A pair of incense sticks are burning, and its sandalwood scent lingers in the hidden chamber of the grand empress dowager's hall.
As usual, the old empress is sitting silently, facing the two memorial tablets on the altar. Her lines which signify her aging are visible as the candlelight reflected on her.
Without prior notice, the large wooden door that disguised as a wall slides open. The natural light coming from the outside penetrates the dark room.
"Your highness." The grand empress dowager said without looking back to the person who secretly comes into her hall.
Prince Yin Wenyan, like always, managed to make his way into her hall unnoticed by others. This is how he comes to her hall whenever he and his siblings are summoned or it's the scheduled day for the three of them to visit her.
"Greetings, Grand Empress Dowager. Please excuse my rudeness for coming here without notice." He said in a respectful manner.
The grand empress dowager raises her right hand, still facing him her back. "Enough with the formalities. You, being pretentious, are making no sense."
Prince Yin Wenyan chuckles. "I see, you are anticipating to see me. It seems you're not surprised by my sudden visit."
"Yes, that's right." The grand empress dowager replies. She finally turns her head to her grandson. With an expressionless face, she added, "I wonder what took you so long." The grand empress dowager then rises to her feet, saying, "Let us not talk here. Let's move to the tea table."
"I am not drinking a poisonous tea nor consuming any of your offered dishes." Prince Yin Wenyan said without moving in his post.
The grand empress dowager laughs, "Don't be so full of yourself, Yin Wenyan. I am not offering you anything. Should I order my court lady to make some cookies for you then?"
"Oh? That's not the case? Then why are we moving out of here? Is it that you do not want to exchange words with me in front of my father and your husband's memorial tablet? And, oh, I almost forgot. My mother's ashes are still here." The prince said in his normal way of talking.
He sounds too normal that it becomes strange. He still has himself collected even after mentioning her mother and her cruel situation.
He continues, "Do not worry, Grand Empress Dowager. They're already dead, and they can't hear us. Even if their souls are around, they can't harm any of us, can they?"
"You are overthinking. Your grandmother is not worried about such things." She replies and walks to the doorway. "It's just it's too dim in here. And about your mother's ashes, you can go collect them or leave them as it is. Neither of the choices will bother me." She said as she passes through the prince.
She then finds herself a seat at the tea table, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a sip from it.
"Hmm... I might go and put it in a ceramic jar later." He said as he follows the grand empress dowager. "It surprised me that you consider yourself a grandmother to us. However, it is not enough for me to disregard what you did to my mother and Eunuch Xu."
"Eunuch Xu? Who's that? Is that your personal servant who is rumored to be seducing the emperor?" It's true that the grand empress dowager doesn't know about Xu Zhengming nor he cares for him.
The rumor about Xu Zhengming seducing the emperor is truly well-known in the entire imperial palace that even the grand empress dowager heard about it. Of course, she finds it ridiculous and even laughed at it.
Despite this existing gossip involving the said eunuch, this Eunuch Xu is still popular among the female servants of the palace. Even some of the members of the emperor's harem are enchanted by his overwhelming charisma.
"I won't force you to believe me but I'll say, I did nothing to him." She added, "I heard he has turned into a bloodthirsty monster. It seems that news is true."
Prince Yin Wenyan's face becomes solemn. "To whom did you hear that from?"
"I have my connections of course. You belittle this old woman very much." She laughs softly, "If you're asking for the identity of that particular person, I'm afraid I cannot tell you. Yin Wenyan, you ungrateful grandchild of mine. I am not giving up yet. I am not giving away my authority just like that." She added, "But I can give you a hint. I'm telling you, whatever happened to your beloved eunuch, it's the empress' fault."
"Alright." The prince said casually.
So it really was the empress' doing?  Why did the empress tell him that whatever happened to Xu Zhengming was her fault? What did she do exactly? Is she not taking orders from this old woman in front of him?
The prince casually clears his throat and asks another question, "How did my mother die and why did you keep her body here for so many years."
She let out a sigh. She hates remembering the old times. "Your mother was a disgrace and an embarrassment to the royal family. She's not supposed to be my late son's wife in the first place! So I have to eliminate her. Don't be so angry, it wasn't brutal and she never had a single wound."
Despite hearing those words, he still managed to keep himself collected. "Why did you not bury her?"
"For keepsake." She made it sound like it wasn't a big deal at all.
For keepsake. Like a trophy for a remarkable match. A match that's one-sided all along.
He clenches his fist. "Where the hell is your morality? Are you even human?!"
"Hate me all you want. I just did what I believe was right." She replies casually.
"That one hell of an ideology again. Mark my words, Grand Empress Dowager, you'll never have an easy way out." The prince massages the bridge of his nose.
It all happened in the past and he can't do anything about it. He's losing his temper and he needs to calm down. What they should focus on is the present and aim for an ideal future.
"Another question. Where's the empress?"
The grand empress dowager laughs again. "Why are you asking me? Didn't you arrest her? Did she escape? Where is she? I do not know."
Prince Yin Wenyan supports his cheek with the back of his hand, looking at the other with doubt. "Are you sure you don't know? Or are you perhaps just pretending?"
The grand empress dowager on the other hand just shakes her head in a slowed manner. "I'll say this once again, I won't force you to believe me."
"Okay. Let's just say you really don't know." The Prince shakes his head as he clicks his tongue thrice. "Your highness, your highness... You're not getting any younger. Liars can't go to heaven. Well, if you know what I mean."
"..."
"Okay, next, a journey to hell question." Prince Yin Wenyan speaks once more. "Are you the one who started this commotion involving these bloodthirsty creatures? We believe that the empress isn't the only ones who use dark arts here, and we believe that the grand empress dowager knows about it." He looks at the old woman straight in the eyes. "But we don't think that the empress has a personal reason to do such grave thing and even risked her health to do so."
The old woman replies, "No. I don't know what you are talking about. I believe there's no commotion going on in the nearby places involving the creatures you are talking about."
The prince tried to suppress his annoyance by breathing deeply. "Stop acting like you don't know anything! If there's none, where did that news came from? And if this news turns out to be just fake, they would have been back early."
"Exactly." A smile forms on her lips. "I wonder what happened on their way back? By now, they should have returned, right? But I hear no footsteps of horses."
"What..." The prince didn't manage to finish what he's about to say when the massive bell on top of the palace tower rings.
There are different patterns of how the bell sounds. A pattern that signifies joyous or victorious celebrations, a pattern that signifies an emergency, and a pattern of grieving over the death of a noble.
Right now, its sound signifies that a member of the royal family has passed away.
A wicked smile draws on the grand empress dowager's lips. Looking like she won over something through playing dirty.
Murmurs start to arise beyond the main door. The grand empress dowager's personal maids can't believe the terrible news that starts to circulate in the imperial palace.
In an instant, Prince Yin Wenyan's cool vanished without a trace. His face becomes pale and his hands turn ice-cold.
"Grand Empress Dowager, the head eunuch of the Xue clan has arrived." Her court lady called her in a panicked tone.
The grand empress dowager took her time to stand and walk towards the door. As soon as the door slides open, the eunuch greets him with the news. "Grand Empress Dowager, his majesty, and her highness the first princess... they're killed."
The old empress covers her mouth with her palm as if she's surprised with it. "My grandchildren... How did this happen?" But deep inside, we all know that she's pleased to hear it.
The eunuch answers in an audible voice, enough for the shocked prince behind the screen to hear. "A group of bandits ambushed them on their way to the reported sightings of the bloodthirsty creatures. Lieutenant General Song asked me to relay this message to you and apologizes for not telling you in person. He's very injured, and barely managed to make it out alive."
"I understand." She makes a sad face and made it look like she really is grieving over the death of the two royalties. "Leave me alone for now."
"Yes, your highness."
The door closes and her facial expression went back to normal. Prince Yin Wenyan saw this with his own eyes. The slight smile on her lips made his blood boil.
"Is this your plan?" He asked without further ado.
"Wenyan, my grandchild." She smiled sweetly at the other which only irritates him even more. "You provoked me, pushed me into the edge. I am forced to do so."
His eyes got bloodshot out of anger. He literally doesn't have even a single emotion right now except for wrath. Even grief doesn't have a place in his heart.
"You cold-blooded woman! You're a monster disguising in human skin! You'll pay for this. You'll definitely pay for this!"
The grand empress dowager laughs softly. "I don't think so. Your brother's death is announced publicly. Do you think everyone will believe that you're the emperor and you came back to life? I would not recognize you as a member of the royal family, and you'll be accused of impersonating his majesty."
He shakes his head, refusing to believe the news. "They're not dead. They won't be killed just like that."
"If that's what you believe then it's up to you." She shrugs. "If you want, we can bet. If they won't return in three days, the imperial palace will be coronating a new emperor. But if they managed to come back here, which is unlikely to happen, then you win. You can do anything as the emperor."
"Do you know that I can send you to hell right here and now?" The prince unsheathed his sword for about an inch.
"Even if you kill me, can you bring back your siblings' life? Well, at least I already have my vengeance for dragging me down. Slashing my throat with your blade will be an easy out for me." She shrugs with a satisfied expression on her face.
Prince Yin Wenyan gritted his teeth as he silently let go of the hilt of his sword. At times like this, his sister would most probably remind him to stay calm. And besides, he did not verify it himself. Maybe this is just a piece of false information to cause confusion to everyone, especially for him.
Seeing that the other's killing intent dissipated, the grand empress dowager gives him a sweet smile, saying, "If you don't mind, I have some things to attend to. I'll be busy with the incoming coronation of the next emperor after all. See you around, your highness."
Meanwhile, Court Lady Han is restless, wailing as she's running towards the Lotus Hall.
"Your majesty! Your majestyyyy!!! That can't be true. That can't be true!" Her voice is hoarse, yelling all the way from the servants' quarters to the Emperor's Hall, all the way to the Lotus Hall.
"Court Lady Han!"
"Please calm down Court Lady Han!"
The rest of the emperor's personal servants follows the court lady with their tears streaming across their cheeks. They literally look insane people who are playing a chasing game. Everyone who sees them is torn between laughing and feeling sympathy for them.
"Your majesty! Please answer my call!" Court Lady Han screams as she reaches for the door.
The clueless Xu Zhengming got alarmed and rises from his seat. He panics and is torn between keeping the paper and brush or letting it be on the table. In the end, he left his unfinished poem on the table and hurried to hide underneath the bed just like what Emperor Yin Renshu told him; though it's clear that it's not the 'dickless' eunuch.
The door slides open and his majesty's personal servants invaded the Lotus Hall.
"Your majesty... Please respond. Where are you?" Court Lady Han's voice is barely audible. Whether it's caused by her yelling on the top of her lungs for a good while or was it because she cries that she can't speak well... no one's certain anymore.
"Court Lady Han, please. We don't want to see you like this." Her fellow servants are all worried for her. She might even have a heart attack if this goes on.
In a low voice, one of the maids speaks, "We saw his majesty left with his men this morning. Let's just accept it, Court Lady Han. The emperor is now gone."
Mingming silently wonders, "Does Court Lady Han wants to come with his majesty too? But he said he won't be gone for too long though. Does she cry like this whenever the emperor is out of the imperial palace?"
"No! I know him---" The old woman got interrupted when she coughs. She clears her throat and added, "His majesty has been in countless wars with the first princess... They can't just die in the hands of those bandits, right?"
Die? As in dead? They're killed? Murdered?
Xu Zhengming's mind becomes blank after hearing what she just said. He can't process it properly. There's no way that's going to happen. They promised him that they'll be back soon.
His heart beats so loud to the point he's hyperventilating. It seems that all of his blood has escaped his body. Nervousness, disbelief, confusion, sadness... they're all mixed up feelings that fill him as of the moment.
He covers his mouth with his palm, whispering to himself, "Renshu is... he's dead?"
Out of nowhere, his chest tightens as his veins start to bulge. His throat feels dry and is starting to feel thirsty. His pair of brown eyes slowly turns into a glow of crimson red color.
Xu Zhengming gritted his teeth. He worried that if this goes on, he won't be able to control himself again. That he will eventually turn into an untamable bloodthirsty beast again, and the worse thing is that neither the emperor nor the princess general is back.