Chapter Sixty Four - Serpents Move Through Death and Birth

Not two months before the First Prince would celebrate the beginning of the eighth year since his birth, the third Prince was born. Wáng Ya Bao born of the Tài Zi Fēi, Huang Lei He was heralded into the world screaming loudly for all of the Water Lotus and White Orchid Palaces to hear. The boys did not have much of an opinion on his birth, they knew that this infant brother of theirs would be placed first in the selection for the throne once their father ascended it and they were already cautious towards to schemes of Huang Lei He. Even then, her power was still too little to bring to fruition her plots.

At least that was the matter until four months passed and their grandfather finally succumbed to his great age. The funeral was grand, all wore white and the boys were brought to the Imperial Gates by Feng Chun to watch as the procession took their Grandfather's bones to the Imperial Mausoleum. Tài Zi Fēi was not pleased by their presence. She stood beside her husband as he watched the procession in an act of filial responsibility. As the coffin berth was lifted by ten slaves, all but the Crown Prince and those involved in the procession knelt and bowed until their foreheads touched the hard ground.

And then the slaves followed the attachment of palace guards, while they were followed in turn by the three consorts who had survived their husband, each carried in a palanquin and accompanied by three maids a piece. The consorts were pale, dressed in white robes of finest silks and with silver headdresses adorning their black and grey hair.  The maids carried small trays with gems and jade ornaments.  A few Eunuchs also followed, carrying vases and treasures, as did another attachment of guards. With the exception of the guards, none of those involved in the procession would return; the Emperor required them at the spring.

Wáng Jie Long glanced through shuttered lashes as he watched them walk through the gates of the Imperial Palace. In ages past, he had read, there might be old warriors who chose to accompany the Emperor on his journey, but no soldier had honoured the Emperor's this way in several generations.  He could not help but wonder if he was Emperor, would any accompany him to the spring?

Wáng Yu Long was also studying matters as he knelt respectably, but he was examining the cruel depths of Tài Zi Fēi. There was murder in her heart.  He silently considered ways in which to thwart her.

*****

Following the palaces traditional 27 days of initial mourning, the new Emperor came to sit on the dragon throne. As he took to court that first morning, ministers held hopes that he would guide and lead the Empire in a way that his father had not the past few years. His first instructions were for his living brothers, who held positions in the court, releasing them of their duties in order that they could continue the three year mourning period. This was not an unexpected move; many Emperors chose to do the same. These three years could strip a man of influence and secure better the Emperor's position upon the throne.

But after listening to the ministers speak of matters of state for a while, the Emperor chose to simply have them continue as they knew best. He also mentioned that he had a few 'in house' matters to deal with and therefore he might not be able to attend court for some time. The ministers were astounded and disappointed, but all bowed respectably, many began to plot in their hearts. Three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day.  There were three years of mourning, in this time they might see the worth of their new Emperor and see if he is a worthy dragon to guide them or a figurehead that they might use. If he was neither...

Wáng Yi Jun's 'in house' matters involved 'tidying his unkempt gardens'. There were simply too many imperfect concubines, he needed to clean house. All, whose had stomachs lined from pregnancy, were the first to be sent away from the Imperial Compound. Were any of families of high standing, there might have been great complaint at such harsh treatment, being returned to their families these girls were bringing back with them disgrace. Might be better to hand them yards of white silk! But the Emperor did not care for the whining of dogs. Girl children were sent with their mothers, but Feng Chun, worried that the Emperor had only one Prince as true heir, convinced him to keep his other sons. In fact he had an unexpected ally in this, Huang Lei He.

"Third Prince is still young and weak," she said before her husband as she knelt before him. "Should anything happen to him before I am unable to birth you a second son, the ministers will not sit still. At least if your other sons are in your benevolent care, they will say the succession is secure, the Empire's future still foreseeable." Actually, if his other sons were not in her reach, they were a greater threat to her son and his rights as heir! She would dispose of them first!

And so the Emperor agreed, if only to stop his wife from her nagging. Thus the two boys Wáng Jie Long and Wáng Yu Long would have to bid their beloved mother goodbye at only 8 years of age.

The boys seldom shed tears, her bright sun and her little moon, they were the light of her passing days and nights. "My sons, I have failed you," she held them close in embrace, unwilling to part with their warm bodies. "I could not keep the interest of your Emperor father and now I must leave you in disgrace."

"Don't leave, mother," Jie Long sobbed, clinging to her robes.

"I'm sorry, Jie er," she replied, her own tears staining her pale cheeks. "How I wish I could take you with me, but your Emperor father needs you more!"

"But mother, where will you go?" Yu Long asked, struggling to hold back the water in his eyes. Lan Li Ling had been a good mother, he had so few memories of maternal love and he cherished those he had obtained. He knew that once expelled from the comforts, as few as they were, of the Palace, she would know nothing but hardship. Which family could accept that their daughter had been divorced and returned home like used goods?

"Ah, Yu Er, my ancestors came from the Holy Lands, I might seek respite within their borders," she told them.

"Holy Lands?" Jie Long queried.

"You known them as the Heartlands," Lan Li Ling mentioned. Jie Long stared at her, then shook his head.

"You cannot! They are heathens! What if something happens to you?" The boy cried, fearfully.

"Then I will wait for my boys to rescue me, Jie Er," she murmured, holding them close once more, before releasing them. The boys looked at each other and dried their tears upon their long sleeves with resolution in their eyes. That was right, they had promised each other, hadn't they? When they fought, they would swoop in like phoenixes, kill the enemies and rescue their beloved mother!

"That's right, I have a gift for you both."  She took two silk purses from her maid and emptied the contents of each in her palm.  "Jie Er, I have for you my grandfather Lan Ju Long's jade charm." The exquisite emerald green jade was cut into the shape of a mighty dragon.  "And for Yu Er, these two rings.  It was hoped that I might share them with my husband, but... I give them to you instead."  One ring was white jade with a jet black stone and the other was black jade with holding a white pearl.  Yu Long clasped them to his chest, his heart aching.

"Xiao Ping, look after them," she made her last request of the eunuch, before leaving all behind.

"Of course, Miss Lan," the eunuch looked close to weeping himself.

*****

Two Princesses watched as the many women and their daughters made their way to the out of the Imperial Compound, backs bent and feelings grey. Sneers marred their features as they enjoyed a moment of superiority. "Father was wise ridding so much ugliness from our midst," Huang Jing Yi said, aloud.

"Indeed, older sister," Huang Shu Fen agreed.

Their mother sighed with disdain. How could she have born these foolish daughters? Both had already begun to resemble the man who refused to share his name, their bodies plump and soft and eyes small and unseeing. Were they not aware that the Emperor had simply become tired of those ladies? There clearly would be more to replace them and more sons born to threaten the place of her own. Hmmm perhaps seeing as the Emperor disliked his children so much, she could whisper solutions to prevent the birth of more. After all, his senior eunuch was one of her servants, now that Feng Chun had been given other duties. She could sway him with ease.

Huang Lei He turned her thoughts to other matters, ridding herself of her husband's other sons and clearing Wáng Ya Bao's path to the dragon throne.

Translations;

Three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day means the same as Rome was not built in a day. Important work takes time. They claim that they need time to judge this new Emperor.

Might be better to hand them yards of white silk! Yards of white silk basically means a noose to hang themselves. It might be better that they commit suicide than return home in shame.