Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Burden

(EMPRESS XIAOTONG)

The attack on Prince Jin that I orchestrated gave me satisfying and less satisfying results.

I feel satisfied when I heard from an eavesdropping servants that the Wangs finally refused Prince Jin's courtship to their daughter. General Wang himself conversed with the Emperor himself to declare that they are denying Prince Jin's desire of a match with their daughter.

Good. That is very good. I don't like Prince Jin aligning himself to a powerful family like the Wangs. Rumors that the courtship getting halted by the Wangs themselves showed dissatisfaction with Prince Jin. It demerits the Prince's virtue in the eyes of many.

Now, as the rumor spreads, people are starting to think that something is wrong with the first born Prince for the Wangs to reject him.

Good.

The not so satifying news is that Prince Jin is still in the Palace and capital. He is colder than before. More emotionless. More guarded. But he is not displaying the reaction I want from him.

I want him to be scared and thinking of leaving. Going to the countryside. Away from the Emperor. Away from Guo.

But Prince Jin is staying. And it's irritating me.

"Small victories, your Majesty." My Baba said. He too was satisfied about the rumors of the Wangs rejecting Prince Jin. "Even if the Emperor refuses to acknowledge the Wangs decision to refuse Prince Jin, that's the reality. The courtship is over. We can focus on other things now. Like the heir selection..."

"When will the Emperor choose his heir? Half a year on the throne and he still won't name an heir. What will happen to Guo now?"

"Patience. Petitions are being passed from left and right. Demanding the Emperor to name an heir. Soon, he won't ge able to ignore the outcry for the Crown Prince position to be filled. And when that time comes, we will make sure that Guo will get the position." My father stated.

I nodded. "Or even if it's Prince Jin that His Majesty named as his heir, I will just get rid of him to give the position for Guo. I didn't work this hard in so many years, just for that bastard first born to get the Crown Prince position."

"I know, daughter. A bit more patience. Soon, all our hardworks will get pay off," Baba sipped his tea slowly.

I nodded. I cannot do anything in the meantime. Prince Jin and I are in an impasse. The security around him was being tightened subtly. But I have my people watching him closer now. I don't want Prince Jin to feel safe for one moment. I want him scared and scurrying to leave.

Soon.

All of Prince Jin's will be given to Guo. To my son.

........................

(PRINCE GUO)

Something happened to Prince Jin. Something happened to my older brother. Yet I cannot pinpoint what it is.

If the Emperor thinks that he was discreet in putting more security around Prince Jin, he was not. I noticed it. And I have no doubt that my mother and grandfather will notice it too.

Mother is being cool about it, though. She was quiet these past two days. And instead of that fact giving me comfort, it's making me restless.

Did she done something that probed the Emperor to tighten the security around my older brother? What could she possibly do?

What can she not do? I think that is the right question. I think there are many things my mother can do to gain what she wanted. And few people can stop her.