Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Confrontation

(PRINCE GUO)

My eyes went directly to my mother, the Empress, when my father, the Emperor, older brother and I entered the private office of the Crown Prince inside the Crown Prince' Palace.

Her face registered surprise when she saw me and Prince Jin striding after our father when entered. The First Minister, the Empress father and my grandfather, showed less emotions than the Empress while General Wang bowed when he saw us.

General Wang moved to close the door of the office to give us absolute privacy. Just the six of us inside that room. The Emperor, the Empress, the First Minister, General Wang, Prince Jin and I.

Baba went to the table of the Crown Prince, a nice solid table made of hard wood and polished marble. He sat on the chair behind it and motion for everyone to sit on the available chairs.

"Sit down and let's talk," the Emperor said in an ordering tone.

"Your Majesty..." the First Minister opened his mouth but the Emperor gave him a silencing look. "I said sit down, First Minister. Am I the Emperor of this kingdom?"

The First Minister look at us in confusion before focusing on Baba again. "Of course, your Majesty..."

"Then follow my orders and sit down," the Emperor's tone is still calm.

The First Minister grunted a little before sitting on the chair at the right side of the table. Prince Jin and I sat side by side on the two chairs on the left side of the table, facing the First Minister and the Empress who took a moment to compose herself before taking a haughty look ang sitting regally on the highback chair beside her father.

General Wang remained standing by the door like a sentinel that you have to go through in case you want to leave the room. And based on General Wang's stance, no one is leaving the room without the express permission from the Emperor or him.

When everyone was seated, the Emperor smiled. "Good. Let's start then...does someone here have anything to say?"

"Why Prince Han, your Majesty?" The First Minister talked first. "Why him? Why bypass your two older sons...?"

"Because these two will betray me," the Emperor said. The Empress eyes widened. "Your Majesty, Guo will never betray you..." she protested.

The Emperor gave a hollow laugh, "Oh he will. He will betray me more than Jin will betray me. Jin will love General Wang's daughter more than he will love the Middle Kingdom, my lands. Guo, our second Prince will hate me. He will hate me and then leave me."

The Empress looked at me. I remained quiet as I endured her eyes on me.

"Is that why you put Prince Han in the Crown Prince throne?" The First Minister asked. "But this is unprecedented, your Majesty. No third Prince had ever inherited a throne while his older brothers are still alive..."

"Shall I kill my two oldest son to have the Crown Prince that I desire?" The Emperor asked amidst the First Minister's speech. "Tell me, First Minister, shall I kill my sons to conform in your ideology that Han shouldn't inherit my throne while his older brothers are still alive?"

The Empress turned her glaring eyes to the Emperor, "Don't you dare hurt Guo!" Her tone rose up. "Not my son..."

"And what about Jin?" The Emperor asked the Empress. "Isn't he our son as well..."

"He is not the Empress' son," the First Minister said. "He is not our blood. He will betray all of us, that I have no doubt about that. His family, the Tans, are power monger with ties on the people in the South."