Please excuse my writing errors. Enjoy! 😉
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Chapter 6 – On the Way Back (Part B)
The minister went on his knees again and bowed low on the ground to the Emperor.
The Xiao family has indeed been forever loyal to the imperial family. In fact, Xiao Liuxian, the ancestor of the Xiao family, had been one of the few that had helped the first Emperor, Tian Yan, come to power; thus, creating the Tian dynasty. In addition, the minister has worked whole heartedly in support of the Emperor since his ascension to the throne.
The Emperor look at the minister with hesitation. He wanted to relent to the plead of the minister, yet the words of the Third Prince, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager resonated deep within his mind.
The minister lifted his head to look at the Emperor. Hope surged in his heart as he saw the Emperor sway.
The Emperor was about to say something when suddenly someone’s voice came from outside the entrance.
“Your majesty, the Third Prince sent you a letter. This lowly one has been ordered to give this to you personally. I beseech your permission to enter and hand you this letter.”
This new arrival was Lai Zhihao, the personal attendant of the Third Prince. He bowed low on the ground.
The Emperor said, “Rise.” And then nodded to Eunuch Zhu He who stood beside him.
The eunuch nodded in acknowledgement and walked to Lai Zhihao. He took the folded letter from the servant, and opened it to check the seal. After confirming, he returned the letter to him, and nodded to the Emperor.
“You may enter,” said the Emperor.
Lai Zhihao walked to the Emperor with his head bowed. He passed on the letter and then retreated to the side.
The Emperor opened it and quickly read the contents. Suddenly, Minister Xiao did not know what, a silly smile sprouted on the Emperor’s face. The minister’s brows shot up in shock at the sudden change in Emperor.
Catching himself, the Emperor immediately changed his expression and then coughed awkwardly. He folded the paper up and turned toward the minister below the stage. He sighed exaggeratedly and then walked off the stage to raise the minister up by the shoulders.
“Aiyah, Prime Minister Xiao, please understand my situation. I cannot do as you have requested. Like you have said, I favor the Third Prince very much and he certainly will do many great things for this kingdom. I wrote the decree because I want you to protect the Third Prince. You and your Xiao family has been loyal to me and this kingdom for so long, I ask you to help me this time as well.”
The Emperor bowed.
Shocked, the minister quickly held the Emperor up to prevent him from bowing. He felt helpless by the Emperor’s action.
“Your majesty! Please, do not bow to his Xiao. If your majesty did, it would be akin to the sky falling and the earth crumbling. This Xiao fears he will not be able to shoulder such weight.”
The Emperor smiled. “So, have you agreed?”
Minister Xiao smiled helplessly. “How could I dear to disagree, your majesty. I will do as you ask.”
“Good! Good!” The patted the minister’s back and then laughed, “I am with joy! Soon, we will be in-laws!”
Brooding inside the carriage, Minister Xiao shook his head at the remembrance. He sighed aloud.
“What could have been in that letter that changed the Emperor so drastically?” He wondered. Before the letter arrived, the Emperor had seemed to be hesitating and considering the minister’s words. The Emperor was swaying and was likely to agree with him. However, after the Emperor read the letter, he immediately disregarded the minister’s plead and twisted the minister’s own words to thick-facedly force him to agree to the decree.
If the minister really knew the contents of the letter, he would have vomited blood and died on the spot. However, he didn’t.
Minister Xiao sighed again in dejection. He had failed. What was he going to say to his wife and son?
The carriage stopped in front of the Xiao estate’s entrance gate. The carriage driver’s voice traveled to the minister.
“My lord, we are back at the estate.”
Being informed thus, the minister could not help but say to himself, “Ah…Xiao Ming, father have tried. Now we can do nothing but marry you to the Third Prince.”
He could already imagine the sour look on his second son’s face when he tells him this.