A simple tale

14. The Royal Decree

A/N Thank you so much for 4K reads!! I'm so sorry for the late update but I got frustrated cause Wattpad kept italics on the whole time I was writing and I couldn't turn it of!

Imperial Concubine Chen (Xi's Mother) POV

I stood, numb, as the empress burst into my room.
"I will ask for you to be killed seeing as your son is dead," she peered at me. I didn't care. My son was dead.
"My son is dead," I whispered, reality finally setting in. My baby boy whom I had seen grow for 18 years. When he fell into the Koi pond trying to catch a fish for me. When he was covered head to toe in flour from the imperial kitchen as he was reaching for the hidden stash of chocolate. My baby boy. I let out a racking sob. Grief overtook my body. Gently I sat down. My baby..my baby..my baby I rocked back and forward.
"Did you hear me? You are going to die!" Stated the empress. I glared at her. How dare she. That woman didn't know the pain of losing a child. She didn't understand. Why Xi? Why not one of her princes.
"I want to die!" I replied defiantly. Let her try to kill me.

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In the throne room
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Third person POV

The king sat stiffly on his throne. His eyes stained red with grief for his lost 3rd son. The whole empire lamented the loss. He was a promising young man. Both him and his fiancée were widely respected and loved as strong, kind and wise people.
"Your majesty," called one of the many squabbling, power hungry officials of the imperial court,"we should kill concubine Chen as her son is dead and she is of no use to us." Cries of approval were heard as concubine Chen was a powerful obstacle in all of their plans.
Also we should kill the entire left premier as they failed to protect Prince Xiang and Princess consort Ai Jei!"
Cries of disapproval ripples through those gathered. The left premier was Prince Xiang's personal army and some of the finest individuals in the known world. They could over power the whole night of the imperial army in mere seconds. No one wanted to waste troops trying to kill the feared left premier.
"Pass the royal decree!" Yelled some officials. The chanted louder and louder. "Pass the royal decree! Pass the royal decree!"
The emperor certainly wasn't emotionally stable enough to argue with them so with a weak nod of the head he passed the royal decree to kill his dead son's beloved mother and kill his son's army. He rested his head on his hands, he was just destroying Xiang's precious memory further. However once given the royal decree can't be taken back unless Xiang or his fiancée turn up proving one not to be dead. That was impossible, however loved or respected you were you could never escaped death's dark jaws.