Chapter 510 — Stepping Forward

The Crown Prince sighed and said wistfully, "A brother is still a brother. Only Yantang speaks his true mind to me; ask the others, and they all pass the buck, terrified of giving offense. I never intended to take his life in any case. However it is told, when brothers quarrel within the walls, it is our father who suffers most. If the Prince of Liao is willing, I will petition my father to strip him of his title and reduce him to commoner, with his eldest son to inherit the rank of Prince of Liao. No doubt my father can then answer to his ministers and people... Go and speak with him!"

This was already the best possible outcome.

Song Yan nodded, and went out from the retiring room with the Crown Prince, straight for the Fragrant Hills.

Hearing that it was Song Yantang, heir to the Duke of Ying, the men on both sides did not stop him, and let him into the hills with two trusted guards.

The Prince of Liao and his people were resting in a small earth shrine at the foot of the Fragrant Hills. They had not met for a night, and already white had appeared at his temples.

"What have you come for?" he said sourly. "To gloat, or to carry the Crown Prince's message? Why is there not a shred of backbone in your Duke of Ying's household? Time after time you clean up our family's mess, and never mind the filth!"

Song Yan tossed his saber to his personal guard and strode forward, driving his fist straight into the Prince of Liao's face.

Someone lunged at Song Yan at once.

Song Zhi's guards drew their blades to meet them.

The Prince of Liao, momentarily stunned, then turned a murderous glare on Song Yan and swung back.

The two of them went at each other in a tangled brawl.

The Prince of Liao's guards had no idea what to do, and could only stand and watch the two men trade blows.

It was the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before their movements finally slowed.

The Prince of Liao's guards stepped forward to restrain Song Yan, but the Prince of Liao roared, "What do you think you are? Get back, all of you!"

The guards exchanged glances and withdrew to one side.

Song Yan and the Prince of Liao staggered apart, glaring at each other like two fighting cocks.

In the end it was the Prince of Liao who spoke first. "Say it! What does he mean by this?"

"Release the Emperor, and you are stripped to commoner and confined to the Prince of Liao's residence," Song Yan said, a shadow of coldness flickering in his gaze as he laid it out plainly. "Your eldest son will hold Liaodong in your stead."

"And the Empress Dowager?" The Prince of Liao pressed him relentlessly.

"That is a matter between the Emperor and the Empress." Song Yan gave a cold laugh. "Do you know why you lost? By now your eyes no longer hold the Emperor at all, but the Crown Prince has never once forgotten who he is. You lost, and you lost fairly!"

He had every intention of planting a seed of doubt in the Crown Prince's heart.

The Prince of Liao's expression indeed tightened, and he fell into a brief daze.

Song Yan said, "Agree or not, give me an answer!"

The Prince of Liao came back to himself.

He pressed his lips together and said, "Guarantee the Empress Dowager's dignity, and I will submit quietly."

Song Yan rose. "I will convey those words to His Highness Zhaohua!"

The Prince of Liao nodded and stood as well.

"You cannot!" The Empress came out from behind the shrine of the Earth God, her face haggard, and took the Prince of Liao's hand. "You must not submit. This is only the Crown Prince's promise; once the Emperor returns to the palace, all matters will be settled by the Emperor himself, and they will not spare you!"

Song Yan's feelings toward the Empress had turned from his first respect to contempt.

He said mildly, "And in Your Highness's view, what would be better?"

The Empress was choked into silence for a good while.

Song Yan looked at the Prince of Liao. "Some things you must decide for yourself. Wavering this way and that, what can you ever accomplish?"

The Prince of Liao's face flushed crimson. He glanced at his mother and said slowly, "Ask the Crown Prince for me—how does he intend to deal with the Empress Dowager?"

"Prince of Liao!" The Empress grew frantic.

Song Yan pretended not to see, bowed to the Empress and the Prince of Liao, and left the Earth God temple.

The Empress wielded too much power within the inner palace, and the Crown Prince could not enter the Six Palaces at will; there was no certainty he could restrain her. He paced in circles there, his face dark.

Song Yan reminded him, "Should you not go ask the Empress Dowager for her judgment?"

After the trouble in the palace, the Crown Princess had taken her three sons to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility to keep the Empress Dowager company.

The Prince of Liao's eyes lit up, and he hurried off to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

When he returned, his face was blank as he drew Song Yan into the side chamber, where the delight could no longer be contained and came spilling out. "The Empress Dowager knows that in begging Father Emperor to return to the palace I not only promised not to pursue the Prince of Liao's treason but am willing to preserve the Empress's title. She praised me for my filial piety, and said I need only see to preserving the Empress's title—there are plenty of consorts in this palace who hold titles and enjoy no favor; the old lady simply never wished to grind down her daughter-in-law before. She also said this matter should be left to the Emperor to settle and that I should not interfere, for I am the future lord and my word is law..."

Song Yan smiled faintly, and made several more trips to Fragrant Hills.

At the hour of the Rooster that afternoon, the Crown Prince went in person to Fragrant Hills to escort the Emperor back to the palace.

Only then did Song Yan feel the pangs of hunger—he had gone the whole day without eating. (To be continued)