"When will you even stop nagging?" Emperor Yin Renshu asked a rhetorical question to her sister as soon as he slides the door of the emperor's hall open.
So, the annual ceremony ended 'somehow successful' by sunset. Yes, just somehow successful because his majesty made a little... just a little mistake during the ritual. It's just he worshiped the wrong god.
Actually, this mistake is understandable... if everyone knows that he's not the one who's doing the ritual every year.
The grand empress dowager was at a loss of words. Never in the history of their dynasty did something like this happen. Despite the disappointment, she remained silent. By then, she realized it wasn't the first prince who performed the ritual.
She asked herself silently, "Where is he? Are they up to something I don't know again?"
On the other hand, the princess general at that time was torn between feeling angered with his stupidity and having a secondhand embarrassment.
Prince Yin Wenyan, Princess Yin Xiulan, and Emperor Yin Renshu are having their mini exclusive conference in their new venue, the Emperor's Hall. "I already told you, I only know the god of war!" His majesty said more or less five times now. Her highness rolled her eyes for who knows how many times already. "See? That stupidity of yours is the worst! Truly beyond remedy!" She fans ay herself violently. His highness sighs as he massages the bridge of his nose. "Alright, calm down you two. It already happened and we can't do anything about it anymore." "That's right!" The emperor immediately responded. "Xiulan, you're so much of a nagger. That's why you can't get yourself a lover." The princess closed her fan at once. Her face becomes ashen. "What did you just say?" She hits her brother on the arm with her fan. "Bold of you to say that!" "Oho? Bold of me to say that? Am I wrong? " Emperor Yin Renshu turns his head to his brother. "Wenyan
The empress dowager hurried to walk across the grand empress dowager's hall towards her secret chamber. She slides the wooden wall which gives way to her. Inside the hidden room, only a single candle is lit that serves as the only source of light in the entire dark room. It's impossible for the grand empress dowager not to notice her presence but she just chooses not to at least turn her head to see the other person. It's just she expected only this one person to come this time. "Grand Empress Dowager, you called?" The empress dowager asked as she walks closer to the grand empress dowager. "Where have you been? What took you so long?" She asked in a cold tone. The empress dowager, on the other hand, subconsciously averted her eyes. She didn't manage to come to her hall immediately because she was dealing with 'something'. She did not expect the old woman to call her this late too. "I apologize, your highness. I was occupied earlier." S
The scheduled day of the conference in the Pavilion of Literary Glory has come. As usual, it's Prince Yin Wenyan who acts as the emperor in palace and government matters. They started unusually early than they normally do. In the eyes of the eunuchs present in the pavilion, his majesty looks more serious but more reasonable than their last conference where he never listened to their concerns and just decided for the palace matters alone; Just like the sudden preparation for a big event such as the annual ceremony for a good harvest. There aren't many issues that needed his majesty's attention, and so they finished their three days' worth of concerns. Prince Yin Wenyan looks at the head-eunuch of the Yin clan. The old eunuch, on the other hand, nods at him. Telling him that this is the right time to open up the thing he has in mind and that he and the Yin clan got his back. The prince looks at the crowd before his throne, standing in organized lines, a
"Oh my!" Princess Yin Xiulan closes her fan. "You really managed to gain everyone's support?" The princess, the prince, and the emperor are having their exclusive meeting in their new meeting place. They are currently discussing what happened in the Pavilion of Literary Glory during the scheduled conference with the high-ranking eunuchs of the two most powerful clans in the imperial palace. "Not everyone." Prince Yin Wenyan responded. "I don't think that the head eunuch of the Xue clan agrees with me but I couldn't care less about that old man. He's only one, and the eunuchs that are with me are more likely a hundred." "It's good that we seized the power from her. But is she really going to give up just like that? She can be annoying sometimes." Emperor Yin Renshu said. "I mean, knowing her, she always has a lot of cards underneath her sleeves." "If she tries to get her political authority back, she has to get it from me." The prince replies casually
It's been three days since the grand empress dowager lost her political authority yet they did not sense any strange moves that the old woman makes. Well, actually, they expect something from her today since another scheduled conference will be held in the Pavilion of Literary Glory with the emperor and the high-ranking eunuchs. As of now, the emperor, which would be Prince Yin Wenyan, is most probably on his way to the conference. Meanwhile, Emperor Yin Renshu is hiding at the Lotus hall with his silly eunuch, Xu Zhengming. The princess general, on the other hand, is dealing with her daily duties in her Ministry's headquarters. "General, a report came in just now." Officer Song Li, one of the imperial army's Lieutenant Generals came into the Department of War and Defense to personally relay an important report to General Yin Xiulan. He continues, "Another chaos has occurred in the nearby town. It's the bloodthirsty creatures again." "What? This has to get re
A pair of incense sticks are burning, and its sandalwood scent lingers in the hidden chamber of the grand empress dowager's hall. As usual, the old empress is sitting silently, facing the two memorial tablets on the altar. Her lines which signify her aging are visible as the candlelight reflected on her. Without prior notice, the large wooden door that disguised as a wall slides open. The natural light coming from the outside penetrates the dark room. "Your highness." The grand empress dowager said without looking back to the person who secretly comes into her hall. Prince Yin Wenyan, like always, managed to make his way into her hall unnoticed by others. This is how he comes to her hall whenever he and his siblings are summoned or it's the scheduled day for the three of them to visit her. "Greetings, Grand Empress Dowager. Please excuse my rudeness for coming here without notice." He said in a respectful manner. The grand empress dowa
Hours before the surviving men returned to the imperial palace, the emperor, the princess general, the two lieutenants generals, and two units of imperial soldiers were mounting their horses as they are heading towards the reported commotion. "Xiulan." The emperor matches his sister's pace. "Don't you think we're lost? We've been running for a while now yet we're still in the woods." "I've been thinking about that too." She looks at Lieutenant General Song who's leading the way. Before they departed, he suggested a shorter route towards the reported town. However, from the looks of it, it seems they're getting deeper into the forest. There's no way there'll be a town in the heart of the woods, right? The general gives her white horse a gentle kick and her pace accelerated, leaving her brother behind to catch up with the leading lieutenant general. Seeing this, some soldiers under Liu Chen's command told him to go after them and not let Lieuten
The emperor and the princess start to move again. It doesn't matter where they're heading to. What's important is that they can get farther from the ones hunting them and also find their way out of the woods. The sun is about to set too. This puts them at more disadvantage. When it gets dark, they'll be forced to stop. Since tonight is going to be a new moon, there will be no light to guide their way. However, stopping for the night doesn't mean they're safe. Who knows? There might be some wild animals that will attack them during their sleep. But if they go on, they might get attacked by these animals instead. Whatever they do, it seems they're only bound to face danger. It seems they're cornered, a checkmate. Princess Yin Xiulan already stopped crying. However, she's not saying anything. She's still down and worried for Liu Chen. Her restlessness only makes her feel worse. She can't explain it but she has a bad feeling. On the other hand, Em