Minister Fang's view

"Hear me, Your Majesty," seizing my chance to request an audience with his majesty by stepping out into the aisle and bowing in the lull between items being addressed.

"Oh?" Emperor Taiji sat forward with a keen glint in his eyes, "Minister Fang, what brings you here dressed in morning clothes?"

"May I be bold and request a private audience?" I asked what I was to say needed to be kept private.

Emperor Taiji looked at me as if assessing my request. I shifted nervously as I had told my family to keep what I was about to speak about silent. I was feeling ambivalent about my decision, though, and thought that the emperor should have the final say in the matter.

"Alright, I will see you in my chambers after the meeting," Emperor Taiji agreed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said, bowing before him before scuttling back to my place. I only remember a little of the meeting afterward as I was too busy formulating my request to him.

"Thank you, ministers, for your hard work," Emperor Taiji said, summing up, "I trust that you will all carry out the decisions made here today. I am returning to my chambers, Minister Fang; please accompany me."

With that, the emperor stood, came down from his chair, and headed to his chambers, stopping only long enough for me to join him in his parade of people who walked with him everywhere.

"Can you tell me why you are wearing mourning clothes to my assembly? I was not informed of any deaths in your family," his Majesty asked.

"There have been several deaths in my family of late," I said, "The only one that might upset you is my daughter-in-law's. I heard how much you respected her."

"Many deaths?" the emperor stopped and looked at me for a moment before continuing, "If that is the case, I can guess the need for a private audience."

To my astonishment, Emperor Taiji picked up his pace, walking at a pace just before a jog. When we arrived at his room, he stopped and looked back at his entourage, "You will all wait out here until our meeting is over. That includes you, historian."

"But it is unheard of to exclude us," the historian said.

"I will call you when you can enter," Taiji mollified him a little.

"Alright, I give you 5 minutes," he said.

"As you say," his majesty agreed and hurried me inside.

"Quickly tell me what your issue is. I am guessing the demon of the battlefield happened in your house?"

"Yes, your majesty," I agreed.

"Well, hurry up and say," he demanded

"Xin's wife was poisoned and killed by my wife and ChungLi. Xin took the poisoned food and fed it to them, and then when my wife's guards went to subdue him, he killed them all. Anyone in my house who had a distaste for Xinye was killed. We had a mass funeral, but there was no wake held for any of them."

"I see, so are you here to order a wake to be held? Or something else?"

"Something else. As much as I think Xin overreacted, I can understand his reaction. I tried many times to get my wife to accept his choice. Even when I heard she had children with Xin, I tried for her to accept them, but she never did. What I want is an edict to prevent any outcry against Xin. If I lose him, I lose my true heir. Xinye was nothing but kind." I was conflicted in asking this as this was my wife who had been killed. admittedly it was by the food she had given Xinye, but still, it was a heartless move by my son. I understood his reaction as he had been known as the demon of the battlefield for a long time as he would kill everyone not in our uniform that came against him.

The historian entered then and went to his place. Emperor Taiji appeared to be thinking.

"So, you are telling me Xinye was murdered by your wife and ChungLi?"

"Yes, your majesty," I nodded, I understood that he had to mention this to give the edict.

"Historian," the emperor said, "Send out the edict that no-one is to say anything disrespectful about Fang Xinye, Lady of first rank, doing so will invite death which will be supported by me, at the hands of General Fang Xin. Lady Fang and ChungLi were executed as traitors to the state and General Fang Xin is to be commended for taking action against such traitors. He is to receive 6 chests of gold from the state coffers. Also send my mausoleum to General Fang Xin's home in the mountains for his wife to be buried in. I do not think he would want his wife anywhere near his mother."

"Thank you, your majesty," I said, curious as to why he was being so kind to Xinye, "May I ask why you are honouring her with your mausoleum?"

"She is deserving with the good she has done us. Also, my brother wronged her, but had he lived he would have made her princess, but he had not thought that far ahead when he died."

"What is this about your brother?" I was surprised that that quiet sickly woman had anything to do with his brother.

"Dudo stole her off Xin for about 3 weeks and forced her to be with him," his majesty sounded furious at this, "Your son rescued her after the 3 weeks and killed Dudo in seemingly self defense."

"This is the first I have heard of this," I stated.

"It is hardly surprising," his majesty said, "It was kept silent by everyone as it was the only stain on Dudo's character, and no-one wanted Xinye tainted by his behaviour. This country owes a lot to Xinye and her children. I expect you to keep this silent too."

I nodded, shocked once again at the gentleness of character of Xin's wife. I would never have guessed that she had been raped with the graciousness and care she showed everyone. I still remember her helping the injured soldiers cleaning their injuries and praying for them and they were healed the next day even the most severe cases had been healed. Those soldiers and even I thought she was a saint or a goddess come down to earth. I was always troubled by my wife's attitude that she was a demon in disguise. Who ever heard of demons healing people?

"I will keep my silence, your majesty," I bowed, "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you for informing me of Xinye's death, as for your wife, please forgive me, I cannot offer you the same condolences."

"I understand your majesty," I bowed again and exited the room feeling somewhat mollified that I had not lost my son. Instead, his behaviour was supported by the throne."

"Thank you," I breathed to the Gods and perhaps to the God I had seen through Xinye's actions. I then returned back home to grieve.

Emperor Taiji was quick to send out his edict to anyone that came in contact with or may have had contact with Xinye, and I heard that the mausoleum and chests of gold arrived in time for Xinye's funeral. He then started building a new mausoleum grander in scale to the one that he sent.

Minister of personal's view

I came home one day to find a letter of condolence sent to me by Minister Fang who had taken my daughter away as bride for one of his sons. I was a bit disturbed by the condolence as it was short, "I regret to inform you your daughter has died."

I was furious, there was no details, nothing. So, I investigated and it looked like his son Xin had killed my daughter and his mother. Hearing this I jumped in my palanquin and headed straight to the emperor

"Your majesty, please give me justice for my daughter's death!" I begged the emperor.

"What happened?" He looked at me briefly curiosity filling his face.

"I sent my daughter in good faith to the Minister of defence's house to be married to one of his son's and I found out today she was murdered! Please give me recompense or justice!"

The emperor looked at me with a confused look.

"Please your majesty," I bowed a deep bow and stayed there.

The next thing I felt a hand on my shoulder, and the emperor spoke in a quiet sympathetic voice, "Tell me, was your daughter's name ChungLi?"

"Yes, your majesty," I affirmed to him.

"I am sorry, but you cannot have either. Your daughter was a traitor to the state. Her crimes unforgivable. Please accept my sympathy for your loss, but this is all you can receive."

"I don't understand," I said confused by his statement, "there's no way my gentle and kind daughter would do anything against you. How can you say this?"

"Minister Chang!" Taiji warned me, "I have given you my sympathy because of your years of service but do not question my judgement! If you want to know why she is a traitor read the annuls regarding it. Now unless you need me for anything else, I suggest that you leave!"

I looked into his eyes and saw a great anger and sadness, which caused me to wonder, just what did my daughter do?

I couldn't believe that she would be a traitor, and it was clear to me Taiji saw her as such.

I went to the history recorders and asked if I could read the annuls for the day my daughter was declared a traitor. The historian bowed, looking at me with sympathy, he turned and got the relevant book, copied out what was written there and handed me the page.

On it was written, "Lady Xinye was murdered by Lady Fang and ChungLi."

Followed by the edict the emperor had made.

I was shocked reading this and I was angry.

The historian patted my arm in sympathy, "I am sorry, but I was told later that ChungLi had poisoned the lady Xinye and died ingesting the very poison that she had given her."

I sighed disappointed in my daughter, even I had heard of the things that Lady Xinye had done, some of which sounded like it was out of a fairy tale. What was more infuriating was I had told ChungLi when she left us to marry whichever of the son's that would be happy with an arranged marriage. I wonder what grave she was buried in and whether or not I could find and bring her home to be buried. That was the best I could do for her since she had been declared traitor. Having decided this, I set out to find my daughter's grave.

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.