No Repeats

The heir is really lost

When bodies of the Huang concubines surfaced on the waters of the Qiantang River and evidence delivered to their families' doors, the Emperor and the Rui Prime Minister were overjoyed. These are the daughters of the loyalists who willingly sacrificed themselves to seduce the Huang general and create chaos within the Huang household. More importantly their main mission was to gain evidence to implicate Huang Yu Li in crimes that would allow the Emperor to execute the Huang family.

Unfortunately, their early demise cut short these schemes, but now that the evidence has been tied to Yu Li's favoured personal aid, Shu Mei. Using this vicious woman, the Prime Minister can mount a case against Yu Li. Since Yu Li's appearance as a genius youth and the numerous merits he had accumulated, this is the first opportunity for the Emperor to implicate Huang Yu Li and strip his powers.

At this point, just as Shu Mei is being escorted into the imperial city, she had no idea that she has become the leverage that will be used to take down Yu Li. Instead, she is thoroughly enjoying the food and scenery afforded to her throughout the trip.

Within a day of Shu Mei's departure, Yu Li brutally suppressed the dissenting factions in Wulin, executing the resistance under his sword without battling an eyelid. He had immediately issued an order for his north-western troops to mobilise and march towards the imperial city while instructing Lu Tai and his secret service units to go out in full force to find the missing heir by arresting and interrogating all males between eighteen and twenty-one.

In Hangzhou and its surrounding regions, no males have been spared except for Song Wei Li who have secretly followed Shu Mei's entourage into the imperial city. The disappearance of Song Wei Li was kept quiet by Old Madame Song and they sent a servant posing as him for the interrogation. In the Song Manor, the Old Madame Song and her third son, Song Xitian dismissed the servants around her rooms and engaged in a whispered conversation.

"Mother, it would seem that the wheels have started to move, what should we do?" asked Song Xitian.

"We must stay calm and wait for instructions. Wei Li should be on his way to join your brothers in the imperial city, I am sure he will send a message once he arrives. The Huang child have gone all out, it seems that he would have mobilised his troops already," said Old Madame Song.

"Mother, Wei Li's scheme has been effective to give the Prime Minister evidence against Huang Yu Li, this kid is clever, using the Old hag against her own family. But I didn't think that this would push the events along so fast! That girl must be very important to the Huang bastard," said Song Xitian.

"The girl is a casualty, it is unfortunate, but she must be held hostage until they can corner the Huang child, I think she is his weakness. Let's see how it unfolds, but the important thing here is whether you found the Imperial Heir?" asked Old Madame Song.

"The secret service assassins have killed five out of the eight fake identities we have used to misdirect, there are three left. I have checked on the village that we have left the true heir, but the family have all gone. Don't worry mother, once I send out the signal the couple will bring the heir out of hiding, they are very trustworthy people," said Song Xitian confidently, but Old Madame Song could tell that there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"What is the matter? Why are you uncertain?" asked Old Madame Song, nothing escapes her sharp eyes.

"Truth be told the couple have stopped reporting a few years ago, they are hiding so deep that I can't get into contact with them. There is a chance that they love the child too much to let it get involved in the politics of the empire. Mother, it would be bad if that was the case..." said Song Xitian as he guiltily evades this mother's eyes.