Transmigration: Of Mysteries and Songs

Chapter 150 Burnt Ends: The Game of Thrones

The Emperor looked at the malicious, power-thirsty Second Prince, at a sudden loss for words. It was not that long ago when this son of his favourite, the one that he was prepared to pass the throne on to. Yes, he was not outstanding in performance, but he had shown the desire to learnt to be a good Emperor. Then why did things turn out like that? Why was the pursuit of power all he'd focused on?

Thoughts ran through the mind of Emperor as he slowly scanned the crowd, taking in the scared looks on the faces of the Eighth Prince and the Eleventh Prince, both standing as far away from him as they could. Surprisingly, the people who stood their ground right next to him was his two concubines and the First Prince whom he'd never favoured.

"So, what's it going to be, Father? My dear Eighth Brother and Eleventh Brother have staged a coup against you, and I'm here to protect you from them! Do my loyal actions warrant my seat on the throne as a reward?" The Heir looked smug.

The Emperor raised a finger at the Second Prince, shaking with rage. "You unfilial son! Chief Li will arrive very soon with the rest of the Imperial Army! Lay down your weapons now and I can be more lenient on your punishment!"

"What a pity." The Heir gloated. "Chief Li is going to die in duty very soon by the hands of the rebellion instigated by my two brothers, while Assistant Chief Wu is still on duty, patrolling the other side of the palace. It'll take him about an hour to get here if he hurries."

The Emperor was at a loss for words. A cough racked his frame, and blood seeped through his lips. Feng Luodi was shocked at what she saw. She tugged on Situ's sleeve, but was surprised to see him calm and collected, seemingly unfazed by the threat of the Second Prince.

"You have a plan?" Feng Luodi whispered. The Imperial Army brandished cold steel in their hands, and blood dripped from the edge of many of them. Situ placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and stretched a hand behind him. Gan Qingjia stepped forward and handed him his sword. Around them, many other officials did the same, seemingly unafraid of the Imperial Army.

"Well, it does seem like most of you do not agree to my proposal? Well then, I shall not be so courteous anymore. Perhaps some blood will help you make up your mind, Father." The Second Prince waved a hand through the air, and the Imperial Army charged at the crowd.

The officials quickly ran from the soldiers, trying to dodge their swinging blades. The Emperor smashed a teapot on the floor, his face cold with anger. Dozens of men garbed in black appeared from nowhere, protecting the Emperor and his subjects in a defensive cycle, attempting to repel the soldiers.

"Have you finally decided to mobilise your Shadow Guards, Father? What a pity; they're no match for my soldiers." The Heir grinned as if the throne was already in his grasps.

The colour of red, the sound of steel cutting into flesh, and the falling bodies. Feng Luodi's eyes widened in shock as she took in all that was happening around her, unable to make a sound. Around her, the princesses screamed in fear, but she took no notice.

"Don't look." A familiar voice sounded next to her and a hand quickly covered her eyes, Situ's warm breath lending her a measure of comfort. With his other hand, Situ grabbed chopsticks from the table nearby and with great precision, threw them at the soldiers of the Imperial Army, each chopstick finding its mark like a swift arrow.

However, despite their best efforts, the Second Prince was right: the Shadow Guards were no match for the Imperial Army. Overwhelmed by sheer numbers, it wasn't long before the Shadow Guards started falling one by one. The dancers and attendants that tried to escape through the chaos were mercilessly cut down by the soldiers that maintained the perimeter.

The Emperor assessed the situation quickly, frowning as he cursed underneath his breath. "Why isn't Assistant Chief Wu and his men here yet?"

Situ frowned, knowing that his predictions of the situation were correct: the Emperor was trying to delay the Second Prince for the reinforcements to arrive. Assistant Chief Wu was to arrive with the ten thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army; the troops stationed outside of the capital were too far away to be of any help. Gan Qingjia tapped Situ, nodding when Situ turned to look at him. Situ narrowed his eyes. The time is now.

"Father! Be careful!" Amidst the chaos, the First Prince shouted and leapt towards the Emperor. The Emperor was jolted from his thoughts and saw his eldest son fall to the ground in front of him, an arrow embedded deep into his back. Behind the First Prince, the Second Prince held a bow in his hand.

He just tried to murder his father!

The Emperor was stunned for a second, but was quickly overwhelmed by rage. The First Prince was brought to a side to be treated, and the Emperor quickly summoned a few of his trusted officials to protect him by his side.

"Duke of Anping. You'd mentioned that Chief Xue had left earlier on some business. Is that true?" The Emperor's expression was foreboding.

Situ nodded, parrying a few of the arrows that were flying their way. Gan Qingjia swung his sword through the air, beheading a soldier of the Imperial Army and removing the two Ministers from danger.

The Emperor relaxed a little upon getting Situ's reassurance. "I hope Chief Xue does not disappoint."

Feng Luodi stood beside Situ. Upon overhearing their conversation, she quickly assessed the situation at hand. Situ must have suspected that the Second Prince was going to stage a coup today! That's why he'd instructed Xue Yiqi to mobilise the five thousand Palace Guards to be stationed at the Palace Gates, blocking the route of retreat for the Second Prince. Perhaps he'd even arranged for the police officers from the yamen to be dressed as the Palace Guards, pretending to be on their rounds. If that's the case, I'm sure Situ has told the Emperor about the importance of the Mid-Autumn Banquet, and the necessary precautions to take. I wouldn't be surprised if the other ten thousand Imperial Army will be on the other side of the Palace as the Second Prince had imagined; they might even be outside the Imperial Gardens right now, trying to fight their way in.

That was exactly why Situ had remained calm and composed throughout. He'd given the Second Prince the chance the stage his coup to let the Emperor see his true colours and give up on him. However, the Emperor would definitely suspect him of scheming behind his back; his performance throughout the whole situation is too flawless.

Feng Luodi's heart raced. I'd promised elder brother that I'll take care of his Shadow Agents; I can no longer distance myself from the proceedings of the court. Yet, the more I know, the more disappointed I am in the Emperor, and the more I worry for Situ. He's putting himself in so much danger, just for the future of the First Prince!

The Emperor examined Situ's expression closely, sparing a look every now and then to glance at the officials that were fighting for him, obviously deep in thought. Both Feng Luodi and Gan Qingjia saw the look of suspicion in the Emperor's eyes, but Situ seemed to miss it. The stone slabs that paved the Imperial Gardens were now slick with blood, the winds carrying with them the stench of death. The rebels advanced forward, the archers nocking arrows to their bows. However, neither the Palace Guards nor the Imperial Army were anywhere to be seen.

Sweat started to bead on the forehead of the Emperor. He is already sixty years old and is no longer the vicious young man he'd been when he'd ascended to the throne. "My Duke?" His voice was shaky as he stared at Situ, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

Situ fell to one knee in front of the Emperor, surprising Feng Luodi. "Your Majesty!" Arrows streaked through the air as the Second Prince gave the order to wipe them out.

"What are you doing, Anping Duke?" The officials standing before the Emperor started falling one by one, and the Emperor started to panic.

"Please forgive my actions that may be disrespectful; that is the only way that we can buy more time for the reinforcements to reach."

"I will not blame you for anything you do, as long as you can save my life and the lives of my subjects." The Emperor saw that the First Prince had woken up and quickly walked over to him, hiding within the dense crowd for protection.

Feng Luodi looked worriedly at Situ, who pushed her towards Gan Qingjia. Gan Qingjia's face soured immediately. Not only do I have to take care of my two old men, but I'll also have to take care of a damsel as well? Argh, if only Situ's Covert Guards could show themselves right now! But if that ever happened, the Emperor would probably go crazy when he finds out that his own Shadow Guards can't hold a candle to Situ's Covert Guards.

Suddenly, the Second Prince's face hardened. He'd just received reports that troops were gathering on their location, their reaction much faster than what he'd expected. It doesn't matter; the throne is still mine! All I have to do is to kill him and my other brothers!

Assistant Chief Zhu felt uneasy. He has already officially rebelled against the Emperor; if the Second Prince does not manage to usurp the throne, his entire clan would be killed. There was no mercy in this for him; his back is against a wall. He caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye and quickly called out to the gloating prince.

"Your Highness! Be careful!"

The Second Prince spun around, but a dagger was already held to his throat. The cold steel reminded him or death.

"Get your men to stand down, your Highness." Such an emotionless voice could only belong to Situ Muye, the man that had spent his days roaming the battlefields slick with blood.

"Situ Muye! All of you will die today! There is no point in this useless struggle of yours! I command you to put down the dagger right away!"

Situ spoke slowly, turning to Assistant Chief Zhu with killing intent in his eyes. "I'm afraid I cannot comply with that, your Highness. This is an order from his Majesty."

The Second Prince stared at the Emperor in fear. There stood the man he'd once looked up to, the man that had always been kind to him. But now, all he could see is a cold glint in those eyes, mercilessly cutting into his heart. If it was not for that father of mine, I wouldn't have ended up like that today.

Just as things were held in a stalemate, the reinforcements arrived. Ten thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army and five thousand of the Palace Guards swarmed the Imperial Gardens, surrounding the Second Prince and his men. It didn't take long for the rebels to surrender themselves, throwing their weapons onto the floor. The Second Prince could only watch on as the followers who'd sworn to follow in his footsteps turn themselves in, including his trusted warrior Assistant Chief Zhu. Is this what betrayal feels like! Haha! Amazing!

The Second Prince roared in maniacal laughter.

The Emperor walked towards the Second Prince, surrounded by members of the Imperial Army, and Situ quickly kept his dagger.

"You unfilial son! Do you know what you have done?" The Emperor looked pained.

The laughter died down. "Even if I admit my mistakes, you're not going to forgive me are you, Father? Moreover, I'm not wrong at all! Father, you said that you loved me, and wanted me to learn how to govern a kingdom. I did all that you asked of me, but still, you did not favour me amongst your sons. You did not treat Mother well, and you even supported the other princes to balance out my power in court! How will I ever be at ease, Father? It is your way of balancing things that had forced my hand today!"

"If you had invested everything into me, why will I ever need to resort to this?" The Second Prince got more and more worked up as he spoke, the officials around them pretending not to hear a thing. The Emperor's face changed, and he waved for the Second Prince to be brought away.