Gift of the Fox

Chapter 33: The End of Emperor Ru

After many battles on the stage, the time for the final showdown came. All of the guests were thrilled and excited, waiting for the strongest opponents to emerge. Soon, they indeed walked out: 4th Prince Wang Shao, and the son of the Celestial Dragon Emperor and the Nine-tailed Fox Queen, Xin Tao. Di and San, as well as the other princes, eagerly watched the show, but while the others felt happy, these two brothers wished for the two "disgusting" performers to fail and become a matter to laugh at.

The gong beat and the drums banged. Tao and Shao dashed at each other and began to swing their fists and feet. They tried to kick and hit each other and bring each other down. These bloodthirsty but graceful movements accompanied by the intense drumbeat were truly fascinating to watch. Both of the warriors kept calm but fought like a wrathful dragon and a berserk wolf. Tao moved so swiftly that it was hard for Shao to land a hit, while even if Tao landed a hit on Shao, his strong body withstood it as if it were a feather instead of a fist. Ru was fascinated since he had always loved martial battles, since his deep childhood.

"Wang Shao's martial skills are amazing." He sipped the rice-wine that a maidservant from the 2nd prince's household had posed for him. "He's even managed to train this young servant of his so remarkably!"

"They are indeed worthy warriors." Yue smiled.

Mu was jealous that Yue had managed to impress the emperor with her eldest son, who wasn't even the emperor's child. She gnashed her teeth in silence:

Ugh, that woman!

Tao and Shao finished the battle in a draw. The audience clapped with amazement. Yet, this joyful occasion was cut by Queen Mu's and Queen Yue's screams - the emperor had fallen back, gasping for air and spitting blood! Everyone sprang from their chairs and rushed up to him. Some people cried for a doctor to come. Shao and Tao quickly left the stage and ran up to the crowd. Tiegan arrived fast too, along with many other doctors. When they looked at the emperor, they all grew terrified - he was dead!

"Oh, my!" Queen Mu wept. 

Queen Yue too, shed tears, while the princes appeared distressed. However, the confusion didn't last for long - Ahil Khan fell to his knees before his master, Wang Di, and cried:

"Emperor Wang Ru has died. Hail the new emperor, Wang Di! Long live, long live, long live the emperor!"

People were astounded at first, but Queen Mu easily got the hint, which brought her great joy, so unlike a woman who had just lost her dearest husband. She fell to her knees before her son and cried out as loudly as she could:

"Long live, long live, long live Emperor Wang Di!"

Queen Mu's servants followed their mistress' suit - they fell to their knees and cried three times as was the custom. Prince San followed them up, with his servant Lee Muyang. Then, everyone - Wang Wu, Wang Hu, their servants, the maidservants including Liz and Tiegan, and the viziers - did the same:

"Long live, long live, long live the emperor!"

Shao noticed a vile smirk flicker on Di's face. He snarled, but, aware that he couldn't change the situation for now, only heaved a sigh and fell to his knees too. His cry, however, carried the tints of bitter rage and regret in its tone:

"Long live the emperor! Long live, long live, long live!"

Tao did the same as his master, as his staunch servant. Thus, Wang Di became the emperor after his miraculously-deceased father. 

They held a grand funeral for the deceased Emperor Wang Ru and buried him in the private graveyard of the emperors of Wanglong and the kings of its ancestral kingdoms. They mourned for nine days as was the custom, prayed in the Celestial Dragon Temple for the deceased monarch's soul for the following nine days as was another custom, and then, finally, held the coronation for the new emperor, pledging their loyalty to him.

The household of Queen Mu - the Guan Clan - had a grand feast. The throne was now completely in their hands, at last. Now, Di and his mother would have a perfect chance to get rid of their most hateful enemies - Queen Yue and her son Wang Shao, who happened to be only an adoptive son to the late emperor and not one of his blood. Di wanted to get rid of his "legendary" servant Xin Tao as well, who had been irritating him for a long time now.

Little did they know of what Tao knew and feared - that the one-eyed Wolf Prince was just as wise, shrewd, and pitiless as his one-eyed god of the cold mountains of Nordheim.