Chapter 20 - Betrayal (1/2)
Prince Yi's carriage arrived at his residence. He stepped down with a frown on his face and directly went to his study, he picked up a report on the desk, read the contents and his frown deepened, and he suddenly swiped everything on the desk to the floor in anger.
{...Why is there no progress on anything at all?!!...}
”Prince Yi.” A man's cautious voice came from behind him.
”What?” Prince Yi coldly asked.
”We've found him.”
Prince Yi turned around with a half smile and looked at the black-clothed man bowing, ”Good, lead the way.” and then bounded out of the room, with the man following behind him.
Prince Yi walked into an underground jail, where two men were locked up in a cell, with one holding onto his injured torso, with blood seeping through his clothes. As soon as they saw him, they both ruthlessly glared at him.
”Prince Rui, long time no see.” Prince Yi said with a wry smile.
”You Long sc.u.m, how dare you treat our Prince like some slave, can you bear the repercussions?!” The other man in the cell shouted.
Prince Yi scoffed, ”Ah, that reminds me you recently became a slave, I should address you accordingly. Forgive my slip of tongue, slave R-”
”How dare you, Bastard?!!! If you have the ability, open this cell and -”
”Molin, that's enough.” The injured one, Prince Rui said. Molin looked at Prince Rui and quieted down but was still glaring at Prince Yi. Prince Yi looked at Prince Yi, ”What do you want?”
Prince Yi laughed, ”What do you have to offer?”
”I'm not in the mood for you Long people's word games. Since you don't plan to hand me over to your emperor. Say what you want or get lost.”
”Who said I don't plan to hand you over. My idiotic brother has been fervently searching for you. I, as his loyal subject, should ease his worries, don't you think?”
Prince Rui snorted and flatly asked, ”Then why are we here?”
Prince Yi looked at them for a while and then said, ”Prince Rui, how about some wine?” and then turned to his men behind him, ”Bring him out.” and walked off.
The guards opened the cell and Prince Rui stepped out and was led to a room, where Prince Yi was already seated at a table and motioned for the Prince Rui to sit, he sat and blankly stared at Prince Yi.
Prince Yi poured two cups of wine from the jug on the table, then picked up his cup and downed it, then motioned for Prince Yi to drink.
Prince Rui looked at the wine suspiciously and then asked, ”What exactly do you want?”
Prince said refilling his cup and took a sip and then calmly said, ”I want your cooperation.”
Prince Rui snorted, ”In case, you haven't heard the news, I have recently been made into a laughingstock, so I'm afraid you are barking up the wrong tree.”
”I have heard it. Prince Rui was captured by the Long emperor's evil tactics, not only did he manage to brilliantly outmaneuver the enemy and escape, but he also took the risk to infiltrate deep into the enemy's territory and was able to covertly obtain their military formations and tactics, upon returning home was heavily rewarded by the Zou emperor.” Prince Yi looked at him with an obscure expression.
As he listened, Prince Rui's eyes widened and then he skeptically looked at Prince Yi, ”You would betray your own country?”
”I am saving the country.” Prince Rui indignantly responded lifting his head up.
”Saving?” Prince Rui asked with a sarcastic tone.
”Yes, saving it from destruction.”
Prince Rui held the wine cup on the table and glanced up at Prince Yi with a smirk, ”Really? Why have I heard that the country has been prospering over the last few months? The people are happy and all praise the new emperor for his prowess, intellect, wisdom...His title has evolved from the god of war to the god of prospe-”
”What do those commoners know?!” Prince Yi shouted cutting him off and banging on the table, ”What god of war? He is an idiot! A fool! Have any of them ever seen him in battle? Is knowing how to fight everything? Do you think he knows the first thing about ruling a country? He is incompetent just like our father, an idiot who only knows how to use people? Use them and then dump them!! He will use and destroy this country in the same way, and I will not let that happen. If not for me - !” Prince Yi restrained himself and swallowed the rest of his words, regaining his composure.
Prince Rui sighed and then calmly said, ”Knowing how to use people and when to cut loose is also a good skill. But that is neither here nor there...I have no interest in your internal conflicts, but I have a bone to pick with that emperor myself. We have a deal.” He picked up his wine cup and downed it in one gulp and then smiled at Prince Yi.
***
In a small courtyard with the entrance doors chain locked from the outside. A young woman approached a little boy who was seated on the bed with a bowl.
”Kai er', drink some water.” She held the bowl out to the child with a smile. The boy stretched his hands out and took the bowl and was about to drink.
{...*Don't drink it!...}
The child stopped at looked at his mother, ”Mother, did you say something?”
”No, hurry and drink.” The woman impatiently said, still smiling.
”Oh.” The child tilted his head a bit confused. He raised the bowl again.
{...*I said don't drink it!!...}
The child stopped again and looked around the little room, there was really no one here but him and his mother. The only other person who stays in their courtyard in the cold palace was his mother's maid, Song mama but she was currently not here.
”Mother, you really did say something now, right?”
”What nonsense are you talking about?” The woman said with a frown.
”I really heard -”
”Kai'er, you want to see the emperor right?” The woman interrupted his words
”Oh, I want to see father.”
”If you want to see him, you have to hurry and drink the water first, okay?” The woman said smiling and petting the child's head.
The child smiled back, nodded and drank the water and happily showed her the empty bowl.
”That's good, now you should sleep. When you wake up, the emperor will be here.”
”Oh.” The child obediently laid on the bed, smiled at his mother and closed his eyes.
After a while, he started to feel a pain in his stomach, the pain got worse, he started cold sweating and curled up. He opened his eyes and looked up and saw his mother standing by the bed looking at him and stammeringly said, ”Mother, my stomach...”
Then his mother turned and ran outside and he could hear her pounding on the entrance doors, shouting, ”Emperor, emperor, save my Kai er'...Emperor, Kai er' is dying.”
The child's eyes were blurry with tears and he vaguely watched his mother pounding at the doors outside.
{...*I told you not to drink it!!... Now, look at it!...}