Embrace Of The Wind And The Flame

Chapter 6

Crown Prince Li sat with emperor Xu in the study and they both were deeply engrossed in a game of chess.

"It seems Crown Prince has won again, emperor father is growing older and can not play anymore" Emperor Xu pushed the board slightly and shifted his chair backwards.

"Imperial Father went easy on son or else there is no way son would could have possibly won."

Emperor Xu laughed and took a cup from a maid. "Li, your sister is leaving Fu Lang. We are afraid that we have failed your mother"

Crown Prince remained silent, but the hardened expression in his eyes couldn't hide.

"Sister is fine with going to Hua, the sky is broader there and there will be many other stars for her to pick. Imperial Father has given sister the Fu Lang title, there can be nothing greater"

Emperor Xu stared at his son's hardened expression and sighed "Li you still blame emperor Father for what happened that year don't you?"

"Son was young when the incident of that year happened and can not remember what happened clearly. Imperial Father please forgive son, but son does not know what father is talking about"

Seeing his reluctance to talk about it, emperor Xu sighed. "Eunuch Fao, give crown Prince some gifts and see him out." He looked at his son who was still avoiding his eyes "Li, you can leave now. Emperor father has some work to do"

Crown Prince Li bowed and followed eunuch Fao out of the study. Outside the door, the old man stopped and bowed "this servant begging the Crown Prince to forgive what happened that year. Majesty has been unable to have a good rest since that day, Majesty also blames himself for Consort Luo Nan's death."

"Highness does not understand what eunuch Fao means by Consort Mother's death. The whole capital and everyone else was told by the grand imperial physician that consort mother died from having a weak and fragile body." He fixed his eyes on eunuch Fao "What does eunuch Fao mean by saying Imperial Father has not been sleeping well? Why have you not called the imperial physician?"

Eunuch Fao was spell bound for a minute, then he cleared his throat and "Highness is right. Servant will have the junior servants call a physician immediately. Servant wishes Highness a good trip back."

Crown Prince waved his sleeves and walked away without looking back once. Eunuch Fao watched his retreating back and sighed.

"He claims not to remember what happened that year?" Emperor Xu's eyes were focused outside the window, on the path where the crown Prince followed.

"In response to Majesty's question, Highness adamantly refused to show any sign that he remembers what happened. Perhaps Highness has truly forgotten"

Emperor Xu was silent for a while, then asked "The people of that year, all of them have been properly settled right? There must be no mistakes"

Eunuch Fao bowed and retreated, leaving the man to his thoughts.

"Good, ensure that you bury the bodies where they will never be found. If anything goes wrong, nine generations execution" Eunuch Fao dismissed the men in black clothes who bowed and flew out the window.

He sat on a chair and sighed. 'Money, gold, power and authority. Everything can be achieved here. Everything except a simple night rest'

He shook his head to clear the thoughts that were crawling into his head, then returned to standing outside the Imperial Study

At Wu Lei Palace.

"Master"

The person kneeling on the ground did not dare raise their head to look at the man who was seating above him.

"You have done as I asked?"

"In response to Master, this subordinate has investigated and found out some disturbing things"

Crown Prince frowned "Speak."

"This subordinate found out that the Grand Imperial Physician of that year was dismissed from work and asked to retire to a small village far from the capital.

The maids and court ladies who served Consort Lou were all also dismissed, some of them dead and the few this subordinate found claimed never to have been court ladies."

"That is enough for now, you may go."

The person kneeling on the floor did not make any move to leave.

"Is there something else?"

"Master, Subordinate does not know if subordinate will be leaving with Fu Lang Princess tomorrow or will remain here"

Without even a moment's thought, Crown Prince Li spoke "What do you mean? Of course you will leave with Wei."

The person bowed and left through the open window. At the spot where the person had been kneeling, a plain hairpin laid reflecting the moonlight.
Crown Prince picked it and stared at it for a while, thousands of emotions ran through his eyes. He blinked and they were gone, as if they had never been there. The hairpin however, had been placed inside a drawer.

AT HUA NATION

Two women sat opposite each other, a heating element being the only thing that kept their distance from each other.

"I heard you accepted the proposal from Fu Lang. What are you doing?"

The older looking woman bit into a cake as she spoke. Her eyes were fixed on a koi pond just below where the sat and she watched calmly as the two Koi inside chased each other's tails in harmony.

"I hope you have not forgotten the reason why I backed down and let you be regent instead of having your head shaved and being sent to the monastery like other women in the inside court experienced."

Empress Regent had a forced smile on her face as she listened. "Grand Dowager mother, I have not forgotten and I will not forget my anger and hatred towards Fu Lang just with a political marriage. I have other plans that are going well and even far more easier than war. What better way to hurt a child than to snatch back a treat you gave it?"

Grand Dowager smiled and swallowed a sip of water "it is good to see that you have not forgotten about that incident all these years." She sighed again and looked at the Koi pond "look at those two Koi, leaving their lives in harmony and tranquility. The world is supposed to be this way, it should be this way but only when Hua takes rule over it"

Empress Regent smiled, her attention now on the Koi too "Grand Dowager mother is right."

And just like that, the two women's conversation steered to discussing Koi. A while later when the empress regent left, she looked at the person on her right, a tall slender court lady with a sword. "Has any pigeon come from Fu Lang?"

The lady bowed " In response to Empress Regent, a message is yet to come from the palace. Perhaps they have experienced some obstacles." She seemed to hesitate about something for a while "Reminding Empress regent, the person from Fu Lang marriage decree will be coming tomorrow"

Empress Regent frowned. "Let her come, I will deal with it later" she sighed and looked at the pond where the Koi were swimming energetically again and shook her head sadly.

"Such a pity, these poor things died. As Grand Dowager said, they will find Harmony and tranquility in the other side"

The court lady bowed until her long trail of servants disappeared, then turned towards the pond, a murderous intent in her eyes. The Koi as if feeling danger swam far from the edge but it was fruitless, she had to make sure they found Harmony and tranquility or else she would be the one to.