When the two drops of blood had swirled into one but the crowd didn’t get as excited. After the results of the first test, no one had any doubts that Liang Meng Yao was the son of the Crown Prince and Minister Liang.
The eunuch looked at the emperor and bowed, indicating the results of the test. The Emperor nodded slightly which dismissed the eunuchs. After their departure, the room remained utterly silent as the crowd waited for the next development. Meng Yao simply studied the two men in front of him, one of which he should call “Daddy” and the other “Grandfather”.
From the moment he had discovered that he was the love child of Minister Liang and the Crown Prince, Liang Meng Yao has yet to call Xiao Si "Daddy". It wasn’t that he was angry or unforgiving; it was simply that it was just like calling some woman “Mother”. He had accepted the fact he was motherless many years ago and trained himself not to care about it. Once upon a time, his missing parent had pained him but the harsh reality of life didn’t allow him to wallow in sorrow. Now, his many years of careful mental training has made it impossible for him to suddenly call Xiao Si “Daddy”.
He knew that saddened the Crown Prince but he couldn’t bring himself to change his way of thinking.
Now he looked at the Emperor – his grandfather – and wondered how he should address the man. Did he call him “Grandpa”? “Emperor”? “My Lord?” What was this tired-looking old man to him?
While he was lost in his thoughts the Emperor slowly rose from his throne. Meng Yao and Xiao Si bowed respectfully as General Feng watched closely. He had already predicted the Emperor’s next move.
"Liang Meng Yao,” he intoned in his “official” voice, “you have been confirmed to be the child of my son, Zhong Xiao Si. From here on you shall now be known as Zhong Meng Yao and acknowledged as my first-born grandchild."
This was an electrifying statement and the crowd once again fell into shallow whispers, making the room sound more like a forest in a lively wind. Giving Meng Yao the Imperial family name meant that he was eligible to compete for the throne!
Until this moment, Feng Huan (or rather Zhong Huan) was expected to inherit the throne. If he had more than one child after marrying, then the second child would carry on the general last name while the oldest child would become the next emperor. But giving Meng Yao the surname of Zhong meant that he had the same chance to become the next emperor as Feng Huan.
Even though each would technically have equal standing to the throne, however, there was still one issue at hand; the power balance. Meng Yao appeared to have the support of the Emperor and Xiao Si but neither man had much power left. Feng Huan had the support of his father, General Feng and General Feng had infiltrated the court like a poison for the past twenty years.
Nineteen years ago, the court was balanced between Minister Liang and General Feng. General Feng controlled much of the military but Minister Liang, as the Emperor’s most trusted servant, kept Feng Chong Lin and his supporters in check. With his help, the empire was at peace.
It was only after the alleged death of Minister Liang that power began flowing into the General’s hands without pause and the nobles became incorrigible. With the declining health of both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, the Qing nobles were already seeking a leader. When Feng Huan was born and it was known he was a man and not a she-man like his daddy, the power of the empire poured into General Feng’s hands like a flood.
Even if Liang Meng Yao was appointed Crown Prince, it would take him a few years at least before he could grab enough power to overthrow Chong Lin’s faction. Sadly, the Emperor’s health was deteriorating. It was possible that Xiao Si would be required to take the throne in the next year.
If that happened, matters would be even worse since his marriage to Chong Lin gave them both equal rights to rule. It would be one thing if Xiao Si were not a she-man but since he was; Chong Lin had grounds to assume control of the court. Xiao Si could fight that but the court no longer supported him the way they had when Minister Liang was still around. In fact, rumors that Xiao Si was mentally unstable abounded, which made even loyal ministers concerned about him taking the throne.
Meng Yao’s eyes narrowed as he evaluated his new situation. He had never sought power – all he wanted was a happy home and family. On the other hand, allowing a person like Chong Lin to rule the country, either as Xiao Si’s husband or as Feng Huan’s father, would be terrible for the country. The man was arrogant, cruel, and completely self-centered. He wanted power but couldn’t be trusted to be responsible to the people under him.
On the other hand, Meng Yao was not in a position to vie for the throne. Xiao Si and Feng Huan had literally been trained to hold the throne since their births whereas Meng Yao had been trained simply to survive. Even if he had supporters in court (and he knew he didn’t have any supporters since no one really even knew him), the odds were stacked against him. To have any chance at all Meng Yao would need to learn imperial etiquette, stronger Martial Arts, the ins and outs of governing the country. Most importantly, Meng Yao would have to build a power base within the court.
Granted he had some influence as Minister Liang’s child but he knew that was surely not enough. He would need lots of power, especially if he wanted to get his revenge on Chong Lin. One thing he was sure of was that he wanted that man to suffer.
While these thoughts swirled through his mind, the Emperor tied a green dragon jade around his waistband. This was a symbol of the Imperial family. Each acknowledged member had one and they were expected to keep it safe. The consequences for losing their jade would be dire. As soon as the jade was knotted and the Emperor returned to his throne, almost everyone bowed in respect to the newest member of the Imperial family. The only exceptions were Feng Chong Lin and Feng Huan.
Edited by Relendria