Gift of the Fox

Chapter 25: The Royal Council

The princes were gathered in a dark council room, waiting for the emperor and his guards to arrive together with the group of royal advisors and the leader of the royal guard. They had brought their personal servants along. The late Prince Wang Rong's servant and a very good warrior, Gu Yuan, attended the council too. Tao presented at the meeting as well, as Prince Wang Shao's personal servant. He looked around, observing the princes and their subordinates: Wang Di, the 2nd prince, had brought Ahil Khan - once a mere slave from Hindia who had risen as a personal servant to the equally sly and cold-hearted prince; Wang San was accompanied by Lee Muyang - a gifted martial artist and a witty strategist; Wang Wu had come with Jack Schneider as usual - the Nordilian friend of Liz; Wang Hu was the only person to come with his beloved white tiger Xuebai instead of a servant - he was the only prince who had no personal attendee; and Wang Jong, the youngest prince, had come with his fifteen-year-old servant and best friend, Matsumoto Kokoro.

Hmm, all of these guys look more or less clever. I must be prudent with them. Especially those two... Tao glanced at Ahil Khan of Wang Di and Lee Muyang of Wang San. 

Soon, the emperor, his advisors, the guard leader, and the guards entered. The guards surrounded the council room and stood in their positions, while the personal servant of Emperor Wang Ru, Huo Yao, who also happened to be the guard leader, stood behind the emperor's royal chair. As the emperor entered, all of the princes bowed and the servants fell to their knees. Wang Ru took a seat on his chair. Only after that, did all of the princes and the emperor's viziers take their seats. The guard leader and the emperor's servant Huo Yao, and the princes' personal attendees remained standing behind their masters' chairs. 

Wang Ru had a stern look. Tao guessed that he must be quite upset and angry about his eldest son's mysterious murder.

"I hereby call this meeting open," he said. "I've summoned all of you here to discuss my eldest son's murder. I need to name another heir, as well as find the murderer, who shall be punished by being attached to four horses and torn apart."

Hearing such a sentence to the still-undiscovered murderer, Tao widened his eyes in fright:

Oh, goodness...

"The guard leader and my best servant Huo Yao has the information of what was found in the case place."

Wang Ru glanced at Yao standing near him. The latter bowed and began:

"We, the guards, discovered a basket of apples which the Crown Prince had ordered to be brought to him a few minutes before the dreadful event. In that basket of apples, we found this." He pulled out a dead venomous green snake. "We discovered a bite mark on the deceased prince's hand, too. We are sure it was poisoning from the snakebite."

Emperor Wang Ru nodded, showing his gratitude to the servant, and cast a gloomy look at the attendees:

"The only question that remains is - who put that snake in the basket?"

Tao caught a glimpse of how the emperor looked at Wang Wu. Yao retook:

"We also lack information of who the maidservant was who brought the basket to the Crown Prince."

"A green snake, you say?" Wang Di spoke, and Tao spotted a faint smirk run through his lips, "Isn't Snake Prince in charge of the snakes? Some of them are quite venomous too, as I've heard."

Wu went pale from such a grave accusation. He clenched his fists:

"I would never allow such a thing to happen!"

"My master is absolutely innocent in this affair!" Jack spoke up too, already worried.

Tao noticed how his master Wang Shao glanced at Wu and clenched his fist with bitterness. She could understand that he doubted Wu would ever do such a thing.

"Managing the venomous snakes that are only used for performances was your job, Wang Wu." The emperor frowned. "Your excuse is not approved."

Wang Wu trembled with extreme fear and worry - the words of the emperor that his excuse wasn't approved meant that he was deemed guilty, and it meant death! Shao's countenance turned even gloomier than usual. Tao snarled. He bent a little and whispered in his master's ear:

"Your Highness, please allow me a word. I know more about this affair."

Shao flinched at first, but then spoke to the hall:

"Please, allow my servant to say a few words concerning the case. Xin Tao is a brave warrior and a brilliant strategist, proofs of which you have heard of yourselves. I trust the son of the celestial dragon emperor and the legendary nine-tailed fox with a closed eye."

Emperor Wang Ru, who was already grown quite fascinated by Tao, faintly smiled, and nodded:

"We listen to you, Xin Tao."

"You have my deepest gratitude, Your Majesty!" Tao bowed. "I have some details to note about this case..." 

When he started speaking, Di and San furrowed their brows with slight irritation. Nevertheless, Tao continued: 

"Before a basket with the snake would be brought to His Highness the Crown Prince, I heard it was brought to His Highness 6th Prince Wang Hu and caused great turmoil as the prince was immediately poisoned by the snake's venom. If not for Tiegan Brown, a courageous Soutrailian maidservant in our palace who is also my close acquaintance, His Highness might have had it tough." He glanced at Wang Hu, who could perfectly remember what Tao was speaking of.

"Wang Hu, is what Xin Tao says, the truth?" The emperor looked at his sixth son with worry.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is the absolute truth! I've even got the scar left from that bite, for now." Hu raised the sleeve of his orange kimono, showing the attendees the snakebite mark. "Indeed, if it weren't for that brave Soutrailian maiden, I'd be dead!"

The attendees gasped - such a calamity had befallen the royal palace!

"Then, if we consider these two dreadful occasions, we can assume that there is a conspirator in the palace, who wishes to seize the throne!" one of the eldest viziers spoke. "The first event - the poisoning of His Highness Prince Wang Hu - was probably set up as an experiment to find out if the venom worked as well as they had predicted. The second terrible event proved the venom's might, and took His Highness the Crown Prince from us!"

"Such a shame!"

"Alright then..." The emperor sighed. "I guess, this leaves me no choice. Prince Wang Wu, you are to be imprisoned until we find further evidence on the case!"

Wang Wu widened his eyes, but since he knew the emperor's word was absolute, he only bowed and stood up. The guards seized him and tied his hands. Shao clenched his fist and heaved a sigh full of deep sorrow and anguish. Tao was sad too, that he had been unable to help the affair further. 

"Also, what concerns the heir of the throne: Prince Wang Di, as my second son, will be named the one. That is my final decision."

As the emperor left his seat, the attendees stood and bowed to him. The emperor exited the hall and the others began to leave too. The guards took both Wang Wu and his private servant Jack to the dungeon. 

Shao and Tao went out of the room together. Shao was silently walking on. Tao heaved a sigh:

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you further, Your Highness."

"It is fine. Now we are sure it was that scum Di's doing," Shao said in Nordic so that only Tao would understand. "Let's go. I need to think more about this. It is good, though, that you mentioned the case of Wang Hu. I will need you to investigate this case more. Maybe you can stumble upon something."

"Your word is my command, Your Highness."

Everything happened as Nick had predicted... She thought.