334 Untitled (2/2)
Feng Jingfan was finally knocked down by cruel reality. Her last hope was shattered. Her foe was actually her old enemy from 14 years ago! And her father had actually given her the throne!
”Why!? Why!? Why!?” She suddenly turned around and yelled uncontrollably at Feng Xuan.
”Because you lost, it's as simple as that,” Feng Xuan answered her benevolently, with a lovingly smile. ”I am choosing an empress, not a daughter.”
”Was it because you hate me for joining hands with mother and teacher, imprisoning you here and forcing you?” Feng Jingfan watched him in disbelief as she mumbled, ”But father, you originally promised to give me the throne. We didn't do anything to you! Why did you have to do this to me… Why did you do this to me…”
”What did I do to you?” Feng Xuan looked straight at her. ”Jingfan, I never once minded that you imprisoned me. In fact, I am pleased that you did that.” Feng Jingfan pointed to the damp, newly written name on the decree. ”If you had been able to get rid of Fuyao, the name on the decree would still be yours.”
”You…”
”I told you, I am choosing a leader; one that is truly strong enough to take rein of the empire.” Feng Xuan looked down as he caressed the decree with great care. ”My body is no longer able to adequately manage the dynasty. The conflict is deeply rooted. With the princes and princesses busy fighting for the throne, ignoring all the court duties, the political power of Xuanji is weakening day by day. With such a situation, if the new leader is not powerful enough to reform the court and convince others that he or she is worthy of power, Xuanji will definitely fall into a vicious cycle to fighting for the throne. Sooner or later, the weakened Xuanji would fall prey to either the rising Dahan or the covetous Wuji. As the descendant of the Feng family, how can I let our empire fall into the hands of another? So, this throne can only belong to the worthy.”
”So you gave power to your children while spreading the news that you had already chosen a candidate? So you gave them almost equal authority to fight and kill each other on equal grounds? To battle to the death for one to be victorious?” Feng Jingfan's voice trembled as she yelled, her tone getting colder and colder. ”Those are not a horde of beasts fighting for food! Those… those are your children!”
Feng Xuan fell silent. And after a while, he said, ”That was how I got to where I am today.”
With the throne as a bait, siblings were pitted against each other. The last winner would be the next emperor, similar to wolves in the wild that had to fight with each other to be respected and to have the authority to rule! Only the one who emerged victorious from the bloodbath could stand above the rest, and the one on top would definitely be the most powerful and cruelest one!
Compared to the country's survival, in Feng Xuan's heart, human life and family ties ςεre nothing!
This was the battle for the throne, this was the imperial family!
The entire place fell into absolute silence. This unsettling conversation between a father and a daughter brought chills to everyone's back on a warm spring night.
Meng Fuyao had long guessed Feng Xuan's plans. But even so, she still found the composure he had displayed at this moment extremely disturbing. She gently touched the cold bones of Xu Wan she had carried with her, as though wanting to warm herself up with the love her mother had given her, once upon a time.
”Very well… Very well… Very well!” After the dead silence, Feng Jingfan burst out into maniacal, sinister laughter. She laughed with such force that her body shook with every breath, and tears started to drip down her chin, laughing at the ironically laughable acts. ”Great! My great daddy! I used to look down upon you, thinking I had you dancing on my palms. I used to scorn you, despise you for your weakness! I felt that you were not fit to be my father… I was wrong! You are worthy! Very worthy of being my father!”
”Jingfan,” Feng Xuan called her gently. ”It is never an easy thing being the descendant of Xuanji. Xuanji is the only one, out of all dynasties, where the emperor has no surviving siblings. Have you thought of why?”
Feng Jingfan leaned against the couch for support as she stared dumbly into the air. After a while, she mumbled, ”Yeah… But when it's my turn… I still… didn't expect that…”
”That's why I said you are not as good as Fuyao.” Feng Xuan had taught such strategies to his daughter on many occasions. This time round, it was as though he was just guiding Feng Jingfan through on another lesson, patiently elaborating his decision. ”Fuyao has a good sense of politics. She has been through the political instability of four countries and excels in such situations. That's why she makes for a good leader. Or perhaps, she is able to better analyze the situation without emotions as a bystander. You were unable to guess through my plans despite being by my side, yet, she seemed to have seen through it all right from the start.”
”I just want to know, how did you know she was that bastard child?” Feng Jingfan glared at Feng Xuan with a cold smile plastered on her face.
”Don't speak of your sister like that,” Feng Xuan reprimanded her gently. ”Don't look, don't upon your father either. In this aspect, your sister is stronger than you, she never once looked down upon me.”
”That's because I know how perverted and disgusting the Xuanji imperial family actually is.” Meng Fuyao laughed coldly. ”Also, let me tell you, if you say another word about 'sisters', I will immediately knock off all your teeth,” Meng Fuyao warned him.
”I've long known that I had a daughter roaming outside.” Feng Xuan seemed to not have sensed Meng Fuyao's murderous aura and continued to explain to Feng Jingfan patiently, ”I knew she had gone missing when she was 5 and when King Meng became renowned, I investigated her background. It turned out, she's someone with no background, and what happened to her before she was 5 was all but a mystery. Somehow or another, I was reminded of my missing daughter that was close in age with King Meng. I wondered if they were actually the same person, and to justify this claim, I send out many people to get close to King Meng. All they had to do was to find out her real appearance. Of course, it was an arduous task because this precious daughter of mine seldom appeared in front of another without a mask. But there will definitely be a time when the mask came off and just that once or twice was enough for me to confirm her identity by confirming her portrait with some of the old servants and of course, my own recollection.”