Wolf King And His Fox Consort [BL]

How had everything gotten so royally fucked up in the span of a week?

It was still hard for him to believe that one moment he had been glad the friendly games between Zui and the Xiongnu were finally coming to a close, and the next he was on the floor covered in Xiao Zai's blood.

And now Lieba Chun was imprisioned?

"Tell me-," he rubbed at his temples and took a sobering breath, "tell me exactly what happened while I was unconscious. Don't leave anything out."

---

Gu Wei was unflinching in his account.

Apparently, after both he and Xiao Zai lost consciousness right there in the middle of the game grounds, all hell broke loose, and the guards sprung into action, trying to detain everyone who as much as moved a finger.

The ministers didn't help, joining the cacophony with shouting orders and accusations. Most of those accusations had been levelled at Lieba Chun, who was an outsider, the Prince of foreigners, a nomadic barbarian. And of course the friendly competition, the games, and the feast, had all been a ruse to deliver a devastating blow to the hearth of Zui and its monarch.

Xiao Yuan tried to keep everyone calm and evacuate the premises orderly, but that apparently didn't happen because no one paid him any attention. Despite the role Xiao Zai had granted him, and his presence in recent councils and court sessions, it seemed no one was inclined to respect him without Xiao Zai there to enforce it.

So the guards did as the ministers told them and moved to arrest Lieba Chun. Who, according to Chu Hean, didn't put up a fight, and was worried for Xiao Zai's and Chu Yun's well-being all the way through being cruelly detained.

Chu Hean added at this point, his peach blossom eyed turned to Chu Yun, "I don't think he did it. Why would he?" His tone was almost pleading, and Chu Yun cursed him for not realising he was into Lieba Chun earlier and maybe saving them all from the current mess they were in.

He took a big sobering breath. It wasn't Chu Hean's fault -- not this time.

He couldn't have known something like this would happen. Besides, Chu Yun saw nothing wrong with the games either. He wanted an alliance with the Xiongnu -- it would strengthen Zui's position. They needed allies. Su's movements were still inscrutable, and who knew what his uncle was planning after he had ruined his plans for a lucrative, one-sided alliance?

Chu Yun had to think rationally here. It wasn't time to point any fingers, not before he had the full picture.

He gestured at Gu Wei to go on.

After Lieba Chun's arrest, Xiao Yuan tried to wrest the court into some order, to little avail. He enlisted the Queen Dowager's help, and while she tried to stand by him, it became apparent that the ministers had only respected her to begin with because of Xian An's obvious deference towards her, and because they saw her as the more rational alternative to Xiao An's ravings.

With him dead, they no longer bothered keeping up appearances outside of some empty lip service.

Chu Yun frowned. "So the ministers have had the run of the court?"

Gu Wei nodded tensely. "Some of them. There is a definite contingent who seems to have wrested power into their own hands."

"I want a list with the names of every minister who is part of this contingent," Chu Yun said, looking on at Xiao Zai's face pale face, his fingers tightening on the cream silk sheet over his chest. "I also want to know the names of any ministers who opposed them, or remained loyal to Xiao Yuan and the Queen Dowager."

Gu Wei nodded, and then asked, "What are you thinking?"

Chu Yun was honest. "I'm thinking this has been a long time coming. I'm thinking that some ministers have been displeased with the way Xiao Zai wanted to rule and were just looking for an opportunity to get rid of him."

His mouth set into a tight line. Part of that was his fault. Xiao Zai had complained (often and at length), about how unwieldy the ministers were, how much he had to struggle to get them to condescend to do what he wanted.

Chu Yun had thought it best not to rock the boat this soon after his ascension, to avoid stepping on any toes until their child was born and they had an heir.

Obviously the ministers had thought along the same lines. They too had wanted to act before the child was born.

It was complacent of him to focus so much on external threats, and securing external alliances, while discarding internal dangers. There was much Chu Yun still needed to learn.

The court was more deceptive than any battlefield.

He got up from the chair with a grimace, and lowered himself over Xiao Zai's still form to kiss his lips.

He was going to do what he said and fix this mess. He owed it to Xiao Zai, and to himself.

---

Moments later and armed with a list of names detailing friends and foes, Chu Yun walked into the throne room, which had been turned into a makeshift crisis centre.

Gu Wei accompanied him, while Chu Hean remained behind.

All noise ceased the moment the doors opened to admit him.

Xiao Yuan who looked like he had been struggling for his life up on the dais, clung to the back of the throne with a relieved sigh, looking as if his knees could buckle at any moment. "His Royal Highness..."

Several of the ministers looked at him as if they didn't expect to see him standing, let alone there.

Chu Yun smiled at them and their hasty bows and made his way towards the dais.

"His Royal Highness should rest, perhaps-," one Minister started, exchanging a look with the woman standing by his side.

Chu Yun lifted one hand to silence him. "I've rested enough." He climbed the stairs and took a seat on Xiao Zai's throne unassisted, despite how much it cost him.

"I'm here to to fulfil my duties as regent, and to get to the bottom of the vicious and cowardly attack on his Majesty's life."