19 Guil (1/2)
”Emperor Father, I have arrived,” he announced. Zhong Lei kneeled down in front of the emperor as soon as he passed through the doors of the Jade Court. As he entered, his eyes could never miss the historical banners that many of the previous emperors and their generals have waved throughout the past battles, victorious and defeated. While others observed the boastful gold found in every corner of the room, all the imperial general could sense was the metallic smell of blood and the battle screams of those who helped build the empire.
Even when the emperor spoke, all he could think of was the recent battle he watched from afar with fists tightly clenched.
”As Zhen have previously predicted, General Wei came to take back the Sun Dao Corps.”
”It has always been hers.”
”Son, that was a first,” the emperor noticed. ”Rise and lift your head.”
”As you command, your majesty.” He slowly stood on his feet under the sovereign's watchful eyes. Not a thought of anything good crossed his mind when he heard the emperor but obeyed nonetheless. Not even the beast would kill its own young. . . for now.
Zhong Lei, the fifth prince, his son was as fine as the crown prince. Born from the previous royal noble consort, he had resembled her more than him. Zhong Lei's gaze reminded him of her black eyes and his warm tanned skin was like hers when he first met her working in the fields under the sun too. His eyes shape, his straight nose, his ears, and even up to her silky but wavy hair too. If the fifth prince wished to challenge the sit of the crown prince, he would have let him so. If not for the empress, Zhong Lei who collected various achieved in every step of his journey would have been the next-in-line. To appease the beloved royal noble consort up above, he had bestowed him the tally to command the imperial army.
The emperor who had given the fifth prince almost everything he wished, twitched his eyebrows and pulled his lips into a flat line when his eyes met a crushed expression. Zhong Lei who always stood proud avoided the emperor's gaze as he lowered his face by a little. ”Fifth prince, are you dissatisfied yet again?”
”Your majesty, I am not. It is the opposite,” he confessed. ”Learning that your majesty, emperor has given the Sun Dao Corps back to its rightful owner is just the right thing to do. His majesty is magnanimous and I will follow the command.”
”But the prince is not happy?”
”Your majesty may be mistaken, I am simply guilty.”
”Ah,” the emperor nodded, remembering the deal back in that cold, winter day when the temperature had hit the point when the horses cried and died at the same night. The chills went past his clothes and sipped into his bones at that time as he sat on his throne and listened to Zhong Lei's angsty request. It was hard to forget the fifth prince's words. ”Indeed but let bygones be bygones, my son. Since the general has not mentioned any grievances, let us not awaken any animosity in case she is trying to hold back. Instead, tighten the security and watch out for her. Remember that General Wei has lead ten thousand men into battles and returned with ten thousand men, the head of the tyrant and his men and the crown to rule that kingdom.”
”If not for that day,” Zhong Lei shook his head, ”The three thousand men would have returned with Han Ryu in tow.”
”Exactly. It is a mistake that must be buried and will never be written by the scholars.”
”Yes, your majesty.” Zhong Lei's head ached as he left from the court. His schemes that finally defeated Wei Xia Ri built a den of iniquity in his heart to the point that just seeing her return exacerbated his nightmares. 'Just after Xuan-er started to help calm it down,' he thought with a sigh.
”Your majesty,” he remembered the shadow guard say.
”Ling, is the plan ready?” Ling usually wore a black unifrom from head to toe and a purple sash on his forehead was dressed down into a new recruit of the Sun Dao Corps, having the Wei's crest engraved below the empire's on his armor.
It was just a simple set up that the arrogant general may possibly miss. Erase some details on the map and leak the Sun Dao Corps' reported trajectory and her strategy of winning from a lower ground in order to deceive enemies who are appearing on a higher ground. If Han Ryu has learned of it, he can instantly reverse the situation and win on the higher ground as everyone would expect.
”How about for their escape route?” Zhong Lei asked.
”Prince, the blacksmiths have been cooperative into initiating cracks on their armory. Even the stables have been cooperative with poisoning the horses.”
Zhong Lei felt his jaws tremble and his chest tightened when he remembered the shameful adrenaline boost pulse through his veins that time. It was as if the cold was not as deadly as his plan anymore. ”Luckily, the three thousand men who have been sent out are the most loyal to the Weis. Let them set their journey with the best drinks and food. Let the Wei general bid farewell to this world with those foolish smiles.”
'Bastard, what a bastard,' he scolded himself. Using qiggong, Zhong Lei found himself back in his room. His keen senses could tell that he was alone. Knowing so, the man sat in a corner without bothering to light a lamp or two.
”Can't sleep?” the familiar voice of Yu Xuan Xuan echoed. The door creaked open, allowing the dim moon light to shed a bit of brightness inside. Zhong Lei squinted his eyes until Yu Xuan Xuan's ethereal face blocked it for him.
She sat down by his side and held his hand in hers. ”How long are you going to be like this? Where's the arrogant and cold man I first met?”