009

The position of the Crown Prince had been decided on after all- as expected, it was the Third Prince.

But not knowing when it started, there was a rumour going around the common people that said the Third Prince was a leftover from the previous dynasty, and that all the other princes' misfortunes were a product of Imperial Concubine Liu's doing.

Having known of these rumours and slander, Imperial Concubine Liu swept all the table to the floor in a fit of anger. She took in a few deep breaths, then, while lifting her hair bun, ordered the servants to clean it up, after which she left for the Emperor's bedchambers.

Once Imperial Concubine Liu came out, her features was filled with smiles, and ordered people to protect the palace, for the emperor's body was not well, and was not willing to see anyone except her and the crown prince.

Who in the palace didn't know in this present day that the Emperor wasn't going to hold any longer. The future Emperor was the Crown Prince, and the person in front of their eyes would soon be the mother of the nation, the Queen Mother.

Thanks to Imperial Concubine Liu poisoning him everyday, the Emperor's body had weakened with each day, until finally it would seem that he was not even make it to the New Years- unable to move from the bed, having a mouth but unable to speak, only able to wait for death to come.

The flirtatious woman of that year today had still retained her charm, just that the corners of her eyes had gained some fine wrinkles. She finely savoured the tea, delightfully looking at the former vigorous Emperor angrily looking at herself, “Emperor, don't use that kind of eyes to look at me, I feel scared.”

“I wonder if you still remember that year when I was clearly about to become the Crown Princess- but because of you, not only did my loved one lose his place, but you had even forcefully seized me. With just one word, you had the Liu family quickly send me off into the palace.” Imperial Concubine Liu coldly looked on, laughing with the face that the Emperor had previously loved the most, “Might as well come clean to you- the rumours outside were right. Ming Zhe is the son of the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty, and not yours. If it wasn't, why do you think a concubine who did not care for you at all suddenly change her mind?”

“I was the one who made the First Prince's legs uneven. I was the one who blinded the Second Prince's eyes. It was I who made the Fifth Prince r.e.t.a.r.ded. As for the Seventh Prince……” Counting each and every one, Imperial Concubine Liu's smile was filled with extreme pleasure, “Do you still remembered Chun An who was burned in a fire? He[1] wasn't some Princess, he was a Prince- that villainous wife that was rumoured by the capital to have the heart of a snake and scorpion- he was properly your son.”

“He originally could have also inherited your position, but wasn't your throne also obtained from taking it from someone else? What is stolen is destined to return to its original owner.” The woman's laughing face was extremely dazzling, but there no one in the mood to appreciate this beauty, “So that my Ming Zhe could smoothly ascend to the throne, I didn't pity myself in announcing that child who I was pregnant with for ten months was a beautiful girl, and made him take on the ident.i.ty of a girl to meet people, even going as far making you neglect him bit by bit, and at last match him with a unfaithful man.”

“You must feel terrible, no? But I also had a extremely hard time too. Do you know how hard it was for me to smile towards an enemy day and night? That child had reminded me each and every moment those painful times, like hanging a knife that would fall on my neck any time- with a single mistake, Ming Zhe and I would have had to leave at any time.”

“That's why I had spent so much effort to send him to a foreign land.” Imperial Concubine Liu fiercely threw the cup toward the ground, the crisp sound resounding as though in a large ground palace, “But he wasn't willing, and had to go with that Fu Hong Wen. And the result of that? I merely used his family and Zhao Li Xin to threaten him a bit. The former darling top scholar of the capital, Grand Tutor of the imperial academy- in the end, had he not obediently become a marionette in the palm of my hands?

“After today, my Ming Zhe will be the Emperor- and I will eventually be the mother of the nation.” Moving in closer to the frozen Emperor, Imperial Concubine Liu lightly laughed, “I want you to bear witness to this country- and in what way it will be returned bit by bit.”

Then, he would go to the underworld to apologize to her beloved Crown Prince Brother[2].

"Did everyone hear that clearly?” A man's voice abruptly sounded. A lean young man came out from the inconspicuous folding screen, and following behind him, the important officials from the court too emerged. Towards Imperial Concubine Liu's inconceivable expression, Zhao Li Xin laughed in a particularly vicious manner, “Mother, seeing that I haven't died, you seem to be very disappointed.”

Impossible…… That informant had clearly reported……

Imperial Concubine was dumbfounded for a second, as though having thought of something random, laughed out loud, “So what? On what grounds makes you think this country's citizens would willingly follow an Emperor who had put down others before?”

Like being teased by an ignorant wife, Zhao Li Xin couldn't bear but laugh, as though sneering at Imperial Concubine Liu's naivety. Every move made the other party think of how it resembled the times where she would sneer at him, and others would see the resemblance when looking at the two, “Won't Mother ask around, who among them had heard?”

“That year, Imperial Concubine Liu had given birth to twins, but because the hatred of other concubines of the palace, they had thrown away a twin outside the palace. Fortunately, it had been found out in time, and the child had since been raised in secret by the Emperor the entire time.” Zhao Li Xin smiled, “Mother, does this result not please you? You would still be the mother of the nation.”

The Imperial Concubine Liu, having returned to her senses, rushed to push down Zhao Li Xin, her face contorted, “No, you are just a disgusting monster. This throne belongs to my Ming Zhe- only Ming Zhe has the qualifications to be the Emperor.”

Not waiting for the other party to push him down, Zhao Li Xin quickly jumped aside, looking down[3] at that sloven woman, coldly, “Is no one going to send Imperial Concubine Liu back to her palace, and guard her well?”

She helplessly looked at the servants who would normally be courteous to her bear cold expressions and drag her away, who had even stuffed her mouth with a piece of cloth from who knows where when she had opened her mouth.

It shouldn't be like this. She clearly had everything in the palm of her hands. Where- just where did it go wrong?

“Everyone knows what to say outside, right?”

Each old subject looked at each other, thought about their own families, finally bit down, and in front of the still not-dead Emperor, bowed down in respect towards Zhao Li Xin, “The subjects greet the Emperor. May the Emperor live on eternally.”

Like having felt the wrath from the Emperor who could not move or talk, Zhao Li Xin sent him a slight smile, “Father, I will properly protect this country in your stead. You can rest in peace now.”

After leaving through the doors, the servants standing by outside went in, bringing in the last bowl of medicine for the Emperor to chug down. Not long after, an eunuch's scream could be heard, bitterly and tragically, “The Emperor…… has met his demise.”

The Third Prince and Imperial Concubine had since been imprisoned by Zhao Li Xin. On the day of ascending the throne, Zhao Li Xin had especially sent people to bring the two people who had their tongues cut out into a dark area to see how he would be wearing the Emperor's clothes that the Third Prince had yearned for so dearly, step by step moving towards the path of ascension, towards that throne he had thought about day and night.

Unlike the time when he had been married off along that long, red, carpeted path, Zhao Li Xin's heart was extremely calm.

Standing at the top, he could still feel the gaze that wanted to eat him from the two people. Zhao Li Xin slightly smiled, listening to everyone calling out to him in unison.

Hate him? So what of it? This sky is still his in the end.

[1] It should be known that any instances of he/she/him/her/they/them all sound the same in Chinese- on paper, you can tell the difference, but when spoken, it is unknown whether the person is referring to a male or female.

[2] The ‘brother' used here signifies the closeness of the relations.h.i.+p between her and the former crown prince. Like how girls would use ‘oppa' in Korean to address older guys they have especially close relations.h.i.+ps with even though they aren't siblings.

[3] The expression used here- standing from a high (commanding) position to look down on the ground.