Distinguis.h.i.+ng the Loyal and Traitorous Inside the Imperial Study

　　"Your highness, I shall stay here to keep watch. Please go and grab the imperial… that." Outside of the imperial study, Eunuch Nan decided to stop at the entrance and not dare enter the study. The emperor pushed the door to the study open. The interior was as it always was, except that he came here to read in the past instead of hiding like he was now, not to mention that it was his own son that forced him into this predicament.

　　n.o.body was standing guard outside of the imperial study which was very surprising, as there was a guard every five steps here just yesterday. Now however, there wasn't a soul in sight. It truly was a sight that one couldn't help but sigh at.

　　When Eunuch Nan noticed the emperor not continuing in, he couldn't resist his impatience. While still wearing his usual expression, he respectfully asked: "What is the matter, your highness?"

　　The emperor glanced at him and with a sad smile replied: "Brother Junfei, I am the emperor, yet I have been forced to move the imperial jade seal elsewhere to avoid a disaster at the hands of my own son. I truly fail as an emperor and as a father."

　　Eunuch Nan thought to himself: If you did a good job, I would've decapitated you years ago. Would I have needed to trick you into coming here today?

　　However, he kept his concerned expression on the surface: "Your highness, please do not feel down about it. This is a mistake his majesty committed in a moment of thoughtlessness. As long as you can keep the imperial jade seal safe, you will always have the necessary piece to turn this situation around. Once you have gathered your people to subjugate his majesty, you will naturally have a chance to set him straight. Your highness, this place does not look it has been taken over, but we cannot stay for long."

　　The emperor however, acted like he didn't hear him. He stood at the door of the study and didn't enter. Instead, he leisurely complained: "It's easier said than done to set him straight. I have always been strict with them since they were young. But according to what the Cheng'er said, I did wrong him in some ways. He was pa.s.sionate about military strategies. His dream was to protect our lands and people. I shouldn't have forced him. I don't know how to clean up this mess now that I've forced him into usurping the throne."

　　Eunuch Nan looked at the sky. The moon was gradually coming up.

　　I'm afraid the orange prince might not be able to wait anymore. Zhong Yi should have reported back to the flying fish pavilion by now, while I haven't completed my task here yet. When the time to announce rewards and merits, I'm going to be at the bottom for sure like this.

　　Eunuch Nan responded in an amicable tone: "You need not worry, your highness. His majesty is your biological son after all, the son of her highness, and never left you before. You watched him grow up. If somebody was deliberately trying to harm you, surely it would not be his majesty, right? I am afraid that someone may be using his majesty and that person is the one who got him to commit this act of treason. His majesty possesses a pure heart. It is understandable for him to be used by another in a moment of thoughtlessness."

　　The foggy look in the emperor's eyes slowly started to clear up: "Did you say that Cheng'er had a moment of thoughtlessness…? It doesn't look that way to me. He deliberately planned it. For him to pull off something so big inside the palace, I think it's safe to say he's been planning this out for a long time."

　　"There are many flaws in their operation, your highness." Eunuch Nan started to reveal his impatience in his speech, "Think about it, your highness, if Long Zaitian did not work with them, the plan would not have succeeded. Long Zaitian is but one of the four vice-captains in the Qilin Guards. If their grand commander was not away from the capital, he would not be making the decisions. As such, his majesty using someone like that was taking a chance. For it to be a deliberately thought out plan, it is not well thought out."