The road home no longer felt as safe and innocent as it used to, instead darkness lurked in the shadows and evil in the eyes of the people. Everywhere Meiwan looked, she couldn't help but see the worst in everything and everyone. She'd only been in the capital for a few months, and so many things had happened to her. Was it her fate?
"A'Wan!" Zhanyi ran to catch up with his sister. "A'Zhe is taking me to ride horses outside the city, I won't be home until later. Tell uncle I stayed at school longer to study, please?"
The little boy gave a pout and let his eyes water, his look was sweet and begged for assistance. Meiwan smiled, and nodded. She knew that her brother's friend must be from another wealthy family and that they'd be well cared for.
"Be careful, then."
"Thank you A'Wan!" He halted his forward movement and turned to race back to A'Zhe who waited for him by his carriage. The child looked decent and good, an air of trustworthiness about him.
Meiwan returned home and went straight to her courtyard. Ever since she'd overheard the two villains plotting, and was herself poisoned, she'd spent as much time as she could hidden away. Matters of Yan mansion weren't any of her concern, and whatever happened to them was fate. But these thoughts made her feel horrible about herself.
"Oh, what should I do? Am I this terrible?" Meiwan lay on her belly on her bed, her shoes kicked off to the side. "Of course I am, what normal kind person would let their family face danger without telling them anything. Like, "Uncle Yan, I've been poisoned. Uncle Yan, someone is out to kill us. Uncle Yan, uncle Yan!!"
The idea of approaching her uncle to tell him something anyone else would certaintly find absurd didn't make it any easier. She would be better off letting things happen first before raising her voice.
"Fine, let me be a selfish monster a little longer."
...
"I've planted the evidence. All that's left is for you to write the memorial, my lord."
"Well done Tian Hui. Have our men ready to act, this needs to be as swift as possible."
"Yes, my lord. What about fourth prince? How do you plan to involve him?"
Shang Buluo took a breath, his dark eyes calculating. "That depends on the fourth prince. It's up to him how he's going to play along."
Tian Hui smirked, his attitude matching the confident arrogance of his master. He bowed then left, his footsteps echoing on the hard flooring of the grand hall.
The general pulled a folded peice of paper from his sleeve and reread it. It was a note from the Left Chancelor, threatening him to finish off the second prince this time. It wouldn't be too hard, though. The prince had a soft and kind nature behind his brilliance, and when it came to matters involving the law, he would surely let the court decide his fate. And submit to it.
...
"Please decide, your majesty!" The hall of officials bowed low to the emperor and spoke in unison.
Emperor Wei Ying stroked his greying beard and stared at the memorial placed before him on the table. From his high point, sitting on the throne, he was far above the eighty men who stood before him. To his left were the civil officials dressed in dark blue, and to his right were his military officials, robed in red. Most of them were bent over, showing their numbers and who supported the investigation of the matter before him. Of the eighty officials, nearly fifty requested the emperor to arrest the suspect immediately.
"Your majesty, no one is above the law. We must be fair and upright! This matter invovles the peace and safety of everyone in this city and the whole of Great An!" Minister Song's feeble hands shook with emotion, and the white hair that peeked out from under his black cap made his plea all the more heard.
"Minister Song is honorable, please hear the will of the people!" Another minister added.
Many voices joined in, until the emperor could only hear meaningless noise. He sighed and placed his forehead in his hand and let the men protest, argue, and plead. This emergancy session had been brought to him early in the morning, and the urgency of the matter had him calling all of his officals together.
Before him, the memorial had some off the most dangerous and daring words written on it, that one could submit to the emperor. It was the accusation of a royal family member being involved in illigal and harmful dealings. Should an investigation prove the person innocent, the writer of the memorial would have commited the crime of framing a royal and be sentenced to death. Such a serious matter it was, that it hadn't happened in nearly fourty years.
"Prince Wei Rongxie is guilty of black trade, human trafficking, bribery, and building of a private army to usurp the throne. We implore the emperor to use his judgement and execute the second prince without any selfish thoughts or personal interests."
On it were the names of over half of the officials. Due to the severity of this memorial, emperor Wei Ying decided to keep the three elder princes from attending court and handle the situation himself.
"Second prince is a rebel!" "He deserves death!" "How could our country have such a despicable royal?!"
Emperor Wei, sick of the volume and fruitless comments, slammed his hand down on the table. The action caused the room to become silent and now everyone bowed their heads, regardless of who's side they were on. They had angered the emperor, and now they needed to each step back.
"I see that many of you have signed your names on this memorial, ah no, this petition. Who wrote the words on this though?" Wei Ying held up the book.
Now nervous, the ministers all glanced at each other, hoping to avoid any wrath about to be spewed. Until one stepped forward, his hands firm and confident, and a look of justice on his face.
"Your majesty, after a thourough investigation on this matter, I decided to bring it to your eyes for you to judge. These are not the empty words of an ignorant and easily swayed official. No."
The emperor narrowed his eyes, a slight smile forming his lips. "Minister Zhang. You're only in charge of the country's revenue department, how could you stumble on something like this? Much less have the courage to bring it forward?"
"My love for An has given me the courage, your majesty!" Zhang Sihai bowed low. "How could I, when I live such a lavish lifestyle blessed to me by the emperor and the people, ignore the truth and cover up the wrong doings of the prince?"
His words, though passionate sounding and determined, couldn't hide the incredibly intelligent look in his eyes. The corner's of his lips tipped up and his brows rose, it was clear that he was subtly forcing the emperor's hand, creating a bad image of the second prince, and making himself look the incorruptible official. It was well played, and Wei Ying knew he'd have to offer something to quell the ministers' heated emotions, before anything went too far.
"An investigation? Is there any evidence? Witnesses?" Emperor Wei leaned back in his royal seat.
"Of course, your majesty!"
The confidence that Wei Ying felt for his son's innocence wavered, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Bring it forward." He commanded.
Minister Zhang turned and clapped his hands, and four eunuchs hurried into the hall, each holding a tray. They stopped before the throne and bowed their heads, while Zhang Sihai smiled and lifted a book from one of them, holding it up for the emperor to see.
Now it was getting dangerous. "What is this?" Wei Ying gestured towards it lazily.
"This, your majesty, is a detailed report of all the actions of the second prince in the last four years. That book," minister Zhang pointed to another tray. "Is the ledger of his 'under-the-table' accounts. I also have arrested several of his servants, and they're willing to testify. But they aren't the only ones, there are ten more who've witnessed and suffered by the crimes of the second prince."
All this said, Zhang Sihai's face was only seen by the emperor and his attendants. The smirk he allowed was only for Wei Ying to see, as he dared him to strike the memorial, evidence, and witnesses down. If he were to do so, then the other ministers and the citizens of An would dissaprove and maybe even remove him from his throne. This trap had been well laid out, and Wei Ying didn't see it coming. He could only applaud his competitor.
Emperor Wei nodded, his jaw set and his eyes glaring. "Bring the evidence forward."
Eunuch Pan gestured for the emperor's attendants to bring the books to the emperor. They were laid out on the table before him, and he hestitantly opened each and skimmed the contents.
His heart tightened as he read the words, and allowed his mind to put the peices together. It was indeed compelling evidence, but coming from someone like minister Zhang, it was hardly credible on it's own.
"Eunuch Pan."
The eunuch hurried towards the emperor's side, and listened to the words of his master. After a moment, he went to stand before him, facing the hall of ministers.
"Listen to the decree of the Emperor!" He shouted with a shrill voice, and watched as all the official went to their knees, and bowed their heads.
"With evidence brought before me, I am compelled to investigate further to satisfy the will of the people. I give the power to my fourth son, Wei Heping, to uncover the truth. Should I judge the case against overwhelming evidence in favor of my own personal interests, may heaven strike me down!"