ili placed the Emperor’s tea and pineapple cakes beside him, careful not to disturb her Lord as he received a report.
"Majesty," said the senior guard who knelt before him, "the Crown Prince and Captain Shan gathered all of the Imperial Guards who could be spared from patrols at Dacheng Gate. They’re now scouring the Forbidden City for Prince Haoran, starting at the Maninsan Wall and moving northwards. We’ll keep you closely inford as soon as he’s found, or if we discover any clues."
"Hm," the Emperor grumbled in agreent, dismissing the man. "Co back when you have sothing to report."
"Yes, Majesty," said the soldier, sweating profusely as he practically ran backwards out of the study.
Monts later a commotion could be heard from beyond the sliding doors to the room. n were shouting, and the clang of tal on tal rang out.
ili looked up with alarm, wondering what was going on. She moved towards the servant’s entrance to take a peek outside.
"Don’t go out, ili!" said the Emperor sharply, rising from his chair and reaching for his armour. "Help into this! Bao, go and check what’s happening!"
ili rushed across the room to assist the Emperor into his light chainmail. Once he was dressed, he picked up his sword and shield.
ili was shaking like a leaf now, her face pale and her eyes wide.
"Don’t be frightened, girl."
She could barely recognise the man who stood before her now with a hard glint in his eye.
"Once a soldier, always a soldier," his smile had an edge of cruelty as he faced the doors.
Feng Bao ran back into the room trailed by a bevy of frightened eunuchs who slamd the doors shut and hunted around for the wooden bar that dropped into place to lock them. It was so rarely used it took them precious minutes to locate it, in their panicked state.
"Majesty, Majesty!" shouted Feng Bao, running this way and that. "We need to get you out of here. Prince Haoran has co with so ard n. It’s a Rebellion! Let’s get you into the tunnel."
The Emperor was already prepared for this to be the case. He grabbed his seal and shepherded the frightened female servants with him towards a door at the rear of the study.
ili was carrying the marriage grant on her. She decided that everything else would have to stay behind.
Tricky could go for help! She ran for her possessions, pulling a handkerchief of her father’s from her bag.
"Tricky!" she called, and the dog skidded across the floorboards to her, sensing the fear in her voice. "Go find father, boy," she let him sniff the handkerchief. "Good boy, that’s it. Go and find father. Go ho, boy. Good boy, go ho."
She knew he knew the way. They had travelled many tis between the i mansion and the imperial palace. So long as the palace gates hadn’t been closed... Even if they were shut, she was sure he would manage to find a dog hole sowhere. He was smart boy.
She tied the handkerchief with the i crest on it to his collar and gave him a kiss on the snout, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
"ili!" roared the Emperor, seeing that she was the only person left in the room aside from the eunuchs Feng Bao had assigned to hold the door. "Get over here! Now!"
"Yes Lord!" she called, leaping to her feet and pattering across the room to his side.
The Emperor protected their rear as everyone poured through the back door, despite Feng Bao’s desperate efforts to make their King leave first.
An enormous thump sounded against the sliding doors before He had even managed to turn and leave through the back door. The eunuchs at the doors pushed back against them with all of their strength, wailing with fear.
Feng Bao grabbed the Emperor by the elbow and hurried him out and across the courtyard behind the Imperial study.
"Run faster, ili!" the Emperor shouted at her as she dropped behind them.
Trying to run in a heavy brocade dress and dainty shoes that slipped at the heel as she ran, it was difficult to go very fast.
"Get rid of your shoes if you have to!" he roared, as the girl still failed to keep up with him.
Her heightened hearing caught the sound of wood splintering.
"Go without , Lord!" she gasped. "Feng Bao, take our Lord to the tunnel as fast as you can! Run!"
Even now, there was no scenario where she could be seen with bare feet in the palace. Though it might gain her a few seconds in this crisis, it would be a shaful story forever associated with her na.
The screams of the eunuchs holding the door rang out, as they were put to the sword.
The Emperor turned and stood his ground, sword held aloft; his senior eunuchs lined up on either side of him.
ili finally managed to reach them, and the Emperor pushed her firmly behind him, just as a flood of rebel soldiers ca pouring out of the door. It was like a damn had burst and was spewing forth n.
The soldiers quickly filled the courtyard and surrounded the Emperor and his servants, outnumbering them at least four to one, and backing them into a corner from which the only escape was climbing a seven foot wall or crawling through a one foot high dog hole.
From the corner of her eye ili noticed so of the smaller eunuchs shimmying out of their robes and doing just that.
Strolling out of the study after his n had filled the courtyard, ca Prince Haoran. He was wearing the armour of the Crown Prince and carrying his blade.
The soldiers parted respectfully, as he walked through them towards his Father.
"Father!" he exclaid with delight, as though he was simply eting his father after a prolonged period of absence.
"First Son," the Emperor replied regally.
The two spoke as though there was nothing amiss, though between father and son lay their swords, which were pointed at each other.
"It seems I must ask you to lay down your weapon, Father. As you can see, you’re heavily outnumbered," the prince gestured at the courtyard filled with ard n. "My n are also guarding the study doors so that when my dim-witted didi arrives, he will have to fight his way through to you. By then, of course, it will be too late."
"What do you an by this behaviour, child? I would advise you to turn back before it’s too late. You know the penalty for treason."
"How can it be treason to simply take back what is mine, Father? I am the eldest son of the Emperor, after all. The throne should be mine."
"Right now, the Dragon Throne is mine, son, and I don’t plan on vacating it, just because you’re asking."
"What if my request is accompanied by a little threat, Father?" smirked his son. "The deal I’m offering you is to abdicate and grant the throne, or to lose your life and I’ll take it anyway."
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