Flowers Bloom from Battlefield

Around 8 years before

Lan Peng, Lan Gao Ya's father, was meeting with Lan Teng to discuss something important. "Lan Teng, there is some important things happened."

"What is it? Don't tell me that Lan Pan is making trouble again?" Lan Teng frowned. He had grounded that problematic boy in that residence and made sure that the man didn't go from there.

Lan Peng stared deeply. "The information that I have been collecting is about the emperor. You must not shout your mouth off to him."

"What do you want?"

"I know that you have been trying to get close with him for some time, but it doesn't really matter. The way the emperor doing things, they are too extreme," Lan Peng answered.

Lan Teng felt cold sweat on his back. The information agency of Lan family was always passed on the most suitable. He as a general was not chosen; instead, it was his quiet official brother. Lan Peng ability in collecting information had somehow made him worry.

"You shouldn't have investigated the emperor. Do you know the backside from it?" Lan Teng said icily.

Lan Peng sighed. "I didn't have any intention for that, but I'm investigating the Jun family and the few incidents in the palace. Those women in the harem sure are cunning."

"What do you mean?"

"The one who died because of poison and the one sent to the cold palace, there are stories behind it," Lan Peng answered. "But I haven't completed the investigation required, so I don't know for sure. As for Jun family, does the emperor wishes for them to disappear? The soldiers won't be happy if they know the truth behind what happened to their leader."

Lan Teng felt his body grow cold. The leader of Jun family has always been opposing the Lan family. He didn't want to be overshadowed by them. Secretly, he made some fake news to the emperor and let him believe about the Jun family want to revolt.

Even though the Jun Family did not agree to the emperor and showcased their disagreement rather openly, they won't be so daring to the point of revolting. It was why he played some tricks behind them and let the emperor became their enemy.

"They don't need to know."

Lan Peng stared at Lan Teng. "Don't lie, I know that you're the one behind it. Do you know that the power of Jun family is important for Ming Kingdom? Do you wish for fall of Ming Kingdom?"

"Careful with your words, brother!"

Lan Peng stared back at his brother. "For now, I will only give you warning. If you don't change, I will expose to the world what you have done in the back."

Lan Teng looked at his brother back, feeling extremely enraged. How could he possibly know what happened in the military? Didn't he only spend his time here?

With ruthlessness on his eyes, Lan Teng knocked the wall three times.

"Father, is there anything I can do?" Lan Ping asked with cautious voice. He was hiding behind the door all this time and he could hear everything clearly.

"Call Lan Pan, I will tell the emperor what happened today," Lan Teng said calmly. Only dead people could keep the secret save.

With him being a military commander, it was not hard to order his soldier to attack his brother and destroy the place. His brother was only a scholar, so he didn't worry about the other party ability to fight back.

Inside his study, Lan Peng could hear the sound of his servants screaming out of fear. He sat down on his study with a calm face as if it was just an ordinary day.

When Lan Teng came into his room with a sword on his hand, Lan Peng didn't bother looking towards the other party. He opened his mouth. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You don't know anything," Lan Teng said slowly.

Lan Peng sighed. "Indeed, I don't know anything about you. I never know that you're the kind of person who's ready to sacrifice your own family to achieve your goal."

"Don't talk as if you're any better!"

Lan Peng stood up slowly and looked straight towards the other party eyes. Lan Teng was his brother, but at the same times, the person who wished to kill him.

He pointed towards the sword. "You're not going to use Lan Pan and decide to do it yourself?"

"I don't need him just to kill someone as weak as you."

"Didn't you raise him as killing machine because you don't want to dirty your hand?"

"Like I say, don't say as if you know me," Lan Teng eyes glinted.

Lan Peng shook his head. It was always the greed for power that blinded people, so much that the other party decided something like this. However, he didn't want to fight back. His lips curled up to make a wry smile.

"Power is not everything, but if you're not strong enough, you're just going to be a pawn."

Lan Teng clenched his sword harder. "Any last wish?"

"I just hope you can spare my daughter," Lan Peng answered.

"I understand."

With that sentence, Lan Teng moved and killed his own brother. He looked towards the dead body in front of him for a while before walking out. He would never let his feeling affected his judgment.

After Lan Teng had gone out from the room, the door of the cupboard by the side opened. Because Lan Teng was preoccupied with his brother, he didn't manage to detect that a girl was hiding near them.

"Father…"

Lan Gao Ya looked towards her father with tears filled her face. Her father sentence before his wish was directed at her. Today she has lost everything.

"Father, I will be strong enough so that I could avenge you," Lan Gao Ya vowed.

Her hand was holding a necklace. Her father gave it to her right before Lan Teng came in. She clenched the necklace harder and ran outside the room, trying to find a safe place.

The moment she ran out of the door, she bumped with someone.

"Ow…"

When she looked up, she could see the face of her cousin. Her body shuddered in fear for she already heard a lot about the other party.

Lan Pan was staring at her with his usual cold face. He bent down and held the girl arm as the tears on the girl's face were pouring even harder.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you," when Lan Pan said that Lan Gao Ya eyes widened and in the next moment she felt pain on her back.

Lan Pan held the unconscious girl on his arm and brought her to the girl's room. "We're both just pawn."

He left her there and closed the door carefully.

After crushing the entire place, Lan Ping found Lan Gao Ya, and he brought her to his father.

"There is only one person here."

Lan Teng looked towards the girl. He remembered his promise to Lan Peng just now. "Just keep her alive. She is only a little girl."

"Yes father."