Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 34

Imperial Consort Kuanglu, the Night Immortal, landed at Dongting Lake in the early hours before dawn. She removed her invisibility spell before leaping into the Lake itself, wanting to avoid being fired upon by a vigilant sentry. The guards waved her by, and the door servant showed her in to Lord Dongting's private study. He frowned when he saw her.

"The Emperor isn't coming?" he asked incredulously.

"He's a couple of hours behind me" she reassured him. "You said that he should come in secret, remember?"

Linyou nodded.

"Where is the Princess?" Kuanglu asked. Nuwa was her first priority.

"She's resting" Linyou told her. "Allow me to debrief you before we disturb her."

Kuanglu pursed her lips, feeling annoyed. She nodded grudgingly.

"You might want to sit down" Linyou told her in a kindly voice.

Kuanglu raised her eyebrow. "Just spit it out, Linyou" she barked at him.

He took a deep breath. "The Princess has second degree burns over 40 percent of her body" he informed her.

Kuanglu gasped. All of the sudden, her legs felt unable to support her. She stumbled over to a chair and sat down.

"How?" she managed to say. It came out as a croak.

"She was attacked" he paused for emphasis "at Qiwu Palace".

"What? That's impossible! Tangyue wouldn't!" Kuanglu protested in disbelief.

Linyou raised his eyebrows.

"He couldn't!" she added, still refusing to believe it. Everyone knew that Tangyue hung the moon on Nuwa's happiness.

"He didn't?" she questioned plaintively, a leaden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Neither Nuwa nor Tangyue had been at the banquet that evening. Nor had QingWa Sheng, come to think of it. Kuanglu put two and two together.

"What did your son see?" she asked him, fear making her voice sharp.

Linyou tilted his head in a brief nod to her deduction. Then he took another deep breath.

"There is a conspiracy to place Tangyue on the throne" Linyou began.

"Over my SON?" spluttered Kuanglu, interrupting him.

Linyou sighed, and then continued on. "One part of their plan is to marry Tangyue to the Princess, in order to strengthen his claim."

"That... that doesn't make any sense!" Kuanglu objected. "Why would he attack her, if he wants to marry her?"

Linyou paused for a long moment, staring off into space like he was searching for the right words.

"They mean to force a marriage... with a pregnancy" he gave her a meaningful look.

Kuanglu felt very confused for a moment. What does a Fire based attack have to do with pregnancy?

"Tangyue is a Phoenix" Linyou reminded her gently. "His wings... are flame."

Kuanglu felt sick to her stomach. She shook her head, unwilling to entertain the thought. If Linyou was saying what she thought he was saying...

"What did your son see?" she repeated her question, this time sounding desperate.

"He saw Tangyue force the Princess on the ground. He witnessed her being burned and held down against her will. He saw a strange man come out of the shadows after the Princess had left the Palace, and converse with Tangyue about their plans" Linyou replied in clipped tones.