The rain was coming down hard when Prince Enlai and Delun sat in the garden room and waited for Ying-tai’s arrival. The teapot had just finished boiling when Ying-tai entered he room and Delun poured him a cup.
“You may leave now,” Prince Enlai relieved his servants. The expression on his face was solemn. He turned to Ying-tai and motioned him to sit, “Take a seat, Ying-tai.”
“You look uneasy, Prince Enlai,” Ying-tai observed and turned his eyes to Delun who handed him a cup of tea with steam rising from the rim.
“Ying-tai,” Prine Enlai started.
Ying-tai furrowed his brows, “If you have something to tell me, Prince Enlai, please don’t hold back.”
“I asked you to come here alone because I have some serious news,” Prince Enlai stated. “In regards to your state.” He took in a deep breath, “Your family.”
Ying-tai stopped drinking his tea and placed it down. He calmly looked at Prince Enlai, “Family? I no longer have a family.”
Prince Enlai and Delun looked at one another. “Perhaps I should be more clear,” Prince Enlai cleared his throat. “Your adoptive father, The late Emperor.”
Ying-tai looked at each one of the men and replied, “What of it?”
“Since the day you arrived, I had my intelligence team look into your background,” Prince Enlai began. “For precautionary measures.”
“Understood,” Ying-tai responded.
“They brought forth some information they’ve collected from the vast network and…” Prince Enlai paused.
Ying-tai remained poised and waited for Prince Enlai to continue.
“How did your king come to pass?” Delun continued on for Prince Enlai.
Ying-tai was taken aback by the startling subject.
“I think the correct question is: Do you know how your king came to pass?” Prince Enlai clarified.
Ying-tai clenched his jaw. He had been burying the foul possibility in the back of his mind all this time. “Possible cardiac arrest.”
Prince Enlai furrowed his brows and lowered his chin slightly. “Do you KNOW how he came to pass?”
“What is this about?” Ying-tai’s expression was stern.
“Intel reports that The late Emperor was assassinated.” Delun inquired. “And Zhao probably had something to do with it.”
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“Did you know of this?” Prince Enlai questioned.
“I had my suspicions,” Ying-tai answered.
“Ying-tai of Qin,” Prince Enlai started, “I feel you have the right to know, seeing all that you’ve done for our state thus far.”
Ying-tai clenched his fists under the table.
Prince Enlai looked straight into his eyes, “The new emperor, Jiao Long of Qin, conspired with Zhao to take The late Emperor’s life.”
“Where and how did you get this intel?” Ying-tai held a well collected posture but his eyes were blazed with ire.
“Zhao and Qi have had a mild relationship with each other for a long time. For that we have been able to travel in and out of their soil in which we were able to have a few people in our network deployed there.” Prince Enlai shared. “It was a strategic political maneuver created by my grandfather.”
“One of our men, Chuanli, works close with the emperor of Zhao,” Delun started. “And according to his report, the emperor Jiao Long of Qin has a rather shady relationship with the emperor of Zhao.”
“Is there proof to this theory?” Ying-tai couldn’t help but wanted to be assured.
“There were written letters.” Prince Enlai replied.
Ying-tai remembered when Sir Guozhi mentioned a suspicious letter Xiu Juan shared with him. “Whether it is true or not,” Ying-tai continued, “those letters won’t do us any good anymore. They are probably disposed of by now.”
“So you knew all along,” Prince Enlai commented, pitying Ying-tai.
Ying-tai looked at him, “I knew that emperor Jiao Long conspired with Zhao. I was not aware the emperor of Zhao had a play in it personally.”
“I’m sorry,” Prince Enlai lowered his gaze. “Is there something I could do?”
Ying-tai looked at Delun. “Delun, I’ll have to ask you a favor.”
Delun straightened his posture as he kept his eyes on Ying-tai.
“As a mercenary adept in martial arts, I need you and your men to investigate into this further and find any proof you can of this case.”
Delun nodded.
“Ying-tai that’s dangerous!” Prince Enlai’s eyes widened at the thought. “Their walls are heavily guarded and their men are highly trained! You are not adding to the fact that the emperor of Zhao is also adept in martial arts himself!”
“My state is being represented by an unworthy successor and my people are being ridiculed by that same fool. I will not stand for it as you would not.” Ying-tai argued. “Just like Song Jianyu’s case; without credible proof we cannot do anything against Lord Han. In this case, it’s concerning the two largest states standing and protecting the goodwill of one of them. Without solid evidence and with one misstep we could lose everything.” He turned to Delun again, “Which is why I propose Delun to go and investigate inside Zhao. He belongs to no regime. Even if exposed they’ll only find that he is an untraceable mercenary.” Ying-tai looked at Prince Enlai, “For Qin, I plea for your support in this.”
Prince Enlai nodded after a thought, “For your plea for Qin, I will.”
“What if we happen to cross paths with the emperor of Zhao?” Delun asked.
Ying-tai replied with a tone of certainty, “If the chance wields it, kill him and anything that may get in the way.”
Prince Enlai widened his eyes at this.
After their secret meeting was concluded and dismissed, Ying-tai stopped Delun before he departed for Zhao.
“One more thing I must let you know,” Ying-tai began, “if you come across a jade pendant in the shape of a phoenix with gold blossoms, do not harm the person who bears it.”
“A phoenix jade pendant?” Delun raised a brow.
Ying-tai looked away. “The Grand Princess Xiu Juan of Qin,” her name was uttered from his lips abruptly and warm like a sudden breeze in the summer, “she must not be harmed in anyway.”