THE BRAVE FRONT

            "Are you following me?" Yang Cishan inquired and Han Touzhou quietly picked up the cup of tea in front of him and blew it a little before he took a sip and placed it down.

            "I only happened to hear that it's your favourite spot." Han Touzhou responded.

            "Your sources are reliable. " Yang Cishan remarked.

            "They are nothing more than honest and humble people." Han Touzhou remarked, "Besides, their chrysanthemum tea is an extraordinary treasure so I shall equally visit more often." he appreciated.

            "You didn't ask me out for a cup of tea to tell me this, go on, say what you wanted to say." Yang Cishan mentioned.

            "I am sure that you are concerned for the stability of our Great Empire." Han Touzhou mentioned.

           "It so happens that our Empress is gone on an expedition." Yang Cishan mentioned, "She personally entrusted this state into my care, I must protect it at the very least, from people the likes of you." He professed.

            "Surely, but what does protecting the State mean to you? " Han Touzhou asked.

             "Anything is good enough asking as Your Excellency is excluded from the picture, perhaps I should remind you, you created this crisis for us." Yang Cishan accused.

            "Then help me solve it." Han Touzhou mentioned and Yang Cishan mockingly laughing at him he suddenly ceased and looked him in the eye.

            "You must think me to be foolish." He asserted.

            "The Grand Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince are incapacitated, His Majesty is unconscious, this country needs a nominal leader but the people won't agree to any candidate unless the Imperial Court decides on it unanimously." Han Touzhou mentioned.

             "So you are telling me that you can not make the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne without my help?" Yang Cishan asked.

              "I suppose I am trying to say that I'll offer something valuable enough for a resolution." Han Touzhou responded.

              "What could you do for me?" Yang Cishan inquired, "The man that killed my father asking for an understanding at this crucial hour is the least of my expectations." He remarked.

              "We have our differences but we are all statesmen in the same country, you are worried for the Empress as much as I am worried for this Dynasty, just support the Imperial Prince to be designated as the Imperial Guardian and convince the rest of Her Highness' people, in return power shall be rested in the hands of the heads of the six ministries and the Chancellory and his future spouse will be your direct descendant." Han Touzhou responded.

             "What about Her Highness the Empress, what about my sister?" Yang Cishan asked.

             "The Empress will retain her position, as long as she is alive, she gets to keep her Crown." Han Touzhou replied.

              "You have been a very good liar all your life, why is it that I should believe whatever you are saying or are promising me right now?" Yang Cishan inquired.

              "If the Emperor no longer has the physical reserves to run the country, he could lose his Crown too, besides if word reached out to enemies then what do you think would be their reaction?" Han Touzhou asked and standing up he bowed his head.

            "Think about it Your Excellency, stalling the inevitable will not make the Empress come back sooner, in fact, it might only drag the war much longer than we'd both want." Han Touzhou said as he walked out of the room leaving him alone.

              The Empress still fighting was covered in blood while the Jurchens had lost many numbers themselves.

              Barely approaching the walls they had only inflicted mild damage as corpses on the other hand had piled up into large heaps.

              She charged forward and slit the bowels of the Jurchens before the Jurchens started closing in on her.

             "Protect Her Highness." The soldiers about twenty in number shouted as they all surrounded her, she was bleeding from her arm while staring at the Princess Imperial who was too busy fighting off some Han Soldiers.

             Heshilie holding up a bow and arrow the remaining Jurchen soldiers followed his example and fired.

            The Empress barely noticing was in their target and one of the soldiers guarding her offering his back the arrow went through him as he cried aloud that the others present put her down and turned their backs to weather the arrows for her.

             "No." The Empress cried.

             "You must survive Your Highness." One of the guards mentioned and Bao Langya turning behind he started fighting his way through the Jurchens while the Empress' men pushed her back towards the city wall.

             "Protect Her Highness." Wei Yuanzhang ordered and firing the cannons at Heshilie and his men they brutally injured them.

             The Empress stared at the men risking their lives to protect her, for a moment she froze noticing how hard they were biting their teeth and crying, closing their eyes and bleeding while the arrows filled their backs sharp and upright like porcupine hairs.

             The gates of the Fortress were opened and alas inside with her safe, Beiyuan rushed to her side.

             "Your Highness." he cried but the Empress staring at the men they fell onto their knees.

            "Please survive Your Highness." One of them pleaded, "There is no victory without you." He remarked.

            "No." She muttered as a couple of other soldiers rushed towards them while the Empress held one of them in the hand.

            "Our Great Heavenly Empire needs you, the Great Southern Song Dynasty needs you all." She muttered.

            "Your Highn......." he was slowly losing breath.

            "Survive for my sake, for the sake of your wives and your children." She whispered to him.

            "I have fought the good fight, finish this war." The man whispered as he bled heavily through his mouth.

            "Long Live Your Highness, Long Live our Empress." He said and closing his eyes his hand fell from the Empress' while she was shattered completely, unable to shed a tear, a part of her died with the man.

             Reminding herself that she needed to be strong she stood up from where she had been squatting and looked at him.

            The people gathered slowly along with all the other soldiers and the Empress looking all around herself she felt their intense stare at her, some hopeless, others broken, the rest even bleeding and the limping among them.

            She realized at that moment that her hand was bleeding and the red droplets landing into the soil the wind howled to mingle with the disheartened.

            "This is what the Jurchens do." She suddenly mentioned, "This is all their doing." She asserted as she threw down her sword.

             "They will not stop till they have set our homes and our fields ablaze, until they have robbed us of everything that we have deeply loved and cherished, but these men that died here today protecting you and me, all of us within this Heavenly Empire, they have left us with a dream, with a task, we shall stand to defend our borders and our lands, I shall stand to defend this country, I don't know about all of you, I don't understand what it could be that your heart is telling you, but I am ready to die here, and if I die in Guanghua I know that my ashes shall rest in the midst of the Han people that I have loved so much." She assured them while she turned to some of her ailing defenders and another couple of deceased ones.

            "How narrow the pages of the history of this country are, if only they could hold your names then I wouldn't have been more proud." She whispered.

            The Princess Imperial Zhangguo in the camp she was surrounded by her allies and fellow Generals.

             "How many people have we lost?" She inquired.

             "The strategy was remarkable and we were lucky we had numbers, we have lost thirty thousand men while the Song Dynasty's forces have lost three thousand only." Wanyan Guang pointed out.

             "That much?" She mentioned.

             "The Han Chinese have put up much greater resistance than I had expected, they have undoubtedly fought hard against us it won't be easy to bring down Guanghua." Tushan Teling remarked.

             "It's the Empress." Princess Zhangguo mentioned, "Truthfully, I am awed by her talents," remarked.

             "Can't we really win the war?" She inquired.

             "Our soldiers are demoralized Your Highness, Wu Xi was assassinated and replaced which has weakened our influence in Sichuan, and being short of necessary resources why should we risk the surviving fifty thousand soldiers' lives." Wanyan Guang mentioned.

             "So you are going to just give in?" She asked.

             "We have orders from His Majesty Your Highness, listening to you so far has got us nowhere in the conflict, we have had to cede prefectures and provinces that we had captured initially, we have become a joke." Tushan Teling mentioned as he placed an envelope on the table in front of them.

            "What's this?" She inquired.

            "It is an order from His Majesty, we should advance and reconquer Teng immediately to ensure the security of our capital from our enemies." He responded and standing up, he bowed his head to her before he walked out of the tent.

           "Are you also going to follow him?" She asked the rest.

           "I believe that His Excellency is right Your Highness, you haven't been yourself ever since you lost to the Empress of Southern Song and moreso lost your control of Teng, many of our men have died on this foreign soil and until now we have only lost what we had gained in the initial stages of conflict and the every battle has been nothing but a fiasco." Wanyan Guang mentioned.

            "Do you have any idea what the Han Chinese in the South are saying?" Heshilie inquired as he turned to her, "The Great Jin is seemingly not so great as it was." He claimed.

            "Do you think you can reconquer Teng without annihilating the Southern Song Dynasty's Empress?" Princess Zhangguo asked.

             "You are not trying to reconquer Teng, you are trying to beat the Empress by conquering Guanghua." Heshilie responded as he stood up and walked out of the tent as well.

             "You have tried Your Highness." Wanyan Guang whispered to her as he abandoned her in the tent alone with Chuchu infuriated.

             Yang Cishan seated alone in his study, he was immersed in many thoughts as he recalled his conversation with Han Touzhou.

             Suddenly, the doors of his room being slid open someone walked in.

             "I need to be alone Jinglan." He mentioned.

             "I am not Jinglan." The stranger said that finding the tone a bit too familiar raised his eyes to the man who was dressed in a black cape bowing his head while the latter lifted his eyes to look at him.

            "Shi Miyuan?" Hs muttered in disbelief.

            "Yes Your Excellency, it is I." He responded.

            "What are you doing here?" He asked, "I thought....." He was saying.

            "That I am dead?" He inquired.

            "Last I heard, the ship to Meizhou exploded and Capsized in the East China Sea." Yang Cishan said but the latter only composed he got closer.

             "I survived, that's what matters, however I learnt that you met with Han Touzhou at Lanling Court." He mentioned.

              "Yes." Yang Cishan replied and the young man took his seat right in front of him.

             "Do you mind telling me what it was that you discussed with the Grand Chancellor?" He inquired while the latter took a deep sigh.

             "The Grand Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince are unconscious and the Imperial Court and the Government are in turmoil, since the security of the Crown Prince is compromised then they are proposing that we designate the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen as the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne however knowing Han Touzhou well enough this is creating a Challenger for the Crown Prince, a replacement." Yang Cishan reported.

             "It is." Shi Miyuan confirmed.

             "Han Touzhou knows that our resistance is something that can not persevere, even if we are against it time will necessitate it but I am guessing that being this desperate he doesn't have much time either." Yang Cishan pointed out.

             "Perhaps." Shi Miyuan mentioned.

             "He wants us to support the Imperial Prince unanimously and temporarily, the affairs of State will be managed by the three Chancellors and the heads of the Six Ministries, at least that much he guarantees." Yang Cishan reported.

               "Consort Han is going to adopt the Imperial Prince, by dawn she will be his legal mother." Shi Miyuan mentioned.

              "We are in a tough spot it seems." Yang Cishan claimed.

              "Do as he says." Shi Miyuan suddenly mentioned.

              "You can't possibly expect me to catch a snake even when I am drowning." Yang Cishan confidently protested.

              "Don't worry about anything, you can leave everything else to me." Shi Miyuan comforted him.

              The Empress standing on the battlements that overlooked the East, the sun setting slowly she was quiet.

              Beiyuan approaching her from behind he stood at a distance.

              "Your Highness." He called .

              "Such a beautiful sunset," she remarked, "how many of those men survived?" She inquired.

              "The last one has just passed away." Beiyuan responded.

              "What is more dangerous than survival itself?" She asked as she turned to look at him and noticed that he was holding an envelope in his hands.

              "I suppose that's mine." She pointed out.

              "It just arrived from the Capital, it is something urgent." Beiyuan remarked as he hesitantly handed it over to her.

              She took it into her hands and opening the envelope she pulled out the letter to read it's contents sighing after she had finished and folding it again.

             "The Grand Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince are unconscious and in a critical situation, it appears as though Han Touzhou is making his move." She said.

             "What should we do Your Highness, you presence is needed in the capital to secure your position and His Majesty's?" Beiyuan said.

              "I've been thinking so hard, my sole objective for joining this resistance was to lure the Jurchens away from our territories that they had occupied, I was hoping that I was being very considerate and losing all those people protecting me and risking their lives, losing them eventually, I can't help it but think, it's time we tried to negotiate a truce." Empress Yang muttered.

            "What's the guarantee that the Jurchens will listen?" Beiyuan asked.

             "Because they have lost so much already, because they have barely gained from the war, they have failed no matter how hard they have tried, their troops exhausted, themselves short of supplies can not prolong the war." Empress Yang responded confidently, "I want to take one last gamble." She mentioned.

             "What if you are wrong Your Highness?" Beiyuan inquired.

             "The Jurchens know that they either break us or lose the war, there's still room for compromise." She said as she handed over another letter to him.

              "Have it delivered to the Jurchen camp." She ordered and Beiyuan hesitantly taking it from her hands he withdrew from her presence.

              Consort Han seated in her Chambers, Court Lady Liu walked up to her with the little Prince in her hands as she handed the little one over.

              "His Highness, the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen." She said and the latter holding him in her hands she was excited.

              "Who would have thought, motherhood would be this fine." She mentioned as Han Touzhou's presence was announced and brazenly, the old man walked through the doors to see his daughter smiling at the baby.

              "Your Grace." He greeted her.

              "You come at such an ungodly hour uncle, aren't you worried what the people might say?" She inquired.

              "I am afraid that the Palace will actually get more used to my presence." He responded as he sat down in front of her, "you seem happy holding that child." He mentioned.

              "I never had the Emperor's affection to begin with and I wasn't as graced by heaven as my sister was, I never had the chance to give His Majesty a son let alone a Princess, looking at this child reminds me of that reality, perhaps it would have felt this good if I was holding a child from my own womb." She responded.

             "I have already taken care of the Imperial Edict, the Palace and the Capital will awaken to the news of His Highness being officially adopted by Your Grace, and all that shall be left will be the Imperial Court's unanimous vote to designate him as the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne." Han Touzhou mentioned.

             "Did Yang Cishan agree to your terms?" Consort Han inquired.

              "He seemed to be considering the idea, however compared to Shi Miyuan who was a much bigger problem for us, he is a little bit dense, thank heavens that I sent him down to the bottom of the East China sea." Han Touzhou confidently mentioned.

              "Perhaps." Consort Han mentioned having put the child peacefully to sleep.

              "But one question Your Grace, what happens after they have given us what we want?" Han Touzhou inquired.

               "We'll merely do the one thing that our clan has always been good at." Consort Han mentioned as she looked him in the eye, "it is your specialty after all Uncle." She added.

              "Yes Your Grace." He responded.

              "If we wish to consolidate our position in power then we must wipe out all opposition to our hegemony." Consort Han remarked and smiling at herself ghastly she looked at the little Prince in her arms, "I will make you the Emperor of our Great Heavenly Empire, I'll put you on that Imperial Dragon throne my son." She whispered while Han Touzhou watched her quietly.

             The Jurchen troops standing guard around the gates of the camp, they spotted a horseman headed their way and carrying a white flag.

              "I come in peace." He claimed as he unmounted his brown stead and immediately brought over a scroll to the guards.

              "I bring a message for your Commandress in Chief." He said and the guards disarming him they escorted him into the camp right up to the tent where the Princess Imperial was seated.

             He got close enough to her with the scroll in his hands and there he bowed his head.

             "Your Highness." He greeted in their language.

             "What is it that you wish to say to me?" She inquired.

             "Her Highness has sent me here to relay message to you." He responded, "she hopes that the two of you could come to an agreement of peace, a truce." He mentioned as he brought the scroll over to her and placed it into her hands.

              She took it and opened it to look through its contents before she kept quiet.

              "Her Highness is quite sincere, being a woman as well I can understand." She mentioned.

              "Her Highness is only asking you to see her the day after tomorrow and the venue will be any place of your choice as long as it's on the border that divides our two Empires." He said.

              "Really?" Princess Zhangguo inquired.

               "Yes, Your Highness." The young man replied.

               "You people were doing really well with the war,your resistance was so firm, but why then did Her Highness change her mind, could it be that you are on the brink of annihilation?" She inquired.

              "I can't pretend to understand Her Highness' personal decisions but on that battlefield today twenty men died protecting her alone, she wept and mourned and was initially opposed to the Song Revanchist policy but never had the chance to politically contain it from getting this far out of hand." The man mentioned and the Princess Imperial standing up from her seat, she paced back and forth for a moment before she halted in her footsteps again.

             "Go tell your master that I agree to her meeting, and since I get to decide the location along the border tell her it shall be on the top of the hill that divides our two camps." She mentioned.

             "Thank you Your Highness." The messenger responded as he withdrew from the tent immediately and left the Princess alone with Chuchu.

             "Call all the others now." She mentioned, "tell them that it's urgent." She ordered while he immediately set out to fulfill her demand.

              The Empress' supporters gathered in their secret room in the dead of night, Yang Cishan was quietly seated in front of them while they also responded with silence.

              "We are going to support the designation of the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen as the Imperial Guardian of the dragon throne." He broke it to them while chaos and disorder immediately erupted.

              "I can not agree." Peng Zishou openly protested.

              "That's absurd, what are we now, the Grand Chancellor and that hussy Consort Han's disciples?" Ye Shi inquired.

              "We can not bow our heads to our enemies, that's absurd." others insisted.

              "The Grand Chancellor gave us his word." He suddenly spoke at the top of his voice while banging the table in front of him while things appeared to be coming to order.

               "You can not guarantee a word that the Grand Chancellor says." Peng Zishou insisted.

               "But we have something that he doesn't have." Yang Cishan mentioned, "Han Touzhou can not designate the Imperial Prince if he is not the Emperor unless we decide on it unanimously as the Imperial Court, on top of that if the authority of the nation is divided between the three Chancellors and the Six Ministries with our decentralized power we aren't a match for him." Yang Cishan asserted.

             "It's already hard to manage without the Empress, we can not succumb until she comes and the moment the Imperial Prince rises to that position, there's no telling what awful future will await us especially the Crown Prince of this nation." Ye Shi claimed.

               "Do you expect Han Touzhou to be that merciful?" Yang Cishan inquired, "I personally don't trust him." He clarified.

               "But your suggestion tells us otherwise." Peng Zishou pointed out.

                "The Grand Chancellor desperately wants that position, he desperately wants that power, we shall give it to him in exchange for something more precious." He mentioned.

                "And what could that be Your Excellency?" Ye Shi inquired while Yang Cishan looking at them he seemed contented with their reaction.

               Princess Zhangguo seated in her tent she was joined by the other Generals.

               "You called us Your Highness." Wanyan Guang pointed out.

              "There was too much we lost at the hands of the Empress of the Southern Song Dynasty, I have just received a messenger from the Han people at Guanghua sent by Her Highness in the search for peace, she hopes that we could meet and agree on some terms to end the war." She pointed out.

             "And why would we trust her, for all that we know, it could be another of our schemes to attack us when we least expect it." Heshilie pointed out.

             "I don't trust her as much as you people think, I am a Jurchen Princess after all." She mentioned, "I once mentioned it before, the only way we can win this war is by killing the Empress." She added.

              "What are you going to do Your Highness?" Tushan Teling inquired.

                "Seeing how desperate the Empress is in deed it was inevitable for them to cease resistance as they couldn't carry it on any longer, this peace meeting perhaps is the opportunity that we have been looking for." She responded.

             "Let it not be something foolish Your Highness, it's the Empress of their country so they shall certainly take precautions be it drinks or incense or flowers utensils and everything it takes, not even soldiers shall get close I am certain." Wanyan Guang pointed out.

              "None of our men will have the Empress' blood on their hands, even if I die, I shall see to it that I end the Empress' life personally." She vowed to them.

               "No, Your Highness." Tushan Teling said, "That is a very big gamble you are taking Your Highness because if the Empress of the Southern Song Dynasty survives the one who dies will be you." He warned.

                 "I know." Princess Zhangguo mentioned, "Earlier today you told me that His Majesty ordered us to take back the Fortress of Teng I assume that the Empress could be buying time for reinforcements, for your reconquest of our territory to be successful we must take our enemies by surprise and there's no better way of doing that than at their most peaceful hour." She professed.

               "Your Highness, you mean to say....?" Wanyan Guang hesitated to mention it but everyone had just realized what she had perceived.

             "I shall buy you the time you need to advance, I shall offer myself as bait." Princess Zhangguo confessed to them.

              The messenger returning to Empress Yang's presence, she was quiet in her dark quarters while staring at the crimson candle in front of her.

             "Her Highness agreed." He informed her.

             "Alright, you may leave." Empress Yang mentioned and standing up, the man walked out while Beiyuan made his way inside.

             "Go tell everyone to be prepared." She ordered, "Cover  the cannons and the Gun powder and store them away." She added and the latter bowing his head he withdrew from her sight.

             The sun rising over the country the Imperial Courtiers had gathered in the Grand Hall where for the first time the two sides of the hall stood face to face.

            "We shall allow the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen to be designated as the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne." Yang Cishan mentioned.

             "I trusted that you would have the country's best interests at heart." Han Touzhou remarked.

             "You didn't allow me to finish." Yang Cishan mentioned, "We shall offer our alliance on one condition." He pointed out.

             "And which is it?" Han Touzhou inquired.

             "As the Crown Prince's legitimate Uncle, I shall guide the Imperial Prince as well in handling the affairs of State as the Imperial Regent." Yang Cishan responded and Han Touzhou and the rest of his supporters seemed dismayed.

             "This wasn't what we had agreed on." He protested.

             "You can not make an Imperial Prince the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne without our unanimous support Your Excellency, the six ministries and the three Chancellors shall aid the administration and the governance of this country but until the Empress returns, nominally I shall continue the Grand Empress Dowager's regency." He insisted while Han Touzhou looked at him with his supporters infuriated, Yang Cishan confident his own people seemed convinced in his profession.

             "What you are asking for is not easy " Han Touzhou mentioned.

             "Unless we make it happen, and we have the power while I can command the confidence of both the people and this house, what do you think Your Excellency?" Yang Cishan inquired.

             "Very well then." Han Touzhou responded shocking his supporters, "His Excellency as the Legal Uncle of the Crown Prince shall guide the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen in handling the Affairs of State as the Imperial Regent." He openly professed and Shi Miyuan smiling at him the Grand Secretary drafting the Edict at that moment, it was sealed with the Imperial Jade Seal which was carried over to the side of Yang Cishan.

            Consort Han in her residence seated she stared at the Imperial Edict in front of her which stated that the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen was her adopted son and took a deep breath

            The doors being flung open Court Lady Liu rushed inside before her.

            "Your Grace, there is trouble." She mentioned.

            "What is it this time?" Consort Han inquired.

            "Yang Cishan and the Empress' supporters agreed to make the Imperial Prince Zhao Shen the Imperial Guardian of the Dragon throne on condition that His Excellency becomes the Imperial Regent." Court Lady Liu reported while Consort Han remained calm.

            "It isn't a big deal." She said.

            "How can you say that to me Your Grace, this is an opportunity for him to exert his influence more directly, Your Grace, you can't become the Imperial Prince's regent now even if you are his mother." Court Lady Liu protested.

            "It didn't really matter to me how, I only cared that the Imperial Prince gets the position of the Imperial Guardian, since that has been achieved now even with Yang Cishan as the Imperial Regent there is no better opportunity for us to strike." Consort Han mentioned.

            "But Your Grace, as the Imperial Regent he is the holder of the Imperial Jade Seal, with it he wields power that is much greater than we could expect." Court Lady Liu cautioned.

            "One eats, another watches, my dear, that's how Revolutions are born." Consort Han remarked as she smiled at herself ghastly.

            Yang Cishan meeting with Shi Miyuan he placed the Imperial Jade seal in front of him.

            "We have the seal." He mentioned.

            "At last." Shi Miyuan mentioned and opening the box he studied its authenticity and proved it.

            "With the seal in our hands, we are on the brink of wielding considerable power, beyond the imagination of our enemies." Yang Cishan asserted.

            "It's remarkable how an Emperor can own the most powerful tool in the world but equally lose his throne." Shi Miyuan said.

            "What do you wish to imply Your Excellency?" Yang Cishan acquired.

            "There's no way we could possess the seal with ease while our enemies are watching that is why I believe that we can't let our guard down yet as anything can happen, besides, because we have the Imperial seal we should be more cautious." Shi Miyuan mentioned as he took out a blank scroll and placed it on the table.

            "What is this?" Yang Cishan inquired.

            "The initial purpose for which I intended to use the Imperial Seal, our insurance." Shi Miyuan responded as he smiled at him.

            The Princess Imperial arrived at the scene first, there a small tent had been erected with a couple of seats before them while soldiers numbering to twenty from either side stood guard staring at each other.

             "The Empress isn't yet here." Chuchu mentioned.

             "She'll make it, I have so much hope in her." The Princess mentioned when in a distance, she saw a palanquin approaching them that was being escorted by Bao Langya and a few more men of his.

             It halted about a hundred metres away from the spot and the doors being opened the Empress revealed herself seated inside.

             Xiaoyang offered her her right hand and taking it Empress Yang stepped out into the open dressed in a beautiful red and yellow hanfu, a couple of beautiful sapphire earrings and a good headdress.

             They bowed at each other to offer their respects before they sat down in front of a chess board and the guards stepping away from them the Princess smiled.

            "Alas, you asked to see me Your Highness." She said.

            "I was surprised with your military prowess on the battlefield, I was amazed by it." She responded.

            "Since we aren't going to talk over tea, I thought that a chess board would do best, there are very many interesting stories about you even in our own territory, one,, in particular led me to learn that it is your favourite." Princess Zhangguo remarked.

            "Then let's get to it, I shall be black and you white." Empress Yang mentioned as the Princess took the first peace and placed it onto the board while the Empress put the second.

             "I was told that you wanted a truce." The Princess mentioned.

             "Both our parties have lost so much in this conflict, is there any harm in feeling concerned for my people?" Empress Yang asked.

             "There isn't." Princess Zhangguo replied as she played her move, "Perhaps I have come to learn that both Your Highness and me were forged from the same clay." She mentioned.

            "Who knows?" Empress Yang replied as she also made has.

            "But for a truce to be called I certainly believe that there should be terms attached to it." The Princess claimed.

           "I'm listening." The Empress muttered.

           "The Great Southern Song Dynasty can not be called Great, no, our two Empires can not be equal in status, we get to decide who becomes your Emperor and Empress, both of which must swear their fealty to the Great Jin, we shall control all your military numbers and Primary regiments shall be supervised by our men in particular, about a war indemnity our Imperial Court can reason with me but most importantly, we shall raise your Crown Prince in our territory." Princess Zhangguo claimed.

            "I must really seem so desperate to you Your Highness." Empress Yang replied.

             "As far as I know you have become short of firepower and even your numbers are less than ours." Princess Zhangguo replied, "suppose you resisted, how long would it take to finally break you?" She asked as she let go of her piece having squeezed the Empress in what appeared to be a tight spot.

             She smiled at her.

             "I didn't feel hilarious in my speech." The Princess pointed out.

             "What if we discussed the terms again, our two Empires shall be equal in status and we do not need your approval when dealing with our own internal politics or commanding our troops and most importantly, we shall raise our Crown Prince not only the Confucian but also the Han way and that is within our own borders, within the walls of our own Imperial City, in the East Palace." Empress Yang mentioned as she made her move on the board, "how does that sound?" She inquired.

             "Perhaps Your Highness doesn't understand the gravity of the situation." Princess Zhangguo remarked.

            "Oh, it seems to me that you should have stated otherwise, you know that I am aware that your troops are in no condition to prolong this conflict, and when it comes to resources we have much better access than you, you might have been unaware but the Your Emperor doesn't have a very long life to live as well which is why when you present such demands in my presence as the Empress of the Southern Song Dynasty wouldn't it be customary for me to respond by sending back your head to Zhongdu as a gift for His Majesty?" The Empress lashed out at her in her own language while the Imperial Princess keeping quiet for a moment she moved one other piece forward as the Empress studied her.

             "Empress of the Southern Song Dynasty!" She exclaimed mockingly.

             "You won't agree to my truce." The Empress mentioned.

            "I don't have the power, but I would try to convince His Majesty, as always the final say rests with him but even before that, how is it that you would deliver him my head?" She inquired.

            "Do you know what I did to become an Empress?" Empress Yang asked.

             "I am personally intrigued by you so as a very big follower why don't you let me in on those personal facts?" She responded.

             "I was a Court Lady, I got the Emperor to fall in love with me, I gave him Princes, first killed the Empress Mother and then his first Empress, fabricated an Edict that legitimized my position to get where I am now." She summarized as the Empress leaned forward, "you must have heard some stories, that I eat young children, that I am a witch, that I am a demi-god or even better a goddess, if someone wanted me dead I can smell it from a mile away." She mentioned as the Princess Imperial seemed surprised.

           "Yes." The Empress mentioned, "you are wondering how I knew." She muttered under her breath with a smile on her face as she put her piece on the board and started getting rid of hers one by one that she clenched her fists tightly as the blade in her arm started shaking.

            "Don't worry, you can kill me here and now but before you put that blade on my throat you should consider the lives of your Jurchen men that are secretly advancing to take Teng, they have no idea that the Fortress is seated on heaps of gun powder so my speculation is that unless they are warned by someone, all of them will be dead in an hour's time but you see, you won't warn them either if I die here and what's the guarantee that with my own skills I wouldn't resist hard enough to survive?" She asked with a ghastly smile.

             "You knew." Princess Zhangguo stuttered.

             "The fact that you agreed almost immediately you didn't let me down, secondly I could tell from your personality after everything that has happened that you are not one to give up easily, my main aim in this war was never Teng or even advancing to Bianjing or waiting for reinforcements but it was to provoke you out of my territory and now it is only fair to make you aware that the lives of fifty thousand Jurchen soldiers depend on me." The Empress mentioned as she stood up from where she was seated and bowed her head.

             "This is the end of our game Your Highness, as always of course, I win." She mentioned proudly with a smile on her face as she turned around and walked away leaving the Princess Imperial seated and frozen in her seat she let go of the knife in her hands frightened.

            Chuchu rushed towards her concerned while the Empress was escorted by her entourage.

             "What's the matter Your Highness?" He asked her.

            "Give me a horse, someone must warn the others." She responded.

             "About what Your Highness?" Chuchu asked.

             "The Empress knows that they shall attack Teng, she knows that the meeting was a diversion and the whole Fortress is seated on tonnes of Gun powder which means that once they get inside they will all die." She said and pushing away Chuchu the young woman rushed and mounted one of the steads nearby only to ride off in the direction of the Fortress

             The Jurchen soldiers slowly approaching the walls of the city they found them empty with the gates wide open, there wasn't even a soul moving around that Wanyan Guang taking the risk first led a few people inside to survey the territory leaving behind a majority of their forces.

             They stepped in and unable to see anyone they raised their banners which alerted the rest of their colleagues to enter.

              Empress Yang arriving at a hilltop she stepped out of her Palanquin and moved towards another tent that had been prepared personally for her with a very good view of the Jurchen Fortress.

             Gracefully she sat down while Bao Langya stood beside her.

              A very spectacular view Your Highness, but I am curious what you mentioned to the Princess Imperial." He said.

              "I am willing to embrace the logic of making our Zhao Dynasty Great again by eliminating its most powerful enemies, the purpose of that meeting was merely to teach the Jurchens that in due course they learn to fear us again." She confidently responded as she picked a cup of tea from the nearby table and gently blowing it, she took a sip cheerfully. 

               Princess Zhangguo and her company of a hundred horsemen halted for a moment on a hilltop and staring below they saw the Jurchen flags flying all over the place.

               "No." She mentioned when on one side, Wei Yuanzhang with nearly ten cannons raised aimed at the city along with some other archers that lit their arrows with fire.

              "Fire." He ordered and at once they all released their firepower.

               Roaring like thunder, the Jurchens inside watched as the flames were falling from the sky into their reconquered abode, barely having the time to think, some trying to hold up their shields, the dancing flames landed, ignited Sparks and the smoldering evolving magnificently, unquenched, and uncontrollable, everything exploded sending a thick black cloud of smoke into the air.

               The Princess Imperial shocked the most she fell onto her knees, the Han people had hit the target, the Empress unmoved, where once was a tall and magnificent luxurious fortress a pile of ash and absolute nothingness and filth remained gutted by fire

              "What have I done?" She asked herself while the people of Guanghua seeing the smoke they celebrated, the Jurchen flag consumed by flames fell.

              "I did it." Empress Yang thought to herself like she usually did, "I am victorious." She confidently whispered closing her eyes as she looked up at the sky.

              Yang Cishan in his study Jinglan suddenly walked in holding a paper in his hands as he presented it to him while he took it and read its contents.

             "Tonight?" He asked himself.

             "Yes Your Excellency." Jinglan responded.

             Peng Zishou and the rest of the Empress' supporters received the same thing and with the sun setting in the dead of night, they gathered around within the woods outside the capital.

             Yang Cishan and Peng Zishou bumping into one another they halted with their torches.

             "What  are you doing here?" Peng Zishou inquired.

             "You asked me to meet here with you in secret." Yang Cishan responded.

             "No." Peng Zishou mentioned, "He Shi summoned me here." He claimed when the old man suddenly approached them.

             "What are the two of you talking about?" He asked.

             "You called me here." Peng Zishou mentioned.

             "No." He quickly denied it as he turned to Yang Cishan.

              "I only turned up because you called me." He professed.

              "I didn't." Yang Cishan immediately denied the allegations when they noticed a couple of other people joining them and unveiling their faces they turned out to be their fellows.

               Peng Zishou studying the situation immersed himself in his own thoughts.

              "We are all gathered here in the dead of night, could it be......" He was saying when an arrow flying towards them struck one of the officials.

               "Run." The others shouted but before they could go any further, they were rounded up by a group of Imperial soldiers who pointed their spears and swords at them.

               "How dare you?" Yang Cishan inquired, "You dare to point your swords at the Imperial Regent of this country." He scolded.

               "Forgive Us Your Excellency." A strange voice suddenly appeared in their midst and the soldiers paving way for Lin Xue he walked up to them.

              "You are gathered here outside the capital harbouring ill intent towards our Emperor that you attempt treason." He accused them while the rest of the officials were startled.

             "You do not have proof of what you are saying." Yang Cishan insisted.

             "What if I told you we have evidence?" Lin Xue asked as he presented before them a list of their subordinates' names each with their fingerprints attached to them.

             "We already have in our possession the letters that you rebels have been exchanging over the past couple of days and records of all your movements as well as the places you have been to, we have discovered arms and ammunition, weapons that had vanished without a trace in the Ministry of War in your possession and the Dungeons of the Imperial State Tribunal which are also under your jurisdiction have been found to contain six hundred tonnes of gun powder, a network of your spies within the Palace Your Excellency, would you clearly tell me and everyone present here if it is not rebellion then what is?" Lin Xue inquired while Yang Cishan stood speechless.

             "As I expected, you'll have to confess to your crimes first." He mentioned as he turned to the Soldiers, "What are you waiting for, seize them." He ordered and the soldiers approaching them grabbed their hands and tied them with ropes.

            "You won't get away with this." Yang Cishan cursed as he was dragged away with the rest of his lot.

             Consort Han in her Chambers getting dressed she wore the phoenix robes of the Empress and adorned her hair with some of her jewels.

             "Your Grace, Yang Cishan and the other officials have been apprehended and the evidence has been exposed to the public, we hold hostage most of their families, it is now your time to act." Court Lady Liu reported.

              "What about the Palace staff?" She inquired.

              "They are waiting in the Courtyard of the Ladies' Investigations Bureau of the Palace." She responded.

             "Gather the Imperial guards on our side and summon them into the harem." She ordered as she stood up from where she was seated.

              "Your Grace, men aren't allowed into the heart of the Inner Court." She cautioned.

              "For a crime as grave as treason, I don't need Eunuchs or Court Ladies to handle the job, I need soldiers." She responded as Court Lady Liu stepped aside and she walked past her.

              The Lady Investigators with the Court Ladies and Palace maids gathered in the Ladies' Investigations Bureau of the Imperial Palace, she personally threw the gates open and accompanied by Imperial troops surrounded the whole yard while she mounted the stairs that led to the Empress' usual platform while everyone looked at her.

             "What is this, Your Grace?" Madam Mo inquired.

             "I believe I should be the one who is asking the questions." Consort Han responded, "With all these spies and rebels in the Palace, such an immense network out of my concern for this country I am starting to question the fealty and relevance of the Ladies' Investigations Bureau of the Imperial Palace." She asserted.

            "Forgive us, Your Grace, we will look into it." Madam Mo assured her.

             "There'll be no need to promise me that." Consort Han remarked, "as it is that during the Empress' absentia I am the one in charge of running the harem and the Inner Court I feel disgraced, I must restore the dignity of the ladies of the Palace and that can only happen when I get rid of the contaminants that is why with effect immediately, I have dissolved the Ladies' Investigations Bureau of the Imperial Palace." She said to them, "these quarters shall be barred from the rest of the Palace and those criminals that have been apprehended will be expelled from these Imperial Precincts." Consort Han ordered.

             "You can't do that Your Grace, the Late Empress Han put this institution to ensure law and order within the harem." Madam Mo protested.

             "But you have clearly failed, it appears to me that a certain dog has forgotten its master." Consort Han remarked.

            "Only an Empress or an Emperor can disband the Bureau." Madam Mo insisted but the guards seizing her they dragged her out along with all the other lady Investigators.

            Shi Miyuan hidden in the Emperor's Chambers his spy rushed up towards him, standing right behind the silk screen he saw her shadow.

             "What brings you here?" He inquired, "your presence risks my secrecy." He said to her.

             "Forgive me Milord, I am distraught, there is terrible news that I regret to inform you about." She pleaded.

              "What's going on?" Shi Miyuan inquired.

              "The Imperial Regent and his fellows were captured outside the Capital in the woods and evidence has surfaced that proves them to be plotting treason, as I speak they are all under arrest, the Imperial Seal has been reclaimed by the Grand Chancellor and shall be returned to the Palace, besides he has reinstated most of his loyalists back to the Government and a New Imperial State Tribunal has been put in place to decide the fate of the Criminals." She reported.

             "What!" Shi Miyuan exclaimed.

             "The Palace itself is in upheaval, all those servants that were linked to the Empress and Physicians have been expelled from Imperial Precincts for conniving with the traitors and some have been exiled, the staff and the Imperial guards shall all be changed by tomorrow, but what's worse is that without the Emperor gaining consciousness or his health improving, there's no one we can trust to protect him." She mentioned.

              "Can't we contact anyone outside the Palace?" Shi Miyuan inquired.

              "If only the Empress were to return and His Majesty gains consciousness, we wouldn't be faced with this predicament." The girl mentioned.

             "Don't say anything, you just keep quiet and be careful not to get caught, I shall see to it that in return you keep your life and once Consort Han and the rest have been supplanted, you shall have a handsome reward." Shi Miyuan mentioned.

              "Thank you Your Excellency." The Girl mentioned as she withdrew from the room leaving Shi Miyuan alone.

             Eunuch Deng hiding himself while the Imperial guards were patrolling around the Palace he made his way into Shi Miyuan's secret room where he found him desperately seated on a stool.

             "You must have heard Your Excellency." He said judging from his facial expression.

             "Our enemies have acted up in a manner I least expected." He responded.

             "They have monitored us for a while, however, even though Lanling Court was exposed they couldn't find any evidence so they locked it." Eunuch Deng reported.

            "Thank heavens, they can only hold what they see, Her Highness foresaw something like this so there's much more that is unseen that we possess." Shi Miyuan mentioned.

             "The Jurchen forces have been annihilated, Consort Han and Han Touzhou seem to have not yet heard, what's more, is that the Empress will land in the Capital." Eunuch Deng reported.

              "Then this is our chance." Shi Miyuan mentioned as he turned around and looked at him, there are some things we must move out of the Palace." Shi Miyuan mentioned.

               "But Yang Cishan and the others could lose their lives." Eunuch Deng cautioned him.

              "That's why it is time we convinced the people to play their part." Shi Miyuan responded.

              Consort Han seated in her Chambers Court Lady Liu approached her.

             "Your Grace, we have the Palace under our control that goes for everything that happens within it as well." She notified her.

              "The Government hasn't been stabilized as of yet." Consort Han responded as she looked at her furiously, "The Jurchens can not keep the Empress occupied for us, they can't trust the intelligence we offer them concerning our troops because apparently, they can't trust us anymore after the fiasco they have suffered." She mentioned.

             "Does that mean....?" Court Lady Liu hesitated to say.

             "The Empress might return to the Capital much sooner than we expect that is why before something of the sort happens we must take care of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Crown Prince, and the Emperor immediately." Consort Han ordered clenching her fists angrily.