章 24: Truth in the Feigned Affection (VIII)

Su Rong made her way back inside the tea room where the mistress of the Kunning Palace was currently residing at. She walked inside as usual with a tray of food in her hand.

However, underneath the tray, there was a slightly big looking book held tightly in only hand.

She opened the door with one hand while balancing the food tray and the book at the same time with the other hand. Her balancing skills kicked in immediately and not long, she was able to close the door once again.

"Sigh." That was a close call.

"Su Rong." Hui Lan called Su Rong from beside.

"Ah!" Su Rong jumped in surprise. Who knew how long had Hui Lan been standing there, but the sudden noise beside Su Rong made her jump in surprise. It was good that instead of letting go of the food tray, she gripped tightly onto it instead. Su Rong looked at Hui Lan with blaming eyes, "Niang Niang ah."

Hui Lan raised both of her hands up and spoke, "So sorry, but I'm sooooo bored." Hui Lan leaned her back on the walls and spoke, "I look everywhere and there are just walls."

Su Rong could only shake her head. Hasn't she been with walls her entire life?

Without looking at Hui Lan, Su Rong made her way to the table that had Xiao Mao snoring his head away inside the basket. Beside Xiao Mao, piles of books were laid all over the entire table and floor.

...Tut tut, still such a bookworm. That did not change at all in Hui Lan.

Su Rong finally took out the book that Su Jou had retrieved from the Royal Library and showed it to Hui Lan. She then shook the book in her hand as if to gesture to Hui Lan, 'Come and get your book.'

After seeing the book in Su Rong's hand, Hui Lan's eyes that had been disinterested became lighted up instantly.

She quickly made her way towards Su Rong who was holding onto the book that she was looking forward to read. Su Rong passed the book to Hui Lan while shaking her head.

...Yes, still the same Hui Lan.

Immediately, Hui Lan looked all over at the book in her hand.

-'The Book of Records.'

...Well, what kind of records do you have here?

Hui Lan carefully opened the book and began reading the contents inside the book. Without leaving her eyes from the book, she slowly sat down on the floor and began reading.

However, the more she read the more she felt nauseous. Who the heck wrote this book ah? She closed the book in a huff.

It was all one-sided and wrote nothing but about how benevolent the Emperor and the officials were.

Hui Lan tugged onto Su Rong's skirt as if to tell her to sit down. Seeing such gestures, Su Rong sat down and waited for Hui Lan to tell something, but then all of a sudden Hui Lan flipped the book upside down. She leaned closer to the book and there, just vaguely, she could see a few letters written beside the visible letters.

Hui Lan quickly got up and placed the book down among the other books. She then took the candle and leaned it closer to the book.

Slowly, characters began revealing in front of their eyes.

...Trying so hard to keep a secret ah.

She had gone over so many historical books herself. Even her mother has been guiding her in all the historical expenditures that the Xuan group has been holding.

This kind of trick was used so many times. However, people in these days would probably have any clues about it.

Nevertheless, Hui Lan began reading with full focus on the contents inside.

The book began from the very beginning of Xin Li's establishment and the previous reign. They even had an introduction to their book saying, the records of the unification and the internal relations.

...Hm, such scholar-like...

Before, the four Kingdoms were called Da Ning until Xin Li's late Emperor thought otherwise. Hm, such a classic idealogy of prideful Emperors.

Hui Lan read further and found something that caught her attention, Rui Ren...were an established group of scholars that were like advisors for all the Kingdoms. They practised every kind of art and had been around long before Da Ning. Nevertheless, since the late Emperor's reign, they were all chased away and vanished.

However, it was not that they vanished but rather they all hid themselves in the dark. Until this day, they were yet to be found. The book says until there is the rightful Emperor, they would reappear. However, from the looks of this, the Emperor was still not to be the rightful one, hmph, that she agreed.

Then again, how do they even know which one is the rightful Emperor? Hui Lan looked back at the book and it said nothing else.

...Tch, trying to be all mysterious.

Hui Lan opened the next page, but it was all blank. No more secret letter was written for her to read. That was it?

She opened all the pages of the book until the very last page. But nothing...nothing until at the end of the book, a small visible spot was revealed. Hui Lan had to lean her eyes even closer to the spot and she could just almost make out the three characters.

...Rui...Ren…one

Soooo, basically saying, this part was written by those Rui Ren themselves?

However, the book was only recently written by the Emperor of this reign, but those Rui Ren had disappeared since the very beginning of the past Emperor. This book could be the only evidence of the Rui Ren's existence!

...The heck. If they wrote this then, they would probably be waiting for someone to find this? Tut tut, must they try to be all this mysterious???

...Wait a minute, the signature ended with a number.

Hui Lan went back to the small letters and confirmed that it was definitely a number.

...number one…

...Could it be that there are more items by the Rui Ren waiting to be found?

Hui Lan slapped the book closed. She stared at the book with a look of annoyance. If you want to be found then don't hide yourselves ah! Why make everything all difficult? She turned her body around from the book as if it had done her wrong.

Meanwhile, Su Rong could not help but be filled with puzzlement. This...what was going on? She had been watching Hui Lan going from being serious to furious of the book. What kind of book would make one feel such way ah?

Su Rong slowly went up to look at the book but only received a shock when Hui Lan slapped her hand on top of the book.

"Niang Niang ah!?"

Hui Lan turned her still furious face at Su Rong as she leaned over to whisper in Su Rong's ears, "Bring me the following books; the book of unification, the book of internal relations. There should be these two books in the library. Also, tell our people to bring all the news about all the people that are expected to be at the hall tomorrow, especially about the right prime minister Li."

Su Rong turned to look at Hui Lan and seeing the Empress' serious face, she could only nod.

If she was not wrong, all of these words would make 'r u i'.

The most important part of a book was always at the beginning and in this case, it should be like that.

They're introduction opened as such "the records of the unification and the internal relations."

She watched as Su Rong made her way out and went back to reread the books of records again in case she missed anything.

Not long, Su Rong's figure came back with a big box.

"Niang Niang, here are your clothes for tomorrow's meeting." Su Rong spoke clearly for the shadow guard that was spying on them to hear.

"Hm." Hui Lan simply replied.

When Su Rong' opened the box, two books came out of it and another roll of paper was brought among the clothes that were in the box.

Hui Lan smiled as she took the two books and the roll of paper.

Without looking at Su Rong, Hui Lan spoke, "You can go out now Su Rong."

"Eh? Why?'

To that Hui Lan finally looked up, "I just want some time alone...hm?"

Hearing Hui Lan's request, Su Rong could only comply, "Hm, I'll go."

As Su Rong got up and began making her way out, she kept looking behind as if waiting for Hui Lan to call for her to stay, but her friend did not.

Hui Lan did not take a look and Su Rong any longer and was already reading the second and the third book.

The books spoke more of the royals' secrets. As she read, Hui Lan could not help but think that these Rui Ren had always been right beside the royals all along even though they had been chased away.

The past Emperor was a crude man because of letting his jealousy over his brothers engulf himself. However, what was even worse was because of this right prime minister Li who gave the Emperor full support in whatever evil desires he wanted.

Until the Emperor brought war over all his brother's in the surrounding kingdoms.

However, the Left prime minister then, Prime minister Xin was the present Empress Dowager's father, had been against the whole idea. He thought otherwise and that for all the kingdoms to survive, they must depend on one another.

While the Emperor and the right prime minister Li sought for war, the left prime minister Xin secretly contacted the neighbouring Kingdoms and the Rui Ren.

Prime minster Xin was almost successful in bringing the three other kingdoms together, but the day before his plan could succeed. He was found out by the past Emperor and was killed.

At that time, the entire Xin household was almost wept away. The Empress Dowager Xin, at that time Empress Xin, and her three sons all fled along with her sister and nephew.

However, what caught her attention was the part about this owner's father. One the left prime minister Xin was no more, the Emperor elevated the lieutenant Feng as General Feng. As the Emperor pledged war among the surrounding Kingdoms, General Feng was his greatest power force in the war bringing Xin Li to victory.

...How come? At an important point time like this, the Emperor chose General Feng to wedge war…

After the war, Xin Li closed its gates to the surrounding kingdoms and did not keep contact with each other.

The Empress had long fled far away and had never been mentioned in the royal palace nor was there another Empress in the past Emperor's reign. Who knew what the Empress did or went.

Though the Emperor was a crude man, no one could question his rule for his methods were sometimes ruthless and sometimes benevolent. His reign could be counted as one of the most prosperous Xin Li had ever been. Hence, no one dared to question his actions.

Almost ten years had passed, the Emperor fell ill. It was at that time, the Emperor sought for the Empress. Who knew why he did as such when he already had a favoured Gui Fei and a favourite prince. Nobody could actually know what was going on in the Emperor's mind.

Nevertheless, when his men had found her, the Empress was forced to return to the palace again. The three princes who were 16, 14, and 10 were all brought back to the palace.

Prince Yang Long who was 16 at that time was the eldest among all princes. The rest of the princes were Prince Min Tian who was 15, prince Fu Jin who was 14, and Prince Shen Kun who was 10.

Despite the unknown illness, the Emperor was still in full power. He very much enjoyed hunting and each year there would always be a hunting ceremony where all the princes go out for hunting. However, it was more to showcase the prince's ability and which prince was the fittest.

The match was always close between the eldest prince Yang Long and prince Min Tian. The court broke into two sides and different fractions supporting the two princes. Day by day, the fight to the throne grew fiercer.

However, one day, the Emperor became gravely ill. At the time, the eldest prince Yang Long was 20 and prince Min Tian was 19. The Emperor intended to call both in one by one, but sadly, he could only call in the eldest prince Yang Long and crowned him the succession to the throne.

Since after that, Prince Yang Long became Emperor Yang Long.

End.

So this was how it went…

She flipped to the last page of the third book and instead of just a signature, there was a poem for her to read.

"Records merely recorded events,

But who would know how it went,

If one did not open one's mind,

To find the answer in the story's heart.

To be unified took Xin Li a cost,

But was the cost worth the pay,

A prince became lost in his ways,

While the dark forces rose to steal.

A Phoenix rose, returned peace to peace,

Rui Ren redeemed, returned peace to peace,

We wait to return peace to peace,

Only if one did not forget his way,

Peace could be returned to Peace.

Future and past were bound to meet,

While her lineage sought to return heaven's punishment,

The heavens have yet to return the Queen her feat,

When the moon and stars align, will we return."

Rui Ren.

Hui Lan closed the third book once again with a loud thud. The last part of the poem...sounded very much like someone she knew.

...Ice Queen, Yue Lin.

...So if they had written such words, then they must know about this whole damn thing!?

...But where were they? Were they even still around ah? These Rui Ren ah, if she meets them, she would have a good word with them!

...However, these Rui Ren were truly tricky. They wrote all this but did not even give a clue about their whereabouts except for a poem. The poem was most likely for the reader to crack it, sigh.

...These people are mostly the only clue she had, but they were all hiding themselves…

...So, she would have to find them? However, she couldn't go out...

...Sigh, she wished she could go out as free-, a thought came to her mind. If she wanted to go out, who was going to stop her? All she had to do was deal with the bug that kept following her all the time.

She looked down at the food she had and could not help but slightly furrow her brows. Since this person was the Empress...then why did the food look so simple?

...Don't tell me that this girl was poor!? Did the Royal fund distribute unfairly? Or was it because of that damn Emperor?

Hui Lan placed her elbows on the table and leaned her face on her hand, slightly distressed with her situation.

All she could do was stare at the food on the plate. Sigh, she was also very hungry. Slowly, she picked up her chopsticks and began eating her food, but she could not finish it all and placed the chopsticks back down again.

Oh, how she missed drinking red wine and enjoying the night view of the countryside ah...now she was an Empress but had no power, no riches, no people, no nothing. While those that were against her were already equipped long before she was. She needed to do something soon, or else, catching up with them would take for ages.

She refused to live like this.

Hui Lan slowly got up and looked at the roll with the report of the prime minister Li and took it with her. With the roll of paper, she went to the only place that had nothing restricting her sight. She walked closer to the window and sat on the windowsill quietly. Her eyes could only look outside at the Sun that was setting.

She wondered how beautiful it would be beyond these palace walls?

After appreciating the view, Hui Lan turned to read the roll of paper that consisted of the report about prime minister Li and also the names and information of the other ministers.

On the other hand, Xiao Mao's nose began twitching and so did its ears. Finally, he did not keep it in and slowly opened his eyes. His tummy began rumbling for he had yet to eat food. Xiao Mao looked at the half-eaten dishes on the table but did not fancy eating any of it.

Instead, it wanted a few mice or just some prey for a dessert. He tried flapping his wings, but could only end up with a small screech.

Hui Lan slowly turned around to look at Xiao Mao that had just made a small cry, "Xiao Mao ah, are you alright?"

With a slightly shaking voice, it tweeted in response, "I'm alright. Just trying to stretch…"

Hui Lan smiled pitifully at the small snowy owl. She beckoned warmly with her hand, "Xiao Mao, come over here."

As if a mother bird was calling for its baby bird. Xiao Mao began hopping its way towards Hui Lan.

When Xiao Mao was right beside her, Hui Lan bent down and gently lifted it up to her lap. Xiao Mao made himself comfy on Hui Lan's lap and looked outside.

Both enjoyed each other's presence as they watched the scenery quietly together. Although they had only been together for an entire day, Xiao Mao had been feeling the warmth from Hui Lan the entire time.

"Miss, what are you thinking of?" Xiao Mao's youthful voice rang in her mind.

Hui Lan smiled as she looked at the sky, "Thinking of flying out of here."

"Huh? Why do you want to fly out of here? I thought this was your home?"

"Home? It's too miserable to be called home anymore Xiao Mao."

Hearing his miss' voice turn slightly down, Xiao Mao asked, "Ahem, Miss, how can I help you?"

Hui Lan took her eyes away from the clouds and sky to the little fella on her lap, "Xiao Mao, aren't you going home? What about your parents? They must be worried by now."

To that the little fella's eyes became dark, "They probably don't want me back."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Hui Lan felt it was quite unbelievable.

"It's nothing. They just don't want me anymore."

Hui Lan patted the small fella's head, "You can't be so sure about that, hm?"

However, Xiao Mao gave no response.

"Fine, then I'll tell you this, your wound should be much better tomorrow. You should be able to fly within two days if I'm not mistaken. Hm, but where will you go, Xiao Mao?"

Xiao Mao blinked once and twice to look up through Hui Lan's hand before speaking "At first, I was going to fly far away somewhere in this world, but now, I might just spend some time with you."

"Huh? With me? Why is that?"

"Because it's fun! You aren't like any other humans."

"Haha, so says a baby bird who hasn't even known me for a day. I'm just very human as the rest, but we can say we're all different in terms of personality. You might want to mean you like my personality, that's just your preference."

Xiao Mao looked up at Hui Lan with admiration in his eyes, "You really aren't like any other humans."

Hui Lan's smile was gone and was replaced with a suspicious look on her face, "Are you only saying these words so you could stay with me?"

Xiao Mao shook its head frantically. To that, Hui Lan could only laugh it off.

She looked at the small bird that was looking at her innocently as if confused why she was laughing.

Seeing the honesty in those eyes Hui Lan's heart melted ever so slightly, "Fine. If you wish to stay, stay. Now that you are in my care...I'll have to make our situation much more preferable for us."

Xiao Mao titled his small head, "What are you going to do?"

However, Hui Lan simply revealed a small cunning smile.

Xiao Mao, on the other hand, could not help but feel a slight shiver when he saw that smile. Sometimes miss could be this scary, heh.