hand. "There was a time when you did not hate me."

"That was before you put your position before your wife, my mother, valuing your empire before your family." Prince Sheng clenches his fists at his sides.

"Your mother knew the risks involved when she agreed to marry me. The Royal duty is no small task, and she said at the time that she did not care about them."

"How can anyone promise something when they know nothing about the reality of it? Do you know how many times I woke up in the night to see her crying? Did you know she kept a journal? She was so lonely and there was nothing I could do to make her feel better! I was just a kid!" Prince Sheng yells back. "All she wanted was a few minutes of your time, but you never cared! Not even when she was dying and forbade the healers to tell you. And on that last day, you rode off to go and fight for your country, but did you ever stop to think that you were always choosing something else over mother, every single time?" He's breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling fast.

"I am sorry." The Emperor whispers.

"But you don't regret it."

"I cannot. My father, and his father before him, all of us pledged to put the people before ourselves. Did you truly expect me to push all of that aside to assuage the feelings of one person?" The Emperor stares back at his son unflinchingly. "However much I wanted to abandon my duties, I could not, and I expected my lifetime partner to understand that."

"A person always has a choice, father. You decided on the kingdom that you love more than the people in your life, and that is why I am taking the thing you love the most away from you." The Prince laughs, a sinister grin haunting his features.

"If you're talking about the Mongolians, they are being dealt with as we speak." There's a satisfied smile on the Emperor's face, though he doesn't look that happy.

"What? How do you know about them?" The Prince stands up but Wei Ying, who is standing directly behind him, pushes his shoulder down to make him sit again.

"I have my sources. Unfortunately, your conduct leaves me no choice. We are going round and round in circles, and now I am believing it at last. I cannot trust you and you cannot remain in Chang'An." the Emperor sighs heavily.

"What are you going to do? Imprison me?" Prince Sheng sneers. "I'll find a way out in no time!"

"I know. That's why your cell will not be in this realm." The Emperor looks towards Hui Gai who had returned silently and stayed at the back of the room.

But in that split second, Prince Sheng whips out a dagger and flings it with great force towards his father. Prince Wu had been watching him like a hawk, and he threw himself in the dagger's path to save his father.