Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 173: My Empress...

Chapter 173: My Empress...

"Push forward men! Hold your positions," Ju Rong roared over the shouts of the soldiers and the clang of armour and weapons that marked the sound of battle.

Bai Li’s army surged forward. The rhythmic stomp of their boots echoed through the palace, interspersed with the cries of the wounded.

The shield wall held, pressing Prince Haoran’s men backwards, as the Emperor’s army marched on, unyielding, towards his throne room.

The defenders fought fiercely in return, and arrows rained down upon Bai Li’s forces.

"Shield roof!" yelled Lieutenant Ju.

The soldiers’ shields now formed a wall pressing forward, as well as a protective roof above the rows of men, and the arrows bounced harmlessly away.

These soldiers were hardened by their skirmishes in the north and trained within an inch of their lives. In comparison, Haoran’s men were disorderly and amateur. They had been trained in secret and had never seen battle, so they were as green as clover.

The Crown Prince watched with quiet satisfaction as their troops broke the rebel lines and sent his brother’s men scurrying back towards the steps of the throne room, where they regrouped on the brick staircase to make their final stand.

"Archers!" shouted the Lieutenant, his arm gesturing in the direction he wanted covered.

From behind the five rows of shield-wielding men, Bai Li’s archers shot forth a volley of arrows, picking off the enemy soldiers who stood exposed on the staircase. Gaps opened up in the densely packed Rebel lines, like missing teeth in an ugly grin.

"Retreat to the portico!" yelled the Rebel Sergeant. "Form up again!"

The Rebel soldiers ran up to the covered veranda outside the doors to the throne room, where they reformed into lines, their shields now raised to protect them from arrows.

"They’re hunkering down there, Commander," said Ju Rong. "They’ll be hard to dislodge without a significant loss of men on our part. They have the higher ground. Unless you want me to get the guns out of the armoury?"

"Yes, order one of the assault commanders to fetch the guns and arm the riflemen among the rank and file. In the meantime though, let’s keep pressing the Rebels. The Prince might appear if we put enough pressure on his soldiers."

Right on queue... "Request to parley!" yelled a messenger carrying a white flag.

The man ran across the empty space between Bai Li’s army and Haoran’s men, coming to a halt on the cobbles when he stood about five metres from their shielded front line.

"Stay well back here, your Highness," said the Commander, before nodding at Ju Rong. The two senior soldiers walked towards the messenger, staying well-protected by the wall of shields.

"Go ahead, what have you got to say to me?" asked Bai Li of the man with the flag, once he was in earshot.

"The Prince desires to speak with you and his brother, Commander. He says that he’s sure that what he has to say will be of interest to you both."

"Tell him there’s nothing he can’t say in front of the men," replied the Crown Prince from somewhere inside the bristling shield wall. "If he wants to speak, he should come outside and talk to us."

Bai Li stood silently beside his Lieutenant, not saying a word. The negotiations between the two brothers were not his preserve. His job was to keep the Crown Prince safe and defeat Prince Haoran’s army.

The messenger ran back to relay the message, the young man was relieved to still be alive. The honourable practice of allowing messengers safe passage was too often ignored...

The messenger man returned shortly with a reply from his master.

"Prince Haoran says he’s happy to do so, if his Second Brother promises to guarantee his safety."

"Tell him he has my word that my men won’t kill him while we’re parleying," the Crown Prince spoke disdainfully; how low did his brother think he would stoop? he thought, incredulous.

The messenger wiped at the sweat that was now dripping into his eyes, and ran back to the shelter of his rebel mates. It was only a few short minutes before Haoran appeared at the top of the steps. His men parted way for him like he was Moses parting the sea.

"Hello, Second Brother," greeted Prince Haoran with a humourless smile, deliberately refraining from calling his younger brother, ’Crown Prince’.

"First Brother," nodded Zhu Yicai. "Where is our Emperor Father? What have you done with him?"

This was his most pressing concern...

Haoran watched his brother closely as he spoke, "unfortunately, there can only be one winner in a duel, Second Brother, and the reason I stand before you, is because that man is me."

"What does that mean, Haoran? Did you injure our Father?" he asked his older brother, his concern mixing with anger.

"I didn’t just injure him, didi," the prince drawled, seemingly enjoying imparting this news. "I killed him."

There was a moment of shocked silence while the Crown Prince processed these words, turning them over in his mind, looking for angles or tactics. Could this be a ploy? Was his brother trying to shake his resolve? But if so, what was its purpose? If he was still alive he would surely use him as a bargaining chip. No, he decided in the end, it must be true.

Yicai blanched. "You killed your own father for the throne, Haoran... What kind of a man are you? You must know that the People will never respect you after an act as unfilial as patricide."

"Our Father took the throne after killing his own brother, so it’s really not all that different, is it? And yet the People came to respect him, didn’t they."

"There’s a difference between what he did and what you did, that’s as wide as the sea. But if you can’t see that, I’m not here to tell you. Put down your weapons and surrender, Haoran. You can’t win this fight. We have the advantage in numbers. Father has ordered me to spare your life and send you into exile, so you won’t be killed..."

"Why should I surrender, didi? I have the royal seal, the Dragon Throne, the crown, my Father’s Chief Eunuch and your dear friend, Miss Mei, to be my Empress."

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