The Secret Princess – Fan Fiction by AC Chapter 65: Deposed Empress
♥Author♥Angel♥Chua♥
Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong’er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
Deposed Empress (08.12.2021 edited)
“Master Xie Tai Shan, my old friend! What can I do to help you today?” exclaimed by Lu Zhi.
“Your Highness like the beauty of lotus flower that never fades, running her humble business, how is it going so far?”
Xie Tai Shan on his handsome face, wearing his Green Hanfu dress came and gave her a light beam.
Almost at the same time, another customer came into the Kowloon noodle house wearing his black hood and formal face, and like a place of sunshine covered with darkness, the mood changed after this figure entered in the noodle house.
Zhan Ziyu looked at Xie Tai Shan, and both of their eyes recognized each other.
However, Xie Tai Shan senses Zhan Ziyu’s killer instincts and about to strike him when Xie Tai Shan moved backward and looked down on the floor.
Lu Zhi, on the other hand, was calm and did not mind the two figure starting a small fight, she went to close the noodle house and silently went to the kitchen.
Mei Xiang, her old former palace maid, replaced Chu Qiao and became the kitchen chef after Chu Qiao left the noodle house, Lu Zhi said: two bowls of ginseng soup for the two gentlemen outside.
Zhan Ziyu not letting this rare opportunity go, he started to pick a fight with XIe Tai Shan. Knowing he is unarmed, Zhan Ziyu threw several needles.
Although, Xie Tai Shan is retired in service to Emperor Tang, his martial arts skills did not.
Xie Tai Shan went to counter-attack Zhan Ziyu’s flying needles with his Kam Sleeves and flew on air and landed on one of the tables inside the Kowloon house.
Zhan Ziyu nodded his head and smiled at Xie Tai Shan when suddenly he flew towards Xie Tai Shan and started to fight using his martial arts.
Xie Tai Shan do not have much time for this child’s play, he eventually gave Zhan Ziyu a slight but strong force to hit his temple. Zhan Ziyu was able to counter it.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Zhan Ziyu felt numb for a while, and he knows this martial art well, it can paralyze his head before he can fight back at Xie Tai Shan.
Zhan Ziyu for a second was stopped but controlled his meridians while Xie Tai Shan smiled at him and said: “Greetings to you my old friend.” Xie Tai Shan bowed to Zhan Ziyu.
While Zhan Ziyu is recovering and he is about to give him a counter attack, Xie Tai Shan used the hunting wind force and formed his hand like a sword about to slash Zhan Ziyu’s neck.
Just right around the corner of his neck, not even touching its neck, the force of the wind entered and spread throughout his shoulder.
Zhan Ziyu was momentarily stopped again and recovering from it, he controlled its effect to his nerves.
XIe Tai Shan bowed his head again to Zhan Ziyu and said: “Please Master Ziyu, this is a day to enjoy and not to fight, what brought you here?” And Xie Tai Shan gave him a sly smile.
Zhan Ziyu returned to his normal state, he clasps his hands and slightly bowed to XieTai Shan to recognize him and said: “You may be retired, but you are a dangerous warrior that can still put a Celestial Dao Master to a cold state.”
Xie Tai Shan tapped his shoulders pretending that everything is okay when Zhan Ziyu gave him a blow in his stomach but Xie Tai Shan counter attacked it and said: “I do not want to fight today my brother, if you want me to go I will come back on another day.”
Xie Tai Shan still smiles at him even if he feels some pain and about to leave when suddenly Lu Zhi said: “Come back here, no one leaves this place without trying my ginseng soup.”
Zhan Ziyu narrowed his eyes, he gave Lu Zhi and Xie Tai Shan sly smile and said coldly: “Master Xie Tai Shan, from the humble household of Xie and Zhao bloodline, you must not take me seriously. I just wanted to be sure that you are the old master and likes to know if your skills are still bright and sharp just like the olden times. Remember in the Liang palace courts? You used to beat me, but I used to be smarter than you, how did you recover the poison in your body?”
Xie Tai Shan stopped at the door and turned his back to face the two and walked to a chair and sat on it. Zhan Ziyu pleased, he walked towards him and set to join him on the table. Mei Xiang finished with her cooking, she served the hot ginseng soup to both men, they started to eat.
“This soup is really really good,” said Xie Tai Shan while Zhan Ziyu looking at him he let him taste it first, and he started to scoop the soup.
“I never expect that we would see each other in this place,” Zhan Ziyu said.
Lu Zhi came and sat on the chair between them and joined the two and said: “This means we have been called by fate.”
And what do you mean by it? Asked Xie Tai Shan.
Zhan Ziyu replied: “There are so many things happened in our past and now, today, here, we are met in this place, it’s no ordinary day.”
Xie Tai Shan opened up and asked his old friend: “Your Highness, did the crown prince found the truth about his real mother?”
Zhan Ziyu replied: “If he did, then he would have been paying her a visit.”
Lu Zhi breathes heavily, looking at the far distance and her sad eyes, she said: I followed the advice Zhan Ziyu gave me when one day the Prince came to this place, I saw his face, and he was after a lady whom I know it was never meant for him. I did not introduce myself not even gave him a clue to take a second look into his past.
Xie Tai Shan said: These are random chances that fate wants to open up for both of you, why did you not grab the opportunity when it came knocking here?
Zhan Ziyu interrupted and said: It is not that simple, and I am here to tell you, the life of the crown prince is in danger. According to my spy network, the last time the Prince came out of the palace he met some threat on the road and the present Empress manipulating the Eunuchs gave a report that it was the Afterlife spies who attacked him.
Xie Tai Shan aware of Zhan Ziyu’s activities said: “Was there anyone else on that site other than the Afterlife camp spies?”
Zhan Ziyu answered: “You know the nature of my job, If I weren’t there, then the prince would have been dead by now. The rules are clear, money down first and then give me the target. In this case, I came here to tell both of you, an important figure bought his dead body in advance, and my next target is the crown prince. And I came here to ask, is this the path where my fate leads me to kill my own nephew. Is this new?”
Lu Zhi answered and said: “What is new to this world? I knew that maybe at some point and given enough time will reveal the crown prince destiny. And maybe this is the longtime answer to my questions about my fate, why do I have to suffer on behalf of my son and one day to seclude to live in this place?”
Zhan Ziyu also said: “Exactly the point, why do I have to become a monster to kill and find at this journey the chance to kill him?”
Xie Tai Shan looked at Zhan Ziyu and answered: “If not you, then who would kill the crown prince? One way or the other, the crown prince destiny is set before us. Whether you kill him or not, fate is bound to happen. And maybe, just maybe, we are here to either let it happen or change the hands of fate into something else and alter the course his destiny.”
Lu Zhi quietly listening but in the corner of her eyes is welling some tears said to Xie Tai Shan: “Spoken like a true master who has already seen the end of everything. The truth is, I am willing to lose everything for the sake of him. I never saw this life would happen to me, but I embraced it. I took the path of thorns so he could have the path of glory. It is never that easy, and we are all here to protect him. If not, the hope of this Empire has already sold to the enemy and already on its downfall. In the hands of the present Empress, everything will fall into chaos and swallowed by its greed.”
Zhan Ziyu answered: “Maybe just for the first time in my life I will do something right. I swore to kill and not to save a person, this is clear. But this time, I cannot seem to avoid them to turn around and follow the path to save rather than to kill. The Crown prince has not only let me turn back my evil and wicked ways once when I agreed to save a girl named Chu Qiao whom he fancies a lot. And right now, I am again once summoned to kill but look at me, I am a waste. The crown prince even not asking me to save him, this time I will have to agree to do it, not for someone else and this is the naked truth, I am saving him without his knowledge.”
Xie Tai Shan raised his eyebrows and inquired: “Does this mean you were in the same place where he was beaten by the blackguards and saved him by killing other blackguard assassins?”
Zhan Ziyu looked into Xie Tai Shan’s eyes and answered: “If I was too late for even a few seconds, he could have been a cold body right now.”
Zhan Ziyu looked at Lu Zhi and said: “Truth is, the crown prince for the first time after a year of his solemn silence, asked the Emperor a visitor’s past to come and visit this little small insignificant town and visit an old lady in Xue Fu Street. The crown prince doesn’t know he is drawing himself to his real mother’s presence. I always thought that one of these days, even if we continue to hide this, fate will have a way to expose it.”
Lu Zhi replied and said: “That day, I saw bird’s nest fell down from this Kowloon roof, and then it flashed to me like a vision of his face and then gone.”
Xie Tai Shan looked at Lu Zhi and said: “It is maybe a sign that things are going to happen soon whether we like it or not like I said, we cannot ignore the signs and it is bound to happen. My old friend, Your Highness, if its time, then you must come out of your own world and reveal yourself to the crown prince. As you know, I vowed as your secret protector from the start and even to this day, I am not retired at all.”
Zhan Ziyu beamed at Xie Tai Shan and said: “And what about me? The role I am going to play is not natural. But a devil approaching another devil is the game the Empress plays. Your Highness, I will make you watch Empress Yuan burn to hell. I Zhan Ziyu, do not save but kill. I will not change that rule only will I reverse it. I will kill the client instead of its target. Do you understand it both?”
Zhan Ziyu looked at both Xie Tai Shan and Lu Zhi and waiting for a response from the air.
Lu Zhi said: “Zhan Ziyu, when I saw you die in the Kong Sang road, all I wanted was to help you recover but what I am not able to help you is the path you have chosen. I cannot promise you a bed of roses after but I can help you restore your title and bring you back in the sacred Dao temple.”
Zhan Ziyu joked at Lu Zhi and said: “When it is done, I will collect the payment. For now, you do not have to worry about it or force to promise me anything yourself to pay me this golden favor.”
Xie Tai Shan thinks the time has come to let go, he got up, and he said: “Very well Your Highness, I will be watching you closely.”
He looked at Zhan Ziyu and said: “When you pull the deadly poisoned needles, I hope you will point it to the client and not the target and watch yourself closely, for you won’t be able to run if the moment calls you for it.”
On a one beautiful afternoon, inside the Li garden, its fragrance is like no other.
Emperor Tang was enjoying his usual music and poetry, and he forgot all of his burdens and responsibility to his empire he said: Li Bai, would you please write a poem regarding on happy excursion?
Your Majesty, your subject will be what?
“I would like you to start describing the northern ocean.”
Write about a fish named as Kun, big size fish, and then this fish shapeshifts to a bird called Peng.
“If the bird flies, it starts from the Southern Ocean, from the Celestial lakes.
It flew for six months, mounting itself to the great winds and vast ocean skies.
While on the flight the bird saw the rising white mists of spring, the snowy-dusty clouds, and the living things on earth breathing among them.
The bird wondered whether the skies are really blue. Is it its real color or merely a reflection of the ocean to the sky, a result of distance without end.
The bird continues to glides to the wind, and suddenly its pair of wings crashing to the ocean for the air cannot hold its heavy wings.
The ocean with no sufficient depth accepted the bird it continued to journey in the south.”
Li Bai answered: “A phoenix Your Majesty. Is that the story all about?”
Emperor Tang smiled and added: “A cicada burrows itself inside the roots of the tree and stay for ten years before they go up and resurface in the earth. But a man to journey the depths of every oceans and mountain, he must fill his stomach first, or he won’t last. How would these little cicada’s know what a man goes through to live righteously and not wanting any in return?”
Li Bai answered: “Your Majesty, do not say those things. Your Empire is strong, what can man do to ruin it?”
Emperor Tang says: “You still don’t get it, do you? As for one who is charioteer upon the eternal fitness of Heaven and Earth, driving before him the changing elements as his men roam through the realms of the Infinite, what then, would such one have to need to depend? Thus it is said, the perfect man ignores self; the divine man ignores achievement; the true Sage ignores a reputation.”
Li Bai replied: “Your Majesty, when its time, its time. No one can stop it not even the Heavens.”
Emperor Tang shook his head, and he went closer to hold his shoulder, he told Li Bai: “continue to write poems, I will retire for a while.”
All the music stopped and pack up as the Emperor walked way from the Pear garden and went to his Palace.
The next day, all of Liang’s subjects, royal clansmen, palace ministers, and the royal family mourned for the death of the Emperor.
Everyone in tears and Emperor Tang’s the great ended in the springtime of this year. Empress Yuan arranged its royal funeral and several Empires were also informed about his death.
As the Emperor was finally laid to Li’s royal burial chamber, the Liang palace also is preparing for the herald of the next in line Emperor Xiao Ce.
Chu Qiao who wears her indigo scarf all the time, (to hid her identity, witnessed all of this sad scenes of Xiao Ce’s family and she was able to help him recover from thinking about the Liang people, preparing for the up rise of revolts and power struggles in the future.
Li Bai came to Chu Qiao and gave her all his poems and left Liang Palace for good.
Chu Qiao opened it and read some of the inscriptions, and it revealed the Emperor Tang’s confessions about the first Empress Lu Zhi.
She sighed and breathed out slowly.
Xie Tai Shan and Lu Zhi went to the royal burial chamber in secret and bribed the royal guards not to tell anyone especially in the palace.
Lu Zhi, the first Empress of Liang Empire, cried for several hours and then finally left the Emperor tomb a handkerchief, a token of their first meeting. Lu Zhi thank Emperor Tang for selecting her as his first Empress.
Though, their love story is a sad ending, she did not regret everything about the life she embraced when she gave her hand to the Emperor.
After a while, both of them quietly left when suddenly Tie You came to the grave to deliver more flower and found the handkerchief with royal inscriptions “卢智” my first and last Empress.
After a period of sudden fall, the Liang Empire mourns for their dead Emperor, and it will last for one year.
The entire palace is dressed in white and white flowers decorated around its corridors with black ribbons attach each post.
The autumn season started to change the colors of the trees giving up their brown and orange leaves making the environment more depressing.
The royal tomb open from sunrise to sundown received more than a thousand visitors coming from foreign lands except for its neighborhood Empires who have not set their foot yet to visit the Emperor’s tomb.
***
This autumn season also marks the Annual Celebration of Wei’s Lantern Festival to commemorate their ancestor’s hunting ground, but Chu Qiao is being pressed to come out of Liang palace and leave Xiao Ce behind.
Chu Qiao on her stay at Liang is an overdue as Xiao Ce begs off her presence in his palace.
Like a child and an unpredictable teenager, Xiao Ce can only sleep when Chu Qiao is around and always say to her: “I need you…please do not go away ever again. You know how much I waited for this time to be with you. Please promise you will stay and not leave.”
Chu Qiao not wanting to add burden to the Emperor to be, ends up saying yes to him.
And the fondness between them grew and their friendship going stronger every day and it will be hard to break. Viper continued to spy Yan Xun’s army and provide Chu Qiao information about the Xuili Army.
This time the news is not going well. Yan Xun is strangling Xuili army with his impossible and unfair conditions to abuse them.
Chu Qiao learning who Yan Xun before and who is now made it difficult for her to decide whether to open Xuili army into the possibility of an exodus from their land and free them from Yan Xun’s shackles or let them fight Yan army and die with their homeland.
If the latter happens, Xuili will dig out their own tombs and would not be able to recover from its bitter past.
If this happens, Chu Qiao may lose all of their battle sanity and end up confronting Yan Xun which she thinks is not needed. But as the time pass by, the possibility of putting herself upfront is unavoidable.
She decides to plan her course of action and ask for Xiao Ce’s permission to attend Wei’s annual Lantern festival and visit her old lady in Xue Fu street.
Thank you, Your Highness, but I do not need more companions to accompany me. I will only bring Viper and myself.
Xiao Ce replied: “Please, let Sun Di accompany you. If anything goes wrong to you, I cannot forgive myself.”
Xiao Ce took her hands and looked at her eyes, he said sincerely: “Please, take Sun Di and his envoy with you.”
Chu Qiao does not have any choice but to accept she said: “Do not blame me if your envoy complains about me.”
Xiao Ce smiled with his sad eyes, he said: “No one would dare to blame Qiao Qiao.”
Chu Qiao set on her journey, she is dressed on her simple Hanfu dress and went to see the old lady.
Lu Zhi surprised she said: “What brought you here? Its been a long time we did not see each other. I heard your home was set on fire and you went away. Where is Ra Yue?”
Viper came to look at the Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi a bit startled and said: Who is she?
Chu Qiao smiled at the old lady and said: “I have a lot to explain, but I can’t do it for now.”
“Can you please excuse me for today, we came to pass by but can I come back later to have a long chat with you?”
The Old lady understood said: “Oh, off you go then come back when you are free.”
Chu Qiao bid her goodbye, and the carriage drove towards the Wei. Along their way to Wei, Chu Qiao passed by the wooden cottage and remembers Master Xie very well.
She came for a quick chat and suddenly bid her goodbyes, and Master Xie Tai Shan was not able to give her more details about Yuwen Yue for Chu Qiao promised to come back after the lantern festival in Wei.
Xie Tai Shan saw Sun Di too but did not speak to him.
Chu Qiao, Viper and Sun Di’s envoy are trailing the Wei and Liang borders. They continued to travel to the West.
***
When He Xiao from outside the Xuili Mountain is troubled by harassment of King Yan Xun, Ge Qi led the army to creep out of the mountain quietly.
The entire military did not fight the Yan Army.
The Xuli Army veterans with better eyes went ahead of the road, and the soldiers behind them followed one after the other. Pulling the front feet to the south, the army horses were all fastened with cloth strips, and they were all drunk all the way to the road.
In addition to the sighs of breath and the buzzing footsteps, the march of 5,000 troops with their families and some of their possessions is no more.
Wu Danyu followed the soldiers who opened the way in front of them.
The cold wind poured into their mouth with snowflakes began to fall. All military army have their tied some piece of cloth to the head-wound.
You cannot even hear any complaints, no one said a word.
Wu Danyu felt that the army seemed to have its own resilience and will to endure this dark night. Without his special command and supervision, the soldiers walk firmly and calmly.
The whole team is so quiet when suddenly they saw a black like snake lady.
After walking forty miles in the night, the soldiers are marching on foot tirelessly, Wu Danyu ordered the army not to rest. Ge Qi approaching an envoy raised his hands and halted the troops to forward they stopped at their site.
After eating breakfast with dry food, one short break and heading south, here comes a figure that may attack them or save them from their flight.
As long as Ge Qi had been marching, all of their troops were exhausted.
Their might and strength depended with their troop leaders who work hard in advance to take them to a safe journey and find reinforcements.
Later, after the death march of twenty miles, the soldiers reached their limit, some of them began to fall on the road.
Ge Qi and Wu Danyu ordered some men to take out those people and do not leave them, and they can rest to follow behind. He Xiao sees from a distance, suspects the figure is not a foe, the familiar figure is holding a whip.
He Xiao’s army may not be able to withstand the time, finally saw the approaching envoy of General Chu, Viper, and Sun Di.
Seeing General Chu’s face means survival for them tested by time and experience, there is the General of infantry of soldiers who had won the respect of all cavalrymen.
After Chu Qiao reached Xuili Army, they still maintained a strict formation. Chu Qiao meets He Xiao, and Viper on her side looked at him. Chu Qiao cannot hide the fact and sees Xuili armies head-wounds, hungry looks, and tired bodies.
Other troops rushed over the porridge that Sun Di ordered for his infantry to serve, they guarded around them, and finally Xuili Army though can die of starvation still managed to have discipline and queued to receive their own food.
After leaving the necessary sentry posts, Sun Di’s troop guards deployed around two teams at ten people per team surrounded the field. The swords, crossbows, and other weapons were all on their side and ready to fight.
After the whole army ate, the guards took pride and look at their new comrades refueling their energy to move their troops forward.
Although He Xiao is already in his extreme starvation state, he is still willing to share the honor of the last meal with the two of the most elite lieutenants in his army Wu Danyu and Ge Qi. He Xiao cultivated a sense of honor in the military.
The latest meal was qualification and reputation, which was the same as encouraging the soldiers to fight for the status of the first row of Xuili’s front liners. After Xuili Army experience, such a unique sensation about death, hunger, and exhaustion was all nothing. Survival was again like a badge mounted on their chests, they passed tonight’s last stand and endure their exodus starvation from their homeland entering the foreign land.
General Chu asked him “Is everyone ready?” said in a low-spirited manner.
Like forcing these brave defenders once part of Yan Army to join forces with the Tang Army is another turnaround for Xuili army to survive.
Whether this will formed from the Heavens or their own army of uniform persecuting Xuili army that forced them to get off the Hong Chuan city, it seems the act is apparent, they are joining the forces of Tang army.
The look from Chu Qiao’s eyes was a bit inexplicable, and she became more and more gloomy. Many specific military orders passed by Chu Qiao and He Xiao in command are to relay and follow.
General Chu Qiao said: “Report.”
“Reporting to General Chu, are 600 old adults military officers in the army. Last fourteen (14) days, 1,352 civilian people died in the war, and almost 10,000 people could have participated in the breakout.”
Chu Qiao eyes staring at him, Ge Qi hesitated for a moment and said: “Still we have left 648 people who were injured and unable to participate in the breakout.
At the end of the day, they have all been placed in the state between the borders of Yanbei and Liang to assist the Hong Chuan people of families and relatives to be safe. If we do not open the gates, having no shelter, food, and water for seven days, everyone will die in starvation.”
After the earth-shaking report, Chu Qiao looked more gloomy, and Military Governor Sun Di participated in a short military debate by other Tang official who joined their envoy.
Several Military officers began to look at the situation of the Xuili army and formed opinions and strategies to welcome these ailing army. A decision must be passed.
Even if the nearest state town is part of the Liang Empire’s fortified prefectures, its city gates can only be opened through the help of Prince Lou so they can pass six more prefectures and finally reach Daoming Palace.
It is the fear of rejection that concerns Sun Di, but Sun Di knows for a fact that the interim Emperor Xiao Ce can help to turn its gates and can bypass Prince Lou’s resistance.
Sun Di finally decides the good of many, he will have to accompany them instead by being a warm body and open its access to the first two gates.
Chu Qiao inquired again: How about the wounded soldiers? Did you put standby soldiers to accompany them?”
Wu Danyu answered and said: “Placing our wounded Xuili brothers in the state near Yanbei is not intended to hand them over to the enemy, especially if the enemy outside the city hates the defender. If we can secure the families and relatives first, we will be the first to respond to rescue them, and we are the last to go.”
Chu Qiao heard it all knows and already predicted this situation. She played it in her mind while she in Liang palace and she already cannot turn back but to receive Xuili army and persuade Xiao Ce to accept the Hong Chuan civilian people as a refugee and open the jurisdiction of Prince Lou to take the fugitive Xuili army.
Although Xiao Ce, is in the state of emotional crises, the Liang Empire is a bit in the state of disorder, Chu Qiao hoped that he will begin to make decisions and can show the world this chance to prove Liang’s government pro-life advocacy.
If Xiao Ce asks to trade anything in return from her, she would definitely not hesitate for the sake of the dying people, the wounded soldiers, the children, and their ailing youth.
After they parted, the long cavalry of men followed Sun Di, and its envoy guarded the Xuili army. Chu Qiao and Viper set their foot on Wei so the Yan army will be confused and follow their footsteps instead.
Viper blew their paths from where they stood, and the wind like a swirl erased Xuili’s long trail of footsteps.
The guardians of the eight and seventh prefectures bowed down to Sun Di, and He Xiao is observing them. This is not his first time but Xuili men first to set on foot on Liang’s military ground.
Ge Qi and Wu Danyu are also watching the defending army and their army. There are thousands of people at least living in this Tang’s army that dressed themselves to be a trader, all of whom are sturdy military men, with their horses and palanquins.
During the pass through, the paladins were heavily guarded at the side. One of it is a military official dressed to battle meets Sun Di and behind him are his guards, they all bowed at him.
Sun Di nodded and ask one young army to inform Xiao Ce about the arrival of Xuili army while Sun Di instructed the entire prefecture to prepare and get ready with their weapons for a possible split of forces if the interim Emperor Xiao Ce and Prince Lou does not agree on common ground.
A flagged was raised to the sixth prefecture, and the gatekeepers saw Sun Di and his cavalrymen.
General Sui and Prince Lou were informed and received a military message about the arrival of the Sun Di and Xuili army. Xuili carriages were loaded with various Northland cargoes. Sun Di judged that in addition to gold and silver, he is afraid that most of the weapons that are prohibited from being held by civilians, such as powerful arrows, slow cannons, bow and arrows, various swords are not allowed.
All of a sudden, a young man one of the gatekeepers rode in the front of the brigade and scouts the Sun Di’s military infantry eventually saw the fugitive Xuili soldiers.
He went back to report to his masters to confirm. The two masters looked into their eyes and know what it means.
Like in the past, they never involved their military strength to take part in any stand, and this time it is going to be reminded to Sun Di and to his men.
Suddenly without any warning or dialogues, two injured crossbowmen temporarily settled in and seen defending to recover from injuries.
The vacated horse allowed Sun Di to flee and defended himself by riding a tall yellow horse, which was accompanied by He Xiao.
The message is clear, they can’t be allowed to pass and will face military hostility.
Sun Di knows this best, he ordered to retreat all of his cavalrymen and settle at the seventh prefecture.
Empress Yuan was also informed of the fugitive Xuili soldiers while Xiao Ce sends his seal for Prince Lou to allow the Xuili army to pass.
Not yet enthroned as the Emperor, Xiao Ce seeks supports from his mother, but Empress Yuan did not take a stand. Instead, she ordered a complete opposite decree to ban the entry of Sun Di’s soldiers and kill all invaders of the Liang Empire.
Not so long, Xiao Ce went to his mother’s palace court and found that most of his palace ministers were having a meeting without his knowledge.
Xiao Ce did not bother but took this part as strange like a hidden agenda, an indirect attack to his incoming rule of the Empire.
“Your Majesty,” Empress Yuan bowed to his son and asked: “What troubled you that let your foot travel in my palace.”
Xiao Ce a little bit pale but look into his mother’s eyes said: “I have a favor to ask.”
Empress Yuan knows what the interim Emperor will ask she said: “Your Highness, it is not possible. I have consulted our ministers for Sun Di’s actions, and this is not Liang’s responsibility.”
Xiao Ce looked at the palace ministers and said: “Have you forgotten that Xiao Yu is their Queen? Whatever we do to them will affect my blood sister.”
Xiao Ce faking his concern to his half-sister Xiao Yu who had not visited Liang Empire one year ago.
Xiao Yu did not even attend her father’s eulogy and burial.
Empress Yuan responded and said: “A Chameleon army cannot be trusted.”
Xiao Ce replied: “They are not animals to be slaughtered. We should see them as human beings seeking honest help and the last time I check we have not changed our pro-life values as an Empire.”
One of Liang’s palace ministers said: “Your Highness, we have reported that the Xuili army committed treason and have joined Wei Elite soldiers and turned their backs to them again. We are not confident about their loyalty and if they will adhere to our government. Even their Yan King abandoned them, and the Yan Queen is entirely about this, and yet here we are to cradle them and spoil a fugitive army?”
On his cunning and foxy abilities, Xiao Ce calmly said: “If we do not agree and settle this matter today, I suggest that all the foreign ministers of this palace shall be evicted and end their service to the Liang government. No benefits will be given and will be put to a court trial to investigate the complaints that reached my palace. Shall I go ahead and make this a decree?”
The palace minister’s murmured and anxious on air were felt.
Their faces soon became pale as if the interim Emperor is already exercising his authority to his subjects.
One of the foreign ministers said: “Your Highness, please we beg your words for you to take it back. We, foreign ministers, have already settled in this place and marked our graves in this land. We cannot go back to our homeland as paupers. We have served the late emperor wholeheartedly, and today, our concern is for the good of Liang empire and not for the good of the other side which is the fugitive army.”
Xiao Ce closed his eyes for a while and then opened them with a sarcastic smile in his mouth he said in an authoritative voice: “Impressive, you have already made my point. You are foreigners in this land, and yet we allowed you to stay here and even shared some rights and bestowed you the power to govern our Liang people according to our pro-life values. But now, you cannot also extend that mercy my father gave you to this fugitive army.”
Xiao Ce paused before saying: “If we close our gates to them and do not accept, then who will? If we closed our gates for you and did not accept you, where would have been living by now?”
My father has taught me, on leveling off things: “Take the human body with all its hundred bones, nine external cavities and six internal organs, all complete. Which part of it should I love best? Do you not cherish all equally, or have you a preference? Do these organs serve as servants of someone else? Since servants cannot govern themselves, do they serve as master and servants by turn? Surely there is some soul which controls them all.*
“I am that soul. If you do not want to be ousted in your position, then do the same thing as my father did to you.”
Xiao Ce strong with his convictions proved to his mother that he won all the votes today.
The palace ministers return to Xiao Ce’s side.
Empress Yuan shivering with anger she controlled her angry voice she said: “Very well, the voice of the next Emperor is heard. No one forced you to fall from your first decision, but if things do not happen as expected, you are all free to judge the decision you have made today.”
The royal guard handed over the decree to Prince Lou.
After he read, he immediately wants to abide, but General Sui stopped him and said.
“This is decree is not for you to follow but a chance for you to revolt and take over the throne while Xiao Ce is not yet declared as Emperor.”
Prince Lou caught in a surprise he replied to General Sui asks.
“He is my brother, what are you planning to do?”
General Sui answered: “The Empress is planning to dethrone your brother and enthrone you to become the next Emperor instead. Time is on our side, and we can use this opportunity to invite more support from Liang troops, scholars and hundreds of palace ministers. If we are successful in this, you would only need to expect two things.”
“One, Xiao Ce to abdicate the throne and abide in your reign.”
“Two, Xiao Ce to be killed and besides you, you are the closest legitimate ruler who can replace your brother.”
Prince Lou does not like what he heard at the moment for he never planned or schemed against his brother Xiao Ce.
He loved him as his younger brother, he is the only family he considered when A’Fu died.
Although he learned to follow and treat General Sui as his second father, no one would beat his brotherly love for this brother Xiao Ce.
Their golden childhood bank of memories he treasures it in his heart.
Prince Lou is not liking this idea of Empress and General Sui plotting to put him as a puppet ruler then what?
Prince Lou remained in silence, and General Sui said: “My son, tell me what do you think? Is there anything wrong to the good future we have waited to give for all this time to harvest?”
Also, Prince Lou became wary of General Sui now that he gave him an idea of what is really happening behind all of this. He can sense that his enemy is not the Emperor-to-be but the Empress, his own mother.
It breaks his heart to see it this way, but Prince Lou wants to find out everything if this is true before he can even jump into conclusion.
Prince Lou knows very well that many interested parties and royal clans who want to sit on the throne and he does not want to become a tool for them to destroy his brother and his mother.
Prince Lou did not give General Sui an eye contact he answered: “No, there is nothing wrong Uncle General,” uttered in a bland voice, he kept his own insights hidden and wants to go to the Palace to warn his brother Xiao Ce.
Author’s note:
*Borrowing the original classic lines of Tang Empire Dynasties Zhuang Zhi Quotes under chapter 1-On Leveling All Things, to help our character Xiao Ce get the votes of his palace ministers and go back to the side of the Emperor and leave Empress Yuan embarrassed who have forgotten the old ways of Tang Dynasties values and foundation.
♥♥♥
Pingback: The Secret Princess – Fan Fiction by AC Chapter 64: Mother’s knows best | Angel Chua
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Hi Jess and to all readers, sorry for some delays, I am back to writing now to continue this saga. Thank you for keeping me close and checking this fiction on a daily basis. Love lots -AC
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Thanks Ms AC, I missed reading this
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..u r very much welcum ms.ac..
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Pingback: The Secret Princess excerpts and editing status | Angel Chua
Yes thank you so much. Pictures look good and easier to go back and forth to the next chapters.
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Just finished reading.. And it really made my night. Thank u a lot
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When is the next chapter Ms AC?
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