3.17

"His highness, the second prince, was the only one who can perform the Emperor's duties for a while!"

The official's demanding voice caught all their attention in the morning court. Individuals in present, started murmuring at his unexpected suggestion.

It's been a week since the Emperor last visited the morning court, all the ministers and officials knew that the Emperor was busy spending his time with his favored sparrow. If it was only a regular day, they will not bother nor hinder the Emperor's affairs. But this time, this cannot go on.

Many catastrophes were happening in the country. A fire suddenly occurred in the South that caused severe damage in their lifestyle, lack of foods and limited source of income takes place in the North. And lastly, several crimes has been consistently reported in both East and West.

They needed to stop this calamity or else...

This will result in a rebellion.

At the end, many ministers and officials continuously visited the Emperor's chamber, to convince the latter to fulfill his duties. But they cannot find even a slight shadow of his majesty, he was always staying in his sparrow's place. At the beginning, they let the Emperor do what he wants, but his majesty never intended to manage the court. They had no choice but to stop at the sparrow's residence.

But they didn't expect that his majesty, the Emperor, will threaten them by just seeing the appearance of his lovely sparrow. An official lost his head by just a mere peek.

In the end, they returned to their place, never dare to visit the Emperor again.

But they need someone to lead the court and take an action to stop all the disaster that was happening in the country. The left and right ministers doesn't have harmonious relationship. The two had different ideas and thoughts that will always generate into conflict. Thus, one needs to fill and perform the neglected duties of the Emperor.

This job was supposed to be for the Crown Prince, but currently, the country has not yet fill that position.

This led them into a very complicated situation. It will be mattered of days before the people or subject will start to form a rebellion.

As an officials and ministers of the country, they can't let that happen!

Therefore, they had to choose a suitable prince to carry out the untended obligation of the Emperor.

Out of the four princes, the second prince has the highest qualifications to guide them at this disaster. He was the best candidate, and to add to that, his figure was love by many.

"I object." The loud opposing voice of a middle age man broke the silence. His long white beard with his wrinkle face despite his old age exude a sharp and imposing aura, giving others not a chance to defy his words.

The Left Minister who currently holds the biggest military fraction, Zhao Lan.

The minister who suggested narrowed his eyes sharply, while staring at the opposite side. He flashed his gentle smile and asked, "If Prime Minister Zhao thinks so, then I believe the Minister has a plan in his mind?"

Zhao Lan gulped the wine on his teacup and stared seriously at the Minister, "Prime Minister Han really thinks highly of me." His smile turned mockingly that resulted the other minister to glared at him, "This minister thinks that the best way to stop this disaster was to summon and convince his majesty."

"Prime Minister Zhao, we already do that!"

"We need an actual plan or this country will soon face its downfall!"

"His majesty was spending his time with his sparrow, he doesn't care about his duties anymore!"

As expected, many instantly opposed his ideas.

But Zhao Lan already predicted this result thus only smiled calmly at their remarks, "I believed his majesty, the Emperor, can proceed to exterminate this disaster if we convince him to attend this court."

"But we have already done that, Minister Zhao."

"I suppose that's true. But choosing a prince to settle his majesty's duties was such a big insult to the Emperor. This will result in a backslash in each one of us. His majesty will surely be furious if we perform a plan without his knowledge."

Suddenly, the room went silent.

Only the Left and Right Ministers can stand against his majesty. The Emperor will never do something against them because they had a superior titles and connections. One hold the biggest military, and the other possessed a family of scholars.

When this thought invaded in each of their mind, their face turned ugly.

If they really perform a plan without his majesty knowing, they will really face their retribution.

Although, their current status was passable and better than normal people, how can their lowly life compare to his majesty? With only one word from the latter, their head will separate instantly from their bodies. And his majesty, can always change his officials.

Minister Han seeing the silence of the officials, gritted his teeth and frowned, "But if we don't conduct a proper strategy to stop this disaster, all the subjects will rebel against his majesty. The result was worse than accepting the wrath of his majesty."

"Even if you threaten me, I will not agree to this decision. I will take my leave." Minister Zhao stood up from his seat and proceed to the exit.

How can a man who serve the imperial family for decades can't perceive the scheming gaze of the latter? Zhao Lan was veteran in this aspect, he can read people with their hidden motives. And for a decade, he always notices the greedy eyes of the right minister. Suggesting a candidate to fill the neglected duties of the Emperor was indeed a good plan. But Zhao Lan knew that the right minister will not propose an idea, if the other don't have any benefit.

Second Prince, Yong An.

He was once amaze by the abilities of the second prince. To be honest, he also perceives that Yong An was the best candidate to be crowned as the new Emperor. He had wits, imposing demeanor... and an astute mind. He was also loved by the people, which is a nice trait that was suited to become an Emperor. At once, Zhao Lan was rooting for him.

Not until, he receives a message from the temple.

It was an oracle from the god.

Zhao Lan was a great believer of god. The priest, who received the oracle, was his friend. The priest forbid all the monks to spread the message to avoid the disastrous that has not occurs. But his friend, the priest, trusted Zhao Lan. In the result, the priest told the latter the oracle.

'An individual who once loved by many, was the one, who will destroy this world.'

Zhao Lan almost fainted from reading this. He immediately investigates the temple, to find some proof that this message was truly conveyed by the god. He knows that he can't doubt the words of the priest, but this oracle was indicating that this kingdom will soon turn into ruined. How can such an oracle like this can't be told to people? This made Zhao Lan suspicious.

But in the end, the oracle was really conveyed by the god.

Minister Zhao almost panic, and instantly scrutinize all the figures that was currently well-known and loved in the country. And he perceives that the Second Prince receives all the support of the people. He was like their savior and even worship him.

Zhao Lan did not immediately jump out into conclusion, instead he deliberately observed the movement of the second prince for several days.

But the outcome lead to nothing. It was very unrealistic.

It was like, the prince already know the existence of the oracle thus limit his actions, to avoid being suspected.

Today, his suspicion only worsen when the Right Minister Han deliberately wanted to appoint the second prince to perform the duties of the Emperor.

He remembered that the Second Prince's birth mother, Imperial Consort Xu, was the niece of Minister Han.

It all seems reasonable.

Minister Han was supporting the second prince. And that scheming bastard was already planning something unpleasant.

Does that mean that the person in the oracle was the second prince?

That's why Zhao Lan hardly opposed the idea of Minister Han.

Whatever happens, he needed to stop the Second Prince in ascending the throne.

What he need was a candidate that was no less than the second prince. He needed someone to compete in the battle of the throne.

The first prince was sick. The third prince was a rebel. And lastly... the fourth prince.

He did not really put the fourth prince in his eyes, because the other had no presence at all. He was also born from a palace maid and didn't have influence. But Minister Zhao can change this slowly. He can cultivate the fourth prince to become the rightful heir to the throne.

He had no choice but to gamble.

"So it was like that."

Yong An smirked at the report of the servant. He was currently sitting comfortably on the bed, with his thin robe barely covering his body. His long hair was neatly tied into a bun with few strands hanging in his forehead. His gentle, handsome face displayed a grievous amusement.

He covered his lips and chuckled. The kneeling servants hearing his guffaw almost trembled in fear. But Yong An had no time to disguised himself as a nice prince. His followers were already aware of how ruthless he was.

Yong An lay down on the soft mattress as his dark eyes pierce into the ceiling, with his lips still holding the amusing smile.

His heart beat in rhythm with intense pleasure, like a flower that blossom beneath the dark forest. Very rare and unique. The pleasurable truth almost made him reach in peak.

"As expected, little sparrow... gives me so much surprises."

A glint of eerie appeared on his eyes. The crazy smile turned dangerous and terrifying. He sat down on his bed and stared deeply at the servant.

The sparrow amuse him... this feeling was very foreign to him. Such a novel sensation that making him wanted to indulge so much about this pleasure.

He didn't expect that all the confinement and trap that he prepared was no use against the sparrow. Despite his restriction, the little bird eventually manage to resist him.

He doesn't have any idea on how did the little bird snatch Minister Zhao into his faction.

He was supposed to be mad. And yet, this situation made him feel so much pleasure. It was the first time he was defeated. And this give him a sense of... satisfaction.

He was worthy indeed to become his nemesis.

He licked his lips maniacally, closing his eyes for a brief moment, imagining the expression of the sparrow when he will torment him in the future.

Furthermore, he chuckled dangerously.

On the other side, a figure of beside the open window illuminated in the quite ambience. His hair flutters in the benign wind with his white robe that seems like a snow in the void. But the wicked smile on his lips made him look like a demon, very different from his elegant demeanor.

His eyes travel from the outside and finally to the sleeping man on the bed.

A disgust manifested in his eyes turning into vigorous glint, under the mercy of the scorch sun.

Just like Qiao Chen expected, the second prince succeeded in luring him into this cage. The Emperor with his crazy mind almost stayed at his residence all the time, making him not able to take an action.

He knew that the Second Prince was slowly gaining the favors of the officials and Ministers. That scheming bastard had started executing his objectives.

A fire occurred, lack of food and short of money and lastly, several crimes.

He already predicted that this disaster was the second prince doings.

To start, the rebellion needed some encouragement. That's why the protagonist produced this catastrophe in order for people to rely on his majesty. But now that the Emperor was in his side, neglecting his duties, that bastard will surely take this chance to manipulate the court.

If he manages to convince all the officials and ministers to support him.

He will suggest a rebellion. And the ministers will not oppose him.

The expression of the sparrow should've had been distorted and yet, his smile was even getting wider. And a chuckled escape in his lips.

All the support of the ministers. That's what the protagonist was aiming.

However, Qiao Chen already made his move.

He manipulates the left minister to loathe the existence of the second prince. Right now, he had no chance to gain the support of Minister Zhao. In result, this will hinder his plan of rebellion.

At the beginning, when Qiao Chen the first time meet the fourth prince, he was not actually aiming for his cooperation. His actual purposed of visiting the temple was to get rid of the spies and also... to make an agreement with the temple.

Of course, the temple will never let someone command them, even if the other was an Emperor.

However, Qiao Chen, who knows all the secret of anyone, manage to make the priest agree. He did not tell them, what his goals are. He only told them that, 'On the last day of the Mid-Autumn Hunt, he will send someone to notify them on what they have to do.'

Thus, Qiao Chen send Qi Lan and Qi Ran to the temple to deliver the message to the priest. At the same time, his two servants will be safe at that place.

"Create an oracle and only inform Minister Zhao about this."

Qiao Chen made the priest created a fake oracle as he knows that Minister Zhao is a great believer of god. He knew that the Minister was wise, even if Qiao Chen will use deep meaningful words, the Minister will still able to perceives the true meaning of that oracle.

He manipulates Minister Zhao into thinking that the Second Prince will destroy the country.

In the result, the protagonist surely won't obtain the support of his biggest supporter in the original plot.

Qiao Chen laughed wickedly while taking several peeks at the Emperor's sleeping face.

The first piece was the fourth prince, the second piece was Minister Zhao and lastly the third piece...

His eyes turned cold and violent.