It was a very strong and sudden poison and if it was not because of the old relations between the Prime Minister Xiao and the head of the Gao family that the head of the Gao family personally take charge, one feared that Xie Chi could not survive at that time. Even though he had survived, the master of the Gao family had diagnosed that the poison had entered the organs and one was only prolonging the time. Xie Chi could not live pass thirty five and this poison would also affect his descendants. From that time onwards if he had any children, it was inevitable that they would have congenital deficiency or they would also have the posion in their body. In any sense, it was all not a good thing.

The master of the Gao family was a rare God-like doctor under Heavens and for him to say such things, Xie Chi’s doomed fate was almost fixed. The other party was targeting Xie Chi’s life, even if they could not have his life, they wanted to ruin his entire life.

Empress Xiao had never expected that she would end up in such a situation as she was the most outstanding Di daughter in the Xiao family, was a revere Empress and virtual reputation under Heavens. In order to protect her, her family clan had voluntarily retired from Great Liang’s officialdom and two of her children, one could not complete one’s life under such sinister schemes and the other was the fruit that grew under the poisonous scheme.

The one who did the poisoning was investigated but it was the favoured consort that Emperor Xiao Wu just raised. Empress Xiao brought that favoured consort tied up to the Imperial Gardens and sliced her flesh, piece by piece and she personally watched as she took her last breath. All the palace maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Gardens were trembling as they watched and they almost fainted. However Empress Xiao felt that there was no meaning to it.

Emperor Xiao Wu naturally scolded and blamed the favoured consort and he personally judged the crimes of the favoured consort and comforted Empress Xiao. As Empress Xiao heard his gentle words, her heart was as cold as ice and her mind was filled with caution and vigilance.

Did Emperor Xiao Wu know of this matter or not? Empress Xiao felt that after being married to Emperor Xiao Wu for so many years, she should examine him carefully again. Even if Emperor Xiao Wu did not know about it, this favoured consort was raised up to go against Empress Xiao. One did not kill Bo Ren but Bo Ren died because of one. (Bo Ren is a character in Three Kingdoms and this is a phrase usually used to describe regret, remorse and sadness that one has cause another’s death)

At one side, defences started building up in Empress Xiao’s heart but at the other side, she pretended to be wan due to the misfortune that befell on her son.

The untreatable poison in Xie Chi’s body was not circulated out but who would know if others would know about it in the future? However the most worrying thing for Empress Xiao was that it was almost time to give birth to the child in her womb. Emperor Xiao Wu was suspicious of the Xie family’s treatment of Xie Chi and if the child in her womb was a son, if anything happen to Xie Chi, the child could replace Xie Chi’s position and sit on the Crown Prince’s position. One do not know if he would be the next Xie Chi? If it was a daughter, Empress Xiao was not willing to let him stay in the Palace and be manipulated daily and unable to control one’s destiny.

The most important thing was that Empress Xiao would be starting to fight back. After giving birth to this child, she wanted to return individually all the suffering the Xiao family, Xie Chi and her experienced. With a newly born, there would many inconvenient things and maybe he would be controlled by others, so she had to find a way out.

‘Substituting a raccoon for the Crown Prince’ was generally speaking that the Crown Prince that was replaced would be far away from everything that he should have and that raccoon would be able gain everything that did not belong to one.

Empress Xiao gave the newly born child to her confidant and said, “Behold a tall mountain that have an upright scenery (高山仰止，景行行止). His styled name will be Jing Xing (景行). If one day he grows up to be a man of indomitable spirits, he can scheme and plot but he can never use another’s sincere heart.” She took a hard look at her child for the last time and said, “Send him away.”

In two months that a number of horses died in exhaustion, that half a year journey from Long Ye to Ding capital, because Xie Yuan’s first contact to this world and what welcome him was that he had to flee. In those days of escaping, his eyes were widen and he was babbling as he learned to fight with this world.

In the residence of the Marquis of Lin An in Ding capital, Princess Yu Qing was about to give birth.

Empress Xiao’s confidant originally followed Empress Xiao’s order and wanted to send Xie Yuan to an ordinary wealthy family to be away from the Imperial court disputes. However that day when the confidant was investigating in the streets, one had accidentally learned that Princess Yu Qing was also about to give birth and the child’s name was already set as Jing Xing.

The confidant had thought that it was truly a coincidence.

That was a night that filled with wind and rain. There was a heavy rain that fell in Ding capital and the rainwater diluted the blood that was in the courtyard, dimmed the female painful screams and also covered up the faint baby’s cries.

That child with the name of Xie Jing Xing was one that was very fated with Xie Yuan as he die before he was born. The confidant hesitated for a moment when holding the baby but he had made a decision that he was happy for life.

He turned Xie Yuan to Xie Jing Xing and from then onwards his name was Jing Xing and there would no longer be any styled name. He was the little heir of the residence of the Marquis of Lin An that held the expectations of Empress Xiao and the hope of Princess Yu Qing to live in this world well.

Not long after, the wealthy household that was initially chosen was completely eliminated in a night. No one knew why but those who knew were clear that Emperor Xiao Wu had discovered some clues and rush over to eliminate. One did not know it was fortunate or a bane but because of the confidant’s momentary slip, Xie Jing Xing had avoided this struggle between life and death.

It seemed to be a fated destiny.

There were nonstop filthy things in the residence of the Marquis of Lin An. Madam Fang and her two sons kept creating issues and Xie Jing Xing’s only support was Xie Ding’s favour. However Xie Ding’s favour was not often a good thing as Xie Ding would often not be in the residence as he would be in battle most of the year. It was very difficult for XIe Jing Xing, a young child, to survive at the mouth of beasts. If Empress Xiao’s confidant did not help secretly, one feared that he would long become soil in the ground and had a reunion with the genuine heir of the residence of the Marquis of Lin An. Not only that, the Emperor of Ming Qi was also suppressing the Xie family secretly.

In such an environment, Xie Jing Xing gradually grew up. He was thankful that the confidant placed him in such a cruel environment so that he would not be too uncomfortable when facing his future rugged route. He trifled without respect and casually and rode his horse undisciplined all around Ding capital streets and alleys. He was unbearable and made one have headaches but just like Empress Xiao’s expectation, he grew up to be a man with indomitable spirits. He did not use another’s sincere heart. Even though he had an casual and ridicule appearance, he respected every sincere heart, like Princess Rong Xin, like Su Ming Feng, like the Marquis of Lin An and like Shen Miao. He had lived very well in Ming Qi’s Ding capital and he only relied on himself, thus he had the ability to act against the enemy in the dark.

How about Empress Xiao?

In those years, Empress Xiao had been missing her youngest son and was saddened by her eldest son’s experience that she decided to fight back.

Weren’t you afraid that this Empire would end up in the hands of the Xiao family? Weren’t you most concern about this? Then I will snatch it from your hands and stomp on it under one’s feet. At that time would you feel a little regret for what you had done today?

Empress Xiao was a daughter from the Xiao family and her abilities and stratagems did not lose to a male. Because of the anger she became even more spirited, whereas Emperor Xiao Wu started to get old. His state of mind and attention were are dispersed by all the concubines in the Inner Palace and all his ambitions had gradually faded away after he was free of worries.

Life sprang from sorrow and calamity and death came with ease and pleasure.

When Emperor Xiao Wu passed away, there was only Empress Xiao accompanying him. Empress Xiao said, “May Your Majesty rest assure. As we are husband and wife, ChenQie will not let you feel too lonely during the journey to the underworld. All the females and concubines that you have favoured before in this Palace, ChenQie will let them accompany you during the journey and all of your children, with the exception of the Crown Prince, ChenQie would not miss out on any one of them.”

Emperor Xiao Wu’s eyes widen.

“And there is still more.” Empress Xiao seemed to have thought of something and leaned over to speak by his ears, “Our youngest son is living well. Those people that Your Majesty sent to Ming Qi had killed the wrong people. After a few more years when this government is settled down, ChenQie will bring him back to be recognised by the forefathers since the Great Liang Empire needs someone to continue governing. ChenQie’s heart is tender so the brothers still bear the surname of Xie. If ChenQie’s heart is as hard as Your Majesty, the dynasty name of the empire of Great Liang would have been changed.”

“Your Majesty, walk the journey down well. ChenQie will hold on this Empire first.” Empress Xiao stood in front of the bed smiling very softly.

Emperor Xiao Wu could not close his eyes at the hour of his death.

Empress Jing Xian became Empress Dowager Jing Xian.

Xie Chi became Emperor Yong Le.

Xie Jing Xing was still in Ming Qi’s Ding capital and was grouping along the dark road. He ignorantly came to knowledge of his own family background but was told that his birth Father was seeking to kill him and his birth Mother had trapped his birth Father to death. Currently the wind direction was at its most critical, thus one could not take unnecessary actions.

The events of the world all arose from many causes and just like what Empress Jing Xian said, she really clean up the Inner Palace of Great Liang. All those mothers and sons that once threw their weight around and targeted them became Emperor Xiao Wu’s companions. She then said to Xie Chi, who had become Emperor Yong Le, “AiJia is cold and cannot manage matters outside but AiJia can still give you a clean Inner Palace. From now onwards there are no vile characters in the Inner Palace. You only need to promise AiJia one thing, that is to keep this empire in the palm of your hands and never let it collapse.”

The Lu family and Ye family were Emperor Xiao Wu’s confidants and were extremely cunning. As the saying went, a centipede dies but never falls down. Because of the complicated forces, they were not easily uprooted thus Emperor Yong Le had been secretly scheming to deal with these two families.

Empress Dowager Jing Xian passed on two years later. Her head suddenly fell to the desk when she was reading the Lu family’s memorandum and did not wake up anymore. The Gao family said that it was due being physically and mentally exhausted that she had exhausted all her energy. However the day before she even spoke to Emperor Yong Le with a glistening expression if they should change to a new tactic for the year’s grand ceremony and perhaps they could think of a way to let Xie Jing Xing take a trip back to Great Liang.

It was difficult to predict matters of the world. In her entire lifetime, she was unable to have the opportunity to reunite with Xie Yuan again.

On that day, Heavens had separated the people.