Prince and His Fool

Chapter 76: Malevolent Son

Wu Yange's target was seated on her throne feigning bravery but she felt the fear creeping up on her from deep within. Wu Yange was extremely terrifying with a stern icy gaze that made her blood run cold. She hadn't seen him in a couple of years and the change was apparent, this wasn't a little boy she could trample over anymore.

"Where is he?" spoke Wu Yange with a blue flame dancing on his fingertips his gaze set on his mother. Zhao Huang and his family were also in the main hall hoping to finally get justice.

Plan A was using the Red Guard to subdue Wu Yange then manipulate him into doing her bidding but when plan A came crashing down like an avalanche, plan B had to implement. Plan B was lying through her teeth and claim she knew nothing. "Wu wu wu, My prodigal son has finally come home to me. Ah-Yange, come closer and let me take a look at you," she said with crocodile tears and faked a smile. Wu Yange couldn't believe his mother would be this shameless and use such a revolting method. He could literally feel his lunch coming back up his oesophagus, being called Ah-Yange by his mother actually made him feel nauseous.

He barely had any good memories with his mother, he could only count the good times with five fingers but even five fingers would be a stretch. Growing up he was either ignored by his mother or scolded that's all he remembered. When he was young, he would burn things by accident as he barely had any control of his power and had burnt small things like books or silk curtains. This woman's reaction was not that of an understanding mother, she beat him a couple of times as though beating him would help him gain control. He cried the first time but never shed a tear again with a stiff face motivating his mother to add more force hoping he would eventually cry.

This led to Wu Yange challenging her authority on a daily basis angering her to death while gaining power in his name. The last straw was when Wu Yange was eight suffering from a fatal fever. His mother dismissed the nanny's concern saying that her son was gifted he can't fall sick. To her, Wu Yange was just pretending because she had gifted his twin with her family heirloom jade pendant that belonged to her father. That's to say Wu Yange suffered in bed while his twin knelt beside him watching over him. In his delirious sleep, Wu Yange produced flames that spread on the bed he was sleeping in spreading to the rest of the room. His twin brother panicked fearing his brother would burn himself to death, he helplessly used a blanket to fend off the flames calling out to him.

The nanny finally saw the smoke coming from the room and called for help but Wu Qingsong, Wu Yange's twin had inhaled a lot of smoke and was unconscious for three days. Empress Tao was angry at the possibility that Wu Qingsong could have died so she beat Wu Yange black and blue even though he was still unwell. When he recovered from his illness and the injuries from the beating, Wu Yange walked out on foot and went to live with the emperor.

That created a huge crack in their relationship but what finally formed a huge rift was when Wu Qingsong left their mother's palace at the age of ten and went after Wu Yange so they could live together. No matter how mother spoke ill of Wu Yange, Wu Qingsong loved his twin and wanted to stay with him. Wu Qingsong choosing Wu Yange over her killed her inside and now her beloved son was dead and she blamed him.

"Where is he?" he repeated himself firing a fireball at the side table next to her. Empress Tao was terrified but didn't show it and stood her ground with a stiff smile.

"I don't know to whom you are referring to but we do have a matter we need to discuss. As you can see retired Prime Minister, Zhao Huang is here and their house was burnt down by you. As the royal family, we can't go on bullying people without consequences so you need to pay reparations for their losses. We have agreed on settling it with a dowry for Zhao Lee and plan on setting a date," she spoke with a slight tremble in her voice while thinking, 'This is bull crap, he obviously would never agree but I have to appease this old fart.'

"That's right Your Highness, we are willing to put the past behind us. Its water under the bridge and we can start afresh as a new family," spoke Zhao Huang in a mouse voice hoping to convince Wu Yange.

Wu Yange sighed with a dancing flame in his hand gazing at them with a gloomy cold stare, "Aish, tsk, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but you are such a pain in the arse. It seems you didn't understand my speech when we last spoke so now I have to resort to other methods. Hopefully this time you will understand me clearly," replied Wu Yange firing a blazing fireball right by Zhao Huang's feet, "Oh I am sorry, I missed. I meant to fire at Zhao Lee." Wu Yange pointed at the maiden currently rooted to the ground in fright,

"Stop Your Highness, we understand. We understand and won't mention this ever again please not my daughter," begged Zhao Huang in tears while banging his head on the ground.

"Her Majesty raised such a malevolent son who threatens the weak who can't fight back. Who would want such a man in their family?" yelled madam Zhao helping her husband up.

"Watch it!" yelled the empress addressing madam Zhao in a threatening tone as it was reflecting badly on her image.