2 prologue

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, we have to go! General Lu's army has breached the city gates. They will soon be upon us," The Emperor's guard Fu Hong shouted as he rushed into the room and fell to his knees in front of the Emperor.

The palace was in a mess. Servants and guards ran for their lives, leaving the palace unguarded. After 2 days of siege, General Lu's army breached the city gates and headed straight to the palace.

Most of the officials had changed sides and pledged loyalties to the general and his army. The rest hid behind their gilded walls.

Three days earlier, when Lu Yaozhu surrounded the city gate with his army, Emperor Ming sealed the palace and the city gates to keep the army away. He sent out the garrison commander, Commander Liu to guard the gates and kill the rebels.

After two days of siege, General Lu's army broke into the city gates thanks to the inside help from some ministers. He surrounded the palace minutes earlier, things looked bleak for the Emperor. Hours earlier reports were submitted by the officials and commoners requesting for the emperor to step down. Everyone had lost faith in his leadership and to an Emperor that was the worst thing that could happen.

The Palace guard was understaffed as most of the guards had resigned and joined the general's army.

The Empress had committed suicide as soon as the palace was surrounded, which completely broke the Emperor.

The once awe-inspiring Emperor Ming fell on his knee as the news of the Empress's death was delivered. He looked much older and he had lost the will to live. Emperor Ming sat on the floor by his throne drunk, eight empty jars of wine surrounded him, with some tipped over. His hair had come loose from the gold crown on his head, he was so frustrated that he had dropped all standard norms. He drank straight from the jar as he reminisced on the good old days.

Before everything changed, before he let his envy blind him till he could no longer tell friend from foe. He saw his friends and allies as enemies and dined with his enemies.

When he still had a good relationship with General Lu. Back then Lu Yaozhu still looked up to him like an elder brother.

All the present pain and suffering were all thanks to his envy. If only he'd never let the power get to his head, all this wouldn't be happening and General Lu would stand with him and not against him.

It all began with an imperial decree.....