Chapter 13: 13

Anger (2)

According to custom, the Crown Prince is to abstain from physical pleasures during the mourning period for the late emperor.

However, Xiao Yu only glared indifferently at her in response.

She took a deep breath and moved heavily to sit on the table. She waited for what would happen next.

……

Meanwhile at the Scenic Pond, Xiao Kazhi was still standing alone at the pavilion.

In the distance, the sun had fully set beneath the horizon. The lamps around the pond were lit. Their light lended a sparkle on the surface of the pond. Stars glittered in the sky, turning the whole place into a moving scenery.　　

The night breeze blew, carrying the chill of autumn. However, Xiao Kezhi stood unmoving beneath the pavilion. He looked far before him, and his thought were indiscernible.

Behind him, the inner court official, Liu Kang, noticed his long silence and couldn’t help but look up to observe him.

For some unknown reason, he suddenly remembered the scene in the pavilion and realized that the Prince of Qin was standing in the same spot as the Crown Princess a moment ago. Even the handrail he touched were touched by the Crown Princess…

Liu Kang felt a click in his mind. On one hand, he was ashamed of his unruly speculation, but on the other hand, he couldn’t get rid of the idea once it was ingrained in his mind. 

As he was thinking, Weimo the wolf, was fully fed and returned to the pavilion.

The moment Weimo saw Xiao Kezhi, it let out a woof and ran to sit beside him obediently.

“You’re fed?” Xiao Kezhi bent down and patted its warm and thick fur. A rare smile appeared on his usually stern face.

“Woof.”

The well-fed Weimo looked up and whimpered like a tamed dog. It was completely different from when it pounced on a palace attendant a moment ago.

A guard came from nearby and reported softly, “Your Majesty, we discovered that the Crown Prince had sent Xu Rong to contact around twenty courtiers from various departments, including the Censorate. We believe that he’s planning something for the coronation ceremony.”

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As he was speaking, he presented a rolled parchment containing a list of names.　

Xiao Kezhi took the name list and scanned through it. He did not show any reaction but asked instead, “What about the Palace of Hundred Blessings? Did the Empress Dowager do anything unusual?”

“There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual in the Palace of Hundred Blessings. This morning, after praying for the late emperor, the Honorable Qi visited the said palace before returning to his residence. We didn’t notice anything else. I believe that the Empress Dowager knows what those in the East Palace are planning, but she doesn’t seem to plan to get involved yet.”

The aforementioned Honorable Qi was the leading figure among a group of ministers. He was the Director of the Secretariat, named Qimu. He was also the Empress Dowager’s own brother and the head of the Qi Clan.

“Noted,” Xiao Kezhi replied and hid the roll of parchment away without any further question.

At the mention of the Crown Prince, he suddenly remembered someone. It was not his nephew, Xiao Yu, but the unusually beautiful woman by his side.

He suddenly felt a heat burning in his palm.　　

He held onto the cool railing and waited for the heat to recede before letting go.

“Your Majesty, should we send someone to investigate the Empress Dowager? And the Crown Prince, how should we prepare against his plan?” The guard couldn’t help but ask after a long silence. 

“No, let’s just wait,” Xiao Kezhi sneered as viciousness and ambition flared in his pitch black eyes.

He had predicted that the Crown Prince would not just accept the ‘late Emperor’s testamentary edict’ and would do something about it.

Even the Empress Dowager’s reaction was completely within his expectation.

If he had been an unambitious and obedient puppet like his eldest brother, Xiao Lan, the Empress Dowager would have tried to bring down Xiao Yu herself. But yesterday, Xiao Kezhi had snatched the Imperial Guards from her grasp. He had revealed his sharp claws at her, and this made her furious. As such, she would definitely be glad to stand aside and watch him and the Crown Prince fight each other.

Sadly for her, he had no intention to fulfill her wish.

The usual palace intrigue and back stabbing were all useless against him.

……

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