THE FOX EATS ITS CUB

As they stood looking at each other, the mother and son could see despair and bewilderment in each other's eyes. The Blue Flame Empress knew the Emperor intends to use her son against her.

She couldn't help but loathe him the more, which parent would want to harm their child for self-advancement?

The Black Dragon Emperor is a fox who would even willingly sacrifice his son to achieve his ambition for dominance and power. She began to track her brain on what to do to save both herself and her son from his evil clutch.

She had assumed the Imperial Academy wouldn't allow the Emperor to take Zi Long away. Knowing the Academy Master and who he was to her father; she wouldn't have believed that he could just stand by and let them take Zi Long.

The Emperor quietly observed her every change in mood and aura. He knew he has her by the neck now that her beloved don was brought into the mix. He was confident in reaping full benefits this time.

"He would first draw out all the hidden potential in her and used her rich blood essence as a tonic to nourish himself to dominance over the whole Divine Continent."

"With her blood essence and potential he would most definitely break through his bottleneck and become a peak late-level Sword Emperor. This would get him closer to his goal of Ascension."

"For the past one million years, there have been no Sword Sovereign Emperor in the Divine Continent. He would then become an apex existence who would be revered and feared by all and sundry."

"He would also go on to unify the whole Divine Continent and become a good unto the myriad races. Thinking about this only made his blood boil and he was fulfilled with a never seen before urgency to end proceedings and get to harvesting."

Thinking and planning this far, the Emperor could no longer remain calm as excitement rocked his body and he was unable to restrain himself. He was like a young groom who was impatient to taste his new beautiful bride.

For the first time in a very long time, the ministers and officials notice energy fluctuations behind the golden curtains. They turn to each other in shock.

"What could be exciting this otherwise emotionless fellow who is Lord over them? " The Minister and officials whispered among themselves.

This was indeed unlike the Emperor they have grown to respect and fear. He was someone who would not show the slightest ripple of emotion even if the sky were falling to crush the whole Divine Continent.

Even those without a clue to the hidden intentions behind this arrest and trial began to suspect there was something more deeper and sinister going on at this point.

The Black Dragon Emperor spoke at this time, something he rarely does.

"Zi Long, you are my fourth prince, chosen from among hundreds of your brothers elevated above numerous others in status"

"Not only because your mother is the Fourth Imperial Consort but also because of your talent and uprightness. You heard the accusations against your fourth consort." he paused to look at his son.

He continued, "The Consort had committed previous crimes and must be punished. But I would leave this judgement to you. You are after all a candidate for the Throne".

The whole court was shocked by the outrageousness of this request. " How could a son be in charge of his own mother's interrogation and trial?"

"This has never occurred before, since the founding of the Empire. Not to talk of the accusations that warrant the punishment of life imprisonment at most or the least an execution."

For cultivators who can live for thousands of years, being imprisoned in a dump, cold, dark and comfortless prison would be the most terrifying punishment they could ever endure.

Just imagine spending thousands of thousands of years locked up with your cultivation base destroyed. That would be more horrible than death.

Yet the Black Dragon Emperor was giving this task to a fourteen-year-old boy. Not against any other random person but his mother whom he loves and is very close to.

"I am unable to undertake this task, my Imperial father has assigned it to me. I have failed you Father. Please punish me". The fourth Prince immediately answered as he knelt on the floor and bowed his head.

This left all the Ministers and officials to sigh in empathy towards his plight. This was a trap the old fox had set for him knowing he would fail.

Just then, the Crown Prince entered the court and bowed in greetings towards the Emperor and sat down in his assigned position. He had a smirk on his face as he looked down upon his kneeling brother.

"Finally this threat would be removed from my way, once he is gone, the thrown would be mine for sure. None of the others posed a threat to means he does"

He thought to himself as he began thinking of a plan to destroy his assumed opponent.

How could the Emperor not notice why this Crowned Prince of his ambition and fears? He knew how much he yearns to get rid of this competition. That was the main reason he had selected his talented son to put pressure on his elder brother.

By making Zi Long the Fourth Candidate and how he was rising to prominence and power quickly, He knew this son of his would-be pressured to go all out. This would then sharpen him both in cultivation and scheming.

He had deliberately always pitched them against each other over the past years until His elders started seeing this little brother of his as a dangerous threat. He would not overlook this and bring his opponent down.

"Crown Prince Qi, the Fourth Prince Zi Long had failed to follow an Imperial instruction and failed to complete a task I assigned to him. Would you complete the task for me?" The Emperor asked.

The Crown Prince stood up and bowed to the Emperor, "replying to Imperial father; this Crown Prince accepts father's instruction would undertake what is required of him. "

"Good, you have heard the accusation labelled against the Consort what is your verdict?". This time he didn't ask the Crown Prince to hold the trial but for a verdict.

The Ministers and Officials frowned a bit but quickly adjusted their countenance. How could they not see that both father and son intend to get rid of their opponents?

"My verdict is life imprisonment and destruction of the cultivation base of both culprits." the Crowned Prince said.

"Why must this be the punishment? " The Emperor asked

"Because all the crimes committed by the Consort demand the punishment of execution, and the Fourth Prince does not complete his task of seeking justice for the throne can only be considered as aiding and being an accomplice to this crimes."

The Bluflame Empress only looked on with a cold expression on her face and a hint of a bit of bewilderment as she looked at the Fourth Prince's pallid face while he knelt dejectedly.

Behind her cold exterior, she was frantically using her blue flames to heal herself and gradually unlock her sealed cultivation. Even though she was about eighty per cent healed; she was only able to unlock twenty per cent of her sealed cultivation.

This was pitiful not enough she was to have any chance of saving herself and her son. Unfortunately there was not much she could do.

Her only hope was that the proceedings would drag on a bit longer. So she could gain a fighting chance, the seal was indeed a difficult one to break.

"Very well does anyone have an objection against the verdict ." the Emperor asked the Court.

No one spoke up as it is very clear to them, speaking up now would be considered treason and the clan of the opposer would be eradicated.

The condemnation of this mother and son was a forgone conclusion. The Emperor views his Consort as an opponent since she never really submitted to him and the Crown Prince views his brother as a future threat to his occupying the throne.

It would be a wonder if any of these two mothers and sons escape this trap unscathed. This was an elaborate trap intended to get rid of both mother and son for the peace of mind of the Emperor and the Crowned Prince.

With the potential both have shown, dealing with the mother and leaving the son is just allowing for problems and possible disaster in the future.

This realization left them to be wielded and fearful of this their cunning and ruthless Emperor. Those from the former BlueFlame Empire couldn't help but develop another layer of craftiness and cautious attitude to safeguard their future in the Empire.

Those who were originally in front of the Black Dragon Empire, still perspired at the ruthless antics of their Emperor.

In all, none had the guts to voice any objections. The verdict, therefore became unanimously accepted. The Imprisonment contingent was already on its way to carry out the verdict.

"Yu Long, you did well to seek justice for this Empire, in the future I expect nothing short of this from you. Now that justice has been served late the punishment be carried" The Black Dragon Emperor concluded.

Suddenly there was raucous laughter from the cage, the Blueflame Empress laughed until she swayed from side to side. Everybody was shocked, as she hadn't spoken all through the proceedings.

"Hei Long, you have always been a treacherous rogue, a man who goes against his own words. A shameless bastard!!!!!" She shouted at the Emperor and spat on the ground to spite him.

The whole court was in an uproar, how venomous of her to speak such blasphemy against the son of heaven.

KashSenams Thoughts

Am back now with more regular updates. Thank you guys for been there forme