Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter 57

"Your majesty, wait!" The Grand Consort took An-Xia by the wrist, pulling her back, though whether to protect her or to obey her lord's command was unclear. An-Xia glanced at her, seeing that under her make-up her face was gaunt. Her eyes sought out her eldest son.

"Father." The Crown Prince stepped forward. "We have evidence to present of the Third Prince's many crimes against your rule. Not merely this murder, but others. His financial peculations are immense. His dealings have been false throughout. Surely such things cannot be condoned by the Throne. The people would not bear it."

The king looked toward his high seat. "I have four sons, my dear daughter-in-law-to-be," he said to An-Xia. "Regard them. Brave. Handsome. Strong in body and mind. Would not any maiden's heart flutter at their lightest smile?"

"In...indeed, your majesty."

"But when I look at them, I see their mothers. A noble lady of a renegade court. A concubine of no particular descent but clever and devious. A free-spirited child who never accepted the bonds of her position. How I loved her! How she frustrated me! I sent her son away because I could not bear to see her in his face. Yet there he stands with the others, not the least among them despite his youth."

The Grand Consort's hand had tightened painfully on An-Xia's forearm, though the older woman seemed unaware of it. Her breast rose and fell to hurried, shaking breaths as she bit the corner of her lower lip. Her worried eyes searched the faces of her two sons, the pride of the royal family. What did she feel toward Sun-Sin, the son of a woman who had vied for her lord's attention? She had always appeared to regard him with affection. Was that so?

The king patted An-Xia's cheek again. "You will find that your heartbreak will not last. One man is very like another and love is a game for children. The Third Prince needs someone like you to support him and give him sons. Dismiss and forget your girlish fancies. Think on a higher ambition. Your son will rule this empire."

An-Xia felt the shock that ran through the Grand Consort and saw it reflected on the faces of the three princes standing close together. "What are you saying, my lord?" Lady Liu asked breathlessly. "Her son? The Third Prince's son?"

"Why not?" His smile resembled the teeth on a bear-trap. "Your father was a traitor. You should be used to this."

He walked away and stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at T'ien Luo-Bi who bowed his back. "What did you think ruling a kingdom means, my sons? Is it sitting on a throne, like a nodding statue? Reading endless reports? Playing Go in a garden with your wife? Writing bad poetry while drinking good wine?" The beads on his headdress swung as he slowly shook his head. "It means killing every noble impulse lest they lead to bad ends. It means choosing the best of your options even if you bring death to those you love. Even the best king winds up a bad man so why not choose a bad man to begin with?"

Glancing at T'ien Sheng-Zi, he said, "You are an admirable man which is why I chose you first to be my heir. But I see now that is the wrong reason to choose you. You are banished from the court. Take your children and go to the palace at Pang. I have no doubt none of you will live long after your brother succeeds me. Live in peace until then."

"Father, you are not well...."

"Cheng-Di, you are banished from the court also. Take to the road as you love to do. Never stand before my face again. If you are clever and able, perhaps you can escape from the Third Prince's plans to kill you to prevent you taking the throne yourself."

"What about me, my lord?" Sun-Sin stepped forward. "What fate do you give to me?"

"T'ien Luo-Bi says that you have made an agreement to serve him and have surrendered your woman to him. This gives me hope that you are not entirely your mother's son. However, I am sure that the future king will grow to suspect your loyalty. Has he not already tried to kill you more than once?"