Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part III - Beloved of the Seventh Prince: 46. Paper Tiger*

When his personal eunuch hurried in to say that the Emperor had sent him a gift, the Crown Prince Zhao Ling Feng felt a rush of anticipation and headed towards the main reception hall of the East Palace to receive it. As he stepped over the threshold, he was surprised that An He was not amongst the servants waiting at the entry for him. In fact, he recognized none of them and he felt a streak of unease as they all had the miserable air of those who had been commanded to do an unpleasant task.

"What is this?" he demanded, staring down at the eunuch who knelt before him, both hands raised in the air, trembling, as he held out a large rectangular box to the Crown Prince. His eyes were glued to the floor and he swallowed before gathering enough courage to open his mouth.

"T-The Emperor has commanded that the Crown Prince receive this box. The Emperor said that the your Highness the Crown Prince would understand once you had seen its contents," the eunuch almost whimpered.

The Crown Prince glowered down at the bent head.

"There was no decree? No summons?" he asked coldly.

"N-No, your Highness," the eunuch stuttered.

Zhao Ling Feng gestured for one of his personal guards to receive the box. The man quickly moved forward, took the box, and uncoupled the lid, swiftly moving to stand in front of the Crown Price to show him the contents.

For a moment, Zhao Ling Feng was struck with elation staring down at the little bronze tiger nestled inside, but then he frowned. Taking the box with shaking fingers, he slowly removed it from the inner casing. As he did so a sheet of paper slipped out and onto the floor.

The guard bent to retrieve it, and also offered it to his master, but the Crown Prince was not moving. Instead he was staring at the thing in his hand.

"No..." he whispered. "I don't believe it...It's not true..."

"Your Highness?" asked the guard.

He suddenly snatched the paper up, flapped it open and scanned the writing within. With a howl, he flung it onto the ground and laughed hysterically, his eyes taking on an unholy glow.

His personal eunuch rushed forward, picked up the paper, scanned it, and paled.

"T-this...This..." he stuttered, appalled.

"You don't have to say it, old man," the Crown Prince laughed humourlessly. The thing that was in the shape of a tiger, suddenly felt like it was on fire in his hand. Rage slowly swirled in his heart.

Turning, Zhao Ling Feng squeezed the fake tally until it had been crumbled to dust in his fist. As he turned his palm to let the remains slide off, the wind carried it away with a puff, scattering it onto the floor and out through an open window into the back garden of the East Palace. His mouth turned dry.

"Father Emperor!" he gritted, emphasizing every syllable. Closing his eyes, his jaw flexed as he tried to control the emotions warring on the inside.