Phoenix Rising

053

Broken shards of porcelain flew across the room as the teapot and cups went crashing to the ground. Huang Nansheng waved his hand and the frightened attendants hurriedly backed out of the room, grateful to be allowed to leave. No one wanted to hang around while the fifth prince was in such a stormy mood.

"Ru-an, calm down. Isn't this better for you? At least we now know unequivocally that Du Zhenghuan isn't the king's son," Nansheng said.

The fifth prince slammed his fist against the table, eyes still blazing with rage. He had thought to head over to the imperial study early to accompany his father for the memorial ceremony, knowing the importance that the king accorded to the event. He had not expected to overhear an earth-shattering secret that suddenly made many things crystal clear. Now he understood why the king favoured the Shadow Lord so much—not because Du Zhenghuan was his son, but because Du Zhenghuan was the son of the woman he loved.

You would give the crown to that woman's son over your own sons?

There mere thought was incomprehensible.

How could his father be such a lovesick fool, that he would willingly pass over all this power and authority to someone who was not of his own blood? Crown Prince Shunzhi had died so many years ago, and with his death, he had already surrendered his right to the throne.

"He is not the king's son, but he is more than that," Ru-an hissed. It seemed that he had underestimated the threat posed by Zhenghuan. From what he had heard, it was obvious that King Shunde had every intention of naming Zhenghuan as heir, even though there was already a crown prince. He scoffed, wondering what Ru-quan would think if he knew the truth.

"Didn't Lady Li say that Du Zhenghuan has no interest in becoming king? Also, that mother and son pair have kept this a secret for so many years, surely that means they really have no intention of coming back to the palace. No one knows that he's the former crown prince's son!"

Ru-an frowned, tapping his index finger against the table thoughtfully. What Nansheng said was true, but he would rather err on the side of caution. It could not be left up to the Shadow Lord and the former crown princess to decide whether or not they wished to waltz back and snatch the crown. That crown belonged to him and him only. He was not even intending to let his own brothers have it, what more a long-lost cousin that he would never acknowledge.

He walked over to his desk and quickly wrote down a short coded message. Nansheng joined him, peering at the letter.

"You can't be serious," Nansheng exclaimed in shock. "Ru-an, this will have serious implications. It's not only a matter of assassinating a single person. Many lives will be lost!"

"Some sacrifices are necessary," the prince replied coldly. He folded up the letter and handed it to Nansheng. "Send this out immediately."

"There are other ways to get rid of Du Zhenghuan. We can send assassins? We could even bribe some of the soldiers in his camp to do the deed for us?"

Ru-an shook his head. "He is the Shadow Lord. Do you think it is so easy to assassinate him? Many others have tried and failed. This is the best way to get rid of him without drawing any suspicion to us." He placed a hand on Nansheng's shoulder and said solemnly, "I do not like doing this any more than you do, but a ruler cannot afford to be soft. If anyone is to blame, it's him. He and that mother of his should have taken this secret to the grave, instead of bringing it into the palace."

Nansheng hesitated for a moment, his fingers clutching tightly onto the letter. Eventually, he nodded and left the room to complete his task.

Left alone in the room, Ru-an turned to look out through the window. From his vantage point, he could see the golden roof of the great hall, where the king sat each morning to hold court.