Chapter 60
Phoenix Crown Empire
The sound of horse hooves woke the Liang Palace grounds as the Turkish Prince's envoy finally announced its arrival at one of the five gates of the majestic Daoming Palace.
The Daoming Palace stands apart from all the palaces in China. It was constructed by the current Empress of Liang, the second wife of Emperor Tang.
The Turkish Prince occasionally visits the Tang Empire to enhance trade and strengthen political relations.
As a token of hospitality, the Chinese palace ministers warmly greet the visitors, and the military hosts an event on the Olympic grounds for one of their favorite games: horseback riding, or Polo as they call it.
The Emperor of Liang sat on his throne-like chair, with Prince Xiao Ce on his right and the Turkish Prince on his left. The Turkish Prince had deep green eyes, exuded strong male charisma, and carried the scent of wood. His face, covered with a beard, made him appear even more masculine, accentuating his well-defined square jaw and small white teeth. He carried two-bladed swords at his waist and wore a thick gold medal around his head.
To complete his appearance, he wore a white A-cut robe and gold sandals. His arms were adorned with half-cast gold medals, and his waist was belted with gold, embellished with some of Persia's finest jewels.
Xiao Ce felt overshadowed in his metropolitan attire, especially as the Liang palace maids couldn't take their eyes off the Turkish Prince, who, feeling confident and flirtatious, placed his hand on his jaw, emphasizing his perfect lips and jawline. The palace maids could hardly contain themselves.
The maids continued to steal glances at the Turkish Prince, and giggles could be heard from the group. The Turkish Prince responded with playful looks, which only increased their admiration for the foxy and flirtatious prince.
However, a moment of insecurity crept into the air, and the Liang Crown Prince's foxy eyes shifted from the Turkish Prince to the palace maids. Their whispering giggles stopped immediately. Xiao Ce's narrowed eyes gave the impression of anger, but the expression only made him appear more handsome. He grabbed a gigantic fan made of cat fur, which almost covered his entire body.
Using the fan to cool himself, Xiao Ce accidentally inhaled some of the fur and began to choke. The palace maids, now concerned, watched in alarm as the prince struggled with the fur.
Noticing Xiao Ce's discomfort, the Turkish Prince asked, "Is something wrong?"
Xiao Ce, regaining his composure, replied with a poker face, "Nothing is wrong, only your flirty face."
The Turkish Prince, perplexed, touched his jaw and responded, "You mean my bearded, fancy face?"
Xiao Ce, now coughing again but hiding it from the Turkish Prince, said, "Will you excuse me? I need to take my morning tea to rejuvenate my body and prevent hairs from growing around my handsome face."
The Turkish Prince, amused, nodded to Xiao Ce and returned his flirtatious attention to one of Xiao Ce's palace maids, much to Xiao Ce's annoyance.
The Prince, wearing his long yellow floral robes, stood up and walked away slowly, while the palace maids threw rose petals into the air and cleared the wind in his path with diffusers.
Emperor Tang chuckled as his crown prince left the scene, as he often complained that this dusty game was not his "cup of tea." With a raised hand, Emperor Tang officially signaled the start of the game.
The Turkish envoy was known throughout many empires for never losing a game, always emerging victorious. But this time, Emperor Tang wanted to test their reputation. His palace ministers had prepared twenty-four Chinese horsemen.
It was said that the ratio to fight Turkish players was 1:4, one Turkish polo player was the equivalent of four Chinese horsemen.
Emperor Tang intended to prove this theory wrong, so he chose four weaker men to begin the game, strategically positioning them to test the Turkish team.
As the game progressed, the Turkish players demonstrated their superior skill, making it evident who the professionals were. The starting Chinese four couldn't score even once.
At the midway point, the score pole, tallying points by flags, indicated the Turkish team's impending victory. Emperor Tang had to admit defeat and decided to reward the Turkish visitors with ten taels of Li gold, shaped like a dragon's head, for their unbeatable horsemen.
This defeat meant that Emperor Tang needed to train his horsemen further, as even Li Ce, unable to withstand the dust and blows, was soon outmatched. One by one, the Chinese players fell to the ground.
However, in the final round, just when the Turkish Prince was savoring the scent of victory, a prime warhorse slowly marched onto the Liang Palace grounds. Three Chinese players, riding their prime warhorses, followed closely behind.
Riding the lead horse was a young man in his early thirties. He wore a blue cape and golden armor, his face concealed by a gleaming gold mask. His long, ink-black hair was tied at the back, and his cold, handsome face commanded attention.
The Turkish players, fatigued but still determined, watched as this new group of players entered the field, seemingly ready to challenge their endurance.
Emperor Tang, spotting the masked man from afar, stood up and clapped, as though rekindling hope for a chance to win the match.
The Turkish Prince, still confident in his men, began to drink the early wine served at the small royal table. But as he saw the masked man sweep across the polo ground and score the first point for the Chinese team, he started coughing in disbelief.
With another swing of the mallet, the man in golden armor leaped and controlled his warhorse, knocking down a Turkish player who accidentally collided with him and fell off his horse.
Another flag was added to the Chinese score pole. The match dragged on as the lead shifted to the Chinese team, and Emperor Tang frequently rose to cheer for his team. Meanwhile, Xiao Ce reappeared, now dressed in sports attire that looked more appropriate for an archery match than for polo.
As the Turkish team fought to regain the lead, the game intensified. Horse hooves kicked up dust, blinding the Turkish players, but their determination remained unshaken. Even though another Turkish player fell, their resolve kept them going.
The Turkish Prince, noticing Xiao Ce's approach, scoffed playfully and teased him like an older brother, "What happened to your lovely face?" He laughed loudly, poking fun at Xiao Ce's dirty, disheveled appearance.
Xiao Ce, thinking he could outdo the Turkish Prince's style, had attempted a tribal hero look. He wore a black band around his head with a black jade in the center, and his foxy eyes were accompanied by smudged black ink on his cheeks. But instead of looking like a fearless hero, he resembled a clown. Nonetheless, he confidently took his seat beside his father.
The Turkish Prince, frequently glancing at Xiao Ce, smirked. Xiao Ce, catching the look, asked with a sly grin, "Are you a pervert?"
The Turkish Prince, annoyed, said in a formal tone and with a low voice, "Of course not, I have 50 wives and 200 concubines back at my harem."
Xiao Ce, unable to match the Turkish Prince's appetite for women, responded, "What about an archery contest later? I'm sure you won't decline a royal request."
The Turkish Prince was about to respond when the match ended. The results were finally announced, and looking at the two erected poles, the Turkish team had lost to the Chinese side.
Emperor Tang was pleased and overwhelmed, as the results were clear and unquestionable. The Turkish team stood up and bowed to the Emperor of Liang. Meanwhile, the Turkish envoy was eyeing the man with the golden mask and requested him to reveal his face.
The handsome man, in his prime, climbed down from his horse, bowed to the Emperor first, and nodded to the Turkish Prince, while blinking at his younger brother, Xiao Ce.
Emperor Tang introduced Prince Lou, though he did not claim him as his son, but rather the son of the late Emperor, his father, and Prince Lou's mother, Queen Yuan of Liang, who was now his wife.
This situation was complicated, and anyone would need to think carefully about who this prince was, standing victorious, having secured a win for the Chinese team.
Before Prince Li Yuan renamed himself Emperor Tang and ascended the Liang throne, he forced his father to step down by killing two of his brothers, leaving him the sole heir.
Though his early reign was marked by successful governance, his relationship with his father was strained. Although Emperor Tang allowed his father to live and forced him to support the new regime, the father-son relationship was never mended. No matter how much Emperor Tang tried to please his father, the old Emperor rejected him and often took the opposite stance on his decisions.
After the late Emperor abdicated, following the rituals and traditions of the Liang Empire, all of his concubines were sent to Kong Sang Mountain to serve at the temple as nuns. All except one, Concubine Yuan, who expressed her desire not to leave the capital. Reflecting on their silent past, when she was still serving her duty to produce a male heir for the Emperor, Emperor Tang had already developed feelings for her. However, those feelings were not pursued until he took the throne.
Concubine Yuan, still young and with dreams unfulfilled, could not accept her fate, nor did she want to leave her son behind. She wrote a sorrowful love letter to Emperor Tang.
As Concubine Yuan slowly walked, tearful and dressed in her pastel-colored nun robes, praying that heaven would hear her plea, a man in simple robes ran toward her across the Liang Palace grounds. When the man finally reached her, he said, "If you reach the gate and it doesn't open, it means that is not your door to leave through."
Concubine Yuan, speechless at the Emperor's romantic gesture, embraced him. They hugged as Emperor Tang, momentarily forgetting his title and etiquette, kissed the woman he had long desired.
After everything was settled, Emperor Tang passed a decree promoting Yuan to the rank of Imperial Concubine, one of the highest positions after Empress Lu Zhi.
By the time Yuan became his Imperial Concubine, Emperor Tang had already married his first wife, Empress Lu Zhi, who had given birth to Xiao Ce and named him the sole heir to the throne.
Unfortunately, the Empress suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to the crown prince.
As a first-time mother, the Empress endured sleepless nights for weeks, unable to fulfill her duties to her husband, and nearly neglected her maternal instincts, leaving the throne temporarily forsaken.
Reports from the eunuchs assigned to the Empress reached the Emperor, detailing her worsening condition. They suggested sending her to the Royal Temple to restore her spirit and soul.
When the Empress realized she was being locked away in the temple and forced to perform rituals, she resisted and ran to the Imperial Concubine's palace.
The baby prince was brought to Imperial Concubine Yuan to be cared for while the Empress was sent away for recovery.
Horror struck the palace when the Empress, barefoot, came to cuddle the baby prince, then suddenly seized him and ran from the palace.
Upon hearing the news, the Emperor immediately ordered the Imperial guards to seize the Empress. They closed every gate and eventually found her with the child.
The eunuch approached the Empress and said, "He is the crown prince, heir to the throne. What do you plan to do with him? Your Majesty, hand over the baby prince."
Realizing her error, the Empress gently kissed the forehead of the sleeping baby prince in her arms.
Aware of her crime and the need to explain herself, she said, "How can I explain this when I don't even understand why I feel this way?"
The Empress handed the baby prince to the eunuch, regaining her sanity but with a tearful face. She ordered the royal guards to take her back to the Royal Temple, and they all bowed to her.
The baby prince was returned to Imperial Concubine Yuan. Besides being the Emperor's impossible love, once forbidden, one reason he favored her over the Empress was the Empress's condition.
The eunuchs also played a part in this, as they whispered in the Emperor's ear, swayed by Imperial Concubine Yuan, who had learned how to manipulate them. She saw this as an opportunity to undermine the Emperor's relationship with his Empress, and she played the role skillfully.
As the relationship between the Emperor and Empress grew colder, the Imperial Concubine stepped in to care for the heir to the throne, filling the void in their marriage. She did not mind being a tool for their separation.
After Empress Lu Zhi's pivotal moment, she stayed in the Royal Temple for several years. She never felt better, knowing that she had been banned from even seeing or caring for her son as a consequence of her actions toward the baby prince.
Obeying the Emperor's orders, she endured the punishment for actions she didn't fully understand at the time.
Now, restored to health and sanity, she was ready to return to her position.
However, due to the gap that had widened over the years, she was unable to regain her former standing with the Emperor, especially since the Imperial Concubine had risen to assume her duties in her absence for the good of the Empire.
Empress Lu Zhi's worst nightmare became reality when a decree was issued, officially deposing her as Queen. The reasons were unclear, but it was evident that someone had orchestrated the arrangement behind the scenes.
With her title stripped, Empress Lu Zhi packed her possessions and was provided with enough treasures to live a life apart from the throne.
The Emperor, in his grace, did not revoke her entitlements as the biological mother of Prince Xiao Ce. However, this decision would have long-lasting consequences, ultimately affecting the destiny of the prince.
As Empress Lu Zhi took her final steps out of the palace, her only companion, a loyal royal maid, glanced back when she heard the gates of Liang Palace slowly closing. A single tear slid down her cheek as silence settled over the scene.
Meanwhile, Prince Lou grew strong and formidable under the guidance of his mother, the Imperial Concubine, who had now been crowned the new Queen. She rose to the second-highest position in the Liang Empire, sharing the same power as Emperor Tang.
Her ambition for the throne was insatiable, and she refused to move into the Palace of the Deposed Queen, Xiao Ce's mother.
Instead, she proposed the construction of a new palace, which later became China's center for cultural arts, commerce, and industry.
Queen Yuan, with her cunning nature, raised both of her sons, Prince Lou and Xiao Ce...in the same courtyard. These two powerful princes formed a brotherly pact, united by wisdom and a shared ability to think strategically.
The Queen frequently taught them strong values about ruling the Empire when their time came. However, they had yet to realize that, despite being blood brothers, their paths were not destined to remain aligned in their pursuit of the throne.
Xiao Ce learned early on to hide his true feelings and pretend immaturity in front of his brother, Prince Lou, so that Lou would feel secure and share some of the privileges he enjoyed. This deception allowed Xiao Ce to observe the favoritism their father bestowed upon Lou.
Xiao Ce became skilled at managing envy within the family, preserving the love and brotherhood between them. Even after he wore the crown, he never used his position to gain an advantage over Prince Lou.
In truth, Xiao Ce was far wiser than any of his brothers and sisters, likely because he had been raised in the lap of a cunning and shrewd Queen. This was a significant advantage for him.
However, Xiao Ce was fully aware of the vulnerable position he held. He knew that one mistake could cost him his life and plunge the Empire into chaos, leaving the seat of the future Liang crown prince empty, a vacancy that many would exploit, turning into beasts to seize power.
The Emperor, unfortunately, never balanced his role as a father between the two brothers. He ensured that Prince Lou would always have to bow to his younger brother, Xiao Ce.
This deprivation of a father figure left Prince Lou in a constant state of sacrifice. He was forced to bear the burdens of his younger brother while putting aside his own dreams, much like a cup always ready to catch another's overflow.
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