Not Your Typical Villianess

Chapter 181: The place of no return

The Emperor's audience hall, Northern Wei.

"Report!!" An average height soldier in the standard dark brown armour belonging to the seventh rank soldier of the Northern Wei army, said as he stood by the entrance hall waiting to be granted an audience by the Emperor. Emperor Zhong's lips thinned as he glance at the soldier. He had grown wary of military reports these past weeks but there was nothing that he could do to prevent them from coming.

The officials discreetly glanced the soldier at the door and glanced away. This was the first time a messenger came to court to submit their military report. It had to be an emergency, they watched the Emperor's expression. The change in the mood of the room was obvious.

Resting his elbow on his lap, Emperor Zhong pinched the flesh between his brows a few times and sighed. Swearing under his breath, he glanced at the eunuch standing a step below his throne. "Let him in, Caihong" Emperor Zhong sat straight. The eunuch walked forward and announced that the soldier may come in.

The Soldier ran forward without any delay, he stopped a few steps away from the steps leading to the dragon throne and stood at the centre of the room. He knelt on one knee and bent the other, then lifted his knuckles together in respect.

"Urgent report from the northern borders. The Governor and Prefect of Duanyue have turned against the state and conspired with Chu state. We are surrounded by inside and outside. General Lu set off with only 10,000 men in response to Commander Bai request for help at Ningzhuo. The numbers of Chu state's soldiers are more than double our soldiers, we request for a batch of soldiers to be sent to the north as reinforcement".

"How are things in Duanyue?" Emperor Zhong asked. 

"Answering, your majesty. There us nothing out f place in Duanyue, no citizen was hurt. However, the governor has denied the request for reinforcement but provides the Crown Prince of Chu state and the silver army free passage through the seaports and into the North".

"isn't General Jiang stationed at Duanyue. How come no report from his end was sent to the capital to report this?" Emperor Zhong glanced at Minister He, who was in charge of the communications department that handled the important correspondence between the Emperor and his subjects.

Minister He's face paled at the Emperor's intense stare, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He hid his shaking hands in his sleeve and tried hard to school his expression. He had indeed received intelligence from General Jiang reporting his suspicion of the governor's actions bug because he was pressured by the sixth Prince. He swept it under the rock, he had hoped that nothing much would contour if that report and even if something is come out of that. He wouldn't be implicated. 

Emperor Zhong's eyes narrowed as he noticed the minister's discomfort, "guards, take minister Jiang down to the Imperial prison and call Captain Mu to question him. I want to know how an important report from the north never got to this Emperor!" 

"No no no your majesty! Please forgive me! I was wrong. It won't happen again! Your Majesty please" Minister Jiang cried out as two guards held him up by the arm and dragged him away. He glanced at the Sixth Prince when the Emperor didn't spare him a glance. "Your highness please save me, Your highness!. I only did_"

Without letting him complete his words, Zhongshan Cheng rushed forward, "Minister Jiang should be severely punished for not submitting the intelligence, Imperial father. However, we should address the situation before it worsens. I am willing to lead a troupe down there to provide reinforcement!"

'Paa' Emperor Zhong slapped his hands on the dragon throne, the officials, Zhongshan Cheng included all jumped at the sound except Minister Zhu who stood silently at the front line. Emperor Zhong glared down at Zhongshan Cheng, "You dare make such a suggestion! Don't you dare make the same mistake as your elder brother, do you think going to war is a joke. If you want to help just focus on your study, that way you can assist your brother in running the state."

Zhongshan Cheng balled up his fist hidden inside his wide sleeve, "this prince was wrong" he said bowing but within him, his thoughts were dark. The Emperor's words had poured something akin to cold water on him. He had only said those words to earn admiration from his father like he usually did when his grandfather was alive. Instead, he received the opposite reaction from his father.

He stepped back into his previous position and stood silently while the ministers argued how best to handle the situation up north. He didn't need a crystal ball to find out that his father had no intention of sending any reinforcement. If he did, he wouldn't entertain any prolonged arguments between the ministers on first the number of reinforcement to send then the General to out j charge if the team. 

Emperor Zhong intended to drag it out and the ministers were aware of his majesty's reservations towards the Lu Family most especially Lu Yaozhu. Emperor Zhong no longer bothered to hide his displeasure at Lu Yaozhu, all the praises the Citizens showered on Lu Yaozhu after each battle earned the young general his ire. The rumours about his suspicious relationship with the Empress didn't help.

After two hours of heated arguments between the ministers, Emperor Zhong adjourned morning court and dismissed the Officials. He postponed the decision of sending reinforcement to the next court session two days later. The next day was a free day, during which the official court was on break until the next day. 

Minister Zhu Left the audience gall as soon as the Emperor left, he ignore all the attempts made by other ministers to role him into conversations and walked into his carriage outside the palace gates. His Secretary Uncle Du rushed forward, "situation at the north is very Rocky my lord, Last we heard Chu Xiaosi aims at caging General Lu in. I already send half of our main forces to the north, they will get there in three days".

Minister Zhu stopped briefly in glanced back toward the small gate leading to the inner palace. "Has her highness been informed of the situation?"

"Not yet but it is only a matter of time before she gets word from her spies down there. I had our men hold them off for some hours".

"You did well, I don't want her to make any risky moves. Lu Yaozhu us her bottom line, if she finds out about this. She might cause a huge fuss, get my horse ready. I heading down there". Minister Zhu said and kept walking forward 

"Yes, one more thing, my lord. It is about the Eldest young mistress".

"Fengyin? What is it?" Minister Zhu said?

"Since we lost our Spy next to her, getting quick information hasn't been easy. Our informant in the Duke's mansion reported that the young miss nearly had a miscarriage a few days ago".

Minister Zhu face squeezed, "a few days, how many days exactly!"

"Five days, my lord".

"How are she and my grandson?"

"Good, my lord. The doctor was called over early so the baby was saved. Both mother and child are well".

"Good, was it, Zhu Faye, again?"

"Yes, my lord".

Minister Zhu was silent, for some seconds. " I keep giving him chances but every single time, he never fails to disappoint me. Looks like I can not keep my promise to his mother any longer. Get rid of him, the sixth prince is becoming a nuisance. It is about time I got rid of his Strategist". 

****** 

Six hours later, at the Emperor's study.

Emperor Zhong was seated on his high seat with the five plates of premium dishes placed on the table in front of him. The food taster, a plump young eunuch in his twenties knelt on the ground next to him.

The food taster picked up a piece of pickled cabbage from a small soup plate with a plain wooden chopstick and brought the Chopstick up to his mouth, taking a bite. He chewed and swallowed before picking up another fancier looking chopstick. He picked up a piece of pickled cabbage and placed it on the Emperor's plate.

As Emperor Zhong picked up the cabbage with his chopsticks and brought it to his open mouth. Loud noises were heard behind the shut screen door of his dining room and the door was pushed open with force. He jumped and looked straight at Empress Lu who stood at the open door frowning. His hands shook and the cabbage fell back into the plate.

"Empress!" He said Empress Lu's face was full of anger. This was the angrier he had ever seen her look, he glanced at the servants around him and ordered, "take the food away and leave us".

The servants packed up the dishes and hurried out of the room. Empress Lu waited for the servants to leave before charging forward. 

"Why did you do it? Why do you always have to hurt the people I hold close to my heart. First, it was Hongli now A'Zhu, why? Why!!" She grabbed him by his collar.

"Let go," Emperor Zhong said in a low tone when she didn't budge. He pushed her hands away from his collar and pushed her aside. "Control yourself!"

"I have kept silence while you did everything you could to destroy my family but I draw the line when it comes to my son!"