《Circ.u.mventing Fate》


 Chapter 1 - Im Alive?!

    YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!

    "Come Back!!!"

    "Help!!"

    "HELP!! Please HELP!!!...."

    Shit!!!

    I knew it! I felt it!

    I had a weird feeling, I should have followed my instincts...

    I shouldn''t have come!

    Why don''t I ever listen to it...

    hah, hah...I can''t struggle anymore....no one can hear me...

    This wasn''t supposed to happen...this was supposed to be a new beginning...this was supposed to be fun...

    I''m sinking...I can''t breathe....I can''t believe I''m going to die like this...

    Buried beneath the dark waves of the ocean...

    Shit!!...haah, oh well....

    ****

    "Miss, you''re awake!!"

    "Xing er'' are you okay?"

    "Xing er'' you are finally awake, mother was so worried about you..."

    "...You''ve had us so worried, it''s okay now that you''re awake..."

    Her eyes fluttered and it seemed she was struggling to stay awake as she scanned the room, her eyes widened and then her eyes rolled and they were shut again.

    "Xing er''!! Xing er'' are you okay? Summon the doctor quick!!..."

    ***

    ...I''m alive? I''m breathing...my eyes feel so heavy...someone must have heard me, Thank goodness! I really thought I was going to die....

    ...I can''t open my eyes and I can''t feel my body... maybe I''m really...DEAD? No way, hahaha I can feel myself breathing...I think...

    ...but what if?!...

    ...Then is this some sort of purgatory? hell? punishment? hahaha I know I wasn''t particularly religious or anything but I wasn''t that bad, right? Yeah, I was a pretty good person...

    ...Yeah, I was...okay, maybe decent....well, at the very least I wasn''t horrible, okay?!!

    ...Oh Shit! Is this LIMBO?!!

    ...an eternity in Limbo?!! Oh Shit!! Oh Shit!!...

    ...Oh well, at least I have good company...

    ....That''s not the point!! Even I would go crazy spending an eternity talking to myself...

    ...well, there''s nothing I can do about it anyway...

    ....haah, I guess...

    ...I hear footsteps, a door opening? ...

    "How come she still isn''t waking up? It''s been two days already..."

    "She should be waking up soon, the accident just left her fatigued...she is just recovering, there is no need to be worried, Madam."

    "I hope so...thank you doctor, here''s the money..."

    "Thank you Madam, if there''s nothing else, this servant will take his leave."

    "hm, go well."

    The doctor quietly exited the room, the woman slowly approached the bed where a young girl was laid seemingly sleeping soundly, at her side sitting on the floor her staring intently on at the sleeping figure was a younger girl.

    "Xiao Ting you should go get some rest, I will keep her company."

    "Mother...No, it''s my fault jiejie is like this...if I wasn''t being too playful...I have to see her wake up and apologize."

    "It was an accident, no one faults you, and I am sure your sister doesn''t blame you either."

    "jiejie..."

    ...it seems someone must be watching a drama or something...if there''s TV then I''m definitely alive!! what a relief hahahahaha...didn''t think I loved life so much...

    "Now you go get some rest, you have been watching her since you woke...you need to rest as well, it''s not good for your body."

    "but..." Xiao Ting protested.

    "That''s enough, your sister would not be pleased to wake up and see you looking so haggard." The woman said as she held the Xiao Ting''s arm and pulled her up and ushered her in the direction of the door.

    "Go rest up...Ah Jin take Xiao Ting to her room."

    "Yes, Madame." A maid walked forward from the edge of the room and held Xiao Ting''s arm and led her out the door.

    The woman sat down on the bed and looked at the sleeping girl with a worried expression and then reached out and touched the sleeping girl''s cheek.

    Someone''s touching my face...this is weird...not even my parents would do that...either way, they''re not even here to...Oy, pervert, move that hand -__-)''

    "Xing er'', mother''s so glad that you are warm now...I was so scared when I felt how cold you were...I thought you were dead...Thank Heavens!"

    ...Caressing now? -__-)''...hah, I guess I should just be grateful I was saved? hm I don''t know, there are worse things than being dead....what if I was picked up by a human trafficker?! I could be sold as a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e, tortured, used for experiments or something worse!!...but a trafficker that softly caresses their victims face? I don''t think so, it doesn''t really fit the occupation....maybe it''s a weird fetish...oh, that''s creepy....

    ...I wanna go home! I have to wake up...come on eyes, OPEN!!!...

    Her eyes flew open and she saw a woman''s crying face, the woman seemed to be in her late 30s dressed in those ancient china garments from dramas, she was quite beautiful and her eyes were wide open in shock staring at the now awake young girl on the bed.

    ...Who the hell is this? hmm, not what I expected...

    "Xing er'' you''re awake?" The woman chimed as she came out of her daze, "Does it hurt anywhere? How do you feel?"

    "Fine, I guess, just a little tired." The young girl replied looking at the woman with suspicious eyes. She attempted to drag her now aching body up but could barely move and only managed to move her and looked around assessing her surroundings. The room looked like one of those Chinese drama set rooms, wooden and beautifully decorated with vases, exquisite curtains and was quite a big space. The bed also seems to be wooden with a quilt on it.

    ...Hmm...must be the set for a movie...but why would a patient, me, be in here? more specifically, why would you have an ancient china set in the middle of the high seas on a ship? seems stupid...

    ....Or maybe I got picked up by some weird people with too much money and such a great obsession with ancient China that they modeled all their rooms in their ship like this...and even have people dress like this too...must be nice...

    "Thank you for saving me, where are we?"

    The woman looked at the young girl quizzically, then in shock.

    "Xing er'' you are home, of course! This is your room...you...you don''t recognize it?"

    The young girl blankly stared at the woman.

    ...cosplaying?...

    "...home? Um...um, home? hahahahahaha....this is fun and all? but could you drop me off at your next port or something...or actually, could I just use your phone?"

    "Xing er'' what are you rambling on about?" The woman was confused, "I think it is best to summon the doctor to check on you...someone call the doctor, quick!"

    "Yes, Madam." Someone answered from the outside the door and a few people dressed as ancient maids came running in.

    "Go call the Lord, tell him Xing er'' is awake but...just tell him that for now." One the maids bobbed her head and went running out the room.

    "Xing er'' don''t worry everything will be fine...you are fine now, mother will be here with you." The woman said as tears fell from her eyes and stared at the girl on the bed with worry and picked up her hand and held them with hers as if to reassure the girl, even though she was the one trembling.

    The young girl on the bed just stared blankly at the woman.

    ...No way! No way! This has to be a dream...it couldn''t be...I transmigrated?!...

    ...YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!...

 Chapter 2 - Incompetent Glee

    In a pavilion situated in a beautifully arranged garden with various beautiful flowers arranged in the Lei manor, a young girl stood dressed in simple white robes with her hair tied loosely behind her. She was facing the little pond, dropping some bits of a bun into the pond and absently watching the fish inside scrambling for the food. After the bun was finished and fish vanished from the surface of the pond, she sighed and looked at the clear blue sky.

    ....It''s been about a week since I died and came here...I''m not even sure where "here" is, it seems to be ancient China, as to where exactly I have no clue...I suck at history, my knowledge base is limited to dramas and novels and little bits and pieces I researched on when something from those piqued my interest...but I definitely didn''t bother to retain the knowledge so....

    ...I apparently transmigrated into the body of the defense minister''s 17-year-old daughter, that''s not too bad I guess...at least I didn''t end up in some beggar on the street, I wouldn''t be able to fend for myself at all if that happened...There''s a mother, a brother name Lei Yong, who I think is 22 who is a general in the army and a 14-year-old little sister called Lei XiaoTing, she is quite adorable and honestly a little annoying, she''s a crybaby...I never had a little sister or a sister at all, can''t say I wanted one but I guess it is a new experience...They seem to be a very loving family and I feel somewhat awkward with it all, I guess that''s to be expected as I''m not great with overly familiar strangers...

    ..weirdly enough she also had the same name as me, well I guess the name isn''t exactly unique, but what are the odds though...maybe this is some sort of an alternate reality or parallel world...no can''t be, as she doesn''t look like me, and the family members are different people as well so it''s not...

    ...Other than the time when I woke up I didn''t mention anything about my past life or give away anything that could hint I wasn''t their daughter...there''s no point of causing them misery and me trouble so I explained that I was muddled-headed when I woke up and so could not differentiate dream from reality and that it seems I hit my head so I have forgotten some things...they easily bought that explanation, and conveniently attributed any changes in behavior to the "near-death" experience and memory loss, making my life easier...

    ...for most of the time, I silently observed the people around me to get an idea of the relationsh.i.p.s they had to me to get an idea of how I should respond so to them, I didn''t try to mimic the former miss, not that I could anyway, never knew her, I just responded appropriately to them, I''ve always been especially good at conversing with people and have always known the right words to say to continue conversations when I was in the mood to anyway...for the most part, I always tend to keep to myself and was never one to seek the company or friendsh.i.p.s of others as I often get tired of dealing with people... and I''m bad at keeping up pretenses, more like I hate it actually...

    "jiejie!" XiaoTing screamed as she tapped Lei Xing''s shoulder.

    "What are you screaming for? my ears are highly functional, you know." Lei Xing said a bit irritated as she massaged her ear.

    "I have been calling you for a while, but you weren''t responding...I thought something was wrong...sorry, I didn''t..." Lei Ting murmured under her breath apologetically with tears starting to gather in her eyes

    "It''s okay, it''s okay. I''m still alive." Hearing this XiaoTing immediately brightened up and smiled and hugged Lei Ting''s arm.

    ...Don''t you think you recovered too fast? She reminds me of my younger brother''s deviousness when he was a child...I wonder how he is? do they know I''m dead? they probably will not find my body...the crew might notice my stuff when they reach my destination, there were about 2 months left...so they won''t know for two months...

    "Jiejie, so what do you think?"

    "Huh? About what?"

    "About becoming empress?"

    "Why would I care about that?"

    "You don''t? But didn''t you like the emperor? The emperor is handsome, brave, loyal and brilliant and there is no one better than him." XiaoTing''s eyes gleamed as she praised the emperor.

    ....haah, a classic idiot wanting to jump into troubled waters...

    "It seems that you are the one who likes him..." Lei Xing said with a smirk, watching the array of emotions flick across XiaoTing''s face was an entertaining sight. She went from starry-eyed to shock then embarrassment and finally an aggrieved expression with tears ready to spill.

    ...Tears again? -_-)...

    "Jiejie, don''t make fun of me, how can you and I share the same husband?" XiaoTing said with a pout.

    "It''s okay, the emperor is to be shared with many." Lei Xing said with a delighted smile on her face. Teasing this younger sister was one of the only things she enjoyed lately.

    "...even then...it''s not right...I...I...I" XiaoTing confused, stuttered trying to think of what to say.

    "It''s okay, I''m just playing with you...You can have him, I''m not interested."

    "Ah? but you already on the selected list of candidates for concubines...Jiejie will definitely get selected, how can you say you are not interested?"

    Lei Xing''s eyes widened in shock.

    ....What? Since when? No, No...the palace is the worst place to be in ancient stories, I am not interested in dealing with scheming women or vying for some asshole''s attention...I''M NOT GOING!!....

    "What do you mean?!"

    "Ah, jiejie you must have forgotten, the competition begins in a few days."

    "Competition?"

    "Yes for the concubine selection."

    "I''ve never heard of it being a competition before..."

    ....I don''t think I''ve seen that anywhere before...wasn''t the main point of concubines political connections... if it''s competition based how can they ensure the intended targets win...it''s probably rigged anyway and is just a show...

    ...I really have to get out of this, as the defense minister''s daughter as long as I show up I will definitely be chosen because of my family...maybe I should fake an illness on that day, but considering how worried this family gets they could summon an imperial physician and I''m not sure if I could fool them...and because of this concubine thing, the royal family may be notified, if it is somehow discovered that I faked an illness, it could be paramount to lying to the royalty, which I know from my vast experience of dramas and novels is a crime that requires my severed head...so...I couldn''t exactly ask this family to cooperate with me on the "illness" because of the reasons I just mentioned...so...

    ...maybe I should run away, but where do I go? The world out there is a dangerous place and even more dangerous during this time period, especially for a woman. I know nowhere outside the walls of this compound even if I could gather money and valuables from the house to pawn to finance my escape...but what about life after the escape? How do I live? I don''t even know how to start a fire to keep myself warm and journeying from city to city will take days...frankly I lack the idiot''s courage necessary to run away...so...

    "XiaoTing ah, since you like the emperor so much, jiejie is willing to give you her position to help you fulfill your dream as a good elder sister..." Lei Xing held XiaoTing''s hand lovingly as she smiled at her sweetly.

    "Ah?! Jiejie but I am not old enough to marry, plus jiejie has to marry first before me." XiaoTing explained with a panicked expression.

    ...ah, that''s right, she''s just 14...what was I thinking? Even if I want to save myself, how can I attempt to throw her under the bus, she will get torn to pieces in the palace. I''m not a saint though, and I never try to be one either...who knows she could grow from it and emerge as a scheming viper as well...haah, forget it, can''t do it anyway...

    Lei Xing frowned and turned and walked away from the pavilion with determination, with Xiao Ting running after her.

    "Jiejie, are you okay? where are you going?" XiaoTing asked as walked beside Lei Xing.

    "To speak to father..."

    "Jiejie, are you serious about not wanting to enter the palace?"

    "Do I seem like I am joking?"

    "Jiejie, wait, let''s talk about it a bit..." XiaoTing grabbed Lei Xing''s arm stopping her movement. Lei Xing released an irritated breath and stared blankly at XiaoTing showing her irritation about being interrupted. "Jiejie, even if you ask father, there''s nothing he can do. The candidates have already been approved by the empress dowager...there''s really nothing anyone can do now...."

    Lei Xing frowned, debating her words.

    ...it makes sense, but...is there really nothing?...wait...

    "That''s right, you mentioned a competition, right?" Lei Xing asked.

    "Yes, the competition was the dowager''s idea to test the personal qualifications of the candidates rather than choosing them based on their status to ensure a more peaceful harem for the emperor...at least that''s what I heard"

    "Then I could just fail then." Lei Xing moved closer to XiaoTing and whispered in her ear, "is there any chance father would bribe the examiners to get into the harem?"

    "No way! Father hates bribery more than anything...he would never!" XiaoTing said firmly, "also even if he wanted to, he couldn''t. The dowager and the emperor are personally deciding on the result and the competition is to be carried out in front of the other officials, plus the dowager and the emperor don''t know any of the faces of the noble young ladies so there is nothing but fairness."

    Lei Xing brightened suddenly feeling relaxed and turned to walk back to the pavilion.

    ...I should really thank the dowager, she must been very bored and wanted to mess with the officials to do this...I''m sure the high ranking officials were against this, but she definitely gained the support of lower officials who otherwise may not have had the chance...

    "Jiejie, you can''t seriously be planning to fail, are you?" XiaoTing asked as she followed behind Lei Xing.

    "That is the only way."

    "Jiejie, you can''t do that!"

    "Can''t do this, can''t do that...what''s the problem now?"

    "Jiejie, if you don''t give it your best and intentionally fail then you could be accused of ridiculing the royal family and the whole family could lose our lives!" XiaoTing pulled Lei Xing and looked at her with eyes wet with tears.

    ...Is this girl a fountain? She would do well in the acting business, crying on demand is truly a skill...

    "Don''t worry, I''m not stupid, I won''t make it obvious...don''t worry, trust me..." Lei Xing smiled at her and pat her shoulder.

    "Jiejie..." XiaoTing whimpered.

    "Now tell me about this competition, what is it based on?" Lei Xing asked as she pulled XiaoTing to sit at a table nearby.

    "The competition is based on three sections; musical, embroidery and literary skills."

    ....hahahahaha, guess I won''t have to try hard to fail or try at all really...I automatically fail 2 out of the 3 tests...I have never embroidered anything in my life, I mean I have sewn little splits on a skirt badly back together, but I doubt that qualifies as embroidery....musical skill? The only instrument I can play is the recorder, which I learned in elementary school, I remember zero from that experience....The literary skill test I could pass as long as it is freestyle, I used to write poetry while I was in high school, it was the only thing I could do then - it was useless though and I tried so hard too...anyway, as long as I am not expected to regurgitate anything then I could probably dig up the long-buried poet in me to pass...

    ...Either way, it seems I am bound for failure, hahahahaha I have never been pleased to be so incompetent before....

 Chapter 3 - Wake Up Call

    "Jiejie, jiejie."

    "Jiejie~, jiejie~, wake up!" Xiao Ting was currently in Lei Xing''s room trying to get her to wake up and was getting no response.

    "Jiejie, jiejie wake up...it''s almost noon, let''s go out to have fun, aren''t you bored? you haven''t gone anywhere in the past few weeks..." Xiao Ting was now shaking Lei Xing''s arm, Lei Xing frowned.

    ...Shit!...since this is a new life, couldn''t they have skipped out on the annoying younger sibling who disturbs my peace?... -_-)''

    "Fine, I''m awake! What do you want?" Lei Xing sat up and shrugged Xiao Ting''s hands off and leaned back on the headboard and looked at Xiao Ting with irritation.

    "Ah...I just...I wanted to go out to have some fun with jiejie...since you''ll be entering the palace tomorrow for the concubine selection...we won''t get a chance to in the future...."

    "Don''t worry there''ll definitely be a chance in the future." Lei Xing said as she started to snuggle back into bed. Xiao Ting reached out and grabbed Lei Xing''s arm to stop her.

    "Jiejie you''ll definitely be..."

    "Definitely be sure to fail." Lei Xing cut her off and then sighed and continued patting Xiao Ting''s head, "now you go get some sleep okay? we''ll go play tomorrow"...then she brushed off her hands and snuggled back into bed, covering herself with the blanket and smiling blissfully.

    "but jiejie you are entering the palace tomorrow..." Xiao Ting said dejectedly.

    "Then we''ll go the day after..." Lei Xing said dismissively.

    "...but...but you''ll be living in the palace, I don''t think you will be allowed to come out to play...."

    "I told you I have an assured failure, so don''t worry I''ll be back tomorrow..." Lei Xing said groggily.

    "...but even then, the competition is a week long, so you''ll have to stay in the palace for at least a week..."

    "What?!" Lei Xing said in a shocked voice as she sat up and looked at Xiao Ting with a confused expression, "Since when?"

    "Ah, didn''t I tell you?" Xiao Ting looked at Lei Xing mirroring her confused expression.

    "No! You didn''t... I''m sure I would have remembered...I''m not ready...I didn''t prepare anything." Lei Xing said as she quickly got up from the bed and walked towards the door, stopped then massaged her forehead with a hand. Then called out, "Ah Jin."

    Ah Jin, Lei Xing''s personal maid, a young girl with a cute two bun hairstyle which made her look even younger opened the doors and walked in, "Miss, you''re awake."

    "Oh, ready a bath please, we''re going out."

    "Okay, would you like to eat lunch first?"

    "No, I don''t think I can eat right now...just the bath, hurry please...." Ah Jin nodded and quickly left the room, Lei Xing walked over to the table, poured some water and threw her head back to drink it, then poured another, and another, then she put her elbows on the table and used her hands to massage her forehead. Xiao Ting was confused as she watched her sister behaving weirdly, she walked up to her and sat across the table from her.

    "Jiejie, I thought we weren''t interested in being a concubine, what do you have to prepare for?" Xiao Ting asked confused.

    "for survival." Lei Xing replied in a tired low voice.

    "Survival? from what?" Xiao Ting looked at Lei Xing wide-eyed.

    Lei Xing looked at Xiao Ting''s innocent face, "The naive cannot understand."

    Xiao Ting raised her eyebrows, she was even more confused, Lei Xing sighed, stretched her arms up as she yawned and said, "Don''t worry about it, either way, it''d be nice to go out and see what the world has to offer."

    "You''re going out?!" Xiao Ting asked with a big smile.

    "Yes to your obvious delight." Lei Xing said with a small smile.

    "Great! I''ll go get everything ready...Jiejie should just get dressed and come out."

    "Oh."

    Xiao Ting beamed another smile at Lei Xing and skipped out of the room. Lei Xing leaned back in her seat, with one arm on the table with her fingers drumming lightly on it, she was in deep in her thoughts, debating her incoming battle.

    ***

    Right now, Xiao Ting was dragging Lei XIng through many boutique stalls and shops. They had taken a carriage from the residence to the shopping district and were currently roaming from stall to shop, with Ah Jin and Ah Cai, Xiao Ting''s personal maid, and a couple of guards following behind.

    "Is this your idea of fun?" Lei Xing said tired of running around, she was never someone who enjoyed shopping, especially pointless shopping like this, where you run into every store in sight without a purpose in mind other than "checking it out".

    "Jieijie you are not having fun? You used to enjoy this..."

    "Let''s just say I have achieved enlightenment, this is tiring, you go through every item in the store and you don''t even buy anything, where is the fun in that? Aren''t you tired?"

    "...but it''s fun seeing the new things..." Xiao Ting said gloomily.

    "Okay, whatever, to each their own." Lei Xing said rolling her eyes

    "Jiejie, you said you need to prepare something, don''t you need to buy anything? Where do you want to go? I''ll accompany you!" Xiao Ting said as she grabbed Lei Xing''s hand and smiling brightly.

    "Oh, a pharmacy."

    "Pharmacy?"

    "Yes, I haven''t seen any so far...." Lei Xing said looking around at the shops.

    "What do you need to buy? Are you unwell? Xiao Ting asked worriedly.

    "No, I just need some stuff."

    "Oh, there should be one around here. Ah Jin, Ah Cai do you know where there''s a pharmacy."

    "There''s doctor Luo''s shop on the next street." Ah Jin replied pointing towards the right street bend ahead. "Although, I''m not sure if he''ll have what Miss is looking for..."

    "We can still try, I really just need to ask some questions. Thank you, let''s head there." Lei Xing answered and they all made their way towards that direction, as they turned the corner onto the street, they saw a crowd gathering ahead of them.

    "What''s going on?" Xiao Ting whispered as she raced forward, Lei Xing and the others also picked up their pace to catch up with her.

    As Xiao Ting got to the crowded area, she saw that it was a burly man whipping a whimpering woman, shouting, "You Stupid Slave! You dare to bite me! Forget selling you, with you like this you will only bring me trouble, I will just send you to your grave today."

    Xiao Ting wanted to race forward to stop him, when her arm was grabbed, she turned and she saw her sister holding her back, "Jiejie..."

    "You should not be so impulsive...what is your plan after rushing out?" The man kept whipping the girl and she kept crying...

    ...So slavery is a thing here...how annoying...

    "Isn''t it best not to damage your own merchandise." Lei Xing said in a cool voice.

    The man stopped whipping and scanned the crowd, roaring, "Who are you to teach me how to treat my own property?!"

    "A prospective buyer." Lei Xing stepped forward, the crowd of onlookers and the man looked towards her, "It''s not too good for me to spend money to buy, but still have to go home and spend more money again to heal them, right?" Lei Xing said with a small smile as she walked forward and stood in front of the crowd.

    The man was still in shock that such a young girl dared to speak up in this situation, and was processing how to respond, he could tell from her clothing and demeanor that she was clearly a noble and it wouldn''t do him any good to antagonize her, plus she said she was a buyer too but for her to interrupt his punishment in front of a crowd like this is... Lei Xing could see his internal struggle and before he could come to a conclusion, she spoke up first, "You have a good stock...quite a variety too." She said as she scanned the people in the cart, there were about twenty of them, men and women of different ages crammed into a small cart.

    Hearing her words, the man''s face immediately lit up and he forgot the crying girl in the corner and began to boast, "Ah, you have good eyes, even if I look like this, my eye for quality is very good, you will not be disappointed they can work very hard for you." he said smiling towards Lei Xing.

    "Hmm...but they are all so thin, how can they work when they are like this?" Lei Xing said as she put a hand on her chin and looked at the group.

    "Ah, Miss they can work, they can work, I guarantee!" The man assured.

    Lei Xing laughed, "How can I be assured with just your words, which businessman would not say their own merchandise is the best."

    The man was at a loss for words and frowned, "This..."

    "How many do you have?"

    "Twenty-seven."

    The crowd seeing that the show was over and that the rest was just a normal transaction started to disperse.

    "How much for one person?"

    "Ah? Ah it depends on which one you want..." Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly continued, "Ah, for example, if you want to take this one, it would be 100 copper coins." He said pointing at the most sturdy man in the group.

    "Okay, how about this one?" Lei Xing asked pointing to the girl on the ground, who was about the smallest in the group.

    The man scoffed, kicked the girl and said, "This one is a trouble maker, but if you''ll take her, I can give her to you for 20 copper coins."

    "Okay, how about this? I''ll take all of them for 50 coins each since there are twenty-seven of them, how about I just give you 13 silver taels then." Lei Xing said with a smile

    The one thing, Lei Xing made sure to study on after arriving here was money, calculating money has always been one of her best past times, calculating her weekly pay, monthly pay, yearly pay was something she always enjoyed and did very often, even though she already knew the result, calculating it was always a fin process for her. So when she transmigrated after getting over her initial shock and accepting her new life, one of the first things she did was understanding money; 100 coins = 1 silver tael, 10 silver taels = 1 gold tael.

    "This..." The man wanted to protest.

    Lei Xing cut him off, "What are you thinking of? It is a profit for you! I am being extremely generous or are you not interested..." Lei Xing raised her eyebrow at him, her smile was gone.

    The man looked at her and opened his mouth but before he could say anything Lei Xing cut him off.

    "Fine then..." Lei Xing turned around started to walk away.

    "Wait, wait! I''ll sell...thank you, Miss, for your business." The man smiled as Lei Xing stopped turned around.

    "Okay" Lei Xing motioned for her sister and the others to come forward. "Ah JIn, you take this gentleman along with one of the guards back to the manor and have them give him 13 taels. After they enter the manor, keep them together and get guards to watch them vigilantly until I return, none of them must be missing, okay?" Ah Jin nodded and Lei Xing continued, "Also make they are given enough food and water and make sure to oversee everything..." Lei Xing smiled, she was confident in Ah Jin''s ability, over the past couple weeks she had proven to be very responsible.

    Lei Xing faced the man, smiled and said, "Go with her to my manor to deliver them and collect your money."

    The man bowed, "Thank you miss for your business."

    Lei Xing watched them depart, then grabbed Xiao Ting who had been in a daze watching her sister the entire time, "Jiejie, you have changed..." she as she looked at Lei Xing starry-eyed.

    "haha...is that so?" Lei Xing said laughing nervously.

    "Yes, I love you." Xiao Ting said as she hugged Lei Xing, surprising her. Lei Xing tried to peel her off Xiao Ting''s arms as she blushed in embarrassment, she really wasn''t used to people gluing to her like this, especially in public, the stragglers from the crowd before and passerbys were smiling in their direction which made Lei Xing feel even more embarrassed.

    "Okay, Xiao Ting, let go...that''s enough."

    "Okay..." Xiao Ting let go, but held onto to Lei XIng''s hand and smiled at her. Lei Xing looked at their joined hands for a while, then sighed and started walking in the direction of the pharmacy with Xiao Ting holding onto her hand.

    Glossary:

    Jiejie = older sister.

 Chapter 4 - Annoying Interloper

    As they got closer to the pharmacy, Lei Xing suddenly stopped and looked at Xiao Ting and the others and then looked around, then walked towards a hairpin stall, dragging Xiao Ting with her. The moment they got to the stall the saleswoman perked up and beamed a bright smile at them, Lei Xing smiled back.

    "Xiao Ting, what do you think of these?"

    Xiao Ting looked at the selection, "hm, they are not bad."

    "Not bad? I think you haven''t really looked at them...so stay here and examine them closely, okay?" Lei Xing said as she pulled her hand free from Xiao Ting''s.

    "...but..."

    "You stay here and pick out something for me, I''ll just quickly go to the pharmacy quickly...pick something as a good luck token for tomorrow...here''s a hint, I like silver."

    "Okay! I''ll pick the most beautiful one" Xiao Ting said with a bright smile and looked closely at the selection of hairpins.

    "I put my trust in your excellent taste..." Lei Xing said with a laugh, then left Ah Cai and two of guards with Xiao Ting and took the remaining one with her. When she got to the front of the pharmacy, she told the guard to wait outside and entered on her own.

    She walked up to the reception desk, where a short stout old man was currently sleeping, snoring on the desk. She looked at him skeptically and cleared her throat to try to get his attention, all she got in response was a grunt and then resumed snoring.

    "Excuse me, hello?..." the old man continued snoring.

    "Oy, Oy, there''s a customer here...wake up!" Lei Xing said abruptly lightly hitting the table. The snoring old man jumped up and gaped at her, yawned, then scratched his head while looking around with a confused expression on his face...before squinting his eyes at Lei Xing...

    ...he must have thought he was at home in bed, I understand your pain T_T)...

    "Oh! a customer is here...?" The old man perked up, seemingly awake...

    "hahaha...you must not be very busy here." Lei Xing said with a hesitant nervous laugh...

    ...did I come to the wrong place?...

    "Nothing like that, it''s just most people are blind." The old man said puffing up his chest with a proud smile."

    ...okay, I''ll bite...it''s definitely not because you are incompetent...

    "Are you doctor Lou?"

    "Yes, I am the famous doctor Lou, my remedies are always efficient and effective cutting through your problems like water, you cannot go wrong coming here..." He said as he slashed an ''X'' with a hand.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows.

    ...water? water doesn''t cut through anything...At least not yet anyway -_-)''...

    "...So what I can get for you today? conception medicine? Oh, prevention medicine?..." the old man then leaned across the desk, and put one hand to cover one side of his mouth and whispered, "...abortion medicine?"

    Lei Xing looked stared blankly the doctor Lou, who was smiling expectantly at her, and seemed a little too keen at the prospect of her wanting abortion medicine.

    ...I''m definitely in the wrong place -_-)''...

    "Is your specialty pregnancy?" Lei Xing asked flatly.

    "No, but I am quite well known for my w.o.m.b''s touch." The old man smiled proudly, puffing up his plump cheeks.

    ...w.o.m.b''s touch? weird way to put it, but okay....

    "Good for you..." Lei Xing said flatly, showing her obvious disinterest in his ''w.o.m.b''s touch'' potency.

    Doctor Lou sat back and looked Lei Xing skeptically, Lei Xing noticed his scrutinizing gaze and boldly returned it, also scrutinizing him. They both accessed each other from top to bottom and then bottom to top, and it seemed they somehow got into some sort of staring contest, waiting for the other to break first.

    ...what am I doing? -_-)''...

    "Okay, you win..." Doctor Lou said with a pout.

    Lei Xing felt a bit embarrassed.

    ...win? I have never felt so childish in my life...

    "...so since you are not here for my w.o.m.b''s touch...what are you here for?" Doctor Lou said with a disgruntled tone.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow a bit amused.

    ...why does he sound like he''s sulking, Oy, you have a head and long beard full of white hair, so act like it!....

    Lei Xing kept her thoughts to herself and smiled at the old man, "Ah, I was wondering if you knew much about poisons?"

    Doctor Luo''s eyes lit up again and he perked up and asked, "Poison? You want to poison someone?" Then he leaned forward again and put his hand to cover one side of his mouth and whispered, "...is someone trying to poison you?"

    Lei Xing laughed and asked, "Why? Are you planning on making an arrest?"

    "What does a young miss like you want to do with poisons?" Came a gentle voice from behind Lei Xing. Lei Xing frowned at the interruption and turned to find the interloper. It was a young man, seemingly in his 20s, handsome refined features, wearing white robes lined with silver on the edges. His hair was tied loosely behind him and a small smile on his lips, he embodied the concept of the elegant refined scholar.

    ...Handsome or not, mind your own business -_-)...

    Lei Xing nodded her head towards him in greeting and then back to the doctor Lou and asked, "So are knowledgeable about them?"

    Before the doctor could answer, the ''refined scholar'' interrupted again, "So what do you need poisons for?"

    Lei Xing eyebrows creased.

    ...If your presence is ignored, can''t you get a clue you are not welcome? -_-)....

    "I don''t see how it concerns you." Lei Xing said flatly without even looking at him.

    "True it may not be my concern, but I am quite curious so do share."

    Lei Xing ignored him, "Doctor Lou, are you?"

    "I saw you earlier buying the slaves...I must say you handled that brilliantly, you have good bargaining skills."

    "Oh, okay." Lei Xing said with obvious disinterest.

    "How about you sell those slaves to me?"

    "Not for sale."

    "I''m sure you bought them out of compassion and don''t particularly need them, so why not sell them to me where they can be put to good work."

    ...Who the hell is this human?... -_-)''

    "Not for sale." Lei Xing was getting increasingly annoyed with this disruption.

    "I''ll pay you double what you paid, how about 30 taels of silver?"

    "I''m not selling!"

    "I''ll pay you 50 taels of silver."

    Lei Xing sighed and faced the man, giving him a blank stare and then asked, "DO I look like a slave trader or someone in need of money?" Before the man could respond, she continued, "No? then leave me alone. I''m sure there are several other slave traders in the city and I''m sure they would appreciate your offer."

    "How ab-"

    Lei Xing cut him off, facing doctor Luo, she said, "Doctor Lou, it seems you are busy right now, so I will take my leave for now."

    "Ah?" Doctor Luo was confused, he glanced at the other man, who currently seemed to be staring in shock at Lei Xing. Lei Xing already turned and was walking towards the door, when doctor Lou shouted after her, "Miss, make sure to come back...poisons are also my specialty, I can be considered the poison king...you can''t go wrong coming here, be sure to come back."

    Lei Xing had left the store, leaving the refined scholar and doctor Luo behind. Doctor Luo looked at the man skeptically and stretched his neck and then asked, "Oy, young master, are you buying anything or are you chasing after the flower? You''ve made me lose business, you should at least invest some money here..." The refined scholar shot doctor Lou a cold look, his smile was gone, leaving a face void of emotion and giving one a cold and unfeeling ice-block.

    Doctor Luo seeing his reaction, pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders and put his arms back on the table to use as a pillow and settled back down to sleep.

    The ''refined scholar'' turned to the door and stared at it for a long time, before eventually walking out.

    ...I have never been dismissed like this in my life...by anyone...

 Chapter 5 - Useless Emotions

    Lei Xing and Xiao Ting were currently seated on the second floor of a theatre house having a break. Xiao Ting was closely paying attention to the drama unfolding below, while Lei XIng seemed to be in deep thought, after she left Doctor Luo''s she had gone to three other pharmacies but the doctors there weren''t able to help her much on the topic of poisons, she wanted to know what simple methods there were to test for poison, other than the silver testing method, the doctors didn''t seem to know another way. Lei Xing sighed.

    ...The silver testing method was the only method that seems known here...after seeing and reading about this silver testing method in dramas and novels, I was curious and so googled it and found that it is actually not as reliable as they make it seem, something about the silver only reacting if the poison is sulfur based or something like that....bottom line is, it is not reliable, I am sure there are plenty poisonous things that are not sulfur based.....you could probably kill someone with anything if you''re creative enough...Ahhh, I really don''t want to go...

    "How romantic..." Xiao Ting said as she sighed watching the drama on stage, it was about an emperor falling in love with a maid and then making her his empress disregarding everything and anyone for her and "living" only for her, even executing nobles who criticized his choice.

    "I assure you living the reality of that life is not nearly as romantic..." Lei Xing said flatly, looking disinterested at the stage, "Is it that easy to be the empress even with the emperor''s "love"? and if he really "lived" only for her, to even disregard his people and execute them isn''t that simply being stupid...I''m sure their happy ever after did not last long...."

    "Jiejie, you don''t understand because you''ve never been in love..." Xiao Ting protested puffing her cheeks.

    "...and have you?" Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

    "...no..." Xiao Ting said quietly, looking down and blushing. Lei Xing laughed and drank her tea.

    "Jiejie, I am sure you will fall in love soon...and me too...everyone wants an all-encompassing love like this!" Xiao Ting perked up and smiled as she watched the emperor protecting his love.

    Lei Xing glanced at the stage and the emperor was currently in the middle of killing off his concubines who had insulted his new empress, "I am not interested in a foolish love like that."

    "Jiejie I am sure-..."

    "Xiao Ting, how can you tell if someone loves you?" Lei Xing asked as she twirled the tea in her cup.

    "huh?...by their words and actions." She answered after thinking for a while.

    "Words and actions?" Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and cast Xiao Ting a questioning gaze.

    "Yes, they will treat you well and speak affectionate words to you." Xiao Ting explained.

    "hmm...those concubines the emperor just killed off, do you think he loved them?"

    "No, of course not...otherwise, how could he bear to kill them?"

    "Really? but I assure you he must have previously treated them well and spoken affectionate words to at least some of them in the past, so by your definition he loved them."

    "That...that...is..." Xiao Ting mind suddenly became confused.

    "Now do you understand why I say a love like this is foolish, what you call all-encompassing is an irrational oblivious love...a love like this should not be endearing to you, but should terrify you instead...just like how he forgot all the others he once "loved" and discarded those he should have treasured all because he one day met a new love, even his own mother was not spared...You should be worried of him doing the same to you when one day he meets another new love... especially when it comes to someone like an emperor who has so many "loves", understand?"

    ...I have never believed in such an obscure thing such as love, even in the future where men weren''t legally allowed multiple women, they still cheated and kept mistresses, even some of the most beautiful love stories still encountered this problem, not to talk about a man from this time period, even less so an emperor...I''ve always thought I had no need for such useless emotions that would cause me unnecessary angst and worry...frankly, I had prepared myself to live a single unattached life and in my 25 years I had barely had any such relationsh.i.p.s, I simply was just never interested...

    "Jiejie..." Xiao Ting looked at Lei Xing, sniffed and tears started to fall...

    "What are you crying for now?" Lei Xing frowned exasperated...

    "...you''ve changed." Lei Xing''s mouth twitched, she got carried away and talked too much forgetting to reign in her thoughts so as not to seem too different from the norm. She had actually been avoiding all the family members since she got better and they all respected her privacy thinking she was anxiously practicing for the concubine selection...they all did, except Xiao Ting who like a loyal puppy would come to disturb her at least once a day and hang around until Lei Xing got tired and sent her away.

    I had gotten too comfortable around this girl...her puppy-like behavior to me reminds me of my younger brother, I must admit I do miss him and so must have been projecting onto her and so went on an enlightening tangent I often went on with him.

    Lei Xing nervously laughed, "Nearly dying is a great life-changing event."

    "Jiejie, I''m sorry...if not for me, you wouldn''t have fallen in the lake. It was me who was being careless...if you hadn''t reached out to catch me, you wouldn''t have fallen in...Honestly, I always thought you hated me, you always seemed to be scolding me and seemed annoyed with me...I knew you were anxious about the concubine selection and was trying to cheer you up...instead I caused you to get hurt...I''m sorry..." Xiao Ting hung her head crying even more.

    "It''s okay, it''s okay...I told you it was an enlightening event, also if I really hated you would I have tried to catch you?" Xiao Ting sheepily looked at Lei Xing and she continued, "No, of course not I would have just watched you fall...why would I put myself at risk to save you?...so I don''t hate you, I may find you annoying but at the end of the day you are my younger sibling, how can I hate you?..." Lei Xing smiled at her warmly to reassure her.

    ...Younger siblings are generally annoying, it is normal to have a love-hate relationship with them...a sensitive one like this can be even more irritating to deal with...

    Seeing her like this, really reminded her of her younger brother trying hard to get her attention or working hard to cheer her up and messing up and being depressed and she had to then cheer him up instead, they had an 8-year gap between so he always saw her as an a.d.u.l.t and the role model to follow, even their parents words did not have as much impact on him as hers did, he even wanted to go to law school mainly to follow her footsteps.

    ...my death must have devastated him...

    "Jiejie..." Xiao Ting started to cry even more.

    ...Ahh, the thing I hate dealing with the most are emotional people, I really suck at consoling...I remember once when a customer at my job told me they were going to a funeral, my response was silence then an awkward "I hope everything works out"...yeah, I''m that bad...Of course, I am much better now, but I still dislike it terribly my brain gets confused...

    Lei Xing sighed and said, "What are you still crying for?"

    "Jiejie, I''m going to miss you...I won''t be able to see you like this anymore...once you..."

    Lei Xing cut her off, "I told you I''m going to fail..."

    "but you never know...jiejie is so beautiful and so talented that..." Xiao Ting trailed off blushing.

    Lei Xing sighed, "I have an assured failure." Xiao Ting looked at her puzzled.

    "You said the competition is based on embroidery, literary skills and music right?"

    "Yes, but jiejie, you are the most talented person I know, don''t tell me that you are really going to fail on purpose? It''s not..." Xiao Ting said with a worry-filled face.

    "It''s not that I plan to fail on purpose, it''s just that I seem to have forgotten said talents..." Lei Xing said with a proud smile.

    Xiao Ting looked at her in horror, "Jiejie, why didn''t you say anything?! Uh...Uh, we should hurry home and tell father and mother, maybe hire some tutors...or call the doctor...I''m sure you can...no, you must..."

    Xiao Ting started to stand up and Lei Xing held her down laughing, "Isn''t it too late for that...anyway, it doesn''t matter I have no interest in winning and frankly it''s better this way..."

    "but, but..." Xiao Ting was fl.u.s.tered and worried.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not so hopeless that I can''t do anything...I will handle it well, the family wouldn''t be blamed for anything, I will fail skillfully..." Lei Xing said smiling.

    ...more like bull**it my way through it...

    Xiao Ting looked at her, unconvinced and her tears started to well up again. Lei Xing was exasperated.

    "That''s enough crying! Your father was a great general and is now the defense minister, your brother is also a great general and your family is made up of a long line of generals...why do you cry so easily?" Xiao Ting pouted and hung her head, Lei Xing was even more irritated, "You are the proud daughter of a general, buck up! Raise your head, wipe your eyes, smile, turn to the left and happily watch the show." Xiao Ting, like a robot, followed Lei Xing''s commands. Lei Xing felt it funny, she laughed and said, "That''s much better, why cry when it solves nothing...it''s better to smile instead."

    ...why cry so others can ridicule you?...what use is the pity of onlookers?...no one can look down on you when you smile...

    Xiao Ting looked at her sister thoughtfully and nodded to show that she understood, Lei Xing smiled at her and motioned with her head towards the stage, telling her to watch the stage, which currently had two men performing some comedic acts. Xiao Ting smiled, nodded and turned to the stage, but, she couldn''t help but keep sneaking glances at her sister, who seemed to be enjoying the comedic acts and laughing along with the crowd.

    ...Jiejie is really different...but, in a good way...

 Chapter 6 - Quack Doctor

    After they left the theatre house and were walking back to the carriage, as they passed by doctor Lou''s shop, Lei Xing stopped and looked at the entrance for a while.

    ...Might as well, you never know...

    "Xiao Ting, you head to the carriage first...I''m just going to quickly check on something..." Lei Xing said and quickly walked away before Xiao Ting could protest, one of the guards followed her. Xiao Ting stood for a while and watched her sister leave and then continued on as she was instructed.

    When they got to the shop, the guard stayed outside and Lei Xing went in. She was grateful to see there were no customers around and happily walked up to the old man sleeping on the reception desk and knocked on the desk.

    "Oy, Doctor Lou I''m back."

    The old man m.o.a.ned, frowned and raised his forehead a bit, squinting at the intruder, when he saw who it was, he perked up with widened eyes and said, "Young miss, you came back...?"

    ...should I not have?...

    "Ah...yes, so..."

    "So what kind of poison do you want? Who do you want to poison? Do you want fast acting or slow poison? How much do you want them to suffer?"

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and flatly said, "...I don''t want to kill anyone, I want to find out methods to test for poison..."

    "Test for poison..." Doctor Lou repeated seemingly disappointed in her purpose.

    "So do you know any methods, I know of the silver testing method...but other than that one, do you know any?"

    The old man looked at Lei Xing skeptically, "Why?"

    "Why? Why what?" Lei Xing was confused by his question

    "Why do you want to test poison?" Doctor Luo shrugged his shoulders and looked at her waiting for her answer.

    "To protect myself."

    "From?"

    "Poisoning."

    "By whom?"

    Lei Xing shrugged, "No one in particular."

    Doctor Luo squinted his eyes and scrutinized her and she looked blankly back at him.

    "Looking at you...you must be a daughter of a noble house...a minister?" Doctor Luo looked at her bright-eyed, feeling smug.

    "Okay."

    ...can you just answer my inquiry and stop wasting my time? -_-)...

    "So...you must be entering the palace tomorrow, right?" He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing lips twitched, she was fed up of his games, "Can you help me or not?"

    "Ahh, so that''s why you want to test for poisons...for one so young, you sure think far..." He said folding his arms and nodding his head solemnly.

    "Okay...so do you have any method?" Lei Xing asked again, she was already fed up and was ready to turn and leave but she held out on the possibility that he had a solution.

    ...You never know...he may be the weird wise old man that always seem to exist in the novels...

    "I have...but..." Doctor Luo slowly moved his head from left to right, then repeated it again and continued. Lei Xing looked at him, getting more irritated.

    ...what''s up with the suspense? Do you have it or not?!...

    "How much do you want?" Lei Xing asked looking at him skeptically, ready to bargain for his information.

    Doctor Lou stopped moving his head, looked at her and scratched his head, "How much...? Hmm....I haven''t thought of a price...hmmm, a price?" Doctor Lou finished and resumed moving his head, this time tapping a finger on his chin.

    ...haah, is he messing with me? -_-)''...

    Doctor Lou suddenly stopped moving, then creased his eyebrows and seriously looked at Lei Xing''s face, she was taken aback and slightly moved her shoulders back and stared back at the old man skeptically ...then he burst out laughing. Lei Xing frowned.

    ...he''s definitely a crazy quack...I should leave before I lose my mind too...

    As Lei Xing was finally about to turn and leave, Doctor Lou regained his composure and said, "I have a device that can detect poison and alert you, without even touching the poison too, as long it nears poison it will react, isn''t it the perfect item for you?" He asked with a smirk.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and looked at him disbelieving, Doctor Lou noticed her disbelief and made a shocked expression, as if she was the abnormal one here and asked, "You don''t believe me?!"

    ...who would? Do I look like an idiot? -_-)''...even in modern times it''d still have to somehow make contact with the poison to react, there''s nothing like that and there doesn''t seem to be magic in this world either...but even if there was magic I don''t think I''ve heard of a poison seeking device that works without even touching it, isn''t he just delusional?...but then again...who knows, the world...worlds...universe is large and mysterious, so I guess it could be possible...

    "Hmph! If you don''t believe me then I''m not talking to you anymore." Doctor Luo said in a dismissing tone, turning his head away from her.

    "It''s not that I don''t believe you...but you have to show proof for something like this..." Lei Xing explained in a coaxing tone.

    "Hmm, I guess that is somewhat reasonable..." Doctor Lou murmured...

    "..." -_-)''

    Doctor Lou reached into a drawer and then pulled out a ring, with a sky blue jewel attached and held it towards Lei Xing. Lei Xing looked at it, then at his expectant face...

    ...um, a topaz, I think?...

    After a while of prolonged silence, Lei Xing eyes roamed around and then went back at Doctor Lou holding the ring and said, "Um, it looks good..."

    "Just good? This is a masterpiece! It took thousands of years to create it!" Doctor Lou roared, he was offended that Lei Xing did not understand the magnificence of his precious creation, he withdrew his hand pet the ring like as if it got hurt by her words and needed comfort.

    ...okay, crazy confirmed, next thing he''ll start going "my precious"...

    Lei Xing was confused by his outburst as well irritated at the course of events and flatly said, "...O-kay..." Doctor Lou shot darts at her with his eyes and then turned away.

    "So about the poison, can you show me the item?" Lei Xing asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the main issue at hand.

    Doctor Lou glared at her and mimicked her flat tone, "I just did, but you being blind could not see..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow then scrutinized doctor Lou and the ring in his hands, "Ah I see...not everyone has an extraordinary sight like you." Lei Xing said with a sarcastic tone.

    "That is true." doctor Lou, nodding his head proudly, he obviously missed her sarcasm, and continued to "enlighten" her, "This jewel has been soaked in the essence of all the poisons in this world, so it can detect the aura of any poison as it gets close enough to it."

    ...all poisons? What sort of dumb ad campaign is this? Even a small child wouldn''t believe it...

    "All poisons? How is that possible?" Lei Xing

    "The stone has been exposed to and consumed the essence of all the poisons in the world..." Doctor Lou continued to explain.

    "Do you know all the poisons in the world? Have you been everywhere in the world? Even if you want to say it is powerful, at least remain within the realms of reason...and say all known poisons or something like that...making such a grand claim is absurd."

    Doctor Lou''s frowned at the interruption and his lips twitched, "Fine say whatever you want, at the very least I assure you that this is more reliable than some stupid silver."

    ...If this quack''s ring really works then that would definitely be much better than using silver...it''s not like I could stick a silver pin or needle into everything I eat...especially in a public setting, honestly, I would seem like such a paranoid weirdo doing that...

    "...If it doesn''t work you can have my head..." Doctor Lou continued.

    ...won''t it be too late to collect your head when I''m dead -_-)''...

    "Okay, it would definitely be more reliable if it works...so show me proof of its magnificence."

    Doctor Lou nodded and got up and went to the cabinets behind him and returned with some herbs, put them on the table then went to the back of the shop and retrieved some roots, then went again for some seeds...after several trips, he had laid down all sorts of plants, roots, bark, dried plants, seeds, little bottles, and some other stuff on the table. Lei Xing guessed that they were probably poisonous items, she could recognize some of them such as apple seeds, the morning glory petals and the lily of the valley flowers. She had some passion for photography and always appreciated nature''s beauty and those two flowers had caught her eye and she had come across the info of them being toxic. After he was done, he walked over to Lei Xing and stretched out his hand holding the ring, "Here, wear it."

    Lei Xing took the ring and slid it on the middle finger of her right hand, then looked back at doctor Lou, who was looking at her hand wearing the ring with a satisfactory smile, Lei Xing looked at him warily, doctor Lou looked up and saw her looking at him and blinked then laughed, "hahaha...just reach for any of the items of the table and watch the ring."

    Lei Xing set aside her reservations about the weird doctor and did as he instructed. As she reached for towards one of the items, the light blue color of the jewel changed to a deep blue, her eyes widened and she withdrew her hand and it went back to the sky blue color. She scrutinized the ring and reached forward again towards another item and saw the color change to a greenish blue color, she retrieved her hand again. She did this several times towards different items on the table, and the jewel showed different ranges of blue for the different items. Her hand stopped on one of the bottles which contained some sort tiny crystals, the jewel had turned completely black.

    ...Is that? This is perfect! it can even detect physical objects...I remember watching a drama where someone drank something with crushed diamonds or some jewel in it and it shredded his stomach...he died a slow painful agonizing death...

    "Is this really real?" Lei Xing said to herself really disbelieving her luck in all this. She walked away from the table and headed to the shelf on the side with drawers of other plants and products and she opened them one by one and hovered the ring over the items in it to check and confirm the ring''s legitimacy and it did not react to anything...

    "Those are not poisonous...of course I''m not stupid enough to place poisonous substances in the open for customers to access."

    Lei Xing still in awe, looked at the ring on her hand again wondering how this could possibly work.

    ...it didn''t make sense, how could this possibly exist?...but then again here I am, a transmigrated soul...if I told people they would probably say I didn''t make any sense either, that it was impossible and call me crazy...

    "The more toxic the substance the darker the color of the jewel, the lighter it is the less toxic...it won''t kill you...with this, your safety in the palace is assured...well, at least from poisons, hidden daggers still exist." Doctor Lou explained and finished his last sentence with a laugh.

    "How much for it?" Lei Xing asked, still examining the ring, she really could not wrap her mind around how it works.

    "How much? I haven''t thought of a price." Doctor Lou said with a yawn. Lei Xing looked at him closely trying to figure out his game.

    "Sell it to me. Give a price." Lei Xing said firmly.

    "Hmm...it can be considered a family heirloom, a generational masterpiece...I really can''t put a price on thousands of years of work..." Doctor Lou said shrugging his shoulders and went back to sit on his chair behind the reception.

    Lei Xing was at a loss.

    ...if you''re not going to give a price... how can I buy it?...

    "What do you want for it?" Lei Xing asked raising an eyebrow at him.

    "What do I want?...hmm? I don''t really want anything in particular." Doctor Lou said and started moving his head left to right again.

    ...this old man...he must be really bored -_-)...

    Lei Xing quietly watched him, thinking on how to persuade him to sell it. After a while, Doctor Lou suddenly stopped his head movement, beamed a smile at her and said, "How about I just give it to you?"

    ...HUH?! for free?...

    Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing''s furrowed eyebrows and said "...yes, you can have it...anyway, I have no use for it...what is the point of enshrining it? It should be put to use to be called valuable."

    Lei Xing was skeptical, "You just said it was a family heirloom, a generational masterpiece...and you''re given it to me for free?"

    ...there''s nothing like free handouts in the world, there is always a tradeoff somewhere...especially for something so valuable...

    "I said it can be considered one, not that it is..."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him.

    ...what''s the difference? -_-)''...

    "...I have no use for it, no one tries to poison me and then again my skills are so good that I could tell poison from its look and smell so..."

    "Oh, good for you." Lei Xing said flatly and then continued, "...okay, you have no use for it, but why not sell it and make some profit? It makes no sense, why not make a profit of it, if you''re going to give it away?"

    "Is money that valuable to you?"

    Lei Xing was taken aback by his question. She had often been asked this question in her past life, as she was the perfect definition of a workaholic, not that she particularly liked any of her jobs during school, but as long as there was money to be made she was there to work, she spent most of her time working and dealing with school and didn''t have much a social life and her family and few friends always asked her why she was so focused on making money and often lectured her about how there are much more important things in life...hearing him ask this, gave her flashbacks to her past.

    ...I had managed to save a small fortune by graduation, 25 and free, I was ready for my future to take off...having money gave me security and the control I needed to live my life however I wanted...also I never really felt the need for social interactions, not that I lacked confidence or anything, I just wasn''t motivated to forge social relationsh.i.p.s...money is reliable, you either have it or not, you don''t have to second guess anything with it, it''s easier to handle than people, as long as I worked hard there would always be a payoff...It feels funny now, I remember I often had to explain to people that I don''t care about other people''s money, not even my parents'' money...I only cared about my money, the money I could earn was the only reliable thing for me, I was the only one I could count on...I always explained that I did not care what happens to the money when I''m dead, as long as it served a purpose for me while I was alive and its existence did...but it''s weird now because I''m not dead, but my money is out of reach, I wonder what happened to it, I had made my younger brother my beneficiary, I don''t trust a 17-year-old boy to wisely use my hard earned money, hopefully, our parents can mediate...

    ...I feel somewhat aggrieved...oh well, at least I didn''t end up begging on some street somewhere... that would have truly been a situation to grieve, and as long as I play my cards right I can guarantee a successful long life of comfort here...

    Lei Xing snapped back to the present and found doctor Lou looking at her weirdly, she smiled nervously, somewhat embarrassed she had spaced out for a bit, she seems to do that a lot these days...but who could blame her, it''s not every day someone dies and finds themselves alive again in a strange place.

    "I can''t take it for free..." Lei Xing said regaining her composure, she had always felt uncomfortable receiving things from people, even from her parents...she never asked for anything from them and always just did things for herself, if she wanted something she went out to work and get it herself. She hates owing people, so whenever someone gives her something, she always feels a need to reciprocate and always gives something of equal or more value, it feels like an obligation to her.

    "Hmm..." Doctor Lou scratched his head for a while, "how about this since you''re entering the palace... and going to the top, don''t forget this doctor..." He said with a laugh.

    "You want to work in the palace?"

    "No, not necessarily...hahaha I''m too lazy too...just occasionally using my skills and getting some recognition should be okay."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him, considering his words, "What if I don''t make it to the top...?"

    ...all bases must be covered to ensure reasonable expectations are set for a beneficial contract...

    "...hmm, how about what happens then...anyway, you wouldn''t really have a use for it if you''re not in the palace, right?...so you can return it then or we can discuss a price then if you want."

    Lei Xing was still skeptical about this deal, for something like this, some would kill for it and he could get a fortune for it, yet he is virtually giving it away for free and only asking for some recognition in return...this seems too good to be true.

    ...and when something seems too good to be true, it usually is...

    Doctor Lou looked at her and said, "Fine, if you don''t want it...you can just leave it...I don''t want anything and I''ve told you what I need from your end...if you don''t want it just give it back." He stretched out his open palm towards her asking for the ring back. Lei Xing put her hand behind her.

    "I didn''t say I didn''t want it." Lei Xing said smiling.

    ...even though this feels sketchy, I don''t really have a choice here...I don''t lose anything by taking it and with its value, I really can''t turn my back on this deal simply because I feel uncomfortable with the exchange...

    "You''re sure you don''t want anything more for it..." Lei Xing asked looking at doctor Lou with searching eyes.

    Doctor Lou looked at her and seemed to be searching for something too and did not respond.

    "Okay, I''ll take it...if you change your mind and have a price or something you want...as long as it''s within my capabilities and within reason, you can let me know and I will do my best to fulfill it or I will return the ring to you...Thank you" Lei Xing finished and bowed in gratitude.

    "Okay, Okay...that sounds reasonable too..." Doctor Lou said nodding his head.

    "Okay, it''s a deal then...I will be taking my leave now, take care." Lei Xing said and turned to walk away.

    "Good luck in your endeavors!" Doctor Lou said in an excited voice...

    Lei Xing turned back to him, "Goodluck in your endeavors too..." she said in a flat slightly sarcastic voice, smirked and left the store.

    "...always so cheeky..." Doctor Lou whispered and pushed the items on the table aside to create some room on the table, and used his arms as a pillow and went back to sleep.

    Lei Xing walked back to the carriage with a renewed sense of hope for the future, although she was still suspicious, she had stumbled onto a gem, literally.

 Chapter 7 - Send-Off

    They arrived back home in the late afternoon, when they walked through the entrance, Ah Jin was there waiting for Lei Xing, "Miss, Everything was done as you instructed."

    Lei Xing sent her questioning glance, and Ah Jin continued, "...the slaves you bought."

    "Ah, yes..."

    ...hahaha I forgot��

    "...Let''s go to my room first then we''ll go see them"

    The three bounded off to her room, when they got there, Lei Xing walked into a corner room, grabbed a cloth from the side and knelt in front of the huge trunk by the wall in a corner and looked at it for a while. Xiao Ting and Ah Jin were standing behind her, wondering what she was doing. Lei Xing seemed to be deep in thought.

    ...how much would be enough? There''s 27 of them...I don''t want to go broke...not that it''s my money anyway, well technically it now is...hmm��

    Lei Xing opened the trunk which was filled with silver ingots, she sighed and then looked at it some more. Lei Xing had found this trunk of silver two weeks ago and had asked Ah Jin about them, who told her that apparently ''she'' had been saving up her monthly allowance for a while now, saying that her future self would be grateful to have it.

    ...well, I''m certainly grateful...although, probably for a different reason from the original Lei Xing, who was probably saving up in preparation to "charm" her way into people''s hearts in the palace��

    ...I had counted all the silver, it''s a habit... and they amounted to 510, apparently, she hadn''t been spending her money at all for a while, no wonder Xiao Ting had mentioned she liked window shopping, it''s because she was being a scrooge ��

    Lei Xing packed a bunch of silver into the cloth she had picked up, making sure to count them as she put them in.

    "Jiejie, what are you doing?" Xiao Ting was confused looking at her sister packing up the money she had been guarding so preciously for almost two years.

    "Acc.u.mulating some good luck." Lei Xing finished her packing, tied the back and stood up. Then walked to the table in the outer room and sat down, "Where are their contracts?" Ah Jin stepped up and handed over the bundle of papers.

    Lei Xing took them and looked it over and asked, "How do you release someone from the contract?"

    "The owner needs to write out a statement of release and stamp it and give it to them along with their original slave contract." Ah Jin responded.

    "Ah? Jiejie you want to release them?" Xiao Ting asked confused.

    "Yes." Lei Xing responded, as Ah Jin put a stack of paper in front of her, as well as the family emblem stamp, which looked to be a set of wings and knelt beside her to grind the ink.

    "Why?"

    "...I don''t need them."

    "Then why did you buy them?"

    Lei Xing shrugged, took the first contract and started writing up the release contracts, "The best way to help someone is to give them their freedom."

    Xiao Ting scrunched her eyebrows, then smiled and said, "Jiejie, you are very kind."

    "I''m not kind...it''s just if you are going to help someone, you should help them towards a better future... there''s no point in helping if all you do is stall their suffering and in a situation like that if we had done it your way even though you momentarily spared them, your actions of reprimanding the slave owner would most likely make their suffering worse later on."

    ...the one that is kind is you, if you hadn''t wanted to rush out, I probably wouldn''t have even paid the scene any attention...I would have gone about my life like usual, passing by, at most glancing at the scene, but not stopping as it would have been, as it always has, none of my business��.

    ...I am not a kind person, and frankly do not want to be seen as such, as kind people tend to get the short end of the stick, I have witnessed and had enough first-hand experience to have discovered this...there will always be people suffering in the world...I don''t cause harm to people but I also don''t go out of my way to save them either, if the situation presents and I feel the urge to help and I am in a position to help then I do...like today...but I am definitely not someone to go seek power to start a revolution to save the world...I''m not saying I wouldn''t try to help people if power fell in my hands, but honestly I''d rather stay away from the intrigues and scheming of politics, my dad is, well was...well still is I guess, a politician and growing up watching him live that life, I thought it was tiring and honestly a hassle, I''m already busy enough trying to keep my own life from imploding...I leave that to those who have the passion for change, unfortunately, they don''t seem to be the ones who tend to end up in power, either that or that passion falls off somewhere along the way up...

    After Lei Xing finished writing up the release contracts, the three of them left the room and headed to where they were being kept. They were being held at the back of the house, near the back entrance in the yard and were being flanked every couple steps with guards who were intently watching the group with their hands on the hilt of their swords, there about ten guards circling around them. Lei Xing stared at the scene a bit dumbfounded as they got closer, she glanced at Ah Jin who was stoic as usual.

    ...um, I know I said to watch them...but they''re not criminals...

    When they finally reached the group. Lei Xing saw that there was a doctor amongst them who was currently wrapping up the torso of a young man who seemed to be dazed with the sturdiest looking man of the group holding him up, as well as several others in the group who seemed to have bandages on them as well. Lei Xing looked at Ah Jin who quickly explained, "When we arrived, some of them collapsed and it seemed their condition was not good so we went for a doctor to look them over."

    "Mm, good job."

    ....Oh, that''s good, I thought there was a riot or something��

    Lei Xing told the guards to move and looked at the group sitting on the floor, then turned to Ah Jin and quietly said.

    "Give them their doc.u.ments and the silver, 3 each and let them go." Lei Xing said quietly.

    "Take this silver and your freedom and go live your lives, if you have a family waiting go back to them, if not then...either way, go carve out a future for yourselves." Lei Xing finished and turned to leave when most of the group bowed in gratitude and like a synchronized choir said in unison, "Thank you Miss, we will remember this debt and repay you with our lives!"

    ...did they practice this?...

    "I don''t need your lives...and you don''t need to repay me...if anything, it is this family you need to that you owe. If you really feel the need to repay me...then how about this, if you see me or this girl, my sister..." Lei Xing said pulling Xiao Ting to the front and continued, "...or anyone from this Lei family in need of help in the future, you can return the favor then if you can."

    "Yes, we definitely will!"

    ...it seems ancient people really have this synchronization skill...

    "That''s good then." Lei Xing gave a smile, looking at their grateful faces, and some even in tears made her feel somewhat happy and but at the same time feel an odd sense of melancholy for their plight and the plight of many others like them who are not as lucky.

    ...can''t save everyone...

    She turned to leave and Xiao Ting followed after her. While Ah Jin held the contracts and the silver and started to read out the names, and one after the other, they came up took their contracts and the money bowed and went out the doors.

    "Miss! Miss! Please wait!" Lei Xing and Xiao Ting turned back when they heard the frantic hurried voice behind them, they saw one of the young girls from the group running towards them with some of the guards restraining her

    It was the girl who was being beaten by the slave trader before. Looking at her now without tears and anguish all over her face, she was quite a beauty if you can ignore the blaring red swollen cheek on her face, but even that will die down eventually. She had fox-like eyes the kind one would call seductive.

    "Let her go." Lei Xing said, the guards let her go and she fell to her knees. Lei Xing scrutinized the girl and asked, "What is it?"

    "Miss! I have nowhere to go...please let me serve you." As she said this bent over and bowed with her head and hands on the ground.

    After a moment of a stretch of silence, Lei Xing said, "Raise your head." The girl did and then Lei Xing continued and asked, "Why?"

    The girl seemed to be taken aback and there was a trace of confusion shown on her face before it was quickly replaced by a sorrowful expression, "I have no family to go home to, I have lived on the streets all my life and do not even remember my parents, I have been begging on the street since young, I have no skills and no hope for the future...Miss is my benefactor, so it is only right that I serve you to repay the debt." She said bowing her head slightly when she finished, she raised her head slightly and peeked at Lei Xing, who was looking at her with a blank expression.

    "I see, that is tragic..." Lei Xing said, "In that case..."

    As the girl listened, one side her mouth peaked a little in a small smirk, Lei Xing noticed this and narrowed her eyes.

    ...Well, that''s interestingly suspicious...but not interested...

    Lei Xing grabbed the money purse Xiao Ting was holding, opened it and there were about 2 silver ingots left in it with some coins, she closed and held it out in front of the girl, "...here." The girl took and said her thanks with a gleam in her eyes.

    "There is some more money...this should be enough to last you for at least 6 months if you manage it well, I don''t need anyone to serve me and as I said you don''t need to repay me...so take this, work hard and look for a job, I am sure there are many places that will be willing to hire if you are willing to work hard...you should also consider joining an acting troupe, I am sure you will be very popular..." The girl looked up at Lei Xing with wide eyes as she spoke.

    "I wish you good luck in your endeavors." Lei Xing finished turned and left, pulling Xiao Ting with her. The girl watched them leaving and clutched the purse in her hand tightly.

    After they were out of the area, Xiao Ting asked, "Jiejie, why didn''t you just keep her? It won''t matter if there''s one more maid in the house."

    "I don''t need her, so why should I keep her here?"

    "...but it''s so sad..." Xiao Ting mumbled.

    "and so I gave her more money to help her. That money is enough to last her a couple of months, as long as she''s not being lavish."

    "but it won''t have mattered if she stayed...you should have..."

    "...Xiao Ting just because you help someone, does not mean they then become your responsibility to care for. Everyone is individually responsible for their own lives...and I assure you, since she grew up on the street, she is a lot smarter than you and can carve a path to ensure her survival in the future...everything is not always as it seems...people are not as simple as they present, you don''t want to invite unnecessary trouble into your life..." Lei Xing explained.

    ...even though I could be wrong, which I doubt...but either way, I am not obligated to keep her at my side simply because I saved her...

    ***

    That night the family gathered together to have a farewell dinner for Lei Xing, even though Lei Xing had been trying to avoid the family the last month, she did not have the heart to turn down this gathering, understanding their heart as parents. This is the first time she is seeing all the family members gathered together since the time she was bedridden with the illness after transmigrating. Her father and brother were often busy and came home late quite a lot, sometimes Lei Yong stayed at the barracks as well. So they were all gathered together this evening, sat down for a lavish warm family meal.

    "Xing er'' you have to be mindful when in the palace...you cannot speak or behave rashly." The father advised.

    "Yes, you have to be cordial and don''t keep malice with anyone...my daughter has to live within the palace walls, who knows when I will be able to see my daughter again." The mother lamented, with tear filled eyes.

    "Don''t worry mother, Jiejie will be ba-"

    Lei Xing cut her off promptly while sending Xiao Ting eye signals to shut it. "I will behave well and be very mindful while in the palace, and mother we will still have a chance to meet in the near future, it''s not like the palace is in a different country."

    ...I am not in the mood of explaining myself or receiving a lecture right now...

    "Xing er'' the emperor is a good man, he is worthy of entrusting yourself to..."Lei Yong, the brother said, smiling at Lei Xing as if to reassure her.

    ...who cares if he is a good man, I''m not interested in a professional philanderer...

    Lei Yong continued, "...even though he is the emperor today, he has not had an easy life, so be more understanding in your actions."

    ...who in the palace has had an easy life...

    After several rounds of advice and lamentation at the impending separation, the dinner ended on a happy note and they all went back to their rooms to go to sleep as they had to wake up early in the morning to spend some time with her before sending her off.

    That night Lei Xing was having some trouble sleeping, she tossed and turned until she couldn''t stand it anymore and got up, as she walked across the room she saw her reflection in the body length mirror by the wall and walked towards it and stood in front of the mirror. Since she transmigrated she has been avoiding looking at her own reflection and spared it no more than a glance. This night, she really looked at the person she now was, a vibrant and beautiful girl, she had a good height and with a great slim figure with smooth jade-like clear skin, a small oval shaped face with a small dainty nose, the only similarity Lei Xing could see between this face and her past face were the bright peach blossom shaped eyes...looking at her eyes, made Lei Xing feel comforted...there is a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul...seeing those familiar set of eyes, made Lei Xing feel that she was still herself.

    ...I don''t know why I didn''t want to look at you...maybe, deep inside I was trying to deny the reality of your death and my current strange existence...You are beautiful and I feel aggrieved on your behalf that your life ended at your peak moment...

    ...My situation is somewhat similar, even though I am here now, It is the reality that I had died, right at the peak of my life too, I had just graduated law school, was on my to success, I was going to buy a house when I finished the cruise, buy a house, get a job and finally start on my path to being a successful businesswoman...but for me to die in such a stupid way, by falling overboard, I feel so annoyed whenever I think about it...well, it''s not like it was my fault, the ship jerked...so maybe, I should blame the crew or the captain...or maybe whatever caused the ship to jerk...whatever, it won''t change anything anyway...

    ...Xiao Ting had mentioned that you wanted to enter the palace and had been studying so hard to ensure you get chosen, but I have no interest in the palace life...I apologize as I cannot live the life you wished for yourself...do not hate me too much for ruining your dream...

    ...but in place of you, I will take care of this body you have maintained so well...

    ...More importantly, I will do my utmost to take care of the loving family you have left behind, you have my word...

    Lei Xing bowed her back, in a deep bow in front of the mirror, then straightened up and looked at her reflection for a while and then went back to bed and tried to get some sleep.

    ...Tomorrow is going to be an annoying day...

    ****

    In a lavish study room somewhere else, a man dressed in black approached another man who was seated looking over a book, with an elbow on the table, with the hand supporting his head.

    "Did you find her?" the seating man asked raising his head slightly to glance at the man who just came in and then went back to looking at the book in his other hand. It was the ''refined scholar'' Lei Xing had met earlier

    "Yes, she is the defense minister''s eldest daughter Lei Xing."

    "Minister Lei, huh? No wonder, she has the same annoying tendencies as her father."

    ...but at least, even her father knows to be cordial...this girl...

    "What about him? being in the defense minister''s manor complicates things...that old man is too stubborn."

    "He''s... not there anymore." the man standing hesitantly said, bowing his head and cold sweating.

    "Oh? did he escape?"

    "No...she released them."

    "Hmm...so where is he now?"

    The man standing went on his knees, "Forgive me, this servant was useless and lost him."

    "Lost him?" He said in an ice-cold voice, it was evident he was restraining his anger. Then he stood up and slowly approached the kneeling man, "with your skills, how could you lose someone who was already heavily injured?"

    The kneeling man kowtowed, hitting his head hard on the ground, "He had help! he wasn''t alone...that man seemed to an expert and was able to sense my presence tailing them and created a scene by throwing silver on the ground and people scrambled to grab the money and fights broke out and...and they escaped during the chaos...I really could not expect it! I will be sure to find them! Please give me another chance..."

    ...what the hell is going on lately? first, some little girl chastises me and now this...Is the world really against me?...if that is the case, then no one should blame me for turning my back against the world later on...

 Chapter 8 - Beginning

    The next morning, Lei Xing was woken up early before sunrise to prepare to enter the palace. The rest of the family had also gotten up early so they could have a farewell breakfast together, similar to the dinner last night, there was a lot of advice sermons and plenty of lamentation through the meal. After the meal, her mother and Xiao Ting followed Lei Xing to her room to get her ready to head to the palace, while her brother and father went to get themselves ready to head to escort her to the palace as well as to attend court.

    Lei Xing was currently fed up with the whole process, she was never a morning person, of course, she could wake up early when it was necessary for work or school when she had to, she barely even ate anything because it was so early and all she wanted to do was crawl back in bed, especially considering she couldn''t fall asleep until very late, so she probably only had at most 3 to 4 hours of sleep. She has been having a headache since she woke up and the last thing she wanted to do was to interact with people, but she could not be rude to the family, especially considering the words she had said to the original Lei Xing last night, and even without that, she understood their sentiments and did not have the heart to turn down their efforts to share this "special" family moment, but...

    ...Do they really have to keep crying like this? It''s not like I am about to get executed...well, I hope not...this is so annoying, my head''s hurting and I still have to think of consoling others...

    Lei Xing faced the crying mother and daughter pair, trying to coax them into ending their waterfall of tears. They had insisted on helping her get ready and had sent the maids away so they could have a family moment. They tearily helped her put on her robes sent over from the palace, it was a light blue simple dress with woven silver vine pattern lining the edges of the dress, Lei Xing admired the intricate simplicity of it and lightly traced the vines at the front. After she finished dressing up, they sat her down in front of the mirror, and combed her hair, and put up a half bun and put in the silver vined flower ornament comb that came with the robes in the center of the bun, and her mother combed through the other half of her hair, while Xiao Ting sat beside her.

    "Xing er'', you have to be careful..." Her mother said putting down the comb and sitting at her side, holding her hand, "While in the palace, don''t get drawn into fights over the emperor''s affection...whether or not he is a good man, there will definitely be trouble with so many people vying for his love...it''s okay if you don''t have his affection, being alive and well is more important..." She said sniffing and smiling sadly at her daughter.

    ...finally, a smart woman...

    Lei Xing enthusiastically nodded her head and smiled, "Mother, I understand."

    Madame Lei looked at her daughter''s smiling face and burst into tears again, "If I had it my way, you wouldn''t..."

    "Mother, it''s okay...I will be fine, I am not so useless that I cannot look after myself. I know what to do and not do, I know what is worth it and what is not...I will be fine." Lei Xing reassured her mother with a smile.

    "Jiejie..." Xiao Ting said meekly and looked at her with tears welling up again.

    "It''s okay, don''t start...I already told you, everything will go as I said." She said while giving Xiao Ting a stern look telling her to stop crying and mouthing towards her that she has already explained that she would be back soon so why waste the tears.

    ....it''s just a week...

    After a while more of advising and consoling, Ah Jin came in to inform her that the carriage is ready and her father and brother are waiting. Lei Xing along with her mother and sister went to the front of the manor to the waiting carriage. When they got to the carriage her mother pulled her in for a long hug, then let her go and Xiao Ting hugged her too, refusing to let go, until Lei Xing pried her off with a laugh, patted her head and whispered, "I''ll be back soon."

    Lei Xing got on the carriage and after she was seated it began to move, her father and brother were riding horses alongside her. She settled back in the seat and used two fingers to massaged her temples, then she rubbed the ring on her finger on her hand somewhat anxious about her future, she was the sort not to the feel the pressure of a situation until it is right over her head, she thinks about how to handle the problem but she never feels anxious or pressured until it arrives, she has always been like this. Luckily for her, she copes well under pressure and panicking was never something she did.

    ...What''s the point of panicking? it solves nothing, I just have to take things as they come...whatever happens, happens...

    Lei Xing pushed the slight anxiety she was feeling aside and settled down to nap, while still caressing the ring on her lap. She slept soundly all the way to the palace and was later jerked awake by Ah Jin''s voice, "Miss, we have arrived."

    Lei Xing woke up and straightened her appearance quickly and got out of the carriage with help from Ah Jin. The carriage had stopped outside the palace walls, they were so high that Lei Xing couldn''t only see the roof of one building which seemed to be in the distance. Lei Xing sighed in her mind.

    ...Looks like prison...

    Lei Xing looked around them and found that other carriages had stopped around, with girls dressed exactly like her standing with their relatives and some of them eyeing the other girls, sizing up the competition, Lei Xing sighed again in her mind, quickly losing interest in the scene. She followed her father and brother to join the line of people entering the palace gates. After they went through, there was a slew of palanquins and servants arranged on one side, there seemed to be about 20 or so of them.

    An eunuch approached her father as soon as they went through the doors, then bowed and said, "The miss will be escorted from here."

    Her father nodded and turned to her, "Xing''er, make sure to look out for yourself."

    Her brother pat her back with a smile and said, "Be confident, you have the skills to succeed."

    Lei Xing nodded and smiled and said, "I will." and then followed the eunuch to the side with Ah Jin trailing behind her, where she was helped into a palanquin and carted to off to the along with the other girls. Her father and brother watched her palanquin take off for a while and then made their way through the palace to the main hall to attend court.

    After a half hour ride, Lei Xing was dropped off on the side of the large open space below the main hall, where there were already girls already lined up in fours in front of stern-looking older looking palace lady. Lei Xing and the other girls whose palanquins arrived along with hers took their place on the lineup and waited in silence. Ah Jin went to stand far off to the side with the other maids of the concubine candidates. Lei Xing looked around and could not help but frown at the main hall, more accurately, frown at the stairs leading up to the main hall which the ministers were currently climbing up.

    ....Do I have to climb this? There at least about a hundred steps...how do these old men do it?...

    After she was done lamenting over the impending workout, she cast a glance around her surroundings and admired the grandiose of it all.

    ...The main hall must have been the roof I could see from the gates...it sure is grand, still not interested though...

    The main hall stood in the center of three other structures which seemed to be attached on either side of it, the stairs also had five landings, with the top two landings having corridors that seemed to wrap around the structures.

    After standing around for about another half hour, the files of ministers finally stopped and it seemed they had all arrived. Then came the announcement that the emperor and the empress dowager empress arrived was made and the palace lady at the front instructed all of them to kneel. Lei Xing was a bit annoyed but she still had to comply for her life''s sake, she knelt with the others and begrudgingly graciously bowed.

    ...Could you please walk fast...this is concrete, you know -_-)...

    The emperor and the empress dowager slowly swished by and started their ascent up the stairs. Leaving them bowing without even acknowledging their presence.

    ...Can I get up now?...

    Lei Xing slyly looked to the side and saw that everyone, the guards, eunuchs, maids, and the candidates were all still kneeling and the Emperor and empress dowager were slowly making their way up the stairs. Lei Xing could only follow the herd and remain kneeling and bowing.

    Finally, after the Emperor and the empress dowager entered the main hall, the palace lady finally told them they could get up and they all did and resumed their silence standing, Lei Xing felt covertly looked around her and could see the flushed and nervous faces of the girls around her.

    ...Should I be nervous too?...

    After waiting around for another 15 minutes, the order was finally given for the candidates to come in and they all filed forward neatly and climbed those stairs, Lei Xing looked at the girls on her line as they climbed, they didn''t seem to be fazed at all, but looking closely she could see their labored breathing, it seems they were trying hard to maintain their composure. Lei Xing felt a bit better knowing she wasn''t the only one who was dreading this early morning workout, but by the time they made it to the top, she actually thought it wasn''t too bad, it just looked daunting, the landings eased the difficulty a lot.

    When they got to the doors, they were told to wait again and then they heard the empress dowager speak, "As we had agreed, the concubine selection would be done by an anonymous candidacy process that would entirely be based on the showcase of skills by your daughters themselves. The emperor and I will make the final decisions and choose the concubines." The empress dowager scanned the crowd of ministers below her as she said this, their expressions ranged from happy to upset and then a few who seemed indifferent. She scoffed.

    ...It seems they are still upset with the process...but who cares, this is my palace...

    The ministers indeed had mixed feelings regarding this process, normally their daughters would not have to go through any competitions to prove themselves worthy, their family backgrounds already made them worthy. When the empress dowager first made her decree about this so-called "virtuous" selection process, they had vehemently protested it, of course, it was the high ranking ministers who were vehemently protesting, while the lower ranking ministers just went along so as not to lose powerful allies or gain enemies, but where secretly rejoicing in their hearts as this meant their daughters would have a chance to be chosen.

    When the ministers brought their case to the emperor saying the empress dowager''s plan was going against tradition and upsetting the ancestors, the emperor turned a deaf ear and eventually after they kept pressing the issue, angrily scolded them and saying that, "...since you don''t have the confidence in the skills of your daughters then that means they do not qualify to enter the palace in the first place. Since that is the case, do not bother sending them here!" and then he stormed out of the hall.

    Since the emperor had said this, the ministers could only bow their heads and follow along with the empress dowager''s plans, since the emperor was going along with it there was nothing they could do. But they all felt somewhat aggrieved in their hearts and could not help but think that this seemed to be a clear affront against them from the empress dowager, it seemed she held a grudge against them for being locked in the cold palace all these years, does this mean she will make things difficult going forward?

    "Send in the candidates." The empress dowager said.

    The palace lady moved to the side, bowed her head and motioned for the girls to file into the hall. The girls entered neatly and orderly, as they entered, Lei Xing was astonished at the architecture of the hall, the hall was huge and there were several massive pillars that seemed to be holding up the structure on the sides, with a golden dragon and phoenix snaking the length of the pillars, the ceiling was also golden and had several drawings on it, Lei Xing could not make out what they were from the glimpse she got as she was careful not to stand out from the others unnecessarily.

    ...Is that carved out of real gold? No way...also how was this much detailed work possible? It must have taken forever to build this place?...

    The girls filed into the center of the ministers and stopped short of the steps leading to the emperor''s throne on which the emperor and empress dowager were seated. Then they all kowtowed down and repeated their "rehearsed" greeting, "This servant greets the emperor and empress dowager."

    "Hm, you may rise." The empress dowager said. The girls stood up and stood with their hands in front of them and heads slightly bowed. The empress dowager observed them and nodded, "Very good. As you have been told the selection will be based on the skills you exhibit, the selection will last for seven days and on the seventh day there will be a banquet to honor your efforts and the results will be presented then. For the duration of the selection, you will all stay in the palace. Be sure to obey the rules set out in the palace and be sure to show your best."

    "Yes." The girls all repeated, Lei Xing following mouthing along with them. She glimpsed at the throne above and saw that the emperor seemed to be bored and was looking off into the distance above their heads.

    ...Great, at least he''s not a womanizer...

    The empress dowager motioned and a servant came down from the landing before the one the throne was on and stood in front of the first girl, holding out a bowl.

    "Pick one." The empress dowager ordered. The girl picked one and the servant moved through the file, each girl picking one. Lei Xing looked at the little wooden tab in her hand and saw the word, Yin.

    **** ("Yin" means Silver) ***

    "The word written on the wooden tab is your identity for the period of the selection, as you know the process will be completely unanimous, so who your identity does not matter. Your identity for the next seven days will be that which is on the plaque. If you are seeing disclosing or discussing your identities with anyone then you will automatically be disqualified. The maids you brought with you will be sent home and you will be assigned maids for the duration of the selection. Of course, if you are selected you can bring in your personal maid to join you later on. You will be provided with clothing and everything you need by the palace. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, thanking the emperor and empress dowager for your grace." The girls repeated and Lei Xing mouthed along with them again.

    ...How do they know what to say? is there a script or cue cards somewhere?...

    "The selection will involve four tests; embroidery, music, art and literary skills." The empress dowager explained.

    Lei Xing''s ears perked up.

    ...Four? Art?....Haah, Xiao Ting...Oh well, it''s not like I was going to practice or anything...

    "I am sure you have all trained and so without further ado, the selection will commence with the first test on embroidery. Lead them out."

    ...Already?...

    The palace lady from before showed up again at the front and bowed to the empress dowager and motioned for the girls to turn and leave, they all curtsied and then turned and filed out from the back.

    When they got outside, they saw from the top of the stairs that there were several tables set out with embroidery materials below in the empty space at the bottom of the stairs. As they got to the bottom of the stairs, they were asked to proceed to a seat down at an embroidery station, which a piece of cloth was drawn on each side firmly, and the stool had a plush pillow for their comfort, there was also a maid beside each station to draw the threads and aid the candidates.

    ...They sure act fast...

    After they had all taken a seat, the palace lady then said, "You have three hours to complete your embroidery piece. Begin!"

    All the girls picked up a threaded needle and begun their work, all except Lei Xing who looked down at the white piece of fabric with an eyebrow raised.

    ...so here we are, hahaha...what am I supposed to do? ...embroider a flower? That would be the greatest joke...how about an animal? I don''t think so...

 Chapter 9 - Masterpiece

    Lei Xing kept staring at the blank sheet pondering over what to do.

    ...I definitely can''t turn in a blank sheet, I''m pretty sure that would be considered an insult to the Royal family and my head will fly...Also, if I embroider something crappy, that could also be considered making a mockery of the competition, and by extension, the royal family and my head will fly...and I''m sure the whole family''s would follow after...this is definitely a dilemma...embroider or not, it''s going to insulting and I am going to look like a brave fool...I should have definitely played sick, at least there was a chance it could have worked, right?... Yeah, I definitely didn''t think this through...

    Lei Xing was pulled out of her lamentation by the maid beside her advising, "Miss, you should start, it''s already been over an hour." Lei Xing froze and then nodded and looked forward at the burning 6 incense sticks in the large pot at the front, 2 were burned down and the third one was lit.

    ....An hour? Already? Time really flies here....

    Lei Xing looked around her and spied the work of the other ladies beside her, one was embroidering some elaborate flower and the other seemed to be embroidering a dragon or something like that.

    ...Great, my flower would seem like a withering twig and my dragon a dying worm looking at the competition...

    ...Think, think, think...

    Lei Xing scanned the environment, looking for inspiration from something, anything.

    "Miss, you sh-" The maid tried to advise again, but Lei Xing cut her off, "I know what I am doing." The maid nodded and quieted down.

    ...No, I don''t...but leave me alone...

    As Lei Xing looked around her, she suddenly stopped and her face brightened as she looked towards the main hall, staring at the flags that were hanging down from the walls.

    ...Oh, how about this...

    Lei Xing looked at the threaded needles on the pillow at her side, picked up a black threaded needle and told the maid, "Can you prepare a gold or yellow line as well? Thank you."

    The maid nodded and Lei Xing held her needle and hovered over the sheet.

    ...Can''t screw this up, only one sheet, no do-overs, gotta be careful...actually, you''d have to be pretty stupid to screw this up and stupid I am not...just start...

    Lei Xing began to "embroider" her masterpiece. After a while, she switched to a blue threaded one. The maid from the side peeked at what she was doing, and furrowed her brows at it and looked at Lei Xing with a confused expression.

    ...what is that supposed to be?...

    Lei Xing finished with the blue thread and picked up a red one and continued her work diligently. Then she turned to maid, "The gold thread?"

    The maid quickly handed it over to her, she had been too busy trying to decipher Lei Xing''s work to put the threaded needle on the pillow. Lei Xing smiled and said, "Thank you, " and continued her work.

    After a while, she looked up sighed and whispered, "Done." She looked at her masterpiece with pride.

    ...Yes, not bad...this could work...

    "Miss, there is still plenty of time left." The maid advised again

    ...plenty of time to rectify this mess...Is that even possible?...

    "Is there?"

    "Yes, a bit over an hour. But it is still enough to..." The maid looked down and swallowed the rest of her words.

    "Hmm...I guess I could do a bit more." Lei Xing said while holding her chin and scrutinized her work, while the maid nodded her head enthusiastically.

    ....Yes, please do!....

    After a little while, Lei Xing turned to the maid and quietly asked, "Hey, how many countries border this country?"

    "Ah?"

    ...What does this have to do with anything?...

    "How many countries border this country?" Lei Xing patiently repeated, thinking that the maid''s response was because she didn''t hear her the first time.

    "Ah, Um, there''s Jing country...uh, Yang country...ah, no that''s not right, we just conquered them..." She started to fidget and counting her fingers while thinking, adding and removing fingers, nodding and shaking her head

    Lei Xing smirked as she watched the maid, she found her behavior comical.

    "Ah, there''s Baiya country and Jiu country too..." she said perking up.

    ...Jiu? Sounds like a good place to live...

    ****(Jiu means wine in Chinese)****

    The maid then mumbled "um, ah that''s it...I think." as she bent her head and frowning in thought and counting her fingers again.

    "It''s okay, three is enough..." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    "I''m sorry I''m so useless." The maid said bowing her head deeply.

    "It''s fine, you''ve been most useful." Lei Xing said smiling, patting her shoulder.

    ...I''m sure she didn''t bargain for a geography test when she woke up this morning...

    The maid looked at feebly and nodded, and covertly sighed with relief. Lei Xing heard it, smirked and said, "I need more of the red, black, blue and gold thread." The maid perked up and happily went about threading the needles for Lei Xing stared at her masterpiece trying to figure out how to make the additions.

    After a while, she began embroidering again and was done after about 10 minutes, and then she narrowed her eyes and looked at her work and then grabbed a silver threaded needle and then added some finishing touches and nodded and said, "Now I''m done."

    The maid looked at the sheet and looked Lei Xing with a worried expression, Lei Xing smiled at her and then looked forward and saw there was still time to spare. They were on the last incense stick and still had more than half of it left. She looked around her and spied the nearly finished dragon and blossoming flower at her side and nodded in appreciation of their workmanship. Then she started to scan around the area, appreciating the scenery and its inhabitants to entertain herself while she deliberated over her future.

    "Time is up, please make your way to the front and form two lines." The old maid said as the final incense stick reached its end. The candidates all stopped, and the maids at their side, dismantled the embroidery set and rolled the sheets and held them in their arms, as the candidates stood up and walked up to line up in front of the old palace lady. The maids then lined up behind the candidates and they all began to climb up the stairs again. Lei Xing followed along maintaining a straight calm face while her mind was frantically giving herself a pep talk on the inside.

    ...Here we go, it should work...it should be fine... it will be fine...definitely will be...I mean, what could go wrong? hahahaha-ha-ha...everything?...I wanna go home T_T)...

    ****

    When they entered into the main hall. The ministers were now all seated on the sides, with food and drink in front of them. There was also a low large circular platform placed in the center of the hall meant as a stage for the showcase.

    ...It seems they are all set to enjoy the show -_-)...

    The candidates followed the palace lady into the hall, stopped in front of the platform and bowed in greeting to the emperor and dowager.

    "I assume you have all done your best. To make things more lively, the ministers will all be participating in the selection as spectators. So you have more of an audience to appreciate your work. Of course, they are free to comment as well."

    Lei Xing sighed in her mind.

    ...In other words, this is a bride /daughter-in-law selection stage for all of them...even though you don''t become a royal wife, you could still make it to high ranking official''s wife or daughter-in-law...fun -_-)''...but I guess it''s a good thing for these girls whose only aspiration in life is probably to marry well and live happily ever after...but for me, what aspirations do I have now? ...I don''t know, but for now, it is not to enter the palace, I don''t have the energy to deal with palace drama...

    "Begin."

    The candidates bowed again and on the direction of the old palace lady, the two lines moved to the sidelines, flanking the steps to the platform. Their respective maids also stepped forward and stood at their sides and an eunuch that was standing beside the platform climbed up and stood in the center.

    "Lady Lian, please step forward." The old palace lady said to the first candidate on the left, motioning to the platform. When they left the hall earlier, she had looked at the tab the candidates held and registered their pseudo names.

    Lady Lian bowed nodded her head and stepped up to the platform with the maid holding her work following behind her, when she got to the center she and the maid bowed towards the emperor and the dowager and the maid with the assistance of the eunuch opened the sheet and showcased her work to the front and then paraded it around the platform for all to see and returned back and faced the front, as went around, many ministers nodded in appreciation for her work. She had embroidered a colorful garden full of flowers with butterflies fluttering around them. Lei Xing was astonished.

    ...How did you do that in 3 hours? How do you even... It looks like a painting...It''s good I didn''t attempt a flower, it would be too embarrassing to even open it here...failure is one thing, embarrassment is another thing...

    "This is a hundred flower garden to represent the hundred years of a fruitful and bountiful reign of the emperor. The butterflies represent the good things to come and future prosperity of the Ling empire." Lady Lian explained.

    "Very good, a profound meaning." The dowager said nodding.

    Lady Lian smiled and bowed and then glanced at the emperor who had a straight face of disinterest and her smile dimmed. She turned and went down and walked to the back of the line as directed.

    "Lady Jin, please step forward."

    Lei Xing watched as the dragon lady stepped towards the platform. When they opened the work and displayed it, it was an embroidery of a Dragon and Phoenix dancing in the sky, she got another round of nods and whispers from the minister.

    ...Just one word, Bold!...she is indirectly telling everyone that she is aiming to be empress...I can already tell that she would be a piece of work to contend with...and I don''t plan to contend either, but her boldness is admirable...

    The dowager frowned and the emperor raised an eyebrow seemingly amused by this. Lady Jin saw the dowager''s frown and quickly explained, "This is a dragon and Phoenix dance to signify the boundless and limitless future of the Ling empire under the reign of the emperor with the guidance of the dowager empress."

    Lei Xing wanted to laugh, but tried hard to restrain herself.

    ...Haha, isn''t the dragon and phoenix dance about the emperor and empress? But it''s the Dowager? I guess she is an aged Phoenix, so it still works...hahaha I guess she is not as bold as I thought and chickened out at the last minute...either that or she didn''t think it through and only realized just now...and here I thought she was going to say that it is "The boundless future of the emperor and hers"...

    The dowager''s frown eased and she said, "Hm, it is very well done, so life-like."

    Lady Jin relaxed, smiled and bowed.

    Next was Lady Yu, the other person who was beside Lei Xing. When her work was opened, the viewers were stunned, it was a bird''s eye view of a fully blossomed large blue rose, it was a magnificent and meticulous piece of work, it was beautifully stunning.

    The dowager nodded and said, "Magnificent."

    Lady Yu looked down, fl.u.s.tered and said with a small, slightly shaky voice, "This is the rare blue rose, to signify that our emperor who is a rare exceptional ruler with unmatched might and intelligence who will lead this country to greater heights of prosperity."

    "Very good, Very good." The dowager said with enthusiasm, the ministers also nodded.

    Lady Yu bowed and quickly stepped down.

    "Lady Yin, please step forward." Lei Xing was hesitant to move.

    ...Me? How do you want me to follow that?...

    "Lady Yin?" The old palace called again. Lei Xing nodded, braced herself and walked forward with a straight face and confidence, completely masking the panic she was in on the inside.

    ...Of all people to follow? My kindergarten work is going to look that much worse T_T)...Wait, that''s what I want, to fail...so it''s even better this way...but it so embarrassing though T-T)''...Either way, it is my masterpiece, I have to be proud of it for others to be able to see its greatness...it is great for a first time, Okay! T_T)...

 Chapter 10 - Context

    Lei Xing walked to the center of the platform and bowed, and then her sheet was spread open, the empress dowager creased her brows and was visibly taken aback, while the emperor narrowed his eyes as if trying to decipher the work. As they paraded her work, Lei Xing could feel the confused and baffled stares been sent her way. Her embroidery piece was a collection of four round seemingly identical objects, with one big one seemingly in the center, and the other three small ones flanking it at the sides, two at the top and one on the bottom left. The round objects looked...interesting.

    The outer lining of the objects was gold rimmed with spaces in between the threading, the inside of them were covered with black small connecting lines in a haphazard manner spread over the space, then on the left side there was another set of red haphazard connecting lines on top of the black lines, while on the right there was another set of blue haphazard connecting lines; diving up the inside into three seemingly three compartments, save for the black lines encroaching into the territory of the other two. The three smaller objects were smaller versions of the big one, and were connected to the big centre object with silver lines.

    ...Haah, here goes nothing...

    Lei Xing confidently and calmly explained, "This embroidery piece is an embodiment of the world, the Connecting lines represent the intersections of life, the black lines represent the people who together make a nation, the blue lines represent the merchants who fuel the thriving marketplace of the nation, the red lines represent the ministers who assist in the governance of the nation, and the gold outer circle represents the emperor who rules and holds the nation up and watches over all the people. The other smaller objects on the side represent that of other nations and the silver thread connecting them the gold outer circles, represent the linking bridge connecting other nations to ours."

    When Lei Xing finished, she waited for feedback with her head slightly bowed. After waiting for a while, there was still no response, her eyes darted around a bit nervous.

    ...silence is good too...

    She bowed and was about to turn to step down.

    "Isn''t this just attaching extravagant words to a bunch of meaningless lines?" Said a calm voice

    Lei Xing stopped and looked towards the left.

    ...who the hell is-...oh shoot, it''s this a**hole again -_-)...

    The voice came from the refined scholar Lei Xing had encountered the day before. He seated right below the Emperor''s platform, holding a wine cup and was looking at Lei Xing with an eyebrow raised and a slight smirk.

    ...*scoff* Is this supposed to be payback?...

    Lei Xing blinked once when she saw him, but maintained her calm demeanor, faced forward and with an added layer of indifference and flatly said, "Words are what provide the context by which we are supposed to understand and appreciate things, just like how you can tell the rank of a person based on their official clothing, and even more so from their title, you can tell the value of a work by the vision it embodies."

    Prince Yi frowned slightly after hearing her words.

    ...Is she scolding me for not introducing myself?...

    "Your words are very insightful, but what Prince Yi said is not wrong either, a piece of work should have its own intricate value...." The empress dowager finally found her words again.

    Lei Xing''s ears perked up.

    ...Prince? that explains his rudeness -_-)...

    "...Is this considered your most valuable work?" The empress dowager finished.

    "It may not be the most valuable work, but it is my most meaningful work." Lei Xing calmly replied while bowing slightly towards the empress dowager.

    "Hm...you can go back."

    Lei Xing finally stepped down and walked to the back of the line and took her place and quietly heaved a sigh of relief. The next lady was called forward and the others followed after, their work were all exquisite, containing mountainous views, deities blessing people, more flowers, more dragons e.t.c In total, there were 23 presentations.

    After all of the girls had finished presenting their work, they went forward and bowed towards the front again.

    "You have all done well and shown your skills exquisitely... mostly." The empress dowager said.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    ...mostly? She is referring to my masterpiece, isn''t she? ...

    "Tomorrow will be the Art test"

    The candidates all bowed and chorused again, "Thanking the empress dowager and the emperor for your grace."

    After that, they all got up and followed behind the old palace lady and left the hall, with the maids trailing behind them. They walked for a while until they arrived at the inner palace. Then the old palace lady stopped, faced them and spoke, "This is the inner palace, my name is Ling mama and I will be in charge of all your needs during your stay, the maids who assisted you during the test will also serve as your personal maids for this period. You will be assigned to various courtyards in small groups, you must not wander about and stay within your courtyards. The Imperial palace is a strict place, you must adhere to the rules. If you break the rules, you will be punished accordingly. Some of you here are familiar with each other and it is fine to continue your friendship, but you must also remember not to discuss or disclose your identities with anyone, if anyone is caught doing that, you will be immediately expelled from the palace." She said as she narrowed her eyes and scanned the faces of the candidates.

    ...she seems to be enjoying this, it''s not every time a maid gets to boss around Imperial wives...well, prospective wives...I hope for her sake, no one takes it personal hahahaha...

    The palace lady finished her stare down and continued, "All that you require has been provided in your courtyards, should you require anything else tell your maids. That is all, now your maids will lead you to your assigned courtyards."

    The maids walked to their candidates and led the way to their courtyards and the crowd dispersed in different directions in groups.

    Lei Xing was heading in the same direction with a few of the candidates, as they were walking, one of them walked closer to Lei Xing and quietly said, "Jiejie, how come you ended up doing that instead?"

    "En?" Lei Xing looked at the other girl skeptically.

    "Ah? Jiejie, don''t you recognize me, it''s You''er." She quietly said. "Ah, but for now it''s Lady Lian."

    "Ah, of course, you know it''s just been such a tiring day." Lei Xing said with a nervous laugh.

    Lady Lian sighed and said, "It has...How come you ended up doing that? didn''t you say you were going to do a butterfly garden of flowers? Why didn''t you tell me you changed it?"

    ...Wait, isn''t that what she did? Oh, so I told you I was going to do that and so you did it...isn''t this directly trying to compete with me?...

    "Ohh, and that''s what you ended up doing?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lady Lian blinked and became fl.u.s.tered, "Ah, I really couldn''t think of anything so I just..."

    "I was just saying, it''s fine...I didn''t do it anyway. You did well."

    "I knew Jiejie would understand." Lady Lian said with a wry smile.

    "So what do you plan to draw tomorrow?"

    ...why? so you''ll do that too? -_-)...

    Lei Xing scrutinized her for a while and then said, "I was thinking of drawing the heavenly mountains, with a lake situated in between them, with heavenly immortals dancing above the lake, with mortals swimming beneath, oblivious that they are heavenly territory. With dragons and phoenixes flying in the sky to represent a changing dynasty." The other people around them all glanced at Lei Xing with raised brows.

    ...I''d like to see you do that...it''s either she''s a green tea b**ch or just a simple copy cat with no mind of her own...and whichever is annoying...if she really does that, then she''s a fool...

    Lady Lian''s eyes widened as she listened to Lei Xing''s words and after a while said, "That sounds difficult..."

    "Well, I thought I should do something more impressive." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    At this point, there were only four of them left with their maids, Lady Lian, Lady Jin, Lady Yu and Lei Xing. Lei Xing glanced at their group and sighed.

    ...I guess you can say this is the collection of the top three and the last from this test...LOL is this the universe telling me to be better?...

    ***

    The defense minister and his son both went home perplexed and pondering over the events of the selection all day during their work. They both knew Lei Xing''s embroidery skills are exquisite and among the best, yet she came out with such subpar obscure work, although her words were very profound and very meaningful, no matter how you look at it, it''s still way below the standard. The pair of father and son had left the hall and returned home in silence both perplexed.

    When they arrived home and where seated for dinner, the rest of the family inquired about Lei Xing''s progress.

    The defense minister furrowed his brows and asked, "How is Xing Er''s embroidery skills?"

    "Embroidery? Excellent, she''s even much more skilled than I am." Replied Madame Lei, perplexed at the question.

    "That''s what I thought..." The defense minister said and frowned and stopped moving his chopsticks, "Hmm..."

    "Why? What happened?" Madame Lei pressed. Her husband seemed to be deep in thought and was not responding so she turned to her son, "Yong''er, what happened?"

    Lei Yong sighed, "Well, I''m not exactly sure...her work was...interesting..." he finished with an uncertain look, he wasn''t sure how to describe it.

    "Interesting? What do you mean by that? What did she do?" Madame Lei inquired.

    "A circle, a wheel...a weird wheel, a bunch of them...four! four of them...then lines inside the wheels, colored lines...yes, that''s it..." Lei Yong haphazardly explained.

    "A wheel? Lines? Not a garden?" Madame Lei was taken aback. "She had said she was going to embroider a garden of flowers and she had even been practicing that for so long. Why would she -? "

    The family fell into silence and not eating, each with their own thoughts. Madame Lei suddenly perked up, "Xiao Ting, did she say anything to you?"

    Xiao Ting had been quiet and had been cold sweating once her father mentioned her sister''s embroidery when her mother singled her out, she nervously looked at her and shrunk a bit, "Ah...that..."

    The others on the table also looked her way expectantly, Xiao Ting became even more nervous.

    "Say it." Lei Yong said while narrowing his eyes at her. Xiao Ting flinched and looked at her parents and saw them seriously waiting for her answer.

    ...should I or should I not?...Jiejie will be angry...

    "Um...Um...Jiejie, she...she forgot..." She quietly said and looked down.

    "Forgot what?" Her mother pressed.

    "Forgot...forgot...how to...embroider..." She said while timidly glancing at her mother.

    Madam Lei''s eyes widened and her mouth hung open, Lei Yong had on stunned expression, the defense minister raised an eyebrow and solemnly nodded, "Ah, that explains it."

    "Why didn''t you tell us?!" Madame Lei roared.

    Xiao Ting flinched again and quickly explained, "I only found out yesterday...she...jiejie didn''t want to en-... worry anyone..."

    ...I am sure if mention that, jiejie would really kill me...

    "Hah, this child..." Madam Lei sighed.

    "It''s okay, she was able to sort her way through and didn''t put the family to shame. Frankly, given her disadvantage, you could say she did brilliantly." The defense minister said with a smile, trying to comfort his wife.

    "Yes, mother...although the embroidery was...she explained it brilliantly, very profound and deep." Lei Yong said nodding his head.

    The father and son pair went on to explain the significance of Lei Xing''s work to ensure that the Madame of the house could let go of her worries.

    "Xing''er is a great artist and magnificent on the qin, I am sure she can make up whatever loss she this has caused." The defense minister said reassuringly.

    "As long as she didn''t forget those too..." Lei Yong said absentmindedly, his father shot him a glare, "Ah, I''m sure she didn''t forget, right?" Lei Yong quickly corrected and looked to Xiao TIng for confirmation.

    "Ah, ah I''m not sure...I don''t think she does..." Xiao Ting hesitantly said

    The faces of the rest of the family fell and they sighed heavily. Xiao Ting covertly hid her smile.

    ...Jiejie with this I have made amends, right? Now they won''t expect much and you don''t have to explain anything when you come back...

 Chapter 11 - Mountain Pass

    Lei Xing and the other three were sent to the Cloud courtyard. It was a beautiful little courtyard with a small garden in front of it and a little pond in the center with some water lilies floating in it and a little wooden bridge over it, creating a path through, the courtyard had a simple and peaceful atmosphere. As soon as they arrived, they all went into their rooms to prepare for the next day. Lei Xing walked into her room, which was a simple spacious room with just basic furnishings, a table set facing the door with a teapot and cups on it, another table on the left side with ink, brushes, and paper and on the right side, a bed with green curtains in front of it and another smaller room off to one side that served as a bath and restroom area with a curtain covering the entrance.

    Lei Xing turned to the maid, "What''s your name?"

    The maid bowed, "This servant''s name is Xiao Ruo."

    Lei Xing nodded, "Okay, I''m going to sleep. Don''t wake me up."

    The maid nodded and approached Lei Xing and reached for her.

    Lei Xing furrowed her brows, "What are you doing?"

    "Miss, you said you want to sleep. So I wanted to help you undress." Xiao Ruo answered Lei XIng with a look of confusion.

    "Oh, no need. I can do it myself. Just leave."

    "How can I let Miss do it yourself, I have been assigned to serve you and so I have to do my best, otherwise I will get punished." Xiao Ruo anxiously said.

    "Well, no one will punish you. If you don''t tell them, I don''t tell them, no one will know. Plus isn''t it just simply taking off my own clothes. I have my own highly functioning hands."

    "But- "

    "Just leave, I have a headache and I want to sleep. That''s the best way you can serve me right now." Lei Xing interrupted her protest and sternly looked at Xiao Ruo. Xiao Ruo pleadingly looked at her and then helplessly turned and left, closing the doors behind her.

    Lei Xing sighed, "How tiring..."

    She took off the dress and hair pins, and laid down on the bed in her inner wear and thought through the events of the morning.

    ...so that annoying as**ole turned out to be a Prince...it seems I have offended someone troublesome...anyway, he was just trying to make his position known today...so he shouldn''t be a problem anymore...yep, definitely not, I hope T_T)...this situation is already stressful enough without an annoying critic who is out for blood...

    As she was thinking, she fell asleep and woke up sometime in the evening. When she woke up, she rolled around bed for a while, hesitant to move.

    ...Lazing around after working hard is the best...

    After a while of lazing around, she got thirsty and as soon as she got up to get some water, Xiao Ruo opened the door and entered.

    "Miss, you are finally awake. I will have your dinner brought in."

    "Okay." Lei Xing replied as she looked at her skeptically.

    ...did she have her ear plastered to the door the entire time?...

    Xiao Ruo turned around and left and Lei Xing went to drink some water and looked around the room, opened the windows and looked into the front garden with the pond, her room was facing the front so she was lucky to get some view. She sat by the window and looking at the peaceful scenery and her mind blanked. After a short while, Xiao Ruo came back with a two other maids carrying containers. They arranged the dishes on the table in front and left. Lei Xing went up to the table and enjoyed her dinner, the food was good and there was a variety of 5 side dishes of meat and vegetable. Lei Xing nodded with satisfaction as she savored each dish.

    ...A palace is indeed a palace...even the food is on another level...

    After dinner, sat down idly and scanned the room and yawned.

    ...I''m bored, I miss my phone, the internet...can''t even go anywhere...

    Xiao Ruo stood on the side and after a while of watching Lei Xing just sitting down idly, she said, "Miss, why don''t you prepare for tomorrow?"

    ...All the other candidates have been preparing and you went to sleep!...

    "Prepare what?"

    "Miss, your piece for tomorrow sounds very complicated. I''m sure it will be magnificent and I''m sure you have been practicing beforehand, but I thought maybe Miss might want to still...maybe practice some more...or maybe, do you have any specific requests for me to arrange for tomorrow?"

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, a bit confused as to what she was talking about and then she remembered what she had told that Lady Lian earlier and burst out laughing. Xiao Ruo was taken aback and dumbfounded by her laughter and looked at her confused.

    After Lei XIng had enough of laughing she said, "I''m not doing that."

    Xiao Ruo was even more confused, "You''re not? but you said..."

    "I said I was thinking about it, didn''t say I was." Lei Xing smirked and continued, "I''d be an idiot to do that, there''s no way I would finish that in 3 hours...I''d probably need at least a week and a lot of paper."

    Lei Xing laughed a little again and then composed herself and settled in a smile, she was in a good mood.

    "Miss, then what are you planning on doing?"

    "Who knows...I guess I should start thinking about that." Lei Xing said holding her chin and drumming her fingers on the table with her other hand.

    ...Yeah, what am I going to do...I''m not terrible at art, but I''m not great either...also, I tend to lean more towards abstract art, it''s easier...but I don''t think they''d be able to appreciate my avant-garde style...and I''d have to give a bloody presentation too...

    Lei Xing stood up and went to sit at the desk on the left with the ink and paper. Xiao Ruo followed her and sat beside her and started grinding the ink. Lei Xing stared at the paper for a long time and then looked at the ink and brushes and froze.

    ...Bigger problem, I don''t think I have ever drawn anything with a brush before...I definitely don''t have the control for a brush...

    Lei Xing sighed and went back to staring at the paper, furrowing her brows. She picked up a brush, dipped it in ink and hovered over the paper.

    ...Let''s try for a mountain?...yeah two mountains with a river in between...yeah, that''s easy...so what does it mean?... I don''t know, two countries and a border...I already said that, didn''t I?...Whatever, I''ll figure that out later...

    Lei Xing started to draw her mountains, she stopped midway, frowned and removed the paper and started on a new sheet. After a while, she removed the paper again and started again. Then she crumpled the sheet and threw it to the side and started again and repeated this several times. The more she tried, the more annoyed she was becoming and the deeper she frowned.

    ...This is why I hate art! I always get annoyed by it...which is probably due to the fact that I grew up with an annoying older brother whose one of those naturally "gifted artists"...something that took me hours, would literally take him seconds -_-)...there''s also the problem that I am too particular when it comes to art and have to have it look ideal, it''s so infuriating...which is why I gave up art in general for the sake of my health...and went with abstract, there''s nothing like a mistake in abstract...

    Lei Xing refocused and realized that she had started turning the mountains into some abstract mess and started to make it look like some elaborate mess. She breathed out exasperated by all this, dropped the brush and got up. "Please prepare me a bath." Then she walked back to bed and got on and shut her eyes, all this thinking about art has given her a headache.

    Xiao Ruo watched on as Lei Xing tried to draw and saw all the messes that followed after and watched her increasing frustration. She looked at Lei Xing on the bed, then inwardly sighed and went off to prepare the bath.

    ...It seems tomorrow won''t be easy for her either...

    When the bath was ready, Lei Xing got up and went over to the bath. This time she didn''t protest when Xiao Ruo went to help her undress, she was too tired and busy thinking to bother. When she got in the bath tub, Xiao Ruo took the initiative to massage her shoulders. Lei Xing stiffened when she touched her at first, but quickly relaxed and shut her eyes.

    After a while of massaging her shoulders, Xiao Ruo said, "Miss, I can help you massage your temples as well."

    "En, thank you." Lei Xing said in a relaxed voice. Xiao Ruo then moved on to use two fingers to massage her temples. Lei Xing sighed in a relaxed manner and sank in lower in the tub, finally feeling completely relaxed.

    ...I could get used to this...I can''t believe I had always rejected this help before now...I have to re-evaluate that...

    After the relaxing bath, Lei Xing entered the main room and looked at the table with her drawings around it. She frowned and then sighed and went to her bed.

    ...Whatever, who cares, why am I even making an effort for failure?...but it''s just really embarrassing though...who cares what other people think, that''s their own business...

    With these thoughts in mind, Lei Xing went to sleep. Either way, what she wanted was to fail, what did it matter how badly she did?

    When Xiao Ruo saw that Lei Xing had gone to bed again, she shook her head, inwardly sighed and put out the lamps and quietly left the room.

    ***

    The next day, the event had been moved to the afternoon. Just like before, at noon the candidates were led to the space below the stairs leading up to the main hall and sat down in front of tables which had a large sheet of paper, and then an array of colors in small bottles on the side and different sized brushes with a little bowl of water for cleaning the brushes. They were given even less time than before, this time they gave them only 1 hour.

    Lei Xing sat down and looked at the paper, then looked at the brushes and pigments. After a while. Lei Xing grabbed a big brush, dipped it in black ink and started making curved standing strokes on the paper in the center of the paper. Then she used a smaller brush and drew a ragged line under the strokes, that went on to the middle of the paper and stopped. Then drew a sharp straight line down, and she made an upside down stairway that went on to the edge of the paper. Then took the smallest brush and dipped it in red ink and drew three tiny small circles, with little antennas, and little feet, it seemed to be an ant in front of the curved strokes. Then after that on the other side underneath the stairway, she drew a bunch of wiggly lines, that went on until it reached the stairway. Then she drew a cone shape that started somewhere outside the paper and then ended on somewhere on the wiggly lines. Then she took another smaller brush and dipped it in brown ink and began to draw inside the wiggly lines. Then she took another smaller brush with black ink and made some more additions to it. When she was done she looked down at it.

    ...Not too bad, it does look like trees, and that''s a mountain clearly, that''s obviously a cliff and a wonderful fire ant...It''s clear!...right? Whatever...

    "Time up!"

    Lei Xing stood up along with the other candidates and they made their way to the main hall and was with the first time, the procedure was the same and the presentations began.

 Chapter 12 - Wise Words

    After thirteen presentations of lakes, gardens, desert views, spring encounters, it was finally Lei Xing''s turn. She stepped on the platform with a straight face, with a somewhat bored expression. Her piece was showcased and again raised eyebrows, it was really subpar when compared to the rest and Lei Xing knew that, and at this point, she really did not care at all.

    She flatly said, "To this fire ant, the tall grass on the cliff''s edge is greater than the distant mountain. Life is all about perspective"

    The crowd became enlightened by her words and collectively thought, ''ah, it''s an ant''...and they were all waiting for her to continue her explanation but she remained quiet, and they became puzzled and wondered whether she was really done. After a while more of watching her stand there in silence, they realized that she was done. That was really all she had thought up, she really couldn''t be bothered to think more on it and so simply said what she had.

    "Isn''t the ant just ignorant?" Prince Yi finally broke the silence.

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    ...This a**hole again -_-)...

    Lei Xing remained silent, she really did not want to deal with him again and frankly hoped that he would just leave her alone if she ignored him. Unfortunately...

    "No matter how you look at it grass can never be greater than a mountain, ignorance is not an excuse for foolishness." He spoke up again after receiving no reply.

    ...why can''t this guy just-...

    "There is the expression that ignorance is bliss." Lei Xing responded without even looking his way.

    "So are you promoting ignorance then?"

    "No, I am just stating a fact of reality. What bearing does an unknown fact have on one''s viewpoint of life? The more you know, the more you have to worry about. The less you know, the less you have to worry about. That is a fact of life."

    "So you''re saying ignorance is the best way to live?"

    "No, but given the nature of life, one cannot help but live ignorantly. There is no one who knows everything, there is always something more to be learned. Since there will always be something more one can learn, then we have no choice but to live ignorantly as life is a journey of learning."

    Everyone watched on as Prince Yi and Lei Xing discussed, they remembered that he had also criticized her yesterday and now today again. Normally, Prince Yi does not involve himself in palace matters, even during court he rarely chimes in, unless asked his opinions. But yet he seemed to be interested in the concubine selection, no not the selection, it seems it is just this Lady Yin that he seems to be interested in troubling. The onlookers were curious about how she had offended this aloof person to cause him to publicly criticize her.

    "You have spoken well, but how is this relevant to the royal family?" One of the ministers from the back stood up and asked, while covertly looking towards Prince Yi, it seemed he was hoping to get into the Prince''s good graces by further making her life difficult.

    Lei Xing glanced behind her.

    ...What sort of dumb question is this? Are they not living life too...

    Lei Xing looked back towards the front and said, "The Emperor like the mountain is mighty and dignified and his presence like the mountain affects the general view of the landscape. All forces in nature work together to create a world in which we can all live and thrive in. While the Emperor is the mountain, nature''s greatest and most dignified existence, the officials are the trees, the rivers, the grass and other forces of nature are all actors within the mountain''s sphere of influence. The grass is a more important existence to the ant, not because it is actually greater than the mountain, but because it is more easily accessible than the mountain. How likely is it for an ordinary peasant farmer to be able to voice their grievances to the Emperor himself? It is almost impossible, therefore the peasant farmer will look to the grass, the small official for aid. Which is why it is very important that the people assigned as officials are able to be resilient and steadfast like the tall grass which can sway with the wind, survive the storm and no matter the conditions, even if they are trampled upon by the elements, can still grow again and stand tall to provide a safe haven for the small ant."

    Lei Xing said a lot and surprised the crowd and some of them nodded in agreement with her words. Her father and brother covertly smiled, proud of her for putting that small official from the ministry of works in his place.

    The minister who had asked the question, stood frozen in place. This had backfired, he did not expect her to actually come out with such a reasonable explanation. He quietly lowered himself to his seat and slightly lowered his head with a frown, embarrassed.

    "Wise words." A calm voice said from above. Lei Xing looked up and saw the emperor''s smiling face and slightly flinched and quickly looked down, with a frown on her face. The emperor was a bit perplexed by her reaction, but continued and said, "You can go down."

    Lei Xing bowed and quickly walked off the platform, as she made her way to the back of the line, she glanced at the official that had questioned her.

    ...Want to haggle words with me? The main reason I was pushed into law was because of my ability in a war of words...if I can''t defend myself, what sort of lawyer would I be...the more you challenge me, the faster my brain works, pressure is my best friend...hahahahahaha...

    Lei Xing silently scoffed and took her place. The presentations continued on and were uneventful. Lei Xing didn''t care and didn''t pay them any attention, at this point, she was really bored now that the edge was taken off her since she was done. She couldn''t wait until this whole thing was over with and her mind wandered off. Then it got to Lady Lian''s turn and Lei Xing''s mind came back to the scene and her eyes perked up and she anxiously watched as Lady Lian went on the platform.

    ...Ah, I''ve been waiting for this...

    As Lady Lian''s work was opened and showcased, people gasped and their expressions froze, Lei Xing became even more anxious and excitedly waited for the view to come her way.

    ...Did she really do it?...

    Finally, she saw it and was disappointed. She had only drawn a bunch of dragons and phoenixes dancing in a sunset sky.

    ...Well, it is well drawn...at least she had the sense not to attempt everything...but wait, I hope she doesn''t say...

    Lady Lian smiled and said, "The Emperor is the son of Heaven and a leader that has been blessed by the heavens, mighty, brave, strong, intelligent. This painting shows dragons and phoenixes taking to the sky in celebration of a changing dynasty."

    The ministers furrowed their brows all looked towards the throne. The emperor was frowning with a raised eyebrow and the dowager looked like she was about to spew blood.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    ...She is really a fool ...even I know, and I''m not from here that you should not mention things like multiple dragons, there should be only one and that is the current emperor, then when you add on "changing dynasty"...are you trying to rebel? or get killed?... Now, I somewhat feel bad...

    Lady Lian looked around and could feel the tense atmosphere and looked up at the tense and saw the expressions of the emperor and dowager, bowed her head and quickly went through the words in her head, trying to understand what was wrong and after thinking hard, she was enlightened and quickly added, "...the dragons and the phoenixes represent past emperors and empresses celebrating the new dynasty of the emperor who will lead this nation to greater heights of prosperity and power."

    The atmosphere in the room instantly lightened and the faces of the emperor and dowager relaxed.

    "Nicely done, portraying the blessings of the ancestors." The dowager said and nodded.

    "Of course, the ancestors are in jubilation as our great nation has such a great leader." Lady Lian smiled and bowed. The dowager nodded some more and told her to return, she bowed again and came down.

    Lei Xing watched as Lady Lain came down and noticed her heave a small sigh of relief.

    ...No, not a fool...a quick thinker...just a bit blinded...

    After the presentations finished, the dowager praised their efforts and let them go back to rest. The next day was a day of rest and the competition will continue the day after. The candidates bowed and left.

    Lei Xing returned to her room and fell on the bed. She was proud of herself, she had done well today and had shown her enemies that she is not to be belittled. As she was smiling in satisfaction, the emperor''s smiling face crept up in her mind, her smile froze and her good mood instantly vanished.

    ...No way, it''s nothing...it was just a normal smile, people do that...Argh! It''s all that a**hole''s fault, if he would have just let her be...and who was that lost puppy at the end...so annoying...

 Chapter 13 - Too Comfortable

    The next day in the afternoon while Lei Xing was lounging around in her room enjoying some fruit. Xiao Ruo came running into the room like she was being chased. Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and gaped at her.

    "Is the building on fire?"

    "Ah? No...Miss, the dowager empress has invited you to go admire the Imperial garden." Xiao Ruo said while trying to catching her breath.

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows, "Just me?"

    "Ah? No, all the candidates."

    "Oh."

    {...How annoying, I''d rather not go...faking pleasantries has never been my strong suit...frankly, it hasn''t been a suit at all for me...}

    "Miss, you should start getting ready."

    "Ready for what? Am I not dressed already?"

    "Ah? Miss, you must not go like this! I will be punished!" Xiao Ruo begged as she got on her knees and looked at Lei Xing with imploring eyes.

    Lei Xing looked at herself, she was dressed but she had chosen a simple light green robe that was tied loosely around her, and her hair was let completely loose.

    {...Ah, I see...this might be a bit much...}

    Lei Xing awkwardly laughed a bit and said, "I understand, there''s no need to rush...Go get the stuff ready."

    "Miss, we have to rush, the dowager empress is already waiting there."

    "Already?"

    "Yes, so we have to hurry." Xiao Ruo said as she got up and quickly went to get a blue dress with silver threaded designs on it and dropped it in front of Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing slowly got up.

    {...What''s up with this impromptu invitation? I hate it when people abruptly interrupt my time like this, doesn''t matter that I''m not doing anything -_-)...}

    After changing clothes, Xiao Ruo put her hair in a half bun and stuck some hairpins in it, then started applying makeup. Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing and sighed, she would have liked to apply some more makeup on her, but she has learned that Lei Xing does not like makeup.

    {...Actually, as the Miss puts it, she doesn''t like "bothersome things"...and it seems to her everything is bothersome...her letting me put on light makeup is already a great concession...*sigh* thankfully she is naturally beautiful, otherwise...}

    "Are you done?" Lei Xing asked after a while of watching Xiao Ruo holding powder puffer and staring at her blankly.

    "Ah? Oh, almost." Xiao Ruo quickly finished putting on the powder and applied some light pink lip paint, "Done."

    "Oh, thank you." Lei Xing got up and they both got up and made their way to the Imperial garden.

    It seemed Lei Xing was the last candidate to arrive, the rest of them already seemed to be comfortably settled and had divided into groups and were happily chatting and laughing.

    Lei Xing stood at the entrance way and scanned the scene around her, most of them were in groups, there were a few stragglers who were standing on the sides, looking at the groups, seemingly trying to find an entry point to join one of them, but there was no dowager empress in sight.

    Lei Xing sighed. The idea of trying to fake pleasantries with people right now was off-putting, she has always been the kind of person who one would call a "lone wolf", she wasn''t shy or anything, it''s just she felt most comfortable on her own and didn''t feel the need to interact with people most of the time, she had very few friends and amongst them very few she could truly connect with.

    She could get along with anyone and have great conversations with anyone about almost anything, the problem is usually whether she was in the mood to or not, and right now, she was definitely not in the mood, especially not in the mood for dull conversations.

    After looking at the crowd of people for a while, she wandered into the garden on her own, with Xiao Ruo following behind her. She admired the flowers and took a leisure walk.

    The garden was huge and had various segments with different trees, flowers and rest spots all around it.

    As she wandered along, soon she couldn''t hear the merry voices of the others and she was enjoying the sereneness of the place.

    ***

    On the second-floor balcony of a building that was overlooking the Imperial garden, the empress dowager was standing observing the candidates and she had seen Lei Xing wander off earlier.

    {...How can she not even bother to even acknowledge the others? Behavior like this will only get you enemies in the palace...definitely not suitable...but on the other hand, she is unlikely to be the sort to cause trouble...hmm...}

    The dowager continued to observe the candidates until her thoughts were interrupted, "Mother, you sent for me."

    On hearing those words the dowager turned to the side and saw the emperor had just arrived, she smiled and waved him over to her side, "Kai''er, what do you think?"

    The emperor came to her side and followed his mother''s line of sight and sighed, "Mother, I have told you to choose as you like, it is all the same to me."

    The dowager also sighed, "How can you say that? You are the one who will be marrying them. You - "

    "Mother, I have a lot of memorials to review. I am sorry I cannot accompany you." The emperor cut her off, bowed his head and walked off swiftly before she could stop him with a frown on his face.

    {...If it were up to me, none of them would be here...}

    As the Emperor walked through the Imperial garden with his guards and servants trailing behind him heading towards the South exit, he heard some voices of people talking.

    As he got closer, he could see the people talking were at a pavilion, one of them was sitting down on a pillow, resting her head on top of her folded arms on the table. While the other was standing and watching the other.

    "Can we go back now?"

    "Miss, you''re already tired?"

    "We''ve been here for almost an hour."

    "Miss, the grace to be able to admire the Imperial garden is something that many hope for but can never attain. The Imperial garden is the most prestigious - "

    "I agree and I have admired it, now I''m bored...Now if there were some good music and some good food, I might reconsider."

    "Miss, I can''t play any instrument but if you''re hungry, then I could...Emperor!" Xiao Ruo had turned and saw the emperor and his entourage standing not far from the pavilion looking their way. She quickly bowed.

    Lei Xing slowly turned her head on her arms to the side and was also stunned to see this spectator and froze.

    "Miss! Bow!" Xiao Ruo whispered. Lei Xing quickly got up and bowed and then looked up and saw his frowning face.

    {...What are you frowning about? You wouldn''t think me being bored is an insult to your precious garden right? That is absurd, I didn''t say anything wrong!...}

    Lei Xing bravely cooly looked back at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. The emperor saw this and his frown became even deeper.

    {...What the hell do I think I''m doing? I still need my head...royals in these times can be that absurd!...}

    Lei Xing blinked, quickly bowed again and grabbed Xiao Ruo and sped off in the other direction. The Emperor watched the entire display, scoffed and continued on his way.

    {...And here I thought you were brave...}

    Lei Xing made her way back to the other candidates in one breath, then heaved a breath of relief when she arrived. After she collected herself, she noticed that there were dagger stares being sent her way. She calmly looked at them and then walked off to the side to admire some flowers.

    "Oh, look the guest of honor has finally graced us with her divine presence." One of the candidates, Lady Mudan said with a laugh.

    Lei Xing ignored the words and continued looking at the flowers.

    {...See, this is why I hate things like this...it seemed they were so bored that I had cropped up as a topic...}

    "Why don''t you share some wise words with us?" Another candidate, Lady Mujin spoke up.

    Another, Lady Baihe scoffed, "Wise words? Do you think such honeyed words will really be able to gloss over such sloppy work...even my youngest sister can do better and she''s four."

    "Don''t say it like that, Lady Yin''s vision is just so extraordinary that we cannot comprehend it." Lady Lian slyly said while looking at Lei Xing with pity, her statement caused a bunch of the others to burst into laughter.

    "That''s enough. You talking about wise words, are you making fun of the emperor? You don''t want to live anymore?" Lady Jin boldly said while staring them down.

    "How can we? The emperor just said that out of pity for her lack of skills." Lady Mujin stepped forward and said while boldly staring back at Lady Jin.

    "The emperor is a kind-hearted and generous person hence why he could not watch such a pitiful display and so gave her some credit so she can live on." Lady Mudan spoke up using an understanding and condescending tone.

    "Who are you to guess the emperor''s intention?" Lady Jin said a bit loudly and then scoffed, "And even then, she got some pity, what did you get?"

    Lady Mudan''s eyes widened, "What? How dare you? Why good is pity? Also, you didn''t get anything either, so you''re in no position to tell me that! Anyone can see that she has no skills whatsoever and just says a bunch of crap to cover it up! How can she compete with us at all?"

    "That''s not wrong." Lei Xing calmly said with a smile and they all turned to her with raised eyebrows, "My embroidery and art skills are truly subpar and will definitely not allow for me to be chosen, but even if I''m not chosen, it is now highly unlikely that you three will be chosen too." She said as she calmly pointed out Lady Mujin, Mudan, and Baihe. Her gaze stopped at Lady Lian, who on meeting Lei Xing''s eyes turned and looked to the side.

    {...This Lady Lian is truly a green snake, she fanned the flames but did not directly incriminate herself...}

    "What do you mean?" Lady Mudan spoke up. Lei Xing looked at her and then used her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. On seeing this, the others frowned.

    {...I''m really tired, it really wasn''t intentional...}

    "Speak! On what basis can you say that?!" Lady Baihe said annoyed with her behavior.

    "Simple, because you talk too much." Lei Xing said as she turned to the side running her hand through some flowers, "Where do you think you are? In your parent''s homes? Who do you think are at your sides? Your personal maidservants? No, you are in the Imperial Palace and they are maids assigned to you under the dowager empress''s orders."

    When she finished she turned back to the girls and coldly looked at them and watched as their eyes widened as they understood the meaning of her words.

    Then came to the realization that everything that just happened will be reported back to the dowager. They all fell silent and their eyes darted all over the place, the rest of the other candidates also felt disconcerted and the atmosphere became awkward.

    "Young Mistresses, the empress dowager has instructed to inform you that she will not able to join you and that you should all return to your quarters to rest and prepare for tomorrow." The old maid, Ling mama showed up at the entrance and cut through the silence announcing these words.

    The candidates all made their way out of the Imperial garden in silence and went back to their courtyards.

    As Lei Xing arrived at her courtyard, Lady Jin passed by her and looked at her condescendingly and said, "Don''t think I did that for you. Your presence is truly degrading the status of this competition." Then scoffed and walked off.

    Lei Xing watched her stalking off, then yawned and went back to her room to get some sleep, as Lei Xing lay on the bed trying to fall asleep, the faces of the candidates when she said those words came into her mind.

    {...It seems they were all really getting too comfortable too soon...I''m trying to fail so it''s fine, but for them...*sigh* Their lives aren''t easy either...}

 Chapter 14 - Novelty

    The music test was conducted in the late afternoon in the Imperial garden. They had set up an outdoor venue in a wide open space surrounded by flowers all around, with a pavilion in the center of it, there was a small platform set some distance away in front of the pavilion for the performances.

    In the pavilion, there was a table set with snacks and tea with two seats where the emperor and the empress dowager sat. While at the two sides of the platform, tables settings placed around for the officials. After the table settings for the officials, there were rows of table settings were the candidates were sat directly facing the pavilion.

    The performances today were divided into four instrumental categories; Konghou, zither, erhu, and the pipa. It seemed that the candidates had only chosen these four instruments and so to make it easier to set the stage, the performances will proceed by instruments in the order of erhu, pipa, konghou and zither.

    The erhu and pipa were instruments that were played on the lap, so the performers only required a stool, while the konghou and zither were provided with a pillow to sit on and a low table for the instrument.

    ** (Konghou is basically an ancient Chinese harp. Erhu is basically a 2-stringed violin (played on the lap though) and the pipa is basically a guitar) **

    Lei Xing was in a good mood, she was leisurely enjoying the snacks and tea as she listened to the relaxing erhu music.

    The atmosphere was perfect, you could hear the faint sound of streaming water in a distance, the air carried a wonderful fragrance of flowers, birds happily softly chirping, the cool summer breeze and warm late afternoon sun shining down.

    {...See, with some good food and good music, this garden is even more enjoyable, I could stay like this forever...the person who arranged this has good vision...Now if we could just get rid of all these people, then it''d be truly perfect...}

    Lei Xing had chosen to perform the zither, not because she is skilled in it, she has never even touched one before.

    She chose it for one simple reason: it''s easy...or at least easier than the rest. She had seen it played in several historical dramas, and frankly half of those times, the music lacked any steady rhythm to her, and the notes sounded random.

    {...Isn''t it just sitting there looking dignified, plucking a string every 2-4 seconds?... I can do that...inspiration will come...}

    After going through lovely performances of the erhu, pipa, and kongzhou, it was finally time for the zither performances, which was the category with the most candidates, there were 10 of them who chose to play it. The performances were going in order of how they were sat and Lei Xing was first.

    She got up and approached the platform and took her seat in front of the table with the zither.

    {...I can''t tell if this is good or bad...}

    She grazed her fingers over the strings, took a deep breath and began to play, copying the mannerisms of the characters she had seen in historical dramas.

    {...It sounds okay...I think?...}

    Lei Xing got more confident as she listened to her music and her movements became more confident, it seemed she was creating a rhythm, in her mind.

    Of course, this was in her mind only, the spectators were completely lost on her tune, which seemed to be all over the place.

    When she finished, she looked up to find the spectators looking at her blankly. She stood up and bowed and was ready to head down.

    "What piece is this?" The empress dowager suddenly asked.

    {...What piece?! I don''t know...What do you mean what piece? Why am I getting questioned, when everybody else just got a "Very good, you can go."?!...You can keep the "very good" just give me a "you can go" ...please?...}

    Lei Xing was annoyed, she stalled for a bit and said, "It is called fluttering heart."

    "Fluttering heart? I have not heard of it before...who is the composer?"

    {...Composer?! -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing bowed her head respectfully and said, "I composed it myself."

    "Ahh..."

    {...Can I go now? -_-)...}

    Some of the ministers started whispering and Lei Xing could hear some of their words, they weren''t exactly trying to be quiet.

    "No wonder the piece seemed to be all over the place, you composed it yourself." One of the ministers said.

    "A piece can only be a reflection of its composer''s soul." Another minister said while shaking his head.

    {...Are these people turning me into a joke?...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, "A piece reflects what it is intended to, this piece was intended to portray a fluttering heart. I am sure everyone here have all experienced their heart fluttering for one reason or another, either be it for love, anger, war, excitement, or pain...and I am sure at that time, your hearts beat all over the place as well."

    They all fell silent.

    "It takes considerable skill to be able to portray so well something as complicated as emotions." Prince Yi calmly spoke up.

    Lei Xing looked in his direction with raised eyebrows. He smiled at her and lifted his teacup to her.

    {...Skill, yeah sure...What''s up with this guy now?...}

    Lei Xing was not the only one confused at his sudden praise, the onlookers were also dumbfounded as he had been criticizing her the last two rounds and now to suddenly compliment her, especially to compliment this.

    The ministers were baffled and some started whispering again. Lei Xing was even more annoyed in her heart.

    {...Can you all shut up? It seems this atmosphere made them feel too relaxed...}

    "That''s enough." The empress dowager said, "Prince Yi''s words make sense, portraying human emotions through art is not an easy feat. Since this piece is quite novel and quite contentious...Lady Yin, why don''t you play something else to properly showcase your skills?"

    {...Play something else?! O_O)...}

    Lei Xing felt panicked and quickly looked down, slightly frowned, then bowed, "Alright." She slowly went back and calmly sat down, while her mind was frantic on the inside. She placed her hands on the strings.

    {...Play something else? I didn''t have anything in the first place...*sigh* This is going to be so embarrassing...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, braced herself and raised her hands and plucked a string.

    "Stop." Lei Xing froze and looked up. The emperor calmly took a sip of his tea, glanced at her and then looked towards the dowager, "It is unfair to allow her to play a second piece. Each candidate has been allowed only one performance so far, there should be no exception."

    "That is true, I was enjoying their performances so much, I almost forgot that this is still a competition." The dowager said with a laugh. "Fairness must be upheld, you can go down."

    Lei Xing relaxed and wanted to laugh in relief, but restrained herself. She got up, bowed and walked back to her seat. She looked down and closed her eyes to calm herself down.

    {...I was saved...you can kill a person, but you must not humiliate them. Even in failure, one must maintain their dignity...I have never been so grateful to rule sticklers before...}

    Lei Xing was a bit rattled, she was almost cornered. She felt grateful to the emperor for his strict adherence to the rules and even felt the urge to give him a standing ovation when he spoke up.

    Her heart was beating faster and her palms were a bit sweaty, she was truly nervous just now. She really could not think of any way she would have been able to save herself from embarrassment if she had truly been made to play another piece.

    After a while of listening to the soothing music, she started to calm down a bit, although she still felt uncomfortable.

    {...I can''t wait for this to be over...}

    Lei Xing was absentminded the rest of the performances and was very grateful to leave once they were done. She quickly went into her room and fell on the bed, she was worn out, those few moments of anxiety really drained her.

    {...Just two more days...}

    Tomorrow was the last test and Lei Xing was not worried at all about the literary competition. Out of all the tests, this one was the one she was least worried about.

    Given the way the other tests were structured, they will most likely be asked to compose something, rather than to regurgitate something...she had always been good at literature, she had even won some awards for compositions in high school.

    Although it''s been a while since she composed anything, almost ten years actually, she still had the confidence that she could glide through this without any problems, at least without it almost being a train wreck like today was.

    Lei Xing gradually fell asleep while thinking.

    {...Just two more days...Just two more...}

 Chapter 15 - Lifetime Opportunity

    The literacy test was held in the usual venue in front of the main hall steps in the morning. As Lei Xing had predicted the test was an open-ended one where they were asked to compose a piece based on a subject. The subject was a pot of vibrant beautifully arranged flowers. This round they were given only thirty minutes.

    Lei Xing looked at the pot of flowers and was in deep thought about what to write.

    {...How about: roses are red, violets are blue, I hate this place, can I go home now?... Be Serious!...fine...}

    Lei Xing kept staring at the flowers.

    {...How about just praising the flowers: Flowers as radiant as the sun...and...can''t do it, flowery words like that give me goosebumps...flowery words hahaha...Be serious!...}

    Lei Xing sat up straight and tried to focus on the flowers looking for inspiration, she honed in on the white lilies and the roses, after staring at them for a while, inspiration came and she began to write.

    **"I truly felt the warmth of the sun for the first and last time that day,

    I could still hear the clanking swords and war cries,

    But they seemed so distant now and seemed to be getting farther,

    As I stared blankly at nothing,

    The wind suddenly blew a white petal my way and I became captivated,

    I watched as it danced in the wind with all the carefreeness in the world,

    I watched as it came dancing down,

    I tried to stretch out my fingers to save it, but alas it slipped through them,

    I could only watch as it fell to the ground and was dyed red,

    Those days are gone and can never return,

    and so am I."**

    Lei Xing looked at the words on her paper and smiled.

    {...I will depress your soul hahaha...ha ha...ha...I shouldn''t be laughing at this...}

    When the time was up, they all walked up the steps as usual and one after the other, they got on the stage and stood while an eunuch read out their composition.

    When it was Lei Xing''s turn she got on stage and hers was read, for once she really didn''t have any problems, she even got nods of approval from the ministers.

    Prince Yi spoke up again, it seemed he had made commenting on her work a habit, "A depiction of death in war and the tainting of innocence, very insightful."

    Lei Xing bowed her head slightly in his direction.

    {...I will assume that you have realized your wrongs and are making amends and so I will reciprocate your goodwill...after this, please don''t bother me anymore...}

    "Very insightful indeed, you have done well, you may go down." The empress dowager said.

    Lei Xing smiled and bowed and went down, for the first time she had gotten the empress dowager''s approval, not that she cared about it, but it struck a tiny chord of glee in her heart.

    {...To feel happy about that, I must have been really traumatized by the last round -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing was in a good mood, the best she''d been in since she got here and happily listened to the other compositions.

    {...This stupid competition is finally over, I just have to wait for my dismissal...at least it ended on a good note...}

    When the presentations finished, the empress dowager praised their work and efforts all through the competition. She said that she and the emperor will discuss the results today and tomorrow, and the results will be announced at an evening banquet the day after, which will be held in honor of the candidates.

    As she was about to dismiss them, the emperor interrupted her saying he had something more to say. He looked at the candidates, "You all have done your best in displaying your skills and are all very talented young ladies. As this is all for the purpose of a marriage, I believe it is fair to give each of you the opportunity outside the bounds of competition and rules to say anything you''d like for me to know or ask any questions you have of me."

    The candidates all went wide-eyed, even Lei Xing.

    {...Well, this came out of nowhere...also this sort of private conversation, NEEDS PRIVACY!...who the hell asked him to?!...}

    The ministers were also shocked by this announcement and began whispering,

    "That''s enough, since the emperor has granted you all this opportunity, you should all use it wisely. Begin." The Empress dowager spoke up.

    Lei Xing knit her brows in annoyance.

    {...Begin what? You can''t just spring on a speed dating session on people and expect them to have their script ready -_-)''...}

    While the candidates all looked at each other skeptically, it seemed there was no order and no one really wanted to be the first to step up.

    Lady Jin took a deep breath and stepped forward, her aim here was to be the empress and so she should lead and be able to be confident and calm in every situation presented, so she bravely stepped forward, bowed and then proclaimed her interest and admiration for the emperor, narrating her insight on his conquests, calling him the god of war and how he is truly the blessing and grace the heavens have given to Long country.

    Lei Xing watched on with the others.

    {...I was wrong, some people are always ready...classic bootlick 101...}

    The other candidates watched Lady Jin and all plucked up their courage seeing that she was getting ahead, and they all began to step forth one after the other, and they might as well have been reading from the same script.

    Lei Xing watched on and sighed in heart, this sort of blatant flattery was something she couldn''t do and frankly, she wasn''t interested in trying to either. So she lingered in the back and did not want to step forward, but then she thought that she would stand out more if she went last.

    She looked at the fl.u.s.tered girls around her, who were probably all giddy and shy at the prospect of talking to emperor anxiously stepping forward one after the other.

    She really didn''t want to regurgitate flattery, it was really something she couldn''t do, she probably couldn''t plead for her life is she needed to, unfortunately, she had that incredibly annoying stubborn streak when it came to pleading with anyone for anything, even simply requesting for help was hard for her to do, even to her parents...seeming pitiful was something she couldn''t stand.

    Lei Xing couldn''t think of anything to say, but it''d be weird if she didn''t say anything, as she was looking around, Lady Yu caught her attention, she was shrinking in the back and she was nervously wriggling her hands and looking down, Lei Xing got an idea and stepped forward next.

    When she got on the platform, she wriggled her hands in the same way, looked up and then looked down immediately, took a shaky breath and then greeted the emperor and empress dowager with a bit of a shaky voice, she didn''t stutter as that would be overkill.

    Then she looked up at the emperor and then looked down immediately again and didn''t say anything, her father and brother looked at her wondering what was going on with her.

    After a while of silence, the empress dowager asked, "Why aren''t you saying anything?"

    Lei Xing glanced up and then immediately looked down again, "The emperor and empress dowager''s presence is so striking and being given this opportunity, I really could not think of anything to say..." As she said this, her voice got smaller and smaller and she glanced up again and then looked back down.

    Everyone looked at her in stunned silence, everyone pretty much thinking the same thing: Who is this? She had nothing to say, she who has been showcasing her mouth and wit throughout this competition had nothing to say? How is that possible?

    Some then thought that she must have memorized those words she spoke before each round, so she was nothing but a paper tiger and scoffed at her, and the more astute ones looked at her curiously, confused at her actions and trying to figure her out.

    The emperor spoke up, "Since you couldn''t think of anything to say..."

    Lei Xing was ready for her dismissal.

    {...Then I can go, right? Better yet tell me I am incompetent and unfit to grace your "immense" presence...that would really be the best-case scenario, then no nobles would dare try to offer marriage to a woman who displeased the emperor...}

    "...then I''ll ask you a question."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Huh? What? Why? This was unexpected...}

    "Would you like to be my empress?" There was a collective gasp and everyone in the hall was shocked, the one most in shock was Lei Xing, she immediately looked up, her face was in shock and then she subconsciously glared in annoyance...then quickly corrected her expression remembering where she was.

    {...Did she just glare at me?...}

    Lei Xing''s mind was racing.

    {...What the hell? Where did that come from? Forget that, No! Not interested!...Can''t say that out loud though, my head will fly...}

    Lei Xing bowed her head and head, "The position of empress is grand and extravagant..."

    "Answer honestly."

    Her mouth twitched and she rolled her eyes and then calmly looked up.

    {...Since you said so, I will give you the courtesy and be honest...}

    She had completely forgotten her timid plan.

    "Since the emperor has asked for an honest answer, I wouldn''t dare to do anything else...there are two aspects to that question...The first aspect is with regards to the position of empress, the empress''s position is one of extravagance, prestige, immense grace, but beyond all that it is at its core a position of heavy responsibility, which requires great qualifications to effectively hold it..."

    "So you are saying you do not have the qualifications for it?" The emperor asked

    "Having qualifications is one thing, but having the motivation is even more important. While a naturally smart person with the qualifications can excel, there still needs to be the motivation to propel them to excel...On the other hand, a dim hard worked can effectively be on par with one who is naturally smart...so qualifications are not necessarily as relevant as they seem..."

    "Okay, and the second aspect?" The emperor nodded and calmly asked.

    "The second aspect of your question is about being your empress, which at its core the also empress'' position entails being a wife. I cannot make any statements with regards to that, as the wise know one should never make judgments based on the surface value. I do not have any knowledge on your benevolent person to decide one way or another..."

    "Hmm, so you mean to get to know me?" The emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I dare not."

    "Since you dare not, the result would be that you would never be able to make a decision, isn''t that right?"

    "I guess so..." Lei Xing hesitantly said.

    {...What''s he playing at?...}

    "So, in conclusion, you are not interested in the position of being my empress, right?"

    The hall was deadly silent. The ministers held their breath and her father was ready to shoot up to defend his daughter if needed, he would offer his life in penance for her disrespecting words. Prince Yi smirked, apparently amused by the turn of events.

    Lei Xing hurriedly bowed as she said, "I dare not...the position of his majesty''s empress is one of extravagance, prestige and is a grace beyond this commoner''s imagination..." Lei Xing spat out the words.

    {...This is getting dangerous, even if you got the message, why would you throw it back at me for confirmation?...Unless you''re gunning for my head?!... I may have gone too far, I think...}

    "That''s all, you can go back." The emperor calmly said.

    Lei Xing breathed out a sigh of relief, she bowed again, got up and glanced up a bit and saw the emperor looking to the side absentmindedly, and saw the empress dowager shooting daggers at her. She quickly turned and went down, she really thought she was about to die, she reprimanded herself for her foolish outburst of courage and reminded herself to control her stupid mouth.

    She is someone who enjoys challenging conversations, and because of this stupid attribute of hers, she almost lost her head today.

    {...I really need to re-evaluate myself....but this may have worked out well, thanks to his clarification even the dumbest person here is now aware that I am not interested in marrying the emperor...but more importantly, I seemed to have offended the most powerful people in this kingdom so marital prospects definitely ruined hahahaha...}

    As lei Xing walked back the other candidates glared at her and scoffed at her "stupidity" for wasting the opportunity of a lifetime, but they had all glimpsed a good strategy and those that had already gone thought that they should have let the emperor ask them something as well. There were only about seven of them left who hadn''t gone up.

    Lady Baihe glanced at Lei Xing, smiled condescendingly and walked forward, and following Lei Xing''s steps said she couldn''t think of anything to say and that the emperor could ask her any questions.

    The emperor glanced at her and then asked, "What do you think Lady Yin''s words?"

    Lady Baihe frowned a bit, clearly this was not the question she was expecting, but nevertheless, she happily answered, "Not everyone knows gold is more valuable than a pebble. Some people are short-sighted and cannot see the bigger picture and cannot imagine a world beyond the confines of the pit they have dug themselves into..."

    "Hmm, that is one way to view it. You can go down." The emperor calmly said

    Lei Xing sighed and rolled her eyes in her mind.

    {...In other words, I am willfully blind, good to know -_-)...}

    Lady Baihe finished and then the next person stepped up and did the same, and the emperor asked the same question.

    In short, the same happened with the next four candidates and Lei Xing was called everything from stupid, foolish, blind, naive, slow...of course in more flattering words.

    Finally, the last candidate, Lady Yu stepped up, still fidgeting and wriggling her hands, she had her head down and kept sneaking glances at the emperor and didn''t say anything for a while, it seemed she was still collecting herself and trying to find her words.

    After a while, the emperor just went ahead and asked, "What do you think of Lady Yin''s words?"

    "I...I...I don''t reeally have an opi-opinion on that." She stuttered out.

    The emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at her, she saw this and looked down and her face went red.

    "Um, um...I have heard tha-at the emperor is a great a-a-artist. I, I, I have had the grace...of viewing your drawing of of the Yangling mountains, it it was magnificent. I ha-ve heard that you always draw the landscape of of pla-places you have visited. I have always great-tly admired your work and talents..." She managed to stutter out with great effort. She shyly looked up at the emperor again and looked down.

    "Ah, Yangling mountains, one of my earlier work. Since you like it so much, I''ll gift it to you." The emperor said with a small smile. It was rare that he got praised for anything other than war.

    Lady Yu looked up wide-eyed and fell to her knees and kowtowed, "Thank you so much for your grace, I will make sure to treasure it immensely." She said this clearly and loudly, her joy overtaking her nervousness.

    "That''s good, it will be delivered to you later. You can go down." The emperor said with a little laugh.

    Lady Yu got up, bowed again and came down with a shy gleeful smile on her face. Lei Xing watched her and smiled a little as well.

    {...How cute...a fangirl meeting her idol...must be nice...}

    After that, the candidates were allowed to return and await rest as they await the farewell banquet.

 Chapter 16 - Stormy Emotions

    **Note: "Long" means "Dragon...so the country''s name translates to Dragon country**

    In the afternoon the next day, the empress dowager was seating in her main hall with portraits of all the candidates splayed on a table in front of her, as well as several maids lined up in front of her, each holding the collective submissions of a candidate on a tray, and were stepping forward one after another while on the direction of Ling mama, who was standing beside the empress dowager.

    There were two servants who were currently holding up a piece for the viewing of the dowager at the foot of the short steps to where the dowager was seated on her throne seat. As the dowager was scrutinizing a piece of work, an eunuch announced the arrival of the emperor and all the servants moved to the side.

    She looked up and saw the doors open and the Emperor strutted in and then bowed slightly in greeting to her.

    "Mother, you sent for me." The emperor calmly said as his eyes scanned the crowd in the room.

    "You''re here. Come up and take a seat." She smiled and waved him up. The emperor climbed up the short steps and sat on the seat on the left of his mother. A maid stepped up and served him some tea.

    The emperor took a sip and the empress dowager excitedly asked, "How do you like this tea?"

    "It is very good."

    "It is a new blend I made. Since you like it, I will have some sent over." She said with a smile.

    "Thank you, mother." The emperor said and then looked around and asked, "What is this about?"

    "Oh, I wanted us to review the candidates'' work and then discuss the results." She said and then motioned for the servants to continue to display the work and they continued.

    The emperor frowned and then looked at his mother, "Mother, you can just choose as you like."

    "Even then, I still need to take your opinion into account. After all, you are the one getting married." The empress dowager flatly said, her smile was gone.

    "I don''t have any opinions on this. I have a lot of work waiting, I won''t bother you anymore." The emperor said as he got up, bowed and turned to leave.

    "Stop!" The empress dowager screamed and the emperor stopped, he closed his eyes and sighed and then turned around to face his mother.

    "All of you get out!" The empress dowager commanded. The servants all bowed and quickly left the hall and closed the door, leaving only the emperor and the empress dowager facing each other.

    "Mother, I - "

    The empress dowager quickly interrupted him, "Is this your way of blaming me for not raising you?"

    The emperor furrowed his brows and sighed, "Mother I don''t blame you for anything."

    "Did you think I didn''t want to raise you? Did you ever think of what sort of life I have lived all these years, especially knowing that that wretched woman was raising my child? A son I had birthed and painstakingly raised for 5 years?! Do you have any idea?!" The empress dowager said enraged.

    "Mother, please calm down. I know that you have suffered and will do my best to make up for your suffering, that is why I have worked so hard all these years up to this point..." The emperor said trying to calm her down.

    "What is the point of you working hard, if you do not have offsprings to pass your throne to?! You need to start having children...or do you not see the vultures lurking around you, waiting for you to make a mistake so they can pull you down! If you are not anxious to solidify our rule, I am!"

    "He does not have any children either..." The emperor flatly said.

    "But he has concubines! Do you think he stayed in the capital all this time because he really likes that meager position he is in?!" The empress dowager scoffed and continued, "Or because he wants to "assist" your rule? What rubbish!! How foolish are you?!! I will not have Long country sc.u.m ruling over me! Never, I will never allow that! Do you hear me?!" The empress dowager shouted as her face contorted with rage and tears welling up in her eyes.

    The emperor looked at his mother with somber eyes, "Mother, I am also a Long country person too."

    "No! You are not and you will never be! I birthed you into this world and so you are not a Long person and you will never be, understand? Never mistake that, you are a Xia person and that is all! Anything else and I will..." The empress dowager caught herself and looked at her son wide-eyed.

    {...Anything else and you will try to kill me again?...}

    The emperor looked down and then laughed to himself a little and looked up at her with a gentle smile and said, "I will take my leave now. As for the rest, you can do as you deem fit." He finished and turned and left.

    The empress dowager sat on her high seat and watched her son leave, her eyes storming with anger, hurt, rage and sadness.

    {...The more I look at him, the more he resembles that demon...}

    ***

    The emperor entered the royal study and sat on his throne chair and was in deep thought with a frown, ignoring the memorials in front of him.

    {...Was there really a point to all these years of struggling? Nothing has changed...}

    "Emperor, Emperor...Emperor!" He flinched when the table was banged and looked up with a frown and saw that it was Lei Yong and relaxed his expression.

    "Oh, you''re here." The emperor said sitting upright and picked up a memorial and opened it to read.

    Lei Yong looked at the emperor''s seemingly calm expression and asked, "Is it the empress dowager again?"

    The Emperor glanced up at him, and then dropped the memorial and then slouched on the throne and quietly said, "My mother has a lot of resentment...I don''t know how to reconcile it."

    "Oh." Lei Yong said as he leaned back on the edge of the table and faced forward, with his back facing the emperor.

    The emperor seeing his back, smiled slightly and then sighed, his eyes became saddened as he stared blankly at nothing, delving into his thoughts.

    Lei Yong had discovered earlier on, about fifteen years ago when they had first met that the emperor was the sort to always hide his hurt from others and would never reveal it when someone else was watching.

    At that time, his birth mother had been confined to the cold palace and he had recently moved into the empress''s palace. Lei Yong had been amongst the group of noble sons sent over to the empress for her to pick the little prince''s playmate.

    Of course, while the position is called a playmate, it is a very important position, as the playmate could possibly grow up to become a close assistant and a trusted aide to him.

    Lei Yong was 7 years old then and had gotten lost while he had wandered off to explore and ended up following the sound of whimpering to a small corner and stumbled on the little prince who looked at him calmly and imperially with no tears on his face, but his red eyes gave him away, Lei Yong could tell that he was obviously putting on a brave front, he must have hurriedly wiped his tears when he heard his footsteps.

    The two boys looked at each skeptically for a while. Lei Yong looked at the little boy''s clothes and guessed he must be 4th prince. He walked up to him, smiled and teased, "What are you crying about?"

    The little prince froze and looked at him blankly and then bent his head and said, "I am not crying, I don''t cry."

    Lei Yong had not expected this sort of reaction from a prince and so he laughed and said, "Ohh, then it must have been the sound of your twin ghost..."

    The little prince looked up and said with a frown, "What sort of nonsense are you saying?"

    "What? Are you scared?" Lei Yong teased.

    "Of course not." The little prince''s frown deepened and he tilted his head to the side.

    Lei Yong patted his head, and the little prince''s eyes widened in shock and he stiffened, "It''s okay to cry, sometimes we need to..." The little prince looked up and saw that Lei Yong was staring fixedly at something off to the side. He bit his lip and looked down and his tears silently fell.

    The two stood like that for a while, one patting the other''s head and was seemingly captivated by the wall on the side, while the other bent down in silence.

    "...Yong!" The emperor pushed Lei Yong, causing him to almost fall. "Were you asleep?"

    "Ah? No, no. I was just thinking." Lei Yong said with a laugh.

    "Thinking about?" The emperor curiously asked.

    Lei Yong simply said, "Nothing in particular." and then went down the steps and took a seat.

    The emperor looked at him skeptically, then let it go and asked with a raised eyebrow, "So what brought you here? I thought you''ve been avoiding me these days."

    "Of course not. It''s just I''ve been very busy lately. Settling the returning military is not an easy affair."

    {...Of course, the real reason is because Xing er'' is in this competition, I didn''t want her to have any problems later...and frankly, I wouldn''t have come here if not for father pushing me...}

    The emperor nodded and seriously asked, "How is that going? Any problems?"

    "No, it''s going well."

    "That''s good. How is the investigation going?"

    "We still haven''t found any trace of Prince Rui. We lost his trace in Licheng city and have not been able to find his whereabouts. I fear he may have escaped to his country already."

    "I doubt it. Keep looking." The emperor calmly said.

    "Your majesty, what do plan to do once you find him? Kill him?"

    "Hasn''t this country seen enough war already? It is time for peace."

    "Then you want to negotiate a peace treaty with him?" Lei Yong asked standing up.

    "No, of course not. That will be exposing our weakness. A small prince, even though he has potential in the future, right now cannot be the bearer of a treaty considering his failure in the last battle. Not only did he suffer a crushing defeat at our hands, but then he made the mistake of getting himself captured as well. What foothold can such a prince hold in court right now?..."

    "If I try to negotiate a peace treaty through him, it would make us appear desperate and raise suspicions as to why we would be negotiating a peace treaty when we seemingly have the upper hand. This country needs time to recover, thirty years of fighting wars are enough."

    "So you''re just going to let this impasse stand?" Lei Yong asked, resuming his seat.

    "For now. Of course, it would be best if they approach us for the treaty themselves." The emperor said with a smirk.

    Lei Yong looked at the emperor quizzically, "You have a plan?"

    "I wouldn''t call it plan, but a guess." The emperor said with a smile, "As for that Prince Rui, if you find him just secretly protect him. He needs to arrive in his country safe and sound."

    "Alright. I will pass on your orders." Lei Yong said as he got up and bowed. Turned to leave and then stopped and turned back to the emperor, "I am curious about something."

    "Okay, ask."

    "Why did you ask that, um, that Lady Yin was it? that question?"

    The emperor blinked and then thought for a moment and answered, "No reason...I was just curious, I guess."

    "Oh." Lei Yong was quiet for a while and then hesitantly asked, "..then have the concubines been selected?"

    The emperor frowned, "Who knows."

    "Shouldn''t you?" Lei Yong said looking at him confused.

    "I am not interested and so left it up to my mother."

    "I see..." Lei Yong said looking down with a slight frown and appeared to be thinking.

    The emperor raised an eyebrow and watched his friend, then got up and came down the steps and looked at him skeptically. Lei Yong seeing this, looked at the emperor with a guarded expression and asked, "What?"

    The emperor smirked, "Hmm, you seem to be quite interested about the selection of the concubines....Is there a girl you fancy amongst them? It is high time for you to get married too, and you''re even older than me, it''s definitely time. Tell me, who is it that awakened your dead heart? I will ensure that she gets blacklisted. You can trust me!" The emperor finished patting his chest.

    "It is nothing like that! I was just asking casually...Anyway, the issue of Prince Rui is an urgent matter, I will go now and immediately see to it." Lei Yong quickly said, bowed and sped off. He could hear the sound of the emperor''s laughter behind him and frowned.

    {...This little brat has grown up to be such a...}

 Chapter 17 - Life Choices

    Lei Yong went home and went to see his father. As soon as he entered the study, his father looked up from his doc.u.ments.

    "How is it?"

    "It is fine."

    "Not angry?"

    "I told you the emperor wouldn''t get angry for something like this."

    "Well, you never know..." The defense minister calmly said and rested his back in his seat and rubbed his head.

    "Father, I''ve known the emperor for fifteen years, even though I can''t say I completely understand him, I at least know this much." Lei Yong said feeling a bit annoyed with the whole situation.

    The defense minister looked at his son and then sighed, "I''m understanding your sister less and less these days...While she has never been timid, but she has never been so brazen before...When she returns tomorrow, she will immediately depart for Jiangchen city to stay with your aunt, at least until all this is forgotten."

    "Father, the emperor wouldn''t hold something like this against her. Also, she''s my sister, at least for my sake, he w-..."

    "Even if he doesn''t take offense, there is still the empress dowager. Can you guarantee that she won''t act on it?" The defense minister flatly said, narrowing his eyes at his son.

    Lei Yong lowered his head, feeling even more dissatisfied.

    "There''s also Prince Yi..." The defense minister quietly said to himself in a low voice. Lei Yong''s ears perked up and he raised his head, "What about Prince Yi?"

    "Haven''t you noticed that he has been picking on Xing''er?"

    Lei Yong thought and said, "It seems to be, but that must be because he knows who she is and is indirectly targeting us."

    "It would be good if that was all...but it doesn''t seem that way, he has been oddly polite to me lately, there was even a time he raised his cup to me." He sighed and continued, "...it seems there might be something more to it."

    "Father, I think you are thinking too much. Perhaps it''s just a different angle to bring you over to his side." Lei Yong said dismissively, believing that his father was reading too much into the situation.

    "That is exactly what I fear. The emperor is one thing, but Prince Yi is an even shakier ground."

    "Father, the emperor is a good man..."

    "Good or not, the palace is not an easy place. I would rather not have my daughters be embroiled in the conflicts of power..."

    "Father, I -"

    "I haven''t even argued with you over the fact that you went to submit her name behind my back and now you are being willfully blind..." The defense minister said with strained voice with containing anger.

    "It was what she wanted. It is better to let her try and fail than for her to hold onto this regret for the rest of her life."

    "She is a naive child who knows nothing but you are not." The defense minister said with a frown.

    "Father you have always taught us to be brave in life and make decisions based on what we can live with and not what seems convenient and easy. To Xing er'', the palace and this competition are the decisions that she can live with and I made the choice to help her with the same conviction. I may not have watched her grow up all these years, but I can at least see from the way she has performed in this competition that she is not as naive as you think she is. If in the future, we come to regret these decisions, then we will be able to live with that too, knowing that it was our choice. I will take my leave now." Lei Yong bowed to his father and left the study. The defense minister sighed as watched his son''s departing back.

    ...These children, should I be proud, angry or sad?...

    At that time, their parents had refused to submit Lei Xing''s name no matter how much she had pleaded. Lei Yong had just returned from the battlefield. He had been gone for 8 years, going from one battle to another with the then crown prince, the current emperor and had missed watching his sisters grow up. They had often exchanged letters, and he had often mentioned the crown prince in his letters. It seemed that Lei Xing had fallen in love with the emperor through his words. When she couldn''t persuade her parents and the deadline was looming, she ran to Lei Yong pleading in tears to help her participate in the competition and that she will forever live in regret if she did not participate. Seeing her looking so miserable, his heart was moved, but still, he felt hesitant on sending her to the palace and tried to persuade her against it, but she said that if she did not go then she would be unable to live.

    Seeing her so resolute, he decided to help, the least he could do was help make her dreams a reality after being absent for so many years, furthermore, he trusted the emperor to take care of her, if not out of affection for her, but at least for the sake of their friendship. So, he had submitted her name behind his parents back. His father found out and kept this secret from his mother, simply telling her that he changed his mind and that it would be a disservice to the emperor to not include her. His mother was angry with his father for days because of this, Lei Yong felt guilty but his father warned him to keep it quiet and so he complied. Eventually, Lei Xing was able to placate their mother, reassuring her that this was for the best and was also what she wished for and so peace was able to return to their home.

    Lei Yong walked away feeling complicated. While he meant what he said to his father, he couldn''t help feeling worried for Lei Xing.

    ...I hope you don''t regret this in the end...

    ***

    The afternoon of the next day, carriage after carriage arrived at the palace. The ministers along with their wives and their teenage and older children arrived at the palace gates and flocked in, holding gifts for the emperor and empress dowager. While this banquet was deemed to be in celebration of the candidates for the concubine selection, in actuality it was the celebratory banquet for the new emperor''s reign and the empress dowager''s rise to power. The celebratory banquet had been delayed the last three months since the emperor took office because of the funeral arrangements for the late emperor, and then soon after that of the empress who had passed away due to immense grief at the loss of her emperor, it seemed she was restraining her grief just to watch the current emperor assume the throne. It was announced that she passed away in her sleep that night following his coronation ceremony, there is also a rumor that she had committed suicide.

    No matter what her cause of death, the emperor was greatly saddened and so did not have the will to hold a celebratory banquet.

    The emperor had left the palace for war at the young age of 12 and had never returned until the last emperor died, he wasn''t even able to be there for his last words. While the current empress dowager had been imprisoned in the cold palace for the last 15 years, so the families of the ministers were incredibly curious as to what they really looked like and also came along with presents to curry favor with them. The families were seated according to their rank, the seats closest to the emperor''s platform were reserved for the candidates, save for Prince Yi''s place which was not moved.

    After a while, the emperor and the empress dowager arrival was announced and everyone got up and bowed as they walked in, after they all sat back down, the emperor said some words to welcome them. Then the candidates filed in soon after, they were all dressed beautifully in extravagant white garments with gold threaded designs all over it, their hair were all put up in a bun and adorned with beautiful headpieces, they had on extravagant drooping earring and necklaces, they truly looked like imperial wives at this moment. They all bowed to the emperor and empress dowager and were then directed to their seats by Ling mama.

    Lei Xing felt a bit disgruntled by this seating arrangement, somehow she had ended up seated next to Prince Yi, she had no choice but to take her seat as directed, as it would be weird if she protested.

    ...Is someone trying to play an annoying joke on me? It''s not funny -_-)''...

    Lei Xing calmly took her seat and faced forward and delved into her thoughts. She spent the last two days since the events of last round contemplating what her next steps would be after today. She was aware that she had virtually offended the three most powerful people in the country, so she was aware that she must definitely not get into any sort of trouble in the future, otherwise they could use the opportunity to just kill her.

    ...Frankly, it''s best to just leave the capital city...but where would I go?...

    Lei Xing frowned, this was as far as her plans have gotten. She could either live as quietly as a mouse and hope no trouble comes her way, but even mice still get troubled by cats even when they hide and run so fast, so this plan was unreliable and honestly depressing to her. The other plan of leaving the city, hit against a wall, she knows nowhere and no one, so where could she go. She rationalized that she could probably convince her parents to send her to some relative in some other city, but she wasn''t really comfortable with the idea of going to live under a stranger''s roof, especially given how restricted life here could be.

    ...Won''t it be worse living with some relative...also what if they abuse me or something, it''s not like there''s a phone for me to call the family here to ask for help...I''d basically be a sitting duck...

    Preferably, she would like to set out on her own and maybe start a business somewhere but that required a lot of money, not only for living expenses but also to hire adequate protection, these are dangerous times, but it would be hard to convince her parents to let her set out on her own given the times...but before worrying about that, she needed a destination.

    ...I would have to do some research once I leave...maybe I can go to some other country or something...Yes, that Jiu country sounds like a delightful place...I can already envision myself sitting on the prairie with some jiu "wine" admiring the grassland scenery or perhaps a beautiful cherry blossom setting with petals floating around...peaceful, beautiful and serene...

    Lei Xing smiled to herself.

    "What''s so amusing?" She heard a voice from her left ask, and her smile instantly vanished and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "What? Do you also find this "congratulatory" gifting session hypocritical as well?"

    Lei Xing remained silent and pretended like he wasn''t talking to her.

    ...I''m not sure what to say to that...yes, offends those two above and no, could offend you...and I think I''ve racked up enough offenses for one month...

    Prince Yi looked at her for a while, smiled and then turned back to watch the noble men and women stepping up one after another with gifts, expressing their congratulations and scoffed as he watched the gifting session while sipping his wine and refilling his cup with a sarcastic smile plastered on his face. When the gifting session was over, dancers filtered in and music began and servants servant served food. There were various performances from acrobats performing to willowy women dancing.

    Lei Xing was enjoying the show as she ate, she had always loved things like this, she was a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil, Shen Yun, Cavalia odyssey...in short, anything that involved acrobats, synchronized dances and theatre performances, she loved and would splurge to secure great seats, this and her electronics were the only things she spent money lavishly on, once in a while. Prince Yi finished off another cup of wine, refilled it and looked at Lei Xing, her eyes were fixed on the performances, she was enjoying them with a small smile taking occasional sips of wine and tea.

    He frowned and observed her for a while, then he said, "Your skills are quite unique."

    He watched the smile on her face disappear and she glanced at him lightly, saw him smirking and then looked back to the stage somewhat annoyed.

    ...Are you insulting me?... I thought you had moved past this...wait, should I maybe apologize about before?...No, wait, why should I apologize? I didn''t do anything wrong...but still...

    Lei Xing glanced at him again and saw him still looking at her with a smirk and then looked forward again.

    ...No, no, he looks like the sort to make my life more difficult if I apologize...plus, it''s not like I want to be friends or anything...Ignoring him is fine...I''ll just play dumb...

    The rest of the night, Lei Xing felt uncomfortable, she didn''t look his way again but she could feel Prince Yi looking at her.

    ...This is annoying, can this night end already...I want to go home...

    Eventually, all the candidates were called forward, they filed to the front, bowed and awaited their fates. Lei Xing heaved a small sigh of relief when she got up and was glad the banquet was getting to the point.

    ...Finally...

    The dowager spoke up, "You have all done your best and showcased your..."

    ...Yeah, yeah, we know we did, fast forward, please...

    Lei Xing was so anxious for this to be over, and finally, an eunuch rolled open a scroll and began to read the names of those who succeeded. Lei Xing watched on as the names were read and the candidates walked up the steps to the first landing of the platform, her three courtyard mates'' names: Lady Jin, Lady Yu and copycat, Lady Lian had already been called. There were already seven of them up there and more were still being called. Lei Xing sighed in her mind.

    ...Exactly how many concubines does 1 man need...apparently a lot, if I remember correctly there was even some emperor who had 3000...how that doesn''t kill you, is beyond me, I have a headache just thinking about it...but I guess most them were ignored and lived inconspicuous lives...

    In the end, there were 12 names called, and Lei Xing was not on it, she wanted to laugh and jump up in glee but she restrained herself and controlled her expression. The other candidates beside her all wore forlorn expressions. Lei Xing didn''t bother to try to copy that for fear that she would end up bursting into laughter, so she just maintained a cool expression. Amongst those who failed were Lady Mudan, Lady Baihe, and Lady Mujin, just as Lei Xing said they joined her in failure. Their expressions compared to the other candidates were even worse, they looked like they wanted to kick themselves. Lei Xing happened to be standing near them and had glimpsed their expressions and wanted to laugh.

    ...I know I''m not one to talk, but next time, control your mouths...hahahaha...

    The dowager gave the failed candidates a condolence speech as well as gave them various parting gifts and then they were directed to leave the hall.

    Prince Yi watched as the group of failed candidates bowed and made their way out and smiled.

    ...This is good too, I don''t have a Princess consort yet and I think she will do nicely, there is also the added bonus of the defense minister...I wonder between a son and a daughter who would he choose...or better yet between a friend and a sister, who would the son choose...

    Lei Xing calmly walked out with the group, while she was doing cartwheels on the inside.

    ...I made it, I really made it...I''m done with this Royal BS...Freedom!!!!...

    ***

    ...*What the hell are you doing?!!...

 Chapter 18 - Unbridled Fate

    {...*What the hell are you doing?!!...}

    The emperor glanced at his mother at his side, she was facing forward and was unperturbed. He glanced at the other side and looked at the servants in the corner, none of them seemed to have said anything either. He knit his brows and looked perplexed for a bit and then sighed.

    {...This can''t b-...}

    {...*What the hell are you doing?!!... She''s leaving!!!!...}

    {...What?...}

    The emperor frowned and glanced around again, and then put a hand up and rubbed his temple, shutting his eyes.

    {...*Listen! Hurry up and do something!!! Now!! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!!!...}

    {...Is this-...}

    {....*Hurry Up!!! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!! STOP IT!!...}

    "Stop!" The emperor suddenly roared. Everyone in the room froze and turned to his direction.

    "Emperor, is something wrong?" The empress dowager beside him asked. He opened his eyes and looked at her perplexed and then scanned the room and saw that all eyes were on him, and realized he had spoken out loud.

    As he scanned the hall, his eyes stopped at the failed candidates who were almost at the entrance, and his eyes locked on one of them.

    {...*Yes! Her! Go!... Do something!!...}

    {...Seriously...?...}

    {...*I said Go!!...}

    The emperor sighed with a frown and got up, walked down the platform and approached the entrance, everyone watched him confused at his actions.

    Lei Xing watched as the emperor got closer along with the other candidates and started to feel a bit panicked.

    {...What is this about now?...}

    To Lei Xing''s annoyance, the emperor ended up stopping right beside her, he looked at her and then frowned, and seemed to be scrutinizing her.

    Lei Xing, at first looked at him cautiously with a guarded expression and then looked away feeling an impending sense of doom.

    {...He''s not looking at me, he''s probably cross-eyed...but he''s standing right there...then he must be cross-bodied too, Okay!!...Go away, go away, Go AWAY!! Shoo, shoo, GET LOST!!!...}

    Lei Xing looked down to hide her confusion and annoyance with this situation and pretended like he wasn''t there, hoping that he would go away if she did.

    The rest of the spectators were also deeply puzzled by what the emperor was doing. The emperor was just standing there scrutinizing Lei Xing with a frown and seemed to be in deep thought.

    {...Why her?...}

    {...*If you let her go, you will definitely regret it!...}

    {...Regret?...}

    {...*Definitely will regret it! Definitely!...}

    {...I''ll regret it...then in that case...I guess...}

    The emperor stretched out a hand in front of her. Lei Xing, who was looking down, saw the hand appear in front of her and froze, then deeply frowned at it.

    {...No way! This is not happening! I FAILED ALREADY!! GO AWAY!...}

    Lei Xing was hopping mad on the inside and felt the urge to strangle someone. The two of them stood like that for a while, one looking down and the other with a hand outstretched. The people looking at them all went wide-eyed in shock, some in the hall frowned in anger or sadness at the turn of this situation.

    But there was no one angrier at this moment than Lei Xing.

    The emperor laughed a bit and grabbed her hand, "I guess you must be frozen in joy."

    As soon as he grabbed her hand, Lei Xing looked up, glared at him and instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but he tightened his hold.

    The emperor seeing her reaction and raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk.

    {...Ah, she is really glaring...very daring...}

    "I''ll help you." He said with a smile, then he pulled Lei Xing along with him against her will to the front and up the platform stairs.

    He stopped at the end of the line of the selected candidates and then looked at Lei Xing and counted down the line from her, "One, two, three, four will be the four noble consorts."

    The other three appointed noble consorts felt complicated, it seemed as if they got the promotion simply because they happened to be standing next to Lei Xing, which was a bit unsettling, but they still smiled and all bowed and chorused, "Thank you Your majesty for your grace."

    The emperor looked at Lei Xing who was looking down and still seemed to be in disbelief with her eyebrows knit and asked, "You''re not thanking me?"

    Lei Xing looked up at him and he thought he saw anger in her eyes but he couldn''t be sure. She realized that her hand was still in his and forcefully pulled her hand back, lowered her head and slightly bowed and said in a somewhat unenthusiastic tone, "Thank you emperor for your grace."

    "Oh, you''re welcome." Lei Xing cast a quick annoyed glance at him and quickly looked away. He smiled in response and climbed up the stairs and sat back on the throne. Then he turned to the empress dowager and said, "The rest of the ranks will be assigned by my mother."

    The empress dowager watched the whole episode with a frown, she was annoyed with the emperor''s behavior, how could he just offhandedly appoint the noble consorts and without consulting her of his choices. She was planning on discussing the rankings with him tomorrow and now he does this.

    Not only did he appoint the noble consorts, but he also brought forward someone she had failed and someone who also disrespected the royal family.

    {...Isn''t this disrespecting me?...}

    The empress dowager looked at Lei Xing and she also was annoyed with her. But she didn''t want to address this matter here, so she controlled her expression and smiled, "The rest of the ranks will be assigned later on, for now, you all introduce yourselves."

    The candidates began excitedly introducing themselves one after the other from the other end. Lei Xing was so angry that she didn''t know what to with herself.

    {...How could this happen? To make it worse, why did it have to happen like this?!! Isn''t this the worst case scenario?! I just got bumped to Harem enemy #1...How am I going to live in the future? Also, why do I even have to go through this?!... What the hell is up with that bastard?!... He did this out of spite, didn''t he? Yes, that must be it! This must be his way at getting back at me for rejecting him, right? but he wasn''t even serious!... Why be so fricking PETTY?!... What an ass-...}

    Lei Xing felt someone nudge her and so shot an annoyed glance at the perpetrator, who turned out to be Lady Yu. Lady Yu slightly motioned her head up and directed her eyes up.

    Lei Xing corrected her expression and looked up to see the emperor calmly looking at her and the empress dowager glaring at her and realized that it was her turn to introduce herself, so she bowed and flatly said, "Lei Xing, daughter of the defense minister."

    The emperor''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief and then he sent a questioning glance at his friend in the crowd and then smiled lightly.

    {...She''s actually Yong''s sister...why didn''t he tell me?...}

    Lei Yong saw the emperor looking his way and lightly bowed.

    {...Please take care of her...}

    While the emperor was somewhat excited at this revelation, the empress dowager at his side deeply frowned, she was not pleased with Lei Xing''s blunt manner of introduction, especially when compared with the enthusiastic grateful ones of the other candidates.

    {...This girl will definitely be trouble...}

    The defense minister and his wife watched the whole exchange with bated breath, glanced at each other and sighed, they were not sure if this was a good or bad development.

    Xiao Ting, on the other hand, watched the whole performance with wide-eyed enthusiasm, while she had not witnessed her sister''s performance in the competition, from what she heard from her brother and father her sister wasn''t doing too well.

    Also, she had heard from a friend the day before that the emperor also proposed to her to be his empress in the last round and she had actually boldly rejected him, and now the emperor personally walked down to stop her from leaving.

    {...Jiejie is truly amazing, she had actually got the emperor to fall so deeply in love with her in just a week, so much so that he overlooked her public rejection and still pursued her...she won his heart without even trying...She is the Best!...and the emperor definitely has eyes to recognize a true master, I approve...}

    The rest of the night was a blur to Lei Xing, she was seething and didn''t know whether to laugh hysterically or cry in her rage.

    The last thing she wanted to do was to be involved in the royal family''s mess of a life of political struggles.

    {...And what I detest even more is being stuck in a bloody harem vying for one idiotic man''s attention...what''s even worse I can''t even go anywhere, I''m stuck in this bloody place with no freedom....this is truly a punishment, this conniving ass**le...Just Drop Dead!... Wait, that''s actually a good idea...No, no, no, no....Can''t do that...It''ll too hard to get away with it, probably end up dead myself...}

    After some more words of congratulations, the newly appointed noble consorts and concubines were escorted out. They bowed and made their way out. As they left, Prince Yi frowned as he watched them exited the doors and then turned and glared at the emperor.

    The emperor felt his glare, glanced in his direction, inwardly sighed and smiled at him.

    {...You should really try harder to hide your emotions, it won''t serve you well older brother...}

    Prince Yi seeing that the emperor was looking at him, quickly smiled, got up and raised his cup of wine, "Emperor, now I don''t have to worry about your heart being lonely anymore. I would like to congratulate you on welcoming your first set of beautiful wives into the harem. I hope you speedily have an heir" He finished and then downed the cup.

    The emperor smiled and also downed a cup of wine, "Older brother is too kind, I gladly accept your good wishes. Speaking of which, it is time you marry a Princess consort to manage the household affairs for you, especially considering how busy you have become lately. While I know that you are not lonely, it''s not good to be lacking structure. Be sure to tell me if you have any young lady in mind, I will immediately decree your marriage." The emperor said as he picked up his refilled cup of wine and raised it Prince Yi with a smile.

    Prince Yi held out his cup as a servant refilled it, smiled and downed it, "Thank you emperor, if I find someone suitable I will immediately let you know. I have some tasks to handle and it is already so late, so I request to take my leave first."

    "Of course, work comes first, you should go." The emperor said with a smile.

    Prince Yi smiled back, bowed and left.

    As soon as he exited the entrance doors, his smile fell. When he got to the bottom of the steps to the main hall, he turned back and looked at the hall radiant with bright lights and extravagance.

    {...Since you keep pushing me, don''t call me cruel for ignoring your pleas later...}

 Chapter 19 - Friends?

    Lei Xing along with the other Imperial wives were escorted out of the main hall, down the stairs and were led through an entrance to the right, which opened into a passageway the size of a street.

    There were rows of lavishly decorated palanquins with maids and eunuchs already lined up around each one. Lei Xing''s mood has been getting worse, since they left the hall she could feel disgruntled stares being sent her way.

    {...What are you unhappy about? Let me tell you, I am a thousand times unhappier than all of you right now, okay?!! You think I want to play this stupid game with you all!!...}

    Ling mama bowed to them, "Your Highnesses, you should all get on - " She froze in between her speech as she looked at the palanquins and the number of the imperial wives and her face had on a complicated expression.

    It seemed the other servants around also just realized this problem and they all looked at Ling mama, who was covertly glancing at the imperial wives who were standing in front of her, trying to figure out how to handle this.

    {...I can''t exactly ask any of them to wait here for a palanquin, what if that person holds a grudge...but I can''t ask all of them to stand here and wait for a palanquin for one person, what if they all hold a grudge...}

    Ling mama covertly glanced at Lei Xing.

    {...By right, it should be her that would have to wait, but she''s the noble consort personally chosen by His majesty, how can I send concubines and leave her here...what if she gets angry, what if the Emperor gets angry!...}

    "Ah, this, your highnesses..." Ling mama bowed her head, trying to find her words. "Ah..."

    Lei Xing sighed, "I''ll walk, have someone lead the way."

    "Ah? No, you must not. It is really far. How can - ?" Ling mama protested.

    "Aren''t you walking the distance?" Lei Xing flatly asked. Ling mama gaped at her.

    "Anyway, I need some exercise right now." Lei Xing dismissively said and started walking forward with Xiao Ruo following behind her, she really wasn''t in the mood to deal with people right now.

    Ling mama became anxious and quickly pulled an eunuch to tell him where to escort Lei Xing, but another problem surfaced they didn''t know where to send her as they weren''t given any instructions for her and she didn''t feel it was right to just send her to any palace and they couldn''t send her back to the courtyard she was staying in as it would be disrespectful to her status, while Ling mama was debating this.

    "Noble consort Lei, please wait." A voice suddenly shouted from behind.

    Lei Xing frowned at hearing that title, but she still turned around. It was an eunuch rushing over. Ling mama turned to the eunuch and said, "Ah Eunuch Li, does the emperor have any orders?" Eunuch Li nodded to her and walked towards Lei Xing.

    When he got to her front, he bowed and then said, "Your Highness, the emperor is aware that preparations haven''t been made to receive you, so he had me come down to escort you to your palace and also has asked that you make use his palanquin."

    In the same moment, a bunch of eunuchs passed through the entrance carrying an even bigger and more lavishly decorated palanquin over, with eunuchs and maids trailing behind it.

    As soon as he said Lei Xing got more disgruntled stares that evolved into glares and her mood worsened.

    {...Did this ass**le send over his whole retinue?! He''s really trying to have me suffocated to death, isn''t he?!! Either that or he''s trying to cajole me into a botched assassination attempt...Either way, I won''t let him succeed, it''s not that easy to kill me!! I will kill you first, Conniving bastard!!...}

    The palanquin was put in front of her and the eunuch said, "Your highness, please enter."

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to restrain her anger and then said, "No need. I want to walk."

    "That''s fine as well. We will have the palanquin follow behind, so when you feel tired you can get on." The eunuch said in an understanding tone with a smile.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him. She wanted to argue, but she already figured it wouldn''t make a difference, this eunuch looked like the stubborn sort.

    {...What the hell are you smiling about?!!... These people are really trying to have me killed!! Must it be so abnormal!! T_T)...}

    Lei Xing took another deep breath and started walking off and the eunuch followed behind her with the palanquin and the servants trailed after them.

    {...Great! Just great...As if they already didn''t hate me enough...now this...}

    The other Imperial wives stared on as Lei Xing''s entourage went ahead, some envious stares, some bitter stares, some filled with rage.

    "Your highnesses, please enter the palanquins." Ling mama said, bringing the other Imperial wives back from their reveries.

    They looked towards the palanquins lined up with their own retinue of servants that had been arranged and no matter one looked at it, it really couldn''t compare with what they just saw.

    Some resigned themselves to their fate and went forward and got in, while a few still lingered on looking at the palanquin that was moving farther away, but eventually, they also turned and got on theirs.

    ***

    Eunuch Li entered the royal study, bowed to the emperor and informed him that they have finished the task.

    "What did she say?" The emperor calmly asked without looking up from the memorial in his hands.

    "She didn''t say anything..." Eunuch glanced up at the emperor, saw he had no reaction and then continued, "She also chose to walk the whole way."

    The emperor snorted and glanced up, "Walk?"

    "We had the palanquin following behind her, but she insisted on walking the whole way."

    The emperor snorted again, "I''ll go pay her a visit now."

    Eunuch Li smiled slyly and bowed, "I will inform her palace to prepare."

    "No need." The emperor stood up and started out of the room with Eunuch Li following behind him with a wide smile.

    {...In such a hurry? ...Ah, I feel like a proud father...}

    ***

    Lei Xing had been delivered to a lavish palace with a wide and beautiful garden at the front, but she was in no mood to admire the scenery.

    She was currently in her new unnecessarily large bedroom, standing in the center of the room pacing about, she sat down for a bit but was so anxious, she couldn''t sit still and got up and began pacing again.

    Xiao Ruo was watching her pacing around and was so confused as to what she was worried about, to her it seemed that Lei Xing had won magnificently against all odds.

    {...Shouldn''t she be over the moon now? Not only did she get chosen, but she was personally appointed by the emperor! Not to mention, he also sent over his personal palanquin and servants to escort her, this palace as well...what is there to be unhappy about?...}

    "Your highn- "

    "Shut Up!" Lei Xing immediately cut Xiao Ruo off, that title was grating to her ears.

    Xiao Ruo immediately kept quiet, she understood that Lei Xing was in a bad mood, even though she was unsure as to why and wanted to inquire, but from her reaction, she knew now was not the time, and so quietly watched as Lei Xing continued to pace back and forth.

    "The emperor has arrived." An eunuch shouted from outside the room. Lei Xing froze in her tracks and looked at the door.

    {...What the hell is this ass**le here for now?!...}

    The doors were opened and the emperor walked in with eunuch Li trailing behind him with a foolish smile on his face. Lei Xing stood in place and skeptically looked at them.

    Xiao Ruo on the side bowed and greeted the emperor and then looked towards Lei Xing who was just standing in place and then glanced at the emperor, and was about walk up to Lei Xing to remind her to greet, when the emperor calmly said, "You both leave."

    Eunuch Li''s smile widened and he bowed, then looked at Xiao Ruo, who was sending worried glances at Lei Xing, he cleared his throat towards her and motioned his head to the door.

    Xiao Ruo looked at him and saw his smile and understood, she also smiled and the two smiling idiots left and quietly closed the doors behind them.

    The emperor stood in place looking at Lei Xing for a while, then frowned.

    {...What''s special about her?... Is it because she''s Yong''s sister and so I have an affinity with that family? But that can''t be all, right?... Even without her I already have their loyalty...and even if don''t have it, it wouldn''t be so catastrophic for me to regret it...could it be Prince Yi?... But what could she possibly do for him that would cause me to regret it?...}

    Lei Xing skeptically looked back at him.

    After a while of the staring contest, the emperor took a step forward and Lei Xing instinctively took a step back and looked at him with a guarded expression.

    {...Look, let me warn you, don''t come near me...If you dare touch me, I will kill you and then kill myself!!... Okay, I can''t really kill myself...and I don''t think I can kill you either...BOTTOMLINE! Don''t come near me!!...}

    He raised an eyebrow at her, then took another step forward, she took another back. He took another forward, she took one back and then frowned and flatly asked, "What are you doing?"

    "What are YOU doing?" He returned her question.

    "Walking."

    "Backwards?" He quizzically looked at her.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips in annoyance and also a bit of embarrassment but confidently said, "Yes."

    He smirked, "Okay, then I''m walking too, forward."

    Lie Xing''s lips twitched in annoyance as she watched him take a few steps forward and then turned to the side and sat down, "Relax, I just want to talk. Sit down."

    {...Talk about what? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing stood in place, still looking at him with a guarded expression. He looked up at her and said, "Or you can remain standing, that''s fine too."

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed in annoyance and walked to the chair on the other side of his and sat down, then poured herself a cup of tea from the table and downed it in one shot.

    When she finished she saw him looking at her, then he glanced down at the tea set on the table, then back at her. She looked at him suspiciously, then he did it again and she understood.

    {...Fine, let''s be cordial...perhaps we can negotiate this...}

    She poured a cup of tea for him, he picked it up and was casually sipping the tea slowly. Lei Xing was watching him and getting more annoyed by the second.

    Finally, after a while, he said, "I have a question." He put the cup back on the table and looked at her, signaling for her to refill the cup.

    Lei Xing looked forward and pretended as if she didn''t see it. He scoffed and refilled the cup himself and also refilled hers as well and then went back to casually sipped the tea again and didn''t speak.

    This time the silence was stretching out longer and Lei Xing was getting more irritated, she wasn''t a very patient person and hated silent games like this the most. Finally, she couldn''t stand it, "What is the question?"

    "You seem dissatisfied."

    {...I am dissatisfied! and that''s an understatement!...}

    "Do you not like this palace? I had specifically chosen it for you, if you don''t like it, you can ch-"

    "It is fine." Lei Xing said through gritted teeth.

    "That''s good then." He said and resumed sipping the tea.

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at him, "Is that the question?"

    "No, I just had that thought." He coolly replied.

    {...This as**ole!! He''s playing with me, isn''t he?...fine then, I won''t ask...When you''re tired you''ll talk!...}

    Lei Xing crossed her legs, leaned back in the chair and folded her arms and looked off to the side. The emperor glanced at her and then looked away. The two of them sat like that in silence for a while, each dealing with their own thoughts.

    "What''s your relationship with Prince Yi?" He finally asked.

    "None." Lei Xing flatly replied with a frown, remembering another annoying existence.

    {...Is that why?...}

    "Really? It doesn''t seem that way." He said calmly looking at her.

    {...That must be why? It''s a misunderstanding! ...okay, we can fix this...}

    Lei Xing looked at him and explained, "I really don''t have anything to do with him. I didn''t even know who he was until I entered the palace."

    "He seemed to know you."

    "I did encounter him once before, it was the day before entering the palace and I ended up offending him, so if anything he may hold a grudge against me."

    "It didn''t seem like a grudge though."

    "He gave me harsh criticisms in the first two rounds and must have decided to be magnanimous, to let go of the anger and so said some good words to balance out the scale."

    "He''s not one to be magnanimous without reason."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and blurted out, "Well then, maybe I tormented his dreams."

    The emperor looked at her then snorted and then burst into laughter. Lei Xing glared at him, she was not amused and flatly asked, "Is that why?"

    The emperor comported himself and asked, "Why?"

    "Prince Yi and I really have nothing to do with each other, neither do I plan on ever having anything to do with him. If you can''t believe that, I promise, if you let me go, I will immediately leave this city, no, I will leave this country." Lei Xing earnestly said.

    {...I have no interest in getting in the middle of your brotherly feud, so please just let me go, PLease!...}

    "I have no interest in his matters." The emperor dismissively said.

    {...Then why?!! You obviously don''t have any feelings for me...is this really out of SPITE?!...}

    "Your brother and I close friends..." The emperor informed.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    {...So that''s why? Go marry him then! Why involve me? -_-)...}

    "...Of course, I wasn''t aware of that until you introduced yourself earlier." He added.

    Lei Xing frowned, "Then why?"

    He lightly shrugged "Who knows."

    {...You should!! -_-)...}

    Lei Xing took a breath to restrain her anger and tried to negotiate, "It is a great thing that you and my brother were able to meet and become close friends, for his sake you shouldn''t hold past transgressions against me, you obviously don''t have feelings for me and I also don''t...So how about we settle as friends and amicably part ways here?" Lei Xing finished with a smile.

    "No." He flatly said and put his teacup down. Then he stood up said, "You should sleep early." and started walking off, Lei Xing stood up fed up with everything and loudly asked, "Why?!"

    He stopped and turned to look at her and simply said, "Why should I?" Then smirked, turned and left.

    Lei Xing stood there with her hanging mouth open in exasperation.

    {...Why...Why should you?!! Why should -...haah...I think before the harem scheming kills me, I am going to die from frustration!!... This FREAKING Conniving ARGGHH!!!!...}

 Chapter 20 - Betrayal

    Prince Yi''s carriage arrived at his residence. He stepped down with a frown on his face and directly went to his study, he picked up a report on the desk, read the contents and his frown deepened, and he suddenly swiped everything on the desk to the floor in anger.

    {...Why is there no progress on anything at all?!!...}

    "Prince Yi." A man''s cautious voice came from behind him.

    "What?" Prince Yi coldly asked.

    "We''ve found him."

    Prince Yi turned around with a half smile and looked at the black-clothed man bowing, "Good, lead the way." and then bounded out of the room, with the man following behind him.

    Prince Yi walked into an underground jail, where two men were locked up in a cell, with one holding onto his injured torso, with blood seeping through his clothes. As soon as they saw him, they both ruthlessly glared at him.

    "Prince Rui, long time no see." Prince Yi said with a wry smile.

    "You Long sc.u.m, how dare you treat our Prince like some slave, can you bear the repercussions?!" The other man in the cell shouted.

    Prince Yi scoffed, "Ah, that reminds me you recently became a slave, I should address you accordingly. Forgive my slip of tongue, slave R-"

    "How dare you, Bastard?!!! If you have the ability, open this cell and -"

    "Molin, that''s enough." The injured one, Prince Rui said. Molin looked at Prince Rui and quieted down but was still glaring at Prince Yi. Prince Yi looked at Prince Yi, "What do you want?"

    Prince Yi laughed, "What do you have to offer?"

    "I''m not in the mood for you Long people''s word games. Since you don''t plan to hand me over to your emperor. Say what you want or get lost."

    "Who said I don''t plan to hand you over. My idiotic brother has been fervently searching for you. I, as his loyal subject, should ease his worries, don''t you think?"

    Prince Rui snorted and flatly asked, "Then why are we here?"

    Prince Yi looked at them for a while and then said, "Prince Rui, how about some wine?" and then turned to his men behind him, "Bring him out." and walked off.

    The guards opened the cell and Prince Rui stepped out and was led to a room, where Prince Yi was already seated at a table and motioned for the Prince Rui to sit, he sat and blankly stared at Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi poured two cups of wine from the jug on the table, then picked up his cup and downed it, then motioned for Prince Yi to drink.

    Prince Rui looked at the wine suspiciously and then asked, "What exactly do you want?"

    Prince said refilling his cup and took a sip and then calmly said, "I want your cooperation."

    Prince Rui snorted, "In case, you haven''t heard the news, I have recently been made into a laughingstock, so I''m afraid you are barking up the wrong tree."

    "I have heard it. Prince Rui was captured by the Long emperor''s evil tactics, not only did he manage to brilliantly outmaneuver the enemy and escape, but he also took the risk to infiltrate deep into the enemy''s territory and was able to covertly obtain their military formations and tactics, upon returning home was heavily rewarded by the Zou emperor." Prince Yi looked at him with an obscure expression.

    As he listened, Prince Rui''s eyes widened and then he skeptically looked at Prince Yi, "You would betray your own country?"

    "I am saving the country." Prince Rui indignantly responded lifting his head up.

    "Saving?" Prince Rui asked with a sarcastic tone.

    "Yes, saving it from destruction."

    Prince Rui held the wine cup on the table and glanced up at Prince Yi with a smirk, "Really? Why have I heard that the country has been prospering over the last few months? The people are happy and all praise the new emperor for his prowess, intellect, wisdom...His title has evolved from the god of war to the god of prospe-"

    "What do those commoners know?!" Prince Yi shouted cutting him off and banging on the table, "What god of war? He is an idiot! A fool! Have any of them ever seen him in battle? Is knowing how to fight everything? Do you think he knows the first thing about ruling a country? He is incompetent just like our father, an idiot who only knows how to use people? Use them and then dump them!! He will use and destroy this country in the same way, and I will not let that happen. If not for me - !" Prince Yi restrained himself and swallowed the rest of his words, regaining his composure.

    Prince Rui sighed and then calmly said, "Knowing how to use people and when to cut loose is also a good skill. But that is neither here nor there...I have no interest in your internal conflicts, but I have a bone to pick with that emperor myself. We have a deal." He picked up his wine cup and downed it in one gulp and then smiled at Prince Yi.

    ***

    In a small courtyard with the entrance doors chain locked from the outside. A young woman approached a little boy who was seated on the bed with a bowl.

    "Kai er'', drink some water." She held the bowl out to the child with a smile. The boy stretched his hands out and took the bowl and was about to drink.

    {...*Don''t drink it!...}

    The child stopped at looked at his mother, "Mother, did you say something?"

    "No, hurry and drink." The woman impatiently said, still smiling.

    "Oh." The child tilted his head a bit confused. He raised the bowl again.

    {...*I said don''t drink it!!...}

    The child stopped again and looked around the little room, there was really no one here but him and his mother. The only other person who stays in their courtyard in the cold palace was his mother''s maid, Song mama but she was currently not here.

    "Mother, you really did say something now, right?"

    "What nonsense are you talking about?" The woman said with a frown.

    "I really heard -"

    "Kai''er, you want to see the emperor right?" The woman interrupted his words

    "Oh, I want to see father."

    "If you want to see him, you have to hurry and drink the water first, okay?" The woman said smiling and petting the child''s head.

    The child smiled back, nodded and drank the water and happily showed her the empty bowl.

    "That''s good, now you should sleep. When you wake up, the emperor will be here."

    "Oh." The child obediently laid on the bed, smiled at his mother and closed his eyes.

    After a while, he started to feel a pain in his stomach, the pain got worse, he started cold sweating and curled up. He opened his eyes and looked up and saw his mother standing by the bed looking at him and stammeringly said, "Mother, my stomach..."

    Then his mother turned and ran outside and he could hear her pounding on the entrance doors, shouting, "Emperor, emperor, save my Kai er''...Emperor, Kai er'' is dying."

    The child''s eyes were blurry with tears and he vaguely watched his mother pounding at the doors outside.

    {...*I told you not to drink it!!... Now, look at it!...}

    The child eyes frantically darted around looking for the origin of those words, but there was really no one in the room but him. He was feeling scared and was in intense pain and eventually, he fainted.

    After a while, the doors were unlocked and an imperial doctor ran in, after checking the child''s pulse and administering some acupuncture and giving him medicine.

    He turned to the woman and said, "Your highness, it seems that the prince ate something bad, he will be fine after some rest..."

    The Imperial doctor hesitated and nervously glanced at the woman, then continued, "Your highness, the little prince has been getting sick a lot more since coming here...this place is really not suitable for a child...you should let him go." He finished with a bow.

    The woman coldly looked at him and said, "You are dismissed."

    The Imperial doctor straightened, cast a worried glance at the child on the bed and then went out. The chains were removed and the entrance doors were opened again, he went out and the doors closed behind him and the chains were put back.

    The woman coldly watched the doors.

    "Mother." The child weakly called and she turned to look at him, "did father come this time?"

    The woman coldly looked at the child and said, "No." and walked off to the side.

    The woman remained in a brooding mood for the next few days and the child got better. She would often just stare at him for long periods of time.

    One day, she brought a bowl to him again.

    "Kai er'' here drink some water."

    {...*Don''t drink it!!...}

    The child just looked at the bowl but did not reach out to take it.

    "Kai er'', take it." The woman said with a wide-eyed smile.

    "Mother, I''m not thirsty."

    "Don''t you want the emperor to come?" The woman asked her smile becoming strained.

    The child just looked at her in fear and did not say anything. The woman stopped smiling and looked at him coldly and flatly said, "Drink it."

    {...*Don''t drink it!!... If you drink, this time you will really die!...}

    "Mother, I don''t want to." The child hesitantly said, "How about I go out and call father for you?" He said looking up at the woman with pleading eyes.

    The woman dropped the bowl on the floor and laughed hysterically and said, "Call him? He didn''t come when you were sick! He didn''t come when you were dying! You think he''ll come when you call?!"

    The woman''s laughter became even more hysterical, "How foolish!! You are nothing to him! The only thing he cares about is his useless self!! Why don''t you understand this?!" She calmed down and then looked at the child, rubbed his head with a smile and softly said, "Your existence is also quite sad, isn''t it? It is unfortunate..."

    Then her smile vanished and she coldly looked at him, "Since no one wants you, it is fitting for Long sc.u.m like you to die...If you die, then maybe he will show up at your deathbed, if not, then maybe at your funeral. He has to come so I can kill him, you should understand this..."

    The child shrunk away from her hand on his head, and looked at her with tearful eyes, the woman got angry and shouted, "What are you crying for?! Why are you acting like a victim? It is obviously you Long sc.u.m that are the oppressors! I will get my revenge on all of you! Starting with that demon, I will end him with my hands!! Since you are so useless alive, die a useful death for me!!"

    Then she grabbed the bowl and jumped on the bed, straddling the child, forced his mouth open and poured the contents of the bowl in his mouth, the child tried to fight her, but she overpowered him.

    When she finished she threw the bowl to the corner, got up and began laughing hysterically again, "Don''t worry, I will send the rest of the Long sc.u.m to join you!! At the very least, I will send that devil to join you!!"

    The woman continued her hysterical laughter and rants. "I''m finally going to kill him! Stab him...no that is too easy...a thousand needles, and, slicing his throat slowly will work, no first I should off his hands and feet, bit by bit by bit by bit...Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!...."

    The child turned on the bed and violently coughed trying to throw up the contents, he managed to spill half the contents of the bowl during the struggle. He looked at his mother with deeply saddened eyes, he could already feel the burning pain and his vision started going blurry.

    {...*Now is your chance, the doors are being unlocked...Run!!...}

    The child tried to move but his limbs felt weak.

    {...*You have to run! Now or you''ll die here!!... What''s the point of coming to this life just to die here?!!...}

    {...*Get up!!!... Now!!...}

    The child heard the chains being removed, he gathered up all his energy and made a dash for the entrance. He reached the doors just as they were opened and ran blindly.

    The guards saw him dash out but did not make to catch him as he wasn''t prisoner, he was simply here to"accompany" the prisoner, his mother - who threatened to kill herself if she didn''t have him, so the emperor had locked the child in with the mother and said for her to let him go when she regains her sanity.

    Soon after the child passed, the woman madly dashed to the doors and was grasped by the guards screaming, "Come back!! Come back here!! Kai er''!!..."

    {...*Hide in that corner!...}

    The child obediently hid, his breathing was getting heavier and his body felt heavy. He could hear Song mama and the guards calling for him.

    {...*If they find you, you will die!...}

    {...*You have to find your father...Go to the main hall!...}

    {...*Now, run!...}

    {...*Left...Right...Left...Left...There!...}

    {...*Good, you''re out of the cold palace!...Go straight to the main hall!!...}

    The child dragged his weary body through the palace and stumbled his way towards the main hall.

    At this moment, he couldn''t feel any pain, but just felt his body was very very heavy. As he walked through the palace, servants and guards saw him, they recognized who he was but none of them approached him. He was a prince who was cast aside to the cold palace with his mother - when the mother loses favor, the child has also loses favor.

    Some didn''t care to help him because he had no power, while others who cared, didn''t help him out of fear of offending those with power. The child slowly took heavy steps and finally he passed through the entrance doors and could finally see the main hall.

    {...The main hall...father...help...}

    The boy stumbled forward and walked forward, he could see the ministers coming out at the top. He walked a few more feet before his feet finally gave way.

    The ministers noticed the child collapse in the distance and raised alarm and raced down the steps.

    The child glanced up at the main hall and could vaguely make out the purple colored robes of the ministers racing down the steps, he could see his father''s black and golden silhouette at the doors of the main hall.

    He thought he could also hear his mother hysterically shouting his name and felt panic in his heart, but he was really too tired and could no longer move. His couldn''t feel his limbs, his eyes were heavy and his eyelids were closing, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open. He couldn''t.

    {...Father...Am I really going to die?... I don''t want to die...}

    {...*You have done well, little prince...sleep...You won''t die...}

 Chapter 21 - Moving On

    {...*You have done well, little prince...sleep...you won''t die...}

    The emperor opened his eyes, immediately sat up in bed panting, his eyes frantically scanned around the surroundings and then he calmed down remembering where he was and then closed his eyes to calm himself.

    The doors opened and Eunuch Li entered and looked at the emperor''s pale face with worry, "Your majesty, are you alright?"

    {...Nightmares again? and here I thought he was okay with it all and maybe even excited...but it seems having women enter the harem must still be hard on him...but it''s not something he can avoid forever...}

    The emperor didn''t respond. Eunuch Li moved to the side and poured some water and brought the cup to the bed and held it out to the emperor, "Your majesty, have some water."

    The emperor opened his eyes, sighed and reached out to take the cup, but then noticed his hand was shaking and then quickly withdrew his hand and stood up, "I''m going for a walk."

    Eunuch Li put the cup on the table and then helped the emperor put on a cloak and then they both went out of the room.

    It was still dark outside, the emperor didn''t go far but just walked around in his palace and then ended up standing alone in the pavilion by the lotus pond, staring at the moon''s reflection in the pond.

    Whenever he dreams of that day it always unnerves him and memories of the past whirl around in his mind. He had done everything she wanted, everything to please her.

    She said study, he studied hard, by the age of 5 he had memorized various texts and strategy books.

    She said to learn the qin and art, and he practiced every day till his fingers hurt. She said practice martial arts - he''d spar with Eunuch Li every morning, getting beaten to a pulp while she calmly watched on the side.

    Whenever his father''s wandering eyes went to another woman, he would get punished for not being smart enough, for not reciting fast enough, for playing the wrong tune, for his painting being ugly, for not being strong enough, for crying, for being weak...for not being perfect.

    His punishments consisted of a whipping, then not being allowed to eat or rest until he perfected whatever she was not happy with, or until his father turned her way again, and if she got impatient then she would get his attention with a "sick" child.

    Although Eunuch Li tried to help him when he could, he was now her servant even though they were once childhood friends, his words could only do so much and when she was enraged she paid no heed to them at all.

    His life comprised of study, practice, study...but yet he was still not good enough and even now, as emperor, he is still not good enough in her eyes.

    He had realized earlier on that he would never be good enough in her eyes and he didn''t care anymore. He thought to hate her and at one point he did, after all, even though he could understand her rage and hate, and felt sympathy for her, but in the end, none of it was his fault.

    There''s also the fact that he has a responsibility to Eunuch Li and the remnants of the Xia army who pledged allegiance to him and secretly supported him in the shadows all these years, for their sake, he can''t hate her.

    He had once thought his mother was a special case, until he was sent to live with the empress. while the empress didn''t try to actively poison him, she had turned him to her seize the throne project, and his life was not much different from before.

    It was then he realized that all the women in the harem were the same; unhappy, anxious and filled with rage, of course, most of their rage was directed at the other women and their children, and not at the emperor as his mother''s was, but they felt rage nonetheless and all of it was his father''s fault. He tightly fisted his hands as his thoughts reached this point.

    {...A selfish egotistical man, who thought of no one but himself, because of his selfish whims so many people lived unhappy lives within and outside the palace...a despotic ruler who cared nothing for human lives, even those he claimed to "love"...having the country wage war after war, without caring for the welfare of the people...jumping from woman to woman expanding his harem like it was a stupid game to him, without caring about the pain he was living in his wake...and then turning all citizens of captured territories into slaves...

    ...He was definitely on his way to ruining this country...creating the stage for the rebellion that would end him, which he deserved but the innocent lives that would be lost because of his useless self would have been many...

    ...Fortunately, fate couldn''t wait for him to destroy himself...if not, who knows, maybe I would have eventually led the rebellion to cut off his head myself...hahahaha, my mother would have loved that, and more so chopping it off herself...the first thing she did after being released from the cold palace was to go to his tombstone and bitterly weep...

    ...To others it was the scene of a faithful wife mourning the loss of her dear husband that she had missed, but I knew she was grieving over the fact that he was gone and she wasn''t the one who ended him...

    ...some would argue that he may have really loved my mother, at least he would...considering he kept returning back to her, when he never looked back at the many other women he piled into his harem, there''s also the fact that she made multiple attempts at his life at random, and did many other cruel things he knew she did to get his attention, but he never punished her and always ignored it or covered it up...

    ...Until she went too far, and if not for the ministers requesting for her death, he probably wouldn''t have banished her to the cold palace, vowing never to see her again to appease them and to keep her alive, and on her threat of ending her own life, sent me along to keep her "company"...I''m sure if the ministers hadn''t seen me that day, he would have sent me back to her...maybe that was his way of atoning to her...*sigh*, forget it...}

    The Emperor sighed and moved to sit at the table in the center of the pavilion where there was tea on the side and paper and ink, he picked up a brush and began to draw.

    {...It makes sense that I would dream of that...given what happened today...It''s been a couple of years since I last heard that voice...but why did it happen with her?...now that I think about it, it must have also been responsible for that Empress "proposal" idea...is that what it wants, for her to be my empress?...but why?...

    ...Not that I am completely against the idea, after all, she''s Yong''s sister...but I have my own conviction when it comes to that...while I can make concessions on a harem, I won''t concede on that...I refuse to...

    ...It has only spoken up on four instances, five with yesterday...the first was that, after which I thought I must have imagined it and forgot about it...then I never heard it again until years later, right before my first battle where it spoke against the battle unit I joined, I had ignored it then, thinking it was own battle anxiety acting up, not to mention the experienced generals all advised that this was the best unit for me to join, the "safest" one in their minds, so I trusted their experience...

    ...In the end, the "safest" unit met with a surprise ambush, we were largely outnumbered and cornered for slaughter, but I had somehow survived, thanks to Eunuch Li''s skills and I was quite skilled myself even then, until reinforcements arrived, I was heavily injured but I clung to life...hahaha, I am quite tenacious that way...the last thing I remember before blacking out was that voice going "I told you not to go with them!" and then I remembered that past event and realized that IT was real...

    ...It was an astonishing realization, when I finally woke up a few days later, I tried hard to talk to it, but it never responded, again it was gone...like it never existed...It never responds when I call, never explains anything and just insists that I follow its advice...and every time it always led to the best outcome, victory! And of course, being alive hahaha...

    ...but even though it doesn''t explain, I have always been able to rationalize the implication of its words...its purpose has always been saving me from imminent danger...but what imminent danger is having her here saving me from? Also, it had never sounded excited like it did last night...could she somehow be related to it...but how?...}

    Eunuch Li came up to the pavilion, bowed and said, "Your majesty, Commander An has returned."

    "Let him come." The emperor calmly said without looking up from his drawing. Eunuch Li looked towards Commander An and nodded.

    Commander An came forward and bowed in greeting, "Emperor."

    "En." The emperor simply responded as he continued to draw.

    "They''ve met." Commander An calmly reported.

    "En, and the slave trader?"

    "He has been taken care of."

    "Good." The emperor said calmly, putting down the brush and scrutinizing his work

    {...One less wretch in the world...if I had my way, they''d all lose their heads...soon...}

    "Once he leaves the city, they no longer need to cover his tracks and have them leak his whereabouts to Lei Yong and pull back. "

    "Understood."

    The emperor looked up and handed the drawing to Commander An, "Find out everything about this girl, she is the defense minister''s eldest daughter, Lei Xing. Do it yourself, I want every detail."

    Commander An took the drawing and looked at it.

    "There''s no rush, so be thorough."

    "Understood." Commander An bowed and left.

    "Won''t it be better to ask General Lei about his sister?" Eunuch Li asked looking at the emperor.

    "There are some things he wouldn''t be able to answer."

    Eunuch Li nodded and smiled, "You seem particularly interested in this girl? Is there something special?"

    "Who knows..." The emperor said as he poured himself a cup of tea.

    Eunuch Li sighed and then put on a serious expression, "Are you sure about this move? The military -"

    The emperor raised a hand to stop him, "One must sacrifice something to be able to gain something. Even if they have that doesn''t mean they can predict our moves or win, also I don''t plan on waging any wars, but if they do feel confident enough to attack, then I would have no choice to counterattack. That is if they can gather the confidence."

    The emperor laid back in his seat, picked up the teacup and sipped it while gazing at the sky.

    Eunuch Li looked at him, sighed and left him to his solitude, as he''d prefer. The emperor turned and watched as eunuch Li left, then looked back to the sky.

    {...They all worry too much...or maybe I don''t worry enough...this might seem reckless to some, Yong would call this foolish...and maybe it is, but how can one win big without taking some risks?... If I lose, then I lose...}

    ***

    Lei Xing had a hard time falling asleep that night, she was angry, worried, anxious and just plain unhappy with the turn of events.

    The next morning, she was woken up early in the morning because she had to prepare to greet the empress dowager, which further irritated her, but by the time she had taken a bath, picked at her breakfast and gotten dressed to go out, she had relatively calmed down and thought things through.

    {...Okay, I may have been a little bit, okay maybe a lot, reckless last night with the emperor but...thankfully, he didn''t get angry, if he did...now that I''m thinking about it, I am getting angry again...calm down, calm down, we are already here so we have to calmly get through this...no point getting angry...}

    Lei Xing sighed as she arrived at the empress dowager''s palace. It seemed again that she was the last person to arrive.

    The Imperial wives had all gathered orderly in front of her palace doors, the concubines, who were dressed lavishly but simply compared to the other three standing in front of them and Lei Xing who just arrived.

    {...As usual, it seems they all sprint...}

    As she walked up to them, the concubines bowed to her and she walked forward to take her place in the front of the line with the other noble consorts, when she looked at them, she was somewhat taken aback.

    {...What are the odds?...}

    The other three noble consorts were her courtyard mates, Lady Yu, Lady Jin, and copycat Lady Lian.

    {...Well, they must hate us as a collective now...hahahaha...there''s nothing to laugh at -_-)...}

    When Lei Xing arrived at the front, Lady Yu smiled and nodded to her, Lady Lian cast her a side glance, scoffed and snobbishly looked forward and Lady Jin glared at her. Lei Xing rolled her eyes in her head.

    {...I hate my presence here too, okay?!...}

    Lei Xing ignored the other two and nodded at Lady Yu in response and then stood in the empty spot beside her.

    After waiting for a while longer, they were summoned inside by Ling mama, who it turns out is a person from the dowager''s palace.

    {...No wonder she was so confident...even if any of them hold a grudge, who would casually pick on her?...}

    They went inside and kowtowed towards the empress dowager who was seated on her high seat. They were required to kowtow as this was officially the first time they were greeting the family elder.

    The empress dowager smiled, "En, you can all get up." They thanked her and got up.

    The empress dowager scanned their faces and then said, "Song''er, isn''t this such a welcome sight, beautiful faces finally setting this palace alight."

    Song mama beside the dowager smiled and said, "It is your highness, very soon we will have the beautiful faces of children to further brighten the atmosphere."

    The empress dowager laughed and then said, "You have all heard her, I expect you to work hard to quickly make her words come true."

    Lei Xing sighed in her head, the girls all smiled, and Lei Xing scrubbed up a smile as well.

    {...Great, What fun -_-)''...}

    "Good, good, take your seats." The girls bowed and then went off to sit.

    There were low tables and seat sets on the left and right from the platform the dowager was seated. The noble consorts took their seats at the front, two on each side, and the concubines sat after them.

    On each table, there was a book titled, "Virtues of Imperial women". Lei Xing looked down at the book and groaned in her mind.

    {...Just how I''d like to spend my morning...studying how to be a "woman"...}

    "While I know you are all familiar with the virtues of women, the life of a woman of the royal family is different from the lives of others and so the virtues and expectations are different. It is necessary for you to know what your role is and what is expected of you to avoid making mistakes in the future and overstepping your boundaries." The empress dowager calmly explained, "I will expect you all to have this memorized. Begin."

    {...Memorize?...Great, just great -_-)''...}

    The concubines all had sullen expressions, they were hoping to get promoted this morning, but it seems the empress dowager was also not interested in assigning positions, they enviously looked towards the four at the front and looked down and began to read the book, hoping to win some recognition.

    Lei Xing was also actually seriously reading the book, as she would like to avoid the trouble, in the event that she is asked to regurgitate it.

    Frankly, she found it annoying, but somewhat interesting to read about the ranking and their perspective roles and rules to abide by, the can dos and cannots.

    It reminded her of her time studying for law exams, she would have to memorize the facts of tons of cases, judgments and their legal significance and apply them to scenarios or use them in writing on essay topics, so this was nothing to her.

    She was the sort who would enjoy studying when she had to do it, but was usually too lazy to begin study sessions, so as one can imagine, procrastination was her eternal enemy.

    Luckily for her, her brain was able to go into overdrive when under pressure and quickly analyze key points and soak up tons of information in a short time, so she was able to get through successfully.

    Lei Xing actually found some of the rules to be quite interesting.

    For example, only consorts and above have the right to go visit on the emperor, and depending on your rank you need to send a notice ahead of going and get his approval; Noble consorts, for example, can show up at his door without giving prior notice.

    The people who have it the worst are the concubines, they are only allowed to present themselves before the emperor, empress, and empress dowager when they are summoned.

    The only people that can promote them are the emperor and empress, or the empress dowager in the absence of an empress, although if they can get pregnant, then they will automatically be promoted to consort.

    {...Sounds like they will be very busy staging chance encounters outside hahahaha...the Imperial garden is a prime location for romance to bloom...Either that or it''s do your best to stand out in banquets...lots of flirty glances shall be thrown around...hahahaha should be fun to watch...}

    After a while of reading, the maids came in with tea sets and put one each on their tables, then the empress dowager spoke up, "Ah, you should all try the tea, I made the blend myself."

    Their personal maids at their sides poured out a cup of tea for each of them. Lei Xing reached for the cup and then froze.

    {...You have to be kidding me...Seriously?! It''s not even been one day!!... Aren''t you being too eager?!...}

    The sky blue jewel of the ring on her middle finger had changed to a greenish-blue color.

    {...ARRGHH!!! I. HATE. THIS. PLACE -_-)...}

 Chapter 22 - Play Dead

    Lei Xing looked down at the cup in annoyance, she reached for it and touched it, and then covertly scanned the faces of the other consorts and concubines.

    ...Which of them would do this...wait, they shouldn''t even have the capacity to do this YET, it''s only been 1 day!! To be able to get someone to poison me so quickly, especially to be daring enough to do it in the empress dowager''s palace...especially, in a tea blend she made he-...Shit! ...

    Lei Xing covertly looked up at the dowager, who was expectantly looking at them with a small smile, seemingly waiting for them to drink.

    ...Why would she wanna poison me?! What did I do? T_T)...I don''t know, maybe she took offense to you rejecting her son, IN PUBLIC!!...but he wasn''t serious!! How do you know?!... So did he make me stay just so they can personally end me? T_T)...No, no, probably not, he said he''s great friends with my brother, right? He should have forgiven me, right?!...yeah, he should have...

    Lei Xing saw the others had picked up their cups and so also slowly picked hers up to not look suspicious.

    ...Okay so maybe she''s poisoning all of us? but why would she do that?!!...Maybe it''s not actually toxic, maybe birth control? That involves some type of poison, right?..but she just said to have kids, plus why would she DO that?!... Okay, I don''t know, maybe she just hates my face! -_-)...Either way, I''m not drinking it to find out!!... But I can''t NOT drink it! T_T)... What to do? Spill it? There''s more in the pot...hmm...

    Lei Xing looked at the others, who were already sipping theirs and they seemed fine. She held hers out in front of her and pretended to be taking in the scent of the tea.

    ...Orange, nice...Not now!... Ah think, think, think...okay, okay...how good is my acting? I''d say 8, some would say 4, average 6...whatever, let''s just go with this...

    Lei Xing used her other hand to touch the side of her head and then closed her eyes and frowned, and then her hand holding the cup quickly went down on the table, spilling the contents. The noise of the cup alerted the others in the room and they looked towards her. Lei Xing breathed in heavily and swayed a bit from side to side, opened her eyes a little and was shaking her head a bit as if trying to clear up something.

    Xiao Ruo propped up beside Lei Xing and asked her, "Your highness, are you okay?"

    Lei Xing weakly glanced at Xiao Ruo, swayed a bit more and fell onto Xiao Ruo''s body with her eyes closed and body limp, Xiao Ruo managed to stretch out her arms and catch Lei Xing and steady herself.

    ...I''m sorry, I am afraid of pain...lots of accidents could happen with the floor...

    Xiao Ruo shook Lei Xing, "Your highness, your highness, what''s wrong?!"

    The empress dowager frowned and got up, "What happened?"

    "I don''t know, she was just sitting here... was about to drink....when she..." Xiao Ruo stammered out confused.

    "Hurry, summon the imperial doctor." The empress dowager ordered, "Move her to a side room."

    Lei Xing listened to all this and maintained her limp state as she was picked up and moved, she could tell that from the number of footsteps she could hear behind her that there was a cl.u.s.ter of people following, so she guessed that everyone from the hall were following along.

    ...Are all of you that bored?...because it''s definitely not that you''re concerned -_-)...

    Shortly after Lei Xing was placed on a bed and the others filed into the room. Lei Xing could feel their stares and tried her best to remain completely motionless.

    ...This is so awkward...

    After a little while, the doors opened and an Imperial doctor entered the room and bowed to the empress dowager and then to the noble consorts and concubines.

    "Hurry up and check her, what is wrong with her?" The empress dowager spoke.

    The Imperial doctor came over to the bed, knelt down and then Lei Xing''s wrist was put on a pillow and then he felt for her pulse.

    ...Okay, here we go...breathe...stop...breathe...stop...breathe...stop...

    The Imperial doctor wrinkled his eyebrows, "This..."

    "What is it?" The empress dowager asked.

    He removed his hand and then bowed to the empress dowager, "The noble consort''s pulse is very irregular. She seems healthy but the rate of her heartbeat is...I haven''t come across this sort of situation...It''s..."

    "Was she maybe poisoned?" A concubine whispered and everyone in the room froze. Lei Xing inwardly shook her head.

    ...Who''s this idiot who apparently sucks at whispering -_-)''...

    "What are you trying to say?" Song mama faced the concubine who "whispered".

    "I...I didn''t mean anything..." The concubine stuttered.

    "Was she poisoned?" The dowager coldly looked down at the Imperial doctor.

    The Imperial doctor glanced at the dowager and then bowed and said, "She wasn''t poisoned."

    "So what is wrong with her then?" The dowager asked.

    "This...this lowly one is incompetent and cannot..."

    "If you''re incompetent, then what is the point of you being alive then?"

    "This...the noble consort''s body is healthy...except the irregularity with her pulse...she...she" The Imperial doctor started cold sweating.

    ...haah the life of an Imperial doctor is quite hard...probably one of the worst jobs in here...these entitled freaking royals must think they''re God or something -_-)''...

    Lei Xing sighed in her head and weakly fluttered her eyes open and moved her hands.

    "She''s awake!" Xiao Ruo shouted beside her, then she went to Lei Xing to help her sit up.

    The Imperial doctor rushed her side and took her pulse again and looked astonished, "It''s normal now."

    Lei Xing looked at him, his forehead was covered in sweat and he was obviously panicked and relieved. Lei Xing smiled at him a little, remembering to maintain her weak demeanor.

    ...I''m so sorry, old man...you must have been so scared...

    Lei Xing looked at the empress dowager and then bowed her head and explained, "Your majesty, I am so sorry to have worried you...I...I...it seems I developed a strange illness recently...I was gravely ill a little while ago after a drowning incident...and so had taken all sorts of medication during that period...since then, when I smell certain herbs...I feel dizzy and faint and so I normally avoid them when I feel these symptoms...I am so sorry to have caused you to worry...Since the tea was something your majesty personally prepared for us, I tried my best to restrain the symptoms, as being able to drink your tea is an immense grace...but it seems I had overestimated myself." Lei Xing finished and then glanced up at the empress dowager with weak tearful eyes.

    The empress dowager coldly looked at Lei Xing, "What herbs cause these symptoms?"

    ...Whatever''s poisonous in your brew -_-)...

    Lei Xing shook her head, "I don''t know...I took so many different medicinal herbs during that period...I have no idea..."

    The empress dowager looked at Lei Xing for a while and then said, "Next time you don''t need to force yourself. You should rest." The dowager said and turned to leave.

    Lei Xing bowed, "Thank you, your majesty."

    ...Trust me, I will definitely never force myself...

    The other consorts and concubines followed the empress dowager out of the room. Lei Xing quietly sighed in relief, at the same time, she heard another sigh of relief. She looked down at the Imperial doctor who was still on his knees with his head bowed and almost laughed but restrained herself.

    The Imperial doctor turned to her, "Your highness, I can prescribe some medication to help strengthen your heart."

    "No need...I''ll be fine with some rest. You can go."

    The Imperial doctor looked at her for a moment and then bowed and left. After he left, Lei Xing slouched on the bed and closed her eyes.

    ...That was close...I must admit, I am pretty good...even I was convinced...it''s not a lie though, so they can go look into it as much as they want...I was gravely ill and did take all sorts of bitter medication for 3 meals then...and I am allergic to any and everything poisonous!...at least with this, I have a great excuse in the future...

    Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing, "Your highness, are you okay?"

    Lei Xing sighed, "Let''s go back."

    ...I''m not keen on staying in this woman''s palace...

    Lei Xing got up with Xiao Ruo''s help, not that she needed the help, but she needed to maintain the weak act to not get found out. After coming out of the empress dowager''s palace, she saw that her servants had prepared a palanquin for her.

    ...It seems this woman doesn''t want me here either...we''re on the same page, that''s good...right?...

    Lei Xing got on the palanquin and went back to her palace. After she got back, she went straight to her room, sent the maids away and jumped on the bed to sleep.

    ...Acting is so draining...

    Later on in the afternoon, when Lei Xing woke up, she discovered that Ah Jin had come to the palace with all her stuff from home, most importantly, her money chests. All the stuff was carted into her bedroom, just as Lei Xing was debating where to put all these stuff, most importantly her money. A maid came into the room, bowed and said, "Your highness, Noble consort Li is here to see you."

    Lei Xing looked at her, "Who?"

    "Noble consort Li."

    Lei Xing looked at Xiao Ruo by her side and whispered, "Who is that?"

    Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing''s confused face and then realized that she must not have been paying attention during the introductions the day before.

    ...I Can''t blame her, she must have been over the moon...

    Xiao Ruo quietly said, "She was Lady Yu."

    Lei Xing nodded, "Oh."

    ...What does she want?...

    "Your highness, should I send her away?" The maid asked.

    "No, no, I''ll see her." Lei Xing said and went out of the room to her reception hall where she saw Lady Yu, that''s wrong, Noble consort Li standing with a maid beside her holding a box.

    When Noble consort Li saw Lei Xing she bowed and said, "Thank you for seeing me."

    Lei Xing looked at her skeptically, and said, "It''s nothing, thank you for coming...sit down." She said as she took on the side herself, ignoring the main seat at the front. Noble consort Li remained standing with her head lowered. Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    ...Well, this is awkward...

    After a while, Lei Xing said, "Hello...hey!"

    Noble consort Li jumped and then looked at Lei Xing a bit stunned, Lei Xing was confused and asked, "Are you okay?"

    "Ah, I''m sorry...I know you aren''t feeling well, so I made some light snacks for you to eat...if it''s okay..." As she said this, she moved to the maid beside her and brought out a plate of snacks from the box and brought it over to Lei Xing and put it on the table beside her, while sneaking glances at Lei Xing. After dropping the plate, she went back to her standing position with her head lowered.

    Lei Xing watched her and was so confused.

    ...What is wrong with her?... Am I that scary?...

    "Why don''t you sit down?" Lei Xing said again.

    Noble consort Li nodded but did not move, she glanced up at Lei Xing and then went red. Lei Xing was even more baffled with this reaction.

    ...Or does she have a crush on me or something 0_0 ?)...

    Noble consort Li took a deep breath and then asked, "Do you remember me?"

    ...Lady, I''m not even sure what your name is...

    Noble consort Li saw Lei Xing''s lack of a reaction and then nervously laughed a little, "Haha...Of course, you don''t remember me...after all, it was such a small event to you...maybe even bothersome to you...of course, you wouldn''t remember..." As she spoke her voice got quieter.

    Lei Xing watched her nervous guest twirling her fingers.

    ...What is this now? Did we have a thing before?...

 Chapter 23 - A Childs tale

    As Lei Xing was watching the nervous girl in front of her, trying to decipher what was going on with her, Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin walked in with tea and snacks and placed them on the table beside Lei Xing. Noble consort Li glanced up at them and perked up, "Ah! You are Ah Jin right?"

    Lei Xing immediately glanced at Ah Jin, who bowed towards Noble consort Li in greeting, "Do you two know each other?"

    Noble consort Li spoke up first, "Ah? Uh no, not really...I just remember that she was with you then...so I remembered...and so..." again her voice was getting smaller and she seemed uneasy and looked down

    Lei Xing sighed.

    ...This is painful to watch...am I really that scary?...

    Lei Xing finally couldn''t keep watching her and said, "Ah, I''m sorry I don''t remember you." Noble consort Li looked up at her with a crestfallen expression, seeing this Lei Xing quickly added, "You see, I had an accident so there are some things I don''t remember..."

    ...but you''re free to enlighten me...

    Noble consort Li''s expression brightened, "Oh, so that''s what happened...It''s okay..." Then she smiled brightly at Lei Xing. Lei Xing was waiting for her to continue, but she just stood there smiling at her.

    ...This is really awkward...

    "How about you sit and have some tea?" Lei Xing said motioning to the seat on the other side of the table with the tea and snacks.

    "O-okay, thank you." She finally sat down, Xiao Ruo filled the teacups and she picked up a cup and sipped it, then looked at Lei Xing, "I''ve always wanted to meet you again...I thought to visit, but my circ.u.mstances didn''t really allow to..." She looked at the cup in her hand with a bittersweet smile and then looked up at Lei Xing with a bit tears in her eyes, "That was the first time anyone ever stood up for me...I know you said you didn''t...Oh, that''s right, you don''t remember..." She looked down at the cup again.

    "You can tell me about it." Lei Xing said to her with a small smile.

    ...I wanna know, it seems highly interesting ? _ ?)...

    Noble consort Li looked up and smiled, "Of course, I will be glad to." then she sighed and began, "It was when I was 9 years old, then my father still had a position in the capital, we were hosting a birthday celebration for my grandmother...at that time..."

    ...

    "You useless, stupid fool...what are you doing here?" A little girl dressed in a beautiful red gown, shoved another slightly taller little girl who was wearing a simple blue dress. Behind them were a group of five lavishly dressed little boys and girls who were cheering on the one dressed in red.

    "Maybe she lost her way." Another little girl jeered.

    The girl in red scoffed and shoved again, "I am talking to you...don''t tell me you lost your way, even if you lost your way, you shouldn''t be so stupid as to have to wound up here."

    "I...I...grandmother asked me to - " The girl red sent a heavy slap across her face, stopping her words and shouted, "Don''t lie! Why would our grandmother ask to see your useless self...Speak the truth, aren''t you trying to ruin the birthday celebration?!"

    "I''m not...she really..." The girl in blue tried to feebly protest.

    One of the boys came forward and grabbed the girl in blue''s hair bun and pulled at it, "Stop lying! How could our grandmother bring you out to embarrass the family? Don''t you know there are many important guests here today? And you still had the nerve to show your stupid face!"

    The girl in blue screamed and cried and weakly tried to push his hand, but another boy came forward and grabbed her hand, then the girl in red gave her another slap.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." The girl repeatedly pleaded through tears.

    "You''re sorry? Sorry about what?" The girl in red asked and then slapped her again and kept slapping, "Sorry about? Talk!"

    "I''m sorry for coming out...I just wanted to -"

    "Wanted to what? Show that you exist? In case, you have forgotten you are a servant and nothing more...your wants shouldn''t have anything to do with us!" The boy holding her hand said while twisting her arm, causing her to cry out in pain, the other children all laughed as the boys released her. The girl rubbed her arm and pitifully looked at them.

    "What are you looking at?!" The girl in red asked and then shoved her hard, the girl in blue stumbled back and fell into the shallow pond behind her causing the other children to howl in laughter.

    "Can you all shut up?!" A voice boomed behind them. The children turned to see a lavishly dressed little girl glaring at them, "Why are children so irritating?"

    The girl in red walked to the front of the group and then sneered at the newcomer, "Oh, isn''t this Lei Xing, what do you want? This is none of your business."

    "I don''t care about what you''re doing but can''t you do it in a less irritating manner, must you children be so loud about everything?" The little girl said while frowning and using a hand to massage her ear.

    The children looked at each other, all seemingly confused and annoyed at this short little brat who was looked as young, and maybe even younger, than most of them here, calling them "children" like she was not one herself. The girl in red stepped forward, "Lei Xing, who are you calling stupid? And who is the child here? I am clearly older than you!"

    Lei Xing looked off to the side and scoffed, "Age is something people boast about when there is nothing else good about them, you must be SO proud."

    The girl in red turned bright red with anger screamed, "How dare you!" and then charged at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing sidestepped her and put out her foot and tripped her and she fell flat on the ground. Lei Xing looked down at the girl at her feet, "Oh your old age must be getting the better of you, it seems you will be needing a walking stick soon, it''s best to prepare in advance."

    "You!" Another boy charged Lei Xing again with a fist out prepared to hit her, Lei Xing grabbed his wrist and then stretched out a leg and tripped him and he fell on top of the girl in red on the ground.

    Lei Xing looked at them and laughed, "There''s so many old people here."

    The other children rushed forward and helped the two on the ground, while Lei Xing looked at them condescendingly from the side. The girl in red with a scr.a.p.ed face glared at Lei Xing, "You! Just you wait!" and then she ran off with the group following behind her.

    Lei Xing watched them leave and mumbled, "Children are so annoying."

    Next thing, another young girl came walking down the walkway shouting, "Miss Lei, Miss Lei!"

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes, "tch, she''s here." and then turned towards the young girl who had spotted her and was coming her way, and plastered on a smile, "Ah Jin, I''ve been looking for you."

    The young girl stopped beside her and showed a sarcastic smile and said, "Looking for me? I was out of the hall for less than five minutes and I told you to stay put, MISS."

    Lei Xing''s smile fell and she folded her arms on her chest, "Okay, but you can''t blame me, these children are so boring, and also irritating. Why do I have to be here?"

    "It''s for your own benefit." Ah Jin calmly replied.

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and sarcastically mumbled under her breath, "Of course it is..." Then she looked at Ah Jin who was looking behind her and followed her line of sight and saw the little girl in blue still sitting in the shallow pond with a red teary face looking at them wide-eyed.

    "Oh, you''re still here?" Lei Xing asked looking down at her and then raised an eyebrow, "Are you taking a swim?"

    "Ah?" The girl in blue was confused.

    "Come out." Lei Xing flatly said. The girl in blue understood and scrambled her way out of the water.

    Lei Xing felt a piercing glare and looked to her side and saw Ah Jin accusingly glaring at her and said, "I didn''t do it. Even if I want to bully someone, this is not my style." she said raising her chin up. Ah Jin didn''t seem convinced and so Lei Xing turned to the girl in blue, who had managed to step out of the water and ordered, "You tell her."

    The girl tearfully looked at Lei Xing, bowed and stammeringly said, "Thank...you for...saving me."

    "I didn''t do it to save you, they were just so annoying." Lei Xing said rubbing her ear again.

    The girl nervously looked at Lei Xing and then looked down and twirled her fingers, "Ev-even so, thank you...you...you could get in tr-trouble for this...I''m sorry..."

    Lei Xing looked at her and scoffed, "What trouble could those little brats possibly cause me?"

    The girl nervously glanced at Lei Xing, "Even so..."

    "What''s your name?" Lei Xing asked.

    "Ah? Uh, my name is Li Ru..." The girl timidly answered.

    Lei Xing thought for a moment, "Li Ru...Ahh you''re the daughter of the maid, right?"

    The girl froze and felt a bit panicked, and lowered head even further.

    "Doesn''t that mean that you are the oldest daughter of this family, why are you letting that brat, Li Jiao bully you?"

    The girl looked up at Lei Xing in surprise.

    "Is it because she had backup? But even then, you could have at least tried to scratch out their eyes or kick them and done some damage, your hands and feet are not decorations...even when you begged, they didn''t let you go, so why be submissive...when you attack them once, at least tomorrow they will think twice before coming your way. if you don''t have the will to fight to save yourself, who do you want to do it? It''s your life." Lei Xing coldly said and then sighed. The girl, Li Ru stared at Lei Xing with a wide-eyed blank expression.

    "Hey, that''s too much, she''s just a child." Ah Jin spoke up, jabbing Lei Xing''s arm.

    Lei Xing rubbed her arm, "So what? Heaven helps those who help themselves. If she can''t fight for her own life, what''s the point of living it then. Children are so stupid."

    "You''re also a child." Ah Jin pointed out.

    "But I''m not stupid like them." Lei Xing retorted with a pout.

    The next moment the girl in red, Li Jiao and her group returned, this time with an older boy. They stopped in front of the three of them and Li Jiao spoke up pointing at Lei Xing, "Ge, she is the one who pushed me because of that useless good for nothing over there."

    **(Ge/Gege = older brother)**

    Lei Xing coldly stared at the group, Ah Jin calmly looked on while Li Ru was shaking.

    Li Ru stepped forward and said, "Gege, she-" The moment she spoke the older boy gave her a heavily slap and angrily shouted, "How dare you use that filthy mouth to call me that?!" Li Ru fell to the floor, held her face shivering as tears rolled down her face. The other children around him all smirked.

    Lei Xing glanced at her on the floor and sighed.

    The older boy looked back at Lei Xing and said, "How dare you come to our house to cause trouble? Do you not know how to fear?"

    Lei Xing scoffed and coldly looked at him, "Fear? Fear what?"

    "How dare you - !" The older boy raised his hand.

    Lei Xing calmly said, "It is you who doesn''t know how to fear. Let that hand touch me and you will get a lesson on it."

    "What?!" The older boy was fuming but yet seemed hesitant as he looked at the little girl''s confident and unflinching face.

    "Ge! What are you doing? Look what she did to my face!" Li Jiao spoke up beside her brother, displeased with his hesitation. The older boy glanced at his sister''s scr.a.p.ed face and felt conflicted, just as he was about to decide to hit...

    "Xing''er, there you are! I have been looking for you." All of them turned towards the voice.

    "Ge!" Lei Xing happily shouted and hopped over to her brother with a happy childish smile on her face, Lei Yong smiled at her and then looked at the scene and asked, "What is happening here?"

    The older boy quickly dropped his hand and turned to smile at Lei Yong but before he could speak, Lei Xing tearfully began, "Ge! They are bullying me...I was just passing by when I saw Li Jiao and her group bullying that weak little girl and felt that I could not just walk away..." Lei Xing paused for a bit and hiccuped, "So I politely asked them to stop, and then Li Jiao wanted to hit me, I was so scared that I covered my face...and then I heard her scream and saw her on the floor. She accused me of tripping her and then ran away and now came back with her older brother...and..and...and he wants to hit me...I am so scared...thank heavens, you came...I am so scared..." Lei Xing pitifully finished hugging her brother burying her head in his bosom. The others who were watching this scene all looked at her in disbelief.

    ...Who is scared? Who bullied...?...

    Lei Yong patter her head and comforted her and then glared at the older boy, "Li Bao, what is the meaning of this?"

    Li Bao bowed towards Lei Yong, "Young master Lei, I apologize. I was not aware of the full story and acted foolishly out of concern for my sister. I apologize on behalf of my sister and younger cousins, they are still young. I hope you will not hold it against them. Miss Lei, I also apologize for scaring you." He also used a hand to bow Li Jiao''s head down and motioned for the others to follow.

    Lei Xing scoffed in her mind. Lei Yong patted Lei Xing''s head, "Xing''er, what do you think?"

    Lei Xing turned her head, while still hugging her brother and scanned the crowd and covertly smirked at them, which caused the group to grit their teeth and then said, "It''s okay, let''s not worry father and mother. It''s best to just let it go..."

    "You heard her, you can go, but there better not be a second time."

    "Definitely won''t be." Li Bao bowed again, grabbed his sister and walked off with the rest of the group.

    After the group was out of sight, Lei Yong poking her head, "Xing''er, what trouble did you cause again?"

    Lei Xing pouted and released Lei Yong, "I didn''t do anything...this time."

    "So you were really bullied?" Lei Yong asked in disbelief.

    "Who can bully me?" Lei Xing indignantly said, proudly raising her head.

    Lei Yong laughed and pat her head, then looked to the side and saw Li Ru sitting on the ground with wet clothes and sighed. He walked towards her and stretched out a hand to her, "Here." Li Ru flinched and then stared blankly at his hand, he smiled at her and motioned for her to take his hand, she looked at him and then hesitantly held his hand.

    Lei Yong pulled her up and then removed his outer robe and hung it over her, and turned to Ah Jin, "Ah Jin, take her to go find a change of clothes and also have them prepare some soup to warm her."

    Ah Jin bowed and then held the shaking Li Ru to leave, after they took a few steps, Li Ru suddenly turned back and bowed to Lei Yong and quietly said, "Thank you."

    Lei Yong smiled, "It''s nothing." Li Ru glanced up at him, then quickly looked down with her face redder. Then she turned to the side and saw Lei Xing leaning on a pillar calmly looking in her direction and shrunk back a bit and then bowed towards Lei Xing, and left with Ah Jin.

    ...

    Li Ru finished narrating the events of that day and continued, "...You see my mother had died during my birth and my father and the others...didn''t care much...that day was the first time someone was ever on my side and the first time someone told me there was another way I could live my life...the first time someone held out a helping hand to me..." She quietly finished with a smile.

    Lei Xing had been engaged in the story and felt sorry for Little Li Ru and said, "You''ve had a hard life..."

    ...Haah, all this is the man''s fault...Don''t cheat !and if you cheat, own up to the consequences -_-)''...The child didn''t help you conceive itself, why be angry with it?...haah, and here I am in a harem, the center of cheatdom...

    Lei Xing sighed and then reached for the plate of snacks Li Ru brought and then her hand slightly froze when she noticed the ring color was a greenish-blue, and she swiftly moved to grab her teacup instead.

    ...What is this meaning of this?! -_-)'' Did she come to tell me a sob story so she can poison me? Really?! But two attempts in one day...isn''t that too much?!!... On another note, she''s a stellar actress, got me tearing up and stuff...actually I didn''t...That''s not the main point! She actually tried to poison me with a sob story?!...

 Chapter 24 - Food Crisis

    "Well, it hasn''t been easy but it isn''t all bad...I have had the - "

    "Ah, I''m feeling a bit dizzy again, I need to lie down...I''m sorry I can''t accompany you for long." Lei Xing said as she dropped the cup, looking down and holding her head with her other hand.

    "O- Of course, I''m sorry for interrupting your rest...I''ll be leaving now." Li Ru said quickly getting up, then she bowed to Lei Xing, "I just wanted to say thank you...I will do my utmost to repay you this debt of gratitude."

    ...Repay? how? with poison? -_-)''...

    Lei Xing glanced at her skeptically for a bit then smiled, "There''s no need to repay it, it wasn''t anything significant and as I said I didn''t particularly do it for you...just consider it your own good luck."

    "But, still - " Li Ru quietly said.

    "It''s okay, you should go." Lei Xing flatly said.

    Li Ru looked at Lei Xing and was fl.u.s.tered and hurriedly said "Ah, yes" and bowed again and left.

    Lei Xing watched her as she went out.

    ...Haah, I hate this...

    Lei Xing sighed and got up, "Xiao Ruo, have everything on the table thrown away, it''s all making feel sick. Ah Jin, come with me."

    "Ah? Everything?" Xiao Ruo exclaimed.

    Lei Xing turned, "Yes, everything."

    "But - " Xiao Ruo tried to protest.

    "Just do it." Lei Xing flatly said and walked away.

    When Lei Xing got back to her room, she sighed and then turned to Ah Jin, "Do you remember?"

    Ah Jin nodded, "It was when you were 8 years old, we had gone to Official Li''s manor for his mother''s 60th birthday celebration...you had wandered off for a period and when I found you, you were with Noble consort Li."

    "I see..." Lei Xing calmly said.

    ...So it''s not a lie?...then...even still, what about the poison?...

    Lei Xing sighed again and walked over to the large open windows and sat down on the ledge, she looked around the lavish room and sighed again, then looked at the beautiful garden outside and sighed again.

    ...It is truly a golden cage...

    After a while, she looked back inside the room and her fixed eyes on Ah Jin, who was standing in the center of the room. She looked at her intently for a while, Ah Jin maintained her poster with her head slightly lowered and didn''t flinch at all, "Ah Jin, how about I release you?"

    "Release?" Ah Jin looked up with some panic.

    "Oh, since you have been sent over to the palace, I am now considered your master, so I can release you...the palace is not an easy place. You should go live the life you want."

    ...As much as I''d like to have someone reliable, it seems unfair to shackle you to a life even I don''t want...

    Ah Jin knelt down and kowtowed and said a bit panicky, "Miss please don''t...I have nowhere to go and no life I want to live if it''s not at your side. Since you saved me, my life has been tied to yours. However and wherever you live, at your side is where I want to be...please don''t..."

    Lei Xing calmly looked at her kneeling on the ground for a while, then sighed and said, "Okay then...If you change your mind let me know." and then turned back and absently stared outside the windows. Ah Jin stood up with a sigh of relief, bowed again and then stood there deeply looking at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing was in an increasingly bad mood. Not only was she stuck here, but someone has already tried to poison, not one but two poison attempts in one day. She was worried about her future and how she would survive here and even if she survived, what sort of life would she live.

    ...I really hate this place...

    "Your highness, you shouldn''t worry so much...You are blessed and so will definitely live a happy life." Ah Jin calmly said.

    Lei Xing turned and looked at Ah Jin''s calm face and then laughed, "I''m that obvious?... You are right, there''s no point in worrying, whatever will be, will be."

    Ah Jin smiled and walked forward and handed Lei Xing four envelopes, "I was asked to give you these."

    Lei Xing took the envelopes and looked at them, they were letters from her family. Her father and mother''s were pretty much the same set of words they gave her when she left home before with congratulations and blessings for the future, Lei Xing sighed as she read them. Xiao Ting''s was expressing admiration at the budding love story between her and the emperor, praising her for her quick "work". Lei Xing''s mouth hung open as she read Xiao Ting''s letter.

    ...This brat is definitely deluded...What stupid dead romance? -_-)...

    Lei Xing put away Xiao Ting''s letter in annoyance and then picked up her brother''s and her annoyance skyrocketed. Lei Yong''s talked about how she has now gotten her wish and so she must treasure this opportunity and that the emperor is a good man who is worthy of her love...

    ....Goosebumps!...what stupid wish? I wish to get outta here!!!...I guess a dying''s girl''s wish trapped me here...that''s mean...Shut Up!! I''m also dead and I didn''t ask to be here!!... Come to think of it, what if her soul entered my body and she''s living my life...then maybe we could switch back?... Forget it, how could she, I have survived the ocean?.... Maybe she, I got rescued...Didn''t happen because 1) It''s the ocean, 2) at night, 3) You can''t swim...well, maybe she can swim...she drowned in a pond -_-)...and 4) The ship was gone... even if someone saw me fall, the moment I went under the water, that was it...it may not even be possible to recover my body...haah, forget that...no point being depressed about it...

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and got up, then looked around at the boxes in the room and said, "Okay, let''s sort these out."

    Lei Xing spent the rest of her afternoon sorting through the stuff from home, particularly the money, and her mood got lighter. After she finished sorting through stuff, she took a tour around her palace. It had three rooms, hers was the main one and largest and 2 side rooms, there was also a room for the maids to stay in, a study - actually more like a workroom, there was an embroidery rack on the side, which she knew she would never use, a study area and there was also a qin on one side, which gave her bad memories, she frowned when she saw it. There was a bookshelf but the only book on it was "the virtues of Imperial women" that had followed her back from the empress dowager''s palace, when saw it she sighed.

    ...How boring...

    Then there was the garden out front that had channels of water running through it, with bridges over it in various places connecting a stone path and different sort of flowers all over, with a small gazebo on one side, with a stone seating set, where she spent some time admiring the surroundings. When she got back to her room in the evening, her dinner had already been set. She washed her hands and took her seat and was ready to eat, she had skipped out on lunch and hadn''t had anything since breakfast, she was finally feeling the hunger. As she reached for a dish, she frowned as she saw the ring change to a greenish blue.

    ....Again?!...This has to be a joke -_-)...

    She sighed and reached for something else, the same thing happened. She tried something else, the same thing happened. Lei Xing paused and dropped her chopsticks and reached for the tea, the same thing happened. She dropped her hands in her lap and rubbed the ring.

    ...Okay, this doesn''t make sense...I mean, what are the odds? No one should hate me this much, also poisoning like this is overkill, way too much evidence...Am I being paranoid? maybe I''m seeing things...I don''t feel paranoid...

    "Your highness, do you not like the food? Would you like something else?" Xiao Ruo asked, she was standing off to the side across from Lei Xing with Ah Jin.

    Lei Xing frowned, "Just bring me some fruit."

    ...Even if it''s just me being paranoid, I can''t risk it...right?...

    After a little while, Xiao Ruo returned with some fruit and wanted to cut them, but Lei Xing stopped her, "I''ll do it myself." she bowed and returned to her position on the side. Lei Xing picked up the knife and reached for an orange, the ring went greenish blue again. She retracted her hand and stayed still looking at the table of food for a while.

    ...Okay, this is getting stupid...

    "You both go out. I want to be alone." Lei Xing said. Xiao Ruo looked at her confused and wanted to say something, when Ah Jin stopped her and then they both bowed and left the room.

    Lei Xing got up and walked to the bowl of water on the side where she had washed her hands and reached for the water, the ring went greenish blue again, just now when she had washed her hands she wasn''t paying attention to it, but she felt perfectly fine and no different.

    ...Slow poison?...No, this is too much...

    Lei Xing went to a cupboard and rummaged through the stuff there and brought out some silver hairpins. She walked to the bowl of water and dipped the pin in it, it was fine, then she tested the various dishes on the table and they were all fine. It was just that the ring kept changing to greenish blue.

    ...Could there be something wrong with it?...it could be a poison that silver can''t detect, but I don''t think their poison technology has evolved to that stage yet...but still...

    Lei Xing then turned and went out of the room, Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin were even more perplexed when she opened the doors and started walking off, but they followed her anyway. Lei Xing went outside and walked around in the garden, hovering a hand above flowers, seemingly admiring them and enjoying a walk.

    ...Okay, something is definitely wrong with it...No one is jobless enough to come coat poison on all the flowers here...also wouldn''t the plants die with poison? No clue...but something must have happened to it after that tea incident, it was fine during breakfast...

    Lei Xing turned back and went back to her room, closing herself in again. She paced around for a bit.

    ...Okay, what do I do now? If it''s not working, that''s a huge problem...this sets me back a thousand miles, I really can''t be testing everything with silver pins, I''d look crazy going around poking silver pins in everything...No I''d have to be crazy to do that, they wouldn''t have to kill me then, they''d just lock me up for being crazy -_-)''...Also, it doesn''t matter if I do it in my own palace, but what about banquets and stuff...it''s one thing not to eat, but it''d be a problem to not to drink when they raise toasts and stuff...

    Lei Xing got tired of pacing and went to sit down.

    ...The gem was working, I saw it work...so I just have to take it back to Doctor Lou, I''m sure he can fix whatever the problem is, right?... Okay, new problem...how to get to Doctor Lou...I don''t even know my way around this one palace, how do I navigate my way out of a collection of palaces...even bigger problem, how do I pass the palace gates...okay, even if I can sneak out with a maid''s pass, I''m sure I could snatch Ah Jin''s...but what if I get caught T_T ?)...I''d like to avoid giving anyone an excuse to take my head, although I''m sure that would be too severe a punishment, but you never know with these people here, before I could even speak they may pull out a secret love affair out of thin air -_-)...Wait, Ah Jin!...yeah, Ah Jin...She''s trustworthy...right?...

    Lei Xing''s stomach growled and she looked around and her eyes fixed on the dining table with food. She stood up and walked to the table and sat down.

    ...Whatever, it''d have to be tomorrow anyway, it''s too late to leave the palace today...food first, think later...

 Chapter 25 - Reality Check

    Lei Xing picked up the chopsticks and reached for a dish of stir fry chicken and picked a piece, then her eyes slanted to the ring and then her hand stopped mid-air, she stared at it for a while and then dropped the chopsticks.

    ...I really can''t do this...this stupid freaking ring!...

    She put her hands in her lap and looked down at the ring, it had gone back to its normal sky blue color, she rubbed it for a while and then reached towards the cup of water and saw it change to the greenish blue again. She put her elbows on the table and massaged her temples with her fingers.

    ...What the hell is wrong with this thing?!!... I can rationalize that the stupid ring seems to be reacting to anything that has water in or on it, because other than the food, water, tea and the flowers, it''s fine for everything else...but this is obviously overkill, leaving behind way too much evidence, also the net is too wide, won''t it be suspicious if a lot of people here just got poisoned all of a sudden? People would talk and it''d be troublesome given my background?...Also if the flowers are really poisonous, how come I haven''t heard of any of the servants getting ill? There were obviously a couple of them grooming the flowers earlier today and they are all standing radiant outside my door right now...unless they took an antidote...how about I have them test the food? Don''t do that! -_-)...Fine...

    ...Also what about that Consort Yu - Lu, whatever''s snacks, they also had the same class of poison...she could be in on it too? I don''t know...while all this seems sketchy, the only thing I''m clear on is that there was something wrong with the empress dowager''s tea, that was the first instant of weirdness, so it should be the catalyst for all this...other than that, this poisoning everything in my palace seems too extreme and such a waste...it''s either the poisoner''s an idiot or just inefficient...or this stupid ring''s malfunctioning...the silver also said it''s all fine...but still what if...I''d bet all my money that whatever food or water brought before me right now would be poisonous to this stupid ring...

    Lei Xing sighed and got up, removed her outer robes and jumped on her bed to sleep. She put her hand with the ring on the pillow and looked at it and then sighed again.

    ...I have come to rely on this thing too much, I''m not sure if that''s a good thing...at this moment it feels like I''m relying on Apple maps, it''s either a hit or a miss -_-)''...

    The next day, the empress dowager had moved the "study" session to noon and no one woke Lei Xing up early and so she slept in. When she finally woke up, she saw that the table was left as it was last night. She rolled around in bed for a bit and then Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin came into the room and greeted her and then other maids came in after them, bowed and started clearing the table, while a maid came up to her with a bowl of warm water and towel for her to wash her face. Lei Xing looked at the water and sighed.

    ...Here we go again...

    She reached for the water and went all the way to touching the water and then froze, she was a bit confused.

    ...It didn''t change?...

    Lei Xing quickly got up and went to the table and reached for the teacup with cold tea.

    Xiao Ruo seeing her do this quickly said, "Your highness, don''t drink that...There''s hot tea on the side."

    Lei Xing picked up the cup and observed it, then put it down and casually waved her hand at the remaining dishes still on the table. Then walked to the side and sat down. Xiao Ruo came forward and poured a cup of tea for her. Lei Xing put her hand on the cup and stared at her hand holding the cup with a frown, the jewel on the ring never changed from its normal sky blue color at all.

    ...So...so what was that yesterday? Was I really seeing things? Was I hallucinating? Am I going insane?! One day here and I''m starting to lose my mind? Already?! oTZ...No, that''s not it. I know what I saw!... I am perfectly sane! It''s this piece of crap that''s insane!....

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and then drank the tea in the cup in one shot and then poured another and then another...

    ...I haven''t drunk or eaten anything since yesterday morning, I''m dying here...courtesy of a certain piece of crap -_-)...

    "Your highness, would you like to bath first or have breakfast?" Xiao Ruo asked observing Lei Xing downing the tea like a starved beast.

    "Breakfast!" Lei Xing enthusiastically answered. Xiao Ruo nodded and left the room. The breakfast came shortly after and everything was fine to the ring, Lei Xing enjoyed this meal greatly, cleared it all and when she was finished, she let out a sigh in relief.

    ...Nothing like a full course grade A meal after a starvation session...the cook deserves a raise...

    The maids cleared the table and after that Xiao Ruo left to go have her bath prepared, leaving only Ah Jin in the room. Lei Xing saw that the others had all left and then looked at Ah Jin for a while.

    ...I need to get to the bottom of this...if not who knows what this piece of crap would do next time...making me feel like a crazy person, piece of s**t....

    "Ah Jin, I need you to do something for me."

    "Whatever you wish." Ah Jin said bowing to Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing got up and went to a drawer and found a small box and took off the ring and put in it and then handed the box to Ah Jin. "I need you to take this to Doctor Lou, tell him that I obtained this gift and want him to examine it for me and make sure that all is well with it."

    Ah Jin nodded and put the small box in her robes, bowed and left. Lei Xing sat down and drank tea and thought it over.

    ...It is possible that I was spooked by the incident in the morning and so was seeing things all day?...That could be, except I don''t scare easy and I wasn''t even scared at the empress dowager''s palace when it happened, I was freaked out but not scared...I was much more annoyed than anything...it doesn''t make sense that I would be so "scared" many hours later when it wasn''t even on my mind...I know what I saw!...

    After Lei Xing had her bath, she got dressed and made her way to the empress dowager''s palace. When she arrived. Noble consort Li approached her with a smile, Lei Xing managed a small smile back an stood facing forward.

    ...I''m not sure what to make of you yet...

    "Noble consort Lei, are you feeling better?" Noble consort Li asked.

    "En." Lei Xing nodded in her direction and faced forward.

    "That''s good..."

    "En." Lei Xing simply replied again, she cast a side glance at Noble consort Li and saw that she was looked down a bit fl.u.s.tered, it seemed she was trying to find something to say, and of course, Lei Xing wasn''t helping the conversation with her curt replies either.

    ...This is a bit sad...even though she''s not a friend, I shouldn''t make her hate me more right?...I could at least...That''s bothersome, not a fan of stupid mind games...but she was telling the truth so...she may have also tried to poison me...but the ring was being weird...there''s no way to prove that now so...my verdict, in this case, is guilty until proven innocent!...

    Lei Xing pretended like she didn''t notice Noble consort Li''s internal struggle and looked forward, thankfully it didn''t take long before they were summoned in. After they greeted her, the empress dowager glanced at Lei Xing, "Xing''er you came too? You didn''t have to, you should have rested more."

    ...What did she just call me? I felt shivers run down my spine...I hate it when people try to pretend to be familiar with me...it''s creepy!...

    Lei Xing politely smiled and bowed, "I thank your majesty for your concern but I am perfectly recovered now. I will make sure to be more careful in the future not to worry you again."

    The empress dowager scrutinized Lei Xing for a while and then said, "En. That''s good." and then turned to the others, "You should all resume your studies from yesterday."

    They all bowed to her and then went to sit down and opened the book on their table. The maids quietly came up with tea and snacks and left them on their tables. The dowager just quietly sat on the main seat, sipping her tea overlooking them and occasionally quietly talking with Song mama.

    ...Is this woman this bored? or is this some sort of power trip? How dull -_-)''...Also, what is her problem with me? If she has any issues with me being here, she should go pick it with her son who put me in this bloody situation and leave me out of it!... Actually, if she could go do that and they come to a conclusion to kick me out on a technicality or something...I will be eternally grateful to her...

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and read the stupid book all the while not eating or drinking anything, she knew better than to risk it after the events of yesterday, plus the fact that she did not have the ring on her reinforced her lack of interest.

    ***

    "I thought you were avoiding me?" The emperor said with a raised eyebrow as he watched Lei Yong walking into the royal study.

    Lei Yong looked at the emperor and smiled, "Why would this subject dare to avoid the emperor?"

    "Really? I waited for you to appear all day...and all I received was a soldier reporting in your stead and an apology about being unable to make the journey. I assume you must have gotten lost somewhere along the journey, right?" The emperor finished in a sarcastic tone.

    "Oh, the scenery of the palace has really changed a lot lately, I apologize for my tardiness, it will not happen again." Lei Yong said as he put his hands forward and bowed in "apology".

    The emperor laughed and after a while said, "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    Lei Yong straightened up and asked, "About?"

    The emperor raised an eyebrow at him and then Lei Yong dropped the act and sighed, "I thought she should be treated fairly like the others."

    The emperor didn''t say anything and just kept staring at Lei Yong. Lei Yong sighed again and then said, "Actually, my parents didn''t want her to enter the palace...I thought to leave it up to fate..."

    ...Fate?...Peculiar term here...

    The emperor frowned in thought and then said, "Your parents were right...entering the palace is not anything good." Then he looked at Lei Yong with a serious expression, "If I had known, I also wouldn''t have let her enter."

    "That''s the main reason why I didn''t tell you...the thing is..." Lei Yong looked at the emperor and then looked to the side sighing again and then looked back at him and said, "Actually, she likes you..."

    The emperor looked at Lei Yong and frowned, and then burst into a short laugh, "Who?"

 Chapter 26 - Plot

    Lei Yong frowned, "I''m being serious..."

    "I''m also being serious." The emperor put on a straight face and asked, "Did she say so?"

    "Well, no..." Lei Yong said glancing to the side.

    The emperor raised an eyebrow, "So it''s your assumption then?"

    "Actions speak louder than words..." Lei Yong said looking back at the emperor with conviction.

    The emperor scrutinized Lei Yong for a bit.

    ...True, but they can often have different motivations...

    "How so?"

    Lei Yong hesitated for a bit and then sighed, "She...she has always been such a proud person, carefree and indifferent with everything...I''ve never seen her beg or plead with anyone for anything, not even as a child ... I have also never seen her cry like that, she barely even shed tears as a baby...for her to desperately plead like her life depended on it to be allowed to enter this competition, if not love, what other reasons could there be?" Lei Yong said, seriously looking at the emperor.

    The emperor knit his eyebrows and looked back at him. The two stayed like that for a while.

    The silence in the room was broken when the doors opened, Eunuch Li entered the room and stopped beside Lei Yong and bowed to the emperor, the two of them cast him a glance and then he said, "Your majesty, the empress dowager has requested your presence in her palace."

    "En." The emperor stood up and came down the steps and stopped beside Lei Yong and cast him a side glance, but he didn''t know what to say and eventually just walked off with Eunuch Li following behind him. Lei Yong sighed as he turned and watched their departing backs.

    ...I hope I didn''t make a mistake...

    When the emperor reached the empress dowager''s palace, he noticed the servants outside and realized that she was not alone and frowned as he entered. The eunuch at the door announced his arrival and everyone in the room got up and bowed, except the empress dowager. He walked up and stopped in front of the steps and bowed in greeting to his mother, "Mother, you sent for me."

    The empress dowager smiled, "Oh, Kai''er you''ve come. Come up and take a seat first." The emperor walked up the platform and sat on the seat to her left, glanced around the room and then looked back at his mother, the empress dowager''s smile brightened, "Ah, I''ve been having them study on the life of an Imperial wife, they need to be aware of the rules."

    "You can all continue reading." The empress dowager said to the girls, who all bowed and sat back down to try to continue reading. The tone in the room had definitely changed with the emperor''s arrival, they were no longer able to fully concentrate on the books.

    A maid came up and served tea to the emperor, he looked at his mother and asked, "Mother, what did you send for me for?"

    The empress dowager''s smile froze, "Must there be a reason for me to send for you?" she paused and then said, "You''ve been working so hard, it''s good to take a break once in a while." She said smiling and picking up her cup and sipping her tea. The emperor did not say anything and picked up his teacup and sipped.

    Lei Xing was feeling odd, she felt like she was being watched and she lightly glanced around, she covertly glanced up and her eyes met the emperor''s eyes, she knit her brows in shock and quickly looked back down.

    ...What the hell are you glaring at me for?!... Stop it!!...

    Lei Xing frowned with her head down, she didn''t look up again but she could still feel that scrutinizing glare.

    The empress dowager looked at her son and followed his line of sight, saw Lei Xing and frowned. Then she smiled and said, "Kai''er, I called you over to accompany me for lunch along with your wives, that way you can become familiar with yourselves."

    On hearing the word, ''lunch'', Lei Xing''s frown deepened.

    ...Lunch? I''m not eating anything here without it being tested!...but it''s not like I can pull out silver pins and start checking in front of all of them...forget being tagged crazy, I''d be tagged dead for my insolence...but what to do...I can''t risk it...Stupid - No, I mean, great ring, please come back soon, Master Lou you must fix it! T_T)...

    Lei Xing thought for a while and then her eyes brightened. She put on worn-out expression and waved for Xiao Ruo to come forward, and used Xiao Ruo''s arm to support herself and stood up. She bowed to the front and said, "Your majesty, I''m sorry but it seems I have overestimated myself again and am not fully recovered, I don''t want to ruin the mood, so I request to leave."

    The empress dowager looked at Lei Xing, there was an awkward silence and after a while, she finally said, "Oh, in that case, you should go rest."

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief, then bowed again, thanked the empress dowager and left.

    The emperor looked at the doors for a while, and then stood up and turned to his mother, "Mother, I have some pressing matters to attend to and cannot stay long. So, I will take my leave now." He finished, bowed and turned to leave.

    The empress dowager''s frowned as she watched him leave, there were also the disappointed eyes of others in the room following his exit.

    When Lei Xing got outside the empress dowager''s palace, she sighed and Xiao Ruo stopped her and said, "Your highness, why don''t you wait inside, we will prepare a palanquin for you."

    Lei Xing shook her head, "No, it''s fine for me to walk."

    Just as Lei Xing was about to start walking, she saw the emperor exit the empress dowager''s palace and froze for a bit and then bowed towards him and turned to leave. The emperor also started walking, and it seemed they were going in the same direction. Lei Xing slowed down her pace, so that he could go ahead, but then he also seemed to slow down. Lei Xing then quickened her pace but he still kept pace, she slowed down again and he was still there, it seemed she couldn''t shake him off. Lei Xing glanced to the other side and frowned.

    ...What the hell is this now? -_-)...okay, maybe I''m being too sensitive, it''s not like we''re walking side by side, there''s enough space in between us to fit at least five people, we''re just going the same direction...but what about this pacing crap?...coincidence? Bull**it -_-)...Perhaps he wants to talk? Then why not say something then and about what?... If it''s not about my discharge, then I am not INTERESTED!...In that case, we''ll ignore it...

    Lei Xing put on an indifferent expression and faced forward.

    The emperor had been scrutinizing her with a frown the entire time.

    ...It is doesn''t seem to be the case...Yong must have been mistaken...but then why would she plead to enter the palace?...there''s also the fact that she asked to leave as well...it doesn''t make sense she''d do that if she had feelings for me...she also didn''t seem that way at all...but then why would she desperately plead to the point it seemed like her life depended to enter the palace and then ask to leave once she''s gotten in?...that''s not exactly right, she pleaded like her life depended on it to enter the competition...then maybe her life really depended on it? A threat? but what is there to gain by simply entering the competition?...perhaps she was threatened into entering the palace to do something, and the competition was the best opportunity to gain access, a time-limited access...which explains her request to leave, she must have expected to fail...

    ...but what could she possibly have been tasked to do, steal something? or do something? Like what though? The candidates were all closely monitored, even if she was a high-level martial expert, which I doubt she is, it would still have been hard to not have been discovered...they may have overestimated the freedom she would have as a candidate...also who could possibly threaten her, she''s the defense minister''s daughter, she shouldn''t have to fear an attempt on her life...could it be blackmail then?...something that she feels is damning enough to end her life if revealed to the public...interesting...but who could it be?... Prince Yi? they did seem to have a weird relationship...but then what could she possibly be able to do for him?...also, I was told I will regret letting her go, which could mean that the key part of their operation depended on her release...so did she take something? that she needed to deliver on her exit?... Could she be in some sort of trouble then... it''s not like she would just tell me if I asked...Should I have her tortured then?...hmm, this is just wild speculation though, what if I''m wrong...how do I explain it to Yong...let''s leave it for now...

    Lei Xing had been facing forward the entire time, ignoring the weird glances she was receiving from the side. Finally, after what felt like a long while, the emperor finally picked up his pace and went ahead. Lei Xing sighed as she watched him and retinue going far away.

    ...See, it was nothing, we were really just going the same way...and it was just me being too sensitive...that or a sick joke -_-)''...Whatever, it''s over...

    Lei Xing arrived at her palace and entered her room to find Ah Jin waiting for her. Her face brightened and she sent the other servants away. Ah Jin handed her the box and Lei Xing opened it and happily smiled at the ring. She picked it up and slipped it on, admiring it on her hand.

    ...Welcome back! I''ve missed you T_T)...Ah, first things first...

    Lei Xing straightened and looked at Ah Jin and asked, "What did he say?"

    Ah Jin looked at Lei Xing a bit hesitant, Lei Xing saw her nervousness and said, "It''s okay, just say what happened and tell me exactly what he said."

    Ah Jin looked at Lei Xing and then nodded, "After I gave him the ring, he looked at it closely and then took out a clean cloth, blew on it and started cleaning it while talking, he said...people do not know how to appreciate a treasure, a precious treasure needs to be treated like a precious treasure...and must be treated with utmost respect and retain the dignity of a precious treasure..." Ah Jin paused.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows as she listened and sighed.

    ...What did I expect? -_-)...

    Ah Jin was hesitating again, Lei Xing glanced at her, "Continue."

    "He said that if you don''t treat it well, then it won''t treat you well..." She paused again.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "Go on."

    Ah Jin looked a bit puzzled as she said, "I''m not exactly sure the rest of his words have any relevance but..."

    "Just say it, I''ll decide on the relevance" Lei Xing said a bit annoyed.

    "He said...when a person eats, it takes time for the food to digest and then they poop, the same for animals, pooping is the natural cleansing process of the world, he poops, we poop and all things poop but...the pooping process takes time...for some people it takes minutes, others hours...but for him it takes a full day and that it annoys him to no end, but unfortunately that is how his body is, it must be due to old age...he can walk around and probably even run with no problem, the only problem he has is this 24-hour pooping period...other than that he is still perfectly capable, and then asked isn''t it worth it? I didn''t know how to respond and so remained quiet...then he gave me back the ring, said I should leave and went to sleep on the desk."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and stared at Ah Jin, who looked back at her with a helpless expression.

    ...Poop?...

 Chapter 27 - Info Hunt

    After a long while, Lei Xing said, "Okay, I see...you should go rest." Ah Jin bowed and left the room. Lei Xing frowned as she tried to process the information.

    ...So is this some sort of riddle or what -_-?)...or is he really just lamenting about his poop condition, I wouldn''t put it past him...but let''s give him the benefit of a doubt and believe that he is aware no one cares about his pooping...and I don''t believe he is that crazy...so in that case, he has to be talking about the ring...so, poop...forget the poop! Focus on other aspects -_-)''...pooping process... 24-hour pooping process...okay, let''s go with that...so...poop...

    Lei Xing stared at the ring on her finger.

    ...So does it poop?... Wait, can inanimate objects even poop? Or is it alive? If it''s alive that would be creepy...plants can be considered inanimate and are alive, and I''m pretty sure they somehow poop after eating, photosynthesis and crap... so let''s look at it as a plant then...so did it eat sunlight? then it would have been pooping every day, right? That makes no sense -_-)''...could be acc.u.mulated poop, constipation?...-_-)...Fine, fine, it''s not that...

    ...Ah, he did say it absorbed "all" the poison in the world...so it eats poison? but it didn''t touch anything poisono-...ah the tea! It spilled, right? some of it must have gotten on the ring, I guess...but just that tiny bit and it needs to "poop"?...also is everything then poisonous to it for a whole 24 hours, isn''t that too much?...what if I dropped it in a vat of poison, would it take a month to "poop process" it?...or maybe the amount doesn''t matter...either way, can''t it multitask -_-?)''...haah, am I being too greedy?...

    ...Also, does it absorb in anything poisonous and then sort of "evaporate" the non-toxic stuff...I''m not sure how that would work with solid stuff, but liquids...say I dropped it in a vat of poisoned tea, would it absorb in all the tea or would it just absorb the toxic bits, like a sort of um, what''s the word, ahh...detoxifier!...yeah, that could be useful...how? I don''t know you never know...I kind of want test it...yeah, but then it would be out of commission for 24 hours again, I could work around it...so how to get poison...I''m pretty sure anything can be poisonous to ingest, I can make my own...

    Lei Xing got up and walked to her dresser and started opening the cosmetics on the table.

    ...These are probably not good to ingest, right?... Yeah, but I don''t think they can kill you, a stomachache at most?... Let''s try it...

    She walked back to the pot of tea on the side and started pouring the powder, lip paint, blush and anything she found into the teapot and then shook it. Then looked at the ring and it showed no reaction.

    ...Not enough?...

    Lei Xing looked around the room.

    ...There isn''t much else to use here...

    Lei Xing walked back to her dresser and rummaged through the drawers, and picked at a bunch of hairpins.

    ...Jade won''t work right?...Ah, what about pearls? No, I''m pretty sure it''d just go down easily to poop...This ruby should work, so if I could break it to sharp pieces, it would be detrimental, shred the intestines and such...Yes!...

    Lei Xing took the ruby hairpin and put it on the table, and went to look for a heavy object, and came back with an inkstone, and stood there hammering quietly at the ruby, she managed to dislodge the jewel from the hair stick, but was making slow progress on smashing the ruby. So she decided to just give it one big swing. Just as she raised her hand high ready to swing. The doors opened and Xiao Ruo stood at the doors staring at her wide-eyed. Lei Xing froze when she saw her and then started lifting her hand up and down, "I''m exercising." and then dropped the inkstone on the table.

    Xiao Ruo looked at her and then glanced down at the table and saw the hair stick and detached ruby on the table, didn''t say anything and walked to the side table. She was holding a tray with a fresh teapot and knelt down by the low table and wanted to switch the teapots.

    Lei Xing turned and saw Xiao Ruo picking up her poisonous teapot, "Stop!" Xiao Ruo turned to look at Lei Xing with a puzzled expression. Lei Xing then walked up to her, "I''m not done with this tea yet."

    "Your highness, you shouldn''t be drinking cold tea. It''s better to drink a fresh pot."

    Lei Xing grabbed her poisonous teapot and dropped it on the table, "You can just drop that one too, I will decide which is best. You can leave."

    Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing perplexed, then bowed and left the room. After the doors closed behind her, Xiao Ruo heard a loud smash and quickly turned to ask from outside the doors, "Your highness, are you okay?"

    Lei Xing shouted, "Yes, I''m fine. I just dropped something." She used the inkstone to further grind the smashed pieces putting all strength in her arms. By the time she was done she had worked up a bit of a sweat, but was pleased with the result. She poured the pieces into the teapot with a smile.

    ...Hahaha this is excellent...

    She swished the teapot and then dropped it and looked at the ring and then frowned.

    ...What is wrong with this thing now?...It worked on the shards in the bottle in the store the other time...so why is not working or is this really not a toxic mix...maybe I need more?...I''m pretty sure if I drink this I''m going to die...Don''t tell me it''s not working because I made it myself...so if I tried to poison myself, will it just let me? or could it be that it is aware that I am not in any danger since I won''t be stupid enough to drink my own brew, so it''s not reacting?...

    ...No way, that''s possible, it''s not conscious...we''re talking about a magic poison absorbing, pooping, poison detection ring here -_-)''...still...actually, maybe these components aren''t toxic per se, how would it even absorb the toxicity from crushed jewels, by absorbing their hardness and turning it mush? I don''t think so...I think I may have overestimated its capabilities...haah...maybe I should go ask the empress dowager for some tea instead...haha so funny -_-)...Whatever, forget it...

    Lei Xin picked up the pot and emptied its contents into a plant in the corner.

    ...the bottom line is don''t let it touch poison, it''ll be troublesome...this old man should have given me a manual or something...maybe I should ask for one? I''m sure he''d be too busy sleeping to write one...that, or I would get another poop manifesto, and this time it may really be about poop -_-)''...

    ***

    The next few days were quiet and peaceful for Lei Xing. No one tried to poison her again, the dowager''s tea time was fine, which made her feel that they really gave up too easily. Her days comprised of going to the empress dowager''s palace for their study sessions, the woman actually had them take turns reciting parts of the book and whoever failed was punished with copying multiple volumes of the book. Of course, Lei Xing planned for this kind of jobless behavior and so put in the effort in reading the book and so passed her test.

    Lei Xing also learned about the background information on the others in the palace, Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin were quite knowledgeable and great at gathering intel. Lei Xing particularly found the other noble consorts backgrounds enlightening, there was Lady Jin, who is called Zhao Lan and is actually the daughter of the Prime minister, this explains her haughty and daring behavior, apparently, the late empress, the emperor''s adoptive mother was part of the Zhao family, so she can be considered a relative of his. It also explains her blatant dislike for Lei Xing, who as the defense minister''s daughter was the only one who could match up to her in terms of background.

    There''s also the fact that their fathers are apparently considered rivals in court. While the Zhao family helped the emperor build a power base in court while he was absent all these years, the Lei family has supported him in his battles and the main family''s son is his close confidante. These two families can be said to have paved the way for the emperor to ascend the throne. Now, with the late empress gone, they have put forward Zhao Lan to rebuild the direct bridge to the emperor they lost, and obviously Lei Xing''s in her way.

    Then there''s copy cat Lian, who is called Chen You, the daughter of the Minister of Finance. It turns out her father is actually Lei Xing''s father''s distant relative, who had grown up at the Lei manor after his parents'' passing with her father and they were close as children. Lei Xing''s father went off to accompany the late emperor in battles when he was a prince, while Chen Bo had stayed on in the capital and became an official. Later, when the late emperor took the throne, he set about eliminating all threats to him and killed off his brothers and their followers, there was a rumor that Chen Bo had been a supporter of one of the princes, but he was spared because Lei Xing''s father pleading his case and that he was able to get to his current position because of that relationship.

    Lei Xing sighed on hearing this, Chen You must have always been pushed by her father to ingratiate herself with the Lei family and somehow she must have ended up casting Lei Xing as her life''s aspiration. Lei Xing thought that if that was all it was, then that was good, but she felt that there was a certainly a hidden animosity there., which is becoming evident by her snobby attitude that came with her newfound status.

    Then there was the last one, Li Ru, which is the least extraordinary of them all, apparently, her father was demoted years ago and is currently a magistrate in a city far from the capital. The reason she could get the chance to enter the palace was because her father had bought his way into having her become the goddaughter of the minister of works. That she could become a noble consort was a shock and there''s also a rumor that she is said to have been born under a lucky star, which was why a concubine''s daughter was chosen over the daughter from the main family.

    Lei Xing had spent the past two weeks either going to the empress dowager''s palace or moping around in her palace, still a bit aggrieved at her current condition. The empress dowager was done with her virtuous lessons and seemed to not want to bother with them, for now. After a few days of doing absolutely nothing, Lei Xing felt that she needed a change of pace and so decided to take a trip to the Imperial library.

    ...When there''s lack of TV and internet, books are the next best thing, right?...haah, I wanna go back T_T)...

    Lei Xing made her way to the library, it was quite huge with various scrolls and books stacked on tens of shelves. There were also various scholars around seeming to be studying, copying books, repairing them, making compilations and other activities. When Lei Xing entered they all looked at her wide-eyed and then bowed. One of them approached her bowed and said, "Your highness, is there something you need?"

    ...I have to need something?...

    Lei Xing smiled politely, "Ah, I''m just going to look around."

    The scholar looked up at her with a complicated expression, Lei Xing did not pay him any attention and just walked into the shelves, picking and glancing through the books with Ah Jin at her side. She had left Xiao Ruo behind in her palace and the rest of her entourage was outside. While she was going around scrolling through books, she had stumbled on a copy of the Art of War, she was quite shocked that they had this here.

    ...They have this here too, I guess I did go back in time then...

    She had always wanted to read this, started it, then got lazy and never got far, she even bought it twice and ended up giving them away, before she could finish them, one to her older brother and the other to her father.

    ...I guess now''s a good a time as any...

    She was absentmindedly flipping through it, when someone spoke beside her, "The Art of War, interesting choice."

    Lei Xing immediately turned to find Prince Yi standing beside her with a smile and froze.

    ...Why is he here?!...

    Prince Yi saw her shocked face, picked up a book from the shelf and explained, "I work here."

    Lei Xing was even more surprised and blurted out, "Here?"

    Prince Yi glanced at her, then back at the book in his hand, "Yes, I am in charge of the Imperial library."

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh, I see."

    The two stood there in silence for a bit, Lei Xing saw that he wasn''t planning on moving and so decided to move, when he asked, "Why the Art of War?"

    Lei Xing glanced back at him, "It''s a good book."

    He snorted and asked, "Are you preparing to go to the battlefield?"

    "Isn''t life a battlefield of sorts."

    He calmly said, "That''s true, life in the palace is a battlefield."

    Lei Xing cast him a glance and was about to turn to leave again, when he said, "I have a question."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    ...Haah, question...sure you do...must you announce you have a question, why not just ask the question instead?...must be a family thing -_-)''...let''s hear it...

 Chapter 28 - Aspirations

    "You have said some very interesting words..." Prince Yi said turning to calmly look at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing blankly looked back at him and then turned to the bookshelf, fingering through the books.

    ...I guess you''re taking the scenic route...let me know when you arrive at your destination -_-)...

    "What was it...Motivation over qualifications...hard work matching talent..." Prince Yi looking down at the book in his hand smiled to himself.

    ...If only they could see that too...my idiotic father and...then...

    Still looking down at the book, he asked, "What is your motivation for?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and turned to him.

    ...Huh?...That''s the question?...

    Prince Yi looked at her, snorted and explained, "I was thinking that for someone to say such words, they must already have a goal in mind that they are motivated towards, so I was curious what that goal is?"

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes in her mind.

    ...Well that or they are really lazy hahaha...but I guess I do have one...a lazy one, but it is a goal...

    "So what is it?" He asked again.

    Lei Xing looked at him for a while and thought.

    ...Why not?...

    and then answered, "Freedom."

    Prince Yi nodded his head in understanding, "Ah freedom, that''s why you turned down the position of empress, your aspirations are higher."

    Lei Xing was confused and looked at him skeptically.

    Prince Yi glanced at her, "It''s control then."

    Lei Xing cast him a questioning glance.

    ...Here''s why not?!...Ah, I think we''re on the wrong page here...

    "To have freedom is to have absolute control over one''s life, isn''t it?"

    Lei Xing remained silent.

    ...I don''t think I should answer that...

    Prince Yi sighed and looked down at the book in his hand and quietly whispered, "It is also what I aspire for."

    Lei Xing heard him say this and blinked.

    ...We''re definitely on the wrong page here!...

    "Freedom and absolute control don''t mean the same thing." Lei Xing cooly said.

    Prince Yi froze, frowned and turned to Lei Xing. She calmly looked at him and said, "The idea of absolute control over one''s life is an illusion, an impossible dream."

    Prince Yi''s raised an eyebrow and sneered, "An impossible dream?"

    ...What are you trying to say?...

    Lei Xing looked at his expression and sighed in her mind.

    ...Look, I''m not trying to shit on your dreams or anything...I just don''t want you getting the wrong idea here...

    "Our lives constantly intersect with that of others and are affected by them, even though you have "absolute control" over your own actions, you cannot exercise that control over the actions of others and that makes the idea of having absolute control impossible."

    Prince Yi indignantly said, "And if you can gain control over the actions of others?"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "Even then, absolute control is impossible. You can say you have absolute control over the life of the fish in your pond, you can control when and what they eat, whether or not they stay in the pond and whether or not they are caught and killed today. But can you always control which way they swim in the pond? No, and therefore you do not have absolute control over them. If you can''t gain absolute control over something as simple as fish in a closed environment you control, how do you expect to gain absolute control over people? Not to mention, nature makes it all the more impossible, you cannot predict nor control its course, if a massive wave crashes down here right now, you will be carried along with it, no matter how great a swimmer you are and no matter how much in control you are, you cannot will yourself to stand above the water, nor will the water to part from you." Lei Xing calmly said.

    Prince Yi narrowed his eyes and didn''t say anything.

    Lei Xing continued, "The freedom I aspire for is not absolute control. While you are right in saying that control is a key element of freedom, all I want is the freedom to live my life as I will within the confines of reality." Lei Xing finished.

    She calmly looked at Prince Yi who was frowning down at the book in his hand, then she turned and started walking away, after a few steps, Prince Yi suddenly said behind her, "I could help you."

    Lei Xing froze and turned back to look at him, he was smiling at her, Lei Xing furrowed her brows and scrutinized him and felt like his eyes reminded her of a sneaky fox, and seemed to be holding some hidden intentions.

    ...hahaha...I believe this can be considered an offer from a devil, right?...or am I just paranoid?...

    Lei Xing politely smiled, "Thank you for the offer, but no need."

    Prince Yi nodded and then said with a smile still on his face, "If you change your mind, it still stands."

    Lei Xing smiled and then turned and quickly left. Ah Jin who was standing by the door quickly followed her.

    ...How pray tell does he plan to help me?... Either way, not interested...an "affair" with a prince is the last thing I need right now...there are probably worse things...Nah, it''s probably still up there with the worst...I''m sure it''s chop head worthy...

    Prince Yi watched Lei Xing''s departing back and stood in place for a while and then walked to his office and sat down and stared fixedly at the book in his hand.

    ...I told you not to look towards what is not yours...You never listen!...

    Prince Yi blinked and then frowned.

    ...If I were emper -...

    ...I have told you it''s not in your fate!...

    ...If it''s not in my fate, they why did you help me all these years?!...

    ...To put you on equal footing, give you a fair chance as you wished...and you lost...Move on!...

    ...What bloody equal footing?! I am the son of a lowly maid whose name he didn''t even remember!...while he is the son of a Princess...

    ....A Princess of a fallen country...

    ...It doesn''t matter!...

    ...you ignored my advice to leave...it''s not too late to turn back...

    ...It''s already too late...he''ll have me killed...

    ...He won''t!...

    ...I''m not leaving...he should be the one to leave...he should''ve died!... Why did he come back and ruin everything?!...

    ...Ahh, you never listen!! So infuriating! I won''t bother anymore...do as you wish...just remember I told you so!...

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened and he threw the book in his hand across the room and clenched his fist.

    ...It doesn''t matter, fate is something that I can carve with my own hands and I will make it my own fate with these hands...with or without your help!...

    After a while, he regained control of his expression and calmly walked out of his office and left the palace. As soon as he arrived home, a guard approached him and whispered something to him. He frowned and walked off with the guard following behind him.

    A soon as Prince Yi walked into the underground jail, he could hear someone screaming threats. Prince Yi sighed in annoyance and made his way towards the sound. Just as he rounded the corner he heard, "Open the cell, otherwise he''s dead! I mean it, I am giving you to the count of 3...1 - "

    Prince Yi calmly walked forward and said, "Kill him." The guards on the side bowed to him, and the two locked in the cell looked at him, one with fear and the other with anger. One of them, the prisoner had an arm around a guard and was holding a knife to guard''s neck.

    "What? Do you think I won''t do it?! If you don''t let me out, then he''s dead!!" Molin shouted pressing the knife and drawing a line of blood from his captive''s neck.

    "Kill him, I''m not letting you out." Prince Yi calmly said, "You seem to be very precious to Prince Rui, so I cannot afford to lose you."

    Molin angrily glared at Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi sighed, "Why are you proving to be so stubborn? Didn''t your Prince Rui tell you that he will return for you? So sit tight and stop causing trouble." Prince Yi said with annoyance.

    "You must be deluded to think you can use me as a hostage to control our Prince?" Molin shouted.

    "Not deluded, just well informed. I heard your Prince could have escaped but he was concerned for a certain friend...I wonder what exactly yo -" Prince Yi said looking at Molin with a suspicious suggestive look.

    "Don''t you dare slander our Prince, he is someone with compassion for those under him, which I guess is something foreign to you Long sc.u.m." Molin said and spat on the ground.

    Prince Yi scoffed and calmly said, "I guess. Make your choice, are you killing him or not?"

    Molin glared at Prince Yi and looked at the guards outside the cell and remained unmoving. Prince Yi looked at him, smirked and calmly walked to the side, and swiftly grabbed the short sword from a guard''s waist and threw it into the cell and hit the guard right on the chest. Molin was shocked and instantly released the guard, who then collapsed to the ground, writhed a bit and became motionless.

    Molin came out of his shock and roared, "How can you do that to your own man?!!"

    Prince Yi scoffed again and simply said, "I have no need for incompetence." and started to walk off and then stopped and looked back at Molin, who was glaring daggers at him, "You are free to kill yourself, but know this, your Prince Rui has no way of knowing of your death until he walks right up to this cell, and at that time I will just send him to join you. Since he cares so much, and you care so much, I''d advise you to wait here properly." Then he said to the guards, "Anyone who opens this cell without my permission will die." and then walked off.

    ...Why are there so many fools in this world?...

 Chapter 29 - Golden Opportunity

    "Now that your position is settled, it is time to reinstate the Xia people." The empress dowager said looking at the emperor sitting on the side. The two were the only people in the hall.

    "I can''t do that." The emperor calmly responded.

    The empress dowager frowned, "You owe it your people."

    "That is precisely why I cannot do that."

    "What do you mean by this?" The empress dowager asked narrowing her eyes on the verge of anger.

    The emperor glanced at her face and then looked off to the side and explained, "I cannot release one set of people and ignore the others."

    "You did that for Yang country." The empress dowager refuted.

    "The circ.u.mstances around that were different. The late emperor had not made arrangements with regards to them due to his ailment, so the decision was passed over to me on ascension and so I simply left the people as they were and directly adopted them as Long citizens. This way it could be perceived as a show of grace upon ascension and also a grand way of showing the people that I plan to rule differently."

    "So you''re just going to let your people keep suffering?!" The empress dowager said raising her voice.

    The emperor sighed and looked at the empress dowager, "Mother, it''s been twenty years, the Xia country cannot be reinstated."

    The empress dowager froze and then she asked through gritted teeth, "So you''re going to continue to let your people rot?"

    "Of course not, I will not let any of my people remain suffering, but a change like this takes time. If I do as you want and liberate only those from Xia, I will have enemies on all sides. The nobles who will suffer a loss and the enslaved from other countries will bear a grudge against me and those from Xia, as they also deserve to be liberated just the same and it is unfair to liberate one and not the others. This will cause civil unrest, which we cannot afford to have right now because the threat of war with Zou country is still looming. Civil unrest right now could mean the destruction of this country. This matter has to be handled properly and will take some time."

    "Who cares about that?!" The empress dowager angrily said.

    "You should. If this country falls so does all hope for salvation for the Xia people. Xia country cannot be reinstated, otherwise, all five countries that have been conquered through the years will ask to be reinstated as well, this will break the empire and will cause its downfall, others will invade and destroy us...if Long empire falls then all people within fall with it." The emperor got up, looked at the empress dowager who was clenching tightly her fists and said, "I know what I am doing." and then left.

    The empress dowager sat there clenching her fists with a deep frown for a while.

    ...If I can''t accomplish this as well, what is the point of living all these years?...

    The emperor left the empress dowager''s palace in an irritated mood and wandered around for a bit, and ended up stopping as he passed by an archery site, looking at the shooting platform. Lei Xing was standing there with her servants, holding a bow in each hand of her hands, seemingly testing their weight. Then she dropped one and was pulling at the string of the other, raising it up and aiming at the targets with no arrows. Then she dropped this one and picked up the other and did the same.

    Archery was one of the things Lei Xing has always had an interest in, but just never got the chance to get involved in it. Actually, it''s more like she didn''t take the opportunity when they presented, either because she was too lazy or too busy to devote the time to it. She remembered there was an archery club in her university and she did think of joining several times but in the end, chose not to because of two reasons. First, she had to pay quite a bit of money to join for her own gear or something and she didn''t feel inclined to spend. Second, she also felt the meetings will get in the way of her busy schedule and downtime, she is not the sort of person to follow group activities and tends to feel they are a bother after a while, she wasn''t a social person by choice, she much rather cuddle at home when free with a good novel or drama or go off on her own to go do whatever she wanted; see a show, watch a movie, go on a trip e.t.c - it was much easier to get things done on her own.

    And so, she had never even had the chance to see a bow and arrow in real life before, but she always thought it was so cool watching the characters in dramas shoot them. Therefore, when she passed by this free archery set-up, she made a U-turn and indulged. There were a bunch of arrows in three pots and about three bows hanging on a board in the back, she thought some guards must have set up for practice and left for a bit. There were guards standing around the area, but none of them stopped her as she approached it and so she went ahead.

    Lei Xing stood there for a while admiring and testing out the bows. Ah Jin beside her asked, "Your highness, would you like an arrow?"

    "No, no...this is fine." Lei Xing said while continuing to aim at a target pulling an empty bowstring.

    ...Arrow? Let me graduate from air first...

    "How about I teach you?" A voice suddenly interrupted her fun.

    Lei Xing and the others turned towards the voice to see the emperor and his retinue climbing up the shooting platform. Lei Xing and the rest bowed towards him. Then she quickly passed the bow to a servant and said, "Ah no need." Then bowed quickly and turned to go down the other side.

    "Are you avoiding me?" The emperor calmly asked as he walked forward and took the bow from the servant.

    Lei Xing stopped and turned back, plastered on a smile, "No, of course not. I just don''t want to interrupt your activities."

    "You''re not." The emperor said dismissing her "concern".

    Lei Xing''s mouth twitched then she said, "I just came here in passing so I am not particularly interested in archery."

    The emperor raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, "Not interested? You''ve been playing around with a bow for about ten minutes."

    Lei Xing blinked, glanced down and mumbled, "It wasn''t that long..."

    ...Also, why were you keeping track of the time...and more importantly what the hell were you watching a person doing nothing for ten minutes for?...You must be really bored -_-)''...

    "How about a contest then?" The emperor asked with a smile.

    Lei Xing looked at him skeptically and forced a smile, "How can a novice like me dare to compete with a great general like yourself? I don''t play losing games."

    The emperor laughed, "Of course you can''t. You''re right, it is definitely a losing game for you."

    Lei Xing did not share in his amus.e.m.e.nt.

    ...Ha...ha...very funny -_-)...

    "Since this is the case, I will give you a huge advantage. Ten rounds, you just have to hit anywhere on the target once and you win, while I have to hit the bullseye in all ten rounds to win. This makes it more than fair for you, right? How about it?" He finished with a smirk and a challenging expression.

    Lei Xing scrutinized him.

    ...What the hell is this guy''s problem now?... Although 1/10...that is a great advantage...forget it, why the hell should I be his entertainment? -_-)...

    Lei Xing was just about to open her mouth to decline, when the emperor spoke up, "Ah for the prize, how about the winner can request one wish from the other person?"

    Lei Xing''s ears perked up, "One wish?"

    "Yes, anything."

    Lei Xing''s entire person brightened as she thought over the possibilities.

    ...Anything? Then I can leave, wow, I didn''t expect the opportunity to present itself like this, Hurray!! Hurray!!... Wait, wait, wait....too soon...I have to win first...It''s just 1/10, I can do that...the target''s also not too far...I mean it shouldn''t be that hard to hit somewhere on the target, right?... Also, he pretty much already has the power to order anything...so I even if I lose, I technically don''t lose anything and he doesn''t really gain anything, right?...but then why is he doing this?... Who cares! It''s a golden opportunity!...

    Lei Xing still had one concern to iron out, "What if we both succeed?"

    The emperor burst out laughing again. Lei Xing frowned and then said, "I should clarify that while it will be a great feat for me to hit the target once, it should be a considerably easy feat for you to hit it ten times with your experience, so they cannot be put on the same level of evaluation." Lei Xing confidently said while cringing on the inside

    ...Ah, this haggling is really shameless >_

    After the emperor finished laughing, he scrutinized her for a bit and then said, "If it is a draw then we''ll call it your win."

    Lei Xing''s restrained herself from smiling widely like an idiot and tried to maintain a straight face and nodded, "That is great judgment."

    ...I feel like such an idiot right now, feeling both happy and ashamed T_T)...

    The emperor looked at her and smiled and then held his hand for an arrow, "I will go first then."

    "Ah No, I''ll go first." Lei Xing stepped forward with a smile, he raised his eyebrows at her and then passed her the bow.

    ...I don''t need to see a pro in action...it''ll just make me nervous...

    Ah Jin walked up with Lei Xing to the front with arrows and Lei Xing took one and got in position, pulled back and fired. It plopped to the ground and didn''t even go halfway to the target.

    ...It''s okay, that was beginner''s luck...I mean beginner''s pitfall...there''s still 9 left...

    She took aim again, when she heard the emperor''s voice from the side, "Your posture''s wrong." She glanced to the side and saw he had walked to the front as well, she straightened up a bit more and then fired.

    Fail.

    Next: Fail. Fail.

    She took aim again. The emperor spoke up again, "Your arm should be higher." Lei Xing frowned a bit annoyed but she still adjusted her arm.

    Fail. Fail. Fail.

    Fail.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, her situation was looking grim, not to mention her arm was really hurting.

    ...This is really not easy T_T)...Suck it up! We have to win this!...

    She rolled her shoulder a bit and took another arrow and took aim and fired.

    Fail. At least it looked like it made some progress and went farther

    She took a deep breath and took another arrow and took aim. Then the emperor said from the side again, "Do you want me to help you?"

    Lei Xing kept her eyes forward and said, "It''s a fair competition."

    "Fair? It really is." He said laughing again. Lei Xing frowned and ignored him, concentrated on the target and released.

    The arrow plunged to the ground with momentum.

    Lei Xing let out a breath, rolled her shoulder again. Took her last arrow, glanced to the side and saw the emperor smiling at her. She ignored him and looked forward, focusing on the target.

    ...Okay, last one...last one''s the charm...we can do this...Arrow you must make it, I have faith in you...

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, closed her eyes and exhaled. Opened her eyes and took aim, pulled back the arrow with all her strength ignoring the burning pain in her arm and released.

    Fail. It went far, but not far enough.

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and hung her head. The emperor came up to her and took the bow with a smile ushering her to the side, "My turn."

    As expected he hit all bullseyes. Splitting them up across the five targets. Lei Xing glanced to the side.

    ...Showoff...

    When he finished, he smiled at lei Xing, who couldn''t even muster up a fake smile at the moment, "It was a good game, you have potential."

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes in her mind.

    ...Potential my a** -_-)...

    She mustered up a small obvious fake smile, "Good to know."

    The emperor snorted, "I mean it, you have good hand and eye coordination, but lack strength. Strength can be acquired but good coordination may not."

    Lei Xing was a tiny bit happy with the praise but her unhappy loss could not be surmounted by anything right now, so she was still in a sour mood.

    "So I won. What I want..." The emperor said, drawing out his words.

    Lei Xing looked at him suspiciously and quickly interjected, "It has to be within moral reasoning...and upright."

    The emperor smirked, "I don''t recall those terms being part of the agreement..." and took a step towards her.

    Lei Xing took a step back and said, "They were implied..." and looked at him with a guarded expression.

    The emperor saw her expression and laughed, "You siblings are too easy. If you can play the game, you have to be prepared to accept your loss."

    Lei Xing frowned, "Of course I know that..."

    "Good..." The emperor nodded.

    Lei Xing interjected again before he could continue, "...but as reasonable people, we have to operate from a basis of morality."

    The emperor raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, "I assure you it is also considered highly moral...what I want..." Then he looked off at the targets seemingly in "deep" thought, "...what I want..."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    ...Get to the point a**h**e -_-)''...

    He looked back at Lei Xing and smiled, "What I want is...I haven''t thought about it yet, when I think of something I will send for you." Then he shoved the bow in her hands and walked off with his retinue.

    Lei Xing glared at his back.

    ...I really ended up playing right into this a**h**e''s hands...Ahhh, this is definitely going to be troublesome T_T)...

 Chapter 30 - Lucky Break

    Lei Xing returned back to her palace disheartened. She had just lost a golden opportunity.

    ...Would he really have just let me go though? A ruler does not break their words...at least a good ruler...who cares! It''s not happening anyway T_T)...

    She sat down on the bed constantly sighing and was in a dejected mood, Xiao Ruo on the side was glancing at Ah Jin trying to hint to her to clue her in on what happened to Lei Xing on their journey to the Imperial library. Shortly after a maid came in to inform her that Noble consort Li had come again to visit. Lei Xing really wasn''t in the mood to entertain anyone and so told the maid to apologize to her and inform that she is too unwell to receive guests and then laid back on the bed with a heavy sigh.

    The maid bowed and went out and then returned a short while after with a meal box and informed that Noble consort Li had brought this for Lei Xing and also wished her speedy recovery. Lei Xing didn''t say anything and Ah Jin stepped forward and took the box from the maid, and told her to leave and dropped it on the table on the side.

    After a while, Lei Xing suddenly got up, "This room is stuffy, let''s go for a walk." and then walked out and was roaming around her palace aimlessly with Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin following her. As she was about to round a corner, she heard some maids voices and stopped when she heard, "Noble consort Li came again today."

    "Really? Did she bring snacks again...hmm, they were really nice." the other said. Lei Xing glanced at Xiao Ruo and Xiao Ruo looked down fl.u.s.tered.

    "Not fair, I didn''t get to try them last time. I heard she made it herself."

    "Really?"

    "En. The kitchen staff were incredibly shocked and pleaded with her for them to do it, but she said something about she has to do it herself to show her sincerity."

    "Sincerity? What do you think is the story between her and Noble consort Lei?"

    "Shhh, not so loud...you''ll get us in trouble."

    Lei Xing glanced at Ah Jin, Ah Jin then stepped out of the corner.

    "I heard..."

    "What are you both doing?" Ah Jin said in a loud voice, the two maids who had there heads close together jumped and turned towards Ah Jin bowing and said in unison, "Nothing, nothing...ah, just cleaning!"

    Ah Jin coldly looked at them, "Then get to it, instead of dawdling here." The maids nodded, bowed and then hurried off.

    Lei Xing came out and chuckled watching their scurrying backs. Then she sighed.

    ...It seems I have treated someone unfairly...not my fault though, the ring...that aside, on another note...

    Lei Xing turned to look at Xiao Ruo, who glanced at Lei Xing and then quickly got on her knees and explained, "Your highness, I thought that...that it would be bad to waste them...and so I...when they asked if they could eat it...I didn''t think much of it and so gave it to them."

    Lei Xing looked at her for a while.

    ...It''s not a bad thing...and I''m sure it''s something they do all the time...but what if it was really poisoned -_-)''...so...

    "Next time when I say do something, just do it as I say. I don''t interfere much with what you all do but certain things are not always as clear cut as they seem and disobeying your superior is not wise, understand?" Lei Xing sternly admonished.

    Xiao Ruo looked up at Lei Xing for a while and then blinked seeming to comprehend and kowtowed, "Your highness, I am sorry. It will never happen again."

    Lei Xing sighed, "En. Stand up."

    "Thank you, your highness." Xiao Ruo stood up.

    Lei Xing looked around and sighed again, "Let''s go back."

    Lei Xiang went back to her room and spent some more time mourning the loss of her missed opportunity until she went fell asleep.

    When she woke up later in the evening, she had a relaxing bath along with a massage session and was in a relaxed mood, she returned to her room and she sat down sipping some tea.

    "Your highness, would you like your dinner served now?" Xiao Ruo asked.

    On hearing that, Lei Xing remembered something, "Oh, where are the snacks that Noble consort Li delivered?"

    Xiao Ruo brought the box to Lei Xing and brought out a little plate of small stacked white decorated cakes on the table. Lei Xing reached for them and picked one up. As expected, the ring showed no reaction.

    ...I feel a bit bad now...

    "I''ll just eat these for dinner. You can leave." Lei Xing said as she bit into one of the cakes, they were quite good and went really well with her tea.

    When she finished eating she let out a contented sigh.

    ...I should probably find an opportunity to make up for it, right?... Probably...maybe...we''ll see...

    Lei Xing sat there looking around and had this feeling that she was forgetting something important.

    ...What a wasted opportunity today was...I should have learned the stupid archery when I had the chance T_T)...Actually, I just remembered...I lost!! So the stupid wish...it probably shouldn''t be anything too insane...right?...It should be fine, he seemed like a very...fairly...decent person, probably?... I mean it''s not like he would ask me to kill someone, not that I have the capacity to anyway...Yeah, how bad could it possibly be?...-_-)''... Ahrrrggghhh T_T)...

    Lei Xing sat there for a while staring into space, with her mind racing and coming up with increasingly worse scenarios.

    Lei Xing couldn''t sleep well that night.

    The next day she was anticipating some action but nothing happened. The second day also came and passed, still nothing. Therefore, Lei Xing''s panic settled down and she cast the whole thing to the back of her mind. The Harvest moon festival was coming up in two days and the palace has been bustling with excitement the past couple days putting up lanterns and decorations and finalizing the arrangements for the banquet.

    Lei Xing figured that he must be busy with some matters and forgot about her existence, which was good for her. The festival was also the reason the empress dowager had been ignoring them during this period, as she was probably busy with overseeing the arrangements. The Imperial wives also got new extravagant outfits and jewelry sent over to them to pick from for the day, other than matters concerning their appearance they weren''t really involved in any other way. Their only job was apparently to show up looking pretty and dignified.

    Lei Xing wasn''t particularly interested in picking out her wardrobe and rather spent most of the time scrutinizing the jewelry, especially the headpieces, some of them were just so intricate that she was completely fascinated, and was studying them in detail, wondering about the process to make them and wondering how much they would sell for. Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin, already used to Lei Xing''s lack of interest on these things took it upon themselves to pick and choose as they''d like.

    In the end, they ended up in a disagreement, Xiao Ruo wanted to pick the most extravagant set, while Ah Jin thought that that set was too loud, heavy and inconvenient and wanted to pick a second option which was just as extravagant but more subtle and lighter. So they turned to Lei xing to settle it, and of course, she chose the convenient option. She was actually holding the main headpiece of the set that Xiao Ruo picked and it was already quite heavy in her hand, and this was just one out of four pieces. She would have to hold her head high for hours and with that on...No way.

    ...Spraining my neck is not on my to-do list...

    Lei Xing was actually looking forward to this festival because at the end of it, they release lanterns. She was told the idea is something about thanking the gods for a good harvest and a request for future blessings. She had always wanted to see a lantern release scene in real life, it always looked stunning on TV.

    ...I know it''s bad for the environment and all, but it just looks so beautiful T_T)''...

    The third day went by and there was still nothing, by this point Lei Xing''s mind had moved on entirely from the archery event and was now bored.

    ...The life of an Imperial wife is pretty boring -_-)''...

    She spent some time reading the ''Art of War'' book she brought back with her, but after a while got bored and so went on a walk. Xiao Ruo suggested going to the Imperial garden and so she went there and was walking down a path surrounded by beautiful trees on each side. She quite liked this place, in here you could forget that you''re trapped around with walls. While they were walking around, she heard the sound of music and subconsciously followed it. She reached a clearing and sitting in a pavilion there playing the qin was Noble consort Li, with her retinue on the side. When she saw Lei Xing pop out, she stopped and jumped up.

    Lei Xing also froze and they all awkwardly stood there for a moment, then Lei Xing smiled and said, "Ah, I''m sorry to interrupt you...I just followed the music, you can continue. I''m leaving."

    As Lei Xing turned, Noble consort Li shouted, "Ah Wait!" Lei Xing looked at her and then she started twirling her fingers, fl.u.s.tered and said, "You can sit and listen...if you''d like...There''s also tea and snacks as well...if you don''t mind..."

    ...Well, here''s the opportunity...

    Lei Xing looked at her for a while and then smiled, "That will be nice...Thank you."Lei Xing came up to the pavilion and sat down on the side. One of Noble consort Li''s maids came up and poured tea for her. Noble consort Li also sat down and was casting nervous glances at Lei Xing, it seemed she was thinking of what to say. The atmosphere was really awkward.

    "Um, the cakes you made were really nice. I enjoyed them." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    Noble consort Li beamed at her and then looked down again, "I''m...I''m glad you liked them."

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and gave a short laugh, "You don''t have to be so nervous."

    "Am I?" Noble consort Li looked at Lei Xing with shock clear on her face.

    Lei Xing almost burst into laughter seeing her face but quickly restrained herself, "A bit."

    "Oh..."

    "I didn''t get a chance to say this before but you are very talented." Lei Xing said to break another streak of awkward silence.

    Noble consort Li blushed and then said, "Thank you...you are also really t-"

    "It''s okay, no need to flatter. I am well aware of my capabilities." Lei Xing said with a dismissive laugh.

    "You are very admirable." Noble consort Li resolutely said.

    Lei Xing looked at her and smiled, "Okay, I''ll accept that one."

    Then they fell into awkward silence again.

    After a while of this again, Lei Xing said, "Your qin skills are exquisite...I just don''t follow any sound..."

    Noble consort Li looked up to see Lei Xing smiling at her, and then smiled back and said, "Ah.. then I''ll play you something..." and then began to play.

    Lei Xing sat on the side listening to the soothing sound of the music and watching the scenery and felt a peace of mind she has been missing for a long while.

    ...Nature and music are really perfect together...

    As Noble consort Li played her nerves also relaxed and afterwards, they were actually able to engage in a regular conversation. She told Lei Xing about her story, it was quite a lucky one. The reason she was able to learn these skills was because at first, she used to hide and listen in on her sister''s lessons and then later her sister caught her and then came up with the bright idea of her doing the work for her when she saw that she was actually good. So her sister, Li Jiao persuaded the elders in the family to let them study together by acting spoiled, and so while Li Ru honed her skills, Li Jiao took her embroidery, art, literary works and passed them off as hers, while leaving Li Ru with her own shabby work. Li Jiao also came up with an elaborate setup to somehow have her play the qin in the background during her performances at family gatherings.

    ...I''ve seen that done in a drama once before, it didn''t work out too well...well it didn''t because the one on stage was a bit of an idiot...but it still all worked out it in the end...

    This was a secret between them and Li Jiao''s two maids who helped with covering up and assisted in setting up everything. The family thought Li Ru, the maid''s daughter was a failure and unworthy in every way and Li Jiao was perfect in every way.

    Lei Xing frowned listening to this.

    ...How did no one find out about this...the a.d.u.l.ts must have really not been paying attention -_-)''...

    Anyway, her father was proud of his perfect daughter and thought that would really be the way for the family to climb back up in life. So he contacted his old friend in the capital and got him to agree to take his daughter in and adopt her as a goddaughter, so she could enter the competition through him. Unexpectedly, when Li Jiao heard of this great news, she profusely refused and threw a tantrum. The family, of course, could not understand this behavior and chucked it up to her just being a child, and that she will eventually see the light and understand this is what is best for the family and for her.

    In the end, after sulking for a long time, as the competition and her departure to the capital were looming, she left them a goodbye note one day that said even the emperor cannot make her forget her love and that she will come back after the dust has settled to ask for forgiveness with her husband. Her father was infuriated and searched high and low but could not find Li Jiao''s whereabouts. After torturing her personal maid, they discovered that she had run away with a gentleman called Ji Lo who is a poet and a musician. This love story began after he had saved her from a runaway horse one spring afternoon amidst falling cherry blossoms.

    After looking into this Ji Lo character they discovered that he is roaming traveler who entered the city a couple of months ago, no one knows where he is from, where he is going, and he has no family here to hold responsible. There were no leads whatsoever. The family couldn''t bear the shame of an elopement, not to mention there was also the reputation of his old friend on the line. So he had to send a daughter and he remembered that the family had another daughter, Li Ru and so thinking that sending a half one is better than none, put her in a carriage and sent her off to the capital along a letter explaining to his old friend that his younger daughter contracted an illness and so the older, more capable one was sent in her place.

    Unknowingly, he did actually send the more capable one. Her father also thought that if she can at least make it to the concubine selection, even if she fails, it could increase her value as maybe she could attract a valuable connection while there. Li Ru, of course, had no objections because this was her best chance to escape and carve a somewhat decent future for herself, her stepmother was currently in talks with some rich old nobles about taking her in as a concubine and it was only the matter of weighing bids that was left, so when this opportunity arrived she latched onto it and gave the performance of her life.

    Lei Xing sighed.

    ...This is indeed a lucky break...

    The two girls spent the rest of the afternoon talking about all sorts of things and became fast friends. Once her nerves were calmed, Li Ru was actually quite an interesting person to talk to, and this was the most relaxed Lei Xing has been since she transmigrated. By the time, she returned to her palace, she was in a great mood and slept well that night.

 Chapter 31 - Nostalgia

    "Don''t you think it''s weird?" Lei Yong asked.

    "What is?" The emperor calmly asked.

    "He showed up too close to the capital. He was just two cities away. Also, we can''t find out where he has been all this while. Isn''t it weird? Why would he come so far into the country? Shouldn''t he have been going in the opposite direction?"

    "Well, there was a battalion on his heels in the other direction." The emperor coolly responded while reading a memorial. The two of them were currently alone in the royal study.

    "True...but there''s also the fact that Molin is missing. We still have not been able to locate his whereabouts. It''s weird he would leave him unattended."

    "Maybe he fell off a cliff somewhere and died." The emperor offhandedly said.

    "Doesn''t it feel like there''s something else going on here...Don''t you think so?" Lei Yong turned to look at the emperor.

    The emperor glanced up at him and shrugged, and looked back down.

    Lei Yong looked at the emperor and seriously asked, "Why are you not bothered?"

    "There is no point in being bothered."

    "You don''t think HE could have something to do with this, do you? It really doesn''t make sense for him to come this close, even if he wanted to hide, there are so many cities closer to the border that would have served the same purpose. Unless he had some purpose coming this far, otherwise this is a foolish move and is basically asking for death, he wouldn''t be able to leave if you didn''t -"

    Lei Yong abruptly stopped and narrowed his eyes at the emperor, the emperor glanced up at him with a questioning glance.

    "You said he needs to arrive safely...You know what is going on, right?"

    The emperor just smiled at him and looked back down.

    Lei Yong climbed up the steps and stood in front of the emperor''s desk, "You''re doing something risky, aren''t you?"

    "I wouldn''t exactly call it risky."

    Lei Yong''s mouth twitched, "Did he really...?"

    The emperor sighed, dropped the memorial on the table and looked at Lei Yong.

    ...Can''t you be a bit dumber...

    "Why do you keep putting up with all this?" Lei Yong asked a bit annoyed.

    The emperor remained silent. Lei Yong felt even more irritated with this, "We are no longer children, the situation has changed and you should adjust accordingly. For him to even do something like this - "

    The emperor smirked, "What do you think he did? There''s nothing wrong, he''s not an idiot. You think too much."

    Lei Yong looked at the emperor with a worried frown on his face.

    The doors opened and Eunuch Li entered, bowed and informed, "Your majesty, Prince Yi is requesting an audience."

    The emperor smiled and he stood up, "Oh, in that case, I should go to receive him."

    "Receive him?" Lei Yong said aghast.

    "It''s the first time he''s come to see me personally since my ascension, it is only right that I receive him properly. Let''s go together." He smiled and pat Lei Yong''s shoulder and started walking off, Lei Yong begrudgingly followed along with Eunuch Li.

    When they got outside, Prince Yi was standing by the entrance waiting, Lei Yong greeted him and left. Prince Yi bowed to the emperor and the emperor smiled and said, "The weather is great today, how about a walk?" and then strutted off, leaving the other person with no option but to follow.

    They walked for quite a long time. Prince Yi was getting annoyed by this "walk" and was thinking of it as the emperor''s stupid show of power to annoy him, but as he looked around, the area became familiar and then he spotted a small pond and grassy area nearing and frowned. When the emperor stepped on the grass heading towards the pond, Prince Yi stopped, "Why are we here?"

    The emperor stopped and turned to look at him and smiled, "To admire the scenery." and then continued to walk and stopped near the pond''s edge, and then glanced back at Prince Yi, who begrudgingly moved his feet forward as well.

    The two of them stood like that for a while, one with a small smile on his face and the other with a deep frown looking at the pond.

    In the end, Prince Yi turned to the emperor and bowed, "The compilation of the annals for the late emperor is complete."

    "Isn''t it interesting how this place hasn''t changed at all? Even though the palace feels different, this place somehow seems the same, don''t you think?" The emperor asked, seemingly not having heard the words Prince Yi said.

    Prince Yi straightened and looked at the scenery with a deep frown and said, "It is not the same, even the water has changed with many rainfalls and the grass around has died and been replaced many times over. It is not the same..."

    The emperor laughed, "Ah, that is true too..."

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened, he bowed and said, "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now." and turned to leave.

    After about two steps, the emperor voice came behind him, "If you find it becomes tiring, there are other ways..." Prince Yi kept walking as if he didn''t hear it, while clenching his fists under his sleeves tightly.

    ..Are you mocking me now?...

    The emperor looked at the seemingly unchanged scenery that held a lot of memories, indulging in the nostalgia of the scene.

    "Are you crying again?" A little boy said slapping on the back of another smaller boy who was sitting on the grass with his face buried in his knees.

    "I''m not." The smaller one glanced up at the older one.

    The older one laughed and then pinched the younger one''s cheek, "Look at your face, you''re really embarrassing as a younger brother, how can you be crying for everything?"

    The younger one shoved the hand off and rubbed his cheek, "I''m not crying!" and then hesitantly asked, "You''re not angry?"

    The older one blinked, "Why would I be angry?"

    "I pushed you down..." The younger one mumbled.

    "Is that why you were crying? Here I thought your mother punished you again and you were dying of hunger." The older one knocked the younger one''s head.

    "Ow!" The younger one held his head and disgruntled, mumbled, "I also don''t cry when I''m hungry."

    "Oh, you only cry when you''re starved."

    The younger one''s mouth twitched. The older one laughed and then rubbed the younger one''s head, "It was a match and I lost...that was all."

    "But...1st brother and 2nd brother were laughing...and father even said..." His voice trailed off as he spoke.

    "That I''m incompetent." The older one completed the sentence.

    "I''m sorry." The younger one mumbled, lowering his head to his knees again.

    The older one laughed, "There''s nothing to be sorry about, it was a fair match and I lost, it is me that is lacking. Plus, a prince has no need to be competent."

    The younger one frowned and looked at him a bit confused, "But my mother said..."

    "Forget that. Let me rephrase it, a prince like me has no need for competence. A prince doesn''t need to be competent, but an emperor does. For me, it''s enough that I can protect myself and my mother when we leave."

    The younger one raised his eyebrows, "You''re leaving?"

    "Of course, the moment I am old enough...We''ll go traveling, even sail across the seas and explore different places. My mother has told me many stories about the world and I''ve also read some myself. There''s a waterfall that is as tall as a mountain..." The older one talked excitedly.

    "A mountain? I don''t think so." The younger one said in disbelief.

    "What do you know? I read it in a book, ah...I don''t remember where it is exactly, but I am sure it is real. You have heard of the desert, haven''t you? How nice would it be to see the endless desert plains? There''s the endless grass plains, the Yangling mountains...Ah, there''s also a mountain that''s covered in peach blossom trees that are always in bloom, isn''t that amazing? There''s also...."

    "It will be nice to go with you..." The younger one mumbled looking at the grass on the ground.

    The older one sat beside him and looked at the pond in silence for a while, then sighed and said, "Our paths are different...but don''t worry, I will paint the worthy sceneries and send them to you. How about it? Although my art skills are not the best, it can be developed, there is hope for you." The older one finished laughing and patting the younger one on the back.

    The younger one looked at him disbelievingly, "Then you must work very hard to improve."

    "What''s up with that face? Are you looking down on my superb skills? In that case, there will only be walls for you!" The older one said putting on an exaggerated stern expression.

    The younger one looked at his face, smiled and then burst into laughter. The older one also laughed and rubbed the younger one''s head, "See, you look much better smiling and laughing. You look ugly with all that frowning like you''re at war with the world, stop hurting other people''s eyes and smile and laugh more, if not you''ll age faster."

    "That''s a lie." The younger said with a disbelieving frown.

    "It''s not, my mother said so." The older one indignantly said.

    "Xiao Shan, come in to eat!" A voice called from behind, The boys turned to see a woman in simple clothes waving them over.

    The older one got up, "Ah, the food is ready. I will treat you to a good meal today." He said as he held a hand out to pull the younger one up, then he smiled and suddenly said, "You know there are some things talent cannot help..." the younger one looked at him confused, his smile widened, "...for example, your short legs. Let''s race." He started running off even before the words landed. The younger one sprinted after him and the two boys raced off laughing towards the courtyard nearby with open doors.

    Eunuch Li silently watched the pair with a small smile on his face and followed from a distance.

    **(Note: Yi is Prince Yi''s title name - whereas his actual given name is Shan. Also, this royal family''s last name is Jun. So emperor is Jun Kai. Prince Yi is Jun Shan)**

 Chapter 32 - Mental Digress

    The emperor sighed. This place had been somewhere he considered a solace of sorts a long time ago.

    He had wandered into this area with Eunuch Li when he was little and was trying to avoid going back home to face his mother''s fit of anger. She had recently tried to stab his father again and like usual, they had an argument and then his father stormed off, and now all her attention and anger was directed on him. He thought it was quite funny that she always tried to stab him, if she really wanted to kill him, poisoning would have been more effective and more fitting to her style, after all, she has done it multiple times with no problems and his father ate whatever she brought with no reservations, which baffled him, but he thought that his father must have trusted his mother on some level not to really kill him, either that or he was just incredibly conceited. Thinking back on it, perhaps stabbing him through the chest was symbolic for her, returning the pain she felt, and so was a necessity for his demise in her mind. Either way, when they were together, they ignored him and when they fought, his life became unbearable. Anyway, he had stumbled upon this quiet area of the palace one day randomly to avoid the chaotic situation.

    Jun Kai stood by the pond staring blankly at the calm water, occasionally sighing.

    "What are you doing here?" A voice called from behind in surprise.

    Jun Kai turned around to the origin of the voice and then quickly bowed in greeting, "Third brother."

    "Are you crying?" Jun Shan walked forward with raised eyebrows.

    Jun Kai knit his brows and firmly said, "No."

    "Okay then."Jun Shan said and then walked up besideJun Kai and sat down on the grass and looked up at the other, smiled and said, "Sit down."

    Jun Kai frowned at the grass and Jun Shan looked at his expression, laughed and pulled him down, "Don''t worry you won''t get caught, people rarely come around here."

    Jun Kai looked at him skeptically, then glanced down and frowned at the grass he was now sitting on.

    "So why were you crying?" The older one asked.

    Jun Kai narrowed his eyes, "I don''t cry."

    "Your expression says you were and those old man sighs of yours also sound like sobbing." Jun Shan said smiling.

    Jun Kai remained silent, knitting his brows.

    "Ah let me guess, you got in trouble with your mother?" Jun Shan asked with a smirk and a knowing expression on his face.

    Jun Kai frowned and froze.

    "Ah, so that''s what it is..." Jun Shan nodded in understanding and raised a hand to pat Jun Kai''s back. Jun Kai immediately moved away, frowning at the hand. Jun Shan with his hand hanging in the air looked at Jun Kai perplexed, "Are you scared?"

    Jun Kai straightened up and looked at him with a crossed expression, "No."

    "Then why did you move?" Jun Shan asked amused.

    Jun Kai''s frowning expression deepened but he didn''t say anything.

    "You''re weird...but quite cute." Jun Shan laughed and pat him on the back, Jun Kai flinched a bit but didn''t move away this time, but had an unconvinced frown on his face.

    "If your mother''s upset with you, why not run to father to help you?" Jun Shan suggested.

    Jun Kai was silent for a long time and then quietly said, "He won''t help."

    They sat in silence for a while, then Jun Shan gave him a hard pat on the back, causing Jun Kai to turn to him with a frown, and then said, "Well, at least father comes to see you...no matter what your mother won''t bear to punish you too badly."

    "He doesn''t come to see me." Jun Kai mumbled staring at the pond.

    The two sat in silence for a while again and then Jun Shan got up, "How about we play a game?"

    Jun Kai looked up, nodded and then got up as well.

    "Let''s play...ah tag!" Jun Shan said excitedly.

    "Tag?" Jun Kai raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes, tag." Jun Shan looked at the expression on the other person''s face and dubiously asked, "You don''t know what it is?"

    Jun Kai frowned.

    Jun Shan smiled, "That''s fine...Ah, so it''s a game where I hit you, so you''re it." He demonstrated tapping on Jun Kai''s shoulder, "...and then you chase after me to catch me."

    "And then?" Jun Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "...and then I become it and chase you."

    Jun Kai frowned and asked, "So it''s just going around in circles, with no real gains or losses, what is the point of that?"

    Jun Shan blinked, "The point?... It''s just for fun." He finished with a laugh.

    "Fun?" Jun Kai''s frown deepened, seeming to be contemplation.

    Jun Shan looked at him with a perplexed smile, "Anyway, it''s fun. You''re it, so you have to catch me or you lose." Then he sped off running.

    Jun Kai watched him with a frown for a bit and then sped off after him, regardless of whether he understood the point or not, he is not allowed to lose.

    After running around for a bit, Jun Shan took Jun Kai home to his mother, they lived in the courtyard near the pond. Jun Kai observed the little courtyard, it seemed like there was only one maid here, he saw as Jun Shan''s mother who was dressed simply warmly hugged him as they entered the courtyard, and as Jun Shan excitedly spoke to his mother about the events of the day and about finding him by the pond. To Jun Kai this place seemed like a different world in every way. Jun Shan pulled him out his astonishment when he dragged him from the doors over to his mother. Jun Kai bowed in greeting and she smiled warmly back at him. He awkwardly ate a simple meal with them that was filled with Jun Shan''s chattering and his mother''s occasional input. After the meal, Jun Shan pulled him outside to go fly a kite and boasted about making it himself and pushed the handle into Jun Kai''s hands, who frowned at it in confusion and then ran with the paper kite and eventually released it into the air.

    As Jun Kai watched the paper kite soar and couldn''t help a little smile forming on his lips.

    "So you can actually smile."

    The smile on his face vanished and he looked forward to see Jun Shan in front him looking at him wide-eyed with a silly smile on his face, and then frowned.

    At that moment, the entrance doors opened and Eunuch Li stood there and bowed towards them. Jun Kai nodded and put the kite handle in Jun Shan''s hands and then bowed and walked towards the doors. Jun Shan looked at his back for a while and then said, "You should come to play again. It''s fun having a younger brother to teach."

    Jun Kai turned to look at Jun Shan, who was smiling at him brightly while flying the kite. Jun Kai looked at him blankly for a while and then nodded, then turned and left.

    As they walked back to their palace, Eunuch Li quietly asked, "Was it fun?"

    "En." Jun Kai quietly answered feeling somewhat happy and but also conflicted, today he saw a different world, and couldn''t help making comparisons to the one he knew, this was a much less lavish world but it was a seemingly happier one.

    Eunuch Li smiled, "We can come again." After that day, occasionally he would come here, it was a happy escape for him. He had no idea whether his mother was aware of his visits or not, if she was she didn''t say anything about them, perhaps Eunuch Li spoke to her and got her consent, or perhaps Eunuch Li hid it well or his mother wasn''t at all interested in his absences.

    The emperor sighed again.

    ...Is it possible to change things?...would things be any different if I didn -...

    ...You''re unexpectedly quite sentimental, didn''t think you had the capacity for it...haah, you have definitely grown up well! I''m so proud!...

    The emperor blinked.

    ...You''re back?...

    ...You sound displeased -_-)''...

    ...No, it''s just so soon...normally it takes longer...

    ...Would you prefer I leave? -_-)''...

    ...No, no I''m just pleasantly surprised...so what''s wrong?...

    ...Nothing...Must there be something wrong to talk you?...

    ...I guess not...so why are you here then?...

    ...You were being annoying!... Your stupid misplaced guilt was disturbing me so I had to say something about it!...

    ...I don''t feel guilty...I didn''t do anything wrong...

    ...Not guilt, then responsibility...

    ...

    ...You don''t owe him anything...whatever debt you feel you owe has been evened out!...

    ...

    ...Hey! Think something! Is your brain asleep?!...

    ...

    ...Hey!...

    ...This is weird...

    ...What?...

    ...Having a conversation?... Normally you just...the situation is also...different?...

    ...Well, I was bo-...

    ...Since you''re talking, can you tell me what the issue is with the girl?...

    ...What girl?...

    ...The one you had me keep in the palace, Lei Xing...

    ...Oh...that one...

    ...Yes, how does she leaving the palace endanger my life?...

    ...endanger your life? 0_0)...

    ...Yes, that''s why you said I''d regret it, right?...

    ...

    The emperor frowned as he listened to the sound of laughter reverberating in his head.

    ...hahaha...you have certainly become more adorable...hahahahaha...endanger your life?...hahahaha...well it is quite possible for you to have killed each other...hahahahaha...actually no, it''s more likely for her to kill you...you should have been like this from the beginning...too adorable...hahahahahahahaha...

    ...-_-)...then what exactly is it?...

    ...

    ...Hello? Are you still there?...

    ...

    ...Seriously?!...Can''t you just explain things properly?...

    ...

    The emperor sighed in annoyance, then turned around and walked back to his retinue and walked back to the royal study. When he got back, he said to Eunuch Li, "Send for Noble consort Lei." and then entered the study.

    Lei Xing who had been having a leisurely day received the summons and begrudgingly got dressed and made her way there.

    Currently, Lei Xing was awkwardly standing in the middle of the royal study, while the emperor was sitting down intently staring at her.

    ...What exactly is it?... If it''s not endangering my life...then what is it...this is irritating...

    They have been like this for a while now, since the moment she entered the room. At first, Lei Xing was looking straight at him, but after a long while of this awkward staring, she was having trouble maintaining the eye contact.

    ...This is really awkward...and very uncomfortable...it''s like being under a freaking microscope!... What the hell is your problem now?...

    "Come sit down here." The emperor finally spoke motioning to a chair placed at the corner of his table. Lei Xing awkwardly came forward and sat down feeling tensed under his still intense frowning gaze. She looked at him with a guarded expression ready to flee on notice.

    ...Well this is worse -_-)''...

    The emperor stayed like that observing her with a deep frown for a while.

    ...If it''s not that...and looking at how it spoke about her...it should be that she has something to do with it...maybe...

    "Is there anything strange about you?" The emperor asked with a raised eyebrow at her.

    Lei Xing blinked with eyebrows raised, caught off guard by the question and quickly answered, "No."

    ...What sort of question is that? And who would really say yes to that? -_-)...

    "Really?" The emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    She looked at him skeptically and said, "I don''t think I am any stranger than the next person."

    The emperor''s raised his eyebrows.

    ...Any stranger than the next person...then maybe...

    "Do you perhaps sometimes hear a voice speaking to you...in your head?" The emperor carefully asked.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and indignantly said, "I''m not crazy."

    The emperor frowned, "I didn''t say you were crazy. Also hearing a voice in your head doesn''t mean you''re crazy."

    Lei Xing looked at him unconvinced, "Do you hear voices in your head?"

    The emperor blinked and his mouth twitched and he coolly said, "I''m the one asking the questions."

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes in her head and looked off to the side.

    ...Well, you seem to be quite defensive on this...maybe you''re hearing voices...Great! A possibly psychotic emperor, wouldn''t that be perfect -_-)...

    The emperor continued staring at her intently with a deep frown.

    ...So she doesn''t hear it?... Or perhaps she doesn''t want to say...it''s not exactly something you can tell others...should I tell her that I hear it too...No, what if she actually doesn''t...

    Lei Xing glanced at him, seeing his frowning probing gaze again, she looked off to the side again.

    ...This is so weird...What exactly is his problem today?!... If you''re having a mental breakdown, please leave me out of it -_-)...

 Chapter 33 - Consideration

    After another long while of silence, the emperor sighed.

    {...Nevermind, I''ll let it be for now...the investigation should hopefully reveal some clues...perhaps she is unaware of whatever it is...but it does seem like she is hiding something...}

    "What would you have wished for if you won?" The emperor calmly asked.

    Lei Xing looked at him suspiciously, "I hadn''t thought of it."

    {...Why does it matter now? Rubbing salt in my very sore wounds-_-)...}

    The emperor raised an eyebrow and snorted, "So you worked so hard with nothing in mind? I find that hard to believe."

    "Well a wish from the emperor is incredibly valuable, so naturally one should work hard." Lei Xing said with a smile plastered on her face.

    The emperor nodded, "That is true...I seem to remember you trying to negotiate your exit from the palace before...I thought it would be that."

    Lei Xing didn''t say anything.

    "I was planning on considering your request...but since you have nothing in mind, and it seems you have changed your mind about the palace, then you can stay on the palace, it doesn''t matter to me either way." The emperor offhandedly said with a smile.

    Lei Xing froze and knit her brows in contemplation.

    {...He''s not serious right?... He is definitely not serious...but what if he is?... It''s a trick! I used to do this to my younger brother when he asked me for money, I''d agree to "consider" for fun and have him make his argument and then tell him no...consideration does not equal a yes, it''s just a way to mess with people, a delayed NO!!... I''m not falling for it!...but what if he serious though? T_T)...}

    While Lei Xing was going through her internal struggle, the emperor seemed unaffected and casually picked up a memorial and was looking it over. Lei Xing looked at him.

    {...I mean there were sometimes I said yes too after messing with him...even though it was not often...so maybe T_T)...}

    "Ah...could you really?" Lei Xing hesitantly asked in a quiet strained voice.

    The emperor glanced up at her, "Yes, I''ll just need to write an edict. I thought you didn''t have anything in mind?"

    Lei Xing nervously laughed and explained, "Well not at that time, but there was that thought at some point...in time."

    The emperor raised an eyebrow, "I see..." and then looked down again.

    Lei Xing waited a while for him to continue, but he didn''t say anything, so she spoke up, "Ah...so..."

    The emperor looked up at her expectant face and said, "Grind the ink."

    Lei Xing''s face instantly lit up with a bright smile and she quickly and enthusiastically started grinding the ink, and then suddenly stopped. She looked at the emperor suspiciously, "Ah, just out of curiosity...could I ask why?"

    The emperor looked at her, "Why what?"

    "Why you would just let me out of the palace?... I mean, you said no before." Lei Xing carefully said.

    The emperor narrowed his eyes, "Does it matter?"

    Lei Xing laughed, "I guess it doesn''t." The emperor motioned for her to continue grinding the ink, she smiled and quickly continued the task.

    {...At what point is the ink ready?...I''ve never done this before...}

    After grinding for a long while until her hand hurt, she decided the ink was ready and indicated she was done to the emperor and expectantly waited. The emperor dropped the memorial, looked at the ink and then looked at her enthusiastic expression.

    {...Go on, hurry up and write...the ink is inky to perfection!... There''s also enough to write a book...}

    After a while, the emperor asked, "Why do you want to leave the palace?"

    Lei Xing blinked.

    {...Hey, I thought reasons didn''t matter!... Answer carefully, must not upset our benefactor...}

    "Ah, I find the palace to be a bit...ah stifling...I am not fit for life in the palace." Lei Xing somewhat honestly answered.

    "Not fit?" The emperor nodded and then asked, "Then who is a good fit for the palace?"

    Lei Xing looked at him blankly.

    {...Dude, what''s up with the questionnaire?... I thought we had an understanding...Do I have to pass an aptitude test to get this Freaking piece of paper -_-?)...}

    "Well, anyone could possibly be a good fit for the palace...it really does depend on the individual." Lei Xing had no choice but to answer.

    The emperor nodded in understanding, "then, in that case, you could also be a good fit as well, right?"

    Lei Xing''s narrowed her eyes and her eyes dimmed, but she was still grasping at the falling straws and said, "Well it depends on the individual and I have found that I am not a good fit."

    "Fair enough...why did you want to enter the palace in the first place?"

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes in her head while looking at him blankly.

    {...Are you giving it or not?!...}

    She restrained the urge to shout and smiled, "I was a naive child."

    "And now no longer?" The emperor looked at her quizzically.

    "You could say I have achieved enlightenment."

    "Enlightenment? How so?" The emperor asked seemingly amused.

    "I have become aware of my capacity as an individual and came to the realization that I am not suited for life in the palace." Lei Xing replied, almost at the end of her rope.

    {...Write it already! -_-)...}

    The emperor rest his back on his throne chair and scrutinized her. Lei Xing looked back at him with a guarded expression.

    After a while, the emperor suddenly asked, "Do you have feelings for me?"

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide and she had to restrain her mouth from hanging open. She just looked at him with a completely flabberghasted expression.

    {...Huh? What?! No!... Can I say that?... What the hell - ...}

    The emperor looked at her expression and said, "I didn''t think so either."

    Lei Xing frowned in confusion.

    {...Where the hell is this conversation going?...I''m so confused, right now...}

    Then the emperor asked another question that left Lei Xing floored again, "Why would a naive child plead like her life depended on it to enter the palace?"

    Lei Xing blinked and didn''t say anything.

    {...What exactly is he talking about right now?... Did she do that? Why?!! T_T)...}

    The emperor coolly looked at her, his expression indicated that he was waiting for a response this time. Lei Xing awkwardly smiled, "Like I said I was a naive child."

    "Even naive children have their reasons." The emperor swiftly responded, "So what were yours?"

    Lei Xing stared at him and knit her brows.

    {...How the hell am I supposed to freaking know what she was thinking?!!... Can I say that I had a crush on him then?... But then what if he asks what changed...then what do I say, "Oh, sorry you fell short of my expectations" -_-?)''...Definitely cannot say that...

    ...Okay, then how about I had dreams of being empress? Remember how he asked you about that before and you gave a lovely, lovely speech about motivation and some other crap...yeah, I definitely cannot say that either, that will just be reminding him of a pit I dug myself...

    ...Plus, imagine he says some crap about working harder and a giving up too soon pep talk...then I''m definitely not getting out then...Then what could I possibly say?!!!.... Actually, at this point, I don''t even think he plans on writing the stupid edict -_-)...}

    The emperor calmly waited for Lei Xing to go through her deep contemplation and respond, after a while, she finally said, "I was rather impulsive then."

    "What made you impulsive?" The emperor swiftly followed up with another question.

    Lei Xing could feel her scalp pulsing.

    {...What the hell am I supposed to say to that?!!... I don''t know, maybe I was high on something! -_-)''...}

    After a while of Lei Xing not saying anything, the emperor said, "It''s fine if you don''t want to answer."

    Lei Xing let out a slight sigh of relief. The emperor sat back up and picked up another memorial, Lei Xing looked at him and although she could guess the likely answer, she still tried her luck and said, "So..."

    The emperor looked at her with a questioning expression, she scr.a.p.ed up a smile, "...the edict, please."

    "Oh!" The emperor exclaimed said somewhat surprised.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...Oh?...I knew it, this ass**le! -_-)...I can already guess the next line...}

    "Well, I considered it."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    {...Of course ?_?)...}

    The emperor continued, "...but it cannot be done at this time."

    Lei Xing scoffed in her mind.

    {...At this time?... At least have the decency to say a straight "No"...Ahhh, even though I could see this coming, this actually still kinda hurts...Now I feel bad for all those times I played with my brother like this, but isn''t karma being too cruel on this case?... When I did it, it was only video games at stake...here my whole life is at stake, isn''t this disproportionate? This is unfair! T_T)...}

    Lei Xing sighed and looked at the emperor who had gone back to reading and said, "Emperor, since you''re busy, I will not disturb you any longer and take my leave."

    "No need, you''re not disturbing me." Then he looked at her and smiled, "Ah, that reminds me you owe me a debt, don''t you?"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    {...Like hell you forgot!...}

    "So just stay here and assist me and we''ll call it even." He finished with a smile.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched.

    {...If he called me here to be a maid why did he go through the Sahara to get here? -_-)...}

 Chapter 34 - Retrospect

    The empress dowager was currently sitting down with a few maids holding trays of jewelry while she was selecting which one to wear for the Harvest moon festival the next day. Song mama came in and the empress dowager glanced at her, "So?"

    "The emperor has returned to the royal study." Song mama informed.

    "And Prince Yi?"

    "Prince Yi was not with him." Song mama answered and then seemed a bit hesitant.

    The empress dowager narrowed her eyes at her, "Who is he with now?"

    Song mama glanced at the empress dowager and responded, "A noble consort."

    "Oh? Which one?" The empress dowager asked with keen interest, raising her eyebrows.

    Song mama glanced at the maids in the room and then said, "Noble consort Lei."

    ...This girl again?...

    The empress dowager frowned, "What is she doing there?"

    "It seems the emperor sent for her."

    "Sent for her?" The empress dowager asked with a sneer.

    Song mama looked at the maids and motioned for them to leave. The maids bowed and then left the room. Song mama then walked up to the empress dowager''s side and poured some tea for her, "Your highness, maybe we can use her?"

    The empress dowager scoffed.

    ...I can tell from her attitude that she''s the stubborn sort...Kai''er is already like this, someone like her will only make the situation worse...she is no good...how can he not see this is an attempt to control him?...

    She took the tea that Song mama offered and sipped it, "Any progress with any of the others?"

    "Noble consort Zhao has gone over to the royal study a few times but the emperor refused her every time saying he was busy. Yesterday night, she even went to wait for the emperor at the front of his palace till his return with the hope to serve him for the night. The emperor told her to go back without even sparing a second glance." Song mama finished with a snicker.

    The empress dowager sneered, "It seems she learned well from her aunt, but if she thinks it would be that simple, then she is too stupid. He is after all my son."

    Song mama snickered again, "Naturally. Perhaps she is feeling confident because the late empress raised the emperor for some time."

    The empress dowager scoffed, "Raised him? If she did a good job of it, she wouldn''t be dead now, so where is that confidence coming from?" She finished with raised eyebrows and then smiled, "She is just a naive fool, but a fool is much better than that sneaky witch."

    Song mama nodded, "She is indeed different from the late empress."

    The empress dowager''s expression straightened, "What about Chen You?"

    "Noble consort Chen went over to the royal study with some snacks and health tonic a few days ago. The emperor declined her visit with the same excuse of being busy but at least he accepted the snacks and tonic."

    The empress dowager frowned.

    ...Can that be considered as progress?... What is he being so difficult for? -_-)...

    The empress dowager frowned and then suddenly remembered something, "What about the other one?"

    "Noble consort Li has not made any movements. She mostly keeps to her palace and occasionally goes to the Imperial garden."

    The empress dowager scoffed, "Good, at least she knows her place."

    ...Even if the minister of works was making a desperate attempt for power...couldn''t he have found someone better than a maid''s daughter...idiots...but this Lei one is the main problem...

    Song mama continued, "Some concubines have also encountered the emperor around the palace but other than responding to greetings, he doesn''t stay around for conversations."

    The empress dowager knit her brows in contemplation, "So what is she doing there?"

    "It seemed they are having a conversation, but the emperor sent everyone away so we''re not able to find out the details."

    The empress dowager frowned and Song mama continued, "...It should be about the archery competition the other day...the wish..."

    The empress dowager scoffed again.

    ...Archery and wishes...Why would he play such a stupid game?... That stupid witch ruined the child I worked so hard to raise...now he is even wasting time on such stupid pointless actions...How ridiculous!...

    Song mama looked at the empress dowager''s expression and then carefully said, "Your highness, it may not be so bad that the emperor has taken a liking to her...if we can bring her to our side..."

    "Does she seem like someone who will obediently listen? The Lei family have always been a stubborn lot." The empress dowager spat out and clenched her fists.

    ...When I decided to be gracious and reach out a hand to him despite his role in everything and suggested for his son to be Kai''er''s playmate, he looked down on me...but then turned around and offered him up when that witch asked?... He is that demon''s goon and is definitely not a good thing, even from the grave he is still trying to control everything... Of course, his daughter is definitely not any good...I can tolerate the son since he has accompanied Kai''er all these years, but that girl is a problem that needs to be handled...

    Song mama furrowed her brows in thought and then quietly said, "Then in that case, should we try again?"

    The empress dowager narrowed her eyes and was quiet for a while and then, "I''ve been thinking...it''s suspicious."

    "What is?" Song mama asked confused.

    "Have you ever heard of that sort of condition before?" The empress dowager asked calmly still deep in thought.

    Song mama raised her eyebrows, "But it is true that she was gravely ill for a while before she entered the palace, the doctor even verified that it was a miracle that she could survive, they had thought it was already too late...not many people to escape death like that, it is not unreasonable that the experience may have...left some aftereffects."

    The empress dowager narrowed her eyes, "But she drank the same blend of tea on other occasions with no problems..."

    Song mama rationalized, "Perhaps she has an aversion to the extra that was added in..."

    "But she didn''t even drink it before collapsing, what sort of aversion has her faint just by being near it, it barely even has a smell and definitely cannot be perceived in the orange brew...it''s odd."

    Song mama quietly contemplated for a while and then said, "If she knows...then if she tells the emperor, it will affect the relationship between both of you..."

    The empress dowager knit her brows and calmly sipped her tea. "If she wanted to raise alarm about it, she would have done it already."

    Song mama looked at the empress dowager perplexed, "Then what is she waiting for?...perhaps she may be trying to curry favor with you..."

    The empress dowager knit her brows, "It doesn''t seem so, she has never come here without being summoned to show that she is implying that..."

    Song mama nodded, "That is true, Noble consort Chen has come over multiple times..."

    "Exactly, even that Zhao brat also knew to come over to show me deference to get on my good side. If that was her intention, she would have also come to see me at least once." The empress dowager said with a smile.

    Song mama was even more confused, "In that case, what is she waiting for then?"

    The empress dowager laughed, "Nothing, she has no evidence so what can she do?...she should have at least drank it and then maybe, just maybe she would have something...she must also be lacking confidence, at least she knows not to overstep her boundaries..." the empress dowager said while laughing.

    Song mama frowned and interrupted the empress dowager''s reverie, "But your highness, she may be lacking confidence now, but what about in the future? If the emperor keeps showing her more attention...she may become troublesome, isn''t it best to handle it now?...hm, if she has an aversion to that one, we can try something else, something more subtle...and if that fails, we can always find someone to..."

    "No, we can''t do something so obvious." The empress dowager interjected, "The Lei family currently hold a lot of power, not to mention Kai''er seems to treasure them. If their daughter is blatantly attacked in the palace, it will be too troublesome..."

    ...This level of power is what I am most worried about...the Zhao family has finally moved to the side, but now the Lei family wants to implant themselves on all sides to blind him...I can''t just sit by and let that happen...

    Song mama worriedly looked at the empress dowager, "So do we leave her alone then?"

    The empress dowager sipped her tea and smiled, "I was too impulsive before. In a case like this, it is best to wait and an opportunity will present itself when it is time. More importantly, there are other things that need to be sorted out...I was too impulsive before."

    ...I really was too impulsive before, even though it wouldn''t have killed her immediately, with a little more here and there, it would have just slowly eaten away at her system over a couple of months...but in retrospect, even that could still have been found to be suspicious...But could she really sense it...or am I just being paranoid...could it really be just the luck of "illness"?...

    The empress dowager sighed.

    ...I had thought life would be easy once I left that wretched place...but there''s still a lot of chaos that needs to be sorted through...there''s also that Prince Yi hovering around...as to why he''s even a problem at all for Kai''er to handle confuses me...What''s even more baffling is why he is still alive -_-)...He is definitely not so simple...

    The empress dowager frowned deeply and tightly gripped the cup in her hand.

    ..If they were going to raise him, couldn''t they have raised him well, or at least taught him how to properly discern and handle enemies, I thought it was their strong points - yet they failed to teach him that or were they just setting him up to fail? That is definitely a possibility... If they couldn''t do it properly, then they should have left him with me!!... Yet they took him away to turn him into this weak and useless person, to just sit there to be used and deceived by others, blind and unreasonable!!!... All my hard work in raising him is ruined!!...but it''s okay, it''s not too late, I can still save this situation...

 Chapter 35 - World of Intrigue

    Back in the royal study, the disgruntled assistant sat there stewing, while the emperor went about his business casually reading and writing. After a while, two maids came in to bring tea and snacks and then left.

    The assistant poured tea for both of them and then casually started nibbling on the snacks and drinking tea, she hadn''t had lunch yet when someone abruptly interrupted her day. After that, she continued sitting there doing nothing and staring into space, Lei Xing''s mood calmed down.

    {...Well, this is boring...not at all what I expected...then again, it''s not like he would have asked me to scrub the floors or something...then again you never know with this a**h*ole...so am I just going to sitting down here doing nothing? Really?...Not that I''m complaining but...guess it could be much worse...}

    She glanced at the emperor who seemed to be ignoring her presence and was absorbed in his memorials.

    {...This guy clearly likes to mess with people...No, it''s my fault for being pulled along...well, I can''t really be blamed for that though...better that, than to have lost an opportunity on the slim 1% chance that he would have really done it...Ahh, I''m really not getting out of here, am I?...I guess at this point, I should start thinking of how to survive rather than escape...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him.

    {...Number 1 rule for survival is to stay away from this person...he''s the cause or at least will be the cause of all the hate being thrown around...Well, it''s not like I''ve been going to look for him either...he''s the one with active annoying legs -_-)...No, no, actually I wouldn''t be here right now if not for playing that stupid game...

    ...If I had just gone my merry way, he would not have bothered with me...Also if I hadn''t stupidly mouthed off at him regarding that crappy empress question, he probably wouldn''t have thrown me into his bloody harem to mess with me...

    ...So in conclusion, it seems I''m the one attracting trouble -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed.

    The emperor glanced up at her, "If you''re bored you can read some of the memorials"

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and gave the standard response, "I dare not."

    {...First, I doubt they will be more entertaining than the air...second, I don''t think I''m allowed to...third, leave me alone -_-)...}

    "It''s fine, try this one." He said as he held out one of them towards her. Lei Xing hesitantly took it and opened it under his watchful gaze.

    She was surprisingly amused by it.

    The memorial was about reports of some officials being attacked by an aggrieved ghost at night, and then the next morning a slew of letters are spread around the city, that are apparently from the ghost detailing the reasons for the attack, the ghost apparantly signed "ghost".

    The reasons are apparently "false" accusations against the official of the night, about plans of rebelling against the throne, corruption and embezzlement.

    The letters also explained that the wealth procured by unscrupulous means have been seized. The officials who have been attacked said there was nothing stolen and that they are being wronged by these accusations, and of course, that they have always been nothing but loyal to the throne.

    The ghost also goes on to censure the emperor for his inadequacy as a ruler, blaming everything on him and the late emperor for his choosing him, expressing Heaven''s discontent with him and also wishes for his quick downfall.

    The memorial was calling for justice for the officials whose names are being smeared by this so-called ghost and saying that someone is trying to sow discord between the emperor and his loyal officials, and for also disparaging the emperor.

    And that the ghost must be brought to justice to ease the hearts of the people that are anxious and living in fear because of this "ghost", who according to the memorial is an enemy of the country.

    {...Ghost? Well someone''s having fun writing a play...}

    "Do you believe in ghosts?" The emperor asked with a smile.

    Lei Xing looked at him skeptically, "Do you?"

    "Well, it is possible that they exist."

    Lei Xing looked at the memorial and snickered, "Well, I doubt ghosts that go about attacking people, and then go writing and spreading detailed letters of complaints exist. Also, this ghost is too inefficient, since it can attack people and seems to think you''re the problem and wants you gone, why not just glide into the palace and ki-"

    Lei Xing caught herself before she finished the words and cautiously glanced up at the emperor.

    The emperor smiled and finished for her, "Kill me."

    Lei Xing nervously laughed, "I was just saying that is the common sense approach for a "real" ghost to take."

    The emperor nodded, "Makes sense..." and then handed her another memorial, "What about this one?"

    The second memorial was about a "ghost" again, this time the ghost distributed money on the commoners'' doorsteps along with signed "ghost" letters singing praises of the emperor.

    The official who wrote this one was quite enthusiastic in his language, saying in more elaborate words that this was a sign from Heaven that the emperor is the chosen and exalted ruler, and that the imposter going about spreading terror is of no consequence and will be brought to justice soon.

    {...Obviously a poor attempt to bootlick with someone else''s work...So it''s either we have a bipolar ghost...or someone, most likely this person sitting here, is spending money on damage control...ghosts, if they exist - haven''t met one yet, but you never know, not interested though...they may go about attacking people and complaining, but they normally don''t submit letters of complaints for review, I think...Also, they typically don''t go about "stealing" and definitely don''t go around sharing red envelopes with complimentary letters...}

    "So what do you think?"

    Lei Xing still lost in her thoughts, offhandedly said, "Damage control."

    "Damage control?" The emperor raised his eyebrows.

    Lei Xing looked up, "Ah, there are obviously two different "ghosts" with different agendas. While one does bad deeds and slanders people, the other does good deeds and praises in an attempt to boost reputation or at least repair whatever damage has been done by the first ghost."

    The emperor smirked, "You think so?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Should be? It doesn''t really make sense for one ghost to be doing both things, unless-" Lei Xing broke off and narrowed her eyes.

    {...Unless this was some sort of stupid scheme...}

    Lei Xing suspiciously looked at the emperor and he smiled at her, "If you have any ideas, do share them."

    {...I''ve established that he likes messing with people...so he''s definitely the sort to plan convoluted schemes like this...but why would he do something like this though? Shouldn''t there be something to gain?... What was there to gain by keeping me in the palace? I don''t know, amus.e.m.e.nt?... Crazy people don''t necessarily follow logical reasoning -_-)...

    ...But still, there should be something...accuse and attack officials, steal from them - Ah, they said nothing was stolen, well if it was illegal funds then it makes sense they wouldn''t claim it... but then denouncing himself? - could be to shift blame elsewhere...then take the money and give it to the people and praise himself to make him seem like the good guy, while to the officials it will just seem like he was spending money to do damage control in retaliation...So it''s a Robin hood scenario?...

    ...But why would he bother to do that, he''s the freaking emperor -_-)''...Of course, he''s not doing it himself...Point is he could just get rid of those officials and take all their stuff if he wanted to, right?...but that could cause trouble and then he could lose some support for it, maybe?...

    ...So he goes through this convoluted scheme to bring their wrongdoings to light, reclaims the money and then graciously stands on their side to seek out the culprit of the "false" accusations, by doing this it lets them know someone is watching their actions and is out to get them, so to curb their illegal activities...and at the same time, shows them that as long as they retain the emperor''s favor they will be fine and so he gains their support...

    ...And then shares some of the "non-existent" money to the people and sings praises of himself - to the commoners he is a gracious ruler and to the officials, he is doing damage control for his reputation...sounds like a great conspiracy theory, guess all those hours wasted on watching conspiracy theory videos on the internet paid off, what an achievement -_-)...

    ...Anyway, it''s none of MY business...}

    "What are you thinking about?" The emperor asked squinting at her.

    "Nothing, they are quite interesting." Lei Xing quickly answered and dropped the memorial on the table.

    "So unless?"He asked.

    Lei Xing looked at him confused, "Unless what?"

    "You were saying it didn''t make sense for one ghost not doing both, unless - ?" The emperor kindly reminded her with a smile.

    Lei Xing looked at him dubiously and gave a half-smile, "Nothing, I don''t know."

    {....Play your stupid games by yourself -_-)...}

    The emperor scrutinized her for a bit, "It doesn''t seem to be the case...but it''s fine if you don''t want to say." he finished with a smile.

    Then he pushed some more memorials he had read her way, and then went back to reading the others, occasionally adding on some more memorials to her pile. Lei Xing hesitantly took one of them to read.

    {...Is this really okay?... Well, he said it is...plus it''s not like there''s anyone else here to complain...plus there''s really nothing else to do...}

    So, the two people sat there reading and occasionally discussing the contents of the memorials, that is, the emperor will ask her opinion about specific memorials when she read them, which made her wonder if he memorized all their contents, how could he tell which one was which every time when they didn''t have titles on them.

    At most, one could say there were color-coded, but even then there were a few with the same colors on her side.

    {...Maybe he''s just a really good guesser...process of elimination maybe?...}

    Lei Xing quite enjoyed the discussions, as she generally enjoyed stimulating conversations and soon forgot her grievances with him.

    Although she felt a bit on edge, sometimes the conversation will completely go left field and then somehow circle back to the topic, and this meandering system made her feel like he was trying to goad her into confessing something or the other, which left her perplexed as she couldn''t figure out exactly what he wanted.

    After a while of reading, Lei Xing looked about the room randomly and her eyes lingered on the bookshelves on the side for a bit.

    Then she heard the emperor say, "You can pick something to read from there if you''d like."

    Lei Xing turned to look at him and saw he was still reading his memorial and so simply got up and went to the bookshelves, honestly she was tired of sitting down and wanted to stretch.

    As she perused through the books as expected they were strategy and philosophy scrolls and books. She found one that seemed out of place, a book called, "Wonderous world", she flipped through it and it was about mythical places in the world the author claims to have visited.

    It seemed like a children''s fantasy book to Lei Xing but she was intrigued by the places in it, it talked of a waterfall that was as tall as mountain, a mountain called peach blossom mountain that was covered in peach blossom trees that were always in full bloom, the glistening lake - a clear lake with the bottom filled with gems of various colors, that reflects to the surface giving it a colorful sparkling glow and so on.

    {...Sounds magical...but definitely doesn''t exist...oh well, who knows...my existence is an enigma in itself so...you never know...it''d be nice to find that lake...I can''t swim but I''ll figure out how to dive for those gems hahahaha...}

    Lei Xing put the book back and glanced at the emperor wondering why he''d have such a book here, then shrugged and continued her perusal.

    {...I guess anyone can have childhood dreams...}

    When she rounded the corner. She froze as her eyes fixed on the painting hanging on the wall, and her mouth hung slightly open as she slowly approached it and stood in front of the painting and stared at it, astonished.

    She blinked a few times and then squinted at the painting, carefully looking it over.

    {...Ah, isn''t this - ...but - ? O_O)...}

 Chapter 36 - The Uncanny

    {...This is exactly how I imagined it...maybe he heard about what I said...but even then, it''s not like I gave a descriptive scene...how can it be so similar? even the colors and positions are... It''s a coincidence...but it really is too coincidental O_O)''...}

    The large painting that was covering the wall between the bookshelves was exactly the depiction of the scene Lei Xing had casually come up with on a whim, two heavenly mountains reaching far above the clouds in the background, a lake between them with two heavenly immortals, a male and a female dancing above the lake, with a mortal family of four swimming in the lake beneath - oblivious that they are heavenly territory. With dragons and phoenixes meandering about in the sky above.

    Lei Xing stood there gaping at it for a while.

    Unbeknownst to her the emperor had come over and was now standing beside her and asked, "It''s great, isn''t it?" Lei Xing subconsciously nodded.

    The emperor smiled and continued, "I think this is my best work yet. I call it the harbinger of good luck. I dreamt of this scene one night a couple of months ago, and the next morning I received a letter informing of my father''s failing health."

    Lei Xing still wide-eyed glanced at him. Seeing her expression, the emperor laughed and casually said, "I didn''t do anything, there were other people who were a lot more anxious than I was."

    Lei Xing looked back at the painting.

    {...Dreamt of it?...}

    "Anyway, after I ascended the throne and everything settled down. I decided to paint the scene bit by bit, taking my time to ensure I could fully capture it all. It took a couple of months but I finally finished it about a week ago." The emperor smugly explained.

    Lei Xing frowned as she tried to make sense of this situation.

    {...In that case, doesn''t that mean that I was the one who copied it?...maybe I heard about it?... From who? How? Also, it wasn''t even complete until last week...even if I heard about the details somehow, how could I imagine pretty much the exact same image?... It doesn''t make sense O_o)...it''s just a weird a coincidence...It has to be...isn''t this too much though?... What other explanation could there be?!... I don''t know...then it''s a coincidence...it has to be...Okay, it is then...}

    After a while of admiring the painting, the emperor suddenly said, "Ah, speaking of paintings...Yong must have mentioned it to you, your piece on it was really good."

    Lei Xing blinked and looked at him, pointing to the painting and asked perplexed, "This?"

    "Not this one." The emperor then pulled her along towards the hallway leading to the back of the room, Lei Xing''s mind was still focused on the painting and so she was not paying attention to what was happening.

    By the time she snapped back to reality, they had arrived in front of a small room and she was pulled in.

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide again.

    {...This...this is too freaky...isn''t it?...}

    Hanging on the wall in the small room was a scroll with a painting of what seemed to be a battlefield, the ground dyed with blood, bodies littered around and warriors engaged in battle in the background.

    Stretching from the bottom edge of the painting was an armored arm of a fallen warrior, with outstretched fingers, reaching towards the center of the painting where a white petal seemed to have just fallen to the blood-soaked ground, half of it dyed by the blood, with the redness seemingly spreading.

    Lei Xing stared at the painting.

    {...You can''t say this is a coincidence too, right?... This looks exactly as I imagined it when I wrote that poem...this is so weird...}

    "I didn''t think of it at that time, but it occurred to me a few days later while looking at this. You did quite a good job of capturing the scene, I really thought I was going to die that time." The emperor finished with a laugh.

    Lei Xing still in shock turned to him, "This...this happened to you?"

    "Yong didn''t mention that? Well, I didn''t exactly talk about the details of it with anyone, so it''s reasonable he wouldn''t have assumed it. You can say it''s a scene that really resonated with me." The emperor said with a laugh.

    Lei Xing wasn''t really paying attention to his words after the question as she was considering the possibility of it.

    {...Well, no...I don''t think so...did he?...could he?...maybe?...I don''t know...the original memories maybe?...but I don''t remember anything...subconsciousness maybe?...I think that''s too much of a stretch, if she had seen it - then maybe, but heard about it? I don''t think so...also he must have had to have given one hell of a description, and then some, for this level of likeness...but then what about the other one?...}

    "It was during my first battle...well, it was an ambush actually...and a lot of things happened, and I ended up with a poisoned arrow in my back." Then he sighed, "This painting is a reminder of our reality." The emperor finished with a smile as he scrutinized the painting.

    Lei Xing looked at his face and then back at the painting, feeling very put off by the uncanniness of the situation.

    {...This is your reality!... This has nothing to do with me!... This is just some weird set of coincidences...I''m leaving!...}

    At that moment, she realized her hand was still in his and quickly pulled her hand back and said, "Ah, I should go...I''m not feeling well."

    The emperor looked at her, "You''re unwell? You do look a bit pale. I''ll send for an Imperial doctor." The emperor stepped towards her, reaching for her again with the intention to help her back to the front.

    Lei Xing immediately took a step back and gave a nervous smile, "I''m - I''m fine, no need, I just need some rest."

    "Still -"

    "No, really, I''m fine...Ah, I''ll be leaving now. Thank you." Lei Xing quickly said and then turned and fled the room, down the hallway and headed straight for the exit, trying her best not to run and walking as fast as she could.

    The emperor watched her departing form with a confused frown.

    {...Is she really okay?...}

    After Lei Xing exited the royal study, Eunuch Li watched her with confusion as she hurried off and then went in to see the emperor who was standing there looking at the doors with a frown. Eunuch Li approached the emperor and bowed, "Your majes- "

    "Send an Imperial doctor to her palace, she seems unwell." The emperor casually said and then turned to go back to his throne chair and sat down, and then glanced at the chair at the end of the table and sighed.

    {...Why did I even mention that?... It is really weird...}

    He sighed again and then picked up a memorial to read. Eunuch Li looked at the emperor for a while and then turned and went to do as he was bid.

    After Eunuch Li left, the emperor sighed again and dropped the memorial, got up and went to back to the small room and stood there looking at the painting, frowning.

    {...Is it really okay to leave things like this?... There are some things cannot be salvaged no matter how one tries...In the end, if it''s all pointless then what?...}

    The day depicted in the painting was a very important day in his life. It was the day he learned many truths.

    At that time, the war against Han country had been going well and they were steadily claiming enemy territory.

    So, the late emperor had then decided to send reinforcements to speed up the victory, and the current emperor, who was the fourth prince at the time had requested to follow the reinforcements and join the war and to everyone''s surprise, the emperor agreed to his request.

    The officials were quite shocked by this turn of events, because a little over a year ago when the emperor wanted to start this campaign, the crown prince had asked to lead the war but the emperor had refused his request, and yet now he agreed for the young fourth prince to go, even though he will not be leading the war, but a prince will still hold considerable power.

    Some officials speculated that it must be because the crown prince is in an important indisposable position, but then the fact that the emperor led campaigns himself when he was a crown prince discredited that theory.

    Although the fourth prince was young, the officials were not particularly worried about him joining the war because despite being the youngest, he has proven himself to be a genius who can compete with the crown prince, and may even be better given time. Rather they were worried about the aftermath and implications of this development.

    The emperor often had the princes competing with each other since they were young, regardless of the age difference between them, they were expected to strive to constantly outperform each other.

    In terms of learning and skills, everyone had nothing but praise for the fourth prince who seemed to naturally excel in all aspects. Therefore, some speculated that this was a sign from the emperor; if the fourth prince can come back from the war victorious and alive, the crown prince may be changed.

    There was also the fact that the fourth prince already had a considerable power base in court, as the current empress''s adopted son, he had the prime minister''s power. Although the Defense minister Lei has always appeared neutral and followed along with the emperor''s wishes, the fourth prince''s close friendship with his son may serve as a leverage to win his support.

    If the fourth prince can gain the Lei family''s full support then his position is set, as to gain the defense minister''s support is akin to gaining the emperor''s support.

    With that in mind, at the time the defense minister''s son was chosen as the fourth prince''s playmate, a lot of them suspected that perhaps the fourth prince was the emperor''s favored son for the throne considering he allowed him to build a relationship with the Lei family.

    But then dismissed the idea and considered it as a bid to reign in the empress, considering he had just appointed the first prince as crown prince.

    But now with this development, the theory was seeming more and more likely to be true.

    The officials understood that the battle for the throne was about to go into full throttle, the sense of security the crown prince had has been shaken with this development.

    Even though the crown prince still held considerable support from the officials as the appointed crown prince, the first son of the emperor and the only child of the deceased empress. He had already lost his main source of power in court with the death of his grandfather, the previous defense minister who died two years ago.

    The deceased empress was an only child, so the closest kin he had available in court for support was Minister Fu, his grandfather''s younger brother and the current minister of finance.

    From the onset, it was clear to everyone that the fourth prince was his biggest competition, the second prince lacked skills and was fickle, the third prince lacked standing and was aloof, and also had a good relationship with the crown prince''s side, and then there was the fourth prince who had everything since birth, a mother with standing and more importantly one who the emperor seemed to care for greatly or at least held deep sentiments for.

    After all, she was once his crown princess and almost the empress, according to rumors she had refused to assume the position, but most dismissed the idea considering it didn''t seem at all profitable for the emperor to want to take the princess of the country he just destroyed as empress.

    But still, when you add that background on with his natural talents, he was indeed the greatest threat. With the confinement of his mother, most had thought that was the end of the road for the fourth prince.

    Unexpectedly, he rose up again and ended up on the side of the childless empress. This greatly confused the officials as to the emperor''s intentions, is he supporting the crown prince or raising the fourth prince?

    Some speculated that perhaps the emperor saw himself in the fourth prince, the emperor was also someone who was gifted and exceptional from childhood and that the idea of the fourth prince going into battle with defense minister Lei''s son may be reminiscent of the past where he and defense minister Lei fought battles together.

    The crown prince aside, the emperor having this idea is dangerous in itself, while it may be advantageous for him to admire the fourth prince''s potential that reminds him of himself in his younger years, if he sees too much similarity then it will be more of a disadvantage and the fourth prince may really not live long.

    This was starting on the path of a thin line, one where a single misstep will mark the end.

    ????????MiraiSaesang''s Notes : Check out my page: patron.com/MiraiSaesang (I know it''s spelled wrong but otherwise will "***" it, it''s actually "-treon" so add on the "e"...You don''t have to pay to access anything, the posts are free and public access...

    ....Consider it a blog of sorts where I will post stuff about the story, such as origins, scrapped ideas, character evolution, character profiles, stuff to pick up on in chapters...and generally stuff I think you will find interesting (Hopefully ????????)....and really anything you want to know (other than obvious spoilers ????), so let me know if you''re curious about anything...

 Chapter 37 - Old Wounds

    Most importantly was the fact that the fourth prince''s mother was accused and sentenced to confinement in the cold palace for the case of the death of the first empress, the crown prince''s mother. The two women have always had a strained relationship from the beginning, one was the side consort and a childhood friend of the emperor when he was still the crown prince, and the other was a princess who seemingly dropped in from nowhere and took the crown princess''s position the other had long hoped for. Later on, when the emperor took the throne, the two switched roles, the side consort was elevated to the empress and the crown princess was demoted down to a noble consort.

    The side consort gained the position, support, and power, while the crown princess who had the status, position, and support of a whole country lost everything all at once. Therefore it was no secret that the two tolerated each other''s existence, but it seems that the situation came to a head after in a big altercation, where the empress had ended up exercising her power and publicly humiliated the fallen Xia princess by having her whipped. Of course, this matter reached the emperor but it seemed he decided to stay out of the situation, and so the fallen Xia princess endured the humiliation with no recourse and the empress went unscathed in the end. A few days after this incident, the empress then suddenly became terribly ill and died, it was ruled to be poisoning, and the obvious culprit was the fallen Xia princess. Despite her denial and pleas for justice and the emperor''s hesitation on the matter, she still ended up being held responsible for it. Defense minister Fu moved the entire court to act on the death of his daughter, and the fallen Xia princess''s past atrocities that had been covered up were dug up and aired out, such as deaths and terrorization of other Imperial wives and other malicious schemes. The court as a whole asked for the death of this malicious woman.

    Of course, the fallen Xia princess vehemently denied all the accusations, but whether she was guilty or not was irrelevant to most people there, as they all unanimously thought that it was not good for her to remain at the emperor''s side for a variety of reasons and this was a golden opportunity that they would not let go. In the end, the emperor did not kill her but punished her to confinement for life.

    Therefore, there was also this blood feud between the crown prince and the fourth prince. Once the crown prince gets on the throne that would mean the end for the fallen Xia princess and there is no way the fourth prince will be left alive either, it was impossible for both princes to exist under the same sky.

    ...I guess I did leave a chaotic situation behind...but it was unavoidable...

    The emperor sighed as he intently looked at the scene in the painting. He remembered that the day before he left, their father had held a send-off banquet for him and the generals that would be leaving and remembered the crown prince, his first brother staring daggers at him the entire time and chuckled. His second brother was behaving ambiguously, as usual, always seeming aloof and uninterested and...his third brother, as usual, was looking at him with an expression of veiled anger. He was aware of a reason why his third brother would hate him, but was also certain that his third brother was unaware of that reason and so was initially perplexed at his behavior but simply let it be as it was what was best for them all and got used to it.

    After a while of being at the banquet, Jun Kai excused himself and wandered around for a while and found himself near the courtyard with the little pond, he walked to the pond and stood there for a while reminiscing his time playing here when he was younger. Now looking at the quiet scenery, the memories seemed like a dream, an illusion that never was.

    ...Things were definitely simpler then...

    "Why are you here?" A strained voice asked from behind, and he turned to find his third brother, Jun Shan standing there with a frown.

    Jun Kai smiled, "Shouldn''t I be the one asking you that?" At this time, the second and third princes had moved into their own residences outside the palace, so only the crown prince and the fourth prince still lived in the palace.

    Jun Shan narrowed his eyes and didn''t say anything. He walked forward and stood at a distance from Jun Kai.

    After a while of standing in silence, Jun Shan asked, "Are you trying to get on father''s good side by going off to war?"

    Jun Kai looked at him on the side and smiled, "And why would I need to do that?"

    Jun Shan kept looking forward with a straight face, "Then why are you joining the war? Do you think war is the same as sparring matches? Are you that anxious to die?"

    Jun Kai laughed and sat down on the grass, "It isn''t that much different here, is it?"

    Jun Shan looked down at him, "So you''ve made up your mind to leave?"

    "And you seem to have made up your mind to stay. I thought you would have left by now." Jun Kai said looking up with a smirk.

    Jun Shan frowned and turned to leave, when Jun Kai spoke up, "You should be careful, First brother can be quite paranoid...Well, sometimes it is for good reason." Jun Kai finished with a laugh.

    Jun Shan stood there and clenched his fists, "Since you''re leaving, don''t come back." and then walked off.

    Jun Kai snorted and called after him, "I''ll try." and then continued to sit there staring at the pond for a while.

    The next day, Jun Kai set off and went off to join the war. They had spent about three weeks on the journey and had finally crossed into Han country and were on schedule to arrive at the main army camp in about a week''s march. They had made camp for the night when a soldier on a galloping horse suddenly rode towards their camp, he had come with a letter bearing the seal of the commanding general of the main army. The war situation had changed and they were in need of reinforcements urgently, the enemy troops have currently surrounded the city they are occupying and have also poisoned the city''s water source and so a lot of soldiers are currently out of commission because of this so their numbers have dwindled. They are currently boarded up in the city trying to stall the confrontation and so need urgent assistance, as they are unsure how long the city gates can hold.

    If they decided to move the whole army, they may arrive too late and so the generals decided to split the army, with one half speeding ahead to break the enemy lines and back up the main army, while the other half travels behind with the rest of the artillery and provisions. The generals had decided and advised that it was best for Jun Kai to stay behind with the second troop, as the situation was too dangerous and unpredictable. At that time, the voice in his head had insisted that he go with the first troop, but he had brushed it off as his own mind acting up, he wasn''t afraid of going into battle, but this was not the time to be stubborn and insistent, he told himself that there will be plenty of opportunity in the future to prove himself and so he agreed to go in the second troop.

    The first troop broke off and left immediately.

    The next evening when the second troop made camp, they were suddenly ambushed, not by the Han army but by the Beiyuan army, a neighboring country of Han country. They were greatly outnumbered and it was turning into a slaughter, their commanding general shouted to retreat and Eunuch Li pulled Jun Kai and ran into the surrounding forest along with the dispersing troop, with the enemies chasing behind.

    After a while of running and fighting, their group ended up cornered by the enemies. The other soldiers who were around them were taken out, leaving only Eunuch Li and Jun Kai facing tens of enemy soldiers. When all seemed grim, a group of black-clad warriors arrived on the scene and joined the battle and swiftly overturned the tides. Jun Kai was confused at the scene but kept fighting, when the enemies were defeated, the black-clad warriors then turned and bowed towards him and Eunuch Li and the one at the front explained, "Your highness, General Li, we have alerted the Long army ahead, reinforcements should be arriving soon. For now, we will give our all to protect the prince."

    Jun Kai looked at them with a confused frown

    ...General?...Then this must be...

    He glanced at Eunuch Li, who explained to him that they were part of his troop from the Xia army and they all followed him into the Long empire and have sworn to protect Jun Kai and his mother, the remnants of the Xia royal family and the only hope for their people. While Jun Kai was trying to process this scene, three arrows came wheezing towards him, Eunuch Li immediately reacted and pulled him to the floor, while a three of the black-clad warriors shot out towards where the arrows came from. Then they heard a whistling sound. Jun Kai groaned on the ground, one of the arrows had hit him in the shoulder on the way down. Eunuch Li pulled him up and broke the arrow, in the next moment another wave of the enemies came running into the clearing and another battle ensued. The enemies seemed to be increasing in numbers and coming from all directions, it was clear that the whistling sound was a signal and the enemies were all converging on this location.

    They were all fighting desperately while trying to look for an opportunity to escape before the enemies completely entrap them. Jun Kai ignored the injury and also bravely fought, not wanting to become a burden as it was clear they were being forced into a tight corner. As he was fighting, he realized his vision was going blurry and his movements were getting slower. Eventually, he collapsed and was struggling to get back up but could barely move, he heard the sounds of the battle and Eunuch Li and others calling out to him, but the voices seemed so distant now.

    ...Of course, the arrow''s poisoned...It seems I''m really going to die this time...I guess that''s fine too...

    Jun Kai struggled to keep his eyes open, glancing up at the warm sun as his mind seemed to be leaving the scene. He squinted his drooping eyes as something caught his attention.

    ...Is that a petal?...I''m pretty sure the flowers should be dead now...it''s not the right season...

    Jun Kai''s eyes followed the petal as it fell to the bloody ground, and then eventually closed.

    ...I told you not to go with them!...

    ...What?...

    ...I told you not to go with them!...

    ...Huh? I must really be dying now...I''m hearing ghos-...

    ...I told you to go with the other troop!... Haah, these children just love to complicate their lives...Next time I say something, you better do it or you will no longer have a next time! Got it?!...

    ...

    ...Hey! Are you listening?!...

    ...

    Hey??!!... Ah, he''s unconscious...Fine then...

 Chapter 38 - Escapade

    ????: Hello, I am now the commentator...this was the brib- *Ahem*...I mean, a new beginning for us all... the subtlely to pick up on from the last chap is "He was aware of a reason why his third brother would hate him, but was also certain that his third brother was unaware of that reason..."...So, yeah that''s it...applaud?...Can''t say that? Oh, okay...um, enjoy the chapter! ***

    When Jun Kai woke up, it was a few days later and he was in the Long army camp. Eunuch Li was there and filled him in on the details of what happened after he had passed out.

    They managed to carve out an escape and were able to lay low until nightfall when the Long troop that had left before returned and were able to chase the enemy back. It turns out that the report about needing urgent reinforcements was false.

    The commanding general had noticed that someone had used his seal and had immediately sent a messenger, along with his emblem that he always carries on person that the generals on the other side would recognize to warn the army en-route of this development, just in case something happened while they worked on sorting out the situation on their end.

    The messenger came across the first troop, who were currently at a standstill in confusion, as they had received a message attached on an arrow early that morning instructing them to turn back because the second troop was in trouble.

    The generals were busy debating over the validity of the message on the arrow, some wanting to turn back, while others wanted to keep going believing that the message must be a trick to delay them.

    Luckily the messenger arrived and informed them of the real situation and they realized the report they received was fake before the situation escalated and so speedily turned back and were able to turn the situation around.

    Eunuch Li also informed him that the Xia army had caught the person who shot the arrows, it was the same Long soldier who had arrived with the fake report.

    They had interrogated him and discovered that he had been instructed to leak the information about the fourth prince to the Han country, who had decided to collude with their neighboring country, Beiyuan who were afraid that they would be next after the fall of Han country.

    The plan was to kidnap the fourth prince to use as a bargaining tool with the Long emperor. While the Han army kept the main Long army occupied, the Beiyuan troops were to skirt around them.

    Once they had successfully done this and were in position, the soldier, who was one of those who served directly under the commanding general was then to create a fake report and deliver it to the reinforcing troops to force them to break off.

    The soldier was then to follow whichever troop the fourth prince was in, and then secretly tied a red piece of cloth to an eagle which the Beiyuan army had following him to inform the Beiyuan troops that the fourth prince was with the second troop.

    Before the attack, he also pointed out who the fourth prince was to the Beiyuan troops. The soldier also secretly closely trailed them as they ran through the forest, as he had secondary orders to that if the kidnapping plan had any complications, he was to find an opportunity to kill the fourth prince.

    So with the arrival of the Xia troops, the situation had become complicated and so he fired the arrows and then blew the whistle to alert the Beiyuan troops to their location as he fled the capture.

    "Who sent him?" Jun Kai calmly asked.

    Eunuch Li glanced at him but remained silent.

    "The crown prince?" Jun Kai asked.

    "He is definitely involved." Eunuch Li responded

    Jun Kai snorted, "He is definitely involved...so who gave the orders?"

    Eunuch Li knit his brows, "Your highness, there are some things one cannot help but acknowledge..."

    {...I see...then it''s third brother''s doing then?... Was he so anxious and couldn''t even wait for me to try and fail first?...}

    Jun Kai burst out laughing and ended up coughing because of his injuries. Eunuch Li handed him some water and then quietly asked, "What do you want us to do with him? Should we hand him over to the army?"

    Jun Kai narrowed his eyes and coldly said, "Kill him."

    Eunuch Li nodded in understanding and then went out. If they handed him over to the army, the case will definitely be investigated, killing him was the best choice.

    While if he was handed over to the Long army, he could expose the crown prince and the third prince''s plot, but there is also the problem that he could bring some trouble for the fourth prince by revealing that he has secret forces. While he may not know that the origin of the secret troops, a prince having secret forces is enough for the emperor to use to punish him, and if it is suspected to be Xia troops, then he could be accused of a rebellion.

    Even if the emperor doesn''t do anything, he will become wary of him and this emperor is not one to just stay wary, he is the kind to eventually eradicate any source of uncertainty in his way.

    Jun Kai was left alone sitting on the bed staring blankly and then he sighed.

    {...This was the only way I could get out of that suffocating place...I thought if I were lucky...unlucky I would die on the battlefield...but they can''t even let someone fight and die in peace...even him...unfortunately for them, it seems I am quite tenacious on remaining alive...}

    From that day, Jun Kai felt like he was losing hold of his mind. He couldn''t sleep peacefully and kept having the same dream starting that moment where he thought he was going to die and then the voice screams, ''I told you not to go with them!!'', and then he immediately wakes up in cold sweat, panting and retching.

    He also recalled the memories of his time in the cold palace with his mother, his escape to his father, the events with the empress, his third brother...his father''s departing back with the words, '' compassion is useless, you should be better .''

    All the events he had pushed to the recesses of his mind plagued him every night, delaying his recovery and making him weaker.

    Everyone around him worried about his condition, thinking that he may really end up dying if this continues and tried different means to help him but nothing seemed to help.

    Every time he went to sleep, it would always start with the moment he was passing out at the battle scene, sometimes he would wake up after that and then the memories flood in after.

    At other times, the memories flipped around in the dream and then return to the battle scene and then the voice screams and he jumps up. He tried calling to the voice again several times thinking it could help but never received any response.

    Eventually one night after waking up in cold sweat. Still dazed, he felt an itch to draw and so dragged himself to the desk and then started drawing, and eventually ended up falling asleep on the desk, and for the first time in a while, he didn''t dream of anything.

    When he woke up, he found himself on the bed, and went over to the desk and saw that he had drawn the scene of him passing out.

    He scrutinized it for a long while, he couldn''t understand why but after that, he no longer had the dreams anymore and was eventually able to recover properly. The memories stopped haunting him, while he didn''t forget them, he was in control of his mind again.

    Later on, when they completed the journey and reached the city the main army was stationed, he found some painting materials and then properly painted the scene. Since then he took this painting along with him through all his battlefields and would often take it out to look at it.

    The painting represented the things he wanted to forget but needed to remember, his past regrets and the reality he so desperately wanted to ignore at one point.

    It was a reminder of the world he lived in...and everything he hated about it.

    "Emperor, Commander An is here." Eunuch Li called from the doorway, interrupting the emperor''s thoughts.

    "En." The emperor simply responded still looking at the painting.

    Eunuch Li left and quickly returned with Commander An, who bowed in greeting when he entered the room.

    "How did it go?" The emperor calmly asked without turning around.

    Commander An straightened and reported, "According to the informant in the Lei manor, Noble consort Lei is someone with a reserved and indifferent personality who rarely interacts with others, even when it comes to her family. Since she was a child, the only person she ever seemed interested in interacting with or enthusiastic about is General Lei, other than him, everyone else around her received a cordial but distant treatment..."

    "...After General Lei left for war with you, she became even more withdrawn from the family, and always kept to herself, the only person she seemed okay with having around her was her personal maid. She didn''t interact with her parents more than necessary, her younger sister often went to spend time with her, but from the looks of it, she found it bothersome and seemed to be tolerating her presence, and would often end up scolding and making her run off crying. Other than occasionally going out shopping, she rarely went out and never attended any banquets or parties, so she doesn''t have much interaction with other nobles..."

    "How come?" The emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, "As the defense minister''s daughter she should have at least been to the palace banquets."

    "Well, the days leading up to any such occasions, she would always fall ill, so never got the opportunity." Commander An explained.

    "Every time?" Emperor asked with a snort, "How convenient...Continue."

    Commander An nodded and went on, "She has also been praised as a natural-born genius, who despite a lack of interest in the arts, excelled in them without much effort in learning. She was considered to be master qin player as a child, when she was a child she would often play for the family, although after General Lei left she seemed to lose interest, announced it was boring and stopped playing altogether despite her parents'' encouragements..."

    The emperor nodded.

    {...Well, that could explain her lack of skills in that aspect...}

    "...Her embroidery pieces were also considered to be masterpieces. Although she wasn''t able to attend the late empress''s birthday banquet earlier in the year because she was ill, she sent an embroidered piece with her family as a gift. The late empress greatly praised her for having exquisite skills..."

    The emperor snorted again, cleared his throat and turned to look at Commander An, "Are you sure about that?"

    {...Exquisite skills? Or the standards seem to have changed while I was gone?...}

    Eunuch Li on the side also knit his brows in contemplation as he listened to Commander An''s words, recalling Lei Xing''s revolutionary work during the competition.

    Commander An looked at the emperor with a perplexed expression, "Yes, your majesty. It is Noble consort Lei, the first daughter of the defense minister and younger sister of General Lei. Is there something wrong?"

    The emperor shook his head, "Continue."

    Commander An nodded, "The reason I spent so long on this, is that I was investigating some matters that seemed complicated. There was an incident three years ago, where she suddenly disappeared one night and was missing for about two weeks. At that time, they had found her personal maid knocked out in her room the next morning, along with a note she had written saying that she went out horse riding and will be back after a while..."

    "...At first, they had thought that she was kidnapped and quietly sent people to look into her whereabouts but discovered that she had ridden out of the city gates by herself. Her parents were worried it will affect her future and so they tried to keep it quiet and sent people to quietly search for her while waiting for her personal maid to wake up to find out what really happened. It seemed her personal maid had been heavily drugged, as two days went by and she still hadn''t woken up, then on the third day, her personal maid also disappeared before the family could interrogate her. There was some suspicion that she may have eloped..."

 Chapter 39 - Confusions

    ????: Hello, this is THE ANT...that''s what I''m called now, I wanted to use my name but I was told this has "Power"...frankly, I think it''s because they all just keep forgetting my name...but anyway, we left off finding out about the old LX''s shady past...of eloping...oh, just suspicion of eloping?... Well, she might as well have been eloping given the circ.u.mstances...I mean why else would a teenager who has everything run away? ????...

    ...But then again given who she is, she may very well have been into something shady, murder''s definitely not off the table here...Honestly speaking both LXs are really shady people, I think they have affiliations to the mafi - *Ahem*...they are both wonderful people and it''s nothing but a joy knowing them...nothing shady about them at all...nothing at all ????...Enjoy the chapter! ***

    The emperor knit his brows and asked, "Did she have someone?"

    Commander An shook his head, "That doesn''t seem to be the case, there were no indications of that."

    The emperor frowned, "So how did they find her?"

    Commander An furrowed his brows, "They didn''t. It seems the personal maid found her, the two of them came back to the Lei manor later. When asked about her whereabouts, she said she was bored and so went out for a while and wandered around randomly, and that the maid coincidentally ran into her."

    The emperor raised an eyebrow, "Coincidentally?"

    Commander An nodded, "That was the explanation she gave, she didn''t give any specifics. Her parents were quite angry with her for a while about it, but she didn''t seem to be affected by it and seemed to be in good spirits."

    The emperor narrowed his eyes, "Why did the maid run away then?"

    "She had said she was worried about her mistress when she woke up and so ran out without thinking to look for her."

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Ran out? To outside the city? How did she know she left the city? and why would she think she would leave the city? If she was wandering around randomly, what are the odds of the maid running into her? There are so many routes you can travel on exiting the city, what are the odds of the maid picking exactly the one that led to her? She must have had a destination, of which the maid knew? The maid must have tried to stop her, so she drugged her to escape. It is more likely she was running away..."

    The emperor then frowned as he continued, "...the idea of an elopement makes sense. If she was planning on coming back why would the maid have felt the need to rush out to find her?"

    Commander An nodded, "I thought it was suspicious too and thought the idea of an elopement would have explained it, but I really could not find any trace of a potential partner in her life or anyone else suspicious leaving the city around the same time. Also, no matter how much I investigated it, I couldn''t find out any traces of their whereabouts during that time. I could only find information on Noble consort Lei riding out of the city and the two riding back into the city together...Although, this could be a due tp how much time has passed, but the whole episode is quite suspicious."

    The emperor frowned, "What did you find on the maid?"

    "She was a beggar on the street that Noble consort Lei picked up one day when she was about 5 years old while out with General Lei. According to the servants with them, she had insisted on taking her home to be her personal maid. It seems General Lei spoils her quite a bit and so took the girl home with them and then helped convince their parents to let the girl become her personal maid. I tried to look into the girl''s past before entering the Lei household, but I could not find much on her, all that is known that she was a beggar on the street."

    "Hmm." The emperor frowned, "What about Prince Yi?"

    "The first time, Prince Yi and Noble consort Lei encountered each other was the day before she entered the palace. She purchased the slave group before Prince Yi could, so he approached her with the intention to buy them off her, but it seems she refused his offer, he didn''t seem to be pleased about it either."

    The emperor laughed, "Ah so she was the one who bought them?"

    {...I can imagine he wasn''t...she isn''t exactly polite even when she''s trying to be careful and is probably much less so when annoyed...}

    "Yes, according to the men who were surveilling the scene, it seems her sister was going to rush out and so she stepped in instead to avoid her causing a scene. Then she later gave them money and released them go when she returned home."

    The emperor knit his brows, "I see. Anything else?"

    "It seemed she was really intent on entering the palace but her parents were not keen on the idea and refused. She was uncharacteristically vocal about it, pleaded in tears, threw several tantrums, and even went on a hunger strike to persuade her parents. The whole manor was in an uproar for a while because of it. In the end, she went to plead with General Lei and he ended up agreeing to her request behind their parents back. They were all shocked by her actions but everyone seemed to conclude that she had fallen in love with you, emperor." Commander An finished glancing at the emperor''s face.

    The emperor frowned.

    {...That again...}

    "Also about a month before entering the palace, she had accidentally fallen into the pond in the manor and almost died."

    "Almost died?" The emperor''s ears perked up.

    Commander An nodded, "It was deemed it a miracle she had survived, they had initially thought she had died. She was in a coma for a few days and woke up muddle-headed but was fine soon after."

    The emperor frowned in contemplation for a while, "Is there anything strange about her?"

    "Other than that two week period of her missing, there isn''t really anything else that is peculiar."

    "Did you look into that pharmacy? What did the maid go there for?." The emperor said.

    "It seems it may really be as that Doctor Lou said. She may have really sent her there to ask for remedies for speedy conception. The doctor opened the shop in the capital about three months ago but before that, he was wandering around the country for years occasionally helping couples to conceive. Although a bit eccentric, he is known as a miracle worker. The first time they met should have been that day before she entered the palace. He also has no affiliation with Prince Yi, it seems it was really only a coincidence that she and Prince Yi met up there. Actually, it was simply that Prince Yi followed her into the shop to negotiate."

    "I see..." The emperor frowned in contemplation.

    {...So it''s just a coincidence then?... But that part about speedy conception is a joke, she doesn''t seem at all interested in that prospect...which means he lied...either that or she has other ideas...then there''s that disappearance period as well...but does that even matter at all?...

    ...That aside...The genius part can be explained, she was clearly aiming to fail but then why work so hard to get into the competition in the first place? That part makes it all make no sense...}

    "Your majesty, how about we kidnap the maid and interrogate her? I am sure we will be able to get the answers out of her." Commander An suggested.

    The emperor sighed, "No, just continue to have them watched closely and report to me. You can leave."

    Commander An nodded and bowed and left the room.

    After a while, the emperor also left the room and went back to the front with Eunuch Li and then turned to him, "Find the embroidery piece that was presented to the late empress."

    Eunuch Li left the room and after a while later returned with the piece. Eunuch Li spread the piece down on a table on the side.

    It was an exquisite piece showing the progression of a pink peony''s growth from a bud to a gorgeous blossoming flower circling around the sheet, with a big fully blossomed blue peony in the center.

    The two of them scrutinized the embroidery piece.

    "It is indeed exquisite." The emperor praised.

    "Your majesty, it seems Noble consort Lei isn''t so simple." Eunuch Li said furrowing his brow.

    {...If she could do this, why did she create such a poor piece during the competition?...unless she wanted to fail, but then why plead to enter it in the first place?...}

    Eunuch Li looked at the emperor who was looking down at the piece with a blank face, "Your majesty, why don''t you ask General Lei about it? He may know more, according to what Commander An said they seem close, so he may be able to expound on her thinking."

    The emperor offhandedly replied, "I doubt it."

    {...If he understood her so well, then he wouldn''t conclude that she acted out of "love"...}

    Eunuch Li frowned, "Your majesty, in that case, you should be more careful."

    The emperor looked at Eunuch Li and chuckled, "I don''t think there is anything to worry about." and then turned to walk back to the throne and memorials.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow in concern and followed him, "But your majesty, this is suspicious. If she can do that, then why didn''t she during the competition? Why hide her skills when she seemed desperate to enter the palace in the first place? If she wasn''t entering the competition with the aim of victory, then why did she come here?"

    The emperor didn''t respond, so Eunuch Li continued, "Also I''ve been quite curious about it, why did you choose her? I initially thought that maybe it was because you were aware she was General Lei''s sister, but that is not the case. Then I thought that perhaps you like her, but that doesn''t seem to be it either."

    The emperor sat down on the throne and smirked, "When did I say I don''t like her? She''s interesting."

    Eunuch Li frowned, "Your majesty - "

    "That''s enough. The Lei family is loyal. There may be a few...confusions, but I''m sure they are more of a personal nature, and nothing to be concerned about. I am just doing this to satisfy my own curiosity." The emperor finished, picked up a memorial and started reading.

    Eunuch Li looked at him for a little while, then sighed, bowed and left.

    {...If he thinks so, then it should be okay...and she hasn''t done anything suspicious since entering the palace...yet...}

 Chapter 40 - Haggard Concern

    Soon after Lei Xing arrived back at her palace, an imperial doctor came and insisted on checking on her. So she reluctantly sat down, while he checked on her, with a deep frown on her face.

    {...it''s a coincidence...really, the first time it''s a coincidence, the second time it''s a choice!...and what the hell does that mean?! That doesn''t apply here -_-)''...okay, forget that... it''s really weird...yeah, I figured that...moving on...maybe I got some cosmic magic powers when I transmigrated?... That makes no freaking sense -_-)...Me being here makes no freaking sense!... So in other words, it makes perfect sense!... So magic powers...-_-) I think not...}

    The imperial doctor finished his checkup session and said the usual, "Your highness, all you need is to rest. I will prescribe something to help you relax." Lei Xing didn''t respond, after a while, the imperial doctor bowed out and left to prepare the medication.

    Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin looked at Lei Xing with perplexed expressions.

    "Your highness, are you okay?" Xiao Ruo asked.

    Lei Xing blinked and looked up at her for a while and then got up, "Yes, I''m fine. Ah...I''m going to sleep, no one bother me."

    "But what about your medicine?"

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, "Medicine?"

    "Yes, the imperial doctor just now s-"

    "I don''t need it." Lei Xing said and plopped down on the bed. Xiao Ruo still wanted to protest and looked at Ah Jin who shook her head. After looking at Lei Xing who had her face planted on the bed for a bit, the two of them left the room.

    Lei Xing stayed like that for a while, and then rolled over and stared at the ceiling of the canopy of the bed.

    {...Magic powers would be nice...but I think not...I should feel it if I did, right?...so...so...so then it''s a weird coincidence?... Got it!... It''s the collective consciousness!... That explains everything, he experiences it, dreamt it or whatever the hell it!...and then it went to the collective consciousness, and then I got it from there...

    ...Yep! Makes perfect sense!...so we''re at a floating thought cloud...-_-)''...I don''t think so...also pretty sure that''s not how it works...sounds more like I''m describing a hive mind sort of scenario which is not the case here -_-)...}

    Lei Xing frowned in annoyance.

    {...This is irritating...creepy and irritating...you know what? I''m probably over-thinking this...yes, definitely!...It''s just a weird - maybe creepy - coincidence...Exactly! hahaha weird things happen all the time!...like transmigration...

    ....Exactly!...and what are odds of all these "coincidentally" happening to one person?...-_-)...I don''t freaking know! No one''s made a poll or anything -_-)...

    ...Maybe I fell into the Bermuda triangle?... There was nothing like that near the ship...Well then maybe I floated into it!... Pretty sure we were in a different part of the ocean though...Fine, forget that then!...}

    Lei Xing sighed in exasperation.

    {...You know what? Whatever it is, it doesn''t matter and it has nothing to do with me!... Yes, absolutely nothing!... It doesn''t matter...it''s just a random weird coincidence...a string of weird coincidences...yes a string of random weird coincidences, so whatever!...}

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and rolled over.

    {...I''m going to sleep...No point pondering over random existential shit with no answers!... But still, it''s - Sleep!!...}

    Lei Xing kept tossing around for a while still feeling uncomfortable and irritated. After a while of tossing, she reasoned it must be because of the clothes and so got up and removed the hairpins and outer clothes and tossed them haphazardly aside, and then plopped back on the bed.

    {...Yep, much better...No more thinking...Sleep!...}

    Lei Xing had a lot of trouble falling asleep, despite her hard attempts at shutting off her mind, it was still hard to stop her mind reeling.

    Eventually, she finally fell asleep but then she had a nightmare. In the dream, she fell out of the ship again but this time she fell into the lake in the painting, right in the middle of the people swimming, scaring them and causing them to head to the shore screaming while she was trying to grab onto them to save herself but failed.

    As she was struggling to stay afloat, a dragon then flew down straight towards her, like it was going to smash into her, Lei Xing panicked and closed her eyes. Next thing, she found herself in the other painting, and of course as the main character who was on the ground.

    Then a soldier came running towards her with a sword raised in the air ready to strike down, she speedily got up and started sprinting away from the battle scene.

    She turned back and saw that the soldier was gone and let out a sigh of relief, then she looked down and realized she was running on the clouds and then promptly started falling down to certain death, at which point, as if her soul just fell back into her body, her eyes flew open and she jumped up on the bed panting.

    After a few moments of collecting herself, she let a tired sigh.

    {...It''s been a weird day...}

    She laid back down to get back to sleep and her troubled night continued.

    The next morning, when she was finally getting some peaceful rest. Ah Jin came in to wake her up.

    "I''m sleeping, come back later." Lei Xing spat out, wrapping her blanket more snuggly around her.

    "Your highness, this is already considered late." Ah Jin calmly said. "If you don''t get up now you will be late."

    "It''s still morning, there''s plenty of time." Lei Xing mumbled.

    "I don''t think so." Ah Jin quietly advised, "You should really get up now, your highness."

    The next moment, the doors opened and Xiao Ruo came in, seeing Lei Xing still cozied up under her blanket exclaimed, "Your highness, you''re still asleep?"

    Lei Xing wrinkled her eyebrows.

    {...Why can''t they just let me sleep in peace?! T_T)...}

    "Your highness, you should get up now. It won''t be good if you''re late." Xiao Ruo anxiously said.

    Lei Xing rolled over and faced them and slightly opened her eyes, "The celebration starts in the afternoon, what do I need to get up now to stare into space for?" She said irritated.

    Xiao Ruo looked at Ah Jin with raised eyebrows and Ah Jin calmly looked back at her, while Lei Xing closed her eyes and turned back to sleep.

    Xiao Ruo then spoke up, "Ah your highness, the empress dowager called for a meeting for this morning, you said no one should disturb you last night so we...you should get up now or you will be late."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    .{..F**k!!...What does she want now?!... Can''t someone just sleep in peaceT_T?)...also why is she always up so bloody early?! -_-)...}

    Lei Xing kicked the blanket and begrudgingly sat up frowning and was pulled along to go get ready.

    When Lei Xing walked into the empress dowager''s main hall with a deadpan expression, ready for this meeting to be over before it even began. The other Imperial wives were standing in the middle of the hall waiting for the empress dowager to arrive.

    Lei Xing walked up to the front and stood beside Li Ru, who on seeing her face asked, "Are you okay?"

    Lei Xing gave a weak half-smile and restrained the urge to yawn, "I''m just tired."

    Before Li Ru could respond, Chen You spoke up beside her, "Jiejie, it isn''t good for you to stretch yourself too thin, as sisters, we should all by right be sharing in your burdens." she finished smiling at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing looked at her "sympathetic" smile.

    {...What''s her problem now? -_-)...}

    "What burdens? You shouldn''t be inflating other people''s already insurmountable egos." Zhao Lan said with a sneer casting Lei Xing a sidelong glare.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed in annoyance.

    {...Just how I''d love to spend my morning -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing ignored them, but Li Ru beside her apparently felt the need to speak up and hesitantly said, "You shouldn''t -" Chen You instantly frowned at her and her words stuck in her throat.

    Zhao Lan scoffed, "It seems some people are already climbing up a tree, be careful you don''t fall and break your neck. Also before you start climbing, shouldn''t you make sure the tree is reliable?" She said, eyeing Lei Xing as she said the last part.

    Li Ru frowned and wanted to speak up again when Lei Xing nudged her and lightly shook her head.

    {...You can''t swim properly but you still want attempt a swan dive in...isn''t that just looking for trouble unnecessarily? -_-)''...}

    Li Ru looked at Lei Xing and then remained quiet, wondering why she wasn''t defending herself when they were clearly making fun of her.

    Chen You came over to Lei Xing''s other side and quietly said, "Jiejie, don''t mind her, she is just jealous of you. I''m sorry I haven''t come to visit you, I have been having a hard time adjusting to the new environment. I''m sure you understand as well. I will make sure to find some time to come over to visit you."

    Lei Xing gave a fleeting half-smile, "It''s okay, there is no need."

    {...Please don''t come -_-)...Having to deal with you all here is already tiring enough...I really don''t need anyone showing up randomly to ruin my day -_-)...}

    "Jiejie, you are always so understanding." Chen You smiled at Lei Xing, while Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    "You''re really not looking too good. I have a 100-year old ginseng that my father sent as a congratulatory gift on becoming a noble consort. I can have it brewed for you, it will definitely help you feel better."

    "No need, keep it for yourself." Lei Xing curtly said. She really wasn''t in the mood for any conversation, much less a fake one. Her head was hurting and all of this was making it worse, making her feel more tired and irritated.

    {...Where the hell is this woman?... Can you hurry up and appear already? So this can hurry along and I can leave -_-)... *sigh* this is so irritating...I can already tell this is going to be a long-ass shitty day -_-)''...}

    Thankfully, before Lei Xing''s patience ran out, the empress dowager arrived. They all greeted her and took their seats.

    The maids served tea and snacks, as the empress dowager began her sermon on the expectations of them as Imperial wives, lecturing about the importance of this banquet as their first official appearance as members of the royal family. How they must behave accordingly, no mistakes will be tolerated and how they must uphold the dignity of the royal family and so on.

    Lei Xing sat there bored with her hands in her lap as she listened to the empress dowager run on.

    {...I knew this woman did not wake me up early for anything reasonable...it''s basically to loftily sit there and look pretty ...it''s not rocket science -_-)''...but of course, continue with your tortuous spill...Might as well teach us how to walk and look at people condescendingly, some of us may be out of practice -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sat there with tired eyes staring blankly, hoping for this to be over soon so she could go back and hopefully get some sleep before the Harvest moon festival banquet later in the day.

    While Lei Xing sitting there envisioning her bed, the empress dowager suddenly stirred the conversation towards her direction, "Xing er'', are you okay?"

    Lei Xing blinked and groaned on the inside.

    {...What do you want now?... All this "caring" today is upsetting...Can''t you all just leave me the hell alone?! I don''t think I look that haggard... Just finish your speech so I can leave in peace -_-)''...}

 Chapter 41 - Plot Hole

    Lei Xing bowed her head slightly and said, "I am fine, thank your majesty for your concern."

    "En, then why are not eating or drinking anything?" The empress dowager asked with raised eyebrows.

    Lei Xing glanced down at her table, she really hadn''t touched anything the whole time, but this shouldn''t particularly strange.

    It was never compulsory to eat or drink, and also this was not the first time Lei Xing did this, so the sudden concern was a bit disconcerting.

    {...Since when did you start caring whether or not I was eating?... I have less of an appetite now with your "concern"...Leave me alone -_-)...}

    Lei Xing bowed her head again and explained, "I am not feeling too well this morning, and don''t have much of an appetite this morning. I wasn''t even able to eat breakfast before coming because of this."

    The empress dowager knit her brows, "I see. It seems your body is quite weak."

    Lei Xing bowed, "I''m sorry for your worrying your majesty."

    {...Well if you''d all leave me the hell alone, I''m sure it''d be much better -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing let out a silent sigh and straightened up thinking it was over, then the empress dowager spoke up again, "It''s okay not to want to eat but you should at least drink something."

    Lei Xing blinked.

    {...Um...no?...}

    The empress dowager continued, "I saw that you seemed to enjoy Tienchi flower tea before, and so I had that prepared today. Xing er'', you should at least drink some, it will help you gain some energy."

    Lei Xing could feel some glares being directed at her.

    {...What is this woman''s problem today?... As if her son''s problem is not enough, she wants to also put some effort towards my hate meter now...did he put her up to it?... Seriously! Mind your own business!!-_-)''...}

    The empress dowager interrupted Lei Xing''s thoughts asking, "Aren''t you going to drink?"

    Lei Xing looked at her smiling face and wide eyes that seemed to be staring her down and really didn''t want to drink it all the more.

    {...I thought you say there is no need to force myself ...why does it seem like you''re trying to force me now?... Aren''t you being contradictory? Don''t tell me you forgot that?...haah, I''m seriously not in the mood to deal with more bs today -_-)...}

    Before Lei Xing could open her mouth to respond, the empress dowager''s smile vanished, she frowned and asked, "Or don''t tell me you don''t want to drink it because you think there is something wrong with the tea? I personally made the blend myself and allowed you all to indulge yourselves in it, the tea was also brewed by my own personal maids. How can there be anything wrong with it? What are you insinuating?"

    {...Um lady, I didn''t say anything...aren''t you jumping the gun here?... If I don''t drink it now, won''t it be like I''m insinuating THAT given what she just said?...}

    Lei Xing quickly bowed her head, "Of course there could not be anything wrong with the tea, thank your majesty for your concern. It is indeed an immense honor to be able to enjoy this grace."

    {...Saying stuff like this is really irritating -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing slowly reached for the cup, and the jewel on the ring changed slightly.

    {...And of course, there''s something wrong with it -_-)''...}

    "Is there something wrong?... Or are you perhaps feeling unwell?" The empress dowager eagerly asked narrowing her eyes, seeing Lei Xing was not moving.

    Lei Xing looked up at her and saw her expression.

    {...Are you concerned or do you want me to be unwell?... Why do you sound so happy asking that? She looks as if she''s waiting for me to say something or be "unwell"...Lady, I think we need to have a conversation, what exactly is your problem with me?...

    ...I have already apologized to your "precious" son about that whole empress thing...at least I think I did...probably, maybe...either way, he seems to be over it!...so why won''t you let me off? It was just a slip of brain matterT_T)...}

    Lei Xing looked up at the empress dowager with a smile, "Ah, it''s just I feel this is a bit cold already -"

    "Bring a fresh pot, cold tea will not do you any good." The empress dowager promptly ordered. Lei Xing smiled lightly and bowed to thank her.

    The empress dowager continued her speech on royal etiquette and expectations. Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief.

    {...It seems I dodged this one...Shouldn''t she be magnanimous and forgiving as an elder and as a royal?... She really holds grudges unnecessarily...what am I talking about? If the inhabitants in the palace were magnanimous and forgiving I wouldn''t have been trying so hard to not be here...I mean there''s still the sharing a guy bit that''s still off-putting - but that''s a side note right now...}

    After a short while, a maid came up to Lei Xing with a fresh piping hot pot of tea and poured a cup for her.

    The empress dowager turned her attention back to Lei Xing and smiled, "The tea is here, you should hurry and drink it before it gets cold again."

    Lei Xing reached for the cup again, and the ring changed again.

    {...Shit!! I guess I didn''t dodge this one... Should I pass out again?...}

    She slightly glanced up and saw the empress dowager squinting in her direction with a slight smile on her face, seemingly eager about something.

    {...Does poisoning me really make you that happy? I should just pass out again...I feel that I shouldn''t pass out right now...she is watching me like a hawk and there''s also what she said before...Is she suspicious of me?... It seems so, but she couldn''t have figured out about the ring, right? Come on, how could she? Then what is this then?...

    ...Maybe I''m just being paranoid ...I should just pass out again, but then what if she somehow pegs me with the crime of "falsely" accusing her...what can I do then?...then drink it and die?... I don''t think the toxicity level is enough to kill though, this is still considered a light blue...so it should be fine...

    ...What if it''s not?!... Well if you don''t drink it, that vulture looks like she''s going to eat your head so...}

    With her mind still racing Lei Xing slowly picked up the cup.

    {...It''s so weird that she stopped talking and is eagerly watching me drink this...don''t they all feel it''s weird too? Even if they did, what can they do -_-?)...Okay, it''s just a light blue, a very light blue...so it''s definitely not as bad as the one from before, so it shouldn''t do too much damage right?...right? Someone tell me it''s fine! T_T)...}

    The empress dowager''s eyes were intently following Lei Xing''s movement with her lips slightly curved as she watched in anticipation.

    {...Don''t drink it!... Today is a perfect day for a scene, I will have you explain to me why you didn''t drink it...all the better if you faint right now because of your "illness", then that would mean you are indirectly accusing me of putting something else in your tea - tea which everyone here has seen you drink before on other days with no problem...

    ...I will have it tested before everyone here and show that the tea is fine, even the best doctors in this palace won''t find anything wrong with that tea ...I can even take the extra step to drink it myself to show my anger, that quantity is fairly harmless hahahaha...I will catch you in your lies today and expose you!... and then publicly have you killed...

    ...No, no, imprisoned first, tortured, I want to know how you figured it out, is there a spy somewhere here? Or could it be....No way...Ah! Your father will also have no choice but to grovel before me for your life hahaha...and maybe then I could release you...and then have you demoted to a maid...yes that will be good...and then continue...

    ...Better not drink it...hahahahaha...I can''t wait to see his face! Hahahaha...How upright will he be when it is his daughter''s life on the line?... Hahahaha this will be really fun...}

    Lei Xing was still trying to convince herself that it was harmless enough to drink it and that it was the right thing to do here as she was slowly bringing the cup to her lips.

    She glanced up at the empress dowager, whose eyes were fixated on the cup and looked as if she was ready to fly out at any moment.

    {...I''m not doing this...Even if it doesn''t kill, it can cause pain...I''m scared of pain!!...}

    Just as the cup was almost to her lips, she brought up her other hand and held onto the cup with both hands, and tossed back her head as she drank, like she was taking a shot.

    Like this, her mouth was completely out of view as she drank, and she had covertly poured the tea down the sleeve of her left hand.

    {...Ow, that''s hot!... Bear it! Better arm than insides -_-)...}

    Lei Xing controlled her expression, dropped the cup and bowed to the empress dowager with a smile, "It is really refreshing, I am already feeling rejuvenated. I thank your majesty for your benevolence, it is truly heartwarming."

    {...Well, it turns out these unnecessarily wide sleeves have a use after all -_-)''...}

    The empress dowager''s face instantly fell as she saw Lei Xing drink and she blankly stared at Lei Xing for a while, then she frowned and coldly said, "You''re all dismissed."

    Lei Xing scoffed in her mind.

    {...Well someone''s unhappy...I think you need a new hobby -_-)''...}

    They all stood up, bowed and turned to leave. Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she walked out with the others.

    {...This place is really tiring...Who knows what that woman was gunning at this time, her unhappy expression was quite unnerving...She looked at me like I had just slapped her in the face...Is it wrong to drink someone''s poison now?... You really can''t please some people -_-)...}

    As they got outside the doors, Chen You came up beside Lei Xing and smiled, "Jiejie, it seems the empress dowager really likes you too...That is only natural. How about I follow you to your palace now to spend some time together. There''s so much to talk about."

    Lei Xing abruptly stopped her feet and gave a half-smile, "I''m really not feeling well today and cannot entertain any visitors, I need to rest. You go on ahead."

    Chen You blinked, pursed her lips and then gave a forced smile, "Oh, okay then. I won''t disturb you. Be sure to rest well." Then she haughtily walked off.

    Lei Xing sighed and continued to slowly walk along with Li Ru, still ruminating over what just happened.

    {...Looking at her reaction, she really didn''t want me to drink it...I was right, she had some other plan with all that "insinuating" crap she said before, if I had become "unwell" like she seemed to want, she could have accused me of some crime...I mean you can lose your head for just lying to them...much more "falsely" accusing them...

    ... I''d probably spend time in jail before the execution, probably be tortured and stuff, in which case, I might as well have just drunk the poison and "peacefully" died that way...Haah, this is really tiring...I really really want to go back home!!...I''d even concede on the defense minister''s home, Xiao Ting and all T_T)...}

    When they got outside, Li Ru quietly asked, "How come you didn''t say anything to defend yourself earlier when they were obviously disparaging you?"

    Lei Xing whose head was still wrapped up in trying to figure out what to do about the empress dowager''s problem, heard the question and offhandedly answered, "That is a waste of energy."

    Li Ru knit her brows and said, "But you sa-"

    Lei Xing cut her off, "Their words are of no consequence, just ignore them." They had reached the entrance and Lei Xing curtly said, "I''m going ahead, I''m really not feeling well." Then she walked off with her retinue, leaving Li Ru standing there.

    She really wasn''t feeling well, both her body and mind were really tired, she was already irritated this morning with yesterday''s weirdness plus lack of sleep.

    And now this on top of it all put her in an extremely gloomy mood and the last thing she wanted to do now was to have a conversation about her "sister wives".

    {...I have more important things on my mind than bickering with jobless little brats...}

 Chapter 42 - Remission

    Lei Xing returned to her palace and sent everyone away and laid on her bed stewing for a long time over the course recent events; the uncanny paintings and then the empress dowager''s problem. She had dismissed - at the very least stopped wasting energy thinking about the paintings since she could not get definite answers on that. So, she focused on the issue of the empress dowager, but no matter how she thought about it she still couldn''t come to a conclusion on that problem either. The most she concluded was the empress dowager definitely had a grudge against her, if she had any doubt about it before, it was now confirmed. But she wondered if it was really just because of the empress rejection thing, the empress dowager should have moved on since the emperor seems to have moved on from it, right?

    ...Ideally....but then if she were rational, poisoning me for it wouldn''t be the response -_-)''...It can''t be that she really just hates my face, right?...but even then, to want to kill me for that is a bit much, isn''t it?... I mean she barely knows me...I guess you don''t need to know someone to hate them...actually, thinking about it, maybe she hates me because of the emperor''s crap attention?...but then she''s his mother, she doesn''t need to fight over his "attention" ...right?...Reasons aside, how long can I continue to evade this woman? The "illness" story can''t always work...like today, if it''s something I''ve taken before it doesn''t work, such a glaring loophole!..and she even seemed "upset" when I drank it today...drink = problem, don''t drink = problem...what am supposed to do with this woman?!...

    While Lei Xing was ruminating over the empress dowager''s problem, she ended up falling asleep at some point, she was really tired and all this mental strain was even more exhausting.

    Later on in the day, Xiao Ruo woke her up to get ready. She got up, still irritated, soaked in a bath for a long while and then speedily went through the process of getting ready, she really couldn''t be bothered with it at the moment, and when done, made her way back to the empress dowager''s palace, where they were expected to gather before going over to the main hall.

    For the first time, Lei Xing was actually the first one there. It seemed the others were really taking their time getting ready. She sighed and walked off to the side and sat down to wait, a maid served some tea beside her, Lei Xing glanced down at the cup and ignored it.

    ...I''ve had enough tea here to last two lifetimes...haah, since this is the case, I could have slept some more...I blame Xiao Ruo, always so anxious about everything -_-)...

    To make things worse, shortly after Lei Xing sat down, Song mama came into the room with a message that made Lei Xing really want to run back to her palace to re-do the entire process of getting dressed, this time as slow as humanly possible. The message was that the empress dowager has asked to see her privately in her room. Lei Xing was panicked on the inside but had no choice but to follow Song mama, as she shed silent tears on the inside.

    ...Is she going to just have people hold me down and pour it down my throat...Is this really the end? T_T)...I hope it''s painless poison, if there is such a thing here T_T)...

    Lei Xing was led into the empress dowager''s bedroom, where she was sat down with maids putting on her make-up and jewelry. Lei Xing walked in and bowed, the empress dowager simply cast her a brief sidelong glance and then looked back at her reflection in the mirror.

    Lei Xing awkwardly stood there in the middle of the room ignored. Lei Xing glanced at the empress dowager feeling anxious for her fate.

    ...Maybe I should apologize?... Apologize for what?!... I don''t know...the empress thing?... Do you really think all this is because of THAT?...It doesn''t matter, just do it!...

    Before Lei Xing could convince herself to open her mouth, the empress dowager seemed satisfied with her appearance and waved the maids away, and then turned and calmly stared at Lei Xing. Lei Xing froze and stared back at her blankly before quickly snapping out of it, and bowing again in greeting again. Lei Xing then straightened up, keeping her head lowered. There was only three of them left in the room; Lei Xing in the middle of the room, Song mama who was standing beside the empress dowager and the empress dowager who was sitting down quietly staring at Lei xing.

    Lei Xing felt this situation was very eerie, this was in even worse than dealing with the emperor, in those situations, at most she felt awkward, and annoyed - yes, there''s that too...but she was never really afraid of him or for her life actually. Lei Xing admitted to herself that she was honestly really scared of this woman and this was probably the most scared she''s been in her life, even while drowning, she was extremely panicked but her mind didn''t really have the time to be scared. The sense of impending doom is palpable here.

    ...Of course, I''m scared of her, she tried to kill me!... Well, you don''t really know that, maybe it was harmless?...-_-)''...I think not!... I should really apologize...but will it help?...I don''t know and don''t care, just do something to get her to STOP!!!....

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and kowtowed, then stayed on her knees with her hands cupped in front of her and head bowed, "Your majesty, I apologize for my past transgressions, I have since reflected on myself and recognized failures and ineptitudes." Lei Xing finished in one breath and closed her eyes waiting for a response maintaining her position.

    ...Look I am even on my knees, begrudgingly... willingly on my knees, just let it go!...

    The empress dowager blinked and was quiet for a while staring at Lei Xing. After a while, she laughed and asked, "Apologizing for what?"

    Lei Xing blinked, "Ah, for the disrespect I showed in replying to the emperor''s question on the position of the empress. It was a lapse in good judgment on my part. Please do not hold it against this inexperienced one."

    ...Please let it go, I can''t keep doing this T_T)...

    "Ahh, he did ask you that." The empress dowager said in a tone that sounded like she had just remembered that there was such an event.

    Lei Xing frowned.

    ...You forgot? It''s really not that? I knew she wouldn''t be so petty...but then what else have I done wrong?!... You can''t seriously hate me because of the crap attention that I don''t want, right?...You''re his mother!... We can negotiate, what do you want? Do you want me to be your lackey?... Well...Well, I can try...I mean, we can probably work something out...somehow...just...just give me the chance to fail first!...

    "Why did you wait till now to apologize?" The empress dowager casually asked, and then added, "You can get up now."

    Lei Xing got up, but still kept her head lowered and answered, "I have been meaning to apologize but I could not find an opportunity to meet your majesty privately until now."

    The empress dowager smirked, "Then why didn''t you come to visit me?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at her and swiftly answered, "I didn''t think it was something I was allowed to do..." and then lowered her eyes, "...I also didn''t want to further upset your majesty."

    ...Good, good...I think this is going well...I hope...

    The empress dowager narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Lei Xing for a long while, then asked, "What do you think?"

    Lei Xing raised her head up and looked at the empress dowager wide-eyed with a confused expression, "I''m sorry your majesty, I don''t understand."

    ...I think I have this innocent act down pat, I hope...just think I''m harmless please, actually I am fairly harmless...No, I am thoroughly harmless, like I couldn''t harm a fly...actually, let''s make it frog...unless it wanted to kill me, then I''d...BUT No, I am really harmless...I haven''t harmed a frog...trust me!...

    The empress dowager looked at her expression and sighed, "What do you think of life in the palace?"

    "It is indeed different, but I am adjusting very well." Lei Xing answered bowing her head.

    The empress dowager narrowed her eyes, "Different? How?"

    Lei Xing groaned on the inside, "Well, on the surface, it may simply seem a matter of having more servants and bigger quarters, but new elevated position comes with expectations that we are expected to live up to, so it is very different in that aspect."

    "Ahh, that''s true, I had forgotten life in the palace can seem very different to those who weren''t raised in one." The empress dowager quietly said as she stared off to the side and then there was a long silence after that.

    The silence dragged on and Lei Xing covertly glanced up at the dowager who seemed to be staring blankly at something on the side. After a long while of silence, Song mama also glanced at the empress dowager and realized that she was no longer paying attention to the current scene and so she cleared her throat a few times and bent down and called, "Your majesty, your majesty..."

    The empress dowager lightly flinched and blinked as she turned to look at Song mama, who signaled to the front with her eyes where Lei Xing was standing, the empress dowager turned to look at Lei Xing and then sighed, "It is good you''re adjusting well, if you have any concerns you can always come to me. You can leave."

    Lei Xing deeply bowed, "Thank you, your majesty, I will be eternally grateful for your majesty''s kindness."

    ...Um so are we friends now?... Is that code for "we''re good"?...Can I ask? No? Okay, I''m leaving...

    Lei Xing gave a second bow and then turned and left. Once she was outside the room she let out a sigh of relief as she was led back to the reception hall by one of the maids outside the room.

    After Lei Xing left, Song mama quietly asked, "Your majesty, what do you think? She doesn''t seem bad."

    The empress dowager pursed her lips and offhandedly replied, "I guess."

    Song mama continued, "She even drank the tea today, she doesn''t seem to know anything. It really must have been her good luck before."

    The empress dowager did not say anything.

    Song mama quietly advised, "Your majesty, I know Minister Lei has been rude in the past, but given how things are wouldn''t it better to have him on our side. You said it yourself before that the Lei family hold a lot of power, they are the best in restraining the Zhao family. If we lose their support now because of this one daughter, wouldn''t the throne be in jeopardy later? and then won''t all our hard work be lost? We may end up aiding our enemies instead."

    The empress dowager silently contemplated her words.

    ...That is true, I will be needing someone to restrain that Prime minister Zhao once I am done with his "precious" daughter...

    The empress dowager scoffed.

    ...How dare he trample on me and think he can simply go free...Does he take me for a fool? His sister may be gone but he is still here for me to deal with...

    Song mama saw the empress dowager was contemplating her words and added, "Also, the emperor seems to like this Noble consort Lei, she definitely seems more reliable than that Noble consort Chen...after you have a grandson, it won''t be too late to get rid of her then, that way you can punish them while still retaining their support. Then it will be a perfect situation." Song mama finished with a smile.

    The empress dowager sat quietly in contemplation for a while with a frown and then got up and walked out of the room still frowning.

    ...If I really had to pick between the two...the Zhao family absolutely cannot be forgiven, they must pay!!...but still...

 Chapter 43 - Reunion

    Lei Xing returned to the reception hall, where the other Imperial wives were already seated and waiting for the empress dowager to arrive. Lei Xing went straight to her seat and sat down, still preoccupied with pondering over her awkward meeting with her predator.

    ...So was that good or bad?... Well, at least she didn''t try to force-feed me poison, that''s a positive, I guess...also she didn''t seem angry either...so that''s good...probably?...

    After a while, an announcement came from outside that the emperor had arrived. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and stood up along with the others and bowed in greeting as he walked in. As he walked in, he suddenly stopped and then turned towards Lei Xing, who frowned in response, lowered her head, facing away.

    ...Go away!... Shoo, shoo, I really don''t need this annoyance on top of everything right now T_T)...

    Unfortunately, the emperor could not hear her inner pleas and ended up stopping in front of her. After a while of silence, Lei Xing felt even more awkward in this situation and felt the urge to glance up.

    ...Why is he not saying anything?... Can you and your crazy mother just go jump into a volcano or something? -_-)''...Seriously, I would really appreciate it...

    Eventually, Lei Xing couldn''t continue with this awkward stand-offish scenario with everyone standing there watching, so she looked up to see the emperor''s smiling face, and her eyes reflexively glanced off to the side.

    ...Ah, this is even weirder...stupid paintings...his face looks like a stupid painting!...

    "Are you feeling better?" The emperor asked still with that smile that made Lei Xing''s skin crawl.

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile, "I''m fine, thank your majesty for your concern." She said with her eyes still looking off to the side.

    ...Go away! Leave me alone!...

    The emperor looked at her with raised a raised eyebrow, and then moved his head a bit into her line of sight and her pupils immediately shifted to the opposite direction. Lei Xing groaned on the inside.

    ...What is this a***ole doing now? Go away T_T)''...

    The emperor frowned.

    ...Is she avoiding me?... Why?... Here I thought we''d come to an understanding...how strange...she''s strange...

    Before the emperor could delve into uncovering the obscurities of Lei Xing''s current behavior, the empress dowager entered the hall. They all bowed to her in greeting, she walked up to the emperor and then glanced at Lei Xing, who seeing her looking her way bowed towards her again, it seemed she was now trying to put in some effort into currying favor with the empress dowager.

    ...Gotta build this friendship...It''s so sad what I have come to, sucking up to people was never my strong suit, it really wasn''t even a suit at all T_T)...

    The empress dowager looked at her for a bit and then trailed her eyes from Lei Xing to the emperor. She then smiled at the emperor, "We should be on our way." and so they all made their way to the main hall, were the festive mood was already in swing.

    The festivities in the main hall had already begun and ministers and their families had already arrived and were engaging in merry discussions, toasts and enjoying the music. When the arrival of the emperor and the empress dowager was announced, they all stopped, got up and bowed as the royal entourage walked in. After they all took their seats. The emperor then said some celebratory words and then the festivities resumed, with performers filing into the center to perform. The food was served and the ministers would occasionally raise toasts to the emperor, in which case, everyone had to drink.

    The atmosphere was jovial and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, save for a couple of people who didn''t seem to be in a celebratory mood. The first of them was Lei Xing, who for the most part had on a blank expression, and was picking at her food, occasionally glancing up at the emperor and the empress dowager.

    ...We should be okay now, right?...I mean, there''s no way to know that, it''s not like I can go ask her, "Hey, no more poisoning right? Bygones are gone, right?"...Of course, I can''t ask that -_-)''...there''s also that a***ole, okay to be fair, the paintings aren''t his fault...forget about the bloody PAINTINGS! >_<)''...

    Lei Xing glanced up again and met the emperor''s eyes, slightly flinched and immediately looked down. The emperor narrowed his eyes and looked at her lowered head with a smirk.

    ...It seems she''s really avoiding me...or could she be...shy?...No, doesn''t look like it...She''s behaving like someone who has committed some crime and is scared of being found out...

    On the side, the empress dowager observed this exchange, and was also looking at Lei Xing with a blank expression.

    ...It seems he really likes her...I guess she may have her use, for now...

    The other person who seemed to be in a disgruntled mood was Prince Yi, who like Lei Xing was also casting glances to the top platform while drinking, particularly focusing on the emperor. Therefore he also caught on to this little exchange, which further declined his mood.

    ....Well aren''t you in a celebratory mood...you must have a lot celebrate, must be nice -_-)...

    Prince Yi sighed in annoyance and took another sip of the wine, looking off towards the exit wanting this to be over so he could leave. After a while more of festivities, the banquet aspect of the celebration was over and it was time for them to go out for the highlight of the evening. The empress dowager announced that she is old and tired and so will not be participating. It was obvious this was just an excuse as there were many ministers who were older than her. As she left, they got up and bowed. After her exit, they all also proceeded to move the celebration outside.

    As was custom, they all made their way to the space below the main hall, where pots of flowers and refreshments had been arranged around the area for comfort. After everyone arrived at the bottom, they all split off and went their own way, the Imperial wives who had their family here went to greet them, and those who didn''t were either approached by the guests or went around socializing themselves or followed the emperor around. The emperor and Prince Yi were also engaged in separate conversations with the ministers.

    Lei Xing, of course, had left the group the moment she could. She went to meet her family along with Li Ru tagging along with her personal maid and Ah Jin following behind them. She found her parents and Xiao Ting and greeted them and introduced Li Ru to them as well. Then her mother teary-eyed clasped her hand, "Xing''er, how is life in the palace?"

    Lei Xing smiled, "It is fine."

    ...Yeah, perfectly fine...Other than some woman out for me...Other than that, it can be counted as good T_T)...

    Defense minister Lei scrutinized his daughter with raised eyebrows and quietly asked, "Is anyone bothering you? Is everything going well with the emperor?...and the empress dowager? Are there any problems?"

    Lei Xing''s smile froze for a bit and she looked at her his expresion that seemed to contain hidden meaning, "No, everything is well."

    ...Well, you seem to know who''s trouble...but it''s not like you can do anything about her anyway...plus I don''t even have proof...can''t exactly say my magic ring told me so -_-)''...

    Her mother then asked, "Are you sure everything is fine?"

    "Yes, it is. Really well." Lei Xing reassured.

    Defense minister Lei nodded, "If everything is well, then that is good but you must know to remain vigilant at all times." He finished knitting his eyebrows

    Defense minister Lei nodded to himself trying to persuade himself that the situation was really alright with the empress dowager, after all, he had been at the forefront advocating for her release, despite the pushback from Prime minister Zhao and his party who were pushing for maintaining the late emperor''s will in having her confined for life.

    Her mother then quietly asked, "That''s right, Xing''er are you feeling better now? Have you recovered your missing memories?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then directed her eyes at Xiao Ting, who immediately lowered her head. Defense minister Lei then came back from his thoughts and added, "Yes, Xiao Ting mentioned that you forgot some things and your performance in the competition confirmed it. How is it? Have you had a doctor check on you? Or have you remembered them?"

    Before Lei Xing could respond, a few ministers and their wives approached them and greeted and then started a conversation with Lei Xing being the topic of choice, flattering her with praises talking about how they had no idea that the defense minister had a beautiful daughter like this, and asking questions about why she never came out before and other things related to the matter. Lei Xing didn''t respond to the questions, because, well she didn''t know the answers and her parents were swift in responding. They explained that she has always had a weak body and so was frequently ill, and so did not go out much growing up. Lei Xing''s ears perked up at this part, it was a topic of some interest. As for the conversation, she wasn''t particularly interested in the prospects of socializing and so gave curt replies when asked something, and for the most part, she didn''t have to answer much because her parents kept stepping in to answer on her behalf.

    While most of the conversation was focused on Lei Xing, they did make a few passes at Li Ru, but since she was bad at conversing with strangers, she did not say much and gave awkward short replies as well. After a while, it seems they got a clue that the noble consorts were not interested in conversation and so focused their attention on Lei Xing''s parents.

    Therefore, Lei Xing and Li Ru faded to the back. Xiao Ting then clung onto Lei Xing''s arm and pulled her to the corner and then whispered in her ear, "Jiejie, so how are things between you and the emperor?" Which instantly made Lei Xing frown in annoyance.

    Lei Xing looked at Xiao Ting, who was blushing and looking at her with a silly smile on her face, and felt the urge to knock her on the head but restrained herself given the environment.

    ...What is really in this silly girl''s head? Huh? Flowers and rainbows don''t exist...well, flowers exist, but that''s not the point! -_-)''...

    Lei Xing turned to look at Li Ru who was standing behind them, she had also followed their lead and left the conversing group. Lei Xing put on an exaggerated aggrieved expression, "I told you she was annoying."

    Li Ru snorted seeing her expression and walked up beside Lei Xing and smiled at Xiao Ting, "I think you''re being too harsh on her."

    Xiao Ting smiled back at Li Ru and nodded in agreement, then her smile froze and she knit her brows, and then went to whisper in Lei Xing''s ear again, "Jiejie, it isn''t good to be frolicking with the enemy."

    Lei Xing snorted and then turned to Li Ru, "She says it isn''t good to be frolicking with the enemy, you should keep a distance."

    Xiao Ting was shocked by what Lei Xing just did and went wide-eyed with shock and opened her mouth but couldn''t think of what to say. Looking at her face, Lei Xing laughed and Li Ru also quietly joined her.

    Lei Xing then rubbed Xiao Ting''s head while still laughing, "I''ve missed you."

    ...I really have missed you...I missed when all I had to worry about was you disturbing my sleep T_T)...Take me home with you! Pleeaase T_T)...

    Xiao Ting pouted and whispered, "I''m being serious though..."

    "Xing jie!" An excited female voice, the three of them turned towards the direction of the voice, where one of the noble daughters was speedily making her way towards them through the crowd with a smile on her face. Lei Xing squinted at her thinking that she looked familiar.

    Xiao Ting seeing the incoming party, immediately frowned and subconsciously tightened her hold on Lei Xing''s arm.

 Chapter 44 - Past Ghost

    The girl finally arrived at their front and shoved herself between Li Ru and Lei Xing, still with an excited expression and hugged Lei Xing''s other arm, "Xing Jie, I''ve missed you."

    Lei Xing and Li Ru looked at her wide-eyed, while Xiao Ting was frowning at the new arrival.

    ...Isn''t this that Lady Baihe or whatever it was?... I don''t remember us being anything, much less this -_-)...what the hell is this now?... If anything shouldn''t be glaring at me thinking I cursed her to fail and forgot to include myself...

    Lei Xing frowned and tried to pull her arm away from her hands, then she looked at Lei Xing''s expression and pouted, "Xing Jie, don''t tell me you have forgotten me?"

    Xiao Ting narrowed her eyes and excitedly said, "Jiejie, you don''t know she is, right?" and then went on to mumble, "I knew she was lying."

    Lady Baihe scoffed and glared at Xiao Ting, "Oy brat, mind your business."

    Xiao Ting frowned and retorted, "She is my sister, she is my business. Outsiders are the ones who should mind their business."

    Lady Baihe sneered, "Stop pretending like you''re close. Isn''t it just you clinging on by yourself...like a pest."

    Xiao Ting on hearing that, her face turned red and she looked at Lei Xing teary-eyed, "Jiejie, she..."

    Lady Baihe scoffed and whispered, "Stupid crybaby." Which caused Xiao Ting to turn to glare at her again and was about to open her mouth to retort, when Lei Xing, who was standing in the middle of this spat, finally recovered from her bewilderment, "That''s enough." And then tried to pull her arm out of Lady Baihe''s grasp but couldn''t, and so made to move her other arm to peel her off, but Xiao Ting was also holding onto it tightly, "Xiao Ting, let go."

    "No, tell her to let go." Xiao Ting indignantly replied.

    Lei Xing then turned to Lady Baihe and flatly said, "Can you let go?... Please?" She added for politeness.

    Lady Baihe frowned and mumbled, "Why should I be the one to let go? She''s clearly the one who''s in the way."

    Xiao Ting on the other side stated, "She''s my sister."

    "And she''s my - "

    "That''s enough, both of you let me go right now!" Lei Xing ordered and the two of them instantly released her.

    Xiao Ting then quietly said, "Jiejie, don''t be angry..."

    Lady Baihe on the side mumbled, "This is your fault, my Xing jie never gets angry..."

    Lei Xing sighed and then turned to look at Lady Baihe with a frown, "Um, I do remember you from the concubine selection...but I don''t think -"

    Lady Baihe instantly grabbed onto Lei Xing''s arm again, "Ah, jiejie you shouldn''t hold that time against me, I...um, you know...I was muddle-headed at that time, and...and it was a competition too so...just don''t hold it against me." She finished with a beseeching smile.

    Xiao Ting on the other side also grabbed onto Lei Xing''s arm when Lady Baihe did, and Lei Xing immediately glared at her and she reluctantly let go.

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at Lady Baihe and then peeled her hands off her arm.

    Lady Baihe frowned, "Xing jie, you really don''t remember me? It can be said that we''ve known each other for years, we''re just like sisters...even though we haven''t met for a while."

    Xiao Ting on the side scoffed, "Sisters? How come she has never mentioned you before. You''re probably just some stalker who has been following her around."

    "The stalker in this situation is YOU, also it''s not like she tells you anything anyway. So how would you know?"

    "I''ve told you, it''s not stalking if she''s my own sister in our own home." Xiao Ting defended.

    "I''m pretty sure this isn''t your home." Lady Baihe dismissively said and then turned to Lei Xing, "If you don''t remember, you can ask Ah Jin, I''m sure she remembers."

    And so, their attention turned to look Ah Jin who was behind them. Ah Jin froze and looked back at them wide-eyed for a moment, before stepping forward looking at Lady Baihe, who was squinting back at her, then Ah Jin seemed to slightly knit her eyebrows and then looked at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing was looking between the two of them, observed this little interaction and thought it a little weird and was even more curious.

    "Your highness, it seems you met this Miss a few years ago -"

    Xiao Ting interjected, "How come no one in the family knows about it?"

    Ah Jin hesitated for a bit and finally said, "You met her during that period when you were...away and became sworn sisters."

    Xiao Ting on the side dejectedly said, "Oh..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    ...Away?... What does that mean? A vacation?...Away where?...

    Before Lei Xing could open her mouth to ask for more details, Lady Baihe latched on to her arm again, "That''s right, it was an instant connection, we spent some time traveling around together and ended up becoming sworn sisters." Lady Baihe finished with a smile. "Ah, it''s okay that you don''t remember...I''ll reintroduce myself, my name is Tung Mei, but jiejie can continue calling me Xiao Ying, I like that name better..."

    Xiao Ting on the side frowned at the "Xiao Ying" part but didn''t say anything.

    Tung Mei continued, "My father is the governor of Xia Zhou, I am currently living with some relatives in the capital, I had initially come over for the concubine selection...but I have chosen to stay to...to get married." She finished, with her head bowing and eyes shyly peeking at Lei Xing with a smile.

    Lei Xing looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

    ...I don''t believe your getting married has anything to do with me...does it?...

    Tung Mei seeing Lei Xing''s face quickly added, "Ah I know I shouldn''t get married before Jiejie, but if I were waiting for you...who knows how long that''ll take, plus there''s no one compatible around..." She mumbled the last part under her breath, and then perked up and said, "Ah but you are technically married now so it shouldn''t matter...even though I don''t approve, but he''ll have to do, I guess..." She mumbled again.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "Weren''t you trying to "marry" him too?"

    Tung Mei immediately frowned, "That...that was my parents'' will...it can also be counted as a folly on my part so...so let''s just pretend that never happened."

    Lei Xing looked at her skeptically and wanted to say more when Lei Yong arrived at their side, " Xing er'' you should head back to the emperor now, the lantern release is about to start..." and then he realized Li Ru was there as well and bowed towards her, "Noble consort Li, you should head over as well..."

    Tung Mei scoffed and mumbled, "Why should Xing jie have to go over there? He''s fine by himself..."

    Lei Yong then quietly admonished, "I''ve told you to mind your words...you''ll get in trouble saying things like that."

    Tung Mei then pursed her lips and then suddenly frowned as she looked in Lei Yong''s direction and instantly released Lei Xing and flew in between Lei Yong and Li Ru and latched onto his arm instead and smiled at him, "Yes, yes, I know...I''ll be more careful."

    Lei Yong was fl.u.s.tered and tried to pry her off, but she wasn''t budging, "Hey, get off...you''ll give people the wrong idea...seriously..."

    "No, I think this will be sending the right idea." Tung Mei said and then held on more tightly with a bright smile. She then turned and squinted at Li Ru beside her, "You''re called Noble consort Li? Ah, you''re that Li Ru? No wonder I thought you looked familiar, you''ve done really well for yourself."

    "Tung Mei, be respectful!" Lei Yong immediately admonished again and then turned to Li Ru, "Your highness, please don''t hold it against her, she didn''t mean any disrespect by that."

    Li Ru looked down and quietly said, "It''s...it''s okay..."

    Lei Xing on the side watched the exchange and was enlightened.

    ...Ah I see, she failed as a concubine and somehow fell in "love" with Lei Yong and so now that she is aspiring to be "family", she remembers that we''re close "sisters"?...Well, at least it''s entertaining to watch...

    Lei Xing turned to Xiao Ting who was also watching the scene play out while pouting and quietly asked, "Hey, what''s the story there?"

    Xiao Ting immediately brightened up and smiled at Lei Xing when she spoke to her, which made Lei Xing choke on a laugh.

    ...Well, it seems someone doesn''t like being upstaged...I can imagine this Tung Mei has been sidelining her a lot recently...

    Xiao Ting happily enlightened her, "She showed up at the manor about two weeks ago claiming that older brother saved her life and so she was looking to "repay" him for it, although he said it wasn''t necessary and for her to let it go, she insisted on paying her debt...Then she also added that she is close "sisters" with you to cheat her way into getting on our parents'' good side..." She finished with a frown and mumbled, "..Jiejie, it''s your fault for not having any friends..."

    "What?" Lei Xing asked amused.

    "Yes...because it didn''t seem like you had any friends or even interacted with any outsiders, I mean there''s You jiejie - but she can''t exactly be counted as a friend, she''s a relative...but anyway, that is why father and mother were so happy to receive her and since then she has been coming over almost every day...Really jobless." She mumbled the last bit with a frown and then continued, "I, of course, did not believe her...You''ve never been close to anyone, even with You jie, it was clear to everyone that you were simply tolerating her presence to be polite...even with me, you...now for you to have become "close sisters" with an outsider?...but I guess anything''s possible...father and mother are probably just too eager for grandchildren, you should hurry up...ah but then it''s not the same..." Xiao Ting begrudgingly mumbled the last few sentences, looking dejected again.

    Lei Xing still amused looked at Xiao Ting, who was pouting while glaring at Tung Mei, who was still latching onto Lei Yong, who was desperately "politely" trying to peel her off.

    ...Well, things definitely look interesting on this side...

    "Yong, it looks like you have finally made some progress." The emperor''s amused voice suddenly chimed into the situation, and the group turned in his direction, to find he had arrived on the scene with the other noble consorts, concubines and some guests in tow.

    "We will be making even swifter progress soon." Tung Mei said nodding in agreement.

    Lei Yong frowned, "Your majesty, this is a misunderstanding." and then looked at Tung Mei and said under his breath through gritted teeth, "Stop saying things that make people misunderstand." Tung Mei just smiled back at him in response.

    The emperor laughed, "Misunderstanding? I think the picture is quite clear. Be sure to report the wedding date, I will be sure to send congratulatory gifts."

    "No, it rea-"

    "Thank your majesty for your grace. We will be sure to inform you of the date once we have set it." Tung Mei swiftly interjected, releasing Lei Yong and cupping her hands and bowing towards the emperor.

    "Very well." The emperor said as he walked forward and patted Lei Yong on the shoulder with a smile, "I will be sure to prepare adequately." Lei Yong''s face at this point was very dark with a deep frown.

    ...You''re not helping -_-)''...Honestly, how did I incur this kind of trouble?... All I did was save someone from being robbed on the street, it''s really not something that needs to be "repaid"!...Why doesn''t anyone understand this?!...

 Chapter 45 - Illumination

    Lei Xing on the side was enjoying watching Lei Yong''s misery and watching the scene with a smile, restraining the urge to laugh.

    ...Hahaha, it''s nice to see someone else miserable for a change...I''m a horrible person -_-)''...yeah, I don''t care hahaha...

    Then the emperor''s eyes darted in her direction and her smile immediately fell and her eyes reflexively darted in another direction.

    The emperor narrowed his eyes, in the next moment the servants came forward and presented them with their lanterns, holding fire sticks ready for them to set off the lantern release. They had already distributed the lanterns to the guests as well. As per custom, the Imperial family releases the first set of lanterns starting with the emperor and the empress, followed by the others...and those outside the city release theirs after seeing the lanterns from the palace.

    The emperor looked at the lantern being presented to him and then glanced up at the sky and then said, "Ah it''s time, come along." and started walking off towards the entrance. They were all perplexed but followed along behind him, with the noble consorts ahead and then the concubines and the ministers and their families following behind, with the servants trailing along.

    The emperor was walking briskly and of course, they were all trying to keep up with him. After about fifteen minutes of this, Lei Xing''s tired irritated mood resurfaced, she was exhausted and started to slow down and Li Ru beside her also slowed down as well. Lei Xing at this point was glaring ahead at the speed walking emperor, along with Chen You and Zhao Lan behind him almost at a jog.

    ...Where the hell is this a***ole going now? Also why is he walking so fast? Does he think this is a military drill or something...Pity the old people and the tired here!...Also if we were going for a workout, a heads up on wardrobe would have been nice, do you know how heavy all this crap is -_-?)...

    Since Lei Xing and Li Ru slowed down, the others behind them naturally were forced to slow down as well. There were some sighs of relief that could be heard from behind them. Li Ru looked ahead a little worried and said to Lei Xing, "Don''t you think we should speed up a little?"

    Lei Xing offhandedly said, "You can go ahead if you like."

    "Yes, you can go on ahead." Tung Mei chimed in. Lei Xing and Li Ru startled, turned to see her walking beside Lei Xing, they didn''t notice her come up at all. Tung Mei was not bothered by their startled expressions and continued to speak casually, "Xing jie, so how is life here? I know it''s not ideal..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "Ideal?"

    Tung Mei knit her eyebrows, "Well, I didn''t think you would have wanted any of this..." She paused and then raised her eyebrows, "Or did you?"

    Lei Xing frowned.

    ...Well, I don''t...but then I can''t exactly say that here...also the "me" that you knew very much wanted to be here so -_-)''...

    "Ah, I should add that I wasn''t in support of this at all. It''s just you know..." She smiled shyly and then glanced behind them. Lei Xing turned to follow her line of sight to Lei Yong, who was looking off to the side with a deep frown. Lei Xing wanted to laugh but held it in, she also noticed that Tung Mei was getting quite a lot of questionable stares. Amongst those stares was Xiao Ting who was seemed to be glaring at her, she had also wanted to walk forward to join her sister but her parents had told her it was against decorum and so stopped her.

    ...But then why does she get to do everything she wants -_-?)...

    Lei Xing looked at Tung Mei and asked, "Is it okay for you to be up here?"

    Tung Mei raised her brows in confusion and then Lei Xing motioned behind them, Tung Mei looked behind and then dismissively said, "Oh, they don''t matter."

    "I assumed you were trying to play the role of a perfect daughter-in-law, Xiao Ting said you visited a lot over the last two weeks, couldn''t this cause a problem?"

    Tung Mei smiled, "It''s okay, they already love me."

    "I don''t think Xiao Ting feels that way." Lei Xing said snorting.

    "She''ll get over it soon. I admit it''s my fault, but seeing her getting riled up so easily is fun to watch, I never got to have fun before and I''m sure we can get along." Tung Mei finished with a sinister grin.

    Lei Xing snorted.

    ...Xiao Ting is in for some tough days ahead...

    They finally rounded the corner, to see the emperor, Chen You and Zhao Lan just standing there, it seems they had realized they had lost the crowd and stopped in their tracks to wait. Zhao Lan frowned at Lei Xing and Li Ru, "How dare you make the emperor wait for you?"

    Li Ru was fl.u.s.tered, while Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    ...If he walked like a normal human being, he wouldn''t have to wait -_-)''...

    Lei Xing bowed her head to "apologize", "It was not our intention, it''s just that not everyone is built for such...exertion."

    Tung Mei snorted and then cleared her throat when Zhao Lan glared in her direction. Zhao Lan turned back to Lei Xing, "You ob-"

    "That''s enough." The emperor calmly said and then proceeded to continue to walking, Zhao Lan scoffed at Lei Xing and then turned to follow. This time the pacing was much more normal and so they all continued to walk along in silence.

    Prince Yi was waiting near the entrance for the servants to bring up his carriage, he had unexpectedly turned up and so they didn''t have it ready in waiting. He had left earlier after talking some ministers, whose words had irritated him.

    ...Those idiots don''t understand when they are being played... Why would I attack them after all these years? For money? I don''t need money, If they had any brains they would see that it doesn''t make sense...and that Minister Tung even had the guts to tell me that I''m trying to sow "discord" between them and the "emperor"...he now has a mouth because that his stupid niece is cozying up to the Lei family, so he thinks he has some power now? ...Cowards, what did I expect the idiotic first brother''s followers, spineless fools...

    Prince Yi''s carriage finally arrived and he was just about to get on, when he saw the procession coming this way and knit his brows and stopped in his tracks and skeptically looked at the approaching crowd.

    ...What stupidity is this now?...

    At this point, they were all aware that they had walked all the way to the palace gates, which made the followers very confused. The guests were wondering whether the lantern release part of the celebration was canceled this year and that the emperor was just walking them out of the palace.

    Prince Yi approached the emperor, who smiled at him and said, "Ah, so this is where you were. I noticed you had gone missing."

    Prince Yi knit his brows and bowed in greeting as he explained, "I was not feeling well and so quietly excused myself so as not to ruin the festivities." He then glanced at the host of people behind the emperor, "Your majesty, this is..."

    "Ah, we''re here to release the lanterns." The emperor casually explained. While eyebrows behind him raised in confusion.

    ...Here? but we won''t be able to see anything...

    Prince Yi frowned.

    "I think this has the best view...since you''re here, you should join us if you''re upto it." The emperor finished and then continued walking along, and Prince Yi begrudgingly followed behind him.

    The emperor''s intention started to become clear to his confused followers when they started ascending the steps leading up to the top of the palace walls. When they got to the top, they could see the streets filled with people and lit lanterns ready to be released, they could surmise that the people must have been wondering what was happening in the palace due to the delayed release of the lanterns.

    When they all arrived at the top, they quickly filed around, the guards there were confused at this sudden intrusion but didn''t say anything seeing the emperor taking the lead. The view was really good, one could see the whole spread of the city, and streets lined with festive lights, it was a beautiful scene even just as is. Since they were already behind schedule, they quickly began the release starting with the royal family and the guests around them and soon after the city was covered with ascending lanterns, going up to join the clear starry night sky. It was a breathtaking scene to see, and they all were captivated by it.

    Prince Yi frowned as he watched the lanterns fly up into the air.

    "My mother told me the view of the lanterns is best outside the palace...we can''t leave so I thought this will be the closest thing, it should be starting soon...I heard you were poisoned, how did that happen?"

    Jun Kai did not respond and just blankly looked ahead.

    "You don''t have to talk about it...it''s good you''re better now."

    Still no response. Jun Shan had not seen him in over a week, since the time he returned from the cold palace, as he was recovering in their father''s palace, but he had heard that Jun Kai had not been speaking or reacting much to people since he came back. Jun Shan finally got the opportunity to see him today when Jun Kai finally left the emperor''s palace, returning to the palace he had lived in with his mother and didn''t bother to attend the celebration, their father had explained it away announcing that it was because he was still recovering. So Jun Shan used the excuse of being unwell early on to leave the celebration banquet to go find him and drag him here.

    Jun Shan looked at him and then hesitantly asked, "Are you worried about your mother? It''s good as long as she''s alive...with time father will forgive her and release her...if not, then you can always do it yourself in the future, it''s good as long as she''s alive."

    Jun Kai quietly turned to look at Jun Shan with a blank expression.

    Prince Yi''s mind returned from the memory watching the rising lanterns evoked with a deep frown on his face.

    ...Then I had wondered what he was thinking, but now I know, he was probably thinking about how foolish I was...So what is this now? Is he trying to rub it in my face that he has succeeded now? So I can congratulate him and applaud him on it?... Is he really set on mocking me in every way?... He is always the perfect, reasonable, brilliant one and I''m what...the blind fool who knows nothing...

    ...*You are doing it again, he is not responsible for everything that goes wrong in your life...

    ...What? Do you want me to be grateful to him now? To bow down and praise him for his "accomplishments"?... He is always the one who is in the right and I''m the one always wrong?... He is the one who is always the victim who needs to be pitied, the only one deserving pity, the only one with a hard life, isn''t that right?.... You always seem to stick up for him, have you ever stopped to consider his role in everything? Has HE ever done that?!...

    Prince Yi heard a lamenting sigh in his head as he looked at the emperor who was looking up at the lanterns with a relaxed smile, and then his frown deepened and he turned and headed for the stairs leaving the festive scene behind with a scowl on his face.

    ...I''ve told you if you have nothing of value to say then don''t say anything at all, I''m tired of your nagging, I don''t need it and I don''t need you, leave me be!...

    Prince Yi heard a long lamenting sigh again as he speedily made his way down the steps.

    ...*This really isn''t how it''s supposed to be, it really has become much too complicated...I don''t know if it will be a good thing or not, but it may be better to play out this hate if you must, hate all you want and learn from it...Let things unfold as they will, I won''t interfere anymore...

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened.

    ...Good! I don''t need you, get lost!...

 Chapter 46 - Floating Illusions

    Lei Xing felt the view was truly breathtaking, she had always wanted to see this and it was even better than she imagined being in the middle of it. She had always wanted to experience this and even looked into visiting Thailand during its Light festival, but never got around to it, it was one of the many things she never got a chance to do...and one of the many things she planned to do once she had her career settled and satisfied her ambitious spirit and bank account. She sighed as she thought of all the things she set aside for the future, for the sake of working hard because money had to be made and she had a hard time turning down any opportunity that came her way for it and was often criticized for it...

    ...What was the point of all that stress now? I should have had more fun...Actually, considering the cruise was supposed to be "fun"...Maybe less fun was the way...

    "Is something wrong?" Li Ru asked looking at Lei Xing with raised eyebrows hearing Lei Xing''s depressed sigh.

    Lei Xing blinked and turned to her, "No, no...everything''s fine. It''s beautiful." She finished with a smile and looked back up at the sky filled with floating lanterns. Li Ru also turned back to the sky as well, taking in the view, it was also her first time seeing this, as they never did this in her city.

    Tung Mei who was still standing with them looked at Lei Xing''s captivated expression and then glanced back up at the sky of lanterns, "tch it''s okay, we''ve seen better."

    Lei Xing was immersed in the sky scene and was no longer paying attention to her surroundings, seeing the departing lanterns made her feel oddly nostalgic, and she recalled fond memories of her past life, her family, her friends...the life she was no longer part of...

    ...I wonder what they are all doing now?... If time passes the same there, they should have heard by now...

    As that thought crossed Lei Xing''s mind, her eyes welled up and two teardrops escaped down her face, and she quickly lifted up a hand and covertly wiped them away. She looked on transfixed at the departing lanterns that seemed to represent the beautiful things she had lost and can no longer regain. Lei Xing took a deep breath and then laughed to herself.

    ...This is not how envisioned my lantern release experience going...I was supposed to be at Thailand''s Light festival taking beautiful shots with my phone hahaha...

    Lei Xing''s face at this time was full of smiles, and she was trying hard to restrain herself from laughing out loud...if she didn''t laugh, she would end up crying, and laughter had always been her emotion of choice at times like these, it was all she could do. The next moment, Tung Mei hugged Lei Xing''s arm, Lei xing instinctively froze and turned to look at her with raised eyebrows, Tung Mei smiled at her and then looked back up to the sky. Lei Xing knit her brows and looked at her, perplexed and then sighed and looked back up at the sky solemnly.

    After the lanterns had floated far away, the celebration was over and concluded on farewells. When Lei Xing returned to her palace, she was in a stoic mood and just sat down quietly with her mind blank. After a long while, she glanced around the room and looked at Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo who had been standing there the whole time, and she suddenly recalled something.

    "Ah Jin, are Tung Mei and I really friends?" Lei Xing asked looking at Ah Jin with a blank expression.

    "Yes, your highness." Ah Jin swiftly replied.

    "Like sisters?"

    "Yes, your highness."

    Lei Xing sighed and relaxed back in her chair, "I see...and how did we meet?"

    Ah Jin''s knit her brows, hesitated and then glanced towards Xiao Ruo, Lei Xing followed her line of sight, "Xiao Ruo, can you go have the bath ready please?"

    Xiao Ruo complied, bowed and made her exit, glancing curiously at Ah Jin as she did. After the doors were closed on Xiao Ruo''s exit, Lei Xing continued, "Now you can talk."

    Ah Jin nodded and complied, "You met her a few years ago when you...you...you left the manor for a while."

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and asked, "Alone?"

    "Yes."

    "How come?"

    Ah Jin hesitated again, "Well...you left by yourself."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "Ran away?"

    Ah Jin knit her brows again, "Well, not exactly...you left a note saying you will be returning soon."

    "I see...and how did I run into Tung Mei?"

    Ah Jin''s brows scrunched up even more, "Ah...I''m not exactly sure, by the time I found you, you were already together."

    Lei Xing squinted at her, "You found me?"

    "Yes, your highness."

    "So you were looking for me?"

    "Yes, your highness."

    "I thought you said I didn''t run away and planned on returning, so why were you looking for me?" Lei Xing was staring fixedly at Ah Jin, who seemed to be quite nervous, which was unlike her usual self. Lei Xing scrutinized her and snorted to herself.

    ...Well, this seems quite interesting...

    "Ah...I was worried." Ah Jin responded.

    "Worried about?" Lei Xing swiftly followed up.

    "Ah...Well, you...you were all alone outside the city...anything could happen to y-"

    "I was outside the city? How did you know?" Lei Xing interjected.

    "Ah...th-that''s where I found you."

    "Okay...but how did you know to look outside the city? Also, although I don''t remember much, I at least know that "outside the city" is vast, so how did you find me?"

    Ah Jin stared blankly at Lei Xing, who calmly staring fixedly on her, Lei Xing smirked, "You knew where I was going, right?"

    Ah Jin remained silent, so Lei Xing directly asked, "So where was I going?"

    Ah Jin blinked several times and explained, "It was just a guess...you wrote you were going horse riding and I...I thought you would prefer to be out in the open, rather than a confined space...so I...I guessed and instinct...and I got lucky, my guess was right."

    Lei Xing gave a short laugh, "Okay, so where was I going?"

    Ah Jin looked down and took a deep breath, Lei Xing scrutinized her and was amused.

    ...It seems she is getting irritated with this line of questioning...this is fun hahaha...

    Ah Jin looked back up at Lei Xing, it seemed she had regained her usual calm composure and said, "I really don''t know where you were going...honestly, I met you on the way and we came back...and Miss Tung was there too."

    "Ahh, I see...you wouldn''t know then..." Lei Xing said nodding, "You seem quite close to that Miss Tung..." Lei Xing said casting Ah Jin a questioning look that made it clear she was waiting for an explanation.

    Ah Jin swiftly got on her knees and responded, "We really are not close at all, she traveled back with us for a while...that is all there is to it, we don''t have anything to do with each other." She looked up at Lei Xing with imploring eyes, which to Lei Xing seemed like accusing eyes.

    ...tch, it''s not like it''s a crime to know her...Now it seems like I''m bullying you -_-)''...

    Lei Xing sighed, this was no longer amusing and she was just about to tell Ah Jin to stand up, when the doors opened and Xiao Ruo ran into the room urgently, "Your highness, your highness..."

    Lei Xing looked at Xiao Ruo, "Calm down, what is it?"

    ...Doesn''t she get tired of always been so anxious about everything -_-)''...

    Xiao Ruo bowed, "I apologize, your highness, the emperor is waiting for you outside."

    Lei Xing immediately frowned at her.

    ...What does he want now? Can''t someone have some fun in peace for once?! Is it a crime?!... Also, why is he waiting outside? -_-)''...Wait, not that I want him in here...Outside is good, very good...

    While Lei Xing was zoning out, Xiao Ruo implored her, "Your highness, you should hurry up and go out, it isn''t good to keep the emperor waiting."

    Lei Xing sighed and got up and glanced at Ah Jin, who was still kneeling, "You should get up, there''s no need for panic, it''s not a crime even if you know her." Ah Jin bowed again and Lei Xing walked out of the room.

    When she got outside, she was led to the gazebo on the side, where the emperor was standing with his hands clasped behind his back. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, and then walked forward and bowed in greeting, "Your majesty."

    He glanced at her, "Ah, you''re still awake?"

    Lei Xing''s forehead pulsed and she inwardly sighed.

    ...Not in the mood for this crap -_-)... You called me here, I didn''t "stumble" upon your quiet time...Actually, this is my palace too...so this is not a coincidence, don''t talk like it is! -_-)''...

    When Lei Xing didn''t respond, the emperor smirked and then looked forward again. Lei Xing looked at him and waited for him to state his business, but he didn''t say anything, after a while, Lei Xing traced his line of sight.

    ...Hey, the wall couldn''t be that interesting...also, if you want to wall gaze, there are so many other places around to do that, and I know for a fact it is a hobby better enjoyed alone -_-)...

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    ...He''s really just there to ruin my night, isn''t he? -_-)...

    "How did you find the view of the lanterns?" The emperor finally spoke up, still looking forward.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him and flatly responded, "It was magnificent."

    ...Did he really come here to converse about floating lanterns? ...If he''s looking for someone to praise him for his aesthetic choice, he came to the wrong place -_-)''...

    The emperor turned to look at Lei Xing with a calm smile, "Really? I thought it had evoked some unpleasant memories for you."

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "No, not at all."

    ...What tangent is this guy on now? -_-)...

    "Really? Then why the tears?" He calmly asked.

    Lei Xing blinked and was confused, "What tears?"

    ...Is this guy hallucinating now?...

    "You were crying as you watched the lanterns." The emperor stated matter of factly.

    Lei Xing nervously laughed and flatly said, "I wasn''t crying."

    "I distinctly remember seeing tears..."

    Lei Xing put on a strained smile and repeated, "I wasn''t crying."

    The emperor laughed, "There is no need to feel ashamed, it is understandable..."

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched, "Two teardrops doesn''t equal crying."

    "Very well...why the two teardrops?"

    Lei Xing blankly looked at him.

    ...Are you bored? -_-)''...I know life here is very boring, but there should be plenty keeping YOU busy...

    He continued before she could respond, "...Is there something causing you grief...or perhaps something you miss?"

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and offhandedly said, "It was just a beautiful moment...a nostalgic moment."

    "A nostalgic moment?"The emperor repeated and then looked forward again and sighed, "That is an apt description."

    The two of them stood in silence for a while, each with their own thoughts. Then the emperor turned to her with an outstretched hand, "Here."

    Lei Xing glanced down at his hand which was holding a carved jade object and then back up at him, he motioned for her to take it, so she hesitantly took it and turned it over scrutinizing the object. Then he continued to explain, "That is a pass to leave the palace."

    Lei Xing froze and looked up at him wide-eyed in disbelief, "A...A pass?"

    The emperor smiled looking at her awe-stricken face, "Yes, it is."

    "I...I can leave?" She asked still in disbelief.

    "Yes, you can." The emperor calmly responded.

    Lei Xing smiled cheerfully and then laughed, and then remembered to show gratitude and bowed, "Thank you, thank you so much...The universe will reward you, thank you..."

    ....Oh my goodness! I can''t believe this happening! Finally getting out!... Oh, wow I can''t believe this....just when I was giving up hope T_T)''... I''m sorry for all the insults, you''re a really good person...

    Lei Xing was so overjoyed and felt like she would cry.

    ...Today''s really something...I''m usually not a crier, hahaha but who cares!... Today we cry, Tomorrow we''re free!!! ... This feels too good to be true! T_T)... Wait, this is really too good to be true...and feels that way, it usually is...

    Lei Xing''s happy excited demeanor immediately vanished and she cautiously looked at the emperor, who had been watching her moment of joy with a smile, Lei Xing looked at him skeptically, "...Thank you...but what''s the catch?"

    "The catch?" The emperor repeated confused.

    "Ah...I mean, like the cost..." Lei Xing tried to explain the expression.

    "Cost?" The emperor asked with a raised eyebrow still confused.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips thinking of a better term, "...Um, the pitfall."

    "Pitfall?" The emperor knit his brows, "You mean like a trap?"

    Lei Xing nodded, "Exactly!"

    "Catch..." The emperor quietly said to himself and then smirked at her, "...should there be?"

    Lei Xing slightly narrowed her eyes and became even more guarded.

    ...I knew it, there is no way this was a going to be a free walk...I knew it, it''s probably a prank too...Wait, but why would he lie? -_-)''....I don''t know, crazy''s not my forte! -_-)...Maybe baiting?... It may truly be a pass but watch him say something like, "It is a pass and you can use it to leave...after my death." or "It is a pass, that you could have used to leave yesterday" or some other stupid crap like that -_-)...

 Chapter 48 - Paved Road

    ????: Hello everyone, it has been a while...Things have been a bit... ????complicated here...With no help from a certain group of people...They say I''m just being paranoid, but I know the reality of it...???? *whispers* They are actually keeping me hostage here...I mean sure I can leave, but that LX''s going to have me dissected or worse if I do...so...I pla- *AHEM* Oh, yes so today...today''s message is about Ah Jin - she''s a liar...They all are ????...but she''s definitely not bad though, probably ????...*whispers* ????Don''t trust any of them ...Enjoy the chapter! ***

    Lei Xing was not pleased to receive a guest first thing when she woke up, but considering the person had been waiting for hours and for the sake of being polite, she quickly washed up and went out to reception hall, to find the head servant, a young girl standing there, when Lei Xing walked in she bowed and greeted her. Lei Xing walked up and sat down and then asked, "So what is the message?"

    The girl then immediately got on her knees and kowtowed towards Lei Xing, "Your highness, please let me serve you!"

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows.

    ...What is this drama now -_-?)...

    Lei Xing just silently looked at the kneeling figure in front of her for a while and then sighed, "Stand up."

    The girl went upright, still on her knees and shook her head, "Thank you your highness, but I won''t stand until you accept me."

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    ...Well, then prepare to kneel for eternity, when you''re tired you''ll stand up on your own...

    "Why did Noble consort Chen send you here?" Lei Xing asked, already tired of the conversation, while she was aware she could just order her out but she didn''t want to deal with any unnecessary trouble later from anyone, therefore she chose to take a more cordial approach.

    The girl shook her head, "Noble consort Chen didn''t send me here, but I did receive permission from her before coming."

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at her. The girl saw Lei Xing''s expression and quickly added, "My name is Chun Hua and I have come to repay my debt of gratitude."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and inwardly sighed.

    ...People keep falling from the sky -_-)...First, it was a childhood friend, would you even call them friends? More acquaintance actually...Either way, then some random from a runaway session, and now this...debtor...It''s getting annoying -_-)''...Not to mention, she came from that Chen You, who already doesn''t exactly like me...so sure, why not give her more reason to hate me -_-)''...Also, who knows if this is some sort of plot too...Haah, the universe can''t let me just be happy for one day, really?...

    "There''s no need, so you should return." Lei Xing calmly said.

    Chun Hua looked up at her and then said, "Your highness, you told me to go out and find work and I have done so now. I know you said you said you don''t need me to repay the debt, but fate has provided the opportunity for us to meet again so I feel that it is necessary for this debt to be repaid."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes and examined Chun Hua.

    ...Okay, good for you...You feel it''s necessary, I don''t so there''s no meeting of the minds here -_-)''...but those words sound somewhat familiar...don''t tell me...

    "When was this?" Lei Xing asked to confirm her suspicions.

    "A few weeks ago, I was part of the slaves you graciously released." Chun Hua replied.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she recalled the same girl, badly beaten up kneeling and begging to "serve" her.

    ...Of course...turns out this is my own baggage...

    "Ah I see...It seems you have found your way." Lei Xing said with a half-smile.

    ...Not sure how promotion in the palace works, but a head servant in a few weeks, I''d say you''re doing very well...

    "Yes, a few days after we parted ways, I was lucky and was able to help Madam Chen out of a dangerous situation, she was very grateful and took me into her manor, she saw that I was skilled and hard-working and so kept me close at hand. Later, when Noble consort Chen officially entered the palace, the maid who was supposed to join her in the palace fell badly ill and so could not come. The Madam seeing that I was smart, skillful and trustworthy sent me in her place to assist Noble consort Chen in the palace. It is all thanks to your grace that I was able to meet with such good fortune." Chun Hua explained.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "I see..."

    ...All in a week? Very quick work...but, do these people think I''m an idiot -_-?)...So you have an entire family''s gratitude, a head servant position...so why are you here again?... Also, there''s no way Chen You would have happily given you "permission" to come here -_-)...

    Lei Xing smiled, "It is good that you''re doing well. There''s no need to come here to suffer. You should go back." Lei Xing finished and got up to leave.

    "I don''t mind suffering at all, I ca-" Chun Hua tried to protest.

    Lei Xing cut her off, "Seeing you doing so well is repayment enough, any more will make me feel very uncomfortable. So hurry on back." She finished and quickly walked off.

    ...I don''t know what sort of stupid game you people are trying to play, nor do I care but the last thing I want to do is play tug of war with anyone over a person -_-)...

    Chun Hua stayed there on her knees watching Lei Xing''s departing back. After a while, she sighed, then got up and left. When she returned to Chen You''s palace and Chen You saw her walk into her study, she looked up from her embroidery work and smiled at her, "So how was it?"

    Chun Hua knit her brows and calmly said, "She refused."

    Chen You frowned and threw the handkerchief piece she was making on the table, "Is there anything you''re actually good for? I don''t know what my mother was thinking...None of your plans are working, you made me go over to royal study for days with soups and tonics, I didn''t even get to see the emperor''s face even once after all that! While she just stupidly sits down there and has the emperor running to her..." Chen Ruo Yu then suspiciously eyed Chun Hua, "Don''t tell me you actually turned her down because she offered you a low position?"

    Chun Hua covertly rolled her eyes as she bowed her head and explained, "Of course not, I told her I was willing to work hard, but she said ''seeing me doing well is repayment enough''"

    Chen You scoffed, "When has she ever been such a good person?" Then she smiled, "...But in that case, maybe she will take you in when she sees you suffering...You''re already useless, you can''t even do something as simple as bribe a few maids, what''s the point of you being in that position, what do you think?"

    "It''s not my fault the maids know who to fear." Chun Hua mumbled.

    Chen You hearing that, shot up in anger, "Are you saying she''s better than me? So they can fear her but not me?!"

    Chun Hua quietly sighed and explained, "Not her, the emperor is who they fear. I heard that he had personally assigned that palace to her, the servants there were also arranged by Eunuch Li, so it won''t be so easy to buy someone over to our side."

    Chen You frowned in anger recalling the unpleasant event, "I don''t know what the emperor is thinking...What does he see in her? Especially after that awful performance, he must be blind!"

    "Quietly, don''t say that out loud, you''ll get in trouble." Chun Hua quietly advised in a panic.

    "What? Isn''t it the truth. She always goes around thinking that she''s better than everyone else, when she''s the lowest of the low...I won''t have her ruling over me, you better think of something and fast. If she by chance becomes empress...or becomes pregnant...I wil-" She paused and took a deep breath and then said through gritted teeth, "Better make yourself useful." Then stormed out of the room.

    Chun Hua stood in the room after Chen You left, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed to calm herself.

    ...This is really what my life has come to now, having to serve a childish idiot...And that other one, who does she think she is? Does she really think anyone really wants to be her servant that she''s being all self-righteous about it? Entitled idiots like her are the worst...

    **

    After Lei Xing returned to her room, she quickly forgot about the visit that interrupted her happy day as she got ready for her day out. She had them prepare male outfits to wear for her and Ah Jin who was going to be her guide. She thought, that the women in dramas always did it and so Lei Xing wanted to try it out.

    ...I mean why not?... Also, it is a fact that it is a safer world for a man...also the outfits are a lot simpler, that''s the biggest plus hahaha...

    Lei Xing quickly got dressed, she even had her chest bandaged to complete the outfit and had her hair put up. When she was done getting dressed, she stood in front of the mirror to admire herself.

    ...Hmm, not bad...but how could anyone look at this face and think "guy"...Haah, the mind is a wonderful thing, it can even make you believe the sky is purple so why not hahaha...

    When Lei Xing was done admiring her work. She made her way to the palace gates following Ah Jin with the jade pass in hand, and a purse of money secured, she was ready to go. As hey approached the palace gates, she felt a bit nervous.

    ...Moment of truth, it''s either fake or real...Why would he lie?...I don''t care, I need to see it work to believe it...

    After showing her pass, the guards let her pass through the gates and she felt so relieved as she walked out into the open space. She had a big smile on her face, and turned back to look at the towering walls behind her and let out a breath of relief as she looked on from the outside. It felt like she had just been released from prison, she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders and took a deep breath of the fresh air of the outside.

    ...The smell of freedom...You''re going back though -_-)...SHHHH! That is irrelevant...let me enjoy this moment...

    "Your highnes-"

    "Shh, don''t call me that." Lei Xing immediately scolded Ah Jin when she called out to her. They had been standing in front of the palace gates for a while now, while Lei Xing was standing around in daze having her moment.

    Ah Jin nodded and corrected, "Miss, where do you want to go?"

    Lei Xing still in a jolly mood laughed and said, "Oh, I had forgotten to mention that. Let''s go to Doctor Lou''s shop first."

    Ah Jin nodded and then led the way with Lei Xing cheerfully following.

    ****

    ???????? MiraiSeasng''s Notes :  I wanted to mention, that while the ???? skits are done on a spur of the moment, they do have some relevance to the actual storyline, in that they give some hints on the story... also I should mention that the ???? skits don''t necessarily follow the same timeline of the main story...

    ...Bottomline, the ???? skits contain hints on the main story...I''ll give an example, the last few skits, LX has been running or avoiding a certain someone/people, she normally gets a notification on her phone and then runs off...which means she has a lookout(s)...then in the last skit, "Other''s misery = Glee", Tung Mei blocks the emperor (JK) in front of the lounge door saying LX''s not there, while LX joins LY under the table ???? ...this time LX didn''t get a notification because her lookout(s) was too busy chasing after a certain someone...

    ...So TM failed her lookout duty while focusing on chasing LY, Emperor saw LY running and wanted to talk to him and so followed behind them...Hence, TM thoroughly failing her mission by bringing the enemy ????...From this, you can deduce she will be a friend in the future, ????or at least a business partner - she could be paying her for it, LY''s the pay LOL...

 Chapter 49 - Old Sage

    The two arrived at Doctor Lou''s shop, and Lei Xing told Ah Jin to wait outside and busy herself with something, while she went inside still in a great mood.

    She walked in to find Doctor Lou laying down on his desk, sleeping again.

    ...Business must really slow here...

    Lei Xing stood in front of the desk and cleared her throat to wake him up, he didn''t respond and so she lightly knocked on the desk. Doctor Lou groaned, "We''re closed."

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    ...Well, that''s why business is slow -_-)...

    "Why do you have the doors open if you''re closed?"

    Doctor Lou then raised his head and squinted at her, then sat up and asked in shock, "You got kicked out already?"

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "No, I-"

    "Did something happen to my ring?" Doctor Lou asked cutting her off.

    "No, it-"

    "Oh, so you missed me?" Doctor Lou excitedly asked, cutting her off again.

    Lei Xing stared at him blankly, "No, I ca-"

    "Tch, would it kill you to just say yes? Children these days are so horrible, too uptight, too headstrong, high-strung... I miss the good old days when young ones knew to be cute and lovable." Doctor grumbled looking downcast and repeatedly sighing. "No one ever comes to visit me just to check on me, it''s always for some reason or the other. Children are so selfish..."

    Lei Xing stood there looking at the lamenting old man, a bit confused at this string of complaints being hurled her way.

    ...Well someone is in a bad mood...We''re not even friends, you know...Why should I have to check on you -_-?)''...

    "So...Why are you here?" Doctor Lou asked looking at Lei Xing still with an aggrieved expression on his face.

    Lei Xing looked at him and was not sure what to say now.

    ...I seem to have a stepped on a land mine...Definitely came at the wrong time this time...I am really bad at dealing with people''s emotions so...

    "Um...I think now''s not a good time, so I''ll just come back later." Lei Xing said while taking steps back.

    "No, you''ve already woken me up. Give me my ring." Doctor Lou said stretching out a hand for it.

    Lei Xing moved the hand with the ring slightly behind her back, looking at him with a guarded expression, "Why?"

    ...You''re not seriously going to take the ring back because I didn''t come to "check on you"...that''s too petty!...

    Doctor Lou looked at her face and then burst out into laughter and was hitting the table as he howled with laughter.

    Lei Xing frowned in confusion at the sudden change in mood.

    ...So now he''s having mood swings? -_-)''...

    After Doctor Lou managed to restrain his laughter, "Before you boldly said you will return it so easily, now that you have seen its greatness, you can''t part with it, right?" he said while leaning forward, smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched, "I said we would negotiate a price first, and if we couldn''t come to an aggreement then I would return it."

    Doctor Lou clicked his tongue, "Same thing...There''s no need to panic, I just want to inspect it."

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and slipped off the ring and handed it over, "Of course..."

    Doctor Lou took the ring and looked it over carefully. Then he got out a cloth, blew on the jewel and started cleaning it, casting Lei Xing a side glare and scolding, "I told you this is a precious treasure, do you know how much effort it took to make it? You should treat it properly...Children these days don''t understand true value, do they? Then they complain when things don''t work."

    "Is something wrong with the ring?" Lei Xing asked concerned.

    "Of course not, how can there be anything with it? If anything''s wrong, it''s the owner who is wrong." He replied still focused on cleaning and petting the ring. "So someone tried to poison you, huh? It''s definitely your cold attitude that got you in trouble, isn''t it?"

    Lei Xing frowned, "I''m a very cordial person, you know."

    Doctor Lou cast Lei Xing a disbelieving glance, then Lei Xing cleared her throat, "Well, most of the time I am."

    ...Plus I have never been rude to empress dowager -_-)...I haven''t right?... I think so...

    Doctor Lou snorted, "If you say so..." Then he handed the ring back to her. Lei Xing quickly took it and put it back on.

    Doctor Lou then folded his arms and sighed, "It must have been the empress dowager''s work..."

    Lei Xing was startled and then whispered, "How did you know that?"

    "So early on, it''s clearly obvious...or do you have any other enemies who have the means? But then again you never know, you''re the oblivious sort to go around upsetting people." Doctor Lou said in a condescending tone and then sighed, "It''s a pity..."

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

    ...Back to that again...Let it go!...Haah, if I knew I would have just answered "Yes" -_-)''...

    "...She has always been good at making poisons..." Doctor Lou finished and deeply sighed again.

    Lei Xing ears perked up, "You sound like you know her well."

    ...Tell me more O_O)...

    Doctor Lou looked up at Lei Xing and then smiled, "You want to know?"

    Lei Xing nodded.

    "Come closer." He said, waving her over. Lei Xing hesitantly crept closer and bent her head down to listen. Doctor Lou whispered, "Actually..." and then he flicked her forehead.

    Lei Xing instantly withdrew with a hand rubbing her head, "Hey!"

    Doctor Lou burst into laughter again, "Don''t be so nosy, but if you want to know, visit me more often then maybe I''ll tell you..."

    Lei Xing frowned at the laughing old man.

    ...Fine, keep your story -_-)...

    "Oh, by the way, why are you actually here?" Doctor Lou asked amidst his laughing fit.

    Lei Xing glared at him, she had been getting pulled along by him and had forgotten her main purpose of coming here. She set aside her irritation and got down to business, "I was wondering how the ring works. It seems to absorb poison is that right?"

    "Oh it does?... Oh yes, it does." Doctor Lou said with a short laugh.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "You don''t know?"

    "Of course I know...I''m old, I forget." Doctor Lou snapped back in response.

    "Okay...so how exactly does it work? Can it suck all the toxins out of say, a bowl of poisoned water, leaving behind a detoxified clean bowl of water or does it absorb all of the poisoned water? I''ve been curious about that."

    Doctor Lou furrowed his eyebrows, "It depends..."

    "Depends on?"

    Doctor Lou shrugged, "I don''t know...if you treat it well."

    Lei Xing frowned, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

    "A good master gets a good servant, a bad master gets a disgruntled servant." Doctor Lou clarified.

    "So it has feelings?" Lei Xing skeptically asked.

    "All things in the world have feelings, and they reflect whatever treatment they get."

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him.

    ...And what does that mean?... Is that a yes or a no -_-?)...

    Lei Xing sighed, "Do you actually know how it works?"

    "Of course I do, I made it." Doctor Lou responded sounding offended that she would even question his knowledge.

    "Good, then explain to me how it works? How did you get it to absorb "all the poison in the world"?"

    "Trade secret." Doctor Lou curtly replied, "All you need to know is it can detect poison, if touches poison, then it needs to digest it for a while. Anything else is not your business."

    "So it eats the poison?"

    Doctor Lou shrugged, "I guess so..."

    Lei Xing stared at him for a while.

    ...Okay, next question then...

    "Since it can eat poison, could it possibly dish out poison?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows, she had been wondering about this possibility for a while now.

    Doctor Lou frowned and then said, "Don''t become what you despise."

    Lei Xing explained, "I am not planning on poisoning anyone. I was just thinking of it as a method of self-defense."

    Doctor Lou silently scrutinized her for a bit and then said, "It won''t."

    Lei Xing sighed and then looked down at the ring on her finger.

    ...Well, that''s out the door...I thought it''d be cool if you could be a weapon T_T)...

    "Do you fear death that much?" Doctor Lou asked in a serious tone.

    Lei Xing looked up at him and then sighed again, "Honestly, not really...but then shouldn''t I give the best effort to protect the life I''ve been given?"

    ...If death really came knocking, I''m the sort to eventually resign to it...Definitely not the survive by all means zombie apocalypse type, it''s too tiring, I''d probably just open my door and walk out once I ran out food hahaha...Not to say I wouldn''t try though... and if I really just came here to just sit and wait to die again, I might as well have just remained dead -_-)''...

    "Hmm...then shouldn''t you also put the best effort into living the life you''ve been given?" He asked and then sighed, "I think you''re thinking too much about protecting the life that you''re forgetting to live the life. We are each born to a set of circ.u.mstances and a course set out for us. Some short and some long, some fortunate and some unfortunate, but all paths lead to death in the end. If your point of living is to avoid death then that is a waste of life."

    Lei Xing quietly looked at him for a while and then asked, "Are you really just a doctor?"

    Doctor Lou smiled, "I''m also a poison specialist."

    Lei Xing looked down at the ring and back at him, "This ring is magic, isn''t it?"

    "What do you think?" Doctor Lou replied still smiling.

    "There doesn''t seem to be much about magic here, I''ve only seen it mentioned in folklore books, clearly written as fantasies for children or the bored, but nothing substantive."

    "The world is vast, there are many things one does not know." Doctor Lou advised.

    "Many things you know?" Lei Xing asked.

    "Perhaps..."

    Lei Xing seriously scrutinized Doctor Lou, who also copied her, doing the same but with a smile.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat, "I know this may sound weird but...are you...by any chance...an immortal?"

    Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open for a while, then he rapidly blinked and finally spoke in a frantic tone, "Is - Is it the beard? D-Do I really look that old?"

    "Nooo, not at all...I mean, immortals can be young too, right?... I mean, I don''t know...I''m sorry." Lei Xing apologized in a panic. "You look great for your age."

    "You don''t even know how old I am!" Doctor Lou retorted as he pulled at his long beard with both hands one after the other.

    "I mean you look great...it suits you." Lei Xing corrected.

    ...Shoot! Should have kept my mouth shut!...

    Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing suspiciously, "Does it really?"

    "Of course, this look is so you...and the beard, oh! It just completes the wise old sage visage...which is why I thought you were...You know, when you take that sagely look and put it with those wise words, and a magic ring, you just seem... out of this world. Definitely a great look for you, magnificent! Perfect! Couldn''t be better!" Lei Xing rambled on with a reassuring smile.

    Doctor Lou cleared his throat and smugly stroked his beard and nodding, "I do really look good for my age."

    Lei Xing still smiling nodded multiple times in agreement.

    ...Phew! I don''t need bullying the elderly to be on my karmic rap sheet T_T)...

    Doctor Lou laughed and leaned forward, "I can understand how you came to that conclusion. Don''t worry, I won''t hold it against you."

    Lei Xing smiled, "Thank you for your grace."

    Doctor Lou laughed, "You''re actually not that bad once you put your mind to it, you should try more often."

    Lei Xing gave a forced smile.

    ...Whatever you say -_-)...

    "But why did you ask, do you want to become an immortal?" Doctor Lou asked while wiggling his eyebrows.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "Do you know of a way?"

    ...Live forever? Why not?...

    Doctor Lou sat up and stroked his beard again, "Hmm, I have heard some things...it''s not easy though, you just have to die, not just any regular death...you have to take in the agony of the world, is what they say. I didn''t really pay attention to the details, but I could look into it if you''re interested. How about it? Want to try it?" He finished with an excited smile.

    Lei Xing frowned, "No."

    ...Hell NO!!!...

    Doctor Lou furrowed his brows, "Why not?"

    "Why don''t you do it?" Lei Xing asked glaring at him.

    Doctor Lou laughed, "Why would I? I''m old and it sounds way too hard, but it could be worth it so... since you aren''t afraid of death, so you try it and then tell me if it works."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "I may not be afraid of death, but I am very scared of pain."

    ...No, I''m not going to be your guinea pig -_-)...

    "tch, no fun." Doctor Lou said shaking his head in disappointment.

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    ...If you want to have fun, do it yourself -_-)''...

    Lei Xing looked at him for a bit and then took a deep breath, "I once read in a book that it is possible for a soul to travel through time and potentially...I was skeptical of all of it, but it sounded really interesting so... I''m just curious about what you think of it, seeing as you are so wise...so a soul traversing through time and possessing another body. Do you think that''s possible?" She finished and then held her breath waiting for his response.

    "No." Doctor Lou replied.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "I see...you haven''t encountered it."

    "It''s not possible." Doctor Lou firmly responded.

    "The world is vast, and there are many things one does not know." Lei Xing repeated his earlier words while squinting at him.

    ...I''m living proof of this possibility...So you''re wrong...

    Doctor Lou frowned, "True, but there are many things that I do know and I happen to know that''s not possible."

 Chapter 50 - Confidant

    Lei Xing frowned, "Okay, but still you never know...there are no absolutes in the world."

    "There are absolutes. Death and the passage of time being examples. Time flows forward, never backwards, it cannot simply be manipulated, if it could be done so easily then there will never be any problems, don''t you think?"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "So it can be done then, just not simply is what you''re saying, right?"

    "It goes against universal law, doing so will upset the balance of the universe, which will have dire consequences and a price too steep. Hence why it is classified as impossible." Doctor Lou finished with a bright smile.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Steep...price?"

    Doctor Lou sighed, "En, one which a soul simply cannot pay."

    Lei Xing gulped, feeling a bit unnerved with a sense of impending doom.

    ...O_O) Um, should I be worried? I don''t remember paying anything...Also, a soul can''t pay it? Are you sure? Should I be expecting a debt collector?... I didn''t sign up for this, can I get a refund? T_T)...

    Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing''s frowning face and then smiled and waved a hand in front of her, "There''s nothing to worry about, this isn''t the case here."

    Lei Xing stiffened and blinked, "What?"

    Doctor Lou snorted, "You''re not a very good liar, you talked about not finding any books on magic and then talk about reading a book on a soul traversing through time...You really should try harder next time." He finished chuckling to himself.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "So I came across it in one of those folklore books and thought it interesting, what''s wrong with that?"

    Doctor Lou raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Which one?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    Doctor Lou yawned and then stroked his beard, "It''s tiring to keep pretending. I could tell since I first saw you, I was going to keep playing ignorant but since you brought it up yourself..." He shrugged and continued, "Why else do you think I''d give you a precious treasure of mine? For free too!"

    Lei Xing looked at him suspiciously, she was even more guarded against him now that he seemed to know her secret, "Even then why would you give it to me for free?"

    ...I knew he wasn''t normal....Of course he isn''t! He "made" a magic ring and was just talking about Immortal 101... Haah, this situation is even weirder now than it was when I thought he was just wacky -_-)''...

    Doctor Lou laughed, "Relax, I mean you absolutely no harm, I just wanted to help."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    ...Yeah, like you''d tell me if you did -_-)...

    Seeing that Lei Xing was still looking at him with suspicion, Doctor Lou stopped laughing and put on a serious expression, "It''s not often that I meet someone...interesting and when you came to me with your request, I felt obliged to help you since I happen to have exactly what you wanted...As for money, as I said I really have no need for it. Also, good company cannot be priced, so consider it a token of friendship."

    Lei Xing still looking at him suspiciously said, "But I have nothing to give in return."

    Doctor Lou smiled, "Your life experience is good enough."

    "I live a very boring life." Lei Xing flatly replied.

    "Boring can be vastly interesting, it all depends on the storyteller and the listener." Doctor Lou said still with a beseeching smile on his face.

    Lei Xing quietly observed him for a while and then asked, "So what is the case here?"

    Doctor Lou furrowed his brows in deep thought for a while and then answered, "It should be a matter of different worlds. Your soul must have somehow managed to find a portal and so came here."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    ...OKay, I did consider that possibility before, but...

    "And this?" Lei Xing asked pointing a finger at herself.

    ...I don''t believe souls migrating equals possession...

    Doctor Lou shrugged, "I don''t know, you probably have some sort of connection with her."

    Lei Xing was quiet for a while and then lowered and in a small voice asked, "Can I go back?"

    Doctor Lou showed a weak smile, "How can you return to a place where you no longer exist?"

    Lei Xing''s gulped, her eyes feeling hot, still clinging to a fleeting hope asked, "If I''m here, can''t she be there?"

    "If your soul came here, it''s likely your body must have perished and I don''t sense any lingering attachments between you two, which means..." Doctor Lou shook his head.

    "I see..." Lei Xing quietly said.

    Doctor Lou sighed, "There is no point fretting over the past, you should focus on your today and the prospects of the future."

    Lei Xing didn''t respond.

    ...The future...an unclear, unknown, unsteady future...

    Lei Xing wasn''t someone to fret over past events, to her the past has always been what it is and nothing can be done about it, therefore, fretting over it is a waste of time. But the future was something that she could control and shape, and so she always tried to focus on the now and tomorrow. All she''d ever wanted was simply to gain control over her life, to be free to do as she wanted whenever she pleased, with no regard for anyone''s wishes, and she didn''t want much - just peace of mind.

    She has always hated the feeling of uncertainty in her life and had lived most of her life feeling uncertain and unsteady for no obvious reason. She had grown up with loving and supportive people around her, who she also loved, but always felt detached and rarely ever reached out to the hands that were offered, as it never occurred to her that she could count on anyone but herself. She had always lived like that, from a lone viewpoint. She had only truly felt comfortable once she had started working and earning money, and so her mind rationalized money to mean power, and power meant control, and control meant certainty, and certainty meant comfort - to her, and she had found a source of peace of mind, and so she had put all her energy into the prospects of earning more and was finally on her way to the future she''d envisioned when...

    ...And now I have a murderous dowager and an emperor lording over me...even with all the money, it''s pointless...Haah, the future seems very bleak...

    Bam! Doctor Lou excitedly as he slammed his hands on the table, causing Lei Xing to jump in shock. He exclaimed, "Ah yes!" and got down from his stool and scurried to the back of the shop.

    Lei Xing frowned.

    ...What is he doing now -_-?)...

    After a short while, Doctor Lou came rushing back holding a jug and two cups with a bright smile, "As I thought I still had one left." He set them down on the desk and excitedly said, "Now to commemorate our friendship."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "Friendship?"

    "Of course! We are now friends... right?" Doctor Lou looked at Lei Xing with a confused expression.

    "I don''t even know who you are." Lei Xing flatly said.

    Doctor Lou blinked, "Ah, you don''t?"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "Of course not, how did you figure it out, and with one look too? It''s not like there''s a sign above my head or anything."

    "Ah but there is." Doctor Lou remarked.

    Lei Xing went wide-eyed, "There is?"

    Doctor Lou then burst into laughter and Lei Xing frowned in response.

    ...I''m not fond of being the butt of anyone''s joke, you know -_-)''...

    Lei Xing set aside her irritation and proceeded to get answers, "So explain, how did you know? or how can you know? and how do you know all that to? Have you met someone like this before? Or perhaps, are you also like this? Also, you said you don''t see any attachments...so are you a seer or something like that? How can you be sure I don''t exist there anymore or that she isn''t there, can you see it? If not, then how can you know for certain? Explain." Lei Xing rambled off a series of questions and looked at Doctor Lou, who seemed taken aback as he seemed to be frozen.

    After a few seconds passed, Doctor Lou blinked and then sat back on his stool while grumbling under his breadth, "Questions, questions, questions, questions...you ask a lot of questions, you''d think the world swindled you or something."

    Lei Xing blanky stared at him and pretended not to hear, waiting for the answers.

    Doctor Lou looked at her and then sighed, "There have been other cases, probably...Every case has different circ.u.mstances, but I am sure there is probably one...or two like you...you can consider this whole scenario more of an accident of the universe...Ah, do I know anyone like that right now? No...A seer?... I guess you can call it that...how do I know? Well, it takes years of studying the universe, which in turn... opens up new avenues of vision...Ahh..."

    Lei Xing opened her mouth, "The-"

    Doctor Lou interjected, "No, I can''t teach you, you don''t have enough time, it''ll be a waste of energy, it''s too much work and I''m very busy." Doctor Lou finished with nodding to reaffirm his position.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and quietly grumbled, "Tch, you''re always here sleeping, how are you busy?"

    "I''m meditating not sleeping!" Doctor Lou defended.

    "With your head cushioned on your arm pillows?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows.

    "I''m old! I have creaky bones!" Doctor Lou indignantly replied.

    "Sure..." Lei Xing then glanced off to the side, still not believing his excuse.

    Doctor Lou smiled, "Ah so now that we''re done with that, let''s celebrate!"

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, still a bit unnerved and suspicious of his character.

    "Here." Doctor Lou moved a cup to her front. "Now, from today we are fr-"

    "Ah! There''s something else..." Lei Xing interrupted causing Doctor Lou to glare at her, but she wasn''t bothered and continued, "Hm, I''m not sure how to explain this...but I seem to have seen something...no, imagined something that happened to someone else, vividly too...One was...a memory and the other was a dream, is that normal with this?"

    Doctor Lou furrowed his brows and stroked his beard, "Hm, so you can see into people''s minds...?" Then he excitedly smiled, then closed his eyes and put his fingers on his temples, "Okay, I''m ready, now tell me what I''m thinking?"

    Lei Xing frowned and was not amused, "I didn''t say I could see into people''s minds..."

    Doctor Lou''s smile fell and he opened his eyes and dejectedly said, "Oh...how disappointing..."

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched.

    ...I''m sorry I couldn''t entertain you -_-)...

    "It was just one person''s...so far...subconsciously? I''m not really sure how it worked out...Is it possible that I gained some powers from crossing over?" Lei Xing hesitantly asked.

    Doctor Lou raised his eyebrows, "Powers?"

    Lei Xing nodded, a bit excited and eagerly awaited his reponse.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her a couple of times and then he burst out laughing.

    Lei Xing frowned in irritation, "I''m being serious."

    "Yes, of course you are...Powers, sure why not?...hahahahaha soon you''ll be flying high in the sky hahahahahaha...yes a phoenix of grand proportions, how about that? hahahahahaha....Just you wait, you''ll see! hahahahahahahaha...Powers..." He continued jesting, howling with laughter and even started banging on the table as he was laughing.

    Lei Xing stood there with a deep scowl on her face, the more he laughed the more irritated she felt and the more irritated she felt, the more embarrassed she became and eventually she turned around and stormed out of the shop.

    "Ah? hahaha wait! Come back....hahaha, you didn''t drink the wine hahahahaha...." Doctor Lou shouted behind her, "Be sure to come visit hahahaha... we''re friends now! You have to! Hahahaha!..." He shouted in-between howls of laughter.

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened as she heard him calling out to her. She stormed out the doors and didn''t look back, Ah Jin saw her come out and quickly followed behind her. Lei Xing didn''t stop and just randomly turned on the street and kept walking to get as far away as possible from the sound of that laughter and the embarrassment.

    ...Powers? What was I thinking? And I actually said it to that...It''s my fault for opening up to that maniac, yes it is my fault!... But even if it''s ridiculous, couldn''t he have been less...less...less of a FREAKING a**h*ole about it!!... Also, it''s not that funny!! ?�q�r?)...

 Chapter 51 - Brewing Storm

    Back at the Imperial Palace.

    A while after Lei Xing had left, Chen You made her way to her palace, and of course, with Chun Hua following along. Chen You had thought about it and concluded that perhaps Lei Xing did not accept Chun Hua because she thought Chen You would be upset. Therefore, she made her way to her palace to reassure Lei Xing that she was fully in support and to not be concerned about her. She had thought out her course of action, if that didn''t work then she would use her family being indebted to Lei Xing''s and that a servant was a nothing and another small way to repay this generational gratitude, as a means of persuasion and would not leave until she gets her to agree. Chen You was primed and ready to fawn and arrived at Lei Xing''s palace, all for Xiao Ruo to inform her that Lei Xing was not seeing anyone at the moment.

    "Go and inform her that Chen You is here, she will see me." Chen You insisted.

    Xiao Ruo said bowing again, "I''m sorry your highness, but she is not in at the moment."

    Chen You frowned, "Where is she?"

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows, "I''m sorry your highness, I don''t know."

    Chen You let out a breath and then walked to the side and sat down, "Then I''ll wait for her."

    Xiao Ruo looked at her and advised, "Your highness, I am not sure when she will be back. How about I send someone to inform you once she returns?"

    Chen You cast Xiao Ruo a side glance and then looked away in a condescending manner.

    Xiao Ruo inwardly sighed and was about to advise again, when Ling mama arrived in the reception hall and informed, "The empress dowager has sent for Noble consort Lei."

    Xiao Ruo smiled and bowed her head, "Alright, I will inform her highness and she will make her way there as soon as possible."

    "The empress dowager would like to see her now. I was sent here to escort her."

    Xiao Ruo froze, Lei Xing had told her not to broadcast her outing, and if anyone asked to just say that she is not in her palace. Honestly, neither of them anticipated getting a visit from anyone today, and especially not a request from the empress dowager. Xiao Ruo was a bit confused about to what to do now, she couldn''t address the empress dowager as simply as she did Chen You, in order to avoid Lei Xing getting in trouble for it later.

    While Xiao Ruo was thinking, Ling mama got impatient, "What are you doing? Go and inform her, the empress dowager should not be kept waiting."

    Xiao Ruo grit her teeth, "I''m sorry but her highness isn''t here at the moment."

    Ling mama furrowed her brows, "Where is she then?"

    "I am not sure." Xiao Ruo repeated the same excuse.

    ...It''s really not a lie...I really don''t know where she is...

    "In that case, send people to go look for her then." Ling mama advised.

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows and didn''t say anything. Ling mama scoffed at her incompetence and called out to the maids on the side to go search for Lei Xing.

    Xiao Ruo realizing that this search will probably cause more problems, braced herself and admitted, "Her highness is not in the palace."

    ...Why did it have to be today of all days?!!... Normally, no one comes to visit except Noble consort Li...

    Ling mama''s eyes went wide, while Chen You who was listening to this exchange on the side with a frown, instantly brightened.

    ...Very good hahahaha...Who knew she would dig her grave herself? hahaha...Heaven has eyes!!...

    "She snuck out of the palace?" Ling Mama asked with a deep frown.

    Xiao Ruo looked at Ling mama''s expression and quickly corrected her, "That''s not it, the emperor gave her permission to leave yesterday..."

    Chen You''s face immediately fell and she immediately got up shouting, "What?!"

    Xiao Ruo jumped and turned to Chen You and bowed her head apologetically, "Yes, that is why I mentioned I was not sure when she will be back and for you to return first..."

    "Then why didn''t say so?!" Chen You barked out and then stormed out.

    Ling mama who was still standing there blinked and then said, "Alright, I will inform the empress dowager."

    Xiao Ruo bowed her head, "I will make sure to inform her highness once she returns."

    Ling mama nodded and then left as well. Xiao Ruo sighed.

    ...I hope everything will be okay with this...It should be fine, after all the emperor is there, right?... She did get permission so it should be fine...it will be...

    Ling mama arrived at the empress dowager''s reception hall, where the empress dowager was waiting to receive her guest and informed her of the situation.

    "She got permission to leave?" The empress dowager asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes, your majesty. According to the maid, the emperor gave her permission yesterday..." Ling mama responded, glancing at the empress dowager''s face expecting to see anger.

    Unexpectedly, the empress dowager laughed and then said, "You can leave." Ling mama furrowed her brows in confusion, but bowed and exited the room as requested, casting an envious glance at Song mama, who was at the empress dowager side in the process.

    "She really isn''t daring at all, she even got permission for something as simple as leaving the palace." The empress dowager said with smirk, fondly remembering her days as crown princess when she would often leave the palace to explore the city. It never occurred to her get permission, but then it was not like anyone would have dared to do anything to her even if they found out. There was no empress installed after the crown prince''s mother passed away and therefore, she as the crown princess was the highest-ranking woman in the palace, so none of the emperor''s consorts could scold or criticize her, and of course, the crown princess''s other wives were not in a position to say anything to her either. Then, the only two people who could scold her was her father-in-law, the then emperor - who spoiled and doted on her even more than he did his own children as she was the daughter of his sworn brother and childhood best friend.

    The second was her husband, the then crown prince - who also loved and doted on her, so as long as she didn''t get into any trouble they wouldn''t interfere with her, and even when she did get in trouble, they would still support her. Therefore, she had free rein. The empress dowager''s smirk slowly turned into a sad smile with tears forming in her eyes as she recalled "good" memories.

    ...Life was much simpler then...and I really was too stupid...

    Song mama, who was ignorant of the empress dowager''s change in mood, chuckled and said, "Of course she can''t be daring under your majesty''s rule. How can she behave as she likes?"

    The empress dowager didn''t say anything and then after a while, got up and said, "I am tired." and walked off.

    ***

    "My father is an idiot. Don''t worry, you still have me." These were the words of a lamenting drunk Zhao Chang, the Prime minister''s only son and older brother to Zhao Lan. He was currently sat in a room in the most expensive brothel in the city, with two beauties at his side, smiling at him and feeding him, while he spoke to Prince Yi who was sitting across from him, who also had women by his side, but he was clearly in less joyous mood than Zhao Chang, and the women at his side just sat rigidly only occasionally refilling his wine cup.

    "Be careful what you say." Prince Yi calmly advised.

    "Hmph! By now we are supposed to in-laws. Can you believe my father lied to me about Lan''er being part of the selection? And then sent me off on some stupid delivery mission, only for me to return to the city to find that she is now...Arrghhh! It annoys me whenever I think about it! It''s my fault, I should have been more insistent!" Zhao Chang lamented.

    Prince Yi smiled, "Your father is a wise man, there is no way you would be able to outsmart him..."

    Zhao Chang frowned, "Hey, I am on your side here, why are you praising the enemy?"

    "What I mean is, it is not your fault. Since we are not fated to be in-laws, then we are not...Our friendship remains the same." Prince Yi smiled and raised a glass to Zhao Chang and drank.

    Zhao Chang also drank and then smiled, "Ah, I have a cousin...she''s a bit slow but...but...Ah, nevermind, she''s not good enough."He finished and frowned deep in thought.

    Prince Yi looked at him and silently shook his head.

    "You all leave." Zhao Chang ordered, and the women quickly got up, bowed and exited the room. Then Zhao Chang put on a serious expression and leaned on the table to support himself, "You know...I''ve been wondering about something...my father said something...he said, what was it?...Ah!" He then whispered, "...I explained to him that no matter what, my aunt''s death is suspicious and after her, won''t it be us next? And then he responded with some rubbish about the emperor being the way forward and that the emperor is not one to hold grudges, if he did then the empress dowager would be dead already, but even if the emperor doesn''t want to do anything but what about the empress dowager, does it make sense to sit and wait to die?... But why would he want to kill his own mother, do you know?"

    Prince Yi frowned and curtly replied, "No."

    Zhao Chang nodded, "I knew it...my father must have just been saying nonsense, he says a lot of nonsense these days, he''s getting too old" He sighed, "...Also, just because he won''t kill the empress dowager, doesn''t mean he won''t kill other people, it''s not like we all gave birth to him, Hmph! That stubborn old man doesn''t know what is good for him..."

    Prince Yi looked away and didn''t say anything and just drank his wine.

    Zhao Chang swirled around with the wine in his cup and they sat there silently for a while and then Zhao Chang perked up, "Ah by the way, it seems the standoff will be ending soon, the Zou King''s representatives should be arriving soon...with a peace treaty. Cowards! They didn''t even try to fight, one little battle and they''re scared hahahaha...Ah, did you hear who the representatives are?"

    Prince Yi didn''t say anything, and Zhao Chang happily continued on his merry rant, "...Prince Rui..." He then started laughing again, "Isn''t he embarrassed to come back to this country? Ah forget him...the best part is who is coming with him, Princess Nalan...Ahhh, I hear she is extremely exquisite, refined...a fragile beauty, she is apparently the Zou king''s favorite daughter, for him to send her here...Ah, what a pity for her to be a peace offering to that annoying bastard!...Ahhh! What was my father thinking? How can Lan er'' compete with that?!..." Zhao Chang continued to lament, grumble and complain while drinking.

    After a while of listening to the continuous rant, Prince Yi frowned and used a hand to massage his head and then got up and walked to the open windows overlooking the street, ignoring Zhao Chang, who continued on without an active audience. As he stood there looking down at the street absentmindedly, his eyes randomly stopped on two passing figures that suddenly stopped in the middle of the street. He observed one of them looking around, when the person looked in his direction, he blinked and then narrowed his eyes and paid more attention.

    ...Isn''t that...What is she doing here? Dressed like that too?...

 Chapter 52 - Unexpected Interruptions

    Lei Xing was oblivious to the fact that she was being observed, she had just realized that she was walking to nowhere and so abruptly stopped her steps to look around the area, while considering of what to do now.

    ...Should I just go back?...No! Too early!...

    Lei Xing slowly started walking forward again while observing the shops in the area, then she spotted a restaurant and then realized that she hadn''t eaten all day. She was too excited about her outing that she didn''t care to eat when she left. So they went into the restaurant, Lei Xing requested a private room, and after getting settled ordered some food and then added on wine.

    ....I really need a drink right now...Quacky old man, what is so funny about that?!... I hope he chokes on laughter...Hey!...Fine, fine, I hope he''s fine and happy...Seems like he was having a blast -_-)...And he wonders why no one just visits him, I see why...Seriously? -_-)''...What?! Can''t I vent in my own head again? Is it a crime? It''s not like I''m badmouthing him to anyone! Just myself and I...

    Lei Xing took deep breaths trying to calm herself. Ah Jin, who was sitting across from Lei Xing watched the range of fleeting emotions across her face and was a bit confused as to what happened to ruin her mood, but she was getting used to Lei Xing''s weirdness and so didn''t think much of it.

    After a short while, the wine was brought in and Lei Xing immediately poured a cup, downed it one go and banged the cup on the table and let out a deep breath.

    "Well, you seem stressed." The voice came from the doorway and Lei Xing and Ah Jin immediately turned to see Prince Yi standing at the doorway. Ah Jin quickly got up and bowed in greeting then moved to the side, while Lei Xing just narrowed her eyes and groaned on the inside.

    ...What is this now?... I really don''t need any more annoyances in my life right now, I think I''ve had plenty -_-)...

    Prince Yi calmly walked in and sat across from Lei Xing despite her non-existent reception, while Lei Xing blankly stared at him, then she quietly sighed and poured herself another cup of wine and sipped it while looking off to the side.

    ...Sure why not make yourself at home....What does it matter that you''re unwelcome -_-)...

    After a long silence, Prince Yi asked, "So what troubles have you encountered?"

    "Nothing that should concern you..." Lei Xing mumbled under her breath.

    ...So get a clue and get lost!...

    Prince Yi pretended not to hear her and continued to ask, "Love troubles?"

    As soon as she heard it, Lei Xing instinctively glared at him.

    ...What? You want to make fun of me too -_-?)...

    Prince Yi smiled at her and then took a cup and poured himself some of the wine and took a sip and then frowned, "The wine isn''t good."

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes and took the jug and refilled her cup and went on drinking.

    ...Well then, you should hurry up and leave...

    "I know a place with the best wine, we should go there." Prince Yi suggested while twirling the wine in his cup

    "I''m fine here." Lei Xing flatly said.

    ...Hey, we''re not friends, I''m not going anywhere with you... But you should leave -_-)...

    Prince Yi took another sip of the wine, "I guess it''s not that bad."

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and then they sat in silence again for a while. Eventually, she glanced at him and asked, "You''re not leaving?"

    Prince Yi blinked and then took another sip of the wine and asked, "So you snuck out of the palace to come drown your sorrows in wine?"

    "No." Lei Xing flatly responded, recalling the happy mood she had when she left the palace, that was now gone with the wind.

    "That''s good because this wine isn''t really worth the trouble." Prince Yi said frowning at the wine in his cup.

    Lei Xing knit her brows but didn''t say anything.

    ...No one cares about the wine, just hurry up and leave!...Maybe I should leave? No! Why should I?! This is my table and my booking and my wine...so why should I leave? He should be the one to leave!...

    "I''m sure those in the palace won''t be too pleased to discover you out here and I''m sure your family wouldn''t be pleased either, so it can''t be you snuck out to see them. So what made you take this risk?" Prince Yi inquired still smiling.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

    ...What is this now? Are you planning on reporting me?... Surprisingly, you all seem to be very jobless people here...

    "I got permission."

    Prince Yi frowned, "Permission?"

    Lei Xing didn''t respond and just sipped the wine. The room was silent again for a while, then Prince Yi smiled, "Ah, have you heard the news? Zou Kingdom is sending a Princess over."

    Lei Xing simply glanced at him and kept taking sips of the wine.

    ...Okay...so? -_-)...

    Prince Yi continued while closely observing Lei Xing, "They say she is very beautiful, elegant... and extremely talented."

    "Good for her." Lei Xing flatly said as she refilled her cup of wine.

    ...Where is the food? -_-)...Also, this wine is really terrible...

    "It seems the emperor will be getting a new wife soon...possibly even an empress." Prince Yi explained.

    "Good for him." Lei Xing offhandedly replied as she sipped the wine and looked at the door, wondering what was taking the food so long.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and was quiet for a while and then continued, "My brother is a very fickle person...so I suggest that you do not get swept along only to be left behind in ruin."

    Lei Xing looked at him with eyebrows raised and then gave a half-smile, "Good to know."

    ...Why are you telling me all this again?... If I wanted advice, I would have asked for advice...And frankly, in general, you seem like a very butthurt individual, were you once left behind in "ruin"?...

    Lei Xing imagined a scene of a tattered Prince Yi, pouting and clutching at the emperor''s feet pleading not to be left behind, and the emperor shoving him off and then walking away into the sunset, while Prince Yi still on his knees with a hand outstretched screaming "NOOO..." with tears and snot rolling down his face and couldn''t help silently laughing, lowering her head in the process to hide it.

    Prince Yi saw Lei Xing''s shoulders shaking and thought she was crying and felt taken aback, he didn''t expect her burst into tears because of his words and so felt a bit panicked and said, "I was just giving you some good advice to spare yourself..." These words only made the scene more vivid in Lei Xing''s mind and she couldn''t suppress it anymore and burst out laughing, while covering her mouth and making various failed attempts to stop.

    The other two people in the room frowned in confusion wondering what in the world she was laughing at. Lei Xing was trying hard to suppress her laughter, but looking at Prince Yi''s serious face in comparison to his crying, pouting lamenting face in her mind just made it even funnier and harder to stop, "I''m sorry...hahahaha..."

    ...What am I even laughing at? It''s not that funny -_-)...No, it is that funny hahahaha....You''re behaving like that Quack...No, it''s not the same, I at least didn''t shatter his dreams and expectations...."expectations" hahahahaha...What are you thinking? I don''t know, it''s just funny...times like this, I think I''m insane hahahahaha...this is sad hahahaha....

    Lei Xing laughed so much, she started coughing and Prince Yi poured some water for her and handed it over, she quickly took it, "Thank you..."

    After drinking the water, Lei Xing managed to stop laughing but her expression was still clearly amused and it was obvious she was holding it in. Prince Yi skeptically looked at her, perplexed by her sudden change in mood and asked, "Is there something funny?"

    Lei Xing gave a short laugh, "No, no...It''s just been a long day."

    Prince Yi raised an eyebrow and scrutinized her.

    ...Did I say something funny? -_-)...

    Lei Xing looked at his face and snorted, and then immediately went on to clear her throat a few times and then got up, "Actually I think I will be going now. Goodbye." She said and headed for the door, still all smiles and on the verge of laughter, with Ah Jin following behind her.

    Lei Xing quickly made her way to the down to the reception, paid for the food, even though she didn''t eat it thanks to the unexpected guest who didn''t seem to want to leave. Then she went out the doors, unbeknownst to her, Prince Yi was following behind them.

    "Xing jie!" Tung Mei who just happened to be across the street from the restaurant happily called out as Lei Xing came out of the restaurant, then she spotted Prince Yi behind her and then frowned, "What is he doing here?"

    Lei Yong who was within earshot heard Tung Mei''s words and followed her line of sight and saw Lei Xing and Prince Yi and immediately frowned and made his way to them, with Tung Mei following along happily waving at Lei Xing, who had spotted the incoming party and was already dreading the encounter once she realized a certain someone had followed her out.

    ...Shoot! Well, today has been very eventful, everyone seems to be out and about in the street today, why?! -_-)...

    Lei Yong and Tung Mei arrived in front of Lei Xing''s group and Lei Yong bowed, while Tung Mei was suspiciously eyeing Prince Yi. Prince Yi glanced at her with an eyebrow raised, Lei Yong followed his line of sight and then he nudged Tung Mei, she looked at him and he signaled for her to bow and she went, "Huh? Oh..." Then she gave a quick casual bow.

    Lei Yong was not concerned about Tung Mei right now as he glanced between Lei Xing and Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi looked at Lei Yong and then smiled and turned to Lei Xing, "Since your brother is here, I will entrust you to him now." Lei Yong''s frown deepened on hearing that.

    Lei Xing also immediately frowned and looked at Prince Yi wide-eyed.

    ...Entrust?! Don''t say stupid crap that will make people misunderstand!!!...You''re just causing unnecessary trouble! -_-)''

    Prince Yi''s smile brightened as he looked at the faces of the siblings and then he happily walked off.

    Lei Xing glared at his back as he left and then glanced at Lei Yong''s unsightly face and sent some more daggers to Prince Yi''s departing back.

    ...Will it kill someone if I am happy, just for a bit? Why does this keep happening to me?...No, why do they keep messing with me? Are they trying to coax me into murder? Is that it?!...

    "Xing er'', w-"

    "You''re misunderstanding, this is just a coincidence." Lei Xing said cutting lei Yong off. Then she started walking away, and Lei Yong immediately fell in step beside her, "Misunderstanding?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and explained, "I said it was a coincidence, it''s a big restaurant with various guests. Odds are you would run into some people you know."

    Lei Yong continued questioning, "Then why did he say that?"

    "I don''t know, go ask him." Lei Xing dismissively said.

    Lei Yong pursed his lips and then asked, "What are you even doing out of the palace?"

    "I got permission." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    "From who?" Lei Yong asked in disbelief.

    "The emperor."

    "Why?" Lei Yong said with raised eyebrows.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched and then she squinted at him and flatly said, "I don''t know, go ask him."

    ...You both are "good" friends, right? Go knock yourself out -_-)...

 Chapter 53 - Interrogation

    Lei Yong knit his brows and was quiet for a while, "Anyway, you can''t do as you like in the palace, you have to be more careful. Avoid getting into trouble and don''t cause trouble. You also shouldn''t do anything that will cause people to question or be suspicious of you. Prince Yi is both trouble and suspicious so make sure you stay away from him. Do you know how m-"

    "Okay, okay...I understand, trust me I do. Again, it was really just a coincidence, we are not friends or anything, I really do understand." Lei Xing interrupted already tired of Lei Yong''s nagging.

    ...I''ve had enough of people''s advice today and the last thing I need right now is nag session -_-)...

    Lei Yong was still looking at Lei Xing skeptically, so she flashed him a forced smile to reassure him, then he sighed, "I hope you do...How does the emperor treat you?"

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned and simply replied, "Good."

    ...He gave me this stupid pass so I guess it''s not bad -_-)...

    They walked for a while in silence and then Lei Yong quietly asked, "Are you happy?"

    Lei Xing blinked and turned to look at him, no one had asked her that and looking at his expression, she really couldn''t bring herself to lie.

    Lei Yong seeing Lei Xing''s confused face sighed again and then smiled, "Don''t worry, these things take time."

    "En, unlike yours." Lei Xing responded with her eyes glancing behind them.

    Lei Yong followed her line of sight and caught Tung Mei''s eyes, who smiled and waved at him, causing him to jump and immediately faced forward. Lei Xing snorted, "Well you both seem to be getting along great."

    ...Yesterday you were behaving as if she were the bane to your existence and today here you are on a date...Tsundere much hahaha...

    "Her father sent a letter asking for me to look after her...He is an old friend, so I can''t decline his request...Plus she is a bit prone to getting in trouble...He treated me well before, so I have to...It''s better to keep an eye on her." Lei Yong haphazardly explained.

    Lei Xing looked at him skeptically and nodded, "I see...So when is the wedding?"

    Lei Yong frowned and Lei Xing laughed, "Since you''re already "looking after" her, you might as well just marry to her to prevent her from "getting in trouble", right? How long do you plan to "keep an eye on her" for?"

    "Well...It''s just until she..." Lei Yong paused and seemed to be thinking.

    "Gets married?" Lei Xing suggested.

    "No." Lei Yong swiftly responded.

    "She shouldn''t?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes.

    "Yes." Lei Yong absentmindedly responded

    "Yes?" Lei Xing asked with eyebrows raised.

    "No, that''s not it!" Lei Yong swiftly defended, "It''s just until she decides to go back home." He finally thought up an answer.

    "And if she doesn''t decide to?" Lei Xing asked with an amused tone.

    Lei Yong frowned and didn''t respond.

    Lei Xing snorted and then cleared her throat and pat Lei Yong on the back and repeated his "reassuring" words, "Don''t worry, these things take time."

    While the siblings went ahead and were engaged in their discussion at the front. Tung Mei fell into step beside Ah Jin and nudged her, "Hey, what''s he doing here?"

    Ah Jin didn''t respond, and Tung Mei continued to ask, "Don''t tell me he followed Xing jie all the way here too?" When Ah Jin still didn''t respond, Tung Mei cast her a questioning look and then asked, "Don''t tell me you''re still angry?"

    Still no response.

    Tung Mei knit her brows and explained, "I panicked...and it all worked out so just let it go...So tell me why is here?"

    "I don''t know." Ah Jin flatly responded and after a pause added, "Why are you still here?"

    "I was told to find an opportunity for myself and so I did." Tung Mei indignantly responded raising her head.

    Ah Jin turned to her wide-eyed, "Then you -"

    Tung Mei swiftly interjected, "Don''t misunderstand, I just took advantage of an opportunity...I didn''t do anything...much." She finished mumbling the last word under her breath.

    Ah Jin looked at her suspiciously and then asked, "Does your father know you''re here?"

    Tung Mei nervously laughed, "Well...no, but this is such a trivial matter and he''s very busy, so let''s not bother him, he doesn''t need to know." She finished nodding to reaffirm her conclusion.

    Ah Jin gave her a blank stare, then Tung Mei sighed, "Look I''m just here for myself and I''m not interested in anybody else, so as long as no one messes this up for me, I won''t interfere with anyone else either. Really, I mean it."

    Ah Jin knit her brows, "And what you did last night?"

    "Ah, that...that was just..." Then she nervously laughed, "It won''t happen again!" Tung Mei said raising a hand to promise to show her resolution, "So now we''re good?" She asked smiling and blinking at Ah Jin.

    "What do I care, it has nothing to do with me." Ah Jin flatly responded.

    "Great! Don''t worry I''ll make all this up to you in the future." Tung Mei happily said.

    "Please don''t." Ah Jin quietly said.

    "Don''t worry, you can trust me." Tung Mei reassuringly said.

    "I don''t think so..." Ah Jin mumbled shaking her head.

    "You''ll see..." Tung Mei offhandedly said and then bounded ahead to join Lei Xing and Lei Yong, linking her arms in theirs.

    Ah Jin looked at the trio ahead with Lei Yong "politely" trying to rip his arm out of Tung Mei''s and asking for her to release him, while she ignored his pleas and happily talked to Lei Xing, who was trying to suppress her laughter looking at Lei Yong''s aggrieved face. Ah Jin sighed and then picked up her pace.

    Lei Yong took it upon himself to escort Lei Xing back to the palace, and of course, Tung Mei tagged along as well. As they approached the palace gates, Lei Yong began imparting some more words of wisdom to Lei Xing, who quickly nodded and sprinted through the gates with Ah Jin, before he could truly begin his lecture.

    Lei Yong frowned at the palace gates Lei Xing had disappeared through and then sighed. Tung Mei, who was beside him waved a hand in front of his face, causing him to flinch and then look at her. Tung Mei then smiled, "You worry too much, Xing jie will be perfectly fine. Although I don''t agree, that guy can be useful so...she''ll be fine."

    Lei Yong frowned and scolded, "I told to stop referring to refer to the emperor like that."

    Tung Mei massaged her ear and mumbled under her breath, "Don''t you get tired of saying the same thing over and over again...Honestly, it''s actually really annoying"

    "What did you say?" Lei Yong asked.

    "I''m hungry, let''s go eat something." Tung Mei swiftly responded and turned and walked off.

    Lei Yong sighed as he watched her walking off, then he glanced at the palace gates and sighed again and then turned and followed after her.

    **

    As soon as Lei Xing returned to her palace, Xiao Ruo rushed towards almost in tears and informed her that the empress dowager sent for her, and urged her to quickly get changed. As Lei Xing got changed, Xiao Ruo briefed her on the visits she received, and about how Ling mama returned to inform that she is to go see the empress dowager the moment she returns. Lei Xing was not concerned about Chen You, as she could guess what she came here for, but she was very concerned about the empress dowager.

    ...What did she want me for? And why today of all days?... Am I in trouble? No, I haven''t done anything wrong!...

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm her mind and started running through possible scenarios in her head, planning out her lines.

    ...Haah, why did she have to call for me today? I mean, every day I just laze around here doing nothing and she never sends for me...Now the one day I choose not to do that, here she comes... I''m definitely one of those unlucky people who always get caught on their first attempt at crime T_T)...Wait, I didn''t commit any crime, I had permission and if she has a problem with that then she should go meet the judge!... Yes, makes perfect sense...That would be the rational thing to do BUT if she were rational then we wouldn''t have a problem, now would we? Noo T_T)...

    Lei Xing finished getting dressed and quickly made her way to the empress dowager''s palace. When she arrived she was led to the reception hall where the empress dowager was sitting on the main seat, with Song mama beside her, both staring down at Lei Xing with blank expressions as she walked in.

    ...Okay, not awkward at all... She was really waiting for me T_T) Have you been waiting all day like that? This feels like one of those intervention scenes...

    "Your majesty please forgive for my tardiness." Lei Xing apologized as she bowed in greeting.

    "I heard you went out of the palace." The empress dowager calmly said.

    "Yes, I did...The emperor gave me a pass yesterday, so I felt obliged to make use of it so..." Lei Xing answered lowering her head in the process.

    ...Yes, I had to use it because otherwise, it would be an insult to the gifter...An affront to his "immense grace"...Yeah, so it''s his fault! Go interrogate him, please T_T)...

    "I see..." The empress dowager calmly said, then sighed and picked up her cup of tea and leisurely took a sip. Lei Xing glanced up at her, to see her with her eyes closed, seemingly savoring the taste of the tea.

    ...So can I go now? Is that it?...

    The empress dowager opened her eyes and Lei Xing quickly lowered her head again.

    ...This woman''s eyes make me feel highly uncomfortable...It''s like looking into a bottomless abyss of bitterness and emptiness and...bottomline I don''t like it, not to mention she tried to kill me!...

    "So where did you go?" The empress dowager asked fixing her gaze back on Lei Xing.

    "Ah...I used the opportunity to go visit a doctor. I had met with him before entering the palace and he was able to help improve my health condition, so I thought to go visit him again..." Lei Xing swiftly responded with her prepared answer. She had thought about it and it was best to give the truth, well a half-truth.

    ...Not to mention if I get caught in a lie, these people can make it a crime...If the dramas got it right, then it''s an off with your head kind of crime...Okay, maybe not off with your head but definitely a demotion + jail sort of crime, if they wanted it to be...Either way, it''s trouble!...

    "A doctor?"

    "Yes, he is very skilled and famous." Lei Xing rationalized.

    ...Is he really famous? I have no clue...he said he was, didn''t he? Well, can I even take his word for it? I don''t know...Whatever he should be at least skilled -_-)''...

    "I see...In that case, you could have sent someone to summon him for you, there was no need to go out of your way to visit him." The empress dowager calmly advised.

    Lei Xing paused and then scr.a.p.ed up an answer, "Um...He is very picky about his work environment, so it was just easier to go to him than to try to accommodate his many requirements....but he is very skilled so it''s worth the journey."

    ...He is quacky so I''m sure that''s not a lie, plus he doesn''t even seem to like to work in his own shop, so I doubt he''d be so inclined to journey anywhere for anyone -_-)...

    "I see...and who is this famed doctor that is even more skilled than the palace physicians that requires such special treatment?" The empress dowager inquired with a raised eyebrow, it seems her interest has been piqued.

    Lei Xing blinked.

    ...Uh, oh...No one really, he''s nobody...Oh shoot! This is going to be trouble -_-)''...

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and without a better option gave the answer, "He is called Doctor Lou."

    ...I''m really sorry doc, but it''s not like I say no T_T)...but this should work out for you, right?... Perhaps you will get a promotion in life, that''s a good thing, right?... I don''t think he wants a promotion, I don''t think he can peacefully sleep on the job here -_-)''...He''ll definitely hate me for this, I''m sorry!! T_T)...

 Chapter 54 - Perplexing Encounters

    ????: Hmmm, so TM and AJ ????...well, if I were to describe the relationship between those two, TM is that little bratty sibling who starts crap and AJ is that older nagging sibling who usually gets roped into said crap by association...and LX, well she''s that sibling who does whatever they want but never gets in trouble because they are "responsible", yeah that annoying one ????...I''ll give a tiny hint...???? I can do that, right? Okay...Here it is, whatever AJ knows, TM knows...right? ???? Well, for the most part...Perhaps, one can call them partners in crime...by association ????***

    "Doctor Lou?" Song mama asked knitting her brows.

    "Yes." Lei Xing nodded.

    ...I''m really sorry old man T_T)...

    "Do you know him?" The Empress dowager asked turning to Song mama.

    "Well, no...but I have heard rumors of a famous Doctor Lou who is renowned for helping women conceive. It is said that it doesn''t matter the condition of the person or age, anyone he has helped has given birth a healthy child within a year. I don''t know if it is the same one...?" Song mama finished looking to Lei Xing for an answer.

    Lei Xing blinked, "Perhaps...I believe so..." Then quickly added, "...but I didn''t go there for that, he is very skilled in other matters as well."

    ...Please don''t misunderstand...

    "And what is wrong with you going to him for that?" The empress dowager asked looking at Lei Xing raised eyebrows.

    Lei Xing gulped and quietly replied, "...Nothing."

    ...I just thought that maybe you would want to know that...just clarifying, so feel free to ignore it haha...ha -_-)...

    The Empress dowager turned back to Song mama, "Is he really that skilled?"

    "If the rumors are true, yes...but I have also heard that he is very picky about his patients. If he refuses to treat someone, no amount of money or pleading will persuade him otherwise."

    Lei Xing slightly nodded.

    ...Considering he''s apparently closed with doors wide open, I''d say that sounds about right -_-)...

    "Interesting..." The Empress dowager calmly said and then turned back to Lei Xing, "What made him decide to treat you?"

    "I am not too sure myself...I was not even aware of his reputation when I initially approached him...I was just trying to find every possible avenue to help with my condition and stumbled into his shop..." Lei Xing explained.

    "I see..." The empress dowager said, then the room fell into a long silence. Finally, she said, "You can leave."

    Lei Xing blinked in surprise and then quickly bowed and made her exit, feeling a bit confused and in disbelief. This encounter went a lot smoother than she had anticipated.

    ...Just like that? That''s it? Seriously?... This feels odd... Well, it''s good, hopefully... Actually, what could she really do to me? I didn''t break any rules and I had permission from THE EMPEROR so there''s nothing for her to complain about...at least not upfront, have to watch out for hidden daggers now, yeah but that''s no different from the general state of affairs so...Forget it, I need food...haven''t eaten all day and today has really been way too long T_T)...

    **

    "This is the place." Commander An informed the Emperor who was standing beside him. They were currently standing outside Doctor Lou''s shop.

    When the Emperor was informed that Lei Xing had come here again, he had decided to come here to meet this suspicious character himself. He was not surprised when he heard she came again, their relationship was already suspect since he rationalized that the doctor had lied. He was more interested in this meeting with the doctor than in her meeting with Prince Yi. Although her meeting Prince Yi again is suspicious, it is not as if she sought him out. They have been watching both of them, and her even more closely, there was no occasion for her to have arranged a meeting with him. Therefore, it seems their encounter was really based on a coincidence again...at least on her part.

    ...I wonder what my brother was thinking doing that... Could he really be interested in her? No, unlikely... He''s probably just trying to cause friction... Haah, whatever it is, she has to be more careful as well...but I''m sure Yong must have lectured her plenty on that...

    The Emperor sighed and told Commander An to wait outside and went into Doctor Lou''s shop on his own. The emperor walked in to find the old man asleep on his desk as usual, and so knocked lightly on the desk.

    Doctor Lou adjusted his sleeping position and mumbled, "We''re closed."

    The emperor raised an eyebrow and stood there for a while waiting. When he realized that Doctor Lou was not planning on getting up, he knit his brows and knocked on the table again a little harder this time, "Wake up."

    Doctor Lou groaned and raised his forehead to peek at the intruder and mumbled, "I said we''re closed."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at him, "I have something to disc-"

    "Ah? It''s already so late?" Doctor Lou shouted sitting up with eyes fixed outside the doors, staring at the dwindling daylight. Then he yawned and looked back at the Emperor, "It''s closing time, so come back tomorrow."

    The Emperor ignored his words and proceeded, "I have a question to ask about one of your customers."

    "Oh." Doctor Lou said a bit disgruntled

    "A young woman dressed in male garments came here today, what did she come for?" The Emperor bluntly asked.

    Doctor Lou yawned again, "I don''t remember, I get many visitors."

    "I happen to know she was your only visitor today." The Emperor swiftly responded with disbelief.

    Doctor Lou folded his arms and closely scrutinized the Emperor for a bit, then said, "Look, if you''re looking for your wife, as you can see she''s not here so goodbye."

    The Emperor knit his brows, "I didn''t say she is my wife."

    Doctor Lou blinked and asked, "She''s not?"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, but before he could speak, Doctor Lou leaned forward and continued, "Well, I happen to know that young lady is married. So if you''re not her husband, then why are you tracking her?" He paused and then eyed the Emperor with suspicion, "Are you her stalker?"

    The Emperor frowned, "I thought you said you didn''t remember?"

    Doctor Lou straightened, yawning again, "Well, since you said she was the only one who visited today, I figured that the other visitors must have been figments of my imagination...and so, I just picked out the most unpleasant visitor, because you see my head is a very pleasant space and there are only cheerful and wonderful people in there." Doctor Lou finished explaining nodding and stroking his beard with his eyes closed

    The Emperor blinked and frowned in confusion

    ... Is he being serious? Or is he toying with me? -_-)...

    The Emperor then said, "I am being serious here."

    Doctor Lou paused and then squinted at him and got down from his stool mumbling, "I am also being serious..." Then he walked outside and kicked away the rocks keeping the doors open and closed the first one, then he looked at the Emperor who was still standing inside watching him with a frown, "Are you not coming out?"

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, but he still walked outside to join him, "So wh-"

    "We''re friends." Doctor Lou interjected, then he glanced at the Emperor''s skeptical expression and frowned, "What, you don''t believe me? Do I look like someone who can''t have friends? Is it because I''m old?" Doctor Lou asked with indignation.

    The Emperor''s lips twitched, "No, that''s no-"

    "Or are you jealous?" Doctor Lou cut him off with a smirk and then wiggling his eyebrows asked, "Do you want to be my friend too? I can help you, you know."

    The Emperor frowned, "No, why-"

    "Fine then, I don''t expect you, "young ones" to ever want to hang out with old me. Probably think I''m too boring because I''m old. Children these days are so horrible, they think they know everything...Can''t tell what is good for them, too disappointing..." He grumbled as he quickly stepped back inside pulling the other door shut and barked from the other side as he bolted the door, "Anyway, your wife is not here! Goodbye!"

    The Emperor stood there frowning at the closed doors in confusion.

    Commander An who was watching the exchange from a distance walked up to the Emperor, "As I mentioned, he is not exactly the cooperative sort, should I break down the door?"

    The Emperor turned to him still frowning, "No, just leave him be." Then he turned to leave.

    ...He hasn''t done anything wrong yet...I can''t go around harassing people for no reason...Plus he seems like the stubborn sort who wouldn''t talk even though he was threatened, he''s definitely... abnormal...and she''s not exactly normal either, so I can see how it possible for them to be friends -_-)''...but friends, really?... It just seems strange...Is there really nothing? She doesn''t make sense...and he also doesn''t seem to make sense...

    The Emperor had come with the intention to get some clue as to what is going on with Lei Xing. Instead of answers, he ended up leaving more confused than he had come. The conversation went nowhere and the only thing he got was that they were "friends".

    By the time the Emperor returned to the palace it was already dark. He decided to go to Lei Xing''s palace with the aim to get some clarity on the nature of this friendship.

    ...She''s definitely easier to handle...

    When he arrived, he happened to encounter Ah Jin at the entrance on her way out. Ah Jin bowed in greeting and he simply stood there scrutinizing her for a bit and then asked, "You''re her personal maid, aren''t you?"

    Ah Jin bowed her head, "Yes, your majesty."

    "How long have you been serving her?"

    "It''s been many years now, since she was very young." Ah Jin responded.

    "I see, so you''ve always been together since then?"

    "Yes, your majesty."

    "Then you must be very close?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes.

    Ah Jin slightly knit her brows and simply nodded.

    "Hm, I see..." The Emperor paused observing Ah Jin for a bit and then asked, "You must have gone out with her today, where did she go?"

    "She went to see a doctor." Ah Jin truthfully responded.

    "Why?" The emperor swiftly asked.

    Ah Jin''s eyebrows twitched and then she said, "Her highness''s health has not been very good lately, and he has been able to help in giving her a remedy for relief...so that is why..."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Remedy for relief? Ah, so that was what you went to procure from that doctor before when she had just entered the palace..."

    Ah Jin blinked and then responded, "Yes, your majesty."

    "I see..." The emperor smirked.

    ...Remedy for relief, conception medication, friends? Which is it?...

    The Emperor was a bit amused by this situation and was eager to get Lei Xing''s perspective on it. He was fairly certain the doctor was the one lying, as Ah Jin''s story made more sense but he was confused as to why he would go through the trouble of lying.

    ...Why lie? Did she ask him to? No, that makes no sense...Was he just doing out of boredom?... Or is there really more to it?... Am I thinking too much?... What exactly am I even expecting to find here?....

    "What is the Noble consort doing now?" The Emperor asked.

    "She is asleep." Ah Jin responded.

    The Emperor knit his brows, then Ah Jin asked, "Would you like to see her? I''ll go wake her."

    "No need." The Emperor quickly responded and turned to leave, after a few steps he paused for a bit, and then resumed walking.

    ...It''s fine, it can be discussed tomorrow...

    Ah Jin watched him walking off with his retinue, then let out a heavy sigh and continued on her way.

 Chapter 55 - Invitation

    Around noon the next day, Lei Xing was currently sitting in the Empress dowager''s reception hall. She had been here for almost twenty minutes. The Empress dowager had just been sitting there in her main seat occasionally talking to Song mama, who was beside her and sipping tea.

    Lei Xing glanced up at the Empress dowager, who was now leaning on her armrest, with her head resting on a hand, eyes closed. Lei Xing cautiously picked up her cup and took a sip.

    ...What is this about now? Am I invisible or something?... Since I came here she hasn''t even said one word to me, did she not call me here or are we waiting for something? What the hell is this? If you have nothing to say, you might as well tell me -_-)...

    "Gently! You are not allowed to manhandle me!" A voice floated in from outside. Lei Xing immediately frowned on hearing the familiar voice and glanced towards the doors.

    ...That''s what we''re waiting for? Shoot! You sure work fast, I haven''t even mentally prepared yet T_T)''...

    Two guards with deep frowns on their faces came in carrying Doctor Lou up by his arms, with his legs kicking the air, "Hey, I''m talking to you! If you injure me, do you think I will let you go? I will kick you in your dreams! Trample you! How disrespectful!..." Doctor Lou complained as he was brought into the hall.

    The guards lightly dropped him on the floor, but because of the way he was flailing his legs, he ended up on his butt, "Hey! Are you trying to break my bones?!" The guards frowning expressions deepened, they bowed to the Empress dowager and Lei Xing in greeting and one of them spoke up, "Your majesty, we apologize but he stubbornly refused to come with us so we had no choice..." He explained glaring down at Doctor Lou, who was now sitting on the ground cross-legged with his arms folded, glaring up at the guards as well.

    The guards were greatly annoyed by Doctor Lou during this trip. They had gone to go find him to bring him to the palace as was directed by the Empress dowager. When they arrived at his shop they found him sleeping. They tried to wake him up and he told them that the shop was closed. They then explained that he had the honor of being invited to the palace by the Empress dowager. His response to that was that he was not interested, then he ignored them and went back to sleep. They tried persuading him but he still ignored them.

    Eventually, they got fed up and hurled him into the carriage despite his protests. When they arrived at the palace, they found him sleeping again in the carriage, and this time he refused to wake up no matter how they shook him. Therefore, they just carried him again to bring him to the Empress dowager. At one point, he woke up and started protesting so they went to drop him so he could walk on his own, but he kept flailing his legs and wouldn''t stand straight. After a few tries, they concluded on just carrying him and endured his scolding the entire way here.

    "That is fine, you can go out." Song mama said to the guards.

    "Yes, leave before I teach you a lesson!" Doctor Lou said waving a hand dismissively to the guards. The guards bowed and then left the room, exchanging glares with Doctor Lou as they did.

    Lei Xing watched the scene unfold wide-eyed. Doctor Lou turned to her and squinted, in response she immediately lowered her head, looking the other way.

    ...I''m sorry!!! T_T)...

    Doctor Lou then glanced up at the Empress dowager and Song mama, and then glanced off to the side and said, "So, why am I here?"

    Song mama frowned, "How dare y-"

    "Your reputation precedes you, I have heard that you are quite skilled." The Empress dowager calmly interrupted.

    "Yes, yes. I am very skilled." Doctor Lou said smiling and nodding repeatedly agreement.

    Lei Xing glanced at his smiling face.

    ...Well, you''re easy to please -_-)''...

    The Empress dowager then reached for her cup and Song mama quickly refilled it, she took a sip and let out a breath. Then she began slowly twirling the teacup while fixing her eyes on its content and offhandedly said, "Xing er'', told me that you have been successful in treating her, she even out of the palace just to seek your services. She has spoken very highly of you..."

    Lei Xing glanced up at the Empress dowager who was still fixed on her teacup.

    ...Hey, don''t exaggerate it, I didn''t say that much...Please don''t drag me into this...Why am I even here? T_T)...

    Lei Xing then hesitantly glanced at Doctor Lou, to her surprise she found him smiling and nodding in her direction. Lei Xing blinked and returned a half-smile.

    ...Okay, let''s say I did say much... This old man is really too simple though...Should I be worried?... Actually, please don''t become friends, I don''t think it will work out well for me T_T)...

    "From today, you will be an Imperial doctor in the palace. The servants will guide you to Imperial pharmacy. Once you have proven your skills here, you will be promoted acco-"

    "Ahh, no, no, no that won''t work for me." Doctor Lou said shaking his head with a frown. Lei Xing went wide-eyed at the old man''s dismissive behavior.

    ...Hey, don''t talk like that!! This woman is crazy, don''t you want your head?!...

    Lei Xing then glanced up at the Empress dowager, who seemed to have frozen in place. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, she could feel the atmosphere in the room change, trouble was looming.

    ...Why am I here again?! T_T)...

    The Empress dowager slowly dropped her teacup on the table, "So you''re declining the position? In that case -" She said turning to him and then her words abruptly stopped.

    Doctor Lou smiled, "I am but a simple nomad and cannot live being tied to a place, so I definitely cannot work in the palace. It''s too much work." Then he got up off the floor with some difficulty and then stretched out his back, "That being said, I will be leaving now."

    Song mama frowned, "How dare you? Do you think you are in place to reject such grace? Guards!" The two guards who brought him trotted in, "Take him to a cell, maybe after a day or two he will regain his senses."

    The two guards nodded and grabbed Doctor Lou''s arms again and lifted him up causing him to glare at them while struggling, "Stop touching me like that! If you break my bones, I wi-"

    "STOP!!" The Empress Dowager suddenly shouted and everyone froze and turned to her. She seemed to be taking shallow breaths and was staring wide-eyed at the guards and Doctor Lou, "Let him go!" The guards quickly complied and put him down and stepped back. Doctor Lou looked up at the Empress dowager curiously with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing also turned to look at the Empress dowager, who was looking as if she had just seen a ghost. Her complexion looked pale and it looked like there were beads of sweat on her forehead.

    ...What is happening now? Does she want to end him by herself? Old man, you should have just taken the job! Now we''re both screwed, I know she is definitely not going to just let me off T_T)...

    The Empress dowager just stared at Doctor Lou. After a long while, finally said through gritted teeth, "Why are you here?"

    Doctor Lou blinked and then looked left and right, then pointed to himself, "Me?... You sent for me."

    Song mama quietly asked the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, are you alright?"

    The Empress dowager didn''t respond to her, instead held onto her head and groaned, it seemed like she was in pain, then she quietly said, "Get out."

    Song mama quickly knelt beside her, "Your majesty, are you okay? Summon an Imperial doctor, quick!" Song mama ordered and a maid in the back dashed out of the hall in response.

    Doctor Lou smiled and approached, "Ah, I can help...Let me-"

    "Don''t come near me!" The Empress dowager suddenly roared, pushing Song mama away. Then she grabbed the items on the table and started throwing them forward, "Get out! All of you get lost! Don''t come near me!..." She continued to shout.

    Song mama approached her again, "Your majesty, please calm dow-"

    "Am I talking to myself?!" The Empress dowager asked in irritation, "Are you deaf? I said GET OUT!!! Now!!! GET OUT! GET OUT!! GET OUT!!..." She continued to scream over and over again while clutching her head and doubling over in pain.

    At this point, the servants in the room had all panicked and quickly ran out, even the guards were gone. Lei Xing also got up, if she was unclear about whether she was included in the get out list at first, now she was very clear...time to leave.

    ...I will just take this as my queue...Good luck with whatever that is...

    Lei Xing quickly made her way towards the doors, then she turned and saw Doctor Lou still standing there watching the screaming Empress dowager and persistent Song mama, who kept trying to calm her down.

    ...Oy, do you think this is a theatre show? -_-)...

    Lei Xing swiftly changed directions, grabbed Doctor Lou and pulled him out of the room with her. As they got outside, a few Imperial doctors came running in with the servants tailing behind. The Empress dowager''s palace was in an uproar, with servants running from place to place, it was quite a chaotic scene. As they walked away from the scene, no one was paying them any attention. They could still hear the Empress dowager screams piercing through the air, it seemed to have gotten worse, now she was no longer saying anything and was just letting out blood-curdling screams.

    When they reached outside the building and were away from the chaos, Lei Xing whispered, "What did you do?"

    Doctor Lou frowned at her, "What can I do?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows in disbelief, "That." She simply said nodding to the building behind them, where the Empress dowager''s screams were originating from.

    Doctor Lou snorted, "How can I possibly do that?" Doctor Lou asked in a condescending tone.

    Lei Xing looked at him suspiciously.

    ...Well, most people would ask ''How can you possibly make a magic ring?'' but yet here we are so -_-)...

    Doctor Lou looked at her suspicious expression and squinted at her, "I really didn''t do anything..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    ...If he didn''t do anything...then what is this? PTSD?...

    Lei Xing then narrowed her eyes at him, "Have you done anything...questionable in the past?"

    ...You really can''t tell from looks, you never know...

    Doctor Lou glared at her and replied with indignation, "No, of course not!"

    Lei Xing scoffed, "So what is this?"

    ...But it''s not like you would tell me if you did -_-)''...

    Doctor Lou frowned and mumbled, "How should I know?" Then he picked up his pace towards the entrance.

    By this time they had already reached the entrance, and could no longer continue the conversation and so Lei Xing let it go...for now. As they came out of the Empress dowager''s palace, Xiao Ruo ran up to Lei Xing, "Your highness, are you okay? Is everything alright?" They started hearing the screams, then saw the Imperial doctors come running in, they were worried that something bad had happened inside, but could not go charging in.

    Lei Xing nodded to her, "I''m fine." Then turned to back to see Doctor Lou had kept walking on his own. She sighed and then she turned to Ah Jin, "Please direct him out of the palace." Ah Jin bowed and quickly went to catch up to the strutting old man.

    Lei Xing looked at Doctor Lou''s quickly disappearing figure for a bit and then glanced at the Empress dowager''s palace, where the Empress dowager''s screams were still resonating and started walking back to her palace while dreading the trouble that would result from this.

    ...This is definitely going to be troublesome...We broke the dowager T_T)...No! I didn''t do anything, I didn''t even say a word, all I did was sit there...He broke the dowager. That''s right! Absolutely nothing to do with me! Nothing to worry about at all haha...ha, even I am not convinced T_T)... Old man, I don''t know what you did, but I suggest you skip town...Maybe take me with you too, can you do that? T_T)...

 Chapter 56 - Limbo

    Doctor Lou was making his way out of the palace, with Ah Jin as his guide.

    "You''re still going the wrong way." Ah Jin advised beside Doctor Lou. They had been walking about randomly for a long while now and were not getting any closer to the gates. She tried to advise him but he declined and insisted he knew the way.

    "I know where I''m going." Doctor Lou swiftly responded.

    "But -"

    "Shh." Doctor Lou responded putting a finger to his lips and then he smiled and continued walking. Then spotted Prince Yi who happened to be coming towards his direction and squinted at him Yi, staring straight at him as they closed the distance. Prince Yi noticed Doctor Lou''s stare and slightly knit his brows and then faced forward ignoring the old man''s behavior.

    As they passed by each other, Ah Jin stopped and bowed, while Doctor Lou went, "Hmph!" put his nose up in the air and kept walking.

    Prince Yi frowned as he did that and stopped in his tracks, "Stop."

    Doctor Lou seemed not to hear and kept walking.

    Prince Yi narrowed his eyes and flatly said, "I''m talking to you, old man."

    Doctor Lou then stopped and turned with a hand holding his beard, "What do you want?"

    Prince Yi raised an eyebrow, "Don''t you know to show respect?"

    ...How disrespectful!...

    "Tch, all these little children keep getting on my nerves lately...you''d think they''d at least respect the beard..." Doctor Lou quietly grumbled while stroking his beard and looking off to the side.

    Prince Yi frowned and then said, "Are you blind? Can''t you see t-"

    "Ahhh yes, you see, my eyes have gotten really bad with age so one can conclude me blind." Doctor Lou interjected yawning and nodding in the process.

    "Do you not know who you''re talking to?" Prince Yi asked in a stern voice.

    "We''ve already established that I''m blind, are you trying to make fun of me by asking that?" Doctor Lou grumbled while massaging his ear.

    "Are you playing with me?", Prince Yi''s frown deepened.

    Doctor Lou sighed and then said, "You''re the one who stopped me here. So if someone is playing..." He paused, glanced at Prince Yi and shrugged.

    Prince Yi glared at him. Doctor Lou saw that he was being glared at, and so took a step back then cleared his throat, "Ah, I should mention, I have friends in high places..." Then he started counting his fingers, "There''s those two drunkards and that brooding brat...I guess that bothersome brat can also be counted toooo..." He dragged out the last word as he looked at Prince Yi from head to toe, "...I guess. Ah, there''s that adorably- well, that''s complicated ...Hmm, maybe that joykill can be counted too - but our relationship has been quite tense lately, we''re sort of opposing parties, you know different visions and clashes, like rivals, a very annoying one too, always, always getting in my way..." Doctor Lou rambled on, going off track, then took a deep breath and returned to his friend count, " ...Ah, there''s also a Noble consort and yes, even the Emperor...by default, but yes I am friends with the Emperor. I''m just letting you know." Doctor Lou finished straightening his back and stroking his beard.

    Prince Yi listened to Doctor Lou''s rambling with increasing irritation. When he heard the last sentence, he was taken aback. Then he glanced towards Ah Jin and then looked back at Doctor Lou with a raised eyebrow.

    ...So that''s what he was getting at? No wonder I felt he was somewhat familiar...Friend?... Even the "Emperor"? Is this some sort of joke...

    Prince Yi fisted his hands, Doctor Lou looked at him warily and then sighed, "Okay, okay I concede..." Then he lightly nodded his head in greeting and then looked up to see Prince Yi''s deepening frowning and then he explained, "Ah you see, I''m very old...so my back...but if you insist, I can get on my knees. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ahhh..." He loudly exclaimed as he slowly lowered a knee, while shooting Prince Yi an exaggerated aggrieved pained look.

    The guards stationed at a distance, who were observing the scene were lowering their heads or looking away in disagreement. From a distance, it looked like Prince Yi was bullying this poor, white-haired old man by demanding he gets on his knees. Prince Yi''s eyes darted around and then he faced forward and angrily stormed off.

    Doctor Lou stopped as soon as Prince Yi turned, "Tch, stupid children..." Then he waved towards Ah Jin, "Hurry, come help me up. I''m stuck, oh my poor back."

    Ah Jin sighed and went to help straighten him. Doctor Lou squinted at her, "Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?"

    Ah Jin shook her head in response, then Doctor Lou raised his head, "Better! Let''s go, I''ve lost a lot of daylight being here...How tiring." He said, yawning again and then resumed walking.

    When they finally arrived at the palace gates after Doctor Lou''s meandering, Doctor Lou turned to Ah Jin, "Tell Xing Xing that I will be going away for a while. Not to worry, it won''t be for too long. I''ll send her a message when I return. I''m going." After saying this, he sauntered out the gates.

    ***

    The palace was in an uproar because of the Empress dowager''s illness. After her initial hysteria, she ended up passing out. It has been two days and she still has not regained consciousness, the doctors who have not able to figure out any cause for this illness. What was even more perplexing for the doctors was that she seems to be sleeping peacefully, but on checking her pulse, it is extremely irregular and seems to be going through phases of extreme highs and lows at different intervals. With her strange condition, they suspected that it may be poison and so investigations about were started.

    The entire palace was searched for anything suspicious. Of course, the imperial wives were also searched as well. One concubine was actually found with some poisonous materials in her possession, to her detriment, so she was dragged off to be interrogated. Even though it is unlikely that she would have had the opportunity to poison the Empress dowager, just being caught with that in your possession on its own is normally enough for a great deal of trouble. With all this going on,th atmosphere in the palace has been very tense and everyone has been on high alert and on their best behavior.

    Since she left the Empress dowager''s palace that day, Lei Xing has been biting her nails waiting for her turn to be interrogated or maybe even arrested, considering she was right there when it all happened. There''s also the fact that she was the one who sort of led to Doctor Lou''s job offer....but nothing happened to her and two days went by with no trouble. Other than the inspectors coming to search her palace, as they did the others, nothing else happened to her surprise. This state of limbo was even more nerve-racking for her. Even though she knew she was innocent in this matter, she couldn''t help feeling like they were busy amassing evidence to choke her with.

    ...It''s weird that no one''s asking me anything...Well, maybe they don''t need to? I mean, I wasn''t the only one in the room...True, so it''s really not necessary...Yes, let''s be positive...But I was the one who mentioned the doc....POSITIVE THINKING!!... Even though I mentioned him first, did I ask her to invite him? No...Good! Then it has absolutely nothing to do with me, Problem solved!...

    Lei Xing firmly nodded to reassure herself and then sighed heavily.

    ...It better be not...Doctor Lou even skipped town, leaving me behind...What would I do if I get interrogated? I can''t fork him over...not that I readily would but you know, I definitely can''t stand torture so...I don''t even have any information to be tortured out of me T_T)...

    "Is something wrong?" Li Ru asked as she was watching Lei Xing''s odd behavior and mood changes.

    They were currently sitting in the pavilion in Lei Xing''s front garden. Normally they would go relax somewhere in the Imperial garden, but Lei Xing didn''t want to go anywhere. In her mind, she needed to be here when the crows come calling, hence their choice location for the day.

    Lei Xing sighed, "It''s nothing."

    ...Just lamenting the trouble that I''ve seen T_T)...

    "Are you worried about the Empress dowager?" Li Ru asked looking at Lei Xing''s stressed face.

    Lei Xing sighed again.

    ...Do I look like I have the energy to worry about anyone else right now?...

    "Don''t worry, she will be fine. The palace has the best physicians..." Li Ru tried to console her.

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned.

    ...I literally could not care less for that woman''s condition...Actually, it will probably be better for me if she just, you know...but it''s not like I''m praying for her death or anything, I''m just saying ?_?)...

    "Forget about that...What were you saying again?" Lei Xing asked while refilling their teacups.

    "Oh yes, you said you wanted to learn to play the qin. So I wrote an easy manual for you to remember to start up with." Li Ru said, waving a hand for her personal maid, who came forward and dropped two books on the table.

    Lei Xing snorted as she looked at the thick books, "Well, you''ve worked very hard." She then picked up the books and flipped through them.

    Li Ru had indeed worked very hard on the book, it contained detailed drawings of the qin and explanations of each string, some combinations and the essence of the sound created by each, music scores and so on. Lei Xing nodded in appreciation as she flipped through.

    ...Wow...I can sell this...

    "You are very marketable." Lei Xing absentmindedly said.

    "What?" Li Ru blinked in confusion.

    Lei Xing looked up and smiled, "What I mean is this is so detailed and great. You are really very talented, you could make it big out on the streets." Lei Xing finished with a laugh.

    Li Ru lowered her head, blushing and murmured, "It''s not that good..."

    Lei Xing laughed, "No, it really is. You and me kid, we can do great things...You with the talent, me with..." She paused, thinking, "...the talk...we would go far!"

    ...The talk? That''s a thing, right?... I don''t care it now is... Agent! That''s what it is!... Me, the agent...

    "What are you saying?" Li Ru said, motioning for Lei Xing to lower her voice. Lei Xing laughed.

    ...No, seriously I mean it...She will be a great asset, I should definitely cart her along with me...As long as we have some start-up capital, which I have, we can move up quick...Yeah, but how to get the trunks of money out of the palace without being suspicious? ...Better question, how to sneak a whole human out of the palace without being suspicious?... That''s easy, steal a servant''s pass, who cares about trouble when you''re not coming back...Yeah, so then the money''s the main issue... What about the people that will be giving chase? ? _ ?) Oh them...hahaha I forgot about that...Oh well, it''s a pipe dream but let me have my dreams!...

    While Lei Xing was running through her pipe fantasy in her head, some figures sauntering through the doors of her palace jerked her back to reality. She had to blink twice to be sure her eyes weren''t playing tricks on her.

    Chen You and Zhao Lan were leading the concubines and making their way towards the pavilion where Lei Xing and Li Ru were. Lei Xing knit her brows and watched as the group slowly made their way over. Chen You with a satisfied smile and Zhao Lan with a blank expression with hints of annoyance sipping through. Chen You had summoned all the concubines to her palace and then led them to Zhao Lan''s palace to "persuade" her to join them in going to visit the Empress dowager. Zhao was clear on the fact that this was Chen You''s attempt at taking charge of the harem. Now with the Empress dowager''s illness and with the situation not looking good, if it prolongs or better yet if she dies, there will be a need for someone to step up and take charge of affairs. Chen You was actively trying to prove herself for the role by organizing this and showing consideration and care. Zhao Lan, of course, did not want to play second fiddle to anyone, but if she refused to join them then she would look even worse. Therefore, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and join the group.

    The group finally reached the pavilion and the concubines greeted Lei Xing and Li Ru. Lei Xing blankly stared at the group waiting for them to state their business. It seemed the group was also waiting to be asked about their purpose because none of them said anything either. After a while of awkward silence, Chen You then smiled, "Jiejie, we were on our way to visit the Empress dowager to encourage her, and I thought that we should come to invite you as well...and of course, you also Noble consort Li."

    "I see..." Lei Xing said with a raised eyebrow and hint of sarcasm.

    ...I would be pissed off if you interrupted my sick sleep...Frankly, I would be pissed off if you interrupted my sleep, period. You are not on my pass list, actually, no one is on that list -_-)...

    Chen You then came to sit beside Lei Xing and explained, "Jiejie, even though she can''t receive us... I think that we should still go over to show concern for her, and at least go over to show our support to encourage her spirit. After all, she has looked after us all for so long and has been a mother figure for us all. Simply praying for her from afar is not enough and is not being filial or reciprocating her kindness. Who knows, maybe us being there will give her the strength to pull through."

    Lei Xing looked at Chen You''s earnest expression.

    ...Kindness? Maybe she looked after you but not me....but I understand what you''re getting at....showmanship is a great idea. Showing some "concern" has its uses... before I get accused of praying for her demise or cursing her to death or something...not that I was or anything, I''m still just saying, it''s something to do ?_?)... Wasn''t praying for her recovery or anything either so -_-)...

 Chapter 57 - Social Call

    "We should hurry up, some of us are not so idle." Zhao Lan impatiently chirped in from the side. Looking over Lei Xing''s attire over in a condescending manner. Lei Xing saw her expression and also glanced down at herself. She was currently dressed in simple garments with her hair in a simple braid behind her. She was at "home", so she was dressed comfortably. Lei Xing glanced back up at Zhao Lan, who caught her eyes and then looked away haughtily. Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    ...What exactly is your problem with me? Every time you look at me you have that stink face on like I stole your money or something -_-)''... More importantly, you can''t come to my house and be upset about how I am dressed in my own Freaking house, palace...Whatever it is!...Especially when you''re not invited...and make no mistake, you are all UNINVITED here... Next time send me a heads up, so I make myself absent -_-)...

    Lei Xing let out a breath and leisurely picked up her teacup, took a sip and calmly said, "Since you''re all so busy, you should be on your way. I don''t want to have to delay you here."

    ...I''m not rushing because of anyone...This is me being stubborn, but I don''t care, Go away! ?(���ţ�")?...

    "Jiejie, don''t be like this. It is better for us all to go together so..." Chen You "earnestly" urged.

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes, smiled reassuringly and played along, "I understand, but I don''t want to delay the show of support and cause everyone''s energy to wane by waiting too long. So you all should go ahead and I will make my way there shortly as well." Lei Xing said patting Chen You''s shoulder reassuringly and then turned to Li Ru, "You should go with them as well. The more people, the better."

    Lei Xing then turned to the group, "You should all make sure to properly send your well wishes for the Empress dowager''s recovery to the Heavens. I am sure with all our combined prayers, her condition will turn for the better soon and she will make a speedy recovery."

    Then she got up and continued, "I will not delay you all here, but I must say it is very admirable that we were able to come to a consensus to make such endeavors for the Empress dowager''s welfare. It shows a solidarity which is rare and very commendable. You should all hurry along." As soon she finished she walked off, heading inside.

    Chen You sat there frozen with knit eyebrows look face, while Zhao Lan rolled her eyes and then flatly said, "We should leave." and turned towards the entrance.

    Chen You blinked and quickly got up and smiled, "Xing jiejie will join us later instead. It is better not to waste time and energy waiting here." And then walked quickly to get to catch up with Zhao Lan, securing herself in the lead as they all left.

    ***

    Lei Xing finally arrived at the Empress dowager''s palace about an hour later. She considered not going, but then thought it was better to at least make an appearance lest it is somehow used against her later on. Therefore she dragged herself there with a clear plan in mind, she was just going to show herself, inquire about her condition from Song mama or some other servant so there are witnesses to her "caring". Then give some platitudes and be on her way, simple and efficient.

    To her surprise when she arrived, she found that the Chen You and the others were still there. They were currently all gathered in the hallway of the Empress dowager''s bedroom.

    A short while after the group arrived, the Empress dowager''s condition had become critical again, she had started coughing up blood, and so they remained here out of concern. The Empress dowager had finally calmed down a few minutes ago and went back to sleeping peacefully. They were currently engaged in a conversation with the two Imperial doctors who had just finished attending to the Empress dowager.

    As Lei Xing walked up to the group, she heard one of the Imperial doctor''s saying, "...At this rate, it seems..." Then he shook his head.

    "So there''s really nothing that can be done?" Zhao Lan asked knitting her brows.

    "...We will try our best." The Imperial doctors said bowing their heads.

    "Don''t try. Make sure she gets her well!" Chen You shouted and then turned to look at the Empress dowager''s bedroom door sorrowfully. Then she used a finger to dab under her eyes and turned back to face the Imperial doctors, "If there''s really nothing you can do, then begin preparing your funeral!"

    The Imperial doctors bowed and reassured they will do their utmost again. Lei Xing stood behind the group and sighed.

    ..Must suck to be you guys...So are all the Imperial doctors going to die or just these two? You need to clarify these things, it''s a group effort you know hahaha...It''s not funny, they probably have the worst job in here -_-)... Poor guys...Since she''s ready to go, I say send her off with smiles and love, I can do that, ready whenever (o?��?)o...

    Suddenly a shout came inside the room, "Your majesty!" The Imperial doctors and the group immediately trooped into the room to find Song mama on her knees beside the Empress dowager''s bed almost in tears, with the Empress dowager awake and sitting up in her bed with a hand holding her head.

    The Imperial doctors quickly rushed to her side to check on her condition, while the others in the room were expressing their "joy and relief" on her recovery.

    Lei Xing lightly sighed.

    ...Tch, another dashed dream ??��? ?)...

    The Imperial doctors moved back and bowed to the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, you are indeed protected by the Heavens."

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

    ...Of course, she is ?_?)...

    As the Empress dowager glanced around the room, Zhao Lan stepped forward and bowed, "It is relief to see you well again, Your majesty."

    Chen You immediately also stepped forward and gave her own heartfelt words of relief, "It is truly a great relief, Your majesty. Our heartfelt prayers have finally been answered. I had been so worried for your health these few days that my heart was unable to be at ease. Seeing you now, I know I have worried needlessly. You are truly one chosen by the Heavens a-"

    "Shut Up!" The Empress dowager suddenly roared glaring at Chen You. Chen You immediately froze, wide-eyed with shock.

    Zhao Lan beside her cast her side glance and restrained her urge to smile. Some of the others behind them also felt the urge to laugh, including Lei Xing, who almost snorted out loud when she heard it but managed to keep a straight face.

    ...That right there means you''re annoying...there is something known as overkill, you know hahahahaha...

    The room went silent and the Empress dowager moved to get up from the bed. Song mama and the Imperial doctors advised her otherwise, but they went silent when she cast them an angry glance.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    ...Well someone definitely woke up on the wrong side of bed...Can we go now? I am getting the sense that we are, maybe, unwelcome here so we sh-...

    "You!" The Empress dowager said glaring into the crowd of Imperial wives, "Come forward."

    They all stood there, glancing at each other for a bit confused, unsure who she was calling. Chen You then took the initiative to step forward, only for the Empress dowager to irritatedly say, "Not you. You there in the back."

    Lei Xing awkwardly stood there, she was one of the people in the back and probably the one in the farthest back. So if she''s calling the one "in the back"...

    ...Why do I feel like she''s looking at me? No, it couldn''t be...I mean why would she want me? I haven''t done anything....Maybe being in the back was a problem? But, bu-...

    "Are you ignoring me now?" The Empress dowager sneered, "I guess my current state is one to be ignored." Then she burst into laughter, one that clearly had a self-mocking undertone.

    Lei Xing hesitantly stepped forward...slowly.

    ...At this point, even though she''s not talking to me, I think I shall be proactive about this...before things end very badly for me in the unlikely - well likely event really given our awkward history, my face probably pissed her off or something ...but why are you laughing like that? You seem crazy and the last thing you need is more crazy...You''re already plenty deranged -_-)...

    Lei Xing walked to the front and bowed to the Empress dowager, who then narrowed her eyes and scrutinized her for a while. Lei Xing awkwardly stood there in the silence, after a while she glanced up at the Empress dowager, who seemed to be looking at her absentmindedly.

    ...What is this now? Did you forget my face or do you need to soak in the rage or something? T_T)...

    The Empress dowager then smirked and flatly ordered, "The rest of you, get out."

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide as she watched the others bow and exit the room.

    ...Um, why do we need a one-on-one? I find it highly unnecessary (*?_?;)...

    After the doors were closed, leaving Lei Xing and the Empress dowager alone in the room. Lei Xing glanced at the Empress dowager, whose smirk had been replaced with a deepening frown.

    Lei Xing gulped.

    ...Perhaps I should say something to break the ice...

    "Your m-"

    "How dare you?" The Empress dowager calmly asked cutting her off.

    Lei Xing blinked.

    ...Huh? Dare me what?... Stand in the back? Doctor Lou - No, no, no I had nothing to do with that... Either way, let''s just apologize T_T)...

    Before Lei Xing could open her mouth, the Empress dowager then asked again through gritted teeth, "How dare you come here?"

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned.

    ....I knew visiting wasn''t our thing...Chen You, I shall kill you for this!!... It''s not her fault though...I don''t care! I knew her visits would ruin my day! ?(???????)?...

    "Your ma-" Lei Xing tried to apologize again.

    "Ruining my life once wasn''t enough for you?" The Empress dowager said glaring at her as she took steps towards Lei Xing, "...So you had come here too?"

    Lei Xing lightly took steps, moving to the side as the Empress dowager approached her.

    ...Um, not sure what you''re talking about...but I''m sorry? (���Ŧ�??)...

    "Your majesty, I am sorry for upsetting you...I didn''t mean to-" Lei Xing tried to console the irate Empress dowager

    "Of course you didn''t. Do you ever mean to do anything? I''m the one with the problems, isn''t it?!!" The Empress dowager roared at her, causing Lei Xing to jump back, bumping into the stool and knocking it over. Sending the water basin on it to the floor as well, resulting in a watery mess on the floor.

    Lei Xing looked at the puddle of water and then at the Empress dowager who was frowning at the mess, then quickly said, "I''ll clean it - I mean, I''ll get someone to clean it." Lei Xing quickly said, ready to flee.

    ...I don''t know what''s going with you, but I am out of here!...

    Lei Xing immediately turned around to leave, she had barely taken a step when she felt herself being yanked backwards by her hair with so much force that she fell to the ground, banging her head on the edge of the fallen stool. The sharp pain through her head momentarily made her dazed, when her mind focused, she found the Empress dowager was sitting on top of her, with her hands wrapped around her neck, strangling her.

    ...WHAT THE F*CK?!!! ??(( ???))??...

 Chapter 58 - Forestall

    ***MiraiSaesang''s Notes: Sorry for the huge delay, yesterday was just a hectic mess ????...Lots of things going on this chapter so Enjoy!!...***

    "You want to run away? Coward!!! Who is the weak one now?" The Empress excitedly said as she strangled Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing was panicking and was clawing at the hands on her neck, trying to pry them away while attempting to roll over but she couldn''t. She wanted to scream but she couldn''t get her voice out. Then she caught the metal water basin that had fallen out the side of an eye and stretched a hand trying to grasp it, while the other one was still busy trying to free her neck.

    "Your majesty, is everything alright?" Song mama worriedly shouted from outside the doors, they heard the noise of the crash from outside.

    "Stay out of it!!" The Empress dowager angrily barked out and then continued through gritted teeth, "You are always so perfect, aren''t you? The most beautiful, the strongest, the most talented, the greatest, now tell me how great are you?! Huh?!"Her eyes were wide and filled with rage, and her hair was falling all over her face, completing the horrific picture as she put all her energy into strangling the life out of her captive.

    Lei Xing was completely horrified and in a state of panic, she managed to grab onto the basin and started hitting against the ground to get the attention of the people outside, glancing at the door hoping someone to burst through. "You can''t even save your own self, tell me, how does it feel to be useless? I''ve always been curious about how it feels for you "talented" ones falling to the bottom, tell me, does it feel the same?" The Empress dowager sneered.

    "Your majesty, are you okay?!" Song mama shouted again, getting more anxious with the abnormal situation.

    "I said stay out of it!!" The Empress dowager barked out again. Lei Xing glared at the Empress dowager and then started bashing her head with the basin with all her might.

    ...GET THE F**CK OFF ME, YOU B**CH!!!!...

    Lei Xing was bashing the Empress dowager''s head so hard that the Empress dowager''s nose started bleeding and a nasty bruise was forming where Lei Xing was repeatedly hitting. Despite all that, the Empress dowager didn''t seem phased at all and was intently focused on strangling her. The Empress dowager then stated matter of factly as she tightened her grip, "Your existence is a problem, so you need to die. You all need to die. I will have you all bow down at my feet and then destroy you, as it should be."

    Lei Xing lost her grip on the basin, and so started using both her hands to claw at the Empress dowager''s arms, her vision was getting blurrier and she knew once she lost consciousness that would be the end. She started attacking blindly, clawing and grabbing at whatever she could.

    ...YOU DIE, B**CH!!!!!....

    ***

    In the royal study, the Emperor was currently in a meeting with Defense minister Lei and Prime minister Zhao. The issue on hand is that the Defense minister has refused to give his approval for Zou Kingdom''s tribute list that the Prime minister drafted. Prime minister Zhao had already revised the list twice now but Defense minister Lei still refused to approve it, calling it unfeasible. After receiving his third refusal, Prime minister Zhao became enraged and went to confront Defense minister Lei. One refused to amend to suit the other''s requirements and the other refused to agree without amendment, and so they ended up bringing the matter to the Emperor for him to decide on it.

    "Your majesty, the list is too extreme. There is no way they will be able to meet the demands." Defense minister Lei calmly explained.

    "That''s nonsense!" Prime minister Zhao protested, "Your majesty, the list is a fair price for the protection they will be receiving by having us an ally. I have looked into their economy extensively, they can definitely meet the demands."

    "Right now as they are they can definitely meet the demands, but amongst the three cities you listed is their biggest gold mine. If they lose that, how do you expect them to pay that amount of yearly tributes after that?"

    "There are other ways they can compensate for that." Prime minister Zhao indignantly replied.

    "This is a peace treaty, for it to work it has to, first of all, be feasible."

    "Hmph! Since when did you become an advocate for peace?"

    "And what is that supposed to mean?" Defense minister Lei asked with a frown.

    Prime minister Zhao cast him a sideways glance and then scoffed, "You should know your own history better than I do."

    "The tides have changed and one should adapt to the way of the times. I am more skeptical of you who seems to all of sudden be war hungry. I wonder what your motives are..."

    Prime minister Zhao frowned, "It is not about being war hungry, it is about the principle of things. Since there is no natural benefit in becoming their ally, there should at least be some practical benefit, they should make up for their shortcomings. This is why I was against calling off the war, a useless ally is nothing but a burden!"

    "The natural benefit is not losing our people in war. It''s easier for you to scream war having never been in one yourself..." Defense minister Lei offhandedly replied.

    "You-!" Prime minister Zhao took a deep breath, "My job is to ensure a thriving economy, have you thought about the amount of resources we would expend should our "ally" need protection?"

    "Considering you will be taking all they have, they definitely will be needing protection. Your majesty, please review this matter. The Prime minister''s plan is really not sustainable." Defense minister Lei implored with a bow.

    "Your majesty, please review this matter. We have to gain something from this venture to pacify the people." Prime minister also implored bowing as well.

    After that, they both remained in their bowing position waiting for the Emperor''s response. After a while of no response, they cast a side glance at each other and then looked up at the Emperor who was busy scrutinizing his left wrist with a frown.

    "Your majesty?"

    "Your majesty...Your majesty, Emperor?"

    The Emperor blinked and looked up, "Ah, it does seem like it would be hard to fulfill the demands..." Then he twitched and looked down at the wrist again.

    ...What is this?... There doesn''t appear to be anything wrong with it...

    Prime minister Zhao knit his brows and said, "With all due respect Your majesty, we are already making a huge concession on calling off the war. We really cannot make ourselves seem weak by catering to the enemy''s needs - "

    "We also cannot make ourselves seem unreasonable either." Defense minister Lei interjected.

    The two began bickering again but the Emperor was not paying attention to their words. He was too busy scrutinizing his wrist, for a while now he has been getting a burning pain there like someone had put hot coal on him, that was getting increasingly hotter. Initially, he had thought he got bitten by something, but on looking over his wrist, there was no sign of a bite or even any redness to explain the burning pain he was getting. He even touched it and didn''t feel worsening pain.

    ...Strange...

    While the Emperor was staring fixedly at his wrist, he suddenly felt himself being yanked forward with extreme force, then all of a sudden, he found himself in the Empress dowager''s bedroom faced with the shocking scene of the Empress dowager strangling Lei Xing and Lei Xing bashing the Empress dowager''s head with a basin. The Emperor''s eyes went wide in shock, but before he could say or do anything he was yanked back and found himself looking at the Defense minister and Prime minister. He frowned in confusion, trying to make sense of what just happened.

    "Your majesty, is everything alright?" Defense minister Lei asked, both he and Prime minister Zhao were looking at the Emperor with knit eyebrows with worry, they had been calling out to him and he was just staring off into space. They were quite perplexed at his odd behavior today, it was really out of character for him to be spacing out.

    The Emperor blinked several times and then felt a shooting pain on his wrist, this time his hand started shaking and he was feeling increasingly anxious. The other two in the room looked at each other in confusion and were about to inquire again when the Emperor suddenly stood up with one hand holding over the other and just stood there.

    Then he sat back down and sighed, "Continue."

    ...What is going on with me today? I must be really tired to dreaming while awake now or would this be seeing visions?... According to someone, hearing a voice in one''s head already makes one crazy, I wonder what this would equate to?... I should really reconsider those sleeping decoctions...

    "Your majesty, if you are not feeling well...perhaps we can come back later on." Defense minister Lei suggested.

    "I''m fine. You have both made valid points. But regardless of our high prospects of winning in war, there will inevitably still be losses on- " Then he stopped and looked at his wrist again, then got up, "Either way, go revise it again, keep the gold mines and work on some reasonable reductions." He finished and then quickly walked out.

    When he got outside the doors, he looked at Eunuch Li, "Has my mother woken up?"

    Eunuch Li shook his head. The Emperor then frowned.

    ...What exactly am I doing right now? This is stupid... But since I''m here, there''s no harm in going to check on her at least once while she''s sick and possibly on her death bed, it is the filial thing to do...I guess. Ah perhaps this means that she''s dying and this will be last chance I have to see her alive, just like the dream about my father...a premonitory dream...only this time I am awake and this one is a bit - too specific?... It also explains the anxiety, I guess I still somewhat care for her at least a bit more than I thought...or perhaps it''s actually excitement? Ah, that makes more sense...

    Defense minister Lei and Prime minister Zhao also followed the Emperor out. When they saw him standing there, they bowed but he still was not paying them any attention, they cast worried glances at him and then left.

    Eunuch Li seeing their faces and the Emperor who was just standing there with a frown asked, "Your majesty are you okay?"

    " I''m going to see my mother." He flatly said and started strutting off.

    ...I am going to see if she''s still breathing...

    Eunuch Li followed behind him with a relieved smile. He had tried to persuade the Emperor to go see the Empress dowager since she fell ill but could not succeed. The Emperor had investigated the matter of her illness and ensured she was getting the best care, but remained silent whenever he brought up the issue of going to visit her. To see him choosing to go on his own and even asking after her welfare, made him happy. Eunuch Li was aware the Empress dowager was not a good mother to the Emperor, but in the end, she is still his mother...she was not always like this, the circ.u.mstances made her become this way.

    ...To see his heart move in her direction even a little bit is a relief...

    ***

    Meanwhile, in the Empress dowager''s room.

    Lei Xing had finally lost consciousness holding a clump of the Empress dowager''s hair in a hand. At this point, the Empress dowager was laughing hysterically and happily strangling the life out of her. Suddenly, the gem on Lei Xing''s ring flashed a bright light and the Empress dowager froze, staring at it with a frown for a while. Then her head began to be in pain again and she released Lei Xing''s throat to hold her head, closing her eyes and groaning.

    After a little while, it seems the pain stopped and she opened her eyes and let out a shocked gasp when she saw that she was sitting on an unconscious body. She looked at her hands and then at the imprints on Lei Xing''s neck, then she started shaking and pat Lei Xing''s face multiple times, "Hey, wake up, wake up..." Then she started crying, "What have I done? I am so sorry...I - I didn''t mean to...Please wake up...What should I do?... Um, I''ll go get help, you''ll be fine." Then she made to get up, when her head started hurting again and she slumped back down before she could even rise. When she opened her eyes this time, she immediately went back to the strangling, "Don''t get in my way! She''s not dead yet. I''ll make sure to finish her off this time. Then I will never have to worry again. Her first and then the others next..." And then she started chuckling maliciously.

    ***

    As the Emperor approached the entrance of the Empress dowager''s palace, he noticed the cl.u.s.ter of servants outside and frowned, then he noticed Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin there and his heartbeat sped up along with his footsteps towards the Empress dowager''s bedroom. As he rounded the corner to her bedroom, he could hear the hysterical laughter that had often hanuted his dreams. At this point, he was sprinting towards the bedroom doors, paying no mind to the people surrounding the area who were greeting or speaking to him. Eunuch Li hastily followed the Emperor, he could now sense that something was wrong.

    The Emperor burst through the doors and without even missing a beat ran up to the duo and threw the Empress dowager off Lei Xing and crouched down to check on Lei Xing''s condition. Thankfully, Eunuch Li was quick on his feet and caught the falling Empress dowager, who was screaming, "Let me go! I need to finish this! Why do y-" Then her head started hurting again and she slumped down with Eunuch Li holding her, groaning in pain again.

    The others outside had followed behind the Emperor and caught sight of what was going on in the room before the Emperor intervened and froze in their steps, petrified and wide-eyed. Song mama was the first to snap out of the shock and rush to the Empress dowager''s side. The Imperial doctors in the room quickly snapped out of it, and one ran to the Empress dowager while the other to Lei Xing, who the Emperor was currently holding up. She was unconscious but was still alive. The Emperor let out a breath he had been holding his breath without realizing it.

    ...Thankfully, she''s still breathing...

    On the other side, the Empress dowager looked up at the Emperor holding Lei Xing, let out a short self-mocking laugh and then in a pained voice said, "In the end, it''s still her who is most important and I''m not, I never was and never will be, you prove this point over and over again to the point that it has been ingrained deep into my bones, to never forget...It''s still better if you all just drop dead for me." And then her eyes closed, and tears trailed down her face. It seemed she had gone back to sleep. The Emperor looked at his mother with knit eyebrows and lightly shook his head and Then asked the doctor at her side, "How is she?"

    "The Empress dowager seems to have fallen asleep due to fatigue." The doctor responded with a bow.

    The Emperor nodded and then looked back down at Lei Xing and then picked her up. He turned to those frozen at the door and coldly said, "No one is to speak of whatever it is you have seen or heard here today. If you dare to, then regardless of your position, it will be death. Am I clear?" He finished narrowing his eyes at them.

    They all blinked, bowed and said, "Yes, your majesty."

    Then he walked out of the room with the Imperial doctor following behind, leaving Eunuch Li behind to care for his mother.

    After the Emperor left, the Imperial wives stood there in a daze for a while staring at the scene. Then one after the other, they turned and left the scene silently still in a daze, and continued on like that back to their own palaces. They were in disbelief of all they had just heard and seen. While they had all known to tread carefully when facing the Empress dowager to avoid getting in trouble and being punished, but this was on a different level.

    They all wondered what Lei Xing could have possibly done to warrant such an extreme response, is there even anything that should warrant such a response? To strangle her herself is...unheard of. The entire situation left them confused and very scared. Most of them were not at all concerned about Lei Xing''s welfare; their concern was centered on the fact that the Empress dowager could do that to the Defense minister''s daughter. This meant that it could easily happen to any of them, and the Emperor seemed to be covering up the matter as well. It was the first time they had truly felt scared of being in the palace.

 Chapter 59 - Arousal

    That night, the Empress dowager woke up to find Song mama asleep on the floor beside her bed, with an Imperial doctor nodding off on the side. She knit her brows and asked, "Song er'' why are you sleeping here?"

    Song mama immediately jerked up and exclaimed, "Your majesty, how are you feeling?" The Imperial doctor was also awakened by Song mama''s voice and scurried over to the Empress dowager''s bedside.

    The Empress dowager sat up with Song mama''s help, "I''m fine, just a little tired and my head is hurting. How did I get hurt?" She asked as she touched her the bandages wrapped on her head.

    Song mama blinked and looked at the Imperial doctor, and then looked back at the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, you don''t remember?"

    The Empress dowager shook her head, "What happened?"

    Song mama then looked at the Imperial doctor, who got the clue and quickly said, "Your majesty, your condition has stabilized. You may be feeling tired but that is just due to the lack of proper diet over the last few days. In a few days, you will back to normal. As for the injuries, they are minor and should heal in a few days. I will go prepare a tonic to help strengthen you." He then quickly bowed and exited the room.

    After the Imperial doctor left, the Empress dowager then looked at Song mama waiting for an explanation. Song mama furrowed her brow and hesitated, "I am not exactly sure myself...I just saw the aftermath..." She glanced at the Empress dowager and hesitantly continued, "It seems you got into a fight with Noble consort Lei..."

    The Empress dowager frowned, "A fight?"

    Song mama closed her eyes and clarified, "A physical fight."

    The Empress dowager went wide-eyed and blinked several times in disbelief and after a while finally managed to ask, "How?"

    Song mama sighed, "I don''t know how it happened...Even if it was for punishment, for you to do it like that was...it was quite shocking..." She then stopped and whispered with difficulty, "You were strangling her..."

    "Why didn''t you do anything to stop it? How could you-" The Empress dowager shouted, feeling at a loss for words and appalled at the scenario.

    Song mama quickly knelt down and explained, "Your majesty, you ordered everyone out of the room, when I heard the sounds coming from inside I wanted to come in, but you said to stay out of it...At one point, you even threatened to kill anyone who enters...I-I didn''t know what to do...Please forgive my incompetence."

    The Empress dowager let out a breath and touched her head looking at Song mama with irritation.

    ...That stupid girl must have started it...but even then how could I stoop so low as to-...

    "Send for her right now?!" The Empress dowager barked out.

    Song mama hesitantly looked up at the Empress dowager, "I don''t think she has woken up yet...and the Emperor didn''t - " Her words broke off when she saw the Empress dowager''s deepening frown and she immediately said, "I will immediately send someone to go inquire." And then got up to leave.

    "No need." The Empress dowager said before Song mama could reach the doors, "Help me get dressed."

    ***

    Lei Xing opened her eyes, then sighed and closed her eyes again.

    ...I''m still alive?... Good thing, it would have been a depressing way to go, strangled to death by an old lady...I feel like a failure T_T)...But she was a freakishly strong old lady, plus she''s not that old...Doctor Lou is old, she''s mid-life and seems to have experience in the ring too so not my fault...Or I just suck in general, yeah it''s probably that -_-)''...

    She then moved to get up and groaned in pain.

    ...Oww! My arm, my neck, That WITCH!!...

    "Here, I''ll help you."

    Lei Xing turned towards the voice and blinked.

    ...Who the hell are you?... Oh, it''s you -_-)...

    After squinting at the person who was helping her sit up, she realized it was the Emperor. He was currently dressed in a simple garment with his hair down and so she did not recognize him at first glance. As soon as she was sitting up properly, she shifted backward out of his reach. The Emperor blinked and stared at his empty hand for a bit and then straightened up and just stood there looking down at her. Lei Xing looked back at him with knit eyebrows.

    ...What? You want me to thank you?... Do you know how I got into this state? And are you aware that your mother is a batshit crazy lunatic of a witch?! So no, no thank you! -_-)...

    The Emperor then turned and walked off.

    ...Good riddance! The last thing I need now is your stupid reminder of a face -_-)''... By the way, Where the hell am I?...

    Lei Xing touched her neck feeling the bandages as her eyes glanced up at the gold shimmery canopy above and the surroundings.

    ...Seeing that a***ole''s getup I can guess where this is, I should be leaving now -_-)...

    "It''s something to relieve the bruising." The Emperor said coming out from the corner when he saw her touching the bandages on her neck.

    Lei Xing frowned and looked at him.

    ...Oh, you''re back -_-)...

    He sat down on the side of the bed and handed her a cup, Lei Xing looked down at the cup with knit eyebrows, the Emperor then explained, "It''s lemon tea."

    Lei Xing then moved to raise her right arm to take it and then winced in pain.

    "Here." The Emperor said bringing the cup to her lips. Lei Xing was taken aback and looked at the cup with a frown and then used her left hand to take it.

    ...I have still have a functioning arm, you know -_-)...

    She then put the cup down in her right hand, while covertly looking at the ring.

    ...Just in the event, you are here to finish the job for your crazy mother...

    After confirming that it was safe, she then sipped it while cautiously looking at the Emperor, who was currently forward.

    ...So what is this? Bribery?...Hmph! You''re pretty cheap for an "Emperor" -_-)...You should at least bring a trunk or two of gems or maybe a warehouse of cash...What are you even going to use it for? I don''t know, staring at it will be nice en-...END IT!-_-)...I''m just saying, if you''re going to bribe someone, you should at least put in some effort, not this fake "nice" thing you have going on here...I mean it''s common decency! -_-)...

    "What exactly happened?" The Emperor finally asked after a long while.

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed.

    ...Oh I see, this is an interrogation...Softening up the subject before slaughter...What happened is your mother is freaking crazy B**ch!... But since I don''t think you''d take that explanation well then I don''t know what happened -_-)...

    Lei Xing was feeling so irritated that she could not bring herself to say anything and was just glaring down at the bed.

    After not receiving a response, the Emperor then sighed and said, "I am sorry this happened to you." He then turned to look at Lei Xing, "It will not happen again."

    Lei Xing glanced up at him.

    ...Yeah, sure...Whatever you say -_-)''...

    "I mean it, it will not happen again." The emperor reassured after noticing the disbelief in her eyes.

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and gave a hoarse, "En." and then looked back down.

    ...Yeah, I believe you will "try"...And I''m sure your pep talk will be super effective ?_?)...While you''re at it, I suggest running a dagger through her for better performance... Also, why did that Freaking witch even do that to me? Because she''s crazy...Ruined her life? Hmph, she and her cohort here are freaking ruining MY LIFE!! ?_?)...

    Suddenly, Eunuch Li came into the room and informed, "Your majesty, the Empress dowager is here...to see Noble consort Lei."

    Lei Xing immediately froze and started cold sweating a bit.

    ...W-Why?! Did she come to finish the job!?...I''m not scared, not scared at all...It''s just, I think we both need some space...I''m not scared at all, just...Please just leave me alone, I''m tired T_T)...

    When neither of the two responded, Eunuch Li then continued to ask, "Should she come in?"

    Lei Xing immediately went wide-eyed and then frowned.

    ...Come in? Here? Can''t she just go die off in a ditch somewhere? Or get lost in space, forest or whatever? Any of those would work...Why, Why, Why is she OKAY?!! I should have caused at least some brain damage, what a disappointment!...

    Lei Xing then felt a hand on patting her head and immediately frowned at it.

    ...What the HELL do you think you''re doing? ?�q�r?)...

    The Emperor smiled at her and calmly said, "Don''t worry."

    Lei Xing irritatedly moved his hand off while frowning.

    ...Do I look like a freaking puppy to you?!... And worried? Who''s worried? If she comes near me right now, I will decimate her life!!... Therefore, she is the one who should be worried. Therefore. You. Should. Keep. Her. Away. From. Me for her own FREAKING SAFETY!! ?�q�r?)...

    The Emperor snorted at Lei Xing''s "fierce fighter" expression and then got up and left the room with Eunuch Li.

    Lei Xing glared at them as they walked towards the doors.

    ...What the hell is funny a***ole?! You think I can''t take her? Why don''t you bring her in here and we''ll test it out, Huh?!!! Right now, Bring her!... Okay, but since you have chosen to see her alone, I respect your decision for peaceful resolution...I, myself have always been an advocate for peace, that''s why I''ll let this go today...But if she ever tries me again, then you''ll see ?_?)...

    Lei Xing let out a small sigh of relief. As the Emperor left the room, an Imperial doctor and two maids trotted into the room. After checking on her condition, the Imperial doctor then left to brew some medication for her.

    After the Imperial doctor left, Lei Xing was left with the maids who were just standing there with their heads bowed.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat a little and they looked up and went, "Your highness, is there anything you need?"

    "Help me get dressed, I''m returning to my palace." Lei Xing said with a raspy voice, then she touched her throat.

    ...That Witch! Now I can''t sing myself to sleep! -_-)...Not that I do, I''m just saying it''s just one of those things I could do before but can''t do right now...Also can''t do push-ups or pull-ups now too...Also part of the many things that I don''t do, that I can''t do now, just saying...Freaking Witch! -_-)...

    "I''m sorry Your highness, but the Emperor has instructed for you to remain here." One of the maids explained with a bow.

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

    ...Did he now? What the hell for? -_-)...

    "Your highness, is there something else you need help with?"

    "No." Lei Xing curtly replied, then sighed and added, "Some more of that tea." She said handing the cup to one of them who came forward.

    ...Let''s look at it this way, if I were in my palace right now, and that crazy witch showed up there would have been nothing I could do to stop her from waltzing in - She could have straight up have walked into the room while I was sleeping and poured a dose of goodbye serum down my throat and that''d be it, here I don''t even have to look at her, isn''t that wonderful?...

    Lei Xing sighed.

    ...It''s quite interesting what I consider to be wonderful these days -_-)...Well, it''s not like he''s going to try anything with me being injured, especially by his crap mother...He would have to be an insane brute to do that...And if he tried, I would kill him...Um, you couldn''t even kill his mother who was try-...I don''t need a bloody reminder of that! Forget it!... That was a fluke, a surprise attack!...I''ll do my own surprise attack this time! �� ?��)...

 Chapter 60 - The Forsaken

    The Emperor walked into his reception hall to find the Empress dowager sitting down and seething. As soon as the doors closed behind him, she glared at him, "How dare you keep me waiting here?"

    The Emperor snorted, "For someone who was said to be at death''s door a little while ago, you sure do have a lot of energy." He walked over and sat down on the main seat beside the Empress dowager.

    "You sound disappointed." The Empress dowager said frowning in his direction.

    The Emperor simply cast her a side glance and did not respond. After a while of the two sitting in silence. The Empress dowager then sighed, "I heard one of your precious Noble consorts got injured today."

    The Emperor cast her another side glance and did not respond.

    The Empress dowager continued, "...So I thought it wise to pay her a visit...and you treat me this way?" She finished raising her voice, then she scoffed, "Well you have always been a fickle-minded person like your father, it is my fault for expecting more of you."

    The Emperor frowned and simply said, "En, it is your fault."

    The Empress dowager''s frown deepened and then she began to scold, "How can a child desert his own mother? Do you know how ha-"

    "Mother, I have been thinking on what to do with you. You ar-" The Emperor calmly said cutting her off.

    The Empress dowager shot up in anger, "Are you really going to abandon me again because of that little brat? Can''t you see that this is all some stupid plot? She obviously caused this and-"

    "Do you even remember it?" The Emperor interjected and the Empress dowager froze. The Emperor looked at her and then sighed, "As I thought...You taught me that for one to stand above others, one must always be contained and never subject to the whims of others. Even though she somehow forced your hand, you should not have been in a place to be moved in the first place."

    The Empress dowager knit her brows and did not answer.

    ...How did he know?...

    The Emperor continued, "In the past, your motivation for all the things you did always had to do with the late Emperor. What motivation did you have in what you did today? I have tried but have been unable to make sense of this move, so do enlighten me on what you hoped to gain by killing her, especially that way." The Emperor finished looking at the Empress dowager waiting for a response.

    The Empress dowager blinked and then frowned, "Y-You''re blaming me for this?"

    The Emperor sighed, "While I can understand that you may have some problems...but as you often reminded me, it is your duty to keep them under control. If others grasp any weakness in you, it will be your downfall...But then again I don''t think I need to remind of you of this, after all you have experienced that for yourself..."

    The Empress dowager''s frown deepened as she was reminded of her lowest moments and of that sickening woman''s gloating words, ''...Ah, there is no need for you to worry. I will make sure to take very good care of him for you.'' Then her eyes filled with anger and she said through gritted teeth, "You traitorous son! You want to abandon like this again?!"

    The Emperor frowned and then got up, "You abandoned me first. And it seems you are not aware of this, but your freedom today is because of me, the power you hold today is also because of me. I have shown you what is called forgiveness on the account for all your suffering that had nothing to do with me, and I have shown you a tolerance that you have never shown anyone. Rather than putting on this show here, I suggest you return and reflect on your own shortcomings before they destroy you." He finished and started walking away, then paused after a few steps and turned back to her, "I will add this. I am in no way...in any shape or form like the late Emperor. If you keep overstepping your boundaries, you will be held accountable to the full extent of the consequences. You can consider this a warning, do not push me." He finished and walked out of the room. Leaving the Empress dowager standing there with a deep scowl.

    After the Emperor left, Song mama rushed into the room to find the Empress dowager just standing there staring at the doors. After Song mama called to her a few times, she blinked and looked at her and asked, "How long has it been since the Harvest moon celebration?"

    "It was four days ago."

    "Four days?" The Empress dowager whispered.

    Song mama looked at her worried and asked, "Your majesty, is there something wrong?"

    The Empress dowager did not respond and simply walking out.

    ...The celebration feels just like it was just yesterday, I don''t remember four whole days?...Nothing at all? like they never happened...And how did Kai''er know about that?...I abandoned him? He was the one who left me!... He ran away simply because I scolded him and then almost got himself poisoned to death, probably by that same Zhao witch and he stupidly went to live with her after too!... Wait, something like this also happened then too...

    As she rode the palanquin back to her palace, the Empress dowager went over the events of the past in her mind. At that time, she had woken to find an Imperial doctor in the small room in the cold palace, she was informed that she had passed out due to overexertion. She then asked where her son was. Song mama then informed her that it seemed that two days ago, both of them had gotten into an argument, where she must have scolded him too harshly so he ran away, got poisoned and was currently fighting for his life. On hearing this, she was of course, frantic and clamored to see him and for him to be brought back to her, but her pleas were ignored. After a week, she received news that he was able to make a full recovery, she expected for him to return to her immediately, but she waited and waited but he never came. She made threats to kill herself if he was not returned to her to force the Emperor to make him come back, but her threats fell on deaf ears this time. Song mama had even gone to try to talk the little prince into returning or at least visiting his mother, but he never responded to her. Another week and a few days went by, finally he came back with Eunuch Li in tow.

    As soon as he walked in, she ran to him and looked him over, "Kai''er, you finally came back! Tell me who poisoned you? Was it that Zhao witch? It must be her, I greatly underestimated that witch! This is why I told you never to go wandering around!" She scolded again and then took a deep breath to calm herself, "Don''t worry, once I get out of here, I will get rid of her once and for all! You need to stay here with me for your own safety, how will you protect yourself from those vipers?" Then she scoffed, "He should know now that you need me to be able to live well. So what did the Emperor say about this? Has he looked into it who did it? Don''t tell me he is going to cover up for that Zhao witch? Tell me!"

    As she was talking, the little prince just blankly stared at her with a deepening frown.

    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" She asked.

    The little prince then brushed her hands off his shoulders and stepped back and then flatly said, "I came to say that I will never come back here." Then he glanced at Song mama and then back to his mother, "So stop coming to look for me, it is infuriating." Then he turned and walked out towards the gate.

    The Empress dowager stayed there frozen on her for a bit and then became outraged and rushed towards the gate, "How dare you?! How dare you say that after everything I''ve done for you? For us?! How can you be so foolish as to let yourself be used like this?! How could a son I gave birth to be so blatantly foolish?!" By the time she got to the gate, the guards had already locked it behind him. She raged on for a little while longer, pounding on the closed gate with Song mama beside her trying to calm her down. After she calmed down, she sunk to the floor and Eunuch Li walked up to her and knelt beside her and bowed, "Your majesty, do not worry, I will make sure to properly look after him in your stead till the day when you can be free." She did not respond and just kept staring blankly at the gates. After giving her another bow, Eunuch Li got up and left, the gate was opened and promptly locked behind him. She continued sitting there looking at the gate for a long while after with Song mama at her side, trying to reassure her that the little prince did not mean what he said and he will be back soon.

    ...How could he? How could he abandon me like this? I had put my all into him and now this...Is the world truly against me? What is the point of living now?... Wouldn''t it have been better to have just died then with everyone... Even the child I had hope in has left me now too...Living is really too hard...

    The Empress dowager frowned in irritation as she recalled those memories. Another set of memories came to mind, this strange forgetfulness event reminded her of how she used to stab the late Emperor. While she hated him, she never intended to injure him, except on one occasion. It served her no purpose to constantly antagonize him and was something that could only be detrimental to her cause. She never remembered stabbing him on all the other occasions save for the one. One moment everything will be fine and things will be going smoothly between them, then she would blink and find herself holding a bloody object with him injured and looking at her with anger and pain. It was only a split second she did not recall, she never meant to, but she always did it and seeing his accusing eyes filled her with so much anger that she could not control herself and would end up flying into a rage. And so they would always end up arguing and parting on very bad terms.

    ...How dare he expect me to apologize after everything he did!... He deserved it and more!...

    When she returned back to her palace, she had Song mama recount the events of the last few days to her. As she listened, she tried hard to recall but could not recall anything at all.

    "...You were meeting with a Doctor, a well-known skilled fertility doctor called Doctor Lou, you wanted to empl-"

    "That''s enough!" The Empress dowager suddenly shouted, holding her head. Her head was hurting and her ears were ringing loudly as well. "I''m tired."

    Song mama immediately went to her side to help her up to the bed, "Your majesty, you just recovered, you need to rest more. All these things do not matter, your health is most important."

    As the Empress dowager laid down. She kept thinking back to the Emperor''s words and past events.

    ...Could something else have during those two days?... But even so, how could he abandon me like that? If he can abandon me once, he can definitely do it again... But how could I strangle - I still find it unbelievable...It makes no sense...

 Chapter 61 - Companion

    ???? Note: Ongoing the voice thoughts will have a *, to make it easier for you all...Enjoy!***

    ...*You Can''t Kill Her!...

    The Emperor left the reception hall feeling irritated and made his way to his study, ignoring the shouting in his head.

    ...*You are not allowed to kill her!...

    The Emperor then frowned.

    ...I don''t remember you being in a place to dictate what I can and cannot do...

    ...*It''s not her fault, you even confirmed that she does not remember...It''s not fair for her to carry blame...

    ...Then who should? Me? Her victim? Her suffering does not absolve her of blame, revenge is one thing, this is another...

    ...*You will regret it! She''s your mother!...

    ...So? You seem to be unaware of the family I come from...

    The voice then stopped responding and the Emperor peacefully arrived at his study, sat down and asked Eunuch Li, "Have they found him yet?"

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow, "No, they have searched all over the city and still have not been able to find a trace, he should not have been able to leave either..."

    The Emperor knit his brows. Shortly after the Empress dowager''s condition was reported he had sent people to go bring Doctor Lou back to be interrogated, as there was some suspicion of poison. There was not enough time in between the search starting and him leaving the Palace for him to have made it to the city gates on foot. The guards at the city gates also confirmed that no one matching his description had passed through that day, and were put on alert. His disappearance made it seem all the more likely that he had something to do with her illness.

    Song mama had informed the Emperor of what led to Doctor Lou being summoned to the palace, Lei Xing''s explanation had aligned with what Ah Jin''s had said to him the day before, which made him set aside some of his misgivings about that situation....but then the Doctor had said they were friends. So, the Emperor still felt it was suspicious and had planned to speak to Lei Xing after court today to see if she knew the location of her "friend", but then the Prime minister and Defense minister made their appearance and delayed the conversation.

    "Your majesty, do you really think the Doctor had something to do with the Empress dowager''s illness? Even if he is skilled, he did not go anywhere near enough to have dealt poison..."

    "If he is not guilty, why run?"

    ...and why lie? It''s very suspicious...

    ...*Stop wasting time on irrelevant things and focus on what is important?!!...

    The Emperor knit his brows in annoyance and then sighed.

    ...I never said I was going to kill her...

    ...*Leave the old man alone too, his powers are not enough to cause that!...

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow.

    ...Powers?...

    ...*Stop wasting time on irrelevant things!!...

    The Emperor frowned again, in the past he had wanted to talk more with this...entity, but now that it is doing exactly that, it seemed more irritating than pleasant. It seemed to be changing and was becoming more and more nosy, confusing and persistent in its efforts.

    The change really began when he got the news that his father was dying and for him to return to the capital a few months ago. While planning his return, it had advised of traps waiting on certain routes that would have been the obvious and quickest routes back. So the Emperor opted for the scenic route, despite the protests of others. He was personally in no rush and was not at all interested in seeing his father''s last days and this gave him reason not to bother at all.

    After the meeting ended and the others left to prepare for his departure, Lei Yong had stayed back to further advise him of the urgency of the situation, saying that while he was taking his time, his brother was by his father''s side showing him care that could change the tides. Then the Emperor had laughed and said, "My father does not want compassion. If he wanted to make my brother Crown prince, he would have done that a long time ago...and even then there''s still the Empress. All I have to do get there alive."

    Lei Yong frowned, "The Empress is not your birth mother, even if he gets the throne she would still retain her power and be the Empress dowager, so how can you trust her not to turn on you?"

    "I am her only option." Eventually, Lei Yong got exasperated and left, leaving behind the Emperor who was in a good mood and was thinking about how things were finally about to get interesting. He had thought that the voice had left as usual after advising on the route, but it seemed to have quietly stayed there all along, listening. So while he was anticipating and planning the events of the future in his mind, it had went on to caution him with the words, ''Don''t be so quick to kill; Be patient with your mother, she is not to blame and be patient with your brother, he can learn.''

    At that time, he had not calculated his mother into the situation. While he knew he would have to help her for the sake of the Xia people, thinking of her dampened his mood so he often didn''t. After thinking about it, he had taken the caution to mean that the fault lied with his father and his mother was just a victim of the chaos he started, so he had made allowances for her in his life. But now it was even supporting her in this too...How is his father the cause of her actions today? Thinking up to here, made the Emperor more irritated.

    ...Irrelevant? You asked that I be patient with her and I have been endlessly so...You asked that I be patient with my brother, and so I have been going through convoluted schemes to clip his wings so he moves on...I never intended to kill him, at least I never wanted to but he still-...Haah, you ask me to be patient with people that would probably kill me without much thought if ever given the opportunity...She''s still alive, he''s still alive, so what are you dissatisfied with?... Then you threw the girl into the mix, and I am investigating the matter as I should, so tell me, what am I missing?!...

    ...*Who asked you to INVESTIGATE?!!..

    ...Well, you don''t normally a set of instructions so...

    ...*Tch, here I thought you were becoming more adorable, but you''re just becoming more and more like your little tyrant self...

    The Emperor''s frown deepened in annoyance. Eunuch Li looked at his face and called out to him a few times before the Emperor finally looked up and said, "Keep searching for that old man, I want him brought before me as soon as possible."

    ...*Leave him alone!...

    ...I didn''t say I was going to do anything to him, I just want to have a conversation...And why are you so against it? It makes me feel more curious about him now...

    "Your majesty, considering the Empress dowager seems to have recovered on her own. Do you still think t-"

    "Even though he is innocent of that, there are still some things I need him to explain." The Emperor interjected. Eunuch Li then nodded, remembering the other issue with Lei Xing and Prince Yi, Eunuch Li then left the room to expedite the search.

    The voice then gave a long sigh in the Emperor''s head.

    ...*You are wasting precious time...I didn''t think I needed to spell things out to you because it should be obvious to anyone with a br-...anybody, but since you all just love complicating your lives so much, it makes it really hard to just watch so I will help you...

    The Emperor snorted in annoyance, at this point he was tired of this conversation. Unfortunately, he did not have a choice but to listen, as he could not exactly order it out of the room or his head.

    ...*Okay, let''s start with this. In what capacity did I ask you to keep her in the palace?...

    ...I don''t know, you tell me...

    ...*Hmph! I didn''t expect you to be this slow...Haah, but then again, your track record is quite...I will enlighten you...A wife, she is your wife...and what is a wife?...

    ...

    ...*A companion, a wife is a companion...Your companion...She is your companion! Do you understand now?...

    The Emperor sat there with a confused frown on his face, and was at loss for thought and words. After a while, he responded.

    ...Companion? What does that have to do with regret?...

    ...*Arrrgggghhhhh! Forget that bit!... You''ll figure it out later!...

    The Emperor was at a loss again for a bit.

    ...Why her though?... Why?...

    ...*Why? You wanted someone for you and I know what you want...so I found it for you. She''s a perfect fit...for you...

    The Emperor was at a loss again.

    ...What?...

    ...*WHAT ARE YOU NOT UNDERSTANDING?!... It''s really simple, You + her = PERFECT PAIR...What is difficult about that?...

    ...So you want her to be Empress?...

    ...*Empress? That is also irrelevant...You want her to be so...that''s fine...

    ...I never wanted her to be...You put that thought in my head...

    ...*I did not!... Hmph! Don''t blame me for your own transgressions, I do not behave in such a sneaky manner! I would have told you so!...

    The Emperor blinked and rubbed his forehead, he was finding it hard to process this.

    ...So is this what is relevant?...

    ...*Of course! It is VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY RELEVANT! The most relevant!...

    ...Why?...

    ...*You don''t like her?...

    ...That''s not the point!...

    ...*Then what is the point?...

    ...I am wondering what yours is?...

    ...*THE POINT is that you will be happy, she will be happy...We will all be happy!! Happy is Good, isn''t that great?!...

    The Emperor''s mind drew a blank again, this was all very perplexing.

    ...*Fine then! Since you don''t want her, you can let her go!... Oh and also, give her some trunks of money on her way, she seems to like those now... Don''t say I never did anything for you!... All that effort and time for nothing! It''s my fault for being nosy, I''m leaving! Goodbye!...

    The Emperor was then left in the room with only himself and his thoughts. He was not exactly sure how the conversation evolved from his mother to this. Also...

    ...A companion? That''s it? That''s all it was? All it is?... It feels like there is certainly more to it, there should be more...Ah, also I forgot to ask about that vision image from this morning...It must definitely have had something to do with it...

    The Emperor then massaged his aching head and sat there contemplating the issue for a long while. Then he got up and took a walk around outside to clear his head and eventually found himself back at his bedroom, where the subject of his current state of confusion was already fast asleep, snuggled up nicely. He stood there by the bed looking at her for a while, then he sat down and continued looking at her while still contemplating.

    ...A companion? I have never thought of wanting that so I don''t know what it was referring to...I mean, I am aware that I do need to be with someone to have a child, which is a necessity for my position...

    He did not want to have a host of women and children fighting over power. Out of his many siblings, only four of them had been able to grow up into their teens, and even then only two remained now. While he did not want a harem, he did not want to have a disagreement with the ministers over this issue, as it was a custom that has been deeply ingrained and abolishing it would upset the order of things and cause trouble. Therefore, he made a concession, this was a small matter compared with the other matters he had to deal with, so it would not have paid him well in the future to lose support over this. He made up his mind to accept the initial few and that would be enough to keep everyone quiet, and then amongst them pick the one he found most suitable to be Empress, and that would be the only one he would be with and the mother of his children.

    ...On that note, my requirement is quite low or at least I thought it was, we just had to get along well enough...and that is enough...Apparently that is easier said than done, I need to be cer-...

    "Stupid dowager, I''m going to kill you." Lei Xing muttered interrupting his thoughts, as she tried rolling over to the right and then subconsciously switched directions to the left mid-roll. The Emperor had frozen thinking she had woken up, only for him to see her snuggling into the blanket and settling back into calm sleep.

    The Emperor then snorted and smiled at her.

    ...I think you need quite a lot of training before you can kill her...Well, I guess this isn''t too bad, there isn''t really anything to be dissatisfied with...Plus she''s Yong''s sister...but still...it feels complicated...

 Chapter 62 - Unilateral Loan

    ???? : Now you all understand how great my friend is to be helping these two -...alec and tyrant pave their way forward. I personally would have just let them rot in limbo, but that''s just me. Honestly though, all this is LX''s fault...???? By the way, this is not me being vengeful in any way - of which I have falsely been accused of in the past!...

    This is based on facts! If she would have just lived with a little more...hmm, what is it? Brain cells, heart, soul, compassion, brain cells, comprehension, understanding and the list runs on - just endless...

    The bottom line is, her insensitivity is the reason she is here today sooo...her fault!... Of course, there are other factors involved here and there, but my point is she could have avoided all this if she just had a little more to her personality????... And how do I know all this? It is because I am a ratified enlightened being ????, who certainly has more brain cells than a certai-...Oh, time''s up? Haha sorry, I get sidetracked...Enjoy!***

    ***

    After Lei Xing thought about it some more, she concluded that it was not a good idea to remain here after all.

    So she resolved to wait for the Emperor to return from his meeting and then politely excuse herself once she made sure that the danger had retreated back to her lair.

    The Imperial doctor returned shortly with her medication, which she drank and then guzzled down some more tea to get rid of the disgusting taste. Then she continued to sit there, waiting, glancing around the room to kill time and spent some scrutinizing the two maids who were just standing there.

    After a long while of silence and staring off into space, her eyes started drooping and she began nodding off, courtesy of whatever was in that brew.

    She yawned and looked towards the doors.

    {...Why is he taking so long? Don''t tell me they''re fighting? Yeah, but even then it should be quick work, right? Just snap her neck and call it a day...I mean, I''m not saying he should kill his mother...Not that he would anyway, but -...}

    She yawned again. The maids looked at her and one of them then said, "Your highness, perhaps you should go to sleep first, the Emperor may be late."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Who the hell said I''m waiting for him?... Okay, maybe I am waiting for him but not it''s for what you think, so get that thought out of your freaking head!!...}

    Lei Xing yawned again.

    {...Where the hell is he?... Maybe he''s not coming back? True, maybe he loaned me the room for the night, a gentleman?...*scoff* even I don''t believe that...You know, who even said this is his bedroom, maybe it''s just a very luxurious guest room...Yeah, makes sense...*yawn*...

    ...I don''t even care anymore...He could never show up again for all I care...Better still, he can take his mother and go jump off a cliff somewhere...*yawn* Actually that would be perfect...}

    Lei Xing went to lie down and the maids came over to help her and tucked her in. She settled in nicely, eyes closed, ready to sail to dreamland.

    She slightly opened her eyes and then frowned when she saw the two maids still standing there, "You can leave now."

    The maids turned to her and explained, "The Emperor instructed for us to watch over you."

    Lei Xing''s pursed her lips.

    {...So what, you''re the security team?  I''m not going to jump out the window - actually where is the win-....Beside the point!...}

    "I can''t sleep with you both "watching over me"..."

    {...Do you know how creepy that is? Plus who knows if you''re going to smother me while I sleep? -_-)...}

    The two maids looked at each other with complicated expressions, further irritating Lei Xing who ended up raising her hoarse voice, "Can you both just leave? You''re all stressing me out! You can go outside and put your ears to the door and watch me from there for all I care, just leave!"

    ...Just leave me the hell alone, why is it so hard for people to just understand THAT?!!...}

    The two maids were so startled they jumped, quickly bowed and fled. Lei Xing let out a breath and then started coughing a bit.

    {...Now I want water...but if I call them back, they''d never leave...Forget it, I''ll survive...}

    Lei Xing sighed and just laid there staring at the ceiling, it seemed the sleepiness was gone now.

    {...I wonder what he told her, I hope nothing that makes my life worse...but when has the Emperor''s "don''t do it again" ever actually done something...not in my experience...

    ...Well actually I don''t have any experience, but TV experience should count for something, right?... And even then, can it really get any worse though? She already hates me enough to kill me on the down-low and on the up-high as well...is up-high a thing? I don''t know, don''t care -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and massaged her head with her hand.

    {...Why does she hate me though? What have I done? I have tried to get along with this woman...Well, I tried! What do you want me to do? Go to her palace every morning at sunrise to say "Good morning"? That would probably annoy her, I know it''d piss me off!...}

    Lei Xing let out a deep lamenting sigh.

    {...I''m going to die, aren''t I? Sooner or later...Probably sooner T_T)...Well everyone dies so...

    ...Yeah, I already did once too so...Yeah, sure...I might as well just go jump into a volcano myself now...But if I''m jumping in, they''re following me down T_T)...}

    Lei Xing fell asleep while lamenting over her miserable state of affairs and thinking of where she could possibly find a volcano around here and how she would throw certain people in.

    She had a bizarre horrific dream where she was back in the Empress dowager''s bedroom and was standing face to face with her again, but this time the dowager''s hands were...a big comb and the other a pair of big pair of scissors.

    Like before, Lei Xing turned around to flee and her hair was yanked and she fell to the floor again.

    This time the Empress dowager used a leg on her stomach to pin her down, while she was combing through her hair and snipping the edges with her hands, all the while laughing hysterically.

    Lei Xing couldn''t move an inch, and helplessly watched, wide-eyed as the Empress dowager''s "hands" got closer and closer to her head.

    Once all her hair was gone, the comb then settled on her jaw, while Lei Xing was screaming "No, no, no...." in her head as she couldn''t get her voice out. The comb then dug into her jaw and combed upwards.

    Lei Xing inhaled deeply and opened her eyes to see a person in front of her, she panicked for a moment and almost jumped up, then she let out a breath of relief and closed her eyes as she relaxed.

    {...Oh it''s just you...That witch, she''s hunting me in my dreams now...What''s next? She''ll hunt me in my grave too? I just ha-...}

    Her eyes flew open again and she blinked several times.

    {...WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU''RE DOING?!... This is my Bed!... Oh, actually it''s his bed...No! He loaned it to me, so it''s MY BED!...

    ...This is wrong! This is an invasion! This is a breach - Get off!!... Should I wake him up? No! Kick him off?! NOOO!!... Okay, calm down. He''s not doing anything...Yeah, he''s just lying IN MY BED!...Relax, relax...RELAX...calm...calm...calm...}

    Lei Xing laid there glaring at the Emperor''s sleeping face.

    {...Well, you''re sleeping peacefully...I''m not, you know why? -_-)...Because your crazy witch of a mother was combing my face off is why!!!!... I should really kick you off -_-)''...You''re transferring aggression...I am aware of that and I don''t need a lecture, okay?...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm herself.

    {....I should just leave since it''s "his bed"...Slight problem, he''s IN THE WAY! -_-)''...And with my arm hurting, I probably couldn''t "quietly" maneuver myself over this as**ole!!...

    ... And the last thing I want now is for him wake up mid-maneuvring or worse I fall on him, what do I say then? "You were in my way"? What a great conversation starter that is -_-)...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Okay, since we''re not going to attempt some parkour, let''s just turn around...No, no! No, no, no! We are not turning around! Look how well that worked out before....We are not turning our back on the enemy!... He''s not an enemy though - I don''t care if he''s a NUN!!...

    ...Actually him being a nun would be super creepy, so I definitely care about that one - But that''s not the point!... Point is we look the enemy dead in the face socket!... Okay, okay, okay. New plan: Distance...distance is good...

    ...�p??)...GET OFF MY BLANKET!!...}

 Chapter 63 - Moonstruck

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at the Emperor in annoyance.

    ...You shouldn''t sleep on the blanket, you should be in the blanket!... Well if you were in the blanket, I would have dragged it off of you...Okay, I am being so petty-minded right now -_-)''...It''s his bed, his blanket and he''s asleep, not doing at all to me and will not be doing anything apparently so let''s be rational here and relax...

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor for a bit and then inwardly groaned.

    ...This is not a good picture at all...If he wanted to sleep, he should have woken me up and I would have happily moved myself elsewhere...Or he should have just had people move. Honestly, if someone tried to move me, I would have woken up...but I would have been incredibly pleased his choice...So next time, just wake me up!... Actually there shouldn''t be a next time, and won''t be a next time!...

    Then she quietly sighed.

    ...Oh well, whatever trouble I was going get into for staying here or being in this position, I am already nose deep in it right now...Even if I ran out of here screaming like a mad person - which will be incredibly stupid to do, it wouldn''t make a difference...The dowager already hates me...a lot, I don''t think she could actually hate me any more honestly...and for the consorts, Chen You''s just waiting for an opportunity to give me the middle finger, Zhao Lan hates my face, Li Ru''s good...the concubines are inconsequential, for now...so screw it, everything''s already very much out of control so yay -_-)..

    Lei Xing rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

    ...Honestly though, what can they do?... Try to poison me? I have my beautiful, wonderful, precious ring to handle that...Plus I don''t have to take shit from them, they''re not the dowager...Plot some stupid scheme? Well then I''d have to be dumb enough to fall into one...but then it''s usually not about brains, now is it? Just have to convince the right people...

    Lei Xing then cast a glance at the Emperor''s face.

    ...I am not doing that! You know why I am not doing that? Because I don''t want to do that!... Selling my brother off was enough...I mean, I didn''t actually sell him off, I wasn''t even here...My point is! Whatever they have going on should be enough for protection...Plus my family is not weak, so I''m not some ant you can just flick off ...

    Lei Xing knit her brows and lightly sighed.

    ...Actually scratch all that, because while I''m thinking poisoning and scheming, they may be thinking martial combat because apparently this is Battle royale...I need to start training, kickboxing practice every morning now and situps, kickups - kickups? I don''t know, whatever the hell else people do...because apparently I am weak as hell -_-)''...Maybe I should start carrying hidden knives or something? No, what if I accidentally hurt someone? Well better them than me, right?...

    She then cast another glance at the Emperor.

    ...Well, I guess it depends on who I hurt too...Actually, let''s just stop thinking about all this crap? It''s depressing my soul...and my soul is already plenty depressed without all this, okay? So let''s try thinking sunny thoughts...Life doesn''t have to be so freaking depressing all the time... Well, when your life is - Happy thoughts!... Well, I''m alive, that''s one...Good! Great! happy thoughts continue...Healthy? Okay, continue...Not dead? Same thing -_-)''...Continue...

    Lei Xing knit her brows, thinking hard about the positives in her life.

    ...Um, have money I guess?... Okay, but I can''t spend it however I want. Can''t I though? I mean I can''t go wherever I want, but I could probably spend it however I want, right? No, probably not...I guess it depends on what I want, but then that means I can''t spend it however I want, right?...Say I wanted to hire a bunch of strippers to come dance at my house, not that I want to but my point is I can''t. Therefore I can''t... Do they even have strippers here? Yeah, they do. Those entertainment parlor places, you know the expensive classy kind where you get a room and stuff, I''m sure they have some cheap ones too - What the hell are they called? Shoot! This is going to bother me now...Ginsengs? No that''s Korean...Geishas? Pretty sure that''s Japanese...What the hell is the Chinese version of that called?... Why the hell am I even thinking about this again?... Oh yeah, happy thoughts...Happy thoughts...Why strippers though? I don''t know, strip club seems like a fun place to be maybe, never been but yeah why not?...

    Lei Xing took a deep breath.

    ...Okay, so what else?...Happy thoughts...Happy-...I''m here?... What? What''s happy about being here?! Nothing, just grasping at straws I guess...Oh yeah, I didn''t have to see that witch, that''s happy...Yep, that is...and it''s all thanks to being here, so that makes it good then...Yep, makes sense...

    Lei Xing turned to look at the Emperor.

    ...Don''t you think you''re sleeping a little too well? I could kill you, you know...I wonder if he would wake up if I tried...Well strangling or smothering him would be act in stupidity...Stabbing would be better, but then he''d wake up and fight or call for help...Slitting his throat would be the best option, silent and deadly when done right...which I probably will botch given my track record but...Maybe he''s pretending?... Or he''s dead O_O)...

    Lei Xing then waved a hand in front of his face and got no reaction. Then she put a finger just under his nose and confirmed he was breathing. Then she narrowed eyes and looked at him for a bit, then put out her fingers in a snapping position.

    ...Don''t snap! Oh yeah, that would be stupid hahaha....ha...To clarify, I do not want you dead. You are a bit annoying...maybe more....No, you are annoying. But I don''t want anyone dead...except maybe your mother, I wouldn''t care if she died, I''d actually celebrate her death too, throw a whole party...I probably wouldn''t care if you died either, well as long I''m going to be confined to some temple, with my head shaved, scrubbing floors for the rest of my life, I would celebrate your life...But I wouldn''t kill you, okay?... Now would I kill the dowager if I had the authority to? Hm, good question...I want her dead, but would I pull the trigger? I mean, if she were trying to kill me again right now, I would end her in a heartbeat...but after the fact...

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought.

    ...Can you get the death penalty for attempted murder? No, you can''t, that would be insane...Oh, okay...Actually I personally think imprisonment is worse than death...Well, my death wasn''t that bad, actually was I ever really dead? Not sure how that works...Point is, with death the pain is momentary, with imprisonment the pain is constant and ongoing...So I would give her life imprisonment! Can you even get life imprisonment for attempted murder? I don''t care, here you can! You just have to convince the right person...namely, this human here...Well, good luck with that -_-)''...

    Lei Xing lay there looking at the Emperor quietly for a while.

    "Emperor." A voice quietly called from outside and Lei Xing froze and her eyes darted around, the person called again.

    ...Should I wake him up? Nope, not my business...

    The person called again and then Emperor''s eyebrows twitched and Lei Xing''s immediately snapped her eyes shut.

    ...I''m asleep!...No frowning, relax...calm...stable, stable, stable....no movement...I''m a rock...

    The Emperor opened his eyes to see Lei Xing''s face, he blinked and then frowned, laid there for a while longer. Then the person outside called again, so he sat up in the bed. While Lei Xing was there, still pretending to be fast asleep.

    ...Yep, I am good...Hurry up and get lost though, acting isn''t easy, you know...

    Then the Emperor got up. After a while, Lei Xing still didn''t hear the doors open and she was getting fidgety.

    ...Is he gone?...No, I''d hear the door....What the hell are you doing? Just leave!... Should I check? No, no, no, don''t want to get roped into an awkward conversation, which I definitely do not want to have...Eyes remain closed, just a bit longer...

    The Emperor was standing by the bed observing Lei Xing''s fluttering lashes and twitching face features with a raised eyebrow. After a while longer of silence, he then said, "We''ll talk when I return."

    As soon as she heard that, Lei Xing immediately went rigid and knit her brows. The Emperor then snorted, turned and left.

    ...Talk? Talk about what?... I knew he was pretending!... We don''t have anything to talk about...Unless, your mother is dead and we need to talk about funeral arrangements, I can squeeze out a tear or two for the demise of my nemesis...Or do we need to justify her death, in which case I can cry you a river, I can be a very good actress when I apply myself...Those are the only scenarios that I see us needing to have a conversation...and I doubt either of those events is the case here...In which case, I don''t see us needing to have a conversation...so don''t return. Thank you! -_-)...

 Chapter 64 - Deluded Plot

    Lei Xing laid there waiting for enough time to pass for the Emperor to have gotten ready and left for Court and ended falling asleep in the process. She woke up later and almost jumped out of the bed.

    ...Shit! I''m still here...I am really not helping myself...

    She quickly got up, glanced around the room for her robes. The doors opened and she froze in place, only for her to let out a sigh of relief when she saw Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo rush in towards her. Lei Xing was so glad to see their familiar faces.

    "Your highness, are you alright? How did you end up falling that badly?..." Xiao Ruo asked with concern looking at her bandaged neck.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "Fall?"

    "You don''t remember what happened? We heard from the Imperial doctor that you had hurt yourself from a fall...I''m sorry we could not look after you, but the Emperor took you and did not allow anyone to come to see you, Noble consort Li even came yesterday and was turned away. We were only summoned here this morning. How are you feeling? Does it still hurt a lot? How did you manage to fall like that?"

    Lei Xing''s mind only focused on the "fall" and she did not pay attention to the rest of Xiao Ruo''s rambling, and then she lightly scoffed.

    ...Fall?...Well, I guess I did "fall" into her hands...Honestly, what was I expecting? It''s not like anyone was going to go prosecute her or anything -_-)''...

    Lei Xing frowned, "I''m fine. Get my clothes, let''s leave."

    "Leave? Don''t you want to eat or bathe first?" Xiao Ruo asked, still concerned.

    "No, I do-" Lei Xing paused when she Ah Jin come out from the corner holding her robes. While Xiao Ruo was fussing over Lei Xing, Ah Jin had walked towards the corner after seeing she was alright. Lei Xing looked at Ah Jin and said, "Thank you."

    ...I just love you T_T)...Someone who gets it!...

    Lei Xing quickly got dressed, just as she was about finished, the doors opened again and she froze again, this time going completely stiff.

    ...Wh-Why are you here now? I...I...I...What do you want from me?...

    Lei Xing watched completely stiff as the Empress dowager, followed by Song mama sauntered into the room and stopped a few steps in front of her. Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin greeted her while Lei Xing just stood staring at the Empress dowager, who was lazily glancing around the room. Her eyes then settled on Lei Xing, who flinched a little. The Empress dowager snorted and condescendingly said, "It seems you have forgotten your manners."

    Lei Xing blinked and then quickly bowed.

    ...Greeting? Yeah sure....I''ll greet you a hundred times if that would get you to just leave me alone...please...

    The Empress dowager then glanced at Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin, "Leave."

    Lei Xing went wide-eyed and felt panicked.

    ...No, no, no...Not this again!...Okay, calm down...It''ll be okay, we can do this...

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and braced herself for battle, eyes fixed on the Empress dowager.

    ...This time I''m ready for you, witch. If you try me again, I will drop kick you so hard you will find yourself in space!... Don''t ask me how that''s possible but it will happen!...

    Xiao Ruo bowed and made her way towards the doors, only to turn back and see Ah Jin still standing there, and so she came back and nudged Ah Jin. Ah Jin looked from Lei Xing to the Empress dowager and then back to Lei Xing and just stood there holding on to Lei Xing''s arm. The Empress dowager then narrowed her eyes at Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo who were still there, "Did you not hear me?"

    Xiao Ruo shrunk back a bit and pulled at Ah Jin, who knit her brows and then politely bowed her head towards the Empress dowager and explained, "Her highness is not feeling well..." Then she hesitated for a bit and then continued, "...and so the Emperor ordered that she is not to be left alone."

    The Empress dowager scoffed, "What? Does he think I am going to eat you?"

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed.

    ...Now I wonder why the hell he would think that?... Such a mystery, isn''t it? Ha. Ha. Ha. -_-)...

    The Empress dowager then looked Lei Xing up and down, "Yesterday I was plagued with a high fever and so some things..." Then she looked Lei Xing dead in the face with her eyebrows raised, "...are not worth mentioning, don''t you think?"

    Lei Xing slightly narrowed her eyes and was not sure how to respond.

    ...Are you threatening me right now?... Is that what you''re doing? So you''re only going to kill me if I talk? But I didn''t do anything before - I am so confused by this woman...and a high fever? That''s you with a high fever? I''d hate to see what you''re like when you''re "actually" deranged then...Definitely will never be paying you any more sick visits, NEVER!...In fact, when you''re dead, I''ll only show up when you''re in the ground!...

    The Empress dowager then slowly walked about glancing around the room, Lei Xing was also slowly turning along with her with Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo beside her, making sure she always had the Empress dowager in her line of sight.

    The Empress dowager glanced at Lei Xing, scoffed and looked away, "Hm, it hasn''t changed much...He really should redecorate." Then she stopped and looked at Lei Xing and smiled, "Perhaps you can do that for him..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion.

    ...What the hell are you going on about now?... Can you just leave? Actually, can I leave? You can stay and troop down memory lane if you want...by yourself! Without me -_-)...

    "...This plot seems to have worked out very well for you, hasn''t it?... You even made it all the way here."

    Lei Xing blinked and was in disbelief.

    ...Plot? What do you mean plot? Did I arrange with you in your dreams to choke me to death? Ah, I see...Now I understand you have a problem, you can''t separate your dreams from reality, is that it?... You should get help...Or you can go jump off a cliff in your "dreams"...Okay, that sounds very harsh if she truly does have a prob- You know what, I don''t care! Why should she get a chance to kill me?... I guess I could stay away from her BUT I never go looking for her anyway, she''s the one looking for me, prime example right here, right now!... Okay technically, you can argue I went looking for you yesterday, but that is Chen You''s technicality and next time you want to choke someone I recommend her...But that will NEVER ever happen again!...

    "You must be very pleased with yourself." The Empress dowager continued, "...But I must advise, one should know not to overstep and some things should not be done. So while enjoying your new found..." She paused and scoffed, "...grace, you should be sure not to test the patience of others, things can change quite quickly, you know."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes in irritation.

    ...Lady, can you get lost now? Because now you''re just insulting me...Because in your mind, I somehow - I am not sure how one would pull this off, orchestrated a plot that involved you choking me till I pass out or till certain death JUST SO I could get in here to cuddle your son, which in your mind is what I was doing last night and you''re wrong...but that''s what you''re saying, isn''t it?... And with the add-on of "Don''t ever do it again." ...Lady, even if I was desperate, I could never EVER be that desperate, EVER! I don''t care how handsome, rich or powerful the as**ole is, okay?... So go figure out your life story because I don''t understand how you think that I could have done that to you...What? With magic? Wel-Well, maybe....but I''m innocent!...

    Before the Empress dowager could continue imparting wisdom, the doors opened and the Emperor strutted in, and Lei Xing was very glad for this interruption.

    ...Good, you''re here. Welcome! Please cart off your crazy -_-)...

    The Emperor came up and stood next to Lei Xing, while narrowing his eyes at the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager smiled at him, "Ah, I did not expect you to be so quick. Xing er'' and I did not even get a chance to begin a proper conversation."

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned.

    ...No one here wants to start a conversation with you...and I personally will be very glad if I never have to see or speak to you ever again in my entire life, so nothing lost here!...Keep your conversations to yourself -_-)...

    The Emperor did not say anything and just stood there blankly staring at the Empress dowager, who was looking back at him with a plastered on smile. Lei Xing glanced between the two of them and awkwardly excused herself, "I will leave you two to discuss." and bowed out with Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo, ready to flee the scene. Then the Emperor suddenly held her arm, "You stay." Then he said to the Empress dowager, "You should be leaving now."

    Lei Xing stood there with her eyes wide open and her mouth hanging slightly open, as she watched the Empress dowager''s smile slowly vanish from her face, and her expression changed into a scowl.

    ...Now, what the HELL did you do that for?!!...

 Chapter 65 - Good Talk

    The Empress dowager frowned deeply. Her eyes went from the Emperor to Lei Xing, and then back to the Emperor. Then she suddenly burst into laughter.

    The Emperor frowned, while Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...She''s laughing. Why is she laughing?... I don''t like it when she laughs T_T)...}

    The Empress dowager continued laughing, seemingly amused by something which escaped the others in the room.

    Then she sighed and narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing with a smile and said, "I will be expecting good news soon." Then she glanced at the Emperor, snorted and walked out of the room.

    Lei Xing stared at the Empress dowager departing back and frowned.

    {...Good news? I don''t think you''d want that...My idea of good news involves you disappearing -_-)...}

    "Are you feeling better?" The Emperor asked turning to Lei Xing. Lei Xing looked at him and gave a half-smile, "Much better...thank you."

    {...I''d feel better if you just didn''t provoke the mad hatter but...yeah. I''m great...}

    Lei Xing then tried to pull her arm away, and the Emperor held on tighter, she looked down and frowned, then looked up with a smile, "You can let go now."

    The Emperor blinked, "You should sit." And then pulled her to the table setting on the side.

    {...Rather not...but okay...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she was pulled along, inwardly sighing.

    The two sat down in silence with the awkward level increasing the longer the silence stretched. The Emperor was sitting down staring directly at Lei Xing with his eyebrows knit, seemingly in thought. While Lei Xing was looking off to the side trying to pretend she was unaware.

    {...What? Why? What do you want? This is very, very awkward...Stop it!...}

    After a while, the Emperor finally asked, "Have you eaten?"

    Lei Xing cast him a quick glance with a half-smile, "I''m good."

    Then the silence stretched out again for another long while, then the Emperor asked, "Has the Imperial doctor come to check on you?"

    Lei Xing cast him another quick glance with another half-smile, "I''ll see to that later."

    Another long stretch of silence.

    Then the Emperor spoke up again, "It''s better if it''s done now...", then he looked towards Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo on the side, and Xiao Ruo smiled and quickly bowed, "Yes, your majesty." and flew out of the doors to go summon an Imperial doctor.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her departing back.

    {...You''re always so quick, aren''t you? -_-)...}

    Then the room returned to its silent state.

    After a while, Lei Xing randomly glanced at the Emperor, he then blinked and seemed to jump a bit, so Lei Xing raised her eyebrows at him, and he gave a weird awkward frowning smile. Lei Xing returned an equally awkward smile and looked away.

    {...What the hell is wrong with you? Don''t tell me your crazy is starting to kick in? -_-)...}

    The two sat in silence until the Imperial doctor arrived to check on her. When he said he would bring her medication over, Lei Xing said, "Oh, just have it sent to my own palace."

    The Imperial doctor glanced at the Emperor and flinched, Lei Xing followed his line of sight to see the Emperor with a deep frown on his face.

    {...Hey, I understand you feel bad about what happened but...You can''t expect anyone to want to stay in this very awkward, tense atmosphere...much less me, it''s not fun at all...}

    The Emperor did not say anything, so the Imperial doctor quickly left to follow Lei Xing''s directives.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor who seemed to be deep in thought still with a deep frown on his face.

    {...It seems he really feels bad about it...But, this is not how you make it up to someone, you''ll just end up stressing them out instead...Now if you really wanted to make i- Oh actually...No, he wouldn''t...but he could...but isn''t this like blackmail? No, it''s not. There''s no threat...but it could backfire...but he''s in a sorry state of mind...So at worst I push some buttons but he''s not going to punish the victim, right? ...So? Worth a try...}

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor, and then turned to Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo, "You both wait outside."

    The Emperor blinked and looked to her with raised eyebrows. Lei Xing smiled at him and once the doors closed behind Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo, she started, "Um, I was wondering...I just have an inquiry..." Then she gave a nervous laugh and hesitated a bit.

    The Emperor was a bit amused and smiled, "Go ahead."

    Lei Xing scratched her head a bit and then went ahead, "Remember when you said that you would consider my request to lea-"

    "No." The Emperor flatly said, cutting her off and his smile was replaced with a scowl. Lei Xing pursed her lips and looked off to the side.

    {...Well, that was straightforward, didn''t even let me finish...}

    "Why do you want to leave the palace?" The Emperor asked a bit annoyed. At first, he had thought she had some ulterior motives that he had to keep in check, but that theory has been discredited and he is just left with her as an individual wanting to leave.

    {...Why do you want to leave so badly?...}

    "As I said, I am not a good fi-" Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor''s disbelieving expression and felt at her wit''s end and just honestly blurted out, "I don''t like it here."

    {...There! That''s the truth! I don''t like it here...don''t like being in a harem, don''t like being confined to this place, don''t like dealing with your mother...Don''t like it! There''s no profound deep - Whatever behind it, just don''t like it!...}

    The Emperor was a bit taken aback by that answer and took a while to respond and when he did, all he managed was, "Why?"

    Lei Xing blinked and was not sure how to respond to that question.

    {...Why? There''s a whole host of reasons why and I don''t think I can say any of them so...}

    Before she could answer, the Emperor realized he could sort of understand the reason why and asked a follow-up question, "What would you even do if you leave the palace?"

    "Live well." Lei Xing swiftly responded without thinking.

    "And you can''t do that here?" The Emperor also swiftly responded without thinking.

    {...Is that a rhetorical question? It has to be...Because we both know that I almost died yesterday and my attacker is still walking around free so -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing looked at him with knit eyebrows and subconsciously touched her bandaged neck.

    The Emperor also seemed to realize after asking that given the current situation that was a stupid question and his frown deepened when he saw her touch her neck.

    He stared at her neck for a bit, then faced forward and said, "Return to your palace."

    {...Fine then...}

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, got up, bowed and left. The Emperor watched her as she left and then sighed heavily.

    {...This did not go as planned...}

 Chapter 66 - Dawn

    The Emperor sat down in deep thought after Lei Xing left.

    Last night he had concluded that there was nothing to be dissatisfied with her as his choice, regardless of what the voice said. But on waking up this morning, he had felt that perhaps there was some merit to those ramblings.

    He did not know exactly how he ended up sleeping on the bed with her, but it was the best sleep he had ever had in his life...He had felt a peace he''d never known or even thought was possible. He felt completely at ease at her side.

    Thinking back on it now, even when he thought that she had some nefarious purpose or connections, he was curious but was never actually bothered or guarded when with her.

    After he woke up and came to this realization, he wanted to say something but could not think of what to say. She was also pretending to be asleep, therefore he concluded that she must also be at a loss for words and some space would serve them well. So he went to court first and used that time to think things over before talking about it with her.

    After court, he returned to find her asleep and so went to the royal study leaving orders to be notified as soon as she woke up. When the notification arrived, he made his way back to his palace.

    On the way, he even instructed that they prepare a meal for her since she had not eaten and then realized he had not either. Then thought they could have a meal together and talk afterwards.

    When he finally arrived back at his palace, his mood took a deep dive when he found his mother in his bedroom. He quickly sent his mother off and then got Lei Xing to sit down with him.

    But his mother''s presence must have messed with his state of mind because after they sat down, looking at her, he could not think of anything to say.

    After thinking for a long time, he managed to come out with, ''Have you eaten?'', and after saying it he felt it was a stupid question because he knew she had not, and so ordered lunch. Her answer also did not help much, but he moved on from that folly and kept thinking hard.

    This sudden difficulty with words was very perplexing to him, he had never been at a loss for words before. After thinking hard again, he eventually came up with the Imperial doctor visit topic.

    He never expected that they would have such communication difficulty. She also did not seem willing to engage at all, which he understood given what she experienced. He could also tell from her demeanor that she was uncomfortable and wanted to leave, which also made him more uncomfortable.

    But, he was reluctant to let her leave without having the conversation he intended them to have, despite his current trouble finding the words.

    When she said she wanted to ask something, he perked up thinking she was finally willing to engage and that the conversation could naturally flow from there.

    But to his disappointment and irritation, what she wanted to talk about was leaving the palace again, and this significantly dampened his mood. In his irritation, he had ended up asking some obliviously stupid questions. In the end, he just asked her to leave before he made more of a fool of himself.

    The Emperor sighed heavily as he thought over the conversation that went amiss.

    {...I can understand why she wouldn''t like it here after coming in...but still, I can''t j-...}

    "Your majesty, lunch is served." A servant informed with a smile. The Emperor glared at the servant, who saw his expression and quickly bowed and withdrew.

    The Emperor sat there frowning in thought for another long while.

    {...So she does not like the palace...but we can''t leave the palace behind...I can gather that my mother is the main problem and I can understand if she hates her too, I also don''t ex- But I cannot just get rid of her...}

    The Emperor sighed heavily again.

    {...Am I thinking too much about this? She''s already my wife so...but I can''t force it...I can but what if she ends up hating me? The last thing I want is to be in a situation like that of my parents...}

    "Your majesty, is there something troubling you?" Eunuch Li asked interrupting his thoughts. The Emperor glanced up at him, he was not even aware when he had come in.

    "Well...." The Emperor started and then stopped, and his frown deepened.

    "Your majesty, perhaps I may be of assistance..." Eunuch Li persuaded with a smile.

    The Emperor looked at Eunuch Li for a bit and then spoke up, "How would one go about deal-..." The Emperor paused, looked down and knit his brows in contemplation.

    {...No, that''s the wrong word...handling? No th-...}

    "Wooing?" Eunuch Li interjected with an understanding smile.

    The Emperor looked up at him with raised eyebrows and repeated, "Woo?"

    Eunuch Li closed his eyes and sighed, "Your majesty, the cause of your mood swings today is quite obvious once one reviews the events of the day."

    The Emperor knit his eyebrows in confusion.

    Eunuch Li smiled and explained, "Well let''s start with the morning, first of all, you woke up late...Correction, you had to be woken up. That has never happened, you have always been incredibly punctual. Also, you seemed to be very relaxed this morning and in quite a good mood, which is uncommon for you. From all that..."

    He then cast the Emperor a knowing look, "...It is obvious you had a very good night. Immediately after court was over, you excitedly rushed back here as opposed to going to the royal study as per your usual routine. While in the royal study, you kept glancing at the doors, and every time someone opened it, you perked up and then deflated afterwards. I was quite confused at your behavior then, but when the maid came to inform you that Noble consort Lei had woken up. I finally understood as I saw you excitedly jump up to rush back here...and now she has left and you''re in a terrible mood. Would you not say it is incredibly obvious?."

    "You''re exaggerating." The Emperor flatly said.

    Eunuch Li lightly chuckled and sighed, "Ah, it is good to be young...but your majesty I must say there is a time and situation for certain things...and yesterday was not the time. So it is understandable that she may be upset with you."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Upset? Why so?"

    Eunuch Li cleared his throat and furrowed his brow, "I must say...Even if you wanted to console her, to have done THAT may not have been welcome given the situation...You should have exercised self-control." He finished shaking his head in disappointment.

    The Emperor knit his brows and stared at Eunuch Li for a bit and then his meaning dawned on him and he frowned and firmly said, "I didn''t."

    "You didn''t?" Eunuch Li asked with wide-eyed.

    "En."

    "So you just slept...all night?" Eunuch Li asked in disbelief.

    "Yes." The Emperor replied with a frown.

    Eunuch Li then sighed.

    {...How disappointing...}

    "Your majesty, you are not getting any younger. You said you like her, so at some point that like should lead into -...you just slept..." Eunuch Li sighed again, looking down as he mumbled, "I''m starting to wonder how you managed before..."

    The Emperor cleared his throat in annoyance and Eunuch Li looked at the Emperor, then smiled and advised, "Don''t worry, women are simple..."

    The Emperor knit his brows.

    {...Why do I feel like she''s the opposite of that?...}

    "...and wooing is easy, just treat her nicely.  For example, you can give her some gifts. Dote on her and give her whatever she wants..." Eunuch Li continued

    "What she wants?" The Emperor repeated with a deep frown.

    {...The only thing she seems to want is to leave the palace...}

    Eunuch Li stroked his chin, "Or something she likes, showing initiative by yourself has a better impact...Women seem to love jewelry. Ah, but she already has access to so much in the palace...it will be hard to impress her with that...You will need to get something exceptional..."

    While Eunuch Li continued with his advice, the Emperor sighed heavily again and closed his eyes in thought.

 Chapter 67 - Dinner Guest

    After Lei Xing returned to her palace. Li Ru came over to visit and at Lei Xing''s behest, she recounted how the events at the Empress dowager''s palace unfolded.

    Lei Xing had reasoned that the Emperor had something to do with her rescue since she ended up in his palace. She thought that perhaps someone had run over to call him over or perhaps he arrived to see the aftermath.

    {...Tch, I knew all of you outside were highly useless -_-)''...}

    Although after hearing about it, Lei Xing felt grateful to the Emperor and thought to thank him. But on remembering their prior conversation and the fact that he''s the reason that she was in the palace in the first place, she felt reluctant.

    Not to mention his mother was still walking around free, terrorizing her.

    {...Still - he still saved my life so I guess I will take the high road here...I guess I will thank him when next I run into him, hopefully sometime in the distant future...}

    As the day went by, Lei Xing received other guests to her annoyance.

    Chen You came over with her 100-year old ginseng, as she gave it to Lei Xing, she said a distracted, "I wish you a speedy recovery" as she stared fixedly as Lei Xing''s bandaged neck.

    After that, she just sat there absentmindedly. Lei Xing observed her weird behavior, wondering whether she must have had her own near-death experience.

    {...Hey, I was the one who almost died, why is your spirit absent? Not that I care, but can you go be absent somewhere else? -_-)...}

    As Lei Xing was about to tell Chen You to leave, a servant came in to inform her that a few of the concubines were here.

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance, she really was not interested in having all these uninvited guests but still, let them in to be polite.

    They came in and bowed with smiles as if there was something to celebrate holding boxes of different sizes. Lei Xing and Chen You both knit their brows as they observed this.

    One of the concubines then stepped forward, "Your highness, we were very worried for you after your accident. It is a great relief to see you well. On hearing that you have returned, we thought to bring some items here to cheer you up." Then she opened her box to reveal a white jade bracelet and then cheerfully explained the bracelet''s origin and value, and how she thought it would look lovely on Lei Xing and so speedily brought it over.

    After she finished, she held the box out for Lei Xing who just blankly stared at her a bit. Lei Xing then smiled and said, "It is quite beautiful, but I think it will look better on you."

    The concubine''s smile fell and she was about to open her mouth but Lei Xing beat her to it and said, looking at the others as well, "Thank you all for showing care, but there is no need for such gifts, you visiting is enough."

    {...If I take your gifts with strings today, tomorrow I''ll be in your debt...Please no and thank you -_-)...}

    Before any of them could open their mouths to insist, Lei Xing yawned and sighed tiredly, "The medication is making me drowsy. I''m sorry but I cannot entertain you all anymore, my health is not the best these days." Lei Xing finished waving Xiao Ruo over to help her stand up.

    Then she looked towards the visitors waiting for them to excuse themselves. The concubines quickly apologized for disturbing her rest and made their way out. While Chen You was still sitting there with a frown seemingly deep in thought.

    Lei Xing looked down at Chen You, "You meimei, you are not looking well yourself, I think you need to return to rest as well."

    Chen You returned to the scene after blinking repeatedly. She quickly got up and put on a smile, "Jiejie, I won''t disturb you anymore." then she quickly left.

    Lei Xing sighed and then looked at the ginseng on the table, then said to Xiao Ruo, "Boil that thing for me..." Xiao Ruo then went to pick it up.

    Before she could leave, Lei Xing changed her mind, "No, actually make it chicken soup, make it spicy too." After giving her direction, she left the reception hall to return to her room, yawning.

    {...Go to sleep and then wake up to eat a heavenly dish...I''ve always heard ginseng is good for the soul...and body too...I will drink it and eat it and get rid of all this toxicity in my system, I''ve been needing a cleansing for a long while now... It better live up to the hype -_-)...}

    Lei Xing woke up in the evening, took a bathe while eagerly anticipating her ginseng chicken soup dinner. Later, when they brought it into the room and the aroma wafted through the air, she inhaled deeply to take it in and was very pleased.

    {...Ahhh, perfect, perfect, perfect!...}

    Then she got up and surveyed the table and was pleasantly surprised.

    {...The cooks have really outdone themselves this time...Ah, I need to find them one day to express my admiration ^_^)...}

    There was a big bowl of soup with a whole chicken sitting in a beautiful broth. The bowl was then set on top of a burning coal tray to keep it warm. There were also three vegetable side dishes and rice.

    {...I am so going to enjoy this...Probably the only good thing Chen You has ever done in her life hahaha...}

    Lei Xing happily sat down ready to enjoy her big meal, she picked up her chopsticks and was excitedly watching as Xiao Ruo was cutting the chicken to serve into her bowl.

    Just as Xiao Ruo picked up her bowl to serve it in, "The Emperor has arrived" call came from outside the doors, immediately followed by the doors swinging open and the Emperor trotting in with Eunuch Li.

    Lei Xing blankly stared at them for a moment in annoyance. Then she begrudgingly got up, walked forward and bowed in greeting.

    "Oh, it seems you are just about to have dinner." Eunuch Li said looking at her and the table behind her.

    "The Emperor has not had dinner yet." Eunuch Li added with a suggestive smile towards Lei Xing. Lei Xing cast him a side glance with raised eyebrows.

    {...So? How does that concern me?...}

    Eunuch Li then used his eyes to signal at the dinner table and then at Emperor. Lei Xing pretended not to understand and looked away, looking at the Emperor, waiting for him to state his business and disappear.

    {...You can''t seriously be here to eat -_-)...}

    Eunuch Li then cleared his throat and coughed to get Lei Xing''s attention. Lei Xing pursed her lips and begrudgingly looked at Eunuch Li. This time he directly pointed a finger at the table and then at the Emperor.

    Lei Xing then sighed and looked at the Emperor who was looking off to side pretending to be unaware of what was going on.

    {...I see what you two are doing there, you intentionally targeted my chicken, didn''t you?... Fine, fine, there''s plenty...There''s plenty -_-)...I will consider this payment for saving my life...Wait, my life''s not that cheap...This is at a HUGELY discounted price with all things considered...}

    Lei Xing then plastered on a smile, "Your majesty, since you have not had dinner yet, would you...perhaps, like to join...me?"

    {...You can say no -_-)...}

    The Emperor looked at her and then at the table and simply said, "En." Then walked forward and sat in Lei Xing''s seat, in front of the only dinner place set.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, disgruntled. Eunuch Li cleared his throat loudly, when the Emperor turned to look at him, he signaled with his eyes. The Emperor glanced down at the plates of food in front of him, then at the other empty spots on the table, then at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing then let out a strained laugh and said, "You can go ahead and eat first, you are very busy and I am very free. I can wait."

    The Emperor then smiled at her, "You are very considerate."

    {...No, I''m not...No, I am not...at all -_-)...}

    "Go ahead." Lei Xing said as she sat down in front of nothing with a strained smile.

 Chapter 68 - Sleepover

    It was actually Eunuch Li''s idea for the Emperor to come have dinner with Lei Xing.

    The Emperor had asked after Lei Xing and was informed she woke up a short while ago and should be getting ready for dinner now. Then Eunuch Li then advised that a meal together was a great stepping stone forward and so, the Emperor immediately made his way here, just in time for dinner.

    Sat at Lei Xing''s dinner table, the Emperor happily picked up the chopsticks and went to start eating. He glanced at Lei Xing who was sitting on his left with a strained smile watching him. He then placed the bowl of chicken soup in front of her.

    Lei Xing moved back and blinked at it.

    The emperor then covertly glanced at Eunuch Li who nodded in approval, then he went and placed the spoon in the bowl and smiled at Lei Xing, then went back to eating himself.

    Lei Xing slowly picked up the spoon and sipped the soup, while skeptically eyeing at him.

    {...At least, it seems you still have a conscience...Just waltzed in here like you own the place to hijack my dinner...I guess he technically owns the place but still -_-)...}

    A second set of rice and vegetables was quickly brought in, they even brought extra and Lei Xing was able to fully enjoy her meal, despite the uninvited guest. After they were done with dinner, the two moved to sit on the side.

    Lei Xing sat down eating her usual small bowl of berries, occasionally casting suspicious glances at the Emperor on the side, he was sitting down and picking at his own bowl of berries facing forward.

    {...Why are you here? You''re not going to state your business?... Okay, I guess I''ll ask then -_-)...}

    Lei Xing hesitantly began, "Your majesty...how may I help you? Do yo-" Then she stopped when the Emperor turned to her with raised eyebrows and a completely bewildered expression, like what she was making no sense at all.

    Then he looked forward and popped a berry in his mouth and behaved like he did not even hear the question.

    Lei Xing blinked and knit her brows. Before she could process what was going on with the Emperor, Eunuch Li came back into the room walked up to them with a smile and then said to the Emperor, "Your majesty, your bath is ready."

    The Emperor went, "En." and then proceeded to leave the room with Eunuch Li following, leaving Lei Xing frozen holding a berry to her mouth watching their departure.

    Lei Xing blinked a few times, and popped the berry in her mouth and slowly chewed on it.

    {...Bath. Bath where? Here? No, no...Yes...You can''t just waltz in here and hijack my palace...Actually, he can...But why?!... Okay, I''m not an idiot! So I can understand that maybe -  but I''m injured!... Okay, I guess a quickly fading bruise on my neck and a sore shoulder does not preclude one from THAT...but...}

    Lei Xing dropped the plate of berries, got up and started pacing around.

    {...Okay, I don''t care...I actually don''t care, so it should be fine...Well, ye- No. I don''t care but, bu - But it''ll be my first time...in Ever!... But does it matter? No, it''s not like I was saving it or anything, I don''t care and technically, it''s not even mine now...And it''s not like it''ll kill me or anything -_-)''...Yeah, so it doesn''t matter...}

    Lei Xing came to a conclusion, stopped pacing and sat down and folded her arms and crossed her legs.

    {...Yep, it doesn''t matter...It shouldn''t matter, especially given the situation...So I can - we ca-...}

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide as she came to a more startling realization.

    {...Bigger problem, CONTRACEPTION. I need contraception. This, I definitely care about - a whole lot!... I do not want to have a baby, never wanted one, don''t want one!...}

    Lei Xing frowned, got up and started pacing again.

    {...Of course, I may have had some fantasy of at some point in my life, of maybe meeting someone I liked enough and considered potentially being open to maybe contemplating and compromising on one, JUST ONE because it is a painful, PAINFUL process that I have never had ANY interest in whatsoever! Also, kids are work...

    ...In fact, I had prepared to live myself SOLO until this unexpected interruption...and I refuse, REFUSE to have a child in a situation that I am unhappy in!...}

    Lei Xing then stopped and was looking around the room in thought. She spotted the ''Art of War book'' that she had dumped on a table on the other side.

    She stared at the table for a while, and then got an idea and quickly went to sit behind the table and opened the book, focusing on it.

    {...While I am aware that we are technically "married", despite my lack of consent but there''s nothing I can do about that, apparently...And I can''t avoid him forever, without potentially suffering dire consequences...

    ...BUT we are not doing that tonight! And not until I get some contraception - How did I not think about this before? Well, I wasn''t planning on staying in the palace long term...Ohhh, I''m so stupid T_T)...}

    Lei Xing sat there seemingly intently focusing reading the book, while her mind was racing.

    Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin watched her, looked at each other and sighed. They were already used to Lei Xing''s antics and thought that perhaps she was nervous about being with the Emperor.

    After a while, the Emperor returned and Lei Xing cast a quick glance up as he walked in, and then focused back on the book.

    {...Even brought your pajamas and all -_-)...}

    After helping the Emperor get nicely settled in, the servants left the room leaving the two alone.

    One of them sitting on the bed staring at the other, and the other one with her head buried deep in a book. Lei Xing covertly cast a glance towards the Emperor''s direction.

    {...Is he waiting for me? Of course he is, I am not coming! T_T)...What if he insists? What can I do then?... But it''s not like I can just go, "Hey, we can - but, you can''t *** - so don''t, because I don''t want to get pregnant" or  "Can I get pre-contraception -" Or is it post? How does it work here?...

    ...Either way, I can''t have that conversation. One of the main points of a freaking harem is to have a multitude of children...so, definitely will not go over well...And if he insists? I don''t know, bite the dust and pray to Heaven, maybe? T_T)...}

    After a while of the Emperor just sitting on the bed observing Lei Xing, who made no moves to approach him. He asked, "Aren''t you coming to bed?"

    Lei Xing looked up with a strained smile, "Ah, I have been sleeping all day, so the thought of a bed right now is nauseating. I am sure you are very tired, so go ahead and sleep first. I am just going to read here for a while."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her for a bit, and her smile became even more strained. Then he snorted and rolled into the bed. Lei Xing looked down and let out a silent sigh of relief.

    {...It worked?... Hm, who knew, he''s actually quite a reasonable person or a stupid one, but I say reasonable...Haha I think I may have been thinking too much, he really could have just come here to sleep...You know, he loaned me his bed yesterday, so I loan him mine today...Perhaps? No, that''s stupid -_-)...Let''s just be glad he doesn''t care T_T)...}

    After a long while passed, Lei Xing relaxed and was reassured nothing was going to happen tonight, and actually started reading the book to pass the time.

    She was very awake, she had slept most of the day away and was sure she could read all night, or at least for most of it. At worst, she could sleep for a while on the desk.

    All of sudden, the Emperor suddenly rolled out the bed and sat on the side.

    Lei Xing looked up at him in surprise and asked, "You''re not asleep?" The bed had been perfectly still for a long time so she had thought he was asleep already.

    {...So you''ve just been laying there staring at the ceiling? For that long?...}

    The Emperor was unable to sleep and so had just been observing Lei Xing the whole time, and eventually got bored and got up.

    He glanced around the room and then looked at Lei Xing and said, "It''s a bit hard to sleep in this situation."

    Lei Xing glanced around the room as well and then looked at him looking at her, she gulped and went, "Oh, the lights! I will go read in my study and have them turned off."

    Then she quickly got up, picked up the book and made her way to the doors.

    Just as she stepped out the doors, she noticed the Emperor next to her, he smirked at her and announced, "We are going to the study." Then walked ahead, leaving Lei Xing rooted to the spot in confusion.

    The servants around them also looked at each other in confusion as they thought the two of them inside had gone to sleep already given how much time had passed.

    After a few steps, the Emperor stopped and turned back to Lei Xing who was still standing in there and said, "Come along."

    Lei Xing hesitantly walked forward while scratching her head in confusion.

    When she reached the Emperor, he then motioned for her to lead the way still smirking. Lei Xing skeptically looked at him and then begrudgingly led the way.

    {...Well, I guess the study is better than the room...}

 Chapter 69 - Lost Tourist

    When they arrived at her study, Lei Xing went inside and sat down in front of her desk not bothering with the Emperor, who was lingering at the door to give orders to the servants.

    When he was done he strolled in, smiled at Lei Xing and then glanced around the room, taking a leisure stroll like some tourist.

    He looked at the qin on the table on the side, then glanced at Lei Xing and snorted. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him.

    {...Hey, what''s funny? -_-)...Also, why are you here? I graciously loaned you my bed and here you are NOT sleeping in it...If you were bored you should have gone for a run around the palace or something instead of coming here to selfishly lock me out my bed!...I''m still a patient, you know -_-)''...}

    The Emperor then walked to the other side of the room, interested in seeing her embroidery work but was met with an empty sheet. There was a small basket on the side with some small sheets that were currently in the process of being embroidered in their hoops.

    As he randomly flipped through the basket, one of the designs; an uncompleted peony flower, caught his interest.

    He picked up the work and scrutinized it for a bit, then he held it up towards Lei Xing, "Is this yours?"

    "No, it''s Ah Jin''s." Lei Xing responded.

    "Ah Jin? That''s your childhood personal maid, isn''t it?" The Emperor asked still scrutinizing the sheet.

    "Yes, why?" Lei Xing curiously asked knitting her brows.

    "The handiwork is quite good." The Emperor glanced at her with a smirk and then looked back at the sheet in his hand.

    Then he removed it from the hoop, folded it and tucked into his robe. Lei Xing watched him do all, completely bewildered.

    {...Why does that look so wrong? O_O)...Is it stealing if he does it right in front of me?...}

    "Do you have any embroidery pieces here?" The Emperor asked turning to Lei Xing.

    "No." Lei Xing flatly responded. Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin were the ones who did any embroidery that was anywhere here.

    Lei Xing usually just sat around drawing random things, reading or doing nothing and occasionally, harming their ears with her qin practice.

    The Emperor nodded and then walked to the bookshelf which currently housed only three books; Li Ru''s two qin study guides and the "Virtues of Imperial Women" that had long been collecting dust both on the bookshelf and in Lei Xing''s memory.

    Lei Xing skeptically watched the Emperor look over the books, picked one up and casually flipped through it.

    {...Are you really this bored in your life? Sleep is not at all appealing? In that case, can you go sightseeing somewhere else so that I can reclaim my bed -_-)...}

    As the Emperor flipped through the second qin study guide, He knit his brows and asked, "Did you write this?"

    Lei Xing perked up a little and answered, "Li Ru did."

    "Another one of your maids?" The Emperor asked as he flipped through the book.

    Lei Xing frowned and opened her mouth in disbelief and then flatly said, "She''s your consort."

    "Oh." He responded with disinterest causing Lei Xing to narrow her eyes in annoyance, and she added for reference, "The one you gifted the painting to during the competition."

    "Ahh, her...You must be quite close." He offhandedly commented and put the book back on the shelf.

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened, she was feeling a bit offended by this. She disgruntedly looked down at her book and ignored his presence.

    {...How could you not know? She was so excited too... You suck...A lot!... I wonder if he even remembers my name too - Not that I care, I''m just saying ...He doesn''t remember them, but they all remember him...*sigh* This is the sad reality of things...}

    The Emperor continued his perusal of her collection, unaware of Lei Xing''s dissatisfaction with his conduct. He picked up the "Virtues of Imperial women", quickly flipped through it and put it back.

    He then turned and glanced around the room again as if looking for something else to do. He looked at Lei Xing who was "focused" on her book for a bit, then glanced at the qin and then back at Lei Xing.

    The Emperor then went to sit down in front of the qin and lightly stroked the strings.

    He glanced at lei Xing again, who was still ignoring him, then smiled and looked down at the qin for a bit and then began to play and a slow melodious tune that filled the room.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and snuck a few glances at the Emperor.

    {...What is this supposed to be now, "The Art of Seduction"? I don''t care what you play, it''s not going to work. You might as well play a funeral march song instead -_-)...}

    Lei Xing glared at the book, trying to ignore him and his music. After a few failed attempts, she succ.u.mbed and let go of her misgivings and just enjoyed the music. She glanced at him and sighed.

    {...I guess it could be worse...At least he''s not ugly, some would even call him handsome...I wouldn''t -_-)...Okay, I admit he might look great, maybe even handsome and talented too...What does that have to do with anything? Nothing I guess - ANYWAY that is not the point here!...

    ...He could be Adonis himse- - Who the hell is Adonis again? Greek god of beauty maybe? Whatever! The point is I don''t care what he looks like! I don''t want to be here, ALSO multitude of women! Correction, increasing multitude of women -_-)...

    ...But at least he''s not old...Yeah, if he were old, I would have an innate problem with that one...Yeah, definitely could not - Just too weird, can''t even picture it - Why am I even trying to picture it?! We are not going there... *sigh* A lot of rulers married young wives...

    ...Forget rulers, a lot of men in the old days married young wives...Heck, even some old farts in the modern world do that...forget marriage, a lot of old men sleep with young girls, known fact!...Some old women sleep with young guys too these days, I meant in future days... Probably some do that here too, money speaks loud and clear in any time and as they say, "Love" knows no boundaries so why not...

    ...I say whatever floats your boat, good for you! Can''t see myself there though...

    ...Another thing! Emperors had young girls flocking into the palace in droves just for that sole purpose. Heck, even the maids are free and probably willing game...Which MEANS he will be sleeping with young girls when we''re old -_-)...And that right there is another reason to disli-...}

    "Are you asleep?"

    Lei Xing''s eyes flew open and she sat up.

    Apparently, at some point, she had stretched out her arm on the table, rested her head on her hand and closed her eyes.

    She was so busy with her thoughts that she did not even realize when the music stopped.

    There were also now some servants in the room. One was setting down a tea set in front of her, and then another for the Emperor. While another servant was holding a tray stacked with memorials, as two others prepared the desk.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and asked, "You''re going to work?"

    {...You''re not going to sleep? In that case, can you go to your own study or something so I possibly can? -_-)...}

    "We can go to sleep if you prefer." The Emperor calmly responded with a smile.

    Lei Xing flashed a half-smile and said, "It''s very good to be hardworking." Then cast a quick glance at the qin that was placed behind him.

    "What did you think of that piece?" The Emperor asked when he caught her looking that way

    "Very good." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, "Just very good?"

    {...Tch, fishing for praises. Conceited much?... But it was really good so I guess you have permission to gloat -_-)...}

    "It was beautiful..." She amended. The Emperor smiled brightly and then went to pick a memorial. Lei Xing curiously eyed him for a bit and then spoke up again, "I have a question..."

    The Emperor knit his brows.

    The last time she had a question it was about leaving the palace, and frankly, actually every time she has asked him something it had to do with that. So, his mood subconsciously took a dip the moment he heard that, but he still responded, "Yes?"

    Lei Xing cleared her throat, "I am just a little curious...what is the name of the piece?"

    Hearing her question, his mood brightened immediately, he smiled and asked, "Name?"

    "Yes." Lei Xing answered, waiting for the answer

    {...I am going to have Li Ru play it for me some time, possibly teach me but more play for me. She should know it since they''re all apparently walking music libraries...}

    "Hmm, it has no name yet. I just created it." The Emperor explained.

    Lei Xing blinked, "Just now?"

    "En."

    Lei Xing nodded in admiration and muttered under her breath, "Impressive."

    Li Ru had explained the "essence of music" to her before, something about letting the song flow through you or the other, but Lei Xing could not comprehend and boiled it down to good memorization skills.

    {...It''s just a matter of memorizing what each string sounds like and-...and some more stuff... This is why I am not composer, apparently....*Sigh* It''s good to be talented, I seem to have missed out on that train...Actually I''m not that bad either, I could get there...with time I can...Yeah with some patience, some perseverance, motivation, energy...Just generally stuff I don''t have a lot of -...}

    "Do you want to learn it?" The Emperor asked seeing her interest in it.

    Lei Xing gave a short laugh, "I don''t think my skills are quite there yet."

    The Emperor chuckled, "Yes, your skills are quite lacking."

    Lei Xing''s smile immediately fell and she glared down at her book in annoyance.

    {...It''s my fault for asking because apparently, I was fishing for insults -_-)...This guy has been subtly insulting me for while now. No, actually I think that one was a direct insult...It''s not funny!... Even if it''s facts, you don''t have to constantly hint at my shortcomings. It''s annoying -_-)...}

 Chapter 70 - Clandestine Exploit

    "Why don''t you name it?" The Emperor asked looking at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, looked up with a smile plastered on her face, "Giving my poor set of skills, I wouldn''t be able to choose a fitting name for such a masterpiece. I would hate to ruin its magnificence with a poor name, so it will be better for Your majesty to choose the name." She finished with a curt bow of her head then looked back down at her book.

    The Emperor frowned and looked at her for a while, then let out a sigh and picked up one of his memorials.

    The two sat down in the study both concentrating on their own affairs. As the hours passed, Lei Xing was growing increasingly bored and consequently, increasingly sleepy.

    {...I''m starting to think I''ve developed a problem. Haven''t I slept enough for one day? -_-)''...No, it''s not my fault, boring is boring...and when things are boring and there''s nothing much to do, sleep is natural. It''s just the way of life...}

    She covered her mouth in a yawn and caught the Emperor looking her way mid-yawn.

    She immediately closed her mouth and quickly looked back down. After a short while, she covertly cast a contemptuous glance at the Emperor, who was sitting upright, diligently writing something.

    {...How are you not tired? If you''re having a blast, how about relocating? T_T)...}

    Lei Xing lightly sighed, bored and tired out of her mind.

    "Tired?" The Emperor narrowing his eyes at her with a slight smile.

    "No, not at all." Lei Xing then nervously laughed, "I was just concerned...for you?"

    "I''m used to it." The Emperor lightly replied.

    "Ah, I see...I won''t disturb you then. Continue." Lei Xing said with a strained smile and put her head back down.

    {...You''re used to it? I used to be used to it too, back when I actually had shit to do...and a phone, a computer, and internet to keep me occupied all night...Nowadays I have regressed to fit the times -_-)...}

    Lei Xing looked over the page of the book she had been on for almost thirty minutes now.

    {...Now I remember why I never finished this book, there was always something more interesting to do...When I go out, I should invest in some more entertaining reads...I''m sure they should have some novels of interest here and there...}

    Lei Xing mentally added another item to her list for purchase as she discreetly yawned again.

    As time continued to go by, Lei Xing was getting increasingly tired, so she rested her head on the desk on an arm and put the book up in front of her face and continued to read like that.

    Eventually, after flipping a few pages, she fell asleep. As Lei Xing did not make any movements for a long while, the Emperor looked at her and then continued on with what he was doing.

    After a long while passed, the Emperor then got up and walked up to Lei Xing.

    After seeing that she was fast asleep, he lightly pulled the book from her hand and looked it over to see what she was reading, and lightly smiled.

    {...Art of War...Interesting choice...}

    Then he frowned when he saw the Imperial library seal on it, narrowed his eyes at her sleeping face and then quietly dropped the book on the table.

    {...I will deal with this later...}

    Then he turned and walked to the doors and quietly opened them. The servants outside quickly came forward and were about to open their mouths, when he motioned for them to be quiet and waved them off.

    He then left the doors open and went back inside and bent down beside Lei Xing and very slowly and gently lifted her head off the table while supporting her shoulders.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and flinched a little, and he immediately froze mid-lift and waited until she relaxed again, then continued the process.

    Eventually, he managed to have her leaning on his chest with her head on his shoulder without waking her up.

    She groaned a little as he slightly moved to pick her up, so he stopped and then he started lightly patting her head to help her relax. Once he saw that she had relaxed again, he waited like that for a little while to be sure, then he gently moved and picked her up and left the study with slow and steady steps.

    When he arrived back at the room, he gently settled her down on the bed with the help of the servants. As soon as she hit the bed, she subconsciously snuggled into the blanket, pulling it closer with a small smile.

    The Emperor stood there watching her actions with a slight smile.

    After she settled back into calm sleep, he then got into the bed beside her and spent some time staring blankly at her face. He used the back of a finger to lightly stroke her cheek.

    Lei Xing frowned and wrinkled her brow and he immediately removed his finger and closed his eyes.

    When he did not hear her wake up, he then opened his eyes and let out a silent sigh of relief. Then he frowned and blinked as he realized the oddness of his behavior.

    {...What am I doing?...}

    The Emperor frowned at her face for a while, then sighed and closed his eyes to sleep.

    **

    Lei Xing opened her eyes sometime in the afternoon, surprised to find herself on the bed.

    {...Did I sleepwalk? I don''t sleepwalk -_-)''...}

    When she got up and Xiao Ruo came into the room, she asked how she got there and was informed that the Emperor carried her in. Lei Xing immediately frowned, "Did he s-?"

    {...Nevermind, it''s pointless to ask and it doesn''t matter whether he was here or not...}

    Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing with a questioning expression waiting for her to finish. Lei Xing then sighed, "Nevermind. Please prepare my bath and tell Ah Jin to get ready as well, I''m going out immediately after."

    {...Let''s deal with the important stuff first...Yesterday was lucky, tomorrow may not be so...}

    "Your highness, you can''t. The Emperor sent someone to invite you over to the royal study. He was even considerate and said we should not wake you up and you should come whenever you''re ready." Xiao Ruo informed with a smile.

    Lei Xing was feeling irritated with her smile and dismissively said, "Fine, go ready the bath then." Xiao Ruo quickly bowed and left still with that stupid smile on her face. Lei Xing sighed.

    {...What does he want now? Honestly, you''re messing with my schedule. I have a life too you know -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing took her sweet time to get ready and eat, and then made her way to the royal study. When she arrived, Eunuch Li had her wait by the doors because the Emperor was currently in a meeting and then went in himself to inform the Emperor that she had arrived.

    After a few moments, Eunuch Li came out and smiled at her, "The Emperor will be free shortly."

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile in response.

    {...Yeah, can''t wait -_-)...}

    After a short while passed, the doors opened again and a few ministers came out led by Lei Xing''s father and Prime minister Zhao.

    When they saw her, they bowed in greeting and Lei Xing equally bowed towards her father. Her father looked at her and then asked, "I heard you got injured, how are you feeling?"

    Lei Xing smiled politely and replied, "Very well."

    Her father then nodded, "That is good, you should be more mindful. Hurry in, the Emperor should not be kept waiting." Lei Xing nodded and gave a slight bow again and went inside.

    After she left, Prime minister Zhao scoffed in Defense minister Lei''s direction and strutted off. Defense minister Lei shook his head and started walking as well with the rest of the group following behind.

    The information that the Emperor has solely been focusing on the Lei Xing was no secret, and that he even personally took care of her after her accident.

    At this point, it was seeming clear to all who the Empress position will belong to. At this point, it was clear to all who the Empress position will belong to, although there was still some doubt on the issue, since the Zou princess''s arrival may change the situation.

    Lei Xing walked into the room, to find the Emperor standing on the side, looking down at a table. He looked towards Lei Xing and waved her over with a smile.

    Lei Xing cautiously approached, glancing up at the lakeside painting behind him and lightly frowned as the memory of Doctor Lou''s howling laughter at her mind-reading power theory flashed in her mind.

    {...I feel the urge to burn that thing -_-)...}

    When she got to the Emperor''s side, he motioned for her to look down at the table.

    She complied and looked down to see a beautiful embroidery piece of a pink peony''s growth from a bud to a gorgeous blossoming flower circling around the sheet, with a big fully blossomed blue peony in the center.

    {...Okay, it''s great so...Don''t tell me you called me here to appraise that? As I am sure you aware, my "poor skills" cannot comprehend that -_-)...}

    Lei Xing looked up at the Emperor, to find him looking at her with an expectant face, apparently waiting for her response. Therefore, she commented, "It''s beautiful."

    "That''s all?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes.

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion, looked down again and then back at him and added, "It''s exquisite...?"

    "Hmm..." The Emperor responded, frowning down at the embroidery piece. Lei Xing also looked down at it again in confusion.

    {...Is there something I''m missing here?...}

 Chapter 71 - 71 Lay Off

    While Lei Xing was still trying to figure out what she was supposed to be deriving from this embroidery piece.

    The doors opened and Eunuch Li came in with some servants carrying in some equipment; a stool, an embroidery rack with a blank sheet strung on, a big pin cushion covered in long-threaded needles and a board.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and as she watched the servants who arranging the equipment on Eunuch Li''s direction.

    After the arrangement was done to his satisfaction, Eunuch Li approached the Emperor, "Your majesty, it is ready."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at them.

    {...He embroiders now? Seems he''s a jack of all trades, very good...But why am I here? To appraise?...}

    "En." The Emperor simply responded and then looked at Lei Xing with a smirk. Lei Xing''s expression immediately became guarded.

    The Emperor then grabbed her hand and pulled her to the embroidery set up and sat her down on the stool in front of the rack.

    Eunuch Li also took the embroidery piece from the table and hung it up on the board in front of the rack. The actual situation finally dawned on Lei Xing and she frowned.

    {...You want me to embroider that? No way!...}

    Lei Xing immediately turned to look at the Emperor, but before she could open her mouth to speak, he looked down at her and said, "I want you to embroider that for me."

    "But-" Lei Xing opened her mouth to protest but the Emperor cut her off with a smile, "Don''t worry, it''s okay if it takes you a few days. Take your time."

    Lei Xing nervously laughed for a bit and honestly admitted, "Hehe~ Um, even if you gave me a whole year, I can''t do that."

    {...Seriously, I''m not even sure where to begin to make that...}

    "Really?" The Emperor asked raising his eyebrows in false surprise.

    Lei Xing tried to reason, "You have seen my embroidery before. My style is more...um, is more abstract with focus on non-living subjects. The art of living things is very different"

    "Ah, I see..." The Emperor nodded in understanding, and Lei Xing thought she had gotten off the hook.

    Then the Emperor continued, "In any case, just do your best and then we''ll see."

    He pat her on the shoulder and then left her to the work while he returned to his throne chair to deal with his own work.

    Lei Xing watched him leave and was bewildered by this sudden event.

    She turned at Eunuch Li in hope to appeal her case but he just smiled and withdrew, leaving the two of them alone, each to their work.

    Lei Xing sat there frowning at the blank sheet and then at the embroidery piece.

    {...Where do you even start? The corner or the center?... Since there''s more pink, the outside...No, I''m pretty sure you start with the center...Okay, so do you just start with a random petal, is there a stem?...

    ...Which demon possessed this guy today for him to wake up and come up with this sort of punishment for me? Also, why should I be punished?! -_-)...*sigh* I''ll guess I''ll start somewhere...}

    Lei Xing got up and walked over to the board to scrutinize the piece.

    {...I don''t see a stem...Well, it''s like an aerial view, right? So just some random petal then..}.

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance and went back to sit down, glanced up at the Emperor who seemed to be busy and then picked up a random thread.

    {...There''s no point in even thinking about it...Even if you gave me fifty years, I couldn''t do that. He should have called Li Ru or someone else if he wanted to expand his collection!...

    ...*sigh* I''m just going to do whatever and he can do whatever the hell he wants with the crap production -_-)...}

    The Emperor was covertly watched her contemplating and snickered to himself.

    After staring at the sheet for a while more, Lei Xing began to make a skeleton of a blue petal at the center after concluding that was the best strategy.

    {...It''s just like painting...You draw the outside first, then color in the insides...Doesn''t seem too complicated when you think about it that way, just a lot of annoying work -_-)...}

    After a short while, some maids brought in tea and snacks. As they set it down in front of her, Lei Xing glanced up at the Emperor with resentment.

    {...Again your bribery skills are VERY POOR...Make my life miserable and then try to bribe me with food? -_-)''...You better pay me for this!...}

    Time passed and her petal skeleton came to life, and she began working on "coloring" the inside. A few times, a maid came to add on more threaded needles as she used them up.

    After a long time had passed, Eunuch Li entered the room and informed, "Your majesty, Prince Yi has arrived."

    The Emperor looked up and smiled, "Ah, let him in." Then he glanced towards Lei Xing who was looking up at him with an expectant face, anticipating her dismissal and said, "Continue."

    Lei Xing let out a breath in annoyance and pouted. Prince Yi entered and bowed to the Emperor and then glanced towards Lei Xing with raised eyebrows.

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and lightly bowed her head in greeting and then looked back down.

    {...Don''t ask me why I''m here because I don''t know either...Your brother there apparently has issues -_-)''...}

    Prince Yi also lightly bowed his head in her direction in greeting, while the Emperor was observing the exchange with a frown.

    "Your majesty, you sent for me." Prince Yi said looking up at the Emperor.

    "Ah, I did send for you a long while ago...it seems you have been very busy, is there some other matter occupying your time?" The Emperor asked with a small smirk.

    "Nothing like that...I was not feeling well and so arrived late." Prince Yi explained with a polite smile.

    The Emperor looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a bit, "I see...it seems your health has not been good lately. As your brother I am worried and so I have decided to alleviate some of your burdens."

    Prince Yi knit his brows in confusion.

    The Emperor continued, "It seems the Imperial library has been too tasking on you. From today on, you are relieved of your duties. Take this time to ease your mind and get enough rest. After all, health is the most important thing."

    Prince Yi frowned, "I thank your majesty for your concern but my health is-"

    "It is of no issue. I am aware that you have been very busy all these years and so taking a full rest may not something appealing to you..."

    The Emperor then sighed and continued, "...How about this? The Zou representative will be in arriving in a few days, you can accompany the Zou Prince during his stay. A relaxing yet rewarding endeavor, wouldn''t you say?"

    Prince Yi knit his brows and asked, "I thought that task was for the Minister of Works?"

    "It does not matter." The Emperor smiled and continued, "Our guest will be more comfortable with someone closer in age and I assume you will be a much better company than the old man."

    Prince Yi''s frowned, "But-"

    "You will not be busy at the time, and so there should no issue, or is there something I should know?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Prine Yi cupped his hands and bowed his head and explained, "No, it''s just traditionally the Minister of Works handles matters pertaining to foreign guests. So-"

    "Do you have any issue with Zou Kingdom or their representative?" The Emperor asked cutting him off.

    "No-"

    "Then things will proceed like this then. Mee-"

    {...If you''re firing someone so they can rest why give them another job? Clearly, someone here does not understand what a vacation is. If thi-...}

    "Ow!" Lei Xing exclaimed from the side, putting her finger in her mouth with a frown.

    Then she glanced up to see both of them staring at her and she quickly removed it, gave a half-smile and said, "Sorry." And immediately looked back down.

    "Did you hurt yourself?" The Emperor asked.

    {...No, I just felt like interrupting your wonderful speech there -_-)...}

    "I''m fine." Lei Xing responded without looking back up, a bit embarrassed. She had been distracted by the conversation they were having and ended up pricking her finger.

    The Emperor then looked back at Prince Yi and continued, "Meet with the Minister of Works to discuss and arrange whatever you need."

    Prince Yi reluctantly bowed and turned to make his way out. Then the Emperor spoke up again, "Ah, one more thing."

    Prince Yi turned back, the Emperor then got up and came down holding a book and held it out with a smile to Prince Yi, "Return this for me."

    Prince Yi looked down at the book, slightly knit his brows and glanced towards Lei Xing who had her head down, busy with her embroidery.

    The Emperor traced his eyes towards Lei Xing and then asked, "Is there a problem?"

    Prince Yi looked at the Emperor and put on a smile and took the book, "None at all. If there''s nothing else, I will be leaving now."

    "En." The Emperor simply responded and Prince Yi turned and made his way out.

    As the Emperor turned to return to his work, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Lei Xing looking towards the doors, with a longing expression on her face.

    {...I want to leave too, this sucks! T_T)...}

    "You seem quite interested in my brother..."

    When Lei Xing heard those words, she immediately flinched and turned to see the Emperor''s face right next to hers.

    Her eyes went wide and she reflectively jerked back and lost her balance and would have fallen over if not for the Emperor grabbing her shoulders.

    Lei Xing immediately went stiff and stared at the Emperor, who was staring at her with narrowed eyes. The Emperor then continued to ask, "Are you?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion.

    {...Where the hell did that come from?... And can you let me go...please? I don''t want to have to hurt you -_-)...}

 Chapter 72 - Telltale

    "No." Lei Xing responded looking at the Emperor skeptically.

    The Emperor just stared at Lei Xing''s face for a long while, that coupled with the awkward position made Lei Xing increasingly uncomfortable, so she added, "...not at all."

    The Emperor straightened her and then stood up straight and looked down at her, "You seem quite nervous. Why?"

    "I was just startled." Lei Xing said with a half-smile.

    "You and my brother seem to have quite a lot of encounters recently." The Emperor offhandedly commented.

    "Coincidence." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    {...Um, I don''t think we''ve had "quite a lot" though...That''s an exaggeration, it should be about twice times now? No more than three...Either way, it''s not a lot...

    ...And wait, how would you even know about those? I only told you about the one ...Am I being watched? Of course, I''m being watched...I knew generosity was not your MO -_-)...}

    The Emperor did not respond and glanced down at her embroidered boxy petal in production that she had been working on for a few hours now.

    Then he looked back at her and calmly asked, "Do you know it is considered a crime to lie to the Imperial family?"

    Lei Xing frowned, starting to feel annoyed with this line of questioning and firmly said, "I am not at all interested in him, not even in the least."

    {...You can''t charge me with such an offense with no evidence!... And your brother is just as annoying as you are...maybe even more so? So definitely not interested  AT ALL in that -_-)...}

    "I understood that one, but what about that one?" He said motioning towards the embroidery piece hanging at the front.

    Lei Xing looked at the hanging embroidery piece and then looked back at him in confusion.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "You cannot even remember a gift you made for the late Empress."

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide and she looked back at the embroidery piece.

    {...Ohhh, did I? Well you should have said so! T_T)...}

    "Ah, but then should it be gave rather than made, right? What do you say?" The Emperor calmly asked.

    Lei Xing nervously laughed a bit and explained, "Um, I - I had a lapse in memory, I can be quite forgetful sometimes. Looking at it again, it does seem very familiar..."

    The Emperor blankly looked at her for a while and then said, "You not only lied to Imperial family members, but you did that in an effort to gain favor. That is quite a grave offense. What do you think should be done about that?" He seriously asked.

    When she did not respond fast enough, the Emperor quietly walked back and sat on his throne chair and went back to his work, ignoring her.

    Lei Xing sat there with a deep frown on her face in contemplation as she looked at him.

    {...Offense? What offense? Is forgetting an offense? No way! I could just have a bad memory!... He couldn''t possibly be serious, right? Well, I don''t think we''re in the sort of relationship to joke around -_-)...}

    After thinking about it for a while, Lei Xing got up and walked to the middle of the room and hesitantly said, "Um, I can explain..."

    The Emperor then dropped the memorial he was holding and looked at her waiting for her explanation.

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and began, "Actually, I didn''t remember because I lost my memories..." Seeing him frown, she added, "...Just some of it...most of it."

    "Lost your memories?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing continued to explain, "Yes, quite recently actually. I almost drowned a while before entering the palace and it seems the experience must have messed with my head...and so I lost some memories."

    She glanced up at him again and then added, "I didn''t want my family to worry and so I didn''t mention it...So, that''s why..."

    The room was silent for a while as Lei Xing waited for the verdict.

    {...Believe me, I''m telling the truth - Well, most of it...Well, the points that matter anyway -_-)...Actually, I am completely lying here, but point is all you need to know is that I don''t remember, so details are not necessary...}

    "That''s why your performance in the competition was so poor?" The Emperor asked and Lei Xing firmly nodded.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes in thought for a while and then asked, "Does that also have something to do with why you want to leave the palace?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Um, not necessarily..."

    {...Well, yes it does but how do I begin to explain that...}

    Another long stretch of silence, then the Emperor asked, "So you are saying you made that piece but you don''t remember, correct?"

    "Yes." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    "Even if you don''t remember?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her.

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at his expression, "Then no?... Possibly?"

    {...What''s the right answer for you here? It feels like you''re baiting me or something -_-)''...}

    The Emperor then came down and walked up to the hanging embroidery piece. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and followed along.

    {...What''s your issue with this embroidery piece? Can''t you just let it go?...}

    The Emperor then handed her the handkerchief he had taken from her study the night before. Lei Xing took it and looked at it and then back at him in confusion.

    The Emperor then asked, "Don''t they look too similar?"

    Lei Xing looked at the handkerchief again and then at the embroidery piece and then knit her brows.

    {...It looks the same to me, but then again all roses look the same to me...and it''s not even a rose...so my opinion is definitely moot...But then what does this have to do with anything? -_-)...}

    "You say you made it, but the evidence says otherwise." The Emperor clarified the situation when he saw Lei Xing''s confused expression.

    Lei Xing suddenly became enlightened to her lie and offense in question here. She gave a half-smile and then said, "Perhaps she helped me in making it...?"

    "Perhaps...but helping you is one thing, doing the entire thing is another, isn''t it?" The Emperor asked with a smirk, narrowing his eyes at her.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and looked between the handkerchief and the embroidery piece. Then said, "It doesn''t look that similar to me..."

    The Emperor snorted, "Of course it doesn''t to an unskilled eye."

    "Well, we grew up together and learned together, so our styles are quite similar, that''s why...I''m already used to seeing her work and so to me they look different." Lei Xing said with a smile, disregarding his comment.

    "Different? Show me the differences then..." The Emperor requested and Lei Xing blinked and frowned down at the handkerchief in her hand.

    {... Are you also an embroidery appraiser, now? Huh? I will be needing to see some paperwork because it seems like you are just throwing stones because you can -_-)...}

    Seeing Lei Xing staring at the handkerchief struggling to find out the differences, the Emperor then said, "Since we are in disagreement on this, why don''t we call the other party who should have her memory intact to clarify?"

    After saying that, he called for a servant and instructed that Ah Jin be brought here. Then he went back to his memorials, ignoring Lei Xing who was standing in the middle of the room still frowning at the handkerchief in her hand.

    Lei Xing sighed and glanced up at the Emperor.

    {...Stupid handkerchief, I knew it was trouble when he was trolling around like a lost puppy -_-)...Also, why is this even an issue? Isn''t there some criminal activity you should be dealing with - Well, I guess this is actually criminal activity, this is fraud, isn''t it?...

    ...No, it was a GIFT, they didn''t pay anything for it and I didn''t gain anything from it...did I? Didn''t!... At most it''s misrepresentation but that''s not so bad, you still got a beautiful piece right there SO why are we investigating a bloody embroidery piece?! What? You want to sell it or something and it has to be from me or it''s not "authentic"? -_-)...}

    After a while, Ah Jin finally arrived and bowed in greeting. The Emperor looked at her and directly ordered, "I want you to explain why you made the embroidery piece that was presented as your Mistress''s."

    Ah Jin knit her brows and immediately glanced at Lei Xing, who lightly shrugged.

    Then Ah Jin looked back up at the Emperor and proceeded to fall on her knees and kowtowed, "Your majesty, please do not be angry. Her highness did not mean any disrespect in doing this...It was just, just...just an attempt to stand out a little...Please do not hold it against her!"

    Lei Xing blinked and then frowned.

    {... Why the hell are you admitting to the crime?!  Are you trying to get us in trouble?! You should have played ignorant, he has no proof!...

    ...Okay, maybe he does, BUT Still, you just gave him more proof!... Haven''t I been through enough already? Where the hell is your freaking heart, dude? Bottom of the ocean?! How is this investigation relevant to your life? -_-)...

 Chapter 73 - Cozener

    The Emperor cast Lei Xing an "I told you so" glance and Lei Xing looked off to the side pretending to be oblivious to it.

    "Explain yourself." The Emperor sternly said to Ah Jin.

    Ah Jin knelt back on her knees and glanced up at the Emperor, looked down and then hesitantly began, "I-I was only helping...Um, then there were rumors of Your majesty returning soon...and that the late Empress was already looking at candidates for your wives...So, so my mistress in order to gain a bit of favor with the late Empress...she wanted to do something memorable to stand out...a little..."

    The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing again to find her frowning down at the top of Ah Jin''s head.

    {...Hey, why are you opening up another can of worms?! Honestly, these people are just trying to piss me off today! -_-)...}

    Ah Jin continued, "...The only thing she had some talent in is the qin and even that she had abandoned for a long while and... she also felt that it would not create a lasting image too...she wanted to give something more tangible and so settled on an embroidery piece...But my mistress''s skill in embroidery is...is..."

    Then she glanced up at the Emperor again and looked back down, "...I...My mistress''s skill in embroidery is...a bit poor so I - I..."

    "So she asked you to make it for her?" The Emperor asked.

    Ah Jin immediately added, "She didn''t force me...It was just something we always did..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes, "You always did?... So you usually did her work?"

    "Well, my mistress is actually incredibly smart and talented, it''s just...just she never applied herself....an-and it was only embroidery and art that I helped with...the other things are hers..." Ah Jin defended.

    Lei Xing lightly scoffed in her mind.

    {...What other things? Reading and writing? Hahaha...Also, how did no one catch on to this scheme? I''d figure it out...By the way, you suck at keeping secrets, you just spilled everything, just like that? Apparently, all they had to do was ask...She should have asked more questions in her recruitment process or prepped you more on damage control...But she probably didn''t think that far...They never do -_-)...}

    The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing on the side and then raised an eyebrow.

    Lei Xing was just standing there looking down at Ah Jin and listening with keen interest like she was actually not the subject of the conversation.

    The Emperor turned back to Ah Jin, "And the family was aware of all this?" As the Emperor asked that Lei Xing nodded along.

    {...That''s what I thought. Great question!...}

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Lei Xing, a bit confused with her behavior.

    Ah Jin immediately looked, "No, they were not!" She said loudly and then lowered her voice and added, "It was just between my mistress and me...We were well-organized and th-"

    Ah Jin paused when Lei Xing suddenly snorted, and along with Emperor glanced at her with knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing then broke into a coughing fit, patted her chest and said, "I''m sorry...It seems I''m coming down with a bit of a cold. Continue..."

    The Emperor scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit and then turned to Ah Jin, "Continue."

    Lei Xing slightly let out a sigh of relief.

    {...Not sure why I found that one funny...Well-organized? I say lazy parenting...But Xiao Ting seems to have turned out okay - cries a bit too easily but okay. Lei Yong also seems to be reasonable so maybe this girl''s just the black sheep? A black sheep with high aspirations? What a recipe for disaster...}

    Ah Jin continued, "The mistress used to keep to herself a lot...the family was used to it...so it was easy not to get noticed..." She quietly finished

    "Is there anything else you are hiding?" The Emperor then asked.

    Ah Jin fervently shook her head, "There is nothing, Your majesty."

    "I heard she had an accident a while before entering the palace? Nothing to report there?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Ah Jin went rigid and then knit her brows, at this point, she was already cold-sweating. She glanced up at the Emperor and then looked towards Lei Xing.

    Ah Jin looking at her with a beseeching expression finally reminded Lei Xing that she was the actual subject here, so she sighed and said, "It''s okay, I already told him..."

    Ah Jin nodded and then turned to Emperor and answered, "She lost some of her memories after almost drowning...So she doesn''t remember much..." She finished casting a few agitated glances up at the Emperor.

    On seeing him frown she quickly added, "But other than just some missing memories, she is perfectly healthy...so it should not cause any problems."

    The Emperor frowned in contemplation for a while and then turned to Lei Xing and then said, "I see... So is that reason for your visits to that doctor?"

    Lei Xing quickly responded cupping her hands and bowed her head for an extra measure of politeness, "Yes. It was to help with my condition..."

    {...Technically true, being here is a condition...}

    "Hm...Anything else to report?" The Emperor then asked looking at both of them.

    Ah Jin fervently shook her head, then he stared directly at Lei Xing, who then blinked and responded, "Nothing at all."

    {...At least I think so...My own personal life has no bearing here...}

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Lei Xing for a while, she also looked back at him with caution.

    {...Should I start running?... I guess I should apologize or something too...}

    Lei Xing then bowed and put on a remorseful expression, "Your majesty, I apologize for my incompetencies. I was young and foolish and so made an error in my judgment. I-"

    "And now?" The Emperor asked interrupting her speech.

    Lei Xing blinked and looked up at him, he then smirked and continued, "You''re no longer young and foolish. You have truly grown so much in just a few months?"

    "O-Oh, I see...Well, one ca-"

    "It seems you have truly lost some memories..." The Emperor commented and Lei Xing nodded and honestly said, "Truly, I don''t recall."

    The Emperor then sighed and said, "In that case, it does seem somewhat unfair to hold you accountable for deeds you have no knowledge of..."

    Lei Xing nodded in agreement. The Emperor looked at her and slightly smiled, "Therefore, in light of your innocent and noble aspirations, I will be magnanimous and overlook this matter."

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and outwardly smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Your majesty for your immense grace."

    {...Noble and innocent aspirations? What the hell is noble about wanting to get in your pants? -_-)...}

    Ah Jin also followed along and thanked him, kowtowing again in gratitude.

    While Lei Xing was looking at her feeling a bit angry at her for keeping her dark about this. She had asked Ah Jin to fill her in on the important bits of Lei Xing''s past before.

    "Now that''s settled. You can leave." The Emperor said. Ah Jin got up and bowed. Lei Xing also bowed and turned to leave.

    "Xing er'', you stay." Lei Xing froze and felt a bit of shiver go up her spine.

    {...When did that start? I''m pretty sure we are not a first name basis here -_-)...}

    Ah Jin glanced at Lei Xing and then quickly left. Lei Xing sighed and turned around to see the Emperor walking towards her.

    He stopped in front of her and asked with a smirk, "Don''t you have anything more to say?"

 Chapter 74 - Ant Skit Episode 1: Ant Revolution (Post 36)

    **knock on office door**

    Author : Enter.

    **???? comes in**

    ????: I am here to file a complaint

    **Author looks ???? up and down and then shrugs**

    Author :  Go ahead.

    ????: I am being treated unfairly and would like this situation rectified.

    Author : O-kay...how so?

    ????: It is clear that I should be given a bigger role in the script, but yet I was overshadowed by some over-glamorised unrealistic piece of crap...so what if it has dragons and stuff who can fly and idiots playing around...What do they represent?...I represent a world view, enlightenment, progress - The way forward! ????... so I should be a part of the cornerstone of this story!

    Author : Ah, I see...but you''ve had your time to shine already. It is time for the story to move forward and hence we have to bring to the front more...more expressive members to the forefront to expand our horizon and vision. I''m sure you can understand that.

    ????: But I am the WAY forward! Why can''t you understand this? The fans love me, they were all screaming for me, didn''t you hear them?!

    Author : Well... that was because they were randomly guessing...the situation has changed now.

    ????: You are ruining this story! You''re ruining everything! You better bring me back or...or...

    Author : Or what? ????

    **????''s eyes dart around the office**

    ????: I''ll sue!...Yes, I''ll sue you!

    Author :????...For what? ????

    ????: For masking my greatness! Using me and then dumping me nonchalantly...

    Author : ???? How cute...

    ????: I am being serious! You are looking down on me again, right?!...I am going to sue you for discrimination, false detention...yes! And also the mental trauma I consequently suffered!

    Author: False detention? I am not holding you hostage, you walked in here yourself and you can leave whenever you want...Also, discrimination? how? You got your chance in the sunshine so move aside...

    ????: Discrimination for looking down on the ant kind and for not upholding our basic rights to equal opportunity...Ants have rights too, you know!

    Author : ????...Oy, I don''t remember making you a smart ant, you were supposed to be ignorant, remember?...

    ????: Ignorant? Look, more discrimination! Why do you assume my mental capacity? Why do I have to conform to the mold you created?! I can think too you know...Just because I featured in your work doesn''t make you the boss of me!...I am going to sue you for everything you''re worth! Hmph, which I happen to have heard is not much to begin with ????????...

    **Author glares at ????**

    Author : ...????

    ????:????Now I am open to negotiations, my terms are -

    Author : You''re fired ????

    ????: Fi-fired? Why?... This is an unfair termination! More discrimination!

    Author : ????

    Lei Xing : I don''t really think that I''ll fly...evens humans don''t inherently have a right to a stage, much less ants. Also, the contract, which you voluntarily signed, has a fire-at-will clause, so just-cause is not required for termination...Moreover, the ants civil rights movement has not made any progress these past few milleniums, so I''d say you don''t have much of a case...

    ????: Hey! You should be on my side! We''re a team! Our greatness is being stifled, we are being oppressed, we can''t just idly sit by and be overshadowed!

    Lei Xing : Um...sure... ????

    ????: So you will support me, right? We need to band together to fight the system and pave the way for the ants! Let''s start the Ant Revolution!!

    Lei Xing : Sounds great...but I am a bit busy these days...you know, trying to get out the palace, stay alive...you know, life stuff...

    ????: So you''re just going to abandon me?! Just like that?! I thought we had something special...we connected...and just like that?...Do you think you would be where you are today without me?! How ungrateful! ????

    **LX narrows her eyes**

    Lei Xing :????Now that I think of it, it really could all be because of you...

    ????: That''s right, it''s all thanks to me, you should be grateful! ????

    Lei Xing : You were the one who got his stupid attention and gave him the idea of that stupid empress crap!

    ????: Wait, what are you talking about? ????

    Lei Xing : "Wise words"...don''t you remember? ????

    **???? slowly backs away towards the door**

    ????: ????...Um, I think we all need to calm down here and rationalize the situation...we all had our roles to play... we shouldn''t haphazardly cast blame about...

    Lei Xing : ????!

    **???? turns and rushes to the door, LX jumps him and grabs him in a chokehold***

    ????: Wait! Wait! Calm down and listen to me! All I did was pose for one painting!...Ahhh! Help! Help!...

    Lei Xing : ????????????

    **Author casually spins chair around to face the windows**

    Author : ????...the weather''s really great today.

    **Author calmly dials a number and puts the call on loud speaker**

    Author : Hello, I need security up here...say in about 5 minutes...???? actually make that 10 ????

    ...

    ... ...

    ... ... ...

    ????: I tried guys, I really tried...but I failed so????????...so ????????...Life is so unfair!!!

 Chapter 75 - Ant Skit Episode 2: Settlement (Post 38)

    Author : Okay, let''s resolve this like reasonable peop- beings.

    Lei Xing : *scoffs* Just let him go, it''s not like he can do much damage anyway.

    ????: Animals have rights! Animal abuse is illegal!

    Lei Xing : You''re an insect ????

    ????: Insects are animals too!

    Lei Xing : Whatever floats your boat ????

    ????: You will go to jail!

    Lei Xing : Highly unlikely.

    ????: You - You will be fined!

    Lei Xing : *Yawns* I think you have a better chance of being dissected.

    ????: W-Wh-What?

    ????: A life-size talking ???? isn''t something you see every day...I''m sure I can find some people who will pay good money for you ????...

    ????: ??????

    Lei Xing : You want to be a Star, don''t you? Want to stand on a pedastal for the world to admire, right?...How about a spot in a science exhibit at the musuem? You get your own stage and everything...or if you don''t want that, we can always just have your brain featuring in a -

    ????: ????...

    Author : That''s enough *glares at LX* ????, While I''m sure all that sounds wonderful, I do believe we can come to some sort of agreement that is mutually beneficial, right?

    ????: ...but...

    Author : Of course, you can go try to sue her for the accident...but you wouldn''t get much, if anything...it was just an accident so just let it go.

    ????: ...S-She tried to kill me. *Points at LX, who is leisurely relaxing in her chair*

    Lei Xing : *narrows her eyes at ????* It was an accident.

    ????: You tried to strangle me and then tried to smash me!

    Lei Xing : You were in the way, I didn''t notice you...sorry ????

    Author :  There, she has apologized, problem solved!

    ????: No, it''s not! I''m still going to sue!... I''ll go to the media! Yes, expose you all for being abusive and discriminatory to your employees!

    Author :????...Fine then, how about a payout?

    ????: That''s negotiable ????

    Author : How much?

    ????: How much do you have?

    Author : ???? Lei Xing how much can you pay?

    Lei Xing : *scoff* zero

    ????: ????

    Author : Be serious!

    Lei Xing : I am serious, I''m broke.

    Author : What about all that silver?

    Lei Xing : That''s all in an investment account, can''t be touched????. Why don''t you pay?????

    Author : Why should I?! ????

    Lei Xing : *Shrugs* An accident isn''t exactly a crime, especially not in this case and the media stuff sounds like your problem so...goodluck? ?????????��?

    Author : ????

    ????: Well, then I guess we have no deal, you shall get my notice on the front page! ???? *turns to the door*

    Author : Fine then, go ahead...Try, sue and fail...make headlines, that''ll blow over quickly...and then what? What''s next for you?

    **???? freezes**

    Author : ????...Go back home to the colony?...As a failure?...With dashed dreams?...Live your days foraging on a line?...Unfulfilled? Depressed? Have you forgotten how it was? *long understanding sigh*....You and I both know you have potential, but like anyone you need a stage to shine...I can give you that stage, I want to give you YOUR stage!

    **???? turns and looks at Author**

    ????: My stage?

    Author : Yes, YOUR stage! You will be a Star! You are a star, THE STAR!! ????

    ????: Star? ????

    Author : Yes, stay and soar...or go and return to the assembly line...Your choice!

    Lei Xing : Hey, how come I didn''t get a choice?   **Author is currently conveniently temporarily deaf**

    ????: Soar????...

    Author : *whispers in ????''s ear* To the sky and beyond...

    ????: *looks at Author earnestly* Really? ????

    Author : Truly! I have it all set up for you...You''re on way to the top!????

 Chapter 76 - Ant Skit Episode 3: Now Dubbed "THE ANT!!" (Post 39)

    ????: Hello, I am now the commentator for Circ.u.mventing Fate...this was the brib-

    Author : *Ahem* ????

    ????:????...I mean a new beginning for us all...the subtlely...  (continued on Ch38)

    FarahW fan letter response : I love it..I''m officially your fan Mr Ant ????????????  ummm...is that your name?

    **Author later in office reads fan comment**

    Author : Does he have a name?

    Lei Xing : *shrugs* How should I know?

    Author : You spent so much time drawing him, how rude!

    Lei Xing : Well, you created him...how incompetent!

    ????: I''m right here you know ????...  *standing in front of the door*

    Author : Ah, there''s our star! Come, come...sit.

    ????: I came to discuss the sala-

    Author : Ah, your fans would like to know your name.

    ????:???? Fa-fans? Really?

    Author : Yes, they all love you, You are on the way to the top! No more foraging for the Queen, YOU will be the QUEEN!

    ????: Ah, I''m a guy...

    Author : Irrelevant! Can you see your name on the billboards, covered in bright lights, gold plated, the crowd all screaming for, for -...Ah, what''s your name again?

    ????: *Still starry-eyed* Bo!

    Author : Bo? Bo, Bo...What''s that short for?????

    ????: Borentious!

    Lei Xing : ????

    Author : *glares at LX*smiles at????* ...The Crowd all screaming "ANT!!"

    ????: But my name is -

    Author : You are "The ANT" - The one and only, it has power!

    ????: Power?????

    Author : Yes, you are THE ANT!

    *Author walks ???? to door*

    Author : I can see it, you are going places, "The ANT" just imagine it, now out you go to rest, while I work on paving your way to the top, "THE ANT!"

    *Author pushes????out, closes door and sighs*

 Chapter 77 - Ant Skit Episode 4: Double Terror (post 39)

    ????: ...So why else would a teenage LX who has everything run away? ????...But then again given who she is, she may very well have been into something shady, murder''s definitely not off the table here...Honestly speaking both LXs are really shady people, I think they have affiliations to the mafi -

    Author : *Ahem* ????

    ????: ????...They are both wonderful people and it''s nothing but a joy knowing them...nothing shady about them at all...nothing at all ???? (Above convo excerpt from chap, "Confusions" ???? commentary)

    Author : Come, come Borious, you''re been doing great so far!

    ????: It''s Borentious ????

    Author : That''s what I said. Anyway, everything looks great. You just need to work out a few kinks here and there, namely your mouth... but your path to stardom is assured so do not fret!???? *pats ???? reassuringly on the shoulder* Oh, by the way, you got fan mail again.

    ????: I did? ????

    Lei Xing : I''d say this is more fact mail than fan mail...

    ????: What?

    Author : Ignore her. They wouldn''t message you if they didn''t care for you ????...Here you go! *Hands letter to ????*

    Silentsarab : The only shady thing about them is that they are both adorable and devoured your soul .lol????

    Author : Death by the "Adorables"...I''d say it''s a good way to go ????????

    ????: I''d disagree, I''m still bruised????

    Lei Xing : It''s not my fault you have a thin skull and brittle bones, it was an accident. You should work out more, build muscle or something ????

    ????:????...I also haven''t been able to get much sleep lately too...

    Lei Xing : Let me guess that''s my fault too????

    ????: Of course, it is, you sent your double to attack me in my sleep...isn''t it enough? I''ve already apologized!????

    Lei Xing : I didn''t ask her to do anything...If she''s terrorizing you, not my problem, nothing to do with me?????????��?

    ????: Tell her to stop...Pleaseeee????

    Lei Xing : I doubt that''ll work...

    ????: It will! She always listens to you! Pleeaase, just try ????

    Lei Xing : *bothered by wailing ????* Fine, when next I see her, I''ll say something.

    ????: When will that be?????

    Lei Xing :?????????��?

    ????:... Why not just call her?

    Lei Xing : She''s busy right now.

    ????: Till when?

    Lei Xing : ?????????��?

    Lei Xing : But...but...I need to sleep tonight????...Can''t you at least send a te-

    **Lei Xing looks at phone and quickly ?????????��??????????��? out of the office**

    **???? looks at Author**  ????: Can you -

    Author : I don''t even have her number...try someone else.

    ????:...????????

 Chapter 78 - Ant Skit Episode 5: Lovestruck Ant (Post 39)

    Author : Hey ????, you have mail *Hands over letter to the depressed ????*

    ????:????It-It''s real...my first fan mail ????

    Author : Yep, you''re on your way now ????

    ????: ????????...I love you all too!! ????

    Lei Xing : *Just re-entered office* It''s just one person.

    *Comment Ignored*

    ????: ???? I should go write back...Can I write back? *looks at Author????*

    Author : Sure, why not...I''ll mail it out for you.

    ????: What do I write? ????

    Author : Whatever you want, kid. It''s your fan...

    ????:...Dear fan, you are really awesome, a person with great vision...the rest of them here are really blind, they do not see greatness when it''s right in front of them...I admire your high perceptive sense of reality! I?? U!! Your Ant, Borentious????

    **Hands letter to Author* Author reads, looks at ????**

    Author : You seem to enjoy berati- *looks at ????''s innocent face ???? and sighs*...Nevermind, I''ll have it sent out now????

    FarahW : Opps..wrong spelling name there..dear Borentious..The Ant..THANK YOUUU...am i dreaming right now. I received ur mail with all the love u gave me. I will cherished this moment till..till..as long as you live..teehehe..well i have a longer life span than you..soo ????????????..nevermind..know that you always have lifelong fans here????????????

    Lei Xing : ???? I like this person *holding reply*

    ????: *snatches reply* Stay away! This is mine!????...????????

    Lei Xing : *scoffs* Sure, knock yourself out.

    ????: ????????????????...Love FarahW! ????

    Lei Xing : Someone''s easy to please ????

    **???? deaf to the world**

    Author : Lei Xing, don''t you have anywhere else to hide? my office is not a lounge ????

    Lei Xing : I''m not hiding from anyone. I''m here keeping your lonely self company, be grateful!????

    Author : Really????? I seem to have noticed that whenever a certain someone or other comes this way, right before they come around, you look at your phone and always speed out of here?????????��?...and then come back shortly after they''re gone.

    Lei Xing : Coincidence, you are reading too much into the situation.

    Author : Am I? In that case... *picks up phone*

    Lei Xing : I just remembered that I forgot...I''m busy ?????????��??????????��??????????��??????????��?

    Author : *snorts* ????

    ????:????????????

    Author : *???? at ????* Aren''t you leaving?

    ????: Oh, yeah, I have to go show everyone ????????... *floats out the door holding the letters close????*

    Author : ...

 Chapter 79 - Ant Skit Episode 6: Frie(n)d Foe? (Post 40)

    Author : Did anyone miss the dowager? Well, for those who did, here she is!

    (??��?)?*:??????: *�c(?��?�c)

    Nkatar : Send the dowager back, I did not miss her. She is back to ruin the fun, sigh!

    ????: But she''s a great person once you get to know her, just a bit...um, misunderstood...she''s the only one who actually listens to me, the others are *sigh* ????...She even made me breakfast the other day????...well I did have food poisoning after ...I think the eggs were expired or something????, but that''s LX''s fault! She''s in charge of groceries????

    Nkatar : ???? spoilt eggs, you sure about that? ????! But I guess people like her are needed for story to be more entertaining. After all, it is not a palace without scheming.

    ????: ???? Probably...the eggs were spoilt, right?

    Lei Xing : *shrugs*  Yeah sure, let''s go with that.

    Author : ... ???? Well, you''re fine now that''s all that matters ????????

    ????: What does that mean?????

    Author : ...???? Moving on...Yes, the dowager really does spice up the story pot ????...See what I did there? Stirring pot - Story pot...

    ????:???? Am I missing something?

    Lei Xing : ????

    Author : Tch, tough crowd????...Both of you out!

    Lei Xing : *scoff* You shouldn''t blame us for your sense - or lack of humor...How about I help you work on that? We ca-

    Author : I don''t need your help, OUT!

    ????: Wait, you haven''t answered my question...the egg-

    Author : Dude, no one cares about your eggs, if you have any problems go see the chef!

    **Author shoves the two out the door and slams it shut and locks it**

    Lei Xing : *pouts at door* Tch...Where am I supposed to go now? *walks off*

    **???? follows behind LX, LX rounds the corner and ducks back and bumps into ????**

    ????: Um, Lei Xing, what did you guys mean by that? The eggs were spoilt, right?

    Lei Xing : ???? That was your conclusion...so let''s go with that.

    ????: But what -

    Lei Xing : Shhhhh *????????, then whispers* Look I didn''t cook or eat your eggs, you said it''s spoilt so it is...Leave me alone!

    **Phone buzzes, LX looks at it and ?????????��??????????��??????????��? in the opposite direction**

    ????: ???? But...Why are they all being so weird about it? *sigh*

 Chapter 80 - Ant Skit Episode 7: Others Misery = Glee (Post 45)

    ????: Basking in other people''s misery doesn''t pay

    Lei Xing : I wasn''t basking... and I''m always freaking miserable anyway so let me have this, okay?! ????

    ????: Fine then...finding joy in other people''s misery doesn''t pay

    Lei Xing : It was funny...the others were also finding it funny.

    ????: Which others?

    Lei Xing : Xiao Ting and the others.

    Xiao Ting : I was miserable...I am telling you, she''s upto no good, but no one ever listens to me ????.

    Lei Xing : -_-)...okay, the emperor found it funny.

    ????: Ah...oh here he comes.

    **Lei Xing jumps up and about to ?????????��? when ???? bursts out laughing**

    ????: ????????You''re right, it is funny, very funny ...

    Lei Xing : ????

    Xiao Ting : Hey! Don''t make fun of my jiejie! It''s not funny ????

    ????: If she can laugh at other people''s misery, why can''t I laugh at hers?...Also, isn''t he your brother too? Shouldn''t you be defending him as well?

    Xiao Ting : *pouts and mumbles* Mind your own business.

    **Lei Yong opens lounge door and enters and slouches down on a chair**

    ????: Well, you look haggard.

    Lei Yong : ????

    **Voices outside door**

    Tung Mei : Oh, Xing jie''s not here.

    Jun Kai : *raised eyebrow* I didn''t ask you that...

    Tung Mei : Either way, she''s not here.

    Jun Kai : Okay, move.

    Tung Mei : Why do you want to go inside?

    Jun Kai : How does that concern you? Move. ????

    **Sounds of some struggle outside** LX quickly runs to join Lei Yong under the table**

    Lei Xing : Move over!

    Lei Yong : There''s not enough space for two. Find somewhere else.

    Lei Xing : There''s nowhere else, you find somewhere else!

    Lei Yong : I was here first!

    Lei Xing : You led them there!

    **Struggle ensues under the table**

    **Door bursts open**and the struggling duo outside roll in**

    **At the same time, struggling duo under table fall out in the open**

    **Four pairs of eyes stare wide-eyed**

    ????: ????????????

    Xiao Ting : There''s nothing funny here. ????

    ????: Trust me, there really is...

    Xiao Ting : ????Later when you need someone to plead on your behalf again...don''t bug me. *Gets up and leaves*

    **Empress dowager enters as XT exits**

    Empress Dowager : Oh good, you''re all here...I baked a cake. *happily shows everyone her creation*

    Jun Kai : Xing er'', there is something important you have to see. *quickly walks up to LX and picks her up*

    Lei Xing : Oh okay, yes it is very important...Sorry, we need to go now *compliantly follows JK towards the exit*

    Lei Yong : Ah, your majesty. I also need to see to that thing as well. *Quickly gets up*

    Jun Kai :  We don''t need extra people ????  *says dismissively as they exit the doors**

    Lei Yong : No, It is very important that I be there *grabs TM*  Tung Mei, you need to be there too. I apologize, your majesty. **bows to dowager and quickly follows after Lei Xing and Jun Kai, pulling Tung Mei along, who happily follows**

    Empress Dowager : *???? looking at the door* Oh, so no one''s going to try it?

    ????: Ah, ignore them...they are all weird people.

    Empress Dowager : Do you want to try it?

    ????: Ah?... *???? at dowager''s imploring face*  I, I guess I can try a slice.

    Empress Dowager :????Great! It''s a new recipe *puts cake on table and opens drawer for cutlery*

    ????: You seem to have really gotten into cooking

    Empress Dowager : Well the oven is a thing of wonders...It makes things so much easier, so I''ve been experimenting a lot lately. *chuckles*  It''s fun!

    ** Empress Dowager puts plate with slice in front of ????**

    Empress Dowager : Enjoy! *smiles and watches ???? *

    ????: Thank you.  *hesitantly picks up fork* ???? looks at door*

 Chapter 81 - Ant Skit Episode 8: The Inquiry (Post 45)

    So, this episode evolved in a conversation on Discord that ???? hijacked, obviously I had to cut out this portion out, so if you want to read the full conversation, hop on the discord to read it...So the background summary is: We were discussing about Old Lei Xing and Tung Mei meeting up during her "Away" period and somehow got to the theory that Lei Xing and Ah Jin were an item, and Tung Mei was the third party (usurper lol), who stumbled into the mix during LX and Ah Jin''s runaway to be together plot ????????

    Author : Okay, so the theory is...they planned to run away together, succeeded...but then TM got involved, they fought and then made up, then realized life outside is hard...so came up with the harem plan and went back home. That''s where we are, right? ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Yes.

    Makesomehassle : Yep!

    ????:I did tell you they were all shady people ????

    Ajax_flameborn : it''s the sensei! Oh wise one, give us your wisdom.

    Makesomehassle : ???? yea give it to me too!

    ????: Yes, yes of course, ask and thou shall receive ????...???? *whispers* I know all their secrets ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Hmmmm, What is the mc''s three sizes? ????

    ????: ????...tch I offer you wisdom, and you ask three sizes? ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Well yeah, that''s her most closely guarded secret... So ya gotta know it, right?   *intentionally asks a vague yet specific question to trip him up????*

    Makesomehassle : Ohhhhhhhhhhhh oh god! ????

    ????: ..That''s not a secret, we all know that >_>)...ask something substantive, we are short on time! ????

    Ajax_flameborn : He doesn''t know! Nobody knows.

    ????:...I know!...it''s just...Confidential! ???????? ** ...they''ll kill me... **

    Ajax_flameborn : P**sy

    ????: *clears throat* A wise man knows to always choose his battles ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Fool, brave the world!

    ????: When one has seen the world, one knows to fear the world.

    Ajax_flameborn : There are but three things a wise man fears; a sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentleman.

    ????: ????????????...Well this will be a combination of all three...so...

    Ajax_flameborn : ....She''s not thirsty enough to fit the sea bit, and the moon is out at the moment so...

    ????: ???????????? Her minions are scarier than her

    Ajax_flameborn : She lost her memory, she has no minions at the moment.

    ????: You know nothing! ????????

    Ajax_flameborn : Yeah, sure...

    ????: Plus I could lose my best friend...really my only friend here????...

    Ajax_flameborn : You have no friends. You''re in an abusive relationship you know.

    ????:  I do!...no it''s not, its the best in the world!...???? or at least in this camp...

    Ajax_flameborn : You sure?

    ????: We relate on a different level...we share realities and an understanding going through the same tribulation...we comfort and encourage each other too ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Lies!

    ????: I would prove it...but it''s hard to, their shy ????

    Ajax_flameborn :  Who''s your friend?

    ????: Hmm...give me a moment... *scurries away and returns shortly after*  okay, they say it''s fine...my friend is the voice...actually my first friend too, but that''s a complicated-... anyway we''re best friends! ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Oh! Why would you lose that friend? Unless that friend is the original mc....Hmmmmmmmmmm ????

    ????: Well...it''s a chain reaction...Either way, we can''t go there, too much trouble...I will really become non-existent this time ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Lol

    ????: You don''t understand...these people are *long sigh*...They can be terrifying, they will really put their threats in action...and they say it all with straight faces too ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Lol

    ????: It''s not a joke! if not for my friend intervening, I would be tortured to the grave so...truly the best! ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Just Do it! What are the sizes? We talking apples, Oranges, Melons! Or cherries?

    ????: *clears throat and looks around, nods confirming no one in sight* Okay...but this is just between us...so it''s in between o-

    Tung Mei : What are you doing? *Standing behind ????, ???? at computer screen*

    **???? frantically covers screen with hands**

    ????: N-nothing, nothing ????

    Tung Mei : ????...nothing?

    ????:  It''s private stuff!

    Tung Mei : I see ????...sounds interesting...

    ????: It''s not at all...very boring, very ????

    Tung Mei : I want to see, move over...

    ????: It''s really nothing...really private...there''s no need ????

    **Tung Mei shoves ????''s hands off screen**

    Tung Mei : Oranges, melons?   *???? at ???? and ???? lowers head in guilt*

    Ajax_flameborn : Who''s TM?

    Tung Mei : who am I? You forgot already?!

    Ajax_flameborn : Yes.

    Tung Mei : I see... *???? at ???? again*

    ????: You can''t blame me for that!

    Tung Mei : Well, my name is Xiao Ying...or Tung Mei, that''s also acceptable too

    Tung Mei : *reading earlier chat messages* Three sizes? ????

    ????: I really wasn''t going to do it...

    Ajax_flameborn : Do it!

    Tung Mei :  Why not? Xing jie won''t mind.

    ????: ???? Y-you don''t mind?

    Tung Mei : Why would I? You can continue...go ahead, type it ????

    ????: ???? ...Y-you won''t tell?

    Tung Mei : Oh, you want it to be a secret?

    ????: Um, well...you know...

    Tung Mei : I can keep it a secret ????

    ????: You will?????

    Ajax_flameborn : Say it then, just do it!

    Tung Mei : Sure I can...but...you know, don''t worry about the small details...just type ????

    ????: ???? Okay, thank you...I have misjudged you, I''m sorry.

    Tung Mei : It''s okay, just type...shouldn''t keep the audience waiting.

    ????: Yep!...Okay so she''s oranges... pretty good sized oranges I must add, big oranges ????

    Ajax_flameborn : Like Gr.a.p.efruit sized?

    ????: hmm ????...I think so, it depends on the gr.a.p.efruit though...I''d have to confirm on that

    Ajax_flameborn : Just crawl on her in her sleep, Not like she''d wake up ????...

    ????: ???? that''ll really be a death sentence...

    Ajax_flameborn : Not if she never found out

    ????: I''m not worried about her per se... ????

    ????: Either way, it''s a danger zone...I''d probably lose my job and my life ????

    **snap! ???? turns to ???? TM with her phone out**

    ????: Y-you...took a picture?

    Tung Mei : Of course, for evidence.

    ????: Evidence? You said you would keep it a secret! ????

    Tung Mei : I said I can, not that I will...you know for an "enlightened one" you''re pretty gullible ????

    ????: But-but...but...you

    Tung Mei : Anyway, I will be going now...when you''re ready call me, have fun! ???? *happily walks off waving phone*

    ????: I''m in trouble! ????????

    Ajax_flameborn : ???? Well, time to double, triple and quadruple down, go bigger or go home!

    ????: They''re going to kill me! I have to go quickly... find friend!

    Ajax_flameborn :  Wait, you only gave the one size...might as we-

    ????: Goodbye! **?????????��??????????��??????????��?**

    **???? logged off**

    Ajax_flameborn : ????He''ll never make it

    Author : LOL well good thing the friend is up in the air I guess ????

    MiraiSaesang''s Notes : I should mention that while these ???? skits are spur of the moment, they do make references to the main story, and each of them contain hints of the main story, except maybe the 1st one????, he was still a blind newbie then ???? so... btw, do join the Discord, even if you don''t say anything, I do answer questions and drop hints (spoilers) on there...one such hint, which is important for this ???? skit in particular, is that of the voice, and that is it is ONE VOICE, therefore the Emperor and Prince Yi''s voices are the same entity...now, that definitely opens up a whole new set of questions ????...So do join us on Discord, you can ask questions or you can just linger and pick up the hints...so go join the Discord Now!!...???? If you want LOL????

 Chapter 82 - Friendly Fugitive

    Lei Xing looked at him in confusion and responded, "No, nothing else...?"

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "You have quite the peculiar friend."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, still confused.

    {...Peculiar friend? I don''t have any fr-...Well. I guess Li Ru''s a friend but she''s not strange...right?...}

    "Do you mean Li Ru?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor frowned and flatly said, "No, the Doctor."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "Oh, ah I wouldn''t exactly call us-"

    "He says you are friends." The Emperor informed.

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and mumbled, "I guess he would assume so..."

    {...This stupid old man skipped town after throwing under the bus...He better fly back to face his music...I''m not going to jail for anyone! I''m just a victim in all this  -_-)...}

    "So has he been able to help you recover your memories?" The Emperor asked.

    "Um, not yet. We are still in the treatment process."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes, "From my understanding, his specialty is in childbearing matters. What made you think he would be to help you recover your memories?"

    Lei Xing looked at him with a guarded expression and vaguely replied, "It was a random stroke of luck."

    {...Ah, I knew I couldn''t walk out of that one scot-free. Look I don''t know the old man that well - Actually I don''t even know him at all, so no clue what he did to your crazy mother...Frankly, I want to strangle him for it now too so -_-)...}

    "So he told you he has the power to help you with that?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows.

    {...Power? That''s an odd choice of words...}

    "Um well, not exactly. It seems there is a bit of a misunderstanding. I did not exactly go to him with my memory loss problem, as you know it''s quite...strange. My general health has not been very good since the accident...I get headaches at random and am quite weak as well. No other doctors have been able to even see that there was a problem and so could not offer me any relief or treatment at all, until I met him. Not only could he see my health issues but he also was able to help me with relief..."

    She looked at the Emperor who was looking at her with a somewhat dubious expression.

    Then she sighed and continued, "Well...Ideally, I thought that if my health condition improves then my memories would also return given time. Now that he''s gone, I don-" She stopped with a defeated sigh and lowered her eyes for dramatic effect.

    The Emperor looked at her saddened state with sympathetic eyes and then frowned, "How do you know he''s gone?"

    Lei Xing blinked and inwardly groaned.

    {...Shit! I screwed up! I got too into the story T_T)...}

    "You haven''t left the palace in the last few days, neither have your maids. So how do you know about that?"

    Lei Xing sighed and honestly admitted, "He told my maid to inform me as he exited the palace that day."

    "He told you he was running away?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    "Not that...just that he will be going away...for a while." Lei Xing quickly corrected.

    {...Definitely do not want to be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive -_-)''...}

    "...He was just letting me know so I don''t waste a trip." Lei Xing then added.

    "I see...So do you know where he went?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her again.

    "No, not at all...I barely even know him. I have only seen him three times if you count the occasion in the palace." Lei Xing said with an earnest expression.

    {...All true, I barely know him...Not associated with him or his potential crimes...at all...}

    The Emperor scrutinized her face for a bit and then sighed, "I believe you."

    Lei Xing let out a slight sigh of relief.

    {...You should. This has been a tiring episode...Can I go now? -_-)...}

    The Emperor then walked towards the side and Lei Xing reluctantly followed. He stopped in front of the hanging embroidery piece and looked at it, while Lei Xing glanced at it and then at her neglected boxy petal on the embroidery rack and frowned.

    The Emperor then asked, "Would you like to take it?"

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched and she inwardly rolled her eyes.

    {...Why? So it can give me nightmares? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing put on a strained smile and lightly bowed her head, "I think it would serve better elsewhere. Thank you, Your majesty for your grace."

    {...And for wasting my time. Instead of playing catch a bandit, you should have just asked whether I made the stupid embroidery piece or not in the first place. Instead, you made me waste hours of my precious time and energy making that piece of crap! You better not toss it out! Better go hang it in your bedroom and stare at it every morning!... Actually don''t do that, that''d be weird. Still! Better not toss it -_-)...}

    The Emperor looked at her face and frowned, but before he could respond, Eunuch Li entered and came up to them, glanced at Lei Xing, smiled then informed, "Your majesty, dinner is ready."

    "En." The Emperor simply responded and Eunuch Li called for the servants to enter, as they were setting up the dinner table.

    The Emperor then smiled at Lei Xing, "You must be hungry." Then went to hold her hand but before he could grasp it, Lei Xing brought her hands up in a bow, "I''m not feeling well at the moment, so I would rather go rest."

    Then she glanced up at him and then added, "...I wouldn''t want to disturb your meal so I beg to take my leave now."

    The Emperor frowned but did not say anything and as usual, Lei Xing took his silence for assent, bowed again and left.

    After the servants were done setting up the table and left, Eunuch Li walked up to the Emperor, who was still frowning at the doors and asked, "What happened?"

    "She seems upset." The Emperor simply stated.

    "Did something go wrong?" Eunuch Li asked stroking his chin.

    "I acknowledged her wrongs and forgave her for it...and then asked a few questions for clarification." The Emperor said with a frown.

    This morning before he left for court he spent some time scrutinizing the peony on the handkerchief and comparing it to the ones on the embroidery piece. It really did seem too similar as he thought.

    To verify his suspicions, he sent for an embroidery master to appraise both works and the verdict was that they were done by the same hand. So it was either she had lied to him last night or that she had deceived the late Empress, publicly too.

    Since he had actually seen her embroidery piece before, he concluded that it must be the latter.

    After discussing it with Eunuch Li, they concluded that it would be good to confront her about it and then forgive her for it, that way she would feel grateful to him and it would be a great way to ingratiate himself with her.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow, "Hmm...I knew going through the process of having her embroider it was not a good idea. Trying to catch her in the act was not an ideal move. Even if you wanted to spend some time with her, it would have been bette-"

    Eunuch Li stopped and sighed when he saw the Emperor''s deepening frown.

    The Emperor then turned and went back to sit on the throne chair and picked up a memorial.

    "Your majesty, aren''t you going to eat? The food will get cold." Eunuch Li said.

    "I''m not hungry." The Emperor responded without looking up from the memorial, still with a frown on his face

    Eunuch Li looked at him, shook his head and sighed.

    {...Your life is definitely not easy...}

 Chapter 83 - Irenic

    Prince Yi left the royal study feeling irritated and straight away got on his horse and went back to his manor. The moment he arrived, he stormed into his study with his head guard, Tian Ji following behind him. After slamming the table, Prince Yi asked. "Have they found him?"

    "No, Your highness, we''re still searching." Tian Ji responded with his head bowed, "It should only be a matter of time, he should not have been able to get far."

    Prince Yi took a deep breath and asked, "And those fools?"

    "They are still being interrogated, it seems they truly may not have noticed anything."

    "Useless! If they cannot give anything useful get rid of them!" Prince Yi said through gritted teeth. Tian Ji looked at him for a bit then bowed and left the room. Prince Yi was fuming in anger, he looked at the "Art of War" book on the table and his scowl deepened.

    ...He''s pushing me out now, isn''t he?... First of all, they sideline to that useless library and then now to be a companion? And then after that? Get rid of me? I won''t let him!...

    Prince Yi''s mood had been very bad since the Emperor''s return to the capital, and the events that have followed in the past few days only made it worse. First of all, there was this issue of the alliance with Zou kingdom which came as a quite shock to him. He was perplexed as to what Prince Rui thinking by suddenly turning into an "advocate of peace", even to the point of convincing his father to take a losing deal and to virtually be under Long country''s rule. The Zou king has been known to be a weak-minded fool and so manipulating him to agree with their own plan should not have been an issue.

    Their original plan was for Prince Rui to persuade the Zou king to form an alliance with their neighboring nations and then escalate the war situation which had been at a stalemate the past few months. Forcing his brother to send the troops in the capital back to the war front, leaving him more vulnerable. Then Prince Yi would take the opportunity to move his own hidden troops which he had been acc.u.mulating all these years to attack the palace. While this new development of an alliance irritated him, he still concluded that he would be able to get a reasonable explanation once Prince Rui arrived. After all, he still had an important figure in Prince Rui''s life as a hostage, his closest aide and childhood friend, Molin.

    Everything still seemed under control until yesterday night, when the captive escaped, while the guards on duty were all drugged and passed out. All-day, his men have been covertly searching all around the capital trying to find Molin but they have all been useless so far and have not even found a trace. He reasoned that Molin had to still be hiding somewhere in the city since the news of Prince Rui''s impending arrival was everywhere. What is worse is that it was clear he had help in escaping and for an outsider to have been able to penetrate that deeply into his residence without being noticed is unlikely. This meant that it was likely there was a spy on the inside, and so he also had to contend with that.

    Prince Yi thought he still had some time to sort this out before having to meet Prince Rui, as he would constantly be surrounded by poeple and watched on his arrival. Therefore, arranging their meeting would have had to wait until things died down which would take some time. But now with his brother doing this, the deadline had been moved forward and it now it was seeming more and more likely to Prince Yi that this was all his doing.

    ...It''s either he''s stupidly overconfident or he has a plan...Either way, he''s treating me like an idiot and I won''t stand for this!...

    ***

    Back at the palace.

    Lei Xing had returned to her palace feeling a bit irritated and had just been sitting on the side quietly for a while now, with Ah Jin standing there sullenly. Her plan for today was interrupted. The Emperor''s actions were also somewhat confusing, which made her also feel somewhat anxious.

    ...He''s a confusing person, no, he''s a confused person...It''s not my lack of understanding, it''s just that he isn''t making sense...Maybe he has too much free time? He better not come back here tonight to try anything or I''ll neuter him -_-)...Okay, maybe I won''t, but I may try so he better not...

    Lei Xing turned to Ah Jin, "Is there anything else I should know?"

    Ah Jin immediately kowtowed and apologized, "I am sorry Your highness, I did not expect this to come up...Also since you never attempted any embroidery yourself and always left it up to me and Xiao Ruo... it skipped my mind...and it did not occur to me to mention this...I am very s-"

    "That''s enough, that''s enough. Get up." Lei Xing said massaging her forehead. After Ah Jin stood up, she flatly said, "But I am being serious, anything else I need to know? Think hard."

    ...I hate being caught unawares in illegal dealings, tell me now so I can prepare my cover-up story...A good one takes time to craft, you know -_-)...

    "There shouldn''t be anything..." Ah Jin hesitantly said.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "No other illegal activities? Are you sure?"

    Ah Jin knit her brows and hesitantly replied, "It should be fine..."

    "Is it fine or not?" Lei Xing asked a little irritated.

    "It is fine." Ah Jin resolutely responded.

    Lei Xing sat there scrutinizing Ah Jin for while and then said, "Since we''re talking about past transgressions, tell me, why did I run away?"

    Ah Jin went rigid and blankly stared at Lei Xing wide-eyed and then started blinking rapidly, "I - I told you, I really do-"

    "If you found me, then you must have known where I was going or at least the direction I was heading?" Lei Xing said a bit exasperated, all this lack of knowledge was making her feel uncertain, which in turn made her anxious. This whole life made her feel that way, and this incident just brought her anxieties to the forefront.

    ...Who knows where the next phantom embroidery piece is going to come from -_-)...

    "I really don''t know..." Ah Jin responded, sounding a bit aggrieved.

    Lei Xing let out a breath, "Fine then." and then she remembered her weird dream and asked, "Have you and I ever had a conversation on a cliff''s edge before?"

    "No." Ah Jin promptly and bluntly responded, Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her and Ah Jin looked down.

    Lei Xing frowned at Ah Jin.

    ...I can''t tell if you''re a good liar or bad one...But I can know that you''re terrible at it -_-)...

    Before Lei Xing could further question, Xiao Ruo rushed in with a big smile on her face and happily said, "Your highness, you should come see this! You should really-"

    "What?" Lei Xing snapped and Xiao Ruo then instantly calmed down and said, "The Emperor sent some things over."

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened, Xiao Ruo urged again for her to follow and after scrutinizing Ah Jin for a bit longer, then sighed and got up and followed Xiao Ruo.

    ...I''m really not sure what to do about this maid -_-)''...

    When she arrived at her study, she found a bunch of Eunuchs reorganizing the place. They had set-up four more bookshelves alongside the one she had, put another behind her desk and another set of two on the sides. They were currently stocking them with books from a few trunks. As she walked into the room, they stopped and bowed to her and then one of them came up to her with a smile, "Your highness, the Emperor noticed that your collection is quite poor and so instructed for us to bring these over. If you have any specific requests do tell us."

    Lei Xing stood there and scanned the room with a blank expression.

    ...It would seem another demon has now possessed him...or maybe an angel this time?...

 Chapter 84 - Solicitation

    "Ah, the Emperor also asked that this be specifically handed to you." The Eunuch continued presenting a book to Lei Xing. She took it and looked it over, it was another copy of "The Art of War", "This is from His majesty''s personal collection. He said to tell you that this one is a better version and will be more to your liking and that if you need any books in the future, you should inform him know or if you ever feel bored and would like to browse a collection, the royal study has the best collection of books in the capital and you are more than welcome to peruse through at any time."

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and glanced at her desk where she was reading last night and noticed the copy she had was not there.

    ...Don''t tell me that was what he was retur- It''s none of my business...

    Lei Xing walked over to one of the bookshelves and flipped through the books.

    ...Well, at least his bribery skills seem to have improved...He still better not come here tonight, I mean it...Military, military, military...Did I tell this guy I plan on going to war or something?...

    "Your highness, we have finished." The Eunuch informed. Lei Xing continued flipping through a book and simply responded, "En." The Eunuchs looked up at her and then glanced at each other and remained standing. After a bit, Lei Xing then turned to them, "Anything else?" They quickly shook their heads, bowed and withdrew. Lei Xing put the book back, glanced around the room and then sighed and went back to her room, where Ah Jin was still standing there looking dejected. Lei Xing sighed again, "You can leave."

    Ah Jin then bowed and quickly went to the door and paused when Lei Xing suddenly added, "Tell them that if anyone comes they MUST wake me up." Ah Jin nodded and left.

    Lei Xing fell on her bed and sighed.

    ...Been a freaking long day...He better not come here tonight, I mean it...Books don''t equal a license to intrude -_-)...

    Meanwhile, the Eunuch in charge of the reorganization went back to report to the Emperor in the royal study. Eunuch Li asked with a smile, "So what did she say?"

    The Eunuch glanced up at the Emperor who was calmly looking at him and then looked down and gulped, "The Noble consort did not say anything."

    "Nothing?" Eunuch Li asked furrowing his brow. The Eunuch nodded and then nervously looked at the Emperor again and added, "B-but it seemed she li-liked the books..." The Emperor raised an eyebrow at him and the Eunuch quickly looked down.

    ...It''s not like I could have forced her to say something, but how could she not even send a simple thank you? And here I thought I got an easy task T_T)...

    Eunuch Li sighed and told him to leave, and then turned to find the Emperor back at work with his memorials, unconcerned. Eunuch Li sighed again and left the room.

    ...What exactly is wrong with this girl? She couldn''t possibly be that clueless, she seemed intelligent too...*Sigh* He also seems intelligent...

    ***

    The next morning, Lei Xing''s eyes opened and jumped up and then sighed in relief when she saw there was no one beside her. When Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo came in, she asked if the Emperor came and then let out another sigh of relief when they informed he did not.

    She quickly got ready and left the palace, this time taking Xiao Ruo with her. She was not feeling fond of Ah Jin at the moment, but that was not the only reason. Since Xiao Ruo was also pretty close to her, she did not want her to feel left out or ignored. Not to mention, she would still be involved in the brewing process of the medication so there was no point in excluding her from it.

    ...I don''t need jealousy problems within my ranks -_-)...

    Lei Xing also used this opportunity to try to encourage loyalty with gifts. Despite her dislike for shopping, she stopped at various jewelry stalls and had Xiao Ruo choose a couple of things for herself and Ah Jin, and some snacks and little things for the other servants as well. Xiao Ruo was excited and indulged at Lei Xing''s insistence. While Xiao Ruo was looking at some items, Lei Xing glanced at the closed doors of Doctor Lou''s shop and sighed. They were currently at the jewelry stall she had left Xiao Ting the first time she visited him.

    ...Is he ever going to come back? Is it even safe for him to come back? I have no idea what that Emperor is thinking. Well, I can''t exactly blame him, even I would think he was guilty with his sudden disappearance...I hope he''s okay, I kind of feel this was all my fault...If I hadn''t come he - Oh, well I''ll apologize when I - if I ever see him again...

    After a few more stops for shopping, Lei Xing went to a pharmacy and got her contraception medication. Of course, she did not buy a huge amount so as not to attract unwanted attention on her return, but she got enough for five doses and would have to regularly restock on use.

    ...And I''m perfectly fine with no use...

    As Lei Xing exited the pharmacy and was walking up to Xiao Ruo, she suddenly heard a familiar, "Xing jie." from behind and inwardly groaned.

    ...Arrgh! Don''t tell me those two are here again (?_?)...

    Lei Xing put on a smile and turned around to see only Tung Mei happily arrive and hug her arm, "I knew it was you!"

    Lei Xing''s eyes scanned the crowd behind her looking for Lei Yong. Tung Mei turned back as well and asked, "What are you looking for?"

    "Nothing." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    ...Her I can handle...Actually, I even have a bone to pick with you. Very good...

    Lei Xing took Tung Mei to a restaurant nearby and got a private room and left Xiao Ruo to eat in the general area so they could have privacy. After they were settled in, Lei Xing asked, "Lei Yong is not with you today?"

    Tung Mei frowned and then pouted, "I''m following your advice and giving him space like he wants."

    "My advice?"

    "En. You said I shouldn''t chase keep chasing after someone persistently like that, that it''s suffocating and makes him want to run more."

    Lei Xing blinked and knit her brows.

    ...That does sound like something I would say...Actually I''m pretty sure I''ve said that before, then again, I''ve come across my fair share of desperates before...

    "But is it wrong to go after someone you like?... Also, Yong ge is a very confusing person...no, he''s a confused person! It''s him, not me..."

    Lei Xing blinked a few times and frowned.

    ...I swear I had - Am I that -... I guess it''s a common expression, maybe?...and they''re friends too so they could both be confusing - no, confused...So she can say it too...

    Tung Mei continued to lament, "When I leave him alone, he starts to worry, gets anxious and eventually goes to find me and goes "it seems you''ve been busy" while looking at me like I committed a great wrong. Then once I start going to find him, then he starts running again and treating me like as if I-" Tung Mei took a deep breath and gulped down her wine, "Honestly, it''s tiring...this is the last chance I''m giving it. If it doesn''t work this time, then I''ll stop. I mean it this time." She said looking at Lei Xing with a resolute expression.

    "How did we meet?" Lei Xing asked, uninterested in the love lives of others.

    Tung Mei frowned at the seemingly random question, "Didn''t Ah Jin tell you?"

    "She said she doesn''t know." Lei Xing responded narrowing her eyes.

    Tung Mei then smiled, "Ah, yes...I forgot about that part. So it was three years ago, you left the city, we met on the road through a string of coincidences and went on an adventure together. It was fun!"

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and then smiled, "You see, I recently got in an accident and so my memory is a bit scattered. So please share the details. I want to know."

    Tung Mei blinked a few times then went, "Hmm, sure!... So-"

    ...*Where are you?...

    ... Hmph!...

    ...*It has been brought to my notice that you are not home...

    ...And since when do you care?...

    "Everything okay?" Lei Xing asked when Tung Mei suddenly stopped talking and scowled.

    Tung Mei smiled, "It''s fine..."

    ...*Xiao Ying!...

    ...You swindled me! So don''t pretend to care. I''ll sort my life out myself! You just mind your own business!...

    ...*You better not go start troub-...

    ...I am not listening anymore! This is Goodbye!!...

    ...*You better not re-...

    Tung Mei angrily removed her bracelet and threw it on the table. Lei Xing watched her odd behavior with a raised eyebrow and then asked, "Are you okay?"

    Tung Mei smiled, "Perfectly fine...Where was I?"

 Chapter 85 - Internee

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at Tung Mei''s smiling face.

    {...She''s definitely a weird one...Oh well, not my problem...}

    "You were telling me about how we met."

    "Ah yes, so it was a beautiful day in a garden, on the road somewhere. We were both having a relaxing day, separately. When a rogue suddenly approached and started bullying me..." Then she frowned and said through gritted teeth, "...treating me like some stupid pet..."

    Then smiled, "And you, Xing jie protected me from the claws of that despicable rogue and since then you have been my Xing jie." Tung Mei finished flashing a bright smile at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Is that all?"

    "Well~ After that we had lots of fun and many adventures, which I happily gloated about to that despicable rogue. It was a lot of fun~" Tung Mei finished, snickering.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "You know the rogue who assaulted you?"

    "Regrettably." Tung Mei responded with a pout and then fisted her hands and continued through gritted teeth, "He is a bully. He even kicked an adorable little baby like me into a forest simply because "I was in his way". Since then I have loathed him..."

    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then perked up, "But that''s how I met my Yong ge so I let that one slide. It was really romantic, as I soared through the air towards potential agony, I suddenly found myself in Yong ge''s arms, he caught me~" She finished with a giggle.

    Lei Xing frowned, "I thought you met him a few weeks ago?"

    Tung Mei blinked, "Oh, that''s right. He saved my purse on the street. That''s how we met."

    Lei Xing looked at her skeptically, "So you just made all that up?"

    Tung Mei nervously laughed, "Hehe~ I recently got into an accident so my memory is a bit scattered these days."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "I just said that."

    Tung Mei scratched her head and mumbled under her breath, "Oh you did. It''s a good one."

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, "What did you just say?"

    "I said maybe we can share~"

    Lei Xing''s frowned, "Since you''re in the mood to mess around then I''ll leave you to yourself." Lei Xing went to get up.

    Tung Mei grabbed Lei Xing''s arm from across the table, "Xing jie don''t me angry. I was just joking about the Yong ge part. I got carried away, I''m sorry~" She apologized looking at Lei Xing with beseeching eyes.

    Lei Xing looked at her skeptically and then settled back down, "So I saved you from some rogue?"

    "Yes!" Tung Mei nodded.

    "So where was I going when I happened to have saved you?"

    {...Outlandish but okay...at least she''s talking...}

    "Nowhere, you didn''t have a destination. You were bored of the capital and so went out to have some fun, I also left home with a similar purpose and once we started talking, we decided to go have fun together!"

    "So where did we go?"

    "Nowhere in particular. We just roamed around aimlessly."

    "Alone?"

    "For the most part..."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips.

    {...Is that really all? I expected more from this...Unless she''s lying, a stone-faced liar -_-)...}

    "So how is life in the palace? You seem stres-"

    {...*Xiao Ying!...]

    Tung Mei suddenly stopped and frowned. Then she bent over and looked under the table. Then she scanned the room and then crawled to the window and peeked her head out sneakily like a thief.

    Lei Xing observed her actions with knit eyebrows.

    {...What is she doing now? Is she on the run or something?... She''s so sketchy. I really can''t buy they weren''t doing something criminal together given "my" track record and her current oddities -_-)...}

    "What is wrong?" Lei Xing asked.

    Tung Mei turned and smiled at her, "Nothing, just the wind." Then she settled back down, and shoved the bracelet to the floor with a chopstick, "So how i-"

    {...*You be-...thi-..I wil-...-nd..!...}

    Tung Mei stopped again then stood up, scanned the room again with a frown while scratching her head.

    Lei Xing became a bit concerned, "Are you okay?"

    {...*I me-...hur-...-me...will pay...-u!...}

    "Xing jie, we''ll talk later!" Tung Mei suddenly shouted as she dashed out of the room.

    Lei Xing sat there looking at the door with a confused frown, then she sighed. As she got up to leave, she spotted Tung Mei''s bracelet on the floor and so picked it up with the aim to return it.

    {...*I mean it! You better not get into any trouble or I''ll, I''ll...You''ll see!!!...}

    "Ow!" Lei Xing exclaimed, rubbing her head.

    {...What the hell are you shouting for?!...}

    {...*Who is this?!...}

    {...The question should be who the hell are you to be invading my h- What the-? Hahaha it seems I am finally losing my mind...or is it a ghost, is that why she ran?...}

    Lei Xing glanced around the empty room and rubbed her head with a frown.

    {...*Hey! I asked you a question -_-)...}

    Lei Xing blinked and then looked down at the bracelet.

    {...Are you the bracelet? A space! Are you a hidden space?!... You know like a hidden dimensional pocket, are you the spirit of the dimension?...}

    {...* -_-)...Where is Xiao Ying?...}

    {...Xiao Ying? Sounds somewhat familiar...}

    {...*The owner of this bracelet! Where is the owner of this bracelet?!...}

    {...Oh, you mean Tung Mei...}

    {...*Tung - What? Return it this instant!...}

    Lei Xing scrutinized the bracelet.

    {...So do you live in the bracelet? Or are you the bracelet?...}

    {...*I said to return it right now!...}

    {...So you''re not the bracelet...}

    {...*...}

    {...So are you like a soul trapped in the bracelet or what? It''d be great if you were a genie, I''d much rather prefer that to a talking purse -_-)...}

    {...*It''s not yours so it''s none of your business!...}

    Lei Xing snorted.

    {...I''d call it my business if you ever want it to be returned...The owner is gone and I could smash it to smithereens...Now tell me, would you die if I smash it to pieces?...}

    {...*Don''t you dare! Do you know how long it took me to get this?!...}

    {...Hmm, must be hard to find such clear crystals, are these diamonds? They sell for quite a price, can''t crush them but I can dismantle this and make a profit...Can you still exist in pieces?...}

    {...*Don''t you dare! If you do, I will...will...will CURSE YOU!...}

    {...*snort* Took you a while to come up with that one...and please stop screaming...}

    The bracelet then started shaking in Lei Xing''s hand and she raised an eyebrow.

    {...*Ennn, Ahh...Arggh! Why is this so hard?!...}

    {...Are you trying to escape?...}

    {...*Wouldn''t you?!...}

    {...Not if I were this weak. I''d negotiate, I''m open to negotiation. I''ll return it... After you answer some questions...Don''t worry, I''m a pretty decent person so you can trust me~...}

    {...*Hmph! A decent person does not threaten others!...}

    Lei Xing smiled and put on the bracelet and admired her wrist.

    {...Not bad...}

    {...*This is stealing!...}

    {...It''s not stealing if she abandoned you...and as I said, I will return it as long as you cooperate...Let''s talk on the way, what exactly are you?...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing bounded out of the room, ecstatic at her new find, met with Xiao Ruo and began her return to the palace.

    {...Hey, are you ignoring me?...}

    {...*...}

    {...I knew that Tung Mei was off...She has plenty of explaining to do when next we meet...Actually, no, YOU have tons of explaining to do if you ever want to be returned...in one piece, at least...And it better be believable. No crap about gardens and rogues -_-)...}

    {...*There better not be a single scratch or I''ll destroy you! I mean it!...}

    {...Let''s be cordial about this, just answer my questions and you''ll be scot-free. I''m not enjoying this either...not much anyway hahahahaha...Okay, let''s be serious. Introduce yourself...}

    {...* -_-)...}

 Chapter 86 - Gift

    Lei Xing spent the rest of the day trying to get the bracelet to talk, she even held out an inkstone above it to threaten it but it kept ignoring her. This lack of communication dampened her mood significantly.

    Dinner came and she sat down and absentmindedly picked up her chopsticks.

    {...Can you not be so petty?... I already said I will return it so just cooperate, so you can leave faster...}

    {...*...}

    No response.

    Lei Xing pouted and disgruntedly ate her dinner. Later on that night, when she was drinking some tea, she saw Ah Jin looking at the bracelet on her wrist with knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing nervously laughed and explained, "Ah, it''s Tung Mei''s...We met earlier and she left this behind so I''m keeping it safe for her." She finished with a smile and put her hand down so her sleeves covered it.

    "Anyway, you all can leave. I want to sleep." She then stood up, yawned and walked to the bed.

    {..Why the hell am I feeling guilty? I didn''t steal it...I''m just keeping it safe until further notice...Hey, how about this, let''s talk and I''ll take you to Tung Mei tomorrow, hm?...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing sighed and plopped down on the bed, raised her hand up and frowned at the bracelet and then flicked it. Then she went to sleep gripping tightly onto the bracelet, so it could not escape while she was asleep.

    The next day she continued her efforts and even threatened it some more but it still didn''t respond, so she just sat there pouting at it.

    {...Hey, aren''t you bored? Let''s talk...}

    {...*...}

    {...Come onn...Oh, Tung Mei! What''s she doing here?...}

    {...*You think I''m stupid? Hmph!...}

    {...Apparently not very smart either...}

    {...*Hmph! What do you know?!...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    {...Okay so, how long have you been with Tung Mei?...}

    {...*...}

    The bracelet stopped responding again, which irritated Lei Xing.

    {...Do you have to be so difficult?!...}

    {...*...}

    While Lei Xing was poking at the bracelet trying to get a reaction again, the announcement came from outside, "The Emperor has arrived!"

    Lei Xing groaned, got up and bowed as the Emperor entered the room, followed by eunuchs carrying in three big trunks.

    As Lei Xing curiously stared at the trunks, the Emperor looked at her and smirked, then waved a hand and the eunuchs opened the trunks to reveal gold ingots.

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide, then she frowned.

    {...G-gold...Gold?!...Is that for me? No, no wait. What are you giving me money for?...}

    The Emperor saw Lei Xing frowning and then frowned himself, "You don''t like it?"

    {...It said she would like this...}

    Lei Xing regained her senses, looked at the Emperor and gave a half-smile, "Well, everyone likes money...I''m just wondering why...?"

    {...Money''s great and all...But money with strings? Then it depends...}

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and he seemed to be in deep contemplation, then he responded, "A gift."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...Lazy gifting...but I''ll accept it...Wait, what are you giving me a gift for again? The library is one thing, but taking cold hard cash from him is another...but I want - NO!...I know! It''s compensation, compensation for all the stress. Yes! I''ve been through a lot! Yes, that''s why hahaha So I can take it - Yes we can!...}

    "Since you don''t like it then..." The Emperor waved his hand again and the eunuchs closed the trunks and were about to lift them, when Lei Xing put out her hands and blurted, "I like it!"

    Lei Xing blinked and quickly brought her hands back, bowed and amended, "Any gift from Your majesty is something to be grateful for."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and then smirked and smugly said, "That''s good then." Lei Xing smiled and nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    {...I feel like an idiot >_

    {...*You are an idiot -_-)...}

    {...Shut Up!...}

    After a while of the two standing there looking at each other in silence with the atmosphere becoming increasingly awkward, the Emperor frowned and then turned and left with the eunuchs following behind.

    Lei Xing let out a sigh of relief as the doors closed and she was left alone with the trunks of gold, she grinned and slowly crept up to them and opened them.

    {...How much gold is in here? Maybe 300? 500? I should have asked...No, that''ll make me look crazy...The suspense will make counting more fun hahahahaha...}

    {...*Nothing to worry about there, you already seem crazy -_-)...}

    Lei Xing ignored the bracelet and started digging to the bottom of one of the trunks to confirm it was all gold.

    {...I''m rich! Rich! I should buy a building...Start a business maybe? Is this even enough to? I need to look into that...}

    {...*I''d hate to be the poor guy who just tried to get your attention with money...You completely discounted his existence and only focus on the money...You''re a horrible person!...}

    [...And I''d hate to be the poor bracelet who''s in my grasp with a big mouth...What''s it to you? I deserve this! You have no clue what I''ve been through because of him... And I said thank you!... What do you expect me to do? Throw myself at him? I''m not for sale! -_-)...}

    {...*Your thoughts express otherwise...}

    {...I''m starting to see why she tossed you -_-)''...}

    {...*Xiao Ying is an impetuous child, I''m great and you''re horrible!...}

    {...Are you always this cranky?... Why are you trying to ruin my day? -_-)...}

    {...*Because you ruined mine! You''re basically keeping me hostage!...}

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance, dropped the gold and went to sit down and leaned back in the chair.

    {...Okay, since we both dislike each other. Let''s get this over with...Just a few questions, then I''ll toss you to the wind...What are you?...}

    {...*...}

    {...Fine, next question then...How long have you been with Tu-Xiao Ying?...}

    {...*All her life!... Well, most of it...There were a few baby moments I missed before taking her...}

    {...Wait, you took a baby?...}

    {...*How else am I supposed to get a baby?!...}

    {...Make one? It sounds like you kidnapp-...}

    {...*It''s none of your business! Why don''t you make your own!...}

    {...Okay, moving on -_-)...So you''re a person or were a person? I mean you have to have existed outside the bracelet to have taken a baby, right? With you being so weak, you cou-...}

    {...*I''m not weak! Do you know who I am?!...}

    {...No, you skipped the introduction -_-)...}

    {...*Well, it''s none of your business!...}

    {...Fine, I''ll ask what is my business then...Three years ago, Tung Mei and I spent some time together, I want to know what happened then...}

    {...*Do I seem like an archive to you?...}

    {...Didn''t you just say you''ve been with her since she was a baby?...}

    {...*So? I''m not some pervert!...}

    {...And we''re back to weird -_-)...}

    {...*It''s her job to record her life! So go return this bracelet and ask her!...}

    {...So you don''t know?...}

    {...*What I know is none of your business!...}

    {...Stupid ass bracelet -_-)...}

    {...*Stupid ass idiot...}

    {...-_-)''...I don''t like you...}

    {...*And I don''t like thieves -_-)...}

    {...Says the one who "took" a baby...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance, this is not how she imagined things going. The bracelet went back to ignoring Lei Xing again.

    This time it seemed that Lei Xing had greatly upset it because it ignored even after she apologized, threatened it and tried to trick it, and three days passed like that.

    Lei Xing sighed as she glanced at the bracelet.

    "Are you tired?"

    She looked up at the Emperor, "No, I''m good." Then she put her chess piece on a random spot on the board. They were currently in the middle of a chess game.

    This recent pastime began three days ago. While Lei Xing was lazing around brooding over the bracelet, the Emperor came by again in the evening and asked if she knew how to play chess. She said no and so he took it upon himself to teach her.

    Lei Xing was reluctant and tried to dissuade him by saying it will be a waste of his valuable time, to which he simply responded, "It is of no issue."

    She then tried suggesting that she could get Li Ru or someone else to teach her instead and he said, "That''s good, you''ll improve faster with more opportunity to practice."

    So, Lei Xing begrudgingly sat down and the lesson proceeded. Lei Xing initially thought it was some stupid ploy so he could stay the night. She already acquired her contraception but she really was not in a good mood and so she irritatedly went through the motions while dreading bedtime.

    In the end, after an hour or so of playing, the Emperor got up, told her to sleep well and left to Lei Xing''s surprise and left her seating there staring at the doors in confusion.

    The next evening he came again. They played for a bit then ate dinner together and then he left again.

    The same happened yesterday, he came and always left which confused Lei Xing but she reigned herself and went with the flow and actually began to pay attention to the lessons.

    Today he was here again. They had just finished dinner and returned to their game. Lei Xing looked at the Emperor who was scrutinizing the game board on his turn.

    {...What exactly is he playing at?...}

    {...*Isn''t it obvious? He''s pursuing you!... Even I can see that and I don''t have eyes. But I also can''t understand why anyone would want to, so your disbelief is understandable...}

    {...-_-)...}

 Chapter 87 - Ant Skit Episode 9: Advocate

    ????:...Although Ah Jin is a liar and a criminal!... A terrible one, but nonetheless she is one...But she performed these actions under duress. That terrible duo, Lei Xing and her idiotic double terrorized and coerced her into this criminal activity. Therefore Ah Jin is innocent and should be pardoned BUT the masterminds should never be acquitted! They should be locked up!... If we let them go free, then it will be too late to serve their due justice after they kill someone! ~Namely me, they have been trying but thankfully have kept failing~  ...You, as a leader have the mandate to protect the masses from such evil and so should never be biased. A crime is still criminal regardless of the motivations behind it or how pretty or maybe adorable the criminals are ????. They should still be held accountable and punished! I demand that these criminals be brought to justice today! With that being said, I order you as the enlightened one-...~ Okay, maybe not that one, he''d probably punch me in the face or kill me ???? ...No! Can''t be scared, someone must advocate for justice!  ???? How about this?~ ...I order you as the BESTFRIEND of your trusted advisor to Lock Her Up!????...~ Yes that one''s much better, at least he won''t kill me hahaha~   *Jots it down in his notepad*  ????... The execution can be scheduled for a later date. Failure to comply will resu-

    Tung Mei : Who are you talking to? *Standing in doorway holding door*

    ????: *Jumps* I wasn''t talking!

    Tung Mei : ????...

    ????: ????...No one...Anyway, why are you in my room?!

    Tung Mei : *mumbles* You make it sound like I want to be here. *Closes the door and casually strolls into the room and sits on the bed*

    ????: ???? What do you w- *Tung Mei ???? at him* ...Hehe~ I mean, how can I help you?"

    Tung Mei : *sigh* I heard you are quite close to Author...

    ????: I wouldn''t call it close...She doesn''t even remember my name ????

    Tung Mei : I need a favor

    ????: A favor? From me? ????

    Tung Mei : *frowns* Can you go tell her to get me and Yong ge together already. All this push and pull is tiring.

    ????: Maybe the push and pull is a sign he doesn''t see you that way...

    Tung Mei : He likes me!

    ????: Perhaps...but not just that way....Why don''t you go ask your "Xing jie" to do it? She''s close to Author, she even gets to hang out in her office all the time ????...

    Tung Mei : *sigh* Xing jie won''t do it...She''ll tell me to move on...

    ????: *sits down beside her* That''s a great idea... There are some new good guys coming into town. I hear there''s even a  foreign prince too...Why not move on with him and then move to another country? New life, new space, new you! Your Xing jie knows best and wants the best for you. That prince is the best option...

    Tung Mei :???? I don''t want to...and even if I did move on with that prince, I''ll still live here you know????...

    ????: Oh...I see ????

    Tung Mei :???? So will you do it or not?

    ????: ???? Hmm...What do I get in return?

    Tung Mei : You''re still alive, aren''t you?

    ????: *mumbles* Blackmailing is not how you ask for a favor...

    Tung Mei : I am still keeping your secret, aren''t I?...

    ????: Fine...then delete the picture and we have a deal ????.

    Tung Mei : When I see progress, then we have a deal.

    ????: Then go talk to Author yourself or persuade your stubborn "Xing jie" to do it. No delete, no deal!

    Tung Mei : ???? You-!

    ????: *Scurries to the corner* You can kill me if you want, but then you''ll never get progress! Author listens to me, I even got fired and promoted at the same time! I''m the commentator! So-

    Tung Mei : Fine...I don''t need it anyway. *Brings out phone, shows ???? the picture and deletes it*

    ????: Let me confirm!

    **Tung Mei ???? and tosses phone to ????* ???? catches it and searches through phone**

    Tung Mei : See, I deleted it.

    ????: Okay, we have a deal!

    **???? hands phone back to Tung Mei and stretches out a hand smiling for a handshake* Tung Mei ???? at ????''s outstretched hand and gets up**

    Tung Mei : Just so we''re clear, I expect to see progress and soon. I''m sure you are aware I don''t need that picture to handle you. At most, I''ll get in a bit of trouble...but that''s nothing new so-

    ????: I am an upright individual who never turns my back on others, unlike a certain someone...so you can trust me! ????

    Tung Mei : ????...A bit of advice, you better stop bothering Xing jie or you will really die. It''s only be a matter of time before she flips out...

    ????: I am not bothering her. I am only...only fighting against corruption and injustice! ????

    **Tung Mei ????, shakes her head and leaves the room and  ???? sighs in relief**

    ????: Ahem!...Where was I? *looks at notepad* Yes, Failure to comply will result in your dismissal! We, the masses will demand for your resignation!... ~ Is that too much? ???? No, it''s reasonable ~...

    *???? Nods, scribbles in notepad, reads his notes and then rehearses from the top*

 Chapter 88 - Ant Skit Episode 10: Conspiracy

    ???? : Now you all understand how great my friend is to be helping these two -...alec and tyrant pave their way forward. I personally would have just let them rot in limbo, but that''s just me. Honestly though, all this is LX''s fault...

    ???? By the way, this is not me being vengeful in any way - of which I have falsely been accused of in the past!... This is based on facts! If she would have just lived with a little more...hmm, what is it????? Brain cells, heart, soul, compassion, brain cells, comprehension, understanding, and the list runs on - just endless...

    The bottom line is, her insensitivity is the reason she is here today sooo...her fault!... Of course, there are other factors involved here and there, but my point is she could have avoided all this if she just had a little more to her personality????

    ... And how do I know all this? It is because I am a ratified enlightened being ????, who certainly has more brain cells than a certai-... (???? commentary: Ch 70, "Unilateral loan")

    **Lei Xing angrily closes laptop**

    Lei Xing : I am going to destroy that stupid ????!... I just have to find a shoe big enough to squash him...or maybe I''ll just make one????...

    Tung Mei : Xing jie, why don''t you just ignore him?

    Lei Xing : I ignore him, but he seems to think it means he can go on saying whatever he wants. How is all this my fault now? Did I ask to be taken there? Also, so what if I''m insensitive? why do I have to cater to his stupid feelings?! Ratified enlightened -? What does he know?!????

    Tung Mei : I agree, you shouldn''t have to cater to anyone''s feelings...but you shouldn''t let your mood be affected by this idiot either, he''s not worth your time...

    Lei Xing : ???? Why are you suddenly opposed to his destruction? You''ve been making plans to make his life miserable all this time, why the sudden lack of interest?

    Tung Mei : ???? Hehe~ I just don''t you to act recklessly in anger... *looks at phone* Oh, I''m late. I forgot I have an appointment, Xing jie we''ll talk later. *?????????��??????????��?, shouts back* Don''t act without me~~

    Lei Xing : Tch , who needs you?... Who needs any of you? I''ll figure it out myself...  *pouts, opens laptop and types into chat*  How to destroy an annoying ?????

    Ajax_Flameborn : That''s easy...I''ll get a shoe

    Lei Xing : He''s human-sized...and giant shoes are apparently hard to find, I tried.

    Yuki_Jen : Hmm could bring out a catapult or a cannon... or something? ????

    Lei Xing : Unfortunately, stupid Author put a ban on those items on her premises, something about them being a hazard to her safety, it''s not like I''d try to kill her or anything ????... and the stupid ???? would never follow me or anyone I can send anywhere ????.

    Yuki_Jen : Hmmm how about a slingshot that looks like a swing? ....hahahahaha

    Lei Xing : ???? Shooting him off a slingshot is a great idea but it''s too noticeable. Same with kicking him, that''s why I haven''t really worked on the idea. There''ll be ???? watching. It needs to be under wraps, away from prying senses or I could get in trouble...potentially ????.

    Yuki_Jen : Hmmmmm I see.... this is difficult.... how can ???? be dealt with without people knowing... can he shrink? ????

    Lei Xing : ???? Not that I am aware of...Plus he''d never tell me if he could, he never listens ????.

    Ajax_Flameborn : You have a magic poison ring. Shot in the dark, maybe it can make poison?

    Lei Xing : Well that old man didn''t tell me how...Stingy ????.

    Ajax_Flameborn : Wow someone hands out a magic ring and doesn''t even show off the user guide? D**k.

    Lei Xing : I know right... I wanted to get a vat of poison but Author says we can''t get any toxins in here. She''s really paranoid for no reason????...Ah, the Dowager does make poison though but we''re not really on good terms, unfortunately...or fortunately, I''m not really sure about that one????.

    Storyreader : Easy then, blow them both with a bomb!!

    Lei Xing : I''d love to!...???? But we live in the same house...they don''t go out ????.

    Ajax_Flameborn : if you reveal to the emperor that he stole your three sizes that one time, he''ll probably go on a crusade against him ya know...

    Lei Xing : He did what now?????

    Ajax_Flameborn :???? ... *Hides*

    Yuki_Jen : He revealed your three sizes. He said orange or something...

    Lei Xing : oranges? Does he even know what an orange is?!

    Yuki_Jen : He also said melons...if I remember correctly ????

    Lei Xing : Melons?!!!

    Ajax_Flameborn : Yes, he said...Bountiful melons, very squishy. Much WOW...

    Lei Xing : ???????????????????? See it''s not me, some people just really need to be gone  *Sharpens knives* I have just cause this time!!!????

    Ajax_Flameborn : Yes, and if you draw in the Emperor...he will ensure that even if ???? manages to survive this, he won''t.

    Lei Xing : Who needs an Emperor, I can kill him myself! ????????

    **Lei Xing texts Tung Mei: LX: Watch out for Author! And where''s that ?????!!* *Then opens door and heads out**

    Lei Xing : ????, Anty~ Where are you? I''ve got a surprise for you~ A fan letter! Just for you~

    Ajax_Flameborn : There will be no dawn for ????.

    **A while later, Lei Xing returns from her hunt**

    Lei Xing : Tch, Cant find him ????

    Yuki_Jen : Let''s find a female ???? then set a trap.

    Lei Xing : Will need to turn the female into a life-size thinker first...and that''s hard ????

    Ajax_Flameborn : Also she may just side with him

    Yuki_Jen : Get Ah Jin to dress as an ???? then.

    Lei Xing :???? Ah Jin cant be trusted...but I can get Tung Mei to do it....???? Actually, I want to see that ????????...Not sure how it would go because he''s terrified of her, but he may just be dumb enough to fall for it...he''s pretty stupid ????????

    Yuki_Jen : Hahahahaha yes...We will see~

    Lei Xing : Now that''s settled, I am going to go work on the plan hahahahaha...This will be fun! ????????

 Chapter 89 - Mea Culpa

    Lei Xing rested her head on her hand and knit her brows.

    {...I get that part, I''m not an idiot -_-)...And why do you care?...}

    {...*I''m bored and you''re annoying...}

    {...(?_?)...}

    {...*He must be an idiot too to have fallen for someone horrible like you...You must have tricked him into it, right? And now that you have him, you don''t care anymore. Horrible!...}

    Lei Xing frowned in annoyance.

    {...To think I was actually feeling a bit bad about being mean to you. What do you know? He trapped me here! And "fallen for me"? Bullshit! He must be the kind that enjoys the chase process and so only focuses on one person at a time. Once he''s done with me, he''ll move on to the next person. That''s the way of life in the palace. So why the hell do I have to indulge him?!...}

    {...*...}

    No response. Lei Xing was actually glad for its silence this time and she went on to play her turn.

    {...*You live in the palace?...}

    {...Yeah...}

    {...*One of that bra- Emperor''s wives?...}

    {...Technically, yes...}

    Another stretch of silence.

    {...*Then how come you are so horrible?... Well, I guess he''s never really had good taste...}

    {...-_-)...}

    {...*But when did Xiao Ying become friends wi - Wait, which palace are you in?...}

    {...We''re not exactly friends -_-)...}

    {...*I asked where your palace is?!...}

    {...In the capital...}

    {...*Capital?...Long country?!..}

    {...Yes...}

    {...*THAT - !!...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Honestly! Why do you like screaming so much?! It''s annoying!...}

    {...*YOU BRAT! YOU BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING DISRESPECTFUL TO THIS BRACELET. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL PAY A HUNDRED, NO, A THOUSANDFOLD, UNDERSTAND?!!!...}

    The amplified scream shocked Lei Xing and she clutched her forehead and closed her eyes in pain. The Emperor looked up and asked, "Is something wrong?"

    "My head''s just hurting a bit." Lei Xing absentmindedly responded.

    {...Is this thing is trying to give me brain damage?...}

    The Emperor ordered the servants to send for an Imperial doctor. He looked at Lei Xing who was still clutching her head and frowning, then poured a cup of tea, put it in front of her, "Here."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and picked up the cup and took a sip.

    "Does this happen often since your accident?" The Emperor asked.

    "En, now and then." Lei Xing responded closing her eyes again.

    {...One lie really leads to a thousand -_-)''...Well, it''s all fine as long I remember the lies...}

    The two sat down in silence and the Imperial doctor quickly arrived. After Lei Xing drank the medication, the Emperor then got up and pat her head. Lei Xing knit her brows and glanced up at him, then he quickly withdrew his hand and said, "Sleep well", then turned and left. Lei Xing watched him leave and sighed then frowned down at the bracelet. She was about to remove it but changed her mind, then got up and went to lie down.

    {...If I remove it and something happens to it, then it''ll blame me...What''s worse is that it may even try to strangle me in my sleep before escaping, stupid bracelet -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sighed again, at this point she did not want the bracelet anymore. It had given her nothing but insults and criticisms and now pain. There was going to be a banquet the day after tomorrow to welcome the Zou representatives and Tung Mei will probably be there. So, Lei Xing resolved to keep it on for security reasons until she could make it happy and deliver it to its owner''s hands.

    In the afternoon the next day, Lei Xing went to the royal study on the Emperor''s summon. While she did not necessarily mind being around him as he was neither interrogating her nor did he seem interested in making any moves on her. But she did mind the problems that all this attention could bring to her. Although nothing has happened yet, she was sure that there was probably something brewing.

    When she arrived, the Emperor smiled at her and told her to come up to sit on the chair set on the side of his desk. Lei Xing looked at him skeptically but complied. He then handed her a book and said, "I have been thinking and resolved that meditation will be a good option for you. It will be good for setting your mind at ease and would help with your recovery and potentially aid memory recovery as well."

    Lei Xing blinked several times and took the book and frowned down at it, feeling uncomfortable and a bit guilty. The Emperor continued, "Just go through the book for now and I will show you how to put it into practice later on. If there is anything you do not understand, let me know and I will explain." Lei Xing looked up at his smiling face and then quickly looked back down, feeling even more guilty.

    {...*You should feel guilty. He''s a great guy...He''s smart, caring, handsome and I can tell he will be loyal. Definitely a good catch. No, a great one! You should cling onto him...}

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

    {...You mind your business -_-)...Your Xiao Ying will be here tomorrow, so you will be going home then...}

    {...*Hahaha Ah there''s no need. I like it here...}

    {...No, you don''t -_-)...I also don''t like you here either so we''re good...}

    {...*Hahaha I realize that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot...due to that misunderstanding...But that''s all in the past now...You are a wonderful person, a great one too. I have come to enjoy your company greatly!...}

    {...You called me nothing but horrible the last few days...You don''t need to pretend, I will really let you go, truly, with no strings attached...I''m tired of you too -_-)...}

    {...*It''s not like that at all. I misunderstood your intent, a horrible person would not have picked up the bracelet with the true intention to return it and taken such great care of it too...I have reflected on my mistake and I apologize. You have forgiven, right?...}

    {...I''m not sure, you almost blew off my head yesterday -_-)...}

    {...*Hahaha Another mistake, please don''t hold it against me. I will be sad wuwuwu~ I have repented, I''m even shedding tears ...}

    {...Like I care -_-)...}

    {...*Wuwuhuhuhu, have a heart wuhuhuhuwuuu...}

    {...Be quiet! I''m trying to study...}

    The bracelet then stopped and Lei Xing sighed, before she could open the book, Eunuch Li came in and informed, "Your majesty, Prince Rui has arrived and is here with General An and Prince Yi."

    "Oh, they are here early." The Emperor said and then turned to Lei Xing who had not even opened the book yet. Lei Xing quickly got up, "I''ll go now. I''ll be sure to read it and note down any questions I have for later." She finished with a smile. The Emperor nodded, she bowed and quickly made her way out.

    On seeing Lei Xing come out from the study, the three guests all blinked and then knit their brows. Lei Xing glanced their way and lightly bowed her head in acknowledgment as she passed, and they mimicked her action. Eunuch Li came out right behind Lei Xing and informed them that they could go in. Prince Yi and Prince Rui quickly made their way in, while General An was still looking back at the corner Lei Xing had disappeared down.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow and went up to him, "General An, General An...An Hao!"

    An Hao immediately turned back to look at Eunuch Li, "Huh? Ah...Who was that?" He asked pointing in the direction Lei Xing just departed.

    "Noble consort L-"

    "She''s His majesty''s wife?" An Hao whispered.

    Eunuch Li frowned and looked at him suspiciously, "Yes...why?"

    An Hao knit his brows and then smiled, "Hehe~ nothing, she''s very pretty."

    Eunuch Li''s expression fell and he hit him on the head and said through gritted teeth, "Focus!" The other servants around all had their heads bowed in line with the matra: See nothing, hear nothing.

    An Hao frowned and rubbed his head while mumbling, "I am focusing..."

    "Hurry in!" Eunuch Li barked. An Hao quickly straightened up and rushed in, casting one last glance at the corner as he did.

    {...Never thought I''d see someone who looks so similar...}

 Chapter 90 - Runaway Hero

    An Hao strolled in and stood in-between Prince Rui and Prince Yi,  smiling brightly up at the Emperor and got on one knee and cupped his hands, "Greetings to your majesty! It has really been too long. As per your order, I brought our esteemed guest here safe and sound!" He finished bowing his head.

    The Emperor smiled and said, "Rise, you have done very well." An Hao happily got up with a smug expression. Prince Rui and Prince Yi cast him a side glance, they were both not sharing in his amus.e.m.e.nt. On the other hand, the Emperor cleared his throat to stop the urge to laugh.

    The Emperor then turned to Prince Rui, "It is good to finally be able to receive you formally...I hope you do not hold your past experience against us, we are a very hospitable people."

    Prince Rui put on a smile and said, "Not at all, the past was a different time, it was what was necessary."

    The Emperor laughed, "I knew you were a man with a great mind the moment I saw you. I hope An Hao did not cause you too much trouble. He is very capable but because of his young age, he sometimes gets carried away."

    Prince Rui''s smile became strained and he cupped his hands, "Not at all."

    {...His smug face just almost drove me mad...}

    An Hao scoffed, "What trouble could I possibly cause? I treated him even better than I would my father." He then smiled at the Emperor, "I served him as I would you, Your majesty, with the utmost care and respect."

    The Emperor laughed, "That is very good then. I worried for nothing."

    Prince Rui maintained his smile while his irritation was building up on the inside. Prince Yi was also not amused at all. He just witnessed the Molin he had been searching for arriving with Prince Rui. It was clear that there was now some sort of plot behind all this and he was yet to get an explanation for it and suspected it had to be his brother''s doing.

    The Emperor looked at the two disgruntled Princes and smiled, "My brother here has graciously agreed to be your companion during your stay here to ensure that you are treated to only the finest of our country''s offerings. If there is anything lacking be sure to let him know. Tomorrow we will have a welcome banquet to officially receive you. For today, you should return to get proper rest."

    Prince Rui smiled and then said, "Thank you, Your majesty for your hospitality. I do have a request if it''s not too much of a bother..."

    "Of course, ask." The Emperor swiftly responded.

    "My sister, Princess Nalan followed on this journey. To pay respects to Your majesty she has prepared a special performance as a gift to offer during the banquet. The performance requires an outside venue, if it''s not too much..."

    "A simple one, very well." The Emperor responded and then turned to Eunuch Li, "Do see to it that the preparations are made to properly receive our guests." Then he turned back to Prince Rui, "Inform him of what you require and it will be arranged. With that being said, we will meet again tomorrow. I leave you in my brother''s capable hands." He finished smiling at Prince Yi.

    "Thank you, your majesty." Prince Rui bowed his head and turned to leave, Prince Yi bowed as well and followed with Eunuch Li following behind them. As they left the room, the Emperor got up and walked down to the smiling An Hao.

    After the doors closed, An Hao looked the Emperor up and down and said, "Your majesty, you really look good as an Emperor. It suits you perfectly!"

    The Emperor laughed and pat him on the shoulder, "How was the journey?"

    "Easy!" An Hao swiftly responded, "That prince was quite easy to handle. All that travel must have made him tired. He didn''t even put up a fight, everything was settled too easily."

    The Emperor snorted, "What is the point of resisting when there is nothing to be done?"

    An Hao knit his brows in thought, "I would still have protested a bit...maybe tried to negotiate..."

    The Emperor laughed, "I never saw you as someone to allow negotiations..."

    "I just follow orders...it''s not my fault if they''re non-negotiable." An Hao responded with a pout.

    The Emperor smiled, "You''ve done very well. Have you seen your manor yet?"

    "I have a manor?" An Hao asked wide-eyed.

    "Of course, I chose a great one for you and had it prepared exactly to your liking...Your father should be there too."

    "Oh." An Hao''s excited face crumbled, his relationship with his father was a bit complicated. The last time he saw him was when he ran off after an argument five years ago. An Hao sighed already dreading the confrontation.

    "There is no need to be worried. Your father has nothing but pride in you and you have truly done him proud. I am expecting you to remain here to assist me in Court so be prepared. You should go home and greet your father, we will talk later."

    "En." An Hao nodded dejectedly and just stood there.

    The Emperor sighed, "I will have someone take you there." Then he went out with him and had one of his guards lead him to his new home. An Hao reluctantly left with the guard while casting beseeching eyes at the Emperor. The Emperor sighed again as he went back to his study, he was glad to have An Hao finally return. He had felt a bit guilty about letting him join the war against Commander An''s wishes. But he was skilled, smart, cunning and resourceful and proved himself and was like the younger sibling he never had.

    Five years ago, the Emperor and Lei Yong had caught the thirteen-year-old An Hao secretly trailing them. After they captured him, he explained that he was following them because he greatly admired the Emperor and so just wanted to watch him from afar. He even said that he had joined in the war to follow after the Emperor. He also apologized for "unfortunately" not being able to make it there at twelve years old but then added that thirteen was also not too bad.

    At that time, they were skeptical of his explanation and did not believe his fan-boy theory. Just when they were about to hand him over to the prison guards for a proper interrogation, Eunuch Li found them and on seeing An Hao was shocked and almost injured him. It was then the Emperor discovered that he was actually Commander An''s son who had run away from home. Apparently, An Hao had always admired the Emperor and had been trying to persuade his father to let him join the war.

    After he turned twelve, he became more insistent and often argued with his father over the issue, and then one day he disappeared after an argument with his father. Commander An had gone away for a few days on a mission and by the time he returned he was informed of this disappearance and sent a message to Eunuch Li to ask him to watch out for him and to send him back home if possible, if not, then to look after him until he could.

    An Hao''s mother, Su Ran was Commander An''s betrothed since they were children. His parents died when he was young in an accident. His father had no family left and so he grew up with his maternal grandparents who were simple merchants and so his family no longer held any official power. Because Su Ran was a high-ranking official''s daughter many believed she could do much better. The betrothal was able to survive because of Su Ran and her mother''s insistence. Commander An had then gone off to join the war to gain merit to make up for what he lacked with the aim of returning home in glory and to finally give Su Ran the prestige she deserved.

    After Xia empire''s unexpected collapse. He spent years desperately trying to find her and finally found her in a brothel. He immediately rescued her and they finally got married. Afterwards, they discovered that she was already pregnant and he happily accepted the child as his. He was very busy then with the missions, but spent every spare moment he had with them. After seven years together, Su Ran passed away from an illness.

    With no choice, Commander An left An Hao in the care of their good neighbor and would return as often as possible to spend time with him and even taught him martial arts so he could protect himself while he was away. He wanted An Hao safe and so did not want him joining the military. In the end, the child made his choice and carved his own way despite the wishes of the father. Commander An sighed as he watched An Hao hesitantly approach him.

    An Hao kowtowed in front him and said, "Father, I have been unfilial." Then remained with his head bowed down. Commander An simply watched him for a while, greatly relieved and then smiled and simply said, "Come sit."

    An Hao raised his head and smiled then got up and wen to sit next to Commander An, he saw his father''s greying hair and exclaimed, "You''ve aged quite a lot."

    Commander An knit his brows and turned to him, then An Hao gulped, "Hehe~ just joking."

 Chapter 91 - Entrapment

    Prince Rui and Prince Yi silently made their way out of the palace after confirming the performance details with Eunuch Li.

    Prince Yi''s mood had been increasingly getting worse as Molin kept glancing his way with a smug expression. When they finally reached the palace gates, Prince Yi smiled at Prince Rui, "I know a place with the best wine in the city, how about a welcome toast?"

    Prince Rui smiled back, "That sounds good." Prince Yi then went on to lead the way to a high-end restaurant. When they arrived, Prince Yi maintained his image of a good host and poured wine into two cups, then frowned when he saw Molin still standing in the room glaring at him.

    Prince Rui then said, "Molin, wait outside."

    "But he can''t be trusted!"

    Prince Rui smirked, "What can he do? We are Imperial guests now and he is my companion. We will be spending a lot of time together so get used to his presence. You can stand right outside the door, if you must."

    Molin frowned at Prince Yi, "Any noise and I''ll be back!" Then he stormed out.

    "I apologize for his rude behavior... recent events seem to have put him on edge." Prince Rui offhandedly commented while picking up his cup of wine and scrutinizing its contents, then added, "Understandably." He took a sip of the wine and frowned.

    "What is the meaning of this? We had a deal." Prince Yi finally asked.

    Prince Yi snorted and then burst into laughter and downed the rest of the wine, "Deal? Is blackmail considered to be the norm in dealings in this country?"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Prince Rui refilled his cup, downed the contents and then continued, "I honestly don''t understand you Long people, playing games with people''s lives like they mean nothing." Then he scoffed, "It must be a family trait... I wonder what your Emperor is thinking now, throwing us two together like this, is it to prove a point? What do you think?"

    Prince Yi narrowed his eyes and did not respond.

    Prince Rui scoffed again and got up, "I am sure you now understand the situation. If you want an explanation, then go ask your brother, your Emperor. I owe you nothing." He finished and strolled out of the room.

    Leaving Prince Yi there deep in thought, his face contorting into a scowl, he clenched his fists and then slammed the table.

    {...I am going to kill him...How dare he treat me like a fool for his entertainment!...}

    **

    Prince Rui left the restaurant with Molin and made his way to his residence on his own. As soon as they were alone in the study, Molin explained that he had no idea how he escaped Prince Yi''s manor. He suddenly felt very drowsy and fell asleep and when he woke up he found himself in a shed forest outside the city. He then heard sounds of people in the area and so followed it and came across Prince Rui''s group.

    Prince Rui frowned and then sighed.

    {...No wonder that stupid brat slowed down all of a sudden and made all the guards join him in a stupid song saying "it was to raise the mood"...*Sigh* At least they sorted out this problem...}

    "Your highness, how come we ended up in an alliance? I thought we were supposed to be continuing the war?"

    Prince Rui closed his eyes and massaged his head and simply responded, "The plan changed."

    After Prince Rui left the capital, he managed to sneak his way into his country through the dense forest barrier to avoid detection. After swimming across the river, finally arriving in his country''s territory, he took a short break. Next thing, he suddenly felt lightheaded and lost consciousness. When he finally came to, he found himself bound to a chair in a finely decorated room to see An Hao sitting across from him in the middle of drinking.

    An Hao looked at him wide-eyed and then quickly dropped the cup, "Ah, you''re finally awake! You slept for so long, I thought you were dead. Hehe~ it seems I forgot to tell them to treat you gently. Sorry about that~" An Hao explained rubbing his head and laughing.

    Prince Rui frowned, he knew An hao from his time in captivity.

    "Since when have you been following me?" Prince Rui asked.

    An Hao snorted, "I don''t have the energy to stalk you, so I''ve just been waiting for you."

    Prince Rui''s frown deepened.

    "It seems we think alike, you did exactly what I would have done. Although, I wouldn''t have gotten caught...but you did well enough, it was entertaining." An Hao snickered.

    Prince Rui narrowed his eyes at An Hao, as memories started to flood in and he came to a realization that he had fallen into an elaborate setup.

    After the Emperor left to return to the capital, An Hao would often come by Prince Rui and Molin''s cell to talk to them, asking random questions about if and how they planned to escape, what they would do, asking if they wanted his help. The two, of course, never responded to him, but An Hao nevertheless continued to ramble on by himself in detail about how he would escape from here and what he would do to avoid capture, at one point it became his daily routine to do this.

    They were eventually able to escape when there was a fire outbreak and the guards in a panic left them unguarded. Luckily, a guard had just arrived to retrieve Prince Rui before the panic and as he ran off, the keys fell. They quickly unlocked their cell and raced into the nearby forest to circle around the army and head back into Zou kingdom.

    Shortly after, they realized they troops were already right on their tail and so they had no choice but to head deeper into Long country. At that time, they had thought it was a miracle that the troops did not catch up to them, but now he could see it was a calculated move.

    "Relax, you''re not in any trouble. How about some wine?" An Hao poured Prince Rui a cup and topped up his, "Do you know that the palace has a history of making its own wine, a centuries-old tradition too? So they have the best wine in the country there. The Emperor was soo generous to send you a couple of jugs. Just between us, I drank a few but I''m sure you don''t mind hehe~" An Hao whispered the last sentence and winked at Prince Rui as he pushed a cup in front of him.

    Prince Rui frowned down at the cup and then at An Hao, who laughed, "Oh your hands. Ah, well then you can drink it later. You''ll want to." He then took a sip from his cup and sighed, "It seems to get better and better."

    "What do you want?" Prince Rui asked unamused.

    An Hao snorted "I don''t want anything..." He finished the wine in his cup and then sighed, "But you see all that has been on our Emperor''s mind for the longest time is war and conquering. He''s exceptional at it too..."

    An Hao refilled his cup, took a sip then continued, "BUT luckily for you, our emperor is now looking to expand his horizons, to take on new challenges, if you will. As you can see with the outcome of Yang country, he is one with a heart for the people...and so our magnanimous Emperor would like to offer for your Zou kingdom the same opportunity. Isn''t it great?"

    Prince Rui simply narrowed his eyes and ignored him. An Hao then rolled his eyes and scratched his head, "Well, this one will be a bit different. Our Emperor has decided to offer you the opportunity of an alliance, of course with certain conditions, the details will be settled on later. So what do you think?"

    Prince Rui scoffed, "It seems you have forgotten that thanks to your Emperor I am not exactly in a place to have bearing on my country''s political matters."

    "I''m sure you have your ways." An Hao yawned then continued, "Well, it''s your choice and there''s nothing we can do...Oh, but we still have to thank you for all the very useful intel we acquired from you."

    Prince Rui deeply frowned ready to face the torture.

    "Oh, don''t panic. A few rumors here and there is enough...Ah, by the way, how fond are you of your fingers? How about the toes? No, that won''t work, needs to be visible...How about an ear? No, that''s too much, won''t want to ruin that face of yours, you need all the help you can get." He finished snickering.

    An Hao then sighed, "...If you insist on being foolish, then there''s not much I can do about that...Be hailed as the people''s hero who risked his life to confront the Emperor to broker a way out to save them OR become the traitor who sold his country as we go on to crush you all! Dying a traitor''s death...So what''s your choice? Hurry up, I''m not very patient and I need to report back to the Emperor as soon as possible." An Hao finished and then continued to happily pour and drink his wine, occasionally smiling up at the scowling Prince Rui.

    Prince Rui massaged his temples in annoyance as he remembered how An Hao had played with him.

 Chapter 92 - Lure

    As soon as Lei Xing left the royal study, the bracelet began its whining again. By the time Lei Xing arrived at her palace, she was extremely irritated.

    {...You are not staying here and that is final!...}

    {...*No, it''s not!...}

    {...Hah! Watch me...}

    Lei Xing finally fed up went to remove the bracelet, but then her eyes widened when she could not move it. She panicked and tried to yank it harder, but it seemed glued to her wrist.

    {...*Told you I''m no weakling...}

    {...Okay, point taken. Get off me -_-)''...}

    {...*No! Not leaving!...}

    {...We''ll see about that!...}

    Lei Xing rummaged through her room to find a lubricant. She poured a bottle of scented oil on her wrist, then tried to peel the bracelet off but it still did not budge then she tried cutting the line with a knife.

    {...*Ha! Like it''d be that easy...}

    Lei Xing then ordered the servants to bring her a jar of honey and dipped her hand right into it and tried again, but it still did not budge.

    {...GET THE HELL OFF ME!...}

    {...*I''m not leaving! I like it here!...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm herself and tried to negotiate.

    {...Okay, I understand that you may be angry with me for holding you hostage, but be the bigger pers- entity! You are definitely above such pettiness, right?...}

    {...*Hahaha I am definitely not petty...}

    {...*Great! Now, please get off...I''ll even apologize, I''m sorry. I''ll never, ever... (?_?) blackmail anyone or thing again so please get off -_-)...}

    {...*Why?!...}

    {...*Why NOT?!...}

    {...*I don''t want to!...}

    {...If you don''t get off, I''ll smash you to pieces!...}

    {...*Hahaha You''ll probably just end up smashing your wrist to pieces instead hahaha...}

    Lei Xing held her head feeling aggravated, this bracelet was driving her crazy and now that she couldn''t get rid of it, she was feeling suffocated.

    {...*Relax, once you get to know me, I''m great...Won''t it be nice to have me always there to share your thoughts with whenever?...}

    {...NO! IT WON''T. Please leave -_-)...}

    {...*Don''t worry. You''ll see I''m very likable soon...}

    Lei Xing sat down and rubbed her head thinking hard about how to get the bracelet off. It did not hurt but it seemed glued onto her wrist. Since apologizing did not work, she started to think about ways to trick it into leaving.

    {...*Hahahaha I can hear you, you know...}

    {...Arrghh! This is freaking irritating! Get Lost!...}

    {...*Okay, calm down. How about I give you some space to cool off? They do say time heals all wounds haha...}

    {...-_-)...}

    After that, Lei Xing could not get a response out of the bracelet no matter what she said. It was either ignoring her or it really shut down to give her space. Either way, she was not happy to have it.

    {...Okay, no need to panic... I''m just being terrorized by a Freaking Bracelet!... It''s okay. Even if I can''t get it off myself, Tung Mei can!... Yep, it''s all fine. I''ll just talk to her tomorrow and we''ll be done with this...unless she can''t get it off -_-)...It''s her magic crap, she better have a way to get it off me or I''ll off her!...}

    While Lei Xing was stewing over her predicament, Xiao Ruo ran in excitedly and informed that the Emperor has summoned her to come to serve him tonight. Lei Xing sighed.

    {...Ahh, great, just what I needed. Perfect timing -_-)... I guess we might as well just get that over with...And by tomorrow, he''d move on then I can move on, yay -_-)...}

    Xiao Ruo was not fazed by Lei Xing''s lack of enthusiasm and went on to rummage through Lei Xing''s wardrobe, "This one...no, no, no. Oh, this one! This is the perfect opportunity for this!" She excitedly waved the dress in front of the uninterested Lei Xing, who absentmindedly nodded. On Xiao Ruo''s persistent insistence, Lei Xing went through a comprehensive spa treatment.

    Lei Xing sighed, absentmindedly going through the motions, thinking about the state of her life.

    "Done! So beautiful!" Xiao Ruo exclaimed greatly pleased with her work. For once, Lei Xing did not complain and she could fully show off her skills.

    Hearing that, Lei Xing''s attention was finally called to the scene, to see herself standing in front of the mirror with Xiao Ruo standing beside her with teary eyes and a wide smile.

    Lei Xing was wearing a thin-strapped low cut white silk dress with gold vines sewn onto the chest band with the rest of the dress loosely framing the curves of her body. Then on top, an even thinner see-through red robe loosely hanging on her shoulders. Her hair was let down, with a thick braid running across the top, lined with flowery hairpins, making it look like she was wearing a crown of flowers. Lei Xing''s subconsciously tried to pull up the dress and frowned at Xiao Ruo, "Isn''t this too much?"

    Xiao Ruo happily explained, "The Emperor requested that you dress beautifully so we can only bring forth the best."

    Lei Xing looked back at herself in the mirror.

    {...But it''s not like I''m not going there to seduce him!...*sigh* Let''s just get this over with -_-)''...}

    Ah Jin then came up to Lei Xing and dr.a.p.ed a cloak on her shoulders and said, "Don''t worry, you''ll have this on. We''ll take it off when you get to the Emperor''s palace."

    Lei Xing sighed again, resigning herself to her fate and made her way to the Emperor''s palace. When she arrived at the front of his palace, Xiao Ruo swiftly took off the cloak. Lei Xing sighed again and wanted to head inside the building when Eunuch Li informed, "His majesty is waiting in the pavilion." and led her there.

    "Your majesty, Noble consort Lei has arrived." Eunuch Li informed.

    The Emperor who was leisurely relaxing with a book looked up and his eyes went wide when he saw Lei Xing, then he blinked, knit his brows and glanced at Eunuch Li who brightly smiled at him then said, "I will take my leave now." and bowed out.

    {...Let''s see how you''ll simply just go to sleep with her now...}

    The Emperor frowned and then sighed. He looked at Lei Xing who was awkwardly standing there with a hand constantly tugging at the red robe on her shoulder in a pointless attempt to pull it over to cover her chest.

    Now that she was standing here, she was really not comfortable with the level of exposure and he just kept staring at her which made her feel even more unnerved. Lei Xing looked off to the side, avoiding eye contact with her eyebrows knit and her face turning red.

    {...Stop looking at me like that...It''s awkward! I''m not some statue on display, let''s just get to the POINT!...What am I even saying?! T_T)...}

    After a while, the Emperor finally spoke up, "Why are you dressed like that?"

    Lei Xing''s expression froze, then she looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

    {...W-Why? What do you mean why? Was I supposed to prepare an explanation for my outfit too? What sort weird foreplay is this? o_O)...}

 Chapter 93 - Acknowledgement

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing''s confused face and sighed, "Come sit down."

    Lei Xing hesitantly walked forward and looking at the setting in the pavilion. She realized that this was definitely the wrong setting.

    The Emperor was sitting on a cushion with a table in front of him, and another cushion was set on the other side of the table. He was holding a book and on the table were several scrolls. As Lei Xing sat down, she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

    {...Xiao Ruo! I am going to kill you! T_T)...This looks look like a study session not a make-out session! What the hell?! >_

    Lei Xing lowered her eyes, avoiding eye contact and feeling incredibly embarrassed. After a while of the Emperor not saying anything, Lei Xing pulled her eyes up and caught him staring at her and quickly lowered her head, feeling even more embarrassed.

    She then used her hands to brush her hair to the front to dr.a.p.e over her chest. Then she heard the Emperor snort and then chuckle. Lei Xing clenched her fists in her lap, suppressing the urge to break something.

    {...I feel like a freaking idiot right now!... That girl is so fired!... Okay, maybe not. BUT I''m never listening to her again! T_T)...}

    "So do you have any questions?" The Emperor asked smiling at Lei Xing, who did not look up and simply mumbled, "No."

    "Did you read the book?"

    Lei Xing blinked.

    {...Book? What bo- Shit! I forgot about that...So that''s what I''m doing here. It is a study session and I forgot my freaking homework. Great -_-)...}

    Lei Xing glanced up at the Emperor, who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and then she awkwardly answered, "I apologize. I got sidetracked."

    Then she thought for a bit and suggested, "Since this is the case, let''s reschedule the lesson for another day, I will definitely be sure to be properly prepared...How about tomorrow?"

    The Emperor dropped the book on the table and said, "It''s fine...I''ll just summarize."

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned. The Emperor then began to explain the art of meditation while Lei Xing was just frowning at the book on the table, which she realized was another copy of the book he gave her.

    "Any questions?" The Emperor paused and asked. Lei Xing looked up at him, quietly for a while and then said, "You don''t have to do all this, you know. If it''s j-"

    "Read this." The Emperor cut her off with a smile, handing a scroll over to her.

    Lei Xing let out a slight sigh, took the scroll, opened it and went ahead to read, while occasionally casting disgruntled glances at the Emperor, who was reading another scroll.

    "Read." The Emperor said after Lei Xing''s nth glance. Lei Xing immediately looked down at the scroll, knitting her brows and stopped looking up.

    {...I''m confused, very confused -_-)''...Does he really have nothing better to do?...}

    "Focus." The Emperor added.

    Lei Xing jumped, raised the scroll and quickly started reading with a disgruntled frown.

    After she finished, he then asked her to explain what she understood from it. Lei Xing explained and then the Emperor smiled and nodded, "As anticipated, you have great capacity for learning."

    Lei Xing was greatly pleased, restraining the urge to break out in a wide grin, "Thank you for the praise."

    {...You, my friend, have great vision hahaha...}

    "Here." He said handing her the one he just read.

    Lei Xing happily took it, read it and then explained. Then simply waited for her praise. This time, he simply handed her another one without looking up from the one he was reading.

    She frowned as she took it, her disgruntled mood returned. After going through this a few times, Lei Xing was becoming increasingly annoyed and was covertly staring daggers at the Emperor. He was o longer saying anything and was just reading, listening and handing her scrolls.

    "Read."

    Lei Xing disgruntedly looked down.

    {...Does he have eyes on the top of his head? How the hell does he know?... Also, I don''t need supervised reading. I''m not a child, neither am I your pet project -_-)...More importantly, isn''t meditation is about self-discovery? Shouldn''t I be sitting down, eyes shut, emptying my mind or whatever?... Do you even know what you''re teaching?!...}

    After Lei Xing finished and explained the one she was on and he handed her another. She frowned, took it and then put it on the table, "I thought we were supposed to be practicing meditation?"

    The Emperor calmly responded, "You can''t practice what you don''t understand."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, then the Emperor sighed and finally looked up at her, "Meditation is a journey of self-discovery. In your case, you are attempting to re-discover yourself. First of all, you must understand your current state of mind, the path to re-discovery lies in understanding your current self."

    "And how does all this reading help me understand my current self?" Lei Xing asked, unconvinced.

    "It helps you understand your depth as a person." The Emperor responded, "Continue."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, picked up the scroll and opened it while mumbling under her breath, "I think I have a great enough understanding of my current self."

    {...You, on the other hand, might be a bit confused -_-)... I am skeptical of your expertise in this area and I''m starting to think I am the pilot project of y-...}

    "Is that so?"

    Lei Xing froze.

    {...How the hell did you hear that? I didn''t even hear it!...}

    "...Explain your current self then."

    Lei Xing looked up to find the Emperor had dropped his scroll and was looking at her waiting for her explanation.

    She nervously laughed and said, "One can always learn more."

    "True but I''m asking for you to explain your current understanding, not your future one." The Emperor said narrowing his eyes at her.

    {...I need to saw off my mouth! >_

    After glancing around trying to figure out an answer, her eyes settled back on the Emperor and then she said, "A person..." That was all she could think of.

    Apparently the Emperor wanted more details as he raised an eyebrow at her when she stopped there. Lei Xing looked off to the side and then looked back at him, smiled and then said, "...needs to meditate on that. I will continue to read." She picked up the scroll and looked down, wanting to bury her head in it.

    The Emperor blinked, looked at her for a while, then snorted and burst out laughing. Lei Xing lowered her head even further in embarrassment.

    {...Today is really not my day. It''s one embarrassment after another T_T)...}

    When the Emperor finally stopped laughing. He looked at the top of Lei Xing''s head, which was what he was faced with since she had buried her face so far down in embarrassment. He could also see the top of her ears which had turned red.

    He smiled as he remembered the same thing happened after her qin performance during the competition. Anyone with basic knowledge of the qin could tell she had little to no idea of how to play. Yet she proudly played it, then stood there and confidently called it her composition and defended it.

    He had found it amusing until his mother purposely set out to embarrass her by asking her to play a second piece. He watched her confidently and calmly sit down despite having no clue of proper play, ready to play what was probably another one of her compositions.

    He had thought her to be conceited and brazen and did not feel a need to interfere. Then he noticed her crimson ears which betrayed her confident demeanor. In the end, seeing that, he could not help interfering.

    {...Thinking back on it, she did put in quite a lot of effort in defending her creations for someone who intended to fail. She probably couldn''t stand being shamed, so she made up for what she lacked with her brilliant words. Even in failure, dignity must remain...}

    The Emperor then frowned when he recalled his brother''s behavior during the competition. Then he sighed and kept looking at her.

    {...Proud, intelligent, astute, determined, confident, level-headed, strong-minded...Someone who doesn''t show weakness even when she deservingly should...With a sense of humor too...Truly a perfect fit...}

    "You have quite the adorable personality." The Emperor suddenly commented.

    "Huh?" Lei Xing looked up to find him smirking at her, then she immediately looked back down with a frown.

    {...Ado-? I am NOT adorable! Xiao Ting is adorable, I am -... am Me! Are your eyes dysfunctional or is it your brain?! Have some respect!... This guy keeps looking down on me. I am in no way ad-...}

    Lei Xing blanked when she suddenly felt herself being pulled off the ground, dropping the scroll that was in her hands. Before she could process what was happening, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and cool fingers on her neck. Then she felt a warm, soft touch on her lips. It was a short fleeting kiss. Lei Xing seemed frozen and blankly stared at him.

    The Emperor gently looked at Lei Xing''s reddening face and wide eyes looking up at him and smiled. Before Lei Xing could recover from her shock, he kissed her again, pulling her even closer. This time it was a soft, gentle lingering kiss.

    Lei Xing blinked a few times and then gradually closed her eyes as well.

 Chapter 94 - Poser

    Lei Xing''s mind was completely blank. She just stood there in his arms with her eyes closed, not reacting but not rejecting either. When she felt his tongue slide into her mouth and entangle hers, her brain finally got a jump start. Her eyes flew open and she instinctively jerked her head back.

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him wide-eyed, when he smiled at her, she immediately lowered her head with her heart pounding erratically.

    The Emperor held her face again, causing Lei Xing to knit her brows and go rigid. He lightly stroked a finger on one of her ears, which had gone crimson now.

    {...How cute...}

    "Xing er'', how about staying here tonight?"

    Lei Xing did not respond, becoming even more fl.u.s.tered.

    {...It''s okay, we can do this. There''s nothing to it...Once it''s done, he moves on, then mayb-...}

    The Emperor softly called again, "Xing er''?"

    Lei Xing gulped and quietly squeezed out, "en."

    The Emperor smirked, seeing her this nervous was actually very amusing. After a while of simply looking at her, he sighed and then said, "You should leave now."

    Lei Xing blinked up at him in confusion, "Huh?"

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "You don''t want to?". Lei Xing quickly looked down again and shook her head. Then she tried to move away, but he tightened his hold instead of letting go. So she just awkwardly stood there with a confused frown.

    "Xing er''?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him, then looked back down and did not respond.

    "Don''t dress like this next time, unless you''re trying to tempt me, understand?" The Emperor calmly advised.

    Lei Xing subconsciously nodded and then lowered her head even further in embarrassment.

    {...I''m pretty sure that''s the general idea but don''t worry, I am going to evaporate that Xiao Ruo when I get back T_T)...}

    The Emperor smiled at the top of her head and then moved his hand from her face and stroked her hair, then pulled her head to his chest in a hug, caressing her head. Lei Xing rigidly stayed still, feeling at a loss.

    After a while, he released her then held her hand and pulled her along. Lei Xing kept her head down still trying to prepare her mind. She did not anticipate that she would need this much mental preparation for this occasion.

    Eunuch Li smiled when he saw them heading towards the building.

    Only for the Emperor to stop in front of the doors where Lei Xing''s servants were. Both Lei Xing and Eunuch Li knit their brows in confusion.

    The Emperor then looked at Xiao Ruo and motioned for her to come forward, took the cloak from her hands and dr.a.p.ed it over Lei Xing, who was still avoiding looking at him. After he was done tying it, he pat at her and said, "Sleep well."

    Lei Xing nodded and then quickly turned to leave.

    Eunuch Li approached the Emperor who was watching Lei Xing leave with a small smile and asked, "Wh-What went wrong?"

    "Nothing."

    Eunuch Li frowned, "Then how come you sent her away?"

    The Emperor smirked, "It seems you underestimate me quite a bit." Then he turned and walked inside.

    Eunuch Li sighed in disappointment and then followed.

    Lei Xing left even more confused at the Emperor''s behavior.

    {...I am very, very confused...Is he gay? Of course not, he kissed me...Exactly! Then does he have some sort of other problem? I mean he hasn''t slept with anyone else either...That would make sen-...}

    {...*NO, He doesn''t!! It''s your fault!...}

    {...How the hell is this my fault?...}

    {...*He sensed your hesitation! You didn''t respond when he asked you to stay!...}

    {...Who the hell would ask that sort of question when I already came here dressed like this?!... The only thing missing was me stripping and jumping him, which is impossible for me. I''ll probably just end up punching him in the face instead...}

    {...*Tch, maybe you should have...It''d knock some sense into his he-...}

    {...Wait! You were listening? I thought you were gone?!...}

    {...*Hahaha I was gone...but I came back...to check on you!... Then I heard you were having an interesting discussion...about the meditation! I know about meditation hahaha...So I wanted to listen hahaha...I''m not a pervert! haha...ha...Believe me, I''m not!...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath in annoyance and did not bother with it.

    Shortly after she arrived at her palace, an Eunuch came to deliver the remainder of the scrolls with the message that she should review all of them and write down her thoughts for the Emperor to review in their next session.

    Lei Xing sent them to her study, out of her sight, then sat down and started removing the hairpins from her hair.

    {...Today''s been a crap day. First, there''s this dreaded terrorist eavesdropping bracelet with opinions and then top it all off with this botched seduction attempt!... Wait, I was not trying to seduce him AT ALL...I''m glad it didn''t happen. It just feels odd!...}

    {...*I agree with you. He''s an idiot to let such a great opportunity for progress slip away -_-)...}

    {...I wasn''t talking to you -_-)...}

    As she loosened the braid, she glared in Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin''s direction. They have learned that Lei Xing likes to be left alone when in a bad mood. So they did not bother her and quietly stood there.

    "Xiao Ruo, tell me exactly what message you received from the Emperor." Lei Xing asked with a frown.

    {...I want to know why I showed up overdressed...or should it be underdressed to a bloody study session!...}

    Xiao Ruo timidly explained, "Eunuch Li called me to inform that the Emperor requested for you to come over this evening...Um, he smiled and said to make sure you are dressed appropriately for the Emperor...Th-that''s it. Did the Emperor not like it?"

    {...So it was that Eunuch planning out crap again. He played you and made me a clown!...}

    Lei Xing sighed, "It''s fine. You two leave."

    They quickly shuffled out, leaving Lei Xing alone with her thoughts...and the unwelcome bracelet''s.

    {...*Ahem!...}

    {...Leave me alone -_-)...}

    {...*I'' have a question that I''ve been wanting to ask for a while now...}

    {...I don''t care -_-)...}

    The bracelet also did not care for her opinion and continued on.

    {...*Did you do something to him? He''s normally so brilliant, decisive, direct, the type of person who gets the job done swiftly and efficiently! But when you get involved he becomes slow, hesitant, clumsy...just an idiot! Which is why I have to g-...}

    The bracelet suddenly stopped talking. Lei Xing rolled her eyes in annoyance then knit her brows.

    {...Have to what?...}

    {...*What?!...}

    {...You just sa -...}

    {...*Your ears must be blocked!...}

    {...-_-)...Again, not very smart...Do you know him?...}

    {...*...}

    {...It sounds like you know him pretty we-...}

    {...*I don''t! I...I just got the information from your thoughts!...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    {...Now that I think about it, you suddenly decided to stay after finding out I am "married" to said Emperor and seemed quite offended by my impotency claim just now...So what''s your deal? -_-)...}

 Chapter 95 - Mimeo

    {...*Coincidence!...I was just annoyed with your oblivious behavior!...}

    {...I don''t buy it -_-)...}

    {...I really don''t know him! Never even heard of him! I just thought...Since he''s an Emperor he must be smart and all that stuff too...Yes! You know becoming Emperor isn''t easy haha...}

    {...-_-)...Idiots become Emperors too...}

    {...*True, but you have a high opinion of him and you''re really not an easy person to impress...}

    {...I don-...}

    {...*You do! Although you also think he''s annoying, then again, you think everyone is annoying, even me! And I''m wonderful! I have a great personality and everything, I can''t say the same about you. Therefore -... What was I talking about again?...}

    {...-_-)...You were telling how you know him...}

    {...*Oh yes, since when he was an ado-...}

    The bracelet suddenly stopped again and Lei Xing sneered.

    {...Continue...}

    {...*You tricked me!...}

    {...I did no such thing. Continue...}

    {...*Look, I honestly don''t know your Emperor personally, but I know of him...I know his exact type!... Hehe~ I''ve actually spent quite a long time studying his type! I''ve watched someone just like him grow up...}

    {...Ahh, I see. So you watched him grow up...Are you Eunuch Li?!...}

    {...*What?! Of course not! I am much more brilliant!... Anyway, back to your question...from my experience with this type, he-...}

    {...I didn''t ask you a question -_-)...}

    {...*Irrelevant! His problem is that he is STUPIDLY OVERCONFIDENT!...}

    Lei Xing scoffed.

    {...Overconfident? Power trip much? (?_?)...}

    {...*-_-)...How did you turn out this way?...}

    {...What did I do now?...}

    {...*Why are you so - *sigh* Don''t you feel anything? At all? A few moments ago you were blushing in his arms and now you''re -...}

    Lei Xing burst out laughing.

    {...Awwn how cute, a bracelet with a romantic heart...Let me enlighten you. It''s normal for people to react like that in those situations. I''m still a person with a body, and the body reacts the way it reacts. There''s no helping it. Those momentary feelings are fleeting at best and mean nothing. Haha can''t believe I have to explain this to you, thought you were brilliant hahahahahaha...}

    {...*-_-)...Leaving the dead at heart aside...}

    {...Whatever you say hahaha...}

    Lei Xing laid down on her bed still laughing. She was actually enjoying this discussion, it was taking her mind off the events of the evening.

    {...*What I meant is that he is overconfident because in his mind, you''re already his...You''re already married. Therefore, he feels no rush to act and is comfortable with playing the long game, annoyingly so...The best weapon to propel him to act is COMPETITION!...So just go flirt with someone else, that should be enough! Anyone will do!...}

    {...-_-)...Yeah, I''m not doing that...}

    {...*WHY NOT?!!...}

    {...Because my head could fly...}

    {...*He would never hurt you...}

    {...Says a bracelet who doesn''t "know" him...Also, have you not been paying attention? I don''t care to "propel" him. Frankly, I want the opposite...and you seem awfully interested in the love life of a "stranger"...}

    {...*I told you I don''t know him!! It''s just...just...he reminds me of someone. I mean the situation does...I just feel bad for the poor child who has fallen for an impossible girl...}

    {...I''m not impossible and he''s not a poor "child". He''s a rich Emperor with an expanding harem, so nothing to feel bad about...How about this? Since you have a lot of love for him, how about I gift him to you? Sorry, I meant gift you to him. That way you can happily enjoy his company and personally coach him on the art of "propelling"...}

    {...*No!...]

    {...Tch, it was worth a try -_-)...}

    Lei Xing yawned and wrapped herself in her blanket.

    {...I am going to sleep now so be quiet...}

    {...*I once knew two idiots just like the two of you...The-...}

    {...I said I''m going to sleep -_-)''...}

    {...*Fine! I''ll talk to myself then!...}

    {...Yeah, have fun...}

    {...*Hmph! I will!...}

    Lei Xing yawned again and snuggled into the blanket to sleep, completely worn out after going through so many twists and turns in one day.

    The next day, Lei Xing woke up to find the palace on high alert again.

    Apparently, the Empress dowager was in another crazy mood and had almost killed a monk this morning. The news was all over the palace and Xiao Ruo was sure to share it with Lei Xing as she had her brunch.

    It turns out that the Empress dowager has been on a soul searching journey of her own and had been inviting monks to the palace to consult with over the past few days.

    So today''s monk of the day had actually daringly brandished a whip in front of the Empress dowager in an attempt to "cleanse her soul". When Lei Xing heard this, she almost rolled on the floor laughing, with Xiao Ruo almost in tears worried over her getting in trouble. Lei Xing restrained herself and told her to continue.

    In retaliation for his daring deed of disrespect, the Empress dowager was hopping mad and ordered for them to lop off his head. Fortunately for him, Song mama pleaded with her not to anger the heavens by killing a monk.

    So, the Empress dowager settled on having the guards to whip him a hundred times while she watched. On top of that, she ordered that if he even screamed a little they were to cut off his tongue, dice it up and feed it to pigs.

    The monk was extremely resilient and did not even utter a whimper. He simply closed his eyes and meditated the whole time, which further exasperated the Empress dowager. Lei Xing mentally applauded and nodded in appreciation.

    {...Now that''s who I should be learning meditation fro-...Shit! Why did I think of that?! >_

    Xiao Ruo saw Lei Xing''s reddening face and worriedly asked, "Your highness, are you feeling unwell?"

    Lei Xing looked up at her, "What? No, I''m fine."

    "Are you sure? Your face is ver-"

    "I''m fine!" Lei Xing barked, Xiao Ruo immediately kept quiet. Lei Xing pouted and pat her face.

    {...Stupid memory!...}

    {...*Hah! See, you''re blushing and he''s not even here...I know you car-...}

    {...Mind your own business! It''s a normal bodily reaction!...}

    {...*Denial isn''t a way to live...}

    {...(?_?)...}

    Lei Xing ignored the bracelet and told Xiao Ruo to continue her report.

    The other big news floating around the palace was about Princess Nalan and the Emperor. About how the Emperor was already doting on her before she even entered the palace. He had apparently ordered the location of the welcome banquet changed last minute to suit her demands, causing the servants to run all over the place trying to get everything ready.

    As Xiao Ruo told Lei Xing about this news, she was casting worried glances at her expecting she would be in a bad mood again due to last night''s failure. To her surprise, Lei Xing was leisurely relaxing and happily listening.

    {...Ahh, I see...That explains last night. He''s saving himself for his newest addition. The exotic choice of a foreign princess. Nice!...}

    {...*You know that''s not the case -_-)''...}

    {...I said MIND YOUR BUSINESS. Prepare to go home!...}

    {...*And I said, I''m not leaving!...}

    {...-_-)''...}

 Chapter 96 - Affirmation

    As evening the evening approached, the Empress dowager sent a servant to inform that she is ill and so would not be attending the welcome banquet. When Lei Xing heard this, she snickered as she thought of the Empress dowager still be brooding over her assault from the morning.

    {...Serves her right. She deserves to be whipped! Hahahahahaha...}

    {...*It''s not funny -_-)...}

    {...I have every right to laugh at her misery so MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!...}

    {...*...}

    Since the Empress dowager was not attending, the Imperial wives were now to meet at the Emperor''s palace. Lei Xing''s laughter quickly turned to a frown, she was not interested in going back there to relive her embarrassment from the night before.

    {...*Told you it wasn''t funny...}

    {...-_-)''...}

    Without a choice in the matter, Lei Xing begrudgingly made her way to the Emperor''s palace. When she arrived at the entrance, she took a deep breath to brace herself and walked in.

    She arrived at the reception hall to see the Emperor sitting down in the main seat looking towards the doors. Her heart jumped and she quickly averted her eyes and quickly shuffled her way to the front, standing next to Li Ru. She bowed in greeting and then stood with her head slightly lowered and her eyes looking at the ground.

    It seemed she was the last person to arrive as usual. The others must have been ecstatic to finally be going to the Emperor''s palace and hastened, while Lei Xing had dragged her feet. She was not late and was even a few minutes early, but considering everybody else was already here waiting, she was late.

    Lei Xing could feel the eyes from above looking at her but did not dare to look up to check it.

    {...I have now become paranoid. Why am I being such a coward? This is not the way to behave -_- '')...}

    {...*It''s because you car-...}

    {...Stop saying nonsense!...}

    By this point, everyone in the palace was aware of the Emperor paying Lei Xing special attention since the incident with the Empress dowager.

    The others arrived to find the Emperor already sitting in his main seat waiting for them. They greeted him and some even tried to start a conversation, but he either did not respond or simply went, "En" without even looking at them. He just kept staring at the doors and they all wondered why but they finally figured it out when Lei Xing arrived. His eyes followed her from the doors and he was now staring at her with a small smirk.

    Needless to say, Lei Xing was not the only one in a bad mood at the moment. Chen You, for example, was giving Lei Xing a side glare.

    After a while of this awkward atmosphere. Zhao Lan finally spoke up, "Your majesty, since we are all here. We should be on our way." The Emperor''s expression fell, he narrowed his eyes and glanced her way.

    Zhao Lan immediately looked down, feeling a bit of a shiver. Despite her father''s reassurances, she was still getting a sense that the Emperor held some hostility towards her. But regardless of her discomfort, she still had to try to win him over to meet her father''s expectations. It did not help that he made it difficult for his wives to meet him. The fact that Lei Xing managed to fall through the cracks and gain his attention made everything worse.

    The Emperor got up and they finally left to the training field which had now been converted to a banquet hosting ground. After they were seated, Lei Xing scanned the guests below looking for Tung Mei.

    She found her next to Lei Yong and her eyes lit up. Since this was a formal banquet, Lei Xing could not directly walk up to her, so she signaled for Ah Jin to come forward. Then told her to go arrange with Tung Mei for them to meet in a corner somewhere. That way Lei Xing could excuse herself and quickly return the bracelet.

    Below, An Hao was closely observing Lei Xing since she arrived. He watched her scan the crowd and light up at the sight of Lei Yong and then narrowed his eyes.

    {...Coincidence? Unlikely, the more I look the more similar she is...}

    When An Hao saw Ah Jin come up beside Lei Xing, he squinted, blinked several times. rubbed his eyes and then squinted again.

    {...Okay, I''m really not seeing things now...One of them, it could just be me but two of them? together? They''re REAL! I''m not crazy and I know what I saw!...}

    An Hao then determinedly made his way towards Lei Yong. When he arrived, he found Lei Yong standing on his own, Tung Mei had apparently left at some point. He pulled Lei Yong to the side and sneakily pointed towards Lei Xing and quietly asked, "You see that consort in blue and silver, you know her, right?"

    Lei Yong followed his directions and looked at Lei Xing then answered, "Yes, she -"

    "I knew it!" An Hao excitedly said, raising his voice a little and then lowered his voice, "So what''s your relationship with her? Huh? You can tell me, I''ll keep your secret. Trust me." He finished smirking and wiggling his eyebrows.

    Lei Yong knit his brows and snorted, "You''ve not even come to greet me properly and you''re up to your stupid jokes again. You must have been very bored these last few months."

    An Hao frowned, "I''ll come later. Just answer the question for now."

    Lei Yong snorted and then humored him, "She''s my younger sister."

    An Hao knit his brows and mumbled, "Sister?"

    Lei Yong nodded, then raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

    "Not as exciting as expected." An Hao mumbled and then frowned, "I have a score to settle." Then he strutted off.

    Lei Yong watched An Hao''s departing with a confused frown, eventually dismissing it as An Hao''s usual odd behavior, then he started looking around for Tung Mei.

 Chapter 97 - Loggerheads

    "I don''t want it." Was Tung Mei''s response to taking back the bracelet. The two were discussing in a corner, out of earshot of others.

    Ah Jin frowned, "Well, she doesn''t want it either."

    "In that case, she can throw it into a lake."

    Ah Jin frowned, "How can you say that? Do you know ho-"

    "Ahh, I get it...I am well aware of how valuable it is and how hard it was to find, I''ve had years of it being ingrained into my head...I need some space, so she can keep it or toss it into a lake...Actually, have it locked in a chest and then drop that in the lake."

    "Xiao Ying!"

    "What? I''ll go pick it up eventually." Tung Mei then pouted, "If I take it back now, I''ll get in trouble and it''l-"

    "You''re already in trouble since she has it!"

    "Well, at least I''m not getting constantly yelled at so I say I''m doing very well."

    Ah Jin sighed, "Why are y-"

    "How about this? You can have it instead! Just tell Xing jie I sai-"

    "I don''t want it either! My lif-"

    "Found you!" A voice suddenly called out in their direction. The two knit their brows in annoyance at the interruption and turned to see An Hao storming towards them. He stopped in front of Ah Jin and she lightly bowed while Tung Mei stood there looking him over.

    An Hao narrowed his eyes at Ah Jin, "You remember me, don''t you?"

    Ah Jin raised an eyebrow, then shook her head, "No."

    An Hao frowned, "Look very well! Don''t try to make me look like a fool again. I was the one you and that consort attacked in the army camp, you attacked me! It was you, right?! I know it''s been a few years and I''ve grown a lot, but you couldn''t have forgotten. I have quite the memorable face to-"

    Tung Mei snorted and then burst into laughter. An Hao frowned at her, "What''s funny?"

    Tung Mei reined in her laughter and asked, "Aren''t you general or something? Why are you advertising the fact that you got outsmarted and beaten up by a girl? Shouldn''t you be covering your face and running off to hide instead of coming here for a confrontation? What could you gain from this sort of harassment?"

    An Hao raised his head and swiftly responded, "Harassment? I am trying to prove tha-"

    "That you''re not crazy?" Tung Mei finished

    "Exactly!" An Hao then knit his brows, "Wait! How do you know that?"

    "You just said it yourself and your memorable face has that look too." Tung Mei then shook her head in pity, "Some people really cannot be helped, so young too."

    An Hao frowned but before he could speak, they heard Lei Yong''s voice, "What''s going on?" He asked as he walked up to them.

    Tung Mei smirked and glanced at An Hao and motioned for him to respond, in a taunting manner. An Hao''s frown deepened in annoyance.

    Tung Mei then smiled up at Lei Yong, "Oh, I saw you two were pretty close and so thought to introduce myself when he passed by and Ah Jin is here an errand for Xing jie."

    An Hao looked at the three of them and then walked off and went back to the banquet. Tung Mei snorted and turned to Ah Jin, "Tell Xing jie I''ll come get it later."

    Ah Jin narrowed her eyes at Tung Mei, who smiled in response. She then glanced at Lei Yong then bowed and left.

    Tung Mei then smiled at Lei Yong, who was looking at her suspiciously, "Did you say something to An Hao? He seems to be in a bad mood."

    Tung Mei snorted, "What could I possibly say to him? He came here like that." When she saw Lei Yong''s skeptical expression, she pouted and said, "I didn''t do anything. He''s the one who came to -" She caught herself then smiled, "Anyway, it''s nothing important. Let''s go, I don''t want to miss the entrance of the harem''s latest addition." She said with a bitter tone, pulling Lei Yong along.

    Lei Yong stopped and asked with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you didn''t like the Emperor?"

    Tung Mei frowned, "I don''t. But I like Xing jie and if they''re going to be together, he should at least be faithful to make up for his shortcomings."

    Lei Yong snorted and said while laughing, "You really shouldn''t be saying things like that."

    Tung Mei smiled and nodded, "I''ll try." And then pulled him to return to the banquet.

    By the time they returned, the famed Princess Nalan was already performing. Showcasing her horse-riding acrobatic skills with three horses riding in sync around the parameter; standing on them, hopping from side to side, jumping from one to the other amongst other things. It was obvious the horses were well trained and the performance was something they had a great experience with as the performance was seamless.

    Lei Xing calmly watched the performance while sipping on wine.

    {...Showoff...I can do that...Okay, maybe not -_-)''...but still, show off...}

    {...*You are much, much, much more talented than her!...}

    {...I''ve told you flattery won''t help, you''re still leaving! -_-)...}

    {...*Hahaha There''s nothing to be jealous over, she''s not his type ^_^)...}

    {...Jealous? Who the hell is jealous? She can hula hoop to the moon and back for all I care!...}

    Lei Xing was appalled with the bracelet''s suggestion that she would be jealous and cast a disgruntled glance at Emperor. She flinched when she caught his eyes then quickly looked away.

    {...What the hell are you looking at me for? You should be looking at your latest addition -_-)...}

    {...*He''s looking at his type!...}

    {...I told you to stop saying nonsense  -_-)''...}

    {...*Hmph! I only speak the truth! I know things, you know...}

    {...Things you care to share? -_-)...}

    {...*Maybe, it depends! Want to negotiate?...}

    {...No. You are still leaving! I need my peace of mind -_-)...}

    {...*Tch, you''re no fun!...}

    Lei Xing ignored the bracelet and concentrated on the performance.

    Despite her grievances with her situation, she could still appreciate the skill level. Contrary to the rumors, Princess Nalan was not a delicate beauty as her performance proved. She would still be considered beautiful but her demeanor was definitely not of a delicate nature.

    After her performance, Princess Nalan along with her brother, Prince Rui approached the platform and bowed to the Emperor. The Emperor then said some words of praise and offered gifts. That was supposed to be the end of it.

    Then Princess Nalan spoke up, "Your majesty, if I may say some words."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Of course."

    Princess Nalan smiled and lightly bowed her head in gratitude and then began, "I understand that our countries have become allies, and as a princess, there are certain expectations that have been placed on me..." She paused when she saw Prince Rui frowning and signaling for her to stop.

    She ignored him and confidently continued, "My father has given me leave to make the final decision on my marriage which is the reason I followed my brother here. I am not asking much, just time to get to know the country and Your majesty, to see if we are compatible."

    Everyone was greatly taken aback by her comment and there was a deadly silence. Lei Xing on the hand felt a great surge in her mood, restraining the urge to laugh.

    {...Ohhhh, that must hurt! Hahahahaha I like this princess!...}

    Prince Rui''s expression became complicated and he attempted to mediate, "Your majesty, - "

    "That sounds reasonable." The Emperor said cutting him off. Prince Rui knit his brows, unconvinced by the Emperor''s words.

    Princess Nalan on the hand was pleased and bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Your majesty for your understanding." Then she added, "If it''s not too much to ask, I have a request."

    Lei Xing leisurely refilled her wine cup, enjoying this show.

    {...Hahaha Of course, she does! She knows how to play the game...If he says no now, he''ll look petty as hell. Which maybe he should be after she shut him down before he could even propose. He really seems like a poor guy now, right? Hahahaha...}

    {...*...}

    {...Hey, bracelet? Why aren''t you saying anything? We finally agree on something! He''s really a poor guy. Hahhaha I almost feel bad for him hahahahaha...}

 Chapter 98 - Proposition

    {...*It''s not funny -_-)''...}

    {...Hahaha trust me it is, lighten up! Hahahaha...}

    {...*-_-)...}

    Lei Xing was greatly amused. She picked up her cup and leisurely sipped on wine, enjoying herself.

    The Emperor, being the cordial host gave his consent and Princess Nalan continued on to Prince Rui''s annoyance, "Since this is my first time here, I would like to take the time to explore but I as am very unfamiliar with the surroundings, I was hoping I could get a companion to keep me company and show me around."

    The Emperor nodded, "Very well - "

    Before the Emperor could continue, Princess Nalan added, "I already have someone in mind. I was hoping Noble consort Lei could keep me-"

    Lei Xing choked on the wine and broke into a coughing fit on hearing her name, interrupting Princess Nalan''s words. Everyone turned to look at her, some casting disapproving frowns her way. Lei Xing quickly controlled herself taking the water Xiao Ruo handed over, looking down feeling embarrassed and in shock.

    {...What the hell do you want me for?!...}

    {...*Hahahaha You''re right! This is truly hilarious hahahaha...}

    {...Be quiet!... And where the hell is that Ah Jin?!...}

    Princess Nalan glared at Lei Xing, annoyed with the interruption, then looked away and continued, "I was hoping Noble consort Lei could keep me company. I have heard good things about her and believe I will be in good company with her."

    Lei Xing was not the only one in shock, many of the guests were also shocked with this development. The only news floating around about Lei Xing was the fact that she was currently the Emperor''s favorite.

    For Princess Nalan who came here with the prospects of marriage, obviously aiming for the position of Empress, to request for her was very odd. Some wondered if this was her attempt at scouting out the competition before marriage or maybe a power play to showcase her influence as a princess. Either way, it was definitely an interesting development.

    The Emperor frowned, but quickly replaced it with a smirk and looked at Lei Xing, "Xing er'', what do you think?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him to find him narrowing his eyes at her, then she glanced at Princess Nalan who was looking at her with a disgruntled expression.

    {...Can I say no? T_T)...}

    She looked back at the Emperor, who now seemed to be intently staring her down. She gulped, put on a smile and said, "I will do my best." bowing her head.

    The Emperor''s expression fell, he was silent for a bit, then dismissively said, "It''s settled then."

    Princess Nalan bowed in gratitude and after a few more pleasantries returned to her seat with a displeased Prince Rui.

    The festivities resumed and Lei Xing stared at the foreign guests wondering how her name got into this mess. She sighed and looked away only to catch the Emperor frowning down at her.

    {...What? I''m sorry for ruining your moment. I don''t enjoy being embarrassed either! >_

    The bracelet continued howling in laughter, further irritating her. Lei Xing knit her brows and turned to scan the crowd. She saw Tung Mei with Lei Yong, then she looked around for Ah Jin wondering where she was. After getting impatient, she called Xiao Ruo and told her to find Ah Jin.

    "Well, that was a disappointment. What fragile beauty? Ahh, You really can''t trust information these days." Zhao Chang quietly commented to Prince Yi.

    When Prince Yi did not respond, Zhao Chang turned to him and saw him blankly staring off at the platform. He followed Prince Yi''s line of sight and settled on Zhao Lan, his sister who was sitting next to Lei Xing, he then sighed, "A truly missed great opportunity. If not for my late aunt I could have arranged for you two to be together."

    Prince Yi knit his brows and turned to him, "What?"

    Zhao Chang looked at Prince Yi with an understanding expression, "But don''t worry, there''s still hope. From what I hear he''s only been focusing on the Lei family''s daughter, which I must say he has good taste." Then he frowned, "But my sister is not that bad either, she matches up!... Honestly, I feel a bit offended, not that I want him with my sister, but why not?! She''s not lacking in any way..."

    Prince Yi looked back at the platform ignoring Zhao Chang''s continuing lament. He looked back at Lei Xing, who had her eyes fixed on Tung Mei. Then he looked up at the Emperor, who seemed to be frowning at Lei Xing. Prince Yi then frowned in annoyance and looked away, eyes landing on Prince Rui which further increased his annoyance. He sighed and then looked away, focusing on the dancers.

    Meanwhile, An Hao was also glaring in Lei Xing''s direction, still stewing over Ah Jin''s denial and Tung Mei''s words. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Ah Jin come up beside Lei Xing and the two began talking.

    {...Making me look like a fool again, I am going to investigate this and expose their lies! Then they''ll see... Although they didn''t exactly do anything wrong, at least it didn''t look that way...If anything they did a good deed. In that case is there even a point in dig-...But if they''re innocent why behave like thieves? They also attacked me and made me look like an idiot!... Oh yes, they also debated killing me! That''s definitely something they should get in trouble for... Hahaha, either way, I want them to get credit for their good deed! Let''s see them lie when I have proof!...}

    An Hao sneered, concluding that Lei Xing could not be trusted at the Emperor''s side. Regardless of how much he liked and trusted Lei Yong, his sister definitely had some explaining to do before she could be found worthy of his Emperor.

    Lei Xing, on the other hand, was unaware of all the stares and disgruntlement being directed at her. She was preoccupied with the state of her own affairs. When Ah Jin delivered Tung Mei''s words, Lei Xing became livid and was now staring daggers at Tung Mei, but it seemed like Tung Mei was deliberately avoiding looking Lei Xing''s way as she never even once looked in her direction.

    {...*Hah! Told you I wasn''t leaving!...]

    Lei Xing was battling with the urge to just storm up to her and demand that she remove the bracelet.

    {...*If it helps you feel better, even if you meet her, she won''t be able to get it off unless I allow it either...No one can!... Okay, maybe a few people can? Hmm, it depends...Anyway, it''s all the same to you...}

    Lei Xing sighed, she had considered that possibility before but she still wanted to try it. But now it seemed that Tung Mei was avoiding her and the bracelet.

    {...*Hey, lighten up! I don''t plan on staying here forever...just untilll...}

    Lei Xing frowned as the bracelet dragged out the last word, then sighed.

    {...What do you want? -_-)...}

    {...*Now you''re finally being reasonable!... Hmmm...Call me Shifu first! ^_^)...}

    **(Shifu means Teacher/Master...)**

    {...No...}

    {...*WHY NOT?! I''m just as GREAT!...}

    {...If I call you Shifu, will you leave? -_-)...}

    {...*Nooo...?...}

    {...Then state your business or get lost!...}

    {...*Tch, you''re still so stubborn. No fun!...}

    {...-_-)...}

    {...*Fine! I want a wedding!...}

    Lei Xing blinked in confusion.

    {...You want to get married?! To Who?! O_O)...}

    {...*Of course not!... What are you thinking?! I want to witness a wedding!...}

    {...-_-)''...Oh, I see...You know you''re very weird...}

    {...*It''s none of your business!... So, are you going to do it or not?...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath in irritation.

    {...It seems you have forgotten but I''m already "married". Your Xiao Ying on the hand should be getting married soon so your chances of a wedding are better there -_-)...}

    {...*Xiao Ying is getting married?!...}

    {...0_0)...Ohhh, it seems you are unaware. How could she not tell you? How rude!...}

    {...*I know right! Ungrateful brat...}

    {...I completely understand, you should go give her a piece of your mind. She must be reprimanded!...}

    {...*Haha~ Nice try, I''m not leaving -_-)... So, who is she marrying?...}

    {...Ahh, well the wedding hasn''t been set, there probably hasn''t been a proposal either...BUT if you return I will do my utmost to make it happen asap. She''s going after my brother, you know. I can expedite the process, how about it?...}

    {...*No! I can handle Xiao Ying later...}

    {...-_-)...You don''t expect me to go hunting around the city for weddings to crash, do you?...}

    {...*Hehe~ Nope, just have your own!...}

    {...I. AM. MARRIED -_-)...}

    {...*Well, yes but you are only a consort. Become Empress and you get a wedding, how about it?...}

    Lei Xing frowned and swiftly responded.

    {...No...}

    {...*Why not?! It will be a grand ceremony and I want to witness it!...}

    {...Why the hell should I?!...}

    {...*You said you''re already married, so what''s wrong with consolidating it in a ceremony?!...}

    {...What''s wrong is I don''t want to have to vie for the position of Empress to please some stupid bracelet!... If that''s what you want, then I say welcome to the rest of your life!...}

    {...*Then I also say welcome to the rest of YOUR life, stuck with me!... Why are you so stubborn?!...}

    {...Says the one making outrageous demands (?_?)...}

    {...*First of, it''s not outrageous, at all!...You ke- *sigh* Let''s not point fingers here...Either way, it will take a while to arrange the wedding so we''ll still be together for a few months at least...}

    {...-_-)...You make it sound like I can just go crown myself Empress...}

    {...*Well maybe not, but your Emperor would! Just ask...}

    {...It''s not happening -_-)...}

    {...*Hahaha I have faith in you...}

    {...Still not happening...}

    {...*I believe you will come to see reason soon hehe~...}

    {...-_-)...}

    Lei Xing was not pleased at all. She was stuck with a bracelet with weird fetishes, and now there was also babysitting a seemingly spoiled princess added on her plate. She glared at Tung Mei and resolved to storm into her house the next day to force her to take back her bracelet. If that fails, she began to seriously consider sawing off her own hand as a last resort.

    {...*That will hurt a lot, you know...A wedding will be a whole lot eas-...}

    {...Get lost!...}

 Chapter 99 - Accepting Orchid

    Lei Xing was glad when the banquet finally ended and absentmindedly made her way back to her palace, still brooding over the events of the evening and the annoyance of having to babysit some princess added onto her plate. No matter how she thought about it she could not come up with an explanation for why the princess wanted her. There was also Tung Mei''s behavior and the bracelet''s ridiculous demands further irritating her.

    She lightly sighed and glanced around only to see the Emperor walking beside her. She had been so wrapped up in her troubles that she had not noticed he continued following her after they all went their separate ways.

    Lei Xing sighed, she was not in the mood to deal with him. Not to mention that she could see from his frowning expression that he was not in a happy mood either. When they arrived at her palace, she stopped at the entrance to attempt to talk him into leaving, but he just went inside ahead of her.

    Lei Xing pouted and sluggishly followed. She finally arrived in her room to find him sitting on the side, frowning and narrowing his eyes at her as she walked in. She wanted to go sit down but then thought some distance will be better considering his seemingly bad mood.

    Although it seemed a bit extreme to her that he would be angered by her embarrassing coughing fit. Lei Xing rationalized that perhaps he was more irritatable and was on edge because of the foreign guests. After a while of awkwardly standing there under his strict silent scrutiny, Lei Xing lightly sighed and said, "I''m sorry."

    "You''re sorry?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, "For?"

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed, but before she could explain her accident the Emperor asked, "Why did you agree?"

    Lei Xing blinked in confusion and asked, "You didn''t want me to?"

    {...Is that what he''s angry at? O_o)...}

    "Why would a foreign princess want you as a companion?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and flatly responded, "I don''t know."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Think harder."

    Lei Xing frowned and shook her head, "I really don''t know. If you don''t want me to, how about you send someone else instead?"

    {...I actually don''t want to babysit anyone either -_-)''...}

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

    {...So she doesn''t remember him? No, that was after her accident so she should...Unless she wasn''t paying attention or she is lying to me...}

    The Emperor got up and walked up to her, "You wouldn''t happen to be lying to me, would you?"

    Lei Xing was taken aback, "No, I really don''t know. I am more confused by this event than anyone."

    {...What the hell is up with this inquisition? How the hell am I supposed to know what goes on in your crazy entitled royal minds? -_-)...}

    The Emperor knit his brows in contemplation and after another while of silently scrutinizing the awkward Lei Xing, he walked out, still seeming irritating. Lei Xing let out a sigh of relief when the doors closed behind him.

    {...What the hell is his problem now? If he didn''t want me to, why didn''t he just say so then?... Why ask me? No wonder he was staring me down...Did I ever tell him I have telepathy or something? Idiot -_-)...}

    {...*This is great! Hahahaha...}

    {...What''s great about it? -_-)''...}

    {...*Hahaha The Universe has a way of setting things into motion despite one''s best efforts hahahaha...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and ignored the bracelet''s idiotic ramblings and went to bathe. She later settled into her bed to sleep letting out a sigh, tired and unamused with the day''s events.

    {...At least now I won''t have to bother with that princess since it upsets "His royal majesty" so much...Although I have no clue why but it''s a definite plus...}

    ***

    "Why did you do that?" Prince Rui asked, narrowing his eyes at his sister. They were currently in the carriage returning back to their residence.

    "I was just helping..." Princess Nalan explained with a smile, "I heard you telling Molin about how you would have liked to meet her again to thank her for something about...What was it? Restoring your faith in the existence of good-hearted people in this country?... So I thought I''d help make your wish happen and give you the chance to get to know her. Although she seems a bit odd... But no matter, it''s fine if you like her-"

    "Nalan! We are not in our own country. You can''t just go about doing whatever you like and expect -!"

    "Well, their Emperor has quite a number of wives anyway and could always get more. I doubt he would care..." She offhandedly said.

    Prince Rui sighed and advised, "This Emperor is not a simple person, just because he''s going along your antics doesn''t necessarily mean he''s pleased with you. Don''t attract unnecessary problems. Also, how could you talk about marriage like that, what if it angered him an-"

    "Father promised!" Princess Nalan cut him off with a frown, then she took a deep breath to calm herself, "You don''t have to worry about me. I still know to be reasonable" She finished and looked out the window, ignoring her brother.

    Prince Rui sighed and let her be, reasoning with her was not a task easily won once her mind was set. Princess Nalan was the youngest of their seven siblings and their father had greatly pampered her. Her mother had died when she was still a child, so she had been raised by Prince Rui''s mother. This made her closer to Prince Rui than her own two full-blooded older brothers.

    For a political marriage, she was the only option as she was the only unmarried princess left. She never wanted to get married to a foreign leader as her sisters did.

    First of, these foreigners could not be trusted, who knows how her sisters were really living there. The war situation with Long country was a perfect example. Neither of the Kings her sisters married offered help, instead, they gave fake excuses to explain the "delays". If they had offered proper support, their country would have had a much better fighting chance, at least Long country would have had to think twice before attacking them.

    She sighed as she recalled this unpleasant matter. She had expressed her dislike for the idea of a political marriage to her father when her second sister got married a few years ago. Her father had then promised to let her have the final say on her marriage.

    This was the main reason why she had remained unmarried till her current age of nineteen. She was in no rush to marry and had not met anyone she liked enough yet and enjoyed living her life freely as she pleased.

    Although she understood that the situation had now changed. This was why she came along with her brother to at least get the chance to come to terms with the idea first before getting married. As she looked at the passing buildings and pedestrians she sighed again.

    {...Life here seems suffocating...}

 Chapter 100 - Ringing Endors.e.m.e.nt

    Early the next morning, Lei Xing was woken up from her sleep to get ready because the Princess had sent for her. Lei Xing irritatedly went through the motions,  she was surprised because she thought the Emperor would have made alternate arrangements since he seemed unhappy with the arrangement. She yawned as she sat in the carriage as they carted her off to the Princess''s residence.

    {...Why didn''t he change it? I don''t like early morning events. Where the hell does she even want to go this early?! T_T)...}

    She yawned again and comfortably settled in to take a nap, jerking awake when the carriage stopped. She quickly straightened up her attire, took a deep breath and got down. She was led to the reception hall and sat down waiting for the Princess to arrive.

    Princess Nalan quickly arrived, smiling brightly at Lei Xing. They exchanged greetings and then sat down quietly. With Lei Xing sitting upright, trying to maintain a dignified aura, and ignoring discomfort with the princess who was sitting across from her slowly and quietly scrutinizing her from top to bottom.

    "What is your name?" Princess Nalan finally asked.

    Lei Xing cordially responded, "Lei Xing."

    "I heard you''re the defense minister''s daughter?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "How old are you?"

    "Seventeen."

    Princess Nalan nodded, "That''s a good age."

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and looked at the Princess suspiciously.

    {...What do you mean good age? Good age for? -_-)...}

    "Anything you''re skilled at?"

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile, "Nothing in particular." She flatly responded, starting to feel annoyed.

    {...What the hell is this? 99 questions? I didn''t know I was coming for an interview -_-)...}

    "I heard you''re your Emperor''s current favorite?"

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched and she did not respond.

    Princess Nalan smiled and continued, "Do you like your Emperor or...?"

    Lei Xing finally fed up, squarely looked at her and flatly said, "I believe that is a personal matter."

    Princess Nalan raised an eyebrow and then laughed, "You have spunk too. That''s very good, pushovers are no fun."

    Lei Xing frowned, she did not share in the amus.e.m.e.nt. She was already upset with her rude awakening and now having to play mind games to entertain someone was not helping her mood.

    Princess Nalan then got up and said, "Let''s go." Then she bounded the room with the disgruntled Lei Xing trailing behind.

    They arrived at the back garden to see Prince Rui and Molin practicing martial arts, shirtless. Lei Xing did not think much of it and absentmindedly looked on, enjoying the performance.

    Princess Nalan smirked then nudged her, "Isn''t it great?"

    Lei Xing turned to her and Princess Nalan pointed at the fighting duo. Lei Xing turned back to them, knit her brows and looked back at Princess Nalan who just smiled at her. Meanwhile, Prince Rui saw them from the side of his eyes and frowned, the enthusiastic Molin used this moment of distraction to land a blow, sending Prince Rui to the ground.

    It was also at that moment that Lei Xing came to a realization.

    {...I should not have been looking, should I? >_

    Lei Xing quickly turned her back, acting the part of a modest noble woman, thinking it''s better late than never. Ah Jin beside her also followed along and turned her back. Princess Nalan looked at the two, snorted then walked up to her brother, who had gotten off the ground and was glaring at her.

    "Why did you bring her here?" Prince Rui quietly asked.

    "To see you, of course. You look very dashing like this." Princess Nalan responded.

    "Oh, that''s that girl, right?...I''ll go greet her." Molin said and started in Lei Xing''s direction, when Prince Rui pulled him back, "You can''t go meet her like that! Go clean up and get dressed." Molin looked at his shirtless chest and went, "Oh." and quickly walked off.

    Prince Rui then turned to Nalan and said through gritted teeth, "I told you it isn''t like that."

    His sister had developed a habit of setting him up with girls over the years. If he showed even the slightest interest in a girl, she would go off to start arranging meetings with said girl. He had hoped she would show some restraint here given the seriousness of the situation here, but he definitely thought wrong.

    Prince Rui frowned, "Nalan, are you trying to get me in trouble?"

    "It''s not like they''ll kill you just for meeting her." Princess Nalan offhandedly responded.

    "Nalan, don''t play with someone else''s life like this. The customs here are much stricter than ours, and she could get in trouble with stupid jokes like these. I can''t repay a good deed with disrespect and ruin. Don''t try anything like this again!" Prince Rui finished and walked off.

    Princess Nalan pouted and mumbled, "I was just trying to help." She walked back to Lei Xingstill pouting and said, "The rules here are very uptight."

    Lei Xing snorted, then quickly cleared her throat, smiled and said, "It would seem so."

    Princess Nalan smiled and then came close to Lei Xing and whispered, "So tell me, did you enjoy the view? Let me tell you, a lot of girls are after my brother in my country. His body is a prime trophy. Your Emperor doesn''t compare to my brother, does he?" She asked with a smirk.

    Lei Xing could not but laugh as she said, "I decline answering that one."

    Princess Nalan also laughed and said, "It''s fine as long as you acknowledge it."

    The two went to sit down at a pavilion nearby and started talking. Contrary to what Lei Xing expected, Princess Nalan was really laid back and was relatively easy to talk to. She asked questions about Lei Xing''s life and talked about hers. They talked about their hobbies, things they disliked, with both agreeing that embroidery was a punishment; art was a maddening exercise; music was best experienced with the ears only.

    Of course, they had their differences too. Lei Xing was more of a solitary lazy academic, while Nalan was a daring adventurous soul. She excelled in archery, horse-riding and even knew some martial arts and often went on adventures in the wild. When Lei Xing briefly mentioned her interest in archery, she even volunteered to tutor her. Lei Xing began to relax and enjoy the conversation.

    {...She''s surprisingly not bad at all...}

    {...*I don''t like her! -_-)...}

    {...No one asked for your opinion...}

    {...*Hmph! Stupid shirtless prince! Your Emperor is a thousand times better! Tell him to take off his clothes! You''ll see!...}

    {...Again, no one asked for your opinion...And care to explain how you know how great the Emperor looks shirtless? -_-)...}

    {...*It''s common sense. He was a general and the commander of the army for years, dubbed the "God of War" by the people, you don''t get a reputation like that without being well-built! Especially being so young too. Give him more credit!...}

    {...I didn''t discredit him at all, you''re the one discrediting someone here -_-)''...}

    {...*Hmph! Let me enlighten you, this guy you are crediting here was once defeated and captured and then got played by your Emperor! So, he''s obviously the better of the two!...}

    {...And how do you know that?...}

    {...*Hehe~ I told you I know things...What? Have you finally realized my brilliance?... Hmm, too bad. I''m not sure I still want a new student at the moment. I will have to check my availability first, I am very busy, you know ~ ...}

    {...(?_?)...}

    The bracelet occasionally said things like this from time to time, trying to reel her into a conversation by dangling bits of information. Then once it got her attention and she started asking questions, it would either disappear or go, "It''s none of your business" and leave her hanging. At this point, she was disillusioned and extremely skeptical of its claims of knowledge. Lei Xing ignored the bracelet and focused on the conversation with Princess Nalan.

    After a while, Prince Rui came back with Molin. Princess Nalan smiled, quickly got up and went to grab Molin, "Ah, Lei Xing hasn''t had breakfast yet, so we''ll go check on the kitchen, to speed things up." She said as she pulled a confused and protesting Molin with her.

    Prince Rui sighed and turned to the baffled Lei Xing, "I apologize for her behavior, she tends to get excited."

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and nodded, still confused.

    Prince Rui sighed again, "I had explained to her about how you helped me in the past, and she had mistaken - ...Anyway, I wanted to at least express my gratitude, so it''s all the same."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, then awkwardly asked, "Um, I''m sorry, when did I -?"

    Prince Rui blinked, "Of course, you don''t remember...It was quite a while ago and I was not...at my best..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "I see..."

    "I was amongst the people in that slave group you released a -..."

    "Oh!" Lei Xing exclaimed in surprise, then she awkwardly continued, "... Oh, I see...Haha~...Ah, nice to meet you at your best form." Lei Xing blinked and then frowned.

    Prince Rui was a bit taken aback by her words, then he chuckled. Lei Xing wanted to slap her mouth.

    {...Best form?! Really?! >_

    {...*Hmph! Don''t forget you''re already MARRIED! -_-)...}

    {...Shut Up!...}

    {...*You seem to have gotten ruder -_-)...}

    "Ah, I had brought this as a token of gratitude."

    Lei Xing looked down to see a beautifully decorated little box in his hand, and slightly knit her brows.

 Chapter 101 - Polar Reception

    Lei Xing blankly looked down at the box. She thought for a bit then concluded that it would not be a good idea to take a gift from a foreign prince. So to avoid the unnecessary trouble of the accusation of a clandestine affair, she smiled and said, "It was nothing really. Honestly, the person who wanted to do a good deed was my younger sister, I just stepped in to help her with a better plan to avoid the trouble. So it''s really can''t accept this gift but I accept the sentiment though. Thank you..."

    Prince Rui knit his brows then explained, "Regardless of the reason you chose to step in, you still did it. And it was not only that, I heard from the servants talking that day that you gave out the money from your own personal savings as well..."

    Seeing Lei Xing''s complicated expression, he quickly came to a realization and clarified, "It doesn''t mean anything special. it''s just in our country, a good deed must be repaid and you do not express gratitude without of token of some sort. A gift is necessary to show sincerity. Therefore, I chose this on the way."

    Lei Xing could understand the need of having to repay someone and so was feeling a bit conflicted. Then she thought of an idea and took it with a smile, "In that case, I will accept it...Since the good deed stemmed from sister''s own good heart, I think it makes the most sense for her to have it..."

    Prince Rui nodded, "It''s yours and you can do with it as you will."

    Lei Xing thanked him again, then handed the box over to Ah Jin to have it sent over to Xiao Ting. After that, the two of them awkwardly remained there with nothing to talk about, both looking in the direction Princess Nalan and Molin left in, waiting for their return.

    The two finally returned with servants trailing behind with food that Lei Xing was glad to see. Molin also rushed up to Lei Xing to thank her for her good deed and even fervently apologized for not having a gift to give. Then he wanted to run off to go get something, but Lei Xing quickly stopped him saying she did not need one. But he continued to insist saying it cannot be overlooked.

    In the end, Lei Xing offhandedly mentioned that she has always wanted a bouquet of flowers but never received one. Molin quickly picked up on the hint and quickly rushed off to go pluck a bouquet for her from the surrounding garden. Then he ran off holding the flowers, after collecting an arm full. After a short while, he returned with a properly arranged bouquet, tied with a thin piece of blue silk, which he must have torn from a larger piece of cloth as it showed signs of tearing. Then he proudly presented it to her.

    Lei Xing received it with a smile and thanked him. Thus the gifting session ended amicably.

    Lei Xing let out a slight sigh of relief as they finally sat down to eat, Molin''s reaction had convinced her on the validity of Prince Rui''s claim earlier, and her guilt over accepting the gift quickly disappeared. It was not that she was full of herself and thought that every man who came across her would be attracted to her. It was just how this scenario played out in the stories she read. Not to mention, his insistence, coupled with his sister''s behavior painted a certain image that begged to be misunderstood.

    During the meal, Princess Nalan dominated the conversation along with Molin, she occasionally asked Lei Xing questions so she did not feel left out. It was a cheerful meal until when Prince Yi arrived to join the group, the atmosphere suddenly plummeted. Molin glared at him, Prince Rui ignored him, Princess Nalan seemed at a loss and was looking at her brother, baffled at his behavior. While Lei Xing glanced around, feeling uncomfortable, her eyes then met with prince Yi''s, so she gave a half-smile and lightly bowed her head. Prince Yi smiled back and did the same, then took the seat that no one offered, with an aloof expression.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Well, this is going to be a fun group -_-)...}

    After a few moments of observing the awkward atmosphere, Princess Nalan recovered and assumed the role of the gracious host and asked Prince Yi if he had eaten. He responded with a simple, "En" and picked up his teacup and sipped on it while looking off to the side, showing he was not interested in a conversation. Princess Nalan got the hint and went back to eating. They finished the rest of the meal in awkward silence.

    After they finished, the awkward silence remained. Eventually, Princess Nalan got fed up and turned to Lei Xing, "So where are we going today?"

    Lei Xing blinked and went, "Huh?"

    "Did you forget you''re supposed to be showing me around? Where do you like to go?"

    Lei Xing nervously smiled, "Um, I don''t know...maybe the theatre house? Honestly, I was sickly growing up so I never went out much so I don''t really know where will be good..."

    Prince Yi glanced at her thinking to himself that must be the reason he never noticed her until recently. He had once wondered why he never saw her at any gatherings before that encounter on the street, convinced that he would have noticed if he had seen her. It also explained why she did not know he was then as well.

    "Really? What was wrong with you?... Are you still sickly now?" Princess Nalan inquired.

    "I''m better now." Lei Xing responded with a smile.

    "I see...so what was wrong with you?" Lei Xing looked at her and was unsure how to answer. Princess Nalan then frowned, "Or you don''t want to tell me? I didn''t thi-"

    "How about going to the flower field?" Prince Yi suggested cutting into their conversation, to the surprise of the others.

    Princess Nalan blinked, "Flower field? That sounds good...What do you think?" She asked turning to Lei Xing.

    "It sounds great." Lei Xing swiftly responded and looked towards Prince Yi grateful for the interruption, he lightly smiled at her and looked away.

    The four then began the journey there with Princess Nalan riding along with Lei Xing and Ah Jin in the carriage while the others were on horses with guards following along. They had initially wanted to ride horses to get there faster but then Lei Xing explained that she did not know how to ride. Resulting in another item being added on to Princess Nalan''s tutoring list. Lei Xing sighed.

    {...Do I seem pitiful? It''s weird people keep volunteering to tutor me on stuff...It''s honestly kind of annoying, it''s like they''re treating like a child -_-)...}

    {...*An a.d.u.l.t with no knowledge of the basics is no better than a child..And a knowledgeable child will also be much better than an ignorant a.d.u.l.t...}

    "Are you alright? Are you feeling sick?" Princess Nalan asked when she saw Lei Xing frowning.

    Lei Xing quickly corrected her expression and responded, "No, I''m fine."

    "Being in a carriage is so suffocating. Once you learn to ride, you''ll never like carriages again. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you are racing before I leave." Princess Nalan said, snickering as she thought of it.

    Lei Xing nervously laughed along, feeling a bit worried about her future.

    {...Someone can die falling from a racing horse, namely me. I don''t want to race T_T)...}

    {...*Hahahahahaha Don''t worry, I know a remedy to mend broken bones quickly. I change my mind, she''s great! Hahahahaha...}

    When they arrived and Lei Xing got down to see a landscape covered with flowers of different colors flowing through like a river to the horizon. It was quite a breathtaking sight. Princess Nalan took a deep breath and smiled, then got on one of the horses and speedily galloped towards the horizon. Prince Rui frowned and quickly followed with Molin to ensure her safety.

    Lei Xing sighed and enviously watched as the three rode off.

    {...She seems so wild and free...If I were like her, I could have gotten on a horse and run off on my own a long time ago with no care or fear of the world...}

    {...*You also possess an adventurous spirit, just not an impulsive one. There''s nothing wrong with that...}

    {...Something else we agree on...}

    {...*See, we''re getting along! ^_^)...}

    {...Haha I guess ?_?)...}

    "Jealous?"

    Lei Xing turned to see Prince Yi standing beside her, then faced forward, "No, just admiring."

    "I could give you some riding lessons now to pass the time." He offered with a smile.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Another volunteer tutor -_-)''...}

    She smiled and curtly replied, "Thank you but I''d rather just enjoy the view." Then she started on one of the paths in the flower field with Ah Jin following behind.

    Prince Yi frowned and looked at her back for a bit, then fell into step beside her. Lei Xing glanced at him then pretended not to notice him.

    "I heard you had an accident."

    Lei Xing cast him a quick glance, wondering what angle he was working on now and ignored him.

    Prince Yi then sighed, "My brother is quite lenient when it comes to his mother. It is unfortunate..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and ignored him, pretending not to understand, running her hand through the flower bed.

    {...I don''t need any fake sympathy -_-)...}

 Chapter 102 - Slithering Frenzy

    Lei Xing focused on admiring the flowers and ignored Prince Yi. She could gather that he knew something of the dowager''s involvement in her "accident" and reasoned that perhaps he wanted to validate the information from her. It was also likely that he was trying to goad her into starting trouble. She was definitely not interested in starting any drama and was especially not interested in becoming anyone''s puppet to be manipulated.

    {...Honestly, I don''t why this guy keeps bothering me...Can''t he get a clue? I''m being very obvious too -_-)...}

    {...*Tch, I know right!... Some people just like to complicate things!... Seriously, would it kill you to just listen? Hmph!...}

    {...Are you talking to me?... What''s your issue now? I didn''t even do anyth-...}

    {...*Nothing!... I just agree that it''s annoying when people refuse to understand and make it hard for m- You! I''m just annoyed on your behalf!...}

    {...I see...Thank you...-_-?)...}

    {...*You''re welcome!...}

    Lei Xing snorted. This bracelet was somewhat amusing. Although she was still skeptical of its words and unhappy with being held hostage, it occasionally had its good moments.

    When Lei Xing did not respond for a while, Prince Yi frowned at her disinterested demeanor, but was not discouraged and quickly put on a smile and approached her again, "If you wa-"

    "Ahhh!" Lei Xing suddenly shrieked as she speedily turned, bumping into Prince Yi, which caused both of them to tumble to the ground. Prince Yi stared at her face, wide-eyed with shock as he held her. But before he could process what was happening. Lei Xing pushed off him while reciting, "Snake! Snake! Snake! Snake! Snake!..." As she raced out of the flower field towards the carriage, leaving a shocked Prince Yi and Ah Jin behind.

    When she reached the carriage, she finally stopped and caught her breath. It was only when she saw the shocked expressions of the guards, who quickly looked away. It was then she realized what she just did. Lei Xing turned to the side, using a hand to shield her face in embarrassment.

    She had always had a massive fear of snakes. When she was younger even seeing one in a book or on TV would petrify her, and it would take a while before she unfroze. At least now she could run after years of trying to desensitize herself by forcing herself to watch shows about snakes.

    She turned back to the flower field and saw Ah Jin walking towards her, with Prince Yi dusting himself off still standing where she left him.

    {...It''s not my fault! Snakes are just...Snakes! >_

    {...*Hahahahahaha Yes, in your book it definitely is! Hahahahahaha Following you is so much more fun! Who knew you could be this fun! Hahahahaha...}

    Lei Xing frowned, feeling aggrieved, it was not her fault. Ah Jin came up to her and asked if she was alright. Lei Xing lightly nodded, keeping her head low and facing away from the guards. She was completely red with embarrassment now.

    Prince Yi eventually returned and then held out a hand in front of Lei Xing, whose eyes widened as she inhaled deeply and almost flew off again, but managed control herself and just jump behind Ah Jin, using her as a human barrier.

    {...I''m sorry Ah Jin...but, but...I can''t even justify it T_T)..}

    "Why are you holding that?!" She barked, at her wit''s end, it was taking all her self-control not to run off again.

    Prince Yi smirked and retrieved the hand, and stroked the head of the green snake wrapped around his arm. He looked at Lei Xing''s wide-eyed almost teary expression and thought it was cute and snickered, "It''s fine. It''s won''t bite...Here, touch it." He said stretching the hand towards her again.

    Lei Xing swiftly changed locations to behind the carriage, putting more distance between her and this snake master, as she said, "I don''t care if it bites or not! Just keep it away from me!... You''ll scare the horses!"

    {...What sort of weirdo picks up a random snake?! T_T)...}

    {...*Hahaha A weirdo with an affinity with snakes...Even it were poisonous, it wouldn''t bite him...You, on the other hand, it might just be daring enough~ hahahahahaha...}

    {...It''s not funny! >_

    Prince Yi was amused by her reaction and was enjoying himself with a smile. The three that had gone off returned to see this weird scene. Princess Nalan saw the snake in Prince Yi''s hand and excitedly went over to stroke its head and said, "How cute." To Lei Xing''s absolute horror. Lei Xing was feeling lightheaded as she watched them casually playing and standing around the snake.

    {...Ohhh these people are crazy...A panda is cute! A snake is never cute! I don''t care even if it has a freaking panda''s face!! A Snake is just NEVER EVER cute! >_

    {...*Hahaha Don''t you think you''re overreacting? I''d have never thought you would be so scared of that tiny little t-...}

    {...Leave me alone!...}

    Molin finally could not help breaking into wild laughter as he looked at Lei Xing hanging behind the carriage while vigilantly staring at the tiny snake, as if it would jump out to strike her at any time. Princess Nalan quickly joined in, and even Prince Rui and Prince Yi were quietly chuckling along. She could also hear the muffled laughter of the guards behind her. Lei Xing was not at all amused.

    {...I''m glad I could be your icebreaker, freaking As**oles!! -_-)...}

    "Are you going to keep it? If not let me have it!" Princess Nalan said causing Lei Xing to immediately glare at her from her safe distance.

    {...If you bring that thing into the carriage, I will MURDER you and then it, somehow...I want to return to the palace right now! I''d rather take scheming witches over snakey ones any day...I don''t even know what I''m talking about anymore. Please don''t bring it! >_

    Prince Yi glanced at Lei Xing who looked like she was about to cry and then said, "It''s better for it stay here. The city isn''t ideal for it." After saying that, he went and released it at the edge of the flower field and it slithered off, then he turned to see Lei Xing letting out a sigh of relief and snorted.

    As they made their way back to the city. Princess Nalan narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing, "Hmm, so you''re scared of snakes too?"

    Lei Xing frowned, "I''m not scared, I just don''t like them near me. They are slimy an-"

    "They are not slimy at all, they just look that way." Princess Nalan corrected, "They are actually pretty smooth and cool, nice to the touch! I''ll find one for you to touc-"

    "No need! I''ll just take your word for it." Lei Xing finished with a strained smile.

    Princess Nalan looked at her strained smile and then laughed, "You''re really cute. Just like how I imagined a younger sister to be...Although you''re a bit of a coward bu-"

    "I said wasn''t scared, I just don''t like them." Lei Xing defended.

    Princess Nalan pat her shoulder and humored her, "Okay, I understand. You weren''t scared...Hm, how about you call me jiejie from now on? Or Nalan jie? Which do you prefer?" She asked smiling at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing was not amused at all. She did not respond and looked out the window.

    {...Now they''re just blatantly treating me like a child...All this disrespect! At least in the palace, the disrespect is at least on an a.d.u.l.t level...Well, most of the time T_T)...}

    When Lei Xing did not respond, Princess Nalan laughed, "Either way, we have to work on your bravery. I''m sure you scream at rats too, don''t you? Oh, have you ever tried a rat before? It''s quite good. Let me tell you about this one time..."

    Lei Xing spent the rest of the carriage ride listening to Princess Nalan''s talking about various delectables she had eaten and how good they were. Lei Xing could appreciate cultural differences, but when it came to food there are certain things she just would not do and Princess Nalan''s vivid descriptions of the slaughtering and cooking methods did not help at all.

    The carriage finally stopped and Lei Xing got down to see that they had stopped at what was known to be the best theatre house in the city. Prince Yi smiled at her, but she just glared at him and looked away. It seemed this was his idea to make up for causing her embarrassment.

    After they settled in a booth, they ordered food and wine. The other three also seemed to be trying to make it up to Lei Xing by giving her food, pouring her wine and generally making sure she was as comfortable as possible. Although she did not have much of an appetite thanks to Princess Nalan''s sermon, she accepted all their gestures and her mood brightened up.

    Although she was still a bit bothered by the fact that the three Zou people seemed to be treating her like a pouting child. She eventually let it go, thinking it was probably a cultural thing with them. They seemed very welcoming, plus she did not mind the special treatment.

    Prince Yi quietly sat at the edge of the table outside the cheerful scene, quietly observing the scene, specifically Lei Xing, he looked down at his hand for a while, then his eyes settled back on her.

    {...I think I might actually...}

 Chapter 103 - ...On A Mission

    That evening, Lei Xing returned to the palace with her bouquet flowers in hand in a pretty good mood. The Princess was not what she expected at all, and the group did not turn out to be the awkward tense lot their initial gathering presented. Although the dissolution of the tense atmosphere came by way of her embarrassment, she decided to overlook that fact and summed it up to be quite a good day.

    She was still feeling a bit queasy, which baffled her as she usually had thicker nerves than this. Regardless of how much Princess Nalan''s detailed cuisine session bothered her, she should have gotten well over it by now. Lei Xing sighed and concluded that this body was really too weak and pampered. She ate some berries to help alleviate the feeling of nausea and then went for a warm bath, relaxing and lingered in the bath until she started dozing off.

    Then she happily made her way back to her room, yawning and longing for her bed. She stopped in her tracks when she rounded the corner and saw more servants than usual around, then she glanced around and then frowned at her bedroom doors.

    Seeing her just standing there, an Eunuch took the initiative and walked up to her and smiled, "Your highness, the Emperor did not want to rush you and so has been waiting inside for you, for quite a while now. You should hurry in."

    Lei Xing cast him a side glare, irritated with his smile. He quickly bowed and retreated when he saw her expression. Lei Xing then took a deep breath and went inside. She bowed in greeting to the Emperor who was sitting down on the side looking at her.

    The Emperor looked her over and then asked, "How was your day?"

    Lei Xing observed his expression and thought he looked normal and so went to sit down as she responded, "It was great."

    "Great?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Good." Lei Xing corrected as she scratched her hand. Then she went to pour herself a cup of tea, she saw the Emperor still looking at her with a raised eyebrow and then gave a half-smile and poured a cup for him as well as she said, "The Princess is a lively and fun person to be around."

    "Sounds like you get along well." The Emperor commented as he picked up his cup, took a sip and then asked, "What about Prince Rui?"

    Lei Xing blinked and swiftly responded, "He seems okay too. I didn''t really interact with him." She finished and drank her tea.

    "Is that the bracelet?" The Emperor asked frowning at the bracelet on her wrist that was exposed as she had her hand up holding the cup.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, looked at the bracelet then at him and was confused, "What bracelet?"

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "The one you received today."

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Bracelet? What the hell is this guy tal-...Ohhh! See, good thing I didn''t take it -_-)...}

    Lei Xing relaxed her expression and lightly sighed, "So that''s what was in the box." Then she saw the Emperor''s disbelieving frown and quickly explained, "I had it gifted to my sister."

    "You didn''t open it?"

    Lei Xing shook her head and the Emperor smiled in approval, seemingly pleased with her choice. Lei Xing who observed him suddenly switching moods, thought it was funny but held herself back from laughing. The Emperor then frowned again and looked at her, Lei Xing flinched a bit and cautiously looked back at him.

    {...What? What now?  ? _ ?) ...}

    "Why would a foreign prince be giving you a gift?" He asked with his eyebrows raised.

    Lei Xing froze for a bit and blinked.

    {...Is it okay to tell him? Could it cause trouble? Ahh, I''m not sure...I could say it was a courtesy gift...Yeah, but then his sister should have been the one giving the gift not him...Also, this guy is sneaky as hell, what if he''s trying to trap me somehow?...But now why would he do that? -_-)...}

    {...*Because he''s petty -_-)...}

    {...Is he though? I don''t really get that vibe...Ah yes, there was that book thing though...maybe?...}

    {...*Let me tell you, he''s a - His kind is very petty! Petty Brat!...}

    "You don''t know?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her when Lei Xing did not respond.

    Lei Xing instantly made her decision. She barely knew Prince Rui and technically owed him nothing. Not to mention, the alliance story going around was that he confronted the Emperor around that time period, so the Emperor obviously knew he was in the city, so it should not matter if she said the truth. And so she honestly answered, "Oh, ah...I offered him a little help in the past...unknowingly. So as per their custom, he sought to repay the good deed with the gift."

    "I see..." The Emperor calmly said.

    Lei Xing gave herself a mental pat on the back, she had still instinctively left out the details, so she did well enough for a person she barely knew.

    "What help did you offer?" The Emperor inquired and Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Screw it, it''s their problem. I tried -_-)...}

    "I had freed a group of slaves, and he happened to be in amongst them." She bluntly explained.

    The Emperor then smiled at her and nodded, "It was indeed a good deed." Then he went ahead to leisurely finish his tea.

    Lei Xing slightly narrowed her eyes at him.

    {...He definitely knew, right?... He was trying to catch me in a lie, wasn''t he? -_-)...}

    {...*Told you he was petty! -_-)...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and refilled her teacup and drank, her mouth was feeling very dry for some reason and her head was starting to hurt. She closed her eyes and rubbed her head, tired and wanting her bed.

    {...I need sleep...Can this guy go now, please?...}

    {...*Hehe~ I will give you some privacy now. Goodnight hehe~...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows wondering when the bracelet became so polite.

    "Xing er''." The Emperor softly called and Lei Xing opened her eyes to find him standing in front of her with a hand outstretched towards her.

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows and looked from his hand to his face, a bit confused at first, then she quickly became wary. He smiled and motioned for her to take his hand. Instead, Lei Xing frowned at the hand and then quickly got up on her own, putting her hands behind her back and wiggled out to the side, to put space between them.

    The Emperor''s smile quickly changed into a smirk and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Lei Xing nervously smiled and looked off to the side as she awkwardly said, "Ah, it''s been a very long day. Thank you for coming to uh,... check on my day...I''m sure you''ve also had a tiring day. You should go ba-"

    The rest of her words caught in her throat when the Emperor suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. Lei Xing instinctively put her hands up to his chest in a futile attempt to hold him back and looked down avoiding eye contact as she nervously said, "Um, I do-"

    "I''m happy you were honest with me." The Emperor said smiling at her, "Now that''s settled. We should get on to important things." He softly said as he lowered his head to kiss her. He had barely just touched her lips, when Lei Xing pushed him back a little and said, "Um, I- I''m not feeling well so-"

    "You look very healthy to me." The Emperor said smiling as he brought a hand up to caress her cheek, then he raised her head so she had no choice but to face him. Lei Xing knit her brows as she kept blinking feeling nervous and awkward and turning redder the more she looked at him. The Emperor caressed her cheek with his thumb and softly said, "Xing er'', I will be gentle."

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him, she could see her reflection in his gentle eyes that seemed to be beseeching her, asking for approval. Lei Xing''s eyes darted off to the side and her heart was pounding loudly. She was feeling incredibly nervous and somewhat uncomfortable.

    {...This is odd...Very odd...}

    "Xing er''?" The Emperor softly called to her again, which made her feel even more anxious. The Emperor kept caressing her cheek as if to reassure her.

    Lei Xing bit her lip and frowned, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

    {...Okay, Enough! We''ve resolved to do this...It''s nothing hard, so let''s stop whatever this is and get it over with!...}

    Lei Xing then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The next moment, she felt her lips be captured in a gentle kiss, that deepened with each movement. His thumb stroked her jaw and then pressed down lightly to part her lips, and his tongue merrily slipped in and entangled hers in a scorning, yet gentle kiss. Lei Xing''s eyebrows lightly twitched but she did not reject it this time as she was prepared for it.

    His movements seemed to get bolder with her acceptance, and the intensity of the kiss increased and his hands began to wander, all the while maintaining the gentleness he promised. Lei Xing could feel all her blood rushing to her face as the hand on her face moved down her neck and ventured lower.

 Chapter 104 - Bothersome thought

    Lei Xing felt her feet lifted off the ground and the Emperor began moving towards the bed only for Lei Xing to push at his shoulders, breaking the kiss, gasping for breath. The Emperor instinctively went to kiss her again but she pushed him back again, fl.u.s.tered, she asked, "C-can we stop?"

    When she saw the Emperor''s dissatisfied, confused expression, she quickly lowered her eyes and said, "It''s you, not me - I''m sorry, I mean it''s me, not you...Please put me down."

    The Emperor knit his brows and put her down, still holding her quietly asked, "Why?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows, keeping her head down, "I''m really not feeling well." She was telling the truth, but looking at his face made her feel guilty for some reason, which further irritated her. She had been feeling queasy since returning, and the kissing made her feel even more so, probably due to the reduced breathing. Her head was now hurting more and her stomach as well.

    Lei Xing then heard the Emperor sigh and frowned. The Emperor then brought a hand and caressed Lei XIng''s face startling her. Then he softly asked, "What''s wrong?"

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she said, "I''m not exactly sure, I just do-" She suddenly felt a strong urge to throw up, and used all her strength to toss the unprepared Emperor to the side, stunning him as she raced to the wash basin on the side and started retching but nothing was coming out.

    The Emperor quickly came to from his shock and went to pat her back, Lei Xing frowned at him for a moment then continued her retching fit. The Emperor then called for the servants to send for an imperial doctor. After a while, Lei Xing finally managed to calm down, breathing heavily and feeling lightheaded. She went to sit down and took the cup of water Xiao Ruo offered, and then just sat there with her eyes closed frowning, completely rundown.

    The Emperor sat beside her and was deeply scrutinizing her.

    {...Is it possible that she''s -...No, she wouldn''t be...And who could possibly be the-...No, she''s not...But that would be a great explanation for why she wanted to leave so badly...to save herself...}

    The Emperor frowned and stared at Lei Xing''s stomach as his mind ran through Lei Xing''s recent change in behavior. Before she was even opposed to the idea of sharing the same bed with him, and then a few days ago she suddenly arrived in his place dressed in a seductive manner, although seeming reluctant, and today she even accepted him.

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, as this realization left him feeling a lot more upset and angry than expected. His anger level was quickly increasing as he looked at her and thought of her being with someone else.

    "All of you leave." The Emperor coldly said through gritted teeth, and the servants quickly vanished from the room.

    Lei Xing opened her eyes to see him coldly glaring at her and flinched.

    {...You can''t be serious -_-)...Can''t I be unwell?! It''s not like I invited you here or something, go somewhere else, there are tons of welcoming eagers waiting for you!...}

    Lei Xing frowned and looked away, enraged at the thought of him getting angry with her because of her illness disrupting his activity. Then she blinked as she became wary and glared back at him, ready to fight.

    {...You entitled idiot! You better not try to touch me! That will be r.a.p.e and I will kill you!...}

    The two sat there glaring at each other for a while, then the Emperor looked away and sighed. He was angry but was not sure what to do with her, if it were exposed they will be calls to kill her as was custom but he could not even fathom that as an option. He also could not fathom sending her away and letting her go as she wanted as an option either. He was at a complete loss on what to do.

    The Emperor sighed again and Lei Xing was confused as she looked as seemingly dejected expression.

    {...Is this guy on drugs or something? His mood swings are quite...perplexing o_O)...}

    The Emperor then turned to her and said, "Xing er'', I am not asking this for the sake of punishing you, but rather it is so we can work on a solution together. So I want you to not worry and be honest." He then paused and took a deep breath as if bracing himself, and Lei Xing looked on completely lost as to where he was going with this.

    "Are you..." The Emperor frowned and stopped, "Is there any chance that you could be " He paused again and rephrased, "Is there any possibility at all, that would make it so that you co..." He paused again and his frown deepened.

    Lei Xing in her irritable mood, barked out, "Be what?!"

    The Emperor looked at her and then frowned down at her stomach, Lei Xing followed his gaze and looked at her stomach too and then back at him and in complete disbelief asked, "Pregnant?"

    The Emperor frown deepened and he glared up at her and chillingly asked, "Are you?"

    "Of course not!" She said appalled at the idea that he would even consider that.

    {...What the hell dude?! Someone bio class...What exactly is going on in his head? And here I thought he was smart o_O)...}

    The Emperor''s face relaxed then he frowned again, "Would you actually tell me if you were?"

    Lei Xing looked at him, unamused and irritated, she flatly said, "It depends." Looking at the Emperor''s deepening frown, she sighed and reassured, "I am definitely not pregnant, it''s impossible."

    The Emperor then smiled and smugly said, "I thought so."

    Lei Xing shook her head.

    {...He definitely is an idiot -_-)...}

    The Imperial doctor eventually came and checked on her condition. As he checked her pulse, she saw the Emperor looking at her wrist suspiciously, probably still on the pregnancy idea so she asked the Imperial doctor, "Is there anything abnormal about my pulse?" As soon as she said this, the Emperor looked off to the side, pretending not to be paying attention and Lei Xing snorted and shook her head.

    {...Definitely an idiot...}

    The Imperial doctor informed that her pulse was normal and but a bit labored due to the retching episode. He explained that her symptoms were probably temporary and nothing serious and must be a result of something she ate not agreeing with her body. And that adequate rest and time will resolve it and also prescribed some medication to alleviate the feeling of nausea and left.

    Lei Xing frowned and cursed Princess Nalan in her head for her unwanted teachings and also cursed this body that was too weak to shut down over simple words. Then she also cursed her overactive imagination for painting very detailed pictures for her torture.

    Lei Xing then turned to the Emperor who was still staring off to the side and said, "Aren''t you leaving?"

    The Emperor turned to her with a raised eyebrow, and Lei Xing advised, "Since I am unwell, you should go somewhere else."

    "I am fine where I am." The Emperor said smirking at her, then he knit his brows, frowned and suddenly got up and announced, "I am going to take a cold bath. You can go to sleep first." Then he left in quick strides.

    Lei Xing frowned but was too tired to be bothered. She told Xiao Ruo to put another blanket on the bed. Then she rolled herself in her own blanket. The Emperor returned to him a while later to find a Lei Xing roll in the corner of the bed. He snorted and then got in the bed and went to hug the roll. Lei Xing frowned when she felt his arm around her, she was already feeling constricted in the roll and this made it worse.

    "Oh, you''re still awake." The Emperor said when he sensed her movement and leaned on his hand so he could see her face on the other side, she had her eyes closed but her eyebrows were twitching. He smirked and then asked, "Isn''t it hot in there? I was debating removing so you wouldn''t feel suffocated."

    "This is how I normally sleep." Lei Xing finally responded, burying her face in the blanket. The Emperor snorted as he thought she was really cute when nervous. He then moved her hair and gave her kiss on the cheek and saw her knit her brows and said, "good night."

    Then he hugged the Lei Xing roll tightly and settled in to sleep behind her. After a while like that, Lei Xing finally could not take it, and groaned loudly. He moved his hand and she sat up and freed herself from the blanket, "Fine."

    The Emperor smiled and said, "Comfort is important."

 Chapter 105 - Contagious

    That night, Prince Yi revisited the flower field in his dreams.

    This time it was just him and Lei Xing at the scene, alone together in a sea of flowers. Like before, she jumped into his arms and they fell to the ground. She looked at him wide-eyed with shock at first, then she smiled brightly. He smiled back and brought a hand up and caressed her cheek.

    She blushed and looked down shyly, then glanced up at him with wide teary eyes. He could not help himself and rolled over and pinned her down on the soft grass, below him. She was startled and blinked a few times, he gently stroked her face then leaned down to kiss her lips.

    Just as their lips met, he was startled awake by a woman''s scream. His eyes flew open and he sat up and looked around to find himself in his bedroom, with no Lei Xing present and one of his concubines n.a.k.e.d on the floor by the bed. He glared angrily at her and she flinched and looked down.

    Then he sighed in irritation, annoyed with the rude awakening. He closed his eyes while massaging his aching head and asked through gritted teeth, "What are you screaming about so early in the early in the morning?"

    "Yo-your highn-ness, sp-spots, y-your face, bo-body..." She jumbled her words, confused. She was not sure what she was going on. She had been with him last night and he looked perfectly fine. Then she woke up this morning to find the body next to hers covered with red spots and immediately jumped back, which caused her to fall off the bed, and she screamed in the process.

    Prince Yi was further irritated with her inability to speak properly and barked "Get out!" She immediately got off the floor and quickly put on her robe and ran out.

    The poor concubine returned to her room dreading the trouble she had gotten herself into. All the women in his residence knew not to bother the Prince when he was in a bad mood, as he becomes highly irritable and particularly harsh with punishment. And lately, he was always in a bad mood so they all stayed away, but yesterday was different. He seemed to be in a great mood when he returned, and so she had dared to go to his room on her own last night. He did not refuse her and was quite happy too. So she thought that she had gained some merit, but now she had ruined his mood by not controlling her stupid mouth.

    Prince Yi sighed and went to get out of bed. His head was pounding and his body was feeling weak and irritated for some reason. Then he froze when he noticed the red spots on his body and frowned in confusion. He then got up and went to the mirror, only to find red spots scattered all over his body.

    ***

    Meanwhile, back at the palace.

    The Emperor was enjoying a lazy morning. With no court to attend today, he was happily snoozing away while hugging his Lei Xing. Later waking from his relaxed sleep sometime around to be greeted with the shocking view of his Lei Xing''s face and neck covered with red spots.

    He frowned and touched her face, then looked at her hands which were also the littered with spots. He then picked up an arm and moved her sleeve to check her forearm to see the same. He then gently moved her head from his shoulder to the pillow, then quietly got out of the bed. Then properly covered her with the blanket, went out and ordered the servants to quickly go get an Imperial doctor.

    Then he went back inside and sat down on the bed observing her sleeping form and quietly sighed.

    {...She really needs a lot of care. How did she go out to simply see flowers and return with this?...}

    The Imperial doctor quickly came and the Emperor asked him to quietly check on her condition. Then they went outside to discuss her condition, so as not to bother her sleep. On seeing the Imperial doctor''s serious expression, the Emperor felt a bit panicked and knit his brows, "Is it serious?"

    The Imperial doctor blinked and looked up at the Emperor, "Ah? Oh, I will have to look more into it...but it seems there is a possibility that it might be the start of an epidemic. The Noble consort should be quarantined for now. I advise that Your majesty should also stay away." He finished with a bow.

    The Emperor frowned and irritatedly said, "I just spent the night with her, if she''s contagious then I already have whatever it is, and as I feel fine, I say she is not." On seeing the Imperial doctor''s deepening frown, the Emperor then asked, "Have there been other such cases? Why haven''t I been informed if it is widespread."

    The Imperial doctor knit his brows and explained, "Well, just one. Early this morning, I was called to Prince Yi''s residence. He seems to have the same symptoms as the Noble consort. He also complained of a headache and nausea. Hmm, I will be able to confirm once the Noble consort is awake...I cannot say for certain now until further observation, but it is better to be safe. I beg your majesty to keep a dis-"

    "What about the Zou Prince and Princess? Are they ill?" The Emperor suddenly asked cutting him off.

    The Imperial doctor shook his head, "There have been repor-

    "You stay here." The Emperor coldly said and then walked off with a deepening frown.

    {...Only two of them have it? Doesn''t that mean that - he wouldn''t and she''s smarter than that...}

    The Emperor took a deep breath and quickly returned to his palace and sent for Bi Lo and Bi Lu, the twin brothers tasked with watching and reporting on Lei Xing''s movement.

    The Emperor initially had them following her when she was still under suspicion in order to uncover the secrets she was hiding. After the voice explained itself, he left them to continue to watch over her whenever she left the palace for her protection. The brothers continued to report to him like usual, he did not mind it, and so he left the arrangement as is.

    As he was particularly interested in her interactions with the Zou people, he had paid more attention than usual and even specifically asked for details. His brother has been behaving suspiciously around her since the beginning and this illness set alarms off in his head, and he felt like something was missing from the information he received.

    After the guards arrived in his study, the Emperor quietly scrutinized them for a while. Then he finally asked, "Is there anything missing from yesterday''s report?"

    The two looked up at him with confused expressions. The Emperor then frowned and pinpointed, "Anything noteworthy to report regarding my Noble consort and my brother?"

    The brothers looked at each other and knit their brows, then Bi Lo''s eyes lit up and he went, "Oh! Ah...there was that snake incident."

    The Emperor''s raised an eyebrow, "Snake?"

    Bi Lu explained, "It was nothing special, apparently the Noble consort is afraid of snakes and Prince Yi teased her for a bit..."

    The Emperor frowned, "Teased?"

    Bi Lo snickered and said, "It was payback for pushing him. It was quite the scene hahaha..." He immediately closed his mouth when he saw the Emperor narrowing his eyes at him.

    "Explain properly." The Emperor irritatedly said.

    Bi Lu frowned at his brother, cupped his hands respectfully and explained, "It seems while exploring the flower field, the Noble consort came across a snake. In her fear she jumped and accidentally bumped into Prince Yi, causing them to fall to the ground. After which, she quickly got up and ran off to safety, leaving Prince Yi on the ground...He later picked up the snake and brought it to show her which caused her to cower behind the carriage. That''s all."

    The Emperor then sighed and relaxed, massaging his head.

    {...What am I thinking? Of course, it was an accident...First pregnancy and now this. I''m starting to become ridiculous...}

    The Emperor laughed to himself, sighed again and ordered, "From now on, report everything to me, don''t leave out details."

 Chapter 106 - Patient Zero

    Lei Xing woke up in the afternoon, feeling worse than before. Her head was pounding and body aching. The spots weren''t bumpy, itchy or painful, but they definitely affected her on the inside as she was feeling very unwell. The head physician quickly arrived to check on her, with two other Imperial doctors, one she recognized from the night before.

    When Lei Xing asked what her condition was, the head physician regretfully informed that they were still investigating it. Then he assured her that they will definitely be able to make a breakthrough soon, and she will be back to full health in no time and there was nothing for her to worry about.

    After hearing that, Lei Xing just sat on the bed staring at them wide-eyed in shock.

    {...No cure? O_O)...}

    Seeing her lack of response, the head physician reassured her again that all will be well, and that the entire department was working on her case. He then calmly advised that it was best for her to remain in her palace to prevent it from spreading, as they had not yet completely ruled out that possibility. Then he reassured her again that she will be fine.

    All Lei Xing took away from his ramblings was that she was a serious case, possibly contagious, and in general, it seemed like a confirmation of her death sentence.

    {...I don''t think patient zeros ever survive. I''m going to die T_T)...}

    While Lei Xing was still in shock over the looming sense of her imminent, painful demise, the Emperor arrived. He smiled at Lei Xing who was too busy staring off into space to pay him any attention. She was consumed with her pre-mourning, dreading her painful end to come. The eunuch following behind the Emperor handed a tray with a small sack on it to one of the Imperial doctors.

    The Emperor then said to the head physician, "That''s the cause, find a cure." then he walked over to Lei Xing and sat beside her on the bed and asked, "How are you feeling?"

    Lei Xing who was still reeling in grief, quietly murmured to herself, "I''m going to die?"

    The Emperor sighed then pat her head, "You''ll be fine."

    On seeing this, the head physician panicked and immediately said, "Your majesty, you really shouldn-"

    The Emperor frowned and barked, "I said go find a cure!"

    "But Your maje-" The head physician still tried to protest but stopped when Emperor glared at him. He sighed, then bowed and left with the others in the room, leaving Lei Xing and the Emperor alone.

    The Emperor stroked Lei Xing''s head and reassured, "There is no need to worry, they will have the medicine soon."

    Lei Xing finally woke up from her stupor, frowned and brushed his hand off then asked, "Wh-what caused this?"

    The Emperor frowned at the hand she brushed off, then sighed, "Most likely the flowers you fell on."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Flowers? How do you know?"

    The Emperor offhandedly responded, "It''s the only thing that makes sense."

    After discussing with Bi Lo and Bi Lu, he concluded that the illness had something to do with the fall, since it was the only instance that affected only her and his brother. They ate the same food as the others and besides that moment, Lei Xing had no direct contact with his brother. Also while Lei Xing touched other flowers, his brother did not.

    Although it''s possible that she may have touched him after touching the cause. But according to the Bi brothers, she did not make contact with his skin. So after thinking about, the flowers they fell on were the likely culprit. So he sent the Bi brothers to go bring some for testing. If this is wrong, then they will uproot all the flowers in the field to find the cause.

    "But -"

    "It''s nothing for you to worry about. Just get enough rest and get healthy." The Emperor interjected. He was not keen on explaining the backstory of how he uncovered all this. "Have you eaten?"

    Lei Xing shook her head, then frowned and laid back down, facing away from him and covered herself with the blanket, "I''m not hungry. You can leave."

    The Emperor looked at her for a while, then said, "Rest well. I''ll come back later."

    "No need to." Lei Xing mumbled back, shuffling further down the bed, out of reach. The Emperor frowned, then sighed again and got up and left.

    After he left, Lei Xing got up and with Ah Jin''s assistance went to take a warm bath. She found she felt better in the bath and so stayed in for as long as possible. After that, she tried to eat something, but the moment she did, it immediately came back up, sending her into a retching fit which made her insides ache. After that, she weakly went to lie down, and Ah Jin placed ice wrapped in sheets on her head and stomach, to ease the pain and she eventually fell asleep.

    In the evening, Lei Xing weakly opened her eyes then closed them as she winced in pain when she moved. She called for water and someone quickly held her up and held a cup to her lips and she eagerly drank and then relaxed back with a sigh.

    She then frowned when she realized that she was resting on someone, her eyes flew open to see the Emperor looking down at her. She was too tired to move, so instead, she irritatedly asked, "Why are you here again?"

    The Emperor wrapped his arms around her and asked, "Why can''t I be here?"

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance and bit back, "I''m contagious. Go somewhere else."

    The Emperor then smiled, "It''s nice of you to worry about me."

    Lei Xing frowned and mumbled, "Who''s worrying about you? I just don''t want to deal with the false accusation of sending you to death''s door right now."

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, taken aback by her statement. Then he chuckled and stroked her hair, "Don''t worry, I''m a lot more resilient than most people, so it''ll take more than something like this to kill me so you''re safe...Also if you were truly contagious, then it''s already too late." The Emperor finished smirking down at her.

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and mumbled, "It''ll shock you." And closed her eyes.

    The Emperor snorted, it seems she was a lot more loose-tongued when ill, and a blatantly ruder too, normally she would at least attempt to hide it. But he did not mind it as she was ill, plus he actually found it funny, and cute too.

    "Do you want to eat something?" The Emperor asked but Lei Xing did not respond. After a while of no response, he thought she had gone back to sleep and so moved to lay her back down, when she suddenly hugged his waist. He blinked, a bit shocked but stayed still and swiftly hugged her back.

    They stayed like that for a while, then he heard her sniffing and looked down to find tear streaks running down her face. He felt a pang in his heart and frowned, and quickly brought up a hand to wipe the tears and softly asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"

    Lei Xing did not respond. She despised being sick, it always brought unpleasant feelings of loneliness and dependency that she did not want or need. It was the only time where she felt lonely being by herself, and uncomfortable in her solitude. And she always had the nagging urge to run home to her family to be pampered and cared for, "I want to go home." She finally mumbled after a while.

    The Emperor knit his brows and did not know how to respond and so bluntly said, "You can''t right now." Then he thought that was not the right approach, "Um...It''s not safe, the palace has the best care available. It''s better to stay here..." He paused and frowned in thought and then added, "Your family may get sick too...and -"

    Lei Xing nodded and so he stopped, sighing in relief.

    In the end, the family she wanted was not the one he could give, no one could. The Emperor looked at her face and wiped off the tears that kept trickling down from her lowered eyes, he then quietly asked, "Can''t this be your home?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows, but before she could respond. The doors opened and she instinctively pushed off the Emperor and almost ended up falling down to the ground. Thankfully, the Emperor reacted quickly and caught her. He looked at her frowning expression and then frowned himself, feeling upset with her response as he rested her back against the headboard.

    Xiao Ruo came in along with the head physician and a few other Imperial doctors. They walked up to the bed and bowed in greeting, then the head physician happily informed, "Your majesty, we have found the cure."

    and Lei Xing skeptically looked at it the Imperial physician in disbelief and mumbled, "That quick?"

    The head physician smugly smiled and explained, "Your highness, after you take this now, you will instantly feel better. And after a few days of taking this, the spots will clear up as well. You can rest easy now."

    Xiao Ruo then brought the bowl of medicine up to Lei Xing, who knit her brows as she looked at the orange-hued broth in the bowl.

    {...Who knew ancient medicine was this quick? But a few hours though...}

 Chapter 107 - Cured Pursuit

    Lei Xing just scrutinized the bowl and its contents and made no move to accept it. After a while, the Emperor then sighed and said, "Xing er'', you should hurry and drink it and rest some more."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and nodded. Xiao Ruo then wanted to feed it to her, but she persistently insisted on drinking it herself and so they obliged and gave her bowl. She held it in her lap and glanced around at all the faces watching at her, then covertly looked at her ring and saw it change color. Then she frowned and sighed in annoyance

    {...As expected, these idiots are trying to kill me -_-)...}

    Lei Xing frowned and looked up at the head physician and asked, "What''s in this?"

    The Head physician knit his brows, a bit displeased with being questioned but respectfully informed her of the whole list of beneficial herbs that went into the brew and finished with, "...and the flowers."

    Lei Xing''s raised her eyes, "The flowers...the ones that caused this?"

    The head physician saw her worry and thought to enlighten her and informed, "Your highness, sometimes the cure is in the poison itself."

    Lei Xing frowned at him and asked, "Do I look like a guinea pig to you?"

    They all blinked, confused with her question. She did not wait for a response and motioned for Xiao Ruo to take the bowl, but before Xiao Ruo could grab it, the Emperor took it from her hands and tried to reason with her, "Xing er'', just beca-"

    "I''m not drinking it." Lei Xing resolutely said, glaring at him.

    The head physician knit his brows and explained, "Your highness, it is perfectly safe a-"

    "Did you drink it?" Lei Xing bit out.

    "Well, no bu-"

    "Then you don''t know. Why don''t you drink it first? And if it doesn''t kill you, then I''ll drink it." Lei Xing stubbornly said, her energy level had surged up all of sudden and she was ready to fight.

    The head physician and the others were at a loss on what to do with the Noble consort who was behaving like a spoilt child and so looked to the Emperor, who was frowning at Lei Xing. Lei Xing faced the other direction, ignoring him. She was not going to let them force her to take poison.

    The Emperor then sighed and turned to the head physician, "Has my brother taken it already?"

    On hearing that, Lei Xing''s ears perked up and she immediately turned to him and asked, "Your brother is sick too?"

    The Emperor glared at her, then she pouted and looked away.

    {...I just asked a question, there''s no need to look at me like I punched your face or something -_-)...}

    The head physician bowed and informed, "Yes, he has already taken it and his condition has already seen improvement." They had come up with this solution much earlier in the day, but since Lei Xing was asleep they sent it to Prince Yi first. Also, Lei Xing''s seemed to be in worse condition than Prince Yi, so they were scared of making her worse, especially considering how the Emperor had been sticking to her side all day, if anything happened to her, their heads will roll.

    The Emperor then turned to Lei Xing, "You''ve heard it. Hurry and drink it."

    Lei Xing looked at him, then frowned at the bowl in his hand. She was aware that some toxins could be used as a cure but was still a bit hesitant on ingesting it giving her current state caused by said toxin. The Emperor then took it upon himself to feed her and brought a spoonful to her mouth. Lei Xing jerked her head back.

    The Emperor then frowned and ordered, "Open." Lei Xing looked at him with an aggrieved expression, then looked back at the spoon, let out a breath.

    {...Since the guinea pig is fine, I guess it''s fine then -_-)...}

    Lei Xing reached for the spoon to feed herself but the Emperor, seemingly at the end of his patience, frowned and sternly said, "Sit quietly and take your medicine." So Lei Xing sat still with a frown, begrudgingly being fed.

    {...Why are you talking to me like I''m a child? You''re the one behaving like a child! -_-)...}

    Just as they were half-way through the bowl, an Imperial doctor suddenly burst through the doors and shouted, "Head physician, there''s trouble!"

    They all froze and the head physician immediately reprimanded him for his rude behavior. He quickly bowed and apologized. He looked at the half-empty bowl in the Emperor''s hand, then at Lei Xing and panicked informed, "Prince Yi has collapsed!"

    Lei Xing blinked up at him, then went wide-eyed, "Huh?"

    Her mouth hung open for a bit, then she broke into a hysterical coughing fit. The Emperor quickly dropped the bowl and held onto her, patting her back as the head physician quickly ran over to check on her condition.

    Lei Xing was instinctively trying to cough up the medication but ended up in a painful dry retching session, after calming down a bit and breathing heavily. They brought water to her, and she moved her hand from her mouth to see blood in her palm. Her eyes went wide and then rolled to the back of her head.

    {...These idiots T_T)...}

    Lei Xing slipped into unconsciousness and went limp in the Emperor''s arms. Everyone in the room panicked. The head physician applied some acupuncture, then assured the Emperor, "Your majesty,  there is nothing to worry about. The blood is only as a result of suffering a shock in her weakened state-"

    "I can see that...and the poison you just fed her?" The Emperor coldly asked through gritted teeth. The head physician immediately got on his knees, along with the other Imperial doctors in the room.

    The head physician then went on to explain, "It is possible that their bodies need some time to...familiarize with the medication...Wh-which is why Prince Yi ended up collapsing. He must have overexerted himself...And Her highness...it was due to the shock on the news, otherwise -... She just needs some time to rest and properly recover..." The head physician finished kowtowing, with the others following.

    The Emperor did not say anything. Once Xiao Ruo had finished wiping the blood from Lei Xing''s hand. He gently put her down on the bed and properly covered her with the blanket. Then he glared down at the head physician''s head. After a long stretch of silence, the Emperor took a deep breath then calmly said, "Rest? Very well then, I understand. Rise..."

    The Head physician let out a sigh in relief thankful for the Emperor''s understanding, he bowed his head again then stood up. The Emperor then calmly continued, "...Since you have said this. If anything does happen to her beyond rest, I will consider it your doing...at a minimum. So it is in all your best interests to make sure it is simply rest."

    The head physician looked up at the Emperor''s slight smile, felt a shiver and looked down, then assured again that she will be fine. The Emperor nodded and told them to leave.

    When they got outside, the head physician harshly scolded the Imperial doctor who had brought the information about Prince Yi and blamed him for shocking Lei Xing and worsening her condition. Then assured him that if he were going to die, he will make sure to take him along with him.

    The Imperial doctor apologized profusely, but the head physician scoffed and walked off to quickly make his way to Prince Yi''s manor to find out what went wrong and fix it before it was too late.

    After they were left alone, the Emperor frowned as he stared at the unconscious Lei Xing. He was enraged, and it took a lot of self-control to handle that with calm demeanor. He was also annoyed with himself with this incident as he had forced her to take the medication.

    {...She is going to be alright...right?... }

    {...}

    The Emperor waited for a while, then his frown deepened when no response came.

    {...It makes no sense for you to have brought her to me only for her to die now...when I''ve finally started to see a happy future again...Wouldn''t that be too cruel?...}

    {...}

    Still, he received no response.

 Chapter 108 - Dalliance

    The Emperor went to sleep beside Lei Xing that night highly on edge. He kept jumping awake whenever he thought he heard a sound to check to see if she was awake, but was disappointed every time to find her quietly asleep.

    The next morning, he went to court tired and highly irritable. When the ministers started having a disagreement, it set him off and he harshly scolded them for behaving like children and then stormed off. After that, he went to the royal study but found he was unable to concentrate and was feeling slightly agitated.

    After a while, he got up and went back to Lei Xing''s palace taking along his memorials. He met the head physician applying acupuncture on Lei Xing. He glanced at Lei Xing but not wanting to interrupt the treatment, went to sit on the side watching the head physician work on the unresponsive patient.

    The Emperor watching him made the head physician feel nervous, so he turned to him and explained that the acupuncture is to help circulation and circulation will ensure proper healing. The Emperor did not say anything and simply looked down at the memorial in his hand.

    The head physician gulped and went back to his work, feeling more stressed. He had not been able to rest for over twenty-four hours now trying to figure out the problem with the antidote. From his understanding, it should have worked. The pressure was immense and his head was on the line. He sighed and focused on the acupuncture.

    Everyone in the palace was aware of Lei Xing''s illness, not to mention the Emperor''s irritable mood, and the Imperial physicians running around also created quite the chaotic scene. What''s more, was the sensational rumor surrounding her illness that had been spreading around the palace.

    The rumor went like this: Lei Xing and Prince Yi were secretly lovers before she entered the palace. Prince Yi wanted to marry her but Lei Xing refused and told him she would only marry someone who would be Emperor to fulfill her dream of becoming Empress.

    Therefore, to gain his love Prince Yi suddenly changed his ways and started putting in effort in court to gain his father''s trust in recent years, so he could become the Crown prince. Unfortunately for Prince Yi, upon his father''s death, it was discovered that the Emperor had already secretly made an edict naming the fourth prince as crown prince. Thereby, crowning his younger brother as the next Emperor.

    Lei Xing realizing she was with the wrong prince, subsequently dumped Prince Yi and changed her target to the new Emperor.

    Poor Prince Yi lost his ambition and love. He was heartbroken and bitter and so picked on Lei Xing during the concubine selection to sabotage her either out of spite or in the hope that she would return to him. Unfortunately for him, Lei Xing had other ideas and used her brother, Lei Yong to persuade the Emperor into choosing her regardless. After entering the palace, she then used her beauty to trap the Emperor, but this apparently did not satisfy her.

    Being at the flower field that day brought up fond memories for the two. It used to be their favorite meeting spot. Prince Yi still loved her despite her betrayal and could not help himself when she made advances towards him. So the two had run off to "roll around" amongst the flowers like usual but chose the wrong spot that day, and rolled on some flowers that resulted in their illness.

    Poor Prince Yi is now on his death bed because of her, following her to suffer Heaven''s wrath at her disrespect and disregard for the Emperor. And the poor Emperor, not knowing of her treacherous behavior worriedly watches over her while wearing a bright green hat.

    The rumor obviously painted Lei Xing as a conniving seductress, an evil woman with no restraint or respect. The moment Eunuch Li found out, he went to inform the already irritable Emperor, who became even outraged and ordered for people to investigate and find the dead person who started this rubbish.

    While the Emperor was still fuming over the rumors, with the added fact that Lei Xing was still unconscious, his mother arrived to further add to his irritation. The Empress dowager apparently came out of hibernation after hearing the rumors.

    The Emperor begrudgingly went to meet her at Lei Xing''s reception hall. As soon as he walked in, the Empress dowager scolded, "Don''t you have respect for yourself?!"

    The Emperor ignored her question and went to sit down and then asked, "Why are you here?"

    The Empress dowager frowned, "The question should be why are you here? I was glad you at least had the common sense to restrain yourself when it came to women, but how can your choice be so bad? How can you not know where to draw the line?! You should not be sitting here watching over her dying form! You should toss her out of the palace!"

    The Emperor frowned then sighed and informed, "She is not dying and the rumors are false."

    The Empress dowager scoffed, "Even if you want to deny the rumors, what about the fact that she did not enter the palace a v.i.r.g.i.n? I found out from the servants and you yourself should know the truth better than anyone!"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrow and looked at her in confusion, then came to a realization and frowned, "That is because I haven''t been with her..."

    The Empress dowager blinked and then frowned, "Who are you try-"

    The Emperor was out of patience and cut her off, "It''s not your place to question what I do or don''t do with my wife...I also don''t understand why I am having this conversation with you. You of all people should understand how it feels to be the subject of a false rumor and how it can ruin your life."

    The Empress dowager''s frown deepened and then she quietly said, "This is not the same."

    The Emperor sneered, "Of course it''s not, she hasn''t done anything to deserve it."

    The Empress dowager''s expression changed into a deep scowl, but before she could respond, the Emperor said, "I''m very busy. You should leave now." The Emperor dismissively said narrowing his eyes at the Empress dowager and waiting for her to leave.

    When she just sat there scowling at him. The Emperor looked away feeling uncomfortable, then got up and walked out. He had probably said too much because of his bad mood, but he could not be bothered. After all, she started it herself.

    The Empress dowager sat there alone, stewing as she relived the scene at the main hall when they had falsely accused her of killing the first Empress. When they could not provide evidence of her guilt, they asked her to prove her innocence.

    She stood there as they ridiculed her with a list of her "misdeeds" and provided "witnesses". Some of them were truly her work, but they had compiled everything that ever went wrong in the palace and made it all her fault like she was the only living in the palace.

    At that moment, she hated them all even more. Hated that demon, the stupid ministers, those stupid witches and the one she hated most was that stupid "Empress", who could not even accomplish the basic task of protecting her own life...Even in her death, she wanted to still wanted to make her life hell; always reminding her at every turn that she was the one who got in the way of their love story.

    Even if she hated her, she knew where that demon''s lines were and never thought to cross it. It always made her angry how he seemed to value that woman more than he valued his own life. He let her stab him as much as she wanted and never said a word when she dealt with other people, but when that woman got hurt he even threatened to kill her. Of course, in the end, he could not kill her and decided to keep her locked up instead.

    The Empress dowager got up, annoyed with the reminder of that pathetic time of her life when she truly lost everything...Even the hope to live on.

    {...Why should I have to worry about this ungrateful son?...}

 Chapter 109 - Art of the Deal

    The Emperor returned to the room, sat on the bed and watched Lei Xing. Of course, the Emperor did not believe the rumors. First of all, he had already investigated Lei Xing''s past. Second, he always had people watching his brothers. Therefore, he would know about said secret affair.

    But the rumors still greatly annoyed him. She is to be his Empress so it would not be good to let this sort of false rumor damage her reputation. It was clear that she was the target of the rumors, which meant someone was purposely trying to ruin her.

    The Emperor initially suspected his mother but this was not how she handled things. If it were her, she would have waited until a later time and simply dealt Lei Xing directly, she did not need to spread a rumor to get it done. So he turned his suspicion to the other Imperial wives, but it was not like he could torture all of them to get answers, this would just exacerbate the situation.

    After a while, Eunuch Li came into the room and informed, "Your majesty, everything is ready."

    The Emperor then got up and left to make his way to Prince Yi''s manor. The best way to handle a rumor was to create an even better story and the easiest method was to create a spectacle out of the event.

    So he concluded on paying his brother an official visit to thank him for his efforts, while moving in his full capacity as an Emperor, making a big show that will easily become the talk of the city. The guards had to be deployed in advance to clear the streets and create a human barricade, while the people were to bow as he passed. This sort of movement was a hassle, it was slow and attention-grabbing. Therefore, it was only reserved for official events.

    Therefore it was the perfect spectacle.

    It was announced that Prince Yi had risked injury to save the Emperor''s precious Noble consort from a fall, preventing her from sustaining any serious injuries. The Emperor was greatly relieved and grateful to his brother for protecting her and so decided to pay his brother a visit to express his gratitude, bringing along many gifts.

    Prince Yi was also unconscious so the Emperor put on the grateful act for his residents. He quickly went through the motions, wanting to return to the palace, as seeing Prince Yi''s unconscious form made him worry about Lei Xing. He happened to arrive when the head physician was there and used the opportunity to stress that he was still waiting for results.

    After that, he returned to the palace having accomplished his goal. The rumor was corrected with the truth, although a romanticized version of it. There was also the added bonus that the new topic that completely buried the rumor was about how much the Emperor treasured Noble consort Lei, which uplifted the Emperor''s mood as he heard people whispering about it as he left.

    He truly did seem to have grown very attached to her. It astonished him how quickly it happened. Thinking back on it, perhaps he may have already liked her from much earlier on. At the very least, he thought her to be amusing even during the competition. But his suspicions and caution must have kept his feelings at bay.

    He thought of her a lot and had spent quite a lot of time thinking about how to approach her so they could properly form a relationship. It took him quite a while before his successful tutoring schemes made her comfortable with his presence. She really was not easy to approach, she always seemed to be quietly dismissing him even when she seemed pleased. For example, with the pass and the gold. She accepted them and then closed herself off behind a wall.

    She did the same thing last night too. She hugged him and then pushed him away. The Emperor sighed.

    {...She''s really difficult to understand...}

    ***

    {...*I''m in a bad mood...}

    Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes and then closed them back, feeling so weak, she couldn''t feel her limbs.

    {...And I''m dying -_-)...}

    {...*Let me ask you something, do you believe in fate?...}

    {...-_-)...I said I''m dying!...}

    {...*And I said I''m in a bad mood! Hmph! Can''t you just be good and help me feel better?!...}

    {...-_-)''...}

    Lei Xing was feeling too tired to even think and ignored it, slipping back into sleep.

    {...*Don''t worry this won''t kill you...}

    {...}

    {...*It usually goes away on its own after a week or two...}

    Lei Xing opened her eyes, feeling a sense of renewed hope.

    {...Really? Are you sure? O_O)...}

    {...*Usually...Hehe~ Well, they probably shouldn''t have fed you that brew though...While they have the right idea, that was not the way to use it...It''s an easy mistake though...}

    {...Then do you know the cure? Tell me!... Please, this is not fun at all...}

    {...*Sure!... But let''s talk first, I''m in a bad mood...}

    {...-_-)''...Can we talk later? I really feel like I''m dying...Cure first...please...}

    {...*...}

    {...Hey, are you there?... Don''t be like this, I''m too tired to argue right now...}

    {...*Let''s make a deal!...}

    {...-_-)''...No...}

    {...*What? You don''t want the cure?!...}

    {...I''ll wait it out...}

    {...*Hehe~ You''ll die though...}

    {...You just sa-...}

    {...*I said USUALLY that is the case...Your case is now a bit special...Let me clarify, you are only awake right now because I wanted to talk to you...See, aren''t I great? ^_^)...}

    {...I''m not going to vie for the position of Empress -_-)...}

    {...*Don''t worry, you don''t have to!...I''ve figured out your problem...You don''t trust people, your mind is set to the default "Abandon"...which means you place little importance on people so as not to get hurt when they leave you...}

    {...Okay, you have a psych degree. Good for you -_-)...}

    {...*sigh* I''m not sure how you ended up like this. Hmm...Actually thinking about it, I can see how, it must be be-...}

    {...Can we please get back to the cure? I''m dying -_-)...}

    {...*Oh, sorry hehe~...Where was I? Hm, a deal...Don''t worry it''s an easy one, all you have to do is agree. That''s it! Simple enough! Even you shouldn''t have a problem with it, you''re going to die now anyway so it shou-...}

    Lei Xing was becoming exasperated with its ramblings. She was tired and achy and was really not in the mood to play this chase game.

    {...Agree to what?! Get to the point!...}

    {...*That''s it! Just agree!...}

    {...I don''t make deals with anyone without knowing the contract terms, and frankly, I avoid shady ones like you  -_-)...}

    {...*Then I guess you want to die. Hmph!...}

    Lei Xing weakly sighed.

    {...Okay, what do you want? I''ll consider it...}

    {...*It''s simple, just agree when he asks you to be his Empress. You don''t have to vie for it or ask for it. Just agree when it comes up! ^_^)...}

    {...You mean if it comes up -_-)...}

    {...*Irrelevant! So do you agree to agree? It''d be a waste to die here...in pain...miserable...pain...it''ll get worse...pain...}

    {...-_-)...}

    {...*Your insides will feel like they''re being crushed...intolerable pain...misery...immeasurable pain...}

    Lei Xing went quiet as the bracelet kept on reiterating the pain point in her mind. There was really no point in being stubborn here if she was going to die.

    {...Fine, I will consider it -_-)...}

    {...*Haha~ I won''t fall for that!...}

    {...I''m meeting you halfway here...I will consider it...Either way, you need me for the ceremony so you won''t let me die anyway so stop this crap...}

    {...*Who said that?!... I don''t need you!...}

    {...-_-)''...Then I guess you can just go find some other person to propel to Empress to get your ceremony. There are plenty willing, so why keep bugging me? -_-)...}

    {...*...It''s because -...Don''t laugh! Better not laugh!...It''s because I''m a romantic! >?

    {...O_O)...Well, then you boarded the wrong boat -_-)...}

    {...*Hehe~ You know nothing, people like you are the most fun! I enjoy watching love bud and grow! It''s very fun! ^_^)...}

    {...Again, you got the wrong person -_-)...}

    {...*You shouldn''t skew your own reality. You''re smarter than that...}

    Lei Xing heard the door open and slightly opened her eyes, the Emperor came into view and then his face lit up in a smile when he saw her eyes open and he quickened his steps and sat on the bed, "You''re awake."

    He lightly touched her face and softly asked, "How are you feeling?"

    Lei Xing did not respond and just absentmindedly looked at him.

    {...*Fine. I''ll accept consideration! But you have to seriously consider it. You shouldn''t cheat me...If you do, you''ll be in trouble. I mean it!...}

    {...-_-)...}

    When Lei Xing did not respond, the Emperor frowned and turned to Ah Jin who had quietly been standing on the side and asked, "How long has she been awake? Have they checked on her?" Before Ah Jin could respond, he ordered, "Send for the head physician."

    Ah Jin quickly left, the Emperor then turned back to Lei Xing, who was still blankly staring at him. He thought that it seemed like she had just woken up,  he smiled and asked, "Do you want some water?"

    "En." She quietly responded and the Emperor quickly left and returned and held her up leaning on him. After feeding her the water, he kept holding her, closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

    The Emperor stroked her head and quietly said, "I''m sorry."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, feeling a bit unnerved.

    {...*Some things can''t be ignored forever...}

 Chapter 110 - Better Odds

    The Emperor looked down to see her eyes closed again and felt a little panic, "Xing er''?"

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and looked up at him and then closed them again. The Emperor relaxed just kept stroking her head resting on his shoulder, thinking she must be really tired but was very relieved to see her eyes open.

    Lei Xing let out a breath, feeling fed up with feeling like this and so made up her mind.

    {...What''s the cure?...}

    {...*We have a deal then! That''s good...I told you I was useful and brilliant too! I''m great! Do you want to reconsider becoming my student now? I ca -...}

    Lei Xing frowned in irritation.

    {...What''s the cure?!...}

    {...*Fine, so touchy... It''s medicinal bath therapy! So simple...}

    {...-_-)...The ingredients?...}

    {...*They already made it!... Just sit in it for about one hour or so a day to detoxify...It''s great for your skin too, you''ll look even more beautiful after! ^_^)...}

    {...Seriously?...Are you sure? ...}

    {...Definitely! I told you they had the right idea...}

    Lei Xing felt cheated, it just gave her recycled information. Those idiotic doctors should have been able to figure that out...eventually. Anyway, consideration was simply consideration, nothing more.

    {...Hey, there''s no going back on the deal! There must be good reason for your choice! Otherwise, I''ll -... Nevermind, I''m sure you will be reasonable hehe~...}

    An Imperial doctor finally arrived to check on Lei Xing. As he checked her pulse, she looked at him and tiredly ordered, "Prepare a medicinal bath for me with the medicine from last time."

    "Ah?" The Imperial doctor looked up at her with knit his brows, "Your highness, that will not be a good idea. The head phys-"

    "Just do it!" Lei Xing barked, which made her cough lightly.

    The Emperor pat her back, then asked with a frown, "Xing er'', why do you want that?" Before, she fervently refused to drink it, and look what happened after she did, So her wanting to bathe in it made no sense. The Emperor''s frown deepened.

    {...She wouldn''t try to kill herself, right?...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought, "Um...I remember I once read in a book that medicinal baths are the key method in treating skin illnesses...to detoxify..."

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Are you certain?"

    Lei Xing nodded, "...Not all things should be digested... It is a sure method."  She frowned, starting to feel annoyed, "Anyway I know what I''m talking about. I wouldn''t play with my own life...Um, so -"

    "Okay then." The Emperor said with his suicide thought dismissed. He then turned to the Imperial doctor, "Go see to it, quickly."

    "But - " The Imperial doctor tried to protest again but stopped when the Emperor glared at him. He quickly left to do as they asked, hoping that they will remember they made him to if and when things go wrong.

    Lei Xing sighed and closed her eyes, then mumbled, "Wake me up when it''s ready."

    The Emperor looked at her for a bit and then laid her down, he wanted to keep holding her but thought she would be uncomfortable. Then, he went back to his memorials on the side and went to finish off his work. He had been so distracted with her illness over the last two days that he had not gotten much done.

    The head physician later arrived to check on the sleeping Lei Xing and the Emperor asked his opinion on the medicinal bath. The head physician assured that it was a great idea and that he had also been considering that method. The Emperor then calmly said, "You should hope so."

    The head physician gulped and gave his assurance again and quickly left to oversee the medicinal bath. When it was ready, Lei Xing was woken up and the Emperor carried her to the bathroom. He frowned at the bathtub of herbs with orange flowers in the mix that had been set on the side. After a while of that, Lei Xing irritatedly pat his arm, he looked up to see her frowning at him, "Put me down."

    "Are you sure abo-?"

    "It''s fine. Just put me down." Lei Xing irritatedly cut him off, she was really not in the mood to be interrogated. The Emperor knit his brows, then sighed and put her down on the lounge chair and left her to Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo''s care.

    After Lei Xing settled into the bath, she let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. The heat was great for her aching body and the steam was easing her headache. She was truly feeling a bit better.

    {...*See, it''s working already...}

    {...Thank you...}

    {...*You''re welcome...I''m still in a bad mood...}

    {...-_-)''...}

    {...*I said I''m in a BAD MOOD!...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and sighed.

    {...Fine, what''s wrong?...}

    {...*sigh* I have been feeling awful lately...}

    {...Too bad...Life will get better once you leave here...}

    {...-_-)...Let me ask you something, do you believe in fate?...}

    {...Yes and no...}

    {...*Meaning?...}

    {...Nothing is set in stone until it actually happens...The moment an event comes to be, it becomes fate...For example, you can say I was fated to die on that cruise and come here...But before that moment of happenstance, I had different options that could have come to be my fate for that moment...I could have chosen to go climb Everest instead of that cruise -...}

    {...*Hahahaha your lazy self would never do that hahaha!...}

    {...-_-)...It''s an example, and I could!... My point is if I did not go on that cruise then I wouldn''t have ended up here...}

    {...*Hmmmm...What if you would have still died then no matter whether you were on the ship or not?...}

    {...Well perhaps, there are more than a million ways to die...But not everyone who dies transmigrates, now do they?... Do they? O_O)...}

    {...*No...But what if you would have still ended up here?...}

    Lei Xing frowned, feeling a bit irritated. A mental workout was not what she wanted to do right now, but considering it helped her feel better, she indulged it.

    {...Unlikely, how many portal holes are there in the universe?...}

    {...*Portal hole?...}

    {...That''s what that old quack said, something about me falling into an accidental hole or something like that at the perfect time to inhabit this body or something like that...It''s quite complicated and I''m tired...}

    {...*...Old quack?...}

    {...Doctor Lou...*sigh* I wonder where that wacky old man ran off to...Probably sleeping in a ditch somewhere, after causing trouble and leaving me to de-...}

    {...*YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!...}

    {...OW!...Don''t shout, I''m sick! >_

    {...*He gave you his precious gemstone and you''re insulting him like this!...How ungrateful! Hmph! You should return it! Brat!...}

    Lei Xing sighed in annoyance.

    {...-_-)...This is why the mind is a private space...It''s not like I''ll ever call him that out loud...Have I?...}

    {...*You don''t even know?! You ungrateful brat! I don''t want to talk to you anymore!...}

    {...What the hell is your problem? You''re really a great busybody -_-)...}

    {...*I just don''t like ungrateful brats like you! So many ungrateful brats!... Anyway, leave me alone! Better not renege on your promise or I''ll...I''ll haunt you! ...}

    {...Big deal, you''re already haunting me -_-)...}

    The bracelet stopped responding and Lei Xing was grateful for it. She relaxed and ended up staying in the bath for almost two hours. The medicinal bathtub had compartments at the bottom on the sides to put in hot coal to keep the water warm.

    She got out feeling refreshed and more clear-headed with her headache gone. Her body still ached and she was still feeling weak and was still spotted but she was actually feeling better. She walked out with Ah Jin''s help to find the Emperor in front of the door. When the doors opened he came up to her with a smile and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

    "Yes." Lei Xing flatly responded, feeling a bit apprehensive.

    {...Why is he still here? -_-)...}

    "You look better." The Emperor said and then picked her up to Lei Xing''s surprise. She immediately went rigid and said, "I can walk."

    "That''s good." The Emperor responded and started walking back to her room.

    Lei Xing frowned, "I mean put me down I can walk."

    "This is fine." The Emperor dismissively said and kept walking on.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and remained quiet. When they arrived back in the room he put down on her on the bed. Lei Xing did not want to lie down anymore and so he stacked the pillows behind her for her to lean on and covered her legs with the blanket, then sat in front of her.

    "Dinner will be here soon. Since you''re feeling better, you should try to eat something."

    Lei Xing frowned and then said, "Why are you being so nice? It''s odd."

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, "Odd?"

    Lei Xing blinked and quickly corrected, "I''m sorry, wrong choice of words...It''s nothing. I''m still muddled headed, ignore it." She finished and frowned down at her hands.

    The Emperor shifted closer to her and she flinched back and her frown deepened. He took one of her hands and gently stroked it then quietly said, "I too think it''s odd."

    Lei Xing glanced up at him. He smiled at her and she immediately looked off to the side, knitting her brows.

    The Emperor then asked, "Do you want a book to read?" Lei Xing simply shook her head, still not looking his way.

    The Emperor looked at her for a while, then he sighed and left her to go back to his work.

    Lei Xing glanced at him as he walked off. Then looked away with a frown, feeling annoyed but not exactly sure why. Then she absentmindedly started plucking at her fingernails.

    {...I don''t like this feeling...}

 Chapter 111 - Thoughtful

    The two quietly stayed in their own areas of the room with their own thoughts. Dinner arrived and Lei Xing could immediately tell what it was. As they sat down, Eunuch Li smiled at her and informed, "The Emperor specially ordered this ginseng chicken soup to be prepared for you with a 200-year-old ginseng."

    Lei Xing stared at the piping hot pot of chicken soup then glanced up at the Emperor, who was looking off to the side with a smug expression. Lei Xing knit her brows and then stared at the bowl of soup placed in front of her, when she made no moves to start eating, the Emperor frowned, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

    Lei Xingknit her brows, then shook her head then picked up the spoon and started eating. The soup was perfect, even better than last time with notes of ginger which Lei Xing greatly appreciated. After a few spoons, she let out a sigh of satisfaction.

    {...I really need to find these cooks...}

    The Emperor looked at her enjoying her soup and smiled, then went on to eat himself. After dinner, the Emperor went back to his makeshift workspace on the side and focused on his memorials, pretending not to notice Lei Xing, who was sitting on the bed staring at him with an increasingly pouting expression. After a while, she knit her brows and said, "You don''t need to stay here."

    The Emperor finally paid her attention and looked up at her pouting expression and snorted, but quickly cleared his throat to mask it. That pouting expression along with her dotted face looked really funny and adorable to him.

    The Emperor then smiled and asked, "Do you dislike me being here?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then looked away, knitting her brows.

    {...What sort of question is that? -_-)...}

    "I''m just saying you don''t need to stay." Lei Xing mumbled, still looking away with a frown.

    The Emperor stared at her for a while. He got the message that she wanted to be left alone, but her demeanor seemed to send a different message to him...She seemed lonely.

    {...She is really difficult to understand...}

    The Emperor sighed and said, "It''s easier to concentrate here." Then looked back down at his work.

    Lei Xing peeked at him, when she saw he wasn''t looking. She went back to pouting in his direction. The Emperor smirked and continued to pretend to be unaware.

    After a while of sitting there stewing for no reason, Lei Xing yawned and then decided to go to sleep.

    {...Sleep is a much better use of my time...}

    Once she laid down, it didn''t take long for her to fall asleep. But it seems her stewing followed her into her dreams because when the Emperor finally got in the bed later, he saw her eyes open and glare at him and he froze thinking that he woke her, until she closed her eyes, pulled the blanket back up and smiled as she snuggled into it.

    Apparently she was displeased with the cold air that floated in when he opened the blanket to enter and subconsciously glared at the cause of the discomfort. The Emperor quietly chuckled and then moved closer to her so he could properly be covered without bothering her. He smiled at her dotted face for a while, then lightly touched her face.

    {...She really is very amusing...and adorable...different...}

    The next day, when Lei Xing woke up the Emperor was gone and she leisurely went about her day. The head physician came to check on her, and before he left he cleared his throat, smiled and bowed, "Your highness, it is a great relief to see you better...I was wondering if this lowly one could make a request?"

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "Go ahead."

    His smile broadened, "I was informed that you got the idea of a medicinal bath from a book...Ah, so I was wondering if you could borrow it to me,...or maybe let me know the name...?" He paused and then added, "It''s so that we can all learn from it...to avoid mistakes like before in the future..." He glanced up at Lei Xing, then quickly added on, "...It will be very much appreciated by all..."

    Lei Xing was quiet for a while, then she sighed, "Unfortunately, it was lost a long time ago...I read it as a child and that part happened to stick in my head...I don''t even remember the name...I''m sorry." She then smiled, "But you are free to study my condition if it helps."

    The head physician shook his head, "I wouldn''t dare..."

    Lei Xing shrugged, "Up to you...How is Prince Yi''s condition?"

    The head physician knit his brows, then informed, "Hm, his condition is slowly improving."

    The doors then opened and Lei Xing saw Ah Jin come in followed by her mother. Lei Xing blinked in surprise as her mother quickly came up to her, gasping in shock and then bursting into tears as she stared at her face. Other than the Imperial doctors and the servants in her palace and the Emperor''s personal servants. No one else was aware of what her actual condition was, so it was a great shock to see her beautiful daughter''s face covered in spots.

    The head physician quickly excused himself to give them privacy.

    Lei Xing sighed and comforted the crying woman, assuring her that she was alright. Her mother touched her face all over while crying, "Your beautiful face...what''s going to happe-...how will you surviv-..."

    Lei Xing grabbed her hand, "I''m fine...It''ll be gone in a few days."

    Her mother looked at her face and sighed, "How did it become like this?"

    Lei Xing smiled, "It was an accident...Anyway, why are you here?"

    Her mother calmed down and then informed her that the Emperor sent her an invite to the palace yesterday evening. Lei Xing frowned and wondered why he would do that. Then her expression fell when a memory of herself hugging a certain someone while crying for home flashed through her mind. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open.

    {...What was I -?...You know, being sick is like being drunk, it''s not me, it''s nothing...}

    "Xing er'', is something wrong?" Her mother asked on the verge of restarting her waterworks when she saw Lei Xing''s weird expressions.

    Lei Xing put on a smile, "No, I''m perfectly fine."

    Her mother sighed and stroked Lei Xing''s hair, "The Emperor seems to care a lot for you, that''s at least reassuring...It must make you happy." Her mother finished with a sad, warm smile.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched but she gave a half-hearted laugh and nodded to reassure the woman, so she did not start worrying and resume crying.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...This was thoughtful...Although a tad annoying but still...}

    ***

    Meanwhile, Prince Yi was in the throes of a high fever. Alone in his room, save for the Imperial doctor on the side watching his condition. He was sweating profusely and frowned in discomfort and quietly whispered, "Mother." and his frown deepened.

    "Your highness, please forgive him, it was an accident." His mother fervently begged on her knees.

    Jun Shan frowned at his mother and tried to pull her up, "Why are you begging? She was the one who walked into me!"

    "Be quiet!" His mother bit out, then turned to the two women in front of her and smiled, "I''m sorry, children only know a child''s way. He didn''t mea-"

    "Are you insulting me for not having children?" The older of the two women coldly cut her off with a deep scowl on her face.

    His mother took a deep breath and immediately kowtowed, "Not at all! Never! I didn''t mean it that way, I ju -" She fell silent, not knowing what else to say. The two sisters in front of her were currently very powerful in the harem. The eldest, Zhong Hua was a Noble consort and the newly appointed Empress''s right hand. While the younger one, Zhong Ji was the Emperor''s current favorite. And the one who just spoke was Zhong Hua, who was known for her extremely bad temper.

    "Even if you didn''t mean it, that''s what I heard. Servants, of course, need to be taught how to behave..." Zhong Hua then ordered her maid to flog her. The maid quickly obediently went to break off a branch from a nearby tree.

    Zhong Ji knit her brows, "Jie, why don''t you just let it go? In any case, he is still a Prin-"

    "Shut up!" Zhong Hua barked, then sneered, "In any case, useless will always useless..." Zhong Ji sighed and remained silent.

    The maid began the flogging, while another servant held the struggling Jun Shan so he did not get in the way, he eventually broke free and ran to his mother. The maid stopped feeling a bit apprehensive of flogging a Prince, when Zhong Hua barked to continue, the maid quickly obeyed.

    "Stop!"  They turned to see the little Fourth Prince, Jun Kai trotting to the scene with a deep frown. Jun Kai stopped next to Jun Shan and his mother and flatly asked, "What''s the meaning of this?"

    Zhong Hua frowned but then quickly corrected her expression to a smile, "It''s nothing for you to worry about, Fourth prince...You should hurry along. If you are late for your lessons, the Empress will be upset with you."  She dismissively said and then turned to the maid and said, "Continue."

    The maid complied but as she brought down the stick, Jun Kai caught it and snapped it into two, which caused his hand to bleed when one of the ends dug into his skin. He was unfazed and calmly said, "I said to stop."

    Zhong Hua panicked and shoved the maid to the ground then bent down to check on his hand, "You''re bleeding!" The fourth prince was now considered the second Empress''s son, not to mention the Emperor apparently cared about him a lot. He was really not someone to offend.

    Jun Kai withdrew his hand from hers, "Don''t touch me."

    Zhong Hua frowned and then turned her anger towards the maid who was kowtowing, pleading that she did not mean to harm the Prince.

    Jun Kai ignored them and turned to Jun Shan and his mother, managed a small smile and said, "You should leave."

    Jun Shan worriedly looked at his bleeding hand and wanted to say something, but his mother bowed and quickly dragged him off. Jun Shan glanced back to see Zhong Hua and the others too busy fawning over Jun Kai''s injury to even notice the mother and son pair, covered with marks, leaving the scene.

 Chapter 112 - Despondent

    Jun Shan and his mother returned to their little courtyard and she tended to his wounds.

    "Ow! It hurts..."

    "It rightly should! How could you go to Empress''s palace?"

    Jun Shan pouted, "I wanted to see Xiao Kai...Since he didn''t come here so I went there, he doesn''t seem happy ther -..."

    She frowned, "Even if he''s not happy there, what can you do? You need to worry about yourself, what if you had gotten punished? You can''t just barge into the Empress''s palace as you like even if the Fourth prince is there...Also, his situation now is a bit..." She paused and sighed, "If he''s not coming here anymore, then you should understand that there''s a reason for it. He can''t do as he likes anymore... You have to be more careful. If anything happens to you, how do you want me to continue to li-..." She then stopped as she looked at Jun Shan''s pouting expression and massaged her aching head.

    Jun Shan then smiled, the scolding session was over, his mother was not good at being angry. He hugged her and promised, "I''ll be more careful..."

    A few days later, his mother came down with a cold, an Imperial doctor came and checked on her, prescribed medication and said she will recover soon. Jun Shan stayed by her side every day keeping her company.

    Unfortunately, her condition did not improve and one morning while he held her hand cheerfully talking about the places they were going to go once she recovered and he was old enough to leave the palace, he looked down to see her eyes had finally closed.

    Jun Shan sniffed and continued talking about all the places she promised to take him...about how fun their lives will be once they left the palace, all the while fighting back the tears as her hand lost its heat in his. The Imperial doctor came to check on her, while Jun Shan just sat there looking at her face, still fighting back the tears. The Imperial doctor then pronounced her dead and ordered the servants to prepare her body for the funeral. Jun Shan stubbornly refused to let go of her and the servants had to wrestle him away from her body.

    As they struggled, the tears he had been holding back began streaming down his face as he tightly gripped hugged her body calling for her, so overcome with tears he could barely get his words out. The servants eventually pulled him off and his mother''s maid hugged and comforted him, restraining him as they took her body away and he bitterly cried for his mother, feeling abandoned, scared and alone.

    Later, he knelt in the mourning hall in his white mourning robes, with only his mother''s maid there with him. They had been here for hours and no one came. His mother was not important enough for the concubines to come to pay their respects and she was of no consequence to the other consorts...and his father, he was not even sure he was notified of her passing and even if he was, he probably did not care enough to come. To his father, he was a disappointment, therefore she was a disappointment.

    He heard footsteps and turned around hoping to see his father, only to see Jun Kai and Eunuch Li approaching. He sighed and looked down, disheartened, as Eunuch Li and Jun Kai paid their respects.

    Jun Kai then came to kneel beside him and quietly said, "I''m sorry I can''t stay long."

    Jun Shan glanced at him and then faced forward and knit his brows, "I thought you were ignoring me...You don''t need to stay, leave. After all, she''s my mother, not yours." He said sniffing and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

    Jun Kai did not say anything and just knelt there quietly at his side, as Jun Shan covered his face and sorrowfully cried. His mother was gone and so were their dreams for the future, the life she wanted to give him and the life he wanted to give her, and the one she deserved.

    After his mother''s passing, he was no longer sure how he was supposed to live his life and was simply going about the motions of life apathetically.

    "Useless!"

    Jun Shan looked up at his father''s disapproving glare and quickly got off the floor. He had just been knocked down by the Crown prince during their usual sparring sessions. He bit his lip as he felt his eyes getting hotter.

    Their father looked at Jun Shan''s face and scowled when he saw a tear roll down his face, "That is unbecoming of a prince...And no son of mine should be seen with tears upon losing a battle. If you are truly that useless, then I would rather kill you myself to spare that disappointment." Their father calmly finished.

    The other three princes knit their brows, they were aware of his mother''s death and felt some compassion towards his condition. But none of them dared to reproach their father and so silently stood there.

    "Understand?" Their father asked condescendingly looking at Jun Shan. Jun Shan tightly fisted his hands and controlled the tears and nodded.

    Their father then turned to the Crown Prince and smiled, "You are improving well, worthy of your title."

    The Crown Prince smiled and bowed and thanked him. He nodded then turned to the Second Prince and frowned, "You, on the hand have shown no improvement. He is younger than you by almost five years and you have been pushed into defense. If you can only defend now, in a few days you will be on your knees. You also seem to be shaping up to be something useless."

    The Second Prince frowned and apologized for his incompetence. Their father took a deep breath and then turned to Jun Kai and smiled, "As usual, your progress is good."

    Jun Kai glanced up at him and then looked down with a frown and did not respond. Their father scoffed, "And I see you are still not speaking. I hope you come to your senses soon as well." Jun Kai made no move to acknowledge him. Their father looked at him for a while, then sneered and said, "You can leave."

    The four of them bowed and as they turned to leave. Their father changed his mind and added, "Jun Shan, you continue to practice. Even if you are going to die, you have to learn to at least die with dignity and take the enemy with you."

    Jun Shan sighed and stopped, he turned and watched his father walking away and the eunuch left behind instructed him to begin. This was not the first time this happened, he had always been a disappointment in his eyes, but this time there was no warm hug for him to return to, all he had was a cold, cold courtyard. He frowned, restraining their tears as he stayed there beating the air with his wooden sword.

    He practiced for hours until his father sent an eunuch to release him. The eunuch then led him to a lavish palace, which he later realized it was consort Zhong Ji''s palace. He arrived in front of her and bowed, then quietly stood there as she scrutinized him with a frown.

    Today during her lunch with the Emperor, Consort Zhong Ji saw that he was in a bad mood and inquired about it. He then told her about Jun Shan''s crying irritating him. She then commented that it was natural for a child who just lost his mother to be emotional. The Emperor raised his eyebrows and went, "Ah, I forgot about that. But still..." He frowned and then sighed, looked at her and said, "Since you have some compassion for him, you can raise him."

    Zhong Ji was unhappy with this arrangement, but she could not refuse the Emperor and so thanked him while annoyed on the inside. She was not interested in raising someone else''s child, much less a servant''s child, not to mention the Emperor seemed to greatly dislike this child. There was no merit in this endeavor at all.

    She finally sighed and said, "From today on, you are to live here. Concentrate on your studies and don''t cause trouble and we won''t have a problem."

    Jun Shan frowned, "I don''t wan-"

    "I don''t care what you want!" Zhong Ji spat out, then took a deep breath to calm herself, then calmly said, "The Emperor has ordered that you live here and so you will."

    "Get him settled somewhere." She ordered and the servants took the disgruntled Jun Shan to his new living quarters.

    Jun Shan glanced around his new bedroom, it was bigger but he was not interested in it at all. Despite the fact that his mother was gone, that little courtyard with one maid was still his home. He made up his mind to go home, but the servants stopped him and told him that the consort ordered that he remain in his room.

    He protested but they refused to budge and so he reluctantly returned to the room and sat there fuming, restraining himself from crying as his father''s words echoed in his mind, further irritating him.  He became angry with himself as tears trickled down anyway. He wiped them off and new ones quickly fell, he wiped them off again and even more fell. He began rubbing his face hard to get rid of the tears, so much so that his cheeks bruised. He felt no pain as his mind was completely focused on rubbing since the tears kept falling.

    {...I''m not useless...}

 Chapter 113 - Outcry

    The next day, his mother''s personal maid came to find him, after pleading with Zhong Ji to allow her to look after him. When she saw his reddened cheeks, she was very worried and was the only one who cared enough to see to it. The servants at Zhong Ji''s palace only did the bare minimum, which was bringing in his dinner which he ignored and ensuring he stayed put in the room.

    Jun Shan just blankly stared at her in a daze, he had not been able to sleep all night and had just sat there staring at the door. When he went out with her to take a bath he saw that the other servants had left, it seemed they no longer cared what he did now that there was someone who wanted to look after him. He was of no consequence to them or anyone. He hated this place and wanted to go home, but even his personal maid told him he could not go there anymore and that this was now his home.

    He was not allowed to leave the premises unless called for and was confined to his room in the back of the palace and the little garden in front of it. His personal maid was often busy trying to see to his life and welfare, as the other servants completely neglected him now that she was here. So he spent most of his days either sitting in his room or sitting in the garden alone.

    Zhong Ji said to concentrate on his studies, yet she made no moves to provide him tutors or books. The other princes had tutors but he never had any. His mother had neither the means nor connections to ask the officials to tutor her child. And so she did the best she could on her own. He never complained and was always grateful for the knowledge and always enjoyed their lessons as his mother always made it fun for him. He never minded that he did not have access to what the other princes did.

    After all, the palace was not where he intended to spend his days, the world outside seemed a lot more interesting to him. Now even that seemed dull, but he still wanted to leave the palace, now more than ever, although he no longer knew where to go or what he would do.

    "Your highness, Consort Zhong has requested your presence." A maid interrupted his wallowing. Jun Shan looked up, then got up and followed. He had not seen her since at all after that one time on his arrival.

    Jun Shan frowned as he walked into the reception hall. He now realized why she wanted to see him. Her sister, Zhong Hua was here and seeing her reminded him of how his mother was beaten up unfairly because of her. He could feel his eyes getting hot again, which made him feel worse.

    Zhong Hua scrutinized him for a long time and then sneered, "Ji er'', how did you end with this?"

    Zhong Ji frowned and sighed, "It was a slip of tongue."

    "Don''t tell me you asked for him?" Zhong Hua asked appalled.

    "Of course not!" Zhong Ji immediately defended.

    Jun Shan''s eyebrows twitched and he lowered his head, trying to blink the tears away. He was aware that he was not wanted but it felt very different to hear it.

    Zhong Hua scoffed, "You''ve been with the Emperor almost every night for the past few months and still no progress? What''s the point of you coming here if you can''t even get pregnant...In the end, you''re no better than me."

    Jun Shan''s ears perked upon hearing this and he bit his lip hard, holding back his tears.

    {...He''s been coming here every night and didn''t even care to check on me...I really don''t mean anything in his eyes...}

    Zhong Ji frowned and did not respond.

    Zhong Hua looked at her younger sister''s expression and then sneered, "No, you''re even worse than me to be raising a  useless servant, father must be soo proud."

    Zhong Ji then got angry and shouted, "I said I didn''t ask for him! What did you want me to do? Say no to the Emperor?!"

    "I am not a servant and I am not useless!" Jun Shan shouted, interrupting their sibling bickering. The two sisters blinked and turned to see Jun Shan glaring at them with red eyes.

    Zhong Hua frowned, "It seems that stupid servant of a mother failed to te-"

    "My mother is not stupid! And she was a consort! You both should stop disrespecting her!" He resolutely shouted back, blinking back the tears.

    Zhong Hua stood there looking at him with a stunned scowl, while Zhong Ji ordered the servants to take him away, annoyed with the whole situation. She had called him because her sister asked her to, but all it did was end up putting her in a bad mood. Before the servants could take him away, Zhong Hua stopped them and then said, "If you apologize, I will consider it a child''s foolishness an-..."

    "I said nothing wrong so I will not apologize." Jun Shan indignantly responded.

    Zhong Hua glared at him and then scoffed, "It seems the beating from last time was not enough for you to learn some manners, th-"

    "You''re the one lacking manners to insult the deceased." Jun Shan countered.

    Zhong Hua blinked and then became enraged, "This brat! You seem to have lost all sense now, is it? Bring a whip!" The servants quickly provided one, she snatched it and walked up to Jun Shan and condescendingly said, "Turn around."

    Jun Shan stood there, glaring at her and did not move. Zhong Hua''s scowl deepened and she ordered the servants to force him to his knees and hold him down while she unleashed her rage on his back. Jun Shan tightly closed his eyes and braced himself, constantly reminding himself not to cry and bit down on his lip so hard it started bleeding as hit after hit came down on his back.

    The fact that he was not making a sound further enraged Zhong Hua and she hit even harder. Eventually, after his back was covered with bloody streaks, Zhong Ji sighed and reminded, "Jie that''s enough, it''ll be a problem if he dies like this."

    Zhong Hua blinked and then tossed the whip towards her, "Since you''re going to raise him, be sure to teach him some manners to avoid embarrassment in the future. You''re lucky it''s me this time." She finished and then stormed off.

    Zhong Ji rolled her eyes and then looked at Jun Shan on the ground and irritatedly said, "I told you not to cause trouble." Then she sighed, "Since you have been disrespectful you should be punished, no food for three days. Lock him in his room so he can repent." She ordered and the servants dragged his limp body off. He glanced at Zhong Ji as he was carted off and saw her casually sipping on tea, completely relaxed while he was in boggled down with pain and felt a pang in his heart.

    They tossed him on his bed and then left him there, he listened as they locked the doors. He just laid there staring at the doors and the tears he had been holding back finally started pouring down.

    {...I want to go home...Mother, it hurts...a lot...}

    Jun Shan later opened his eyes in immense pain to see an imperial doctor applying acupuncture on him with a lot of people in the room. The Imperial doctor seeing him awake smiled and turned and bowed, "Your majesty, he is awake. Some of the wounds have been infected and so will take longer to heal but will be able to make a full recovery shortly."

    "In that case, you stay here to look after him until he recovers." Jun Shan''s eyes followed the sound of the warm voice to see the Empress standing on the side with her servants.

 Chapter 114 - Fit of Fury

    The Empress saw Jun Shan looking at her and smiled at him, then she turned to Zhong Ji, "Zhong Ji, if I hadn''t coincidentally passed by your palace today, then this poor child would have died here like this."

    Zhong Ji knit her brows and got on her knees, "Your majesty, it really wasn''t me who did this, it wa-"

    "I don''t care who did it! The child was put in your care and so you are responsible for his welfare. Don''t think that because you currently have the Emperor''s favor that you are beyond punishment." The Empress scolded.

    Zhong Ji frowned and then kowtowed, "I apologize for my incompetence, it will never happen again."

    "It better not." The Empress coldly said and walked out. Jun Shan watched the whole thing and stared on as the Empress left with her servants. He then closed his eyes feeling a sense of relief wash over him and slipped back into unconsciousness.

    Later when he woke up, he asked his personal maid how the Empress got involved. She knit her brows in contemplation for a bit, then sighed and told him that he had been locked in the room for two days and Zhong Ji refused to see her and she was worried about his injuries so she went to plead with the Empress for help. And that thankfully, the Empress was gracious enough to come to his aid. Jun Shan quietly nodded and did not say anything, feeling a sense of gratitude towards the Empress and a renewed sense of hope for his life.

    The next morning, Jun Kai came to visit him. He noticed that he was behaving awkwardly and was standing at a distance. He then called for him to come sit on the bed. Jun Kai complied but still seemed to be avoiding looking at him.

    Jun Shan scrutinized him for a bit and then smiled, "How about I come live with you? It''ll be fun, don''t you think? You can ask the Empre-"

    Jun Kai frowned and flatly said, "No."

    "You don''t have to worry, I won''t get in the way or anything. I won''t ask for anything. I, I...I just hate it here." Jun Shan finished in a pained voice as tears rolled down his face and he looked at him with pleading eyes begging for help. Jun Kai glanced at his face, then quickly looked down and scowled, bit his lip and then quietly murmured, "I''m sorry."

    Jun Shan then grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Please...I really can''t stand it here anymore. I''m starting to hate my life...You can ask father, he''ll listen to you or just ask the Empress, she''s nice, she''ll agree. I know she will, just ask...just try, please."

    Jun Kai looked up at the desperate expression on his face and knit his brows then looked down and repeated, "I''m sorry."

    Jun Shan frowned but before he could respond one of the Empress''s maids arrived, bowed toward Jun Kai and said, "Your highness, the Empress ordered for you to return, the candidates for your playmate will be arriving soon."

    Jun Kai nodded and then got up to leave, but Jun Shan tightened his grip on his arm. Jun Kai then took a deep breath and turned to him and advised, "It''s better for you here. Consort Ji is not bad, as long as you just stay out of her way, she won''t go out of her way to make things difficult for you. And something like this won''t happen again..."

    Jun Shan looked up at his face, and Jun Kai knit his brows and looked away. Jun Shan blankly stared at him and then asked, "Am I nothing to you now too?"

    Jun Kai blinked and turned back to him, "No, that''s not i-"

    "Then what is it?" Jun Kai knit his brows, looked down and did not respond, Jun Shan then released him and looked away, "You can leave."

    Jun Kai looked at him with slightly teary eyes, then looked down and bit his lip again then said, "I''m sorry." Then he turned and left with the maid.

    Jun Shan watched him leave and whispered, "This is unfair." As tears streamed down his face as he fisted his hands in anger.

    This was unfair. When Jun Kai had nothing and no one, he even offered him his little courtyard with his mother, although Jun Kai had ignored his offer, but still, he had offered. Now that their situation was reversed and he had nowhere to go, Jun Kai ignored him. Just like his offer then, he was of significance to someone of his caliber. Of course, he wouldn''t leave his comfortable large palace to move into his small courtyard to live a cramped life. Jun Kai was a prince and he was...he was not sure what he was anymore.

    It was unfair.

    Why is it that his mother is a criminal and yet he is sent to the Empress to continue to live a pampered life, while he was sent here to suffer. What crime did he need to be punished for?

    After his mother''s death his father never cared for him, yet when Jun Kai was ill after leaving the cold palace, his father had him nursed back to health in his palace. Who knows he may even have let him continue living there if Jun Kai had not left on his own. Yet, he had never even been to his father''s palace before.

    Life was unfair.

    He remembered the scene where he and his mother walked away bruised all over, while people crowded Jun Kai because of a single wound and he came to a realization that he meant nothing, while Jun Kai apparently meant everything.

    Jun Kai was the genius while he was useless. He had only ever gotten criticized by his father, never praised while Jun Kai always got praised. Even while Jun Kai did not need or care for it, he still got it, while he would do anything to get that approval. He tried his best but was only ever met with nothing but criticisms. It was not that he was stupid or useless, he was just never given the same opportunity to excel.

    Jun Shan sat there drowning in his tears and being suffocated by the overwhelming sense of pain he felt...pain that was quickly turning to rage. Rage at everything, his mother''s death, his father, Zhong Ji, Zhong Hua, at how unfair life was, ...Jun Kai.

    {...Why do I have to live like a prisoner while he gets to pick a playmate?... It''s unfair. He''s unfair!...}

    {...*Hmm...}

    Jun Shan blinked and looked around the room, he was alone. He sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeves.

    {...I am not useless...}

    {...*You seem to have a surprising capacity for rage...It turns out you are actually not as boring as I thought hehe~...}

    Jun Shan became a bit panicked and wanted to run out of the room but his back hurt as soon as he moved and he bent over in pain.

    {...*Relax, I''m...your friend? Yeah, that works! A friend! A useful one too!...}

    {...Friend? What is this?...}

    Jun Shan inquired still glancing around the room, but he was truly alone.

    {...*Yep! I will say though that your rage here is a bit misplaced...That little prince holds no fault here. Frankly, he deserves a lot of pity too. His life has is not easy either..}

    Jun Shan scowled.

    {...It does not concern you!...}

    {...*Hehe~ forget that. I see your situation here is quite pitiful too, so I''ll be your Shifu! I''m very bored anyway and I''m very wise too! You''re in good hands! ^_^)...}

    Prince Yi opened his eyes and glanced around the room. He saw the Imperial doctor dozing off on the side and then sat up, holding his head and then frowned when he felt his cheeks were wet. He removed his hand and stared at the tears on it and his frown deepened.

    {...Even you have abandoned me too now...}

 Chapter 115 - Stab of the Century

    After Lei Xing sent her mother off, she went to soak in her medicinal bath for a while then spent the rest of her day resting. The Emperor did not show up all day, while she was a bit curious, she did not mind it at all and leisurely spent her time rolling around the bed reading, enjoying her alone time.

    She picked up a book called the "Grievance of Xia" to read, it was one of the books she had recently bought. As she flipped through the book, the bookkeeper told her that it was rumored to be history''s true account which piqued her interest. She had been too occupied lately with the Emperor and the bracelet to read, and it finally got into her mind this evening.

    It was general knowledge that the Empress dowager was the fallen Xia empire''s princess. From what she had gathered in her time here, the fall of the Xia empire was the highlight of the late Emperor''s life. It was his last battle before he hung up his armor to become Emperor. Although, it was the true beginning of the military campaign that expanded the Long empire to what it was today.

    The book was quite informative, it was either the author had a great imagination or was fearless with a death wish. Either way, Lei Xing admired their boldness and bravery to publish something like this about royal family members.

    According to the book, before the battle of Xia, Long empire had been in a long era of peace following the civil unrest that occurred in the scramble for the throne amongst the then princes when their father died without naming a Crown prince. The winner of that scramble was the current Emperor''s grandfather, who was only able to win thanks to the help and support of the Xia empire.

    Apparently, their countries had always been allies and his grandfather and the Xia Empire''s Emperor had fought battles together when they were both princes. They got along so well that they became sworn brothers. When the scramble for the throne began in Long empire, this sworn brother lent him the army he needed to suppress his brothers to successfully ascend the throne.

    The two sworn brothers never forgot their bonds of friendship forged in their youth even after both becoming Emperor of their respective nations. The sworn brothers often sent their crown princes as representatives, to show the importance of this friendship, as well to create the opportunity for the next generation to create bonds of their own. Eventually, truly becoming a family with the marriage of Long''s crown prince and the Xia''s only princess.

    The two countries enjoyed a few years in this newfound solidarity and harmony until Dong country, a country bordering Xia empire began attacking them. Xia Empire was having trouble pushing the enemy back and so the Xia Emperor requested help from his sworn brother, who swiftly responded sending an army with his crown prince leading the charge.

    But then this help had doomed the Xia empire.

    Instead of the Long crown prince heading to the border to lend assistance, he charged into Xia empire''s capital and massacred everyone, including the royal family members who had known him all these years and had taken him as another family member. The Long crown prince killed anyone who questioned his orders and blocked news of his actions from spreading to his father or the Xia army at the border.

    Knowing that his father would disapprove of his actions and would probably execute him, the Long crown prince swiftly returned to the capital with a battle unit and with the assistance of Defense minister Fu and other officials, he assassinated his father and brothers and safely ascended the throne. He then announced that the Xia empire was a threat and so must be destroyed before it was too late, then he sent the full force of Long empire''s army to join the army he left in the Xia capital and ordered them to crush the Xia army and seize control of the territory.

    By the time the Xia crown prince received information on what had happened in the capital it was too late. If he chose to turn the army around to push out the Long army in their capital, the Dong army they were currently holding off will storm their country. It was impossible for them to fight the two battles at the same time. Swiftly and unexpectedly, the Xia empire fell at the hands of their longstanding ally.

    Enraged at the Xia princess''s criticisms and refusal to ascend the throne as his Empress, the new Long Emperor ordered that the Xia citizens be turned into slaves out of spite. In the end, the Xia princess was demoted to a Noble consort and Defense minister Fu''s daughter ascended to Empress. As if as an atonement of some sort, the Long Emperor soon ordered an attack against Dong country and subjected them to Xia''s fate.

    Lei Xing sighed and put the book on her face as she contemplated the tale.

    {...Well, he sucks...You can''t eat your cake and have it too, that''s too selfish...I personally think you should have just killed her...Ah, but then he wouldn''t exist and tha- Wait, what do I care?! I don''t care if he exists or not! Not at all!...*sigh* Who cares. He exists, so he exists and she''s alive so she lives -_-)...If this were the case, then I can kind of understand her crazy, but what the hell do I have to do with her crazy husband?! Why take out your ang-...}

    Lei Xing''s thoughts were interrupted when someone removed the book from her face. She opened her eyes expecting to see Xiao Ruo or Ah Jin, but her eyes went wide when she saw the Emperor standing by the bed holding the book. She immediately sat up and instinctively snatched the book and put it behind her.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and Lei Xing smiled and said, "You''re here...again." She mumbled the last word, a bit irritated, but maintained the smile.

    {...That stupid eunuch outside needs to be fired, he''s been slacking off too much...Do your job and give me the heads up! What if I were undressing or something? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she looked at the Emperor who sat down beside her and rationalized that it must be his doing.

    "I thought you were asleep...What are you reading?" The Emperor asked his interest piqued by her panicked reaction.

    "Nothing... just a story. How was your day?" Lei Xing asked trying to change the subject, she was certain that him seeing this book was not be a good idea. After all, it portrayed his father as an ungrateful traitorous crazy person, who stabbed everyone in the back.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and smirked, even more interested now. Her ploy was too obvious, she had never bothered to inquire about the events of his day before.  He stretched out a hand for the book, Lei Xing looked at the hand then looked at him with a feigned confused expression. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "The book."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and then begrudgingly handed it over. The Emperor took it and then knit his brows when he saw the title.

    Lei Xing quickly defended herself, "I was just curious about the author''s imagination...So I randomly bought it...Of course, this person is a bold criminal and should be punished for this slander! The royal family is not be used as a plot for fict-"

    "What do you think of it?" The Emperor calmly asked cutting off her rambling, looking at her.

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows, "Well, nothing really...I don''t have much of an opinion on it. Especially since it''s an unverified tale, it shouldn''t matter." She said still treading lightly.

    "It''s the truth, although an abridged version." The Emperor calmly informed as he flipped through the pages of the book.

    Lei Xing blinked and then blankly stared at him, not knowing what to say. Thinking that it must have been quite the complicated relationship, knowing the Empress dowager and the person the book portrayed his father to be.

    {...It must have been quite hard for you as a child being stuck in the middle of that chaos...}

 Chapter 116 - Dreamy

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor''s frowning face as he flipped through the book, then cleared her throat and pat his back, then awkwardly said, "Well, it''s not like it''s your fault, you didn''t even exist then" Then she knit her brows, calculating the math, but quickly gave up, "At most you were fetus...Um, Life itself is a struggle...Just being alive is already wonderful. Either way, it had nothing to do with you...Although you''re the Emperor now so you can''t exactly exclude yourself from the picture, but that''s up to you...Anyway, in the end, it all worked out well for you so..." She stopped again thinking of what else to say.

    The Emperor looked at her with a raised eyebrow a bit confused, then he asked, "Is this you trying to cheer me up?"

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and blinked, "I guess so."

    The Emperor snorted, then smilingly said, "Quite the poor attempt."

    Lei Xing''s expression fell, she pursed her lips and looked off to the side, annoyed.

    {...And this right here is why I don''t bother with people, ungrateful brat -_-)...}

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing''s disgruntled expression and smiled, dropped the book then hugged her. Lei Xing froze and the Emperor said, "This is a much better attempt."

    Lei Xing lightly scoffed and rolled her eyes. She glanced at the back of his head, then sighed.

    {...I''ll allow it, I''m just repaying the favor...}

    Lei Xing awkwardly put her hands on his back and he hugged her tighter. Lei Xing glanced around and then awkwardly started patting his back and awkwardly said, "Ahh...You''ve done well enough."

    {...I''m not exactly into babying, especially big babies...but I guess everyone needs a hug now and then. This is a humanitarian service. Karma I hope you''re paying attention, I better get credited for this -_-)...}

    The Emperor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he sighed and thought that she smelled of flowers, although it was different from usual because of the medicinal bath. But she always smelled of flowers, and whenever he bathed here the servants always used the same scents in his water. It was always subtle, calming scents and he had come to like it quite a lot. He sighed again and quietly said into her ear,  "It''s very soothing." Lei Xing felt a shiver run down her spine and froze again.

    The Emperor saw her ear turning red, then smiled and kissed it, once, twice...then he kissed her earlobe and then lightly sucked on it. Lei Xing immediately shoved him and scurried back, covering her ears and glared at him, "Wh-wh-wh-what the hell do you think you''re doing?!"

    The Emperor was stunned by her sudden outburst. Before he could respond, Lei Xing added, "If you''re feeling touchy, go somewhere else! I''m sick!"

    The Emperor looked at her red face and then chuckled, which caused Lei Xing''s glare to intensify.

    {...Ah, she''s openly glaring at me now...This is much better...}

    The Emperor smirked at Lei Xing, who was still glaring at him with her blushing face. The Emperor then smiled brightly at her, which put Lei Xing more on edge, and she covertly shifted herself even further away and looked away.

    "How much longer until your full recovery?" The Emperor suddenly asked.

    "Who knows, maybe forever." Lei Xing responded casting him a quick side glare and then pouting off to the side.

    {...Either way, it''s nothing to do with you -_-)...}

    The Emperor chuckled and then said, "I''ll just ask the Imperial doctors then." Lei Xing frowned and continued ignoring him. The Emperor snorted then got up, he looked at Lei Xing who was still looking away then pat her head, "I''ll be back."

    "Don''t come back." Lei Xing quietly mumbled. The Emperor snorted and left the room in a very good mood. He was very happy that she was now less cautious around him and more open with him. Despite the fact that she made a lot of snarky comments, he could tell she held no malice and it was simply because she was nervous. He liked that she was nervous around him and always blushing cutely whenever he touched her, it made him feel very happy.

    The Emperor went to take a bath and as he soaked in her bath surrounded by her flowery scent, he relaxed and sighed.

    {...It would be much nicer if she were here with me...Haha but she would probably pass out if I brought her here right now...}

    The Emperor kept laughing to himself as he thought of Lei Xing''s nervousness and jumpiness. He quickly finished his bath and went back to the room to see her but found it empty. After inquiring about her whereabouts from the servants, he went to her study to find her standing in front of a bookshelf flipping through a book. Lei Xing glanced up at him, then sighed and mumbled, "Still here."

    {...In his pajamas too, might as well just move in -_-)...}

    The Emperor came up beside her and asked, "You''re not planning on sleeping here again, are you?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows at the reminder, "No...I''m just looking for something else to read."

    The Emperor nodded and then randomly picked through the books on the shelf, "Did you buy these yourself?"

    "En." Lei Xing simply responded as she wondered what he was up to now.

    "Hmm...It seems you don''t like military books as much as I thought." The Emperor commented as he browsed through the books, which contained adventure stories, folklore and the like.

    "It''s good to have variety...I already have plenty of military books." Lei Xing offhandedly responded, then remembered how she got said books and turned to him and lightly bowed, "Thank you for the books...I''ll definitely read them...It''s just that I''m sick right now so such high-level books might be too tasking so that''s why I -..."

    "You don''t have to explain, it''s fine not to read them." The Emperor cut her off, "You can have whatever books you like."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, a bit unnerved but said, "Thank you." The Emperor smiled at her and she looked back down at the book.

    The Emperor then sighed, it seemed like she was closing herself off again. He glanced around the room, then turned to her, took the book from her hand and put it back on the shelf, "I think you''ve read enough for today. Let''s do something else."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and slightly withdrew, looking at him with caution. The Emperor looked at her guarded expression, took a step towards her and smirked and slyly asked, "What are you thinking?"

    Lei Xing took a step back and pursed her lips, "I-I''m sick...N-n-not functional."

    The Emperor grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, "You seem functional enough."

    Lei Xing looked down, took a deep breath then resolutely said, "I don''t want to."

    The Emperor lowered his head and whispered, "Don''t want to?...You don''t want to what?"

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened.

    {...Are you kidding me?! You couldn''t possibly be that dense!...}

    While Lei Xing was debating how to answer the question to get him off her case, he burst into laughter and she realized that she was the dense one here. She glared at him and was so irritated that she threw his hand off and barked, "Stop messing with me, it''s annoying!"

    The Emperor immediately stopped laughing and blankly stared at her. Lei Xing blinked at him and then realized what she just did. She thought to apologize but then was feeling so aggrieved that the thought was quickly tossed out of her mind. He kept messing with her and it was annoying, she was finally at her wit''s end and so stared the Emperor down, ready to fight.

    {...I''m not your freaking toy, freaking as***le! If you want to punish me go ahead! But if I die, I will haunt you to your grave!...}

    "I''m sorry." The Emperor seriously apologized which surprised Lei Xing, she was not expecting an apology. She blinked and then knit her brows.

    He then took her hand and pulled her to the table on the side, where the qin was and said, "I was thinking we could play instead."

    When Lei Xing just looked down at the qin and did not speak, the Emperor then pulled her hand a little and coaxed her, "I''ll be more mindful in the future, so don''t be angry anymore."

    Lei Xing looked at him and nodded, still feeling at a loss.

    {...Apologizing? That''s the wrong script...He''s being reasonable? Well, who would have thought? ...Well, he hasn''t ever really been unreasonable...He''s been annoying but never really unreasonable...}

    The Emperor smiled then said, "Sit." and Lei Xing absentmindedly sat down. He sat beside her then said, "Why don''t you play something? That way I can gauge your progress and give you some pointers too."

    Lei Xing blinked, "Hehe~ I honestly haven''t improved at all...I do more listening than playing...Ahh, so why don''t you play instead? I''m a much better listener." She suggested with a smile.

    The Emperor nodded then put his hands on the qin and asked, "Any requests?"

    Lei Xing thought for a bit and quickly responded, "How about the one from last time?" She really liked it and since he was offering, she might as well take advantage of it. The Emperor smiled, pleased that she remembered and then happily went on to play the tune for her.

    As she listened to the music, Lei Xing rested her elbow on the table, and rested her head on a hand and watched the calm and focused expression on his face as he concentrated on the qin and its music. He glanced at her and smiled, and Lei Xing blinked as she felt her heart skip a beat.

    His eyes went back to the qin and he continued to play with a slight smile on his face while Lei Xing closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

    {...It''s too bad he has all these irritating attachments, otherwise, he''s really not that bad...}

 Chapter 117 - Hungry Bully

    While Lei Xing and Emperor were occupied with her illness and recovery, An Hao was busy with his investigation. He had finally found out who the Xia informant was in the Lei manor. They had informants planted over the years in all the major families in the country. It would have been much simpler to ask his father, but then he would need to explain his reason and his father was not likely to believe him. So he chose to take the more complicated route to avoid any friction at home, which did not take long either.

    An Hao found out that the informant was Lao Wang, the steward of the Lei manor. He thought this was a lucky break for him as Lao Wang often used to come to visit and play with him as a child. He was also very easy to talk to and a lot more laid back than his father and Eunuch Li.

    Therefore, An Hao excitedly made his way to the Lei manor, since the servants knew his name from Lei Yong, he was quickly ushered in. He was informed that Lei Yong was not home, but he said he would wait. The defense minister was at work and his wife apparently went to visit a temple to pray for her ailing daughter.

    An Hao, of course, had heard of the Emperor''s showcase of "love" for Lei Xing and was not exactly happy with this development. It seemed like the Emperor truly liked this girl, so he had to get quickly get to the bottom of this so he could inform the Emperor.

    He planned to directly go see Lao Wang, but then the servants quickly brought in some snacks and tea. Apparently, Lei Yong had informed them that they must be sure to provide lots of snacks if he came along. An Hao stared at the table and gulped. It was hard for him to resist when it came to sweets, especially ones he had never tried before. He cleared his throat and sat down and decided to just try one so as not to be rude.

    {...Ohhh so good...How about that one? Ohhh even better...Lao Wang can wait, food can''t...Can''t think when hungry ^_^)...}

    After he was done eating all the snacks, he drank some tea to wash it down and then went about finding Lao Wang. He gave an excuse to the servants about wanting to hear some funny childhood stories about Lei Yong. They wanted to escort him, but he declined saying he did not need them and since Lei Yong had already ordered them to give him whatever he asked for when he came to visit, the servants obliged and told him where to find the steward and he went off on his own.

    He roamed around like a tourist looking around and making stops to admire while comparing their manor to his own, as well as making mental notes to add whatever he liked to his own. He saw the rock formation in the garden and liked it so went to check what kind of rock it was and then took a few steps backward to get a full view of the image he wanted to recreate for himself and ended up stumbling on something and falling to the ground.

    "What the he-"

    "Get off me!"

    An Hao frowned at the sound and then immediately realized he was lying on something soft and not the hard ground. He quickly got up and turned to see a girl glaring at him. He thought she looked somewhat familiar too and quickly figured it out.

    {...Ah, this must be the younger one...}

    An Hao cleared his throat, "You should watch where you''re going."

    Xiao Ting sat up on the floor, dumbstruck as she rubbed the back of her head and irritatedly said, "You''re the one who should watch where you''re going!"

    "Well, I was walking backwards, so you should have gotten out of the way." An Hao defended.

    Xiao Ting frowned then sighed, she stretched out a hand and said, "Help me up."

    An Hao looked at her hand then raised an eyebrow, "Are your legs broken?"

    "Huh?" Xiao Ting said confused.

    "If your legs are not broken then why should I help you up?"

    Xiao Ting blinked and then knit her brows, sniffed and her tears started falling, "You came to my house...and harrassed me. You not only pushed me down, but you used me as me a cushion...and my head, back and butt are now aching because of you...and you can''t even help me up. What kind of person are you?" Xiao Ting broke into a full cry, using her hands to wipe the tears.

    An Hao blinked and panickedly asked, "Why are you crying?!"

    Xiao Ting''s woes increased, "Now you''re even shouting at me too!"

    An Hao was feeling at a loss, it will be troublesome if Lei Yong found out that he made his sister cry, so he complied with her request and yanked her arm to pull her up, but it seemed he used too much strength since Xiao Ting cried out in pain so An Hao immediately let go and she fell hard on the ground.

    Xiao Ting groaned in pain and put a hand on her lower back, crying more in pain wondering where this idiot came from to ruin her day.

    An Hao lips twitched and he awkwardly said, "Sorry...You told me to help you up."

    An Hao then stretched out a hand to her but Xiao Ting slapped it away and crawled to her knees still holding her aching back. An Hao looked to the sky and sighed.

    {...I''m really in trouble now...}

    He put on a smile and wanted to offer his help again, when someone suddenly shouted, "How dare you bully my meimei?!"

    An Hao froze and nervously turned only for him to see Tung Mei racing towards them. He frowned.

    {...Her again? -_-)...}

    Tung Mei quickly arrived and helped Xiao Ting up, hugged her and patted her head to comfort her while glaring at An Hao, who narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "Why are you here?"

    Tung Mei scoffed, "This is my house. The question should be why are you here?"

    An Hao scoffed and mumbled, "You''re not even married yet and you''re already claiming the house and sister."

    "What''s it to you?" Tung Mei haughtily responded, then she narrowed her eyes, "Don''t tell me you''re here because of Xing jie?"

    An Hao blinked and Xiao Ting raised her head, "What about jiejie?"

    Tung Mei pat her head, "Nothing for you to worry about."

    "I''m here to visit Lei Yong. Unlike some people, I came on an invite." An Hao haughtily responded. He did not like this girl. He had heard of Tung Mei chasing Lei Yong around, even ingratiating herself with his family despite his objections to her affection.

    Tung Mei snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yong ge is not here so you should leave. Either way, I doubt he would be happy to see this." She said her eyes motioning to Xiao Ting''s head on her shoulder.

    An Hao knit his brows, "It was an accident! She wasn''t looking where she was go-" He stopped when he saw Xiao Ting glaring at him with teary eyes. An Hao looked away feeling like a bully.

    "Ah, Lao Wang! Have this hooligan tossed out of here." Tung Mei hollered. An Hao''s face lit up and he turned to see Lao Wang coming along with some servants. He had just been informed of An Hao''s arrival and that he went to find him. Knowing An Hao''s tendency to get sidetracked, he took it upon himself to go find him.

    Lao Wang arrived at their side and bowed, "Miss Tung, what is the issue?"

    "This hooligan here harrassed our Xiao Ting so he is no longer welcome here." Tung Mei stated.

    Lao Wang narrowed his eyes at An Hao, who looked to the sky. Lao Wang lightly sighed, "Miss Tung, he is also the young master''s esteemed guest so perhaps we ca-"

    "It''s fine. Lei Yong is not here anyway so I''ll come another day, lead the way." He finished, then he turned around and strutted off and Lao Wang quickly went to catch up to him.

    Tung Mei watched the two of them walking off then sighed, "Some people just don''t know what''s good for them."

    She then removed Xiao Ting from her shoulder and frowned at her crying face, "Why were you just sitting there crying? Huh? You should have stood up and fought him. Is it because he''s a general? So what? Even if you can''t beat him, you can bite him, poke his eyes out! There are lots of things you can do, how dare he come here and bully you like that?!"

    Xiao Ting glanced up at her and timidly said, "It was an accident...mostly."

    "Even if it''s an accident does that mean you should stay there looking stupid?! I''ve told you many times that your crying is a problem, be better!" Tung Mei admonished.

    Xiao Ting lowered her head and mumbled, "I''m sorry." It had been a while since she had been harshly scolded like this.

    Tung Mei looked at Xiao Ting''s miserable form and sighed, "Does it hurt?"

    Xiao Ting bit her lip and nodded, sniffing. Tung Mei sighed again, "Fine, you can cry this time." Xiao Ting looked up at her and the tears came streaming down. Tung Mei pat her head and then took her to have her injuries seen to.

 Chapter 118 - Digging Rascal

    "You little rascal, you''ve grown up so well!" Lao Wang exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around An Hao''s head and rubbed it to An Hao''s annoyance.

    An Hao freed his head and haughtily said, "I''m no longer a child."

    Lao Wang laughed and drank the wine An Hao poured, "Of course not! You''re now a general and the An family is now officially a military family, who said scholars couldn''t fight." He burst out laughing and then sighed, "Now that you''re all grown up and settled, all that''s left is to get married."

    An Hao pursed his lips, did not respond and simply refilled Lao Wang''s cup.

    "Oh, by the way, what did you do to the young miss?" Lao Wang finally recalled that issue. After he escorted An Hao out and covertly arranged their meeting at this restaurant, he went back to check on the girls. He found them at a pavilion with Xiao Ting sitting down demurely attentively listening to Tung Mei''s lecture on how she should have handled An Hao. They looked busy so he quietly retreated and did not intrude on their self-defense session.

    An Hao knit his brows, "I didn''t do anything."

    Lao Wang knocked his head, "Don''t lie. The young miss may be a bit fragile compared to the older miss but she doesn''t break into tears just for every little thing. Not to mention, her clothes were dirty. Miss Tung is also not someone unreasonable so if you didn''t do anything you wouldn''t have been treated like that. Hurry up and talk!"

    An Hao looked at him and then pouted, "It was an accident..."

    Lao Wang went wide-eyed, then he blinked, "Accident? You...you wouldn''t have...? No way, right?"

    An Hao knit his brows and honestly admitted, "I accidentally bumped into her...then may have...perhaps, fallen on her...and thinking back on it, I may have also been a tad...mean about it...but she should have been watching where she was going, okay maybe I shouldn''t have been walking backwards but if she were looking, then she could have avoided me so in conclusi-"

    "Ow! Why do you keep hitting me?!" An Hao barked when Lao Wang gave him a hard knock on his head.

    "You little brat! How could you crush our little miss?! Are you trying to kill her?!" Lao Wang hollered.

    "I didn''t see her and she won''t die just from that!" An Hao indignantly responded.

    "You still have the mouth to talk!" Lao Wang roared and An Hao lowered his head, feeling aggrieved.

    {...How can they be treating me like this? I am a general! These old men keep making me feel like a child. It''s annoying...}

    "You better go apologize to the little Miss, otherwise, you will have to fight me! She''s a sweet girl." Lao Wang then settled down and downed his wine,

    An Hao covertly rolled his eyes then put on a smile and refilled Lao Wang''s cup, "I''ve got it. I understand, it''s my fault. I''ll apologize later."

    "Hmph! You better." Lao Wang drank the wine and looked An Hao over, "So what did you want to see me for?... Don''t get me wrong, I''m happy to see you but you never go looking for someone unless you want something. So what do you want?"

    An Hao''s smile widened, "Of course, I was going to come to greet you eventually...once I found you that is. It''s not that I wasn''t thinking about it, but since fate arranged it like this I have no choice but to oblige it. Not my fault."

    Lao Wang laughed, "Cheeky brat...Okay, I''ll believe you for now. So tell me what is it?"

    An Hao straightened up and became serious, "I was curious about the eldest miss of the Lei family...Is there anything weird about her? Any incidents?...or about her personal maid? Anything you can think of?"

    Lao Wang raised an eyebrow, "Her again? And here I thought she was doing well with the Emperor...It seems he still doesn''t trust her. She is a good girl too..."

    "The Emperor investigated her before?" An Hao asked with raised eyebrows.

    "En. Your father came to meet a few days after she entered the palace. The Emperor didn''t mention that?"

    An Hao blinked and quickly played along, "He must have wanted me to look at the case with completely fresh eyes."

    Lao Wang nodded and then began, "Well as a child she wa-"

    "I don''t need to know about her entire life...The Emperor specifically asked me to look into things from three years ago." An Hao then narrowed his eyes, "Anything peculiar around that time? Three years ago?"

    Lao Wang sighed, "Hmm...If it''s three years, she did go missing for a b-"

    "She went missing? For how long? Where did she go? Tell me more..."

    Lao Wang laughed, "You still get excited so easily, you haven''t changed at all..."

    An Hao frowned, "Focus! Just tell me..." Lao Wang chuckled, it was really easy to get under An Hao''s skin. It seemed his years in the military did not change him much, it was good to see him still so lively.

    Lao Wang sighed, "I don''t know where she went...At first, we thought maybe she was kidnapped, but then found a note she left saying she was going horse riding. In the middle of the night too! And she didn''t even tell anyone!"

    "Not to mention that she even drugged and tied up Ah Jin...Ah, that''s her personal maid. Anyway, she did that and disappeared. It was very weird. We were all really worried, the eldest miss rarely went out over the years, only going out once in a while with the younger miss. You see she did not like being disturbed, for her to suddenly leave like that was very perplexing an-"

    "So her maid didn''t go with her?" An Hao interrupted with a frown.

    {...If the maid wasn''t there, then...then was I really dreaming? But then why and how the hell did I dre-...}

    "Oh, Ah Jin eventually went to join her."

    "Oh?"

    Lao Wang sighed, "That was another weird event, a few days after the eldest miss left, Ah Jin disappeared too, apparently to go find the Miss. A few weeks later the two came back together saying they met on the road."

    An Hao''s face lit up, "What time of year was this and how many weeks?"

    Lao Wang held his chin and thought for a bit, "Um...a little over two weeks, no more than three...Ah, for the time of year, hmm, it was a few days before the Crown prince''s rebellion..."

    An Hao knit his brows in thought, calculating the timing.

    Lao Wang sighed and continued, "It was really at a bad time too, Defense minister Lei was really stressed at that time, there was the looming rebellion, not to mention the report came about the young master going missing on the front lines...The young miss then did this on top of everything too...It was really stressful for him. We were starting to consider that some trickster deceived her into eloping and that we would never see her again...but thankfully sh-"

    An Hao suddenly stood up, "We''ll hang out later. I have something to see to do." An Hao hurriedly said and bounded out the door, leaving Lao Wang sighing in his wake.

    An Hao quickly went back home and pulled up a map and started mapping out the routes between the two locations; the capital and the army camp from three years ago.

    At that time, they had just finished the won the final battle with Nanjing. Their king was dead and now it was just a matter of storming the unguarded capital. After the battle ended, they realized that Lei Yong and a few others were missing. The Nanjing army had dispersed when their king died and they had chased after them to capture them. They managed to subdue most of the units but there were still a few remnants hiding deep in the forest. A few days passed and there was still no sign of Lei Yong.

    The Emperor delayed the main army''s move to the capital to send out search parties. But unfortunately, the search parties yielded no results, no bodies or anything. It was becoming likely that his group had somehow been captured by those hiding Nanjing soldiers. Two weeks had gone by and they still had not found anything.

    Lei Yong''s name and face were widely known so if they had him, they definitely knew who he was. Given his status and the state of their fallen country, the most they could hope to get for him was money to escape with. But with two weeks gone by and no news, it was likely they chose the revenge route. And they all had to come to terms with the grim reality that Lei Yong and the others were lost.

    They had finally secured the victory and the Emperor''s name had surged to new heights, but he took no joy in the win with Lei Yong''s loss. The Emperor''s dampened mood made An Hao feel worse. He had grown quite fond of Lei Yong, he even thought him to be almost as great as the Emperor so he was in a very bad mood himself.

    That fateful night, An Hao could not sleep and so decided to go off on a walk around the perimeter of the army camp. Then he heard voices, female voices.

 Chapter 119 - Bewitched

    An Hao frowned and sneakily approached with his guard up and sword drawn.

    "This is fine. Let''s leave."

    "No! How can we leave him here? What if he gets attacked?!"

    "They''ll find him by morning. Who will attack him here?"

    "I don''t know, a snake!"

    "That''s enough, we''re leaving."

    "We''re taking him inside!"

    An Hao finally got a good view of the two girls who were arguing, with one standing on the side, while the other was kneeling on the ground holding...Lei Yong!

    "Can you not be so stubborn right n-?"

    "Stop right there! Who are you?" An Hao jumped out of the bushes, sword pointed at the girls who both raised eyebrows in his direction. An Hao slowly inched closer and ordered, "Put him down and step back slowly...As long as you comply I will be lenient."

    Ah Jin glared at Lei Xing, "See."

    Lei Xing glared back, "How is this my fault? If you hadn''t been so stubborn then we would have been on our way back by now."

    "The stubborn one here is you." Ah Jin said through gritted teeth.

    Lei Xing scoffed and rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Everything is always my fault. Why don-"

    "Hey!" An Hao finally barked, they were ignoring him, how dare they ignore him?! "I said put him down! If you don-" Next thing he knew, his eyes roll to the back of his head and slumped down.

    He couldn''t move his body but he still had a bit of consciousness left and heard them debating his fate.

    "We should kill him."

    "What?!" Ah Jin exclaimed.

    "He could start trouble so it''s best to-"

    "That''s enough. No more suggestions, we''re going to do this my way or I''ll leave you here."

    "Tch, like you can."

    An Hao then woke up in the morning tucked in on his bed, in his tent. He quickly jumped off to go find the Emperor to inform him of what he saw, only to be informed that the Emperor was with Lei Yong. He was confused and quickly ran to Lei Yong''s tent to find him on his bed with a doctor checking on him, with the Emperor and Eunuch Li standing on the side.

    An Hao knit his brows and immediately demanded, "Where are those girls?!"

    They all turned to him perplexed at the question. He then turned to Lei Yong, "The girls you came with?"

    Lei Yong raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

    An Hao frowned and thought Lei Yong must be protecting them and then demanded, "How did you get back?"

    Lei Yong knit his brows and explained, "After we fell into a trap, we scattered and I managed to escape on my own. I stumbled around in the forest trying to get back to camp and must have collapsed when I finally saw the lights."

    An Hao narrowed his eyes at Lei Yong, "That''s not it. Some girls brought you. Two girls! I saw them. They were even arguing over you and they even hi-" He closed his mouth and frowned, there was no way he was going to say that, it was too embarrassing...those two scrawny girls beat him? No way! They had help, had to.

    "Were they pretty?" Lei Yong asked interrupting his thoughts.

    An Hao raised an eyebrow, "Ah? Yes...but what does that have to do with anything?"

    The Emperor snorted and then patted An Hao''s shoulder with a smirk, "It seems that our little An Hao has grown up."

    Eunuch Li sighed, "I didn''t think it would ever happen." Then he chuckled, "Your father will be relieved."

    Even the doctor was trying to stifle his laughter, An Hao glared at them, "What''s funny? I''m being serious. There were girls-"

    "En, we understand...I didn''t know you cared for me this much." Lei Yong then lightly chuckled but quickly stopped because of his wounds and added, "But next time, leave me out of such fantasies, okay? It''s for you and the girls to enjoy alone."

    The entire room burst into laughter and An Hao got irritated and flew out of the room with a red embarrassed face. He grabbed one of the men outside and asked for where they found Lei Yong. The guard took him to the location and it left him feeling even more confused. It was way on the other end of camp. He asked about the time they found him and discovered it was apparently not long after he came across them.

    For them to have dragged him all the way to this site in that short amount of time, they would have had to run right through the camp. Unless they galloped on horses, but then there was no way they would have escaped detection then. Not to mention they also took him back to his room and the guards on patrol said they didn''t see anything suspicious.

    An Hao was completely baffled and went back to where he saw them the night before, but there were no traces of them or any lead to go on. He stood there frowning at the ground, deep in thought.

    {...How could they have done all that?... Then did I really dream that?... But then what are the odds of Lei Yong would truly returning alive, especially LAST NIGHT?! It''s too much of a coincidence! And I know what I saw! I''m not an idiot!...}

    An Hao frowned at the memory. It always nagged at his mind. No matter how he tried to persuade the Emperor and Lei Yong they did not believe him, after all, he had absolutely no proof. He even tried to draw their faces for Lei Yong to identify them, but he was never a good artist. The Emperor and Lei Yong simply looked at his drawings and burst into laughter, making jokes about how he had been bewitched in his dreams, which further aggravated him.

    Those girls not only looked down on him, but they also used some sort of trick to defeat him and then turned him into a laughing stock and even went on to terrorize his dreams to top it all off. He stewed on this issue for so long that he started dreaming about them too. Especially about that one who wanted to kill him. He would have dreams where she would dice him up and do all sorts of other gruesome things. She gave him nightmares. Which was why when he saw Xiao Ting, who had that similar face, he subconsciously took on a hostile attitude.

    An Hao sighed in annoyance and tossed the encounter with Xiao Ting out of his mind. He scrutinized the map and the routes he marked out to Nanjing territory. It really was not a short trip.

    {...Even if you switch horses, it''s still quite a stretch to get there and back...Not to mention they had to find him too...But it is possible to cut out that part if they had connections in the Nanjing army...Either way, they are definitely not good!...}

 Chapter 120 - Fan Wars

    The next day, An Hao went to visit the Lei manor again with the aim to apologize to Xiao Ting. He did not want Lao Wang''s trouble, not to mention if his father heard of him bullying a young miss it would be trouble. There''s also Lei Yong to consider in the whole mess.

    As for the issue with Lei Xing, he considered going to tell Lei Yong about the fact that the two girls he saw were his sister and her maid. But then after thinking about it, he concluded that Lei Yong really did not know about it. There was no reason for him to lie, unless they had done something so bad he felt the Emperor would not have let them go.

    But no matter how An Hao thought about it, he could not come up with a scenario that would make Lei Yong feel the need to lie. In the end, he decided that he still needed more information to explain this if not they would just take him as a joke again.

    Also, it was obvious Lei Yong was very fond of his sisters. He often lamented about missing out on their childhood, and he especially talked about Lei Xing who had apparently been very upset with his departure and they even exchanged letters often. An Hao even remembered that when Lei Yong was returning to the capital he was particularly excited about seeing his sisters again. An Hao did not want to haphazardly bring it up to him and end up accidentally stepping on his toes.

    He also thought to discuss with his father to find out the results of the former investigation, but his father was even less likely to buy his story, he was apparently a very imaginative child. It was easier to just go talk to the Emperor, but then that also seemed complicated now seeing how the Emperor treated Lei Xing.

    He understood that he had to tread very carefully and find out more first. So he came up with the bright and simple idea of Xiao Ting. She was the younger sister, not to mention the fact she spent more time with Lei Xing than Lei Yong, so she would know more about her than anyone. He would not know as he was an only child, but they say siblings are close.

    With all this in mind, An Hao chose a gift on his way and arrived at the Lei manor. Lao Wang quickly showed up and narrowed his eyes at him. An Hao promptly informed that he was here to apologize to his younger miss and so Lao Wang smiled and happily led the way.

    They had just began walking when they ran into Tung Mei who promptly arrived at their front. An Hao frowned and mumbled, "Why is she here again?"

    Tung Mei narrowed her eyes at him and threw the question back at him, "Why are you here again?"

    An Hao raised his head and smugly responded, "You''re a guest here too, so you can''t question me on my intentions."

    Lao Wang glared at An Hao and An Hao looked up at the sky. Lao Wang then smiled at Tung Mei, "The young master came to apologize to the younger miss for yesterday."

    Tung Mei raised an eyebrow and looked An Hao over and her eyes settled on the box in his hand, "Ahh...I see." She then reached out for the box and An Hao immediately moved it out of her reach and glared at her, "It''s not for you."

    Tung Mei snorted and then sighed, "In that case, I''ll take him to her. Lao Wang, I''m sure you''re busy. You can leave."

    Lao Wang wanted to protest, but Tung Mei quickly said, "Follow me." And started walking away. An Hao sighed in annoyance but still followed. He was here to make peace so he had to bear with it, but he really did not like this girl, she irritated him on sight.

    Tung Mei led him to a pavilion and then sat down, then looked at An Hao who was awkwardly standing there and said, "Sit."

    An Hao frowned at her, "I''m here to see Lei Yong''s sister, not you."

    Tung Mei smirked, "Would you like me to take you to her bedroom where she''s undressing?"

    Tung Mei snickered when she saw An Hao''s face freeze. She then added, "Relax, she''ll find her way here eventually. Sit.''

    An Hao quietly went to sit down and did not say anything more. Tung Mei observed him and saw his frowning reddening face, then frowned and said, "Oy, our Xiao Ting is too delicate for aggressive military men like you so don''t even think about it."

    An Hao blinked in confusion, then quickly understood what she meant. He was definitely not after that, but it still annoyed him and so he had to set her straight otherwise he would not be able to sleep tonight.

    And so, An Hao defended, "Her brother that you''re going after is an aggressive military man, her sister is also married to the Emperor, who was also the aggressive military''s commander, she''s also from a family with an aggressive military history, so what do you mean by aggressive military men?" He then scoffed, "Not to mention, you even wanted to marry the same Emperor and only switched to Lei Yong because you were deemed unworthy. I think you have quite the thing for aggressive military men."

    Tung Mei immediately scowled and barked, "That was the blemish of my life! Don''t mention that!" Then she took a deep breath to calm herself, "Also, my Yong ge is different definitely cannot compare. As for Xing jie, I don''t approve of it, she ca-."

    "I''m the one who doesn''t approve of it! How dare you say my Emperor is inadequate?!" An Hao roared.

    "Oh?" Tung Mei said with raised eyebrows, "It seems you do have some sense after all. I agree, he is truly inadequate."

    "What?" An Hao frowned in confusion

    "You just said he is inadequate and I agree Xing jie truly deserves better." Tung Mei informed with a snicker.

    An Hao blinked, then frowned and looked down, annoyed with himself as he realized his stupid mistake.

    {...How dare she make me insult my Emperor?! I really don''t like this girl. She''s insanely irritating! Where the hell did Lei Yong dig her up from?!...}

    Tung Mei then sighed and said, "I''ll advise you to stop trying to bother Xing jie, it is really a pointless effort."

    An Hao suspiciously looked up at her, "Who said I was bothering anyone?"

    Tung Mei raised an eyebrow at him, "You seem like the kind to hold a grudge. Am I wrong?"

    An Hao knit his brows then glared at her and she burst into laughter, "See, you do hold grudges." Then she mumbled, "Petty ones too." And she continued laughing at an aggravated and embarrassed An Hao''s expense.

 Chapter 121 - Sharing is Caring

    After Tung Mei had enough of laughing at An Hao''s expense. She sighed, then seriously said, "As much as I don''t like him and find him inadequate, just using your words..." She added that last line when she saw An Hao glaring daggers at her and she smiled back, "...It is a fact that he really, really likes Xing jie. Also, there are very few options who can match up to Xing jie, and if she has to be with someone then I guess he''ll do...Anyway, I advise you to stop looking for trouble for yourself. He can get quite possessive and petty. Frankly, it''s very annoying so -"

    "How dare you call my Emperor petty?!" An Hao roared, greatly offended, "The Emperor is the greatest person there is. Also, the Emperor is in no way inadequate, your Xing jie is the one wh- "

    "Ying jie?" An Hao immediately shut down when he heard Xiao Ting''s voice, calling. He looked down and frowned, greatly irritated.

    {... I really don''t like this girl!... She actually dared insult my great Emperor like this?! To my face too!... Almost made me slip up too! Insulting her sister is definitely not the way to apologise!...}

    Tung Mei looked at him and scoffed, then she responded to Xiao Ting''s call, "I''m here."

    Shortly after, Xiao Ting smilingly arrived and went straight to stand in front of Tung Mei, "I was worried you went home, why did you suddenly leave while I was changing? What do you think of it?" She asked touching her dress and hair.

    Tung Mei looked her over and flatly responded, "It''s fine."

    "Just fine?" She pouted and then mumbled, "Why do you and jiejie always respond like this? It''s no fun...And it''s important too."

    Tung Mei looked at her miserable face, sighed then indulged her, "It''s beautiful, you look beautiful, stunning even."

    Xiao Ting beamed and excitedly asked, "Have you finished thinking about it? You''re going to come, right?"

    "I''m still thinking about it." Tung Mei responded looking down at the book on the table.

    Xiao Ting pouted and was starting to get teary, "I don''t know if jiejie will come, and you''re also being like this too. It''s not fair..." Her coming of age ceremony was coming soon and she wanted to show Tung Mei her outfit so she put it on only to find she had disappeared while she was changing. She did not like Tung Mei at first, but that was because she kept making fun of her. After Tung Mei got bored of poking at her, Xiao Ting found her to be really, really likable and they started to get along.

    Tung Mei often stayed at their house, she said she did not like living with her relatives as it made her uncomfortable. They all thought her situation must not be good there and so sympathized with her, she even had her own room here. Xiao Ting especially liked having her, it was someone to keep her company. Also, she really reminded her of her sister who now lived in the palace, so Xiao Ting quickly warmed up to her and Tung Mei let her do as she liked, with the occasionally scolding but Xiao Ting was used to that.

    Tung Mei frowned then irritatedly said, "Okay, I''ll come. No more tears!" Xiao Ting immediately perked up and brightly smiled.

    "Ahem!" An Hao finally cleared his throat behind Xiao Ting. Xiao Ting turned back and immediately jumped when she saw him sitting there, she had not noticed him at all and Tung Mei naturally, enjoyed watching him stew and so did not tell her.

    Tung Mei put on a wry smile and went, "Ah, you have a guest."

    An Hao narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance, then got up. Xiao Ting flinched back and wanted to run behind Tung Mei, but then she remembered the scolding she received yesterday and straightened up and haughtily asked, "Why are you here again?"

    An Hao reminded himself of his purpose and maintained his smile, "I''m here to apologize."

    Xiao Ting raised an eyebrow in disbelief, he did nothing but blame her yesterday and now wants to apologize?

    An Hao saw her disbelief and wanted to say some more words but then glanced at Tung Mei, who was attentively watching them with interest and frowned, "Can you -"

    "I was here first. You can go somewhere else if you want." Tung Mei cut him off with a smirk. An Hao glared at her, and Xiao Ting glanced between the two wondering what happened between them.

    An Hao finally sighed, then looked at Xiao Ting and said, "Excuse me for a bit." Then grabbed her hand and pulled the rigid Xiao Ting out of the pavilion. He frowned as he heard Tung Mei''s laughter behind him. He stopped out of earshot from Tung Mei, then frowned in her direction, to see her yawning and looking down at the table.

    "L-let go!" Xiao Ting finally said, brushing his hand off. An Hao blinked and quickly released her. Then cleared his throat then shoved the box into her hands, "Here, this is for you. An apology gift." Then he looked off to the side, while covertly glancing at her.

    Xiao Ting knit her brows, then opened the box and went wide-eyed. Inside were a bunch of elaborate sugar candy sticks of different designs.

    An Hao saw her expression and frowned, "You don''t like it?" Before she could respond, he added, "It''s very good."

    "You eat this?" Xiao Ting asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Of course, it''s good. Don''t you?" An Hao asked with a confused frown, he loved sweets and from his understanding so did most girls.

    {...Ah, did I make I mistake? It''s better this way, I can eat it myself...}

    His mouth was already salivating, he cleared his throat then said, "Since you don''t lik-

    "I like it." Xiao Ting said and smiled at him, then looked down and said, "Ah...I should also apologise, I should have been paying more attention."

    "Ah, no...no, I shouldn''t have been walking backwards." An Hao hurriedly said, waving his hands, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

    Xiao Ting smiled then said, "Then we''ll just let that go."

    An Hao nodded in agreement then looked down, knitting his brows. He was not sure what to say now. He never really talked to girls like this before. He heard Xiao Ting chuckling and so looked up and asked, "What''s funny?"

    Xiao Ting looked up at him and laughingly said, "I just can''t imagine a big general like you eating this...It''s quite cute."

    An Hao froze, then cleared his throat and looked away, "Well, it''s tasty so...I just have good taste."

    Xiao Ting laughed and then opened the box, "Want some?"

    An Hao eagerly looked down at the box and quickly took one. He closed his eyes as he took a bite and sighed in satisfaction, savoring the sugary goodness.

    Xiao Ting looked at his childlike expression and snorted. Then took one for herself.

    {...He''s quite cute...}

    An Hao glanced at Xiao Ting enjoying her own candy stick.

    {...I like this one, she''s very reasonable...}

 Chapter 122 - Visitors

    Lei Xing stood in front of the mirror after getting out of the bath and inspected her body. It had been two weeks now and the last of the spots were now completely gone. What''s more, her skin really did improve as the bracelet said. Not that it was bad before, but now it had a sort of healthy vibrant glow and was baby smooth. Lei Xing happily felt her face, nodding in appreciation as she admired herself in the mirror.

    {...I can capitalize on this...But it''s not like I could open a spa...I guess it could be made into a cream...need to find out how to make a cream first...Or I just find someone who can do that. If that quacky - Ah, I mean generous doctor...}

    Lei Xing waited for a response but nothing came, the bracelet had been ignoring her for the past few weeks.

    {...Still ignoring me? That''s fine, I''m in a great mood so you''re excused...}

    Lei Xing continued to laugh to herself as she rubbed her smooth cheeks. While Xiao Ruo was standing on the side giving Lei Xing a weird look. Xiao Ruo sighed and thought that Lei Xing was behaving weirder than usual today, but it was good to see her happy, especially happily living with the Emperor.

    After Lei Xing had enough of looking, she got dressed and then went to meet Li Ru in the Imperial garden. She was happy to finally leave her palace, she had not left at all the last few weeks. She was kept busy though, people kept coming over to visit.

    The concubines and Chen You, she refused to see. She did not feel the need to give them a reason to mock her, not to mention they only ever came by when the Emperor was around. At those times, the Emperor would not even bother to raise his head from what he was doing, and he never said anything when Lei Xing rejected them and so she kept on doing it.

    They came by almost every day in different groups or alone with herbs and gifts, which she never took. Some even brought over food, which she took but passed on to the servants after checking for poison. Chen You sent over soups, which Lei Xing always took the time to toss. Even though it was not poisoned, Chen You''s spit was definitely not venomous, neither was dirt or faeces, you just never know.

    All this "concern" they were showering on her amused Lei Xing, they were really persistent. One time, when a maid came to inform of her visitors, Lei Xing looked at the Emperor who was reading his memorials and jokingly said, "Your wives are here for you again." Only for the Emperor to send a ferocious glare her way. Lei Xing flinched and quickly told the maid to say she was asleep, and then looked down at her book wondering what his problem was.

    She did not think she said anything wrong, they were his wives and they were here for him. She knew he was smart so he definitely understood their thinking. So why be annoyed when all she did was point out the obvious.

    {...Can''t take a joke person -_-)...}

    Since the Emperor refused to accept her hints to leave, Lei Xing eventually got used to him hanging around. He spent time with her every day and also shared her bed. Since that time in the study when Lei Xing blew up at him, he had become quite well behaved.

    Although occasionally he would still get touchy and mess with her, if she started to get angry he would immediately stop then offer to play the qin for her. At the start of this new ploy, Lei Xing would covertly roll her eyes while thinking he was an idiot for thinking she was a cobra or something that he could simply annoy and then go play the qin to pacify. But since she enjoyed the music, she let it continue regardless of her misgivings.

    Zhao Lan did not show up and Lei Xing did not care, but she did take note of it, thinking that at least she did not pretend to care like Chen You. Lei Xing did see Li Ru though, unlike the others she came over while the Emperor was at court or was busy with meetings.

    Princess Nalan also came over to visit a few times too. The first time she came she lamented about her meeting with the Empress dowager. Talking about how the woman was scary and annoying. Apparently, the Empress dowager was not pleased with Nalan''s speech at the welcome banquet and expressed as much. Lei Xing laughed and thought that she must have been looking for someone to oppress recently and Princess Nalan presented herself.

    {...I guess no more monks to maim hahaha...}

    Lei Xing finally arrived at their spot to find Li Ru already set up with snacks and tea waiting for her. They sat down and talked for a while and then went on to qin practice. Li Ru taught her another simple short piece, string by string at first. Then they played it together slowly and repeated, increasing the pacing each time. Lei Xing smiled to herself as she was getting into the groove.

    {...I''m getting good at this...}

    Lei Xing glanced at Li Ru to get her nod of approval, then she went wide-eyed and flinched when her eyes met the Emperor''s instead. She immediately stopped playing and quickly looked away feeling a bit embarrassed, with her ears turning slightly red.

    Li Ru and the others quickly noticed him as he walked forward, and they all got up and bowed. The Emperor quickly arrived at Lei Xing''s front, he had gone to her palace to see her and Xiao Ruo informed him that she had gone for her qin lessons and so he made his way here out of curiosity. He lightly smirked and said, "It seems you have improved after all."

    Lei Xing lowered her head and did not respond, the Emperor did not mind and continued, "Why don''t you go ahead and play something? I am quite the listener as well."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, there were other people here so she could not bluntly tell him no. She then looked up and said, "I can''t...I hurt my finger so I can''t."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, then she stretched out her index finger and said, "See."

    The Emperor held the finger and squinted and saw a tiny, barely visible scratch. It seems she must have plucked the string a bit too hard just now when she saw him, but this could not even be considered a bruise and it definitely would not hinder her playing.

    Lei Xing immediately tried to pull her finger back, but the Emperor tightly held on. She frowned at him to let him know she was unhappy, but the Emperor simply narrowed his eyes at her. He noted her red ears and wondered why she was getting embarrassed about playing. Not to mention, she always brushed it off whenever he asked her to play. He was very curious now.

    Li Ru looked at the two in a standoff and was worried for Lei Xing, she took a deep breath and then offered, "Your majesty...if it''s okay...I can play instead."

    The Emperor glanced at Li Ru with a raised eyebrow and she quickly looked down. Lei Xing immediately jumped at the opportunity, "Li Ru''s very good...Amazing actually, let her play."

    The Emperor turned back to Lei Xing and squinted at her, lightly smirked then said, "Alright." He then moved his fingers to wrap his hand around her hand and she finally yanked free and glared at him and looked away. He smiled at her, she gets shy way too easily and looked very cute when pouting. So he enjoyed pushing her buttons, maybe a bit too much. He knew it annoyed her, but sometimes he could not help it.

    The Emperor went to sit on the cushion beside Lei Xing, and simply smiled when she shifted away. Li Ru began playing and Lei Xing fixed her eyes on her, trying to ignore the man beside her, who was observing her.

    The Emperor went to hold her hand but Lei Xing brushed him off and shifted further away. It was obvious she was angry with him. but he was not worried about it. She had a fairly easygoing personality and was not the sort to hold grudges. Therefore, as long as he put in some effort, she was very easy to pacify.

 Chapter 123 - Confession

    Li Ru finished playing and turned to look at Lei Xing, who smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up and Li Ru happily smiled in response.

    When the Emperor did not say anything, Lei Xing slightly knit her brows then turned around, the Emperor smiled at her when she finally looked his way, only to see her frown and motion in Li Ru''s direction. He blinked and raised an eyebrow in confusion, but quickly figured out that she wanted him to give some praise to Li Ru.

    "Very good." He commented and then got up to leave and they all got up as well to bid him farewell. He enjoyed sitting with Lei Xing, even when they were not talking or doing anything but someone else being there, namely another one of his wives ruined the mood. Lei Xing did not even allow him to simply hold her hand much less look his way. He glanced at Li Ru feeling a bit disgruntled, then looked at Lei Xing who was looking down and narrowed his eyes.

    {...It seems she really likes this one...}

    When the Emperor did not leave, Lei Xing glanced up at him. He then sighed and smiled and pat her head, "Don''t stay outside too long." Then he walked off. He was very happy she was well but he liked going back to her palace to find her always waiting for him, it made him feel at ease and happy. But it was a bit unreasonable to expect her to only ever spend time with him. Also, she definitely would not like that.

    The Emperor sighed, then perked up remembering that she was now perfectly healthy, therefore they could finally continue from where they left off many nights ago. It was really a test of his patience simply going to sleep holding her. Today, he finally got a clean bill of health from the head physician.

    Also, he was not sure if it was just his eyes, but she has been looking even more ravishing recently which made it harder for him. Although, she always made sure to stop his advances and remind him she was ill so he had no choice but to resign himself in order not to upset her. But now she was finally well again and he no longer had to wait.

    The Emperor smiled to himself and happily returned to her palace, to get his work done while he waited for her to return. Eunuch Li looked at the smiling Emperor and broke out into a grin himself, he had never seen the Emperor looking as happy as he did over the past few weeks.

    {...She is really good for him...It''s good to finally see him so happy again....}

    Lei Xing let out a long sigh as she watched the Emperor leave.

    {...What exactly did he come here for? -_-)...}

    "Is everything okay between you and the Emperor?" Li Ru asked after hearing Lei Xing''s sigh.

    Lei Xing blinked, nervously smiled and said, "It''s fine...Let''s continue." She quickly sat back down and looked at Li Ru, seemingly eager to continue the lesson. Li Ru looked at her a bit worried but complied and they continued.

    When it was starting to get dark, Li Ru ended the lesson to Lei Xing''s dismay. Since the Emperor left Lei Xing had been behaving weird, she seemed distracted and bothered by something. Li Ru asked, but she said she was fine. Then there was the fact that Lei Xing seemed reluctant to end the lesson when she was the one who always ended it.

    What was even weirder was that Lei Xing followed her to her palace, ate dinner there and was now roaming around her study scrutinizing her embroidery and art pieces.

    "Is the Emperor not good to you?" Li Ru finally asked after holding it in all evening, it was now completely dark outside and Lei Xing showed no signs of leaving. She liked having her here but it was definitely abnormal for Lei Xing to be wandering here instead of returning.

    Lei Xing turned around and knit her brows, "What?"

    "Well, it seems like you don''t want to return to your palace...and the only reason I can think of is that you''re avoiding the Emperor...Since the Emperor came you have been distracted and behaving oddly and now you''re here. Did you have a fight? Does he not treat you well?"

    When Lei Xing just blankly stared at her, Li Ru looked down and quickly explained herself, "I like having you here...It''s just...I''m worried about you...I know it''s not like I can do anything if he doesn''t treat you well...I just thought...it would be helpful to, maybe talk about it." She said that last line in a very small voice.

    Lei Xing sighed and went to sit down. It was true that she was stalling here. She had heard about the rumors and what the Emperor did and was grateful for his help and thanked him for it but...She understood why he did it that way but felt he was being unnecessarily too nice about everything and it made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She really did not know what to do about him. He was odd.

    What''s more, the way the Emperor has been looking at her the last few days has been a bit...not to mention he had been a bit too touchy recently. She could not understand herself either, she had concluded to get it over with so he could move on...but she felt upset whenever she thought about that for some reason.

    Lei Xing sighed and begrudgingly admitted, "He treats me well."

    {...A little too well actually...It''s annoying...}

    "That''s very good then...So why are you unhappy?"

    Lei Xing looked at Li Ru''s concerned expression and frowned, "Don''t you care?"

    Li Ru raised her eyebrows, "Care about?"

    "The Emperor." Lei Xing bluntly responded.

    Li Ru blinked then sighed and looked down, "...It''s enough for me to live well...Romance isn''t really for me..."

    Lei Xing scrutinized her face and then narrowed her eyes, "Do you have someone you like?"

    "What?" Li Ru jumped and rapidly blinked at Lei Xing, then she looked down and mumbled, "I don''t."

    Lei Xing looked at her reddened face and laughed, "You''re a very bad liar."

    Li Ru knit her brows and did not respond. Lei Xing smiled and then nudged her, "Who''s the lucky guy?... Or girl? I''m open to all." Lei Xing jokingly finished.

    Li Ru looked up at her fl.u.s.tered and protested, "I-I don''t!"

    "You said it would be helpful to talk...but you don''t even want to talk, yet you want me to talk..." Lei Xing grumbled.

    Li Ru bit her lip and glanced at Lei Xing''s downtrodden face then said, "Fine..."

    Lei Xing smiled at her and Li Ru sighed and quietly said, "I may have liked someone before...but it doesn''t matter."

    "Good looking?" Lei Xing asked. Li Ru glanced at her, blushed and nodded.

    "Why didn''t you run away with him like your sister then? Not that I advocate for eloping...but considering everything it definitely would have been better, right?"

    Li Ru glanced at Lei Xing and then shook her head, "It''s impossible."

    Lei Xing looked at her then sighed and rested her head on her hand.

    {...Life is really not easy...}

    They sat quietly for a while, each with their own thoughts, then Li Ru suddenly asked, "What about you? You like the Emperor, don''t you?"

    Lei Xing looked up at her wide-eyed with an appalled expression, "Why the hel- What?"

    Li Ru blinked, "You don''t?... I thought you did."

    Lei Xing blinked a few times, still flabbergasted asked, "What gave you that impression?"

    "Oh...Well, you seemed happier the last few days despite the fact that you were ill...so I thought..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...Happy? Who was happy?!... Nothing wrong with being happy, but can''t a person just be happy to-...to be ALIVE?...}

    Before Lei Xing could enlighten her, the doors opened and Xiao Ruo happily trotted in and informed, "Your highness, the Emperor has asked for you to return. The night is very cold and he doesn''t want you to get sick again so he sent me here to get you."

    Lei Xing looked down and pouted and did not respond.

    "It''s really quite late, you should hurry back to rest." Li Ru advised, trying to persuade her to leave before she caused herself trouble with the Emperor.

    Lei Xing looked at her and then disgruntedly grumbled then got up, "Fine,  I''ll let you sleep." Li Ru snorted, thinking that a disgruntled Lei Xing was quite adorable. Although she knew not to say that out loud, Lei Xing did not respond well to such terms of endearment.

    Xiao Ruo dr.a.p.ed Lei Xing''s cloak over her shoulder as she happily whispered to her that the Emperor specifically asked her to bring it, which caused Lei Xing to frown.

    Li Ru then came up to her and patted her back, smiled and advised, "If he''s good to you, then you also should not be too difficult."

    Lei Xing frowned at her and then grumbled good night and left. Li Ru watched her leave and then sighed. She knew Lei Xing did not want to be in the palace, but since she was ready here was it not better for her to accept her fate?

    Li Ru sighed again and went out of the room, looked up at the moon and sighed.

    {...Living well is already good enough....Ah, the moon is quite beautiful tonight...}

 Chapter 124 - Play

    As Lei Xing walked into the room, the Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "You''re back, I was starting to think you forgot your way home."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and mumbled, "I lost track of time."

    "Come here." The Emperor then said with a smile. Lei Xing suspiciously looked at him, sighed and then walked up to where he was sitting. When she got to him, the Emperor put out a hand to help her sit.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows then sat down on her own, ignoring his hand. The Emperor was not bothered and simply grabbed her hand, "Are you still angry?"

    "No, I''m not...Why would I be angry?" Lei Xing quietly responded.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "It seems like you''re pouting."

    Lei Xing let out a breath and flatly stated, "I''m not angry."

    {...It''s because of that Li Ru who was talking nonsense...}

    "That''s good then." The Emperor then released her hand, swiftly cleared the table in front of them and put the qin that was behind him on it and looked at Lei Xing, "Play something for me."

    Lei Xing blinked at the qin, then glanced at him and said, "It''s better if you play..."

    "I want to listen to you play." The Emperor stated.

    Lei Xing frowned at the qin, then nervously said, "I...I''m tired" She quickly jumped up as she announced, "I''m going to bathe."

    She then saw a smile slowly creep up on the Emperor''s face as he looked at her and went, "Alright, I''ll be here waiting."

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She quickly turned and left the room with her heart pounding. Lei Xing soaked in the bath for a long time, stalling again for as long she could. Then she begrudgingly returned to find the Emperor reading his memorials and then let out a sigh of relief, thinking that it was all just her imagination.

    {...This is all that Li Ru''s fault! She needs to get her eyes checked -_-)...Making me jumpy for nothing haha...ha...}

    She did not bother him and happily crawled up on the bed, snuggled up with her blanket and settled in to sleep. Only for the Emperor to shortly get in behind her and gently pulled her into his arms. Lei Xing went rigid and kept her eyes closed, trying to calm herself, thinking that this was normal, he did it all the time so it did not mean anything different.

    The Emperor looked at her face and twitching eyebrows then sighed, "Xing er'', I know this is a small thing...but it still bothers me..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion and slightly opened her eyes to see him frowning off to the side and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He then turned back to her and she blinked as her heart jumped.

    {...Freaking calm down! You''re being annoying!...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm herself. The Emperor, who was oblivious of her internal tribulation then asked, "Why won''t you play for me?"

    "Huh?" Lei Xing responded, completely baffled.

    {...You''re still on that? -_-)...}

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Well, you play for other people, even your maids...I''ve asked you several times and you always deflect it...I play for you all the time...so why won''t you?" He finished looking at her with a displeased expression.

    Lei Xing blinked, feeling a bit at a loss wondering why that would bother him, as she mumbled, "What does a master like you want to listen to a noob like me for?"

    "Noob?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing offhandedly responded, "It means a novice..."

    "A novice..." The Emperor thought for a bit, then raised his eyebrows, "Ah, I can understand that then. You want to look your best for me but -"

    Lei Xing blinked and immediately frowned at him and blurted out, "How did you get to that conclusion?"

    The Emperor smiled at her and stroked her face, "It''s obvious...You happily play in front of other people, yet you refuse to play when I''m around. You called me a master, so you''re worried about disappointing me since you''re a...noob?" He finished with a smug expression, happy with his wise deduction.

    Lei Xing''s expression fell and she narrowed her eyes at him.

    {...Did this as***le just call me a noob? -_-)...}

    The Emperor continued unperturbed, "Don''t worry, no matter how you perform I will enjoy it...As I''ve said before, you have great learning capacity, so even as a noob, you do quite well." He reassuringly said with a smile.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched, she felt the urge to hurl him across the room for repeatedly calling her noob, despite the fact that she started it. She took a deep breath to calm herself and said, "You''re misun-" Her words were cut off when the Emperor lowered his head and kissed her.

    He nibbled on her lips for a bit, then whispered against her lips, "Let''s keep my explanation." and then went to kiss her again, a lingering, deepening kiss. Lei Xing had gotten used to his kisses over the last weeks, and so did not think much of it, her mind went blank and she indulged in it, even willingly opening her mouth to grant his tongue access when it prodded.

    The two drowned in the kiss for a long while, completely absorbed in each other''s taste until...Lei Xing inhaled sharply when she felt his hand under her shirt and undergarment, groping one of her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Lei Xing''s eyes flew open and she immediately pushed him and his wayward hand away. The Emperor lightly groaned when the kiss was broken, displeased with the interruption.

    Lei Xing gulped and blankly stared at him, and the Emperor returned her stare. The stared at each other for a while as they gasped for breath with their hearts pounding erratically.

    Lei Xing finally broke eye contact, blinked a few times then breathily said, "I''m still sick."

    The Emperor knit his brows, "I was informed that you''re fully recovered."

    "W-well, I may...look fine on the outside, b-but that doesn''t mean I''m completely recovered...on the inside." Lei Xing finished then turned to her side and went to move his arm so she could move out of his arms cage and put some distance between them. But the Emperor simply moved the hand to hold her waist instead, preventing her from scurrying away.

    Lei Xing froze and refused to turn her head to look at him, her heart was jumping wildly and she was feeling incredibly agitated. The Emperor lowered his head again and kissed her reddened ear then whispered into it, "How much longer do I have to wait?"

    Lei Xing took a deep breath then nervously responded, "You don''t have to wait, you can go somewh-"

    "I only want you..." The Emperor bluntly stated, a bit impatiently. He kissed her ear again then whispered, "I thought I had been making that very clear." He then kissed down to her earlobe and sucked on it for a bit, lightly grazing it with his teeth, "Xing er'', I only want you." He softly whispered.

    Lei Xing gulped and knit her brows. She did not know how to respond and just laid taking deep breaths as his kisses moved from her ear to her face, and then trailed down her neck. She could feel his hand fiddling with the ties of her shirt, loosening it. She inhaled deeply then tightly closed her eyes.

    {...It''s better this way...The sooner he leaves, the better...It''s fine...}

    Heart-pounding erratically, breathing heavily, eyes shut tightly with lashes fluttering she came to terms with was about to happen. She knew she could not delay it forever.

 Chapter 125 - Period L"u"st

    While the Emperor trailed kisses down Lei Xing''s neck, he successfully loosened her shirt and the strings of her undergarments. Then he turned her over, opened the shirt and easily slipped off her undergarment, leaving her upper body completely exposed. The Emperor paused for a bit to simply admire the sight and ran a hand down the length of her body. He leaned down and kissed her lips but when Lei Xing did not part her lips for him like usual, he softly called, "Xing er''?"

    While Lei Xing did not respond or return his kiss, the Emperor looked at her closed eyes and thought that she was feeling shy. He gently stroked her face as he nibbled on her lips, then kissed both her cheeks to reassure her, before continuing his kissing exploration down her body, slowly and patiently savoring and loving her.

    Lei Xing, on the other hand, squeezed her eyes shut and was taking deep breaths to calm herself. She fisted her hands to restrain herself from covering herself or pushing him off as he explored her body with his hands and mouth.

    {...It''s fine...After this, he''ll leave...He''ll leave...But -...It''s better that way...It''s fine...}

    The Emperor could feel her trembling but reasoned it was because she was nervous. He slightly smiled and kissed his way back to her face to kiss her lips as he fiddled with the ties of her pants.

    Then he froze when he saw the deep scowl on her face with her eyes tightly squeezed closed and beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She looked as if she was pain and under immense pressure. He glanced down and saw her tightly clenched fists, he knit his brows and asked, "Are you afraid of me?"

    Lei Xing was completely taken aback by the sudden question. She opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly. The Emperor then sighed and stroked her cheek and gently asked, "Are you?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows then looked away and quietly responded, "No." She may be wary of him, but she has never really felt afraid of him. She actually thought of him as more of a jokester than anything, who always seemed to be trying to either trap someone in some sort of web just for his entertainment. A jokester who enjoyed toying with people for fun, although she never thought of him as malicious.

    "Then why?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    Lei Xing looked at him confused with his question, but she was having trouble looking directly at him right now and so quickly looked away and mumbled, "Why what?"

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and he looked at her for a bit and then flatly asked, "Why does your expression seem like I''m torturing you?"

    Lei Xing blinked up at him, completely baffled. She opened her mouth and then closed it, not knowing what to say and lowered her eyes. This seemed to have further aggravated the Emperor as he impatiently ordered, "Answer me." While staring her down.

    Lei Xing looked up at him and his cold eyes made her involuntarily shudder and she quickly looked away, feeling a sense of fear.

    "I said answer me." The Emperor pressed in a chilling voice.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, feeling a bit panicked, she blurted out, "I...I don''t know." Then quickly moved her hands and covered herself with her shirt, keeping her hands there holding the flaps as she took deep breaths and frowned.

    She did not need to look at him to feel the coldness coming from his eyes and she did not want to look. She also knew that he was probably not happy with what she just did, but she just did not want to anymore, regardless of what he wanted. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her and just stayed there for a while looking at her for a while, then he asked, "Then do you hate me?"

    Lei Xing cast him a quick side glance, completely confused now. His cold eyes unnerved her and she felt cold and upset. She took a deep breath to control herself and then flatly said, "No."

    The Emperor looked at her with an unconvinced expression, he did not need to pay attention to see her hesitation, and he was paying attention. Unfortunately, Lei Xing did not look at him and so missed the disbelieving and then hurt expression on his face as he swiftly got off the bed and stormed out of the room.

    Lei Xing then sat up and looked towards the direction he disappeared in. She let out a sigh of relief as she tied her shirt back together. He had never looked at her like that before, not even while interrogating her all those times. She had never seen him look so cold or speak so coldly before and it somewhat frightened her. He somehow always seemed to be smiling to her, even when he was frowning.  Lei Xing let out a shaky sigh.

    {...It seems I had been lulled into a false sense of security...What have I been thinking?...}

    Lei Xing ran a hand through her hair and brought her knees up and put her head on it.

    {...This is a worst-case scenario, isn''t it? I think I have successfully pissed him off...but how is this my fault?!...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and plopped back down on the bed and covered herself with the blanket. Then she laid on her side and closed her eyes to sleep, but then could not and just lay there staring in the direction he had left. Not really thinking about anything, just blankly staring. She was not sure how much time passed when the doors opened again but she quickly shut her eyes. She slightly opened them to peek, only to see a maid carrying out his memorials.

    Lei Xing blinked a few times then knit her brows.

    {...I guess he''s not coming back...That''s good...He must have gone somewhere else to satisfy himself...That''s good...It''s much better this way...}

    Lei Xing turned the other way and wrapped the blanket even more closely around herself and closed her eyes shut to sleep. Then she sighed and opened her eyes again and blankly stared at the wall.

    {...Will he punish me for this? Maybe...He probably wouldn''t send me out of the palace considering he knows I want that, it wouldn''t be much of a punishment...Well, he could always make me a slave or banish me with nothing, he probably knows I''d hate those more...but wouldn''t that too much?...

    ...I''m pretty sure he wouldn''t be that unreasonable...right? There''s also my family too so he wouldn''t...

    ...I guess there''s always the cold palace, whippings, and the list runs on...Probably demote me to a concubine for good measure too...Maybe I''m thinking too much, perhaps he wouldn''t even care to...Perhaps...}

    Lei Xing remembered that she had arranged to go see Princess Nalan the next day, but now it seems she won''t be in a position to make such visits anymore. She laid there contemplating the troubles her tomorrow would bring for a long while, eventually drifting off to sleep still feeling extremely uneasy.

 Chapter 126 - Hesitant

    Lei Xing opened her eyes the next day and immediately sighed. After laying there for a while, she took a deep breath then sat up, ready to face whatever trouble was looming and then froze in shock when she saw the Emperor sleeping at the edge of the bed.

    Lei Xing blinked and just sat there staring at him for a long while, confused.

    {...What is he doing here?...}

    Lei Xing was completely baffled. He had obviously stormed out of here angry last night, but then he came back? She knit her brows and did not know what to think, but just because he was here did not mean she was safe.

    She quietly went to climb over him to leave, but just as she was about to begin maneuvring over him, he suddenly spoke, "Are you planning to run somewhere to hide?"

    Lei Xing jumped and then immediately moved back. The Emperor slightly opened his eyes and looked at her. Lei Xing blinked at him and then looked away, feeling nervous and apprehensive. She had been getting too cozy with him and it was not good. It had made her confused and she had forgotten who he was and where she was.

    As the Emperor sat up, Lei Xing quickly thought of an explanation and said, "Princess Nalan requested me to come over today so I did not want to keep her waiting and make her upset..." She then added, "I didn''t want to disturb you..."

    The Emperor quietly looked at her for a while, and Lei Xing was becoming increasingly awkward and worried with the eerie silence. In the end, he simply said, "You can go."

    Lei Xing blinked then glanced at him.

    {...So no punishment? Is it because this is "official" business?... Whatever, moving on...]

    She quickly hopped over his legs and rushed out of the room. The Emperor watched as she scurried off and sighed. It was true that he left here last night feeling angry and frustrated.

    He treated her better than he had ever treated anyone in his life yet she rejected him like that, it was an upsetting situation. But after meditating on it for a long while in a cold bath, he thought it over after calming down and concluded that him being this angry over something like this was irrational. Anger was also not an emotion he was familiar with. He had felt disappointment and irritation many times, but rarely ever anger.

    There was only one instance that actually came to mind and that anger stemmed from his feeling of helplessness, and even then it did not feel this potent. And that situation was definitely more important than a woman''s rejection. A woman''s affection was never something that he thought relevant or important to him.

    He had also never thought of himself as a jealous or insecure man, who would get upset at every little thing. She was obviously not the only beautiful woman he had come across and liking her was definitely not reason enough to lose his rationality.

    Although no woman had ever kept his arm''s length like this and he had never had to pursue a woman like this, nor was he ever interested in pursuing anyone before this. But she was not the first woman he had come to like and even when he has blatantly backstabbed, all he felt was a passing disappointment and nothing more. So it made no sense for him to be this angry over something like this, yet he was.

    When it came to Lei Xing, everything seemed different, he was different. He paid attention to the smallest things and seemed to feel upset over small things that had no relevance and it seemed to be getting worse.  He obviously knew she was not afraid of him from her normal behavior around him. They talked together and although rare, she sometimes genuinely laughed...and he loved seeing her laugh. He sighed again.

    He had come to understand her character quite a bit, if she did not care for someone she would just not bother with them, just like the way she treated him at first. But now she would even start conversations, ask questions and even make jokes, even if some of them irritated him. He had rushed things and scared her, but he could not help how he felt, he wanted her.

    When he got out, he thoughtlessly walked back to her room, then frowned and thought that some space would be good for both of them. So he sent the servants to get his memorials and went to immerse himself in work in her study until the early morning, when it was already bright outside. He did not have court today so he returned to the room, completely drained and immediately fell asleep.

    He liked her but he was starting to feel somewhat fearful of it. It seemed he was losing himself and he did not like the feeling of it. He really did not know what to do about her. The last thing he wanted them to become were his parents. If that was his path then he would rather live alone all his life.

    He felt some distance was necessary, yet he still returned here.

    ***

    Lei Xing quickly finished her bath, got dressed then hesitantly went back to the room to finish up. She glanced at the Emperor who was now sitting on a chair, brooding. When she was done, she quickly turned to leave with Xiao Ruo, not wanting to evoke any trouble by disturbing him.

    But before she could get to the door, the Emperor suddenly spoke, "Come sit here."

    Lei Xing let out a breath then begrudgingly complied and went to sit down, with her head hanging waiting for the hammer to fall.

    {...I knew it was too good to be true...He must have stayed here to ensure I couldn''t run away...}

    The Emperor looked at her for a long while and then got up and said, "No one is pursuing you, so eat before you leave." Then he walked out of the room. Lei Xing watched his back with knit eyebrows.

    {...That''s it? Really?... Must be because this is "official" business, maybe?...Whatever, good riddance -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sat there stewing, the more she thought about it, the more absurd she felt it was. The food quickly arrived and she sat down to eat her fill, dismissing her problems. To her surprise, the Emperor returned shortly after. She had thought he left, but apparently he just went to bathe. Now the two of them awkwardly sat there eating, burying their heads in their plates, ignoring the other person.

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and then frowned down at her bowl, it had been a long time since she felt like this around him. It was highly uncomfortable and she did not like it.

    {...Should I apologize? Apologize for what? I really didn''t do anything wrong here. He was the one who became angry for no good reason...It''s not a crime not to be "engaging" -_-)...These crazy entitled royal as**oles. His mother''s beyond crazy, he''s confused crazy, his brother is another species of mad and I happen to be stuck here in the middle of all this crazy...Freaking a***les! -_-)...}

    She rushed her meal then got up to leave, but the Emperor calmly ordered, "Wait."

    So Lei Xing disgruntedly sat back down while the Emperor leisurely continued to eat, ignoring her again.

    {...Is he seriously being like this?... People make all sorts of faces, I''m sure...probably...But you can''t seriously be angry at someone''s expression. How does he know if that isn''t my -... Okay, I acknowledge that''s ridiculous -_-)...It was a "tortured" expression, I don''t even know what that looks like but...I guess I can see how that could be off-putting...I guess a tad upsetting too...maybe...}

    The Emperor finished and then got up, "Let''s go."

    Lei Xing warily looked up at him, "G-go where?"

    {...Dungeon? Whorehouse? Torture chamber?...Whorehouse?! What the hell am I thinking?...}

    "Didn''t you say you are going to the Zou representatives residence? So let''s go." The offhandedly Emperor responded.

    "You''re going too? Why?" Lei Xing blurted out. She just realized that he was dressed in nobleman''s clothes now.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "Is there a reason why I can''t go?"

    "No, none at all." Lei Xing swiftly responded, then got up and said, "Let''s go." The Emperor looked at her and then started strutting off, with Lei Xing begrudgingly trailing along.

    She wanted to leave the palace to get away from him but now he was going there too. She got the feeling that he was on a short fuse today and she did not need anyone to explain that it was because of last night, and she also was not in a good mood herself.

    {...Today''s going to be very, very long...What the hell is he even coming along for? -_-)...}

    "Am I walking too fast?" The Emperor stopped and asked with a frown, Lei Xing was walking almost ten paces behind him.

    "No, not at all." Lei Xing swiftly responded then awkwardly walked up and stopped beside him. He then continued to walk, matching her pace. Lei Xing covertly glanced at him, feeling bad for some reason.

    {...Is this guilt? What am I feeling guilty for?... It''s not my fault!... Is it? I don''t even know anymore...He''s confusing and he makes me confused, it''s annoying! >_

    "Hmm...A dragon and a phoenix, truly quite the sight."

    "What?" Chen You said turning to the monk next to her, who was nodding in appreciation, with eyes teaming with excitement as he watched Lei Xing and the Emperor''s departing figures. She had summoned this monk to the palace to offer assistance to the Empress dowager''s religious cause and were on their way to see her when they came across the scene of Emperor and Lei Xing.

    "Just an observation." The monk responded and then urged, "We should hurry along, I have to return to the temple by nightfall."

    Chen You frowned then looked at the departing figures of the people who were completely oblivious to her presence and that of others. Her frown deepened and she looked away and kept walking her own way, feeling even more irritated than she had been the last weeks. She had been feeling increasingly irrelevant these days.

    If not for the fact that she had already told the Empress dowager about this monk she would have tossed him out for his stupid words. She knew now that his reputation was lie, he obviously a confused fool who spoke nonsensical things. But still, she could not go to the Empress dowager empty-handed and so she swallowed her anger.

    {...A dragon and a phoenix...What nonsense! There is no way I''m going to live below her for the rest of my life! I refuse to!...}

 Chapter 127 - Monk Du

    Chen You and the monk arrived at the Empress dowager''s reception hall and bowed in greeting. Then Chen You smiled and said, "Your majesty, this is Monk Du, the famous monk from the Taohua mountain temple. It took a while, but I used every means possible to find him and immediately brought him here"

    Chen You "modestly" finished with a smile, with the Empress dowager behind her, she was sure to easily crush Lei Xing soon. There are some things even the most "lovestruck" of men would not be able to overlook.

    Lei Xing had been increasingly irritating her for a long while now. Even if she told herself that the Emperor''s current obsession with Lei Xing was temporary and will soon fade, it still irritated her immensely. Lei Xing had been manipulating the Emperor so much recently, he spent most of his time either in Court or in her palace, and she even selfishly refused to allow him to see anyone claiming she was too ill to receive visitors.

    Even when she managed to get him in the royal study, he always refused to see her. Eunuch Li even told her to stop bringing tonics over as the Emperor is as healthy as can be with a stupid smile as if she needed a reminder of what they were doing. The most infuriating thing was that stupid charade the Emperor pulled a few weeks ago. She had hoped to get good results from that endeavor but it did nothing but serve as a stepping stone to catapult Lei Xing''s reputation and relationship with the Emperor.

    Although she did not particularly like Chun Hua, the girl truly had her ways and was quite useful. She was the one who told her about the flowers that caused Lei Xing''s illness after she had seen it in the Imperial pharmacy while the doctors were working. Apparently, it was a small flower that only grew on the ground, amongst weeds. Chun Hua also found out from a guard about Lei Xing and Prince Yi''s fall. After hearing that, Chen You got a bright idea and decided to enlighten the curious crowd of the origin of this illness, a social favor.

    Of course, she added her own embellishments to the story to make it more interesting. But either way, Lei Xing should not have been falling into another man''s arms in the first place. She even made sure to inform the Empress dowager of this embarrassment to her son''s face. But she greatly underestimated the hold Lei Xing had on the Emperor, his reaction was not what she was hoping for at all. Not only did he not kick her out, or even punish her, he protected her.

    This monk today was also Chun Hua''s work. She managed to find out the monk was staying in Moshen temple outside the city for a respite. Chen You swiftly jumped on the opportunity to firmly place herself on the Empress dowager''s good side and so here she was with him in tow.

    Monk Du looked at the Empress dowager and raised an eyebrow, "The palace truly is a place with many wonders...I never believed in that saying before until today."

    The Empress dowager narrowed her eyes at him, she had come across nothing but foolish idiots posing as enlightened men. The world really held too many foolish people, yet she still wanted answers and had no choice but to indulge all this stupidity. They were the only option she could think of. She turned to Chen You, "You can leave."

    Chen You knit her brows in dissatisfaction, but then quietly bowed and made her way out. She did not like being cast aside, but she had to be patient. It will work as long this monk did not say anything foolish again. She frowned remembering the nonsense he said and turned to Chun Hua when she got outside, "Are you sure about him?"

    Chun Hua smiled and assured, "A hundred percent, he was a close associate of my father before, which is why he even agreed to do us this favor. It is normally very hard to get a meeting with him, even if you climbed the mountain, it would still depend on his mood. So count this occasion as lucky."

    {...In other words, I should kiss your feet? Hmph!...}

    Chen You looked away, unamused and started walking off. This was why she did not like this Chun Hua, despite how she tried to hide it, she had an irritating high handed attitude that made it seem like everyone else was beneath her. It annoyed Chen You, but she was useful so she kept her.

    ***

    "A knowledgeable voice entity?... Quite peculiar, but there are many strange things in the universe, and that is definitely not the strangest of them" Monk Du said.

    "So can you help me connect with it?" The Empress dowager asked, a bit excited. This was the first person that did not look at her like she was crazy when she mentioned this and so she a little bit excited.

    Monk Du knit his brows in thought, he looked at the Empress dowager and then sighed, "I can''t help you..."

    The Empress dowager immediately frowned and was about to kick him out, but then he said, "But my master could."

    The Empress dowager then ordered, "Have brought him brought here."

    Monk Du slightly bowed his head, "I''m sorry but that is impossible..."

    The Empress dowager narrowed her eyes, "Impossible?"

    "Well...My master is very old, it is said that he is as old as the mountain itself. He has never left the mountain...No, he cannot leave the mountain, but I can take you to him."

    "So you expect me to go climb a mountain?" The Empress dowager asked, irritated.

    "I''m afraid it is the only way..." Monk Du responded.

    The Empress dowager looked him over as she contemplated. She had heard long before that this mountain temple was an old temple with roots dating back to thousands of years, with very few disciples. They rarely get involved with people from the outside world which was probably how they managed to survive so long. This Monk Du was the only one who seemed to roam around and had made a reputation for himself, even meeting him was a rare occurrence. If anyone knew it would be them.

    {...But how dare they expect me to climb a mountain? Who does he think he is?...}

    The Empress dowager frowned then said through gritted teeth, "Get out."

    Monk Du sighed and then got up and turned to leave, hesitated and turned back to her, "I will say this, there is a darkness lingering in the air here...Something beyond me but my master has thousands of years'' worth of knowledge. There are no coincidences in the world, everything happens for a reason, with a cause and effect...I will be leaving Moshen temple in a week. I suggest you rethink it before then. Without a guide, it will be impossible to find the Taohua temple...A bit of advice, control your emotions, your anger will only make it worse."

    The Empress dowager froze and blinked, and watched as Monk Du walked out.

    {...Control your emotions? Anger? It always said that...}

 Chapter 128 - Lost Bff

    The Empress dowager blinked then shakily said, "I want to be alone."

    Song mama knit her brows and wanted to protest but the Empress dowager frowned at her and ordered, "Leave." So she hesitantly let her be and waited outside the doors, listening for any commotion.

    The Empress dowager has been quite unstable recently. She always got angry whenever she met with the monks. Although she had become more controlled since the whipping incident and did not lash out like that anymore. She thought she was finally getting better until a few weeks ago when she found the Empress dowager collapsed in her room after taking one of her own poisons.

    The antidote was right in front of her but she did not take it and instead was bearing the pain to the extreme. She quickly administered the antidote and later asked her why she would attempt such a thing. The Empress dowager did not answer and just brushed her off and curled up on her bed and slept. Song mama sighed, she was understanding her less and less these days.

    The Empress dowager closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath once she was alone.

    {...Anger...that''s what it said the last time too...}

    The last time she heard it was the day that demon made himself Emperor. The day she found out about the fate of her country, about her family and what he had done. But she was not angry then, she was enraged.

    {...He had destroyed our lives, he ruined everything!...I lost everything and you abandoned me in the aftermath! This was not me being jealous or unreasonable. He ruined my life! What else was I supposed to do?!...}

    When all she received in return was silence, she became even more enraged.

    {...Tell me!... How else could I have lived?! If not anger, how could I have survived?!... And now there''s this too...Was this why? What does this all even mean?...}

    For as long as she could remember the voice was always with her as a friend, a guardian and a teacher. It had been with her since she was a child, she grew up with it. She did not know its origin or anything and never thought to question her existence until she grew up enough and realized it was not normal to have it. But still, she did not mind, it was their secret and her best friend, and she always felt reassured knowing it was there with her.

    Since she was interested in it, it taught her about plants and herbs and any other topic she wanted to know. It was extremely knowledgeable and knew more than anyone she had ever met. It called itself a genius and called her one too for being a great student. They had a lot of fun times together.

    She was not sure how but it may have even helped her with her marriage...or perhaps it just knew like always did what would happen.

    Back then it had asked her if she liked anyone and she had told it about her secret crush on the handsome and kind Long Crown prince. It then replied, *In that case, it''s easy*.

    She was doubtful and thought it was just messing around like usual. But then a few months later, the proposal came and it proudly told her *I told you so*. She asked how but it responded, *It''s none of your business*, it always said that when it did not want to talk about things. She had learned that no matter how much she prodded it would not speak about what it did not want to, so she let it go.

    A few months later she got happily married and it told her she had to be happy and she was for a time.

    He was the perfect husband, he loved her and she loved him, but he had others before her. Particularly, a side consort childhood friend that he could not neglect, and a few others he had to be kind too. Then she had thought he was too kind. he really seemed that way, which was why she fell for him in the first place.

    But then things steadily got worse as the years progressed. He changed, she did not know how bad it really was until it was too late. Other women and eight years with no child put a major strain on their relationship. It became even more complicated as other women gave him the children she longed to give him, even a maid gave him one but she bore it all.

    At that time, the voice always warned her to control her emotions, to curb her jealousy, to not get angry. She tried but how could she not feel any envy? How could she be happy when she had become a joke? How could she be happy when he constantly neglected her for other women, all the while claiming he loved her?

    She had thought if she just had a child then it would fix everything. She tried all sorts of medicines, all sorts of painful methods, all in an effort to have a child for him. She understood that he needed heirs and that she had failed to provide even one, so it was normal for him to look elsewhere. She understood but it still hurt. It was her fault he was changing, it was her fault their relationship was in turbulent waters and it was her fault for being inadequate.

    She understood.

    The voice told her not to worry and reassured her that hers will come. But after eight years, even that reassurance felt weak. Finally, it came, the child she had wanted, the child they had wanted so much and he returned having done that.

    He ruined their lives.

    She had been so excited waiting for his return to tell him their good news that she was finally pregnant. She was so excited for them to finally have a family together but then he came back with that.

    She could not believe it and tried to deny it, it made no sense. He knew her brothers, knew her family. They loved him and he, she thought loved them back...or at least loved her. When she saw him and he told her that he did it for their own good, that it was better to stamp out the threat before it stamped them out. She realized he had gone mad and she felt mad herself and wildly attacked him while ignoring the voice which was screaming for her to control her anger. She wanted him dead and did not care for anything else at that time. She tried to end him until her sight faded.

    Since that day she never heard from it again, she called and called but it never responded. It was the worst time of her life and it was gone. She had almost lost the baby too...and frankly, she did not want it anymore. It being in her made her feel nauseated and sick, it made her hate herself. She hated it and that demon, she wanted them both dead. And she tried to end the demon''s spawn and almost killed herself trying.

    And in retaliation, the demon made all her people to slaves and then threatened to have every single one of them killed if ever tried to kill herself again. Not that she was trying to die, she could not die until he died, but how could she kill him?

    Later on, when she saw Eunuch Li for the first time, she felt a renewed sense of hope that her oldest brother might have survived. A ray of hope in her now bleak life. Only to have that hope dashed. By the time her brother had received the news, the Long army was almost upon them. It was too late.

    Too late, so he was dead.

    Her brother had ordered Eunuch Li to take his men and head for the mountains and cross into Dong territory, it was a treacherous route but some made it. She was distraught and had questioned why her brother did not follow along, he could have made it too, he was skilled enough. But she was being naive again. If her family was not all dead, that demon would not have been satisfied. Eunuch Li and his men were ordered to protect her and help her safeguard their people. And she got the order to live if she could, to remain at the demon''s side if she could to safeguard their people.

    But she had already made one mistake. And so she tried, she really tried. She tried to have the child she hated and tried to live with that hateful demon. Her family was gone, her country was gone, her supportive father-in-law was gone and her best friend, her guardian was gone. She was all alone.

    Even after having the child, she did not want to look at it. The child she wanted so much, she could not stand now.

    It took her a long time before she could even bear being in the same room as the baby, without feeling the urge to strangle him to death. The demon was happy but she was absolutely miserable, miserable but she had to smile. She had to keep him happy so her people could have a way out. But then there were all those flashes of rage which had always ensured their relationship was always tense.

    Now she realizes that it may be more than simple flashes of rage. A problem out of her control...and it honestly scared her a bit.

    And so she remembered this old friend who knew her best, who always cared for her well being and helped her more than anyone through the first half of her life...She thought it could fix it.

    But as it had been for more than twenty years now, it did not respond when she called. She thought of how to reconnect with it. She had even outright poisoned herself to try to get it to respond, it always used to react when she was in trouble. But she stayed there writhing in pain but it still did not come. Therefore, she turned to these so-called enlightened men but only suffered insult after insult.

    But still, there was no progress.

    The Empress dowager held her forehead and then felt something wet on her palms. She frowned and wiped her tears away, angry and frustrated.

    {...I should climb a mountain? What insolence! If I do climb up there, it will be to burn it to the ground!... If you keep ignoring me, I will burn down every temple in existence and every monk I see will die...}

 Chapter 129 - Moody

    Lei glanced at the Emperor and then lightly sighed. They were both sitting at the far ends of the carriage, with a huge space between them.

    Lei Xing glanced at him again and then looked down. He was behaving weird and it was making her feel very uncomfortable. The Emperor was sitting in his corner with his eyes closed and arms folded, keeping his hands to himself. Not that she wanted him to touch her or anything, but normally he tried to at least hold her hand at every opportunity.

    He helped her get on the carriage and then hastily dropped her hand like it was burning him or something. Lei Xing blinked at him, but he just looked away like there was nothing was abnormal. He got in after her and then immediately assumed this sleeping Buddha pose, ignoring her again.

    Lei Xing pouted in his direction, then sighed and looked out the window instead.

    {...If he doesn''t even want to look at me, what exactly is he coming along for?... I get he''s upset but...I would rather he just got angry than to pull this passive-aggressive stunt...Is this even passive-aggressive? He''s not being mean or anything...but him being so passive is so...so...upsetting...It''s honestly upsetting...}

    She really did not like this.

    The carriage ride felt like it took forever to Lei Xing. When it finally stopped, the Emperor opened his eyes and went down, then he helped her down and immediately dropped her hand as soon her foot touched the ground. Lei Xing knit her brows at him, but he was looking away again. She looked down, feeling disgruntled and like that, the moody pair made their way to the awaiting royal guests inside.

    Princess Nalan smiled and waved when she saw Lei Xing come round the corner, only for the Emperor to surface a second later and she froze along with the others around the table in the garden.

    Prince Yi''s expression changed from one of expectancy to a frown. He had specifically come here today because he heard Lei Xing was coming. He had been informed that she was the one who came up with the medicinal bath which saved him and had been thinking of her every time he got in the bath for the past few weeks. He thought it must be because he wanted to thank her but then thought perhaps not. Regardless of the reason, he wanted to see her.

    He looked forward to this meeting...and now HE tagged along to ruin everything.

    The group got up and bowed towards the Emperor, he lightly glanced at them and did not speak. Prince Rui then took it upon himself to play the gracious host, although begrudgingly so, he put on a smile and said, "Your majesty, we were not informed of you coming here today. If there is anything you could have just sent for me."

    "I''m not here for you." The Emperor calmly informed. They all blinked and their eyes floated to Princess Nalan, who knit her brows. Even Lei Xing looked at her too.

    {...So he came here to see her? That''s -...That''s good, he should have just told me to stay home then, I am not keen on playing the third wheel -_-)...}

    The Emperor followed their eyes, then he frowned then added, "Xing er'' has not been feeling well recently and has just recovered."

    After he said that, there was a silence and they all glanced towards Lei Xing, who was looking down at the ground with a frown. While the Emperor was looking at them, slightly irritated with all their staring.

    They could all tell that their relationship was weird. The Emperor said he came here to look after her, yet he said it flatly with no emotion, even his expression was blank. Then there was Lei Xing who arrived with a frown and has maintained it the whole time.

    They both seemed upset.

    Prince Rui quickly offered them a sit and they all sat down quietly, with Molin leaning on a pillar on the side. The atmosphere was tense and no one was saying anything. After a while, Molin looked at Princess Nalan and signaled for her to say something and she signaled back that he should say something himself. He looked at Prince Rui, who glanced at him and swiftly looked away, uninterested.

    Lei Xing was sitting down, looking down at her hand holding her cup of tea. The Emperor caught Prince Yi glancing at Lei Xing and narrowed his eyes and then said, "Brother, it is good to see you looking well again. Ah, I have not yet thanked you for looking after my wife in my stead. If there is anything you need, do name it."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...Looking after? What looking after? Terrorizing me was what he was doing. I think he should be punished, you should have asked my opinion first -_-)...}

    Prince Yi slightly knit his brows then smiled and lightly bowed, "It is naturally what I should do, there is no need for thanks."

    "That''s fine then." The Emperor offhandedly responded, then picked up his cup and quietly sipped on his tea. And the table returned back to the awkward silence again.

    Lei Xing glanced up at the Emperor to find him staring at Prince Yi, who was looking down with his eyebrows knit, probably unnerved by the Emperor''s stare. Lei Xing quietly sighed.

    {...This sucks...I thought his brother was bad, but this here guy is the definition of party pooper. Must come with the job territory, can''t have the subjects being too chummy...I guess -_-)...}

    After a while more of the awkward silence, Princess Nalan poked Lei Xing and then quietly asked signaling to her with her eyebrows, "Are you feeling well enough for an archery lesson?"

    Lei Xing immediately jumped at the opportunity, "Yes, I''m perfectly fine...That would be great." And with that, the two girls flew out of there, both letting out sighs of relief after leaving the scene. The atmosphere was suffocating. Lei Xing cast a quick glance back at the Emperor to see him frowning as they left.

    {...He must be feeling uncomfortable too....right?...}

    Apparently, Princess Nalan had set up a simple archery site for fun and to tutor Lei Xing. Lei Xing quite liked this, the target was a lot closer than the one she worked with in the palace, and she was feeling more confident. After getting basic posture lessons, Lei Xing got an arrow and prepared to fire while receiving corrections. Princess Nalan then suddenly said, "It seems your Emperor likes you a lot."

    "It''s just -" Lei Xing paused and knit her brows, not knowing what to say... or even think about this Emperor anymore.

    {...Honestly, this guy is a bit, No, a lot too nice...How did he become Emperor if he''s this nice? Well, I guess he''s smart and talented s-...No, I''m getting confused again, he''s not that nice, can''t be...At most he''s nice to his women, and I''m just one of them...But then he ignores - Then he''s nice because he wants something...But then yesterday - Aargghh! This is so confusing, I hate this! >_

    Lei Xing frowned and pushed him out of her mind then put all her energy and frustration into pulling the bow, ready to shoot.

    "You don''t like him?" Princess Nalan asked, Lei Xing blinked then lost her concentration, and ended up losing her grip on the drawstring and ended up snapping her finger on it, and exclaimed in pain as she frowned at Princess Nalan.

    {...Why is everyone such a Freaking busy body?! Can''t you all just mind your own goddamn business?! -_-)...}

    The Emperor suddenly showed up beside her and held her hand and looked at her finger and worriedly asked, "Are you okay?"

    Lei Xing frowned and looked down then quietly mumbled, "I thought you were ignoring me."

    The Emperor knit his brows but before he could say anything, Lei Xing shook her hand free and turned to Princess Nalan and said, "Let''s do some horse riding." As she grabbed her arm and started walking off.

    The Emperor sighed. Prince Rui then came up to him, "Your majesty, why don''t we go back and let them be?" After the girls left before on their archery mission, the four men quietly sat there for a while in increasing awkwardness until the Emperor suddenly stood up. He frowned and then asked where the archery site was and so they came here and stood out of sight watching them. As soon as he heard lightly cry out, the Emperor swiftly moved to her side.

    While Prince Yi disliked the Emperor''s presence here, he did enjoy seeing Lei Xing shake the emperor off and slightly smiled.

    {...It seems it was all just rumors, a facade created by my idiotic brother...He must be putting on a show to please the Lei family. It must be hard trying to keep your "friend" happy...What to do? It seems she hates you...}

    The Emperor frowned and responded, "This is fine." And started walking off towards the direction Lei Xing and Princess Nalan had gone in. After a few steps, he stopped then turned back and looked at Prince Rui and Molin, who looked back at him, perplexed.

    Molin got the idea and exclaimed, "Oh, the horse stable." He then walked forward to lead the way and the Emperor quietly turned and followed along with Prince Rui and Prince Yi, who were both apparently amused with the drama playing.

 Chapter 130 - Point of Contention

    Lei Xing looked at the horse in front of her and then back at Princess Nalan, "Where are the steps."

    Princess Nalan raised an eyebrow, "Steps? You can''t carry steps with you everywhere. That''s just unnecessary baggage. You need to learn how to mount the saddle on your own. It''s easy. Here, watch me." She finished then vaulted onto the horse, then hopped down. "See? Now your turn."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at the horse and thought it made sense, "Make sure to hold it steady." She said, Princess Nalan held up the reins to reassure her.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath then gripped onto the saddle, put her leg in and vaulted up but only ended up landing on the saddle on her belly. She tried to get her other leg up and across but was having trouble. She heard Princess Nalan chuckling and frowned.

    "Lei Xing, your mounting technique is quite unique." Princess Nalan commented.

    "I know what I''m doing." Lei Xing bit back and continued her struggle.

    {...Okay, we can do this...Stupid leg! Get a grip! >_

    Molin could no longer help it as he watched Lei Xing and chuckled. The Emperor immediately glared at him and he piped down, The Emperor then dismissively to them, "You don''t have to follow me around. You can leave."

    Prince Rui bowed his head, "Ah, I understand...I''m just here to watch my sister to ensure she does not cause trouble. She is a bit..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes then glanced at Prince Yi, who turned to him, bowed his head and respectfully reminded, "I am keeping Prince Rui company... as his companion."

    Molin quickly bowed and chimed in, "And I am Prince Rui''s guard, I''m guarding."

    The Emperor looked at them, unamused. He turned back to Lei Xing who finally had her leg on top of the horse but was still trying to haul over to the other side. He frowned and then walked up to the horse and gave her the boost she needed.

    Lei Xing was so absorbed in her brave feat that she was oblivious to everything else and was not aware that someone had helped her. As soon as she landed she sat, smiled and turned to Princess Nalan, only to see the Emperor standing beside her lowering his hands.

    She blinked at him and wanted to say something but then the Emperor looked away again. She sighed and knit her brows, feeling upset again.

    Princess Nalan obliviously to the mood, then said, "Okay, now that you''re up. Time to ride." Then immediately slapped the horse''s back and it charged. Lei Xing''s eyes immediately went wide as the horse sped off. She tightly gripped the reins then leaned forward to grab the horse''s neck.

    {...Crazy ass- ! What the hell did you do that for?! >_

    "Relax, it''s fine."

    Lei Xing opened her eyes as she heard that and saw the horse had stopped. She sat up and turned around to see the Emperor sitting behind her. She immediately hugged him, grateful for his humanity as she exclaimed, "When did you get here?"

    "Just now." The Emperor blinked in surprise, then frowned as he looked down at her head. It was the first time she had ever taken the initiative, but it was not the same. He had vaulted up behind her as soon as Princess Nalan hit the horse. He turned the horse around and glared at Princess Nalan.

    Lei Xing let out a sigh of relief and opened her eyes, realized what she was doing and immediately let go, looked up at his face calmly looking down at her. She quickly faced forward turning a bit red. She looked forward and also glared at Princess Nalan, feeling aggrieved.

    {...I''ve figured it out, this girl is trying to kill me, isn''t she? -_-)...}

    The Emperor got down then put Lei Xing on the ground then walked up to Princess Nalan. At this point, Prince Rui and the others had made their way to her, with Prince Rui already admonishing her for her stupidity for doing that.

    The Emperor stopped in front of them and narrowed his eyes at her and said in a low voice, "You could have killed her."

    Princess Nalan, who was already annoyed with her brother''s scolding and frowned and said, "That wouldn''t have killed her...She isn''t that fragile. Everyone falls from a horse, it''s how you learn..."

    Prince Rui frowned but before he could speak, the Emperor irritatedly said, "She is an average person with no martial arts training, a fall could have seriously injured her..."

    Prince Rui bowed, "I apologize for my sister''s misbehavior..." He then turned to Princess Nalan and narrowed his eyes at her, "...Apologize."

    Princess Nalan frowned then begrudgingly bowed, "I''m sorry...I was not aware she was that fragile." Prince Rui frowned at her, annoyed with her words and tone but she just frowned back and looked away.

    Prince Rui then said to Emperor, "Your majesty..." He knit his brows and then turned to Lei Xing instead, "Noble consort Lei, please do not hold it against her. Nalan can be a bit reckless but she meant no harm...I will make sure something like this never happens again."

    Lei Xing blinked, "It''s nothing...I''m fine, it was a...a fun experience." Lei Xing said with a laugh, trying to diffuse the situation. She did not like being the point of contention.

    The Emperor frowned and then said, "No more horse riding training is needed, I will teach her myself. As for the archery lessons..." He glanced at Lei Xing and then said, "You can continue with that as long as you don''t plan to use her for target practice." The Emperor said frowning back at Princess Nalan.

    The atmosphere felt tense again, with everyone except Prince Yi seeming to be in on edge.

    Lei Xing awkwardly stood there for a bit and then went, "Haha...ha funny, what a great joke, Your majesty. I''m really not that fragile and of course, I would never be target practice...Hahaha." Lei Xing laughingly said in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes and Lei Xing smiled at him while narrowing her eyes at him. Then the Emperor glanced the other way, seemingly disgruntled. Lei Xing lips twitched.

    {...Look, I''m trying to do my job as a diplomat here so you behave yourself!... The last thing I need right now is to be the cause of international friction, please be reasonable -_-)...}

    Lei Xing then turned her smile to the disgruntled Princess Nalan, thought quickly then said, "Why don''t we go out? I think we''ve done enough training today...So somewhere...fun."

    Princess Nalan glanced at her then let out a breath and still disgruntled asked, "Where?"

    {...Great question O_O)...}

    Lei Xing glanced around at the others who returned blank stares. Her eyes fell on Prince Yi, who was the only one with an unaffected expression but he just raised an eyebrow at her and made no suggestions. Lei Xing lips twitched but she maintained the smile, "How about the market?! You haven''t been, right?... Regardless, let''s go shopping. It''ll be fun."

    {...I hate it, but I''ll sacrifice...}

    "I guess...it could be fun."  Princess Nalan finally responded and Lei Xing nodded then grabbed her arm to head out.

    After getting everything arranged, they went out to town and once again Lei Xing was stuck in the carriage with Emperor, while the others rode on horses. And again, the Emperor was keeping to himself, eyes closed and arms folded. Lei Xing glanced at him and wondered if he was meditating. Regardless of him being angry with her, he was still being considerate and helping her...Lei Xing whispered, "Thank you." and then looked down, feeling upset.

    "You''re welcome." The Emperor responded and Lei Xing looked up to see him looking at her, then she looked back down and knit her brows, seemingly pouting.

    They silently rode along for a while, then the Emperor sighed, "Xing er'', I''m not angry with you."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and the Emperor continued, "...And I''m not ignoring you, it''s just..." He paused and then looked down with a frown, "You don''t like it, do you?... Me touching you."

    Lei Xing blinked at him, feeling a major sense of guilty. He really has been kind to her, so kind it made her feel uneasy. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved by him, she was not made of stone so naturally, she was but...Lei Xing sighed and then quietly said, "I don''t hate you."

    The Emperor blinked and looked up at her, and she looked away turning a bit red, "I mean...You''re a really nice guy and there''s really nothing to hate...so...I don''t hate you...it''s just..." Lei Xing knit her brows and looked down.

    {...Your life is complicated...and it''s just...I don''t know...}

 Chapter 131 - Playing Field

    "I understand." The Emperor said with a small smile, then went to pat her head, but then stopped midway, knit his brows and withdrew the hand.

    Lei Xing instinctively grabbed the hand with her hands, without thinking. Then she blinked and looked at his face to find him equally stunned and blinking at their hands.

    {...What am I- ... *Sigh* Whatever, let''s just go with the flow...}

    "It''s fine." She said, lowering her head and turning red. She knit her brows, then glanced back up at the Emperor, who still seemed to be stunned. She frowned then mumbled, "I thought you said you weren''t angry."

    She glanced at the Emperor who was still blankly staring at her, her frown deepened and she released his hand. The Emperor finally responded and held onto her hand before she completely let go.

    The Emperor smiled down at her hand and gently stroked it, then he sighed, "Xing er'', I''m really not angry...Hm..." He paused and took a deep breath then looked up at her, "...Other than the fact that I was mistaken in thinking you preferred it this way...It was also because...well, it sometimes makes it harder..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...Makes what harder? Your life?...Didn''t seem that way though? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing looked him over for a bit, then she frowned and narrowed her eyes then mumbled, "I thought you said you had great self-control."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, observed her expression and then smirked, "What are you thinking about?" Lei Xing blinked at him, and her confused expression made him laugh, which made Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she looked away and flushed with embarrassment.

    {...What the hell are you laughing at? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing then tried to pull her hand free but the Emperor''s hold was unyielding. He looked at her disgruntled face and then hugged her. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. After a bit, he slightly opened his eyes and looked down at Lei Xing wrapped in his arms.

    {...This makes no sense...How can I have missed her when I''ve been with her the whole time?...}

    "Xing er'', I believe that I am quite the patient man..." The Emperor calmly said while stroking her hair., "So I can wait...But I do have one request." He then moved her back a bit so he could see her face. He held her face and smiled at her then said, "Be sure to tell me when you''re ready. I''d rather not have to guess...You sometimes make me feel quite confused." He finished with a light chuckle.

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him, she was completely red now.

    {...I should do what? O_O)...How can I ever say -...}

    Still, she subconsciously nodded, no other option came to mind. The Emperor''s smile brightened, then he said, "Don''t take too long though..." Then he hugged her to his chest and whispered to himself, "This will be a good test of patience."

    Lei Xing snorted, then chuckled. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the top of her head, still smiling asked, "What''s funny?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him, shook her head and then lowered her head back to his chest, and hugged his waist. Then she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

    {...Much better...Being awkward is weird and tiring...}

    She felt glad he was back to normal and that the awkwardness was gone, she really could not stand it.

    The carriage finally jerked to a stop and Lei Xing opened her eyes and immediately sat up. She could not believe she had stayed in his arms for that long without thinking. She blinked up at him, speechless.

    {...Did I fall asleep? No way! I wasn - I don''t even know. Hibernation? O_O)...}

    The Emperor''s face was full of smiles, and he said "As much as I would love for you to continue to rest...We, unfortunately, have to get down now. But we can stay if you want."

    Lei Xing immediately shook her head, turning red from embarrassment. The Emperor pat her head and then got up.

    {...What am I doing? This is isn''t healthy T_T)...}

    She took a deep breath to calm herself and then followed the Emperor out. This time, after he helped her down, he tightly held on to her hand. Tightly too, so Lei Xing could not slip it away and walked up to the others.

    The others looked at the couple with raised eyebrows. The atmosphere around them was very, very different now. The Emperor was smiling and while Lei Xing was looking off to the side with her eyebrows knit, there was also a faint blush on her face. They could all tell that their carriage ride was definitely an interesting one.

    Molin snorted and quietly whispered, "It seems the ride was too short." Prince Rui frowned at him and he cleared his throat and looked away.

    The Emperor heard his words, but he left it alone, his smile slightly widened and he turned to Lei Xing, "Let''s go shopping." And then turned around with her, with some servants following and left the other royals standing there to deal with themselves.

    Considering the Emperor was there, Prince Rui was not sure if they could go off on their own and so led the party to follow Lei Xing and the Emperor, from a distance. Occasionally stopping here and there to peruse through items Princess Nalan found interesting.

    Prince Yi was following the group, the entire time he had his eyes fixed on Lei Xing and the Emperor ahead. Looking at their backs made him feel upset for some reason. The more he watched them, the more upset he felt. He frowned then looked away, but still, he found his eyes darting towards them unconsciously and it infuriated him.

    Lei Xing and the Emperor were oblivious of their tag-alongs and were walking along hand-in-hand. The Emperor was glancing around randomly, while Lei Xing was looking around absentmindedly and generally disinterested.

    They appeared to be a couple out on a leisurely stroll, one with money ripe for picking to the vendors.

    "Young master, why don''t you buy a gift for your beautiful wife?" An older woman with a jewelry stall called out to the Emperor. The Emperor stopped and glanced her way.

    Seeing his hesitation, the woman added, "You know...they say gifts are a great way to lock the heart..." She finished with her eyes motioning towards Lei Xing, knowingly.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, he glanced at Lei Xing and remembered Eunuch Li talking about gifts as well. So he walked up to the old woman''s stall, pulling Lei Xing along.

    When they got there the woman started making recommendations to Lei Xing, but then quickly realized the Emperor was the easier target of the two. So she swiftly focused all her attention on the Emperor who seemed to be seriously scrutinizing the pieces.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor and then said, "I don''t really need these things, I already have plenty..."

    The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing, but before he could speak the woman jumped in salvage this business opportunity, "Haha, Young master it is never a bad thing to have more options...Even if she doesn''t need it, it''s always nice for a beauty to have more options..." The woman then whispered, "Not to mention she''ll remember you every time she sees them, it''s great...the more, the better..."

    The Emperor smirked and then took a piece the woman offered and held it up next to Lei Xing''s head. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, and he just smiled back at her.

    "It looks pretty good." The Emperor calmly said.

    "Of course it does. Your wife is so beautiful, anything will great...Actually this one here is even better, and this one...this one too. Oh, this one is perfect!..." The woman rambled on as she excitedly recommended one piece after another.

    "These look quite good." The Emperor commented as he looked through the selections.

    After a long back and forth, the Emperor finally made his selections and the old woman was over the moon, he was taking over half her stock. He motioned for one of the servants to come forward to make the payments. The Emperor then turned to Lei Xing and smiled at her and Lei Xing pursed her lips, unamused.

    "You two make such a beautiful couple...truly a match made in Heaven." The woman happily praised, mid-packing their purchase. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her.

    {...Of course, we''re the perfect couple, I can see the money signs obscuring your entire face -_-)...}

    The Emperor thought the woman was wise and nodded in agreement and then said, "We''ll take everything."

    Lei Xing''s mouth immediately fell open and her eyes went wide and she protested, "We don-"

    "It''s fine." The Emperor interjected, flashing a reassuring smile at her.

    Lei Xing frowned, opened her mouth, then closed it.

    {...All that money...Wasted!...Okay, it''s not my money...But still!... Okay, I guess I can sell them...Money not lost, just converted...It''s okay...}

    The other vendors seeing the woman''s highly effective method luck started commenting about how beautiful Lei Xing is and how they make such a great pair. The Emperor glanced their way and Lei Xing immediately hugged his arm and pulled him away while glaring at the vendors.

    {...Stupid! How dare they try to take advantage of him?!... And how can he be so gullible?! >_

    The Emperor happily chuckled, enjoying being dragged off.

    {...This shopping thing is quite fun...}

 Chapter 132 - Enlightenment

    Prince Rui sighed as they watched Lei Xing dragging the amused Emperor off. Molin also sighed, "Nalan, it looks like you don''t stand a chance at all."

    "Tch, who needs a chance? That''s just father''s proposal. He hasn''t accepted... or declined actually...but he clearly doesn''t seem interested at all AND I don''t think we can get along AT ALL so I''m perfectly happy with this." Princess Nalan responded still annoyed with him for questioning her tutoring methods.

    {...Not my fault if she''s fragile...}

    Princess Nalan pouted and grumbled, "What do you guys see in fragile girls like that? A little nudge and she breaks, what''s the fun in that?"

    Prince Rui narrowed his eyes at her, "It''s not a matter of fragile or not, character is what matters...and No, I don''t like her that way. Don''t even think about it." Prince Rui sternly warned when he saw Princess Nalan cast him a suspicious glance, He then continued, "I''m just saying, a person''s character is more important than their strength. You also seem to like her quite a bit, don''t you? And it''s obviously not because of her strength."

    "I guess..." Princess Nalan mumbled, then noticed their group was missing a person and asked, "Where did Prince Yi go?"

    Prince Rui smiled, "He stormed off a little while ago. Something must have irritated him...Let''s hurry along before we lose them. Although I doubt our presence is being missed, I would still like to avoid any unnecessary problems." Prince Rui finished and kept walking so as not to lose the royal couple ahead.

    Lei Xing finally stopped in a corner after they cleared the rowdy vendors, which she had now dubbed opportunist vultures. She understood it was business, but she was quite annoyed by their ruthlessness.

    {...How could all of them try to bleed one person dry like that?! There should be a limit! And ONE is my limit! How dare they take us as fools?! It''s his fault for being so obvious with his weaknesses! >_

    "You surprisingly have quite the amount of strength." The Emperor commented.

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched and she slowly turned around to see the Emperor smiling at her, and it further irritated her and she blurted out, "How can you be that gullible?! She was obviously taking advantage of you AND to think you were actually considering going to those other vultures! Even if you have money, you still have to be smart in how you spend it or you will end up dead, broke and dry. No, I mean dry, dead and broke. What? Arggh! You get the point!"

    Lei Xing said all that in one breath. It was only after the fact that she realized she just blew up at the Emperor as she stared at his stunned expression and eyes blinking at her. Lei Xing blinked back at him and then tried to correct this error, "Hehe~ I''m s-"

    "You scold with very reasonable words." The Emperor said knitting his brows.

    Lei Xing gulped, "I wasn''t exactly scol-"

    "You don''t like spending money?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing blinked and then sighed, "It''s not that I don''t like spending money...It''s just...Well, just spend more meaningfully. I already have enough in the palace, and I get more on a regular basis...so those sorts of trinkets..." Lei Xing trailed off, looking down with a frown. She understood he was being nice, but en masse does not mean better, and she really was not particularly interested in jewelry. Especially, not generic ones like those.

    "That makes sense..." Thinking on it back it now, Jewelry truly did not seem to be something she cared about. Save for the bracelet and ring she always had on, he rarely ever saw her with any other jewelry on when in her palace.

    She was very different from what he was used to, his mother and the Empress were always completely dressed up and adorned with their jewels every day.

    Lei Xing, on the other hand, did not seem to care at all. She liked to be comfortable and so always stayed in the simplest and easiest state possible. He had noticed she had a bit of a lazy personality and disliked anything that would inconvenience her. He had also figured out that she must have thought of him as an inconvenience before, which was why she always seemed annoyed whenever he showed up. It seems he had made a mistake again. He knit his brows in thought and then asked, "So what do you like?"

    Lei Xing blinked up at him and then knit her brows. It was a surprisingly hard question.

    {...Is it weird that I don''t have the answer to that question?... Money? No, that''s a -...}

    "Money?" The Emperor suggested when she did not respond.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, "Everybody likes money."

    "Well, you seem to like it quite a bit more than usual." The Emperor jokingly said with a smirk.

    Lei Xing frowned, unamused and flatly said, "It''s a need...not exactly a like."

    The Emperor then smiled and said, "I''m just joking...So what do you like? Tell me."

    "I don''t know...I like what I like I guess, can''t really pinpoint things. If I like it, then I like it." She offhandedly responded. it was true, her likes depended on the thing itself. She never really thought much about it.

    "You don''t know." The Emperor summed up, Lei Xing felt somewhat offended with his tone, so she got defensive and challenged, "What about you, what do you like?"

    The Emperor blinked and then knit his brows in thought, then frowned.

    {...No one has ever asked me that before...}

    "Hm, I''ve never thought about that before..."

    "See? It''s not an easy question..." Lei Xing smugly responded.

    "Well, I''ve never had much of an opinion on things like that..." The Emperor offhandedly mentioned.

    "Really?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Well, there were more important things that needed my attention...Today was actually my first time doing something like this."

    Lei Xing blinked, "I see..."

    The atmosphere was feeling awkward again, she had thought he was just messing around but it seemed he was actually just enjoying a curious splurge session.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat, "Well, then it''s fine to occasionally splurge - spend money for fun" She explained when she saw his questioning expression, then continued, "But it''s not good for it to become a habit. It can be addicting and is very wasteful...And as an Emperor, it is very bad for you to become an addicted shopper, it can empty your coffers, in other words, the country can go broke so you have to be careful."

    The Emperor gently smiled as he listened to Lei Xing''s lecturing, her genuine concern for him made him very happy. "Xing er'', I just remembered something that I like..."

    "Oh." Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, curious. He smiled and then pulled her into a hug and quietly said, "I like you." And then leaned in to kiss her but Lei Xing immediately pushed him back and exclaimed, "We''re in public!"

    Her push did not do much and his arms were still wrapped around her waist, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "So?"

    "People are looking."Lei Xing said, looking away as her face turned red and she tried to peel his arms off.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her and smirked, "Doesn''t matter. They know not to look."

    "No, they don''t. It''s wrong so let go." Lei Xing said knitting her brows in annoyance. Maybe if they were in the palace, the people there knew to look away but they were on public streets.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "I haven''t heard of such a rule...Regardless, a quick one"

    Then he leaned down again and Lei Xing pushed him again and frowned at him, "It''s social etiquette, just imagine if everyone on the street stopped and started kissing. It would be annoying, wouldn''t it?"

    The Emperor knit his brows, "No, why would it? It''s none of my concern, I only care abou-"

    "Your majesty?"

    The Emperor and Lei Xing both froze and then slowly turned their heads to see Lei Yong looking at them with knit eyebrows, Tung Mei glaring at the Emperor and Xiao Ting holding her blushing cheeks looking at them wide-eyed.

 Chapter 133 - Aggrieved Tale

    Lei Xing''s quickly used the opportunity of the Emperor being distracted to get out of his hold. The Emperor turned back to her and she glared at him. He then sighed and turned back to Lei Yong, "Ah Yong, it''s good to see you...here."

    Lei Yong looked at the Lei Xing and then back to the Emperor then frowned, but before he could respond. Lei Xing shouted, "Stop!" As Tung Mei turned around to run, she and Lei Xing had just made eye contact and in that split second, they both remembered the bracelet. Tung Mei froze and Lei Xing swiftly appeared in front of her and grabbed her arm and menacingly said, "You''ve been avoiding me."

    Tung Mei looked at her, "Hehe~ Xing jie, I would never avoid you. I just didn''t know it was urgent..."

    "Urgent?" Lei Xing asked through gritted teeth and then pulled Tung Mei to the side, out of earshot of the other three. Leaving the Emperor, Lei Yong and Xiao Ting standing there, confused with their behavior.

    The Emperor walked up to Lei Yong and smirked at him, "It seems you have been making progress yourself."

    Lei Yong frowned and grumbled, "...And it seems you have been making too much progress."

    The Emperor looked him over, "You seem to be in a bad mood. Anything I can help with?"

    Lei Yong cast him a side glance and then sighed, "It''s good that you''re getting along with my sister but..." Lei Yong paused then knit his eyebrows and looked away.

    "But?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Why are you- How can you - in the street...be - ?" Lei Yong stopped again. He was very happy that the Emperor was getting along with Lei Xing. It was the best outcome he could hope for with both of them happy together.

    The Emperor has clearly been happier these days than ever before and he knew it was because of Lei Xing. But still...even if they were in an inconspicuous corner, doing something like this in the street is a bit too much, isn''t it? He was happy but not happy. He actually would not have noticed them himself if not for Tung Mei suddenly frowning in that direction.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Yong''s disgruntled face and snorted.

    {...Ah, concerned brother mode?... But there''s nothing to be concerned about, I''m already her husband and doing that is normal...Regardless, there''s nothing to explain, it''s our personal business...}

    Lei Yong knew how stubborn the Emperor could be once he set his mind on something, it was hard to talk him out of it. So he decided that he would talk to Lei Xing instead once he got an opportunity. Even if the Emperor wants to be unruly, she should still maintain decorum and not let herself be pulled along.

    While Lei Yong was busy thinking, the three Zou tagalongs seeing that couple time was finally over walked up to join the group. Lei Yong kept his reservations to himself and greeted Prince Rui and Princess Nalan and then quietly sighed to himself.

    {...Xing er'' is also a "do what I want" kind of person...These two are a giving me a headache -_-)...}

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing rolled up her sleeve and pointed at the bracelet, "You have some explaining to do."

    Tung Mei blinked at the bracelet and then smiled, "Oh Xing jie, you had it? It''s fine, it looks better on yo-"

    "Don''t pretend, you knew I had it, and it''s the pissing the hell off. No wonder you were behaving like a creep, it was terrorizing you, wasn''t it?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows.

    "Ahhh...Well, yo-"

    "Oh, jiejie where did you find it?" Xiao Ting suddenly asked and the two turned to see her standing behind them. She had apparently followed behind them.

    "Find what?" Lei Xing asked.

    "Your bracelet. I thought...you had lost it when you fell into the pond that time, we searched everywhere for it too but couldn''t find it...I promised to find it but you told me to let it go so I did. I guess I worried for nothing."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she remembered Xiao Ting coming to cry by her sickbed about some stupid jewelry she misplaced, disturbing her recovery following the drowning incident. At first, Lei Xing didn''t want to bother with it and was trying to play it cool but after four days of her constant crying visits, Lei Xing got irritated and told her to choose between forgetting the stupid bracelet or never coming to see her again...and that ended that, "This bracelet? Are you sure?"

    "En. I can''t forget it, you used to wear all the time." Xiao Ting informed.

    Lei Xing turned back to Tung Mei, "Explain."

    Tung Mei stopped glaring at the oblivious Xiao Ting and smiled at Lei Xing and swiftly responded, "Oh, we got it during our adventures, as a token for-"

    "Ah? That can''t be right..."

    "Oh my mistake, it-" Tung Mei tried to cut in, but Lei Xing glared at her and said, "Be quiet." Then she turned to Xiao Ting, "Continue."

    To Lei Xing, Xiao Ting seemed like a more trustworthy source than the "muddleheaded" Tung Mei.

    Tung Mei pouted and went back to glaring at Xiao Ting as she spoke, "Oh, Jiejie you''ve had yours since you were little. There was even one time where you caused a big fuss because of it and almost beat up You jie, or did you beat her?... Either way, it was a huge deal. Her parents even came over to apologize."

    "Beat Chen You?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows.

    "En, if I remember correctly it was right after older brother left for war. You were in a very bad mood during that period, you either ignored me completely or shouted at me all the time." Xiao Ting said with a pout.

    "...Anyway, You jie came over to cheer you up and after a while of us sitting together, you suddenly took off the bracelet and threw it then stormed out. I, of course, immediately followed you. Anyway, later that evening you started looking for it. You turned your room upside down and even my room too. You thought I took it..." Xiao Ting pouted again, remembering her grievances.

    "I never touched the bracelet, you let me play with everything else but always yelled at me if I touched it so I would never take it...After searching my room, you thought of Tung jie and stormed out of the manor. I wasn''t allowed to follow you but I heard that the servants found you on top of her." Xiao Ting chuckled but seeing Lei Xing''s unamused expression, she immediately stopped.

    "Anyway, You jie claimed the bracelet was hers and that she had bought it and showed it to you...When I came over with mother and father, she was crying to her parents that you were trying to force her to give it to you and she didn''t want to...After hearing everything, to avoid trouble father told you to leave it since you were the older one and promised to buy you a better one. But you just ignored him and walked up to You jie, ripped the bracelet off her wrist and stormed out again. You looked so great doing that! Jiejie is really the best!" Xiao Ting happily said.

    "...I followed you home so I am not sure what happened after, but You jie and her parents came over to apologize the next day. You jie looked very miserable..."

    Lei Xing sighed.

    {...Well, that would somewhat explain what her problem with me is -_-)...}

    "Tch, she deserved it. Should have clawed out her eyes too, that wasn''t the first time either." Tung Mei mumbled. Lei Xing glanced at her, and she quickly explained, "You told me about it before..."

    "Ying jie''s memory isn''t too good sometimes...She must have seen jiejie''s and liked it, so she got a copy made. Ah, you haven''t been wearing yours either, Ying jie, did you lose it?" Xiao Ting asked, then flinched when she saw Tung Mei glaring at her.

    Tung Mei put on a strained smile, "Yes, I lost it...And yes, I copied Xing jie''s...You have quite a great memory." Tung Mei finished and Xiao Ting happily smiled thinking it a compliment, completely missing Tung Mei''s sarcastic tone.

 Chapter 134 - Reeling it in

    Lei Xing stood there processing the information and then sighed in annoyance and pulled Tung Mei a bit further and told Xiao Ting to stay where she was. "Say the truth, no lies."

    Tung Mei blinked, "She just said it, I copied yours."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes and flatly said, "There''s a bloody voice in this stupid bracelet."

    Tung Mei went wide-eyed and blinked, "A voice? Is it possessed? Ahh, that would explain a lot."

    "Don''t pretend, it apparently also kidnapped you as a baby."

    Tung Mei knit her brows and then covered her mouth, seemingly in shock, "Oh my, that is scary. I don''t want it anymore, Xing jie you can have it." She said and started to back away.

    Lei Xing tightly gripped her arm then she let out a breath then said, "I can tell you''re lying...and you know what? I don''t care...Just get this shit off me. Now." She ordered and stuck out her wrist.

    Tung Mei looked down at Lei Xing''s wrist then glanced up at her angry face. Then she pouted and looked down and touched the bracelet to take it off.

    {...*Xiao Ying! You better not give me a reason to come find you -_-)...I''m leaving you alone because I''m busy so you better not get in the way of my good things OR else I''ll lock you up for a thousand, no, a HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS!...Not only that, I''ll make sure to find someone a THOUSAND times nicer for your precious Yong!...

    ...Although, It''ll be hard since my Xiao Ying is definitely the most adorable EVER and frankly he''s a blind idiot with crap taste!!... Even if you have picked up some bad habits from some people, you''re still my adorable baby hehe~ Wait, what was I saying? Oh yes, It''ll be hard but I''ll find someone for Yong and get him in love and married... Don''t test me -_-)...}

    Tung Mei frowned.

    {...Why are you trying to force Xing jie into this? It''s unfair!...}

    {...*Oh? But aren''t you doing the same thing? Are you feeling guilty?! How about you forget him and come back home? You must have missed me, right? I''m definitely much, much, MUCH better than some brat!...}

    {...*scoff* It''s hard to miss you when you keep nagging at me -_-)...I never knew life could be as peaceful as it''s been the last few days ...}

    Lei Xing looked at Tung Mei frozen holding the bracelet and frowned, "What is it? You can''t take it off?" Tung Mei looked up at the oblivious Lei Xing who was unaware of the conversation going on on her wrist.

    {...*Fine go happily play with your Yong and I''ll just stay with myself! All these brats grow up and become wretched brats! They all used to be so adorable too...Now you don''t even want to talk to me because of some stupid brat! This is what is unfair wuwwuwuwuwu...}

    Tung Mei rolled her eyes and released the bracelet then looked at Lei Xing and said, "Xing jie, I can''t."

    Lei Xing frowned, "Can''t? Why not? It''s yours...I saw you take it off, talk to the freaking whatever inside and tell it you want it home!" Lei Xing said through gritted teeth.

    Tung Mei knit her brows, "Well, now I can''t...it won''t budge. I don''t know how...It doesn''t listen."

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, highly irritated.

    {...Hey, why won''t you freaking leave?!...}

    {...*Hmph! I told you I''m not going anywhere until you keep up your end of the deal! You can''t rip me off!...}

    {...Oh, you''re talking now, are you?... Your Xiao Ying is here. I''ll make sure to invite her to the wedding so just leave...}

    {...*Why though?! I''m not disturbing you, I''ve left you alone for weeks now...Not to mention I helped you with the antidote, now you want to get rid of me, aren''t you being too mean? You cold-hearted brat!...}

    Lei Xing turned to Tung Mei and asked, "What is this?"

    "What?"

    "What is this bracelet?" Lei Xing irritatedly responded.

    Tung Mei knit her brows, "Um, I don''t really know...I stumbled on it when I was a child."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes and pointed out, "You just said you copied mine..."

    Tung Mei blinked, "No, Xiao Ting said that."

    "But you agreed to it." Lei Xing annoyingly reminded.

    "Ahh..." Tung Mei offhandedly responded then shrugged, "It seems like you have been making progress with that annoy- The Emperor."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "Don''t change the topic!" Lei Xing bit out, then raised an eyebrow, "Why do you care about that?"

    "Care? I don''t." Tung Mei said with a scoff, "It was just an observation. You seem to be getting along."

    Lei Xing scrutinized her for a bit, then she sighed and then asked, "Did mine do it too?"

    "Do what?"

    Lei Xing frowned, she could not decide who was more annoying right now, Tung Mei or the bracelet, "I meant did mine have a voice or whatever that thing is?"

    "Don''t know." Tung Mei said with a shrug.

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened, "So you can''t take it off, you can''t explain anything in a way that makes sense either...Fine." Lei Xing released her arm and turned to go back to the Emperor.

    Tung Mei immediately grabbed her arm, "Xing jie don''t be angry. It''s not that I don''t want to help you it''s just...that I can''t...You can just ignore it, that''s what I do...Or maybe not...But it''s really not bad, technically." She finished with a deep frown and stared at Lei Xing with an aggrieved expression as if she was being wrongly blamed.

    Her expression further irritated Lei Xing and she brushed her off and walked back. Tung Mei lowered her head and followed her with a pout.

    When she got back to the Emperor, Lei Xing noticed Lei Yong narrowing his eyes at her and wondered what his problem was. The Emperor saw Lei Xing looking upset and wanted to ask what was wrong but before he could speak, an excited shout suddenly came their way, "Ah, found you!"

    They all turned to see An Hao excitedly jump off his horse holding a box and hop straight to Xiao Ting, who was pouting on the edge of the group because Lei Xing and Tung Mei left her out. An Hao had gone to the Lei manor and was informed she went shopping, so he made his way here. It was a situation of utmost importance and urgency, it could not wait.

    He got to her front and opened the box and showed its contents to her, "It took a while but I finally made it, I had to go all the way to Zheyi city to get the ingredients, but it''s definitely worth it. Try it."

    Xiao Ting smiled happy someone was finally talking to her and curiously looked at the box filled with little fried cakes, at An Hao''s urging she picked one and took a bite and her eyes went wide, "Mm, it''s good."

    "Right? It tastes just like the real thing, doesn''t it?" An Hao smugly asked.

    Xiao Ting smiled and responded, "Well, I don''t know what the real thing tastes like...But you should have properly cleaned up yourself up before coming. You have flour on your face."  She said pointing to his cheek.

    "Oh." An Hao dusted his cheek as he said, "Hehe~ I was in a bit of hurry. This has to be eaten when it''s hot or it''s not good." He was missing the flour, so Xiao Ting reached out and helped him, while An Hao just stared at her. Xiao Ting then asked, "Aren''t you going to eat any?"

    "Oh, oh yes." An Hao looked down at the box and then glanced back at her to see her happily eating and smiled, he had spent a lot of work on this particular recipe.

    Other than eating, An Hao collected snack recipes so he could always enjoy them whenever he wanted. It''s been a habit of his since he was little. If he asked the sellers and they refused to tell him, he would shadow them and hide on the roof or somewhere near to watch them cook the snacks.

    Of course, he asked her about the snacks he ate at the Lei manor and she happily took him to the kitchen, he learned a lot from the cooks and thought she was really a good one.

    He also wished the cooks in his manor were as skilled. He actually kicked the cooks out of the kitchen after they annoyed him with the rubbish they kept making. An Hao gave them the recipes, told them exactly how to make them and yet they still messed it up.

    After a few chances, An Hao got angry and took on the task himself. He could not present sloppy goods and since he was on vacation he had time. In the end, since they were eager to learn he let took them under his wings, and told them to be sure to take notes or he''ll really kick them out.

    An Hao thought Xiao Ting had good taste and felt bad that there was so much she had not tried beyond the capital. So he took it upon himself to recreate the snacks here and put it in a lot of effort to make them as authentic as possible for her to try.

    "Ah, I knew that smelled familair, duli cakes! I can tell if the taste authentic, let me-" Princess Nalan said poking her head between the two, duli cake was a Zou kingdom delicacy.

    An Hao immediately snapped the box shut, almost locking her finger in and frowned at her and spat out, "There''s only enough for two."

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Lei Yong who had been frozen watching the scene with a frown finally woke up and exclaimed, "An Hao!"

    {...When did these two -?! o_O)...}

 Chapter 135 - Snack Friends

    An Hao froze and then slowly turned to the rest of them. His eyes immediately fixed on the Emperor and he immediately hopped over to him and opened the box, "Your majesty, you''re here too! I made these, try one. Tell me if they taste authentic."

    {...How could I have missed the Emperor''s presence?! Right in front of my eyes too! How stupid! >_

    The Emperor looked down at the box and then glanced at Lei Xing to catch her glance at the cakes and then look away, still looking upset. The Emperor knew Lei Xing enjoyed her food quite a bit and had faith in An Hao''s cooking and so went, "Xing er'', you try it." In a bid to cheer her up. He was not pleased with Tung Mei at the moment for upsetting her again after he finally got her mood back up.

    An Hao immediately frowned and quietly mumbled, "There''s barely enough for two."

    Lei Xing glanced at the box and then at An Hao, who was glaring at her and said, "I think not." Then she looked away again.

    {...I don''t think I''m ready to die for some cakes, no matter how good they are -_-)...}

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at An Hao, and An Hao looked down pouting. He was only willing to make an exception and share because it was the Emperor. But now the Emperor wanted to give his precious hard-worked snacks to this hateful girl, who wanted to kill him. How could he be happy with it?

    {...Not only is he going around with this girl, but now he wants me to feed her too? Isn''t this a bit too much?...}

    "Jiejie can have some of mine." Xiao Ting said smiling at Lei Xing, An Hao narrowed his eyes at her and then glanced at the Emperor, then at Lei Xing. He gave up and said, "Fine, you can take one from mine, just one." He had made them especially for Xiao Ting, so she had to get the full experience otherwise, it will not be worthwhile.

    Lei Xing looked at An Hao''s aggrieved expression as he begrudgingly held the box towards her and shook her head, "I really don''t want any."

    {...Dude at least hide your evil eye -_-)...}

    An Hao smiled and then nodded, "That''s good."

    {...I guess she''s not so unreasonable after all...}

    Xiao Ting narrowed her eyes at him and he raised his eyebrows and asked, "What?"

    Xiao Ting then picked one and held it out to Lei Xing and An Hao immediately said, "Xiao Ting, she said she doesn''t want any...Just enjoy them yourself." An Hao said smiling at Xiao Ting as he circled her hand to her mouth.

    "Xiao Ting?" Lei Yong asked with a raised eyebrow. An Hao suddenly remembered there were other people there and glanced towards Lei Yong and then his eyes darted away and he looked back at him and added, "...Miss...Xiao Ting...Miss..."

    While An Hao was looking at Lei Yong, the Emperor picked one of the cakes and forced it in Lei Xing''s hand. An Hao realized this too late and could frown at her as she ate it. Lei Xing blinked.

    {...Does this guy have a problem with me? Or is he just very possessive of his snacks? He kind of reminds me of that stupid doctor with his ring...And yes, I said stupid, if you don''t like it then leave! -_-)...}

    The bracelet did not respond and Lei Xing frowned, she was feeling very upset right now.

    Lei Yong walked up to An Hao with a frown and asked in a low voice, "What exactly are you doing?"

    "What do you mean? I - I brought snacks!" An Hao responded slowly stepping to the side. He did not think he was doing anything wrong but his instincts demanded this response. They had never failed him before so he complied.

    Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at him and An Hao immediately shoved the box into Xiao Ting''s arms and said, "Don''t share." Then he swiftly jumped on his horse and sped off.

    Lei Yong was unfortunately too slow and watched his departing form in an annoyance. The Emperor watched the scene and chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt. Lei Yong turned back to find Xiao Ting happily eating and sharing the cakes with the others. He immediately pulled her to the side and asked, "That brat, An Hao and...What is this?"

    Xiao Ting raised her eyebrows, perplexed and said, "He''s your friend, isn''t he? He often comes over to look for you but you''re always gone and he always brings snacks so...He''s nice." She finished as she continued to eat and offered some to Lei Yong.

    Lei Yong scrutinized Xiao Ying''s expression and concluded she looked innocent. He did not want to put any ideas in her head and so he put on a smile, took one of the cakes and walked over to Tung Mei, who was still pouting in Lei Xing''s direction. He handed her the cake and then asked with a frown, "When did that start?"

    Tung Mei glanced at him and offhandedly responded, "He''s been coming over every couple days for the last few weeks. Apparently they are "snack friends"."

    "What? Why didn''t you tell me?" Lei Yong exclaimed.

    "Well, you didn''t ask." Tung Mei flatly responded. She was really not in a good mood, not even for him. Lei Xing was angry with her and there was nothing she could do.

    "What''s wrong with you now? Is something going on with Xing er''?" Lei Yong asked, perplexed with her change in mood. It was she and Xiao Ting who happily dragged him out.

    "Nothing...I''m fine." Tung Mei mumbled and continued pouting in Lei Xing''s direction. Lei Yong sighed and looked towards Xiao Ting who was now happily talking to a disgruntled Lei Xing. It was obvious, Lei Xing was also in a bad mood and a perplexed Emperor was at her side, still trying to figure out what happened.

    Lei Yong looked at Tung Mei''s upset expression and sighed annoyed that nobody told him about An Hao coming over. He and An Hao had met several times over the course of the last few weeks and he never mentioned going to his house. Worse yet, going to his house to feed his little sister.

    {...That brat never agrees to cooks for anyone else except the Emperor...And well, himself...But then why Xiao Ting and several times too?... Nice? An Hao nice?... What the hell is that kid up to here?...}

 Chapter 136 - Its Complicated

    Meanwhile, An Hao stopped his horse after he rounded the corner and frowned in confusion.

    {...Why am I running? I didn''t do anything bad...Is feeding her bad? No, it''s not...The Emperor was there and I didn''t even get a chance to talk to him!... What''s worse is I didn''t even get a chance to eat those precious cakes, I spent so much time on them too! T_T)...I''m going back!...}

    He turned the horse around, but then stopped and turned back forward. His frown deepened and he turned back again, then forward. He did that a few times and was getting weird looks from the people around. Eventually, he hung his head and continued on forward.

    {...Well, at least Xiao Ting got to try it, it would have been better if we could have eaten it together...But I guess this is good enough...}

    And with that in mind, An Hao excitedly appeared and dejectedly disappeared.

    Prince Yi also did not make an appearance for the rest of the day, but it seemed no one missed his presence and the group continued on with their shopping venture for a while longer.

    Apparently, Xiao Ting had come out to get some things for her coming of age ceremony celebration. She happily grabbed Lei Xing and pulled her along to make choices for her. Lei Xing lamented in her mind, she just exchanged a mini shopaholic for a seasoned one. Thankfully, Princess Nalan and Molin were happily engaging Xiao Ting, it seemed those two had a knack for shopping themselves, either that or they were very bored.

    Lei Xing was not sure which it was, but she was bored. She cast a glance at the Emperor who was hanging back behind them with Lei Yong, Prince Rui, and Tung Mei, who was straggling at the edge of the group pouting in Lei Xing''s direction. When Lei Xing met her eyes, she immediately frowned and faced forward and Tung Mei lowered her head even further.

    Lei Yong saw this exchange and knit his brows. He went to ask Tung Mei what was going on but she simply shook her head and did not respond. He sighed to himself and glanced at Xiao Ting obliviously shopping and chattering with Princess Nalan.

    While he was still a bit rattled by Lei Xing and the Emperor''s intimate street scene, they were already married so it was really not his place to interfere. But Xiao Ting was still a child and despite the fact that he was a skilled and resourceful general, An Hao was also a bit child-like himself. He did not feel they were a good match at all. And most importantly, Xiao Ting was definitely not ready for any courtship of any kind.

    Lei Yong knew An Hao very well, he was not the kind of person to go out of his way for people. But he made it himself and even went out of the city to get ingredients to make something for someone?! The only time he showed this much enthusiasm was when the Emperor was involved.

    Of course, he possibly could have gone through all that work because he wanted to eat it himself but then he ended up giving it all to Xiao Ting. An Hao also never mentioned going to his house to look for him and they had met up quite a bit. Not to mention that he just ran away. The Emperor was there and he ran away, he never did that.

    Lei Yong''s conclusion was that An Hao''s behavior was definitely suspicious.

    After a while longer of wandering around, they went to a restaurant for dinner. As they ate, Lei Yong glanced at Lei Xing and the Emperor. The Emperor was happily putting food on Lei Xing''s plate, while she was narrowing his eyes at him and telling him to eat. Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at them and then looked at the clueless Xiao Ting happily talking on Lei Xing''s other side about her coming of age ceremony. She even invited Princess Nalan, it seems they had become friends thanks to An Hao''s duli cakes.

    He turned to Tung Mei at his side who was picking at her food while pouting in Lei Xing''s direction. He knit his brows and then picked some chicken and put it on her plate, Tung Mei glanced up at him and then looked down and sighed, still looking upset. Lei Yong frowned, he did not know what to do. She was always so upbeat so he was not sure what to do when she gets upset.

    The last time, she had gotten upset with him because he had gotten nervous and dropped her hand and introduced her as "no one important" when some of his army buddies came across them on the street. By the time he turned to his side, she was gone. He went back home but she was not there, he checked at her relatives but she had not gone there. She was also not at any inn in the city. He had people searching everywhere but could not find her, there was also no records of her leaving the city.

    She was just gone, disappeared. He was very worried that she might have run into some trouble, perhaps even kidnapped. Just as he was starting to really feel panicked, she showed up back at the house on her own.

    He asked her where she had gone but she simply responded that she was bored and had gone to have some fun for a while, a simple change in scenery she said, but she did not give any more details. He had gotten angry with her and scolded her for not telling anyone, but she just stood there looking at him and did not protest like usual, eventually he quieted down and ended up apologizing.

    Seeing her upset again, he was feeling a bit worried that she would pull another disappearing stunt again.

    When they finished the dinner and were going their separate ways, before Lei Xing could get on the carriage, he excused her for a bit and asked what happened with Tung Mei. Lei Xing immediately frowned and responded, "I don''t know." Then turned and left.

    Lei Yong sighed as he watched Lei Xing and the Emperor''s carriage leave and then looked back at Tung Mei who was awkwardly standing at a distance looking at the carriage. She was really not behaving like herself, he walked up to her and held her hand and gave her an awkward smile. He really did not know how to behave once she was upset.

    Tung Mei looked at him and then looked away, shrugged his hand off and said, "You two go ahead." Then she turned around to leave.

    Lei Yong frowned and blocked her, "Where are you going?" When she did not respond, he then directly asked, "Are you going to disappear again?"

    This seemed to have further irritated Tung Mei and she glared at him with teary eyes, "What''s it to you? It''s not like you actually care and now Xing jie is angry with me because of you..."

    "What?" Lei Yong asked raised his eyebrows, completely confused

    Tung Mei blinked, "It''s nothing...Anyway, just leave me alone!" She barked and then raced away, he wanted to run after her, but then looked at Xiao Ting standing there. They had not brought servants with them and it was already late. He knew Tung Mei could fight and handle herself but Xiao Ting could not, so he made the split-second decision to stay and worriedly escorted Xiao Ting home. Hoping Tung Mei would make her way back to the house on her own, and planning to immediately go to find immediately after.

    {...What''s going on now? I didn''t do anything wrong this time...or did I?...Sometimes, I just don''t understand her...}

 Chapter 137 - Merchant Festival

    Lei Xing sat in the carriage stewing, she was really annoyed by all this. She could not believe anything that Tung Mei said.

    {...She must be in cahoots with the stupid bracelet -_-)...I know you can hear me, what the hell is your problem?!...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing received no response and sighed in irritation. The Emperor had been observing her bad mood all evening and now that they were alone, he finally asked, "What is it?"

    Lei Xing glanced at him, but before she could respond he frowned and added, "Did that Tung girl do something to you?" From his observation, her bad mood began after talking with Tung Mei. He wanted to say something, but he kept his words to himself in consideration of Lei Yong. Although, he thought that if she really did something to Lei Xing then she would need to be dealt with.

    "No, it''s nothing..." Lei Xing responded. She could not explain what the issue was and in the end, the cause of the problem was the stubborn bracelet and not Tung Mei herself. And it was honestly her fault for picking up the bracelet and terrorizing it in the first place.

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor''s disbelieving expression and said to reassure him, "It''s fine...It''s really nothing. I''m just thinking of what to gift Xiao Ting. Her coming of age ceremony is in a few days and I haven''t prepared anything...I wanted to give her something meaningful." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes and then nodded, "In that case, it''s alright then..." The Emperor looked at her for a while and then pulled her to his chest and par her head, "You can get some rest now."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, remembering her earlier embarrassment and mumbled, "I''m not sleepy."

    The Emperor smiled and stroked her hair and did not say anything. He was not convinced by Lei Xing''s explanation.

    {...It seems I will have to investigate this girl too, just in case. Especially if she is to be with Yong...It is only natural that I look into her...}

    The carriage stopped and Lei Xing got down to see they had arrived at a bustling street. It looked like a regular market, but seemed to have a more festive atmosphere, with street performers here and there, she could even see one standing on stilts in the distance. She turned to the Emperor with a raised eyebrow.  at the Emperor and asked, "Why are we here?"

    The Emperor explained, "It''s called the merchant''s festival...Apparently, merchants from all over the country come over with all sorts of things. It''s a showcase of sorts with performers too..." The Emperor paused then knit his brows, unsure how to continue. He had only ever heard about it, and had never been himself so he was not exactly sure, "...Anyway, since we were already out, I thought we should go...You''ll definitely find something good for your sister. " The Emperor finished.

    Lei Xing looked at his expression, he looked a little excited so she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Another new experience?"

    The Emperor blinked, cleared his throat and said, "It''ll be interesting." Then he grabbed her hand and walked into the crowd.

    Lei Xing sighed.

    {...I guess it''s Emperor''s day out today, might as well go all out I guess...}

    They passed by someone who was doing a fire performance and Lei Xing stopped and pulled the Emperor back and watched transfixed. Performances like these had always interested her. She wanted to go a bit closer to get a better view as people gathered, but the Emperor pulled her back. He could not risk her getting hurt. Lei Xing frowned at him but quickly refocused on the performance and jumped a bit when he blew fire in their direction.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing eagerly watching the performer and knit his eyebrows, "I can do that too."

    Lei Xing without thinking or even looking at him responded, "I''d rather you didn''t."

    The Emperor frowned at her, somewhat annoyed by the fact that she was not interested in him performing and was actually happily staring at another man, right in his presence too. This was not why he brought her here. Lei Xing randomly glanced at the Emperor and found him glaring at her, she blinked and asked, "What?"

    The Emperor looked away and said, "Nothing."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and then thought of what could be wrong all of a sudden, then she remembered what she said and blinked.

    {...You''re kidding me, right? You can''t seriously be pouting about that? Are you? No way -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sighed and then put on a smile and humored him, "I only said that because I didn''t want to chance your beautiful face getting hurt." The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her and she quickly corrected, "Handsome face."

    The Emperor raised his head, glanced at her and tried to prevent himself from breaking out into a smile, thinking that he should not indulge her too much otherwise she won''t learn. Lei Xing looked at his expression and covertly rolled her eyes.

    {...Dude, you shouldn''t be this easy -_-)...}

    "I''m bored, let''s go." Lei Xing eventually said to the Emperor''s delight and they continued along. Lei Xing stopped at several stalls to peruse through the items. She found them surprisingly very interesting and not at all what she was expecting. There was a stall that had colorful gemstone rocks. Lei Xing picked at a lot of them and scrutinized them. The Emperor asked if she wanted them and her expression became very conflicted.

    {...They''re not very useful, but fun...Plus, I could always have them refined I guess, but still...}

    After thinking about it for a bit, Lei Xing agreed to buy a few and made sure to choose the biggest and best-looking ones. She was very meticulous in her choice and was taking her time, but the Emperor was not bothered and was enjoying learning about what she liked. It seems she had a curious eye.

    She was not interested in jewels, but was interested in their unrefined forms.

    She was not interested in jade jewelry, but was interested in jade statues.

    She did stop to look at some jewelry pieces, but rather than the jewelry itself, she was interested in the detailed craftsmanship of it.

    She even looked at sword sheaths the same way, so he made a mental note to show her his swords. They had been passed down for generations and had a lot of history, he could tell she would like it very much.

    She was particularly interested in a double-bladed sword. She said she was always curious about it and eagerly listened to the vendor''s tale of its owner, who ended up dying by one side of his blade while taking the enemy down with him. She wanted to pick it up to try it out, but the Emperor quickly stopped her before she could have the opportunity to accidentally hurt herself.

    While she enjoyed looking, she did not seem to want to buy anything, but he was. He realized she was thinking too much about everything. It was a unique adventure for them so of course, taking souvenirs to remember this day was necessary. So, if she particularly liked something, he signaled to the servants behind them to buy it once they moved on. Except for that double-edged sword, he could not give that to her.

    "Ohh, is this a real wolf''s tooth? Or a tiger''s?" She asked as she picked up a tooth necklace and scrutinized it. The vendor quickly responded that it was a wolf''s tooth and went on to tell the story of the wolf, who terrorized a village for ten years before being brought down.

    The Emperor watched her scrutinizing it and asked, "You like it?"

    "En, it''s cool." Lei Xing responded with a smile. She wanted to buy it but then the Emperor declined and \ pulled her away. Lei Xing frowned, a bit annoyed, he had been asking her to buy things all day but now she finally wanted to on her own, he refused?

    The Emperor saw her disgruntled expression and smiled and told her, "I have a better one. I killed it myself six years ago, barehanded too...Well, maybe not. I used a rock amongst other things. But it''s much better than that one there. You''ll like it."

    Now that he thought about it, he had collected random things over the years that she would like. He did not actively collect them but when they were presented to him, he offhandedly accepted them and did not think much about it. Like the wolf''s teeth. The men presented the two sharpest teeth and its pelt to him as his trophies. He never cared about them before, but now he was very happy he kept them.

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought for a bit and then asked, "Six years ago, so you were fourteen?"

    The Emperor knit his eyebrows, wondering why that mattered but responded, "I think so." He looked at Lei Xing and then frowned. This was not the reaction he was expecting, she did not look at all happy or excited like she was when looking at the vendor''s tooth.

    {...I guess she must have really wanted that one, but mine is truly better...}

    The Emperor sighed and was just about to turn around to go buy the tooth for her, when Lei Xing suddenly said, "Can I ask you something?... You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to...I''m just a bit curious."

    The Emperor stopped and went, "Of course."

    Lei Xing nodded, then knit her brows, seemingly thinking of the best way to approach. Seeing her hesitation, the Emperor knit his brows, feeling a bit on apprehensive.

    {...She wouldn''t ask to leave again, will she?... After all this time, I thought we had made progress...she wouldn''t...}

 Chapter 138 - Noble Aspirations

    After thinking for a while about how to frame the question, Lei Xing ended up just spitting out, "I heard you went to war at the age of twelve, why? Were you forced into it?... I mean, twelve is pretty young even in these times, right?... Weren''t you scared? I mean you were so little."

    Lei Xing thought of her younger brother at twelve, he was still so small and was still an adorable baby, going to war at that age was just impossible for her to imagine.

    The Emperor blankly stared at her for a while, he did not expect that question and neither had he ever been asked such a question.

    {...Scared?...}

    Lei Xing looked at his blank expression and then quickly said, "Nevermind, forget it...Let''s keep going." Then she tried to continue walking but the Emperor pulled her back and then sighed and solemnly said, "Fear wasn''t something I was raised to have...It served no purpose and only made you weak..." Those were his father''s words and for his mother chimed the same tune, fear was weakness, and weakness was not allowed.

    "Ah, I see..." Lei Xing quietly responded, wanting to kick herself for asking this question as she looked at his solemn expression. She just ruined the good atmosphere and made it depressing.

    {...Why the hell did I ask that question?! The answer couldn''t possibly be good! If he had a happy childhood, he obviously wouldn''t have been thrown into a war that young!... Now, what am I supposed to say? I suck! >_

    The Emperor was not exactly keen on talking about this, he had never had a conversation with anyone about this before. He looked at Lei Xing and then thought it would be fine. Since she asked, he would share. So he went on, "I wasn''t forced, I asked to go...I was tired and it was the only way I could leave the palace..." Then he sighed and quietly said, "I initially went there with the thought to die."

    Lei Xing blinked then opened her mouth but was not sure what to say and so closed it. She really wanted to kick herself into a volcano now, emotionally fragile situations was not something she handled well. She looked down and frowned, thinking of what she could possibly say.

    {...He just wanted he wanted to commit suicide... Um, what do I say to that? Don''t?... But it''s in the past, right? I don''t know T_T)...}

    The Emperor looked at her and then poked her forehead, and she frowned at his finger, he smiled and said, "As you can see I''m alive and well..."

    The Emperor then continued their leisure walk, pulling her along and calmly continued, "I wasn''t planning to just stand there and die. Of course, I planned to fight...But the battlefield is a dangerous place and death comes in an instant. if I died there, it would be an honorable death, simply be an unfortunate event. No more expectations, no more responsibilities and no more...Nothing, that would''ve been the end and I wouldn''t have had to come back here anymore..."

    The Emperor sighed, "...But alas, I survived. In the end, I couldn''t die and I ended up taking on all the expectations, responsibilities...and errors to be rectified. Fate always seems to have its own plan despite our wants...But it''s not always too bad." He said glancing at Lei Xing. She was one thing fate proposed that he had come to like, quite a bit.

    Hearing all this, Lei Xing did not know what to think or say. She subconsciously squeezed the hand holding hers a little. The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing and could see the worry on her face and felt comforted. He smiled at her reassuringly and continued, "As you know, my mother was the Xia princess and of course, that means that I am half Xia and as Xia royalty, we have a duty to ensure the livelihoods and wellbeing of our people. Yet I now rule an empire where they are oppressed slaves...So naturally, I have a duty to free my people, but doing that successfully takes time and planning..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she thought it was good that he wanted to free his people but then thinking of the other slaves who were unlucky enough not to be from Xia she thought it was unfair and would probably lead to more unrest and grievances in his direction.

    It could potentially cause an uprising, especially given the details of that story she read. If the enslaving started with Xia and it was a result of their Princess''s actions. The angry and oppressed people could construe that to mean, if not for the Xia princess angering the then Emperor, they could have simply been absorbed into Long country as its citizens like was the result of earlier conquests.

    The enslaving was the Long Emperor''s punishment to the Xia princess and the effect trickled down to other countries. If he now freed the Xia people because of the same Xia princess, what about the other countries who suffered the same fate?

    Of course, Lei Xing did not really think it was the Empress dowager''s fault, it was an enraging situation and she was grieving. It was also preposterous for him to still have expected the Empress dowager to still have happily been with him. Lei Xing thought that if it were her, she would hate him too. But angry people suffering won''t be as sympathetic to her plight at the time. Their suffering outweighs hers in the long run and so lei Xing could not help but mention, "If you free just one set of people, won''t that potentially cause other problems?"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows then smiled at her and pat her cheek, "This is one of the reasons I like you. You''re smart and reasonable...I wish others could easily understand this point too." He said, sighing as he thought of his mother.

    Lei Xing frowned and looked down as her heart jumped and her ears turned slightly red.

    {...He has been mentioning that quite a bit today, it''s... a bit annoying...Yes, that''s what it is...}

    "I think the same as well...I consider everyone within our border as our citizens. It is a complicated process but I plan to do away with the slave system entirely. Years have passed and new lives have been built where theirs once were, so I can''t say I will restore their former lives, especially not in the cases of the nobles. But I can give them the freedom to live their lives...How much will be enough to restart their lives? How to handle the nobles who currently profit from having slaves? How to help them rebuild their lives? Where will they go? I have been busily working on measures to smoothly make the transition. Although there''s bound to still be problems. Problems come with change, it is unavoidable."

    Listening to this, Lei Xing was quite surprised by his reasoning. She did not expect this at all and was honestly re-evaluating her perception of him. She never thought he was a bad person or anything, she just never expected to care this much or to think this much of the people. It was honestly refreshing.

    "But it will all work out in the end. Even if some nobles want to start trouble, they lack the manpower for it, I have a mass army and they have a few slaves who will then be free. There will be little insurgents if any...They will probably be too busy trying to rally their disgruntled troops." He finished with a chuckle as he thought of a certain disgruntled brother of his who will probably be a raging bull with this development.

    Lei Xing looked at him for a bit, then smiled and said, "You are a good Emperor. I say good for now because you are still new to the position. But you are most likely to end up a great Emperor in history since you care so much for your people. It is a truly noble aspiration."

    The Emperor stopped walking and looked at her. They were walking currently by the canal and there were not many people around. She was smiling at him and he lightly smiled back and then took her hands and looked at their joined hands for a bit. She made him happy, truly happy.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows, feeling a bit nervous, the atmosphere was seemed a bit odd. The Emperor looked up at her and her heart jumped and she took a deep breath. He smiled at her and gently caressed her hands and Lei Xing blinked down and their hands and the Emperor softly said, "Xing er'', I''ve been meaning to ask you something for a while now...I don''t necessarily have to ask but I want to..."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and then looked back down, she was feeling incredibly nervous now and her heart was jumping crazily. She gulped and tightly knit her brows.

    {...Doesn''t this atmosphere feel like a - He wouldn''t be...}

    {...*Better remember our deal...}

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide, she blinked a few times and felt panicked.

    {...No way, this is - It''s not happening!... You''re misunderstanding -_-)...}

    {...*Hmph, we''ll see...Just don''t forget!...}

 Chapter 139 - Impatient Gravitation

    Lei Xing was now feeling even more apprehensive  thanks to the bracelet''s words. She glanced up at the Emperor and his gentle expression made her heart jump and she felt even more panicked. She immediately looked down and her eyes darted all over the place, looking for an escape route, yet she did not remove her hands from his or protest.

    The Emperor smiled, knowing that she was nervous. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Lei Xing spotted a few lit lotus lanterns floating in the water and exclaimed, "Ohh, nice...Are those for prayers or wishes?" She wondered out loud as she slipped her hands out of his and then walked over to the water''s edge and squeezed her eyes shut.

    {...I can''t deal with this guy...He''s going to cause me heart failure one day T_T)...}

    The Emperor frowned down as his empty hands and then looked at her back and then frowned.

    {...It seems I am rushing again...I''m usually not this impatient...}

    The Emperor sighed again then walked up to her and said, "Let''s go buy it."

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and turned to see him smiling at her and felt relieved. She covertly let out a breath and smiled back then they walked over to the vendor. The vendor explained that they were "magical" lanterns that will float to the heavens and your wishes will be granted. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at the vendor.

    {...So they will float down the canal and somehow reach heaven?...I didn''t know this connected to the sky now. I might as well just jump in myself -_-)...}

    Lei Xing pulled the Emperor and continued walking. She did not actually want the lantern nor was she interested in the fueling a trickster''s hoax, she really just needed a distraction and that presented itself. As they walked away, the Emperor raised an eyebrow and asked, "I thought you would wish to leave the palace."

    Lei Xing scoffed, "It''s much easier to just ask you instead of waiting for that lantern to float to heaven."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, and Lei Xing saw his expression and quickly added, "I''m not asking though...They should at least try to make it believable, say it''s a river god or something granting the wishes or sending the message to Heaven. People are really too gullible..." Lei Xing finished and sighed.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing for a while and then said, "I would have wished for you to be happy being with me...Ah, but it''s also easier to just ask you that as well." He finished with a smirk.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and then knit her brows and looked off to the side.

    {...Was that a joke? -_-)...}

    She did not think it was funny, but for some reason, she felt the urge to laugh. Her shoulders shook as she tried to restrain herself from laughing. In the end, she failed and ended up snorting and then chuckling.  She covered her mouth and glanced at the Emperor to find him also chuckling. They looked at each other for a bit and then both broke out in laughter.

    {...There''s nothing freaking funny here!...I feel like an idiot! >_

    With that, he two happily wandered around leisurely for a while. They bought a few more things and then finally made their way back to the palace. Lei Xing''s grievances about Tung Mei and the bracelet, palace life and every other worry were thrown to the back of her mind, she truly just had a good time. She was a bit saddened when they had to return to the palace, but all good times come to an end. She knew they could not stay there forever.

    After they arrived, the Emperor went off to handle some things while Lei Xing returned to her palace, very tired and in a great mood. She quickly had a bath and then jumped into the bed. She closed her eyes and sighed, then opened them at blankly stared at the bed for a while. Then she raised her hand and looked at the bracelet.

    {...So you''re really not leaving...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing received no response. But she was not bothered and was too tired to care. She wondered what the Emperor was going to ask then when she interrupted him. She was curious, but she definitely could not ask him, even if she knew he would probably answer her if she did. She was not sure she wanted to hear it. Lei Xing let out a breath and then yawned. She threw the incident to the back of her mind then closed her eyes to drift off to sleep.

    {...It has been quite a day...An interesting one...}

    The Emperor returned a while later after reviewing the things that happened in his absence and also giving out orders for someone to dig into Tung Mei. While he knew her father was a good man and a great general in his time, he still wanted to look into her just in the unlikely event that she was up to no good. He knew his Xing er'' was not the kind of person to get angry for no reason, not to mention they were very secretive about their conversation too.

    He was not necessarily being nosy, he was just making sure there will be no unwanted surprises, especially if she is to be with Lei Yong. He was simply looking out for his friend and his wife. He got in the bed, also really tired. It had been a long day, but he was quite happy despite not being able to ask her to finally ask her to officially be his Empress. The mood was perfect and she said those words and he could not help wanting to ask her to be at his side to build the great she foresaw.

    The Emperor sighed, he knew he was rushing things as well, but for some reason, she made him impatient. He also could not understand it himself, but he always seemed to have this nagging sense that he needed to act quickly otherwise he would lose her. But she clearly does not seem to be going anywhere. Lei Xing then rolled over to him and snuggled against him, interrupting his thoughts.

    The Emperor looked at her sleeping face and sighed. It was things like this that made him confused. While awake she seemed to be keeping him at arm''s length but when asleep she gravitated towards him like this.

    Of course, he was the one who started the habit of holding her. But it seemed she quickly got used to it and recently started rolling over on her own to hug him when he got in the bed. He was very happy about it before and it gave him the confidence to finally take the steps he took the night before...but now he realized that she probably just thought of him as a heat source. Although, he preferred the explanation that she liked being near him and so came over to him much better.

    He picked up her hand on his chest and looked at it for a bit. He noted the ring on her finger and made a mental note to ask her why she always wore it. He could not remember ever seeing her without it. He reasoned that it must be something dear to her. e was curious and wanted to know more about her. He kissed her hand and then snuggled her closer and closed his eyes to sleep.

    The next day, Lei Xing woke up to find that the Emperor had diligently ordered the servants to send over the souvenirs he had gathered over the years and informed that she could keep them all. Lei Xing did not have anything to do so she sorted through the things for fun. She rummaged through everything but could not find the wolf''s tooth he promised her. When she later asked him about it, he simply showed a mysterious smile and told her to wait. Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and was slightly amused but she did not pry and let him be.

    As for the jewelry from the Emperor''s splurging session, Lei Xing gave a few pieces to Xiao Ruo, Ah Jin, and Li Ru and then decided to gift the rest to Xiao Ting for her coming of age ceremony.

    They had completely forgotten to get anything for Xiao Ting during their time at the Merchant''s festival. As for the items the Emperor purchased on her behalf, Lei Xing was happy to have them but she still chastised the Emperor a bit about spending so much money. She did not want him starting any bad habits.

    She was also a bit touched because they were all items she particularly liked, even ones she did not verbally say she did. It was clear he was really paying attention and his choices reflected it. The Emperor bought quite a bit on her behalf but she was very reluctant to part with them and so kept them all.

    She also kept all the jewelry selection he chose during his first splurge session before the old woman conned more out of him.  While she still felt they were too much, he did put a lot of thought into especially choosing them for her and remembering how serious he was about the task. She felt it would be unfair to him to give them away to anyone and so she kept them for herself.

 Chapter 140 - Anticipation

    "Your majesty, please let me come with you. You never know what might happen." Song mama pleaded with the Empress dowager.

    After thinking about it long and hard, the Empress dowager finally resolved to go with Monk Du to the Tauhua temple. She was going to go but if they proved useless, she would burn down that temple and all its inhabitants before returning. She looked at Song mama, irritated with her nagging. Song mama had been pleading with her all week to go along, but the Empress dowager refused. There were things that needed to be handled in her absence.

    The Empress dowager sighed, "You have to stay here and ensure things continue to go as planned. I can''t trust these idiots here to continue the plan in my absence. I will be gone for at least two months, this will be the perfect time to end that Zhao bitch...On second thought, make sure she doesn''t die yet, just continue with what we''re already doing...I want to be around to watch them suffer. I can already see that stupid Prime minister''s face. I need to see it to be able to be at peace..." The Empress dowager calmly explained, closing her eyes.

    {...Once that''s done...It''ll be one less grievance in my heart...}

    She then took a deep breath and continued, "You also have to stay here to make sure no one oversteps their boundaries. That Chen You looks like the kind to forget her place so I need you here to remind her and the rest of them that I still exist."

    Song mama knit her brows in worry, she had never been apart from the Empress dowager since they were little girls. Not to mention, she was going to go climb a mountain to meet some unknown figure. She knew she could not do much even if she went along, but still, it worried her. The journey will be long and hard.

    The issue of the Empress dowager''s departure was kept on a need to know basis. She was not being paranoid, it was just a fact that a lot of people did not like her, and she also did not care for them either. She had informed the Emperor of her travel plans and he had behaved like a dutiful son and arranged a small army made up of Xia men, on her insistence to escort her.

    She was scheduled to leave the next day and she had written an edict declaring Chen You temporarily in charge of the harem and the palace until her return. The Empress dowager chose Chen You because she seemed to be the most reasonable out of all the Emperor''s wives. Li Ru was inadequate and there was no way she was going to give power to that Zhao brat...and Lei Xing, she needed to be kept in check, so giving her power was a definite no.

    And so all that was left was Chen You, there was also the fact that Chen You paid her a lot of visits and ever gained merit by finding this monk. So this choice was natural, even though the Empress dowager knew Chen You did it all in a bid to gain power not out of actual concern, but she could not fault her for knowing how to play the palace game well. Frankly, she quite liked that about the girl.

    Song mama was to announce the edict after the Empress dowager had left and was also to serve as Chen You''s assistant during that time. The Empress dowager knit her brows and watched as Song mama went about gathering her things and thought about her impending journey.

    {...That monk better not fail me or I will take his head as my souvenir...}

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing had spent the last few days relaxing in the palace, the Emperor of course still hanging around, but she had stopped trying to get rid of him. He was not budging and she honestly did not mind his presence all that much anymore.

    The palace had also been very quiet with nothing happening...peaceful actually. Since Lei Xing was obviously no longer sick, the other wives stopped coming to her palace. The Empress dowager was also minding her own business. All in all, Lei Xing had a very good week. The bracelet was not talking again, it seems it got upset again, but she liked to think of it as it had realized that space was something necessary for both of them.

    That afternoon, Lei Xing went out to meet Princess Nalan. She honestly liked this companion job of hers. Princess Nalan did not disturb her every day and it was honestly nice going out to have fun with normal people for a change, who were not stuck up or putting on airs. She thought of them as a laid back, cool bunch, except maybe for Prince Yi. She still thought he was stuck up.

    Lei Xing also actually thought the Emperor was a laid back and honestly a really cool person to be around, but he put her on edge sometimes and she has been feeling even more nervous around him this last week. He was still clingy as usual but he always stopped himself at kissing.

    Sometimes it looked like he was having a really hard time. He would frown deeply at her and then announce that he was going to have a cold bath and leave. He was truly keeping to his words and was "patiently" waiting for her to give him the go-ahead. Unfortunately for him, she honestly could not see herself ever doing that.

    Although, she did sometimes feel a little sorry for him, and at other times found his behavior funny and would break out into laughter as went on what she now thought resembled the "walk of shame" to the cold bath. She really should not be laughing at his pain considering she was the cause of it, but she could not help it. She could also tell when he heard her laughing as he would come back, glare at her and then proceed to sleep without touching her, even folding his arms and keeping to himself in protest.

    But this was even funnier to her, she would turn over, trying her best to restrain or at least hide her laughter...She also thought it was a bit cute. Apparently, he could not remain angry with her, because she would always wake up in his arms anyway.

    Obviously, Lei Xing was unaware of her new habit of rolling over to him once she fell asleep. And of course, the Emperor was not going to tell her about it. With how fidgety she gets, she would probably refuse to go sleep at night again. So he kept this little secret to himself and enjoyed it.

    While the Emperor was enjoying be distracted by her thought. Eunuch Li entered the royal study and the Emperor quickly straightened up, knit his brows and focused on the memorial in his hand.

    Eunuch Li saw the Emperor refocusing and smiled to himself., "Your majesty, the Imperial wives have arranged a special dinner banquet for you tonight." Eunuch Li informed.

    The Emperor frowned and looked up, "Who asked them to?"

    "It seems they got permission from the Empress dowager a few days ago and had all been making preparations for it..."

    "Preparations? I didn''t see Xing er'' making any..."

    Eunuch Li smiled and reassured the Emperor, "Your majesty, you are not always with her, so she may have been preparing in your absence to surprise you with her performance..."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and then smirked, "That''s fine then..."

    {...Surprise me? Hmm, I can''t imagine what she would do...}

    The Emperor was well aware of Lei Xing''s skillset and limitations. He thought that perhaps she would finally play the qin for him, she still seemed hesitant to. Wanting to surprise him would definitely be a good reason for her to still refuse even after he told her he would still appreciate it regardless of how it sounded.

    {...Or perhaps is it a dance? Can she even dance?... I am looking forward to this now...}

    The Emperor smiled to himself and could not wait for the evening banquet. He focused on his work so he could properly enjoy himself later on in the day.

 Chapter 141 - Insignificant

    When Lei Xing arrived at Princess Nalan''s residence, she found Princess Nalan by herself in the garden brooding. Prince Rui and Molin were off somewhere else in the manor and she was unhappy out of boredom. So Lei Xing happily told her about the merchant festival and the cool things she saw there to help. And as she expected, Princess Nalan was interested and luckily for her Lei Xing also found out that today was the last day of the festival.

    Princess Nalan wanted to immediately head there but Lei Xing quickly explained that it started in the evening and so she begrudgingly sat back down and went back to brooding. Her brother had been busy in the palace the last few days, and since he felt the need to chaperone her it meant she could not leave the residence. What''s worse was that he annoyingly left Molin behind to ensure she stayed put, and Molin dutifully watched her like a hawk, she could barely even exhale without him popping up, much less sneak out.

    Princess Nalan sighed dejectedly, there has not been much to look forward to in her life recently. Lei Xing looked at Princess Nalan''s poor mood and then quickly proposed they go to the theatre house to kill some time. Princess Nalan immediately perked up, anywhere but home was fine to her. She grabbed some money and Lei Xing and happily made her way to the exit, only for them to be intercepted by Prince Rui and Molin at the gates, with Prince Yi tagging along behind the two.

    Apparently, Prince Yi had arrived a while after Lei Xing. The truth was that he had someone watching their manor, who was to inform him of when Lei Xing came and if she came with anyone. This way he could spare himself the insult of watching his brother gloating about his life before him. He was not interested in watching the Emperor play husband and neither was he interested in coming to play friends with Prince Rui. But he was interested in talking to Lei Xing and so once he received the news of Lei Xing''s solo arrival, he made his way here. He smiled at Lei Xing, who slightly knit her brows and returned a half-smile then quickly looked away.

    Prince Yi''s expression fell.

    {...She couldn''t possibly still be upset about the snake incident? It''s been so long...and I even fell ill because of her panic...}

    Prince Rui insisted on tagging along with them and although Princess Nalan was disgruntled with her brother''s constant surveillance, she was still happy to finally be going out and so they all made their way to the theatre.

    Lei Xing still rode in a carriage despite the fact that she had been getting horse riding lessons from the emperor every evening. They both agreed that she was not yet ready to ride on her own. At first, she was really uncomfortable with him teaching her. It was one thing for him to teach her things in private but with this everyone would see.

    So she suggested one of the guards could teach her instead and The Emperor frowned and flatly said "No". Lei Xing rolled her eyes, she realized from the time at the night market that he seemed to get jealous at the slightest thing. It was a bit annoying, but luckily for him she found it a lot funnier than annoying. She then suggested Li Ru and even pointed out that she was a woman and that she could ride. He narrowed his eyes at her for a bit and then commented, "You seem to care a lot for this Li Ru...She won''t do either. How can she help you if the horse goes out of control? No."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and he did the same with a smile. She thought what he said made sense, she was also scared of breaking her neck or spine, but she was still not comfortable with him doing this.

    Another realization that she had also found recently was that he''s quite the stubborn individual and one with good reason for it too. If she wanted to continue arguing with him, he would indulge her and happily run around in circles with her, explaining why each of her options were inadequate and why his remained the best option. The worst part was that his explanations always made sense to her. Although sometimes if she were in the mood to bicker she would also stubbornly persist and they would go on and on until one of them gave in.

    Lei Xing eventually sighed and let him do as he wanted. Considering he has been her roommate for so long, the horse-riding thing was really just a cherry on top of an already ready to go bitter cake.

    The Emperor even chose a tame beautiful black horse for her and was making her familiarize herself with it by making her feed it and pet it...Actually it was more like forcing her to. He basically held her in place in front of him and held out her hand holding an apple to the horse''s mouth while Lei Xing froze and closed her eyes scared for her hand, while he was chuckling behind her, to her annoyance.

    Lei Xing sighed as she watched the stage, it was another palace romance story and with everything going on in her life, she was not too keen on watching this plot. She wondered why nothing had happened yet. Not that she wanted arrows to be shot her way, it was just that she expected something to have happened already...but yet, nothing from the other wives or even the Empress dowager.

    {...Have I been overestimating this whole harem business?... I mean, not even a poisoning attempt, seriously? Maybe they just don''t care that much?...No, at the very least Chen You does and Zhao Lan too, probably... The dowager I don''t get...As for concubines, they are borderline, trying to make friends to help them while still wanting their chance with him. Nothing wrong with that, I guess...-_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and poured herself some wine then she caught Prince Yi intently staring at her from his corner. She blinked and knit her brows. Prince Yi also seemed to be startled, he blinked a few times at her and then immediately looked down, frowning at his wine cup.

    Lei Xing looked at him for a while and wondered what his problem was with her now. He was pleasant in the first group meeting, odd in the second one, but she could understand the Emperor being there must have upset his sensibilities...and now he''s just being plain weird. She had been noticing him looking at her oddly since they met at Princess Nalan''s residence. Sometimes she caught him just blankly staring her way, and at other times she caught him glaring at her.

    {...Is he transferring aggression?... Dude, I am not the Emperor, if you have any issues to discuss please go find him...And leave me the hell out of it! -_-)...}

    Lei Xing tiredly sighed and slowly turned back to the stage, it was much better to watch the show than to try to decode the agitated royal across from her. She casually sipped on her wine and tried to cast Prince Yi and his problems out of her mind.

    {...The wine is particularly sweet today...Quite good, actually...*sigh* I honestly don''t understand what this guy wants from me -_-)...}

    After the show, they finally made their way to the merchant''s festival. It was much rowdier today than it was on her visit with the Emperor. There were more performers and it seemed more like a celebration than a market today. They had to meander their way through the crowd and Lei Xing wanted to leave as soon as she arrived, it was way too crowded for her liking.

    It seemed she was not the only one disliking this atmosphere, Prince Yi was also frowning feeling disgruntled about having to rub shoulders with the commoners. On Princess Nalan''s suggestion, they left their servants behind and roamed around. Since her brother made no protest, Prince Yi and Lei Xing begrudgingly went along behind the three merry Zou people who were jumping from one place to another.

    As Princess Nalan raced to another stand, Lei Xing sighed and followed along. Honestly, keeping up with Princess Nalan was hard work, it seems her brother and Molin were used to it, and had developed quick reflexes to keep up with her level of impulse.

    Lei Xing sighed and mumbled, "Being a companion is hard work..."

    "Isn''t it?" Prince Yi responded with a slight smile. Lei Xing blinked at him and then immediately faced forward, knitting her brows.

    {...What''s this now?... This guy is so confusing, bipolar maybe?...}

    As they walked by, someone bumped hard into Lei Xing and she fell back and Prince Yi immediately caught her and stopped her fall and Lei Xing immediately righted herself and brushed his hands off then mumbled, "Thank you." And kept walking with her eyebrows knit as she rubbed her now aching arm.

    {...What the hell were they wearing? A freaking pin cushion?...I''m tired, I want to leave -_-)...}

    Behind her, Prince Yi frowned at his hands and then frowned at her back.

    {...She let him hold her as he likes, even in public...but then she brushes me off like I am as   insignificant as...as an Ant...when I was just trying to help her?...}

 Chapter 142 - Black Knight

    Once the evening arrived, the Emperor happily made his way to the Imperial garden where they had set up a little banquet arena for him and his wives. The wives were already there and all bowed when he arrived. The Emperor took his seat and then frowned at the empty spot where Lei Xing was supposed to be.

    Chen You glanced up at the Emperor''s expression then showed a small smile but quickly replaced it with a worried look as she said, "Ah jiejie isn''t here yet?... I told her about it this morning..." She then glanced at the Emperor and then looked away with knit eyebrows and mumbled in a low, but clearly audible voice, "What could be more important than the Emperor? For jiejie to do this..."

    "She''ll be here soon!" Li Ru suddenly chimed in and Chen You covertly glared at her, Li Ru blinked then gulped and looked up at the Emperor and continued, "She must be running late...She''ll definitely be here soon...O-Of course there''s nothing more important to her than Your majesty..." Li Ru awkwardly finished. The Emperor glanced at her and she looked down and pushed on, "...I prepared a song!... If Your Majesty does not mind listening. Noble consort Lei will surely arrive soon..."

    An awkward silence followed then the Emperor sighed, "That''s fine then..."

    Li Ru let out a sigh of relief and then went towards the stage as she hoped Lei Xing would show up soon. That afternoon, Chen You had sent a servant to inform her to prepare for this special banquet on the Empress dowager''s orders. Li Ru felt it was a bit weird as it came out of nowhere but she had could not question the Empress dowager''s order and so had no choice but to comply and quickly prepare something.

    It was also the same for the other wives as well. Chen You informed them of the banquet that afternoon and had apparently been put in charge of organizing it. They were all too busy putting their performances together to question anything and were happy to get a chance to shine in front of the Emperor.

    As Li Ru played she worried for Lei Xing, it seems she was not told of this event and had left the palace. She knew Lei Xing''s character well enough to know that she would not treat the Emperor carelessly like this, and especially not in public even though she had his affection. Her personality was too careful for her to ignore this.

    Once Li Ru was done, Chen You quickly stepped up and reassured the Emperor that Lei Xing will be arriving soon. She even informed that she had sent the servants to look for her. She then copied Li Ru''s tactic and offered to dance while they wait for her "jiejie" to arrive. As she danced, she glanced at the Emperor, only for her to see him frowning down at lei Xing''s seat again.

    {...It''s already this dark...I believe I told her to always make sure to return by sundown...}

    The Emperor was clearly not interested in her dance and Chen You also lost interest in it, but continued with a pinned up smile while fuming on the inside.

    ***

    Lei Xing was still rubbing her arm with a frown as they walked along. Prince Yi looked at her expression and then asked with a friendly smile, "Is your arm hurting?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and his smile unnerved her so she looked away and dismissively said, "I''m fine." Her arm was hurting and mildly itchy, somewhat numb...It just felt odd, she felt odd. But it was nothing much, just mildly irritating.

    Prince Yi opened his mouth but before he could speak, Princess Nalan ran up to them and stopped in front of Lei Xing with a wide smile. Lei Xing looked at her and felt a bit apprehensive. Princess Nalan then brought out her hands from behind her back and Lei Xing immediately frowned in dismay as she looked at the dead bugs on the two sticks in front of her.

    Lei Xing gulped and then looked up at Princess Nalan. Princess Nalan''s smile brightened, "Isn''t this great? I''ve been wanting to share these delicacies with you since our visit to the flower field. I can''t believe we came across them here. How lucky! Go ahead, try them."

    Lei Xing gaped at the bugs and gulped, as she felt her throat constrict.

    {...Is that a scorpion there? O_O)...You do know scorpions have poison, right?... What about all the insides? >_

    "I can''t-"

    Princess Nalan narrowed her eyes at her, "What do you mean you can''t? Are you looking down us Zou people who eat it? Here..." Princess Nalan then bit into the head of the beetle on a stick and Lei Xing held her neck as she watched her eat it, it took all her strength not to make a gagging face. Princess Nalan then extended the scorpion to her and said, "Hurry up!... Or you can''t mean to say that you''re better than this Princess, right?" She finished and then pushed the scorpion stick into Lei Xing''s hand.

    Lei Xing glanced behind Princess Nalan, looking for Prince Rui or Molin. Princess Nalan caught her looking and then ordered, "Hurry up! You should have finished it already."

    Lei Xing glared down at the scorpion for a bit and then she frowned.

    {...No. Never! You can''t make me! Screw politics! I say go to war! �R���Q)...}

    Lei Xing made up her mind and was going to put her foot down on this issue, but before she could open her mouth, Prince Yi took the stick from her hand and volunteered, "I''ll eat it on her behalf." And then proceeded to bite into it. Lei Xing and Princess Nalan both watched him wide-eyed as he finished it in two bites. When he was done he tossed the stick on the ground and condescendingly went, "There."

    Princess Nalan blinked and then knit her brows, right at that moment Prince Rui and Molin arrived. Prince Rui came up to her and scolded, "I''ve told you to stop running off randomly."

    Princess Nalan blinked and then went "Hmph, fine." Then she turned and disappeared into the crowd and her brother, irritated quickly followed after her with Molin following behind him. Lei Xing finally blinked and then looked at Prince Yi''s frowning green face and she quickly asked, "Are you okay?"

    Prince Yi cleared his throat then nodded and raised his head, "I''m fine."

    Lei Xing nodded. She felt a tiny urge to laugh but held it in and smiled, "Thank you."

    Prince Yi glanced at her and saw her smiling, he wanted to return her smile but his stomach was turning so he simply nodded again. Lei Xing nodded back and then started walking towards the direction the others had disappeared in, with Prince Yi walking beside her. After a few steps, Prince Yi stopped and held his stomach and scowled. Lei Xing turned around and saw him like that, and went over to him and said, "You don''t look okay."

    {...Weak stomach? Why play hero then? -_-)...*sigh* This guy is even more confusing than his brother...No, he''s confused, definitely confused. Can''t even tell when he''s unwell...Idiot -_-)...}

    Prince Yi frowned and immediately straightened himself, "I''m fine." He did not expect his stomach to be this weak. While Lei Xing was feeling awful for wanting to laugh at the man trying to retain his brave front. She sighed and then jokingly asked, "How did it taste?"

    Prince Yi immediately glared at her and she snorted then went, "That bad?... Um, how about you rest over there for a bit?"

    Prince Yi frowned, "I''m fi-" He paused and thought it through, this would be a good opportunity for them to talk. She was obviously in a much better mood now. And although he did not want to look weak, one must sometimes make sacrifices. After all, he was suffering now because of her, therefore she had a duty to look after his wellbeing so he said, "Yes, that will be fine."

    Lei Xing walked off then she saw Prince Yi holding his stomach and seemingly struggling and she felt a little bit bad. Although she did not ask for his help, he did still help her. So she went over and held his arm to help him to the corner. Prince Yi jumped a bit when she touched his arm and she quickly explained she was just helping him over. He did not say anything and let her help him as he kept casting glances at her face, frowning and then not frowning, repeatedly. He was feeling confused.

    After she sat him down, she glanced around and had no idea where the others had gone off to now. She looked down at Prince Yi and then said, "You stay here, I''ll go get the servants to help you home." Then she turned to leave.

    Prince Yi immediately grabbed her arm and Lei Xing turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. He frowned and then quickly said, "Um, It''s better if you stay...I just need a little rest..." He saw Lei Xing knit her brows and it seemed like she still wanted to insist, so he quickly added, "You might get lost, it''ll be troublesome."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "I''m not a child, I won''t get lost. The route we came through is beyond simple."

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened, "Still...Just stay. I don''t want to have to look for you. I just need a little rest is all. I''m fine...Plus the others will still pass by here to return so it''s fine to wait here." He said as his grip on her arm tightened a little.

    Lei Xing looked at him for a bit and then sighed, "Fine."

    {...I tried...If you die here, it''s not my fault -_-)''...}

    Prince Yi nodded and then knit his brows. He did not know what to say now that he had her alone. He was really confused now.

    {...What''s wrong with me? Why can''t I think?!...}

    Lei Xing frowned down at his hand and then said, "Let go." Prince Yi blinked up at her, confused and then realized he was still holding on to her arm and immediately released it. Lei Xing then sat down next to him, making sure to leave a good distance between them and the two sat there waiting.

    Meanwhile, at one of the stalls some distance away. One of the eager buyers was scrutinizing a piece of jewelry while covertly glancing towards the calmly seated Lei Xing in the corner.

    {...Why is there no reaction yet?... That should have been plenty...Or did she not drink the wine? No, I confirmed it, she did...So why nothing?... Maybe a little more...Or a lot more to be safe?...}

 Chapter 143 - Generous Smack

    Lei Xing sat there staring at the passing crowd for a while and then sighed.

    {...Well, this is boring -_-)...I''m not sure which is better, getting shoved around in a crowd or sitting here watching said crowd...Someone should at least fight or something, it''s so dead here -_-)...}

    She glanced at Prince Yi to find him looking at her and slightly knit her brows and asked, "Better?"

    Prince Yi blinked then shook his head, they had not even said anything yet. "A bit more time." Lei Xing then pursed her lips, nodded and looked back to the crowd.

    Prince Yi lightly sighed then knit his brows in thought, after a while he asked, "What made you want to come here?"

    "It''s interesting." Lei Xing responded without thought.

    "You don''t seem to like the crowd though." Prince Yi commented on his observation. She seemed to be as unhappy as he was about meandering through the crowd.

    "It''s a busy day I guess." Lei Xing offhandedly responded, still not glancing his way.

    "True..." Prince Yi said and then knit his brows in thought again. Lei Xing cast a quick glance his way and then inwardly sighed.

    {...I think you would recover faster if you were quiet. Also, why do you need so much time, it was a cooked bug, I  think? Regardless, your stomach seems too delicate -_-)...}

    "I heard you say you were sick as a child." Prince Yi spoke up again.

    "Apparently." Lei Xing responded as she rolled her eyes in the other direction. This was definitely not a topic of interest.

    {...I would rather talk about how dark the sky is -_-)...}

    "Apparently?" Prince Yi asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes, I was." Lei Xing dismissively responded. She was not in the mood for conversation, especially not on a topic like this. She honestly wanted to return but she had no idea where Princess Nalan and her tails had run off to. She had a feeling she would be here for quite a while.

    "What was it?" Prince Yi then asked and Lei Xing glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, "What was what?"

    "What was your ailment?" Prince Yi clarified.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, it was none of his business and she was really not in the mood for this sort of questionnaire. There was nothing wrong with sitting in silence. "I''d rather not talk about this." Lei Xing flatly responded and turned back to the crowd.

    Prince Yi frowned and looked at her demeanor, it was clear she did not want to talk about this but there was one thought that popped in his mind and so he blurted out without much consideration, "Does he know?"

    Lei Xing turned back to him and confusedly asked, "What?"

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened, he hesitated for a bit and then firmly asked, "Does my brother know?"

    Lei Xing blinked then narrowed her eyes at him, stunned. Then she frowned and flatly said, "I don''t think that''s any of your business."

    Prince Yi blinked, a bit taken aback by her response and then snickered in a self-mocking manner and said, "That''s true...I was needlessly curious."

    Lei Xing did not say anything and faced forward, still frowning.

    {...Should I just leave him here? He''s an a.d.u.l.t, I''m sure he''ll survive -_-)...Too mean? But it''s not like I asked him to eat the crap, I''m sure I could have handled that stupid occasionally hare-brained princess if he didn''t butt in -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed and made up her mind and stood up. Prince Yi immediately frowned at her and she said, "I think it''s still better I get the servants to help you." Before Prince Yi could open his mouth to protest, she swiftly turned and walked into the crowd.

    She had not gotten far, when a generous merchant standing on his table suddenly shouted, "To celebrate a successful yield this year, here''s a token of appreciation to all of you for coming out!" He finished and then tossed a chest of money into the crowd then swiftly bent over and hurled another one out.

    The crowd suddenly started converging to that location and Lei Xing happened to be in the middle of the scramble and was being pushed and tossed about. She did not care for the money and tried to fight her way out of the crowd but the money-hungry wave was hard to fight and eventually she ended up being shoved to the ground as the merchant continued tossing more money into the crowd.

    She pushed against the people clamoring for the money on the floor and stumbled to her knees and then frowned. She realized her vision was somewhat blurry and her head was feeling fuzzy. She blinked a few times then shook her head and then held her head, she was feeling light-headed.

    {...What the hell?...}

    Just as she was attempting to get up again to get out out of the scramble, a hand yanked her up and pulled her out of the scramble. Prince Yi held her hand and led her back to the corner, "I told you it''s better to stay put ."

    He looked back to find Lei Xing looking out of it, her face was flushed and eyes were glistening. She was looking at him and yet it did not seem like she was. He frowned and asked with concern, "Are you alright?" He was worried she had maybe gotten hit on the head during the scramble for the money.

    Lei Xing blinked up at him and then used her free hand to touch her head. She was not sure what was going on, her breathing was labored and she was feeling increasingly hot, suffocating actually. She pulled at the collar of her dress and then mumbled, "I-I''m not...sure." She held her head again then knit her brows, her mind felt numb and she was really having trouble getting her thoughts in order.

    Prince Yi frowned and asked, "Did you hit your head when you fell?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him, "Head...fall?" She absentmindedly responded and then subconsciously closed the distance between and then smiled up at him as she squeezed the hand holding hers. She was looking directly up at him with a sweet smile. Prince Yi blinked and his lips subconsciously curved into a smile. He was happy she was looking at him with a sweet smile for the first time but it felt odd. He narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you dru-?" His words were cut off when Lei Xing suddenly stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.

    Prince Yi''s eyes went wide with shock, he blinked a few times and then closed his eyes and opened his mouth and kissed her back. As he slid his tongue in her mouth to dance with hers, Lei Xing''s eyes suddenly flew open and she pushed him back and stared at him wide-eyed in shock, she held her chest and covered her lips, confused and breathing heavily.

    {...What did I just -?...}

    She quickly said, "I-I''m going home." And was about to turn to dash off into the crowd when Prince Yi frowned and suddenly grabbed and pulled her to him and delved back into the kiss more passionately as he wrapped his hands securely around her waist. At this time, Lei Xing''s mind was weak and emptied out, her thoughts and inhibitions completely gone with the wind. She closed her eyes and gladly pressed her body against his and sn.a.k.e.d her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

    Meanwhile, at a distance Bi Lo and Bi Lu watched the scene of the passionate couple kissing with eyes wide and mouths ajar. They glanced at each other and then back at the increasingly passionate pair, whose hands had started roaming.

    Bi Lu finally said, "Should we..."

    Bi Lo shook his head, "She doesn''t look like she''s in trouble...we''re gaurds..."

    The two blinked and then gulped and had the same thought in mind.

    {...How are we going to report this?... We''ll die T_T)...}

    At another distance away, the generous merchant and a young man were also watching the passionate pair from the stall. The young man sighed, "I still think we should have just killed her."

    The generous merchant snickered, "What''s the fun in that? More importantly, that could be counter productive. After all, she''s not the target. Patience, bloodshed is not the only way to accomplish great deeds..."

    The young man rolled his eyes and then reminded, "Make sure to leave tonight."

    "What about you?" The generous merchant asked.

    "I can''t leave jiejie here alone." The young man offhandedly responded.

    The generous merchant frowned, "The prince is already not happy you followed her all the way here...What if Prince Rui recognizes you? It could put the mission in jeo-"

    The young man scoffed, "You came along as well and I don''t care for either of those idiots. One thinks of us as disposable pawns and sent jiejie here to die and the other is an idiot who sold his country and if he cares for his "peace" then he will remain silent...Then again, I could always just kill him."

    "Don''t-"

    "Goodbye, uncle." The young man dismissively said and then walked off into the crowd. The generous merchant sighed and then grabbed his bag and bent down under the table and put a bag of gems in the robe of the unconscious old man under it, "That should be more than enough." Then he walked off in the other direction, passing by three palace maids who were gaping in shock at the scene of the passionate kissing couple.

    {...I hope this is enough...Regardless, it should still be enough to start some trouble...}

 Chapter 144 - Words of the Wise

    {...*What the hell do you think you''re doing?! Stop that this instant!...}

    The bracelet shouted in Lei Xing''s mind. Lei Xing was so out of it that her mind did not process the information, the only thing she was focused on was on the kiss and the heat coursing through her body.

    {...*I said stop it! You''ll ruin everything! I said STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!!!!....}

    Lei Xing''s eyes flew open and she shoved hard at Prince Yi, gasping for breath as she steadied herself on the wall and held her fuzzy head, feeling panicked.

    {...What am I- Am I...What the-...}

    Prince Yi frowned and went to grab her arm again and Lei Xing immediately pushed at him and darted into the crowd. Prince Yi immediately followed after her, he was not thinking of anything other than to get her back in his arms.

    {...*LEAVE HER ALONE!...}

    Prince Yi knit his brows and ignored the voice.

    {...*I said stop it! Are you trying to get yourself KILLED?!...}

    Prince Yi kept chasing after Lei Xing, she was moving quite fast but he kept an eye on her head and followed quickly.

    {...*Are you trying to get her KILLED?!... I said STOP!...}

    Prince Yi finally stopped in his tracks and his mind finally kicked in.

    {...What the hell did I just do?...}

    {...*Hmph! Try to get yourself killed...We can still save this, turn around this instant and go home!..}

    {...But...}

    Prince Yi looked into the crowd, he could no longer see Lei Xing.

    {...But she''s-...}

    {...*She is none of your business and is only trouble...for you! She''ll be fine so you go home right now!...}

    Prince Yi frowned and looked down at his hands. This was a stupid move, he knew that. It was one that could end him, he knew that...But still, he wanted her.

    His frowned deepened and he swiftly turned and stormed off in the opposite direction, he was feeling irritated. Irritated with her, himself, his brother and with the way things were...and what infuriated him the most was that he actually felt irritated he could not have her.

    {...*sigh* It seems I have underestimated your level of attachment to her...It will do you no goo-...}

    {...I don''t need you to tell me that!...}

    The voice sighed gave a long sigh and then left him to his anger.

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing was blindly running with no sense of direction, with only the thought that she needed to get home in her head. She then bumped into someone''s back and fell to the ground. She held onto her fuzzy head, feeling incredibly hot and uncomfortable. She hated this feeling.

    "Are you okay?" The person turned and asked bending down to help her up. The moment his hand touched her arm, Lei Xing felt a jolt shoot through her and she shoved the hand away and barked, "Don''t touch me!" Then she stumbled to her feet and ran off again.

    {...I need to get home...}

    She was breathily heavily and it felt like her head was spinning and she kept tugging at her collar, fighting the urge to strip to help combat the heat. After a long while, her thoughts finally met a roadblock.

    {...Home...Where?...The palace?...Home...No...Home...}

    Lei Xing stopped in her tracks and blankly stared at the passing crowd. She did not know where to go. Eventually, she stumbled her way to a corner and crumbled to the ground. Her limbs were felt weak and she was feeling extremely hot, tired, frustrated and unnerved. Her hands kept fiddling with her clothes while she was fighting the fire burning inside.

    {...What''s wrong with me...?... Poison?... I am going to kill...whoever did this...}

    Li Xing frowned and squeezed her eyes shut as beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she struggled to get back control of her mind and body. She was feeling extremely angry right now, angrier than she had ever felt at herself for falling into whatever this was and at whoever did this to her. The feeling of losing control of herself was driving her mad with rage and she focused on that anger to try to regain control of her senses.

    {...*Relax, it''ll be fine...Stand up, I can lead you back to the carriage, go back to the palace...}

    {...I am going to kill...}

    {...*Hey! I said get up! It''s not safe for you here!...}

    {...I am going to kill...}

    Lei Xing could hear the bracelet but her mind was not processing its words. She was completely absorbed in clinging on to that one angry thought and stifling her body''s urges.

    "Hey, young miss need some help?"

    Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes and glanced at the three men in front of her, then she suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and banged her head on the wall, opening a gash on her forehead and shocking the men. It seems in her daze she had stumbled into a bit of an alleyway out of view of the people on the street. The men were passing through this obscure path when they came upon her huddled in a corner

    First one: "Is she drunk?"

    Second one: "Looks like it..."

    First one: "Hehe...that''s good." The fire

    Third one: "I don''t really think we should...She''s clearly a noble, we could get in trouble, it-"

    The first one barked, "Shut up!" And then turned back to see that Lei Xing had scrambled to her feet and was about to run. He immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "There''s no need to be scared. We''re just trying to help."

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and then held on to his shoulders, the man smiled down at her and she used his shoulders to brace herself up as she used all her energy to bring her knee up hard and right into his groin and she barked, "I said don''t touch me!"

    The man immediately released her and clutched his groin and bent over in pain groaning and stifling a scream. Before lei Xing could run, the second yanked her back and gave her a resounding slap that sent her crashing into the wall. Lei Xing held her head and shook it trying to clear her wandering l.u.s.tful mind, even this was...

    This was infuriating, humiliating and demeaning to her. Her actions had angered the men and the thoughts of treating her gently were all gone, just as they were about to reach for her again, a voice suddenly chimed in from behind them, "Um...I wouldn''t have done that if I were you."

    The men stopped and turned around to find an old white-haired man stroking his long beard. He smiled at them and they frowned, the third one then said, "Get lost old man, this is none of your business." Before the other two could attack him, he was not keen on the idea of assaulting an old man.

    "Ah, okay then...I just wanted to share my thoughts." The old man said and then went to towards Lei Xing, then he felt a hand clutching his shoulder, he turned back to the men and laughed, "Ah, wrong way...You see I''m very old, I forget things hehe~" And then he made to leave but Lei Xing suddenly grabbed the bottom of his robe as she squinted up at him.

    Even if her mind was fuzzy, the voice sounded familiar and the figure looked familiar. The old man smiled at her and then glanced at the men glaring at him, "Ah, they say I have to leave...so goodbye~" Then he quickly walked back to the main street. Lei Xing glared at his back and then at the three men who were leering at her. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to get her mind in order again, it felt like her blood was boiling, she was cold sweating and blood was running down her face from the wound.

    "Oh! My granddaughter!! You hooligans! What are you doing to my granddaughter?! How dare you touch my precious granddaughter?! Oh, my poor child wuwuwu...This grandfather may be useless but we can die together! Come fight this old man, you disrespectful,l swineful, disgraceful, uglyfool brats!" Someone suddenly hollered as a rain of rocks started falling on the three men. They turned to find the old man standing at the edge of the crowd shouting and hurling rocks at them. The people passing by where all stopping and coming forward to see the cause of the "poor" old man''s distress.

    The three men immediately looked at each other and then quickly ran the other way before much attention could be drawn to the scene and them, leaving Lei Xing behind on the floor.

    Doctor Lou chuckled and dusted his hands, "Little brats, how dare you treat me like that?" He then walked up to Lei Xing and knelt beside her and smiled at her, "Xing Xing, you missed this time, right? Don''t lie, I know you did...So I graciously and gracefully came down to -"

    Lei Xing gripped his arm and next thing she moved her head back and was preparing to bash her head agaisnt the wall again. Doctor Lou''s eyes quickly went wide and he immediately hit the back of her neck to knock her out and Lei Xing slumped on him.

    Doctor Lou pat her head and then sighed and stood up, "Always so stubborn...Poor Xing Xing, how dare those stupid brats?!... Don''t worry I''ll make sure their eyes are clawed out, kick them and trample them...So many brats to trample!" He then hauled Lei Xing onto his shoulder and then went to straighten up, "Ah, ah, my poor back...Stupid brats!"

    "Ah, let me help you." One of the onlookers who had followed him offered.

    "Did I say I need help?" Doctor Lou asked narrowing his eyes at the man and then went on walking as the onlookers looked at him baffled.

    As he exited the corner he got some weird looks from the crowd and he barked, "She''s my granddaughter!" And continued on his merry way.

 Chapter 145 - Sacrificial Messenger

    "Isn''t this too much? Exactly how many times do they think they need to poke someone?... Stupid brats, waste of good material." Doctor Lou grumbled as he examined Lei Xing''s arms. He put them down and put a salve on the wound on her forehead and then some on her red cheek. He then sighed and said, "Go and call her husband."

    "Can''t you just give her the antidote?" Ah Jin asked with knit eyebrows. They were currently at Doctor Lou''s house which was a little courtyard located behind the pharmacy. After the three Zou people returned to the servants and guards, they waited a bit for Lei Xing and Prince Yi to return. After a while, the servants then scattered to look for them.

    Doctor Lou called her and told her Lei Xing was here and so she came over to get her.

    "No."

    "But y-"

    "If I say I can''t then I can''t." Ah Jin narrowed his eyes at him and he squinted back at her and indignantly said, "What? It''s not like I''m the one who did this...I didn''t!"

    Ah Jin sighed, "I will just get a carriage and take her back with me."

    Doctor Lou shook his head, "Not allowed."

    "Why not?" Ah Jin asked feeling a bit exasperated.

    "You see those golden needles sticking out on her head? If you move her, they''ll move and it could kill her...Not allowed!"  Doctor Lou finished shaking his head again.

    "Then take them out." Ah Jin bluntly responded.

    "No. If I take them out, she''ll wake up and be clinging to everyone, what if she attacks some servants or guards? Or worse attacks me! How would you I recover from that? Too much trauma..." Doctor Lou shivered and then continued, "Also it looked like she''d rather die than suffer that humiliation so-...Or we can lock her in here like this and after four days of aching bones and muscles, immense pain...She''ll be back to normal...Probably...You might not know this, but Xing Xing is very afraid of pain so -... Stop with all these questions, just go call her husband!" Doctor Lou suddenly barked then pouted, tired of having to explain.

    Ah Jin looked at him for a while and he squinted back at her, then she sighed and turned to leave, Doctor Lou suddenly went, "Oh wait! I want to send a message." He got up and went to the corner and quickly wrote a note, blew on the ink and then folded the paper and walked up to Ah Jin, before she could take it, he drew his hand back and then squinted at her and warned, "Don''t open it, it''s for his eyes only."

    Ah Jin pursed her lips and nodded, then he gave it to her and walked back to Lei Xing on the bed, as Ah Jin left he added, "You all better not try to trick me, if not she won''t be here when you return."

    ***

    Meanwhile back at the palace, the Emperor had returned to Lei Xing''s palace after staying for a few performances. The darker it got, the more he felt his mood drop and so he lost complete interest and left. Xiao Ruo informed him that Princess Nalan had sent for Lei Xing and she had left sometime in the afternoon. He reasoned that she must have intended to return in time for the banquet but then got sidetrack by the Princess.

    He did not think her missing the banquet was that important, after all, he could always get her to perform for him personally, which would definitely be better than one with onlookers. But he could not deny feeling somewhat annoyed that she forgot about it.

    He was also feeling a bit unnerved for some reason and wanted to send ford her, but then he dismissed it as him feeling disgruntled with being sidelined. Instead, he returned to the royal study to do some work to distract himself. After a long while, he was about to ask after her again thinking that it was really too late for her to still be out, when Bi Lo arrived trailing behind Eunuch Li.

    The Emperor frowned, he had instructed for them to inform him the moment she arrived. Before he could open his mouth to speak Bi Lo dropped to his knees and kowtowed, "Your majesty, please kill us for our incompetence!"

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes and felt even more unnerved and coldly asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

    Bi Lo glanced up at the Emperor and then gulped. His brother had sent him here to come to get help while he continued to search for Lei Xing. After she and Prince Yi ran off, they had moment''s delay when some other stupid merchant started some sort of showcase that redirected the crowd.

    They managed to keep track of their heads, but then arrived at an intersection and were not sure which way they turned, so they split up but still could not find them. They eventually saw Prince Yi walking back but he was alone and there was no sign of Lei Xing. They quickly went the way he was coming from but they still did not see her. They then went back to her carriage where the servants were waiting but she was not there either. They searched and located Princess Nalan''s group but there was still no Lei Xing.

    Bi Lo faced the ground and squeezed his eyes shut then blurted out, "We can''t find the Noble consort!" Then he quickly added, "We lost her at the merchant''s festival. We searched everywhere, still searching...But we have no clue where she went, we even checked Prince Yi''s house, but he''s alone, she''s not there an-"

    "My brother''s house?" The Emperor coldly asked knitting his brows in confusion. He was concerned but he was baffled as to why his brother''s house was a place to check for her. It was an odd place at an odd time for her to be.

    Bi Lo knit his brows and dreaded the fact that he was the one stuck with this task, but he could not hide it from the Emperor that would spell more trouble for them in the future, "Well...the-there was...an incident..."

    "Speak properly." Eunuch Li ordered and Bi Lo immediately braced himself and blurted out, "She kissed him!" Then he quickly added, "...But she stopped...Well, then he kissed her...But then she stopped! They stopped!...And she ran off and then we were delayed by the crowd and lost them..." He mumbled and then quickly informed, "But she''s not with Prince Yi anymore, they separated and he''s at home...alone, we checked!"

    Bi Lo''s mind was reeling, he was really not too good with words and frankly, his brother was the better one to deliver such delicate news. He just said what he saw and kept his eyes trained on the ground. He did not need to look up to feel the Emperor''s anger. The Emperor frowned deeply at his head and his hands balled into fists.

    {...Kissed?...She kissed him?...}

    He was infuriated, but also very confused. Lei Xing was struggling with him the other day about kissing her in public but then she kissed his brother instead. It could not mean that it was okay with his brother but not him. He could not believe that, no he refused to.

    There was also his brother''s motivation in all this. He knew his brother was the careful sort, for him to do something like this was simply trying to goad him into killing him.

    {...Or is he trying to drive a wedge between me and the Lei family...How dare he?...}

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, that was the only explanation that would make sense. If in his anger, he severely punished Lei Xing or worse, killed her then there would be a rift between the Lei family and him, regardless of whether she deserved it or not.

    Of course the thought that his brother might actually be interested in Lei Xing crossed his mind...It had crossed his mind on several occasions. But he could not believe that Prince Yi would be that impulsive, out in the open too. He could not believe it.

    He needed answers. Answers that made sense.

    He got up and turned to Eunuch Li, "I leave them to you." referring to Bi Lo and Bi Lu. Bi Lo kowtowed again in apology, he knew they had failed in their duty. Losing her was a complete failure on their part and they could not avoid punishment or worse depending on Lei Xing''s condition when and if found.

    The Emperor left and ordered for commander An to ready some of the Imperial guards to follow him out to look for her, all to be done quietly. The situation was not something that should be spread to avoid further trouble.

    As he exited the palace, he planned to go to Prince Yi''s manor first. But just as they crossed the palace gates, he saw Ah Jin waving him down. He stopped and Ah Jin quickly informed him that Lei Xing was with Doctor Lou.

    The Emperor was shocked to hear that. They had been searching for Doctor Lou for all this time and he had evaded all his men and now he just showed up out of nowhere. What''s more was that Lei Xing was with him instead of coming back home.

    {...Is she hiding?...}

    "Why has she not returned to the palace?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at Ah Jin.

    Ah Jin glanced at the men behind him and then knit her brows and said, "She is unwell...so he''s looking after her."

    "Unwell?" The Emperor repeated, he was not convinced.

    Ah Jin nodded, "He asked me to deliver this to you." She said as she handed over Doctor Lou''s note.

    The Emperor opened the note to find ''Found friend, come pick up...Or if you''re not interested, I''ll toss her back outside! Hurry hehe~''

    {...Is this some sort of joke?...}

    The Emperor''s frown turned into a scowl as he crumpled the paper and then he rode off to find this annoying doctor who has been eluding his men for so long. More importantly, he wanted an explanation from Lei Xing.

    He had not yet decided on what to do with them and frankly was not thinking about it yet. When he found them, they would explain themselves and if they could not...Or if they were truly that stupid...Well, then no one could blame him for whatever happens, even he was not sure what he would do.

    He let his brother get away with a lot, but everyone had a line...and she unknowingly seemed to have become one.

 Chapter 146 - Lost Empire

    The Emperor and his men quickly arrived at Doctor Lou''s pharmacy. The doors were opened so they just walked in, cautiously. As they entered, Doctor Lou immediately perked up on his desk, "Visitors! Oh, have you come to see me? Of course, you did...I''m sorry I didn''t prepare anything. I can go get some wine though hehe~"

    "Where is she?" The Emperor flatly asked, he was not in the mood to deal with the crazy ramblings of this old man. He had asked for him to come here and now he was behaving oblivious which further annoyed the already irritated Emperor.

    "Who?" Doctor Lou asked blinking at the Emperor with a confused expression.

    The Emperor immediately brought his sword up to Doctor Lou''s neck and narrowed his eyes at him, "Don''t test me."

    Doctor Lou glanced down at the sword and then looked down with a pout and quietly mumbled, "Can''t take a joke brat, so ungrateful. You should be thanking me..." Then he glared at the Emperor as he used a finger to tap the blade on his neck, "Hmph! I was just trying to lighten the mood...You look like you''re about to kill someone, you even assaulted me this old, old man...What if she sees your face and her heart stops, what then? I can''t resurrect a heart...Or maybe I can hehe~ we can test it out if you want?" Doctor Lou finished with a chuckle.

    The Emperor knit his brows then let out a breath and lowered his sword. Doctor Lou then stood up, "Okay, you can follow me." Then he turned and walked towards the back and the Emperor and his men followed behind. Doctor Lou suddenly stopped and glanced behind the Emperor and squinted the others following along and said, "I was talking to only him."

    The Emperor frowned but before he could say anything, Doctor Lou said, "It''s my house and I don''t like people roaming about it making it dirty. Not allowed! They can''t come." He finished squinted at the Emperor and folding his arms with a stubborn and determined expression.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at him and then remembered Ah Jin''s reaction and realized that Lei Xing may be in a bad state and it might be problematic for others to discover. But he also felt this doctor could not be trusted. He thought for a bit and weighed his options and made a decision. He ordered the rest of the men to stay back and for Commander An to come with him.

    Doctor Lou frowned at him and the Emperor glared at him and ordered, "Move."

    Doctor Lou pouted and begrudgingly went ahead, while grumbling to himself about the ill-treatment. The back of the shop opened to a small garden , with a small pavilion on the side and a house in the back. Doctor Lou led them around the side and stopped in front of a door and then glared at Commander An. The Emperor then turned to Commander An and said, "Wait here." Then Doctor Lou was satisfied and opened the door and they went in.

    The Emperor went up to Lei Xing on the bed and saw needles sticking out of her head, the bruise on her forehead and her red cheek. The Emperor sat beside her and lightly touched her red cheek and then glared at Doctor Lou and asked, "You hit her?"

    Doctor Lou immediately shook his head and defended, "I didn''t!... I only hit the back of her neck." Seeing the Emperor''s angry expression, he quickly added, "It was for my safety!... I mean, her safety, our safety!... She would have attacked me or killed herself, one of the two...I was helping."

    The Emperor blinked and then coldly ordered, "Killed herself? Explain..."

    Doctor Lou quickly obliged with a smile, "Well you see, that wound on her head she got from ramming her own head into a wall...That slap was from some stupid brat defending his friend who she kicked in his..." Doctor Lou winced and said, "...You know, down there...Nothing to worry about, I''ve treated her and they''ll be better by the morning. You can trust my hehe~."

    "Someone assaulted her?" The Emperor asked, feeling even more anger towards Bi Lo and Bi Lu for losing her, as well as, increasing anger at Prince Yi for stupidly letting her wander off alone.

    "Ah, well three people..." When he saw the Emperor''s face change, he smugly added with a grin, "...But I saved her...You know it was a very heroic scene, I ha- Ah, don''t move her!" Doctor Lou quickly shouted when the Emperor was about to pick her up, intending to leave, irritated with everything and Doctor Lou''s rambling was not helping his mood.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at him and Doctor quickly explained, "Well you see those three gold needles on her head? It''s to keep her from attacking people...And if you move her, they could kill her, very sensitive spots they''re in...But if I remove it, she''ll start attacking people again. Very dangerous." Doctor said nodding and stroking his beard.

    "What do you mean by attacking?" The Emperor finally asked, he had been distracted by Doctor''s Lou''s other shocking words.

    Doctor Lou smiled and then went, "That''s why you''re here. To help her...Ah, let me show you..." Doctor came forward and went to grab Lei Xing''s arm, he saw the Emperor glare at him and so he added, "Excuse me?" The Emperor then trained his eyes back on Lei Xing''s face.

    Doctor Lou picked up her arm and then moved the sleeve to show the Emperor the red spots on it, "You see some evil person gave her an aphrodisiac, they poked her several times too...I know this method very well, I may or may not have - ...Hehe~ That''s a story for another day. Anyway, she must have eaten some qing lu root today. On its own, it''s harmless and very sweet. Great with wine too, I use it quite a bit...It''s a secret ingredient. You need to try it, I have some h-" Doctor Lou stopped and pursed his lips when he saw the Emperor was not sharing in his amus.e.m.e.nt.

    He cleared his throat and clarified, "All it does is make you relaxed and happy!... Anyway, when you mix it with the seyu potion it becomes a powerful aphrodisiac..."

    "Seyu?" The Emperor asked tightly knitting his brows. The name sounded familiar.

    Doctor Lou nodded and then knit his brows as he stroked his beard, "I haven''t seen Seyu in a long time though, you might be too young to know this but it was made by..."

    "Dong country''s queen...A longevity drug isn''t it?" The Emperor asked knitting his brows in annoyance as he looked at Lei Xing, the situation now felt a lot more complicated. He had heard his father mention wanting to acquire it during their siege on Dong country, but by the time they won the war and their men entered the Dong royal palace they found the royal family had all poisoned themselves taking the formula to their graves.

    Even if his father won the war, they refused to allow him the luxury of extending his life to rule over this newly acquired Empire. But now this potion was here in his country?

    "Are you certain?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    "It definitely is! I could recognize it even in my dreams. I''ve played with it for quite a long time. Plus I never forget things like this." Doctor Lou confidently responded.

    The Emperor''s frown deepened.

    {...If this is true, things might be a lot more complicated than they appear...}

 Chapter 147 - Good Deed Credit

    Doctor Lou knit his brows in thought, "Hmm...longevity? Perhaps, among other things...It was Dong royalty''s closely guarded secret passed down through generations to the succeeding heirs. Although I do know how - But it''s not me, I didn''t do it! Really!" Doctor Lou quickly defended when the Emperor narrowed his eyes at him, "I would tell you if I did...I like to get credit for my good work. I doubt your doctors could have figured out the Seyu, very few have knowledge of it. You''re very lucky to have me. You should be happy."

    The Emperor ignored Doctor Lou''s ramblings and frowned in thought.

    {...Could it be possible?... I guess there''s no reason for it to be impossible...But how could we have missed them? And what do they hope to gain from doing this to Xing er''?... Revenge? Isn''t this too petty? At most what I would lose would be a consort, one I like but still, one woman, and as long as I don''t kill her, the Lei family would be grateful and remain loyal...This is quite minimal in effect for revenge...

    ...As for my brother...While I can see a possibility for a civil war, I could end him now if I choose to, his troops are nowhere near the capital and if he''s dead none of them would continue the fight...Regardless, I have an entire battalion stationed outside the capital right now, he wouldn''t dare to...Although now it''s becoming clear that he is a lot more daring than I thought...But is there something else here?...}

    The Emperor frowned down at the unconscious Lei Xing, annoyed at the thought of Prince Yi touching her and also at the fact that the whole thing still did not make sense to him.

    Doctor Lou then cleared his throat and the Emperor glanced up at him to find Doctor Lou smiling at him, "Since your wife is high on an aphrodisiac, I thought it wise to call you, her husband so you can res-"

    "Can''t you make an antidote?" The Emperor cut him off with a frown.

    {...This is not the way it''s supposed to happen...}

    Doctor Lou pursed his lips and looked off to the side, "No, I don''t...If you don''t want to, she can just go through the agonizing pain for a few days and then maybe she''ll be fine or she might just die in the end, who knows..." He shrugged and then continued, "...She''s only seems fine now because of those needles, but if left there for too long she won''t wake up again. I told you, sensitive..."

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought for a bit and then got up, "Remove the needles, I''m taking her back."

    Doctor Lou pouted and mumbled, "Why doesn''t anyone listen to me?" He then sighed and loudly said, "If I take it out, she''ll be all over you or worse, your men and maybe even me as you leave..." He shivered, "How do you want to explain that? Also if you knock her out again, she might just not wake up again, I might have hit a bit too hard the first time..." He mumbled the last line, looking down and then perked up, "Don''t worry, I can lend you this room. I don''t use it and I like Xing Xing..."

    Then he looked the Emperor over and added, "...And you too...So I''ll allow it. You can happily take your time and have fun. This room is also soundproof too so don''t worry." He finished and went to remove the needles.

    The Emperor then stopped his hands and said, "Wait."

    Doctor Lou frowned and watched as the Emperor went outside the room to speak to Commander An for a bit. Then he came back in and said to Doctor Lou, "Give the man outside a full description of the three men you mentioned earlier, be sure to be deta-"

    "Don''t worry I remember very well, to the last detail...Can I remove them now?" Doctor Lou asked with a bright smile. The Emperor tightly knit his brows and nodded.

    Doctor Lou happily nodded back and then removed the needles then clapped his hands and turned back to the Emperor, "She will be waking up soon." Then he headed for the door and then stopped, "Ah, I heard you have been looking for me since my visit to the palace. I will clarify now, that I truly had nothing to do with your mother''s condition that day, I myself was very shocked. Her screams almost stopped my old heart, you know i-"

    "Then why did you run?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Doctor Lou went wide-eyed and blinked, "Run? Who? Me? I was just very busy, I had some boring business elsewhere and as I said I like to get credit so I would tell you if I did." Doctor Lou then grinned and continued, "Regardless, I did nothing wrong and I saved the love of your life here so I deserve some credit s- "

    Lei Xing groaned and he immediately stopped talking as both he and the Emperor glanced at the bed to find Lei Xing knitting her brows. She was about to wake up so Doctor Lou glanced at the Emperor and smiled, "Have fun." Then he left the room and quietly closed the door with a smile as he watched as the Emperor go to sit down on the bed next to Lei Xing.

    Doctor Lou then happily turned to leave only to jump when he saw Commander An standing there, he blinked and then squinted at him, "They need privacy, follow me."

    Commander An frowned at the door and went to protest, "But-"

    "Seeing how serious you look..." Doctor Lou cut him off as he looked him over and then shook his head, "I would have never thought you were a pervert..."

    Commander An blinked and then scowled feeling insulted but before he could open his mouth, Doctor Lou continued, "I said the young couple needs privacy and yet you want to stay, if it''s not that you''re a pervert then what is it?... Stop dawdling here and go catch the criminals." Doctor Lou ordered.

    Commander An blinked and quickly understood his meaning and looked down feeling slightly embarrassed. Doctor Lou chuckled and then pat his shoulder and started walking, "I''ll even draw their faces for you. You might not know this, but I''m very, very good at - ...Hmm, well...at most things so you''re definitely in good hands."

    Commander An quickly followed behind him, although a bit begrudgingly. Doctor Lou was still a highly suspicious figure in his eyes. They had searched high and low for him in this city and outside but found nothing. For him to suddenly show up like this with no warning or notice made him even more questionable.

    Meanwhile, inside the room.

    Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes to see the figure of a man sitting next to her. She squeezed her eyes shut again and then turned her body to try to stand up but was finding it a bit hard as her limbs felt wobbly. Her breathing was also back to being labored. She frowned and opened her eyes to see her hands reaching for her and immediately panicked and the adrenaline gave her the energy she needed. She immediately sat up and shoved the hands away as she scurried to the end of the bed until she hit the wall as she barked, "I said don''t touch me!"

    She braced herself up on the wall and frowned squeezing her eyes shut again as she took deep breaths. The irritating feelings were starting to bubble up again. Her body not only felt like it was burning but now it was starting to ache as well.

    The Emperor frowned and remembered the hooligans who had tried to assault her and thought she must be traumatized by the event. So he slowly stretched out a hand towards her and tried to reassure her and softly said, "Xing er'', it''s m-" But before he could finish his words, Lei Xing whipped her head back and brought it forward to bash it against the wall.

    He quickly moved and put his hand out to protect her head. Lei Xing was completely unaware of this and thought she had been successful in her wall bashing and left her head there as she tried to control her mind. While the Emperor looked at her with worried eyes. With her behaving like this, it looked like he would have to force her, but then thinking of how she would react after, he could not bring himself to do it.

    {...I really can''t, not when she''s like this...She might truly come to hate me then...}

    He understood it needed to be done for her sake, but also felt it could not be done for her sake as well.

    He lightly stroked her hair, not wanting to frighten her and softly said, "Xing er'', calm down. I won''t touch you...Remember, I promised. You''re safe here so calm down."

    Lei Xing went rigid and then stayed still for a while. After taking a few deep breaths, she removed her head from what she still thought was the wall and the Emperor immediately brought both his hands down.

    Lei Xing held her head for a bit then shook it a few times trying to clear her mind. Then she squinted at him trying to make out who he was. After a few seconds, she came to

 Chapter 148 - FANFIC (NON CANON): Moonlit Night

    {��This is it��I am done��}

    I got up and angrily stormed my way to the Empress dowager''s palace with Xiao Ruo running behind me trying to stop me, But this time no one can stop me after that.

    {��How dare they? They killed my��.my (??�n?) my hot pot ��Poisoned it, before I could eat it ���䡥`(>�y

    Just as I turned into the hallway to her reception hall. I heard a male voice and a female voice arguing.

    {��Hmmm��Is she is on a killing spree again?...}

    We looked around and saw that there were no place maids or guards so I stuck my ear to the door and listened.

    "''Why her? There are so many girls in this country, why did you choose her? I am okay with anyone else just not her!"

    "Mother, this is my last and final warning to you. Stop putting aphrodisiacs in my food and poisons in Lei Xing''s. I am not choosing anyone else as empress other than her. It''s your choice, it''s either her or an empty chair for the heir"

    "And for today''s episode, I believe that you must need rest after all that. All this planning and plotting must be exhausting, how about you stay indoors for a while? A month will be enough for you to rest. Guards !." There were footsteps coming towards the door then they stopped near the door "Remember Mother, there is no one but her for me...no one ."

    Before I could listen any further, Xiao Ruo pulled me back, "The guards are coming, let''s go"

    We hid in the corner of the hall and when the route was clear, we went on our way.

    I returned to my palace and sat still in a daze as Xiao Ruo scolded me. The only thing I could hear were his words, "��No one but her for me"

    {��Maybe he isn''t that bad and this isn''t as bad as it seems��maybe, just maybe��}

    Eventually, Xiao Ruo sighed and went to see to dinner, while I jumped on the bed to rest. I ended up just laying on the bed for a long while staring at the ceiling.

    {��He has done so much for me��maybe I should give something back��}

    With that thought in my mind, I called for Ah Jin.

    After Emperor and I had dinner, I left the room and told Ah Jin to get the arrangements ready. Then I came back to the emperor and made idle talk until she came in carrying the Qin, behind her were Xiao Ruo and some servants carrying the other things.

    After the set up was complete, they all left the room with Xiao Ruo giving me a discrete thumbs up for good luck.

    {��Who was this luck for? Me, so I play successfully or for the Emperor to get through my performance with his ear drums intact?...}

    I glanced at the Emperor who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. I looked away and shyly smiled as I sat down and put my hands on the Qin, then I closed my eyes ,took a deep breath and began playing.

    As I played, I just watched his eyes. When I first sat, they were filled with puzzlement then astonishment and finally as I proceeded further into the song they bright with happiness and amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Perhaps I was paying too much attention to his changing expressions. As a result, I was so distracted by his extreme devotion to my song and ended up plucked a string too hard cutting my finger and I exclaimed, "Ow" and looked down at my finger.

    He was next to me in an instant and took my hand and examined my finger like he was a surgeon. I stifled my giggles as I looked at his concentrated expression.

    As if knowing that I was laughing at him, he shifted his gaze to my face. I froze and blinked at him and he smiled and said, "Your performance was exceptional; however, I think that your skills lie elsewhere. You should concentrate on your horse-riding training with me."

    After saying that he went back to his examination then called for the servants to get some medication. He refused their help and chose to apply the medication on his own.

    The tenderness he was doing it with was slowly warmed my heart. He had countless beauties in harem, at his beck and call and yet here he was bandaging my finger like it was the most precious thing in the world. As I looked at him, only one thought came to my mind.

    {��It really might be okay if it''s him��It''ll be okay if it''s him��}

    After he finished the first aid and was about to get up, I pulled his hand with a force even I didn''t know I had. As he fell back down the pillow near me, I touched his face and moved closer to him, leaving a few inches between our faces.

    "Your majesty, how about those riding lessons right now?" He smiled a bit, clearly confused. He wanted to say something his words were swallowed by my kiss.

    Our lips molded together like they never had before, as if moved as if they were one. It seemed like he finally realized what I meant and he passionately deepened the kiss. The passion overwhelmed me, it was like a predatory wolf preying on a lamb, and the poor lamb me was shocked at first, but eventually responded with the same passion.

    One hand tangled into my long hair while the second was clutching my waist. My hands worked quickly on the front of his robe and opened it. One hand on his cheek, while the other hand began exploring down his chest.

    As my hand went deeper downwards, my arm was suddenly grabbed by his hand, he broke the kiss and looked at me with searching eyes,  "Are you sure? I am okay with. I don''t to force you to do something you don''t want to." I could see a lot of emotions swirling in his eyes; affection, l.u.s.t and most prominently was determination.

    I knew that if I stopped now, he would not say anything to me, but the thing was that I didn''t want to stop. I wanted to become one with him, to never be apart, to become one soul and body, together. I never experienced this sort of feeling in my past life and did not think it possible, but now it was here and I knew that if I wanted to, it had to be with him and no one but him.

    With this resolve in my mind, I softly smiled at him then started trailing kisses down his neck. I moved to his collar bone and lightly bit it, I earned me a gasp from him. I giggled lightly before kissing down his chest. I reached for one of his two rose colored buds and sucked on it, twirling my tongue around it and bit lightly before moving on to the next one and giving it the same attention.

    I could hear the Emperor sucking in his breaths and gasping and it I shyly smiled and continued my work. I started trailing down his chest leaving kiss marks on his chest, making sure each fully bloomed into hickeys before moving to the next. He belongs to me and I wanted anyone who saw to know, anyone who actually dared to venture this far. Just as I was about to reach his naval area, I was suddenly yanked up and hastily carried and gently dropped on the bed.

    "You have teased me too much. It''s my turn now." Emperor said with a wicked smirk as he swiftly removed his robes and came to me bare chested. I took a deep breath, I was nervous but I determinedly looked at him with a come hither expression, goading him and simply laid back and let him do his work.

    He kissed me a bit roughly almost bruising my lips. He bit my lower lip then sucked on it and then his tongue went in to dance with mine. He poured all of his passion into the kiss and I could feel his urgency, it seems I had made him wait too long. His hands worked fast, I didn''t even realise when he had removed my clothes, leaving me with only in my inner garments.

    He licked my earlobe and nibbled on it lightly as his hands undid my inner garments and slid them off. He raised his head and first of all used his eyes to feast on my body and then his mouth did.

    He sucked on the little mole between the valley of my white mounds to his heart''s content as his hands busied themselves with playing with the two peaks on my chest, then he moved on to suck on the peaks as I did his, making me a gasping and m.o.a.ning mess, despite my attempts to stifle the sounds.

    After his mouth had enough of playing them, he kissed downwards towards my belly as his hands continued to play with my bosom. He licked, sucked and bit, no part of my body was left untouched by him. My hands were pulling his hair, begging for something yet no knowing what it was.

    He was unstoppable in his pursuit. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to take it. His search led him to my thighs which he peppered with light kisses, making me feel ticklish. The constant attacks made me giggle and I felt him smile against my skin. He quickly kissed his way back up and deeply kissed my lips as he parted my legs and placed himself between them. He stopped for a bit and looked at me softly and I shyly trained my eyes at his chest, I could feel my face, no, my whole body burning.

    He lightly caressed my hair and then kissed my forehead and then my cheeks and went back to kissing my lips as he tried to ease himself into me. I felt a sharp pain and immediately sucked in a breath, breaking the kiss, the pain was intense and it felt like I was being torn apart on the inside. I knew it would hurt but I was not prepared for this level of pain, I couldn''t help the tears sliding down my eyes, he stopped and lightly brushed at the tears and kissed them away and stayed still until I calmed down a bit and whispered, "Continue."

    He gently kissed my lips and then began moving slowly and carefully as I closed my eyes and tried to bear it. He was slow and steady, clearly holding back for me, like always. Eventually, the pain was slowly masked with the pleasure that was steadily bubbling up in me. He buried his head in my neck, raining kisses on it as he panted and grunted with pleasure, melody to my ears.

    As he went faster, I could feel myself letting go and slowly ascending to the high he was taking me to and eventually felt myself erupting, as he bent down and passionately held my lips as he reached his own climax. We kissed for a long while, then he laid down beside me holding close and snuggly as we both gasped for air as, coming down from our pleasure ride, looking at each other feeling fully sated. I felt drowsy and lightheaded like I was floating in the clouds with him as my only anchor.

    I truly saw him for the first time, The real him basking in the moonlight looking at me with loving eyes. I saw the man, not the Emperor, I saw my husband. I leaned forward and softly kissed him and we kissed for a long while and then snuggled close together. He covered our bodies with the blanket and we both went to sleep, hugging each other close.

 Chapter 149 - The Struggle is Real

    Lei Xing frowned and looked back down, "Why are you here?"

    "I came looking for you." The Emperor gently responded.

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she cast a quick glance at him and then looked back down, closed her eyes and shook her head then coldly asked, "Why?"

    "You were in trouble..." The Emperor simply responded. Hearing this seemed to have upset Lei Xing and she whipped her head up, glared at him then angrily barked, "This is all your fault! If you had just let me leave then I wouldn''t be this irritating mess!" As tears rolled down her face

    The Emperor felt a pang in his heart and instinctively reached out to wipe the tears, only for Lei Xing to move back and shout, "Don''t touch me!" Then she looked down again, gasping for breath.

    The Emperor immediately dropped his hands and looked at her trembling form leaning against the wall and then sighed. He then sat with his back against the wall, sighed again then quietly said, "You''re right...It is my fault. If I had let you go...or left you alone like you always seemed to want but I thought -... Is it so wrong to want just one thing for myself?" He asked with a wry smile at Lei Xing, who was raising her head up a bit and frowning in his direction, he sighed again and then whispered, "I guess it might be..." Then looked down at his hands, which were balling into fists and frowned.

    He had never wanted anything before. Before her, he never thought he would want for anything. He never wanted power, but he needed it. He never wanted the throne, but he needed it. He never wanted to be born, but he needed to be. His needs were all what others needed.

    For once, he wanted something just for himself and honestly thought he deserved to have it and was willing to patiently work for it.

    {...But even that seems impossible...Perhaps I wanted for too much. She won''t even let me touch her even in this state, when she let him...Does this mean something?... If she truly -...}

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and he clenched his fists even tighter.

    {...She doesn''t...But if she did truly - If they truly...Could I let her go?... Maybe then at least one of us could live happily...I owe him a happy life...}

    While the Emperor was deep in his thoughts, Lei Xing was staring at him. Although her mind was still cloudy she could see the hurt on his face and it made her feel even stranger than she was already feeling. She felt the urge to hug him, but she did not dare to oblige the need.

    She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists focusing back on her anger to stifle the raging inferno inside her. After a while of the two of them sitting quietly, each battling their own inner demons, Lei Xing groaned and whispered, "Water."

    The Emperor turned to her, then got up and came back with a cup of water, "Here."

    Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes and simply squinted at him and did not move, instead, she seemed to further shrink and clenched her fists even tighter. The Emperor lightly sighed and then brought the cup to her lips, "Drink."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, stared at the cup and then opened her mouth and guzzled the water down. Then she frowned in annoyance and brought her knees up and buried her head in her arms. The water did nothing for her, she was tired, in pain and extremely frustrated. The Emperor went to drop the cup and then came back to the bed and sat on the edge and watched her for a bit and then looked down, he really did not know what to do with her.

    "It''s not wrong." Lei Xing suddenly murmured. The Emperor blinked and looked up at her to see her eyes peeking out from under her arms, she was still frowning but still, those words warmed his heart. He showed a small smile and reached for her head like usual and then froze in mid-air, remembering she did not want him to touch her then knit his brows and slowly withdrew his hand.

    "Lightly...it''s fine." Lei Xing quietly said glancing up at his hand. The Emperor blinked and then showed a small smile and hesitantly reached for her head as she closed her eyes with a deepening frown. He lightly stroked her hair as he looked at her. He could see that she was struggling but even then...

    {...I''m sorry, I can''t let you go...I don''t want to...}

    Other than being in a very bad mood and easily irritable, she seemed to be handling the drug well. She was very different from the picture Doctor Lou''s words painted for him, she was definitely not "attacking" him. The Emperor knit his brows then calmly informed, "Xing er'', your doctor friend said that you will be fine after a few days so just bear with it..."

    "How many days?" Lei Xing quietly asked.

    "...A few...He didn''t specify, but...You will be fine after, probably. I''m not sure...But I believe you can handle it well." The Emperor awkwardly reassured with a deep frown, he then added, "How about we go home?"

    Lei Xing shook her head and mumbled, "I don''t want to move."

    "I can carry you." The Emperor suggested, he wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. There was nothing wrong with the room she was in now but he wanted to take her back to the palace where there were people to properly look after her...He just wanted to do something to alleviate her condition, sitting here watching her like this was upsetting him.

    "I said not to touch me." Lei Xing irritatedly reminded. The Emperor pursed his lips and then quietly sat back against the wall. He looked at the top of her head and her fists tightly clenching and unclenching her sleeves. Then he looked down and frowned deep in thought.

    {...Am I being too selfish?...}

    Once again the two just quietly sat there. After a long while, the Emperor was brought out of his thoughts when Lei Xing put her head on his shoulder and then buried her face in his chest, one of her hands then tightly clenched his sleeve while her other hand clenched the collar of her shirt.

    The Emperor blinked and instinctively brought his arm up to wrap around her but then stopped and brought it back down. He could hear her labored breathing and could feel her hot breath on his chest piercing through his clothes, "Xing er''?"

    "I am going to kill..." Lei Xing mumbled. The anger seemed to be the only thing keeping her mind anchored. The one thing she has always had control of was herself, and now because of some crazy person she was having trouble even keeping herself in check. This was even worse than someone trying to poison her. Losing control of the only thing she truly had, made her mad with rage. It was beyond infuriating, she felt humiliated, scared and more importantly, enraged.

    "I''m going to kill..." She kept repeating over and over again through labored breaths. The Emperor lightly stroked her hair and softly said, "En. I''ll be sure to find them for you..."

    "I said don''t touch me." Lei Xing quietly reminded and the Emperor promptly dropped his hand.

    Lei Xing frowned then opened her eyes and looked up at his face for a bit. Then she raised her head up and snuggled into his neck. The Emperor gulped then blinked a few times, knitting his brows as he looked forward and tried to ignore the warm and soft body next to his.

    He did feel upset earlier when she was keeping him at a distance but now that she was doing this, it was...becoming difficult. She was currently pressed up against him and only wearing her inner clothes which were quite thin. So he could feel her body, her softness, and it was slowly unnerving him.

    He was not allowed to touch her, but she apparently could touch him. Even then he could still feel her. He gulped again then cleared his throat. He decided that it would be better for him to be outside, he could not stay here any longer. He did not want to move her so as not to upset her and so said, "Um, Xing er'', can you please move?"

    Instead of moving, Lei Xing snuggled closer and quietly asked, "Why?" sending a tingling sensation down his spine as he felt her lips and her hot breath move against the skin on his neck as she spoke, causing him to frown.

    "Some distance is necessary." The Emperor swiftly responded, wanting to peel her off but at the same time hold closer. This was a really dangerous situation and she really was not helping.

    Lei Xing went rigid and then took a deep breath and raised her head and looked at him. He, on the other hand, looked straight ahead, avoiding her eyes. She frowned at him for a while and then asked in a raspy voice, "I thought you wanted this?"

    The Emperor glanced down at her and then looked back up and quietly responded, "I do...but not like this."

    Lei Xing frowned and then held his face and brought it down to hers. The Emperor blinked at her but before he could speak, Lei Xing whispered, "I''m tired." And then kissed his lips.

    The Emperor jerked his head back and held her hand, "Xing er'', I -"

    "It''s fine, I know what I''m doing...I''m fine." Lei Xing irritatedly responded and then went to kiss him again. The Emperor knit his brows and blinked a few times but then closed his eyes and returned the kiss, deepening it as he wrapped his arms around her.

    {...I''ve wanted this for so long...}

 Chapter 150 - Summit

    Lei Xing wrapped her arms around the Emperor''s neck and opened her mouth and eagerly slid her tongue into his mouth, entangling her tongue in his, eagerly sucking like he always did to hers. As she kissed him, she leaned down, pulling the Emperor, who was completely enraptured with the kiss and reading followed her not wanting to lose this feeling. She had never taken the initiative to kiss him before, nor had she ever been so aggressive in her response before. He was completely thrown for a loop and was simply responding, following her lead.

    The Emperor suddenly knit his brows and opened his eyes when he felt Lei Xing clawing at his collar in a failing attempt to remove his clothes. He grabbed her hands and raised his head and received a disgruntled m.o.a.n and a frown from Lei Xing.

    The Emperor looked at her gasping for breath and then breathily said, "Xing er'', I think it would be bett-"

    "Arrgh, why are being so difficult?! I am not a Fr**king child! I said it''s fine so it''s fine!" Lei Xing barked at him, she was at her wit''s end and not in the mood to discuss or contemplate the process or anything right now. Thinking was tiring, she had thought enough already, she just wanted to make some progress right now.

    The Emperor blinked at her and was not sure how to respond. He wanted her, very much so but she...He was not sure if it was the drug talking or if it was truly her. He was really feeling conflicted.

    His hesitation annoyed Lei Xing and she irritatedly shoved him off her. Leaving the Emperor resting on an arm with tightly knit his brows. He then closed his eyes and sighed as he massaged his temple with his other hand.

    {...Truly, why am I being difficult? I think...I am being foolish right now...}

    The Emperor sighed again and then he opened his eyes then froze. His eyes went wide as he was faced with a half-n.a.k.e.d Lei Xing sitting on the bed next to him. She was currently pants-less and had her shirt up over her head, struggling to get it off her head but was apparently having some trouble with it. Lei Xing groaned in annoyance and bit out, "Stupid shirt!"

    On hearing that, the Emperor''s mind finally kicked in. He blinked, gulped and then immediately sat up and went to help her and said, "Let me" as he untied the ties of the shirt which she had forgotten to untie in her haste.

    Once it was free, Lei Xing quickly peeled off the shirt. In her annoyed and frustrated state, she had gotten the bright idea to strip down to hopefully set his mind on the right path. Regardless of him, she was feeling hot and suffocated, so it still would have helped her plight and so after shoving the annoyingly hesitant man off, she did just that.

    The Emperor was stunned as his eyes slowly scanned down her body. At the moment, the only piece of clothing she had left on was her thin upper undergarment and that only covered her chest and a bit of stomach. With her like this, it was basically see through and he could make out the shape of her...He could see everything and was completely enamored by the sight.

    Lei Xing loosened the top strings of the undergarment and the front came down, leaving the top of her chest exposed. She was then having trouble reaching the strings on her back and frowned in irritation, "Stupid string." But this time, the Emperor''s mind was too occupied with the sight to come to her aid. After trying for a few moments she felt exasperated and glanced at the Emperor to see his eyes trained on her body and then a sly smile spread on her face.

    {...Much better...}

    Lei Xing then threw herself at the Emperor, wrapped her arms around his neck again and went back to passionately kissing him as she pressed her body against his, pushing him down on the bed in the process. The Emperor instinctively put his hands on her body to catch her and could not resist running his hands down the length of her bare body. One his hands roamed back up and untied the last remaining strings of her undergarment. He then turned over and pressed her down on the bed, slipped off the undergarment leaving her completely bare in his arms.

    He could no longer help it, whatever thoughts of resisting her were now gone with her clothes and he returned her kiss with an even greater passion, deepening it with each kiss with one hand gently holding her face up while the other roamed her body.

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing''s hands were busily trying to peel his clothes off as well. She remembered to undo the ties this time and she quickly bared his chest but was having trouble pulling his arms out. She let out a disgruntled m.o.a.n against his lips and he obediently complied and aided her in removing his arms.

    The Emperor kissed the side of her face to her ear which was the crimson color he had come to adore now. He kissed her ear and then kissed down to her earlobe and sucked on it, earning a m.o.a.n from Lei Xing, who immediately frowned and brought a hand up to clamp down on her mouth in a feeble attempt to stifle those m.o.a.ns. Hearing herself make those sounds irritated her, yet she did not want him to stop.

    The Emperor kissed down her throat and down the her valley of her chest, stopping to suck at the little beauty spot he had thought about so many times over the last few days as he his hands played with her soft mounds. He could feel Lei Xing''s heart pounding hard against his mouth and feel her heavy breathing with each breath she took. Hearing the m.o.a.ns escaping her lips, intoxicated him and were driving him crazy. But he wanted to be gentle with her and take his time savoring her and this moment.

    Although Lei Xing had never engaged in this activity before she did know the required procedure for it. Biology lessons were quite thorough in their teachings thanks to the good work of movies and such. She was very efficient and so completely concentrated on the primary task of getting them both n.a.k.e.d.

    So she busied herself with trying to take off his pants with her free hand. Her hand then brushed against something hard and she instantly withdrew her hand up to her face and went rigid for a moment, blinking in surprise. She knew about it, but there were some things that were just beyond her, even in this state...one such thing was touching that but she wanted...

    After taking a few deep breaths, she had another bright idea and tapped the busy, oblivious Emperor''s shoulder, who was now busy sucking and playing with the peaks on her chest. When he did not respond, Lei Xing frowned and then pushed at his shoulders. He finally glanced up at her face to find her pouting at him with her hands fisted over her mouth. He immediately stopped and frowned, thinking that she wanted him to stop.

    To his surprise, Lei Xing instead ordered in a tiny sulky voice, "Take it off."

    He raised an eyebrow at her, confused for a moment. Then her frown deepened and she glanced down his body and then back up at his face to point out what she was asking. He still looked clueless and so she groaned annoyed with his lack of comprehension and repeated in a much sterner voice, "Take it off."

    The Emperor immediately got the idea, blinked and quickly got up to comply. Lei Xing squeezed her eyes shut and then covered her reddened face with her hands, as she took heavy breaths. Her whole body was hot, tingling and itching on the inside. She honestly just wanted to get this over with. She could hear the rustles of clothes as he took it off, and she slightly moved her fingers and peeked but before she could really see anything, she immediately squeezed her eyes back shut and quietly whined to herself.

    {...What am I doing? T_T)...}

    The Emperor quickly came back to her and moved her hands. He looked at her for a bit and smiled down at her as he watched her eyebrows twitching. Her eyes were still squeezed shut but she was not frowning like last time. She just looked nervous and agitated, like a bird that would fly away with any sudden movement.

    He caressed one cheek and then kissed the other. Then he kissed her lips and she eagerly opened her mouth for him. His other hand trailed down her body and settled on her thigh, moving slowly upward to her warm center. Just as he touched it, Lei Xing immediately flinched, breaking the kiss and grabbed his arm with both her hands and pushed it back as she stared at him wide-eyed. Looking at him made her more blood boil and unnerved her so she darted her eyes off to the side, avoiding his eyes and him.

    The Emperor looked at her for a while and then rubbed her cheek as he sighed and then softly said, "Xing er'', it''s fine if you want me to stop."

    Lei Xing turned back to him and blinked up at him for a while and then asked in a tiny voice, "Can you?"

    "I can." The Emperor resolutely respond.

    She looked at him for a bit and could see that he meant it, he always did and it warmed her heart. But even though he could stop, she did not think she could. She looked off to the side again, blinking repeatedly and then slowly moved her trembling hands away, releasing his hand, then she closed her eyes and quietly said, "Continue." and braced herself, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as his fingers continued on. Her other hand clutched his shoulder as her trembling increased and she tried to control the m.o.a.ns and her arching body.

    Eventually, after a short while of this, she was at her wit''s end and could not take it anymore. She rapidly pat on the Emperor''s shoulder, who was busy feasting on her chest again and ordered, "Hurry...Now!"

    The Emperor knit his brows, a bit disgruntled that she kept interrupting him, but understood her heightened need. He could have her slowly as much as he wanted in the future. For today, he needed to help her.

    So he quickly complied with her demands and slowly eased himself into her and he felt Lei Xing''s body tense up. He then leaned down and gently kissed her lips to ease and reassure her, then he softly said against her lips, "I''ll be gentle, I promise." Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes and looked into his and then closed them again, braced herself and nodded.

    With that, he slowly went ahead as he planted soft kisses on her face and neck. Lei Xing was taking deep shaky breaths, she felt pain but more than that she felt giddy with pleasure and release. The Emperor paused, wanting to give her time to adjust but Lei Xing started to wiggle on her own, then she rapidly pat his shoulder again and ordered, "Continue."

    The Emperor obliged but did so slowly in order not to hurt her too much. After a few moments of this, Lei Xing was not pleased with the slow pace and so she grabbed his face and kissed him hard and passionately to goad him on but he still stubbornly refused to improve. Dissatisfied and irritated with, she rolled over with a strength she never knew she had and straddled him and picked up the pace on her own,

 Chapter 151 - Midnight Gem

    The Emperor rolled off of her and laid next to her, then he pulled her into his arms and watched her with a gentle smile. While Lei Xing laid there limp in his arms with her eyes closed seemingly on her way to sleep. She felt completely drained of energy, her body and head felt airy as if she were lying on clouds and her only anchor were the warm strong arms around her. She was completely out of it and was quickly drifting off to sleep.

    The Emperor, on the other hand, seemed to be very alert. He looked at for a while and then gave her light kiss on the lips, then one her cheek, forehead and then started trailing them down her neck. Lei Xing''s mind was so absent she could barely feel it and she honestly did not mind. He finally stopped at the tip of her shoulder and then calmly put his head back down and just stared at her.

    The Emperor then brought up a hand and caressed her cheek and softly called to her, "Xing er''?...Xing er''?" He called again when she did not answer the first time, he knew she was not yet asleep.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and then tiredly responded, "En?"

    The Emperor smiled as he caressed her cheek and then he gently said, "Xing er'', be my Empress."

    "En." Lei Xing absentmindedly responded. The Emperor''s smile immediately brightened and he leaned forward and kissed her. He knew she was tired and needed rest but he could not help himself, he felt overwhelmed with happiness he had never known on hearing her response. He hugged her even closer and went about the process of deepening the kiss. But before he could get far, Lei Xing frowned and pushed at his chest as she grumbled, "I''m tired. Sleep." And then she turned her back to him.

    The Emperor snorted and then leaned over and kissed her cheek, then shoulder and then quickly stopped himself before he went too far...He chuckled as he thought that she would probably kick him if he tried for any more tonight. So he settled in behind her and nuzzled against her hair and closed his eyes to sleep with a slight smile while hugging her to him.

    Thinking only of this moment with her and nothing else. This was the happiest he had ever been in his life.

    **

    "Xing er'', slow down!"

    "Let go!" The little girl yelled, glaring at the little boy who had grabbed on to her hand.

    The little boy snorted, "Don''t you think you''re overreacting?"

    "We almost died and those two IDIOTS think that -" The little girl looked up to the sky and let out an exasperated breath. She was clearly infuriated while the little boy looked amused and seemed to be laughing at her frustration.

    "But they''re not wrong. We''re fine so it''s...Ahh, I forgot...You''re a chicken." He then smirked and pat her head with his free hand, "Don''t worry little chicken, as long as I''m alive you won''t die."

    The girl irritatedly swatted his hand away, "Nonsense, if anyone is going to cause my death, it would be you! If it''s not being chased by this today, it''s been trapped in there tomorrow...and those idiots! Arrgh!...And I told you to stop calling me that! Being smart enough to know not to go looking for trouble doesn''t make me a chicken!" She finished glaring at him.

    "It''s not always like that." He defended while glaring back at her, it seems he took offense with her words. But she was not phased and simply scoffed and rolled her eyes then raised an eyebrow and haughtily said, "What? You want to fight?"

    The boy snorted and then burst out laughing to the girl''s annoyance. Then he said in between laughs, "Do you even have the energy to? You can''t even get your hand out of a little hold, how do you plan to fight? I thought you said you were smart."

    The girl pouted and narrowed her eyes at him. It was true that she was pretty much stuck in place because of him but there was no way she was going to admit it.

    The boy looked at her pouting face and then quickly cleared his throat and controlled his expression, "Okay, I won''t call you that anymore...and a brilliant teacher produces a brilliant student. Therefore as my student, naturally you''re brilliant..." He finished with a brilliantly smug smile.

    The girl rolled her eyes and flatly said, "Let go."

    "Okay, okay...I''ll make it up to you. Here." He opened his hand to reveal two identical bracelets, both with a rhombus-shaped midnight gemstone that looked like it held the starry night sky in it as the centerpiece, with pearls circling around it to form a bracelet.

    The girl raised an eyebrow at the bracelets, "What are - This was why it was chasing us?!" She exclaimed after quickly coming to the realization, "You almost got us killed just to steal some stupid gems? If you wanted gems, then you should have just gone to mee-"

    "He doesn''t have these." The boy interjected with a pout and went on to explain, "I didn''t go on looking for them, I just stumbled on them and..." He frowned, "I thought they would be very useful, it''s important so..." He mumbled the last line as he looked down, then perked up and explained, "Listen carefully, they react when there''s danger around. Which means if one is ever in trouble the other one will react that way I can..." He trailed off again and knit his brows.

    The girl was oblivious to his difficulty and perked up excited by the find, "Oh, that''s great. Then we can give one to my parents that way they''ll know when we''re in trouble. Although I''m not sure which one of them woul-"

    "No." The boy cut her off with a frown. "One is for you and the other is for me."

    The girl frowned, "What good will that do? You''re the one who-"

    "I''m leaving." He quietly said looking down, his frown deepened and he tightened his hold on her hand then added, "...now."

    The girl went wide-eyed for a bit, then blinked a few times and went, "O-oh...I see...That''s good then."

    The boy frowned up at her and then sighed, "That''s why it''s important you have this. With you being so weak, it''s hard for this master to leave you alone by yourself...This way if you''re ever in trouble I will know and come rescue you." He finished with a smirk.

    The girl scoffed, "Who needs your rescue?" Then she went back to pouting and quietly grumbled, "...I''m not that weak either..."

    "You do." The boy responded with a grin as he patted her head. The girl immediately frowned and swatted his hand again, "I don''t need it. The only reason I''m ever in danger is because of you, with you gone my peaceful days will return so-"

    "You''re wearing it." The boy sternly interjected, narrowing his eyes at her.

    "No, I''m not." She indignantly responded matching his gaze.

    "You are."

    "I won''t."

    After a while of the two just standing there glaring at each other, the boy swiftly slipped it onto the hand he was holding and then released her with a smirk, "You''re wearing it."

    She frowned and instantly tried to take it off but couldn''t even move it. The boy laughed and then informed, "A weakling like you can''t take it off. If you want to take it off then you need to at least be at my level, that way I won''t have to worry." He then patted her shoulder and reassuringly said, "It won''t be easy, but I have faith in you."

    She swatted his hand off again, he chuckled and then said, "Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to visit now and then to check your progress."

    "Who needs you to?!" She barked and then stormed off.

    As the boy watched her departing back, his smile turned into a pout and he whispered, "Heartless..." Then he slipped on his own bracelet, looked down at it and stroked it and sighed then turned and walked in the opposite direction.

    The Emperor slightly opened his eyes to see Lei Xing''s face, she had apparently turned over while asleep and snuggled against him. He smiled and brought a hand up and caressed her face. He lightly chuckled as he thought of the dream he just had. He could still smell the lingering scent of peach blossoms in the air. The scenery of the dream had peach blossoms floating around with the wind, with peach blossoms trees littered around what looked like a temple.

    {...The girl was even called Xing er''...Haha, I must be so happy that I dreamt up our children. I''m truly becoming ridiculous...But it might be nice to give them our names...A little Xing er'' would be very adorable...I wonder what she would think of this?... Am I rushing things again?...}

    The Emperor knit his brows as he watched Lei Xing''s sleeping face. She really made him feel uncertain about everything. He looked at her cheek which was still slightly reddened from the slap and frowned.

    {...A gemstone that alerts when the other is in danger would be nice, then I could have gotten to you earlier...}

    The Emperor then raised his eyebrows and then frowned as he remembered the incident with his mother. He narrowed his eyes at the wrist of the hand on her face, as he remembered the odd burning sensation he felt on it and the shocking vision that followed.

    {...That was just as good. Only it seemed to be a one-time event, nothing happened this time...Or maybe it''s because her life wasn''t in danger?... Or was it about my mother? I''d like to believe it has to do with Xing er''...Or maybe it''s because the voice isn''t here? It''s been gone for quite a while now, which is more normal than it''s unusual frequent visits the last few months...I really must remember to ask about this odd event when eventually surfaces...It is important...}

 Chapter 152 - Release

    The Emperor''s thoughts were interrupted when he felt something was odd with Lei Xing. Now that he was fully awake, he realized that Lei Xing''s face was looking pale and burning hot. He felt on other parts of her body and found it to be burning hot as well. There was also the weird fact that she was not sweating at all despite being so hot.

    The Emperor tried calling to her and shaking her awake but she was completely unresponsive. No reaction at all, not even the usual frown that came with any slight disturbance of her sleep. He became worried and so immediately got up and swiftly put on his outer robe and went to rush out to get help. But then he stopped short of the doors and turned back to the bed and properly covered her body.

    He went out to the courtyard and the two men guarding the area quickly came up to him. He instructed them to get Doctor Lou and then went back to the room to wait, while worriedly looking at the unresponsive Lei Xing on the bed.

    Doctor Lou quickly arrived after being almost thrown off of his chair by the two men. He begrudgingly walked in while staring daggers at the Emperor.

    He was not pleased.

    First, Commander An left behind half of the men and ordered them to guard the parameter to ensure the Emperor''s safety. Most of them stayed outside, but these two and a few others bullied their way into his little courtyard. To make it worse, they made him run all over the place trying to prevent them from ruining his precious herbs with their stomping feet.

    He had already informed the Emperor that he did not like people in his space, but it seemed nobody cared for his opinion. He could not stand the sight of his poor courtyard, so he returned to the pharmacy to sleep and now those two came to disturb him again.

    He was really not pleased.

    "First, you disrupt my precious little courtyard...and now you can''t even let me sleep in peace..." He grumbled as he walked in, but the Emperor was not perturbed by his bad mood and immediately informed, "There''s something wrong with her."

    Doctor Lou glared at him and then walked to the bed and looked at Lei Xing''s face. Then he reached a hand down towards her, but the Emperor immediately grabbed his hand and asked with a frown, "What are you doing?" Lei Xing was still n.a.k.e.d under the blanket and even though Doctor Lou was an old man and a doctor, he was still not entitled to see that.

    Doctor Lou squinted at him and explained, "I need to check her pulse...just her hand." The Emperor blinked and then went, "Oh." He released Doctor Lou''s hand, then he brought out Lei Xing''s arm from the blanket himself, making sure to properly tuck in the blanket to cover her appropriately and then he held out her wrist to Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou blankly stared at him for a bit and then he pursed his lips and went about checking her pulse while mumbling under his breath, "Do you think everyone is like you? I have superb taste and so...a brooder is not my style at all."

    When the Emperor frowned at him, he returned his gaze with raised an eyebrow as if challenging him, then he said, "It seems you didn''t do your job properly...You look so strong..." Then he mumbled under his breath again, "Turns out all those muscles and reputation was all for show, youngsters these days are so disappointing. Making an old man like me do all the work..."

    The Emperor''s frown deepened. He did not know what to say in response to that. It was not that he was lacking energy nor was it that he did not want to continue, but Lei Xing was tired. Also, how was he supposed to know that it was not enough when she herself said it was? He looked down at the unconscious Lei Xing. The thought of making love to her unresponsive form was not appealing at all, so he turned back to Doctor Lou to find him looking about the room with a frown.

    The Emperor glanced at the clothes strewn about and quickly said, "I will send people to clean the room for you in the morning."

    Doctor Lou turned back to him and waved a hand, "No need. They''ll just disturb my sleep."

    The Emperor ignored his words and went back to the issue at hand, "So what do we do now?"

    Doctor Lou raised his eyebrows, "We? You''re the one who failed here..."

    The Emperor frowned in irritation, "It''s in your bes-"

    Doctor Lou rolled his eyes and cut him off, "Yes, yes I understand...Stay here!" Doctor Lou he barked with a pout and walked towards the doors while mumbling, "Lack of respect little brat, don''t you know it''s in your best interest not to get on this old one''s bad side? Hmph!"

    The Emperor heard his quiet ramblings but was not bothered by it. Despite the old man''s oddities and disrespectful behavior, the Emperor did not have any ill feelings towards Doctor Lou, nor did he feel particularly wary of him.

    Thinking back it now, he also believed him about the seyu poison a bit too easily. And he realized now that he may have been a bit muddled headed.

    {...It must be because he saved Xing er''...Also, what could he gain by lying?...Unless he wanted to divert attention from the original assailant but then why save her and directly alert me, risking capture?...}

    He obviously did not believe Doctor Lou''s story of being unaware of the search for him. His disappearance was too much of a coincidence. There was also the issue with the Voice vehemently speaking up for him. The Voice had already cleared him of his mother''s ailment, but the old man was quite an intriguing person on his own. At that time, he had insisted on searching for Doctor Lou out of annoyance and a bit of curiosity, the Voice did seem quite agitated at his mention.

    It all made him very curious, but now that he had him here, he did not know what he wanted from the old man.

    The door suddenly opened and Doctor Lou peeked his head in and instructed, "Follow me." The Emperor immediately stood up and walked up to him, but Doctor Lou did not move. The Emperor frowned down at him, slightly irritated and Doctor Lou squinted at back at him and did not say anything.

    After a short while of nothing, the Emperor finally asked, "What is it?"

    Doctor Lou snickered in victory, "You''re much more fun..." Then he cleared his throat and seriously said, "What am I supposed to do with you?" When the Emperor raised an eyebrow, Doctor Lou quickly added, "Bring the patient..."

    The Emperor blinked and then frowned, feeling a bit embarrassed as he swiftly turned back to the bed. He wrapped Lei Xing snuggly in the blanket then scooped her up and turned to see Doctor Lou smiling at him. It was a knowing smile that seemed to have many meanings that unnerved him. The Emperor''s frown deepened and he ordered, "Move."

    Doctor Lou snorted and then turned and led the way.

    He led them towards the back of the house and then through a door that opened up to a little rocky hot springs. The top was covered by a wooden rack roof that allowed the moonlight to sift in, providing natural light in addition to the candles lit on the table on the side. The sides were also enclosed with wooden walls on each side to create a private bathing area.

    "Throw her in." Doctor Lou instructed, when he saw the Emperor knit his brows, he went on to explain, "You see...Since she has excess heat in her, we raise the temperature around her and likethis, the heat should-...I mean will be forced out along with the toxins. Thirty minutes or so should be enough. A simple and brilliant plan, right?" He finished with a smug smile wiggling his eyebrows at the Emperor.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth but before he could speak, Doctor Lou pouted and went, "I normally don''t let anyone use my hot springs. But I was going to make an exception for you two since you came to visit...Well, since you don''t like it, we can always cook her in a pot until she''s cooked enough. That might work s-..."

    "This is fine." The Emperor swiftly cut him off and Doctor Lou instantly smiled, "See, I knew I liked you from day one. You are very reasonable." The Emperor did not respond and simply waited for him to leave.

    The oblivious Doctor Lou stood there waiting eagerly waiting for the dunking show. When nothing happened, he raised his eyebrows and went, "Go on, throw her in. Don''t worry about her injuries, the water is great for healing...Perfect, actually. She''ll be even better."

    "Leave." The Emperor flatly responded. He did not expect to have to point this out to a fully grown a.d.u.l.t. But looking at Doctor Lou''s face, he could see that he was truly clueless.

    Doctor Lou blinked at him a few times, seemingly confused, "But I als-" He then closed his mouth and pouted then turned to leave. Then he stopped and he turned back and squinted at the Emperor, "Frolicking in my hot springs is forbidden. I mean it, not allowed! Don''t do it...I''ll know." He sinisterly finished and then disappeared out the door, leaving them alone.

    The Emperor sighed and went to put Lei Xing down on the chair. He looked at the hotsprings and decided it was safer and better if he went in as well and held her since she was unconscious. It was only for thirty minutes, so it would not be too hard a task.

    He took off his clothes and then unwrapped her from the blanket and was about to lift her when he saw the bracelet and ring on her hand. He paused and knit his brows, debating whether to remove them or not.

    In the end, he decided it was better to avoid the possibility of damage or worse them getting lost since she liked them so much. And so, he simply slipped them off and made a mental note to put them back on once they were done. With that done, he carried her into the hot springs and held her close while meditating to distract himself.

    Lei Xing, of course, was oblivious to his struggle...and more importantly to the fact that she was now freed of her resident terrorist.

 Chapter 153 - Celebratory Night

    After a long while of soaking in the hot springs, the Emperor felt Lei Xing move a bit. So he opened his eyes to find her knitting her brows. He touched her face and called to her, "Xing er''?" but she did not respond. Her expression quickly relaxed and it seemed like she had slipped back into a deep sleep.

    He could not tell if she was sweating or not, but her temperature seemed to have cooled down and she definitely looked better. Her cheeks were a nice rosy red and her lips were still slightly swollen from their busy activities from earlier. She honestly looked very enticing, not to mention he could clearly see below the water...But before his eyes could wander farther he quickly averted his eyes. He stiffly faced forward, closed his eyes and went back to meditating.

    After the thirty minutes was up, he carried her out of the water and put her back in the chair. He got dressed, then proceeded to clean her off and then wrapped her back in the blanket. He was about to carry her when he remembered the bracelet and ring.

    He quickly slipped them back on for her and then carried her off. When he rounded the front, he found Doctor Lou sitting in the little pavilion steadily glaring at him as he walked by.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at him and wondered what the old man''s problem was. He remembered Doctor Lou''s warning about frolicking in his hot springs. But he did not "frolic", he diligently kept his hands proper during the entire bathing episode. How else was he supposed to keep her upright in the pool? It was for her safety and efficiency''s sake.

    The Emperor ignored Doctor Lou and took her back to the room. He decided it was time for them to leave and so went about getting her dressed. He finished putting on her inner clothes and was looking around for her dress when a knock came at the door, then the door flew open.

    The Emperor frowned as he watched Doctor Lou strutting into the room. He glanced at Lei Xing on the bed and then smiled at the Emperor, "I told you it would work, you should have never doubted me...Are you looking for something?" He asked with a bright smile.

    The Emperor knit his brows, confused with the old man''s mood swings and flatly responded, "Her clothes. We''re leaving." Despite the fact that Lei Xing seemed alright now, he still wanted her to be looked at in the palace. Also, it seemed they had overstayed their welcome.

    "Now?" Doctor Lou asked blinking at the Emperor wide-eyed, "You can''t leave now! I haven''t even talked to Xing Xing yet!" He finished with a pout.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Xing Xing?"

    "Ah it''s my little nickname for her...Ah, this never occurred to me before, I can call you Kai Kai if you want." Doctor Lou suggested, bright-eyed and excitedly smiling at the Emperor.

    "No." The Emperor flatly responded with a frown.

    Doctor Lou was unperturbed, he shrugged and then said, "Well, I still like Xiao Kai better. Anyway, you can''t take her now. She can''t handle a ride all the way to the palace, even a carriage is not allowed....Unless you plan on carrying her in your arms and walking the whole way...in the middle of the night, not advisable...It will be really pointless and tiring..." Doctor Lou finished stroking his beard.

    The Emperor narrowing his eyes at him and Doctor Lou immediately went, "What? You don''t believe me? Well, you can go ahead and try...But don''t blame me when she never wakes up again...ever again." Doctor Lou stressed as he looked up, admiring the ceiling.

    The Emperor was quiet for a bit and then suddenly said, "Your blatant disregard for me reminds me of someone..."

    Doctor Lou turned to him and blinked, then he frowned, "Blatant disregard? Have you met my sister? Ah! We''re nothing alike, nothing alike at all...She is the most annoying person in the world! Also very disrespectful! I''m older, okay maybe not. We can''t really tell being twins and all, but I have more white hair so I am older!... Always making things complicated and I have to meander my way around with everything because she keeps getting in the way." Doctor Lou rambled on, then he sighed, "It is very tiring, you know?... But I''m sure you can understand..." Doctor Lou finished with a pout.

    The Emperor tightly knit his brows, he was feeling very confused with this character. Doctor Lou knew who he was, yet he not only used his name but even turned into a plaything. He had even held a sword to his neck and yet he still treated him so nonchalantly, like he was...no threat at all.  Like he was nothing but an inconsequential child. Even his own mother had to give him due respect in the end.

    What''s more, was that the Emperor was actually not feeling any anger despite the level of disrespect. He felt irritated with the winding way he spoke but was not particularly disturbed. The only one who really treated him like this...was the Voice. There was also the last sentence about meandering for his sibling, only the voice truly knew about his efforts on that front. He never shared his motivations for that with Eunuch Li, although he may have been able to guess them regardless.

    {...But then how did he know? How could he know? Was it just a guess? Or nothing...Or... Could he really somehow be related to that Voice? Is that why it didn''t want me to look for him? Perhaps it was scared I would find it?... I was naturally once interested in locating it, but if it said it did not want to be found...I could respect that...But this doctor...}

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Doctor Lou and was debating on whether to ask or not, when Doctor Lou suddenly shook his head, "Let''s forget those annoying people...Ah! We need to commemorate today!" Doctor Lou finished with a grin as he scurried out the door.

    The Emperor watched him leave and then sighed. He walked to the bed and properly laid Lei Xing down to sleep and tucked her in. Then he went out to find Doctor Lou sitting in the pavilion eagerly waiting for him with a smile and three jars of wine on the table.

    Doctor Lou quickly waved him over then he filled two cups. As the Emperor sat down, he pushed one to his front with a smile, "We''ve never had the chance to do this before...It would be great if Xing Xing could join us, but just us is not bad either. A toast to...Hmm, friendship? Or for today should it be love? Progress? Ah, let''s do a new world and life hehehehe..." He chuckled as he raised his cup.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and raised his cup as well with a perplexed little smile. He took a sip while Doctor Lou downed his and then eagerly went to pour another, "It''s great, isn''t it? Let me tell you this is a secret recipe, I can share it with you if you want hehe~..."  He said as he downed his second cup and went to pour another.

    "I heard you have powers..." The Emperor offhandedly mentioned as he sipped the wine.

    "I never said that!" Doctor Lou exclaimed, then he blinked, "Ah, I''ve heard that before hehe...he...Medicinal powers maybe. Hehe~ they say have the golden touch, w.o.m.b''s touch also. Ah, it looks like you need some help there. I have som-" He stopped talking when he saw the Emperor''s deepening frown in his direction, he then cleared his throat and continued, "...I guess it''s fine since you''re both still very young...Hm, I''m great with poison too, how about it? Want to poison someone? I could help...depending on the day...and time...it depends." He said as he refilled his cup.

    "So you have powers in medicine?" The Emperor asked steering back to the topic, he already realized Doctor Lou had a habit of getting sidetracked. Although he was not sure whether it was being done unconsciously, or whether it was his conscious effort to avoid topics.

    "It might seem so...but all I am is a very knowledgeable brilliant old soul." Doctor Lou calmly responded, looking at the Emperor with another knowing smile that made him avert his eyes again with a frown.

    Doctor Lou sighed and downed his cup and then cheerily said, "Drink, drink, today is a great day, isn''t it?... One for celebration! You look annoying when you frown, so smile!" Doctor Lou ordered as he topped up the Emperor''s cup and then refilled his.

    The Emperor looked up and watched Doctor Lou gulped down his wine, as unknown thoughts swirled in his head.

    {...A knowledgable old soul...}

    He had questions but it seemed he could not bring himself to ask and he was not sure why. Perhaps he feared what changes knowing the answers might bring.

    And so, the two sat there whiling away the night. One quietly taking sips while the other boisterously drank as he rambled on about this and that.

 Chapter 154 - Anticipated Dawn

    Meanwhile back at the palace.

    "What do you mean I should stay out of it?" Chen You barked.

    Chun Hua knit her brows and flatly said, "You could get caught in the aftermath."

    "Why? It''s not like I''m the one who made her do that." Chen You replied with a frown. An opportunity had finally arrived, just when she thought her day was going badly, Lei Xing went and did this.

    Chen You could not help snickering as she thought of it, "I knew she would dig her own grave, but I honestly never expected her to be this stupid..."

    When Chun Hua and the two maids who had happened upon this scene reported to her, Chen You burst out laughing. It had been so long since there was something that made her this happy. Although she was a little annoyed with Chun Hua''s incompetence for not following after Lei Xing and Prince Yi and chastised her for it. But it was still better than what she intended, which was to spread that Lei Xing was so enamored with Prince Yi that she forgot about the Emperor.

    Chen You''s plan for tonight was simple, she just wanted to toss a few more logs into the little flame she started. Even though the Emperor''s grand actions stifled the rumors and even though he still pampered her as if nothing happened, the seeds of doubt have been planted. Therefore, with a little more fuel that little fire could burn down the whole forest.

    Chen You also believed that the Emperor only did that grand gesture to save the Lei family''s face and him spending time with Lei Xing was also for the Lei family and Lei Yong. Her family was what gave Lei Xing the leverage. And so, she understood that the Emperor could not ignore his best friend''s sister for another woman, it would strain and possibly ruin their friendship and strong ties. But now look what Lei Xing did, all on her own.

    There was still a line even the best of friendsh.i.p.s could not save her from and she just crossed it. But despite her dislike for Lei Xing, Chen You really did not expect her to be stupid enough to turn the rumors into a reality. But that all meant nothing to Chen You, she did not care for the how or why of it. All that mattered was that it happened. And to top it all off, Lei Xing had still not returned to the palace.

    {...It seems she''s still busy with her Princely lover hahaha...How foolish! Hahahahaha...}

    This was a golden opportunity for her to get rid of that thorn in her side, but now Chun Hua was telling her this nonsense.

    "There is no way I can let this go. I''m going to go inform the Emperor right now." Chen You said as she haughtily got up with a smile, but Chun Hua stepped in front of her.

    "If the Emperor really likes her as much as it seems, he will be really angry with her having an affair. And you don''t want to be the face that reminds him of said affair...Instead, send those maids to go tell that Zhao Lan so she exposes it and you stay in the safe zone. You''re already ahead as someone related to the Lei family...What''s worse is that she''s your cousin, you pulling her down to climb up may not be received well..."

    Chen You frowned, "Why would I be in trouble for her stupidity? If anything I should be praised for revealing her evil side despite being relatives. Why should I let someone else get the credit for this? He will be grateful to me for saving him from further disgrace and in that line spare the Lei family on my account. That way, my family would have repaid that stupid debt and I no longer have to bend my head down to her like a servant. This is my opportunity..." Chen You finished and shoved Chun Hua out of her way and stormed out of the room with the intention to go to the Emperor''s palace.

    Chun Hua frowned deeply and then sighed in irritation and followed. They arrived at the Emperor''s palace and were blocked by the servants who informed that the Emperor does not want to see anyone right now.

    Chen You was at first annoyed but then she broke into a happy smile after thinking it through. She reasoned that the Emperor must have done this because he was angry with Lei Xing treating him lightly.

    {...Oh, he already doesn''t want to see your face with just this...By tomorrow you might really end up dead but don''t worry I''ll be sure to beg for mercy on your behalf hahahaha...}

    Chen You happily turned to leave and decided to go inform the Empress dowager instead, but Chun Hua got in her way again, "Seriously think this through again. It could go well or it could go very badly...It''s not worth the risk. There are othe -"

    "That''s enough of that nonsense!" Chen You barked and then continued on her way.

    Then she suddenly stopped and went, "Don''t you think it will be worse in the morning? She stayed out all night and was last seeing frolicking with another man. The palace gates are already closed so she can''t come back anyway...Telling in the morning will have a much better effect, right?" Chen You finished with a chuckle towards Chun Hua, who was not sharing in her amus.e.m.e.nt. With that thought in mind, Chen You happily returned to her palace with a bounce in her step.

    Chen You could not sleep and just sat in her palace giggling in anticipation while Chun Hua and the two maids who witnessed Lei Xing''s affair stood by her side. She knew the Empress dowager was going out early in the morning and so planned to run to her palace at first light. Even on the slim chance that the Emperor wanted to bury it, the Empress dowager definitely would not let it go...And Chen You would definitely not miss this opportunity.

    After a while of frowning at the giddy and oblivious Chen You, Chun Hua left the room with a worried frown on her face. She went to her room and paced about for a long while, deep in thought.

    {...I worked so hard and now this fool is going to ruin everything. Why can''t she be patient?!... This won''t do. She is really too stupid for my liking, an idiot!... I need a contingency plan...}

    She considered going to inform Zhao Lan herself, but then she would need to testify because Chen You will definitely not release those two maids to anyone. Not to mention, she would lose Chen You''s trust. And if things go end up going right for Chen You, then she would be in trouble plus all her hard work would have been for nothing. A great opportunity would have been lost.

    Zhao Lan might also be more difficult to handle than Chen You. Moreover, she did not want to directly get involved in this matter. After pacing for a while, she suddenly thought up an idea and quietly exited Chen You''s palace to quickly to go arrange things before it was too late.

    ***

    As the much anticipated dawn of the new day arrived with the sun bright and golden rising in the east. The eager souls readied themselves for action.

    The Empress dowager woke to prepare for her journey to reconnection.

    Chen You bounced towards the Empress dowager''s palace to begin the journey to Lei Xing''s fall, with Chun Hua begrudgingly following along.

    As the sunlight filtered into the room, with the light scent of peach blossoms filling her nostrils, Lei Xing came to from an eerie dream of two children arguing in a temple surrounded by peach blossoms, featuring another stupid bracelet one could not simply remove.

    She lightly groaned and tightly knit her brows as she felt her achy and sore body. She could feel someone wrapped around her from behind but that was not unusual in her life recently. The mornings when the Emperor did not have court she usually woke up in his arms...Except that today was not a free day, but her groggy and tired mind was too absent to know that.

    It was only when she slightly opened her eyes and blinked a few times that she realized something was very wrong here. First, she was in a foreign room with a few pieces of clothing littering the floor.

    And second and more shocking was the scene of her kissing Prince Yi which flashed through in her mind. Her eyes went wide and she froze.

    She gulped and then slowly turned her head to look behind her and immediately let out a sigh of relief when she saw the Emperor''s face. She closed her eyes and rubbed her achy head as she calmed down.

    {...So was that a dream? Why the hell would I be dreami- No, it wasn''t a FREAKING dream you idiot! Some asshole drugged me and I - ARRGHH F**k!... But then how the hell did this guy get here and whe- Oh, oh-oh-oh I did -...Oh...Oh, I did wha- oh, oh we...O_O)...}

    Lei Xing went rigid and reddened as bits and pieces of the steamy scene from the night flashed through her mind. She laid there red and blinking for a bit and then slowly moved the Emperor''s arms off her and sat up. She turned and blinked at him for a bit and then bit her lip and frowned. She got up on her shaky legs, steadied herself and then quietly made her way out. She needed some air and space.

    After walking for a bit, she sat on some steps and held her head with a frown as the memory of her stripping and jumping the seemingly unwilling Emperor crashed into her mind.

    {...Could that the considered r.a.p.e? No, no it''s not...He was willing, right? Yeah, yeah he was. He told me to let him know and that -... And if he didn''t want to, he could have hurled me clear across the room...or tied me up or done something else quite easily...At most, it''s seduction....-_-)...Seduction, Arrrghhh! I never thought I would say that about myself! Someone needs to die for this. how dare they turn me into a - a What the hell do you even call that?! A succubus?! I don''t think s- I don''t care! T_T)...

    ...Okay, let''s forget this guy for one moment. More importantly what about the other guy?! SHIT! I hope no one saw T_T)...Of course, someone saw! Who would go through the trouble of doing that and not see it unfold? I wouldn''t! They''d have to be stupid not to! I am so screwed!...}

    Lei Xing buried her head in her laps and groaned in lamentation. She could not believe she was stupid enough to have fallen into one of those stupid schemes.

    {...But at least the Emperor is here and was the one - SHUT UP! >_

    Lei Xing groaned even louder, she could not believe she acted the way she did last night, like some desperate fool.

    She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and jumped backward only for her to see a smiling Doctor Lou squatting beside her. She went wide-eyed in surprise and her mouth hung open.

    Doctor Lou''s chuckled and then said, "You don''t have to say it, I know you missed me."

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched as she blinked at the smiling old man.

    {...Missed?...Missed? O_O)...�p?_?)...��?��?)����ߩ���...}

 Chapter 155 - Chicken Frenzy

    **Hello, THE POWER STONES are working again, so PLEASE VOTE! Thank you! ???? ...And I apologize for the inconvenience. Also, sorry for the delay, very busy period ????. Thank you for being patient! ???? **

    "Your Stupid ring didn''t work again!" Lei Xing barked at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou frowned but before he could say anything, two guards immediately came over to the area, "Your highness, are you alright?"

    Lei Xing blinked at them in surprise, then knit her brows and said,  "I''m fine" as she quickly got up and left pulling the pouting old man''s arm along with her.

    Once they rounded the corner, Doctor Lou shrugged his arm free and went, "My ring did nothing wrong. It''s you who was careless! Hmph!" He held his beard then looked away and mumbled, "I saved you and can''t even get a thank you from either of you brats."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and pouted herself, feeling aggrieved. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then flatly said, "I was drugged...and the ring didn''t detect it."

    "It did! It''s your fault for not looking." Doctor Lou said as he cast her a haughty side glance.

    Lei Xing frowned and defended, "I looked and it was fine...It''s not working, check it." She finished as she angrily removed the ring and shoved it in his direction.

    Doctor Lou quickly grabbed the ring and then stroked it gently with a pout and grumbled, "My ring is perfect...It wasn''t harmful until you added the seyu..." He then glared at Lei Xing and barked, "Look up your arms!"

    Lei Xing frowned and did not move, but Doctor Lou just continued glaring at her and motioning for her to check her arms. Eventually, Lei Xing begrudgingly complied and rolled up one of her sleeves and saw random red dots scattered on her arm. She went wide-eyed and rolled it up as far back as she could and then knit her brows and checked the other arm to see just four almost equally spaced dots.

    {...Pincushion! Shit! Those as***les!...}

    She frowned and touched her back as she remembered the pricks she was feeling in the crowd and then she looked at Doctor Lou, who was still petting his ring while frowning at her.

    "This is -"

    "Hmph! I told you it wasn''t my ring...You should apologize to it." Doctor Lou said with a pout and haughtily looked away. He was very unhappy, his grievances were mounting. He had still not received his thank you yet or even a warm welcome. And now his ring was being falsely accused too.

    Lei Xing stood there for a while just staring at her arm with a frown.

    {...I am really in trouble this time...}

    Then she blinked and went wide-eyed as she remembered another very important thing. She latched onto Doctor Lou''s arm and quietly but urgently said, "I need the morning-after pill."

    Doctor Lou raised an eyebrow at her and Lei Xing corrected, "birth control...I mean contraceptive...please." She added the last line after realizing how crass and demanding she was being.

    "Why?" Doctor Lou asked with a frown.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean why?" Before Doctor Lou could speak, she added, "Actually do you have anything like this ring that prevents pregnancy?"

    "I do." Doctor Lou proudly responded.

    "You do?" Lei Xing went wide-eyed with glee, "Great, sell it to me."

    "Can''t." Doctor Lou swiftly responded.

    "Why not?" Lei Xing asked with a frown.

    "I don''t have it." Doctor Lou responded looking off to the side.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "You just said you did."

    "I have it...but I don''t have it." Doctor Lou haughtily said, raising his head, still looking off to the side.

    {...He must still be upset -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed and said, "Thank you for helping me...and it''s good to see you." She finished trying to humor and cajole the old man.

    Doctor Lou looked at her then smiled, "You''re very welcome...and it''s good to see me too." He finished with a chuckle.

    Lei Xing restrained the urge to roll her eyes and said, "Great, how about selling the contraceptive...ring? Is it a ring? Either way, can I have it?"

    "I don''t have it." Doctor Lou repeated.

    Lei Xing frowned and then sighed in exasperation. She was really not in the mood for mind games, "Fine, just give me regular contraception then...something strong." She added as her face reddened. Her memories from last night had finally fallen into place and...She realized had been very busy last night.

    {...Who knows how many times we - he - Arrrgghh >_

    Lei Xing covered her face with her hands and groaned into them, feeling incredibly embarrassed with her behavior last night. From what she remembered it was more like a battle with them rolling all over the place and she even...

    {...I never thought I could be like that, not even with a hundred kilograms of ecstasy running in my system. I''m pretty sure someone would die with that much s- whatever! T_T)...}

    "No."

    On hearing that word, Lei Xing immediately came out of her lamentation and went "What?" in confusion as she dropped her hands.

    "It would be unfair to Xiao Kai." Doctor Lou informed pursing his lips.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Xiao Kai?... Who the hell is Xiao Kai? And what do they have to do with this? Just give it to m- "

    Doctor Lou''s face suddenly lit up, "Oh Xiao Kai you''re awake? Did you sleep well? I was just talking to Xing Xing about you..." Lei Xing immediately froze as she heard the light sound of footsteps slowly approaching behind her.

    "Ah, it seems Xing Xing forgot your name...It is really bad of her not to remember, her own husband''s name too." Doctor Lou finished narrowing his eyes at Lei Xing, who immediately went wide-eyed on hearing his words.

    Lei Xing''s mind went blank, she felt panicked and started blinking repeatedly as the redness on her face quickly intensified. Her hands clutched at her clothes and the footsteps loudly drummed in her ears and it felt like looming doom was coming up behind her.

    In the end, in the face of fight or flight, Lei Xing chose flight and bolted...Proving that she was indeed a chicken, a little chicken.

    "Ah, Xing Xing, the bathroom is the round door on the left. There are clothes in there for you too...Don''t soak in the hot springs too long. We need to eat!" Doctor Lou shouted after her and then chuckled and turned to the Emperor, who was frowning at her disappearing back, "I didn''t think she had it in her, but she is really very cute when she is shy. You should have done this much sooner..." He said as he pat the Emperor''s chest and then he stroked his beard with a happy smile.

    The Emperor glanced down at him but did not say anything.

    Doctor Lou seemed to be in a great mood and chuckled again then he knit his brows, "What should we eat? Tell me, anything and everything is available...Well, except for -... Oh! I know the perfect thing! I''ve been saving it for a rainy - I mean perfect day." Doctor Lou finished and then scurried off, but quickly turned back and put the ring in the Emperor''s hand, "Return this to Xing Xing for me." and then he happily ran along, leaving the Emperor standing there, still frowning in the direction Lei Xing disappeared in.

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing had found her away to the bathroom, her mind had picked up on Doctor Lou''s directions and her legs had complied without her realizing it. But since she was there, she took advantage of it and quickly refreshed herself and jumped into the hot springs. The water felt nice against her achy muscles, she relaxed and took a deep breath.

    {...At least I''ll be safe here for a while...But why the hell did I run?! I must have looked like an idiot! T_T)...}

    {...*You did look quite idiotic...}

    {...SHUT UP! >_ {...*Don''t worry, you looked very cute running like a chicken. he won''t abandon you for something so minor...Well, probably not hehehe~...}

    {...Do you think he heard? He didn''t, right?...}

    {...*Heard what?...}

    {...The contraception stuff...}

    {...*...}

    The bracelet did not respond and Lei Xing soaked in silence for a while and held her head as she began groaning again.

    {...*Why do you want contraception?... Last night, when you were sick, he treated you like you were some sort of precious doll that would break and now you''re like this without reason...I wanted him to throw you in the water to check if you would float up, I hear that happens but he was too stubborn and instead - !...}

    The bracelet let out a long depressed sigh and Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Why don''t you go jump into -...}

    She heard the sound of the door open and froze. She dipped herself into the water, leaving half her face up like a toad and scanned the room. Then she went wide-eyed when she saw the Emperor surface from behind the half curtain. She froze and blinked up at him and he returned her gaze with a cool stare.

    Lei Xing''s mind shortly kicked into gear and she sprinted backwards only to meet the rocks and a wall. So she stuck herself next to the little protruding rock at the back of the pool. She brought up a hand to cover her chest and the other hand to cover her face and faced the wall as an array of lamenting expressions flew across her face.

    {...WHY THE HELL IS HE HERE?!... Doesn''t he know this is a private space?! GET OUT! >_

    Yet she could not find her words. Instead, she just tried to blend in with the rocks hoping he would disappear.

    The Emperor simply stood there looking at her back for a while and then turned away. And Lei Xing heaved a sigh of relief as she heard his departing footsteps and remained in place trying to calm her nerves as she waited to hear the closing door

    When she didn''t hear the door, she turned and peeked and then jumped and swiftly faced the wall again, somehow further shrinking into the rock.

    {...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! ????(( ???))????...}

    She internally screamed as she listened to the sounds of the disturbed water getting closer and closer, as he came in and made his way towards her.

 Chapter 156 - Third Wheel

    Lei Xing could feel him standing behind her. Her heart was pounding erratically and she remained completely still as if she would somehow become invisible to him if she did.

    The Emperor frowned at her back as he noticed the few red dots on her upper back. "Xing er''?"

    "En." Lei Xing quietly responded.

    "Do you have something you want to tell me?" The Emperor calmly asked.

    Lei Xing knit her brow and looked.

    {...Now is not the time for a bloody conversation. Go Away! T_T)...}

    "No." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    The Emperor did not respond and the stretching silence made Lei Xing feel even more on the edge. She wanted to turn around but she really could not bring herself to. She also hated the fact that she was being such a coward about this...But this situation was really not ideal.

    {...Can you leave already? T_T) Let''s talk over coffee or something...Don''t tell me he''s angry? Angry about what? It''s not like I r.a.p.ed him or something -_-)...Did I? No, it was consensual! Seduction isn''t - If you mention that seduction thing one more time, I will drown you in this pool! >_

    "You should face a person when you speak." The Emperor calmly advised.

    Lei Xing froze for a bit and her eyes darted around. Then she took a deep breath and slowly turned to her side, with one hand over her chest and the over shielding her face. Still pressing her body against the pool''s rocky edge, she cast a quick side glance at him and then quickly faced forward.

    {...He doesn''t look happy...That''s definitely a frown, an upset frown even T_T)...}

    "You''re going to hurt yourself." The Emperor advised, watching her molding herself to the rocks was irritating him. He took a step back and then he narrowed his eyes at her and signaled for her to move forward. When Lei Xing still did not move, he let out a breath and ordered, "Forward."

    Lei Xing frowned and then begrudgingly took a little side step forward. Honestly, the rocks were digging into her skin and hurting quite a bit, but that was the least of her concerns. She was between a rock and a hard place, and she chose the rock. She cast a quick glare at the Emperor and then faced forward again.

    {...You know having a conversation when someone is n.a.k.e.d can be a form of humiliation...I will ignore the fact that you''re also in here, n.a.k.e.d s -...}

    "Do you have anything to say to me?" The Emperor inquired again.

    Lei Xing gulped again as she quickly recalled the seriousness of her situation. Now was not the time for snide remarks. She thought for a bit and then took a deep breath and blurted out, "I was drugged..."

    "I am aware." The Emperor responded and she nodded.

    [...Of course, he knew that...Obviously...}

    She gulped again, prepared herself and then shakily said, "I-I kis-sed...your brother." And then she squeezed her eyes shut. She reasoned it was better for her to tell him now than to it a secret. After all, it was a very public incident and she was certain she will be hearing from the conspirators soon.

    "I am aware." The Emperor solemnly responded after a pause. His frown deepened on hearing this and he looked at the water''s surface. He had honestly not been thinking about the incident with his brother since last night and this reminder dampened his mood. He obviously could not do anything to her, but he was not sure what to do with his brother yet. He could not publicly reprimand him as that would affect Lei Xing''s reputation.

    Announcing she was drugged would not help the matter and frankly, that would make it worse. It would create the opportunity for people to question her honor, especially considering there was that period where her whereabouts were unaccounted for. Even if he could attest to the fact that she was not defiled, there would still be doubts. And he would rather not have her name dragged in the mud. The Emperor sighed in annoyance.

    {...This matter is quite delicate...}

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor, feeling confused.

    {...You already know? O_O)...Um, then what else do you want me to say?...}

    Lei Xing scrutinized the contemplating Emperor, puzzled. Her eyes subconsciously roamed down his neck, across his chest, his shoulders...before she quickly caught herself and looked away. She  shielded her face as she turned crimson and in a small voice went, "Sorry."

    The Emperor blinked and looked at the top of her head, then he saw her peeking at his shoulder with a sorry expression. He raised an eyebrow and followed her gaze to see the healing bruises on his shoulder, one of the places she had dug her fingernails into last night. He turned back to her to find her shrinking back into the rocks again. He could not help breaking out in a small smile as he watched her, but then he caught himself and frowned.

    {...It seems I have truly become a bit of a fool for her, I keep behaving like this... I should be upset but here I am smiling...I don''t even know why I got in the water in the first place...To comfort her? comfort her when she wants t-...Does she still not trust me? Is that why?... Why won''t she talk to me about these things? And why...}

    Th Emperor let out a long sigh as he looked at the retreating Lei Xing. Then he grabbed the hand covering her face and gently pulled her rigid form to his chest and stroked her hair. Lei Xing immediately froze and went wide-eyed.

    {...Too close! Too close! Too cl-...}

    "Don''t worry, I''ll protect you...just trust me." The Emperor softly said. Lei Xing blinked and her mind felt empty, she did not know what to think and so thought nothing.

    The Emperor felt her body relax a little and he smiled a bit and after a while more of petting her, Lei Xing completely relaxed. He released her and then looked at her with a little smile. Lei Xing looked at him and then quickly looked down as she went even redder.

    The Emperor''s face bloomed into a full smile and he gently raised her face up as he leaned down to kiss her. Lei Xing closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, but instead, the Emperor forcefully pushed her away. Lei Xing immediately opened her eyes to witness a sandal flying right through where her head was. The sandal directly broke the wooden wall behind them and wedged itself halfway in.

    "I said no frolicking in my hot springs!" The pair heard the shout and turned around to see Doctor Lou standing there glaring at them with a sandal missing on his foot. The Emperor swiftly moved in front of Lei Xing to shield her from Doctor Lou''s eyes and glared back at him, "You could have seriously hurt her."

    " Tch!  She would have moved." Doctor Lou defended frowning off to the side.

    "I would have moved?! You almost killed me, you Freaking old quack!" Lei Xing barked from behind the Emperor, raising herself up with a hand on his shoulder. The Emperor raised his eyebrows and blinked at her. Lei Xing froze and quickly removed her hand, then shrunk back behind him, feeling embarrassed.

    The Emperor snorted but Doctor Lou did not share in the amus.e.m.e.nt. And it seemed seeing this little show further incensed him and he barked, "Separate! No frolicking allowed! SEPERATE!"

    Doctor Lou seemed to be really triggered by this and was hopping mad. Lei Xing blinked and subconsciously moved to comply, but the Emperor swiftly grabbed her and stuck her to his back. Then he narrowed his eyes at Doctor Lou, "You leave first."

    Doctor Lou glared at the unflinching Emperor for a bit and then went, "Fine...I will give you ten seconds and one of you better come out. Otherwise, I will come sit in-between the two of you and I''ll see how you will frolic with me watching. Hmph!" Doctor Lou finished and then stormed out of the room as he mumbled, "Little brats want to desecrate my hot springs too..."

    Lei Xing let out a sigh as Doctor Lou left. The Emperor then separated from her but instead of heading out like she thought he would, he went to go settle down in the corner of the pool and coolly looked at her.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then at the door, she turned back to him and asked, "Aren''t you leaving?"

    "I just got here..." The Emperor informed with a small smirk, "You, on the other hand, have soaked long enough. Staying too long won''t be good for your health. Hurry out."

    "9!...8!...7!...6!..." Doctor Lou shouted from outside, "I don''t hear anybody getting out yet!"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and pouted at the Emperor, who simply ignored her. He relaxed into the pool, sighed and then closed his eyes.

    "5! It''s 5 now! Still no one getting out?! I didn''t know you two were so eager to share a bath with this old man!" Doctor Lou continued to shout.

    Lei Xing looked between the relaxing Emperor and the door, weighing her options. She knew Doctor Lou was really crazy enough to jump in with them and she really did not want to witness the scene. Not to mention, she knew the Emperor would go crazy as well despite his cool demeanor now. She really was not in the mood for such chaos, her morning was already eventful enough.

    {...His eyes are closed...Just run, he won''t see...Plus I''m pretty sure he alrea- Shut Up! >_

    "4! Don''t worry I''ll try to keep my shorts on for the sake of decency! I can''t make any promises but I''ll try hehe~" Doctor Lou snickered and now seemed to be excited at the possibility of bathing with them.

    Lei Xing bit her lip, cast the unseeing Emperor one last aggrieved look and then made a dash for it. As she ran out, she glanced at the Emperor to his eyes trailing after her with that unnerving smirk on his face. She groaned loudly as she dashed behind the curtain, grabbed her clothes and ran behind the screen. She frowned as she quickly got dressed as the Emperor''s laughter rolled into her ears and dyed them crimson.

    {...All these freaking as***les! Too many humiliations in one 24-hour period! I''ll get you all one day! Especially you, as***le in the water! >_

    "Much better." Doctor Lou happily said through the door, "Hurry up! Time to eat~"

    Lei Xing finished, came out and cast a quick glare at the hot springs and then ran out of the room. The Emperor''s smile then vanished and he sighed to himself. He looked at the sandal wedged in the wall and went up to it and pulled it free. As he did, the area of the wall around the sandal broke apart and crumbled down. The Emperor blinked in surprise and then scrutinized the hole and then looked down at the sandal with a frown.

    {...He might as well have thrown a knife and even with that...quite the peculiar old man...}

 Chapter 157 - Expos茅

    When Lei Xing finally ran out of the room, Doctor Lou had disappeared. She walked over to the front and found him happily arranging dishes on the table in Pavillion. He turned around as soon as she turned the corner and raised his eyebrows "surprise", "Oh Xing Xing, you''re done? Come eat!" He finished with a smile.

    {...-_-)...Yeah like you forgot you chased me out...}

    Lei Xing came forward with a pout and begrudgingly sat down as she scanned the table. There was a foggy looking pink soup, black rice, and a weird-looking vegetable stir-fry, she was not sure what vegetables she was looking at.

    "Go on, try them!" Doctor Lou eagerly said handing her a pair of chopsticks. Lei Xing did not take them but instead stretched out her hand, "The ring."

    Doctor Lou blinked and then pouted, "What? You don''t think I would poison you...right?" When Lei Xing did not respond and simply narrowed her eyes at him, Doctor Lou frowned. He dropped the chopsticks and he held his beard and defended, "I wouldn''t!... If I wanted to poison you, you would be dead already so... I also wouldn''t create something that would work against me...You, on the hand, maybe..."

    Lei Xing immediately frowned, "Wha-"

    "I''m just joking hehe~ Just trust this old uncle of yours and enjoy the meal, these rare delicacies and very nutritious. You''ll like it!" Doctor Lou said with a smile.

    "Give me the ring first." Lei Xing flatly stated.

    Doctor Lou pouted again, "I don''t have it.." Then he mumbled, "Why do you have to be so difficult about everything? I''m just trying to feed you..."

    {...Not this again? -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing frowned, "Seriously, just give it to me. I''ve had a long morning already. You even almost killed me! Cut me some slack here, I''m tired."

    Doctor Lou awkwardly laughed, "I''m being serious...Ah, you shouldn''t hold the past against me hehe~ That was an accident, a misunderstanding! And you''re fine so no harm done...That scene just brought up some bad memories hehe~...As for the ring, I gave it to Xiao Kai to give to you, I really don''t have it!" He finished waving his hands to emphasize his innocence with a sincere smile.

    Lei Xing immediately frowned and groaned, "Why?" Then she covered her face and then plopped down on the table. Remembering him and all their recent encounters made her turn red and feel incredibly embarrassed.

    Doctor Lou''s smile disappeared as Lei Xing hit the table, he frowned at her wrist and then went, "Hey, be careful! There''s already a scratch!"

    Lei xing looked up at him with a frown, "Scratch?"

    "Here!" Doctor Lou suddenly pulled out a little magnifying glass from his sleeve, leaned over and held it over the bracelet on her wrist, "You see it now, right?" He asked with a frown.

    Lei Xing looked down to see a tiny scratch on one of the stones and then pouted, "I didn''t do that..." then she blinked and narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you know what this bracelet is?"

    Doctor Lou''s frown turned into a pout, it seemed her question upset him. He sat back up and haughtily said, "Of course I do! These are three hundred thousand-year-old crystals infused with -" He paused, then glared at her and bit out, "Anyway, be careful with it!" Then he looked off to the side holding his beard still pouting.

    Lei Xing was not bothered by his bad mood, her eyes lit up and she sat up, "You know what this is! Help me take it off!"

    Doctor Lou glanced at her excited face, and opened his mouth but before he could respond, the Emperor arrived at the table, "We''re leaving."

    Doctor Lou and Lei Xing immediately turned to his direction, and Lei Xing quickly glanced down as soon as she met the Emperor''s eyes. While Doctor Lou went wide-eyed and protested, "But you haven''t eaten yet! I specially made all these too...You''ll like it!"

    The Emperor glanced between the unnerved Lie Xing and the pouting Doctor Lou and then sighed. He grabbed Lei Xing''s arm and gently pulled her up and then held her hand. Lei Xing bit her inner lip and kept her head down and obediently went along with it.

    The Emperor then turned to Doctor Lou and then said, "Thank you for your hospitality but we do not have the time. I will choose another day to send my thanks and will be sure to send people to clean up as well."

    Doctor Lou was not pacified, he looked down still pouting and did not respond. The Emperor slightly bowed his head in respect and appreciation and then turned and left pulling Lei Xing with him. The guards who were standing around, also quickly followed behind them.

    Doctor Lou glanced at their departing backs and then at the table of untouched food and sighed, "What a waste of good ingredients..."

    Outside Doctor Lou''s pharmacy, a carriage was already there waiting and Lei Xing and the Emperor quickly got in and made their return to the palace.

    As they went along, Lei Xing sat on the edge twiddling her thumbs. The Emperor did not say anything and neither did she for a long while. Eventually, she finally remembered her ring and covertly glanced at him to see a deep frown on his face. She quickly looked back down and knit her brows as she inwardly groaned.

    {...He''s back to frowning again T_T)...How am I supposed to ask for it like this?... And more importantly, why the hell am I being such a coward?! Get your freaking self together! This is not appealing, AT ALL...We did nothing wrong and therefore should not have to cower in fear of ANYONE!...So be-...}

    "My mother knows about the incident with my brother." The Emperor calmly informed, interrupting her thoughts. Lei Xing immediately looked up at him wide-eyed with her mouth open, but she had no words and so closed it. Then she blinked repeatedly, pursed her lips and then massaged her head. This news succeeded in exacerbating her headache.

    {...Th-that woman...Of all f**king people! You know, she might have even set all this up. I knew all that religious stuff was bullshit! -_-)...}

    "Relax...Although she has complicated the situation by kicking up a fuss, she was at least smart enough not to publicize the details..." The Emperor calmly informed with knit eyebrows.

    {...At least she has some basic respect for me...Or fear, but either will suffice...}

    After finishing up with his bath and getting dressed, the Emperor was about to leave when he realized something odd about Lei Xing''s ring. He could have sworn the gem was red last night, but today it was blue. He had also seen it blue in the past, but last night he had been paying attention and thought nothing of it then. But now seeing it like this, it was quite perplexing and so stood there scrutinizing the ring for a short while before one of his men arrived with the very important report.

    Apparently word had reached his mother and she had opted to go on a rampage in the city instead of leaving for her journey to the temple. In his absence, she had mobilized the palace guards to go search Prince Yi''s manor.

    Although she did not tell them what exactly they were searching for, the guards still stormed in without a target on the Empress dowager''s orders and were currently turning his manor upside down looking for anything that seemed out of place.

    Lei Xing quietly listened as the Emperor explained what was happening. The Empress dowager was obviously aware that Lei Xing did not return to the palace. And since she was last seen in Prince Yi''s arms, the reasonable assumption was that she was with him.

    {...The worst  - or best case scenario really, it just depends on who''s talking would, of course, be me getting caught on his bed -_-)...This, of course, would be beyond dumb of both him and me, but I was out of it and he doesn''t seem to be very smart either -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing let out a shaky breath. She knew something like this was coming, but she was not sure how she was going to get out of this. It''s not like she could prove that she was drugged, even if she stripped and showed the dots, that would only show that she was recently pricked. Not to mention, she could easily be accused of doing it herself to create a cover story. It was not like she could have a blood test done or something. She frowned and put her hands over her eyes and then squeezed them shut.

    {...This is a real mess! I knew I should have stayed away from that guy! I tried! T_T)...Yet somehow I still ended up wrapped in an "affair" with him! This is an epic fail! >_

    The Emperor sighed and then removed her hands from her face and held them in his and reassuringly said, "I''m here."

    Lei Xing blinked at him then looked down at their hands. She knit her brows and then asked, "You''re not angry?" Although he had not treated her badly, rejected or even pushed her away in any way, she still got the feeling that he was upset with her.

    "Is there a reason I should be angry with you?" The Emperor responded with a question of his own. Lei Xing glanced at the calm expression on his face and then lowered her eyes and then she shook her head, and then she frowned.

    "Then it''s fine." The Emperor said, then he gave her hands a gentle squeeze to reassure her and then he released them. Then he sat back, folded his arms and closed his eyes.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then pouted, he definitely seemed upset. This was just like the other time he was upset with her. Although he said he was not angry then too.

    {...Is this a guilty conscience acting up?... Wait, why the hell should I feel guilty? It isn''t my fault and he knows, and I know that he knows so...what''s my problem? -_-)''...}

 Chapter 158 - Pep talk

    As soon as the carriage stopped, Lei Xing immediately got up and jumped down. The Emperor opened his eyes, sighed and then slowly followed. He came out to find Lei Xing surrounded by some Imperial guards. The Imperial guards immediately noticed his presence and bowed towards as he came down beside Lei Xing.

    The squad leader then stepped forward and explained, "Your majesty, I apologize. We were not aware you were together...The Empress dowager ordered that Noble consort Lei be arrested as soon as she returned."

    "For what crime?" The Emperor calmly asked.

    The squad leader knit his brows and said, "...The Empress dowager did not say..."

    The Emperor then sighed and then turned to Lei Xing and smiled, "Ah, it seems my mother is overreacting due to your absence...I did not intend for us to stay out all night and so neglected to inform her. We should go see her..." The Emperor finished as he held Lei Xing''s hand.

    Lei Xing blinked at him, a bit lost. The Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes at her, still with the smile on his face. She blinked again and then caught on. Lei Xing put on a strained smile and went, "Oh, I see...She must be so worried. We should go..."

    {...Oh, so we''re pretending she''s a sane individual I would actually want to see? Great -_-)...And of course, she''s bloody worried. Worried about how many possible ways she could chop off my head to satisfy her crazy! >_

    The Emperor nodded and then turned to leave pulling Lei Xing along, with the guards following behind. Lei Xing covertly glanced behind them and then closed her eyes as she sighed in lamentation. Then she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and opened her eyes and glanced at the Emperor, who was looking straight ahead, unperturbed.

    Lei Xing faced forward and then took a deep breath.

    {...It''ll be fine...He''s the Emperor and he seems to be fine with everything so...what''s the plan? I don''t freaking know!... Should I ask? Now is not the time or place...So we''re going in blind? Apparently... He has a plan, I think...I hope. I don''t know. I''m going to die O_O)...}

    Lei Xing internally screamed as she walked along with a calm expression on her face.

    {...It''ll be okay, we can explain I was drugged and if she asks for proof, I can show the spots...And if she doesn''t believe that - which she won''t because she''s a crazy f***king b**ch, then what?... O_O)...I''m going to die...I am finally going to die in the hands of that witch and who the hell even told her about it?! Oh, I forgot it''s probably her bloody idea because she freaking hates me!... I''m going to die! T_T)...}

    {...*Is he really that unreliable to you? -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...What? Who?...}

    {...*-_-)...The person right next to you, the one holding your hand, the one who has been looking out for you this entire time...The one who just recently promised to protect you while you were both Frolicking Together! >_

    Lei Xing cast a quick glance at the Emperor.

    {...Oh him...Well...You never know...I''m just...contingency planning - coming to terms with the seemingly very likely event that this might up end up very badly for me...}

    The bracelet then gave a long sigh.

    {...*Since you''re ready to die anyway, why not just trust in someone else for a change. It won''t hurt any more than you''re already prepared for...}

    {...Bu-...}

    {...It''s not that difficult! You''re Complicating everything I''ve worked so hard for! -_-)''...}

    {...You worked hard for? ?_? )...}

    {...*What?...}

    {...You just said th-...}

    {...*I know what I said! Of course, I worked hard! Do you know how hard it was to get you to this stage?...You finally made progress but you just had to ruin it with your complications! Instead of focusing on what I say, you should be focusing on how to live a happy life! You still haven''t even given me an explanation about the contraception yet! Anyway, just shut up, trust him and Leave me alone! >_

    Lei Xing frowned as a thought crossed her mind.

    {...O_O)...Did you drug me? No, wrong. Did you have something to do with this?...}

    {...*What? Of course not! If I wanted you drugged, you would have been drugged ages ago! I wanted it to happen NATURALLY, so you wouldn''t be behaving exactly like this!... I want good progress, happy progress! So just trust him and leave me alone!...}

    After that, the bracelet went silent and left Lei Xing alone with her thoughts. She glanced at the Emperor''s face again, then looked away and knit her brows. She did not know what to think.

    Of course, he looked to be the reliable sort but at the same time, she just could not bring herself to blindly "trust" someone else with her life like this. But when faced with such a partial judge like the Empress dowager, there did not seem to be anything else she could do other than rely on his help.

    It was obvious that if it was not for him, she would currently be in prison or be getting dragged off to the Empress dowager, entirely at her unforgiving mercy. Instead, here she was taking a leisurely stroll with the Emperor like all was right in her world.

    Lei Xing sighed in lamentation.

    {...It''s okay, we''ve said it before that he''s a golden ticket, the one that counts here so she can''t execute me...probably, hopefully...It should be fine...I hope...It will...}

    They finally arrived at the Empress dowager''s palace and Lei Xing gulped as they walked through the gates. She felt the Emperor gently squeeze her hand again and glanced at him to see him reassuringly smiling at her. She weakly returned a half-smile and then looked forward. Her heart was pounding rapidly but she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

    {...Okay, no point panicking...Whatever happens, happens. We''ll deal with it...If I die...Well, then I die...Screw it, screw her, screw this place and screw them all! T_T)...}

    The two walked into the Empress dowager''s reception hall to find Chen You seated with three maids behind her. While the Empress dowager was sat on the main seat with Song mama at her side.

    As the two walked in, both the Empress dowager and Chen You frowned in their direction. Neither of them expected Lei Xing to walk in with the Emperor, especially not like that. Before the Empress dowager began her rampage, she had naturally sent for the Emperor and had even gone to his palace herself but even she was not allowed in.

    Chen You then informed her that it had been like this since the night before and then hinted that it must be because of Lei Xing''s absence at the banquet. This information further enraged the Empress dowager, not only was she carrying on with another man in public, she had even sidelined her own husband to do so.

    Since the Emperor refused to surface, the Empress dowager figured that he must be slinking back behind the scenes so as not to upset the Lei family. Instead, she assumed he wanted her to handle the issue. So she sent someone to inquire at the Lei manor and men to search Prince Yi''s house but that turned up completely empty, even Prince Yi was not there. And from the report from his staff, he had returned by himself on horseback around sunrise.

    The Empress dowager figured that Prince Yi must be hiding her and so had ordered for Lei Xing to be arrested on sight. As for Prince Yi, she ordered him to the palace as soon as he was located. But now, here her foolish son came hand-in-hand with the woman who had placed a green hat on his head.

    The Emperor stopped, released Lei Xing''s hand and then cupped his hands in greeting to the Empress dowager. Lei Xing quickly did the same without thinking. The Empress dowager frowned, "What do you think you''re doing walking around like that with useless sl- ?!"

    "Shouldn''t you be on your way to the mountain by now?" The Emperor calmly asked. Chen You knit her brows, a bit confused as she heard the word "mountain".

    {...Mountain? I thought she was just going to the temple outside the city for the day. There is no mountain around the city ...More importantly, why is this stupid Lei Xing with the Emperor?! Holding hands too!.... He must not know yet...Ah, then this will be a good show...}

 Chapter 159 - Guilty Verdict

    The Empress dowager''s deeply frowned, "How could I leave when the palace was set on fire?! It''s because you behave like this that I cannot have peace of mind. How can you let yourself be blinded to this extent?!" The Empress dowager glared at Lei Xing and the cold stare made Lei Xing''s heart jump, she could see and feel the rage and hate oozing from the Empress dowager''s eyes, "You useless slu-"

    Before she could begin her assault on Lei Xing the Emperor again interrupted, "I heard you have been looking for Xing er''...But there was no need to get the Imperial guards involved. If there was an issue, you should have come to me first. Making such a scene for something so minor is beneath you." The Emperor calmly advised narrowing his eyes at the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager''s expression turned into a scowl and she spat out, "You stupi-" before stopping herself when she remembered that others were in the room. She could not turn both of them into a joke by berating him publicly and so she fisted her hands and took a deep breath to calm herself. She turned back to Lei Xing and said through gritted teeth, "How dare you bring such disgrace to the royal family?"

    Lei Xing gulped but before she could open her mouth to respond, Chen You came up and grabbed her arm and worriedly began, "Jiejie, I have been so worried about you. Thank goodness the Emperor found you...but how could you do such a thing as to kiss another man-" She immediately closed her mouth and glanced at the Emperor to find him frowning at her. She quickly lowered her head and held back the urge to smile.

    Chen You then proceeded to fall to her knees, "Your majesty, please don''t hold it against jiejie! I am sure she and Prince Yi have nothing to do with each other, the kiss was just...was just an accident....I-I''m sure she has an explanation..." Chen You shakily finished.

    {...Oh, it''s you, isn''t it? You B**ch!...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her as she came to a realization. She had suspected Chen You''s involvement in this matter as soon as she walked in and saw her here. Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and scoffed at the "concerned" Chen You and shrugged her arm free, feeling irritated with her touch.

    The Emperor coldly looked down at Chen You and simply asked, "What nonsense are you speaking of?" Chen You felt a shiver run down her spine and she instinctively shrunk a bit, then she looked down with a frown and pouted.

    {...Why is he looking at me like that? I am not the who is having an affair! He should be looking at her with those eyes!... Is this what that stupid Chun Hua was talking about? Will he now hate me because I uncovered her true colors? Th-that''s absurd! He should be grateful, will be grateful. He''s just angry at everything now because of her...That''s what it is...}

    The Empress dowager swiftly barked, "That stupid s.l.u.t beside you is having an affair with that wretched Prince Yi! See how little regard they have for you, see how useless and ungrateful they are! To be so devious is intolerable! People like this do not deserve any merc-"

    "That''s enough!" The Emperor irritatedly said, "On what basis are you making such an accusation? It is not something to be lightly thrown around." The Emperor coldly finished frowning at the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager scoffed then said, "Chen You, give the report." When Chen You did not react, the Empress dowager barked, "Chen You!" The Empress dowager reasoned that the Emperor thought she was trying to frame Lei Xing due to her dislike for her. Therefore, she wanted him to hear from the horse''s mouth himself.

    {...Such a disappointment! I knew this girl would be trouble from day 1. Look the sort of embarrassment she has brought! With this, there is no need to wait. I will make sure her father falls with her and watch him grovel...}

    With the Empress dowager''s call, Chen You came back to reality. She blinked up at the Empress dowager then she glanced at the Emperor''s cold stare and felt even more aggrieved. She felt that his anger was definitely misdirected but she controlled her expression and stood up.

    Then she narrated to the Emperor about how Chun Hua and the other two maids returned from their search for Lei Xing to report to her about the kiss scene. Then she explained how she had come to report to the Empress dowager. Lei Xing was, of course, confused about why Chen You had people looking for her but she did not inquire, as it was really not the time to draw extra attention to herself. But she was definitely curious.

    When Chen You noticed the Emperor''s frown deepening, she quickly added,  "Your majesty, as soon as I received the report, I went to your palace to inform you but I was not allowed in...I waited till morning and then realized that jiejie had still not returned...I became worried that something bad had happened to her and so with no choice, I came to the Empress dowager for help..."

    The whole time Lei Xing had remained silent and demure. But as Chen You said that last line, Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and scoffed, feeling her anger bubbling up again. She felt the urge to jump Chen You and give her a good beating.

    {...A demon going to the devil to help me? You might as well have just gone to dig my grave!... On second thought, it must be this little witch who did it and the stupid dowager is just here to play executor. What a great pair! -_-)...}

    Despite her thoughts, Lei Xing maintained her silence. She did not even bother to try to explain the situation. It was clear the Empress dowager, with Chen You''s assistance had already proclaimed her guilty. Anything she said right now would just be an admittance of guilt to them and proof of her promiscuity.

    More importantly, the Emperor seemed to have a plan and the bracelet already lectured her to try and trust him. And since she had no idea how to get out of this, she knew better than to jump the gun and condemn herself. So she quietly hung back, listened and let him handle his crazy mother...for now.

    "Are those the maids?" The Emperor asked looking at Chun Hua and the other two maids, who were standing behind Chen You was seating.

    "Yes, Your majesty." Chen You responded.

    "Come forward." The Emperor ordered and the three of them nervously came forward with their heads bowed. "Raise your heads." The Emperor ordered and they shakily complied. The Emperor then scrutinized their faces for a bit, causing them to break out in cold sweat and their shaking seemed to intensify. He then narrowed his eyes at the most nervous one and pointed her out, "Explain what you saw."

    The girl glanced at the Emperor and obediently complied, "Yes, Your majesty. We-We went to the merchant festival...we were looking for Noble consort Lei...And th-then saw..." The girl paused and then glanced at Lei Xing''s face and seeing her seemingly calm expression further unnerved the girl. She looked down, squeezed her eyes shut and then shakily blurted out, "We-We saw Noble consort Lei and Prince Yi kissing."

    The Empress dowager sneered in satisfaction, while Chen You held back her smile, both prepared to watch the Emperor berate and maybe even kill Lei Xing. But contrary to what they and others in the room expected, the Emperor simply went, "Hmm..." Then after a stretch silence asked, "How close were you?"

    The girl looked up, perplexed and then quickly glanced around, and pointed at the doors, "W-we were down there...an-and they right about here."

    The Emperor measured the distance with his eyes and then offhandedly said, "That''s a pretty close distance..."

    Lei Xing immediately turned to him and her lips twitched.

    {...Hey! Are you trying to establish a case against or for me? Why are you saying that out loud?! -_-)...}

    "Did you go to get a closer look?"

    "No."

    "And you''re certain it was the two of them you saw?" The Emperor asked.

    "Y-yes...I believe so." The maid shakily responded.

    "In that case, you can''t tell the difference between me and my brother." The Emperor said with a frown and everyone was immediately taken aback and looked at him with surprise.

    Lei Xing was momentarily surprised as well and then her eyes lit up and she felt the urge to laugh but restrained herself as she looked at the Emperor, somewhat amused.

    {...So that''s the plan...Denial...Oh, that''s actually a good plan. It''s not like they have a picture or anything...That''s right, there''s no physical evidence of it! Memories can be manipulated and people can be bought... I didn''t do SHIT! That''s right! So f**k you three, f**k that b**ch Chen You and f**k those two old crows up there! F**k You All! Hahaha...Ha...Ha... Yeah, there''s nothing funny at all here. If this was in court, this would be perjury...which is a crime. I''m pretty sure it''s still considered a crime here... Well then, good thing the law''s on my side then - Shut Up! -_-)...}

 Chapter 160 - Wordplay

    The Maid became fl.u.s.tered, "I-I-I was...th..." Before she could not find her words the Emperor turned his attention to his mother with a deepening frown, it was clear he was displeased, "So is this the reason you mobilized the Imperial guards? Even if it were true, this is not how you should have handled the matter. Before taking such disruptive actions you should have sought me out and if I were absent, you should have waited for my return."

    The Empress dowager frowned and barked in her defense, "Wait for you? That would have resulted in a missed opportunity to catch the criminals in the act!"

    "And what have you found now?" The Emperor calmly asked and the Empress dowager scowled. He then turned to Lei Xing and flatly said, "You have been accused of a crime and so will need to explain yourself to be absolved of any guilt."

    Lei Xing blinked at him, confused with his current trajectory. The Emperor maintained his blank expression then turned and walked up the platform to assume the seat beside the Empress dowager, who observed him with a guarded expression, obviously not buying it.

    Lei Xing felt completely lost now.

    {...Um, I thought you just - No?... So I''m still in trouble? No, I already told him all...So what is this act now? o_O)...}

    The Emperor took his seat and narrowed his eyes at the Empress dowager, "I shall preside over this matter. You should hurry on to your journey."

    The Empress dowager frowned at him and said, "I will stay."

    "Very well." The Emperor offhandedly responded then he looked down at Lei Xing, making heart jump, "If any semblance of a lie is discovered in your words, then you will subject to grave punishment. You are to answer with honesty."

    Lei Xing looked up at him and then simply nodded as she scrutinized the Emperor, trying to read him or get a clue for what she was expected to do.

    {...Honesty?... Well, it depends on the question...You also just lied, so denial is the strategy, correct? o_O)...I mean, if he really wanted to punish me, he could just do that, no point in going through all this...And that statement about it being him must be a clue for me... to lie, right?... We should have honestly talked about what the plan was before coming here. This guessing game is annoying T_T)...}

    Chen You, on the other hand, was at first confused but then her expression changed to restrained glee mixed with some annoyance when the Emperor set out to interrogate Lei Xing.

    {...Well, it''s possible that she kissed both of them that night?... How irritating!...}

    "Where were you all night?" The Emperor asked.

    "I was with you." Lei Xing carefully and vaguely responded, not really sure where he was going with this.

    "And before that?" The Emperor went on to ask.

    Lei Xing kept her eyes on the Emperor, there was no change in his expression and so she answered as she thought she ought to, "I was with Prince Yi, Prince Rui, Princess Nalan and Molin...at the merchant festival." She finished keeping her expression calm, trying to ignore the Empress dowager and Chen You who were glaring holes into her.

    "So you were with all four of them until I got there?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing finally got the confidence in her denial theory and became more relaxed, "Well yes and no...We were meandering about sometimes together and sometimes separately around the stalls...but we remained in the same vicinity, within view of each other." Lei Xing easily responded.

    {...Well, have to lie with some sense...Can''t make fiction too distant from reality...}

    "Is there anything else you would like to say here?" The Emperor asked and Lei Xing shook her head and said, "That''s all."

    {...Nothing I want to say with these vipers around anyway -_-)''...}

    The Emperor then turned to the Empress dowager and asked, "Do you have any questions for her?"

    The Empress dowager glanced at him and then went back to glaring at Lei Xing. She was dissatisfied with the Emperor''s questioning.

    {...This fool is obviously skirting around the main issue...And he was the one she kissed? So the maids are blind? Who does he think he''s fooling?...}

    The Empress dowager condescendingly looked down at Lei Xing and bluntly asked, "Did you kiss or engage in any sort of inappropriate behavior with Prince Yi?"

    Lei Xing controlled her expression as her heart lurched, she cast a quick glance at the Emperor to see him cooly looking at her. Then she turned back to the Empress dowager with her eyebrows knit to show her annoyance and outrage at the accusation, "No, I did not." Lei Xing confidently said in the most haughty voice she could manage with the chaos going on the inside.

    {...I definitely cannot admit to it! That is instant death. I would have to be all shades of stupid to go, "Yes, I did. Forgive me?" to this witch. Does this woman think so little of me? -_-)''...Or is she just an idiot?... And frankly, if I were that stupid to admit it now, I don''t think even he could help me...And I honestly I doubt he would feel so inclined, I wouldn''t! >_

    The Empress dowager narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing as if trying to see through her and in response, Lei Xing defiantly raised her head and looked at her squarely. The Emperor finally broke this stare-off, "While I can attest to what happened after I met her, I cannot speak on what took place before so we should send for Prince Yi and the Zou party to weigh in on the validity of her statements and put any doubts to rest."

    The Empress dowager and Lei Xing both turned to him, and he turned to the Empress dowager, "You should send for them yourself so you can feel more assured."

    The Empress dowager frowned and then turned to Song mama, who got the cue and swiftly went to carry out the orders. Although Prince Yi''s whereabouts were still unknown at the moment, they could at least get the Zou royals here.

    Lei Xing kept her head slightly lowered as the idea of confronting Prince Yi made her feel very unnerved.

    {...He would not be so stupid as to admit to it, right? No, that''s just looking for a death sentence...What if he says I assaulted him? He wouldn''t...Who the hell would believe him? He could have easily thrown me off, bashed my head or knocked me out...He could have done something >_

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing for a bit and then said, "Xing er'', sit down." Lei Xing looked up at him and reflectively said, "I''m fine."

    "Sit." He ordered with a frown, Lei Xing gulped and quickly shuffled to the side and rigidly sat down. When he felt the Empress dowager glaring at him, he turned his eyes from Lei Xing to her and explained, "Xing er'' has not been feeling well, that''s was the reason we ended up staying out all night to have her taken care of by a skilled friend."

    Although Lei Xing''s body was hurting and standing still was a bit difficult, her mind was too preoccupied with the trouble still looming to pay attention to her discomfort. Not to mention Chen You and the Empress dowager kept glaring at her.

    But fortunately or unfortunately, the Emperor had the mind to think about her discomfort for her to the onlookers annoyance.

    Chen You glanced up at the Emperor and pouted, no one told her to sit down...but no one told her to stand either. After a while of looking up at the Emperor and Empress dowager who seemed to be engaged in a stare-down of their own, Chen You shuffled her feet and sat down across from Lei Xing. Lei Xing glanced up to see Chen You glaring at her, she raised an eyebrow then Chen You haughtily looked away. Lei Xing sighed and covertly rolled her eyes.

    {...It seems she''s no longer hiding her dislike, that''s good...Pretending we''re friends is tiring for both of us -_-)...}

    Chen You was also feeling on edge, she glared up at Chun Hua and the other two maids, who simply lowered their heads further in response. Things were not going as she planned, the Emperor did not seem to be bothered by the accusation at all, not to mention, he was still looking after Lei Xing''s health, while completely discounting Chen You''s existence. Chen You glared at Lei Xing again and then looked down at her lap and frowned.

    {...This is so stupid!...}

    Chen You was starting to feel a bit worried for herself, the testimonies of royals were definitely much more valuable than that of the maids. The Emperor obviously seemed inclined to believe Lei Xing''s innocence. She had gravely underestimated the Emperor''s feelings for her and at this point, trying to insist or claim otherwise would only be looking for trouble. The maids knew that and remained silent. Chen You hoped that the Zou royals would discredit Lei Xing''s testimony.

    The two testifying maids shivered and lamented their position. They would have preferred to have stayed quiet but Chun Hua had taken the lead and ordered them to report to Chen You. Then Chen You had dragged them here so they had no choice but to tell what they saw. They had even hoped to be rewarded at some point, but now all they prayed for was that their input in all this was overlooked otherwise they would be in deep trouble.

    After a while, the Empress dowager finally spoke up and asked the Emperor, "Why are you not bothered?"

    The Emperor snorted and then his expression fell and he flatly said, "I would be if it were true, but Xing er'' is not so foolish to publicly disgrace herself like that...and Prince Yi would know better." The Emperor finished as he leaned back in his seat, rested his head on his hand and turned his face away signaling he was done talking to her. He glanced down at Lei Xing who was staring down at her hands in her lap and then he looked towards the doors, hiding the rage in his eyes from view.

    {...He should have known better...}

    The Empress dowager scrutinized him for a bit and then quietly said under her breath, but loud enough for only him to hear, "How foolish." The Emperor did not acknowledge her words and simply closed his eyes as they waited for the key witnesses to arrive.

 Chapter 161 - Flailing Aspirations

    Song mama quickly returned after sending out the orders and then they all waited in eerie silence, each with their own thoughts. After about an hour or so passed, Ling mama scurried in and glanced at the Empress dowager''s unhappy expression and then scurried off to the side and signaled for Song mama.

    Song mama furrowed her brows as she went down to talk to her. They spoke for a while in hushed tones before Song mama returned to the Empress dowager with a frown. She leaned down next to the irritated Empress dowager''s ear and informed, "Your majesty, Monk Du has run off..."

    "Monk Du left?" The Empress dowager exclaimed, breaking the eerie silence and drawing all the attention of the other occupants to herself. She frowned and Song mama, "Didn''t they inform him I ordered him to wait?!" The Empress dowager had sent some men ahead to go wait with Monk Du while she settled Lei Xing''s issue.

    Song mama bowed and explained, "They did and he waited for a bit but then suddenly decided on leaving...the men tried to stop him and gave chase but...they lost him..."

    "Lost him? How could they have?!" The Empress dowager barked, "Useless!"

    Song mama tried to calm her down, "They are still searching for him, they will definitely find him. He can''t escape for long...He...He left a message for you." Song mama hesitantly said as she handed the Empress dowager a small rolled piece of paper. The Empress dowager took the paper and opened it to find the words,

    ''... It seems this journey was not meant to be. A word of advice, be sure to control your senses. Evil cannot inhabit one who is at peace.

    If fate wills it, we shall meet again.

    ...''

    The Empress dowager''s frown deepened as she crumpled the note and threw it to the ground as she barked, "Find him!" Song mama bowed and quickly ran off to pass on the orders while the Empress dowager sat there fuming.

    {...He was the one who invited me to his temple and now he dared to run off because of a small delay?... These bastards are turning me into a joke!... I will find him and kill him and then find that temple and burn it to the ground!...}

    The Emperor cast the Empress dowager side glance and then looked away. He was neither bothered nor interested in the Empress dowager''s issue. He honestly did not care and he had his own problems to think about at the moment. So, he ignored her plight and left her alone to stew in her anger while he tried to control his as he fixed his gaze back on the doors, waiting for his brother to arrive. He was very curious about the kind of explanation his brother would give to excuse his actions.

    The Empress dowager fixed her gaze on the two girls sitting below. And Lei Xing and Chen You immediately lowered their heads when they noticed the Empress dowager''s gaze fix on them. The Empress dowager was already angry at Lei Xing so that was no surprise, but now she was also angry at Chen You, even more than she was with Lei Xing.

    Not only was Chen You the one who introduced Monk Du, but she was also the one who halted her journey with her stupid report that promised a huge payout...And now even that payout was looking to be nothing more than a waste of time and an endeavor to make her look like a fool.

    Chen You lowered her head even further, feeling a sense of fear wash over her. She could sense the Empress dowager''s eyes tearing holes in her. She wanted to bash her head into the wall for this mess. But mostly, she wanted to bash Monk Du''s head for making things more complicated.

    {... What''s his problem? What''s a few hours delay to be able to be of service to the Empress dowager, not to mention she was actually going out of her way to the temple to visit him...How disrespectful! And now he''s dragging me down with him! How distasteful!...}

    The Empress dowager fisted her hands and suddenly got up, seemingly at the end of her leash. Ready to storm out to go seek out Monk Du herself. Her movement was halted when a guard came in and informed of Prince Rui, Princess Nalan and Prince Yi''s arrival. She stopped and then sat back down as she narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing, who had gone rigid at the mention of Prince Yi. Then she turned her gaze to Chen You who was looking towards the Emperor with a bit of excitement in her eyes, excitement that dampened as she caught the Empress dowager''s angry gaze.

    {...If this fails, I will have your head instead...}

    Chen You felt a shiver run down her spine and she immediately lowered her head and clasped her hands together to hide her shaking. She now knew that even if Lei Xing''s matter was concluded in her favor, she would still be in trouble because of Monk Du.

    As the long-awaited witnesses walked in, Lei Xing''s ears honed in to sound of their shuffling feet as they drew closer. She felt a range of emotions, fear, anger...and a great sense of guilt. Despite the fact that she knew for a fact it was not her fault, the nagging sense that she had done some great wrong kept eating at her as Prince Yi''s presence drew closer. Lei Xing took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.

    {...Calm down, we have to look at him, calmly and confidently. Otherwise, this whole thing falls apart. I did nothing wrong and -... Just look up and stop being a wuss! >_

    Lei Xing braced herself, straightened her spine and looked up at the approaching trio calmly. She met Prince Yi''s eyes and her eyes wavered a moment but she held on and turned her gaze to the other two. Prince Yi gave her a subtle nod while Princess Nalan looked at her somewhat curiously, which somewhat unnerved Lei Xing but she kept her head up.

    Prince Yi''s eyes lingered on Lei Xing''s face for a bit and on her smile and then he looked forward to see the Emperor''s icy gaze on him. Prince Yi knit his brows and slightly narrowed his eyes back at his brother with an equally icy gaze.

    {...If I am going to die it will be with dignity and not cowering in front of you...}

    Since the Emperor''s guards had found Prince Yi at the flower field, he became aware that the Emperor knew about what he had done. Even though the Emperor seemed intent on covering it up, Prince Yi did not believe that the Emperor would simply spare him...He also never expected the Emperor''s feelings for Lei Xing to run this deep that he would actually cover it up. And this realization both relieved and angered him at the same time.

    The trio stopped and bowed to the front and then stood in silence, waiting for the two royals above to speak, but instead, the Emperor and Empress dowager just sat there with their eyes fixed on them.

    Prince Rui eventually spoke up and said, "Your majesties, I was informed that you required the assistance of my sister and I with some matter."

    The Emperor did not seem inclined to speak and so the Empress dowager jumped on the issue, trying to get some good out of her morning''s venture and vaguely ordered. "Narrate the events of your time at the merchant festival yesterday."

    Prince Rui knit his brows at the odd request but complied, "We enjoyed our time at the festival. There were various interesting performances. The selection of both items and food were vast and spectacular...We even found some things from our home country, as well as several novelties we had never encountered before...It was a very -"

    "Not that!" The Empress dowager irritatedly interrupted, "Were you all together with her the entire time?" The Empress dowager directly asked pointing at Lei Xing. Prince Rui raised his eyebrows and glanced at Lei Xing, who was trying to keep her expression as calm as possible.

    Lei Xing trusted that the Emperor must have briefed them or done something because otherwise, they would not be any help at all. She had no clue if they actually witnessed the kiss scene but they would at least know that she and prince Yi were out of their sights for quite a while, which would contradict what Lei Xing had said.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor to find him staring fixedly at Prince Yi, who was also staring back at him, mirroring his anger...which made Lei Xing confused. She understood the Emperor''s anger but could not fathom why Prince Yi seemed angry with the Emperor who was saving both their hides from the bloodthirsty Empress Dowager.

    {...I can understand him being angry with me? But what is he be angry at this guy for?... Shouldn''t he be at least repentant, or feel guilty...And to think I was feeling bad to have caused him trouble, he doesn''t seem to know how to keep his head. What the hell is he challenging him for?!... Also, why should he even be angry at me? I may have "started" it, but I don''t remember him protesting At All!... Frankly, I remember him with his hands all over me-...O_O)...Forget! Forget! Forget! >_

    Lei Xing would have slapped herself if not for the onlookers, she forced her mind out of that scenario before she started to blush. To get her mind off the incident with Prince Yi, Lei Xing faced forward and fixed her eyes on Chen You to find her cowering for some reason. Lei Xing expected to find a gloating or glaring Chen You, which would have both sufficed to make her irritation and anger bubble. But this scared Chen You just made her confused.

    {...What the hell is your problem? I should be the one cowering courtesy of your wonderful self -_-)...}

 Chapter 162 - Reorganized Truth

    Prince Rui knit his brows and responded, "Well...We were all together, for the most part. I was mainly focusing on monitoring my sister, while others lingered at stalls of their interest as we moved along, occasionally coming together to chat...That was until the Emperor arrived to pick up Noble consort Lei...and Prince Yi also left after them." Prince Rui finished with a seemingly perplexed expression over the interest in their movements.

    "I was feeling unwell so I decided to return home to rest at that point. I also apologize for my absence this morning, I was away getting some fresh air in the forest to aid my recovery. It was only when I returned to my manor that I was informed by the servants that you were looking for me...How may I be of service, Your Majesty?" Prince Yi finished with a curt bow in the Empress dowager''s direction.

    The Empress dowager frowned at him and was quiet for a bit, her disappointment and anger were clear on her face. She then narrowed her eyes at Princess Nalan and pointed at her, "What do you have to say?"

    Princess Nalan flinched a bit, startled at being singled out. She really did not like this woman but she kept her reservations aside, bowed her head and quickly confirmed, "The night went along as my brother explained..." She then glanced up at the Empress dowager and asked with doe-eyed innocence, "Is there anything, in particular, you would like to know?"

    The Empress dowager''s frown turned into a scowl at the question.

    {...Useless!...}

    Her gaze flew to Chen You, who felt it piercing the top of her head and she began cold sweating. While Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor and then lowered her eyes as she let out a silent sigh of relief.

    {...Of course, he took care of it. I worried for nothing...But he could have told me about it though. Luckily my responses were vague enough...What if I had said something outlandish in my story? Wouldn''t that have ruined everything?... Or was he gambling? I f my stupidity ruined things then I wasn''t worth saving?... I can see he''s been unhappy all morning, understandably...I guess he might harbor some resentment for me despite knowing it all? Seriously? Did he just want to watch me squirm? But - ...*sigh* I don''t know what to think anymore  -_-)''...}

    "Thank you both for coming, that is all. You may leave now." The Emperor finally spoke up after a while of the Empress dowager not speaking.

    Prince Yi gave another curt bow, cast a cold glance at the Emperor and then turned and made for the doors. Prince Rui smiled politely as he bowed and left with the somewhat confused Princess Nalan, glancing at Lei Xing as they swept out of the room.

    Prince Rui had grabbed her and Molin this morning and quietly narrated to them how the events of last night "truly" went. Apparently, one of the Emperor''s men had secretly come to talk to him.

    But it was either that her brother did not want to divulge the reason or that the Emperor''s messenger did not tell him the details. All Prince Rui told them was that Lei Xing''s life depended on this story. Then a while later, someone from the palace came to summon them and so they came with the story ready. Princess Nalan quietly followed her brother out but made a mental note to ask Lei Xing for an explanation later on.

    After the trio exited, the Emperor turned to the Empress dowager and calmly began, "Now that you have verified and cast away your doubts, there is the matter of the repercussions. Since you have all conspired and successfully raised a fuss, it cannot simply be buried or cast aside. There will be questions and for those, there should be answers in response...Mother, while I understand and appreciate your zeal to seek out justice in this matter, you let yourself be provoked into impatient action which is unbecoming of your position in this nation. Y-"

    "Chen You!" The Empress dowager barked, annoyed with being scolded. Thanks to Chen You she had been made a fool on two different fronts in one morning. First, with this issue and secondly because of the stupid monk she brought to her, who apparently saw her, the Empress dowager as nothing. With the Empress dowager''s bark, the Emperor relaxed back and let her carry on. Chen You and Lei Xing both flinched at the shout. Even though Lei Xing was now in the clear, she still felt on edge as that could have very well been directed at her a few moments ago.

    Chen You jumped up and immediately slapped Chun Hua, and then pushed her down to knees. The other two maids did not wait to receive their slaps and quickly knelt down and kowtowed. Chun Hua kowtowed as a deep scowl spread on her face as she hit her head on the ground to show her "sincerity" as she followed along with the other two maids and pleaded for her life to be spared.

    "Be quiet!" Chen You barked at the maid and then quickly bowed to the Empress dowager, "I apologize for my oversight...I never expected them to be so malicious as to want to sow discord in the palace and to come up with such a devious tale - I will make sure that the three of them are properly punished and use them as an example to dissuade any others who harbor such evil thoughts and ensure that the palace remains in peace." Chen You finished and kept her head bowed in waiting.

    The Emperor frowned, "Oversight is fine. But the consequences must still be borne. Letting yourself be led by the nose to disruptive action is unacceptable and unbecoming of someone in your position...Your foolishness led to further complications. Therefore, you should be the one setting the example..."

    Chen You immediately panicked and got on her knees and pleaded, "It will never happen again...It-It was because I was worried, so my judgment was clouded and so I-...Please spare me this once. It will never happened again!" Chen You finished kowtowing with the maids, who chorused pleas for pardon.

    The Emperor''s ears were deaf to the pleas, he looked at the Empress dowager and then advised, "Since you took the lead on this issue, it will be best if you resolve it, for your sake..."

    The Empress dowager cast an angry glance at the Emperor and then looked at the four heads on the ground below her. She was fuming, her morning had gone incredibly wrong. She understood the Emperor''s words. Her actions this morning definitely did not go unnoticed. She had Imperial guards storm into Prince Yi''s residence, not to mention she had sent them roaming around the city in search for all to see.

    The officials will definitely have questions and the Emperor is clearly not planning to defend her actions. Therefore, her realizing her "mistake" and punishing the miscreants who stirred up trouble is the best way to reduce the criticisms that will be hurled her way.

    {...I won''t have those idiots called officials dragging my name in the mud...This foolish Chen You, if she dared to try to use me, she should have made sure it would work...How dare she bring this embarrassment to my face? How dare she make me look like a fool?!...}

    "Guards!" The Empress dowager barked and Chen You and the three maids flinched and began pleading even louder as they apologized for their "mistake". But the Empress dowager was deaf to their pleas. The men who had been waiting outside filed in and the Empress dowager ordered, "Drag these fools out and give them a hundred plank beatings! No, make it two hundred! Do it outside my palace, I want to hear them screaming...!" The Empress dowager finished with a fierce glare. The guards bowed their heads and then reached down for the four panicked girls on the ground.

    Lei Xing watched wide-eyed feeling guilty, especially towards the maids who were probably only just doing their job. Lei Xing watched the girls clinging to the ground and pleading for mercy with tears streamed down their faces as the guards mercilessly hurled them to their feet. Lei Xing watched the scene transfixed, even forgetting to breathe.

    {...This would have been me...Would I have pleaded like this or simply resigned myself?...This feels so wrong...}

    A body suddenly covered her view and she looked up to see the Emperor with his hand outstretched to her, "Let''s go. You need more rest"

    Lei Xing sat frozen and simply blinked up at him, with a mix of feelings coursing through her mind.

    {...Rest?...I don''t kn-...}

    Chen You suddenly freed herself from the guards and ran over to Lei Xing knelt at her feet as she grabbed her arm, "Jiejie, I-I only did this because I was worried. I never wanted for you to get into any trouble...Jiejie we grew up together, we''re cousins! I would never wish you harm...Jiejie, you can''t watch me die like this!" Chen You frantically pleaded, completely forgetting herself. All she could think about was her imminent death, she could not die like this, two hundred plank beatings will definitely kill her.

    Lei Xing seemed frozen as she watched Chen You, so Chen You moved her pleading to the Emperor, she kowtowed repeatedly as she fervently pleaded, "Your majesty, please forgive me...I-I did not mean to cause any trouble. It will never happen again, please forgive me! Please..."

    Lei Xing blinked and finally regained her senses. She definitely did not believe Chen You''s words but at the same time, to just sit back and watch her die was a bit...And most importantly, those maids who only told the truth. Lei Xing knit her brows as she wrestled with the heightening sense of guilt.

    Frankly, she had been thinking that she behaved to cooly during this whole event. She should have shown some outrage at being "falsely" accused. She wanted to say something but did not know what to say and honestly was not sure whether she really wanted to. She was sure Chen You had something to do with what happened to her and that anger was still surging in her. She wanted her to be punished but as for death...she did not know.

    She had never thought to cause anyone''s death but knowing someone would readily cause hers made her feel much less sympathy at the moment.

    {...Chen You definitely would not have felt any if it was me...And I doubt those maids would have cared much either...So why do I have to? I did nothing wrong...so why...}

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor''s and then at Chen You on the ground, feeling deeply conflicted.

    But before Lei Xing could resolve on whether to plead or not, the Emperor turned to the Empress dowager, and said, "That is too much..." A smile formed on Chen You''s face as she glanced up at the Emperor seeing hope and feeling relief.

    {...It seems he felt something for me after all, he couldn''t just sit back and watch me suffer...I knew it!...}

    Lei Xing blinked at the Emperor in a bit of surprise, while the Empress dowager frowned at him in annoyance.

    {...He said for me to handle this and now he is getting in my way...What is fool getting in my way for now?! He already saved his stupid love so why can''t he let me kill who I want?!...}

    The Emperor continued, "I want them alive...make it thirty and then throw them in prison until I come to a decision..." The Emperor finished, pulled Lei Xing up, grabbed her hand and pulled her out with him.

    Chen You watched them walk off in disbelief and anger as she bit her lip as fresh tears stung her eyes. Chen You was not the only one glaring, as Chun Hua was also glaring at their departing backs with eyes red with rage, she then turned her rage-filled gaze to Chen You.

    {...This foolish impatient idiot ruined everything...But I will get what I want one way or another...}

 Chapter 163 - Envious inclination

    While the Emperor did not care about Chen You and her cohorts, there was the matter of the drug that needed to be investigated. And so far Chen You stood in the middle of it, it was clear she wanted to use this as a ploy to get rid of Lei Xing. But the main question was whether Chen You had any ties to the Dong royal family? As far as he knew, neither her nor her family had any.

    Although the Emperor did not know much about Chen You herself, he knew of her background as he did of all the families of note in his country. And as far as he knew, neither her nor her family had anything that would suggest any such connections to fallen Dong country. If Chen You was the mastermind, then how could she have gotten her hands on the seyu drug?

    {...Or was she just taking advantage of the scenario? Perhaps she was used?... In that case, the maids are more suspicious. It is too much of a coincidence that they just happened to arrive right on time to witness that scene... So is it one or all of them working together? There''s likely more of them?....}

    At the moment, other than Chen You getting rid of Lei Xing, the Emperor could not see any other aim this scheme would achieve. But he was sure there was definitely more to it.

    {...It could very not be seyu and that Doctor Lou could have been mistaken or confused or jesting...But it''s better to make sure...}

    Regardless of whatever reservations he had about Doctor Lou, Chen You and those maids must be thoroughly interrogated and investigated.

    Of course, there was also Prince Yi to consider in all this but then how could they have predicted that Lei Xing would have ended up in his arms? She very could have just grabbed a random stranger instead...And with that infuriating thought, the Emperor tightened his hold on Lei Xing''s hand.

    But Lei Xing herself was absorbed in her own thoughts and was oblivious to the added pressure on her hand. The screams of the girls pierced the air as they exited the Empress dowager''s palace gates and it seemed the beatings had started. Lei Xing could not help but shudder a little as shriek after shriek rang behind them.

    {...This woman was prepared...Probably for me...Or does she just store torture tools ready for use in her palace?... That''s probably it, she''s crazy -_-)...That Chen You does deserve to have sense beating into her... but why did he suddenly become lenient? Not that I particularly want her to be beaten to death...but I wouldn''t mind it much. It''s just curious....}

    Lei Xing cast a quick glance at the Emperor and then looked off to the side.

    {...He didn''t seem to care while he was advocating punishment...her begging worked? I didn''t think he had a soft spot f- Nevermind, thirty is still a lot and prison too. Haven''t seen the place, but I''m a 100% sure it''s awful, especially for a pampered "lady", I doubt her troubles are actually over...Death is often swifter and probably much easier to endure than prison here...But still, it would depend on the leng-}

    The Emperor suddenly stopped and Lei Xing was pulled to a halt. And she immediately went rigid and stared wide-eyed at Prince Yi, who seemed to be intently staring back at her...Or perhaps it was the Emperor he was staring at.

    Regardless of the object arresting his stare, Lei Xing felt itchy to disappear and immediately looked down with knit eyebrows, feeling incredibly rattled with embarrassment. If not for the Emperor holding onto her hand, she might just have fled the scene or dug herself into the ground.

    The Emperor felt Lei Xing go rigid and glanced at her to find her looking down with her ears crimson. And although he could not see the rest of her face, he was very sure that she was just as red with what he hoped was embarrassment...Although, the thought that it might be something more flashed through his mind and just the thought of it infuriated him some more.

    The Emperor frowned and released Lei Xing''s hand, "Xing er'', return to your palace first." Lei Xing nodded and then quickly shuffled her agitated feet forward, walking quickly and controlling the urge to run. Ah Jin who had been waiting outside the Empress dowager''s palace, quickly followed behind her.

    As she passed by Prince Yi, Lei Xing very quietly said, "Sorry." She was sorry. Regardless of the fact that she was drugged, she did assault him and despite the fact she believed he could have done something other than to "indulge" her, she understood that this meant trouble for him. Perhaps even more so than it did for her...And she started it, she could have picked anybody else...

    {...Why did it have to be him?! >__

    Prince Yi blinked and glanced at Lei Xing as she whipped by. Her apology only made his already bad mood worse and his frown deepened. He felt hurt.

    {...She regrets it...}

    Prince Yi glanced back up to meet the Emperor''s cold stare but did not say anything. After a while of them simply looking at each other, the Emperor walked past him and Prince Yi turned and followed. They both understood that there were guards and servants around so the matter could not be discussed here.

    Prince Yi had chosen to wait for the Emperor of his own volition. He refused to run off like a coward. He could barely get any sleep all night thinking of the kiss that he shared with Lei Xing. Thinking of the reason, about what motivated her to do it.

    And most importantly, thinking about what he just realized where feeling he had for her.

    And even when he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of her in the flower field with him again. But this time he had kissed her and it was a blissful time...until he woke up and reality hit him, she was someone else''s. And not just anyone''s, she was his loathsome brother''s.

    One more thing that if it was not for his brother''s existence, he would have had.

 Chapter 164 - Culmination of Emotions

    Prince Yi had laid there on his bed seething for a long time after waking in the early hours of the morning. He finally understood that pull he always felt towards her since the first time he saw her, but what purpose could it possibly serve other than to further complicate his life?

    When he could no longer stand being there, he got on his horse and fled his manor and fled the reality he loathed.

    In the end, he found himself at the flower field and thoughts of her filled his mind as he sat on the grass looking over the flowery landscape. A green snake slithered to him and he looked at it for a while and thought it looked to be the same snake Lei Xing had been running from, but it had grown, much like his feelings for her.

    Prince Yi picked up the snake and it happily wrapped around his arm as he pet its head. He smiled at the memory of her cowering behind her maid, of her glaring at him from behind the carriage, of her in his arms. Then he frowned, closed his eyes and laid back on the grass with the snake looking at him quizzically. It unwound from his arm and slithered over to his head, looked at his face and then coiled up next to his face.

    He stayed there like that until some of the Emperor''s men arrived with the message from the Emperor. His irritation at the mention of his brother was overridden for concern for Lei Xing when he heard of the Empress dowager''s actions. It was only later when he was galloping his way to the palace that it truly dawned on him what a grave mistake he had made, he had just given the Emperor a valid and justifiable reason to kill him.

    But even then he would not flee. If he did not run from his father during that chaos, he would not run now.

    The Emperor finally stopped at the sparring grounds and Prince Yi frowned. This was a place where he suffered humiliation time and time again...At the hands of his father and brothers. He had not come here since he moved out of the palace when he was fourteen. He hated this place.

    The Emperor also seemed to be reminiscing. He also had not come here since he returned. After the Second Prince and Prince Yi moved to their own residences, their father had decided to chang his "teaching" methods. He decided it would better serve him and the Crown Prince to combat with the Imperial guards, while he watched ready with his criticisms as usual.

    Their father also had him and the Crown Prince watch each other''s sessions while he compared one to the other and was sure to tell them what they lacked that the other had, stoking the fire of malice between them.

    Of course, the Emperor never hated the Crown prince, but he did not care for him either. Getting rid of him was simply...ensuring his own survival. Not to mention that he had dug his own grave. But even then, the Emperor still spared Prince Yi their father''s wrath...And at least he gave him a way out, but if Prince Yi was then stupid enough to have jumped headfirst into the fire, then that was simply his fate. But in the end, Prince Yi proved to have a lot more determination than the Emperor had expected.

    Thinking on that, the Emperor realized he had just done the same thing with Lei Xing just now. He could have easily told her the plan as they made their way to the palace, yet he did not...he did feel inclined to...And honestly, he was not sure what he would have done if Lei Xing had not picked up on the clues and instead told the truth. But regardless of whether she was drugged or not, she did not have to kiss his brother...

    The Emperor turned to Prince Yi, who was now glaring at the ground he was quite familiar with, "It has been a long time since we sparred together. How about a quick session?" The Emperor asked with a half-smile, that clearly did not reach his eyes.

    Prince Yi glanced at him and bowed, playing the part of the loyal subject,  "I could never...What if your majesty gets hurt?..." Normally, no one other than the Imperial guards was allowed to wield swords in the palace for the Emperor''s protection.

    The Emperor snorted with dry amus.e.m.e.nt and simply motioned for two guards to bring their swords. He took one and then looked at Prince Yi who was frowning down at the sword the other guard held out to him. Prince Yi glanced at the Emperor''s indifferent expression and then frowned down at the door again and then took it.

    The Emperor then turned back to the guards and ordered, "Withdraw." They bowed and quickly moved to the far ends of the walls.

    Prince Yi watched them withdraw and then turned to the Emperor, who was leisurely scrutinizing the sword in his hand. The thought that if he decided to run the Emperor through right there, the guards were too far to get there in time stop him. He could kill him now.

    Prince Yi frowned and he tightened his grip on the sword then calmly asked, "What if I accidentally end up seriously hurting you? I would rather not bear the blame for such a crime as your death."

    The Emperor glanced up at Prince Yi with a raised eyebrow, "Do you want to kill me?..." Prince Yi blinked at the question, taken aback by the directness of it. But before he could find his words to deny such a "preposterous" suggestion, the Emperor continued, "You can try, if you can...But know that you will not leave here alive either."

    Prince Yi angrily blurted out, "So you are allowed to kil-" But caught himself before he said more. This place was messing with him and making him agitated.

    The Emperor snorted and then smirked, "I would have never thought you were afraid to die. You don''t seem to care very much of late..." The Emperor''s smile disappeared and he flatly said, "A simple sparring session, I will not kill you." And with that said, he swiftly moved towards Prince Yi with sword raised to attack. Prince Yi still had reservations but his hand instinctively moved to defend and he raised his sword to block the Emperor''s.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow with a small smirk on his face as he looked into Prince Yi''s eyes, as he pushed back against the strength of his sword, "You''ve improved."

    On hearing that statement, words he had never heard from those around him. Words he once sought to hear and would have given anything to have heard from their father...Right now coming from his brother, from this particular brother enraged him. Prince Yi''s eyes suddenly burned with immense fury, with the rage of many years long passed...All the pain, anger, humiliation, a lost life of hopes and dreams, all he once was and had become bubbled to the surface c.u.mulating into one emotion, rage. He pushed the Emperor back with all his strength as he bit out through gritted teeth, "I don''t need to hear that from you."

    {...You have no right!...}

 Chapter 165 - Warring Emotions

    Prince Yi lunged forward and flew into a series of attacks fueled by rage, while the Emperor defended seemingly with ease with that small smirk still plastered on his face, which further infuriated Prince Yi. Prince Yi felt like he was looking at the bane of his existence and wanted to tear that smirk right off the Emperor''s face.

    {...As always I''m a joke to you...A fool who is always beneath you!... If it wasn''t for you- !...}

    As their swords clashed again, Prince Yi suddenly heard the Emperor ask, "What''s your excuse?"

    For a moment Prince Yi was confused with the question but then realization quickly set in. He scowled with increased irritation, but then he saw the Emperor''s stupid smirk slowly disintegrating into a scowl. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the Emperor and noticed the concealed rage in his eyes. And he could not help but sneer right into his face.

    {...So you can actually care for something?... I suddenly have the mind to destroy it! I will destroy it and everything you could possibly care for and have you grovel and plead fo -...}

    Prince Yi suddenly felt a kick to his abdomen and fell back. He held onto his abdomen and glared at the Emperor, who simply flexed the sword in his hand with his expression indifferent again as he quietly informed, "She was drugged." And then he asked again, "What''s your excuse?"

    Prince Yi simply glared at him for a while and then he straightened up and indignantly said, "None."

    The Emperor''s calm expression faltered and Prince Yi took victory in that and felt the urge to burst out laughing from watching the Emperor struggle... but being around the Emperor did not allow any mirth to form. He had not had any reason to laugh in years, no reason for joy or glee...Prince Yi blinked and then looked away from the Emperor as he recalled the time in the flower field with Lei Xing.

    {...No reason until that time...I laughed then and forgot everything...}

    The thought of Lei Xing did nothing more than to increase his anger towards the Emperor. He frowned and faced the Emperor and added, "...So go ahead and kill me"

    The Emperor frowned and narrowed his eyes at Prince Yi. Prince Yi tensed under his gaze but made no move to retreat or plead, he stood his ground and held on to the challenge.

    After a while of the two heatedly looking at each other, the Emperor glanced up at the clear sky as he let out a tired sigh. Then his eyes settled back on Prince Yi and with a weary expression, he asked, "Have you ever wondered why you''re still alive?... Or do you really think me to be so foolish to keep sparing you despite your inclinations to seek death?"

    Hearing those words pushed Prince Yi into another frenzy and he began attacking again, "I never asked you to spare me! I never asked for your help! I never asked you for anything! I don''t need your sympathy, I never did!"

    The Emperor also became a bit unhinged that and start pushing back with attacks of his own, as he angrily and frustratedly asked, "You were finally relieved from someone else''s shadow and now you want to live as him? Is it really impossible for you to live your own life?... It''s becoming more and more apparent that you have lost yourself -"

    The Emperor broke off when Prince Yi used his free hand to land a punch on his face, drawing a bit of blood from his mouth. The Emperor touched the blood, looked at it and then raised an eyebrow at Prince Yi, seemingly impressed. But as usual, Prince Yi saw nothing but a mocking glance.

    There was no need to mention who the owner of the shadow was.  Prince Yi knew that he was talking about the Crown prince, the late Crown Prince. That was the only person he had ever stood behind him in his life. Prince Yi had fostered a relationship with the Crown prince, who hated the current Emperor just as he did.

    Other than the issue of the first Empress''s death, there was also the Crown prince''s fear of their "talented" younger brother who seemed to monopolize their father''s sparse affection. The Crown Prince had been Prince Yi''s best chance of pulling the "gifted" and "favored" young Prince down from his high horse into the mud. So he could know what life felt like having to grovel down there.

    He may have collaborated with the Crown Prince, but he was never his shadow and neither was he trying to become him. The fact that the Emperor thought this of him just proved that he truly saw him as nothing and has always looked at him with condescension.

    As their swords clashed again, Prince Yi said through gritted teeth, "I am no one''s shadow." Then he narrowed his eyes and asked, "It was you, wasn''t it? You pushed him into it." Prince Yi said with conviction as his hands on the swords shook with anger.

    The Emperor moved back and slightly raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. Prince Yi took that as acknowledgment and then in a cold calm voice that betrayed the rage in his expression, he asked, "Why did you do it?"

    The Emperor raised his chin and in a truly condescending manner, he returned the question, "Why did you?"

    Prince Yi inhaled and looked appalled by the question and then he went into a self-mocking short laugh, "Of course you wouldn''t understand, you were the special child...How could you ever understand how the rest of us felt? You could never kno-"

    "That''s not what I''m asking." The Emperor cut him off. Prince Yi looked at the Emperor who staring at him with inquisitive eyes. Prince Yi immediately averted his eyes, suddenly feeling self-conscious. and uncomfortable.

    When Prince Yi did not respond, the Emperor cooly said, "I did what I had to...just like you did."

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened and the Emperor let out a silent aggravated sigh. This conversation was not at all what he intended. Instead, they had diverted into other subjects that left him feeling tired and drained.

    Looking at Prince''s expression, it seemed like Prince Yi may have glimpsed a bit of his own hypocrisy and perhaps it may ample ground for self-reflection and change for the better...At least the Emperor hoped that was the case as he turned to leave, when Prince Yi suddenly asked, "Why?"

    The Emperor stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, this time truly unclear what he what question was. Prince Yi''s frown deepened and still not looking at the Emperor, he directly asked, "Why did you not mention me?"

    The Emperor went rigid and did not respond and simply stared at Prince Yi. Prince Yi fixed his gaze back on the Emperor and the Emperor immediately unconsciously averted his gaze.

    Prince Yi went back to glaring at him, "You can''t say?"

    The Emperor knit his brows and then looked back at Prince Yi, "I had hoped you could make your own dreams come true rather than dying for someone else''s."

    One side of Prince Yi''s mouth curved up in a mocking smile, "Dreams?... What do you know of my dreams?"

    The Emperor knit his brows and lowered his eyes as his hand on his sword tightened so much that his knuckles turned white and he could not respond.

    Seeing the Emperor''s discomfort, Prince Yi''s body relaxed and he quietly spoke again, "Just like father, life is a game to you and people are simply pieces you use and discard as you deem fit...You would smile with your enemies and treat those who see you as a friend as fools. Everyone is beneath you and betrayal is deep in your nature, just like him ..."

    The Emperor slightly opened his mouth wanting to say something or deny it. But in the end, he could not, he closed his mouth and frowned at the ground with a deepening frown.

    Prince Yi stared at the Emperor for a while, studying his face and the conflicting emotions hidden behind his frown...And since he had already begun, he asked the question that has been festering in his mind for a long time, "Do you think you have made up for it?"

    The Emperor immediately looked up at Prince Yi wide-eyed, then he blinked, opened his mouth, closed it and then finally said in a whisper, "You know?" As the color drained from his face.

    Prince Yi ignored the question and continued boring holes into the Emperor, "Know what? Why can''t you say it?... All I know is that you''re parading yourself around under the guise of a hero to fool the world while hiding your cold center." When the Emperor started and looked like he wanted to say something, Prince Yi sneered and said, "Of course it''s never your doing or your fault and you are forever the most infallible person ever. There is a justification for all you do and it is always what is best. It''s my fault for being too stupid and you were only just being your competent "helpful" self leading the blind. Would you like me to bow and express my gratitude?"

    Prince Yi was clearly mocking him but the Emperor did not have the mind to pay attention to any of it. At the moment, he felt reduced to a shocked, pained and sorry little child he once was, whose only thought was of how he could possibly undo his own ignorant actions. He made the mistake.

    Prince Yi seemed to be patiently waiting for the Emperor''s answer to the question. But in the end, all the Emperor could do was look up to prince Yi and asked in a quiet hoarse voice, "What would you have had me do?... What would you have me do?" He amended, his voice thick with remorse.

    Prince Yi remained unaffected by the Emperor''s aggrieved expression. After all, it was his life that was ruined and not the Emperor''s. So he narrowed his eyes at the Emperor and then spitefully said, "Kill yourself."

 Chapter 166 - Tis a Pity

    Contrary to what Prince Yi expected, the Emperor gave a wry smile and calmly said, "I can''t do that."

    {...Not now...not anymore. I have so much to do...and there''s Xing er'' -...}

    Remembering Lei Xing reminded the Emperor of the kissing incident and a thought flashed across his mind and without thinking, he asked, "Do you have feelings for her?"

    Prince Yi blinked and was visibly taken aback by the question. It seemed as the Emperor saw Prince Yi''s shocked expression, he also realized what he just asked and averted his gaze and frowned. He did not know why he had asked that question.

    It was true that the thought of giving Lei Xing to his brother had momentarily crossed his mind the day before but he never meant to ask that...And he definitely did not come here wanting to even consider that. He also did not think he could actually give her to him...Perhaps he could, he did not know. He honestly did not know and was feeling very confused with himself at the moment.

    The Emperor let out a heavy sigh and the next thing he felt himself get knocked to the ground. Apparently, after Prince Yi got over the shock, he was overcome with rage. He had dropped his sword and rushed the confused, oblivious Emperor, pushing him to the ground and proceeding to pummel his face as he barked, "HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU EVEN CONSIDER THAT MY MOTHER IS REPLACEABLE WITH SOME RANDOM -"

    Prince Yi was promptly yanked off the Emperor by the Imperial guards, but not before landing a few blows. The Imperial guards had sprinted over as soon as the Emperor was knocked off his feet. The Emperor had simply laid there and taken the blows with no struggle, despite the fact that he still had a sword in hand.

    Eunuch Li who had just arrived on the scene just as the Imperial guards were rushing over. He knelt by the Emperor and called to him as he looked him over for injuries. The Emperor''s eyes were open but he did not seem to have be present at the scene as his mind looked to be elsewhere.

    Luckily, the Imperial guards had acted swiftly and so Prince Yi could only land a few blows, but even then the damage was obvious. Bruises were evident as well as some cuts resulting from the ring on one of Prince Yi''s hands.

    After helping the Emperor sit up, Eunuch Li angrily whirled on Prince Yi, who was still glaring daggers at the Emperor. "Prince Yi, what is the meaning of this direspectf- ?"

    "Release him." The Emperor calmly ordered without looking in his direction. The Imperial guards confusedly looked at the Emperor and then at Eunuch Li, who was looking at the Emperor with a frown. In the end, Eunuch Li sighed and turned back to the Imperial guards, "Escort Prince Yi out of the palace...respectably." He added so they knew to avoid causing a scene.

    The Imperial guards released Prince Yi and then one of them politely bowed and motioned to the exit. Prince Yi condescendingly looked at the Emperor on the floor, then he turned and stormed off.

    {...How pathetic!...}

    Eunuch Li watched as Prince Yi stalked off and then he turned back to the Emperor to find him with an elbow resting on his knee and his forehead lowered on the raised hand. Eunuch Li furrowed his brow and felt the urge to comfort him, but did not know what to do or say.

    He had also learned over the years, the Emperor only ever wanted to be left to himself at times like this. He did not welcome anyone''s comfort. The result of years of cold and strict upbringing from everyone around him. Even when Eunuch Li had attempted to show him warmth as a child, it was always met with an indifferent reception.

    Not to mention, earned him the Empress dowager''s ire and a strong reminder that he was not a simple child but rather was one with great responsibility and should be raised as such. A responsibility that bore down on Eunuch Li, all those who were lost and those who relied on the hope for a better future.

    And so, Eunuch Li had also adhered and even maintained that level of strictness in the Empress dowager''s absence. Eunuch Li had been glad when Prince Yi had gotten the Emperor to start warming up and was finally glimpsing some semblance of a childhood, even though it was for a few moments. He had argued with the Empress dowager to ensure he kept that small liberty that allowed him brief escapes.

    But unfortunately, the Empress dowager''s confinement and his stay ruined everything and he became even more distant with people. Even though the second Empress treated him kindly and may have even permitted his continued visits with Prince Yi, the Emperor still kept his distance from him and everyone around and retreated into his shell. He followed orders and performed excellently as usual but he barely spoke to anyone.

    Then Prince Yi''s life also crumpled a few weeks later and the Emperor made a show of support and went to him. Then there was Prince Yi''s illness that came after and the Emperor seemed to have come out extremely hurt from the groveling he had to do...Thankfully, Lei Yong came along right when the Emperor was feeling most vulnerable and brought with him an energy similar to that of Prince Yi''s.

    Eunuch Li had almost been moved to tears himself as he secretly watched the little Emperor hiding in an obscure corner in quietly stifling back tears that still fell despite his best efforts. He wanted to go comfort him, he was just a child...but at the same time, he was not just a child and he could not bring himself to go to him. And he knew the little boy would not have appreciated it being caught in his weakness. Instead, Eunuch Li stood and ensured no one came upon the spot.

    Until Lei Yong came wandering down the corridor and he suddenly had the thought that the Emperor needed was a good replacement for Prince Yi. He had heard good things about the Defense minister''s son and thought him a bright and cheerful child, like Prince Yi had once been.  And so, he had walked up to young boy and subtlety placed the thought of going in the crying Emperor''s direction and as he had expected Lei Yong had found the Emperor. If Lei Yond had further aggravated the little Emperor in any way, Eunuch Li had sworn to end the boy before the day was over...Luckily for Lei Yong, he was the right fit for the position.

    Eunuch Li sighed heavily.

    {...But it seems a good friend cannot replace a lost brother...}

    He could understand the Emperor''s level of tolerance for Prince Yi. But he still thought that the Emperor was giving too much in return for the few moments of kindness. Prince Yi did live a hard life but none of it was the Emperor''s fault and the Emperor''s childhood was also very difficult with more responsibility and burdens placed on his young shoulders.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow, his sympathy for Prince Yi had dwindled to a new low with this event.

    {...It was one thing to make covert attempts, but to be so brazen to attack him in broad daylight and publicly too. It''s too much...}

    The thought of having Prince Yi finally taken care of crossed his mind again. Even the Empress dowager had berated him for this failure and had been furious when he refused to acknowledge her order to have him killed. The Emperor had given specific orders that Prince Yi is to be left alone and he refused to betray him. Despite Prince Yi''s lack of reciprocation and appreciation for the Emperor''s efforts, the Emperor had always looked out for him.

    And even now as Emperor, when Prince Yi still dares to be so brazen but still, the Emperor let it go and refused to speak more on the topic...

    {...Even though Prince Yi  is no more than a wooden tiger at the moment but that doesn''t mean we have to keep this tiger around. It''s troubl-...}

    "... - it done immediately." The end of the Emperor''s sentence drifted into Eunuch Li''s engrossed mind, he blinked and saw that the Emperor was standing in front of him.

    Eunuch Li had not even realized when he had gotten up. His face was bruised but his eyes were calm and he seemed unaffected. Eunuch Li blinked again and then went, "I''m sorry, Your majesty. What did you want done immediately?"

    The Emperor patiently repeated, "Have contraception medication sent to Xing er."

    Eunuch Li froze then went wide-eyed, "Did she reall-...Was she?" Was all he could manage.

    "No." The Emperor flatly responded, knitting his brows, unhappy with Eunuch Li''s speculation. He had already sent word to him of the situation even before they arrived at the palace.

    "Then why?" Eunuch Li asked completely confused.

    "I want it done." The Emperor simply responded and then changed the subject before Eunuch Li could pursue the subject, "How was it this morning?"

    On hearing that, Eunuch Li''s mind refocused on why he had come to find the Emperor. but he proceeded to give the report of the morning''s proceedings, "After I announced this morning that Court was canceled. The defense minister and the Prime minister came to inquire about the situation. It seems there was already some speculation regarding the Empress dowager''s raid of Prince Yi''s manor and then now with your unexpected absence..."

    "...They suspected the incidents were linked. I gave them vague responses vague and they left it at that and asked that you send for them once you are fit to...But General Lei has been waiting for you in the royal study for a while now...It seems the Empress dowager had sent someone to inquire of Noble consort Lei''s whereabouts from her family...He''s currently still waiting to see you."

    The Emperor frowned and closed his eyes as he sighed, "Inform him that Xing er'' is safe and explain my mother''s misunderstanding..." He paused and then said, "I don''t want to see anyone today." And with that, he started walking away, with Eunuch Li following behind in agreement with his decision. The Emperor''s face was really not one to be shown to be people today.

    As the Emperor approached his retinue that remained by the entrance, some of them cast shocked glances at him but they quickly lowered their gazes and controlled their expression as they quietly fell in step behind him. Eunuch Li sighed heavily again as he watched the Emperor''s departing back.

    {...Today has been a really long day...Has he changed his mind about General Lei''s daugher? But they were doing so well...Did something really happen to her?... Don''t tell me he has chosen not to have children now?!...}

    Euncuh Li frowned and shook his head at that thought as he walked off on his own to see to the medication order.

    {...He wouldn''t...It must be he has chosen to move on to someone else...It''s a pity...I hope his friendship with Lei Yong does not suffer from this. That would truly be a pity...}

 Chapter 167 - Backwash

    As soon as Lei Xing reached her palace, she drank an entire pot of water and then anxiously paced about for but as Xiao Ruo fussed about her asking about her whereabouts and babbling about what happened in her absence. Lei Xing curtly informed that she was with the Emperor which promptly sent made her break out in a smiling fit. Eventually, Lei Xing shooed both Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin out the doors, then she sat down, leaned back in the chair and just stared at the ceiling.

    Prince Yi''s face flashed in her mind and she immediately shooed him away as well. It had taken all of her self control to have not sprinted off in the opposite direction when they ran into him. The fact that she wanted to run was also very upsetting. She was not a coward, but then again she had never been in this sort of situation before. Regardless, such cowardice was irritating and unbecoming.

    Lei Xing expected that she would have been able to brazenly and indifferently explain to him that she was drugged and that it had meant nothing. And then would have left it up to him to believe it or not rather, with a calm and composed head like always. Instead, she behaved like a scared and guilty three-year-old who was caught stealing cookies. It was irritating and belittling. She was not a child and was definitely not a fan of anyone who made her feel like one. Embarrassment was one thing, cowardice was another.

    {...I will never be able to look at that guy the same T_T) Not that I looked before, frankly it would be best if we never meet again...But that''s impossible, isn''t it? -_-)...I feel like punching something, preferably Chen You''s face, it would be very nice to punch her. Could visit the prison? Nah, that''s a waste of time and energy, screw her...I wonder how she''s feeling now, not that I care -_-)...*sigh* That aside, I survived!... But I don''t feel like celebrating. Chen You''s fault...}

    While Lei Xing felt angry with Chen You, she was also feeling increasingly angrier with herself.

    {...SERIOUSLY?...Couldn''t I have chosen some other person? Someone I would never have to see again? Why did it have to be that guy?... Not to mention it''s his BLOODY brother! I can imagine it''s doubly upsetting just for that fact...}

    Lei Xing stretched out her legs and closed her eyes with a sigh. Her body was still hurting and her head was throbbing but she didn''t feel like going to the bed and so she got as comfortable as possible on the chair.

    {...He must be really angry, even though he didn''t show it...He seemed distant...Maybe he''ll move on now...No, he said he already knew about it in the hot springs, if he wanted to move on, he wouldn''t have gotten in with me or - *sigh*...I wonder what they''re doing? He wouldn''t kill him, right?... I mean I understand it''s probably considered a high crime, Prince or not and as the Emperor, he could kill him and give whatever reason or maybe not even give any reason and that would be the end...But for this...It''s definitely too much...}

    Lei Xing let out another tired sigh.

    {...I''m tired, today has been a really long day...}

    Lei Xing stayed stretched out on the low chair for a long while with her eyes closed. She willed her mind to stop and found solace in the emptiness of it, not quite awake but not asleep either.  Eventually, she did end up dozing off and then woke up with a start and then groaned when her back and neck screamed from the sudden movement. This chair was really not a place to sleep. She massaged out the knots in her neck and yawned and decided to go to the bed.

    As she stood up and headed for the bed, an important thought suddenly flashed through her sleepy mind, jump starting her mind awake.

    Contraception!

    Lei Xing immediately changed directions and went into the storage room at the back of her bedroom, where she stored her trunks of money among other things.

    {...That quack can keep his magic birth control and whatnot. I planned for this...Just wait until I go back for him. I need to thank him of course, but most importantly, we need to talk about this stupid bracelet... I bet he can get you off...}

    {...}

    The bracelet did not respond but Lei Xing was not bothered, there was now hope to rid herself of this tyrant...Well, maybe not a tyrant anymore. They have been getting along fine these days and she liked being able to speak her mind to someone. It also did not bother her as much either. But she was not a fan of being held hostage like this. It also gets annoying and uncomfortable. She honestly just wanted her own mind space back.

    {... Ugh, but the problem with that old man is getting him to focus. He can be infuriating and incredibly stubborn...but overall pleasant, when he''s jumping all over the place or messing around ?_?)...}

    Lei Xing let out an exasperated breath as she rummaged through the last of the drawers but still did not find the medication. She stood up straight with knit eyebrows and scanned the room.

    {...I''m pretty sure I put it here...It wouldn''t be in one of trunks, would it? I wouldn''t have put it there...}

    Lei Xing had just decided to check the trunks when she heard the door open. She turned around and just decided to go find either Ah Jin or Xiao Ruo to ask if they knew its whereabouts. Only for her to stop dead in her tracks, wide-eyed.

    The Emperor was standing in the middle of the room, his face bruised with cuts, and most shockingly was the fact that he was holding a sword and was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

    Lei Xing gulped and glanced at Ah Jin who was standing behind the Emperor, intently staring at him as if ready to pounce if he moved. Apparently the only one brave enough to have followed him inside.

    Before Lei Xing could process the scene in front of her, Xiao Ruo burst into the room and immediately fell to her knees next to the Emperor, "Your majesty, please do not be angry with Her highness!" Ah Jin quickly knelt beside her and echoed her words, followed by more echoes from the rest of the more timid of the staff that had stayed outside, safely in the corridor.

    Lei Xing finally blinked and then frowned in confusion.

    {...So he''s here for me...with that?... But he said to tr- Seriously? O_O)...}

    Lei Xing was confused, but she started feeling very upset and was now pretty much glaring daggers at the Emperor.

    {...I am not going to beg... Run me through if you want!. Then I''ll haunt you for the rest of your life and make sure you live a hellish miserable life! Hmph!..}

    The Emperor frowned and glanced at Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin, confused over what the fuss was. Then he noticed Lei Xing glaring at him, then he quickly realized it was his hand she was glaring at. He looked down and was shocked by the sight. He immediately released the sword and it noisily fell to the ground, shocking the others.

    He immediatley looked up at lei Xing and said, "I-I would never hurt you."  Lei Xing stared at him with knit eyebrows and obvious skepticism. The Emperor was still rattled and understood her disbelief.

    He had brought a sword here. He was truly not aware he still carried the sword and no one said anything to him on the way here. He just thought...He honestly was not really sure what he was thinking. And the blatant disbelief he saw in her expression felt like another stab to his chest. He looked down with a frown and then turned to Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin who were still on their knees and ordered in a chilling voice, "Leave."

    Xiao Ruo started to speak again but Ah Jin grabbed her hand and whispered something to her. Xiao Ruo glanced at Lei Xing, who was looking at the Emperor unflinchingly. Then she glanced at the sword on the ground, and then reluctantly got up and left with Ah Jin.

    After the doors had closed behind them, the Emperor looked back at Lei Xing who was still looking at him with a wary expression. He let out a breath and repeated, "I would never hurt you...you know that, don''t you?"

    {...So the sword was for? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing stifled the urge to roll her eyes, instead, she glanced down at the sword and then looked up at him and assessed him with a cool gaze.

    {...Well, he does look sorry...Actually he looks like a sorry apparition right now, pitiful almost...What the hell happened to you?...}

    Lei Xing could clearly see that something was wrong with the Emperor. When she came out, he was just standing there with a blank expression, face pale and looking worn out. In a daze almost. Then that expression changed to a frown and then panic when he dropped the sword and now it was apologetic, at least that was what she interpreted it as. His expression was odd.

    Seeing how odd his behavior was, she could not hold on to her anger but still feeling unnerved by his odd "moods", she simply nodded in understanding. The Emperor studied Lei Xing for a bit and then lowered his eyes and stared at the ground between them.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and awkwardly stood there, not knowing what to say or do with his presence. She guessed that his face was a result of a brawl and given the situation this morning, she guessed the perpetrator was Prince Yi. Although, she never expected the Emperor to have taken such a beating...especially not to the face.

    {...What the hell is wrong with that guy? Why aim for the face?!... Okay, he probably aimed everywhere else too, but still, the face is a no go area! I hope he used a stretcher to go home! -_-)...}

 Chapter 168 - Old Relief

    Lei Xing let out an exasperated sigh and was about to suggest calling for an Imperial doctor, when the Emperor suddenly looked back up at her with a frown and she froze.

    "I want to ask you something..." The Emperor said with a deepening frown, which evolved into a glare as he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts.

    He had not planned coming here to see her...at least not at the moment. But as he was on the long walk to his palace with his whirling thoughts. One thought which had been nagging at the back of his mind since last night suddenly became much louder than the rest, overpowering all the other thoughts. To the point, it became unbearable and he needed to get it resolved now and then.

    So he came here.

    He lowered his eyes again as he clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling anxious and steeling himself against whatever the answer came out to be. He looked up at Lei Xing who was scrutinizing him with a raised eyebrow, obviously perplexed with his behavior. He knew he was not like himself at the moment, but he could not help it. He felt lost and wanted to know...and honestly felt a bit afraid of knowing but he would and will get through it. He had to.

    {...am I in the way?... If I am, I could -...fix it...for you...for you both...}

    The Emperor let out a shaky breath and finally began, "Answer honestly, there will be absolutely no repercussions. Th-the sword, I just forgot I had it, it''s never for you..." He paused and took a deep breath, "I just want some clarity...Do you feel anything for my brother?" He finished staring up at her with an earnest beseeching expression.

    {...Drugged or not, why did you choose him? It could have been anyone or anything but why him? Do you really -...}

    This time, Lei Xing did roll her eyes as her irritation surged back up and she said in a completely exasperated voice, "I have told you that I have absolutely no feelings for your brother. That - He was the closest person there! There''s no why or how to it! It was a just sorry coincidence! It meant nothing and I am sorry it happened and I don''t know what else to say to you." Lei Xing finished in one breath, all of a sudden feeling very tired and angry as she took deep breaths to calm herself.

    The Emperor just stood there staring at her. And to Lei Xing, his lack of words and obscure expression showed disbelief and...it hurt her.

    She glared at him feeling angry and aggrieved, then she lowered her head, not wanting to continue to look at him, not wanting to continue to see the accusation in his eyes. She bit her lower lip and frowned, her eyes were starting to feel hot and it further infuriated her. Now she was angry with herself.

    {...If you dare cry, I will skin you -_-)...I''m not crying and neither do I want to, why the hell would I cry for a flip-flopping as***le?! It''s just frustrating is all...He asked me to trust him but doesn''t he know trust goes both ways. How the hell can I trust him when he can''t trust me?... Okay, the same thing might be said about me, but that''s why I''m not the one going around asking people to trust me!... And here I was thinking - I don''t know what I was thinking...Forget it, screw it, screw him and his stupid face!...}

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and tried to calm her anger and...disappointment. Then she felt a light touch on her cheek and opened her eyes and to see the Emperor in front of her. Still feeling upset, she did not want to look up at his expression and so refused to raise her head, but she did not move away from the hand that was softly rested on her cheek.

    The Emperor knew he had upset Lei Xing by asking that, but hearing her words brought him immense relief. She refused to look up at him but he did not mind. He smiled and lightly rested his forehead on hers, closed his eyes and let out a breath he was not aware he had been holding. A heavy weight had been lifted off his heart.

    {...Thank goodness...I couldn''t have, I really couldn''t...}

    It again truly shocked him how important she had become to him. She was the most important thing to him. He could truly not imagine losing her.

    Lei Xing at first went rigid, but then quickly relaxed. She glanced up at his face to see his eyelashes fluttering and his eyebrows twitching and then she went rigid again. She blinked, then gulped, then just stared at his face wide-eyed.

    {...Is he crying? No, he''s shaking. Shaking? Holding back tears? What? Why?!...No, people shake for various reasons, overcome with emotion? Emotion?... Ah, Ah, Ahhhh O_O)...I mean it''s fine for him to be emotional or cry. It''s fine to cry...It''s actually good to cry, nothing wrong with crying. It''s a good outlet, cry if you need to...But what am I supposed to do with a crying - it''s shaking, emotionally overwhelmed human being? T_T)...}

    Lei Xing really did not know how to handle emotional people. She made it a point to avoid such situations and in her mostly solitary life, it was rarely ever an issue. On the rare occasions she encountered such, she bumbled through it somehow...and she will today as well. She took a deep breath and steadied herself and stared at his bruised face, trying to sort out a direction.

    Her gaze moved across his face, tracking the bruises and little cuts on his cheeks and jaw. She noticed some dried blood at the corner of his lip too and then frowned.

    {...How the hell did he get this beat up?! He was a freaking general or something and that guy is a - was he ever anything? Yes, he''s the dainty prince type!... How?!...*sigh* It must hurt...}

    Lei Xing''s gaze softened and without thinking, she gently laid her hand on the hand on her face and softly asked, "Are you alright?"

    "En" The Emperor lightly responded.

    {...You don''t seem okay...}

    But Lei Xing kept that thought to herself and just stood there, not knowing what more to say or do. With her fingers subconsciously gently stroking his hand, in an effort to soothe.

    They stood there like that for a while until the Emperor finally opened eyes to see Lei Xing''s eyes gently looking up at him. He smiled, kissed her forehead and then stood upright, softly caressed her cheek and said, "I''m sorry."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and then said, "It''s fine." She studied the Emperor''s face and he seemed more like himself now, smiling and calm. Except for those bruises and cuts, Lei Xing knit her brows. Then she grabbed his hand on her face, brought it down and held it as she carefully asked, "Did you brawl with your brother?"

    The Emperor''s smile faltered but he maintained it as he offhandedly responded, "A little."

    Lei Xing frowned and irritatedly asked, "And you let him do that to your face?" She found that she really expected better from the Emperor and apparently underestimated Prince Yi.

    {...He better be on that stretcher. Bed bound for fifty years!... Okay, maybe not fifty years, but at least a month...And maybe a scar or two or three, on the face -_-)...}

    The Emperor lightly shrugged but did not respond.

    Lei Xing brought up her other hand and lightly touched his bruised cheek with a finger and winced as if she were the one in pain. The Emperor quickly caught her hand, kissed it and then brought it down, squeezing it tightly to reassure her as he said, "It''s nothing."

    Lei Xing searched his face for a bit, despite the fact that he was smiling, she still felt that he was odd. She inwardly sighed and then said, "I''ll send for an Imperial doctor."

    "There''s no need."

    Lei Xing frowned and informed, "No, head injuries can be very serious even when they seem like nothing. You could have a concussion or maybe not but there could be internal bleeding or something. Anyway, you have to get checked." She finished narrowing her eyes at him.

    The Emepror''s smile widened for a brief moment before it diminished and he said, "Later." said in a weary voice.

    Although he was still smiling at her, Lei Xing felt that he still did not seem himself. It was odd, but she also felt as if he were looking through her and not at her. She looked down at their hands with a pout and then decided to leave the topic alone for now.

    {...Was it the fight?... They already didn''t seem to be on the best of terms...I wonder if... *sigh* This sucks...}

    Again, they stood there holding hands and unmoving for a while. Finally, at her wit''s end, Lei Xing took a deep breath and said, "Let''s sit." Then she proceeded to pull him to the low seats in the corner. She sat him down and then asked, "How about some water? Or tea...anything?" The Emperor simply shook his head in response.

    Lei Xing stood there scrutinizing him for a bit, then she let out a sigh and sat down next to him. Opting for the elevated board where the seats were constructed on rather than the seat on the other side of the table. She glanced at the Emperor and he was no longer looking at her or smiling. He was looking down at his hands with a frown on his face, and he seemed to be in a far off place.

    Lei Xing sighed as she drew up her knees and rested her head on it. He was clearly troubled but he did not seem inclined to share and nor did she feel she had the right to ask. So she just stayed there next to him... It was the least she could do and it was all she could do.

    {...It seems today has really been a long day for a lot of people...}

 Chapter 169 - Revelation

    After a long while of the two of them sitting in silence, the Emperor suddenly said, "I understand why you don''t want to be in the palace."

    Lei Xing raised her head and glanced at him, he sent her a wry smile and continued, "If I had the choice, I wouldn''t have chosen to be here either." He then let out a breath and looked down again, "The Imperial palace is a cold place...and being part of the royal family can be a very cold existence..."

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and stared at him. The Emperor''s quietness was already unnerving enough, and now he brought up this subject which he seemed to hate. Whenever she mentioned anything about life out of the palace or leaving, he always glared at her. So she had stopped mentioning it. But now he started it with a smile on his face. She was lost.

    {...Why is he suddenly talking about this?... He wouldn''t be sending me out of the palace, right? No...Why?...}

    {...*I thought that''s what you wanted...Not celebrating? Why not? hehe~...}

    Lei Xing bit her lip, looked down and frowned in annoyance.

    {...Of course, it''s what I wanted - want...But for him to do this after - it''s just confusing is all...}

    She took a deep breath and her frown deepened.

    {...So frustrating...Annoying...Headache inducing! They should have punched his face in! Or maybe he got bashed silly!...}

    {...*Ohhh I see...You don''t want to leave him now, th -...}

    {...Shut up! Who doesn''t want to leave? I''m ready to pack right now!... I don''t care, don''t care about anyone!... And you should hurry up and get lost too!...}

    {...*It''s okay, I knew you had a heart somewhere...deep down. Don''t worry he''s not sending you away and I shall celebrate on your behalf hehehe~...}

    {...Go away -_-)...}

    Lei Xing pouted and glared at the opposite wall.

    {...If he says to go, I''ll pack up immediately and even thank him too...Then I''ll move to another city - no, another country and be sure never to see or even hear about him again...Just need cash and I can survive. He can go hang or jump into a volcano for all I care and I''ll just - ...So frustrating! >_

    "I killed the late Empress."

    Lei Xing blinked and instantly turned to the Emperor again with a raised eyebrow.

    {...Your randomness today is insanely bizarre...Do you maybe have a concussion? Or what is this? A confessional? Deep state analysis?... Tch, got me riled up for no reason -_-)...}

    "You''re not shocked." The Emperor said as he scrutinized Lei Xing''s expression, her expression was curious but not shocked.

    Lei Xing shrugged and put her head back on her knees, "Well I figured she didn''t actually pass away from "grief". The timing is also quite telling...I did think it was your mother''s work though. Both can''t be the Empress dowager and so one had to go. The whole two lions on one mountain scenario..."

    "Two tigers." The Emperor corrected with a small smile.

    "Same idea." Lei Xing offhandedly responded.

    ** (LOL she was referring to the idiom "One mountain cannot contain two tigers") **

    The Emperor scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit. Her reaction was a bit unexpected.  "You''re not going to ask?"

    Lei Xing cast a side glance at the Emperor, then faced forward, "If you feel inclined to share, I can listen."

    Her relaxed reception was a bit startling but after the Emperor thought about how it, a cool reception was very much like Lei Xing. He just told her something that should be shocking and she seemed so unaffected and uninterested. She always seemed to be controlled even after troublesome ordeals and never seemed to want to know about him. At first, he thought of it as her not being interested in him, but her occasional worry for him debunked that notion.

    She did not share about herself and in return did not ask. It seems she was a distant person by nature...just like him. She would not inquire but she would participate if he volunteered the information, but she was a deep thinker and had her notions on everything.

    He felt they were similar but also very different, something he attributed to their vastly different upbringings. But then that was another thing that puzzled him, she was distant with everyone, even her family. It seemed to simply be her personality. He sometimes wondered if she felt out place in her life...like he did.

    He wondered if she felt the same sense of belonging he felt with her. Wondered if his presence brought her ease as hers did for him...Wondered if he warmed her heart. Regardless, It warmed his heart that she apologized for what happened to ease him despite it not being her fault. It warmed his heart that she quietly stayed by him. It warmed his heart that she worried for him...she warms his heart and that was enough for him.

    The Emperor felt the sudden overpowering urge to hug her and so he did, and that managed to get more of a reaction out of Lei Xing a bit more than his confession.

    It was an awkward hug given their position, not to mention the wooden arm of the chair in between them which was annoying. So the Emperor simply brought his arm down, under her knees and lifted her onto his lap, getting an even better reaction. She was very sensitive about physical matters and awkward with emotional matters. Lei Xing at first went wide-eyed when she was hoisted up, then she frowned and quickly began a protest, "Your injuries -"

    "I was only hit on the face." The Emperor informed with a smile as he watched her cheeks and ears turning red.

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened.

    {...Just the face... That as***le must have been jealous or something -_-)...}

    While Prince Yi and the Emperor did share some resemblance, there were obvious differences between the two. She honestly did wonder how the mistaken identity theory would have worked but then it was not her place to argue against her own cause. It was dark out and given the distance and poor lighting, a "mistake" could be made.

    The Emperor was a taller, not by much but by enough, he was also more muscular, shoulders are broader. They are both handsome, but to Lei Xing, the Emperor was the better looking of the two. In her opinion, Prince Yi''s beauty was the pretty boy type which fell flat while the Emperor''s just had more character and greater...overall quality.

    {...The father must have been a handsome fool, a true playboy character, the irritating type...the dowager, despite her craziness is a good looking woman although I would never tread on crazy, even if it looks like a million dollars...now if it gave me a million then maybe - Nevermind, anyway 2 and 2 makes this...Yi''s also pretty good too...Playboy had good eyes, the a***ole -_-)...}

    "Are you still upset?" The Emperor asked as he put his head on her shoulder.

    "No..." Lei Xing responded with a pout, then she blurted out,  "What''s his condition like?" She had been wondering about this since his arrival here. She left a fine fresh-faced man with him and he returned a bruised, cut up face to her. it even looked like he was getting a black eye now. She could tell the Emperor took care of his skin, his face was smooth and blemish-free and she quite liked it, but now he looked like this. Not to mention, he might possibly scar too. It was irritating.

    The Emperor frowned and raised his head, but before he could speak Lei Xing noticed him getting upset again, She pursed her lips and quickly clarified for him, "How bad did you leave him? Considering your face is like this...He should have quite the damage too, right? More..."

    The Emperor relaxed and then snorted, Lei Xing glared at him, "It''s not funny, this..." she made a circling hand motion, "...is upsetting."

    The Emperor cleared his throat and informed, "I kicked him."

    "One kick?" Lei Xing asked with a frown.

    The Emperor shrugged and did not respond, then he averted his eyes suddenly feeling self-conscious and embarrassed under Lei Xing''s disapproving gaze.

    {...Who would have thought? -_-)...All muscle and no bite...Okay, maybe it just wasn''t his day, he might be sick or very tired. It was a tiring morning...He must have jumped him, probably cheated -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sighed and then asked, "Is that why you''re in a bad mood? Because you lost..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and promptly corrected, "I didn''t lose." Then he sighed and the amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes diminished, "That''s not why."

    {...I didn''t lose, I have you...and he has...no one...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "Then did he threaten to expose you killing the late Empress?"

    "No, he probably only guessed it...even then, the news will only fuel a bit of rumor and do nothing more."

    Lei Xing frowned, "What about Prime minister Zhao? He was her brother, won''t he be an issue?"

    "The Zhao family''s current existence is based on my goodwill...I''m sure he is already aware, he''s a smart man who knows when not to provoke trouble. Why do you think such rumors never surfaced in the first place? He worked very hard stifle any such notions, a public service on his part..."

    "I see..." Lei Xing said as she processed the information.

    {...True, he''s already Emperor, who are you going to cry your grievance to?... But isn''t he a bit too confident? Smug...Almost conceited really...Or maybe just is...}

    Lei Xing felt the urge to snicker but kept it in, the Emperor''s expression had become odd and distant again.

    "I did not actually kill her...Nor did I intend to, I wanted to ruin her. Although death would still have been her end result, courtesy of my mother''s hands or my brother''s..." He let out a weary sigh and then said, "Now I know they both resent me for robbing them of that triumph...But she chose to kill herself rather than suffer through the ruin that was to come...I showed her all the information on the Zhao family''s wrongdoings over the years and informed her I planned to expose them in Court the next day. I watched as the world crashed in her eyes...I admit it brought some gratification..."

 Chapter 170 - Madhouse

    "She accused me of being ungrateful. She truly believed I would live as her son and ignore the mother who had brought me nothing but pain...I would have, I truly could have but then she crossed the line. I left her and waited for her to try to stop me, left myself completely open and waited...But she did not come, instead, she chose a coward''s way and killed herself. I would have saved her if I could, I wanted her to atone and death seemed too easy...She called me foolish, perhaps I was...They gambled and they lost. Whatever little I might have owed them for securing my throne, was repaid with the Zhao family''s continued existence and Prime minister Zhao is aware of his place..."

    Lei Xing''s ears perked up and she listened attentively. She was not one to ever ask for gossip, but if one would talk, she would listen if the mood were right and the topic, interesting enough. The topic was definitely interesting and the mood was also right enough. So even though at the back of her mind she kept wondering why he was telling her all this, she calmly looked at him and patiently waited for him to continue on with his tale.

    "She killed my father, I knew and did nothing to stop her. I didn''t care. Her brother, Prime minister Zhao was obviously part of that plot, not to mention the embezzling and other criminal activities her family was engaging in. My father became a bit of a fool in his later years, courtesy of her slow poisoning...Once my oldest brother, the Crown prince then was out of the way, my father had outlived his usefulness."

    "...Not to mention the annoyance she must have felt when my father seemed to be pushing my third brother into filling the Crown Prince shoes...Of course, they did it all to ensure I got the throne because I was the only prince, who at least hated my mother and so the only one who held no sort of grudge against her. Frankly, she thought I should have been grateful to her...and perhaps I was at a time."

    "She framed your mother? So she killed - Oh wow." Lei Xing excitedly said as she went wide-eyed with keen interest.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, another unexpected reaction. "You didn''t seem to care at all when I said I killed her."

    Lei Xing excitedly explained, "Well, this is different. This is a whole conspiracy, a deep level of scheming here. highly inter-" Lei Xing thankfully stopped herself and covered her mouth as she sheepishly looked at him and said, "...sorry."

    {...Shit! What''s wrong with me?! It''s his life, not a tv show!... Highly insensitive is what it is! >_

    The Emperor brought her hands down with a small smile, "It''s alright. It does make quite an interesting tale."

    Lei Xing still feeling awful, bit her inner lip and lowered her head.

    {...I''m a horrible person -_-)''...}

    The Emperor absentmindedly fiddled with her hands as he continued, "You''re right. She did kill the first Empress. They had been the best of friends growing up, neighbors, but such relationsh.i.p.s mean little when at play for power. So she killed her to become Empress...She may not have killed my second brother''s mother, but she had always had a weak constitution and so ruining her family was enough. They were guilty of the crimes they were accused of though, but it was definitely not done with justice in mind. My second brother lost the little support he had in court and earned our father''s anger. My father was already not fond of him, he was fond of no one...except maybe my mother, but that I think that was more of an obsession..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and took a deep breath, "My father was not a good person, the first Empress was not a good person, my mother as you know cannot be said to be a good person, most y second brother''s mother''s family members were also not good people. They had all done more than a fair share of wrongs in their lifetime..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath again and said, "I am also not a good person, therefore I could understand all of that...But then she..."

    He broke off again and frowned as he squeezed Lei Xing''s hand so tightly it was hurting, but then he was shaking again, even more than before. And so she could not bring herself to complain as she worriedly looked at him, scared he was about to have a bout of violent tremors or go into a seizure.

    The Emperor opened his eyes again and she saw they were red and watery and she froze.

    {...He''s really...crying O_O)...}

    He looked down at her hand and plucked at the bracelet as he said in a quiet, almost trembling voice, "My third brother, Prince Yi...his mother, she was a good person..." He closed his eyes again, took another deep breath, obviously trying to steady himself, "But because I...was naive, foolish really...I thought I was helping and...If I had just left them alone then...she wouldn''t have...I -I couldn''t face him...They had been kind to me and I...destroyed their lives..."

    Lei Xing felt more than saw his guilt. It seemed like she was looking at a crying child, not a grown man. And despite the fact that she was never one to go around hugging random crying children, she could not help hugging this one and so she wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged his trembling body to hers.

    From what she knew, Prince Yi''s mother died a long time ago from an illness, which she now knew was a setup. So he must have been a child when it happened, and for him to have this level of guilt over the actions of a crazy a.d.u.l.t was upsetting.

    "Did you ask for her to be killed?" Lei Xing asked. She felt the Emperor slightly shake his head and then continued, "If you neither did it nor asked for it to be done, then it cannot be your fault. You are not responsible for the actions of crazy people and she definitely sounds like a crazy person and to think she raised you too...To think they raised you." Lei Xing said thinking of the Empress dowager and his father.

    {...You definitely survived a madhouse -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sat upright with her hands still on his shoulders and looked at him in the face, this time his eyes were open.

    She frowned when she could still see the guilt-ridden expression on his face and so she said in a matter of fact voice, almost scolding, "Bad people feel don''t feel guilty nor do they ever think that anything is their fault...You, on the other hand, are obviously overcome with misplaced guilt for actions that are not even your own. Not to mention you were a child...You are a good person taking on the burdens of crazy people. Having an overblown sense of responsibility is foolish, unhealthy and will only wear you down." Lei Xing finished with a pat on his shoulder.

    The Emperor just sat there staring at her and then she blinked at him and started to feel awkward when she re-processed her "words of comfort".

    {...I am an idiot -_-)''...That wasn''t comforting at all...But it''s true though, it makes sense...But sense isn''t comforting!...*sigh* He just looked so miserable, it was hard to watch and I''m bad at comforting, I tried!... What was I supposed to say, "It''s not your fault", "You did your best". I don''t know that, wasn''t there and don''t know the full story so....-_-)...I should have just kept quiet. Yes, I really should have...}

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched and she was thinking of what else to say, when the Emperor suddenly smiled and then burst out laughing.

    {...Ahhhh I broke him O_O)...The Crackpot has finally broken, what if he starts behaving like his mother? He won''t...Ah, F**k! Stupid mouth...}

    The Emperor then hugged her, still smiling and said, "It really is foolish."  Then he released her and she scrutinized his face, not sure if he was being serious or not.

    {...He''s definitely humoring me. I probably would have told me to "get lost!" -_-)''...}

    Before Lei Xing could apologize for her insensitivity and lack of tact, Eunuch Li called from outside, "Your majesty." She immediately bounced off his lap and glanced at the Emperor to find him frowning again. She straightened herself out and then responded, "Come in."

    Eunuch Li came in with an Imperial doctor in tow, carrying a tray with a bowl of medication. Lei Xing let out a small sigh when she saw this.

    {...I worried for nothing...Of course, someone else would have looked after him...}

    Eunuch Li had not expected the Emperor to be here. He was briefed of the Emperor''s strange arrival and swiftly made his way here, worried. He glimpsed the sword on the floor in the middle of the room, but ignored it and walked up to Lei Xing and the Emperor, bowed and informed,  "Your majesty, I have brought it."

    "En." The Emperor responded and Eunuch Li motioned for the Imperial doctor to put down the tray on the table. Eunuch Li then put a small container on the table, then he glanced at Lei Xing and then let out a small sigh and was about to turn to leave with the Imperial doctor. Lei Xing knit her brows and then asked, "Shouldn''t you check on him first?" With the way the Emperor arrived here, she did not think a doctor had looked him over yet.

    Eunuch Li turned to her and lightly bowed, "I have some medical knowledge and have already checked his injuries. They are nothing serious, the balm here should suffice."

    Lei Xing nodded, Eunuch Li looked at her weirdly and sighed again and they left. Lei Xing was perplexed with his odd behavior, but then she thought it must be because he knew about the whole incident. She sat down on the other side of the table feeling embarrassed.

    When the Emperor made no moves to take the medication, Lei Xing urged, "Go ahead and drink it while it''s still warm."

    "It''s for you." The Emperor quietly said. Lei Xing knit her brows and then said, "I''m really fine...I don''t think I need it..."

    "It''s contraception."The Emperor enlightened as he cooly looked at her. Lei Xing on the hand was stunned and only managed to say, "Huh?"

    {...O_O)...}

    "It is what you wanted."

    "What I want - Y-you heard?" Lei Xing asked still blinking at him, startled and rattled.

 Chapter 171 - Nothing

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him and then looked down at the bowl, at a loss for words and extremely uneasy. She had thought he did not overhear her conversation with Doctor Lou. No, she had hoped he did not.

    {...This is all that quack useful doctor''s fault! If he would have just nodded when I asked, instead of asking stupid nosy q-...}

    Her mind froze when she heard the Emperor sigh, then she knit her brows and lowered her head even further. Then he said another thing that shocked her, "Why didn''t you talk to me about it?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and then lowered her eyes again, "I...I didn''t want...to upset you." She awkwardly said and immediately wanted to bash her head against the wall.

    {...Why the hell did I say that?! It''s the truth though...What other possible reason could I give?! ...But...but...Why the hell is he giving me this? Now too, after all that talking earlier...It''s just a bit...I could have sorted it out myself! >_

    "I see..." The Emperor calmly said. Lei Xing held her breath and did not look up at his face. She did not believe for one moment that this was the end of this inquiry. And truly it was not, as he proceeded to ask, "So you planned on taking it secretly?"

    {...Yes...No....Shit! Shit! What is the correct answer? I don''t like this...}

    Lei Xing squirmed in her seat, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. But she thought about it, and could not bring herself to deny it. Not to mention, her first statement was pretty much an admission of truth, and she had no doubt that he knew that. If she denied it, then he''ll ask more questions and then they''ll play word games and she was not in the mood for word games, and she suspected he was not either.

    {...Not after everything we''ve been through today...At least now I know why he was upset...But then he brought the medication to me...He was upset but then he brought it... He''s confusing me again...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then looked up at him, "This is why you were upset this morning, wasn''t it?...at Doctor Lou''s and in the carriage." She would rather he let out his anger on the issue, him being so accommodating was uncomfortable and...it made her feel horrible.

    The Emperor knit his brows as well and then faced her, "If I seemed upset...It was because you could comfortably discuss something so important with a stranger and not with me...I asked you and you still said nothing. Am so unreliable to you tha-"

    "No, no, that''s not it...it''s just..." Lei Xing quickly jumped to protest without thinking. It was not that, it really was not. But then she had nothing to say after debunking that thought. She frowned and inwardly groaned.

    {...This is why I couldn''t just tell you, this conversation couldn''t possibly be good...Look at it! T_T)...}

    "It''s just what?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her, feeling the anger and disappointment he had been feeling all morning surging back up. He took a deep breath to calm himself and then said in a cold voice, "I''m listening."

    He had not intended to sound cold, only meant to control his emotions. But Lei Xing heard and felt the chill in his voice. She hesitated and did not know how to answer, but as she sat there under his microscopic gaze, she started to feel angry, at everything but at nothing in particular.

    {...You know what? Screw it!...}

    Lei Xing braced herself and blurted out, "I don''t want to have children!" as she looked the Emperor directly in the face with a resolute and firm gaze. She was confident he would not kill her, she knew that much. As for what he would do, she did not know. But he did just say a few moments ago, right in that room that he would never hurt her, and she believed him. He would never hurt... physically.

    The Emperor blankly stared at her, then blinked a few times and then frowned in disbelief and confusion, then said rather than asked, "You don''t want children." Lei Xing resolutely nodded.

    The Emperor faced forward, still in disbelief, no matter how much he had thought about this scenario, the prospect of her saying she did not want children did not cross his mind. He was not sure how to process this information. In the space of a few hours, he had gone through so many emotions, it was dizzying.

    He woke up this morning alone but was ecstatic and eager to find her, to hold her...He thought they had finally overcome the wall between them, but now this... He felt like his life was slipping out from his hands. Happiness seemed to always elude him.

    "Why?" The Emperor asked as he turned back to Lei Xing, with a completely defeated expression on his face. Lei Xing''s gaze faltered and she lowered her eyes. Then she thought about it, straightened her back and looked at him and firmly said, "I don''t want to."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow, perplexed, "That''s it?" and blinking at her. It was as if his comprehension had suddenly disappeared because he did not seem to understand her words at all.

    Lei Xing nodded, "That''s it."

    {...It''s the truth, and he should know...So...so...well, so he can...I don''t know...Whatever the hell he''s going to!... I''m tired...}

    The Emperor knit his brows and just stared at her, and she lowered her eyes down to her hands, as her heart pounded loudly in her chest and her ears rang. She could feel the Emperor''s gaze piercing into her, it was unnerving and it felt as if...it stung. She tightly knit her brows and bit her inner lip.

    {...This is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be...Why does he have to be like this? Get angry and shout at me or something, why do you have to be so...so...difficult?...}

    After what felt like forever, the Emperor quietly said, "I understand." and then quietly got up and turned to leave. Lei Xing squeezed her hands tightly and glanced at this back and then at the bowl on the table. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and said, "Wait."

    He stopped and turned to around to look at her, still with hope in his eyes. But lei Xing did not see, she could not bring herself to meet his gaze. She stood up and stretched her hand out and said in a small voice, "My ring...It''s important to me..." When the Emperor did not move, she cast him a quick glance and then regretted it immediately. He looked lost and abandoned and her chest tightened and the lump in her throat grew. She looked back down and added, "...please." She knew this might be her only her chance.

    The Emperor stared at her pale face and hooded eyes, which he had glimpsed there current reddened and watery state when she had glanced up. The Emperor walked over to her and stood in front of her. He looked down at her outstretched hand, which was subtly shaking. He saw her hand shrink back a little but then she firmly held it out again, waiting for the ring, all the while steadily looking at the ground, avoiding his eyes.

    The Emperor stood there looking down at her for a while and saw cold sweat begin to form on her forehead, saw her lower lip start to tremble, but then it was quickly stopped when she bit into it.

    He was hurt by the fact that she did not envision the same future as him...but looking at her like this, he still wanted to rush over to comfort her and that urge made him angry. She cast him another sheepish glance and he felt his heart soften even more, despite everything.

    She looked pitiful. She looked lonely and it was infuriating. She made them both pitiful and made them both lonely. He could see she was hurting, but he was hurt too. So he dropped the ring in her palm and left.

    Lei Xing wrapped her fingers around the ring and watched as the Emperor walked out of her room and just stood there blankly staring at the doors, long after they had been shut. She swallowed and then wearily walked back to the table, her legs felt weak but she willed them to move and sat down. Her mind was blank, she did not want to think. She slipped on the ring and then she reached for the bowl.

    It was safe.

    He would not poison her, she knew. The memory of how worried he had been when he had accidentally fed her poison flashed through her mind.

    She let the memory play in her head as she picked up the bowl and drank the bitter brew, but she had no reaction at all as she tasted nothing. Then she got up and walked to the bed, laid down, with shaking hands she wrapped herself snuggly in her blanket and closed her eyes.

    She was shaking, not crying. Shaking. It had been a really long day, an overwhelming day and so she was tired. She would sleep and forget.

    {...I''m probably never going to see him again...He''ll finally move on...now that it''s hopeless, he''ll move on...And I''ll - maybe I''ll...I''ll...I''ll think about it tomorrow...sleep...}

    She would sleep and forget...At least, it was what she wanted.

    But reality often paid no heed to our wants. And she laid there blankly staring at the bowl on the table for a long while, mind empty.

    All the aches and pains she had been feeling all morning were gone, she felt nothing and thought nothing.

 Chapter 172 - Contradiction

    The Emperor sat down in his study waiting for Lei Yong to arrive.

    He had arrived at his palace a while ago, feeling irritated and worn out. Then a servant from the royal study came to inform him that apparently Lei Yong was still waiting there and refused to leave despite the servants urging him to leave. He insisted until waiting there until the Emperor was able to see him. And so, the Emperor made a concession and asked for him to be brought to his palace.

    The Emperor sighed, he was very tired. Lei Xing made him...tired, his heart was heavy and her pale face and red eyes were stuck in his mind, which only made him feel even worse.

    {...Is she crying now?... If it hurt her, then why did she-...}

    The Emperor sighed again and massaged his head.

    {...She''s the most confusing, most difficult person I''ve ever met...I don''t understand her...}

    Lei Yong finally walked through the doors and immediately launched into his questioning, "What''s going on with m- What happened to your face?" He exclaimed as his eyes settled on the Emperor''s face.

    The Emperor blankly stared at Lei Xing for a bit and frowned.

    {...Why can''t she be more like him?... Simple and easy to understand...}

    The Emperor sighed and then said, "It''s nothing."

    "It doesn''t look like nothing..." Lei Yong said but before he could continue, the Emperor asked, "Why are you here?" He was not in the mood to discuss his brother with anyone right now.

    "Oh, yes... My mother sent someone to inform me that a messenger from the palace came to inquire whether Xing er'' was in our manor? Did something happen to her?" Lei Yong asked with a concerned frown, then he added, "Also, is it because of your face you didn''t attend court this morning? Why was the Empress dowager searching Prince Yi''s manor?"

    The Emperor sighed again, feeling annoyance toward his mother and all the people behind these troublesome events. Then he casually explained, "Your sister and I stayed out all night and your cousin went to fill my mother''s head with stupid conjectures. So my mother got angry and started an unnecessary fuss..." He frowned and then sarcastically added, "I was not aware I had to report to anyone if I planned on staying out with my wife...That''s the situation."

    "Chen You did?" Lei Yong asked blinking in surprise, "Why would she start trouble? She seemed like a sweet girl." Lei Yong said more to himself, and the Emperor gave a humorless snort, "Well, the palace changes people..."

    {...I wish it would change Xing er - What nonsense am I thinking? She''s fine the way she is...But a bit more forthcoming will be nice...Will it be so bad if she liked me for my power? No, I would hate that...But like this it''s...tiring...}

    The Emperor frowned and let out a long weary sigh. Lei Yong looked at him and knit his brows, "What''s wrong with you?" The Emperor''s usual relaxed, pleasant demeanor was gone, leaving a tired, possibly stressed-out man in its wake.

    "Nothing." The Emperor responded, averting his gaze.

    Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at him, "Was it Prince Yi who did this to you? I heard he was in the palace..." He saw the Emperor''s frown deepen and then said, "He''s getting more and more brazen, you need to do something about him."

    The Emperor leaned back in his chair and lightly rest his head on a hand and closed his eyes, and then asked, "Since we''ve returned has any attempt been made on my life?"

    Lei Yong swiftly responded, "That''s because he hasn''t found an opportunity yet"

    The Emperor opened his eyes and looked at him for a bit, and then in a bid to divert the conversation, asked, "Have you found Governor Tung''s daughter?"

    Lei Yong''s knit his brows and then let out his own weary sigh, "No...I believe she will turn up when she''s ready but...It''s worrying." Lei Yong said folding his arms, worry etched into his face.  He had not seen Tung Mei since that night she ran off after their dinner with the Emperor and the others. No one has.

    She did not return to the Lei manor, she also did not go to her relatives. Considering this was not the first time, he was not sure what to do. He wanted to believe she was fine like the last time and just needed some space, but then what if she was not and needed help. So he had men searching around just in case, but still, they yielded no results.

    He considered that she might have decided to return home and actually sent people to go through all the routes that would lead back to Xia Zhou province, but still, nothing. He was beginning to contemplate writing her father about this, this was unusual and dangerous behavior. But he was hesitating because he did not want to alarm her father and get Tung Mei in trouble, so he was feeling really conflicted on the issue. Lei Yong frowned.

    {...When I find her this time, I am not going to give her a good scolding...The world is a dangerous place, she can''t just keep disappearing like this...What if something happens? What would I tell her father?...}

    "It seems you really care about her..." The Emperor said as he observed Lei Yong''s brooding expression.

    "I worry about her..." Lei Yong said with a sigh.

    "So when are you going to marry her?" The Emperor asked. He was being nosy but he did not want to think about his own complicated life at the moment and so this was a welcome distraction.

    "Marry? I''m not marrying her." Lei Yong said looking at the Emperor with a completely taken aback expression as if what he just said was completely ridiculous.

    "Why not?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes, suddenly feeling defensive for Tung Mei.

    Lei Yong looked at the Emperor curiously but responded, "I like her...but not like that."

    "Not like that? You two seemed pretty affectionate the other day. I saw you..." The Emperor said looking at Lei Yong accusingly. He was feeling sympathetic to Tung Mei, a certain sense of camaraderie and felt the urge to punch Lei Yong.

    Lei Yong held his chin and knit his brows, "Affectionate, perhaps...I do care about her but it''s more like a younger sister, so it''s not like that."

    The Emperor blinked a few times, "Sister?" Then he gave a dry laugh.

    {...To think I said you were easy...At least I''m not being treated like a "brother"...That''s something....these siblings -_-)...}

    "Why are you suddenly interested in Tung Mei?" Lei Yong finally asked.

    The Emperor glanced at him and Lei Yong flinched when he saw him glaring, but then the Emperor sighed again and asked, "I heard Tung Mei met your sister when she ran away from home a few years ago. Correct?"

    "Yes..." Lei Yong responded, then he blinked and knit his eyebrows, "You investigated Xing er''?"

    "I investigate everyone." The Emperor offhandedly responded, and then went back to the topic, "She lied."

    "Xing er'' lied to you?" Lei Yong asked in surprise.

    "No, Tung Mei lied." The Emperor responded, slightly irritated, "While we couldn''t find out where your sister was during that period, we found out exactly where Tung Mei was. They definitely did not meet during that time and there''s never been an opportunity for them to meet."

    Lei Yong knit his brows and simply stared at the Emperor and so the Emperor searched through the doc.u.ments on his desk and then handed over a roll of papers to Lei Yong. Lei Yong went and toko them and then flipped through them. Most of it was things he already knew.

    She was Governor Tung''s youngest child, only daughter out of six children. Pampered, well-behaved with a fairly quiet personality. He greatly disagreed with the quiet part. Tung Mei was not quiet, quite the opposite actually but she had her moments. Nothing spectacular about her life, she lived a quiet pampered life.

    Her mother died a few years ago, she came over to the capital for the concubine selection, Lei Yong frowned at that part. She failed, he knew that and then was supposed to go home.

    "Those few weeks your sister was gone, was right around the time her mother passed away. Tung Mei stayed at her mother''s side and took care of till she passed after which she was there at home for the funeral, grieving and receiving relatives. She never left home...Your sister was only missing for two weeks, so she could not have made the journey to Xia Zhou and back within that short time...They did not meet then and frankly, their paths never had the opportunity to cross..."

    "...As you know before going to Xiao Zhou, the Tung family lived at the border, and your sister never left the capital other than that one unaccounted for time. While Tung Mei never came to the capital until a few months ago for the concubine selection..."

    Lei Yong looked up at the Emperor confused, "But then why would she lie...Also, Xing er'' didn''t deny knowing her. She easily could have exposed it..."

    "It''s simple enough...She knew your sister would not be able to discredit her story because she wouldn''t remember due to her memory loss. How she knew about it though is the question...Your sister given her character would not have told her. They also barely talked while at the palace..."

    "But she knows a lot about Xing er'' and even my family...She even said Xing er'' taught her how to play the qin and-...They have to know each other." Lei Yong said, completely confused, "Let''s ask Xing er'', send for her."

    "Even if you asked her, she probably wouldn''t know given her memory loss." The Emperor casually informed. It was true, but more importantly, he did not want to see Lei Xing at the moment.

    Lei Yong frowned, "It couldn''t be that bad -..."

    Before he could continue to insist, the Emperor enlightened him, "She said she does not remember most things, not even things from a few months before. I verified it, she kept it to herself because she did not want to worry your parents, so keep it that way for her...She''s not feeling well so she''s resting." The Emperor added for good measure and then sighed.

    {...I''m not sure what sort of expression I''m supposed to meet her with or even if...*sigh*...}

    Meanwhile, Lei Yong was feeling very confused. He could not wrap his mind around the situation, and Tung Mei was missing and not here to clarify the situation.

    {...But what if I asked and she disappeared again? But still-...She''s not harming anyone and Xing er'' seems fine with it...But then she was angry with her last time...}

    "Do you know why Xing er'' was angry with her last time?" Lei Yong asked looking up at the Emperor hoping for answers.

    The Emperor shook his head, "She said it was nothing." Remembering their happy time at the merchant festival further dampened his mood, and he did not even notice Lei Yong leave.

    {...Things were much simpler then...}

    The Emperor sighed heavily, he had finally gotten what he had been longing for all this time, but then it seems he lost a lot more in the bargain.

    The Emperor felt a renewed sense of anger towards those who had drugged her, they rushed the event and made it complicated. He could have waited until she was truly ready and then they would not have had a falling out like this...at least he wanted to believe that.

    So he called Eunuch Li to discuss the situation first, so as to learn more about Dong country and the possibilities surrounding the seyu drug.

 Chapter 173 - The Princes Past

    meanwhile, Prince Yi stormed out into his residence, still fuming. He directly went into his study and locked the door and then proceeded to smash whatever he could get his hands on, venting out the anger that was still raging on the inside. Sending the sounds of wreckage through his manor, causing everyone within to shrink into their shells, all wondering what happened to the Prince, but all too scared to go to him.

    Prince Yi smashed everything around him, there was nothing of value in there...Nothing of value in his life.

    {...He made me a fool...He must have laughed when I asked to stay with that woman...must have thought I was a fool who was beneath him...I was so stupid...No, he made stupid. It''s all his fault!...}

    The memories of his years in ignorant stupidity and the years he spent thinking the woman who ordered his mother''s death was the only good thing the world. His life had gone down to hell while his younger brother''s who had been pitying and worrying about his mother''s confinement, rose from the ashes and settled back on the pedestal with ease. While he had never even made it to the pedestal.

    He was content at the bottom, life was unfair but he was content but then life became and he could not help but be resentful.....He was jealous, he knew. He might have been unfair, he knew. But his younger needed some unfairness in his life, why did everything always right itself when it came to him, his younger brother had everything he ever wanted. Everything they all wanted.

    He had their father''s approval. The only one who did. If their father were ever capable of love, he had it. But he was conceited and saw what they all craved for as nothing, held no regard for it, while he basked in its glory. It made sense, Jun Kai was just like their father. Cold, manipulative and condescending. But even still, he still tried to spare him.

    When the enraged Crown prince wanted to send assassins, he persuaded him to go for the kidnapping scheme and use the assassination as a backup plan...to give him a chance to live. He knew as long as he lived, the rest of them will always fall to the wayside, but still, he tried to spare him. He was not sure why, but he did and hoped he would quietly disappear from there. They all knew their father well and if Jun Kai really became a hostage and by the enemy, their father may just pay the price, but only so he could bring him back and kill him himself for the disgrace.

    And so, he hoped he would take the chance to disappear on his own and make all their lives much easier. The Empress would have been fine, Jun Kai was not really her son and the Crown prince had no mother so her position as the Empress dowager would still have been secure. He worried for her, as he thought she was the reason that he stayed alive until he could leave the palace. After that day when she reprimanded Consort Ji,

    Jun Kai also ignored him and he spitefully ignored him in turn. But he was grateful to the Empress, she had saved him and was nice to him on occasion as well, asking after his welfare when she came across him. She was always nice with a warm smile. When everybody else forgot him and treated him as nothing, she remembered he existed. She was nice to everyone. He was jealous of Jun Kai, jealously angry about how licky he had been to have someone that nice. But as usual, Jun Kai never appreciated anything, he had everything but showed a condescending indifference. It was infuriating and so his anger towards him grew.

    That was until he had discovered the truth three years ago, when he was finally coming into a new sense of hope, a new sense of being, his world turned upside down again.

    By the age of fifteen, their father had already given Jun Kai full control of the army with the mandate to forge ahead and expand the empire. Jun Kai''s reputation was soaring to new heights, obscuring the existence of the Crown prince. And the Crown prince was getting increasingly anxious about his situation and had asked for permission many times to join the war, but their father kept refusing him with the words, ''This is where you are needed''.

    They had been raised not to question their father, but the Crown prince could not back on this issue and so butted heads with their father many times asking for an explanation as to why the fourth prince was allowed to increase his reputation, while he had to sit here fading into the background. The Crown Prince asked but their father never bothered to give a reason and always dismissed him.

    As the days progressed the Crown Prince became more agitated and paranoid. And one night, he visited Prince Yi''s manor, incredibly sullen and asked for a drink and while they drank he sullenly informed, "I am going to be deposed."

    Prince Yi froze, completely baffled, "What?"

    The Crown Prince laughed mockingly and grabbed the jar of wine and gulped it down and then said, "That''s not right. The position was never mine in the first place, I was just keeping the seat warm."

    "What do you mean? You are the recognized Crown Prince and the position has been for so many years. Did father say something?"

    The Crown Prince sat quietly for a while, then sneered, "I have figured it out. I finally understand what it all means...He''s going to kill me."

    Prince Yi frowned and thought that he was talking about the Jun Kai, they have made various attempts to kill him all these years and have all failed. His retaliation was expected and Prince Yi was confused by the Crown prince''s sudden worry over that issue. But then again, the Crown prince has always been the anxious sort. Prince Yi sighed and tried to reason with him, "The battlefield seems to be keeping him busy enough and even if he did try, it won''t be easy to accomplish. We have prepared ourselves for this."

    The Crown Prince frowned and irritatedly said, "Not him...Father."

    Prince Yi raised his eyebrows in confusion and asked, "Why would he?"

    The Crown prince took another gulp from the jug then quietly said, "Because that''s how he is...How many deposed Crown princes can continue to live? He didn''t even let his brothers who posed no threat live, how would he just let me go? It''s fight or die..."

    Prince Yi frowned, still confused. He understood from the Crown prince''s words that he wanted to rebel, a drastic and dangerous move. But he still did not understand what was driving the Crown prince''s sudden instinct to fight. Their father had not admonished him recently, at least not publicly and he had stopped asking to go to war, so everything seemed alright and this came out of nowhere, "Why are you suddenly thinking this? Father ha-"

    The Crown Prince suddenly got up in anger and threw the jug to the wall, smashing it and barked, "Don''t you understand?! He was using me as a screen to protect that bastard! Giving this position was to shut people up! To protect that bastard! That bastard can go to war to get prestige and I can''t!... For what reason?!" He sat back down and sneered, "It''s because he''s scared I''ll kill him, just like he did to his father. He cannot trust me, but he can trust that bastard!"

    Prince Yi frowned in thought. It was never made public that their father had killed his father to ascend the throne, but rumors flew around. It was announced that their grandfather had passed away due to disappointment over the conflict with Xia Empire. That aside, it still felt like the Crown prince was being paranoid, so Prince Yi tried again to advise, "Don''t you think you are reading too much into this?... Father may just be keeping you here for your own safety-"

    "Safety? When has he ever cared about anyone''s safety? Now is the time to act! If I wait for that bastard to return, then it will really be too late. I have tried my best but I can never please him, it is only that bastard that he seems to see. I have to get rid of him before he gets rid of me. I''ll get rid of him, and then send that bastard and his crazy mother to him and that ungrateful snake and then they can all go be a happy family in hell!"

    The Crown Prince continued to rage on and drowned himself in alcohol while Prince Yi just sat there deep in thought. This was a very complicated matter and he hoped the Crown prince was just going through mad ramblings in his anger as he occasionally did. As he dumped the Crown prince in a guest room, he hoped that by tomorrow this nonsense will be just that, nonsense fueled by alcohol.

    Unfortunately, that hope was dashed and the Crown prince woke up sober and began talking about arrangements for his rebellion. Over the years, they had been amassing a secret army made up of slaves they bought. And they gained their loyalty by promising to find and liberate their families; giving them their freedom and a means to live well.

    Of course, to make sure their army did not run off, they only received a token or letter from their family members and never met or knew their exact whereabouts. But had the promise that as long as they lived and served the Crown prince well, they will be united with their families once their goal was achieved and that goal was the Crown prince''s successful ascension as Emperor.

    Prince Yi still was not comfortable with the idea of a rebellion and tried to talk the Crown prince out of it. But the Crown prince was certain, he will soon be deposed and reminded him that they were on the same boat. It was true.

    "You''re not going to turn on me now, are you?" The Crown prince asked narrowing his eyes at Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and sighed, "I am just saying we must be careful in our actions."

    "Of course, I know that! But we don''t have a choice. If we don''t fight, we die and if I go down, you go down. Do you think he''ll spare you?" The Crown prince scoffed, "Even if he does, do you think that bastard will let you go? You''ve been trying to kill all this time, even if he has not made any moves on you, he knows. So stop being a coward, this is an important fight for both our survival! I will go meet with my great-uncle to rally the support of the ministers. You go prepare the men." With that order, the Crown Prince left.

    Prince Yi sighed as he watched him go. His words were true. If the Crown prince fell, no doubt Jun Kai would ascend the throne and he would want revenge.

    Prince Yi knew he did not have much of a choice in this. If he refused to join the Crown Prince''s fight, that would end the good relationship they had forged all these years. Even if the Crown prince did not kill him right now, he most likely would once he ascended. He could go report to his father, but then he doubted his father would even grant him audience and frankly, he did not care about a father who always looked down on him and saw him as nothing. He could run, but the life of a fugitive was not one he could live.

 Chapter 174 - The Princes Past II

    With his decision made, Prince Yi left the capital and made his way to their secret army base to prepare the troops and wait for the Crown prince''s order. Since his father never cared for his presence, he was always able to travel as he liked, going and coming as he pleased with no one questioning his movements. And so he used his invincibility to amass and see the progress of their troops. So the men knew his face, but knew of the Crown prince in name only.

    He quickly arrived on the base and began to make the arrangements while coordinating plans with the Crown prince in the capital. They had agreed to execute the plan slowly over a long period of time so as not to alert their father. So Prince Yi had been steadily sending men bit by bit to Crown prince in the capital.

    Six months passed and everything was going according to plan until one day Prine Yi received an urgent message from the Crown prince ordering him to mobilize all the troops and head for the capital immediately. They had run out time and could no longer delay. The situation had changed, and Jun Kai had attained a swift and unexpected victory on the war Nanjing. Their father was greatly pleased and had sent a missive for Jun Kai to return home to be rewarded.

    This was odd. In all the years Jun Kai had been gone and his many accomplishments, their father had rewarded him over and over again, with manors, gold, titles, everything...But he had never ordered him to come home to receive them before. Therefore, Prince Yi could understand the Crown Prince''s alarm.

    The time to attack was now. If Jun Kai came back with his army then it would be impossible for them to envision a successful siege. And so Prince Yi immediately set out with the remaining troops and settled in a forest near the capital until it was time to attack.

    The Crown prince had already arranged his men to man the city and palace gates. That way when it was time the gates will be open and the troops could simply walk in. The night of their siege came and Prince Yi laid in hiding with the troops in the surrounding forest, waiting for the city gates to open and for history to be shaped.

    The city gates finally opened and he was about to give the order to move, when...

    {...*Stop! Don''t go!... You''re going to die!...}

    Prince Yi frowned and hesitated.

    {...*I mean it! If you go, you will die!... The plan will fail and you will die!...}

    {...How?...Don''t tell me he''s here already?...}

    {...*No! But the plan will fail so Don''t Go!... Dying here is a waste! You''ve not even met h-...}

    {...Tell me how it will fail so we can counter it!...}

    {...*There''s nothing you can do, it will fail so save yourself!...}

    {...Save myself? How am I supposed to save myself in this situation? Tell what will go wrong!...}

    {...*Or you can go die if you want, but don''t blame me later for not helping you! I tried!...}

    {...Answer me!...}

    {...*...}

    {...ANSWER ME!...}

    Prince Yi stood there frowning at the gates and pondering. The voice had never led him astray and frankly, all he had today was because of its guidance. Since his mother died, it had been there looking out for him, serving as a teacher and a guide when he had not. But whether he chose to go in or not right now, he was still likely to be roped into the scheme once his father investigated.

    {...How am I supposed to save myself?... Escape? Run away? No, why should I have to?...}

    "Your highness, the gates are open." Tian Jin said behind him, looking at him with a perplexed frown. The gates had been open for a while now and Prince Yi was just staring at it.

    Prince Yi nodded in acknowledgment but gave no order or moved. After a while, his eyes lit up and then ordered as he marched over to his horse, "There''s been a change in plans. Retreat as quickly as possible, back to base." The men looked at each other confused.

    Prince Yi vaulted on his horse, turned to Tian Jin and ordered, "Now." Tian Jin nodded in acknowledgment and as Prince Yi sped off, the men withdrew back into the shadows of the forest.

    The Crown prince''s men at the city gates were confused when they saw only Prince Yi coming their way, but Prince Yi did not stop to answer any questions. He directly rode to his manor and quickly changed clothes and then went out again, making his way towards the nearby Second prince''s manor. He secretly climbed onto the roof and fired an arrow with a note attached into the Second prince''s bedroom. Then he quickly got back on his horse and rode off.

    Although the Second prince seemed unconcerned with politics, he was simply just biding his time. He has quietly been trying to forge a relationship with the Empress and the Zhao family, an ungrateful son who would hold the hands of those who destroyed his mother''s clan to attain power. But of course, gaining their trust was not an easy thing. So Prince Yi knew that the Second prince would definitely not miss the opportunity to have the glory of taking down a rebellious Crown prince and saving their father.

    As he expected, shortly after the Second prince stormed out of his manor with his guards and Prince Yi casually led his horse down the road to meet them. He lived in the general direction, so it was not odd for him to be passing by, despite the late time of day. He flagged the Second prince down with a smile as he said, "Second brother, I did not expect to run into you so soon, and so late too. What''s going on?" He asked as he eyed the men behind him.

    The Second prince excalimed as he stopped his horse, "You''re back?"

    Prince Yi smiled, "Yes, just now. Surprisingly the city gates were still open, it seems things have changed while I''ve been gone..."

    "The city gates are open? Then it must be true..." The Second Prince said contemplatively.

    "What is?" Prince Yi asked, looking confused.

    "Hurry, Father''s in trouble. First brother is rebelling. H-"

    "What? What do you mean?" Prince Yi cut him off in surprise, "How do you know?"

    "That''s not important for now. I need to head to the palace immediately." The Second prince responded, getting ready to hurry off

    Prince Yi then urgently added, "I will go and alert the city guards to close the gates. You hurry to Father." The Second prince nodded and then quickly sped off with his men.

    Prince Yi smirked and then sped back towards the gates and ordered, "Close the gates!" As he got down, the commander approached and asked what was going on with the plan.

    Prince Yi quietly explained that things have changed and that if he wants to stay alive, then he had to act accordingly. The commander quickly got the drift and turned to the guards and ordered, "The city is under siege, close the gates! Protect the Emperor!"

    Prince Yi quickly swept back on his horse as the warning bells sounded around the city. The city garrison was quickly alerted and Prince Yi sped towards the palace with them.

    By the time, he got to the palace, it was already full-blown battle scene. The Crown prince had secretly advanced as deep as main hall with his half of the troops, before he was engaged in a brawl with the palace guards, and the Second prince''s group had quickly joined in the battle. And now with the city garrison troops flooding in, the Crown prince''s numbers were steadily becoming overwhelmed.

    Prince Yi stared at the scene for a second, and thought that if he had come with his troops...if everything had gone as planned, the Crown Prince would have the upper hand and victory would have been swift. He started to doubt the Voice''s advice, but it was too late now to go back, too late to regret. He had to act.

    Prince Yi easily made his through the battle without much effort as both sides knew not to attack him. He arrived at his brothers'' side, who were currently engaged in battle. Then he pretended to have the Second prince''s back while signaling with his eyes towards the Crown prince. The Crown prince who had started to worry about his delayed support, seeing Prince Yi felt relief and hope anew, believing all had gone as planned and he would win.

    Although the Second Prince coming into the picture was not included in the plan, the second prince was nothing he could not handle. The Crown prince had always been the better fighter amongst the princes, not taking into account the current state of the youngest Fourth prince, Jun Kai. So, the Crown prince attacked the Second prince with more vigor, while Prince Yi pranced around them engaging in the "battle".

    And eventually, the Crown prince managed to best "both" his younger brothers and ran a sword through the Second prince. And in that same second, a small smile formed on Prince Yi''s face, as he ran his sword through the Crown prince. The Crown Prince blinked up at him, in surprise and shock. Prince Yi knit his brows and looked at him with a steady, determined gaze.

    {...I''m sorry you had to end this way...But this time, I am going to be the one who comes out on top...}

    As the Crown prince fell, Prince Yi shouted, "Surrender! The usurper is dead!" The rebellion troops froze and looked towards Prince Yi who was standing next to the Crown prince''s body. They were confused but still lowered their weapons and surrendered.

    If the Crown prince was dead, then Prince Yi was the one in charge. Regardless, the men knew of Prince Yi more as he was the one who they saw and bowed to all these years, while the Crown prince had remained in the shadows. If he said surrender, then they had no choice.

    Prince Yi narrowed his eyes at a few of the rebellion troops and they understood his meaning and shared the look to those closest to them...And as they were being apprehended, they bit into the poison pill in their mouths and slumped. And the rest of the troops, swiftly followed, before anyone could think to stop them. If they were captured and interrogated, there was no guarantee that they would not incriminate Prince Yi.

    The princes had made it clear that if they ever betrayed them...their families would be immediately executed, regardless of whether they lived or died. So they all understood their role now was to die to ensure the survival of their families.

 Chapter 175 - The Princes Past III

    Prince Yi immediately rushed over to their father with the guards to play the concerned and heartbroken son for his welfare and inform of the death of his brothers.

    But then as he entered the inner palace, he came to understand why the Voice had said the battle was lost. It was a lost cause from the beginning. The inner palace was completely swarmed with thousands of soldiers. And they all pointed their swords at him and demanded that he drop his weapon before proceeding.

    Still in shock, he complied and proceeded with caution. As he progressed towards his father''s palace, the number of soldiers increased. There was an entire army in the palace and the Crown prince had been unaware? He was incredibly confused.

    He arrived to find his father in his study calmly relaxing on the main seat with his eyes closed and a sword on the table in front of him. Defense minister Lei was also there standing on the side, armed and ready. Their father knew and had been prepared, and was simply waiting for the Crown prince to walk into his trap.

    The Second prince showing up interrupted this perfectly laid out setup. But even then their father did not even bother to send out the army he had here to help. If he had the battle would have long been over before it even started. Prince Yi suddenly felt the urge to laugh, but he could not muster up even a smile. A scowl was frozen on his face as he walked into the room.

    {...He was just playing with all of us...How could he be so heartless?!...}

    Prince Yi quickly corrected his expression to a worried one as he got closer. He got on his knees and bowed, "Father, I am glad to see you safe and sound. The rebellion has been suppressed."

    Their father snorted and casually said, "Rebellion?... And here I thought it was a simple execution." He opened his eyes slightly and looked Prince Yi over. Prince Yi glanced up and his heart jumped when he caught his gaze and he immediately lowered his head again, feeling unnerved. It was very possible his father would still kill him, he might even know of all he did. In the end, he might still die even after everything.

    "I heard you killed the Crown prince."

    Prince Yi cupped his hands and bowed and shakily began, "I-I apologize. The Crown prince attacked Second brother and so in the heat of the situation I..." Then he trailed off, showing a grieved expression on his face.

    "...and all the Crown prince''s men are dead too..." Their father dragged out the words, then he snorted, "That is quite a situation...Jun Shan, what do you think?"

    Prince Yi went rigid for a moment, his father had never really directly asked him a question before. He composed himself and responded, "It does seem quite suspicious. I believe there may be more to the matter..."

    His father was quiet for a moment and Prince Yi could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He finally spoke again, but the topic shifted, "Hm...I heard you left the city, when did you return?"

    "I returned today, Father." Prince Yi responded, feeling even more unnerved.

    There was a long silence and then their father chuckled and said, "It turns out you are not so useless after all. You can go now, be sure to be in court tomorrow."

    Prince Yi blinked and looked up at his father''s calm obscured expression but he could not discern anything. His father was smiling at him, he never smiled at him before. Prince Yi''s lips unconsciously curved into a smile and he felt tears welling up in his eyes as he nodded. He kowtowed and closed his eyes, and then left the room.

    As he turned to leave, he noticed Defense minister Lei looking at him with somewhat suspicious eyes and Prince Yi''s nervousness returned. It was very likely that his father could guess his role in all this, but he smiled at him and told him to come to court...He could not help smiling despite not knowing if his fate in court the next day was to die.

    After Prince Yi left, Defense minister Lei turned to the Emperor, "Even though the message did not mention him, he is definitely involved in the matter, his return is not a coincidence. The Second prince being pulled into the matter as well..."

    Their father smiled and casually said,  "It''s fine to be devious as long as he knows when not to overstep, incompetence is what is unforgivable...Competition is also great for progression and if one cannot handle that, then they are simply undeserving."

    Defense minister Lei knit his brows, "Your majesty, what about the informant who sent this information. How could they have known such details...We need to look int-"

    "It''s fine." Their father swiftly responded.

    Defense minister Lei frowned, the Emperor he knew was not the sort to allow mysterious entities to roam in his empire. There was also the fact that he gave so much credence to a message from unknown sources, it was odd behavior. He narrowed his eyes and then asked,  "Is it the Fourth prince?"

    Their father got up and walked down and showed a small smile and said, "Again, there is nothing wrong with being devious. It is an art that one needs to learn to rule..." And with that the topic was over and he strode out of the room.

    Contrary to Prince Yi''s expectation, not only was he not punished or even accused of being part of the rebellion. Their father actually put him in charge of the investigation of the late Crown prince''s rebellion.

    Prince Yi was perplexed, he was not sure whether their father was really blind of his connection to the event or whether he knew but chose to ignore it. He suspected whether their father had laid out some sort of trap for him in all this, because it was so unbelievable to him that his father suddenly started to notice his existence overnight. But then he could not think of a reason why his father would waste such energy on something like that. So he told himself that his father had simply finally realized his worth after all.

    He finally got to bask in his father''s attention for once in his life...and it felt good. It felt good to be noticed, it felt good to be relevant.

    He knew all the officials who were in support of the Crown Prince''s rebellion and he brought to light the obvious suspects and left the others alone. Garnering their gratitude and beginning to build his own support base.

    The officials were grateful to Prince Yi for keeping their secret, and were also made aware that this reprieve came at a cost. Their future lay in his hands and bringing new evidence to light was never too late and so they gladly curried favor with Prince Yi and swore their allegiance.

    The Crown prince''s great-uncle and his closest associates fell with the Crown prince and were executed by the order of the Emperor.

    The ironic thing in all this was the fact that a few days after the rebellion, a commander from the war front arrived and presented the Emperor with a letter from Jun Kai. While reading it the Emperor frowned and then burst out laughing and in the end, he said, "It is very good to have guts."

    Jun Kai had chosen to deny his father''s request for his return. He wrote that there were too many things to be done on the battlefield, so he could not return at this time. As he watched his father smiling at the letter, Prince Yi frowned and felt his blood begin to boil.

    {...When he has guts, it is very good...When other people have guts, you send them to their graves. What sense does that make?...}

    After this incident, their father started to look Prince Yi''s way more and more, asking his opinions on issues and even assigning him to oversee tasks. And Prince Yi''s voice started to grow in importance in court.

    What''s more, contrary to the expectations of everyone, their father did not appoint Jun Kai as the Crown prince, nor did he ask for him to return again. Jun Kai remained on the battlefield, while Prince Yi stayed in the capital flourishing and seemed to be growing in importance in the Emperor''s eyes. He had stepped in to fill the Crown prince''s shoes and was excelling and the Emperor seemed more pleased with him.

    The unexpected had happened,  the third prince who everyone thought had no chance, rose up to be a viable candidate for the throne. Prince Yi was happier than he had ever been, his world was looking bright again. For once people looked at him with respect, not disdain and not tolerance. Respect. His words were important, he was important.

    He had his father''s approval...and for the first time in his life, he could hope for more. He could be more.

 Chapter 176 - Yis Lament

    For once in his life, the world seemed to be favoring him, until that day...He had gone to the Crown prince''s secret residence and was going through it with his men, just to check if there was anything more there he could use.

    He found the Crown prince''s hidden stash of funds, some more evidence about the officials who supported him. The Crown prince was a careful person and of course, had the officials sign and seal their allegiance. Prince Yi was quite excited with this find, he even found some more names in there he was not aware of.

    Some were surprising, such as Chen Bo. It seemed he was not still satisfied with the position of finance minister, this was indeed a very good find. He wondered if Defense minister Lei would speak up for him again if this came to light. He doubted his father would listen this time.  It was interesting, but antagonizing Defense minister Lei would not have been good for him so he planned to keep it to himself.

    After searching through the rooms, they went to the underground prison and came upon a surprising prisoner there. It was Zhong Hua''s personal maid. Zhong Hua had passed away a year earlier and he did not keep track of her servants, but it was surprising that the Crown prince would have bothered with keeping her servant here all this time...He was not aware of any enmity between the two.

    Prince Yi despised Zhong Hua, as she did him and he had no sympathy for the maid who had dared to whip his mother all those years ago. Even the very thought of that scene made his blood boil. But he was curious about why the Crown prince kept her there and so he had his men move the unconscious maid and have her checked.

    But it was when that maid woke up that was when his world turned upside down. All this time, he had thought of the Empress as one of the few good people who existed in the dark and cold palace. He had been grateful and had always held her in esteem for her goodwill in saving his life as a child...She had been his source of hope at one time.

    But then the maid said that the Empress killed his mother, no, she let Zhong Hua do it...He found it inconceivable. Zhong Hua was cruel and cruel and she needed no reason to harm others, but the Empress was warm and kind, he could not fathom it.

    He went from silently snickering at the fact that Jun Kai had been happily parading the person who framed his own blood mother as his "mother" to a confused panic and raging emotions.

    His mind was confused and racing. The Crown prince must have known about his mother, and perhaps did not tell him about the maid because of that, to spare him? That thought sent a surge of guilt through him so he quickly dismissed it.

    {...No, it wasn''t to spare me, it was to have evidence against the Empress, he must not have trusted me, that''s why...that''s why he would have kept it secret...He - he would have done the same. I did nothing wrong to him...I owe him nothing!...}

    His eyes fixated back on the maid and he unsheathed his sword and put it at her throat as he demanded an explanation. And with a few more words from the crumbling woman, it made all the nonsensical sense in the world.

    He realized that it was his fault, he had brought his mother to the limelight. It was because of him that she had crossed paths with Zhong Hua, his mother always stayed out of everyone''s way and kept to their little courtyard. He was also the one who brought Jun Kai there, he was also the one who went to look for Jun Kai...It was his fault.

    In the heat of the anger and confusion of his whirling thoughts, he ran the maid through with his sword. He needed to end someone and so he did. She confessed it was her hands that delivered the poison, so she deserved to die.

    But it was still not enough.

    He still could not want to believe it, and so he went to investigate it on his own. He captured the Imperial doctor who had seen to his mother and after a long bout of torture and threats. He admitted that he was paid off...and even the medication he had given were to further her demise.

    His head was spinning and the realization of his stupidity hit him again. He had been played for a fool on so many levels. The concern he was grateful for all these years was nothing more than a mockery of his own foolishness. He thought of how much she must have laughed behind her smile as he always looked on at her with gratitude. He had even been jealous of Jun Kai all these years for having the good fortune of being her adopted child.

    It was all his fault.

    {...No, it''s not my fault...It''s his fault, it was because of him...If not for him, I wouldn''t have gone there, if not for him, my mother would not have - and I wouldn''t have had to kill the Crown prince, if not for him...None of these would have happened...Who the hell is he that he should have that much sway over every one''s life?!... It''s his fault! Everything is his fault! It''s his existence that''s a problem. It''s his fault!... Not mine...}

    He could not tell his father, even if he did, he would not care...He would never admit it, but he did not want to ruin the budding relationship between them. He could not disappoint him and so he killed the Imperial doctor too.

    Then he went to his mother''s grave and promised to get revenge for her. He would have them all bow before him. He finally had his father''s support and he could see the way forward. But he would not forget and he will ruin them all.

    "Your highness." A voice called, dragging Prince Yi back to his reality. Prince Yi looked up from his spot on the ground surrounded by empty jugs of wine, to see Tian Ji in front of him. He let out a breath and asked in a weary husky voice, "What is it?"

    "Young master Zhao is here to see you." Tian Ji informed. Prince Yi immediately scowled. Zhao Chang was that woman''s nephew...but unfortunately, a long time friend of his. Initially, Zhao Chang had been part of the Crown prince''s circle but then he later distanced himself as it became clear that the Crown prince stood against the Empress and his family.

    But still, Zhao Lan had maintained contact with Prince Yi and had become his only good friend. When he found out that damning truth, he tried to push away Zhao Chang then, but he always came back to him and even tried to placate him despite not knowing the reason for his change in attitude. He was simple and loyal. Prince Yi had never had anyone be so resilient for his cause before and so he could shun this friendship.

    But right now, he felt that if he saw him, he might just kill him and he knew he would regret it. "I don''t want to see anyone right now." Prince Yi said as he covered his face with a hand.

    {...I''m tired...Nothing has gone my way, everything...always falls apart for me...He was born lucky and I was unlucky...}

    Tian Ji quietly bowed and left Prince Yi alone to continue his brooding.

    {...*Hmm...He''s not exactly lucky...but I guess he''s not unlucky...}

    Prince Yi snorted, he did not even have the energy to be angry.

    {...Again, you''re here to speak up for him...as always...}

    The Voice gave a long sigh.

    {...*No, I''m here for you...Nothing works for you, because you are chasing after what''s not for you...It''s surprising you''re fixating on him this much, I thought you would have -....Hmm, I guess he made quite the first impression then...He does have that stubborn face, coupled with an attitude that makes you want to punch him. I quite enjoyed that by the way, serves the stubborn brat right! Hehehe~...}

    Prince Yi frowned.

    {...*Don''t worry, if he comes for payback in the future, I''ll protect you...For now, how about leaving life here to travel and chase after enlightenment? Huh? This throne is useless, romance is overrated, not necessary, not necessary at all. Having to chase after someone and decode their feelings is tiring work...Life alone is great, I can do what I want when I want, how I want...most of the time...Forget that part, my point is alone is nice...and if you get lonely, you can find a baby and raise it, babies are adorable and wonderful...most of the time...}

    Prince Yi sighed as he listened to the voice rambling, and then tiredly said out loud, "What are you talking about?"

    {...*Nothing! Anyway, stop fixating on him...You don''t really want the throne, do you?... Forget it and we can go traveling. Oh! Yes, you can officially become my student? I don''t accept students normally but I have taken a liking to you after all this time so I will make an exception, how about it? I can show you all the wonderful things this world has to offer an-... }

    {...I am not going anywhere...}

    Prince Yi took a big gulp from the wine, then he got up and smashed the jug and left the room.

    {...And I am not fixating on anyone...}

 Chapter 177 - Interlude

    By the time Lei Xing woke up, it was already night time. The lights in her room had been lit and the bowl was gone. She sat up in the bed and glanced around and then sighed heavily.

    {...*Hey, you-...}

    {...I know I''m a horrible person! I don''t need you to tell me!...}

    Lei Xing''s mind jumped to defend the moment she heard the bracelet begin

    {...*Tch, I wasn''t going to say that...}

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and did not respond. She threw the blanket aside and stood up and her eyes immediately fixed on the small container of balm that was still on the table. She blinked at it and then walked up to it, picked it up and then simply stood there frowning at it in her hand.

    {...He forgot this...I should send it - I''m sure there''s more than one... He would have gotten his injuries seen to by now, right?... Probably, definitely...I should still send it just in case...Eunuch Li wouldn''t have forgotten...*sigh* He left it because It''s nothing important...He doesn''t need it, he wouldn''t care so...}

    Lei Xing sighed just as Xiao Ruo came into the room. Before Xiao Ruo could open her mouth to speak, Lei Xing threw the container at her and ordered, "Send that to the Emperor." Then she stormed back to the bed and covered herself with the blanket.

    Xiao Ruo stood there, perplexed with Lei Xing''s behavior, she had been sleeping all day and she still wanted to sleep? "Your highness, are you feeling unwell? Should I send for an Imperial doctor?"

    "I''m fine." Lei Xing mumbled back from under the blanket.

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows and then brightened up and smiled, "Your highness, aren''t you hungry? You haven''t eaten all day...I was actually coming to wake you, it''s was getting too late and the Emperor ordered all your favorites for dinner so-..."

    Lei Xing''s ears perked up and she revealed her eyes from the blanket and blinked at Xiao Ruo, "Huh?"

    Xiao Ruo nodded and her smile brightened, happy she got Lei Xing''s interest, "The Emperor sent someone earlier but you were asleep...He said for you rest properly and be sure to look after yourself and ordered that your favorite dishes be prepared for dinner...with extra care." Xiao Ruo added with a giggle.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and continued to just blink at her, feeling at a loss. When Xiao Ruo realized that Lei Xing was not going to respond, she said, "I''ll have your dinner brought in..." Then she left the room, leaving a confused Lei Xing behind.

    {...He''s not angry?... I thought...but he seemed...}

    Lei Xing pouted and the bracelet let out an exasperated sigh.

    {...*Disappointed, sad, hurt...Ahhh, what tiring work...I know it''s hard to believe, but he obviously still cares about your tactless, heartless self...Tsk, tsk, he''s a lost cause...But a good lost cause so nothing to worry about at all, you should be happy...No, no, you should be sad for the damage you dealt him. Hmph!...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...-_-)...He''s too nice, people who are too nice are sketchy...Shouldn''t he at least be a bit angry?... Or maybe I''m the crazy person here for wanting someone to be angry with me *sigh* -_-)''...}

    {...*You are quite abnormal but it''s not your fault...mostly...And he''s not too nice! He''s ONLY too nice to you, big difference!... He doesn''t bother with other people, he has quite a low tolerance actually...}

    {...I thought you didn''t know him -_-)...}

    {...*I don''t! But you do and you have eyes and a mostly sound mind...Denial of the truth doesn''t mean ignorance of said truth...}

    {...I don''t know anything anymore -_-)''...He''s...he''s always...}

    Lei Xing let out a tired sigh.

    {...*"Nice, sometimes annoying but nice"...YOUR words...told you I''m helpful! ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and did not respond.

    {...*So what are you going to do? You hurt your adorable little puppy at quite the vulnerable time too, mean...His poor pitiful heart broken into tiny smithereens, time and time again...Now that I think about it, it seems you enjoy doing this quite a lot, not that I mind it but after a while, you start to look like the worse one, you know...It''s hard not to feel some sympathy for him...Well, at least this time you felt something, you kn-...}

    {...Leave me alone! >_

    Lei Xing squeezed her eyes and buried her face into the pillow. She did not want to think of anything yet. It was what she wanted and she stated as much. She knew she was quite mean about it, but it was better to be direct.

    {...Why leave a sense of false hope?...}

    {...*O_O)...False hope? You said that if you found someone you liked enough you would consider having a child then...You said that, so there is hope...Or do you not like him? Ah, no, no, it should be, is there no possibility of you liking him enough? It''s quite obvious you like him and I see a definite grand possibility here hehe~...}

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and blinked, then she frowned.

    {...How do you know that?...}

    {...*Well, it''s obvious...You think about him quite a lot, worry about him, you can''t stand him being upset...You''re the kind of person not to bother with people you don''t like, you ignore their existence most of the time. Therefore y-...}

    {...No, not that...The child thing, how do you know? We haven''t talked about that before...frankly, the last time I thought about that vague obscure "possibility" was the night - you weren''t here, actually it was the night before I found you. I don''t randomly think about having babies, actually, I never think of it...so how do you know? ?_? )...}

    {...*Really?!... How am I supposed to keep track of your crazy thoughts? You think about all sorts of things, I''m pretty sure you don''t even know all your thoughts...It''s not like your mind shuts up when you sleep...}

    {...O_O)...It doesn''t?...}

    {...*Of course, it doesn''t...I would know and I know quite a lot hehe~...}

    Lei Xing sighed again, she was not in the mood to argue with the bracelet so she let it be.  Honestly, she was not even sure what she was in the mood for right now.

    The doors opened and Xiao Ruo trotted in with the servants who quickly arranged her meal. When they were done, Xiao Ruo walked over to the bed and smiled at Lei Xing, "Your highness, dinner is served. Let me help you up..." Xiao Ruo said as she bent down to help Lei Xing up.

    Lei Xing lazily let herself be dragged off and then froze when she sat down and saw the food on the table. It was all her favorite dishes, and looking at them made her feel more upset so she just sat there frowning at the table. Xiao Ruo looked at her not digging in as usual and then asked, "Your highness, is there something wrong?..."

    Lei Xing bit her inner lip then shook her head and picked up her chopsticks and shoved some rice into her mouth. Xiao Ruo scooped her some of the fragrant ginseng chicken soup Lei Xing had come to love, but it did not have the same appeal to her today. She took a sip and then absentmindedly turning the soup in around the bowl.

    {...So he''s not angry?... What am I going to say when he comes back? It''s going to be so awkward... I thought...}

    Lei Xing let out a tired sigh.

    {...*You thought you would never have to see him again and that maybe he''ll even kick you out of the palace while he''s fuming...Actually, I would have loved to see that scene, you do deserve to be kicked, sometimes hehe~...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and then knit her brows.

    {...-_-)...I just didn''t expect this...It makes me seem...feel worse...}

    Lei Xing sighed again. The bracelet also sighed.

    {...*You need to think long and hard - No, not long, you''ll take another hundred thousand years if I let you -_-)...You need to think long and quick about what it is you feel. You are not the only one with feelings. He has them and I have them...and there are others who have them too...You are allowed to be selfish but not too selfish...So stop being stubborn...}

    And with that the bracelet left Lei Xing to pout and continue to pick at her dinner, continuously sighing.

    "Noble consort Li came over today, she also sent someone to check whether you were awake a few times...It seems she has some urgent matter..."

    "Tomorrow." Lei Xing absentmindedly responded. She was not in the mood to see anyone else right now. She took a deep breath and then stood up, "I''m done."

    Xiao Ruo frowned down at the table, Lei Xing had barely eaten anything. She watched as Lei Xing crawled back into bed and wrapped herself in the blanked then worriedly asked, "Your highness, do you want me to send for an Imperial doctor?"

    "I''m fine, just clear the table and leave." Lei Xing said and then she faced away. She listened as the maids cleared the table and left her alone in silence...And then she waited with her ears perked up, heart jumping at every sound.

    As the hours passed by, her heart began to feel heavier and heavier as she laid there waiting...but he never came.

 Chapter 178 - Escape

    The Emperor twirled the container of balm a servant had delivered to him in earlier. He had spent quite some time scrutinizing the small container trying to decipher Lei Xing''s meaning. The maid who delivered it did not bring any message, apparently, Lei Xing had simply asked that it be delivered to him.

    {...Is this concern or is this a send off?...No, I have quite a few things around her palace, this is nothing...So it''s concern...but nothing more?...}

    The Emperor put down the container and sighed. He really could not be certain whether it was one way or the other, he could not be certain about anything when it came to Lei Xing. He still was not sure what to do about her and so could not return to her palace tonight as usual.

    But since he had been staying there for about two months now, he knew it would invite a lot of speculation if he stayed away, especially after the absurd events of the day. To avoid that, he sent someone to check on her and ordered that all her favorite dishes be specially prepared for her dinner. He even ordered for some gifts to be sent over to her in the morning as well.

    Even if they were on bad terms, she was still Lei Yong''s sister...and regardless of the situation, he still cared for her, a lot more than he wished to admit at the moment.

    The Emperor sighed again and glanced around his room, being here again felt odd. After finishing the rest of his work for the day, he went and laid down on the bed...and it felt even stranger. Everything was odd and uncomfortable.

    He sighed and laid there staring at the canopy above as his mind started to wander...and all his thoughts were of Lei Xing. He wondered if she was asleep yet, if she had eaten, if she was crying...if she felt uncomfortable without him there, as uncomfortable as he felt without her.

    {...No, she would be comfortable now...She always asked me to leave...Used to...She hasn''t done that in the last few weeks...But perhaps she was just tolerating me?...}

    The Emperor sighed again...He missed her, then he wondered if she missed him. He always believed himself to be a very resilient and self-sufficient person, but he was starting to feel very weary with her. She made him feel insecure...and small. He had never felt like this before, not even when he was chastised or ignored by his parents, as imposing as they were...He had never sought anyone''s approval as much as he sought hers.

    She called him a good person, said he was really nice...But even then, it was not enough. Not enough for her and not enough for him.

    The Emperor closed his eyes with a sigh and after a long while of simply laying there, he drifted off to sleep into a memory he loathed.

    "You''re finally in the mood to talk and this what you have to say." His father said with a raised eyebrow as he scrutinized Jun Kai, who was kneeling before him with keen interest. Jun Kai looked down and knit his brows but did not respond, so his father continued on and asked, "Why should I?"

    "He needs your help." Jun Kai said looking up at his father with a confused frown. Jun Shan''s maid had come to find him after his training session and told him about Jun Shan''s whipping and confinement. So Jun Kai had immediately come to the royal study to inform their father, to get his help. But then he was asked such a ridiculous question, it was perplexing.

    His father lightly shrugged and then picked up a memorial, "If he''s weak enough to die from a little beating, then so be it...Why should it bother you?" He asked narrowing his eyes at Jun Kai.

    "He''s my brother." Jun Kai said glaring at him, irritated by the question, "...and your son."

    His father stared at him for a bit and knit his brows, seemingly in deep contemplation as he dragged out the words, "brother, siblings, friends..." He paused and frowned, then raised his eyebrows and condescendingly said, "...Admirable, but ultimately serves no purpose, compassion makes you weak."

    Jun Kai''s glare intensified as he realized his father did not plan to help but he tried again, "You helped me...and my mother..." Then he lowered his head as the thought of his mother made him feel more upset.

    His father snorted and then enlightened him, "All with a purpose, you have your uses and she...cannot die." Then he got up and walked down to Jun Kai, who kept glaring at him as if the glaring would suddenly will his father to do as he wished. But rather than be offended, his father seemed to find it amusing, he smiled at him for a while and then proceeded to walk off, throwing the words, "Compassion is useless, you should be better." back at Jun Kai, who knelt there glaring at his father''s departing back.

    The Emperor abruptly sat up in bed as he took deep breaths to calm himself as his father''s parting words reverberated through his head. He sat on the side of his bed and massaged his head. That was truly an irritating memory, after his father refused to help. He had returned to the Empress''s palace with the plan to ask her for help.

    Despite the fact that he did not trust her due to his mother''s warnings, she had been fairly nice to him. That was what he thought until he stumbled on her conversation with Zhong Hua that day and found out that Prince Yi''s mother''s death was their doing. They were discussing how to end his mother and had mentioned it in passing. He immediately left the scene and was able to piece it together as he tried to make sense of the absurd situation.

    The more he thought about it, the clearer it became and it was because of him. It was no secret to the Empress that he did not like his mother, the Empress had even talked to him about how horrible his life must have been. He said nothing to defend his mother whenever someone said something or insulted her and Zhong Hua often made it a point to mention how horrible she was when he was around.

    But he never said anything to defend his mother, but that day when Zhong Hua had slandered prince Yi''s mother, blaming her for his wounded hand and asking for the Empress to punish her, Jun Kai had spoken up in her defense. He had never said anything to the Empress or his father since he left the cold palace, but that day he spoke to her to protect Jun Shan and his mother...and that must have struck a wrong chord with the Empress, she, of course, agreed to his request and let the matter go.

    But in his absence, she and Zhong Hua decided that Prince Yi''s mother was a problem. After settling down his confused thoughts and emotions, he still went to the Empress to ask for help, there was no one else he could go to. And since she wanted so much to be accepted by him and tried to paint a picture that she was the opposite of his mother, he played on that fact. Simply mentioning that he could have never asked his mother for this was enough to get the Empress to do as he wished.

    The Emperor sighed, he had forgotten what his nights were like before Lei Xing.

    The fact that he needed her to simply have a peaceful rest reinforced how much he needed her in his life...and it was infuriating to him that he had to rely on someone for something so simple. Something so simple, yet it had had eluded him all his life.

    The Emperor frowned then got up and opened the doors, startling the servants outside. He immediately ordered, "Tell Commander An to ready some men." Then he walked back inside with two Eunuchs trailing behind him.

    He quickly got dressed in a simple dark robe and then went out, only to run into Eunuch Li. Apparently one of the servants had gone to alert him the moment the Emperor woke up. Eunuch Li frowned and fell into step beside the Emperor and advised, "Your majesty, it will not be good if you miss court two da-"

    "I will be back before morning." The Emperor dismissively said then hastened his steps.

    It was suffocating. He needed to get away, away from the palace...and her.

    *******************

    ????: Tsk, tsk I almost feel sorry for him...Well, it''s partly his fault, he could have gone for ANYBODY but Nooo ????...It had to be the most difficult, most irritating, most stubborn entity in the world...So it''s hard to feel sorry for that, it''s exactly to his taste????... I personally prefer someone with a cheery and bright, beautiful personality, someone who just lights up the room, the adorable sort????..I would never go for a high-handed, know-it-all, stubborn, crass certain someone wi-...

    Lei Xing : I would never go for you either...I''m not into scrawny ????

    **???? immediately jumps up, knocking over his chair as he scrambled to cover the screen, then he stared at LX who was casually leaning against the door of his room**

    .... ???? CONTINUED in Next chap!

    NOTE: NEXT CHAP IS AN ???? SKIT!...SKIP AT WILL! (?^��^)��

 Chapter 179 - Ant Skit Episode 11: Promotion

    ????: Tsk, tsk I almost feel sorry for him...Well, it''s partly his fault, he could have gone for ANYBODY but Nooo ????...It had to be the most difficult, most irritating, most stubborn entity in the world...So it''s hard to feel sorry for that. I personally prefer someone with a cheery and bright, beautiful personality, someone who just lights up the room, the adorable sort????..I would never go for a high-handed, know-it-all, stubborn, crass certain someone wi-...

    Lei Xing : I would never go for you either...I''m not into scrawny ????

    **???? immediately jumps up, knocking over his chair as he scrambled to cover the screen, then he stared at LX who was casually leaning against the door of his room**

    ????: I didn''t say I - Don''t you know how to knock?! There''s this thing called PRIVACY, you know!

    Lei Xing : ???? Well then, you should learn to close your door.

    ????: ???? What do you want?

    Lei Xing : *slowly looks ???? up and down*  ????...Just taking some measurements...

    ????: ???? Measurements? For what? *covers chest*

    Lei Xing : *snort* None of your business...Author wants you in her office  *Then she turns and disappears down hallway humming to herself*

    ????: Am I in trouble again? ????...But trouble aside, somethings can no longer be tolerated! ????

    ************************

    **???? bursts into Author''s office**

    ????: I have an issue that needs to be rectified immediately! I need a lock on my door! Everyone has one, why don''t I have one? This is discrimination! I demand that you do something about it o-

    Author : Shut up! Sit down or Get lost! ????

    *???? immediately sits down and stares at Author wide-eyed and watches as Author massages forehead*

    ????; *clears throat* Um...If something''s wrong. I can come back later, it''s not urgent so-

    Author : *blinks and then smiles* Oh, nothing''s wrong! Everything''s great! Sit, sit. Oh, you''re sitting... Just a little tired is all ????

    *???? nods hesitantly, still ready to ????????*

    Author : Sooo...how is my favorite star doing? Tell me, how was your vacation? ????

    ????: Favorite...star ???? - Wait, vacation? I...was on vacation? ????

    Author : Didn''t Lei Xing tell you?

    ????: ???? No! She said that I was suspension! ????

    Author : Suspension, vacation, same thing...Anyway, I have great news for you. I have something important in the works for you...And I know you will love it!

    ????: Oh!... Here I was starting to worry I was going to be fired ????...So what is it?

    Author : Your own story!...Your. Own. World...with your very own leading lady too ????

    ????: ???? Really?

    Author : Yep! Really, I''ve been excited and everything! ????

    ????: So when does it start?

    Author : Ahhh...Um, *blinks* ...Soooon, eventually, we''ll get there...Someday...You know I''m just so busy and I have so much to do...You saw me when you came in, right? All these people keep coming to interrupt me. You see, there''s no one else to help them. No one to put things in order, put them in their place...If someone could just -... *sigh* But there''s no one to help, so you''ll just have to wait for now... *sighs and looks at papers on desk dejectedly*

    ????: ???????????? I can help!

    Author : *looks up in "surprise" ???? * You can? You would? Can you?

    ????: Of course! Ah...I have lots of free time...

    Author : ????...But it''s not always easy...It might be a bit too difficult for you...

    ????: No, no, not at all. I know a lot about managing stuff. I do it all the time! You can trust me! I can do it! ????

    Author : Hmm...

    ******************

    Jun Kai: Xing er'', how about we go out today?

    Lei Xing : En?

    Jun Kai : We''ll figure out where to go as we go along...just getting away will be good, it''s too cramped here ????...

    Jun Shan : If you feel it''s crammed, you should leave on your own...

    Tung Mei : I know right, you are the one making her feel cramped, move! ????

    Jun Kai : ????...Irrelevant people should stay out of OUR conversation.

    Tung Mei : *scoffs* I think you''re the irrelevant one here...she''s not even paying attention to you.

    Jun Shan : *shakes head* Some people just cannot take a hint.

    Jun Ka i: Speak for yourself! ????

    **Jun Kai ignores the extras and looks back to Lei Xing, who is staring at her phone intently playing a game**

    Jun Kai :...Xing er'', how about it?

    Lei Xing : What? *looks up with a lost expression*

    Jun Kai : ????...Let''s go out.

    Lei Xing : No, the weather sucks. It''s raining out...

    **Tung Mei burst out laughing and Jun Shan snickers**

    Jun Kai : *glares at the extras* ...There are too many pests here????.

    Lei Xing : *follows his line of sight* ???? You must be seeing things.

    **Laughter increases*...and glaring intensifies**

    **???? enters**

    ????: Okay, that''s enough playing around...settle down everyone.

    Everyone : ????

    Tung Mei : Who made you boss?

    ????: I am now your Gaffer ????

    Jun Shan : Gofer?

    Tung Mei : Oh I see, give me a moment I''ll write out my list.

    Jun Kai : Go get an umbrella, we''re going out...just one *smirks at Lei Xing*

    Lei Xing : I''m not going anywhere ????

    Jun Shan : I don''t have any tasks for now right now, but give me your number. I will message you when I have something.

    ????: ????... I said GAFFER not GOFER!!???? It means I am now in charge of you all!

    Everyone : ????.... ????????????...

    ????: I''m serious! Author promoted me just now. I am now the intermediary between you all and the Author.

    Jun Shan : Ah, she has been lacking an assistant.

    Lei Xing : Oh, so it''s so no one bothers her, lackey. You must be SO proud ????.

    Tung Mei : You got played, Gofer ????

    Jun Kai : Hurry and go get the umbrella ????

    Eunuch Li : On that note, I do have some complaints about the conditions of this common room. A few adjustments can be made to make it more comfortable, such as...

    ????: Well -

    Lei Yong : The gym needs some work...mainly, there is no gym. How can we be expected to keep in shape...do you know how much it cost for a gym membership around here? ????

    ????: I''m not sure... ????

    Eunuch Li : There''s also the issue of the accommodations...my bed is very... *And the list runs on*

    ????: ????????????...

 Chapter 180 - A Cowards Stand

    The Emperor''s group arrived at a seemingly normal residence and entered the residence where some guards rushed over and bowed to the Emperor. The residence currently only held guards in it and they immediately led the way to the underground prison where their guests were kept.

    The three guests of the prison heard the noise of feet and saw the shadows of light coming down the hallway and they immediately scrambled to their feet. As the Emperor and the others arrived at the front of the cell, and one of the guests immediately barked, "Who are you and what do you want from us?!" The men had gotten drunk and gone to sleep and found themselves here, caged in this dark and damp cell when they woke up.

    The Emperor ignored the question and scanned the three guests with an icy glare, then asked in a cold and calm voice, "Which one of you hit her?"

    The three men looked at each other, and the confusion was clear on their faces. The Emperor let out a breath and then said, "I guess it''s hard to remember such little details when it''s your daily lives. In that ca-"

    "I didn''t touch her! It was them! I told these idiots to leave her alone!" The shortest of the men suddenly blurt out as he fell on his knees, the one who had questioned the Emperor immediately yanked him off the ground, "You ingrate! Who the hell d-"

    "I warned you not to touch that noble girl yesterday but you didn''t listen. Your fooli-" His words broke off, when he received the man holding him gave him a swift punch in the gut and released his collar and then pushed him down, straddled him and began raining punches. The second man immediately leaped forward to play peacemaker and separate the two.

    "So it would have been fine if she wasn''t a noble...?" The Emperor''s cold voice suddenly reached the rowdy bunch and they froze. Finally remembering that they were not in their run-down hideout, and more importantly, they were currently someone else''s prisoner.

    The Emperor did not wait for a response and ordered, "Open the cell." The Emperor handed over his sword to the guard beside him and stepped forward, when Commander An blocked him, but before he could say anything, the Emperor narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Move."

    Regardless of the Emperor''s skills, putting himself in danger, no matter how minuscule was not advisable. So Commander An knit his brows and advised, "You don''t nee-"

    "Move." The Emperor repeated and stared Commander An down. He was in a very bad mood and there was cold energy radiating off him. And he was not in the mood for a discussion and Commander An sensed this, and so he sighed and stepped aside. But stood right by the door as the Emperor entered with his hand on his sword, ready to attack.

    The Emperor entered the cell and looked at the three men, who''s gazes were roving between and the open gate behind him.

    The Emperor then calmly said, "Come if you want your freedom."

    On hearing those words, the prisoners blinked and warily scanned the Emperor, who was seemed to be leisurely standing there. Then they glanced Commander An and the guards on the other side, who all had their hands on their swords.

    The Emperor lightly smirked with no humor at all and informed, "My word is law, if you can pass, you can go." When they still did not move, the Emperor glared at them, "Are you cowards only good at attacking weak and defenseless women?"

    That finally got a response, and the one who had been assaulting the short one lunged towards the Emperor, intending to barrel him to the ground. The Emperor moved out of the way and instead grabbed the man by the back of the head and banged his head against the heavy steel of the prison bars, opening a gash in the man''s skull and he immediately crumbled to the ground, unconscious. At the same time, the peacemaker threw a punch towards the Emperor''s face.

    The Emperor avoided the punch, grabbed the man''s wrist and twisted his arm towards his back, and then used his other hand to hold the man''s shoulder as he dislocated the arm, causing him to fall to his knees and scream out in pain.

    The Emperor then proceeded to break the man''s fingers one by one, completely deaf to the man''s screams and pleas. When he was done with the fingers on the hand, he grabbed the other hand, despite the man''s struggle, he yanked it and dislocated that as well and proceeded to ruin his fingers. When he was done, he dropped the arm and let the man scramble to the corner as he wailed in pain.

    The Emperor then kicked the head of the other one on the ground, causing his head to bash into the bars again. The Emperor then turned his attention to the short beat-up man who had yet to move from where he was pushed to the ground by his unconscious comrade. The man gulped and shakingly shuffled to his knees and kowtowed as he pleaded again, "I really didn''t touch her. I would ne-"

    "So you never touched any of the women?" The Emperor asked with raised eyebrows and a cold stare.

    The man froze and then glanced up at the Emperor and said with conviction, "I never did! I swear-"

    "So you were simply the lookout?" The Emperor interjected again.

    "Yes, exactly! I was scared, they forced me into it! I had no choice...But I never touched any of them! I swear!" The man frantically pleaded.

    The Emperor quietly assessed the man''s "sincere" tearful gaze and then flatly said, "I don''t believe you." The man''s face fell and you could see the fear on his face, but before he could begin pleading again, the Emperor continued, "...And even if all you did was look, I still consider you responsible. At any time, you could have done something to stop them or alerted the authorities...You have proved to be useless."

    The Emperor then turned and left the cell and it was promptly locked behind him. Then he scanned the three men in the cell, his gaze settling on the lookout, "Your eyes and mouth have proved to be useless...But I will be merciful, on the account that you say you were led by fear..."

    The man''s face lit up with hope and then the Emperor gave his orders, "...Cut off his tongue and blind his eyes. He has no need for them...For the other two, cut off their fingers and then their wrists. Castrate them all and make sure they are all awake for the whole process....In the last two weeks, there have ten r.a.p.es so far and two of the young girls passed away during the assault. I don''t care whether or you are responsible for all of them or not. Ten girls, ten days...If you are not dead from your injuries in ten days, then you will be pardoned with death..."

    With that said, the Emperor and Commander An left the scene. As the sound of the lookout''s pleas and then screams reverberated through the prison as the guards mete out his punishment.

    When they arrived outside, the Emperor looked up at the night sky and then closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air, as the muffled screams carried through the prison doors behind him. He was finally able to let out some anger, but it did not do much to better his mood...It was not enough.

    "Do you feel better now?" Commander An asked observing the Emperor''s face.

    The Emperor slightly opened his eyes and stared forward at nothing and then responded, "No."

    {...Not in the least...}

    The Emperor walked forward and the men followed his lead, got on their horses and sped off behind him.

 Chapter 181 - Prop Engineering

    The Emperor returned to the palace well be before dawn as he said he would. But instead of returning to his palace, he directly went to the prison and was currently sitting down waiting for Chen You dragged into the torture chamber. He could hear Chen You screaming and barking for the guards to release her and even threatening them before she arrived in the room. But as soon as she reached the doorway and saw the Emperor, her face lit up but then her face froze in apprehension.

    The indifferent expression on his face and his cold gaze that fixed on her as she entered made it clear that he was not there to help her cause.

    As soon as the men released her, Chen You immediately fell to her knees and kowtowed, and tried for a sympathy ploy, "Your majesty, I knew you wou-"

    "Start talking." But the Emperor coldly cut her off before she could even begin.

    Chen You frowned and looked up at him with an aggrieved expression as she said with an exasperated voice, "I''ve already said it, it''s not my fault. It''s those stupid girls who came to tell me nonsense and tricked me! They must have been planning to ruin my life! Why would I try to harm my own cousin? We grew up together! It''s just I could not let Your majesty to be made a fool of and so between family and loyalty, I chose loyalty. My only fault is being an eager loyal subject!" She said banging her on the ground as she kowtowed again, to show her sincerity and loyalty.

    The Emperor was silent for a bit and then let out a breath and calmly advised, "Make this easier for yourself and simply while I''m giving you the opportunity..."

    Chen You frowned and then sat back on her knees to look at the Emperor directly and with tears streaming down her face,  "Your majesty, I have spoken only the truth. All I''ve wanted to do is to serve you and look after your welfare. The thought that you or your reputation might suffer in any way made me muddle-headed, it''s all because of m -"

    Chen You flinched and stopped as a guard dropped a large bowl filled with water in front of her. She frowned down at the water and then glanced at the two guards who were standing at her side with wariness.

    Then she looked at the Emperor and wanted to continue her plea, when the Emperor simply said, "Begin." And Chen You immediately felt her head submerged in the water. She struggled and tried to shrug off the hand on her head. But with her hands were tied at the front, she could not put up much of fight. She could feel her limbs going limp and then she was wrenched up and immediately gasped for air as she went into a furious coughing fit.

    "Now?" She heard the Emperor say and glanced up at him with her burning eyes and then she said, "I didn''t d-" Before she could finish, her head was dunked back in the water and it started all over again. She struggled again and as just as she weakened again, she was wrenched up.

    This time the Emperor did not say anything and simply waited. But then she did not say anything and so she was dunked again and again. But she kept insisting that she did nothing wrong and it was the maids who had deceived her. "All I did was be confused, it''s a small misunderstanding! It was my fault for believing them, but I was only worried about her!" She hoarsely barked out through her burning throat.

    The Emperor sighed and then said, "Bring the poison." Whether or not Chen You was involved in the drugging plot, he knew her hands were not clean, but she was still being stubborn and resilient. Normally he might have found this admirable and might have humored her a bit longer, but today all it did was further irritate him and he wanted it to end swiftly.

    Chen You''s eyes went wide-eyed as she watched one of the guards come to her with a bowl, she looked at the Emperor with horror, "You can''t kill me for this! It''s just a misunderstanding, how is it fair? My father is still -"

    The Emperor gave a humorless snort and coldly asked, "Your father is what?" with a raised eyebrow at Chen You and she immediately went quiet and lowered her head with a frown. The Emperor then let out a breath and informed, "Of course, I wouldn''t kill you for this..."

    Chen You blinked and her face lit up with hope until he continued, "...But, Noble consort Chen was completely disappointed with herself and in apology for her making a fool of the Empress dowager and causing chaos in the palace, she drank poison to pay for her wrongs with her life. What do you think?" The Emperor asked with raised eyebrows.

    Chen You stared at him wide-eyed in horror and then she shook her head in disbelief, "N-n-no, you woul-dn''t..."

    The Emperor smirked, "It all depends on you, your life is in your hands." And with that said, the Emperor looked at the guards and one held her up as the other held her mouth open and poured the dark liquid down her throat.

    As soon as the guards released her, Chen You tried to throw up but the Emperor calmly advised, "I advise you don''t that, with a second dose...accidents become more likely."

    Chen You froze and held her burning throat and then she tried to scramble to the Emperor, but the guards held her back and she looked at him with teary eyes. The Emperor at her unmoved and advised, "You should start talking before the poison does irreparable damage..."

    Chen You blinked and the tears started to fall but no one cared for her tears. Her stomach began to twist in knots and she pleaded for the antidote for help but the Emperor simply said, "Talk."

    Chen You tightly held on to her stomach, closed her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "It''s not fair..." Then she opened her eyes and glared at the Emperor, "Why does everything always have to go her way?! It''s not fair!"

    The Emperor showed no reaction and simply waited, and then she finally spat out, "Fine, I didn''t tell her about the banquet. I wanted her to embarrass herself...But then she went out and stayed out on her own, which was even better for me -..." She paused and bit her lip as the pain intensified.

    "Continue." The Emperor coldly ordered.

    Chen You frowned with angry and pained tears were rolling down her face, but she complied, "The maids came and told me about that -..." She glanced at the Emperor and saw him frown and so she skipped mentioning the incident, "...I didn''t expect her to be so stupid but it was a golden opportunity, so I told the Empress dowager. It was the right thing to do, she made a fool of you-"

    She closed her mouth again when the Emperor coldly glared at her and instead she said, "I didn''t know the maids were lying...She must have worked with them to get me in trouble otherwise how would they dare to - Ahhh..." She closed her eyes and bent over groaning in pain and coughed up blood and stared at blood in horror and then looked up in a panic, "The antidote, please...I''ve told you everything. That''s ever-"

    "The rumors, that was your doing, correct?" The Emperor asked, cutting her off.

    Chen You froze and then shook her head and quickly defended, "It wasn''t me, it was that foolish Chun Hua, she told me about that too and I-...It wasn''t me, it was her!"

    "Chun Hua?...Your personal maid." The Emperor said narrowing his eyes.

    "Yes, No!", Chen You shook her head again and hysterically said, "I don''t know her, it was my mother who sent that bitch to me! I had never even seen her before! She must have come here to ruin me! She must be working with that stupid Lei Xing! That mus-" Then she bent over in pain and curled up as the pain intensified, "antidote...antidote...please..." She managed to squeeze out through ragged breaths.

    The Emperor did not respond and knit his brows in thought as Chen You laid there, pleading and curling up in pain. When she finally passed out, the Emperor told the guard to give her the antidote and then ordered for one of the other two maids to be brought in. He wanted to hear how the events of the evening went and how they came upon that scene.

    When the guards wanted to move Chen You back to her cell, the Emperor told them to leave her there on the floor. She would be more useful in the room and then he waited for his next subject as he thought over Chen You''s interview.

    Chun Hua seemed to be the most suspicious of the bunch now. They had looked into their records and the other two maids had worked in the palace for years and their roots could easily be tracked as their families lived in the outskirts of the capital.

    Chun Hua came in with Chen You and then Chen You said she did not know her and had never even met her before entering the palace, which meant she was a very recent addition to their household staff.

    The guards finally dragged in the next subject and dropped her on the ground. The maid shakily bowed to the Emperor as her eyes kept glancing over at the motionless, wet and blood stained Chen You on the side, wondering if she was dead.

    Chen You was definitely doing her job as prop very well. With her in that state right in front of her, whatever fear the maid had of Chen You became obsolete. Also if the Emperor could do that to his own consort, the maid knew she stood no chance.

    The Emperor quietly watched as fear consumed the maid and then calmly said, "If you speak the truth, I may consider sparing you...Explain everything in detail as it happened that day, truthfully."

 Chapter 182 - Allure of the Wall

    Lei Xing tiredly sat in the pavilion in her palace, she had ended up staying up for most of the night. She was not even sure how she passed the time, it was all a blur. All she remembered was that she fell asleep looking at the first rays of the sun filtering in through the windows.

    And she woke up this morning to a gift box of jewelry from the Emperor. She stared at the box for a while with a frown and then she got up and went outside. The room was suffocating and she could not stand it anymore.

    So now here she sat in the pavilion, staring at the flowers and the "beautiful" wall. It seems she had finally come to understand the Emperor''s fascination with the wall that long-ago night of the lantern festival.

    Xiao Ruo returned from her information hunt session and Lei Xing absentmindedly listened as she went on about the gossip of the day.

    The Empress dowager was still out of the palace and did not return the night before, apparently too busy overseeing the hunt for her monk. She had also closed off the temple he was staying at and was busy there terrorizing and threatening the inhabitants.

    Xiao Ruo moved on to the Emperor and Lei Xing sighed as soon as Xiao Ruo mentioned him.

    According to Xiao Ruo, the Emperor went to court that morning and chastised Lei Xing''s father for the incompetence of the city''s security staff, specifically mentioning the unsolved string of r.a.p.e and assault cases. He reminded him that his job was not only to focus on the military but that it also encompassed the security of all the people within the border of this country. And to have such criminals running rampant in the capital was a failure on his part. The failure of his staff was his failure as the Defense minister.

    The Emperor then went on to criticize all the ministers as a whole for their disregard for the welfare of the common people and asked if it was only when their own heads were on the line that they saw it fit to work effectively? The ministers were all dead silent. And so he continued on and said this was the sort of lackl.u.s.ter attitude that stunted their country''s progress and promoted chaos in society and cited Chen You as an example of one promoting chaos.

    Then he announced that Chen You has proven herself to be a malicious woman who went about instigating chaos by spreading false rumors to cause trouble in the palace. And said that his palace and country have no place such chaotic disorder and that they all better shape up or they will have to answer for their incompetence. And then he stormed off, leaving the confused ministers to digest his words.

    But what everyone got out of this episode was that, the Emperor was angry and that it was Chen You''s fault. They were also not sure where Defense minister Lei stood at the moment and it was obvious that quite a number of people were going to be fired for said incompetence that day.

    Lei Xing sighed, while she knew the Chen You had some fault in the situation. She was quite certain that she had some input in the Emperor''s bad mood.

    "Xing er''!" Lei Xing heard her name and her face lit up as she turned towards the entrance, but then her excitement immediately fell when she saw it was Princess Nalan and not...

    {...I should have known...How could I think - Can''t you tell the difference between a man and a woman''s voice?! Obviously I can and it''s not like I waiti- okay, maybe I was, am, was... BUT in my defense, he calls my name pretty softly so it''s reasonable to - What the hell am I thinking? He''s never that excitable, also doesn''t shout my name -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing massaged her head and closed her eyes as Princess Nalan closed the distance and sat across from her. Lei Xing looked up with a half-smile and lightly bowed her head in greeting. Princess Nalan studied her face and asked, "Are you alright?"

    {...-_-)...Other than feeling like shit, I''m generally fine...}

    Lei Xing lips twitched and then offhandedly responded, "I''m fine...And you?"

    "I''m alright. Visiting the palace is much better with that Empress dowager gone...I heard she''s hunting for a monk?" Princess Nalan asked excitedly with bright eyes.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and lightly snorted, "What? You want to join her hunt?"

    Princess Nalan shook her head and waved her hand, "Never...I''m just glad she''s gone."

    Lei Xing nodded in agreement with a small smile that quickly disappeared. Princess Nalan studied Lei Xing''s expression again and then narrowed her eyes, "You...You don''t look okay..."

    "I''m fine." Lei Xing immediately reassured with another half-smile and then she asked, "How come you''re here? You could have just sen-" Lei Xing broke off, she was not actually sure if she was still allowed to go out. The Emperor did not say anything about it, but she was not sure if she could still leave and return as she liked. But then again, she was not in the mood to socialize either.

    Princess Nalan sighed, "My older brother said not to send for you, that things are complicated at the moment..." Then she whispered, "I actually snuck out."

    "How daring." Lei Xing offhandedly responded in a flat disinterested tone.

    But Princess Nalan was oblivious to Lei Xing''s sarcastic and disinterested tone and took it as Lei Xing complimenting her. She smiled and smugly responded,  "Naturally, I have just been letting him order me around to be nice...But I couldn''t stand the curiosity so here I am, what''s really going on?"

    Lei Xing looked at her questioningly, pretending not to understand. Princess Nalan narrowed her eyes, "I heard some rumors before...Is there really something going on between you and Prince Yi? Why did the Emperor ask us to lie, my brother did not explain, but I''m not an idiot. Last we saw you, you two were together, but then the Emperor out of nowhere?... What''s going on? Do you two really have something going on?"

    "Of course not!" Lei Xing said with a frown, looking completely offended, then she whispered,  "Don''t say things like that or you''ll get in trouble. The Emperor just needed the help...That is all I can say." Lei Xing patiently said while internally glaring at her.

    {...Nosy much?... Why don''t you go ask him yourself OR freaking mind your own business! -_-)...Now that I think about it, all this is kind of your fault...You and crazy antics and your stupid brother, who apparently cannot control you! >_

    Lei Xing''s irritation was heightened again and she glanced off at the wall to avoid externally glaring at Princess Nalan, who seemed to be staring at the table, deep in thought. Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm herself and glanced at Princess Nalan again and then sighed.

    {...I guess clueless does as clueless is...But since you helped, I guess I can give you a pass...Annoying children -_-)''...}

 Chapter 183 - Talented Company

    Princess Nalan knit her brows but before she could continue to question her, Lei Xing spotted Li Ru enter her palace and immediately waved her over with a smile, "Li Ru, over here..."

    Li Ru walked over and glanced at Princess Nalan and Lei Xing quickly introduced them, "Princess Nalan, this is Li Ru, Noble consort Li...Li Ru, Princess Nalan." The two lighty bowed to each other and Lei Xing quickly said, "Sit, sit...." Xiao Ruo arrived right on time with snacks and tea and Lei Xing went, "Eat, drink..."

    {...Just don''t ask me shit -_-)...}

    Princess Nalan''s expression still looked off, and Li Ru also looked weird, probably uncomfortable with the extra guest. And so Lei Xing quickly leaped to the task of playing the gracious host and tried to rile up the conversation. Before long, she successfully distracted Princess Nalan and even got Li Ru''s interest by starting a conversation about the various landscapes and scenery in Zou kingdom.

    Princess Nalan happily described all that she had seen and enjoyed while Li Ru listened with avid interest, asking questions along the way. LieXing smiled, she could already see Li Ru drawing out the scenery in her head.

    {...It''s good to be talented...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed as her mind wandered off to another talented individual she knew and his many talents. Unfortunately for her, the conversation did not do much in brightening her own mood.

    The three had lunch together, with Lei Xing picking at her food again and then Lei Xing and Li Ru escorted Princess Nalan out.

    With Princess Nalan gone, Li Ru turned to Lei Xing and worriedly asked, "Are you alright?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and nodded. Li Ru sighed and then hooked her arm through Lei Xing''s and smiled and said, "Let''s go back." Lei Xing simply nodded and let herself be pulled along and they made their journey to her palace. But as they crossed the entrance into the inner palace,  Lei Xing suddenly froze.

    Li Ru turned to Lei Xing, wondering why she suddenly stopped and saw her staring fixedly straight ahead with a frown. Li Ru followed her line of sight to see the Emperor and his retinue walking way ahead of them.

    Li Ru lightly sighed and quietly stood there with Lei Xing, until the Emperor turned the corner, and the last of his servants disappeared. Then Lei Xing slowly started walking again and they returned to her palace in silence. And Lei Xing immediately resumed her position at the pavilion staring at the wall again.

    Li Ru sat across from her, knit her eyebrows and considered how to approach the topic, then she carefully said, "Xing er''...Is the Emperor very angry with you?"

    Lei Xing glanced at her, blinked, and then lowered her head and frowned. Li Ru sighed and then said, "Chun Hua...Chen You''s personal maid came to talk to me that night...she told me everything. She said she was trying to dissuade Chen You from exposing it, but she came to let me know to see if I could find a way..."

    Lei Xing blinked up at her with knit eyebrows, "She did?"

    Li Ru nodded, "En...I went to the Emperor''s palace that night but I was not allowed in...I thought since it was because it was late, so I went back in the morning...and saw Eunuch Li, I told him that it had to do with you - I didn''t tell him what happened...But he assured me everything would be fine and that the Emperor was handling it....I would have gone to the Empress dowager too but -..."

    "It''s fine, she wouldn''t have listened to you anyway." Lei Xing quietly said with a sigh, "It''s all a misunderstanding." That was all she was going to say on the issue and Li Ru understood, but knowing how Lei Xing was, she had to ask, "Does the Emperor know it is a misunderstanding?"

    Lei Xing bit her lip and hesitated, but then nodded. Li Ru studied Lei Xing''s expression and it was clearly obvious she was troubled. But she did not press instead she said, "I heard the Emperor did not stay here last night..."

    "He is very busy." Lei Xing quietly responded. Li Ru quietly scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit and then said, "I see...In that case, it''s good everything is alright then."

    Lei Xing nodded.

    The two sat in silence for a while and then Li Ru said, "If you can intercede on Chun Hua''s behalf, she sent someone to me this morning asking for help. I thought it best to leave it to you, after all she did try to help you and you''re best suited to talk to the Emperor..."

    Lei Xing immediately frowned and mumbled, "I don''t think I''m in a place to really ask for that..."

    {...Or ask for anything really...}

    "So it''s n-"

    "I''m fine, I''m really fine." Lei Xing interjected before Li Ru could say more. She was really not in the mood for conversation, "I''m having a headache, I want to sleep..." Lei Xing said lowering her head with a frown.

    Li Ru knit her brows but said, "Then I''ll leave you to rest..." She got up and looked at Lei Xing who still had her head lowered. Then she sighed and went and hugged her

    Lei Xing was startled and flinched a bit but she stayed still as Li Ru hugged and pat her head, "Xing er'', it''s normal for him to be upset over this, but if you get upset too...Then nothing gets resolved. You should go to him and explain properly. I''m sure he''ll understand..."

    After a while of hugging the still Lei Xing, she released her. Lei Xing cast a quick glance up at her and nodded as she mumbled, "Thank you." Then she immediately averted her eyes and turned back to the wall with a pout and a flushed face.

    Li Ru could not help a light chuckle and she pat Lei Xing''s head and said, "You''re really  cute..."

    Lei Xing immediately cast her a quick glare and then turned back to the wall.

    {...Who the hell is cute? Do I look like a rat to you? -_-)''...}

    Li Ru snorted but held her laughter in, "I''ll leave now..." Lei Xing nodded but did not look at her and Li Ru smiled and left her alone to continue to stare at the "beautiful wall", alone with her thoughts.

    {...Since she still has the spirit to glare at people, she seems well enough...}

 Chapter 184 - Mounting Resolve

    Lei Xing sat outside until the sky began to darken and then eventually went back to her room and laid on the bed. She stared at the corner where the box of jewelry he sent was kept and then thought of his back view she saw today. He was walking away, and she stood there in the background, unnoticed and unimportant to him.

    His hurt expression flashed through her mind and Lei Xing frowned and squeezed her eyes shut, willing her mind to be quiet and empty. She laid there quietly and then heard the door open and her heart jumped but she did not open her eyes, feeling nervous...with reluctant anticipation.

    As the footsteps drew closer, Lei Xing realized it was one of the maids, the footsteps were too light. Then she heard someone lightly sigh and then departing footsteps. Lei Xing slightly opened her eyes just to confirm what she already knew and she sighed when she saw Ah Jin''s departing back.

    {...He''s not coming...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and figured that Ah Jin must have come to ask her about dinner, but she was not in the mood to eat. She had barely eaten all day but she was not feeling hungry at all. Lei Xing laid on her back and stared up at the canopy.

    {...I''m not waiting... Then what is this?...*sigh* Waiting is annoying...Maybe I should just go? And do what? Say what?... I don''t know...*sigh* This is depressing...}

    Lei Xing laid there and despite her wishes, she found herself listening intently to the sounds from the outside. She was waiting...and she waited until she slipped into slumber.

    The next morning she woke up with a start but found the bed space next to her empty...as it should be. She let out a breath and dragged herself out of bed. She thought she had gone to sleep quite early so she was not sure whether he came and left already. So the whole time as she was getting ready, she kept glancing at Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo. Then she would frown and then look away...Wanting to ask but at the same time not wanting to.

    Xiao Ruo was clueless to Lei Xing''s internal dilemma and as Lei Xing sat to eat breakfast, she chattered on about the lives of others Lei Xing had no interest in. Lei Xing frowned down at her soup and swirled it around. Then she glanced up at Ah Jin for the nth time that morning and then frowned and looked back down.

    Finally, it seemed Ah Jin was fed up and so she cut into Xiao Ruo''s ramble and answered Lei Xing''s unasked question, "The Emperor spent most of the night in the royal study, he must not have wanted to disturb you and so he returned to his palace to sleep instead."

    Lei Xing blinked, nodded and immediately looked down, turning red.

    {...Was it that obvious?���ء� )...}

    Lei Xing spent another day sat at the pavilion, staring at the most interesting wall in the wall, deep in thought. Today, she had no visitors and was left alone to brood, save for the Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo occasionally coming to ask her a few questions for which she gave absentminded, one-word responses.

    She skipped lunch but Li Ru sent her some cakes and she managed to eat a few of those before passing the rest off to the servants and resuming her brooding. And like that, night fell and dinner came, and it was another set of her favorite dishes on the Emperor''s orders. Apparently he dropped an entire string of orders. But the food looked and smelled exquisite...and honestly, she was starting to feel hungry now.

    As she stared at the table of food, it finally dawned on her that she had barely eaten anything in the last three days. She frowned and shoved a piece of honey-roasted chicken in her mouth, and then followed up with a spoon full of rice and chewed with a vengeance. Angry with the situation but angrier with herself.

    {...Why the hell am I starving myself?... This is frustrating and stupid! If I have a problem, I should just go talk to him...Oh yeah, great idea, what do I say then? Hey, I - I don''t even know... Oh, here''s one - I don''t want kids because it hurts, not an issue with you, just not a fan of pain...And I don''t think you''re worth the pain...yet or will ever be...Sounds perfectly reasonable...not...He probably wouldn''t even believe me...Forget it -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and angrily shoved another piece of chicken in her mouth.

    {...Hey, bracelet, what do you think about that?... It sounds awful, doesn''t it? -_-)...}

    No response. Lei Xing pouted, the bracelet had been ignoring her all this time.

    {...Hey...Hey! Are you going to keep ignoring me too?...}

    {...*...}

    {...- _ -)... Aren''t you taking this too personal?... It''s my life, not yours -_-)''...}

    No response.

    Lei Xing sighed and continued eating. She honestly could not believe herself, she had basically just spent two days zoning out and staring at a stupid wall. She had not even been thinking about anything...most of the time. And honestly, it was draining and stupid and she was tired of it.

    The Emperor was obviously a professional at passive-aggressive and Lei Xing was not even a novice. This situation was depressing and driving her crazy.

    Normally she would never bother with people like this and would have completely thrown them out of her mind. But she could not do it this time...She tried, she really tried. But her thoughts kept wandering over to him, replaying the hurt expression he left her with, his departing back, all the time they spent together...It was driving her crazy and depressing her soul.

    She tried not to care. It was normally easy for her to turn off her emotions, but she was having a hard time this time and it honestly scared her. She tried not to care...but she did.

    Lei Xing stopped eating and sighed, and started picking at her food again, flicking rice grains randomly, focusing on each grain and sending them off into other plates with a deep level of focus. After flicking a few grains, Lei Xing stopped and frowned down at her bowl of rice.

    {...I''m behaving like a child...He''s behaving like a child too! A.d.u.l.ts talk out problems rather than carry out passive-aggressive stunts...Well, I do know of some petty ass people though, so this isn''t too bad. Honestly, this isn''t even bad at all, Can''t exactly complain when someone''s being this nice to you. You''ll be an as***le to complain...

    ...*sigh* Okay, so he''s not angry - Okay, maybe not too angry...So let''s just go...What if he sends me away? Or ignores me to my face?! That would be - No, no that would be great actually. It would DISINTEGRATE every and any atom of feelings I have towards him...So I say it''s a good investment...Yes, it is!...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, dropped her chopsticks and stood up with resolve.

    {...I''m going!..}

 Chapter 185 - Bumbling Resolve

    Lei Xing took a step forward and then froze and then subconsciously lowered herself into another stool.

    {...But then what the hell would I say? And what if...If he asks what I want...I say?... I want to talk this out, what if he doesn''t want to talk to me? Well then I can scream what I want, he has ears, he''ll hear it...Send me away if you want, but stop this passive aggressive bullshit! It''s irritating!... Yeah, that''s definitely stupid, I may just propel him to running me through -_-)...}

    Lei Xing sighed and frowned down at her hands as she flicked her fingernails.

    {...He wouldn''t...He would probably just look at me like I ran him through...It''s an awful feeling...*sigh* I definitely could have been better, but I didn''t expect him to look at me like that...He makes it really difficult to...to dislike him. I''ve honestly never met anyone like him, no one this tolerant...And I''ve never felt...this bothered...

    ...*sigh* I probably won''t be able to sleep tonight again, even being in the room is uncomfortable...I''m tired, this is tiring. We''re fixing this! Or at least going to try, I''ll sleep better having tried and failed. Screw him and whatever happens after!..}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, got up again and this time with conviction, she marched forward.

    {...If I go and he''s a douche, all the better for me because that means I don''t have to think about shit anymore because I don''t do douches!... Bottomline is I''m freaking tired of thinking about this shit!...}

    Lei Xing shut down all the thoughts of protests in her head and marched to the royal study. All for her to arrive and be informed that the Emperor was not feeling well and so had returned to his palace. She simply nodded, turned and left with her heightened resolve crumbling.

    {...Not feeling well, he''s sick?... Can''t be my fault, right? Why the hell would it be my fault? It''s not...What if his injuries started festering? They''re just tiny cuts - Tiny can get infected too - But I'' sure it''s not that...He''s resting, so I shouldn''t disturb him...I''ll probably just aggravate him and make him worse if I go...}

    Lei Xing sighed and with a deflated spirit, she dragged herself back to her palace and went back to her seat of the day at the pavilion. The servants had already cleared the table and tea was quickly brought to her. Ah Jin poured her a cup of tea, but Lei Xing just sat there, elbows up on the table and resting her face on her hands and blankly staring down at the cup.

    After a long while of her just sitting there, a maid came and bowed to her, but Lei Xing did not even notice the girl until she heard the words, "Your highness, the Emperor has sent for you."

    Lei Xing immediately sat up and blinked at the maid and stupidly went, "Me?"

    The maid slightly knit her eyebrows at Lei Xing, perplexed but then she quickly bowed her head and said, "Yes, your highness."

    Lei Xing immediately got up and took a step but then stopped, gulped and hesitated for a bit. She stood there for a little while before she began walking again, dragging her feet as her heartbeat rapidly.

    {...It''s okay, it''ll be fine...He sent for me, which means he wants to see me, right?... So it can''t go wrong...probably....}

    Lei Xing spent the entire walk to his palace, trying to calm and prep herself for the encounter.

    {...I wanted to see him and now here''s the chance...We can settle this and...I don''t freaking know! >_

    Lei Xing finally arrived at the Emperor''s palace and felt even more anxious as she stepped in and was directed to the pavilion...where they had shared their first kiss.

    {...Of course, he''s there...Might as well just shoot me! >_

    Her heartbeat became even more erratic when she saw him sitting there reading in the exact same position... just like he was at that time. She stopped and lightly bowed, but this time he did not even glance her way and her mood further dampened.

    "Sit." The Emperor calmly ordered, still not looking up. Lei Xing complied and went to sit down on the pillow cushion at the side of the table instead of across from him. She did not want to further recreate the scene. She pouted and looked down at her hands.

    {...He''s ignoring me...}

    She nervously plucked at her fingernails, while she stole glances at the Emperor''s face. The bruises were gone and the cuts were mostly healed as well.

    {...He doesn''t sick...The injuries really turned out to be nothing too...I was worried for nothing. Of course, there''s plenty of people to worry about him...He doesn''t need me to...doesn''t need me for anything...What am I thinking? Do I need him for anything? No, but I want him!...O_O)...}

    Lei Xing went wide-eyed at that thought and then frowned. She had never directly admitted that before, not even to herself. She knew she enjoyed his company and his absence these past few days have been unnerving and honestly depressing considering how they parted. Lei Xing lightly sighed.

    {...I guess that''s...true? Fine, I like him. I am aware, I''m not an idiot...But like and want are two different things...Are they though? I don''t know...Fine, I do, I could, maybe, okay, ye-...}

    "Are you looking for me to plead on your cousin''s behalf as well?" The Emperor asked, bringing Lei Xing out of her thoughts.

    "Huh?" Lei Xing responded looking up at him, lost and disoriented.

    {...Cousin? Who cousin?...}

    The Emperor did not look at her but knit his brows and informed, "Your father and her father already came to plead on her behalf...She doesn''t seem to like you, but you want to plead for her?"

    {...Oh, Chen You is cousin...Forgot -_-)...}

    Lei Xing realized what he was referring to and immediately responded, "No, not at all. I''m not here for that." She had forgotten about Chen You and honestly did not care what happened to her.

    The Emperor glanced at her, his heart lurched and he frowned and quickly faced forward and flatly asked, "Are you here to ask me to kill her then?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows. This conversation was not going at all as she expected and she carefully responded, "No, not that either."

    "I thought you wanted the cause of...your affliction dead." The Emperor offhandedly said, his eyes scanning the doc.u.ment in his hand, seemingly uninterested with her presence.

    Lei Xing frowned and looked down at her hands and quietly said, "Well, that was then and now it''s...do as you see fit."

    The two sat quietly for a while, then the Emperor asked, "Then why were you looking for me?"

    Lei Xing glanced up at him to find him concentrating on his memorial. He had barely even glanced her way since she arrived and now he was asking her why she was here as if she was unwanted and was bothering him. It was upsetting.

    Lei Xing lowered her head again and pouted.

    {...What do you mean why? Can''t I just want to see your face or something? it''s not a crime... Don''t be mean (???��?? )...}

 Chapter 186 - Meeting of the Minds

    The Emperor covertly glanced at Lei Xing''s pouting form and knit his brows

    {...Her complexion doesn''t look too good. Has she been ill? I didn''t hear anything about that -...}

    Lei Xing raised her head and the Emperor immediately averted his eyes and pretended to be fully concentrating on the doc.u.ment in his hand. He felt Lei Xing staring at him and it took a considerable amount of will power not to look at her. Honestly, she had been tasking his will power since she arrived.

    Actually, it was since the moment he heard she went looking for him. She had never sought him out before, he was curious and excited...but then he reminded himself not to get excited unnecessarily. He rationalized reasons why she would possibly seek him out and thought it would be about the matter Chen You''s matter. But then she said it was none of those reasons...

    And the one thought he had been pushing back all this while came to the forefront of his mind. Perhaps, she missed him as well.

    But he could not be confident in that thought and so, he did not allow himself to indulge in it and stamped down the thought. Thinking about that would only make him feel worse when she eventually said what it was she sought him for.

    So he asked her what she wanted but she just sat there, frowning and pouting very cutely, torturing him. It was one thing when he could not see her, but having her being right there but feeling so far away was upsetting. But still, he wanted to see her and so could not send her away. He wanted to ask her what her purpose what again, but she seemed so fidgety like she would run off at any moment.

    And now she was staring at him intently, he wanted to look up to see her expression but he thought she might really get scared off and run away and so he continued staring down at the doc.u.ment, with no words going in and all his senses focused on her.

    After a long time of Lei Xing''s silently staring. Lei Xing took a deep breath, let it out and then said, "I''m sorry."

    The Emperor blinked and turned to her in surprise.

    {...She came to apologize?...}

    He opened his mouth to speak but before he could speak Lei Xing held a hand up and said, "Just let me finish." Then she closed her eyes and took another deep breath, opened her eyes and then said, "I realize I owe you a better explanation, given the situation...and everything that''s happened..." She paused, bit her lower lip.

    {...This is awkward and frustrating...But we can do this, just blurt it out! It''s not that hard...It''s just words, nothing to them and if he''s a douche - He won''t be so - We can do this!...}

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and looked straight at him as her face and ears started to redden. She nervously lowered her eyes again, but then willed herself to look up, glaring at him this time.

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows as he observed her. He found this amusing but tried not to smile or laugh. She looked like she was ready to fight a war, she looked fierce and adorable.

    "I like you." Lei Xing finally blurted out with an intensifying glare, shocking the amus.e.m.e.nt of the Emperor. He went wide-eyed in shock and then his face lit up in happy surprise, but again, before he could speak, Lei Xing put a hand up again and said, "Let me finish." as she took deep breaths to compose herself as her face quickly heated up.

    The Emperor smiled and grabbed her hand and softly said, "I''ve missed you." Lei Xing blinked at him, opened her mouth and then closed it.

    {...Ahhh, why do you have to be like this? *>��

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, trying to stifle the smile that was struggling to break free. She drew her hand back and said, "Don''t distract me...Let me finish." With a pout, red face and crimson ears.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, but complied and waited. Lei Xing closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and then looked up at him with knit eyebrows and began, "Ah, so...Um, remember I told you I lost my memories right before entering the palace. So just imagine not remembering anyone, and then being taken from the place you call home to enter the palace, you would agree it''s quite daunting. Not to mention, of all the few things I remembered, the idea of the harem being a dangerous and treacherous place was the clearest of them all. So you can imagine the idea of being part of it was rather distasteful. Suddenly going from not remembering anyone, to entering the palace and being forced to marry some stranger..."

    "Stranger?" The Emperor interjected with knit eyebrows. He did not like that.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and reminded, "At that time, you were, we were strangers..." She then frowned at the memory and rambled on again, "You also didn''t give me much of a choice then and it was honestly infuriating. I also thought I had offended you with the whole Empress thing and you just wanted revenge or something. It was a very odd situation, I failed and you did-..."

    She paused and let out a breath, "My point is I was barely given an opportunity to come to terms with who I was told I was - am, who I am. Then I was suddenly thrown into the palace and then suddenly married. Everything happened too suddenly. So I -" She broke off again and looked down and her frown deepened.

    This was the difficult part, but she willed herself to look up at him. Since she had started this, she would finish. She looked up at him, glaring in her nervousness and steadily said, "I don''t want to find myself suddenly having a child, I -I''m not ready for that." Then she waited, anxiously waited for him to react, for him to tell her to leave or do something mean...so she would leave and will truly forget him this time.

    Instead of that, the Emperor smiled and then took her hand and caressed it and said, "All very reasonable...I understand." Lei Xing eyes widened and then she blinked at their hands and then the Emperor moved closer and enveloped her in a warm hug.

    Lei Xing stayed still and let him hug her for a bit. But she needed everything to be clear and so she lightly pushed him back and looked at his warm expression. She searched his eyes looking for something she could not name. She gulped and lowered her eyes to his chest and carried on, "...I- I need you to understand...I can''t say when and if I-I''ll ever be ready...I- I can say I like you for now b-but as for the re-..."

    "It''s fine..." The Emperor reassuringly said, bringing a hand up to caress her face. Lei Xing blinked up at him, confused.

    The Emperor leaned forward to kiss her but Lei Xing turned her face to the side with a frown.

    {...How can it be fine? I just said...What the hell is wrong with me? I should be happy he said that! Why the hell am I questioning it?!...}

    "What''s wrong?" The Emperor asked looking at her worriedly. He thought they had finally gotten through their problems but now it seemed she was withdrawing again.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and then faced away and asked, "How can it be fine?" She knew she was being ridiculous but she could not help thinking about things realistically. If he were to only keep being with her, and she did not want children, then what about his throne? Heirs are naturally important to people like him.

    {...And I am being ridiculous -_-)...}

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought, understanding her hesitation. While he was taken aback by her proclamation of not wanting children, what made him angry the most at that time was the fact that she planned to hide it from him.

    He had been thought about it. He would, of course, like to have children, and children by her. But between her and children, he wanted her more. Most importantly, from her words just now, it was not an impossibility...she just was not ready for it at the moment. He could understand that.

    As for the future, they are young and they have time...and she came to him this time. He was feeling incredibly confident at the moment.

    {...It is quite amazing how easily she affects me...}

    The Emperor inwardly sighed as he stared at the side of her face and a smile subconsciously formed on his lips and he said, "It''s fine because I say it''s fine."

    Lei Xing pouted and mumbled, "I guess it''s fine since you have so many women so it wouldn''t matter..."

    The Emperor turned her face towards him, and held her gaze and said, "There''s only you... "

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him, her expression softened and then she slightly knit her brows. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and she wanted to believe it, she truly wanted to believe it..and when he kissed her, she felt herself believe it in that moment.

    It was a long warm, gentle and reassuring kiss. A kiss to soothe and she responded in kind. All she could not express in words, she gave in her kiss; her fears, her vulnerability, her fragility... and her trust.

    And for the first time, the Emperor felt he truly held her, all of her in his arms...and it was the most precious existence in the world to him.

 Chapter 187 - Stabilizing Comfort

    When the Emperor finally ended the kiss, he opened his eyes to see Lei Xing pouting again. She glanced up at him but immediately lowered her gaze to his chest. The Emperor slightly knit his brows and softly caressed her cheek as he gently asked, "What''s wrong?"

    She lightly shook her head, then closed her eyes and buried her face in his palm but did not say anything. He could see her eyelashes fluttering and he could feel her slightly shaking as well. He would have thought she was crying if he could not see her dry cheek and he also did not feel any moisture on his palm.

    The Emperor was perplexed, he was not sure what to make of this reaction. She was behaving oddly. She was blushing like usual, but she seemed as if she wanted to hide...as if she wanted to run.

    The Emperor frowned and felt a pang of panic and blurted out, "Stay." But it came out a lot more forceful than he intended and it sounded like an order. He felt Lei Xing stiffen and then he began to worry he might have scared her and wanted to say something to settle her, but then he heard her say "okay" in a tiny voice. He blinked and then smiled, and lightly stroked her hairline with the tip of his fingers.

    {...It must have been hard for you to come find me...But I am very happy you did...}

    She had never told him that she liked him before or really said anything about her feelings towards him. He was stunned and extremely happy then and was still riding on that high. It was clear that it was not easy for her to say it and that made him feel even happier. It was not something she said lightly and she meant it from her core so it felt all the more precious. As mean as the thought was, he was very glad for her difficult time.

    He gently brought her face to his chest and hugged and kept stroking her hair. It was fine if she wanted to hide for a while. As long as she stayed, hiding was fine.

    When he hugged her, Lei Xing opened her eyes and lightly sighed but stayed there.

    {...It''s fine...I like him, I know that much and just admitted it...He likes me too, that much is clear...for now...I like him doesn''t mean I can''t live without him, because I can. It''s just going to be like having a boyfriend, those come and go. It''s not like he''s my firs- Okay, he is my first boyfriend...But that''s just irrelevant...When we break up -...}

    Lei Xing frowned as she remembered that stupid play she and Xiao Ting watched before she entered the palace. The one where the love-stricken Emperor went on a killing spree because of his "love".

    {...He''s a sweetheart, so he would never do that...probably...Chen You deserved it and she''s not dead yet...so prison? STOP! Now I''m being ridiculous >_

    Lei Xing showed a wry smile on that last thought. She had jokingly thought of it but considering it was her own life, the humor was very dry and honestly a bit depressing. She did not believe in happily ever after, she had witnessed too many failures and had disillusioned herself a long time ago.

    She was content being alone, it was easier, a less stressful. She would not have to worry about what someone else was doing, why they were distant, if they were upset, if they were with someone else...She did not want that struggle in her life, she could never stand that idea of it and so, wanted no one. But then he fell into her life from nowhere...

    {...Actually, I fell into his life...*sigh* I''m thinking too much, definitely am...Who thinks about breaking up on day one? Technically day one...Apparently I do because I''m a freaking horrible person! No! I''m only preparing for the worst and because the worst is right around the corner for this guy...

    ...Okay, to be honest, the opportunity to cheat is right around the corner for everyone. We know this...And even when it wasn''t there - *sigh*... He''s had the opportunity the whole time, and he''s completely ignored it all this time, even when he''s technically "entitled" to...so he''s better, more...trustworthy?... At the very least, much better...}

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it in for a bit and then exhaled. Then she sat up and saw the Emperor smiling at her sweetly. She could see the concern in his eyes and her heart warmed and relaxed. She felt safe.

    Lei Xing subconsciously smiled back, scanned his face and then lightly touched his cheek and said, "You look much better already...I worried for nothing." She jokingly said with a smile, trying to lighten the situation. She was aware that she had been behaving very oddly and it worried him, and she was uncomfortable with that.

    The Emperor''s smile widened and he took her hand and kissed her fingers, "Your worry makes me very happy, it''s never for nothing..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

    {...What a flirt! (��>?

    The Emperor watched her laugh and then got up, pulled her up as well as he said, "Let''s go to bed."

    "B-bed? A-aren''t you busy?" Lei Xing asked, her face heated up and she looked down at the memorials on the table. She knew it was going to happen, but this soon was a bit...She was becoming incredibly fl.u.s.tered.

    The Emperor circled his arms around her waist and sighed, "I honestly wasn''t able to sleep well without you...and I have been very busy, so I am quite exhausted..."

    "O-oh, so we''re sleeping." Lei Xing flatly said as she raised her eyebrows and blinked at him. Her nerves and the sliver of excitement quickly dissipated.

    The Emperor lightly chuckled and gave her a quick kiss, "Eventually." And then with a bright smile still on his face, he pulled the blushing and nervous Lei Xing along as he walked back to the building, and made a beeline for his bedroom.

    As soon as the bedroom doors closed behind them, he wrapped Lei Xing in his arms and dove into a passionate kiss as he pulled her along to the bed.

    After a few steps, Lei Xing broke the kiss, "Um,  I-" The Emperor immediately captured her lips again, apparently not interested in having a conversation anymore. He successfully distracted Lei Xing for a bit and she kissed him back for a few more steps but then she interrupted again, and that failed again.

    And the third time, she put a hand over her mouth and frowned at him and ordered, "Wait."

    The Emperor finally opened his eyes and looked at her with slightly knit eyebrows as he calmly asked, "What is it?"

    Lei Xing lowered her eyes and hesitantly said, "I need to bathe and get ready first."

    The Emperor blinked and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Lei Xing cast him a quick glance and said, "It''s necessary preparatio-"

    "I don''t care." The Emperor said, slightly amused and leaned in to resume the kiss. But Lei Xing pushed at his chest and pouted, "I care, it''s the first time."

    "No, it''s not." The Emperor corrected with a sly smile.

    Lei Xing shyly frowned at his chest and said, "Well it is for me...mostly. Anyway, I- I need to prepare. You wait." She ordered and went to peel his arms of her. At first, his arms did not budge and then she glared at him and he snorted and released her with a smirk. She nervously gave a resolute nod and immediately scurried out the room as she fanned her heated face.

    The Emperor watched her leave and then chuckled.

    {...She''s so adorable...*sigh* I can wait a little while...I feel like I could probably wait forever...}

    The Emperor let out a happy sigh and was about to go out as well to ask the servants to bring his memorials here. But then he heard a chuckle in his head and immediately stopped.

    {...*Hehe~ And you would have probably had to wait forever if it wasn''t for me...You should be grateful...}

    The Emperor was surprised at first, it had been quite a while, but then he smiled and went to go sit down on the side and poured himself some tea, ready to relax and have a conversation. He was in a great mood.

    {...And I am very grateful...Thank you...}

    The Voice was quiet for a while and the Emperor thought it had left again. He leisurely sipped his tea, only for him to hear a sniffle. He paused and knit his brows.

    {...O_O)...Are you crying?...}

    {...*I''m Not! *sniff*...It''s just nice is all...*sniff* I''m going to remember this, you better not forget either! I mean it! Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to remind you hehe~*sniff*...You two are so precious! I''ve been wanti- just too adorable! *sniff*...}

 Chapter 188 - Lost Inquiry

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. This conversation was amusing. Then he knit his brows as he suddenly remembered something important he needed to discuss with the Voice.

    {... I have something to ask...I''m curious...The incident of my mother strangling Xing er'', I saw it from my study...It was as a vision or something, quite odd...You''ve never done anything like that before...But then this time, when she was in danger, why didn''t I see anything and she almost -...}

    The Emperor frowned and fisted his hands in anger at the thought.

    {...She could have died...}

    {...*Well, she was fine in the end, wasn''t she? So nothing to worry about there - �� - )...}

    The Emperor could hear the pouting in the Voice''s tone, and he was slightly annoyed that the Voice did not seem to be taking the situation seriously.

    {...I''m being serious, she could have easily been killed, you should ha-...}

    {...*Okay, got it! But it''s not my fault! >_

    The Emperor blinked in confusion and then frowned.

    {...It wasn''t you?...}

    {...*It wasn''t!...As for why it didn''t work this time...Hmm, maybe it didn''t work because she wasn''t actually dying? I''m honestly not really sure how it works. You see, the situation is a bit special... But that should be it! I figured it out! You''re very welcome! ^_^)...}

    {...So you don''t know what it is?...}

    {...*Oh, I know...}

    {...Then tell me, what it is? And how does it works so I can -...}

    {...*You should know better than I do...}

    The Emperor frowned.

    {...I don''t. If I did, I wouldn''t be asking -_-)''...}

    {...*Hehe~ Oh yes, that''s true. I forgot...Well then, you''ll know...eventually, later...As for how it works, I told you what I know...But as I said, this situation is a bit special...}

    {...Special?...}

    {...*You don''t feel it?... Hm, well, if you don''t then you don''t...}

    The Emperor''s frown deepened. Of course, he felt she was special to him. He had never felt as peaceful...

    {...There''s more to it than peace, isn''t there? I can''t describe it but -...I''m in love with her...deeply so I believe. But that''s different from - I don''t believe everyone sees visions of the person they love in danger, correct?... And if it''s not your doing, then what is this?..I''m glad to have her but...I would like some answers...}

    {...*Hehehe~ How adorable...Answers...Since today is a great day, Okay! I shall enlighten you. Soooo...It''s like this, hmm...So she''s like a - it''s like a reflection, no, no, if anything you''re the reflection...No, no, no that doesn''t work either...A shadow? No, you''re obviously two different people so that won''t work either...Yin and Yang! Yes, exactly that! So you two are the two halves of the same whole, No, it''s actually four parts. Oh, that''s actually perfect! I am quite brilliant hehehe~...}

    The Emperor''s mind froze for a bit, baffled and utterly confused.

    {...Four parts?...}

    {...*Yes, because you know the Yin and Yang spirits actually have four components to them...You, know, like the symbol...The two white and black bodies and then the little white and black spots on their heads, so four parts all make one! It''s the mixture of the four that makes the harmony ^_^)...}

    The Emperor was still confused but he was trying to follow the conversation, as weird as it was becoming.

    {...Ookay, so four make one...But what does that have to do with Xing er'' and I?...}

    {...*O_O)...It does...doesn''t it? It does!...}

    {...Bu-...}

    {...*Ahhh! >_

    {...Ask my father? What do you mean ask my father?...}

    {...*...}

    The Emperor asked but the Voice had stopped responding, it had left, leaving the Emperor stunned by the strangeness of his last statement.

    His father was long dead and buried. While he might not have been there for his passing, he was there for the funeral and saw his dead body. The Emperor knit his brows in deep contemplation.

    {...Was it a mistake?... But then how could it not know?... Could it even have made a mistake like that? Makes no sense...And then Xing er'' and my father...There''s no connection...}

    He knew Lei Xing never came to the palace, as for his father visiting the Lei manor. Perhaps when she was a child. His father rarely left the palace and really only ever left for official occasions, which Lei Xing never attended.

    He thought his father might have talked to Defense minister Lei about marrying Lei Xing to him. His father obviously had an affinity with Lei Xing''s father, they had been best of friends since they were children so him wanting them to be more through their children made sense.

    But he never heard anything about that and he would have gotten wind of it if there was any talk like that. Unless it was a secret discussion between Defense minister Lei and his father, but then as far as he knew Defense minister Lei did not want Lei Xing in the palace. Perhaps his father asked and Defense minister Lei refused the offer?

    {...Perhaps my father had some intuition that we would be a good fit...But even if that did happen...That doesn''t explain any sort of connection between us, and the four part yin and yang? It makes no sense...}

    The Emperor sighed. As usual, the Voice said it would enlighten him. But, as usual, did absolutely no explaining at all and only left him with more questions than he already had.

    {...I expected too much from this conversation...}

    ***

    Lei Xing sat in a warm bath, blushing bright red and patting at her cheeks. She smiled and then pursed her lips, then knit her brows and then lowered her head into the water. She was feeling very nervous, but also quite giddy. She had never done anything like this and it was quite nerve-racking.

    {...Ah, why the hell did I decide to do this? -_-)...I should have just let it proceed, stalling makes it even more awkward and all this really isn''t necessary...But it would be nice, I guess...He''ll like it...He better or I''ll pluck out his eyes -_-)...}

    Lei Xing finally got out of the bath after getting her courage up. She quietly let her maids fiddle with her, occasionally giving her own input. For once she was actively participating in dressing herself up rather than complaining. When they were done she stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself and her blushing intensified.

    {...I can''t believe I''m doing this...Why the hell am I doing this? It''s embarrassing packaging myself like a present! >__

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and willed herself to walk out of the bathroom and slowly made her return to the bedroom, stifling the urge to run as she got closer to the waiting Emperor.

    The servants opened the doors and Lei Xing hesitantly walked in, shyly. The Emperor who was still sat there contemplating the Voice''s words looked up when he heard the doors open and his eyes immediately lit up.

    Lei Xing was dressed exactly as she was the night when she came here to him...the night he had to send her away.

    She was dressed in the exact same thin-strapped low cut silk gown with threaded gold vines across the chest band. Loosely hanging on her shoulders, was the same thin see-through shimmery silk red robe. Her hair was even done in the same exact style, a thick braid across the top of her strewn with small flowery hairpins, creating the image of a flower crown.

    Lei Xing stood there, fidgeting with the bit of her hair that had come over her shoulder. She stood there with her head slightly lowered with a bashful smile on her adorably reddened face as she stole glances at him.

    Unlike last time she did not look awkward or uncomfortable at all in the outfit. This time she looked shy and lovely...she looked breathtaking.

    The Emperor was stunned. He slowly stood up and closed the distance between them with a smile stuck on his face. He did not expect this at all, could not even have imagined that she would do this. He was speechless.

    As came to stand in front of her, Lei Xing lowered her head even further and her blushing intensified. When the Emperor simply stood there and did not say anything, she glanced up at him to see him looking at her with a dazed expression on his face.

    She felt even more embarrassed and quickly looked back down and mumbled, "Well, say something..."

    {...You''re making this is even more awkward! >_

    The Emperor cleared his throat and then gently took one of her hands, "You look even more beautiful tonight..."

    Lei Xing looked down at their joined hands, and a smile subconsciously spread on her face as she stood there, nervous but happy.

    {...Living for a moment isn''t too bad...}

 Chapter 189 - Content

    The Emperor stared at the shy blushing Lei Xing, who was avoiding his gaze with a smile plastered on his face. He remembered telling her that night not to come to him dressed like this anymore unless she was trying to tempt him. It was one thing for him for her to just let him take, but it was a whole different thing for her to offer herself to him like this. This was her accepting him and as he had always wanted, this was her completely and willingly giving herself to him.

    After a while of the Emperor just standing there, lightly holding her hand and making no moves or showing any indication...to do something, Lei Xing glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow.

    {...Um, proceed?? _ ?)...No? Okay, let''s just stand here and play statues then -_-)''...I should say something...Like? I don''t know! Let''s just move this along! >_

    Lei Xing took a deep breath, ready to say something, when the Emperor finally started walking, pulling her along. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart as they inched closer and closer to the bed.

    {...Doing this, finally doing this...We''re doing this! (* �R?�Q) ...}

    But then to Lei Xing''s confusion, the Emperor suddenly stopped walking when they got to the middle of the room.

    "Stay like this." The Emperor said with a smile and then left her standing in the middle of the room. He walked over to the table on the side and knelt in front of it. And then took a piece of paper, straightened it, picked up the brush, looked up at her and smiled again and then looked down.

    Lei Xing was confused and curious and wanted to go over to him, but the Emperor swiftly said, "Stay."

    She froze and narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "What are you doing?" With a pout.

    {...?_?)...Dude...What is so important that you have to write it NOW?! Last I checked you were all over me! You- you - It couldn''t died out so fast, coul-...}

    "Drawing you." The Emperor calmly informed, interrupting her thoughts. Lei Xing''s mouth hung open, she closed it and then stared at him with raised eyebrows. He looked up again and seeing her baffled expression amused him. He chuckled ad then looked her over and looked back down.

    Lei Xing stood there, completely lost with this turn of events.

    {...Drawing. You''re drawing... O_O)... I mean, he''s drawing me and that''s flattering and everything but...Drawing -_-)''...What kind of stupid foreplay is this? This isn''t tita-...Well, it''s obviously not titanic, I''m not n.a.k.e.d...Also would never pose for a n.a.k.e.d photo - or potrait, whatever it is. Not on his life...On mine though? Well then, maybe...No, still won''t do it! That''s trouble waiting to happ-...

    ...*sigh* What the hell am I thinking? But really in this sort of moment, who the hell in their right mind wants to draw?!  ( ?????)... Apparently, this guy does...*cough*��-(?��??) Now it seems like I''m the one who was eager...I wasn''t ? _ ?)...If he''s not eager, I''m not. We can draw all night for all I care!?\_( ??3 ��)_/?...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at the Emperor. He looked up again with a smile as he scanned his subject, completely oblivious to her disappointed state. He looked back down and continued with his task and Lei Xing sighed.

    {...He has his own version of clueless -_-)''...Well, it is kind of cute...I can stand for a few minutes...better not be hours, I have a limit hahaha...ha *sigh*...This did not go as I planned, not that I had a plan anyway... but I did have some ideas...and none of them included a portrait but it is really cute and nice of him...Very sweet actually...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and as she looked at him, she found herself feeling more relaxed and found herself smiling.

    The Emperor looked up again, and his eyes roamed over Lei Xing, carefully studying her before looking down and continuing with his drawing. Lei Xing subconsciously tugged at the edges of the red robe on her shoulders as her blushing intensified.

    {...It is still a bit  ????��????)?...}

    After a long while, the Emperor stopped glancing up at her. And as the minutes trickled by, Lei Xing started to become more curious and then she became impatient. Finally, at her wit''s end, she just walked over to see what he was doing.

    "Oh, wow." Lei Xing said as she saw the drawing. The Emperor stopped and turned to see Lei Xing as she knelt down next to him. He was so absorbed with his drawing that he had not even noticed her come over.

    Lei Xing leaned over and scrutinized the drawing. The Emperor noticed her knit her eyebrows as she scanned the drawing, and it was then he finally realized he got carried away and left her standing there. He felt somewhat embarrassed and lightly cleared his throat and explained, "Ah the scenery did not really suit, so I made a few adjustments."

    "A few?" Lei Xing asked with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. He had long finished drawing her, beautifully too. But then he had also drawn a garden around her, complete with trees in the distance, grass,  birds, and butterflies.

    She was a bit annoyed that he left her standing there "posing" while he went about "adjusting" the scenery. But she was more happy than annoyed and so she honestly complimented, "It is much better than reality..."

    The Emperor immediately knit his brows and his eyes roamed between her and the drawing. He did not agree and so he said, "Perhaps to the untrained ey- " Lei Xing immediately turned to him with a threatening eyebrow raised and he quickly amended, "Beautiful eyes...but reality much more appealing." He finished with a charming smile.

    Lei Xing lightly snorted and rolled her eyes as she mumbled, "Of course..." She picked up the drawing and sat back on her heels and looked it over more closely.

    {...If I lost in appeal to a bloody drawing then I think I need to rethink my life choices...namely you -_-)''...}

    His compliment was nice, but in her opinion, the drawing was definitely better. He drew her a lot more beautiful than she appeared. For one thing, the her in the drawing had a radiant smile on and she did not remember smiling at all, if anything she was glaring at him.

    It was obvious that he put a lot of thought and care into each stroke and it made her feel warm and very happy. This drawing felt very precious to her at this moment, it was another thing she wanted.

    Since she was currently indulging in her wants, having one more would not hurt. And so she turned to ask him for it but then she froze when her eyes met the Emperor''s warm obscure gaze. Her heart jumped, she gulped and she immediately looked back down at the painting. The room suddenly felt too hot and too cramped.

    {...Ahhhh, I forgot...I forgot we were embarking on a certain trajectory - Well it''s not my fault, he''s the one who wanted to draw! That killed the general vibe of everything! (??>?��?

    "Xing er''?" The Emperor softly called.

    "En." Lei Xing timidly responded in a tiny voice. The Emperor took the drawing from her hands, dropped it on the table and then took her hands in his and turned her to face him. Lei Xing glanced up at him and then nervously lowered her eyes and nervously gulped.

    {...Okay, we''re doing this...Finally - Well, not finally...I''m not in a rush or anything. It''s just...Progress...}

    The Emperor simply held her hands and stared at the nervous Lei Xing for a while and softly caressed her hands with a content smile.

    He felt truly happy and grateful to have her. She told him she liked him and she even came here ready to "tempt" him. He had never felt happier than he was at this moment and he knew she had no idea how much he felt for her...how important she had become to him.

    He wanted her to know, to understand. He gently put a hand on her cheek and raised her head so she would meet his eyes, and when they met, he softly said, "I love you."

 Chapter 190 - Everything

    **Steam ahead! ????, skip to (**) below if you''re shy LOL ????????**

    Lei Xing immediately froze and blankly stared at him, then she started blinking rapidly, opened her mouth, but ended up just sucking in a deep breath and closing it again.

    {...L-l-l-lo-love, love?...������������.!...}

    She was suddenly feeling short of breath, she lowered her eyes and gulped as she loosened her hold on his hand and then squeezed it again, loosened and squeezed...Her heart was beating furiously. She glanced up at him again and opened her mouth but no words were coming out. She had no words, the Emperor showed a wry smile, which completely baffled her. He then leaned over and kissed her, it was a short kiss and Lei Xing just blinked and held still.

    The Emperor slightly raised his head and stroked her cheek as he said, "You don''t have to say anything...you being here is enough." Lei Xing blinked and a showed a weak, but relieved smile.

    {...You''re really too nic-...}

    Her thoughts were cut short when the Emperor took her lips again, this time it was a deep and passionate kiss as he drew her body closer to him and she closed her eyes let herself be swept into his arms. She raised her arms and circled in his neck and leaned closer on her own accord. She was not even aware when the Emperor got on his feet, pulling her along until they separated to catch their breath. The Emperor smiled down at her warmly and Lei Xing blinked up at him in a daze.

    {...This - This can''t be real...}

    The Emperor kissed her again and her mind fell silent, she was momentarily startled when her feet were lifted off the ground, but she quickly became engrossed in the passion of the heated kiss. When he arrived next to the bed, he set her on her feet. Still kissing, he slipped her arms from his neck so he could slip the red robe off and gently lowered her down to the bed.

    Distant alarm bells rang in her head as her back touched the bed and but they were quickly muffled as the heat intensified. She was kissed senseless again and then the Emperor trailed kisses to her ear and then nibbled on her earlobe for a bit. Lei Xing let out a small squeak when she felt his hand pushing the bottom of her gown, she was not wearing anything under because she felt that was the point of the entire dress-up.

    She also just realized that her chest band had been removed somewhere between where they were sat and the bed. She was practically n.a.k.e.d now save for the very flimsy light silk dress, which seemed to be falling apart courtesy of his busy hands.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath as the Emperor began trailing kisses down to her shoulder, collar bone and then lower, as the silk dress gave way with a light tug of his hand. She gasped and then took another deep breath as his mouth dove down to her chest. She was not going to run away...and honestly, she did not want to.

    She fisted her hands on his shoulders, she did not know what to do but she felt she should do something. So she unfisted her shaky hands and tugged at the sides of his collar in an attempt to get his clothes off, but she apparently forgot they were tied at his waist. Luckily for her, the Emperor was in a very helpful mood and without lifting his head, he moved his hand from her legs and swiftly untied his robes and assisted her in shrugging them off.

    He raised his head and went to kiss her lips again as he pulled off his pants without leaving her lips. Once that was done, he held her waist and sat her and pulled the dress over her shoulder, leaving them both completely n.a.k.e.d. He stared at her for a bit and Lei Xing just sat there with looking off to the side, biting her lower lip and furiously blushing, but she made no moves to cover herself and just let him look, instead, her hands nervously clutched the sheets, mind empty and nervous beyond comprehension.

    After the seconds that felt like hours to Lei Xing, the Emperor kissed her cheek and then kissed down her neck as he slowly pushed her back on the bed. Lei Xing felt awkward and did not know what to do with herself, so her hands just stayed fisted at his shoulders for a while, then she moved one of her hands down to his chest and then lightly, opened her fingers and lightly, but hesitantly stroked his chest. She flinched and went wide-eyed when she felt him shudder and groan.

    She subconsciously smiled and curiously did it a few more times and even became much bolder in her actions, until the Emperor''s fingers went into her private spot and sent a jolt through her. But this time, she did not stop him and instead just fisted a hand on his shoulder and used the other one to cover her mouth to stifle her m.o.a.ns and squeezed her eyes shut.

    The Emperor glanced up at her face and smirked seeing her reaction. She was not stopping him or denying him anything. This was very different from her unleashed hunger of their first time. Tonight, she was shy, curious and anxious but she was definitely not in a hurry.

    And he was not going to rush either, he was going to suppress his urges and take his time to love her...until she believed that he truly did love her. He kissed his way back up to her face. He kissed the hand covering her mouth and she readily removed it and eagerly met his lips with a passionate reception.

    She was giving him everything...and he meant to give her the world, his world.

    **

    Later on that night, Lei Xing laid quietly curled up next to the Emperor with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest, as their heated bodies and breath calmed. While the Emperor''s arm was on her back as his fingers lightly stroked her. She looked up from his chest and stared at his face for a while. His eyes were closed and there was a small smile on his face.

    She subconsciously smiled herself and then she slightly knit her brows. She looked down at her hand on his chest and watched it rise and fall with his breaths and then she absentmindedly started tapping his fingers on his chest, in an increasingly nervous manner. Until she felt the Emperor move as he brought the blanket from the side with his free hand and covered the two of them and then he rolled to his side and wrapped his two arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He saw her knit eyebrows and kissed them as he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

    Lei Xing buried her head in his chest and stared at her hand on his chest for a bit and started tapping again for a bit, before she finally stopped again, let out a breath and quietly asked,  "Can I ask you for something?"

    "Anything." The Emperor swiftly responded and planted a kiss at the top of her head. He would truly give her anything, almost anything...as long as she stayed at his side.

 Chapter 191 - A Lifetime Promise

    Lei Xing slightly raised her head and saw him looking down at her. She gulped and then lowered her head again and hesitantly said in a tiny voice, "Don''t be angry..." She felt the Emperor''s body go rigid and knit her brows tighter and bit her lower lip.

    The Emperor turned over, putting her on her back so he could see her face as he leaned on his elbow. She seemed to shrink under his gaze. She gulped again as her eyes met his and then her eyes dropped off to the side and she bit her lower lip even more. The Emperor was perplexed at why she seemed scared, he frowned at her lower lip which was starting to bruise and lightly held on to it and pulled as he said, "Stop."

    Lei Xing immediately complied and the Emperor lightly rubbed where she had been biting into and Lei Xing just stared at him. She felt a pang in her heart and frowned and bit her inner lip instead. The Emperor looked up into her eyes and searched them for a bit but he could not discern what problem was, and so he lightly stroked her cheek and said, "I won''t be angry...What is it?"

    Lei Xing gulped and lowered her eyes, knit her brows and hesitated for a bit, then let out a breath and quietly said, "A promise..." She looked up at him, to see his warm eyes staring at her, waiting and she lowered her eyes again and her knit brows tightened and she pursed her lips. The Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes as he searched her face. Her face was completely flushed and he could feel her shaking, she seemed frightened.

    {...What is it that is making her so scared?...}

    But he did not want to further agitate her and so he waited for her to finish. After a bit, Lei Xing took a deep breath and then finally spoke again in a slightly shaking voice, "When you...you find a new love, can you let me go?" She choked on the last word and immediately brought her hands and covered her eyes as she burst into tears.

    The Emperor immediately froze as he watched her wiping eyes and pressing them, trying to stop the tears. They had just had that moment and now she was in tears...He was completely confused and started to feel panicked when Lei Xing said, "I''m sorry, I don''t know why I''m like this...I''m not sad or anything, I mean it, I''m happy. I really am..." She choked back tears again and was frustrated as she pressed her eyes.

    She knew she was ruining his moment, their moment. She was happy but she could not help thinking of the end and that dampened whatever she felt...The thought of being shackled to him when he would move on made her extremely upset. She was not a crier, she definitely was not but she could not help it and she hated herself all the more for it.

    The Emperor blinked as he came to a realization, she was scared of him leaving her. He subconsciously smiled and softly caressed her cheek and said, ''"I won''t." Lei Xing froze and he noticed her eyebrows knit and he quickly clarified, "I won''t leave you." Lei Xing moved her eyes and opened her eyes and looked at him red teary eyes, she was no longer crying but he could still see the fear in her eyes.

    She seemed extremely fragile at this moment and his heart ached. He could not bear to see her like this and so he gently said, "I won''t leave you...but if that will make you smile I will give it."

    Lei Xing blinked at him for a bit and then timidly asked in a small voice that was almost a whisper, "Can you say it...in your own words?"

    The Emperor frowned, uncomfortable with the idea but his slight discomfort was a small price to pay to make her happy. So he said it, but with a few amendments of his own starting with, "IF..." not when, like she said, "...I do find a new "love", I will let you go..." He saw relief pour into her eyes and she slightly smiled. She trusted him to keep his words and he found some comfort in that thought. But then he had to add, "...On one condition."

    He saw the panic and fear immediately return to her eyes as she warily asked, "What condition?"

    The Emperor leaned down and gave her a quick kiss and smiled, "That''s for later." Lei Xing knit her brows. He kissed her forehead and reassured, "It''s nothing hard or complicated so don''t worry...go to sleep now."

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor''s smiling face for a bit and then weakly smiled back and nodded. The Emperor then laid back down and Lei Xing immediately put her head on his shoulder and curled into him and closed her eyes. The Emperor hugged her to him and laid there looking at her as he kept lightly patting her back to reassure her.

    He finally understood why she kept him at arm''s length and why she always used to appear to want him to leave her alone. It was because she was scared of being abandoned. The Emperor lightly sighed as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

    {...You have no idea how much I -...leaving you isn''t possible anymo-...}

    Lei Xing suddenly sat up, startling the Emperor. As she started to move towards the end of the bed, the Emperor immediately grabbed her arm and asked, "Where are you going?"

    Lei Xing turned to him with a pout and responded, "They''re bothering me...the hairpins."

    "O-oh, oh." The Emperor awkwardly said as he released her. Lei Xing continued with her task and when she was close enough to reach the side table, she started pulling out the hairpins with one hand, while the other clutched the blanket to her chest.

    The Emperor stared at her back for a bit and then watched her struggling to yank out one of the hairpins and the Emperor went up behind her and volunteered his services. Lei Xing dropped her hands and quietly let him help her. She even turned to face him to give him better access and just sat there staring down at the blanket covering her.

    When he finished taking out the hairpins, Lei Xing started to loosen the braid and he went to help her with that as well, and when that was done, Lei Xing quietly said, "Thank you."

    The Emperor sat back and then held her shoulders and turned her to face him, "Let me ask you something..." Since she was looking at him, he released her shoulders and one of his hands slid down her arm to hold her free hand and then he asked, "Do you have any intentions of leaving me at this moment?"

    Lei Xing''s eyes went wide, she was taken aback with this question. The Emperor went on to clarify, "I am not asking if you want to leave the palace...I am asking if you want to leave me at this moment."

    Lei Xing blinked and slightly knit her brows as she scrutinized him. She faced forward and pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes and then she finally turned back to him and quietly said, "No." and then lowered her head as face and ears started to turn red.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "That took you quite a while...you seem unsure."

    Lei Xing immediately raised her head to defend, "I wanted to give you an hones-!" She paused when she looked up and saw him smirking. She realized he was messing with her and she glared at him and then mumbled, "It''s not funny." She looked back down with a pout and tried to shake his hand off but he held with an amused chuckle.

 Chapter 192 - New Day

    Lei Xing eventually stopped and just let him hold her hand as she pouted and glared at him. The Emperor''s diminished, he gently caressed her hand then seriously asked, "If you don''t have such intentions, why do you think I will?"

    Lei Xing blinked and stared at him with raised eyebrows, then she slightly knit her brows and lowered her eyes as she quietly said, "You can''t say about the future...I just wanted it for the future."

    The Emperor scrutinized her for a bit and then sighed, "Xing er'', you''re not someone to give your feelings out to someone lightly..." When she glanced up at him, he narrowed her eyes with a smile and added, "I have experienced that." Lei Xing flushed and embarrassedly lowered her head again.

    The Emperor snorted and pat her head and then lowered his hand to her cheek and raised her head and said, "Neither am I. In this life, you are the first woman, no, person, the only person that I have ever come to love..."

    Lei Xing blinked at him for a bit, and then absentmindedly removed her hand on the blanket, letting fall, she placed on his hand on her face and weakly smiled as she said, "I believe you...but I just want you to know...that wh-if, IF" She stressed when she saw him starting to frown, her smile warmed and lightly stroked the back of his hand and continued, "If...if you ever come to feel for someone else, all you have to do is tell me and I will leave you be, just know that." Tears streaked down her face as she said that but yet she just smiled at him.

    {...I will never cling...Never...}

    The Emperor held her face in both his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs and said, "There will never be another, know that." Lei Xing''s smile widened but he could still see the hesitation in her eyes. He leaned down and gave her a light kiss and smiled at her as he caressed her face, she was no longer crying...but she still looked so hurt to him.

    The Emperor did not know what to do to ease her fears and worry. To his surprise, Lei Xing suddenly held onto his face with both her hands as well and kissed him. Then she moved back and caressed his face and said, "Stop thinking." And then she kissed him again, this time even slipping tongue in and deepening the kiss. Her hands moved from his face to wrap around his neck as she pulled him down to the bed.

    {...Let''s not think...}

    ***

    "Wake up...Wake up..." The Emperor heard a soft voice saying and felt someone poking his face and nudging him. He smiled and took hold of Lei Xing''s hand and kissed it and opened his eyes to see Lei Xing looking up at him from his shoulder, still snuggled against him. She was smiling at him and her eyes were clear.

    The Emperor rolled her on her back and kissed her lips, but before he could deepen the kiss, Lei Xing pushed him back with a little chuckle and informed, "They''re waiting for you..." The Emperor ignored that and leaned back down and caught her lips again. Lei Xing smiled and eagerly kissed him back and even brought a hand and caressed his face.

    But before they could fully indulge in their reigniting passion, Eunuch Li''s voice carried in from outside, "Your majesty, you need to get ready to attend for Court."

    The kissing duo stopped and Lei snorted and stroked his face and smilingly said, "It seems they got impatient and went to find Eunuch Li. You should go before they burst in here to drag you off." Another Eunuch had been calling for him for a while now and it was his call that woke Lei Xing. But then that one stopped for a few minutes and now Eunuch Li was here, and she reasoned they probably went to find him to come to handle his Emperor when neither of the room''s inhabitants responded.

    The Emperor chuckled and kissed her cheek and then her ear and nuzzled into her hair. He did not want to leave. He kissed his way back to her smiling lips again when Eunuch Li again called, "Your majesty..." The Emperor groaned in annoyance and Lei Xing snickered and then gave him a quick kiss and then patted his cheek and said, "Go on."

    "Your majesty, time is short..." Eunuch Li shouted in again.

    The Emperor glanced in the general direction of his voice with an expression that looked to Lei Xing like a pout. She blinked at him with raised eyebrows, it was an expression she had never seen on him before and it was quite amusing, hilarious and adorable. She pursed her lips in an attempt to stifle her laughter, but a snort managed to escape.

    The Emperor turned his attention back to her and narrowed his eyes, "You seem to be happy with me leaving..." And it looked like his pouting intensified, Lei Xing almost broke into laughter but managed to mask it by clearing her throat and she seriously said, "Not at all." She gave him a quick kiss and smiled and said, "I''d miss the bed too..."

    The Emperor pursed his lips. He obviously did not care about the bed and she knew that. She was obviously making fun of him. But looking at her smiling at him, he could not even muster up an ounce of annoyance. He kissed her again and then finally got up with a sigh as Lei Xing snorted and wrapped herself in the blanket.

    She shyly watched him from the bed as he went to put on a robe. She had obviously seen and felt him n.a.k.e.d the night before, but seeing him like this was odd, and she turned red as a bashful smile spread across her face, but even then she did not look away.

    {...Ah, it seems I am a closet pervert...and why is that not a surprise? haha...ha (??>?��?

    When the Emperor turned back to the bed, Lei Xing instantly covered her face with the blanket.

    {...You know what''s worse than being a pervert.? Getting caught as a PERVERT!...}

    The Emperor walked over with a happy smile and fished her head out of the blanket to see her squeezing her eyes shut. He laughed and then kissed her forehead and said, "Go back to sleep." She nodded with her eyes still squeezed shut, she looked so adorable and funny. He snorted and gave her another quick kiss on the lips and then finally left.

    Lei Xing watched him as he walked off with a smile and then let out a sigh.

    {...This feels quite nice...}

    As the doors closed behind him, the Emperor glanced back and stared at the closed doors and smiled to himself.

    Eunuch Li cleared his throat and with a happy smile on his face said, "Your majesty, you should hurry..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Eunuch Li and then walked off still with a smile on his face.

    {...Today is a good day...and it will be a great one...}

 Chapter 193 - Agent Leniency

    Lei Xing woke up in the afternoon and simply laid there for a long while, taking the recent events of her life in as her eyes roamed around the room. She could but believe where she was and all the events of last night, but they happened and here she was, on his bed. She sighed and then sat up.

    {...It is really reality haha...ha...ha O_O '')...}

    Lei Xing sat up and glanced around for her clothes, which thrown about randomly. She wrapped herself in the blanket. Even if she was alone, walking around n.a.k.e.d was a bit much...Not to mention the added fact that there were servants outside, who could come in at any time.

    And just as she thought, she had only taken a few steps when the doors opened. Lei Xing froze in her tracks, only too see it was Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo, who had a silly smile on her face. Lei Xing''s face immediately flushed and she glared at Xiao Ruo, "Stop smiling."

    Xiao Ruo immediately pressed her lips together trying, but failing to hide her smile. She had unfortunately not been with Lei Xing last night when she came here but she had definitely heard the good news. Lei Xing even asked for the dress she had chosen for her the last time and this time it was a complete success and Lei Xing was able to make up with the Emperor. She was absolutely thrilled for her contribution to this.

    Xiao Ruo walked over to Lei Xing and picked up the dress at her feet and informed, "Your highness, the Emperor is currently in the royal stud-"

    "Did I ask you?" Lei Xing bit back with knit eyebrows as her face went even redder.

    {...This girl is getting more unruly...Who wants to know that?... Okay, maybe I...might want to know...But I didn''t ask ( *��١� )...}

    "I apologize...I thought you would want to know." Xiao Ruo said, still with that silly smile. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her but then Ah Jin came up to her, holding her chest band and red robe and also smiled, "Your highness, you should get dressed, so you can go take a bath and then have lunch..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Ah Jin''s face, she could not recall ever seeing Ah Jin smile before. Lei Xing gulped and held on to the blanket tighter, she was suddenly feeling very shy.

    {...What the hell am I being shy for? Huh?... It''s just them...And even it''s not th- Scratch that, I''m not exactly into "stripping" for anyone...Not at all...Not ever -_-)...}

    "Your highness..." Ah Jin said after she said waiting for Lei Xing to remove the blanket. Lei Xing lightly frowned and then complied. She felt incredibly awkward and fl.u.s.tered as she got dressed. It felt as if they were scanning every inch of her body. Of course, Lei Xing knew it was all due to her heightened senses overreacting but nevertheless, she was quite uncomfortable.

    When she finally left the room, her eyes glanced around as she felt the servants around were looking at her weirdly and she avoided making eye contact with anyone the entire walk to the bathroom. She sat in the bath for a long while, just glancing about the place. It was her first time here and it was truly befitting of an Emperor, thinking about him made her blush again and she glanced at Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo and lowered her eyes with a frown.

    {..You''ve already been sleeping with him for - I don''t know even know how long...Bottomline is, it''s nothing weird. They don''t know nor do they really care so stop behaving like a rabbit! >_

    Lei Xing returned to the room to find her meal already set. And also waiting for her, was a bowl of the contraception brew. Lei Xing sat down and stared as she stared at the bowl. She knew he must have ordered it for her and she felt...complicated. She was happy that he took this step for her, but it somewhat felt a bit wrong. She sighed with a wry smile.

    {...He''s really too kind...}

    She downed the bitter liquid and then proceeded to eat her lunch. She was feeling honestly feeling a lot lighter now both in mind and body. Whatever happens in the future, she could worry about it then.

    For now, she was just going to enjoy today and leave tomorrow''s sorrow for tomorrow.

    As Lei Xing ate, an eunuch came in and informed, "Your highness, the Emperor said to tell you to come to the royal study when you are ready..."

    Lei Xing blinked and knit her brows.

    {...Ready?...Ready for?...(????��????)? N-n-no way, what am I thinking? What''s wrong with you?! >��

    Lei Xing put her hands on her cheeks to stamp down the heat seeping into them. Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo glanced at each other, and then Xiao Ruo whispered to Lei Xing, "Your highness...your highness?" Lei Xing blinked up at her, "Huh?"

    "Say something..." Xiao Ruo said her eyes darting towards where the Eunuch was standing and Lei Xing followed her direction to see the Eunuch still there with his head lowered, pretending not to have noticed her weird behavior.

    She immediately dropped her hands to her laps and lightly cleared her throat and dignifiedly said, "I understand." The Eunuch bowed and then left and Lei Xing let out a breath.

    {...I really need to stop embarrassing myself! >_

    {...*...}

    {...-_-)...Really? Nothing? Not even a "good job"? How mean...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing let out a disappointed sigh, some acknowledgment would have been nice...not that she needed it or anything. It would have just been nice.

    ****

    Defense minister Lei made his way out of the royal study with knit eyebrows, confused and worried. So many strange things have been happening recently and he did not know what to think. There was the issue of the Empress dowager constantly bothering him for more men to search the countryside for some monk. He still had no clue what happened between Prince Yi and the Empress dowager and there was the issue with Chen You.

    And now, the Emperor was suddenly asking him about the war with Dong country, a history long forgotten. He had asked if something happened, but the Emperor simply said he was curious. Defense minister Lie sighed.

    {...Everyone seems to be a mystery recently...}

    As he left the building, he saw Lei Xing approaching. He smiled and then knit his brows as she stopped and they bowed to each other.

    Lei Xing noticed him scrutinizing her with an expression she did not understand.

    {...What''s your problem? -_-)...}

    Defense Minister Lei finally sighed and asked, "Xing er'', is everything alright with you?"

    Lei Xing blinked and went, "Oh...Everything is fine." As her eyes subconsciously darted to the building behind him and she smiled.

    "Are you certain? It feels like there''s something happening to you every few weeks..." He sighed and added, "It is very worrying." Since she entered the palace, it''s been one thing after another.

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned, remembering what would have called for this concern.

    {...Of course, everybody knows, stupid Chen You -_-)...}

    Lei Xing smile widened and reassured, "I''m really fine. I haven''t been happier...Ah, this time, it was just a misunderstanding..."

    Defense minister Li observed her for an expression for a bit and then smiled, "In that case, that''s a relief..."

    Lei Xing reassuringly nodded with a happy smile.

    Defense minister Lei hesitated for a bit, but then knit his brows and said, "The  Emperor seems to be very angry about Chen You''s mistake. I''ve tried talking to him, but it seems it only increased his anger..."

    He noticed Lei Xing''s slightly frown and he sighed, "I know you are not very fond of her and you might say I am overindulging their family. But Chen Bo is our only surviving relative and I can''t just watch him lose his only child like this..so your father is asking for you try to intercede on her behalf if you can..."

    Lei Xing almost rolled her eyes but quickly lowered her head instead.

    {...People like this annoy me -_-)...Call me mean, but just because they''re your bloody relatives doesn''t mean they get to walk all over you! If they''re toxic, cut them off! >_

    "I''ll try." Lei Xing mumbled in response, still keeping her head lowered. She did not feel inclined to intercede at all.

    But considering that he did not know the true extent of Chen You''s actions, and since she had no plans on enlightening him either, she cut him some slack. And honestly, she did think the death penalty was a bit much for this, despite her irritation and utter dislike for Chen You.

    Defense Minister Lei showed a relieved smile, he could see Lei Xing was not keen on the idea, but he knew she would do as she said. "That''s good to hear...Xiao Ting mentioned you attending her coming of age ceremony in a few days, your mother has been very worried about you...It will be very good if you can come..."

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile and nodded. She was not sure if she would still be able to attend, she would have to discuss with the Emperor first, but she believed she could work it out.

    Regardless, she was tired of this conversation. Talk of Chen You had ruined whatever good mood she was in. So she put on a smile and said, "Father, the Emperor is waiting for me, I will see you at home..."

    "You should go on then..." Her father smiled and gave a slight bow and Lei Xing did the same with a half-smile. As she walked off, her smile was quickly replaced with a frown.

    {...Plead for Chen You? Why the hell do I have to?... Okay, agreed. Death is a bit much...But still -!  Tch, so infuriating! Making me seem like a horrible person - Well then, I guess I a horrible person for not being antsy to plead for a freakin - No, actually compared to Chen You, I''m a freaking SAINT! In fact, I am Mother Th - No, no that''s too much ? _ ?)...POINT IS! If the roles were reversed, I would be six-feet under by now! I am not happy! (��?_?)����ߩ���...}

 Chapter 194 - Obscured Identity

    NOTE : Power Stones are back Up! Please Vote...Thank you! ????

    ***

    As soon as Lei Xing walked through the doors of the royal study, she saw the Emperor smiling at her. Some of her irritation ebbed as her heart jumped. She returned an awkward smile before lowering her head as she stopped and bowed.

    {...As expected, this is still kind of awkward! (??>?��? {...Much better...}

    The Emperor held her hand and pulled her along back to his throne chair, sat down with her and then hugged her to him and asked, "Did something happen?" It was clear she was not regretting their night together. so he reasoned that something else must have upset her in their time apart.

    Lei Xing immediately knit her brows and then sighed, "I met my father..."

    "I see..." He now understood the cause of her bad mood, "He asked you to plead on Chen You''s behalf..."

    Lei Xing nodded with a frown, then she sighed again and looked up at the Emperor and asked, "I know I said to do as you see fit...but...What do you plan to do with her?"

    "What would you prefer?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then said, "Well, I honestly don''t care about Chen You...But death...I think would be too much...And there are those maids as well, in the end..." She frowned and then said, "They spoke the truth s-"

    "When the head makes a mistake, the body suffers. When one meddles in a failed venture, one has to take whatever consequences come with it." The Emperor interjected with a frown.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "I understand that but...I am not comfortable with someone being punished for the sake of stating true facts on my account...There''s also the fact that Chen You could have easily manipulated or even threatened them into aligning with her. They wouldn''t have had much of a choice..." Lei Xing said resolutely looking at the Emperor.

    While she did not feel sorry for Chen You, she did feel sorry for the maids. They were simply pawns being used by Chen You. She may not have much of a conscience in the matters of others, she definitely had one where the matters concerned her.

    The Emperor silently scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit and then said, "If they had succeeded, it could have cost you, not only your life, but that of your family''s as well...Yet you want to advocate for them?"

    Lei Xing frowned, then she lowered her head and quietly said, "...It would weigh on me..."

    {...I could probably live with it though, I can...I''m not going get on my knees or anything. I''m not that into sparing contributory factors to my demise -_-)...So if you still want to go ahead and kill them, that''s your choice...At least I tried, guess Karma just wasn''t on their side today. Not my problem anymore ( ��^��)...}

    "Do you have some sort of connection with Chen You''s personal maid?" The Emperor suddenly asked.

    Lei Xing looked up at him with a confused expression, so he expounded, "According to her, she owes you her life...and apparently sought to help you by going to Noble consort Li."

    "Oh, her..." Lei Xing unenthusiastically said, "Li Ru did mention that..." She had forgotten about that.

    "How do you two know each other?"

    "We don''t actually know each other...She was part of that slave group I released before entering the palace, remember the one with Prince Rui...I guess she was trying to repay that favor." Lei Xing explained.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes. Chun Hua had already mentioned her connection with Lei Xing, but he still wanted to hear it directly from Lei Xing to see if there was more to the story.

    The Emperor did have men following that slave group back then to ensure his plans regarding Prince Rui proceeded smoothly. Unfortunately, according to those men Chun Hua was already part of the group when they commissioned the slave trader. So finding out where and how she joined the group was a complicated matter now.

    The Emperor sighed in irritation. He never thought he would come to regret having that slave trader killed.

    Her identity and origins were really too unclear, and her actions incredibly suspicious.

    According to the account of the other two maids, it was Chun Hua who led them as they searched that day. Therefore, she led them to that scene. Furthermore, it was this Chun Hua who was the first to mention the incident to Chen You.

    If she were truly trying to repay the favor, then she would have kept this secret no matter what. Her behavior was suspicious regardless of how one looked at it.

    But Chun Hua claimed it was simply coincidence that she led them to that scene. She vowed that if she had known that was what awaited them there, then she would have chosen to go the other way. It was all unfortunate coincidence.

    As for Chen You''s accusations of her being the instigator for the rumors about Lei Xing and Prince Yi''s affair. She agreed that she reported to Chen You about the truth regarding their outing and consequent illness. But she had only told Chen You believing that she was only curious and concerned for her cousin. It was only later that she realized that Chen You had twisted and embellished the story and had the rumors spread amongst the maids.

    As for the current situation, she claimed that Chen You was too astute and noticed from their tense and quiet demeanor that they were withholding some information. She threatened them and she crumbled out of fear for her life but she immediately regretted it. And so she privately pleaded with Chen You to keep it a secret, but Chen You only got angry and refused till the end.

    And so in her desperation, she ran to Li Ru, who was Lei Xing''s close friend to ask her to help. And Li Ru confirmed that. The rest of her statement was also mostly confirmed by the others as true facts.

    The other two maids and even others in Chen You''s palace confirmed that they heard Chen You angrily shout at Chun Hua, right before she stormed off towards the Empress dowager''s palace that night. But none of them were sure of what they were discussing.

    Luckily, Chen You was around and willing to shed light on the issue. And she claimed that Chun Hua had wanted her to pass the information to Zhao Lan instead. Chen You then let out a short laugh in self-mockery and then started crying, muttering about how stupid she was and rambling on about how Chun Hua had warned her that this could go wrong and that she should have listened.

    Therefore, there were two different accounts about the topic of their disagreement, and the Emperor felt more inclined to believe Chen You''s version. But that was the only thing that was not corroborated in Chun Hua''s statement.

    And when Chun Hua was confronted with Chen You''s version, she confessed but claimed to have only Chen You to do that out of worry for her. She said that even though Chen You insisted on bringing harm to Lei Xing, she still made a promise to Chen You''s mother to look out for her. And so she advised Chen You to do that to stay out of the trouble. She then broke out in a cry lamenting about how she had failed in her endeavors and that this was all her fault and pleaded for the Emperor to spare Chen You.

    From that angle, it appeared as if she were simply split between two loyalties. Gratitude to lei Xing and her obligation to Chen You. The Emperor frowned, deep in thought.

    {...It''s either that or her resolve is much stronger than any pain she could feel and that makes it even more worrisome...}

    No matter what torture Chun Hua was faced with, she admitted to nothing more and simply kept pleading for Lei Xing''s forgiveness for repaying her good deed with trouble and leniency for Chen You.

    Getting rid of Chun Hua was easy, but her allies still remained in the dark and their motivations unclear...Not knowing was most concerning.

 Chapter 195 - Connecting Dots

    "Is something wrong?" Lei Xing asked looking at the Emperor with concern, he suddenly had a range of emotions flitting across his face and it was clear something was bothering him.

    The Emperor turned back to her face and smiled as he brought a hand to her face and moved it down to hold her hand, "I was worrying over how it easy it was for someone to have hurt you..It was lucky they did not want your life that night..."

    Lei Xing nodded in agreement. She had thought about that too and it was very worrying.

    {...It was really lucky and frankly very stupid of Chen You...Why not just kill me then? Foolish pride is a dangerous thing, she must have wanted to embarrass me first...It was really stupid to waste a golden opportunity just for that or -!...}

    "Do you remember anything about how you came to be drugged?" The Emperor asked. While he had gotten Bi Lo and Bi Lu''s account of the incident, he wanted to hear from Lei Xing herself to see if she would have noticed anything more. He should have honestly had this conversation with her that morning, but then many things were happening that day and over the last few days as well.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and thought for a bit and explained, "Someone bumped into me with what felt like a pin cushion while walking. It was then...and then during the crowd rush, I felt it again, I think - I can''t really be sure that time...But it was very crowded and dark, and I wasn''t really paying much attention to people''s faces, so I have no idea what the person looks like. I''m sorry..." Lei Xing said frowning, disappointed with herself.

    Something suddenly occurred to her and her eyes lit up, but then she frowned again and lowered her head and hesitated. She bit her lip and glanced up at the Emperor, who raised his eyebrows and then he sighed and said, "You''re thinking of my brother..."

    Lei Xing immediately raised her head up and defended, "Not like that!...I-it''s just...He was right next to me...so he might have...seen something, maybe..." She said as she lowered her head again, feeling embarrassed and guilty. She knew it was not her fault, but it was definitely not something pleasant to remember or discuss for both of them.

    The Emperor pat her head and  said, "It''s alright, I thought about him too..."

    Bi Lo and Bi Lu also did not get a good look at the person who bumped into her. It was dark and the lighting was weak so they could see nothing of the person''s facial features from their distance. The person knew to keep their head and presence obscure the entire time as they breezed through, so all they could gather was that it seemed to be a young man.

    He was hoping Lei Xing would have noticed something more, but alas that came up empty as well. He sighed, he was not feeling inclined to meet his brother at the moment...But it seems he could not avoid it now, this was too important.

    "I''m sorry I could not be more useful..." Lei Xing said with a pout.

    {...This sucks...I suck...}

    "You being alive and well is more than helpful." The Emperor responded with a smile and Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, obviously unconvinced and not amused.

    {...Sweet but being nothing but the source of trouble is anything but helpful...Useless is the term you''re looking for -_-)...Actually on second thought, all this technically happened because of him, but he''s useful, very useful...It''s that stupid Chen You who is useless!...}

    "Did Chen You not confess?" Lei Xing asked. Ideally, she should have been able to pinpoint her co-conspirators.

    {...Unless, she''s just an idiot and a low-level minion...Shit! That''s even worse...Ahh, story of my life, of course -_-)''...}

    The Emperor let out a breath and instead of answering the question, he asked, "What do you think of that maid Chun Hua?"

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...Odd question line but okay...}

    "I don''t know,  a bit odd...But that might have to do with Chen You...Or maybe not actually. She''s always just felt odd..." Lei Xing finished as she knit her brows in thought.

    "Why odd?" The Emperor curiously asked. He had randomly blurted out the question, but it seems she might actually know something.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "Well, it might just have been me being too sensitive...But even when Li Ru told me about her helping me, it honestly still felt odd...That day when I freed her and even gave her more money than the others, she had insisted on becoming my servant. I thought it odd...Then she later came to be Chen You''s personal maid, but then she still came to me again to plead for me to take her in as a maid again..."

    "...According to her, she had saved Chen You''s mother from something, and so the woman took her in out of gratitude. Then she said Chen You''s personal maid who was supposed to come to the palace died and so she came as a replacement...She had a family''s gratitude and was already Chen You''s right hand, but she still wanted to work for me. Even on the condition of being demoted to an ordinary maid...Fine, she might have really been beaten to death by the slave trader if I didn''t step in. But shouldn''t she want to live a better life especially when I already gave her my blessings...It''s suspicious and I don''t understand that."

    {...Makes no sense as far as I''m concerned but maybe I''m just horrible ��\(o_o)/��...}

    The Emperor knit his brows and thought it over, "She wanted to be your maid...and you refused, multiple times."

    Lei Xing nodded, "It didn''t make sense to me...Especially considering she was coming from Chen You. We may be "cousins", but Chen You clearly doesn''t have my best interests at heart...So her "happily" handing this servant to me was suspicious. I didn''t want to house a potential snake."

    The Emperor nodded, he felt that Lei Xing was right in her thoughts.

    According to his sources, after Chen You left for the palace, her mother suddenly fell gravely ill. But the Chen family did not want to interrupt Chen You during the competition, and so they did not even ask for an Imperial doctor and instead chose to wait for the selection to be over.

    The doctors outside the palace were useless and she was getting increasingly worse. Until one day Chun Hua showed up at their manor, claiming to be a skilled healer and they gave her a try and she healed her. The same illness also afflicted Chen You''s personal maid but the skilled healer claimed it was too late to save her.

    After that, Chun Hua stayed on at the Chen family as an honored guest, and they became fast friends with Chen You''s mother, who found her to be incredibly wise and capable. And so out of concern for Chen You''s safety in the palace, she asked for Chun Hua to go to the palace and assist Chen You and the Chen family even paid her heavily for this. And so she agreed to go assist Chen You for a period of time, and hence she arrived at the palace.

    While it was odd that a skilled healer would have opted to become a maid, for a right price you could get most people to do as you wish and the Chen family offered a great price. But what the Emperor found most perplexing was Chen You''s parents, Regardless of the fact that she saved the madam''s life, she was still a stranger.

    When you combine that to Lei Xing''s story with the Chen family''s. Chun Hua''s character became even more suspicious. If Lei Xing had accepted her offer the first time, it was possible she could have followed her to the palace as well. But then Lei Xing refused and sent her away.

    Then she ended up at the Chen manor, where Chen You''s mother and personal maid were conveniently afflicted with an illness that left the doctors lost...but then conveniently, this random healer luckily showed up with the necessary skills. But she could only heal Chen You''s mother but again could not heal the personal maid. And then later, this healer took the place of the dead and entered the palace.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes and quietly said, "Interesting." He was now starting to get an idea of what might really be going on here.

    Chun Hua ended up in the palace at Chen You''s side, as she initially could have through Lei Xing.

    She accepted pay and made a promise to assist Chen You, but then why would she try to plant herself at Lei Xing''s side again once in the palace?

    He could ask Chen You but he suspected she would not even know the truth herself. Plus, at the moment Chen You was looking to be nothing more than a pawn. All actions seemed to always be predicated by Chun Hua''s actions. Her own parents thought her inadequate and Chun Hua capable enough to overlook her unclear identity.

    Once one thought of what made Lei Xing different from Chen You, a motive becomes clear. A cunning smirk spread on the Emperor''s face. He was suddenly very excited about unmasking this plot.

 Chapter 196 - Important Matters

    NOTE : Power Stones Voting is BACK UP! Please VOTE!...LOL this early chap release was my little attempt at a bribe to get you all back here to Vote! ???????????? ... Love You guys!  ????  Thank you so much for your patience! ????????????

    ***

    "Why are asking about her?... Is there something more going on?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow. She had watched a range of emotions fleet across the Emperor''s face and now he was smiling, but it looked sinister. And Lei Xing felt that there was definitely more to his questioning.

    Chun Hua was obviously involved in the incidents by association. But it was suspicious that the Emperor seemed more interested in her than in Chen You, the obvious mastermind.

    Lei Xing had briefly considered the idea, but now with the Emperor''s line of questioning, she was there was more to this event.

    She had originally thought that Chen You must have wanted to enjoy watching her being humiliated first, but now with the Emperor''s focus on Chun Hua. She was starting to rethink the whole situation and the degree of Chen You''s role in it. Although this did not make her feelings towards Chen You warmer, after all, she still used her own hands to push her into a deadly situation.

    The Emperor turned to her and his smile brightened, "Perhaps, but that''s by the way. I have something for you." He said as he released Lei Xing''s hand and picked up a little jeweled box from the desk and put it in her hands. Lei Xing looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he raised his eyes and then said, "Open it."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips. It was obvious he was trying to distract her.

    {...Fine, keep your secrets...I have mine too...But I shall accept this bribery (��^��)...}

    Lei Xing opened the little box and then raised her eyebrows in happy surprise as she picked up the item inside. It was the wolf teeth necklace he had promised her. A two teeth wolf necklace to be exact.

    The top of the teeth were crowned with intricately designed silver caps, and they hung at the center of the necklace pointing at each other, with two pink pearls separating them, and another set of three more pearls bordering the teeth on either side. All held tightly together by silver studs flanking the sides.

    As the Emperor watched Lei Xing blankly staring at the necklace, he thought that perhaps she did not like it. He had noticed she did not like to wear extravagant ornaments when she did not have to. And so he hoped that by making it simple, she would always wear it as she did her ring and bracelet.

    But now that she held it in her hand, it really looked too simple to present to her at such a moment. Lei Xing knit her brows and he worried she thought it to be lacking so he explained, "I considered making it a full pearl necklace but then I thought you might find it bothersome...If you want, we can easily have more pearls added to i-"

    "Oh, no! This is perfect..." Lei Xing swiftly responded, she smiled at him and caressed the bracelet with her thumb and softly said, "I really like it...Thank you."

    The Emperor smiled and took the necklace from her hand and leaned in closer to put it around her neck. As he did, he noticed her cheeks starting to redden, she was really too sensitive and he found it adorable. And because he could not help it, as he returned to his position, he gave her kiss on the cheek. Then he sat back and admired the necklace hanging on her neck.

    The Emperor''s smile had now turned into a full grin, seeing it on her neck filled him with an immense amount of joy and pride, like nothing he had never felt before., She always seemed to have that effect on him, he held her hand and then said, "I hope you will wear it...always."

    Lei Xing smiled down at the necklace hanging on her neck and nodded, "En." Since she was wearing a closed neck outfit today and the bracelet looked awkward on top of it, she tucked the necklace under her garments. Then she looked back up to see the Emperor staring fixedly at where the necklace just disappeared with a small smirk and a gleam in his eyes that sent a shiver down to her toes. Lei Xing''s heartbeat sped up and her blushing intensified.

    {...See, I told you! He''s the pervert, not me! (??>?��?

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and then nudged his chest and asked, "S-so what are you going to do with them? You didn''t answer the question..."

    The Emperor blinked and then looked up at her red face. He lightly chuckled and hugged her to him again, "And I asked you what you would prefer, you still haven''t answered that..."

    "O-oh, okay..." Lei Xing said as she let out a short nervous laugh.

    {...You''re really too close! (??>?��?

    Lei Xing thought that, but she made no moves to separate from his embrace. Instead she focused on the important issue at hand. She let out a breath and seriously thought about what she would prefer.

    She did not want them dead nor was she nice enough to simply let it go, especially not with Chen You. After a while of thinking, she simply said, "I just want them gone...Away from here, that''s enough. For the maids, just sending them out the palace should suffice..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she still felt a bit bothered so she added, "Perhaps, you can give them some money or if it''s not too much...Perhaps assign them somewhere else to serve. This might be their only source of livelihood so it somewhat feels unfair for them to have to suffer for Chen You''s stupidity. Regardless of my suspicions, Chun Hua did try to help, so if you can at least do that for her...As for Chen You, I don''t care where she goes...Regardless, it''s still up to you. Do as you see fit."

    The Emperor nodded, "Now that''s concluded..." He lightly cleared his throat, "We can move on to important matters."

    Lei Xing warily raised an eyebrow at him, "Important matters?"

    {...What''s this im-important - I have issues, stop thinking crap! >_

    "Yes, important matters..." The Emperor said as he picked up the rolled-up golden, embroidered scroll from the desk and handed it to her. Lei Xing looked at it skeptically as she took it and then she looked at him questioningly, and the Emperor explained, "The conditioned promise I made to you last night is in there." Lei Xing''s eyes went wide and her hands tightened around the scroll as she blinked at him.

    {...You...you''re really too efficient, aren''t you? Even giving it in writing...That''s insanely sweet actually...}

    "It is a royal edict, a sealed promise. With that, you can always leave in the event that your unfounded fears eventuate. Even though that will never be, I thought this will make you feel more secure to have royal edict in your hands..." The Emperor said with a warm smile.

    {...Too considerate...}

    Lei Xing blinked at him in disbelief, a wry smile spread on her face as she looked at him. He had done everything she wanted, even without her asking. He was really making such an effort and she could express what she was feeling at this moment as she looked at him. Tears welled up in her eyes, she lowered her head and brought up a hand and dabbed at her closed her eyes and then chuckled, "I don''t know why I -" She paused and sighed as she felt the Emperor pat and stroke her head.

    She raised up her head and saw him looking at her with knit brows and a bit of a complicated expression on his face. Lei Xing smiled at him, gave him a kiss and said, "Thank you...I really appreciate this."

    The Emperor gave a half-smile and then looked down at the edict in her hands, then he looked up at her earnest smiling expression, he gave her another half-smile and then said, "Open it."

    Lei Xing still smiling, nodded and then removed the tie on the scroll and opened it and her smile immediately deflated. She blinked several times and then knit her brows, then she pursed her lips. She blinked up at the Emperor who was staring at her fixedly with slightly knit brows, she opened her mouth and then closed it, opened again and then closed it.

    She looked back down at the scroll with narrowed her eyes and intense focus as if trying to dissect its contents.

    After a long while, Lei Xing looked up at the Emperor. With her mind still in a chaotic scramble, all she could muster up was, "I-incorrect."

    {...*Ohhhh hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing froze and then frowned as she heard the bracelet, right at this moment too. It was very disconcerting and served only to increase her frantic state and her mind just blanked.

    {...*Ahem!...}

    {...}

    {...*AHH-HH-EM! AHE-...}

    {...You- You just SHUT UP! >_

 Chapter 197 - Proposal

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and repeated, "Incorrect?"

    Lei Xing nodded and she lowered the edict so he could see as she stupidly went, "This...this is incorrect."

    The Emperor leaned closer and scanned the contents of the edict and then looked up at her and said, "Everything is as it should be."

    Lei Xing  blinked at him and then knit her brows, "But..." She let out an exasperated breath and looked back down at the edict and read the short lines again. Like she possibly could not have been mistaken. But it still read the same.

    ~

    When one loses favor in one''s eyes,

    And the heart weighs heavy,

    With rekindling hope weak...

    Empress Lei may leave with the wind,

    With all that she wills,

    Never to return.

    ~

    Written in the Emperor''s own hand and stamped with the Emperor''s official seal. She could understand the words, but...

    {...Is this some kind of joke? o_O)...}

    {...*Hehe~ It''s what we''ve been waiting for...*sniff* So proud! ???)...}

    {...B-be quiet! Leave me alone!...}

    {...*(.?��3��??)...Hey, you are not allowed to be unreasonable, we had a deal!...}

    Lei Xing frowned, her mind was reeling. She did not expect this and could not process why she had this. Her mind was in a frenzy and she honestly did not know what to do with this...It did not feel right and she was honestly confused.

    {...*There''s nothing wrong with this. He loves you, you love him. The perfect couple! Nothing more perfect in the Universe!... I''ll help! Just go head up and then down, nod! Brilliant and easy. You''re very welcome! ^_^)...Now hurry up and do it! I''m waiting to celebrate hehe~...}

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened.

    {...Just shut Up and let me think! >_

    {...*Ohh...Okay! I can wait a bit, just a bit hehe~ I trust that you will be very reasonable. So I''ll be right here...waiting...watching you ?_?)...Remember, you can only be reasonable and reasonable has no reason to refuse...Go on, think! I''ll wait ^__^)...}

    While Lei Xing was battling with her whirling mind and the bracelet''s meddlesome thoughts. The Emperor was also going through his own inner turmoil. Seeing Lei Xing''s confusion and waning expression made him feel even more agitated.

    This morning, when he began writing these words today, he stopped and hesitated several times worried that he was rushing things. But he told himself that this was giving her exactly what she wanted, what she seemed to need while acquiring what he wants...and needs. But still, even after convincing himself with those thoughts, he hesitated. Just when he was on verge of putting the idea away altogether, the Voice interrupted and encouraged him.

    {....*Be more CONFIDENT! Go ahead!... She can only say yes. Trust me! ^_^)...}

    {...I want to but -... She just accepted to finally be mine last night. I worry that she''ll feel it''s too soon....}

    {..*Is it soon for you?...}

    {...No, but for her it -...}

    {...*Look, I know her ve - her type very well. She didn''t suddenly start liking you last night, she has had feelings for you for quite a while already. She''s just the stubborn and - complicated type...Early is very GREAT! If you stall, she''ll stall and then this will take forever!...

    ...Also, you''re already husband and wife in ALL ways now. This will show her how serious you are...placing her firmly at your side, making it official...It''s the right thing to do!... She already agreed to be yours and you''ve been hers a long time, so let''s just consolidated this happy event in a ceremony!... A happy, HAPPY Ceremony! (* ^ �� ^)...}

    {...But still,  I think it''s bett-...}

    {...*Don''t you trust me anymore?! Have I ever led you astray? Have I?! ?(������"?)...}

    {...*sigh* No, that''s n-...}

    {...*Hmph! It''s good that you are aware! Now. DO NOT HESITATE! Trust me and make YOUR dreams YOUR reality! \ (�R���Q) /...}

    And with that, the Emperor felt reassured and finished the edict...and then waited for her to awaken and come to him. To curb distract himself and curb his nervousness, he dived into work, willing his mind to set thoughts of her aside with difficulty.

    When she finally came and he was met with her unenthusiastic greeting, all his hesitation immediately resurfaced and he made the decision not to give it to her. But then after seeing how happy she was about the necklace and how she seemed to treasure.  She also kissed him, which reminded him of the happy farewell he received from her this morning. He realized things were different now, they were different. He was hers and she was his...The kiss gave him the confidence he lacked and handed it to her.

    Looking back on it, it felt like he had wanted this for so long, even before he even knew he wanted it. He now felt like he understood why he asked her to be his Empress back then, when he did not even know her name. They had never even exchanged words, but he must have subconsciously felt this connection with her and acted on it.

    The Voice was right, she was his dream. A dream he did not even know he had. He was so close to it now and he could not lose it here. So he took the edict from her hands and dropped it on the table and held her hands as he softly started, "Xing er'', I-...Xing er''..."  He called again when Lei Xing just kept staring at the edict with a confused frown, seemingly oblivious to him and his attempts to speak with her.

    The Emperor then held her cheek and turned her head to face him. She blinked at him as if she just realized that he was there. He caressed her cheek as he searched her face. He saw her confusion, shock, and perhaps even fear but not rejection. He lightly sighed in relief and warmly smiled at her and informed, " Xing er'', this is my condition..."

    Lei Xing''s eyes widened a bit but she did not move away. Then she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and said, "But this can''t be okay..."

    "It is."

    "It can''t be..."

    "It is."

    "It can''t be that simple."

    "It can and is."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him for a bit, suddenly irritated with his smiling face and his oversimplification of what was obviously a complicated matter. And this irritation helped in steadying her chaotic mind and she bluntly said, "While I may not know much about this time period, I do know that dethroning an Empress isn''t a simple matter. There is no need for this..."

    {...*HEY! You''re being unreasonable now! (������)...}

    {...You''re the one being unreasonable! Just shut up and mind your own business! >_

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows and thought for a bit and then said, "I promised myself to you last night, and you also promised yourself to me..." Lei Xing bit her inner lip and lowered her head.

    {...Did I though?...}

    {...*YES, YOU DID! I heard it! Too late to deny it! Not allowed! \(???��??? )...}

    {...Oh-O-ho O_O)...You-...Y- You were listening?!...(����)...}

    {...* (O?O '';)  Nooo... I wasn''t...? _ ?) I''M NO PERVERT! >_

    Lei Xing inhaled and her eyes went wide and she immediately flushed beet red and she lowered her head even further. As her mind went through what exactly the bracelet would have been listening during their very busy night, her brain scrambled again. She was feeling so incredibly embarrassed that she wanted to go bury her head in the ocean.

    {...����(?��?;) How dare you stupid - Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! ????((???))????...}

    {...*...}

    The bracelet apparently beat her to the ocean, because it did not respond anymore.

    The Emperor seeing Lei Xing like this started to feel panicked. He squeezed her hands and continued his campaign, earnestly pouring his heart, "Xing er'', I love you and I want you to stand next to me...You agreed to accept me so long as I never hurt you and I would never, not even if my life depended on it...If I fail, I have given you the promise to let you go and you believed me to keep my word..."

    "...Now I have put the power of that promise in your hands...If the time ever comes and you feel that I have truly have betrayed your feelings, I will not hold you back. Regardless of whatever position you hold in my life and heart...I will send you off in glory, even as my heart grows cold...So can you do this one thing for me?" He asked and earnestly looked at the top of her head, anxiously waiting for her to respond.

    Unfortunately for the Emperor''s heartfelt proposal, Lei Xing was too busy internally screaming as the thought of the bracelet being privy to their moments of the night drove her crazy and she squeezed her eyes shut.

    {...I am so going to kill this thing! >_

    After Lei Xing did not respond for a long time, the Emperor finally got impatient and moved his hands to her shoulder to straighten, "Xing er'', I-" But he before he could begin, the beet-red Lei Xing put a hand over his mouth and in her disoriented, frantic state she said, "Later -I''ll think - just later."

    The Emperor blinked in confusion, but before he could process what was going on with her. She got up, ready to bolt and the Emperor instinctively grabbed her arm, confused and concerned with her hurried, panic state, he asked, "Xing er'', what is wr-?" But then Lei Xing in her frantic state leaned down and planted a kiss on his lip and in the same hurried tone said, "Later." Then she slipped from his grasp and rushed out of the room, just short of running.

    {...>(///)(///)

    {...*Hehe I think you''re overreacting. You should be focusing on the important matte -...}

    {...F**k You! You FREAKING PERVERT! You better get off me and DISAPPEAR this instant  or YOU ARE DEAD! >(///)

    The Emperor blankly stared at the closed doors long after Lei Xing had scurried through them, baffled by her bizarre behavior.

    {...It must have been very shocking to her, although her reaction is a bit excessive...Who else did she expect to be my Empress other than her? I would have thought she would have seen this coming... But it is understandable that she would need time to take it in...}

    He let out a relieved sigh as he touched his lips, he could still feel the warmth of her lips and a smile spread across his face.

    {...But it definitely seems promising...Very promising...}

 Chapter 198 - Complacent Assassin

    "Stop pacing, it''s irritating." A certain young man irritatedly said as he covered his eyes and leaned back in the chair and stretched out.

    The other occupant in the room paid his complaint no heed and continued his pacing. The man had a side fringe covering a deep scar on the side of his face, which peeked through the hair as he paced along. "I think...after all, we need to storm the palace..."

    "There''s still an army sitting outside the capital...you couldn''t even bring all your men here, much less make an attempt to "storm" into the palace..."

    "Then let''s sneak into the palace, I have enough men here for a covert operation."

    "We don''t have anyone in the palace prison, all our contacts within the palace guards are gone. That stupid Emperor is unfortunately not an idiot... and I''m not going in blind." The sitting man calmly interjected.

    The scarred man stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes at the other man as he let out an irritated breath, "Then let''s send for you uncle, I''m sure he hasn''t go-"

    "What can he do? I don''t need anyone scolding me for nothing s-..."

    "Then what are we to do?!" The scarred man roared with a glare.

    "Can''t you see I''m trying to think?!" The other man roared back returning the glare.

    "You''ve been thinking for over three days now!" The scarred man roared, "I would have already gone to-"

    "Gone there to die or complicate the situation. If we rush in and fail, then she''ll die for sure. Now she''s just being punished because her "mistress" of choice is an idiot..."

    "But that''s even more dangerous, servants are killed all the time. She doesn''t have anyone looking out for. What if they -" The scarred man stopped and sat down, filled with worry, "I knew this was a stupid plan. I should have tried harder to dissuade her, it''s m-"

    "It''s not your fault. It''s all that idiot Houyi''s fault and of course, my stupid sister''s fault..."

    The two sat quietly for a while, then the scarred man spoke up again, "Maybe we should send a message to Prince Houyi, he is the eldest Prince, maybe he can talk to his father and king can -"

    "Can do what?" Chun Hai snorted, "Send a message to the Long Emperor stating how his son''s concubine - Ah, she''s not even a concubine yet, his son''s aspiring "wife-to-be" is currently posing as a maid imprisoned in the Long palace and request her release? Forget your king even doing that, Houyi would never do anything troublesome for himself. He''s a selfish self-centered bastard!" Chun Hai finished with an irritated sigh.

    A few months ago, during the battle with the Long empire. Prince Houyi had entrusted Chun Hai with the "important" task of assassinating his younger brother, Prince Rui. Chun Hai was not an assassin, but Prince Houyi had said it was something he could only entrust to his "right hand" man. Prince Houyi had sent other men before him but they had all ended up in failure.

    Prince Houyi had long since known of Chun Hai''s exceptional skill and so turned to him out of desperation, telling about how his father was planning on making Prince Rui the Crown prince and how he needed his help as a friend.

    And so Chun Hai feeling sentimental, took on the task and infiltrated the Zou army. He had made a few attempts which ended up in failure as Prince Rui always had men close at hand, who ran to him to assist at a moment''s notice. Chun Hai was willing to help his friend but he did not plan to die for his cause, and so he always retreated once the fire got too hot and waited for another opportunity.

    But in his last attempt, his mask had fallen for a split second. Although he was not certain, Prince Yi and his men may have seen his face then. If they did, they would know it was Prince Houyi who sent him.

    But there was a hiccup in the plan when Prince Rui ended up being captured by the Long empire. Chun Hai reported this glitch in their plans and wanted to return, but Prince Houyi asked that he stayed at the battlefront in the event that Prince Rui managed to escape. If that happened, it was even more important that he not return alive.

    Chun Hai understood and so remained there. But in the end, when Prince Rui did escape, he disappeared into Long country instead of coming home. The Long troops were on high alert and giving chase and Chun Hai did not plan on getting himself killed by jumping into the fray. So even though Prince Rui and Molin alone was considered easy prey for him. He promptly turned around and returned to Zou''s capital and informed Prince Houyi the mission was a failure.

    It was then that he found out about Chun Hua going off on this stupid journey to prove herself worthy of Prince Houyi. He was enraged that Prince Houyi had allowed his sister to go on such a suicidal mission. Regardless of how smart and skilled his sister was, she was not an assassin and neither was she meant for that. Moreover, if the new Long Emperor was easy to kill, he would have been dead a long time ago.

    Chun Hai immediately packed up and went after Chun Hua, greatly disappointed.

    Those many years ago at Dong country''s fall, the twins had also taken the poison along with the rest of Dong''s royal family. But later they awoke to find themselves in a small hut in a forest with Monk Du. He apologized to their children about the death of their family and explained that he was only able to save them.

    The children were shocked as they stared at Monk Du, wondering how it was possible for them to be seeing him, for him to be real and alive. But their family was dead and their country was ruined. They had survived but they were two six-year-old children, they needed a guardian and he was here.

    This Monk they were staring at was regarded as the Dong royal family''s guardian. No one had ever seen him save for their ancestor, but they were all made to pay their respects yearly to a portrait of him which hung in their ancestral hall. And the man before them looked exactly like the portrait.

    The prominence of the seyu drug kept his memory alive and their family had come to regard him as a deity. And everyone born into their royal family had been taught from childhood about how their family came to acquire this guardian through an ancestor''s deathbed promise.

    Their mother had never believed in his existence as a deity and her children had followed her in thought. But looking at him then the children could see nothing but a deity.

    There was no other explanation.

 Chapter 199 - Ancestral Path

    The twins'' ancestor was from Xia Empire, a small farmer who lived alone with his little daughter. At that time, Monk Du was being hunted down by the Xia army for some unknown reason. Ignoring of this fact, the farmer had kindly offered Monk Du room and board for a night after seeing him his haggard form wandering the village.

    Unfortunately, this kind act brought the farmer his doom. After Monk Du left, the Xia army arrived in search of the Monk. They tortured the farmer to get information, but he knew nothing and so could give nothing. He pleaded for his life and in the end, the commander agreed to spare him but they gave him a severe beating as punishment for housing a criminal wanted by the royal family.

    Monk Du did return a few days later to find the little girl crying by her dying father''s side. The farmer had held on to that last thread of life because he worried about what would happen to his child if he died. The villagers had ostracized them out of fear and his daughter had tried best on her own but there was little a child could do.

    Seeing Monk Du again, the farmer''s hope reignited and with his dying breath, he asked him to ensure the future of his bloodline. Monk Du guilty beyond measure made the solemn promise as the farmer''s body grew cold.

    Monk Du buried the farmer and took the daughter and raised her himself. Teaching her many things and amongst them was the seyu drug that he said would ensure her recovery from any ailment.

    That little girl eventually went on to become Dong country''s Queen. But she had never forgotten the scar the Xia empire had given her and at the first instigation, a war began between the two countries. That enmity had run through the generations and with each bloody war, the blood feud and hatred between the nations deepened.

    Another thing that ran through generations from that Queen was the knowledge Monk Du had imparted on her. Every generation, one child within the Dong royal family''s bloodline was born with a healer''s hands and the instinct to create the seyu drug.

    It was not learned, there was no formula. It was simply an instinct, a gift and it could only be made by one person in every generation...Even if someone else from the same family had taken the exact same ingredients the gifted one had used and made it exactly the same way, it would be completely ineffective and useless.

    When the last one with the gift died, it transferred on to someone else in the family, usually a child. This was the reason the Dong royal family members were never allowed to live outside the capital.

    It was also the reason that at their country''s fall, the family elders decided on a mass suicide to ensure their enemies could never discover their secret. If it were ever discovered, their family would forever be enslaved.

    The two children spent three years with Monk Du and in that time he trained them vigorously as he had done for their ancestor, spending more time helping Chun Hua hone her skills. But he still taught Chun Hai a few tricks or two that helped him subdue and escape attacks.

    This time he did not raise the children. After he was satisfied with their progress, he took them to Jiu country where their maternal uncle lived and left them in his care. And over the years, he would randomly show up wherever they were to check in on them.

    Their uncle upon seeing the children alive broke down in tears. It was announced to the world that the entire royal clan of Dong country had perished and he had believed it to be so. He and his wife had no children of their own so they happily adopted them.

    It was there that the two children met the older Prince Houyi, Zou kingdom''s eldest prince, who had already been living with the couple for a year.

    Prince Houyi''s mother had died the year before and after having a falling out with his father, he had come to visit his maternal aunt here in Jiu country and had stayed since. His father allowed it and asked him to return whenever he was ready.

    Prince Houyi lived with them for three more years before returning to Zou, but even then he still came back regularly, spending a few months out of every year. And he started to bring over his younger brother Prince Xiyan, the two always mentioned how they had an adorable younger sister, Princess Nalan who they would bring to Jiu to introduce to the twins once she was older. Although that never happened as they each branched off on their own paths before that could be fulfilled.

    Prince Houyi and twins had become quite close during these years. While Chun Hai had followed Prince Houyi to Zou''s capital and with his help had become a successful merchant and had been introduced to Zou''s royal family, Chun Hua had not.

    Chun Hai had little interest in politics or in revenge or any matters relating to country but he felt a loyalty to his friends and family. And would aid most with anything, within reason. And his sister was the only exception to this rule that he would indulge.

    Chun Hua had gotten it into her head that she was going to follow their ancestor''s footsteps, become a Queen and unlike their ancestor, she would successfully destroy their enemy, Long country. And her country of choice to rule was Zou kingdom, after all, there was a Prince right in front of her, one that she got along with as she grew up.

    Knowing that she had no status to marry a prince, she decided to accrue a reputation for herself that made up for her lack of status. So she went about traveling the villages in Zou kingdom as a skilled healer, healing this and that and everything and garnering the favor of many official and noble families as she went along. Chun Hai had even heard from her that she had even found some noble families who were willing to adopt her as a show of their gratitude for saving their family members.

    Chun Hai could never tell whether his sister actually liked Prince Houyi or whether she only saw him as a useful tool. But he could tell Prince Houyi did not have those feelings towards her. But he had always believed that Prince Houyi at least saw her as a sister.

    She must have gone to share with the Prince this possibility of adoption to aid their marriage and he must have told her that it was not enough. The fact that the Prince Houyi could permit his sister to do something so dangerous as well, meant he clearly had no regard for either of them.

    Chun Hai did not know whether Chun Hua herself had suggested this stupid plan or whether Prince Houyi had asked her. But since he had asked him to act as his assassin, Chun Hai did not put the idea past the Prince.

    He had seen Prince Houyi become increasingly selfish, conniving and ruthless over the years, but he thought that had been saved for strangers. After all, he had helped Chun Hai in establishing his business and always helped him thrive.

    But clearly he was wrong, it was one thing to ask him to do something, he owed him. But it was another thing to use his sister like this. And Chun Hai had no regard for someone who cared nothing for him or his own.

    But Chun Hai knew his sister''s ambition. And despite not agreeing with it, since she had started embarked on this mission, he had no choice but to help her succeed. It was also the same for their uncle, as they were all the family he had left since the death of his wife.

    But now the situation was complicated and Chun Hua had landed herself in trouble because of this stupid complex plan she concocted. He also worried that the Empress dowager would turn her rage on Chun Hua for Monk Du''s disappearance.

    The twins never knew where the Monk went or how he found them. Nor did they have a way to contact him, he simply showed up whenever he did, once a year. Since the Empress dowager was so hellbent on finding him, he hoped the knowledge of his return will be enough for Chun Hua to persuade the Empress dowager to keep her alive if needed.

    She was smart enough to know her options. There was hope.

    "So are we just going to let her die?" Bao Zhun somberly asked, massaging his temple.

    The question pulled Chun Hai back to reality. He quietly scrutinized Bao Zhun for a while. He was quite grateful to this man for following Chun Hua on this stupid journey in his absence.

    Bao Zhun was the son of a powerful general in Zou kingdom. Chun Hai did not know the story but apparently, Bao Zhun had fallen in love with Chun Hua and apparently would do anything for her. So when she prepared to go on this stupid mission, he dropped everything and accompanied her with his men for her protection.

    And now he knew his sister was not as innocent as he thought her to be, Bao Zhun had told him how she wheedled her way into Chen You''s family by using poison and then offering up the cure later. But in the end, regardless of how she was, she was his sister and so whatever needed to be done was necessary.

    Chun Hai sighed, he preferred Bao Zhun as a brother-in-law, but in his sister''s eyes, a general''s son served no purpose for her ambition. And she was not someone who was easily persuaded.

    "If the maids were to be punished with death they would have already killed them. According to our informant, it was the Emperor who tempered the Empress dowager''s rage. Perhaps his little consort was riddled with guilt and pleaded for them so-."

    "You can''t gamble with your sister''s life like this!" Bao Zhun protested, irritated with this brother of hers who did not seem all that concerned.

    Chun Hai sighed and then said, "I won''t. It''s just an interesting fact. We need some assistance...and I have an idea where we can get it." Royals are obviously fickle and could change their minds at any time, he would not make that gamble no matter how likely its success appeared.

    "Let''s go then!" Bao Zhun jumped up with his sword, ready to depart.

    Chun Hai stood up as well and informed, "Relax, I doubt we''ll be welcome guests... For now, have your men to scope out the scene."

    Bao Zhun nodded and listened as Chun Hai gave his instructions and then he quickly left the room to see that everything was arranged accordingly.

    Chun Hai frowned and his eyes lowered to on his sword that was resting against the table and his hands balled into fists.

    {...If my sister dies, I will be sure to return the favor and deliver your "adorable" sister''s head to you on a platter...It''s highly convenient that she''s right here...}

 Chapter 200 - Appreciation Therapy

    Lei Xing made a beeline for her palace. She stormed into her room and glanced around and her fixed on the Emperor''s heavy inkstone. She immediately went to grab it and then set her wrist with the bracelet on a table, still fuming.

    {...Get off me this instant...}

    {...*Hehe~ You''re quite adorable when rattled, It''s a natural thing so there''s no need to be shy hehe~...}

    Lei Xing''s face twitched and she became even more infuriated that it was finding joy in her torment.

    {...I DON''T CARE! GET OFF ME!...}

    {...*Hmm...Okay! If you go accept the proposal I might reconsid-...}

    {...NO! I told you I don''t negotiate with terrorists! Also, it is none of your Freaking your business what I do with him or MY life! So GET LOST or I''ll smash you to bits!...}

    {...*snort* You wouldn''t dare, you hand''s right there...}

    Lei Xing laughed in dry humor, her eyebrows twitched and she glared back down

 Chapter 201 - Liberation Soldier

    That night, the Emperor spent longer than usual in his study. He wanted to give Lei Xing as much space as she needed to digest his proposal and so he kept himself busy with any and everything. Finally, after he felt she had had enough time without his company, he made his way to her palace.

    He was not planning on demanding her answer or even bothering her about it, it was just that he did not want to sleep alone. The last few nights without her were horrible. His insomnia was back and when he did sleep, he was plagued by irritating memories and nightmares, which left him tired and highly irritable during the day.

    It was obvious that her presence in his life has spoiled him greatly. The effects of his poor sleep weighed more on him than they did in the past. In summary, the last few days were more draining and exhausting than ever. Of course, he believed that if after a few days or weeks sleeping alone, his body would eventually bounce back and he would be able to live with it, just as he did all his life before her. But why should he put himself through that? Moreover, she meant more to him than a soft peaceful pillow...a lot more.

    She made him happy, very happy.

    Therefore, he would not leave her no matter her decision tonight. Still, he was nervous as he arrived at Lei Xing''s palace. But then he met Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo standing amongst the other servants outside her bedroom door, staring at it with worried expressions.

    "What is wrong?" The Emperor asked as he arrived to join them. They jumped and bowed to him in greeting, which he ignored and simply inquired again, "Did something happen?"

    Xiao Ruo looked at Ah Jin, and Ah Jin promptly stepped forward, bowed her head and explained, "Her highness has not moved from her position since returning and refused her dinner and she also seems to have hurt hers-"

    Before her words could finish, the Emperor immediately headed for the doors. He entered the room to find Lei Xing still quietly sitting on that stool. Seeing her looking intact and honestly serene ebbed his initial spark of panic at hearing she was hurt.

    But she definitely appeared odd. It did not seem like she even noticed his approach nor the doors opening as she did not move at all. As he came around the table, he saw that what she was staring fixedly were her hands, where one hand covered her other wrist in her lap.

    "Xing er?" He called as he scrutinized her, Lei Xing flinched and immediately looked up and then gave a half-smile when she saw him as she exclaimed, "Oh, you''re here." Then she looked back down at her hands again, and went back to her original state.

    The Emperor''s mind relaxed a bit. She smiled at him so it did not seem like he was the problem. At least, she did not seem to be pushing him away again. But she was definitely not her normal self and it worried him. So he crouched down in front of her and lightly held her arms and asked, "What is it?"

    Lei Xing shook her head, "Nothing." Then she sighed and said, "...just thinking."

    "About?" The Emperor inquired.

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows, "Everything, life..." Then she glanced at him and added, "You."

    The Emperor blinked and nodded, "I-I see..."

    {...Perhaps I am the problem after all...I knew it was too soon...I shouldn''t have listened...}

    The Emperor inwardly sighed. It seemed like he had made a mistake, but it cannot be undone. All he could do now was not pressure her and reassure her that he would be here regardless of her choice.

    Even if she said ''no'' today, it would not be a ''no'' forever and he would understand. It was too soon for her. He looked at her expression and could not think of anything to say. He then remembered that she was supposedly hurt, and so he quickly looked her over as he said, "I heard you are injured."

    "Injured?...Perhaps." Lei Xing said with a shrug and frowned down at her wrist. The Emperor looked down at her hands and saw a bit of redness near where her hand covered. He knit his brows and picked up the hand on top, to see the wrist below red and swollen where the bracelet rest. He lightly touched her injured hand and looked it over and inquired, "What happened?"

    "I hit it." Lei Xing absentmindedly and honestly responded. The Emperor immediately frowned up at her in surprise and she quickly corrected, "An accident."

    The Emperor glimpsed his inkstone on the table next to her and asked, "With the inkstone?"

    "A miscalculation." Lei Xing responded with a frown and looked off to the side, feeling foolish and irritated at having to explain this stupid scenario of hers.

    The Emperor did not even bother to try to decode what she was trying to accomplish with the inkstone that resulted in such a "miscalculation". He glanced at Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo who had followed behind him and instructed them to send for an Imperial doctor.

    "I don''t need a doctor, it''s just swelling, it''ll come down on its own." Lei Xing immediately countered, immediately withdrawing her hand from his. Before the Emperor could contradict her, she narrowed her eyes at him and resolutely said, "I don''t want a doctor." and then she covered her hands with her sleeves with a disgruntled frown.

    She did not want someone snooping around the bracelet. The "ghost effect" had worn off a long while ago, but she was still not able to remove it. If her injury was to properly be examined, she would be requested to remove it. And she would definitely look unreasonable if she refused to take it off in that circ.u.mstance.

    {...Stupid bracelet making me look an idiot -_-)''...}

    "It''s nothing serious, just cold water and a cloth would be enough to deal with it." Lei Xing supplied, but when she saw the Emperor narrow his eyes at her preparing to argue, she quickly added, "If it doesn''t work then I''ll see a doctor."

    The Emperor observed her stubborn face for a while. She was right that it did not look too serious, so he could indulge her stubbornness for now. He stood up and instructed, "Get cold water, put some ice in it and a clean cloth." Xiao Ruo immediately bounced out of the room to see that done while Ah Jin stayed behind.

    The Emperor then sat down next to Lei Xing and took the injured hand again. Lei Xing tried to pull it back, but he held on and glared at her, "Be still."

    Lei Xing stopped moving but then narrowed her eyes at him and warned, "Don''t touch it."

    The Emperor thought that she was wary because of the pain and so he reassured her, "I won''t." Lei Xing was satisfied with that and nodded. She looked down at where he gently held her hand and then she stared at his face as he seriously scrutinized her wrist. He always treated her with such care, it was hard for her not to feel warm towards him. Lei Xing''s eyes moved to the scroll on the table beside them, she remembered the bracelet''s parting words and she inwardly sighed.

    {...Do you think I can''t tell he''s a good man? A great man really...I''m not blind you know...neither am I stupid...It''s just th-...}

    "What are you do-?" Lei Xing exclaimed in a panic as she instantly yanked her hand back, but then the words caught in her throat and her mouth hung open as she stared wide-eyed at her wrist...it was empty, shockingly empty. Free.

    The Emperor blinked at her in surprise and confusion. All he did was go take off the bracelet since it clearly was not comfortable for it to remain hanging on her injured wrist. He did not expect to elicit such an exaggerated reaction from her.

    He knew she treasured the bracelet, but seeing that she treasured it to this extent of panic made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, upset. But this was not the time to start a jealous inquiry into the when, who and how this bracelet came to her, there will be time for that in the future.

    So the Emperor cast aside his ill feelings and begrudgingly explained, "It''s not good for you to keep it on when injured."

    Lei Xing turned her shocked gaze from her hands to the bracelet in his hand, she blinked and exclaimed, "You-you took it off?"

    The Emperor''s lips twitched as he thought she was now upset because he removed it, but he was not going to let it bother him, for now. So he took her healthy hand and said, "You can wear it here inst-" As he moved to slip on the bracelet for her but then Lei Xing immediately slapped his hands and the bracelet off as soon as it touched the tips of her fingers.

    The bracelet was sent flying across the room as Lei Xing whimpered and held on to her aching wrist, that swift movement was too much for it.

    The Emperor gaped at her in shock, completely confused now. He was about to reach for her when Lei Xing suddenly went from whimpering to laughing boisterously. He froze, even more confused now and watched as she put her hands over her mouth to muffle excited screams.

    The Emperor was beginning to worry whether she might have hit her head but then Lei Xing suddenly looked at him and he froze. Then she threw herself at him, toppling her stool. The Emperor immediately grabbed her waist and she planted herself firmly on his lap, grabbed his face and started raining kisses the stunned Emperor''s face as she repeatedly said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you..." Then she finally gave him a firm kiss on the lips and proclaimed, "I love you!" Then she bounced off him and practically flew towards Ah Jin who had gone to pick up the discarded bracelet.

    {...I''m free, I''m free, I''m free, I''M FREEEEE!!...FREEDOM!!!!!! o(�R���Q)o...}

    "Give it to me~" Lei Xing excitedly ordered and Ah Jin held it up to her. Lei Xing used two fingers to daintily pick up the bracelet and raised it up to her eye level and snickered.

    {...Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho look what we have here~~ I thought you said no one could take you off? Huh? What happened to that? Huh? Hahahahahaha... Finally, FREEDOM!!! \(��ء�)/...}

    Lei Xing burst into laughter again, then she abruptly stopped and knit her brows in thought.

    {...Wait. How did he take it off? I mean I tried everything - ....Well, I guess I''d never tried someone else taking it of- No, wait I did. That Tung Mei -...Was she lying to me then? That Brat!

 Chapter 202 - There is Time

    Lei Xing burst out laughing again.

    {...Who cares if she did? She has always been sketchy and I AM FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!....hahahahahahaha...You''re not saying anything? Hehehe~ Say something~...}

    The Emperor blinked from his dazed state and watched Lei Xing, perplexed and baffled by her sudden change in mood. She was honestly behaving crazy. She went from whimpering in pain to suddenly laughing excitedly for no reason. Then she started frowning and now she''s laughing again while staring at her dangling bracelet.

    He was honestly a little worried before, but that was quickly swept away by the happiness and warm feeling in his heart and now he also had a silly grin on his face.

    {...She says she loves me...Very promising indeed...Truly promising. I never expected -... It''s fine if she''s behaving a little crazy in her excitement...Understandable, perfectly understandable. She''s happy so I''m happy and so all is well...}

    Xiao Ruo came in with the cold water and cloth and the Emperor immediately remembered Lei Xing''s injury. He called her over to come to sit, but apparently her mind was not in the room and she did not hear him. She just continued laughing and shaking the bracelet around like a baby playing with a new toy. The Emperor knit his brows as he got up and went over to her.

    {...Perhaps I should be a little worried...}

    "Xing er''" He called to her, but she still seemed consumed with her bracelet and glee, so he held her arm and she immediately looked up at him questioningly and then beamed at him. He blinked at her, distracted for a second. He had never seen her looking so happy before so his heart skipped a beat. He cleared his throat and then informed, "The water''s here."

    "Oh, that." Lei Xing said in a cheery voice and then laughed lightly and obediently followed him as he pulled her back to the table and sat down. She did not protest when the Emperor put her injured hand on the table and went about cooling it down himself.

    Lei Xing could not be bothered by anything at the moment and just sat there with a brilliant smile on her face, poking at the bracelet on the table.

    {...Hey, you''re really not going to say anything?... Tell me, did you give him permission to take it off? Huh? Why would you do?.... Hahahahahaha Oh, this is hilarious...Ignore me all you want but don''t worry, I''m not going to torture, burn you or bury you. I''m going to have a heart and send you home, so be grateful...Hahahaha It''s fine if you''re not though because...I don''t really care! Hahahahahahaha �r(�s3�t)�q...}

    Lei Xing started snickering quietly. The Emperor glanced up from her wrist, smiling himself. Her good mood was contagious, he finally couldn''t help but ask, "What''s making you so happy?"

    Lei Xing turned her smile to him and then simply said, "You." Which set his heart fluttering again. Then she chuckled and looked back down at the bracelet, oblivious to what that word had done to him.

    The Emperor stared at her for a bit and then he looked back down at her wrist, incredibly happy but still somewhat baffled. He was not sure what he did to suddenly make her so happy but he was very glad that he did it.

    Lei Xing looked up at him, she was so happy she really could kiss him again, but there were eyes watching and the high that gave her that courageous boost earlier had plateaued. She glanced at Ah Jin and her ears reddened and then she looked at the Emperor''s face and then blinked.

    {...Is he blushing? O_O)...Oh, ho-ho-ho, ohhh that''s cute...and nice for a change...}

    Lei Xing chuckled and resumed poking the bracelet. The two sat quietly for a while, and then Lei Xing suddenly asked, "Have you had dinner? I''m hungry..."

    The Emperor looked up and shook his head. He honestly did not have much of an appetite so he had not eaten much since breakfast, "I''m alright...But you should eat."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and admonished, "It''s bad to skip meals..." Then she turned to the two maids and went, "Xiao Ruo, dinner for two...and Ah Jin, move that scroll somewhere safe..." The two maids promptly obeyed and went about their tasks.

    Lei Xing felt the Emperor''s fingers that had been stroking her fingers, probably in an attempt to soothe her wound, freeze when she mentioned the scroll and then they slowly resumed. She looked at him to find him intently staring at the cooled cloth on her wrist. She sighed and then said to Ah Jin, "Wait..." before she could leave with the scroll. Ah Jin stopped and waited, and Lei Xing stroked the bracelet and then let out a relieved sigh.

    {...Hey? Are you really not going to say anything?... I thought we had become something like friends...}

    {...*...}

    {...No parting words? Oh well, sayonara then...It''s been...interesting. Take care!... I shall try to remember you fondly hahahahaha (????)?...}

    And with her merry goodbye done, Lei Xing pushed the bracelet across the table towards Ah Jin and instructed, "Take this to Tung Mei immediately..."

    Ah Jin picked it up and informed, "The palace gates are already closed...But I will be sure to get it done first thing in the morning."

    Lei Xing nodded, "That''s fine then...Leave us." Ah Jin nodded and then quickly went to put the scroll aside in the storage area in Lei Xing''s room.

    Lei Xing turned her eyes to the Emperor and saw his eyebrows tightly knit.

    {...Is he angry? Angry about  -...Wait, is this nervous? O_O)...Blushing first and now nervous? Quite a day indeed hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing smiled to herself and thought it felt nice to see him nervous for a change...She also thought it was quite adorable too.

    The words he said to her before she left the royal study came to mind and her smile diminished and she seriously studied him. They were heartfelt words and she had thought about those words quite a bit in the last few hours.

    Lei Xing sighed and her fingers subconsciously tightened around his, and once Ah Jin left the room, Lei Xing let out a breath and said, "Let''s talk..."

    The Emperor''s blinked and then removed the cloth from her wrist and put it back in the water and as he wrung it, he said, "You can take your time...There''s no need to rush." He put the cold cloth back on her wrist and kept his eyes trained on it.

    Lei Xing studied him for a while and then said, "You say that...but then you''re not even looking at me."

    The Emperor immediately turned his eyes to her face. He was not consciously avoiding her gaze, it was just that he was nervous. He had already concluded that no matter her answer, he would stay at her side. But still, he would rather she remained thinking than to hear a rejection.

    And this was not like him, he liked answers.

    But then he had never felt so hesitant or nervous about anything before. She still appeared to be in a great mood as she was warmly smiling at him. Seeing her smile, calmed his nerves a bit and he managed a smile back and reassured, "I''m not avoiding looking at you...I mean it, there is really no rush for an answer. I can wait."

    "You said it''s the one thing you want..." Lei Xing reminded.

    "Still, I can wait." The Emperor reiterated. He would not let himself be misled by her jovial demeanor. Her being happy and smiling at him, did not mean he had gained her approval. This, he had learned this from his previous experience with her.

    Lei Xing was quiet for a while and just as she was about to say something, the doors opened and Xiao Ruo trotted in with the servants carrying in their dinner. It seemed the food was already prepared because that did not take long at all.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, slightly irritated for the interruption but she smiled and pat the Emperor''s hand and said, "We''ll continue after dinner."

    The Emperor knit his brows and then he sighed, "Alright..." It seemed there was no escaping this conversation.

    As they ate, Lei Xing ate with gusto while the Emperor picked at his meal as he tried to decipher the sort of conversation she wanted. If she wanted to say yes, he did not see why that would involve a conversation. Yes was simple.

    But a rejection warranted a conversation.

    {...A conversation to make me understand why she is rejecting my proposal, to understand that she wants me but not in this way, to underst-...}

    "Eat." Lei Xing cut through his thoughts, as she put some meat on his plate. The Emperor glanced at her and she smiled at him and motioned for him to eat.

    He gave her a half-smile and proceeded to eat what she gave him and Lei Xing promptly added more onto his plate and kept casting him glances his way as she ate. He did not want to worry her, and so he smiled and ate.

    He needed to control himself. How could he already be sulking about a possible rejection? It was unbecoming. More importantly, it would only serve to make her feel pressured and unhappy...and that would make him unhappy.

    {...A rejection is fine too...and understandable, it was really too soon...We would talk and come to an understanding and then sleep peacefully...We have time...}

 Chapter 203 - Hindsight

    After they finished dinner, Lei Xing sent the servants away once the dinner table was cleared. Since Lei Xing was tired of sitting on the stool, they moved to the seats on the side, where she could lean back and relax.

    The Emperor sat there sipping tea and waiting for Lei Xing to begin their talk, but she just sat there taking care of cooling her wrist and sipping her own tea. The more time passed, the more nervous and uncomfortable the Emperor became.

    He glanced at her and noticed that her hand was shaking as she was soaking the cloth in the water one hand. So he immediately took over the task from her and Lei Xing immediately relinquished the task and smiled at him. He wringing the cloth and handed it to her, she took it with another smile and put it on her wrist.

    Lei Xing was happy for his help and smiled at him.

    {...There''s really nothing to complain about, at all...He''s really too good as a person. No, correction, he''s great as a partner...Sketchy. Stop that -_-)...Just joking, it''s a nice feeling being pampered...*sigh* He''s definitely a giver...and I''m not? I mean, I am considering the pros and cons of this venture...Is that bad? Sounds awful ? _ ?)...I''m not being horrible, I''m being reasonable. Perfectly reasonable ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and finally began their talk, "I understand that we are, for all intents and purposes, already married...And I do believe you have genuine feelings for me, and I believe that you will keep your word...And I also understand that the Empress''s position is simply a step up-"

    "It''s more than a step up..." The Emperor calmly interjected. He did not like the way she framed it, it made it sound like it was an insignificant choice on his part, which it was not.

    Lei Xing latched on to that point and responded, "Precisely, it is not so simple...You can''t just make someone Empress today and then unmake them tomorrow."

    "I never said I planned on dethroning you." The Emperor said knitting his brows.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "So you mean to let me go but still have me retain the Empress''s position, for what?" She was seriously perplexed by that reasoning.

    The Emperor cast her a quick glance and then faced forward again. He did not expect to be met with such questions. He let out a calming breath and said, "It could keep you safe...No one would dare to treat you badly for fear of offending you."

    "Okay...But at the same time, that would make me a perfect target for someone who has a problem with you...Or for blackmail, kidnapping - It would be a lot better and safer for me to be a deposed Empress, no one would care then...It''s not like I''ll be leaving with an entire army for protection." Lei Xing said with a light chuckle at the idea, her mood was really too good right now and she could not help the jab.

    "If that is what is needed to keep you safe, then an army you will take." The Emperor responded, completely serious to Lei Xing''s surprise.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then burst into a short laugh, thinking it was making a joke. But clearly he was not, because the Emperor glared at her. Lei Xing quickly cleared her throat several times to suppress the laughter.

    {...Oh, he''s been serious...haha Interesting...and sweet...}

    The Emperor faced forward again, it did not seem like she was taking this seriously and it was somewhat irritating to him. He had never actually thought about her using this edict, but here she was focusing on the process of using it. It was somewhat offputting and annoying...The Emperor suddenly blinked as a thought occurred to him.

    {...If she''s thinking of using then...she''s thinking of accepting it?...}

    "Now that you mention, it did say I could take whatever I willed. That''s a very risky term, what if I had the army clean out the treasury?... According to the terms of the contract, I can do that." Lei Xing said half-serious.

    "Contract?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes, contract. That edict is a contract between you and me." Lei Xing offhandedly said and then added, "...I just wanted to point out that unfair term now so you take the chance to rectify it now, so there will be no issues in the future...For the sake of fairness." She added that last part with a smile, it was obvious it was an afterthought which she probably did not mean.

    But the Emperor was not concerned with the validity of pursuit for "fairness" claims, he smirked at her and said, "If you want the treasury, you can have it...the contract did state to take as you will, exactly as I meant it to."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Don''t tempt me."

    {...It is quite the tempting prospect - FOCUS!...Even given the opportunity, I wouldn''t actually clean out a country''s vault just because I can...I''m not the spiteful sort...But I definitely would not be leaving empty-handed, I''m much more reasonable than that hahahahaha - FOCUS! >_

    The Emperor could clearly see that Lei Xing was processing the idea of the treasury. He quietly chuckled to himself and waited for her to say something, but she just picked up her teacup and started sipping quietly. The Emperor reached out and took the cloth from her wrist and resoaked it and handed it back to her. He was starting to feel nervous again as the silence stretched.

    {...Is she stretching this out intentionally or is she is just nervo-...}

    "I understand what you''re trying to do...and I appreciate it. But you can''t just come to a decision like this because of one, maybe two nights..." Lei Xing finally spoke up again, "It is a rushed decision, and rushed often means rash..."

    "I did not come to this decision last night or the other night." The Emperor immediately clarified, he turned to her and informed, "I made my decision the first night you stayed in my palace."

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows in thought.

    {...The first night?... When his crazy mother strangled me? Really? But...that was quite a while ago and...I didn''t think th- Well, I guess he did start bothering since then...}

    After a bit of thought, the Emperor continued, "...Perhaps, I had already subconsciously decided on you even before I knew who you were. Remember I had once asked you to become my Empress before...Back then you said you had the qualifications but lacked the motivation because you did not know me. So this time I took the time for us to get to know each other, for you to know and accept me..."

    "...I admit that the moment I found out you were Lei Yong''s sister, I wished my choice would be you. I also admit that the night I came to the decision, I did not have these feelings for you, well at least they were not substantial enough then...The decision was made mostly based on the fact that you satisfied all my requirements for my Empress. I considered you smart, reasonable, level-headed and we got along well. Romantic feelings were never something I expected to encounter in my life. It was never something I envisioned until I found you..."

    "...You said it yourself that you believed you had the qualifications of an Empress, I believe the same. I had hoped you would have found the motivation to assume the position now..." Remembering that he was not trying to pressure her, he added, "I hope you will find the motivation now..."

    Lei Xing lowered her eyes. Of course, she remembered that incident, it almost traumatized her. In her own words, she had claimed she could not respond because she did not know him. She was already his wife now and she knew him quite well...more than well. He had opened up to her and she had done the same.

    Lei Xing sighed as she remembered her behavior then

    {...Even my own excuses got thrown out the window...I definitely can''t claim to be "ignorant" of his - what was it again? "Benevolent person" now...As for motivation, well - Speaking of which, I was very daring then, quite stupid really O_O)...What the hell was I thinking? If he was anyone else, I could have been - hindsight is really 20/20...But well, I couldn''t very well have just gone "yeah, sure" then. I was probably more irritated that he asked and he did say to be honest so I was...*sigh* Wonder would have happened if I did say "yes" then...}

    Since he brought it up and she had always been curious, she directly asked, "Why did you ask that then? I mean, the first time? As you said, you didn''t even know anything about me, not even my name. It obviously was not love at first sight...So what made you ask that question? I''ve always wondered about that...tell me."

 Chapter 204 - A Night to Remember

    The Emperor sent her a sly smile and said, "Perhaps it was love at first sight..."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes in obvious disbelief. The Emperor''s smile widened and he lightly shrugged, "Instinct then. It seems I was drawn to you from on the onset...I guess it was simply an instinct to speed things along."

    Lei Xing snorted and then looked away as her face heated up, "I see..." She awkwardly said and then she knit her brows, "But what about children? An Empress not havi-"

    "I already told you that is fine...Becoming Empress does not change anything between you and me. I will not force a woman to have a child she does not want. I know from experience that it does not bode well for either party..."

    Lei Xing looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    {...What does that mean? Experience...Don''t tell me that crazy witch -... Okay, don''t get sidetracked -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Does he understand the gravity of all these things he''s promising me? I''ll only be with you, it''s fine if you don''t want kids, but then what about - Okay, I definitely have a problem. I can''t believe I''m complaining about someone being over considerate of me...because it''s unreasonable and...and...Overbearing -that it is not...Sweet, nice, selfless. Any of those -_-)''...

    ...It makes me seem...feel...insufferable, selfish, overbearing maybe? Difficult - Guess if I''m so worried about him not having a child, I might as well just give him one! ( `�š� )...(O.O '')...Oh...Well, I guess...maybe...In the future, perhaps...Not now...too soon...I could consider...maybe...I mean, he''s really...everything I-...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and then said, "I don''t like your mother."

    The Emperor blinked and scrutinized her, she was looking at him seriously now, most of the humor gone from her face. He was not sure why she suddenly brought his mother into this, then he got an inkling, so he said, "As Empress, my mother would hold no sway over you...You may show her "filial respect" but that has its limitations, no one would hold sway over you..."

    No one except him, but that was hugely irrelevant point to mention right now. Moreover, he would let her do as she wished, within reason. And he trusted her to be reasonable in her wants.

    Lei Xing nodded and remained quiet. He could see that she was contemplating her choice. But now he was feeling confident and a smile tugged at his lips. Throughout the entire conversation, she never once said or even hinted that she personally did not want to. All her questions and concerns were really about him and how this decision could affect him.

    He had decided not to pressure her, but then he thought a little nudge forward would not hurt. And she was the one who insisted on having this conversation tonight. A little nudging on his part would be fine, so he got up and went to crouch in front of her, held her hands and smiled at her.

    But before he could begin his nudging speech, Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and said, "You know, you really make it difficult..." She said it with a little smile, but the smile did not obscure the weight of the words for him. His smile faltered but he maintained it and changed the words he intended to say to, "There''s really no pressure, so take your time."

    {...Perhaps it will be better to stay elsewhere for toni-...}

    "You know, I had once thought that it would be better if you were mean, ruthless or just an as***le...Then I would have reason to dislike you and more reason not to want anything to do with you or this place." Lei Xing said with a light laugh at herself and her own stupidity.

    If he were truly to be any of those things, she would have been truly trapped or worse even dead. There was no way someone like that would have been patient or tolerant with her. She would hate her life. "But you''ve been nothing but sweet and accommodating, unreal almost...So it has been quite difficult not to have feelings for you..."

    "Oh..." The Emperor said looking down at their hands, not sure what to make of this.

    {...Is that a good or a bad thing? Compliment or complaint?... I really can''t tell...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and then let it out, "...Let''s just go with the flow."

    The Emperor looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and she mirrored his expression with an almost teasing smile, but he could not be sure. He blinked a few times and then knit his eyebrows, "And that is?" He needed clarity to know how to proceed.

    But instead of clarifying, Lei Xing responded with her own question, "What do you think?"

    The Emperor''s knit eyebrows tightened, and then he warily responded, "I''m not sure..."

    {...Is this a yes or no? It could be either...Confusing...}

    Lei Xing snorted and then said, "I never expected that you could ever be clueless as well...Today has been quite a few firsts for you." She saw him pout this morning, and then blushing, nervous and now clueless. She was actually enjoying this quite a bit.

    "You''ve been a lot of firsts for me." He responded with a frown, lowering his eyes, still trying to decode her meaning. Since he could never be sure with her, he simply asked, "So what is it?"

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and went, "Hmmm...I don''t have much of a choice I think." Only half-serious and with humor in her voice. Unfortunately, the humor was lost on the Emperor, who was currently taking her every word with utmost seriousness, "You always have a choice." He knew having a choice was important to her, she needed it which was why he gave it to her.

    Lei Xing nodded, "True..." She looked to the side, seeming to still be contemplating and then she turned back to his hesitantly eager, anxiously waiting face and finally said, "There really isn''t a reason...not to have a ceremony." Lei Xing finished biting her inner lip as her face started to redden.

    {...If that bracelet heard me now, it would be over the moon! >_

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought, processing.

    {...Ceremony?...could that possibly mean something else?...No, the ceremony in question here is the coronation...so...}

    "So you agree? " He asked, blinking up at her as a hopeful smile tugged at his lips.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Well I can''t use that contract without agreeing to that term...isn''t that why you wrote it that way?" She lightly finished with a teasing tone.

    "So -" The Emperor started and then broke out in a happy laugh as he stood up, pulling her up with him and into his arms. He hugged her tightly and then said, "Thank you..." Still laughing.

    Lei Xing lightly chuckled and then pushed him back so she could see his face and then she put a hand on his cheek and he did the same to hers. She smiled and then said, "No, I should be the one thanking you...You didn''t have to but you did. Thank you for caring enough to do this."

    {...Who asks someone to marry them with divorce papers ready?...No, the question should be who tells someone they want them and in the same breath, asks for the promise of a divorce...Possibility, I just asked for the possibility of a divorce...Either way, I''m the crazy one here and he''s simply indulging it haha...ha -_-)''...}

    The Emperor grinned and caressed her face and then kissed her forehead, "Having you is enough..."

    Lei Xing let out a breath with a smile and then said again, "Thank you." But before he could tell her to stop thanking him or tell her how precious she was, Lei Xing leaned forward and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him completely uninhibited. For the first time since arriving here, she felt free...Free of the bracelet and free of her worries, truly free.

    Before long, Lei Xing felt her feet come off the ground as the Emperor picked her up and spun her as they kissed. Lei Xing giggled against his lips, the next thing she knew she found herself down on the bed, kissing and laughing along with the Emperor as their hands busied themselves with each other.

    Garments flew, amidst the sound of giggling and sweet promises resonating with the wind, and in the hearts of the happy lovers'' delight.

    A blissful night, one the merry pair will remember for eons to come.

 Chapter 205 - A Friendly Visit

    Prince Yi opened his eyes and frowned. The room was dark and cold, it''s been that way the last few days. His mood has been too foul and none of the servants dared to disturb him. He let out a breath and then sat up as he held his aching head. Then he suddenly grabbed the sword behind his pillow and jumped up.

    "There is no cause for alarm, I''m a friend...Or I will be. If I wanted you dead, you would be long dead already. You kept me waiting quite a while. Nice wine though..." Chun Hai said as he raised his cup to Prince Yi and then took a sip. He was currently sitting where Prince Yi had been sitting and drinking earlier. Chun Hai had made himself comfortable while he waited for Prince Yi to wake up.

    Prince Yi stood, sword ready with a deep frown as he scrutinized his uninvited guest.

    {...What is the meaning of this now?... How did he get in here? Those useless -...}

    "No one knows I''m here yet...but if you want them to know, then I will return the favor and let your precious younger brother know you wish to continue a war he wants over. I''m sure Prince Rui will be willing to testify as well...It''s a wonder why he hasn''t, I guess he must have some reservations against your Emperor, but I don''t particularly have any..." Chun Hai finished casting Prince Yi a side glance as he took another sip.

    "What do you want?" Prince Yi asked through gritted teeth as he sat back down on the bed, still holding on to the sword, ready to strike.

    "You''re not going to ask who I am?" Chun Hai asked raising an eyebrow.

    "State your business." Prince Yi coldly retorted.

    Chun Hai sized Prince Yi up for a bit and then shrugged, "The question should be ''what can I offer you?''" He waited but Prince Yi did not say anything and so he went on, "Haiyan, have you heard of that name?"

    Prince Yi raised an eyebrow but still remained quiet. Of course, he had heard of the name, one of the richest merchants out of Zou kingdom, who built a trade empire in just five years with the backup of his closest friend, Prince Houyi. And as for Prince Houyi, while he might not be his father''s favorite, his influence in the country ran deep and long thanks to his maternal family''s influence.

    "If you don''t believe me, we can go find Prince Rui together..." Chun Hai said when the silence stretched on. Prince Yi let out a breath and simply repeated, "What do you want?" He was really not in the mood for anyone''s games or threats.

    "To offer you the opportunity you want." Chun Hai waited this time and finally, Prince Yi showed some interest, "And that is?"

    "War." Chun Hua simply responded. Prince Yi was quiet for a long while and Chun Hai waited again.

    Prince Yi sized Chun Hai up and then asked, "Why should I trust you? After all, your Zou princes already have a record..."

    Chun Hai ignored Prince Yi''s bitter tone, "As you know, the power structure in Zou is a bit complicated. Zou is a country compromised of clans. The king holds the power to issue the order for war, but he does not hold the entire army in his hands. The Lords of the clans control their own military and territories, of course, all under the king''s "rule"...Do you know why the Zou king chose Prince Rui to lead the battle over Houyi?" Chun Hai suddenly asked.

    But Chun Hai did not wait for a response and continued, "Houyi is the better leader, the better warrior, the better general...but Houyi is ambitious, too ambitious and that worries the King. Houyi''s maternal grandfather is also the most powerful Lord in Zou with many allegiances and loyalties that run deep..."

    "...The current Zou king rules on a past glory from his father''s time, he is considered timid and easy to sway but that can only take you so far and as you can imagine Houyi and his grandfather were not pleased with the King''s choice of Prince Rui...Also, quite a few Lords are not pleased with Zou becoming a subordinate of Long country, especially those who have had to "sacrifice" for this peace...A war is inevitable for Zou, it''s just a matter of time and you chose the wrong Prince."

    Prince Yi frowned and thought about it and then quietly said, "Houyi is ambitious..." And then he raised his eyebrows at Chun Hai, "What makes you think I am that desperate?"

    Chun Hai snorted and raised an eyebrow at him, "That''s not what I saw...or heard."

    Prince Yi narrowed his eyes but before he could respond, Chun Hai continued, "You know, in Zou, there is this interesting custom, when a father dies, the son inherits everything...including the wives - Well, not your own mother of course, but you get my drift. The same would apply to say, brother on brother?... I thought you might be interested in adopting some of our customs to solidify our budding friendship..." He finished with a smirk in Prince Yi''s direction.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and instantly an image formed in his head as he stared at Chun Hai, "It was you."

    Chun Hai ignored that and continued on, "I have heard your Emperor is quite taken with her and it seems that you are as well, quite the conundrum. She is, after all, just one woman who can only belong to one man, a powerful one as it turns out, which you''re not at the moment s-"

    Prince Yi''s hand on his sword tightened and he shot up, "Did you come here to insult me?! I am not an idiot who wou-!"

    "How much longer do you think he''ll keep you alive?" Chun Hai cut in and Prince Yi glared at him, but he was unfazed and continued,  "How much longer do you think he can tolerate you? How can he keep a Prince who once reached for the throne?" Prince Yi immediately froze on hearing that.

    "From what I heard you were on the verge of crowning yourself Emperor if not for a dubious secret edict from nowhere. You must have felt cheated." CHun Hai lightly chuckled, "I guess the question should be, how much longer can YOU tolerate him?"

    Prince Yi stood still taking deep breaths to calm himself and then he sat back down, "You drugged her...why?"

    "A plan in motion. She is apparently quite the stubborn one....or perceptive maybe. It depends on how you look at it. If she cooperated, we would not have had to result to this -" When Chun Hai saw Prince Yi frown, he quickly added, "Ah, the plan was not for her to kiss you...I honestly expected her to strip or something of the kind, something humiliating for your Emperor...Publicly assaulting a strange man would have worked well, but you were just the convenient choice or perhaps, her instincts screamed for you..." Chun Hai finished with a smile and Prince Yi''s frown deepened.

    {...Screamed for me? She regretted it....as she should have...as I should...}

    Chun Hai went on to reassure Prince Yi''s, "The plan was definitely not to kill her, just in case your brother decided to take forever to mourn his lost love. A broken angry heart is much more useful. You know they say, the best way to mend a broken heart is with a new love and a man many wives has plenty of love tales to choose from. A dead love is harder to move on from than one of betrayal. Although it seems your brother is a lot more smitten than we perceived...Enough explanation?"

    Prince Yi rested the sword next to him and knit his brows in thought.

    {...A betrayal...and yet he still - *snort* I wonder what he would have done if she wasn''t drugged? Kill her or keep her? If he killed her, he would lose the Lei family; his love, his friend and his support. I would have liked to see that...If I were thinking I would have thrown her at someone else and then dragged her, the person and all the witnesses before him and all the world...He would have had no choice...I could have and should have...been thinking...}

    Prince Yi let out an exasperated breath and then asked, "What do you want in exchange?" Even though he considered Prince Houyi a dangerous option, it was better than being a sitting duck here, doing nothing. He had nothing to lose and so he could take the risk.

    "I need to get inside the palace prison, a map and a guide, a clear way in and out."

    "I take it your person inside has been captured. That explains why you''re here..."

    Chun Hai simply stood up, "Time is of the essence, have it ready for tomorrow."

    As Chun Hai headed for the window, Prince Yi spoke up again, "How do I know I can trust you? Even if yo-"

    "You don''t know and I can''t know either...But I am a man of my word, and as I said, a war is inevitable. Prince Houyi will be happy to have you. I''ll be back tomorrow." And with that, he jumped out the window and left Prince Yi alone.

    Prince Yi stared at the window and then frowned.

    {..."Man of my word", aren''t we all... It has to be one of those maids...And he seems to care quite a lot. That will be good enough...}

    Prince Yi got dressed and left his room, with steady strides, suddenly feeling himself again, a person with purpose.

    He had not been paying attention to what has been going on in the palace in the last few days. While he might not have people around the Emperor, he did have people scattered around in the palace, after all, it was his territory for years. He would help Chun Hai but then that maid would be his, as insurance.

 Chapter 206 - Morning Surprise

    Lei Xing woke up to sight the Emperor''s sleeping face and a smile immediately bloomed on her face. She was tucked right in his arms and felt warm, cozy and happy and so she stayed where she was, enjoying the view.

    {...He is quite - no, very handsome...}

    Lei Xing silently chuckled to herself and because she couldn''t help it, she reached out a finger to poke his face. Then she heard a chuckle and her hand froze mid-air. Her eyes darted around and then she chuckled herself and resumed her poking trajectory.

    {...Haha I must be hearing things...}

    {...*Hehehe~ I knew you two would be so adoowable together hehehe~^_^)...}

    Lei Xing blinked and then frowned and her mouth fell open. She slowly brought up her other hand...and right there, on her wrist was the stupid bracelet.

    {...What the hell- How did you- Why?! O_O)...}

    {...*What?... I''m simply keeping my end of the bargain. I told you I wasn''t leaving until I get my ceremony ( ��^�� )...Ahhh and I see you''ve been keeping yours too, great job! Hehehe~ Don''t worry, I won''t hold yesterday''s transgressions against you. Unlike someone, I have a magnanimous heart ~ (^ ? ^)...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she tried to understand how this happened. It was impossible for someone to have come inside and put it back on her, especially with the way they were sleeping. First of all, the bed was huge, to have even touched her, much less get her hand, they would have had to climb onto the bed. And there is no way she would have slept through that.

    {...Forget me, what about him?! He was a freaking General or som- Forget it, he sleeps like a baby, he''s way worse than me - Okay maybe not bu-...}

    {...*I''m right here, you know...And quite proud too. Hehe~ Look, I even healed your wrist. You''re very welcome~ ^_^)...}

    {...You''re welcome your ass! -_-)...}

    {...*Shhh! Don''t bring my precious butt into this! It has served me very well and so it deserves your respect! Hmph! Little brats like you do understand what is truly important in life ( ��^�� )...}

    {...(?_?)...How the hell did this happen?...}

    Lei Xing frowned and took a deep breath and then slowly moved the Emperor''s arm off her and quietly slipped out the bed. She quickly grabbed her robe, tied it and quietly tipped toe to the doors and went out.

    Xiao Ruo and the other maids outside the room looked up in surprise when the door opened and Lei Xing slipped through. It was way too early for her to be up and about, the sky was just starting to brighten and the sun had not even come up yet.

    Before Xiao Ruo could ask her what she needed, Lei Xing quietly asked, "Did anyone enter this room during the night?"

    Xiao Ruo blinked and shook her head, she turned to the other maids, who also shook their heads. Lei Xing frowned and then asked, "Where is Ah Jin?"

    Xiao Ruo blinked in confusion and answered, "Um, she should still be asleep in her room..." As soon as her words fell, Lei Xing stormed forward but then when she turned the corner, she stopped, realizing she did not know the way, she turned back to Xiao Ruo and ordered, "Lead the way..."

    Xiao Ruo nodded and quickly led the way. When they arrived Lei Xing burst into the room, causing Ah Jin to jump up from her sleep. Before Ah Jin could process what was going on, Lei Xing asked, "Where is the bracelet I gave you last night?"

    Ah Jin blinked in surprise and then quickly scrambled to the drawers on the side, picked up a box and held it out to Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing eyed her and the box but did not take it. She glanced at Xiao Ruo and the other two maids who had followed her and then she said to Ah Jin, "Follow me." And walked out.

    Lei Xing walked outside the building with Ah Jin following closely. She stopped at the pavilion, out of earshot of the others and scrutinized Ah Jin for a bit and then calmly said, "Open it."

    Ah Jin glanced up at Lei Xing, then she pursed her lips and opened the box. Her eyes immediately went wide and she glanced up at Lei Xing in disbelief, "I-it''s e-em, e-e-m-"

    "Empty." Lei Xing finished for her and then raised her sleeve and showed her bracelet, Ah Jin blinked at Lei Xing''s wrist and then nodded and went, "O-oh..." Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at her and then said, "Explain."

    Ah Jin blinked at Lei Xing and then glanced down at the bracelet and said, "I d-don''t understand."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then went, "The first time you saw this bracelet on me, you were shocked. I told you it was Tung Mei''s and you didn''t say anything, I even sent you to go tell her to come to retrieve it. Yet you still didn''t mention the bracelet familiar... And now I gave you the same stupid bracelet and it disappeared from your box to my wrist, and your reaction was simply to blink and nod? What do you think? I snuck into your room in the middle of the night to take it and then decided to barge into your room this morning just to terrorize you?" Lei Xing said all that in one exasperated breath.

    "I-I..." Ah Jin nervously began but could not seem to find the words, She eventually fell on her knees and awkwardly said, "I-I don''t know what I thought...I-I panicked, it was empty, then it was on your wrist. I was relieved and...I-don''t understand."

    "I''m the one who doesn''t understand..." Lei Xing said under breath, exasperated. She was not even sure what she was accusing Ah Jin of right now.

    {...Honestly, what am I even thinking? That she somehow snuck into the room with no one seeing her and - *sigh* Sounds absurd -_-)''...}

    {...*Stop terrorizing the poor girl. I go where I want when I want ( ��^�� )...You should be happy to have me...I even left you alone for a long time so you two could properly "celebrate". See, I am most considerate. Be grateful!...}

    Lei Xing frowned in annoyance.

    {...So you expect me to believe that you vanish- Okay, okay, talking bracelet, so not so impossible -_-)...}

    {...*Well, I am brilliant so naturally...You have no clue~ ^_^)...}

 Chapter 207 - Surreal Encounters

    Lei Xing massaged her forehead and let out a sigh.

    {...Well, this is disappointing...I thought I was finally done with this stu-...}

    {...*Brilliant, you mean -_-)''...But I''ll let it pass today, you did very, very good~...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and then looked at Ah Jin and said, "Stand up."

    Ah Jin stood up and quietly waited for a while until finally, Lei Xing let out another breath and asked, "Why didn''t you mention that I had a bracelet just like this before? One which I apparently treasured..."

    Ah Jin knit her eyebrows and lowered her head, "I-I was initially surprised when I saw you wearing it...We thought you lost it, but then you said it was Tung Mei''s so...I just thought it was a coincidence they appeared the same."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...Sounds reasonable, I guess -_-)...}

    {...*Very reasonable! I like her ^_^)...}

    {...Of course, you do (?_?)...}

    "Did your mist- Did I ever tell you anything particular about the bracelet I had?" Lei Xing asked.

    Lei Xing knew her original body''s owner and Ah Jin had been close. Ah Jin found her when she ran away and Ah Jin and the girl even pulled a long-running artist scam, deceiving the entire family and world. If anyone would have known anything then, it would be Ah Jin.

    Ah Jin frowned and then blinked a few times. She glanced up at Lei Xing and then looked back down.

    "Say it." Lei Xing ordered.

    {...The problem here is she never seems to want to talk...Or is there really nothing to it and I''m just a paranoid crazy person...Possibly...}

    {...*I say paranoid and nosey, can''t you let people have their own secrets? Hmph! Nosey paranoid ( ��^�� ) ...}

    {...Like you''re one to talk, do you even let me have my own peace of mind, much less have secrets? Annoying -_-)''...}

    "Well...you did mention this thing..." Ah Jin paused and pursed her lips, seemingly having difficulty spitting out the words, but Lei Xing was not in a patient mood and sternly ordered, "Talk."

    "Well, you once said...It was like a...a...aaah friend of sorts...?" Ah Jin glanced up Lei Xing again and then carefully added, "You seemed to...talk to it...sometimes...You never took it off...excoet when you got angry with it I suppose..." Ah Jin hesitantly informed and then added, "It was strange..."

    Lei Xing blinked and went, "I see..."

    {...Was it you then? Sounds just like you. You''re plenty aggravating -_-)...}

    {...*...}

    {...Answer me -_-)...}

    {...*My life is none of your business ( ��^�� )...}

    {...And I''m pretty sure mine is also none of your business but yet, here we are, my very own peanut gallery -_-)...}

    {...*You''re very welcome ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and then asked, "Do you know how I got this- that bracelet?" She was getting the feeling that it was the same bracelet that had returned to haunt her. But of course, she could not be sure since the bracelet never answers anything she wants.

    Ah Jin shook her head, "You already had it when I came to the manor."

    {...*All this irrelevant! We should be celebrating. Don''t you have great news for me? I think you do, I''m listening, go on hehe~...}

    {...Like you need to be informed -_-)...}

    {...*But I want MY official notification! Go on, tell me >?

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and then narrowed her eyes at Ah Jin and then an idea came to mind, and she held out her wrist to Ah Jin and said, "Take it off."

    Ah Jin blinked at Lei Xing''s outstretched wrist and then looked up at her, seemingly confused. But Lei Xing simply motioned for her to the bracelet on her wrist.

    Ah Jin silently let out a breath and then reached for the bracelet. She then frowned when the bracelet did not budge and then she tried with both hands. Her eyes went wide when it still did not move and she looked up at Lei Xing and she went, "How -?"

    {...*I did tell you that no one could take it off unless I want them to. Tsk, tsk, tsk, you never listen...}

    Lei Xing frowned and withdrew her wrist and covered the bracelet up with her sleeve. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she said, "You''ve kept secrets before, no one is to know about this." And with that Lei Xing left the pavilion. As she took the slow steps back to her room, she let out another sigh.

    {...Frustrating, here I thought I was finally free...}

    {...*Hehe Don''t worry, you''ll probably be free soon~ Shouldn''t be too long now ^_^)...}

    {...So you allowed him to take it off last night. Why? I had not even said yes yet, why so "nice"? Or were you just happy trolling me? -_-)''..}

    {...*That reminds me! I have an issue to discuss with you...It''s been getting on my nerves quite a bit the last few days. I tried not to say anything at first, but now it seems it''s becoming a stinking habit! >-

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...Something''s getting on your nerves? I''m sorry, the question should be "you have nerves?" I hadn''t noticed �r( ??? )�q...}

    {...*I''m being serious! Can you tell - No, stop him from touching my possessions! It''s very annoying! >_

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she arrived at her bedroom doors.

    {...Possession? What are you talking about?...}

    {...*My bracelet! Tell him to stop touching my precious bracelet! It gives me a headache and it is not a toy! What if you two ruin it?! T_T)...}

    {...O_O)...Ruin it?...So you didn''t allow him to?...}

    {...*That''s none of your business!... And as I said, I do what I want when I want, so I''m not going anywhere until I want to!... Know that ~ ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought and returned to her bedroom just as the Emperor finished tying up his robe, it appeared he was about to leave.

    When he saw Lei Xing, he immediately walked up to her and held her hands, "Where did you go?" He had woken up to find the bed empty, which was very odd. Lei Xing was never awake this early. He waited for a little bit for her return, but then eventually decided to just go find her and then she walked in on her own.

    Lei Xing smiled and said, "Nowhere...I just went on a walk."

    "This early? That''s odd for you." The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow. He noticed Lei Xing slightly purse her lips and then added. "You can tell me anything." As he gently caressed her cheek as he brushed her hair behind her ear with a hand.

    Lei Xing lightly shook her head and smiled, "I''m fine, it''s just been an odd few days..." And before he could continue asking, Lei Xing changed the topic, "Are you going to get ready for Court now?"

    "En. I was going to find you first." He informed with a smile as he scrutinized her expression and then he pulled her back to the bed and sat down with her. He looked at their joined hands and then smiled at her and said, "I was going to make the proclamation today..."

    "Oh." Lei Xing simply responded as she blinked in surprise.

    {...Already...Quite quick O_O)...}

    "But..." The Emperor paused but then quickly continued, "I''m happy, very happy that you agreed but if you''re not ready there is no need to rush the ceremony an-"

    "No, no, no." Lei Xing immediately cut in, "Let''s do it. The earlier, the better."

    {...That way I can finally say goodbye to a certain arm terrorist -_-)''...And since we''re going to do it anyway, why stall, right? Yeah hahaha...ha ??? )...}

    "Oh." It was now the Emperor''s turn to blink in surprise, he did not expect such an excited response from her, but it helped to completely destroy whatever hesitation he had. He grinned at her and held her face and happily kissed her. "That''s perfect." Then he stood up, still holding her hand and informed, "After Court, Eunuch Li will come by to read and present the edict to you along with the gifts. I''ll have it scheduled for noon, so get more rest." He finished and then kissed her cheek and turned to leave.

    Lei Xing suddenly grabbed his hand and stood up and hesitantly said, "Um, can you...take this off?" She said and then held up her wrist to him. Even if the bracelet did not give her an answer, it did say that "him" touching it was annoying. And the only him that has touched her or it recently was the Emperor. Therefore...

    {...I figured it out, him touching you was annoying...so you let him take it off because he was annoying you, correct? (??? )...Hm, quite a shocker, I thought you liked him...}

    {...*...}

    The Emperor blinked and raised an eyebrow at Lei Xing''s odd request, but she smiled at him and added, "Please..."

    The Emperor smirked in amus.e.m.e.nt, it was an odd but small request and so he could happily indulge her. So he went ahead.

    {...Wait, but if it doesn''t work, won''t he think I''m crazy?! O_O)...}

    Lei Xing gulped but before she could withdraw her hand from his, her worries were relieved when the bracelet easily slipped off with his fingers. Lei Xing knit her brows and blankly stared at the bracelet in his hand, perplexed.

    {...This is really interesting...}

    "Here." The Emperor said holding out to bracelet to her.

    "Xing er''?" He called to her again when she just kept staring at the bracelet instead of taking it.

    "En?" Lei Xing blinked up at him, completely lost. "Here." He held up the bracelet.

    "Oh, oh, yes. Thank you."Lei Xing said and took it with a smile. The Emperor nodded and then because he could not help it, he held her face and dropped a quick kiss on her lips, flashed her a smile which Lei Xing subconsciously returned. Satisfied, he finally turned and left the room with a happy smile on his face. Meanwhile, Lei Xing remained standing in place and returned her gaze to the bracelet in her palm.

    {...What am I supposed to make of this?...}

    {...*...}

    And just as it had happened last night, the bracelet did not respond. But this time, Lei Xing was not in a gloating mood, she was just perplexed and intrigued by this discovery.

    From the time of her drowning till this point, she has encountered one impossibility after another; a poison detecting ring that actually works, a wacky old man who speaks of different worlds, deja vu paintings, a talking bracelet...but yet watching this one mystery unravel before her eyes just felt different...a bit too surreal.

 Chapter 208 - New Terms

    Lei Xing spent quite a long while trying to decipher the mystery. The bracelet still did not respond and eventually, she got sleepy. They had a late night and she woke up much earlier than she''s used to. So she decided to go back to bed, but first, she went told the maids that no one was to enter her room until she called for them. Then she took the bracelet, put it in a box and then put it in one of her trunks and padlocked it.

    Then she went off to bed clutching the key in her hand. And she put that hand right under her head and closed her eyes to sleep.

    {...Just for confirmation''s sake...}

    "Your highness...Your highness?" Lei Xing was jerked out of her slumber with Ah Jin''s call. She immediately jumped and glanced around the room to find it empty. "Your highness." The call came again and she realized it was coming from outside the doors.

    Lei Xing relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

    {...*Hmph!...}

    Lei Xing groaned and looked down at her wrist to see the bracelet in its usual place.

    {...You''re still here...}

    {...*You''ve already agreed so why can''t we just live together in peace? You''re being unfair! >_

    {...Unfair your ass (?_?)...}

    {...*I told you not to talk about my butt! It''s precious! >_

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes again and then Xiao Ruo shouted over, "Your highness, the Emperor asked for us to wake you, you need to get ready..."

    Lei Xing finally remembered that she was expecting guests and so she ignored the bracelet and shouted, "Come in." As she tossed the blanket aside and got up.

    Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo happily trotted in, Ah Jin with her rare reserved smile and Xiao Ruo with her usual wide grin. They stopped before Lei Xing and kowtowed and in unison said, "Congratulations, your highness."

    {...*Congratulations ( ��^�� )...}

    The bracelet''s unexpected pouty "congratulations" made Lei Xing burst into laughter.

    {...*Nothing''s funny. I''m congratulating you! Be grateful! >_

    {...Hahahaha I''m sorry, is this your attempt to get on my good side? You don''t sound very congratulatory, very poor attempt...Hahaha, this is actually kinda fun! Do better! (�R���Q)...}

    Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing questioningly, they did not think anything they said or did was funny. But then they just smiled at her, thinking of it as her own show of happiness. The Emperor had finally chosen her as his Empress and announced it to the world that morning. This news definitely warranted a crazy laugh, so they understood her.

    Lei Xing noticed their weird expressions and then cleared her throat, trying to stifle the laughter, "Thank you, stand up." Lei Xing said as she dabbed at her eyes, face full of smiles.

    {...*I''ll still come back you know -_-)...You can''t ask him to take it off all the time, you''ll look crazy and you don''t want that, do you? You wouldn''t like that, right? ...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow as she walked out of the room to meet another round of kowtowing and congratulations form her servants. She smiled and thanked them and then continued on her way to the bathroom.

    {...Oh, I don''t think he would mind at all...And if he does, I can always think up some incentives to motivate him...Anything to annoy you (��?��)...}

    {...*Tch, someone''s confident -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing blinked and then raised an eyebrow and then snorted.

    {...I guess I am ^_^)...So are you going to leave or remain here to be annoyed every Single Moment we''re together...}

    {*I saved your life and even healed your wrist, and I''ve been a good- No, a great friend to you and you treat me this way?! Ungrateful and Shameless! >_

    Lei Xing chuckled as she settled into the bath.

    {...Well, I learned from the best. "I''m brilliant and you''re very welcome~" (??? )...}

    {...*Hmph! Ungrateful brat! So many ungrateful brats! And I was so happy for you too wuwuwuwu *sniff* wuwuwuwu...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    {...Seriously? You can''t honestly be cry-...}

    {...*Leave me alone! Ungrateful brat! >_

    Lei Xing finally let out a sigh.

    {...Okay, I''ll be honest, I actually do enjoy having you around, sometimes -...}

    {...*Really? *sniff*...}

    {...Yes, really...You are good company, some of the time...But I just don''t like being held hostage. That''s where the problem between you and me lies...}

    {...*Well...I can understand that but...But you''re just so stubborn so -!...}

    Lei Xing frowned and flicked the bracelet under the water.

    {...*Hehehe But you did already agree...}

    {...And I even expedited the ceremony, just for you...Applaud me -_-)''...}

    {...*Hehehe Of course!...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow as she actually heard clapping in her head and then she lightly chuckled.

    {...*But why though? You once told me to prepare to spend the rest of my life with you because you won''t allow me to terrorize you into becoming Empress. And I was already making said preparations so it definitely wasn''t to get rid of me...so why? I want to know~ ^_^)...}

    {...Well...I guess...I couldn''t say no...As you advised, I was being reasonable...I had no reason to refuse, he gave me what I wanted, my way out...*snort* Quite crafty of him to phrase the proposal that way...Actually ingenious, I call it ingenious ^_^)...}

    The bracelet went silent for a long while and Lei Xing thought it had gone off to resume pouting again but then it seemed it had only been off thinking.

    {...*So...If he had not offered you your freedom and simply asked for you to be his Empress, would you have still agreed?...}

    Lei Xing blinked a few times and then pursed her lips, then she sighed and finally responded.

    {...Who knows...}

    {...*So that''s a no...}

    {...I don''t know...}

    The bracelet went silent again for another long while. Lei Xing finished her bath and was getting dried off when it spoke up again.

    {...*That''s fine for now... I have a deal for you, one I know you will like~ ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...Deal?...}

    {...*Yep, since you''re so self-conscious about the act. I will give you the option to remove the bracelet during your ah, um, *Ahem*...intimate moments so no nee-...}

    {...No...}

    {...*No? O_O)...}

    {...Yes, no...}

    {...*What? It''s a great deal! Limited time offer...Why NO?! >_

    Lei Xing smirked.

    {...You no longer hold the power here, I do...Or at least we "share" it, I can get you off whenever I want, and you coming back is an insignificant annoyance for me...But apparently him touching seems to be a significant annoyance for you so think again...}

    The bracelet went quiet, probably thinking about its next move and Lei Xing patiently waited, she was not in a hurry. She put on her inner garments and a robe and then returned to her room, where her breakfast was waiting, along with her bowl of contraception. Lei Xing sat down and downed the bitter liquid first and then quickly threw some food into her mouth to get rid of the awful taste.

    {...Arggh, I hate this thing! >��

    {...*What do you want then?...}

    The bracelet finally asked and Lei Xing smiled.

    {...Now we''re talking...So here are your options, you can either leave or...stay here to be annoyed to death or...better for both of us, you can answer some questions and then we can both live together in harmony, sounds like a much better deal~ but your choice ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing happily continued to eat as she waited for the bracelet to come to its decision. After finally getting rid of the taste of the medication from her mouth, she stopped eating. She actually was not hungry, she was honestly feeling jittery at the moment. All the congratulations she had received since waking made her new situation really sink in.

    Xiao Ruo also informed her that a few of the concubines had actually come over this morning to express their congratulations as well. Lei Xing had always ignored the existence of the other women in the Emperor''s harem and distanced herself from them, save for Li Ru. As in her mind, they were never her problem.

    But now that she was going to be Empress, they were going to be her problem, at least hers to manage. She could no longer ignore them.

    {...Well, it''s too late to change my mind. I actually don''t think I have the heart to...He was so happy and it''s the only he''s really asked for so...We''ll live with it...We can live with it...}

    Lei Xing sighed and stood up to get dressed. Because today was such a special day, she had to dress in full regal attire, which most annoyingly for her, included all the c.u.mbersome hair accessories she disliked.

    But she understood she was receiving official visitors in an official capacity and so it was necessary for her present herself accordingly. And so she quietly stayed put and let the maids do as they liked.

    While she was sat getting her hair arranged, the bracelet finally disclosed its decision.

    {...*Fine, I guess I can answer a few questions ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Wise choice, I always knew you were brilliant hehe~ (��?��)...}

    {...*Hmph! Hurry up and ask before I change my mind -_-)''...}

 Chapter 209 - Universal Convictions

    Lei Xing snorted but quickly comported herself.

    {...I am glad for your cooperation ^_^)...To clarify, I want honesty here, no beating around the bush...Just answer the question asked...}

    {...*Hmph! I know how to answer questions...Are you going to ask or not? ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Good...Now, explain what is going on here? Why does it annoy you when he touches it?...}

    Lei Xing waited and waited, but the bracelet remained silent. Her hair was done now and Xiao Ruo had moved on to her makeup and still, she received no response.

    {...Hey, I''m still waiting to begin our peace and harmony -_-)''...}

    The bracelet finally let out a long sigh.

    {...*Fine...It''s not him per se...It''s just the combination...}

    Lei Xing waited for the bracelet to continue but apparently it thought that was a satisfactory explanation as it said nothing more. The bracelet was obviously not happy with this situation and so it was definitely not going to make this easy for her. But she was not concerned with its mood and was ready to prod.

    {...Combination of?...}

    {...*Well...Ah, um, hehe~ Forget it, all this is irrelevant, unnecessarily complicated and doesn''t matter at th-...}

    {...Talk or leave, your choice -_-)...}

    {...*Fine! It''s the combination of the two of you!...}

    Lei Xing blinked and then frowned.

    Xiao Ruo who had just finished Lei Xing''s makeup immediately asked, "Do you not like it?"  Lei Xing blinked at Xiao Ruo and then at her reflection in the mirror and then shook her head with a half-smile and said, "No, no, it''s perfect...Thank you."

    Then she got up and walked over to the side and sat down to put some distance between her and others, so she could focus on this conversation.

    {...What do you mean the combination?...}

    {...*I don''t know. What do you think? ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Please just answer the question -_-)...}

    The bracelet let out a long exaggerated sigh and Lei Xing rolled her eyes and patiently waited for it to be done.

    {...*Wellll...It''s like...*annoyed breath* Two sides of one coin, if each side had two sides which means four sides, which means four sides, one coin!...}

    Lei Xing froze and then knit her brows completely lost and confused with that quick ramble.

    {...O_O)...And what the hell does that mean?! I said to answer the question asked! >_

    {...*And I''m answering the question asked! >_

    {...Well then answer in a way that makes freaking sense!...}

    {...*Well it''s not my fault you lack understanding!...}

    {...Well, it''s going to be your fault when you''re being terrorized, how about this time I toss you in a lake?!...}

    Lei Xing looked up towards the ceiling and let out an exasperated breath to calm herself down.

    {...We have an agreement -_-)''...I don''t want answers that make sense to you, I want answers that make sense to me...}

    {...*Well then that''s going to be difficult ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing ignored the bracelet''s demeaning tone. She was not going to get riled up and they were going to have this conversation.

    {...( ''?_?)...I''m sure your "brilliant" self can overcome any difficulty...}

    {...*Hehehe~ It seems there''s hope for you~ ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    {...*It''s like this...The two of you are basically...like two sides of one coin...Hmmm, let me think, what do you know that I can use?... Oh, I have it, the law of attraction!...}

    Lei Xing immediately knit her eyebrows.

    {...Physics? Your idea of an easy explanation is physics?! -_-)...}

    {...*Hehe~ Relax, I''m not going into quantum mechanics or anything...I mean attraction in the most ordinary, everyday sense...It''s simple. It''s just the universe constantly trying to pull together similar energies into one cohesive form, a reunion of sorts...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath, closed her eyes and massaged her temple. This was quickly becoming a headache-inducing conversation, but what else could she have expected from a talking bracelet.

    {...Expound...}

    {...*Okay, so you two basically originate from the same energy source, so it was one and then separated into - Ah, forget that part...The bottom line is you two are two separate beings from the same source, so you two are basically one and same, at your cores ~ ^_^)...}

    {...O_O)...And -.so - what the -...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath and held her head. When the bracelet suddenly became an eager and happy conversationalist, she should have realized it was going to be a head spinner. It had the enthusiasm of a crazy conspiracy theorist who finally got their day on the stage.

    This was not the explanation she was expecting, but then again, she had no clue what to expect.

    {...So you''re saying he could take it off because we''re the same? That''s your explanation? Can you please...say something that actually makes sense, please...}

    "...Your highness?" Lei Xing opened her eyes and looked up to see Ah Jin in front of her, "The Emperor''s edict has arrived."

    {...*Hmmmmmmm....}

    Lei Xing absentmindedly nodded and then stood up and made her way over to the reception hall as the bracelet continued to ''hmm'' in her head, it seemed to be thinking about how to explain itself in "normal" speech.

    {...*Okay, this is the simplest way it could possibly be said, simpler is not possible. So you open your mind and comprehend! Here I go...Is your mind open?...}

    Lei Xing''s face twitched, it was talking to her like she was an idiot for not understanding its gibberish. It irritated her but she was not going to argue and was going to be patient.

    {...Talk -_-)...}

    {...*So you two share a connection...and when you two come in contact, the link is reestablished - hmm, no, not reestablished, strengthened...so when he touches MY bracelet, which by the way I did not give him permission to touch, it severs my connection to you and gives me a headache in the process! So annoying! >_

    Lei Xing slightly narrowed her eyes and quietly digested the information as she arrived at her reception hall to find an entire entourage waiting. There was Eunuch Li holding the golden scroll with what seemed to be dragon and phoenix embroidery on it, three officials she did not recognize and servants with various boxes at their feet, which she assumed were gifts.

    They all bowed to her and then Eunuch Li with a bright smile on his face began the proceedings with, "Noble consort Lei receive the Emperor''s edict..."

    Lei Xing and the others in the room got on their knees and she and the ministers bowed their heads, while the servants kowtowed. Eunuch Li then rolled open the edict and began to read, "Noble consort Lei of esteemed heritage and character, noble and wise..."

    {....*Do you understand now? You should apologize for my grief! I''ve been nothing but nice, but here you are trying to intentionally cause me harm...Apologize! >_

    The bracelet barked, distracting Lei Xing from the edict reading. Lei Xing knit her brows and her mind went back to their conversation.

    {...But then how come you never complained until now? I mean we''ve been sleeping in the same bed for so long and it''s imposs-...}

    {...*Tch, you''re making fun of me, aren''t you? -_-)...If I told you, you would have used it against me, like you''re doing right now...I was thinking that once we got closer as friends, you would care for my plight BUT apparently I thought WRONG! Hmph! Ungrateful brat!...}

    At this point, Lei Xing was unmoved by the bracelet''s usual accusations of ungratefulness and she frowned as the meaning behind all its words really dawned on her.

    {...So you''re telling me, that he could have taken you off the whole time?!...}

    {...*Tch, unfortunately...But now that we''re friends, there is no need for such outsider interference, we can work out our misunderstandings on our own, right? Hahaha...right? ^_^ '')...}

    {...It depends -_-)''...}

    "Noble consort Lei?..." Lei Xing whipped her head up to see Eunuch Li holding out the edict to her with raised eyebrows, this was the third time he called to her.

    Lei Xing put on a smile and quickly took the edict with both hands, bowed her head and said, "I thank your majesty for your grace." After which, they all stood up and once Lei Xing was on her feet, the others in the room proceeded to kowtow before her to their respect as they said in unison, "Congratulations Your highness..."

    After the congratulations were done and the gifts were presented to her.

    One of the officials stepped forward and introduced himself as the Minister of Rites and then went to explain, "...As per custom, on receiving the Emperor''s edict of ascension, Your highness is required to go pay respects to the family elder, if there is any alive. But the Empress dowager is currently away, a message has been sent over to inform her, but I am afraid it will take at least two days for her to return...and so to complete the ceremony for today, it will suffice for you to make your official bow in the ancestral hall."

    {...I would prefer she stay gone forever -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing maintained her smile and nodded. She handed over the edict to Ah Jin and then went out with Xiao Ruo, Eunuch Li, the ministers and the rest of the entourage, leaving Ah Jin behind with the edict and to direct the organization of the gifts the Emperor had sent along. Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she exited her palace with the group. It was definitely feeling like a long day and she could tell it was just starting.

    {...Definitely seems like a hassle. If this is what the engagement announcement is like, the wedding will be a trainwreck event -_-)...}

    {...*But a fun one hehe~ ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes and then went back to their conversation.

    {...About that connection thing...Not that I believe in stuff like this - Scratch that, I don''t know what I believe any more these days, my existence itself is an impossibility and there''s you too, so I think anything is possible...So do you mean connection as in like, soulmates kinda thing?...}

    {...*Hmmmmmm, I guess...like that...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought.

    {...I see...And the Universe constantly "trying" pulling together similar energies... means it wasn''t an accident, correct?...}

    {...*Accident?...}

    {...Me coming here, being here...with him. By your logic, it doesn''t seem like an accident of the universe or a weird coincidence...It sounds like an intentional act of the universe...Now that I think about it, I remember you mentioning something about me still dying at that time no matter where I was...I wasn''t really paying attention to you then, but I remember this bit, you definitely said something about me ending up here regardless of how I died...So my transmigration was not an accident, was it?...}

    {...*O_O)...Ummmmmmmmmm, aaahhhhhhh...By that logic, I guess not...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

    {...So that quacky doctor lied to me...maybe he didn''t know...No, I always had the sense that he was holding something back so I think he definitely lied ?_?)..}

    {...*? _ ?)...Umm...Not...necessarily ??? )...}

 Chapter 210 - Recompense

    Lei Xing obviously was not convinced by the bracelet''s denial. She also remembered that she needed to go see that doctor regarding a lot of things and this just made that need more urgent.

    {...*Hahaha he didn''t know anything! I mean, who really understands how the universe works? It works in mysterious ways hahaha~...}

    {...Clearly you do -_-)...}

    {...*Weeellll...You know what? He was actually doing you a favor!... Your mind wasn''t in a place to comprehend or accept this then...}

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    {...Why are you jumping at his defense? Do you know him? He apparently knows about you or at least he seemed to recognize this bracelet, more accurately the gems but still... (?_? )...}

    {...*No, I don''t! Why would I?!  And you''re missing the point! >_

    Lei Xing pursed her lips but then relented with a soft sigh.

    {...I wouldn''t have believed him, would have thought he was crazy - which I honestly still think he is, partially anyway...But still, I would have contempl-...}

    {...*There is no still! You would have built even higher walls and the poor boy would have never been able to scale them!... But here you are now, happy and blissfully in love, he did you a favor ~ Be grateful! ( ��^�� )...}

    {...You make it sound like I''m a cold-hearted wall-building demon or something. I''m not that difficult  - 3 - )...}

    {...*You might as well as be~...}

    Lei Xing pouted but quickly corrected her expression when the minister of Rites who had been leading the way finally stopped. It was then that Lei Xing realized that they had finally arrived at the ancestral hall.

    The minister of Rites lightly bowed his head and motioned to the door and said, "Your highness, please enter..."

    Lei Xing nodded and went ahead. As she entered, she scanned the multitude of plaques lined up on the leveled stands built into the wall. On the center stand, stood the plaques of the most recent elder deaths, the late Emperor and the two late Empresses. From what she could see, the hall only contained plaques of Emperors, Empresses, and Empress dowagers.

    For some reason, this made Lei Xing''s mood suddenly sour.

    {...Where are his consorts and concubines?...}

    {...*It doesn''t matter, you are to be the Empress~ ^_^)...}

    {...I know but still...It''s depressing to see, even in death they are sidelined...}

    Lei Xing knew they were probably sectioned off in another room in the massive building along with the children and the older family ancestors. She also understood that the front room could only hold so much. But still, it felt weird for them not to be placed here with their Emperor...almost demeaning.

    The Minister of rites came up to Lei Xing and presented three lit incense sticks to her. She took them and approached the center stand and placed the incense sticks in the pot and then bowed towards the late Emperor and his Empresses.

    Then she walked over to the cushion set on the ground for her, scanned the plaques again and then let out a sigh and began her first kowtow. As she bowed her head to the ground, a disconcerting thought came to mind.

    {...How much longer do you think this dynasty will last?...}

    She was not asking or anyone or seeking an answer. It was just a random thought. But then the bracelet immediately gave her an answer.

    {...*A thousand years...}

    Lei Xing froze for a moment, surprised with the response. And then she got up with knit eyebrows with Xiao Ruo''s assistance and then went down again for her second kowtow.

    {...How do you know?...}

    The bracelet went silent and Lei Xing finished her second kowtow, made her third and final kowtow. She rose and then made a final bow and the others in the hall bowed with her and the bracelet finally let out a heavy sigh and resopnded in the same solemn tone.

    {...*Recompense...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise.

    {...For?...}

    {...*The altered course of a lifetime...}

    Lei Xing turned around and the others bowed to her again and congratulated her. The Minister of rites then came forward and informed her that she will be notified once the date of the ceremony is set and asked if she had any specific requirements or requests. Lei Xing, of course, had none and simply thanked him for his work and with that, this part of her day was over and she departed with a sigh of relief.

    After she left the hall, she could now focus on the bracelet and its odd revelation.

    {...An altered lifetime...Whose?...Mine? O_O)...}

    {...*Tch, everything isn''t always about you! >_

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes, but she was curious and so humored the bracelet.

    {...Of course it''s not...But as a concerned "friend" I will listen to your woes to ease your heart, go on~ ^_^)...}

    {...*Hmph! I''m not an idiot...Nosey is what you are -_-)...}

    Unfortunately, the bracelet did not buy her concerned friend act and stopped talking after that and Lei Xing returned to her palace with a lonely mind and a disgruntled pout.

    {...You know, this is not fair! If you''re going to have unfettered access to my mind, I should have access to yours as well!...}

    The shameless bracelet, of course, did not acknowledge her complaints with a response and Lei Xing was ready to go fishing with a certain bracelet as bait. But then Ah Jin came up to her and interrupted her plans as she handed over the list of items that came with her appointment edict.

    Lei Xing was not in the mood and just lightly glanced at the list and was about to dismiss it and her, when one of the items caught her eye, "A new beginning...What''s that?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "A painting." Ah Jin responded, "Do you want to see it?"

    Lei Xing nodded, hearing it was a painting definitely piqued her mind. Ah Jin immediately sent two maids to go retrieve it.

    While Lei Xing''s lips curved into a small smile as she wondered if it was another one of the Emperor''s paintings. Her mood suddenly brightened and she felt warm and fuzzy inside until the maids arrived and rolled open the painting. Her smile immediately fell as she stared at the uncanny painting of the mountainside lake landscape with people swimming in the water, a pair of immortals dancing above their heads and dragons and phoenixes swirling about in the sky. It was one of the paintings which still haunted the recesses of her mind, one she avoided looking at whenever she went to the royal study.

    {...O_O) He gave me this stupid painting? Why?!...}

    "Take it back." Lei Xing dismissively said with a disappointed wave as she knit her eyebrows. The maids immediately rolled it back up and turned to take it back into storage, until Lei Xing suddenly went, "No, wait!...Bring it back."

    The maids came back and stood there holding it, not sure what she wanted them to do with it. As Lei Xing just stood there staring at the rolled-up painting for a while. Finally, she sighed and said, "Follow me." And then she began walking and ended up at her study. She entered the room, glanced around for a bit and then walked over to a wall space, by the bookshelves and said, "Clear this area and hang it here."

    Xiao Ruo smiled and immediately took on the task of directing the task as Lei Xing walked over to her desk and sat down. Ah Jin sent one of the maids for tea and then brought a cup to Lei Xing, who was absentmindedly watching the scene of the maids and eunuchs clearing the area and setting up the painting. She thanked Ah Jin for the tea and sipped it as she continued watching the scene.

    {...*Why do you choose to hang it up if it bothers you?...}

    {...( ?_?) Wouldn''t you like to know...}

    The moment the bracelet asked the question, her mind immediately began to form a response. But she quickly distracted it by picking a brush and drawing randomly, willing her mind into a state of nothingness. If it wasn''t going to divulge, she won''t either.

    Although this was not a long term solution, Lei Xing knew the bracelet had quite the impatient character and she still had her trump card as well.

    {...Since you''re not going to talk, I hope you enjoy your evening swim tonight...}

    {...*But that''s UNFAIR! You didn''t ask me about that, I volunteered that information!...}

    {...That is an "irrelevant" point, I asked a question after, so you need to respond...}

    {...*YOU SHAMELESS, UNGRATEFUL BRAT! >_

    {...I know, I''m brilliant~  ^ 3 ^ )...}

    {...*Fine, if you tell me, I''ll tell you about it...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and snorted.

    {...Do I seem like an idiot to you -_-)...If you want something, you have to give something first...}

    {...*(?_? )...It''s Jun Wei! Happy now? Your turn....}

    Lei Xing stopped drawing and knit her brows as she thought over the name, it sounded familiar. She glanced around the room for inspiration and then her face lit up when she realized she had just seen it on a plaque.

    {...Jun Wei...the late Emperor? You knew him?!...}

    {...*It''s your turn -_-)...}

    {...No, tell me this first...}

    {...*Tch, I didn''t know him, I just knew of him...}

    {...( ?_?) Of? You sure know "of" a lot of people...}

    {...*It''s the truth ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Suree...So his life was altered? What do you mean by that?...}

    The bracelet went silent again and after waiting for a bit with no response, Lei Xing picked up her brush and resumed her drawing with a song.

    {...~Drawing, drawing, someone''s going to get swallowed by a fish, a piranha or two would be nice, precious gems, sharp teeth~ Hey, can you talk to fish? ???)...}

    {...*Fine!... He was a kind and noble soul on the path to being a great and kind leader, one who would have set the pace for future generations but then he became corrupted by a dark energy which turned him into what he became. His legacy was ruined and he was reduced to a tyrant...That''s what his recompense is for!...}

    {...(?_?) Really? Dark energy? Sure...Sooo, how do you know about all this stuff?...}

    Lei Xing honestly did not really believe the bracelet''s words. But it definitely was more knowledgeable about things than she was, at least it had explanation for stuff while she had nothing, so her mind was open to its theories, no matter how absurd. The bracelet let out a long sigh before finally responding.

    {...*There are many things I know of...Many truths and theories I want to believe to be truths...But it is all beyond your current understanding...Anyway, enough about me...Now, about that painting~ ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she wanted to inquire more but when the bracelet assumed a serious tone like this, it unnerved her a bit and she could not muster up her tyrannical streak. But there was one thing she could not help asking.

    {...This recompense...Does it have anything to do with...me? Being here?...}

    {...*Ahhhhh...Yes - No, no, no...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Which is it? No lies -_-)...}

    {...*Weeelllll....How to put this? Ah! It''s like this~...The former generation became corrupted and so the later generation is ahhh...meant to fix things? To re-establish the order of the universe, yes fix things...So I didn - It''s not lik - Bottomline is, you two are meant to be together. The Most Perfect Couple~ And I''m just facilitating things on behalf of the Universe! That''s all ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she massaged her head.

    {...So is that a yes or a no?...}

    {...*Exactly!...}

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, unamused

    {...Can''t you just give simple clear-cut answers? -_-)...}

    {...*Does your life seem like a simple clear-cut situation??_? )...}

    {...Touch�� -_-)''...}

    {...*Now about that painting~ ^_^)...}

 Chapter 211 - Advent of the Grouch

    Lei Xing sighed as she stood up and walked over to the painting which the servants had just finished hanging it up. As she looked over the scene before her and she sighed again.

    {...It is a really beautiful scene, and he obviously spent a lot of time into it...If I just throw it into storage, even if he doesn''t say anything, it would hurt him...That''s why...And I honestly like it, it''s an amazing piece. It''s just...unnerving, you know...}

    {...*Hmmm...Your frozen heart has truly thawed, mostly~ *sniff* You know at some point I was starting to thinking that it was impossible for you, but my brilliant self had hope and found th-...}

    {...Hey, the lake is still on the table -_-)...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Relax, I''m just joking...But now you have a reason that explains your knowledge of these paintings thanks to me~ Be grateful! ^_^)...}

    {...I guess "the connection" thing does explain it. I did get that idea before...BUT why didn''t you tell me about this when I mentioned this to you before? ?_? )...}

    In the past, during one of their random conversations, Lei Xing had mentioned the uncanny paintings and she had even asked if it could explain this occurrence to her. But then it just brushed her off instead of responding.

    {...*Well, that was a long time ago. We learn through experience and you are a lot more receptive now~...}

    {...So still the "You wouldn''t have understood then" excuse? -_-)...}

    {...*Hehe~ It is a great one ^_^)...}

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and rolled her eyes and continued admiring the scene before her.

    {...Still, it''s odd...}

    {...*Life is full of oddities, we just have to lea-...}

    The bracelet broke off as Lei Xing felt arms wrap around her waist and a warm body come up behind hers. There was only one person who would ever do that to her and Lei Xing instinctively turned in his direction with a smile. The Emperor nuzzled into her neck and sent a quiver running down to her toes as he kissed her neck and whispered, "I''ve missed you."

    Lei Xing was on the verge of responding with a ''me too'' but caught her tongue before the words left her mouth. She faced forward as she turned red and knit her eyebrows. Perhaps it was because of this new knowledge of a soulmate kind of connection between them that made her feel like she had not seen him in a long while, but she actually felt like she missed him.

    {...It''s only been a few hours...*sigh* It''s just been too long of a day -_-)...}

    "I''m glad that you like it." The Emperor said. He was happy when he came in to find that she had hung up his painting and even happier to find her so absorbed in it she did not notice his entry.

    The Emperor moved to stand at her side with one arm still around her. Lei Xing glanced behind and was relieved to find the room empty.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her and then held her face and turned it back to him, still smiling at her. Lei Xing returned his smile and brought a hand up and took his hand in hers and brought it down. The Emperor''s eyes immediately fixed on her wrist as her sleeve re-covered it. He raised her hand back up and her sleeve eased to reveal her wrist and the bracelet and then he knit his brows and asked, "You''re wearing it again?"

    "Ah, I''ve decided to keep it." She dismissively said and then remembered the bracelet''s request and immediately retrieved her hand from his and went to remove the bracelet. And it easily slipped off and she smiled as she watched it slip off her wrist. She glanced at the Emperor''s arm holding her and then let out a happy sigh.

    {...Can''t believe it''s always been this easy (������ '')...}

    Lei Xing dropped the bracelet on the bookshelf closest to her to spare it the annoyance of their "connection". Then she smiled at the Emperor, whose eyes remained trained on the bracelet on the shelf, trying to make sense of what her issue was with this bracelet.

    Lei Xing followed his eyes and went and kissed his cheek and that was enough to shift his attention back to her. He smiled at her and was about to lean down to kiss her when Lei Xing turned back to the painting and asked, "Why did you gift this to me? It meant a lot to you, didn''t it? You even changed the name..."

    "Changed the name?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "You called it the...goodluck something - I''m sorry, my memory is quite bad sometimes." Lei Xing said looking down, embarrassed.

    {...Actually I have a great memory, it''s just that was a shocking encounter for me so not my fault! T_T)...}

    The Emperor smiled and pat her head, "Harbinger of good luck?"

    "Yes, that!" Lei Xing said perking up.

    The Emperor''s smile brightened and he explained, "Well, that wasn''t the name. It was just..." He turned to the painting and then sighed, "...the sentiment that I felt whenever I looked at it..."

    Then he turned back to Lei Xing and brought a hand up to caress her cheek, "But yesterday when I looked at it after you left the royal study, the sentiment became a new beginning. So I decided then that it was to be yours, ours..." He corrected with a warm smile as he stroked her face.

    Lei Xing glanced at the painting and thought over his words.

    {...A new beginning...Soulmates, energies...I''m still having a hard time wrapping my mind around that but-...}

    The Emperor turned Lei Xing''s face back towards him and leaned down to kiss her. Lei Xing raised her head up towards him as she smiled to herself.

    {... I guess it''s not too bad of a thing, as impossible as it may be...}

    Lei Xing happily dived into the kiss, happily indulging in the warmth. The two were busy enjoying each other''s warm embrace when an unexpected guest popped in.

    {...*Hey...Hey -_-)...Hey! HEY! ANSWER ME! >_

    The Emperor suddenly yanked back from Lei Xing with a frown with the Voice''s shout in his head. Lei Xing blinked up at him in surprise and confusion and then she asked, "What''s wrong?"

    {...*Are you going to ignore me too? -_-)...}

    {...Too? -...}

    {...*None of your business! ( ��^�� )...}

    The Emperor let out a breath in irritation, he was not keen on anyone getting in the way of his time his Xing er'', which was why all the servants cleared out the moment he entered and were pretty much outside guarding the door against intruders. The Emperor closed his eyes and sighed.

    {...But I guess I can''t guard my mind...}

    "Are you okay?" Lei Xing worriedly asked touching the Emperor''s face to get his attention. It was then that he realized that he had still not answered her question just now. He grabbed her hand, smiled and responded, "I''m fine."

    {...*Are you annoyed with me? Oh, am I in the way? -_-)''...}

    {...Of course not...What''s wrong?...}

    {...*Nothing...Must something be wrong for me to talk to you now? Huh? Not too long ago you used to search for me -_-)...}

    The Emperor''s face twitched and he knit his brows, but still, he held back his ire.

    {...I guess not...}

    {...*Good, you still know to respect your elders ~ ^_^)...Unlike a certain someone ( ��^�� )...}

    {...And who would that be?...}

    {...*None of your business! >_

    "Are you sure?" Lei Xing inquired after the Emperor again. He really did not seem okay and his expression at the moment was very weird. He was smiling but the smile seemed to have morphed into something between a glare and a grin. She was also confused as to why his mood suddenly became weird.

    The Emperor quickly corrected his expression to a proper smile and pulled her to go sit down.

    {...So?...What is it?...}

    {...*...}

    {...Are you there?...}

    {...*...}

    {...Hello?...}

    The Voice no longer responded and the Emperor knit his brows in annoyance as he wondered why the Voice would just pop up to ruin the mood for them.

    It was odd.

    They sat down and then Lei Xing frowned at the distracted Emperor and was about to inquire after his welfare again, worried that he might be feeling ill or something. But the Emperor noticed her frown and smiled at her.

    Since the mood was ruined, he decided to get down to the "reason" he used as an excuse to leave his work and seek her out, "I came to inform you that your cousin was sent off to Fenli temple this morning. It is a temple in the Northern region, farthest from the capital as per your request. I also sent the two maids who testified against you along with her..."

    Lei Xing slightly pursed her lips and he noticed, but before she could speak, he added, "...Regardless of whatever the truth was, it was not their place to interfere or stir up trouble, therefore they need to be punished. But as per your request, they will be employed as temple staff and their families will receive their pay. Moreover, they will only be required to serve there for four years. That should alleviate whatever guilt you might feel towards them..." The Emperor said stroking her face and then added, "But your cousin''s sentence is indefinite..."

    Lei Xing nodded, it sounded reasonable enough and then she knit her brows and asked, "What about Chun Hua?"

    "Ah, her..." The Emperor smiled, "She should be resting in a chamber somewhere. She wants to meet you~"

    "Me? Why?" Lei Xing exclaimed. The Emperor snorted, "It is quite obvious..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then thought that the girl must want to apologize to her about the whole incident or something.

    "Will you meet her? You might as well..." The Emperor offhandedly said. Lei Xing thought for a bit and then sighed, "I guess."

    "Great. Let''s go." The Emperor said as he stood up, pulling her with him and started to walk forward, but Lei Xing seemed rooted to the spot and did not budge and pulled his hand back, stopping him in his tracks. The Emperor turned to her to see her looking at him with a pout and a suspicious glare, "Why do you sound so excited?"

    {...You never sound excited...Well, maybe not never...but still (?_? )...}

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows at her and then a slow smirk formed on his face as he took a step closer to her and narrowed his eyes, "Jealous?"

    Lei Xing''s mouth fell open and then closed, she blinked a few times and then flung his hand as she went, "Hah! Of course not..." And looked off to the side, fl.u.s.tered.

    {...What do I care if you''re hampering after a maid or two? I''ll just leave -_-)''...}

    The Emperor snorted and then burst out into laughter as he grabbed her face and kissed her, their lips had barely even touched when the Voice came back.

    {...*Ahem!...Hey! HEY! >_

    {...What?!...}

    The Emperor exasperatedly thought in his head as he cut the kiss short AGAIN!

    {...What is it?!...}

    {...*Wouldn''t you like to know, Hmph!...}

    This time he controlled his expression better, ignored the Voice''s odd tone and statement and pat Lei Xing''s cheeks and sweetly said, "I like you getting jealous but you never need to be jealous, I''m all yours." He squished her soft cheeks and she glared at him, annoyed that he was treating her like a child.

    He smiled and kissed her again, this time he kept it very brief since the Voice, for some reason was not letting them have their moment in peace. Then the Emperor held her hand and pulled the flushed and appeased Lei Xing out of the room with him, while he tried to get to the bottom of the Voice''s interruption.

    {...Do you have something to say? Why the interruptions?...}

    {...*It''s daylight ( ��^�� )...}

    The Emperor raised an irritated eyebrow.

    {...And so?...}

    {...*That''s it...}

    {...Are you seriously going to dictate what I can or can''t do with her now?...}

    {...*No... ( ?_? )...}

    {...Good...}

    {...*Is it fun being interrupted? (?_? )...}

    {...No, it''s honestly Very Annoying...}

    {...*It''s good that you are aware. Be careful next time! That is all (�����) ...}

    {...Next time? Did I do something?...}

    {...*None of your business. Goodbye!...}

    The Emperor let out an exasperated breath as he tried hard to refrain himself from thinking bad thoughts about the Voice for interrupting their romantic moments for such a nonsensical conversation.

    He glanced at Lei Xing who was cutely patting her reddened cheeks with her free hand, probably in an attempt to cool them down and he smiled, feeling better already. She was going to be his Empress, nothing could ruin his great mood.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and his smile widened. Instead of smiling, she narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are we going to her instead of sending for her? And why are you even going there?"

    "You are going to her to show your sincerity...and I am going to support MY Empress." The Emperor responded with a smug expression and a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt.

    {..."My Empress"...That''s definitely going to take some time to get used to (�R�بQ)...}

    Lei Xing glanced off to the side to hide her reddening face and to calm her jumping heart. Then she turned back to the Emperor and observed him as they went along

    {...It''s still suspicious...Show support? It''s not like I''m going to war -_-)...}

 Chapter 212 - Guilt-Trip

    Chun Hua jumped to her feet with knit eyebrows when she heard the announcement of the Emperor''s arrival. She was not expecting the Emperor to suddenly come to see her again.

    Last night when she was taken out of her cell, she was prepared to be tortured again. But instead, the Emperor observed her for a while and then informed that Lei Xing was grateful to her for trying to help her and so she had pleaded on her behalf. Therefore, the Emperor decided to spare her and told her to return to her former life.

    Before the guards could escort her out of the prison, she got on her knees and pleaded with the Emperor for one last chance to see Lei Xing again so she could at least apologize and thank her for her grace in person. The Emperor hesitated and eventually, he just told the guards to escort her out.

    Chun Hua thought that she had failed but after her wounds were tended to and her meager belongings were brought to her. It was obvious they had been rummaged through but she was not worried about them finding anything there and assumed it was just to ensure she was not taking any stolen items from the palace. Then to her surprise, she was brought a meal and then told to rest.

    Chun Hua tried to talk to the attending maid to get a sense of what was happening, but the maid did not respond to any of her questions, other than giving directives, she was ignored.

    So, Chun Hua assumed that it was Lei Xing who arranged all this for her and she expected to be summoned the next day. She went to sleep with hope that her plans could still be carried out. And all day today, she had been waiting to be summoned.

    But then the Emperor came back to see her?

    She was puzzled as to why he would come back here. But then got her explanation when the doors opened and she saw Lei Xing follow the Emperor in. Chun Hua immediately fell to her knees and bowed in greeting and then glanced up at Lei Xing and began to play her role. She immediately kowtowed and shakily began, "Your majesty, Your highness, h-how could I cause you to come to a place like this...If I had known, I would have waited outside. I apolo-"

    The Emperor dismissively cut in, "Noble consort Lei was concerned for your injuries and insisted on coming here to see you."

    {...I did what now? O_O)...}

    Lei Xing immediately turned to the Emperor with a raised eyebrow. He simply raised his eyebrows and motioned his head towards Chun Hua, signaling for her to play the concerned role. Lei Xing knit her brows but disgruntedly played along, "Yes, how are you?"

    Chun Hua sat back on her knees as she looked at Lei Xing with tears running down her face, "I am well...But..." She paused and choked back tears and then continued, "...Y-you treated me with kindness and...not only did I not repay you but I also brought you trouble...I deserve death!" She sobbingly said as she kowtowed again, banging her head on the ground.

    Lei Xing turned to the Emperor with a pout and an accusing glare. The Emperor lightly raised an eyebrow at her and thinking that her accusing glare was because of Chun Hua''s injuries, he lightly shrugged and looked off to the side.

    {...I''ll explain it to her later...It was all necessary...}

    But Lei Xing did not care about Chun Hua''s injuries, and her accusing glare was because he put her in an awkward position and she did not like it. But that was an issue for later, Lei Xing turned her gaze back to the kowtowing and sobbing Chun Hua.

    {...What the hell am I supposed to do with this crying person? And what did he mean by "grateful"...Okay, yes she tried to help - not sure that I believe that though, but let''s say that I do. It''s not like her efforts resulted in my life being spared, it honestly was a completely pointless and useless move, Li Ru couldn''t do anything...Not that she could have done anything else, but...I just don''t feel that grateful...}

    Lei Xing let out a sigh and said, "Stand up."

    Chun Hua shook her bowed head, "No, I will rep-"

    "Stand up." Lei Xing cut in a louder and firm tone that shocked both the Emperor and Chun Hua. Lei Xing was not in the mood for this self-pity act to get sympathy.

    Chun Hua frowned but quickly put on a proper pitiful expression as she slowly and shakily stood up with her head lowered. Lei Xing noticed her favoring a leg and then said in a gentle but flat tone, "Sit down." Chun Hua did not protest and complied thinking that it was better for her plans if she cooperated with Lei Xing''s orders.

    "Why did you want to see me?" Lei Xing directly asked.

    Chun Hua wanted to get on her knees again, but as soon as she moved Lei Xing immediately ordered, "Sit and talk."

    "I want to apologize for causing you trouble...and..." Chun Hua hesitated and sniffed, holding back tears, she then looked up at Lei Xing with a resolute and beseeching expression, "I will use the rest of life to pay for this sin, please allow me this retribution!"

    She kowtowed again and continued, "It does not matter what sort of task you assign me to, I will be satisfied with even scrubbing the floor you walk on, just let me repay you with this little life of mine!" She finished and held her breath, waiting for Lei XIng to respond.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and let out a silent breath.

    {...This again -_-)...}

    "Please accept me!" Chun Hua added when Lei Xing did not immediately respond.

    "I don''t need that..." Lei Xing finally said, "You had no control over Chen You''s actions and so I do not hold anything against you. You did your best given the circ.u.mstances and I appreciate that...In light of that, we will help you find employment outside the palace...Or if you would rather stay, perhaps a position in one of the bureaus here?" Lei Xing asked turning to the Emperor and he immediately added, "That can be arranged."

    Lei Xing nodded and then said, "It''s settled then, whichever you choose you will be seen to. Recover well." Lei Xing finished and was ready to turn and leave thinking her job was done. But of course, Chun Hua was not happy with this and immediately raised her head and irritatedly blurted out, "I don''t need any of that!..." Lei Xing stopped and then raised an eyebrow at her, surprised by the harsh tone of her voice.

    Chun Hua blinked as she realized her error and quickly readjusted her tone and explained, "...I am not asking to serve you because I don''t have a choice. The Chen family rewarded me very well for saving the Madam''s life, so I can find a way for myself but...this incident would forever weigh on my conscience...If I just left, I wouldn''t be able to live with that, so please accept as your servant!" She finished with a kowtow again and added, "Please accept me."

    Chun Hua kept her head down as she waited for Lei Xing''s response. As the silence stretched, she grit her teeth in annoyance and a deep scowl formed on her face.

    {...What is she being so difficult for? She is even more irritating than that stupid Chen You...And if that idiot had just listened to me - Well, given the events that happened after nothing would have changed. This stupid Emperor has proven himself to be a complete fool for this girl. He even followed her all the way here...

    ...What a joke! He''s a lot more useless than I thought...But if that stupid Chen You had listened, I would not be here groveling like this...Having to cater to the needs of another stupid girl is irritating and demeaning...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath as she stared at the top of Chun Hua''s head. Then she glanced at the Emperor, who simply smirked and shrugged and Lei Xing frowned.

    {...So unhelpful, what''s his point of being here? -_-)...Also, what is this girl''s problem with being a freaking maid?... Your conscience, your problem. I don''t owe you a chance for "salvation", so don''t guilt-trip me with your freaking problem. It''s irritating!...}

    "I am not obligated to cater to your conscience. Since you now have means, I wish you good luck in your endeavors outside the palace." And with that said, Lei Xing immediately turned and strutted out of the room, feeling irritated with this whole encounter.

    Her encounters with Chun Hua always made Lei Xing feel horrible. Chun Hua always seemed so pitiful and made Lei Xing feel like a bully for denying her. But Lei Xing could not help her suspicions, Chun Hua always seemed too eager to serve and that had always just rubbed her the wrong way. It was unnerving and suspicious.

    By the time, Chun Hua raised her head to continue her desperate pleading, she only saw the train of Lei Xing''s dress disappearing past the open doors and her gaze met that of the servants standing there. She knit her brows and swallowed in irritation and then turned her gaze to the Emperor, who had a small smile as he looked at the corner Lei Xing had disappeared in.

    Chun Hua froze and then immediately frowned in annoyance, suddenly feeling rage bubbling up in her towards Lei Xing and disgust towards the Emperor. She quickly lowered her head, hiding her face before anyone could discern her expression.

    Chun Hua seethed in anger, if only Lei Xing had accepted her then, the Emperor would be at death''s door by now. While he never took Chen You''s tonics, it was clear he would have happily taken Lei Xing''s. If only Lei XIng had not been so stubborn...if only the Emperor was less of a fool.

    {...Feelings like this are useless...They only make one stupid just like him...If not for this girl being so difficult, I could have easily killed him with her hands. I wonder how he would about her then...}

    Chun Hua would never admit it, but there was a tiny part of her that was jealous of Lei Xing, jealous of what she saw on the Emperor''s face. She did not want him...but some part of her wanted that but she knew she would never have it.

    Prince Houyi was not an affectionate man and neither was she an affectionate woman. They would never have that, but they would both have their ambitions and that was enough.

    "You heard her." The Emperor said and Chun Hua glanced up at him to see him looking at her with cool indifference, "Escort her out of the palace." He flatly said and then left the room to follow behind Lei Xing, leaving two Eunuchs behind to escort her out.

    Chun Hua stared at the doors and felt at a loss. They were throwing her out, she failed before she even really got a chance to try. She could not go back empty-handed, it would just prove her inadequate.

    The Eunuchs asked her to stand up and when she did not comply, one of them grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Chun Hua snapped out of her wallowing state and snapped her arm free and condescendingly said, "I can walk." Then she turned and grabbed her bag and walked out the doors as her mind wheels turned, searching for a new strategy.

    {...There must still be something I can do. I just have to wait for an opportunity...No, I just have to find it...}

 Chapter 213 - Heads Up

    The Emperor went outside to find Lei Xing waiting for him. He smiled and approached her only for her to glance at him and then start walking. The Emperor swiftly moved and fell in step with her and held her hand. Lei Xing frowned and immediately tried to pull her hand free but he clung on tighter and so she left it alone and just kept walking in silence.

    The Emperor stopped smiling and knit his brows and asked, "Are you angry with me?" in a surprised tone.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and then at the servants following behind them, then she put on a smile and said, "Of course, not angry." and quickly faced forward and the smile was gone.

    {...Irritated is what I am -_-)...}

    The Emperor knit his brows but remained silent. It was clear that she was upset but she did not seem to want to talk in front of others, so he decided to wait until they returned to her palace and were alone.

    As soon as they arrived at her palace, a maid came over to inform Lei Xing that Li Ru had come to see her. Lei Xing nodded and then immediately turned to go see her. But before she could take two steps, the Emperor grabbed her arm, "Let''s talk." Then he pulled her to her bedroom and as soon as the door was shut behind them, he turned to her and said, "You''re angry with me. Why?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and pursed her lips, the Emperor frowned and ordered, "Tell me."

    "Well, it''s just..." Lei Xing let out a breath, "...Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Tell you what?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, he was confused as to what she could possibly be upset about.

    Lei Xing looked up at his clueless expression and then sighed, "Well...I mean, you obviously had some ideas going there, but you didn''t tell me. Instead you just..." She paused and frowned, "...had me walk in there blind and then started your own ruse with me starring in it what if I didn''t play along? What if I had I had contradicted what you said?..."

    The Emperor relaxed and smiled and then brought a hand up to her face, "I trusted you to be smart enough..."

    Lei Xing frowned and moved out of his reach, obviously not sharing in his amus.e.m.e.nt, "Even then, a heads up would be nice...and this was something small. But you did the same thing in front of the Empress dowager when my life was hanging in the balance. You could have easily told me what you had planned during the carriage ride or even hinted at it as we went to her palace, but you didn''t..."

    "...Later, I" She paused and pursed her lips, "...I thought that it was because you were angry with me and so you behaved that way but then today -... It''s one thing not to tell me about your plans. I can understand you not trusting me so I won''t pry into your secrets. But if it involves me, can you at least give me a brief summary of my role? Bullet points? I don''t enjoy being caught unawares or being put on the spot, it''s...unnerving and I don''t like it." Lei Xing irritatedly rambled with a frown.

    The Emperor blinked and then knit his brows. He did not expect that this would upset her. He closed the distance and held her hand. Lei Xing frowned and looked off to the side but did not withdraw. The Emperor then sighed and explained, "That time in my mother''s palace...I acknowledge that I was somewhat upset with you and so I might not have acted in the right way -"

    "No kidding." Lei Xing sarcastically mumbled and then backtracked, "Understandably so, but I could have easily said something then that would have caused my head to roll, but you being "somewhat upset" was definitely a worthy cause for me to die f-"

    "Of course not." The Emperor immediately defended, "I''m sorry, I wasn''t thinking straight then...I didn''t mean to endanger you. I would never intentionally put you in harm''s way. As for today, I wanted you to give an honest performance which is why I didn''t tell you beforehand...I''m sorry it upset and I do trust you."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and looked off to the side, still not fully convinced.

    {...Yeah, sure you do -_-)...}

    The Emperor could clearly see the disbelief on her face, he touched her cheek and brought her face up so she would face him and reiterated with all the sincerity he could muster, "I do trust you."

    Lei Xing sighed and took his hand from her face and held it. The Emperor could see that she still did not believe his words but he did not know what else to say and just stood there frowning down at their hands.

    {...Well, at least she''s not pulling away anymore...This is hard...}

    He had never had to worry this much over someone else''s feelings before or ever been so bothered about what someone thought of him. He heard Lei Xing sigh and was just about to repeat himself again as he could think of nothing else, but she spoke first, "Why did you need an honest performance?"

    The Emperor looked up to see her calmly looking at him, waiting for a response and he saw his chance to prove his words. Hee pulled her sit down and then explained, "I suspect that she''s a part of the group who drugged you -"

    "Group? So it wasn''t Chen You?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows.

    "I think not...She simply made use of the information the maid passed on to her after the fact. She was just a pawn."

    "And the maid was the master?"

    "It would seem so..."

    "So there''s more of them...that''s why you let her go..." Lei Xing said to herself as she thought things over, "...And you didn''t want me to give it away."

    The Emperor smiled and hugged her to him, "So smart." Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and his smile brightened.

    {...What''re you smiling about? -_-)...And it''s not exactly rocket science, you would make a horrible teacher -_-)''...}

    "I am a great actress so next time give me a hint or something, otherwise I will be upset..." Lei Xing informed, further narrowing her eyes into slits.

    The Emperor lightly chuckled as he remembered her sleep "acting" from their first night in his palace, months ago when she "acted" out being asleep to avoid talking to him.

    Lei Xing frowned, "What''s funny? I am really good..."

    {...I''ve been acting this whole time, you know...Well, not recently, but before -_-)''...}

    The Emperor nuzzled against her nose with his, Lei Xing immediately jerked her head back and frowned at him. Then he let out a happy sigh and went, "Of course you are great...And it won''t happen again."

 Chapter 214 - Lovely Returns

    Lei Xing nodded and then asked, "But...If it wasn''t on Chen You''s order, then why would the maid drug me?"

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought for a bit, glanced at her and responded, "I assume it was a rather convoluted plot. If my feelings for you waned, then they - well, she would have had better access to me to carry out her plans...It seems she was rather dissatisfied with Chen You and your suspicious nature made you a difficult candidate to be used as a pawn."

    "Suspicious nature? I don''t have a suspicious nature..." Lei Xing mumbled with a frown.

    "You doubt people quite a bit...perhaps you even doubt your own self as well." The Emperor insightfully responded and then he raised a hand to her cheek and added, "It''s not a bad thing...I''m like that too, most of the time." He said as he brought her face closer to kiss her lips, Lei Xing held his arm, stopping him in his tracks and asked, "But then why not just kill me?"

    The Emperor pursed his lips, he did not like the interruption but he answered her question, "Your death would have warranted an investigation, which would have made it more difficult for them to hide. You becoming a disgrace was a much safer option, only you would have contested your innocence and no one would have believed you..."

    "...It would have simply appeared as if you were drunk and went mad. But they did not count on that Doctor friend of yours being there for you when I was not..." He said with a frown and then sighed, "Or on him being able to discern the drug...Or on me believing in your virtue." The Emperor said with a gentle smile as he stroked her face.

    Lei Xing knit her brows as her mind wandered off to thoughts of Doctor Lou, she really needed to go talk to that old man, then she remembered something else and went, "My sister''s coming of age ceremony is tomorrow...Can I still go?"

    "Oh, that..." The Emperor knit his brows in thought and then he let out a breath, "It appears that they are just a small group on a covert operation. So you can go with adequate protection..." The Emperor then frowned at her, "No more walking around the city unguarded, you should not have been doing that in the first place." He reprimanded and Lei Xing pouted and mumbled, "Well, you never complained..."

    "Well, I''m complaining now." The Emperor responded narrowing his eyes at her. Lei Xing smiled and nodded, "Noted."

    {...Good, I''ll just pop in and see that quack doc on the way...He has a lot of explaining to do -_-)...}

    "I''ll come along tomorrow..." The Emperor said and Lei Xing''s mind was abruptly brought back to him and she immediately went, "What? Why?"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, "Is there a reason I can''t go?"

    Lei Xing blinked, "Well, no. It''s just...Well, it''s Xiao Ting''s day but if you''re there, it''ll take away from her attention..." She said with a smile.

    {...If he came with me, that crazy Doctor might not want to talk...And it''s not like I can just go"Hey, wait outside, it''s personal business"...Even if he agrees, he''ll probably sulk about it. It might be upsetting for him, no it would be -_-)...}

    The Emperor knit his brows, he was not comfortable with letting her leave. She was safest at his side, where he could see and take care of her. His thoughts were interrupted by Lei Xing wrapping her arms around his neck, "I''ll take as many guards as you want~ And I''ll be back in a few short hours, long before sunset. I promise~" Lei Xing sweetly said with a reassuring smile.

    The Emperor looked at her for a bit, searching her eyes and then sighed, "Alright then...I will personally choose the guards..."

    Lei Xing''s smile brightened, she gave him a quick kiss and said, "Thank you~" Then she got up to leave but then he promptly grabbed her hand and blinked at her, "Where are you going?"

    "To visit Li Ru. It''s quite early, don''t you still have work to do?" Lei Xing innocently asked with raised eyebrows.

    The Emperor frowned, of course, he still had work to do, he always had work to do but...he was hoping to spend some time with her and he was honestly a bit annoyed that she did not seem to be as interested in being together as he was.

    {...She always seems so ready and eager to leave...Is it really that easy for her? -_-)...}

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor''s pouting expression and then sighed, "I guess Li Ru can wait a while longer...lunch?" The Emperor smiled and nodded. Lei Xing snorted and lightly shook her head and then called for the servants and asked that they arrange their lunch and send a message to Li Ru that she would go over to see her later.

    The Emperor had apparently come with his memorials in tow and had the servants bring them over from her study. Li Ru had left some snacks for her and so Lei Xing had that brought over and made the Emperor try some. She happily smiled when he complimented Li Ru''s skills but then he went, "Her skills are almost as good as An Hao''s." And Lei Xing immediately frowned at him.

    {...Almost? -_-)''...}

    "What is it?" The Emperor obliviously asked.

    "Nothing, I''m glad you like them. Eat more." Lei Xing said and looked back down at the memorial in her hand with a pout.

    {...An Hao? Is he a general or a personal chef? And his weren''t that good, Li Ru''s are much better, definitely ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing comforted herself with the thought that the Emperor''s taste buds must have dulled over the years. The two went back to focusing on their own reading while drinking tea and nibbling on the snacks.

    After a while, she covertly glanced at the Emperor and couldn''t help smiling to herself. This reminded her of the time when she was ill, other than going to court, the Emperor had spent all of his time here with her. She would wake up and he would be there cooly reading a memorial or writing something, just like he was at the moment.

    It was very heartwarming, seeing him there keeping her company. The Emperor suddenly looked up and caught her looking at him and Lei Xing immediately lowered her head as her ears went red. The Emperor lightly chuckled and Lei Xing embarrassingly knit her brows and brought a hand up to shield her face from view as she buried her head in the memorial.

    The Emperor stared at Lei Xing''s crimson ears and then his eyes darted to the bed and some more engaging ways for them to spend their time popped in his head. He smirked and started to inch closer to her but before he could get halfway there, the doors opened and he immediately straightened back up and frowned down at the memorial in his hand.

    Ah Jin came in and walked up to Lei Xing, knelt beside her and then held her palm out to her and quietly informed, "I found this in your study..."

    Lei Xing blinked down at the bracelet and then guiltily let out a short nervous laugh as she took it from Ah Jin''s hand and mumbled, "Thank you." Ah Jin nodded and then left.

    The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing and watched as she slipped on the bracelet and pat it. He found her relationship with this bracelet most perplexing.

    {...Haha, hello...How are you? (^��^;)...}

    {...*Hmph!...}

    {...Come on, don''t be angry. I didn''t forget you, how could I ever? I...I was just being considerate. I was going to come back for you...eventually haha...ha...}

    {...*Really? (?_? )...}

    {...Of course...Of course, I was. After all, we''re great friends...right? ^_^)...}

    {...*Oh? You''ve finally been enlightened? Took you long enough -_-)...}

    Lei Xing''s face twitched and she hit the bracelet against the edge of the table.

    {...*Hey! Be careful! >_

    {...Hehe, sorry...slip of the hand~ (?��?)...}

    "You seem very attached to that bracelet...and the ring. Are they gifts from someone...close?" The Emperor asked with raised eyebrows.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then looked down at the bracelet and ring, she did not expect that question.

    "Xing er''?" The Emperor called when she did not respond and she looked up at him with a smile, "Well...the bracelet is Tung Mei''s, she left it in my care and so keep it close for her...And I honestly have grown fond of it, it is quite lovely..."

    {...*Hehehe~ I definitely am...very lovely~ (o???o)...}

    Lei Xing amusedly rolled her eyes and chuckled and continued, "As for the ring, it''s just something I picked up in the market..." Lei Xing looked down at the ring, raised the hand and stroked the ring with a smile as she said, "It was actually the last thing I bought before entering the palace, it brought me some...solace during the competition and since then, so it is a bit special to me..." She said smiling to the Emperor, she spoke the truth so she was completely confident and her expression earnest.

    The Emperor nodded in understanding, "I see..." Then he looked back down at his memorial and Lei Xing did the same. He cast her a side glance and then knit her brows. She seemed earnest in her explanation and looked sincere, almost wistful.

    He believed her words but he could not shake the feeling that she was still holding something back...It was a bit disheartening for him.

    {...Perhaps I''m just overthinking things...*sigh* Understanding takes time...}

 Chapter 215 - Lifelong Crack

    The Eunuchs left Chun Hua outside the palace gates. She stood there frowning at the palace gates for a while. Eventually, she let out a breath and started walking into the city. As she walked past a market street where the vendors were very boisterous in their sales campaign, she stopped at a few vendors and perused their selection. It appeared as if she were too polite to refuse their call.

    She exchanged pleasantries with the vendors and then finally left the area, buying nothing but promising to return for a few items. She walked around for a long while, seemingly thinking of where she was to go now and eventually, she went into a small inn and got a room.

    Chun Hua dropped her belongings and walked over to the window and scanned the pedestrians passing outside and then sighed. She was being followed. She did not know where or who they were. She did not even see them, she just sensed it. It was one of their family traits, an uncanny sense of alertness. Chun Hua let out a breath in irritation.

    {...They are very good...Did he find out something? It couldn''t be...How? Could she have -? But even if he believed that she was drugged, why would he suspect me?... That idiot Chen You must have said something unnecessary and foolish...}

    Chun Hua frowned and went to sit on the bed, there was no point staring out the window, she would not be able to discern the spies anyway. If the Emperor had figured out their plan then it was only a matter of time before she was recaptured. She understood that she was now being used as bait to catch the others.

    She had sent a message to Bao Zhun through one of their contacts who had been posing as a vendor. So the others would be made aware that her position may be compromised and know to lay low for a while and move stealthily.

    Thankfully, she had the foresight to establish various code phrases for communicating with Bao Zhun and the others. So all anyone would have gotten from her exchange with her contact, was simply pleasantries and regular trade banter with a vendor. She even went through the trouble of stopping at multiple random vendors to throw them off.

    Trying to leave the city now will probably be futile and regardless she was not ready to leave. Bao Zhun was easy to control but her brother was a problem though. She knew he did not approve of this mission and worried that he might have done something foolish to blow her cover but he had behaved himself so far and even helped her. So she hoped he would continue to be on his best behavior.

    Although due to Chun Hai''s presence, she was not worried that they would be captured, with him here escaping the city would be easy...but escape was not what she wanted and she was worried that but that he would force her to leave. He was definitely not above blowing her cover to force her to leave.

    She needed a new plan fast before he ran out of patience...At the very least, she needed to return with something, she could not go back empty-handed.

    ***

    "You want me to call off the search?" The Empress dowager asked in a chilling tone as she turned her cold gaze to the commander who was kneeling before her. Another idiot had come to give her the same report she had been getting every day for the last few days, which was: I apologize, your majesty but we have been unable to find any traces of the Monk. But then this idiot took this embarrassment further and dared to ask her to call off the search.

    {...Who does this fool think he is?...}

    The Commander gulped but stood his ground and continued, "Your majesty, we are not even sure which way Taohua temple is. We can''t keep advancing to nowhere...There are no traces of the monk. It was like he -" The Commander paused and then advised, "...At this point, it''s bet-"

    "At this point what?!" The Empress dowager barked, "Do you have any idea what is at stake here?! I-" The Empress dowager stopped herself and took deep breaths and held her aching head to calm herself down.

    {...I''m surrounded by useless fools!...}

    "Your majesty, please calm down...I am speaking out of worry for you. The conditions here are not ideal, it is better if you return to the palace...Instead of the soldiers blinding searching the forest, it will be better to send out a few men skilled in tracking and investigations to seek out the monk and temple. Lull him into a false sense of security..." The Commander quickly rambled.

    Since the Empress dowager suddenly showed up in the search party''s camp three days ago, she had been ordering the men to work them non-stop without any rest. There were no tracks to follow, the men were tired but she insisted they keep searching. She herself had probably not slept the last few days.

    Some men even avoided returning to the camp to avoid her anger and just rested where they could in the forest.  What''s more, the Empress dowager only allowed twenty men to stay behind to protect her with much begging on the commander''s part. This situation was not ideal, if they were attacked now the Empress dowager would be in danger.

    "Keep searching." The Empress dowager calmly said, obviously holding back her anger.

    But the oblivious commander kept pressing, "Your majesty, the men need to-"

    "I said to keep searching! If anyone wants to stop, then they should be ready to stop living! Keep searching!" The Empress dowager barked as she rose to her feet and then dizzily swayed and held her head. Luckily Song mama was at her side and immediately caught her then helped her back down to the seat.

    The Commander worriedly looked up but remained still, Song mama immediately turned to him and barked, "You''re still here? Do you want to be the first example?!"

    The Commander knit his brows and then bowed and left with a disgruntled stride. As he exited the tent, he brushed past the messenger who came bearing the good news.

    The messenger went into the tent and bowed in greeting and then on his knees, cupped his hands cupped and with a smile he went, "Congratulations Your majesty, the Emperor has finally named his Empress and your presence is requested back at the palace for th-"

    "What?" The Empress dowager froze and asked wide-eyed.

    The messenger blinked and his smile disappeared as he saw the Empress dowager''s expression. He gulped and carefully explained, "The Emperor named Noble consort Lei as his Empress this morning." And then he held out a scroll that contained the notification with the Emperor''s seal.

    Song mama took the scroll and opened it and showed the Empress dowager whose breathing increased as her expression changed into a deep scowl. The messenger could feel the fury radiating from her and kept his head bowed and was cold sweating as he waited to be dismissed.

    The Empress dowager just kept glaring at the scroll and Song mama could see that she was on the verge of exploding, to save the Empress dowager''s face, Song mama turned to the messenger and said, "You can leave." The poor messenger immediately bowed and rushed out of the tent.

    Song mama turned back to the Empress dowager, whose hands were gripping the scroll so tightly her knuckles were white. Song mama knit her brows and worriedly called to her, "Your majesty...Your majesty...Your-"

    BANG!

    The Empress dowager slammed the scroll down on the table and slowly turned her glare to Song mama and coldly and calmly asked, "Did I say you could tell him to leave?"

    Song mama blinked and then gulped, "I''ll have him call-"

    "Answer the question!" The Empress dowager barked.

    Song mama immediately fell to her knees, "Your majesty, I apologize-"

    "You apologize?" The Empress dowager cut her off and Song mama immediately fell silent and started shaking in fear. The Empress dowager let out a breath and then stood up, she grabbed the inkstone and walked over to Song mama. Song mama began shaking but maintained her silence.

    The Empress dowager looked at the inkstone in her hand and then a slow smile crept on her face and then she raised it up and struck Song mama''s head with it. Song mama immediately fell over and stifled her screams, rolling on the ground whimpering. The Empress dowager snorted and then suddenly started laughing, she haphazardly threw the inkstone next to Song mama as she howled in laughter.

    "Another Empress wanting to take away my power..." The Empress dowager said in between laughs, "This is good..."

    {...Very good...}

    The Empress dowager suddenly froze and narrowed her eyes as a realization dawned on her and then burst into laughter again.

    {...So it was all a setup...The Monk...Chen You...and that s.l.u.t...A coup? Good....Very good...}

    She stopped laughing again and condescendingly looked down at Song mama and coldly ordered, "Get up." Song mama immediately scrambled to her feet and then the Empress dowager went back to sit down and carefully rolled the scroll as she calmly said, "We''re going back right now."

    Song mama looked up at the Empress dowager and shakily advised, "Your majesty, it''s the middle nigh-"

    "Do I need your permission?!" The Empress dowager roared and then she took a deep breath to contain herself. Song mama flinched and lowered her head. The Empress dowager had been trying to contain herself since that stupid monk said those eerie familiar words to her and brought up unnecessary memories.

    {...How dare anyone tell me what to do?! I will kill them all...All of them...They need to bow...}

    The Empress dowager closed her eyes and took a few breaths and then calmly said, "Call off that stupid search and tell the men to get ready..."

    "As you command." Song mama said with a bow and she ran out of the tent. When she got outside she stopped and touched her aching head and stared at the blood on her shaking hand.

    Song mama had always played the Empress dowager''s mouthpiece since they were young. The Empress dowager had never complained before ever reprimanded Song mama about her choices before.

    The Empress dowager had also never punished Song mama before, much less hit her.  What''s more, Song mama had actually never seen the Empress dowager hit anyone with her own hand before, she always ordered it but never did it herself. Well except...for that one time with Lei Xing, but that was obviously different.

    Song mama used to believe that she understood the Empress dowager, but lately, she was becoming...different. And it was clear now how different she was truly becoming. The Empress dowager was becoming someone she did not know.

    She heard the Empress dowager''s howling laughter ring from inside the tent and jumped and then immediately shuffled her shaking feet to go find the Commander as she brought her handkerchief to her head.

    She quickly found the commander and passed along the Empress dowager''s orders, he was greatly relieved and smiled. Then he noticed her pale face and blood-soaked handkerchief and asked what happened. Song mama smiled and quickly informed that she tripped in her rush to find him and then she quickly went to the medic and had her wound tended to.

    She made her way back to the Empress dowager''s tent but then froze before she reached the entrance. Then she promptly changed directions and went to her sent and shakily sat on her bed taking deep breaths. Her mind went back to the scene of the Empress dowager strangling Lei Xing and her fears immediately surged.

    She was terrified to return, her lifelong friend now seemed like a stranger.

 Chapter 216 - Ardour

    The next day.

    Lei Xing had originally planned to leave early so she would have enough to spend at each of her stops. But then she woke up and was notified that the Emperor ordered that she wait for his return from Court.

    Lei Xing frowned but even if she was worried that he still wanted to come along, she could not outrightly disobey his orders and runoff. It would be super suspicious, not to mention asking for unnecessary friction in their now wonderful relationship. And she understood it was all out of worry for her, so she had no choice but to wait for him to return so she could reassure him some more.

    So Lei Xing decided to go see Li Ru to while away the time. Unlike Lei Xing, Li Ru was an early riser and was incredibly happy to see Lei Xing, and on seeing her she immediately bowed and congratulated her. Lei Xing quickly stopped her bow and brushed it off, this whole congratulations thing was nerve-racking. To shift the conversation, Lei Xing apologized for being unable to visit the day before with the excuse that she was not feeling well.

    Of course, the actual reason was because of a pouting Emperor who apparently had nowhere else to be yesterday. If she hinted at leaving, the Emperor did not protest but just simply looked at her with this adorable puppy-like expression that Lei Xing could not deny.

    So she ended up reading with him until dinner time and at that point, she could not imagine being anywhere else but the bed. She took a quick bath and then crawled into the bed and the Emperor promptly crawled in after her, itching for some fun and then coerced her into participating with that same puppy expression.

    Lei Xing sighed as she recalled over the Emperor''s behavior the day before.

    {...He was definitely pulling that face on purpose...I shouldn''t spoil him too much...}

    {...*He spoils you INCREDIBLY much ( ?_?)...}

    {...Well, I never asked him to~ �c(��������)��...}

    {...*tsk, tsk, tsk, It has always been this way...}

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow.

    {...What has?...}

    {...*The one who loves more, suffers most...Be nicer to him! You ungrateful brat! >_

    Lei Xing snorted and rolled her eyes.

    "Is everything alright?" Li Ru asked as she refilled Lei Xing''s cup of tea.

    "I''m fine." Lei Xing replied with a smile, "Oh, by the way, I''m going out today, do you want anything?" She usually brought back souvenirs or random items for Li Ru whenever she went out. It had become a bit of habit to get Li Ru things.

    Even though Li Ru had a sizable allowance that came with her position, having not grown up with much, she never felt the urge to use any of it or thought to ask for anything. She still felt she could not.

    While Lei Xing was usually not an avid shopper when it came to herself, she always enjoyed buying things for her younger brother in her old life, and random things would pop at her whenever she was out. She did not always buy because she was reasonable with her spending but on occasion, she would indulge these urges.

    And with no younger brother, her attentions seem to have fixated on Li Ru as a little sister. While she did not have much time to bond with her "actual" little sister, Xiao Ting, she had plenty of time with Li Ru and had picked up the habit of spoiling Li Ru. Lei Xing would buy things for her and share whatever she had. She even filled Li Ru''s study with books after she noticed Li Ru wistfully admiring Lei Xing''s upgraded study a while ago.

    Li Ru smiled at Lei Xing and shook her head, "I already have plenty, just enjoy your visit with your family." She finished with a smile.

    Lei Xing sighed, "Don''t worry very soon, I''ll take you touring around the city." Lei Xing had always wanted to take her around the city with her. But in the past, she thought she could not ask for it. Now that she knew the Emperor would definitely agree to the request, but she could not take her along today for two reasons.

    First, she needed to talk to Doctor Lou and did not feel comfortable having Li Ru wait in the carriage alone. And secondly, she was going home for a celebration and there would be guests around and with how shy Li Ru was, it would be an awkward environment for her.

    Therefore, today was not ideal, their tour will have to wait.

    The Emperor finally sent an eunuch to get Lei Xing and she returned to her palace, eager to start her day.

    Lei Xing found the Emperor waiting for her in the reception hall, sipping tea with two guards standing before him. When he saw Lei Xing come in, he smiled and got up as he waved her over and then he introduced the guards, "These are Bi Lo and Bi Lu. From now on, they are your personal guards and they go wherever you go, even within the palace for your safety..."

    Lei Xing blinked she did not expect this. She scanned the two identical twin guards as they bowed to her. They looked a bit pale, perhaps even sick but otherwise, they seemed sturdy.

    {...Everywhere I go? Even in here?... Ahh, I thought "men" weren''t allo- Well, if the Emperor says it''s okay, then it is...And it''s not like I''m ever going to be alone with them and even then it''s not like I''m a hor-...}

    Lei Xing just stood there absentmindedly staring at the twins. The Emperor waited a bit and then called to her, "Xing er''?" After the third call, Lei Xing finally blinked up at him, "Yes?"

    "Is something wrong?" The Emperor asked with knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing blinked in confusion and then gave a nervous laugh, "Nope, nothing~...Oh, so personal guards? Okay, thank you." She said and then turned to the twins with an outstretched hand, "Um, nice to meet you."

    The twins both raised an eyebrow at her hand and she did the same, then immediately realized her folly and just smoothly swept the hand to the Emperor''s arm and turned her smile to him, masking her embarrassment, "I''ll just go get ready~" She said with a nod and then sauntered off wanting to slap herself.

    After Lei Xing left, the Emperor narrowed his eyes at the twins, "There will be no excuses." The  twins immediately bowed to him and Bi Lu guaranteed, "There will never be a second time, Your majesty."

    "Definitely not. We will be sure to stick to the Noble consort and never depart from her side, misplacing her will definitely be impossible. " Bi Lo reassured with a wide smile.

    The Emperor nodded and then followed after Lei Xing. Bi Lo let out a relieved breath and then saw his brother glaring at him and blinked, "What?"

    "Mind your words." Bi Lu said and then turned to go outside to wait.

    Bi Lo rolled his eyes and fell in step with his brother and mumbled, "But it''s true though, if we had been guarding her. No one would have been able to bump into her much less Prince Yi gett-" His words were cut short, when Bi Lu elbowed his side and said through gritted teeth as he glanced around, "Mind your words."

    "Ah, hehe~, my mistake." Bi Lo responded as he also glanced around for gossipers. They did not need to get on the Emperor''s bad side again. The last few days of being punished and imprisoned were enough for them. They were only just released two days ago, the memories were still fresh.

    They were honestly surprised when the Emperor had appointed them as Lei Xing''s personal guards this morning. They expected that he would have sent them on a faraway mission with harsh conditions to further punish them.

    But then Eunuch Li called them to the royal study this morning, gave them a harsh lecture. The Emperor then arrived and said that as Commander An''s best students he had great expectations for them and had great faith in their skills.

    Then he continued on with saying that they had proven their selves valuable assets during the last war, that he trusted them and their skills. The twins were waiting for the hammer to fall, but then the Emperor simply said no more mistakes will be tolerated. They immediately reassured him that it will never happen again. And then he went on to appoint them as Lei Xing''s personal guards to their shock.

    The twins were very grateful for the Emperor''s trust and understanding, after all, that situation was not ideal.

    After about thirty minutes, Lei Xing came out dressed in a noble woman''s outfit with the Emperor walking beside her and Ah Jin following behind them, and two servants carrying a trunk which contained Xiao Ting''s gifts.

    The Emperor insisted on escorting her to her carriage and Lei Xing just let it be but when they arrived at the carriage, she was stunned. She stopped and pulled the Emperor''s arm and whispered, "Isn''t this a bit much? ..." She asked as stared at what looked like thirty guards lined up around the carriage, ready to go.

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows and whispered back, "The Empress is going out, this is normal."

    Lei Xing gave a nervous dry laugh and flatly informed, "I''m not Empress yet..."

    "Well then, a Noble consort is going out, this is normal..." The Emperor acquiesced with a smirk.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, "This is still too much, too attention-grabbing. When you guard something like this you attract trouble..."

    "And when you don''t guard, you get in trouble..." The Emperor countered, narrowing his eyes at her, "You either take them or I accompany you." The Emperor finished and straightened up and faced forward, the conversation was over.

    {...Touch��...but this is obviously overkill -_-)...}

 Chapter 217 - The Scuffle

    Lei Xing frowned at the Emperor, but he did not even look her way and simply waited for her to make her choice. She glanced at the people behind them and then at the guards, they were all averting their eyes, pretending not to hear or see anything.

    She pulled at the Emperor''s arm again and tried to negotiate, "Could you at least take off like ten?... Hm?" The Emperor cast her a side glance and promptly looked away. This was non-negotiable. Lei Xing let out a breath.

    {...Well, I can at least order guards to wait...But I can''t order you around so...I guess I''m stuck parading around with a mini army, fun -_-)''...}

    "Fine...I''ll take them." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout.

    The Emperor pursed his lips but then said, "That''s good then." It seems she was dead set on leaving him behind. While he did innocently arrange these guards for her, believing it all necessary for her protection. Since she complained, he thought she would have preferred his presence then but apparently not. The Emperor sighed. It was also understandable that she wanted personal time with her family.

    The Emperor took her hand and walked over to the carriage, but before helping her into it, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead, then smiled at her and quietly reminded, "Don''t be late."

    Lei Xing nodded, still with a disgruntled pout. The Emperor was not at all bothered by it, it was better for her to be dissatisfied than in danger. After Lei Xing entered the carriage, the Emperor turned his attention to Bi Lo and Bi Lu and narrowed his eyes at them, warning them to be careful with her. The twins promptly gave him a reassuring bow and then got on their horses and flanked each side of the carriage, virtually boxing her in a protective bubble.

    And off she went.

    Once the carriage left the vicinity of the palace gates, Lei Xing stopped the group and then told Ah Jin to direct them to Doctor Lou''s pharmacy. As Ah Jin was giving the directions, Bi Lo knit his brows at Bi Lu over the carriage, asking if they should say something, this stop was not in the itinerary. He had learned his lesson from their last mistake and was very ready to intercede this time.

    Bi Lu immediately frowned and shook his head before his brother could complicate their assignment on their first day of duty. They could not interfere with where she wanted to go as long they went with along her.

    When they arrived at Doctor Lou''s pharmacy, Lei Xing was happy to see the doors open. She got down with Ah Jin''s assistance and told all of them to wait here and then proceeded to go inside. Bi Lu and Bi Lo promptly followed behind her and Lei Xing stopped them raised an eyebrow at them and reiterated, "I said to wait here."

    Bi Lo jumped to explain, "Your highness, the Emperor instructed us to follow you, so follow you we shall." He finished with a smile and a curt bow.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her eyebrows.

    {...This guy looks like he''s going to be a problem -_-)''...}

    Bi Lu glared at his brother and cupped his hand and politely explained, "I apologize Your highness, but your safety is our priority. There could be unforeseen dangers in the building. It is not safe for you to enter alone."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...This one also looks stubborn -_-)...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath, "Fine, Ah Jin, you come with me."

    Bi Lu quickly interjected, "I''m sorry Your highness, but a maid is not enough for your protection."

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him in annoyance.

    {...That Doctor might not want to talk if they''re people roaming around! Also, this conversation is as weird as it gets!...What are they being so difficult for? I am not a child, so I can judge what''s safe or unsafe for myself! No, it''s not them, it''s that Emperor treating me like a child  -_-)...I know it''s out of concern b- Oh, here''s an idea!...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath and then explained, "It''s not that I''m trying to be difficult here, but the old man is shy and is not used to people coming around. It would make him uncomfortable."

    "In that case, then just one of us should be fine..." Bi Lo immediately jumped in with a knowing smile. She was trying to escape and they were not going to let her.

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

    {...With these two here, I might as well have just brought the Emperor with me -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then quietly and shyly said, "It is an inquiry of a...private nature..."

    Bi Lo cleared his throat and started coughing as a blush crept on his face. Bi Lu covertly glared at his brother and was unperturbed and with a straight face, he said, "Your highness, consider us as flies on the wall. We hear and see nothing and so know nothing. So set your mind at ease. Your safety is our only concern. Please allow us to do our duty. " Bi Lu finished bowing lower.

    It was the truth, the Emperor no longer required them to report her actions to him, so they would not be sharing her information with anyone. Although, if the Emperor did ask, they would be obliged to tell...but that was not relevant at the moment.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, this was very annoying.

    {...You want to be a fly on the wall? How about I make you a squashed fly on the wall then?! Irritating!... Would it be better if I just explode on them? But this guy seems so stubborn, I doubt it''ll work...Also, no. That would be hella suspicious and crazy...and I don''t have crazy in me, no that kind anyway -_-)...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath but before she could speak, Bi Lo quickly added with an anxiety-filled voice, "Your highness, if even a hair on your head is misplaced the Emperor will have our heads! Please spare us!" Then he bowed his head lower like his brother, hiding a small smile.

    {...We have her hooked now...Well, unless she wants to be unreasonable but then she did say it''s a "private nature" conversation, won''t the Emperor be offended if we hear it - No, no it doesn''t matter. He said to follow, so follow we shall!...}

    Lei Xing stared at the top of their heads for a bit and then relented, she sighed and then said, "Just one of you then."

    The two rose up and Bi Lo smiled and went, "Great decision." The smile quickly disappeared and he lowered his head when Lei Xing narrowed her at him, she was not amused at all. She then moved her eyes to Bi Lu and said, "You then. Which one are you?"

    "Bi Lu, Your highness. At your service." He responded with a light bow.

    "Great, you can stand in the doorway." Lei Xing flatly said and then turned to go in. Bi Lu seemed like the more reliable of the two to her, stubborn but reliable. She planned to get Doctor Lou to go the house with her and then have Bi Lu stand in the doorway of the storage entrance. He could "ensure" her safety with that distance, but hear nothing. Getting Doctor Lou to cooperate with her was the main problem here. He could refuse and she would have no choice but to understand.

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she went in.

    {...I need to talk to him about this when I get back. It''s one thing for them to follow me about on the street, but it''s another to deny me privacy. I''m not a prisoner -_-)''...}

    To her surprise, she did not find Doctor Lou snoozing in his usual position. The store was empty. She assumed that he was in the storage at the back and so she called out to him, "Doctor Lou...Doctor Lou?" But she received no response. She then thought that he was in the house and wanted to go find him, but then she hesitated. She was not keen on intruding in someone''s space without permission.

    {...I mean, I''ve been there before...And he seems to like me enough...What if he''s sleeping? It''s one thing to wake a man in his office and another to wake him in his bed. Well then, he should have closed down the store -_-)...It should be fine...I think...He definitely won''t be an-...}

    "The wine at home is finished?! Where we robbed?!" Doctor Lou''s loud shout suddenly rang out from the back. Lei Xing jumped and then she glanced at Bi Lu who was standing still at the entrance as instructed. Then she glanced at the door to the back and slowly crept towards it.

    {...He has guests now? That could be a problem for me...Honestly, he really could just be talking to himself...Yeah, I definitely can see that -_-)''...Either way, he''s awake so we''re going!...}

    Lei Xing opened the curtain and went into the storeroom and of course, Bi Lu quietly followed behind her, remaining in the doorway as per her order.

    "You- You drank all my wine?! You UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT!" Lei Xing heard Doctor Lou bark and then she heard what sounded like a scuffle as she approached the door leading to the courtyard.

    {...Guess he''s not alone then...}

    "I said I''ll replace them! Ow, that hurts! - Aren''t you overreacting?! Ow! Ow!"

    "Do you know how much I have been looking forward to enjoying t- DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I''VE BEEN CAREFULLY SAVING THEM?!"

    Lei Xing snorted as she heard Doctor Lou''s ramble. And then went to open the door with an amused smile, curious to know the story unfolding behind it. And then she froze and her mouth hung open as she stared at the scuffling duo.

    "How can you treat me like this because of wine?! Wine is replaceable, a ch-" Tung Mei''s words caught in her throat when she saw Lei Xing standing there and she froze.

    "MY WINE IS IRREPLACEABLE!" Doctor Lou raged on and brought down the stool in his hand towards Tung Mei''s head, but then stopped short of her head when she did not move out of the way. He blinked at her in confusion with a scowl on his face, confused as to why she stopped dodging. He followed her line of sight and then raised his eyebrows when he saw Lei Xing standing there and then frowned when he noticed Bi Lu standing behind her in the storage room.

    Lei Xing blinked at the two, who also seemed frozen in place in quite the odd position. Tung Mei bending her knees, with her hands up in a defensive stance, shielding her head and Doctor Lou leaning towards her holding a stool hovering above her head.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, still in shock and went, "You two know each other?"

 Chapter 218 - Friendly Fued

    Doctor Lou moved his eyes from Bi Lu to Lei Xing and glared at her. He then turned and walked to the table, put his stool down and sat down with a huge disgruntled frown on his face, facing away from his guests.

    Tung Mei rolled her eyes and then smiled at Lei Xing and excitedly bounced towards her, "Xing jie...Welcome, come sit. I did not expect to see you here..." She said as she hooked Lei Xing''s arm and pulled her over to the table. Lei Xing knit her brows as her eyes darted from Tung Mei to Doctor Lou as she walked over and sat down.

    {...I''m the one who couldn''t fathom your existence being here -_-)''...}

    Bi Lu remained standing in front of the storage room door, with his eyes trained on Lei Xing. His eyes met Doctor Lou''s giving a deadly side glare. Bi Lu bowed his head in greeting, but Doctor Lou''s glare only seemed to intensify. When Lei Xing had mentioned the old man not liking strangers, he had thought she was just saying that so she could go alone. But now faced with the old man''s unnerving glare of disapproval, he could tell he was definitely unwelcome here.

    Bi Lu cleared his throat and glanced away but then quickly faced forward again. Even it was uncomfortable, he had to do his job and so he steeled his gaze. Doctor Lou raised an eyebrow at Bi Lu, seemingly amused at his renewed confidence. Doctor Lou then squinted at him as if acknowledging and accepting the challenge that Bi Lu definitely did not issue.

    Doctor Lou then saw Tung Mei reaching for the wine jar from the corner of his eye and his eyes immediately ripped from Bi Lu''s form as he immediately snatched the jar off the table and glared at Tung Mei, "You still dare to drink?!"

    Tung Mei frowned and barked back, "I came all this way to visit you and you won''t even share a little wine?!"

    Doctor Lou scoffed, "Don''t pretend! You only came here because you FINISHED MY wine!" Doctor Lou then sniffed and stroked the jar, "To think I even brought out my precious -"

    "At least you know you''re no fun." Tung Mei mumbled under her breath as she reached for her cup, which still had some wine but Doctor Lou quickly snatched that up as well and defended with a pout, "That''s a lie! You know I''m the most fun, would you prefer I were lik-"

    "Hey!" Lei Xing snapped, stopping the two before they could go into a full-blown bickering session. The two people turned to her then Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at them and calmly said, "Someone answer the question."

    "Tch." Doctor Lou pouted and then turned his body to the side, ignoring them again. He drank the wine in the cup and went about pouring himself another. Tung Mei pursed her lips and glared at his back, then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lei Xing looking at her with an irritated frown, impatiently waiting for a response.

    Tung Mei immediately turned her attention to Lei Xing with a short nervous laugh and answered, "Yes...we know each other."

    "How?" Lei Xing flatly asked, completely unamused.

    Tung Mei blinked, glanced at Doctor Lou''s back and then back at Lei Xing with a smile, "...He''s a friend of the family."

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {..."Friend of the family"...That would explain him knowing about the bracelet but still...What are the odds?...}

    Doctor Lou then grumpily mumbled in-between refilling his cup, "I wish I wasn''t "in the family" at the moment."

    This naturally got Tung Mei riled up again, "Are you seriously going to be like this over wine, even after I graciously forgave you for duping me?" Tung Mei said with a frown as she jabbed Doctor Lou''s side hard with her elbow.

    "Hmph!" Was all she got in response as Doctor Lou continued to ignore them. Tung Mei pouted and then changed her tone and poked his back with her finger, "I already said I will replace them...I was even going to give you my snow-tipped wine too..."

    Doctor Lou immediately turned his head her way, "Really?"

    Tung Mei eagerly nodded and reassured him, "Truly." Doctor Lou suspiciously looked her over and then raised his eyebrows, "Where is it?"

    Tung Mei lips twitched, "I don''t have it...yet."  She cast a quick glance at Lei Xing, who was busy thinking and then smiled back at him, "I would get it now, but as you know..."

    Doctor Lou cast a quick glance at Lei Xing and then squinted at Tung Mei, Tung Mei gave him a brilliant smile and added, "I''ll even bring two..."

    "Five." Doctor Lou countered haughtily raising his eyebrows, signaling it was five or no deal.

    "Five." Tung Mei acknowledged with a fake smile as her face twitched in annoyance.

    Doctor Lou chuckled and then put the wine jar back on the table, now appeased and in great spirit. He looked at Lei Xing''s frowning face and grabbed a free cup and filled it as he said, "Xing Xing, you shouldn''t be frowning at a time like this."

    Lei Xing, who had not been paying attention blinked up at him when she heard her name, and then she knit her brows.

    {...Now you want to talk?... And this "Xing Xing" thing. Honestly, do I look like a 2-year-old to you? -_-)''...}

    Doctor Lou placed the cup of wine in front of Lei Xing with a grin, "Here, have some wine~ It is a time for celebration! How about a toast? I would have had a meal ready for you but...I got distracted." He added squinting at Tung Mei, obviously pointing her out as the distraction. Then he perked up and smiled at her as he excitedly asked, "Ah, have you heard?... Xing Xing and Xiao Kai are getting married~" He finished with an amused chuckle.

    Tung Mei apparently did not share in his amus.e.m.e.nt and simply flashed him a half-smile as she just reached for the jar of wine in his hand, muttering, "You must be ecstatic..."

    Doctor Lou happily released the jar and turned back to Lei Xing, "I knew from the first day I set eyes on you that you were destined for greatness, Empress hehehehe~ You''re in love with him now, aren''t you? She''s definitely not going to leave him now, you''ll see~" Doctor Lou said snickering to Tung Mei, who gave another half-smile, obviously just humoring him as she refilled her cup.

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows, "Did I ever tell you I wanted to leave?"

    Doctor Lou froze for a moment, then grabbed the jar from Tung Mei and topped up his cup, "You...mentioned...Ah, remember you asked me if it was possible for you to go back...That time. Going back means you wanted to return. Returning means you wanted to leave him...Easy connection to make and I am quite so brilliant so...Naturally."

    Doctor Lou flashed Lei Xing a grin and then picked up his cup, sipped his wine and resumed glaring at Bi Lu. Bi Lu blinked in apprehension at the return of Doctor Lou''s glare, but he did not break the eye contact this time and simply straightened up even more.

    Doctor Lou smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt and squinted even more at Bi Lu, obviously taking pleasure in the other''s discomfort.

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing sat there scrutinizing him, her gaze then moved over to Tung Mei, who was resting her head on her hand as she leisurely sipped her wine. She really seemed too comfortable with Doctor Lou and Lei Xing was not sure what to make of this whole situation. She had her answers before she could even begin her planned interrogation. But she was not convinced, there was something else but her mind was reacting more slowly than she would like at the moment and it was irritating her.

    As she stared at Tung Mei, Lei Xing suddenly raised her eyebrows as something, the thing finally clicked in her mind.

    {...Oh!...Makes sense...Definitely does make sense...But...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at Doctor Lou and began humming in her mind as she picked up the cup. But Doctor Lou continued fixating on Bi Lu behind her, she sipped the wine and then smiled, "Great wine. The best I''ve ever had~"

    The compliment immediately arrested Doctor Lou''s attention, he chuckled and smugly explained, "Naturally, this is my personal brew, carefully manufactured over many, many years. Immaculate taste and impossibly IRREPLACEABLE..." He stressed the last word as he squinted at Tung Mei, then happily picked up the jar and refilled Lei Xing''s cup, "Drink more, you can have as much as want hehe~"

    Lei Xing smiled and nodded in appreciation. Then as she picked up her cup, she casually commented, "You two seem quite close..."

    Doctor Lou grinned and smugly continued, "Naturally, she''s my precious - Ow! Why did you kick me?!" He exclaimed as he glared at Tung Mei.

    "My leg slipped...And it didn''t hurt." Tung Mei said narrowing her eyes at him, then she turned to Lei Xing and smiled, "He''s my godfather."

    "Godfather?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows, then she glanced at Doctor Lou for confirmation.

    Doctor Lou glanced at Lei Xing then flatly repeated, "Godfather" to confirm it. His discontent was quite clear in his voice and on his pouting face. He turned to the side again, ignoring the two girls and went back to Bi Lu, this time glaring darts his way.

 Chapter 219 - Clapback

    Lei Xing was aware that Doctor Lou had been glaring at Bi Lu, but she warned him about this strange old man so she was not at all feeling sorry for his treatment. Her whole attention was focused on the duo before her.

    Tung Mei was casually drinking, completely relaxed as if she owned the place. While the real owner, Doctor Lou had his back turned to her, like a child sent to a corner as he glared daggers at the innocent bystander, Bi Lu.

    Lei Xing internally sighed.

    {...These two are so weird...But they''ve always been weird, them being weird together should be the normal expectation -_-)''...}

    Regardless, their weirdness was not Lei Xing''s concern at the moment. She drew back her sleeve and held her arm out in front of Doctor Lou, "Did you make this?" She bluntly asked pointing at the bracelet as she kept her eyes trained on Doctor Lou and Tung Mei, intently watching their every move.

    Tung Mei paused for a split second mid-sip, it was so short so Lei Xing was not sure if she really saw anything. But Doctor Lou''s reaction was beyond obvious. He froze, then blinked and then squinted at her.

    Lei Xing squinted back at him and asked with more conviction, "You made it, didn''t you?"

    {...It''s too much of a coincidence that you, a poison detecting ring manufacturer also happens to be the "godfather" of the owner of a freaking talking bracelet...Can''t be a coincidence and I say not a coincidence -_-)''...}

    "Xing ji-"

    "I didn''t ask you." Lei Xing immediately shut Tung Mei down before she could begin, she could not trust anything that came out of Tung Mei''s mouth. She was a proven liar. But Doctor Lou was on more neutral ground so she stared him down and added, "No lies."

    "I don''t lie." Doctor Lou defended with a pout, obviously offended that she would think he would ever lie.

    "Good, now answer." Lei Xing flatly said, obviously not at all caring about him being offended.

    Doctor Lou looked her over and then haughtily raised his head and said, "Fine, I made it. So what?"

    Lei Xing blinked, taken aback by his frank admission. Having a suspicion and it being confirmed were two very different things, especially when it was so easily confirmed. Even it were true, Lei Xing honestly expected that he would be more difficult about admitting things. But then Lei Xing reasoned he must have been more willing to share than she thought since they had built quite a rapport between them. He did consider her a friend.

    His admission also confirmed another one of her suspicions, Tung Mei had definitely been lying to her. Lei Xing glanced at Tung Mei, who immediately lowered her head to avoid Lei Xing''s gaze.

    Lei Xing could not be bothered with her and quickly refocused on Doctor Lou and observed his demeanor.

    His hands were folded and he was facing away from her while giving her a side glare, it was obviously a combative position. He was clearly not happy with her and if he shut down now she would get nothing more.

    So Lei Xing took a deep breath and then looked at the bracelet with admiration, "Ahhh, that explains this wonder. With the magnificent and exquisite workmanship is and the otherwordly quality of the gems...I knew it had to be done by someone with great skills. Your ring is as beautiful as it is useful so I naturally thought of you, with you being the greatest I''ve met so far..."

    Doctor Lou''s demeanor immediately switched, he chuckled and leaned over and appraised the bracelet along with her as he excitedly explained, "Naturally, I only deal with the best. It took me quite a long while to settle on these gems. I really wanted something that looked pure and innocent, unspoiled you know. Something that would capture the essence of an adorable baby hehehe~"

    {...Baby?...}

    Lei Xing plastered on a smile and nodded in understanding as her eyes darted over to Tung Mei, who was still staring holes into the table. Lei Xing quickly turned her attention back to Doctor Lou and complimented, "Ah, so that''s why. You know, whenever I looked at it, I felt innocence and purity radiating from it. I always wondered about the creator''s thought process..."

    Doctor Lou chuckled again and was eager to enlighten her. It was obvious he rarely got interested listeners admiring his craft, "You see when Xiao Ying was still an adorable little baby, she had the bad habit of wandering off. Although sometimes I just forgot where I left her hehe~....This one time I actually found her napping in a hole in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea how she got there - Although she might have fallen off when I passed but that''s irrelevant. You know I was very panicked when I arrived at home and the baby was gone, babies are such hard work but they are adorable company hehe~..." Lei Xing glanced at Tung Mei as Doctor Lou continued his happy retelling of events

    {...Napping in a hole in the middle of nowhere? O_O) Who the hell gave this quack their child?!...}

    Tung Mei had apparently resigned herself to the situation and had grabbed the jar of wine and proceeded to nonchalantly continue her drinking. While she kept her eyes on the table, avoiding making eye contact with Lei Xing.

    Doctor Lou obviously continued his recounting, "...After so many mishaps, I came up with the brilliant idea of this bracelet. With it, I never needed to search anymore. So whenever I lost her or forgot hehe~ I easily followed the bracelet right to her. It made my life a lot easi-"

    "Tracking. It''s a tracking device?" Lei Xing asked in surprise.

    "Of course, how do you think I found you?" Doctor Lou immediately froze after those words left his mouth. He sat there blinking at Lei Xing and Lei Xing mirrored his expression, completely stunned by this revelation. While Tung Mei just refilled her wine cup, completely on the outside of this conversation.

    "You found me with this?" Lei Xing finally asked with a raised eyebrow. She had never really thought about how Doctor Lou happened to find her that night.

    Doctor Lou raised an eyebrow, then straightened up and looked off to the side and responded out the side of his mouth, "Well...yes. Also saved you from making a big mistake too."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "But how did you- Wait, wait, wait, do you know there''s a-" She remembered Bi Lu was there and then lowered her voice to a whisper, "... voice entity in the bracelet?" Then she shook her head, "Of course, you know, you made it...What is it?"

    Doctor Lou c.o.c.ked his head in her direction and then blinked at her a few times, seemingly in surprise. Then he raised an eyebrow, "Hmmm..." He turned to Tung Mei and then asked her, "What do you think?"

    "I don''t want to know what she thinks, I want to know what you think!" Lei Xing irritatedly cut in, she then lowered her voice and said through gritted teeth, "This thing has been terrorizing my life!"

    "Terrorizing?" Doctor Lou immediately frowned, "Saved your life and stopped you from making terrible mistakes on many occasions. Also, a great friend and what did you do, you ungrateful little brat?! If anyone was being terrorized, it was me! Do you know how precious those precious gems are?! And you even tried to smash it with a stupid inkstone! Even if it wouldn''t have made a dent, I could not stand for my precious gems to be disrespected like that!-"

    "You almost gave me a heart attack! You were trying to kill me and yet I graciously forgave you, but now you say I was terrorizing you? No, you are clearly the terrorist here and I am a great, great, brilliant person! I deserve your respect and so do all of my precious, precious gems!" Doctor Lou let everything out in one breath and was now holding his heaving chest for dramatic effect as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

    How dare she insult his goodwill like this?!

    Tung Mei let out a defeated sigh and shook her head as she just covered her face with both her hands. On the other end, Lei Xing just sat there staring at him with her mouth open, her confusion and shock were clear on her face.

    Lei Xing blinked as she recovered from the shock, "So you''re - but - how? - Why?!" She asked, completely baffled by why he would do all this to her. She expected to hear a secret about some entity or other trapped in the bracelet or...She honestly did not know what she expected, but she didn''t expect this.

    It made no sense.

    Doctor Lou straightened up and haughtily looked off to the side and responded, "Well...You started it...and I was bored."

    "Started it?"Lei Xing exclaimed in disbelief as she held her forehead, her mind was having a hard time processing this.

    {...What the hell? I didn''t start any-...}

    {...*Next time when I say leave me alone, you leave me alone! ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing blinked up at Doctor Lou looking at her with challenging raised eyebrows. Lei Xing was flabbergasted and annoyed by his accusing expression and she immediately defended herself, "Even if I "started it", I only kept it hostage for a few days, you''ve been keeping me hostage for months! "

    Doctor Lou blinked, then he leaned forward and quietly said, "That...sounds like a you problem." Then he snorted, put a hand over his mouth and snickered as he sat back up and informed, "I''ve been wanting to say that for a long time. It is a really great line~"

    Lei Xing frowned as her lips twitched in annoyance. She was speechless, confused, angry and a whole bunch of other emotions she could not identify at the moment. Her mind was reeling.

    Doctor Lou smirked and narrowed his eyes at her, "Tell me, how does it feel when it''s "your" problem?" Doctor Lou snickered again, "You know another line I really like?..." He paused for effect and then told her, "Wouldn''t you like to know." Then he howled in laughter as Lei Xing sat there with a confused frown. Trying to digest the information while being ridiculed by this boisterous laughter was even more irritating for Lei Xing.

    It made even less sense the more she thought about it.

    {...I started it - He was bored - Was this all a joke?... My life was a joke? ( ?? )..}

 Chapter 220 - Arbitration

    As Doctor Lou tried to control his laughter, he jabbed Tung Mei with his elbow trying to get her to join his fun as he informed, "She has learned some very interesting things~"

    Tung Mei frowned and then looked at Lei Xing, whose face was getting increasingly red with anger and embarrassment as Doctor Lou continued to howl in laughter. Tung Mei immediately raised her hands up and said, "I had nothing to do with this. I''m completely innocent in all this, this is all him!" She said motioning to Doctor Lou.

    Lei Xing turned her attention to Tung Mei and glared at her, Tung Mei jumped and quickly backtracked, "I only abandoned the bracelet because he was bothering me. I didn''t think you would pick it up. I just didn''t want him to come to find me...And later, as you know he didn''t let me take it off. I admit that I was short-sighted and should have buried it under a mountain or dumped it in the ocean -"

    "Hey!" Doctor Lou suddenly barked at Tung Mei, "How dare you even think to treat my precious baby like that?! If you ever do anything like this again, I will bury you under the ocean!"

    "Since you gave it to me, it''s mine! Therefore I can do whatever I want with it!" Tung Mei indignantly responded, "And stop laughing it''s not funny!"

    "Ah, what happened to your great sense of humor? It''s that Yong, isn''t it? Tch, I always knew he was no good..." Doctor Lou responded with a frown.

    "Don''t talk about my Yong ge like that!" Tung Mei barked with a frown.

    "He''s a brat and so I can talk about him how-e-ver I want." Doctor Lou responded haughtily raising his head up and squinting at Bi Lu, reminding him that someone at the table still remembered he existed.

    Lei Xing put her face in her hands as Doctor Lou and Tung Mei were bickering. She was feeling incredibly foolish at the moment.

    {...Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I be so stupid?! The freaking old man even talked about having a meal ready for me, it''s not like I sent an RSVP...The stupid bracelet also got angry when I called him a quack, which he is! I don''t even know what he is T_T)...Not to mention the obsession with "its" gems, how could I not have seen this?...No, no, no I was being rational. It was rational to think that a human - He''s obviously not a regular human being! So how could I access his irrational with a rational mind?! I''m so stupid! >_

    "Why didn''t you tell me?!" Lei Xing bangs her fisted hands on the table as she glared daggers at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her and then matter of factly said, "You never asked."

    "I asked several times!" Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    Doctor Lou knit his brows in thought and then responded, "Hmm, true, you did...But at that time, you were the stranger who kidnapped my precious bracelet so I didn''t like you. You were the enemy...And then after I found out who you were, you just never asked."

    Lei Xing blinked at him in confusion. Then she knit and unknit her eyebrows as she took deep breaths. She raised her hands up and fisted and unfisted them in front of her, holding herself back jumping over the table to strangle the old man, "I never asked...?" Lei Xing quietly said through gritted teeth.

    "En, you never did." Doctor Lou cooly responded with a happy smile.

    Lei Xing fisted her hands as she glared at the smiling Doctor Lou as she searched her memory but she could honestly not remember if she actually ever did ask then. At that time, she was too concerned with getting rid of the bracelet to inquire about its origins or identity. Especially not with all the ''Mind your own business'' and ''None of your business'' she received from it. It was a natural response for her not to want to bother with pointless inquiries.

    It was not her fault. A normal person would have given an introduction with their "apology". Lei Xing let out a shaky breath and then asked, "And you never thought to tell me?"

    {...Like a normal person would -_-)''...}

    Doctor Lou knit his brows and looked at her as if she said something completely absurd, "And ruin the fun? Of course, I didn''t...Don''t lie, you were enjoying the mystery of it all, weren''t you?" Doctor Lou asked with a chuckle.

    Lei Xing could feel her veins popping, the fact that he was taking this all as a joke was even more infuriating.

    Tung Mei glared at Doctor Lou and then carefully said to Lei Xing, "Xing jie, you should calm do-"

    "You shut up!" Lei Xing shouted at Tung Mei and she immediately closed her mouth. Lei Xing then turned back to Doctor Lou, "Do you know this is a serious breach of privacy?!"

    Doctor Lou blinked at her, then snorted and then laughed, "She wants to sue me -"  Then he turned to Tung Mei, "Oh, did I mention she was a lawyer in her other life?... Actually she never quite made it there, she was only an aspiring lawyer..." Then he started laughing again, Tung Mei jabbed him, trying to tell him to stop as she sheepishly looked at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing banged the table and got to her feet to leave, the embarrassment was too much. But before that, there was something that needed to be done. She stretched out her wrist to Doctor Lou, "Take your bracelet and make sure it stays the hell away from me or I swear I will burn this place and ''it'' down."

    Doctor Lou looked at her wrist and raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you sure you want that?"

    "I''m asking, aren''t I?" Lei Xing irritatedly retorted.

    {...I never asked. I never asked - This freaking as***le, I don''t care if he''s an old man! He''s a freaking as***le for turning me into a joke! >_

    Doctor Lou nodded, "Okay, I''ll take it back if still want, but first, sit down." Lei Xing frowned and remained standing before she could speak, Doctor Lou folded his arms and then said, "If you don''t sit, then I''m not taking it. Don''t think that your little guard there can do anything to me or the tens of men outside. Not even your Emperor can force me. No one in this world - No, no one in the entire universe can force me to do something I don''t want to do, so you best sit down."

    Lei Xing glared at his stubborn face and he glared back at her, he was not going to be moved. After a bit, she let out a breath and then begrudgingly sat down and frowned off to the side. She could be stubborn too, but she was not someone to be pointlessly stubborn.

    This whole thing had clearly confirmed her initial suspicion that this old man was not ordinary. It would even be worse if he disappeared again and just decided to terrorize her remotely forever. Being stubborn here would get her nothing. Still, cooperating did not lessen the infuriation she felt for being fooled. And being at his mercy, was even more infuriating and demeaning. He had played with her and played with her intelligence and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

    Doctor Lou observed Lei Xing''s angry face for a bit and then sighed, "I am not your enemy and will never be. I am on your side, always."

    Lei Xing scoffed.

    {...My side?...Bullshit ( ?_?)...}

    Doctor Lou narrowed his eyes at her, "I mean it. Aren''t you a lot happier these days?"

    Lei Xing glared at him with a raised eyebrow, "And you think that''s thanks to you?"

    "Not at all...But I am happy to have been part of the process." Doctor Lou responded with a little smile.

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes, completely unamused and then her eyes landed on Tung Mei and then she asked, "And what''s your role in this?"

    "Nothing at all, I randomly got pulled into it in the middle." Tung Mei immediately explained, shaking her hands to show her innocence. Lei Xing''s eyes moved to Doctor Lou and he smiled and confirmed, "It''s true, her only interest these days is Yong. Tsk, tsk no good..." Doctor Lou finished shaking his head in disappointment.

    Lei Xing turned back to Tung Mei, "So you knew about who I really was from the beginning? So your whole story was a lie, wasn''t it?" She could not dare deny it now, Doctor Lou pretty much just confirmed that he had been feeding Tung Mei information about her with that lawyer bit.

    Tung Mei hesitated for a bit and then awkwardly explained, "Not entirely...When I approached you at the lantern festival I did know who you were - really are...I did get to know you through him." She said pointing at Doctor Lou, then she knit her brows and quickly added, "But we had met before, briefly, when Ah Jin said." She paused again and then timidly added, "But the whole traveling together bit was a lie, I just wanted-" Tung Mei then pouted.

    "You just wanted to get close to me. You had used me as an excuse to get close to the Lei family and so you needed to consolidate your story by showing we were close. So you approached me with some made-up story because you knew I wouldn''t be able to confirm or deny anything." Lei Xing flatly finished for her.

    Tung Mei lowered her head and then sheepishly mumbled, "I''m sorry...I shouldn''t have."

    "Hey! Don''t bully my baby!" Doctor Lou barked frowning at Lei Xing as he pat Tung Mei''s head. Lei Xing glared at him and then he smiled and said, "She''s young and so she is allowed to be impulsive."

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, "I''m glad we had this heart to heart...Now take off the bracelet."

    Doctor Lou stared at her and then said, "Your mother-in-law is coming back...She should arrive by nightfall. She traveled all night to get back here...After hearing your happy news."

    Lei Xing immediately froze.

    {...O_O) Tonight? Traveled all night?... I can''t imagine she''s eager to congratulate me...Ah, f**k! I knew this whole thing was not a great idea-...}

    "It''s too late to change your mind!" Doctor Lou immediately barked out. Lei Xing frowned at him and then he folded his arms, puffed out his chest and chuckled, "But don''t worry, I am here to ensure you have your happily ever after~ hehe~"

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes, Doctor Lou frowned and added, "Think about it. You now know the ring, precious as it is, has its limits. Without that bracelet, I would not have been able to help you during that flower poison incident. I was not even here then and you would not have been able to find me even if you tried. There''s also the second incident, I was able to find you in time before anything bad happened to you. I even braved the dangers of you attacking me. I am obviously a friend, not foe...With this ring, I can always enlighten you and help you without you even lifting a finger, isn''t it great?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she considered things. It was true, the bracelet as annoying as it has been, it has proven itself incredibly helpful and useful when she needed it most. But still, to find out it was all just for a joke was still grating to her senses.

    "It was not a joke." Doctor Lou defended squinting at her, "Just because it was fun does not mean it was a joke. One should find joy in the activities of living, otherwise, what is the point in living life?"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at Doctor Lou and then he sighed, "Tch, always so difficult. Fine, since you can''t just take things in stride. I once sad your life experience was good enough payment for the ring...Since you have failed to come to visit me to share, then consider this the method of repayment." He said with a pout.

    Lei Xing frowned and then asked, "And the whole wedding ceremony thing?"

    "All part of the life experience." Doctor Lou responded with a smile and then his smile dimmed, "As an old man, so many luxuries have been denied to me and so I enjoy living life through the lives of others. The universe is filled with so many stories, each with its own nuances. Each tale is unique. Some end sadly, others happy and some just exist..." Then he chuckled, "I like the happy endings~"

 Chapter 221 - Olive Branch

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she asked, "So all that crap about having similar energies and stuff was all just part of a fun g-"

    "No, no, that part was true. Very true indeed." Doctor Lou said nodding and holding onto his long beard, he squinted at her and reminded, "I''ve told you that I don''t lie. If I said it, then it is true."

    Lei Xing scoffed, "You lied about my transmigration being an ''accident''"

    Doctor Lou blinked at her, seemingly confused and then he stroked his beard, "Ahhh, I get it now...You misunderstood."

    {...I misunderstood?...}

    Lei Xing irritatedly raised an eyebrow. This whole conversation was predicated on her being an idiot here who made one mistake or the other attracting unnecessary trouble. And now she misunderstood even this?

    {...I am starting to think you know nothing...Just making stuff up as you go and making me look like an idiot, denying crap...Annoying (?_? )...}

    Doctor Lou chuckled and made a circle with his hands as he explained, "I said that the whole scenario, the whole thing could be considered an accident of the universe, not the isolated incident of you being here...Those are obviously two very different things."

    Lei Xing frowned at the condescending tone in his voice and Doctor Lou quickly cleared his throat, "It''s like this. You and he share similar energies, so ideally you should have been in a situation to come together as one...But then you ended up in two separate worlds, that''s the accident right there. Your transmigration was an act of the universe to right itself, balance things~ So it really could have gone either way, you come to his or he to yours...But the universe wanted you here, so here you are hehehe~" Doctor Lou finished with a satisfied chuckle.

    Lei Xing just sat there blinking at him, at a loss for words. It was her mistake again. She held her forehead and closed her eyes and let out a breath. Most of her anger had ebbed, but now that the anger was gone, her mind was empty, numb. She did not know what to think of all this.

    Doctor Lou stared at her head for a few moments and then said, "What is most important is that I am on your side always. I mean you absolutely no harm. I am a most useful companion~" Lei Xing still did not respond to him, Doctor Lou then sighed and said, "You can remove the bracelet whenever you want...To take it or leave it, it is your choice."

    Lei Xing looked up at him calmly sitting there, relaxed blinking at her. Then she glanced at Tung Mei, who still had her head lowered in a repentant position, then she looked down at her wrist and slipped off the bracelet and it easily came off. She blankly stared at her wrist for a bit and then she stared at the bracelet in her hand.

    She was hesitating. She had wanted this moment for so long to say goodbye to this bracelet forever...but she was hesitating. Not because she would miss it, but because she felt she needed it.

    The Empress dowager was racing back and Lei Xing could not help but be apprehensive of meeting that woman. She wanted her head a few days ago and now to hear that Lei Xing was going to be Empress. Lei Xing knew there was no way that news was well-received.

    The bracelet was obviously an asset to her, she knew this...She would have long been lost without Doctor Lou''s knowledge and aid. He had made a fool out of her...But in the end, her life was more important than her bruised ego. But some lines needed to be drawn.

    Lei Xing looked up at Doctor Lou and saw a victorious smile on his face, he knew he had won. She narrowed her eyes at him and demanded, "I can take it off whenever I want."

    Doctor Lou went, "Naturally, there is no need for that anymore~ You''re getting married hehe~"

    Lei Xing did not share in his amus.e.m.e.nt. She stood up, slipped the bracelet back on and curtly said, "I am leaving then."

    Doctor Lou still smiling, nodded and then as Lei Xing turned, he suddenly went, "Ah, wait, wait, wait!" Lei Xing frowned and turned around to find Doctor Lou jabbing Tung Mei, "You go with her."

    Tung Mei sheepishly glanced up at Lei Xing and then looked at Doctor Lou and shook her head. Doctor Lou frowned, "Weren''t you going to see Yong? Might as well go now. Hurry up, get up!" He said as he kicked her stool, Tung Mei swiftly got on her feet before she went down with the stool. Doctor Lou then squinted at her and then said, "Go, go, go. Make your mistakes and go back home. I''m tired, I need to sleep!"

    Tung Mei pouted and glared at him and Doctor Lou mirrored her expression. Then he turned to Lei Xing, "Do me a favor and take her with you but don''t bully her! I will know if you do." He warned squinting at Lei Xing, "Now you two leave! You''ve long overstayed your welcome and make sure to take that little guard with you too~" He chuckled and then squinted at the two of them. And then he sent Bi Lu one last glare and then plopped down on the table, and just like that he went to sleep.

    Lei Xing glanced at Tung Mei, who was standing there with her head lowered. She let out a breath, did not say anything and simply turned and walked off. Tung Mei stood there watching her leave. It was only after Bi Lu disappeared into the storage room after Lei Xing that she finally dragged her feet to follow.

    Before Lei Xing got on to the carriage, she turned back to see Tung Mei lingering at the edge of the group. "Get in." Lei Xing said to her and then climbed into the carriage. Tung Mei nodded in greeting to Ah Jin who was standing by the steps waiting for her to step up. Then she took a deep breath and climbed in and sat next to Lei Xing, both of them keeping to the opposite corners of the carriage.

    Shortly after, the carriage began rolling and the two sat in silence. Tung Mei glanced at Lei Xing who was resting on her hand with her eyes closed. Then she pouted and faced the wall, then began tapping on it.

    "Stop that." Lei Xing cooly said after a while of the incessant tapping.

    "Oh." Tung Mei immediately responded and sat up straight. Lei Xing opened her eyes and scrutinized the rigid Tung Mei. Tung Me glanced to the side and jumped when she saw Lei Xing looking at her, then she immediately lowered her head.

    Lei Xing blinked and knit her brows.

    {...Is she blushing? O_O)...}

    Tung Mei fiddled with her fingers for a bit and then looked at Lei Xing and said, "Xing jie - Ah, is it okay if I still call you that? I''m used to it..." Tung Mei said with an awkward, nervous smile.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and watched as Tung Mei''s smile transformed into a miserable pout, then she slowly nodded. She honestly did not care what she called her.

    Tung Mei lit up and continued with a renewed sense of confidence, "Actually Xing jie, you know, I''ve always admired you...That''s why when I saw you at the lantern festival...I couldn''t help rushing over to you...stupidly..." She mumbled while nervously plucking at her fingers.

    Lei Xing looked down at Tung Mei plucking her fingers. It was a habit of hers to do that when she was nervous. The fact that Tung Mei shared this habit was a bit endearing. But still...Lei Xing let out a sigh and offhandedly commented, "You admired someone you barely knew simply because of that qua- Doctor''s words? You must hold him in very high esteem..."

    {...Character-wise there''s a major lot to be desired...But I guess he has his moments -_-)''...}

    "It''s definitely not because of him. He always calls you a brat and says you''re a bad influence... Well, he says that about everyone." Tung Mei said with a light chuckle.

    {...Of course, he does (?_?)...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and let out a breath. They rode quietly for a while and the awkward atmosphere returned, then Lei Xing said, "I doubt I did anything during the selection to warrant such admiration..."

    {...Especially not from you, given what happened...}

    Tung Mei shook her head and said with conviction, "You have always been admirable..."

    Lei Xing blinked at her but did not say anything. Tung Mei then sighed, "As for my father, he-"

    "Father?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows, wondering why her father was being brought into the mix now.

    "God-father." Tung Mei corrected and then let out a short laugh, "It''s easier to just call him father, he''s like a second father to me...Anyway, he really means no harm. He''s picked up the habit of matching couples and watching their romance bloom and for some reason, you''re his latest target is all. But you don''t have to worry about his motivations, he''s just a great meddler with too much free time..." She finished with a chuckle.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and slightly nodded in agreement.

    {...I can definitely see that...A jobless people minder...Honestly, boredom should have its limits. People''s lives aren''t video games -_-)''...}

    "Please don''t tell him I said that. He can be quite sensitive...sometimes." Tung Mei said looking at Lei Xing beseechingly.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and lightly snorted, "It might be too late for that."

    "Oh, he''s not listening right now."

    "He could be, you never know." Lei Xing said with a frown. He even confessed to quietly lingering like a creep. The thought was even more disconcerting to imagine that old man lurking in her mind.

    "Oh, I can tell. He''s not." Tung Mei said cutting into Lei Xing''s thoughts.

    "You can?" Lei Xing asked in surprise.

    Tung Mei smiled at her, seeing her opportunity to get back on Lei Xing''s good side and explained, "While he might have made it, I''ve had it since I was little. Therefore, I am naturally most familiar with it." She smugly said.

    {...Must be nice -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in annoyance, she was obviously jealous of this luxury. Seeing a dip in Lei Xing''s mood, Tung Mei quickly enlightened her, "When he''s listening, the gems get brighter."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and studied the bracelet.

    {...Light up? It never lights up?... Or have I not been paying attention? No, I would notice...}

    "It''s very, very subtle so you might not notice..." Tung Mei added and Lei Xing dropped her hand with a defeated sigh.

    Tung Mei lit up and then suggested, "But I can help~ May I?" She raised a hand towards the bracelet. Lei Xing lightly shrugged and wanted to take it off, but Tung Mei stopped her, "No, you need to keep it on. Just give me your wrist..." She smilingly said to Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing hesitated and scrutinized her, but then held out her wrist. Tung Mei happily smiled and put her hand over the bracelet for a few seconds and then went, "Done! There~" She happily said and removed her hand to reveal a rainbow array of colors coursing through the gems.

    Lei Xing blinked at it and then at Tung Mei, who moved her hand over the bracelet again and it went back to its original clear appearance. Then she looked up to see Lei Xing''s surprised expression and explained, "He''s a great teacher~"

    "You''re his student." Lei Xing said with an amused eyebrow.

    {...That explains a whole lot -_-)...}

    "En, among other things. I''m not really a good student though. It can be quite boring but I know a thing or two, useful tricks." She said with a mischievious smile and then she explained, "Now the bracelet will show a rainbow hue whenever he''s listening~ He won''t know, but you''ll know. And don''t worry, only you can see the rainbow hue, it''ll appear normal to everyone else~ Useful, isn''t it?" Tung Mei asked, fishing for praise.

    Lei Xing showed a small smiled and nodded, "Most useful."

    Tung Mei beamed and smugly chuckled. Lei Xing studied her puppy-like demeanor, it was obvious she was trying to kiss up to her and so Lei Xing decided to use the opportunity and asked, "He''s not a regular human, is he?"

    Tung Mei blinked, hesitated and then said, "No."

    "What is he then?"

    Tung Mei lightly shrugged, "He''s mostly just a bored old man." She said with a smile and then faced the other way, opened the window and focused her attention to the streets and the passing pedestrians. Clearly not wanting to talk anymore.

    Lei Xing sighed and then went back to resting back and closing her eyes. She was also not in the mood for a conversation, as amusing as it was. And she was not someone to push someone when they clearly did not want to talk to her, especially not when they have been so helpful.

    {...Helpful, if it works...Can''t test it out until that sleepy old man wakes up...But this Tung Mei isn''t too bad, effort counts...Unless she''s fooling me too with a crap magic trick...Still can''t believe I got played like that  >_

 Chapter 222 - Wall Blocking

    The carriage finally arrived at the Lei manor.

    As Lei Xing stepped down and Tung Mei came behind her, the steward of the manor, Lao Wang quickly approached them with some servants and kowtowed to Lei Xing in greeting.

    Lei Xing gulped and quickly glanced about the road, as she swiftly but calmly said "Rise" in a restrained voice. This was embarrassing for her. She had honestly never gotten this sort of public show of respect before. But her entire entourage already garnered whatever attention she was trying to avoid. Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she thought there was no more escaping this now.

    The servants thanked her and then got up, Lao Wang then walked up to Lei Xing with a smile and bowed, "It is good to see Your highness looking healthy...I also want to congratulate you, there is no one more suited for the position of Empress ..." Lao Wang finished with a low bow.

    {...Of course, there''s no one more suited when you work for me -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing plastered on a smile and said, "Thank you..." Lao Wang lightly bobbed his head and then moved to the side for her to proceed inside. Lei Xing went ahead and Tung Mei trailed behind her then Ah Jin and Lao Wang followed, with Bi Lu and Bi Lo right behind him.

    Just as they were making their way up the steps of the entrance, they suddenly heard a shout from the side, "I''m not late, am I?"

    The group stopped and turned to see An Hao flying off his horse and tossing the ropes to a servant as he made a beeline for Lao Wang holding a jeweled box. He suddenly froze in his tracks and blinked at Lei Xing and then frowned, his gaze slid to Tung Mei and then it morphed into a glare. It moved down to Ah Jin and then went back to Lei Xing and stayed there.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him.

    {...What''s his problem?... He can''t seriously still be angry over that cake thing, right? How petty -_-)''...}

    Lao Wang glanced from An Hao to Lei Xing, then he tried to signal to An Hao to behave himself. This was their Emperor''s future Empress, she was not someone he should play with. But An Hao was too busy glaring at Lei Xing to notice Lao Wang.

    Lao Wang knit his brows and decided he had to smooth things over before Lei Xing got angry. He cleared his throat to get Lei Xing''s attention and smiled as he informed, "Your highness, this is General An. He is a friend of the Young master and he has also been courting the younger miss the last-"

    "Courting?" Both Lei Xing and An Hao exclaimed and blinked at Lao Wang in shock. Then they immediately looked at each other, scrutinizing the other with apprehension.

    Lei Xing frowned as she looked An Hao over. He did not look bad, was cute and looked young, but still...

    {...Courting? She''s just fourteen! What the hell do you think you''re courting?! (?_? )...}

    An Hao moved his glare to Lao Wang as he walked up to him, "Hey! Don''t spread lies! Who''s courting who?!"

    Lao Wang blinked at him in confusion, "Ah? Isn''t that what you''ve been doing?"

    "Of course not! Why would I?" An Hao indignantly responded.

    Lei Xing and Tung Mei frowned as they both felt offended by that strong denial and pretty much had the same thought: {...What do you mean ''Why would I?'' -_-)...Why wouldn''t you?! Our Xiao Ting is sweet, kind and adorable and you''re obviously the one who''s inadequate here! >_

    "Idiot." Tung Mei commented under her breath and An Hao immediately turned his glare to her. Tung Mei raised her eyebrows at him in challenge and then she grabbed Lei Xing''s arm and smiled, "Xing jie, we''re already very late. "

    Lei Xing snapped out of frowning at An Hao and nodded. She could not stand here and begin arguing for why An Hao should pursue Xiao Ting. It was not like she wanted him to, but his denial was really too strong, it was very irritating to her ears. Tung Mei shared the same thoughts but she was also not in the mood to argue, nor was she particularly keen on this pairing and so, she swiftly pulled Lei Xing inside.

    As Lao Wang went to follow behind them, An Hao pulled him and then whispered with a frown, "What are they doing here?"

    Lao Wang raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

    "Those two girls." An Hao said with a frown.

    Lao Wang frowned and immediately went to elbow An Hao''s side, An Hao swiftly moved and clutched onto his box tightly with both hands, "Careful! What if you break it?!"

    Lao Wang eyebrow''s twitched as he blinked at the pouting An Hao protecting the box. He was speechless. Then he sighed and helplessly went, "You...What are you doing with your life?"

    "Obviously living it." An Hao cheekily responded under his breath as he rubbed the box. Lao Wang glared at him and then shook his head as he sighed again.

    {....Let''s just forget this part...This boy grew in height but I guess being in a war did not help grow his social skills...at all...}

    Lao Wang let out a breath and answered his question, "Obviously the older Miss is here for her sister''s big day. Miss Tung is an honored guest, someone who is almost family so it is natural for both of them to be here...On the other hand, what you''re doing here is very unclear." Lao Wang finished narrowing his eyes at An Hao. Completely disappointed. He sighed again and then reprimanded, "Your actions today were wrong, the older Miss is now a Noble consort and is the future Empress, you should bow upon seeing her inste-"

    "Empress?!" An Hao exclaimed as his eyes went wide. He then lowered his voice and asked, "She''s going to be Empress?"

    Lao Wang frowned and restrained himself from hitting An Hao on the head, "What have you been doing with yourself these days? She is going to be the Empress so you should be respectful. I know that you are close with the Emperor but - No, that is all the more reason you should be respectful towards her. Get your head on straight!" Lao Wang scolded and with a swoosh of his sleeve, he quickly went inside to go catch up to Lei Xing''s group, leaving a stunned An Hao standing there with a confused frown.

    {...Empress? Since when?...}

    An Hao had holed himself inside his room over the last week working on a last-minute present for Xiao Ting. He was initially planning to just give her a dessert of some sort but then he could not think of a snack that was good enough to present as a gift for a special occasion.

    After thinking long and hard, he finally remembered her liking the panda he described. She had also been very happy when he gave her the painting of the pandas the Emperor had randomly drawn after running into a couple of them lazily foraging into the forest a few years ago.

    While An Hao treasured this gift from the Emperor, he had seen the pandas and Xiao Ting had never seen them and so she was pitiful. Therefore, he could part with this treasure to help out the pitiful adorable creature that was Xiao Ting. She was very happy and grateful too so he felt very happy about it in the end.

    He did consider going to catch one for her but that would have taken too long and he only had a week left. Not to mention, he did not think that Lei Yong, the killjoy, would have allowed his sister to keep a wild animal. So he decided to present a look-alike. He rummaged through all his belongings he had been too lazy to sort out to find the white jade block he had acquired a while back.

    Then he had to choose an image to sculpt and then went he had to carve it, which took way too long. He was already too far into the project by the time it occurred to him he could have commissioned an expert for the job. But then he had thought that it was simply a panda so it was easy enough. He had really underestimated the job, it was a lot harder than sculpting desserts.

    But since he was already doing it, he felt motivated to finish it. To prove a point. He could not let a simple sculpture defeat him.

    After a few days of very careful work, he finally managed to carve out a decent model. After that, he then had to carefully paint it...In conclusion, he was very busy and as long as war did not break out his mind was not concerned with anything else at the time.

    He finally finished it in the early hours of the morning, proud of his accomplishment and exhausted, he promptly fell asleep. Only for him to wake up this afternoon and realize that he was late. He quickly took a bath and raced here only to be greeted with Lei Xing and the more irritating Tung Mei and their follower Ah Jin. They were definitely not the people he wanted to meet today. He had only been thinking of Xiao Ting and had forgotten that she had an annoying sister that was going to be there.

    An Hao frowned and sighed. He did all this work and came all the way here, so he should at least hand the panda over to Xiao Ting. Therefore, regardless of the presence of the annoying trio, An Hao went in as he mulled over the new information he just received.

    {...Empress...It seems the Emperor really likes this girl...I should have known when he gave her my snacks. He never bothered much with anyone before, much less worried about their stomachs, others even had to worry about him filling his own stomach (?_? )...}

    An Hao sighed again and made his way to the main hall only to find Lei Xing and her entire group standing at a standstill by the corner of the entrance doors. An Hao''s frown deepened as he saw them but he changed his expression and was planning on walking past them to go in, when a servant stopped him and quietly said, "General  An please wait."

    An Hao raised an eyebrow and the servant quickly bowed his head and quietly explained, "Since the ceremony has already begun, the Older Miss - I mean, the Noble consort said to wait outside until it was complete so..."

    An Hao blinked and then knit his brows then glanced over at Lei Xing who was peeking inside the hall with a small smile on her face.

    The servant looked at An Hao''s poor expression and continued to persuade, "General An, if y-"

    "I understand. I''ll wait." An Hao said cutting him off and his attention remained on Lei Xing. He could understand that she decided to wait outside rather so she did not interrupt Xiao Ting''s moment. Ideally, her position was such that there were few she had to wait for, so it was necessary for her to be considerate, but yet here she was.

    An Hao frowned. In all honesty, he had not discovered anything bad about Lei Xing all this time. There were no bad reports at all from the people around her. They all said she was level-headed, reserved, kept to herself and had always been kind to those beneath her. No complaints at all.

    As for his research through Xiao Ting, he never needed to ask Xiao Ting anything, she somehow always ended up talking about Lei Xing by herself. So much so that it actually annoyed him how much she admired this sister, despite the fact that she often scolded her. He often had to change the topic to more enjoyable ones, either by distracting her with food or talks of his adventures.

    Despite his reservations about Lei Xing''s character, he honestly felt it was very nice to see that Lei Xing had affection for the Xiao Ting that annoyingly worshipped the ground she walked on.

    An Hao frowned down at the box in his hands and looked back up at Lei Xing.

    {...I could have been wrong - No, I''m definitely not wrong...but...Is there even a point in mentioning this anymore? ...}

    He found no evidence of foul play, so what if she went to rescue her brother? That was nothing but a good deed and questioning her motives now, after so many years would just make it seem like he was out to taint her reputation. He could not think of any merit he would achieve other than a hollow victory of proving a point.

    The Emperor liked her enough to make her Empress, she was Lei Yong''s sister...and there was Xiao Ting too.

    An Hao sighed. He just realized he had run himself into a wall and it occurred to him that if he continued on this path, he might end up only hurting himself.

    {...I guess she''s not that bad...She''s Lei Yong''s sister and the Lei family is a loyal family, so her being Empress should be a great development...I guess...}

 Chapter 223 - Welcome to the A.d.u.l.t Club

    Xiao Ting was currently kneeling in the middle of the hall receiving blessings from their great-aunt, a grey-haired woman of eighty-five leaning on a cane. The old woman had long lost her husband and two sons in battle and since then she had lived a recluse life in a manor in the countryside. The last time the Lei family saw her was two years ago when she came over for Lei Xing''s coming of age ceremony.

    Lei Yong covertly glanced around the room full of people and his eyes settle on Prince Yi who was standing across from him and he slightly knit his brows. Prince Yi had come along with Princess Nalan, Prince Rui and Molin. It did not occur to Lei Yong that Xiao Ting''s invitation to the Zou siblings would have extended to Prince Yi. If he knew, he would have told her not to give out the invite....then again, she did not have a chance to consult him on it.

    Lei Yong had been intently watching Prince Yi since he arrived, he had given curt disinterested responses to anyone who approached him. And he had been continuously glancing around as if he was searching for something. It was suspicious.

    Now Prince Yi was trying but failing to contain the irritated expression on his face and it was obvious that he did not want to be here. This made Lei Yong curious about why he even bothered to come, he could have easily made an excuse to avoid it. There was no way he was here trying to cozy up to the Lei family like the other guests might be interested. With the way things stood, it was impossible for them to ever support him and he knew that.

    Lei Yong inwardly sighed, Prince Yi was obviously not hurting anyone by being here but his motivations were very unclear and it was disconcerting. Lei Yong dragged his eyes from prince Yi and roamed past the other guests.

    {...There are way too many young men here...What do they think they''re doing coming for this sort of thing? -_-)''...}

    These people were way too eager. Xiao Ting just turned fifteen today and these mothers already brought their sons here hoping for the prospect of marriage. The Lei family, well Lei Yong at least was not eager to see Xiao Ting married off. Lei Xing was already gone, so he felt he should at least be able to spend some more time with Xiao Ting, at home.

    There were also quite a number of young girls here, but Lei Yong''s mind did not bother to contemplate their motives. He glanced around and then noticed Lei Xing peeking in from the corner of the door and blinked. Before he could contemplate what she was doing, he then saw Tung Mei''s head peek in from Lei Xing''s side and then quickly disappear.

    Tung Mei''s heart jumped up to her throat when she met Lei Yong''s eyes and she immediately drew back. Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at the spot, questioning whether he was seeing things or not.

    {...Was that -? I could have -...}

    Lei Yong then saw Lei Xing peek in again and then pursed his lips.

    {...Was I mistaken? Anyway, what is she doing stealing glances from outside?...}

    Then he looked at Xiao Ting and their great aunt in the center of the room and understood. If Lei Xing came in right now, it would disrupt the ceremony as everyone would have to stop to greet her and it would take away attention from Xiao Ting''s moment.

    Lei Yong''s eyes settled back on Lei Xing''s peeking corner and he narrowed his eyes. He saw Lei Xing, but he was trying to look beyond her, still not fully convinced that he had seen wrong.

    Meanwhile, outside. Lao Wang apologized and explained the situation to Lei Xing. Her parents originally planned to wait for Lei Xing to arrive. But then when she had still not arrived and the auspicious hour was almost up, they had no choice but to begin the ceremony.

    Lao Wang apologized on their behalf but Lei Xing was not offended at all and just continued watching the scene with a little smile on her face.

    After Tung Mei''s heart calmed down, she turned to Lei Xing and saw her expression. Tung Mei then knit her brows, "Xing jie, you like this?"

    Lei Xing turned to her with raised eyebrows, "What''s there not to like?"

    Tung Mei pursed her lips and then asked, "You don''t think it''s a hassle?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows in thought, it was an interesting question. Personally, she had no interest in events like these for herself. But this was one of those events that she considered for the family and so she would smile and try to enjoy the event. It was definitely a hassle, but one she could indulge.

    "It is...but it''s nice." Lei Xing finally responded with a light shrug. Tung Mei blinked at Lei Xing several times as if she could not compute Lei Xing''s response. Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at her and wondered what was wrong with her now.

    Lao Wang behind them smiled and then quietly informed, "The Madame was very disappointed that she could not celebrate your fifteenth birthday like this that year, so she put even more effort for the younger Miss''s day."

    Lei Xing glanced at Ah Jin and Ah Jin quickly explained, "You were ill at the time, so the ceremony was done with just the family."

    "It seems I misunderstood." Tung Mei mumbled under her breath, lowering her head with a pout.

    Lei Xing glanced at Tung Mei and then let out a breath and turned back to the scene inside. Tung Mei was related to that quack doctor, so her being weird and in her own absurd world was now considered normal to Lei Xing.

    The old aunt pinned the jade hairpin in Xiao Ting''s hair. Then she kowtowed to the old aunt and then made another to her parents. Then she got up and went out of Lei Xing''s view with the old woman.

    Defense minister Lei then started thanking the guests for coming to celebrate with them and outside, Lao Wang quietly advised, "Your highness, you should go in now."

    Lei Xing glanced at him and nodded. It would definitely be very awkward if they came out and met her peeking here and so Lei Xing went in. Tung Mei remained standing there until Ah Jin poked her back. Tung Mei jumped and glared at her and Ah Jin simply motioned to the entrance. Tung Mei then understood and nodded. Then she took a deep breath and then walked in after Lei Xing.

    Lei Yong knit his brows as he saw Tung Mei walk in, he knew he had seen correctly. But then now looking at her, it appeared as if she was avoiding looking at him. As the guests in the room bowed in greeting to Lei Xing, she made a light bow back at her parents, smiled at Xiao Ting who was beaming at her and said, "I apologize for my late arrival."

    "Nothing to apologize for, it is an honor to have you here, Your highness." Defense Minister Lei responded with a slight bow of his head. Lei Xing smiled and nodded. She then turned to her left and her expression faltered a bit when she met Prince Yi''s eyes but she maintained her smile.

    Lei Xing gave a polite nod in Prince Rui, Princess Nalan and Prince Yi''s general direction in greeting and then promptly looked away. She did not expect to see Prince Yi here and honestly seeing him again, especially so unexpectedly was a bit unnerving and annoying.

    Xiao Ting bounced over to Lei Xing and held her arm and whispered, "Jie jie, I was starting to worry you weren''t coming..."

    "Of course not... Wouldn''t miss you finally growing up." Lei Xing jokingly whispered back as she pat her hand. Xiao Ting pursed her lips but quickly went back to smiling and then turned to Tung Mei to see her steadily keeping her head down.

    Before Xiao Ting could address Tung Mei, the old aunt grabbed Tung Mei''s hand and said, "Ah, Xing er'', how have you been?"  Tung Mei blinked and then put on a nervous smile, "Great auntie haha... you''re mistaken."

    "Ohh, then who are you supposed to be now? Ah Jin? Tell this old aunt and I''ll cover up for you hehe~" The old aunt continued with a snicker. Tung Mei glanced at Lei Xing as if asking for her help. But Lei Xing just stood there and tried to resist not laughing at Tung Mei''s pitiful expression.

    {...What do you want me to do? She''s not my lost aunt hahaha...}

    Lei Yong immediately walked over and held the old woman''s arm with a smile and pulled her over to Lei Xing''s front, "Great aunt, Xing er'' is over here..." Then he glanced up at Tung Mei and explained, "My great aunt''s eyesight has not been too good these days-"

    "What do you mean eyesight?! I can see perfectly!" The old aunt indignantly responded and then narrowed his eyes at him, "Ohhh, you''re in on the joke too, aren''t you?"

    Their mother then promptly took the old aunt''s hand and jokingly said, "Auntie, it''s been too long since you''ve seen Xing er''..." She said with a little laugh and then glanced over to Lei Xing and signaled for her to step up. Lei Xing got the message, and despite it being awkward, she stepped forward and bowed her head and said, "Great auntie, it''s been too long. How have you been?..."Then she smiled at her.

    The old aunt looked Lei Xing over suspiciously and then whispered to their mother, "Are you sure?" Lei Xing''s mother lightly laughed and Lei Xing lightly laughed along.

    {...Yeah, what a great joke, not -_-)... Is this old woman senile?...No, she''s senile...Has to be -_-)...I mean she''s technically partially correct, but she couldn''t possibly know that...If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck then it is a duck, okay? Don''t complicate my life -_-)''...}

    The old aunt''s gaze then moved back to Tung Mei, who had shuffled back to Lei Xing''s side with her head lowered, avoiding Lei Yong''s eyes. The old aunt knit her brows and asked, "Then who are you supposed to be?"

    Tung Mei glanced up at the old woman and then bowed and introduced herself, "I am the daughter of Governor Tung, Tung Mei."

    "Tung Mei? Hmm..." The old woman then knit her brows in thought, her gaze went to Lei Xing and then back to Tung Mei and then she smiled at her, "...If you say so..."

    Defense minister Lei then laughed breaking the awkward atmosphere and said, "My aunt has always believed we should always start a celebration with laughter." He said laughing again and the guests who had been awkwardly watching the scene laughed along, taking it all to be the odd humor of the Lei family. And no one would dare question them on their tastes at the moment.

    "Let us all move to the garden so the celebration can truly begin. Your highness, if you please." Defense minister Lei finished motioning for Lei Xing to proceed first.

    Lei Xing smiled at him and then turned to leave with Tung Mei and Xiao Ting trailing along. Defense minister Lie then went to hold his aunt''s other hand and said, "Auntie, let me help you..."

    The aunt nodded with her eyebrows still knit in thought as they walked along. She looked at the backs of the girls ahead of them and then looked at Defense minister Lei and quietly said, "But she smelled like her you know..."

    Defense minister Lei smiled at her and nodded in agreement, indulging the old woman.

 Chapter 224 - Penny for Your Thoughts?

    As they stepped outside, Xiao Ting saw An Hao standing in the corridor and gave him a little wave with a bright smile. An Hao simply looked from her to Lei Xing and Tung Mei and knit his brows. He hesitated for a moment and then moved to the side with his head bowed for them to pass.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows as they came closer and wondered why he was suddenly being polite. He looked ready to fight when they saw him at the entrance earlier and now he was suddenly being demure, it was weird. Lei Xing then lightly glanced at Xiao Ting walking beside her and smiling in his direction and she understood.

    {...Ah, it''s the girl -_-)''...}

    An Hao kept his head down and did not even glance up as they passed. Xiao Ting wondered why he was behaving weirdly, he did not even smile or wave back. He pretty much ignored her and it made her feel odd.

    Xiao Ting pouted. It bothered her but her parents and the guests were following behind them, so she could not stand around to talk to him at the moment. So she had no choice but to keep walking.

    Lei Xing observed Xiao Ting''s pouting face and then asked, "Do you like him?"

    Xiao Ting went wide-eyed and then immediately lowered her head with her cheeks turning red as she mumbled, "Jiejie, what are you saying?... It''s not like that...He''s just a nice person."

    Lei Xing snorted and inwardly rolled her eyes.

    {...Sure...nice to you at least, because you apparently bring out the polite in him, while I keep getting glares -_-)''...Not that I care, but if they''re both clueless how could they possibly make any progress?... How sad clueless is...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and then glanced at the other pouting face next to her, the now gloomy Tung Mei, "What''s wrong with you?" Her mood had become weird since they were outside the main hall and now she was in full-blown pout mode.

    Tung Mei simply shook her head and did not speak. Xiao Ting glanced over and then said, "Ying jie, don''t be upset. Great aunt''s eyesight really isn''t good and her mind has also been...She also thought I was Xing jie yesterday..."

    {...Yep, I knew it...Everyone is Xing er'' to her, perfectly normal explanation here...Nothing else to it, just a weathered mind...I''ve had enough craziness today to last me a lifetime or two already. Normal is nice ?_?)...}

    When Tung Mei still did not respond, Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and asked, "You can''t seriously be offended by that...are you?"

    {...If I''m condoning your lies, you better not be offended by an old lady''s mistake or we will need to rethink your situation -_-)''...}

    Tung Mei glanced at Lei Xing and put on a smile, "No, no, no, definitely not that...I''m just tired is all..."

    "Oh, do you want to go rest for a bit then?" Xiao Ting worriedly asked and Tung Mei shook her head, "I''ll be okay." She stretched her smile even more and then lowered her head again.

    Lei Xing scrutinized Tung Mei for a bit and then inwardly sighed. She was also feeling tired from dealing with Tung Mei''s "godfather teacher", and honestly, she did not have the energy to try to decipher Tung Mei''s mood at the moment. Moreover, her mood was not Lei Xing''s business.

    They arrived at the garden where tables had been set up for the occasion with a platform in the center for performances. Musicians were sat on the side with performers of different sorts, all ready to entertain.

    Defense minister Lei offered Lei Xing the main seat but she politely declined and opted to sit with Xiao Ting. Since Lei Xing, the highest-ranking person there declined the seat, the other princes and princess present had to sit in the seats below as arranged.

    The formality of the whole event was tiring to Lei Xing and she was glad that at least Xiao Ting was behaving normally around her. The festivities began and Xiao Ting''s mood quickly bounced back and she forgot An Hao''s weirdness. It was her party and she was also very happy to have Lei Xing back at home with her and expressed as much, making Lei Xing feel bad for never stopping by before.

    Lei Xing smiled and indulged her in conversation. She covertly glanced around as she sipped some wine and realized that a lot of people were looking their way. Although she was not sure if it was her or Xiao Ting, or perhaps the brooding Tung Mei, who was sitting on her other side indulging in the wine and picking at her food that garnered the attention.

    Ideally, Tung Mei was not supposed to be sitting with Lei Xing, but no one in the Lei family complained and so there she sat.

    Lei Xing then froze for a moment when she directly met Prince Yi''s eyes during her sweep. He was sitting almost directly across from them to Lei Xing''s annoyance. Lei Xing''s noticed his lips move up in a slight smile and she almost rolled her eyes.

    {...Who the hell do you think you''re smiling at? -_-)... And moreover, what the hell are you even doing here?!...}

    Lei Xing resisted glaring at him and promptly face Xiao Ting, plastering a smile on her face. Her smile masked the feelings of anger and irritation meeting his eyes had stirred up in her...What was worse was the feeling of embarrassment that made her want to bury her head in the sand.

    "He''s looking at her again...Shouldn''t we do something?" Bi Lo asked glaring at Prince Yi from their obscure corner. He had learned from the last event to be proactive now.

    "He''s a prince and he can look where he wants. If Noble consort Lei isn''t complaining, then we cannot interfere." Bi Lu calmly responded, he was also not pleased with Prince Yi''s behavior here. He had been looking at her since the moment she arrived. A normal person would have avoided her after that incident. Doesn''t he care about his life? It was as if he had no regard for the Emperor and it was infuriating to watch.

    "Tch, well she wasn''t complaining when he had his arms around her..." Bi Lo mumbled under his breath, he honestly had some reservations about Lei Xing''s character.

    Bi Lu glared at his brother, "That situation has been explained, do not mention it again."

    Bi Lo rolled his eyes, "I''m just saying...She could have chosen anybody else at that moment, the streets were packed. But yet she chose him. It means there''s something there..." He narrowed his eyes at his brother and continued, "There were also those rumors..."

    They had been observing Lei Xing all this time and have seen her interactions with Prince Yi. He always seemed to gravitate towards her and as for Lei Xing, he honestly could not tell with her, "When there is smoke, there is often a fire somewhere you know..." Bi Lo added.

    Bi Lu frowned and reprimanded, "It is not our place to judge her, ou-"

    "Judge who?" The twins glanced over to the side to see An Hao at their side, still holding his box.

    "Oh, Xiao An!" Bi Lo exclaimed and bounced over to An Hao to ruffle his air, but An Hao swiftly jerked away and frowned, "Don''t call me that."

    "Ahh, Xiao Hao then?"

    "Don''t call me that either." An Hao narrowed his eyes at him, "I''ve told you we''re probably the same age." An Hao looked at the top of Bi Lo''s head and added, "...and I might even be older than you."

    Bi Lo chuckled and then pat An Hao''s chest, "You might be taller but definitely not older...I would have never thought you were interested in these sort of things or...That I''d see the day our Xiao Hao will be interested in a girl, or does she have a secret recipe you want? Hm? Tell me, I can keep your secret..." Bi Lo finished with a snicker.

    After learning that he was Commander An''s son, the twins always treated him like a younger brother and more annoyingly, like a child even when he was ranked higher than them. It annoyed An Hao but they honestly got along quite well.

    An Hao frowned and ignored Bi Lo''s insulting comments and asked, "Why are you two he-"

    "Look, he even brought a gift. Let me see." Bi Lo interrupted with a chuckle, reaching for the box, but An Hao immediately pulled it away and sternly warned, "Stop it! It''s fragile..."

    While An Hao could have simply handed over the gift to the servants like everyone else, he wanted to see Xiao Ting''s expression when she opened it. Moreover, he put a lot of work into it, so he felt that he at least deserved that much.

    "Leave him be." Bi Lu said, brushing Bi Lo aside and then he looked An Hao over and smiled, "You look good."

    An Hao straightened his shoulders and then cleared his throat, "Why are you two here?" An Hao was not happy with their presence here. With these two here, it was only a matter of time before his father found out about his business and he was not interested in being questioned.

    "Don''t worry, your secret is safe with us." Bi Lu said with an understanding smile. Unbeknownst to An Hao, the twins had already seen him hopping after Xiao Ting that one time in the market while secretly following Lei Xing.

    An Hao looked off to the side as his cheeks turned slightly red, "There''s no secret to keep...Irrelevant things aside, again I ask, why are you here?"

    Bi Lu informed, "We''re now Noble consort Lei''s personal guards."

    "He made you her personal guards?" An Hao quietly exclaimed in surprise and then he looked down with a frown, "Then the Emperor must really like her."

    "Like is an understatement, love, smitten, gone is more appropriate." Bi Lo offhandedly supplied, as he narrowed his eyes at Prince Yi, who was still looking at Lei Xing. It honestly did not help that he was sat right across from her.

    {...And here''s another smitten-gone person. He''s not even trying to hide it now...}

    An Hao quietly thought for a bit and then asked, "What do you two think about her?"

    "I think that she''s trou-" Bi Lo''s words hooked in his throat when Bi Lu jabbed his side.

    "The Emperor likes her and that is all that matters." Bi Lu responded, "The Emperor is smarter than all three of us combined. If he sees her as worthy, then she is...It is not our place to question his choices." He finished narrowing his eyes at Bi Lo in warning to mind his words. Bi Lo scoffed and looked off to the side.

    An Hao knit his brows in thought and nodded in agreement, "He is the smartest person..." Then he let out a heavy sigh.

    Bi Lu studied An Hao''s expression and then asked, "Something bothering you?"

    An Hao looked at the two of them and then decided to get this story off his chest and sighed, "Remember three years ago when Lei Yong went missing, and I said I saw two girls with his unconscious body the night he was found?"

    The twins nodded. An Hao then pursed his lips, hesitated for a bit but then finally said, "It was her..."

 Chapter 225 - Lucky~

    The twins blinked at An Hao in surprise and then Bi Lu asked, "Are you certain?"

    An Hao nodded, "I couldn''t forget it. It was her and her personal maid. I even found out she went missing for two weeks around that time."

    "Two weeks? That''s really not enough time..." Bi Lu commented knitting his brows.

    But before he could question the authenticity of his claim, An Hao defended, "I know it doesn''t add up, but thinking that I simply dreamt about her and her maid, so vividly too, also doesn''t make sense..." An Hao finished with a frowning at Lei Xing''s back, then his eyes went to Xiao Ting''s and he sighed.

    Bi Lo, who was scrutinizing An Hao then snorted and said, "Well, I think it makes sense."

    "What?" An Hao instantly turned to him, expecting a reasonable explanation of this situation. But his hope was dashed as soon as Bi Lo opened his mouth.

    "You apparently got the wrong sister." Bi Lo said, trying to hold back his laughter, "You simply dreamt up your perfect girl. Think about it, the younger one will look just like the older one in a few years. You showed up a few years too early is all or...A few months too late, but don''t even think about it." He finished narrowing his eyes at An Hao in warning. Lei Xing already had enough drama around her, and An Hao jumping into the fray would be simply seeking death.

    An Hao glared at him but rather than contradict his absurd claims, he just pointed out the hole in his theory, "What about the maid?"

    "Your back-up plan maybe? How should I know? It''s your fantasy." Bi Lo said and when he met An Hao and Bi Lu''s glares, he shrugged, leaned on the wall and trained his eyes on Lei Xing and the festive scene.

    Bi Lu then turned to An Hao and seriously said, "Okay, say she was the one you saw. Why is it bothering you then? She saved her brother...It is a brave and commendable act."

    An Hao knit his brows and admitted, "True...But as you pointed out, two weeks is barely enough time for her to have made it to the Nanjing army camp then and back, not to mention she had to find him. It''s suspicious..."

    "So you''re thinking she had connections that paved her way." Bi Lu said with a frown. If that were the case, it might be troubling. But the Lei family is the most loyal family in the country and have been at the forefront of every war since the expansion of the empire began. It did not make sense for their daughter who was born and raised in the far capital to have had any connections beyond the capital, much less with an enemy country.

    An Hao nodded, he felt vindicated hearing Bi Lu say that. It was not him being biased, it was a genuine concern. But before he could engage Bi Lu in a brainstorming session, Bi Lo offhandedly commented, "Or she got lucky" and An Hao froze then turned to him, questioningly and repeated, "Lucky."

    Bi Lo turned to see the other two looking at him with confused expressions and then he let out a breath, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You two think too much...It''s difficult to make the journey there and back in two weeks, but not impossible. One only needs the funds and the drive. Ah, I know how this story played out!" Bi Lu exclaimed, then he leaned closer to them and explained, "Okay, so say she heard from a report to her father that General Lei was missing and somehow got into her young mind that she needed to go find her brother...Which she did, so point for her.

    "...But anyway, the smart and most natural thing to do would have been to head towards his last known location...Luckily for them, they then stumbled upon her brother''s unconscious form as they passed through. In this case, they would definitely have had enough time to drag him back to the camp and get back to the capital in two weeks..."

    Bi Lu knit his brows in thought and then nodded, "That is possible, it makes sense then..."

    "Naturally." Bi Lo smugly responded, "There is no way a young city-bred Miss like her would have had any such connections her family did not have...So An Hao, the question here should be, are you planning on accusing the Lei family of being disloyal?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Of course not." An Hao swiftly responded with a frown. Even if the Emperor treated him well and trusted him with a lot, he did not need to be told that the Lei family was untouchable, more so at the moment with Lei Xing in the mix. And he never honestly questioned Lei Yong or his father''s loyalty to the Emperor.

    "Now that you mention it, if the family did have any such connections, General Lei simply had to introduce himself and he would have been fine. Her presence would not have been necessary..." Bi Lu thoughtfully said, "Perhaps she really just made a lucky find..."

    An Hao knit his brows, the "lucky" scenario made sense except for one thing, "Then why would they knock me out? They c-" He blurted out and then immediately realized his blunder and stared at the twins wide-eyed as his face reddened.

    Bi Lu blinked at him in surprise and Bi Lo snorted and then chuckled, "Ahh, that completely explains it.  No wonder he''s so set on proving this conspiracy. He was never one to settle for a loss. He wants revenge~"

    Bi Lu frowned, "An Hao, even if you developed a grudge against the Noble consort in the past, you are not allowed to touch her. The Emperor will not take it lightly and neither will we." Bi Lu seriously warned. Bi Lo stopped laughing and seriously nodded as well, showing solidarity. No matter Lei Xing''s transgressions their job was to guard her and guard her they shall, even from their own.

    An Hao narrowed his eyes at them and then sighed. Since he had already said it, he might as well continue, "I just meant that if she had nothing to hide, then why did they knock me out."

    "Maybe you scared them, knowing you, I''m sure you came out with your sword drawn ready to attack, right?" BI Lo asked with a raised eyebrow at him and An Hao lowered his head in embarrassment, he really did do that. But if they had simply listened to him, he would probably not have hurt them and simply taken them to the Emperor.

    "So naturally they attacked you before you got a chance to attack them. You would have done the same." Bi Lo said as he looked An Hao over, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, never lower your guard around anyone, no matter how harmless they look. You should be happy they didn''t kill you."

    An Hao frowned, feeling aggrieved and embarrassed.

    {...I didn''t lower my guard...and they did contemplate killing me...But in the end, they didn''t and I guess that''s your point -_-)...}

    An hao frowned, it made sense but still, "But then how did they get me to my tent? How could they have known-"

    "Exactly, they couldn''t have known." Bi Lo interjected with his reasoning again, "So they didn''t know. Some random soldier could have easily taken you back. There were thousands in the camp. Did you interview every single one of them?"

    An Hao pursed his lips. Of course, he did not do that. He definitely could not have opened his mouth to ask the Emperor to line up all the troops for something so foolish. He also could not embarrass himself before the Emperor and tell him about how two little girls had knocked him out. Bi Lo''s words made a lot of sense of the entire situation. But An Hao was still somewhat having a hard time accepting this explanation.

    Bi Lo then sighed, "I''ll be honest, I didn''t like her much before but now with this story of yours...She sounds like a brave and loyal person to risk herself like that for her brother. Even though the war was over, there were enemy soldiers scattered around still causing trouble. It was still dangerous even for seasoned soldiers, much less for two little girls. It is commendable, definitely commendable." Bi Lo finished with an approving nod, seeing Lei Xing in a brand new light.

    An Hao looked at Bi Lo and then sighed. This was truly confirmation that this investigation was truly a pointless effort and would only result in his embarrassment. If even people who were not close to her only saw her good act, Lei Yong and the Emperor will definitely see no wrong in her actions.

    An Hao stared at Lei Xing''s back, deep in thought. She was brave so she went to find her brother. She was lucky so she found him. She was scared so he got knocked out. She probably panicked and so they ran off with Lei Yong and dropped him elsewhere. All the while, luckily never being spotted.

    An Hao let out a long sigh. She seemed to be a very lucky person. But then on thinking about it, he agreed that she had to be very lucky to have been able to garner his Emperor''s affection. His Emperor was definitely not someone that would fall for just anyone.

    Bi Lu pat An Hao''s shoulder and asked, "Feeling better?"

    An Hao knit his brows for a bit but then nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. Bi Lu also nodded and then said, "Since the Noble consort did not want to take credit for the rescue, let it remain so. There is no need to dig up old matters for no reason....A word of advice An Hao, don''t let your ego create difficulties for yourself."

    An Hao glanced at him and then looked down with a pout. He honestly never considered this line of reasoning. And he actually felt embarrassed considering how simple and obvious it should have been. He would not say it out loud but after talking things out, it really seemed like he was grasping at straws for something to accuse her of.

    Bi Lo then brushed Bi Lu to the side and smiled at An Hao, "Now why don''t you tell us about this girl of yours..."

    An Hao immediately narrowed his eyes at him and flatly said, "There''s nothing to tell..."

    "Oh, so you admit she''s yours?" Bi Lo asked with a smirk.

    An Hao glared at him, "My life is none of your business...and neither is it my father''s so don''t go rambling useless things to him." He narrowed his eyes at them in warning for them to keep quiet and then he walked away as Bi Lo chuckled behind him.

    An Hao went and sat down and then stared down at the box in his hands. He glanced across the guests to Lei Xng''s table, but he could not see Xiao Ting''s face from where he sat. He pouted and then looked back down at the box.

    {...If there''s nothing to investigate then...I no longer need to come here anymore...}

    An Hao let out a breath, this was for the best. His vacation was coming to an end in two days, so he would naturally no longer have the time to come here as much anyway. He would also not have the free time to make snacks and come sit here to talk. He would be very busy...so this was truly for the best.

    The investigation was now over and he would move on from the memory of that night. It was enough that he knew he was not wrong back then.

    But more than the thought for his bruised ego, the thought of no longer coming here seemed to be the most interesting thing in his mind at the moment. The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt.

    It was becoming an increasingly unhappy thought and he could not even partake in the great food and snacks before him. His mood felt strange and he couldn''t help feeling...an odd sense of loss.

    An Hao frowned.

    {...What loss? I never had anything here to begin with nor did I lose anything...I would have been bored at home anyway so this investigation was good, kept me busy...So didn''t lose anything...No loss, life will proceed as normal after today...Normal like...like - It''s that stupid Bi Lo''s nonsense rubbing off on me! What stupid fantasy dream girl?! All nonsense! >_

 Chapter 226 - Pouters CLub

    After sending Lei Xing off, the Emperor returned to the royal study. He had a meeting with the Minister of Rites regarding the details of the wedding ceremony. And later on, Prime minister Zhao brought Zou kingdom''s finalized tribute list and trade deals that had been negotiated with Prince Rui. The Emperor looked over the final report and put his seal on it and Eunuch Li handed it back to Prime minister Zhao.

    Prime minister Zhao took it, bowed but instead of leaving, he remained standing there with knit eyebrows. The Emperor raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there something else?"

    The Emperor was aware that Prime minister Zhao''s mood has not been good since he announced Lei Xing as his choice for Empress. But his mood was not the Emperor''s concern and he knew better than to come to complain to the Emperor. After all, there was nothing wrong with the choice of Lei Xing other than the fact that she was not his daughter.

    Prime minister Zhao looked up at the Emperor and then asked, "Your majesty, what about the Zou princess?"

    "What about her?" The Emperor asked with raised eyebrows.

    "Your majesty...Even if you don''t want to take her as your Empress as the Zou king proposed, you can take her in as a consort, i-"

    "No." The Emperor flatly responded. He already had enough women here and they were already causing him and Lei Xing trouble. And although Lei Xing and Princess Nalan had become friends of some sort during this period, it was because there was nothing causing tension between them.

    He did not believe that a princess raised with a great sense of entitlement will feel at ease simply being a resident of his palace. And even though she herself was satisfied with it, those in Zou kingdom would not be satisfied. She will be perceived as a pawn to be used to obtain Long country. The Emperor was not willing to allow Zou''s inner conflicts play out in his palace.

    Princess Nalan was trouble and it was best to send her back.

    Prime minister Zhao frowned, "Your majesty, while it may seem like Zou kingdom has bowed to us, many in their country are not happy with this situation. It is only a matter of time before that unrest bubbles over to the surface. But her father and brothers all treasure her, so no matter which way the crown ends up falling, she will be a good hostage..." He paused and hesitated, but then added, "Your majesty, it is just one more woman in your harem. If you want peace, this is the best way forward."

    The Emperor scoffed and then said, "Given your experience, I would have never expected you to be this naive...Sister or no, if one wants war then a war will happen." The Emperor finished with a frown.

    For someone who supported the late Emperor''s endeavors, Prime minister Zhao''s reasoning was disappointing. His father was proof that a marriage alliance was no guarantee for peace. If one wanted to start a war, then the war will come about.

    The Emperor frowned, "I did not call off the war because I am afraid of them...I was simply giving them a chance, but if they want a war, then we will fight and win. If there''s nothing else, leave." The Emperor dismissively said as he picked up a doc.u.ment and focused on it.

    Prime minister Zhao''s frown deepened, he understood what the Emperor meant. Family often became nothing when pit against ambition. And he honestly did not care about the Emperor marrying the Zou princess.

    In his opinion, they should have proceeded and crushed Zou while they had the opportunity. It was just that he was not happy with this situation. The Emperor seemed to be doing everything to please the Lei family''s daughter, while his daughter remained on the sidelines like a nobody.

    {...What was that girl doing when all this was happening?!...}

    "Is there something else?" The Emperor coldly asked without raising his eyes from the doc.u.ment when Prime minister Zhao remained rooted to the spot.

    Prime Minister Zhao glanced up at the Emperor and then bowed, "Your majesty...My wife has not been feeling too well lately and has been asking for Lan er''. I want to ask if you could permit her to visit home."

    The Emperor calmly looked at Prime minister Zhao and simply scrutinized him. When the Emperor did not respond, Prime minister Zhao raised his head and met the Emperor''s eyes and then lowered his head and went, "If it''s not convenient the-"

    "No, of course not." The Emperor interjected, "I''ll have it arranged for tomorrow."

    Prime minister Zhao smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Your majesty. I''ll take my leave now." He said and then bowed out and the left the room and his frown promptly returning to his face.

    The Emperor allowed the Lei family''s daughter to return home for her sister''s coming of age ceremony. Naturally, he knew the Emperor could not refuse his own daughter visiting her "sick" mother. Even favoritism had to be within reasonable boundaries or it would reflect badly on the Emperor and bring about questions on his state of mind.

    {...What is the point of raising that girl if she is to be so useless?! She seems to have forgotten why she''s here...}

    Prime minister Zhao walked with conviction as he brooded over his daughter''s disappointing performance. As he stepped outside, he saw the Empress dowager storming over still dressed in her outdoor outfit. Prime minister Zhao immediately plastered a smile on his face and stepped forward and bowed, "Your maje-" His words broke off as the Empress dowager stormed passed him, completely ignoring his presence.

    Prime minister Zhao frowned at her back, but then scoffed and straightened up and walked off, feeling more irritated. He knew the Empress dowager did not like him, but she had always at least shown him some basic level of respect because of his position. But now she perceived him as nothing and it was probably all because of this new development. Prime minister Zhao''s frown became a scowl.

    {...Hmph! Look at the embarrassment that stupid girl has brought me. What a failure!...}

    The Empress dowager had not even noticed Prime minister Zhao standing there. Her mind was completely focused on talking sense into the Emperor, who had let himself be blinded and roped in by a stupid ploy by a little girl. She ignored the servants who bowed to her and threw the doors open herself before the servants could get a chance to open the doors or even announce her presence.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" She barked as she stormed towards the front, glaring at the Emperor.

    The Emperor closed his eyes and let out a breath and then wearily looked at his mother. Another irritation had arrived, much earlier than anticipated. Eunuch Li turned to the servants who had run in behind the Empress dowager and said, "Leave." The servants promptly withdrew.

    Eunuch Li then glanced at the Emperor and the Emperor lightly nodded in his direction. Then Eunuch Li turned to Song mama who was still standing behind the Empress dowager and motioned to the doors. Song mama nodded and then the two of them left the room to wait behind the closed doors, leaving the Empress dowager and the Emperor alone to talk.

    "Did you not hear me or have you suddenly gone deaf?" The Empress dowager said through gritted teeth when the Emperor did not respond.

    The Emperor sighed and looked back down at the doc.u.ment and offhandedly said, "I take it the search for the monk did not yield any results."

    They had already been informed of the Empress dowager''s hasty return. It was also one of the reasons he sent so many palace guards with Lei Xing. While he did not want to think that his mother would be stupid enough to try attacking her publicly, he could not forget the scene of her straddling and strangling Lei Xing. Therefore extra precautions were necessary.

    The Empress dowager ignored his comment and coldly said, "I asked you a question... Why have you named her Empress?"

    "I wanted it." The Emperor flatly responded.

    "You wa-!" The Empress dowager stopped and took a deep breath to calm her rising anger. She eyed the Emperor, who seemed to be ignoring her presence and then she fisted her hands in anger.  Then she coldly asked through gritted teeth, "Is she pregnant?"

    If Lei Xing was pregnant then she could endure the suffering of Lei Xing lording over her for a few months. She could endure a few moments and consider them Lei Xing''s reward for producing an heir for her.

    {...That is the only situation that this is acceptable. If not that, then how could he be so foolish?! With a child, I cou-...}

    "No." The Emperor simply responded as he scrutinized the Empress dowager. Whatever thoughts of compromise the Empress dowager was begrudgingly trying to persuade herself to make were immediately shattered.

    "Retract the order, I do not approve." The Empress dowager said as she took deep breaths to calm her anger, "How could you be so foolish as to do this over a few fruitless nights?! She has done nothing noteworthy to warrant this, nothing to earn the position, she does not deserve this! Retract the order this instant! You have let yourself be tricked by that fox-li-!"

    "And have you?" The Emperor calmly cut in and the Empress dowager stopped and frowned, "What?"

    The Emperor leaned back in his throne chair and scrutinized the Empress Dowager with a frown, "Have you earned your position?"

 Chapter 227 - Honest Mistake

    The Empress dowager was taken aback by the Emperor''s question. She blinked at him in confusion and then went, "What nonsense! How dare you compare me to tha - ?"

    "The question should be how dare you question my choice." The Emperor cut her off, "Other than giving birth to me, what have you done? And even that is canceled out by the fact that if it were left to you, I wouldn''t even be alive today. Therefore, you have done nothing to deserve your position but yet, here you are, giving out orders. So you are not one to be talking about what someone deserves."

    The Empress dowager glared at him but he just looked down at her with unwavering disappointment. Then she broke out in a fit of loud, almost hysterical laughter, shocking the Emperor into raising his eyebrows.

    "You''re just like your father, aren''t you? I don''t deserve it...but she does. What has she done? Ah, I know...Her mere existence makes it so she deserves it, doesn''t it? And mine apparently doesn''t, despite the fact that you would not exist without me! How ridiculous!" The Empress dowager said through her laughter.

    The Emperor frowned, he did not like her laughter. It made his ears ring and irritation soar, bringing to the forefront of his mind his worst memories of her.

    The Empress dowager then suddenly stopped laughing and glared at the Emperor and barked, "It''s unfair! But what else could I have expected from you? Loyalty? Reason? Abandon me once, it was me who was a fool. Twice, I am still the fool. A third time...and you will be the fool!" She then narrowed her eyes at the Emperor and quietly said through gritted teeth, "Nothing should have been expected of a mistake. A mistake that shouldn''t exist is what you are. My foolish mistake...A useless one."

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, regardless of whether he cared for her or not, those words were very unpleasant to hear. He would never admit but they stung. The Empress dowager smirked, seeing his unhappy expression and asked, "That hurt? Good, because that is what you deserve." She finished and then snickered, pleased with her accomplishment.

    The Emperor sighed, he was quickly realizing that his mother was truly a lost cause and he was fed up with dealing with her. He stood up and walked down towards her. The Empress dowager immediately stopped laughing and frowned as she looked condescendingly as he approached her.

    The Emperor stopped in front of her and mirrored her condescending expression and coldly said, "I am done thinking. Choose one of the secondary palaces."

    The Empress dowager''s eyes went wide and then she bit out, "I am not going anywhere."

    The Emperor looked beyond her and coldly retorted, "Choose or I will choose for you and I am warning you again...Do not push me. Leave." When the Empress dowager just stood there glaring at him, the Emperor then looked down at her with raised eyebrows and asked, "Would you rather be dragged out?"

    The Empress dowager glared at him a bit longer, "You''re a disappointment!" She bit out and turned with a "Hmph" and stormed out.

    The Emperor stood there frowning at her back as he thought she was right. Lei Xing''s presence always brought him comfort and peace, while the Empress dowager''s seemed to bring nothing but disappointment, anger, and irritation...but it was not always like that. There was a time when he had thought pleasing her was everything until she proved how futile his efforts were.

    "Your majesty." Eunuch Li called when the Emperor just stood there staring at the doors in a daze.

    The Emperor turned to him and then said, "Warn the servants in Xing er''s palace again."

    Eunuch Li nodded, " Rest assured, there is nothing to worry about, the servants there are all our people and they have nothing but praise for the Noble consort. A betrayal is unlikely."

    Of course, they did. Lei Xing often gave them things for no reason and she was also not all demanding. She was an easy mistress. The Emperor knit his brows, "Still, make sure they understand that if anything happens to her, none of them will be able to live either."

    The Emperor then turned around to go back to his throne chair but then stopped and quietly said in a cold voice, "Send an order to Xia province to prepare the Xia palace with haste. I am sure she will be more comfortable in her childhood home. Also, place the Empress dowager under surveillance, I want a report on all her actions." He finished and walked back to his throne chair, completely ignoring the troubled expression Eunuch Li sent him.

    Meanwhile, the Empress dowager stormed back to her palace and went into her room and started breaking everything in there as she screamed her head off in anger. The other servants cowered outside the room, while Song mama stayed glued to a corner in the room, she did not even have the courage to voice out any words of caution.

    After she was done with her smashing session, she took a deep breath. Then she turned around and went to her "tea" making room and started fiddling around with bottles. Sniffing their contents and dumping this and that in a bowl as she talked to herself, "I am not going anywhere. Useless! Foolish! Ungrateful? Of course, he is. He is truly his father''s son, useless! How could anything good come from him? ... How dare he compare me with that brat? What does he take me for? I am NOT going anywhere! I would rather die than leave!..."

    Song mama stood by the door and worriedly looked at the Empress dowager, concerned but too scared to go closer.

    ****

    As time went by, Lei Xing was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. She tried her best not to look forward, but whenever she accidentally did, she met Prince Yi''s eyes. And even when she did not look, she could still feel his eyes on her.

    It was irritating and considering what she had already been through today, she found it exhausting.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed, she wanted to go home. And by home, she meant returning to the palace. She never thought that she would miss the place, but when faced with such an uncomfortable situation, she would much rather be lazing around her palace spending time with the Emperor.

    After about two hours, she was fed up. Lei Xing got up and said her farewell, one of the perks in being in a high position was that she did not even need to give an excuse. They all bowed to her in farewell and she made a beeline for the exit missing her bed...and a tiny bit of her might have been missing a certain someone too.

    Xiao Ting insisted on escorting Lei Xing and Tung Mei quietly followed along as well. It seems she was also done with the party. While she did not need to publicly give an explanation, once they had left the garden, clueless Xiao Ting asked, "Jiejie, why are you leaving so soon?" with a pout.

    Lei Xing sighed and said, "I''m not feeling well...I''ll come to see you some other day when it''s less crowded." Lei Xing added to pacify Xiao Ting and it worked. Xiao Ting smiled and turned her attention to Tung Mei, "Ying jie, are you leaving again?"

    Tung Mei nodded, "En, I''m not feeling well..."

    "Then...Why not just go rest in your room? You don''t have to go..." Xiao Ting said pouting again, Tung Mei had mostly been staying with them the last few months, she barely returned to her relatives and even had her own room. She just came back and now she was leaving again. It did not feel right.

    Tung Mei also pouted but before she could say anything, a voice called, "Xing er''" from behind them and she froze.

    Lei Xing turned back to see Lei Yong coming up to them and responded, "Yes?" Lei Xing went as Lei Yong stopped in front of her. Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at Tung Mei and she immediately lowered her head with a frown.

    "Let me borrow her for a bit." Lei Yong said as he grabbed Tung Mei''s arm and dragged her off, without waiting for a response. Tung Mei''s frown deepened but she allowed herself to be dragged off.

    Lei Xing finally understood the cause of Tung Mei''s poor mood, it was Lei Yong.

    Lei Xing sighed and was debating whether to wait for her or not. She glanced at the bracelet and let out another sigh. Before she could make up her mind, she saw An Hao''s head peek from the corner of the walkway.

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...What the hell is this kid doing now?...*sigh* Today has been such a weird day -_-)''...}

 Chapter 228 - Unwelcome Attention

    An Hao was actually checking to see if Lei Yong was still present. He immediately wanted to follow after Xiao Ting, but then he did not want it to be too obvious. So he waited for a bit and then followed after only to find Lei Yong ahead of him seemingly going in the same direction.

    He had been avoiding Lei Yong quite a bit recently, and whenever Lei Yong saw him he always seemed to be glaring at him. Although that might have just been An Hao''s imagination. But still, An Hao took precautions, he always came over when he knew Lei Yong had gone off to work and always made sure to leave the Lei manor before he returned.

    Although, he was only going to be able to avoid an encounter Lei Yong for another day. After all, they will be working in the same defense department. What''s more, he was likely to be assigned to the army camp with Lei Yong. But that was a problem for later, there was no need to go looking for trouble right now.

    For now, An Hao had a simple mission and that was to give Xiao Ting her present. Lei Yong was for later. Therefore, An Hao quietly followed Lei Yong from a distance, hoping that he would change directions somewhere between the garden and the exit.

    Now that Lei Yong was gone, An Hao quickly bounded for the group, where he was met with a silent welcome. He glanced from Lei Xing scrutinizing him to Xiao Ting pouting in his direction, obviously still upset with his cold reception earlier.

    {...They really do alike -...}

    An Hao shook those thoughts away and bowed to Lei Xing while covertly glaring at Bi Lo, who was observing him with a slight smirk on his face.

    An Hao adjusted his expression and straightened up. He glanced at Xiao Ting and his hands tightened on the box and he quickly lowered his head as his face started to redden. There were too many nosy eyes here, they were in the way and were making him feel very awkward.

    An Hao then glanced at Lei Xing, cleared his throat and hesitantly requested, "Ahhh...Can I borrow her for a bit?... It''ll be quick." He finished lowering his head again.

    Bi Lo snorted and Lei Xing glanced at him and he immediately straightened up and looked away, holding back his laughter. Lei Xing then noticed Xiao Ting looking at her with pleading puppy eyes. Lei Xing raised an amused eyebrow.

    {...Um, am I supposed to be playing chaperone here or something? Why do these guys keeping asking me, why not just ask the girls themselves? Scared of being refused? Maybe hahahaa...}

    "Sure...Go ahead." Lei Xing awkwardly said.

    Xiao Ting smiled at her and sweetly said, "I''ll be right back." Then she turned to An Hao, narrowed her eyes at him and then walked off towards the inner courtyard on the side. An Hao hesitated for a moment before quickly following behind her.

    Xiao Ting stopped, still in clear view of Lei Xing and the others, but far enough that they would have to strain their ears to hear a quiet conversation. An Hao stopped in front of her, glanced at the group who all had their eyes on them with keen interest and then awkwardly said, "Xiao Ting...how about we move somewhere else?"

    "No, there are guests around and if I''m seen wandering around with you. It could be a problem." Xiao Ting flatly responded.

    An Hao frowned.

    {...Problem? Why would that be a problem?...}

    "Why did you ignore me earlier?" Xiao Ting asked, cutting through An Hao''s wandering thoughts as she pouted at the ground. She was not going to let it bother her and she did temporarily forget about it but seen him again reminded her.

    She had thought that they had become good friends and he had come to her party, but then he ignored her? Naturally, she found it upsetting. Lei Xing had always pounded it into her head that it was better to be that direct and straightforward rather than to suffer in silence. And so she plucked up her courage and asked, despite feeling foolish.

    An Hao blinked at her in confusion and asked, "Ignore you? -" Then he quickly realized she was referring to their earlier encounter and jumped to clarify, "I wasn''t ignoring you, it was just your sister is -" He caught himself and closed his mouth, but he had said too much already

    "What about my sister?" Xiao Ting asked with a frown.

    An Hao knew bad-mouthing Lei Xing was a definite no-no with Xiao Ting. So he immediately covered it up with a smile and said, "Your sister was just so awe-inspiring hehe..." Before Xiao Ting could question him further, he shoved the box into her hands, "Here, for you!" Then he looked off to the side as his face became even redder and mumbled, "I made it myself..."

    Xiao Ting was instantly pacified and opened the box, expecting to find a rare variety of a snack. But then she was stunned to see the jade panda, "You made this?" She asked blinking at the miniature panda.

    An Hao straightened up and smugly went, "It was easy." as he rubbed his nose. Xiao Ting looked up at him and saw that two of his fingers were roughly bandaged and went, "You cut yourself?"

    "Those were from something else!" An Hao swiftly responded, putting his hands behind his back, "...So...do you like it?" He hesitantly asked as he studied Xiao Ting''s face.

    Xiao Ting eagerly nodded with a smile, "I love it...It''s adorable."

    An Hao''s face lit up again and he beamed, feeling proud of himself. This was what he wanted. It was definitely the best idea to present the gift in person.

    When Xiao Ting tried to balance the box on one arm so she could pick up the panda, An Hao quickly took the box and held it open for her with a smile. He had now completely forgotten about the unwelcome audience, he was just too busy watching Xiao Ting admiring his panda to care about them.

    An Hao smilingly nodded and agreed, "En, it is really adorable..."

    Back in the peanut gallery, Bi Lo shook his head and quietly mumbled, "He''s completely lost."

    Lei Xing heard that and quietly snorted as she watched the adorable scene playing out with a smile.

    {...He''s definitely a lost cause hahahaha...}

    Suddenly Lei Xing''s expression fell when she noticed Prince Yi on the walkway on the other side of the courtyard. Lei Xing''s bad mood instantly returned and she remembered that she wanted to leave. She looked at Xiao Ting and An Hao, who were still busy with their panda play and let out a breath.

    {...Okay, he''s just passing through...It''s normal for him to pass through this area to get to the exit...It''s not like he''s looking this way, it''s nothing...}

    Lei Xing tried to focus her attention on the adorable duo, but then Prince Yi stopped and she could not help glancing at him and her heart skipped when she met his eyes again. She immediately looked away with knit eyebrows.

    {...Screw this, I''m leaving -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing turned to Xiao Ting''s personal maid and ordered, "Be sure to stay here and watch them." With that said, she walked off, just as Prince Yi resumed walking himself, still looking her away and obviously aiming to turn the next corner towards her.

    Lei Xing was speed walking, as fast as possible without looking foolish with an irritated frown on her face. She was not happy.

    {...This is not being a coward, this is just me avoiding trouble...I don''t understand this guy, I really don''t., why won''t he just leave me alone? >_

    "Noble consort Lei, please wait!" A voice carried over just as Lei Xing was crossing the front courtyard, with the exit doors in clear sight. But that call ruined her plans, she had to stop. The last thing she needed was people trying to decipher what sort of drama was going on between them for her to rudely ignore Prince Yi''s call in public.

    So Lei Xing took a deep breath and then turned around just as Prince Yi stopped in front of her. She glanced off to the side, avoiding looking at his face and flatly went, "Prince Yi" in acknowledgment.

    {...There''s nothing to worry about, I have plenty of chaperones...What am I even thinking? It''s not like he''s going to assault me -_-)...If he dared, I would personally destroy him before he could even try!...}

 Chapter 229 - Rankled

    The three with Lei Xing shuffled behind her as she addressed Prince Yi with cold indifference. Bi Lo and Bi Lu both bowed their head with frowns on their faces while Ah Jin was the only person in the group who managed to maintain a neutral expression. In conclusion, the atmosphere of the group was very cold.

    Prince Yi was apparently not phased by the cold reception. He smiled at Lei Xing and then awkwardly asked, "How are you feeling? I...I, um, I heard you were unwell..."

    Lei Xing still did not look at him directly as she said in the same flat voice, "I am perfectly healthy. There is no need for you to be concerned." She dismissively finished, nodded her head in farewell then turned to leave but then Prince Yi immediately grabbed her arm, "Wait -"

    "Don''t touch me!" Lei Xing instinctively barked as she panicked and reflexively slapped his hand off. Prince Yi blinked in surprise and then frowned as Bi Lu and Bi Lo jumped in front of her with their hands on their swords.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm her racing heart as she quickly waved Bi Lo and Bi Lu away from her front to de-escalate the situation. It was obvious that she overreacted, all he did was touch her arm, it was not like he assaulted her.

    But still, he should not be touching her.

    Lei Xing glared at Prince Yi, adjusted her tone and then calmly but coldly said, "Prince Yi, please keep your distance."

    Thankfully the only other people in sight were a few servants of the Lei family passing through and a few guards stationed about. But still, this was what Lei Xing was trying to avoid. Before Lei Xing could storm off again, Prince Yi immediately cupped his hands and bowed, "I apologize." This got Lei Xing to stop in surprise with raised eyebrows, she did not expect an apology.

    Prince Yi quickly continued, "I just got agitated because I wan-..." He glanced and saw Lei Xing''s frown and quickly lowered his head again and swallowed the words he truly wanted to say. Instead, he said, "I just wanted to apologize...for my rash behavior and any trouble it brought you." Prince Yi finished with a deep frown concealed from view.

    {...Is my touch really so unpleasant?...}

    Lei Xing looked at the top of his head confused.

    {...Trouble? It didn''t really bring any tro - Well not for me anyway...For Chen You...and maybe you but...}

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed. She did not understand why she was reacting so strongly to this issue either. It really was not like her to get so worked up over anything. But then again nothing like this had ever happened to her before. But still, it was as if Prince Yi just seemed to get under her skin and always rubbed her the wrong way. Being around him always made her feel uncomfortable and this whole kiss incident amplified her discomfort level.

    Regardless of her reservations about his character, she acknowledged that it was not his fault. While she believes that he should have been able to restrain his urges, she technically seduced him.

    Therefore, he was also technically a victim in all this and he just apologized so she could not dismiss him rudely.

    Prince Yi raised his head and looked up at her and Lei Xing promptly looked away and awkwardly said, "Please stand. I-it''s fine...It''s - it''s better- best for one to forget past transgressions. No harm, no foul I guess. It''s all in the past." Lei Xing awkwardly finished as her ears went red with embarrassment.

    "That''s good." Prince Yi said straightening up with a smile that brightened as he saw her red ears and lightly flushed cheeks.

    Lei Xing nodded, flashed a polite smile and swiftly turned to leave but then she immediately froze and sharply inhaled a breath. The Emperor was standing right in the entranceway, looking in their direction with an obscure expression with his hands behind his back.

    {...What the hell is wrong with today?! >_

    Lei Xing quickly regained herself and speedily went over to the Emperor''s side and awkwardly smiled at him, "You came."

    The Emperor drew his eyes from Prince Yi, who was now staring at him or was it perhaps Lei Xing he was staring at, the Emperor could not tell. He raised an irritated eyebrow at Lei Xing and asked, "Should I not have come?"

    "Of course not, I was just about to come home." Lei Xing quickly supplied.

    "Home?" The Emperor asked blinking at her with raised eyebrows, seemingly surprised.

    "En, but if you want to meet my father or brother...or something - I can wait." Lei Xing awkwardly added, still feeling on edge. Even if she knew she did not do anything wrong here, his timing was just too unnerving and heart was pounding erratically.

    {...*Hehehe You''ve finally seen the light~ Definitely the right decision here. Finally! You have grown up~ *sniff*...}

    Lei Xing frowned as she glanced down at her wrist to see the bracelet with the rainbow hue as Tung Mei had promised.

    {...Please just leave me alone right now. This is not the time for you -_-)...}

    Lei Xing heard the bracelet, Doctor Lou chuckle but then that was cut out when the Emperor pat her head and stroked it. She looked up at him to find him with a smile on his face as he looked at her. She blinked at him in confusion, not understanding this reaction. She thought he was angry, he looked angry when she came up to him, but now he was smiling?

    "Let''s go home." The Emperor said taking her hand with a smile and left as he sent a passing glance at Prince Yi. The Emperor could not be bothered with him, or anything else at the moment.

    And so he left the Lei manor with the confused and awkward Lei Xing in tow in a better mood than he came with.  As soon as they entered the carriage, the Emperor hugged Lei Xing and buried his face in the crook of her neck, closed his eyes and stayed like that.

    {...This cannot be a mistake...It''s impossible for it to be...}

    Lei Xing awkwardly hugged him back and when he did not move or say anything for a while, she went back to thinking he was angry. And so she clarified the situation, "Um...he was just apologizing."

    "En." The Emperor lightly responded. He did not expect to come here and find Prince Yi here, much less Prince Yi talking to Lei Xing. He even had the gall to touch her in public AGAIN, at her family''s house while they had guests and any one of them could have come upon them. The Emperor frowned, Prince Yi was simply being inconsiderate, stupid and reckless now, but...

    {...He was apologizing? He did not seem at all repentant...}

    If Prince Yi continued to overstep his boundaries, then the Emperor will have no choice but to retaliate.

    Lei Xing could feel that the Emperor was in a bad mood. There was the incident with Prince Yi, but she just explained it and he did not seem to care about it. So after a while of the Emperor not moving and not saying anything, she finally asked, "Is everything alright?"

    The Emperor sat up with a sigh and asked, "Where did he touch you?" He had actually not seen Prince Yi reach for her, but he had heard Lei Xing''s say those words from outside as he was approaching the entrance.

    He instinctively recognized Lei Xing''s voice and quickened his steps and was stunned to find Lei Xing and Prince Yi together. Then he saw Prince Yi bow and stopped in his tracks and just watched them with a frown.

    Lei Xing blinked and shook her head, "Oh, it was nothing. I just overreacted..." When the Emperor narrowed his eyes at her and she immediately answered the question, "On the arm, very lightly...I didn''t even feel it...and he apologized...It''s nothing."

    He had come here still high on frustration and anger from his encounter with the Empress dowager and the last thing he needed to see was Lei Xing and Prince Yi together. It was then made worse by the fact Lei Xing returned to him with a flushed face and ears. He felt his blood boil as the thought that Lei Xing was blushing because of someone else echoed in his mind.

    But then she said she wanted to go home...to the palace, his palace, their home and it was like she had flipped a switch. Just those simple words were enough to relieve him of all the irritation and anger that had been building up in him. It was so easy for her to make him happy and he honestly did not understand it, but he reveled in it.

    {...I must have been going mad to have considered giving you to him for even second...It''s impossible...}

    Another thing he did not understand was Prince Yi''s apparent infatuation with his wife. He agreed Lei Xing was attractive and adorable in every aspect, but she was his wife and they had spent a lot of time together. So it made sense for him to feel this way about her, but Prince Yi had only encountered her a handful of times.

    "It was really nothing..." Lei Xing added when the Emperor just continued staring at her arm with a frown. The Emperor looked at her face and then sighed and hugged her again, resting his head on the side of her head as he kept stroking her hair as if to soothe her.

    Lei Xing hugged him back but was very confused. The Emperor''s mood was very weird and it was obvious that something was bothering him. Lei Xing knit her brows and was just about to inquire again, when the Emperor quietly said, "The Empress dowager returned...this afternoon."

    Lei Xing immediately went rigid.

    {...Already? That quack said by nightfall!...*sigh* Does it even matter now?... That woman is definitely a cause for depression -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath and then instead of asking, she said, "She does not approve." She did not need to be told that the woman did not like her and would obviously disapprove of her.

    The Emperor frowned and hugged her closer, "Her approval is irrelevant."

    Lei Xing did not say anything in response as she felt her own mood take a dive. It was fine that he thought her approval was irrelevant. But Lei Xing doubted that the Empress dowager actually accepted herself as irrelevant.

    Lei Xing was becoming increasingly uneasy with everything, but even if she wanted to, she doubted that the Emperor will let her withdraw. She glanced at the back of his head and inwardly sighed. She was not sure she could even bring herself to make the request. What''s more, she was feeling like a magnificent coward and it was highly irritating.

    First, it was Prince Yi and now the Empress dowager. It was not that she was a cowering in fear, it was just that she usually just avoided all unnecessary things that were bothersome. Prince Yi, Empress dowager and the position of Empress all qualified as unnecessary and bothersome to her.

    But...to the Emperor, it seemed all three were a necessary part of his life. And since he was now a part of her life, she had no choice but to deal with his bothersome attachments, however annoying they were.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed again as her head began to ache. Trouble was definitely coming and she was now in the middle of it.

    {...Prince Yi might be irrelevant...but this woman is definitely going to be a problem -_-)''...}

 Chapter 230 - Lore the "Liar"

    Lei Yong dragged Tung Mei along for a while looking for a quiet place for them to talk. He did not want anyone overhearing their conversation and causing unnecessary talks. His family had come to enjoy her presence and grown to love this additional figure in their lives and he did not want to complicate things for his family and hers by exposing her as a liar.

    Regardless of what the truth was, Lei Yong believed that Tung Mei meant no harm in her actions.

    After roaming around for a while, he finally stopped in a courtyard in the northern most part of the residence, which apparently used to be Lei Xing''s residence. With her gone, no one came here during the day except the occasional maid or two who came over to clean and maintain the area. And with Xiao Ting''s coming of age ceremony going on, all the servants were preoccupied with other matters.

    Before Lei young could speak, Tung Mei frowned and asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

    Lei Xing ignored the question and asked, "Where have you been all this time?"

    "I asked first." Tung Mei indignantly responded, narrowing her eyes at him.

    Lei Yong frowned at her, but Tung Mei stubbornly met his gaze and so Lei Yong let out a breath and answered, "It''s quiet...Where have you been?"

    "Here and there..." Tung Mei replied with a shrug.

    Lei Yong''s frown deepened, "Where exactly?"

    "Nowhere in particular. I needed some space and then I was bored and so I was moving around a lot." Tung Mei offhandedly responded.

    Lei Yong remained looking at her frown, she was not giving a proper response. Not being able to find her during these disappearing spells was very concerning. But she seemed so indifferent about it and it was irritating.

    Tung Mei glanced around and her eyes lingered on Lei Xing''s former bedroom door for a moment and then she impatiently turned back to him and asked, "Is that why you brought me here?"

    Lei Yong noted her impatient voice and then calmly asked, "Did you lie about meeting Xing er''?"

    Tung Mei blinked in surprise and then went, "Lie? What do you mean lie?"

    Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at her, "During the time period you claimed to have met Xing er'' your mother had just passed away."

    "So?" Tung Mei asked blinking at him, seemingly confused.

    Lei Yong knit his brows and continued, "You were occupied with your mother''s funeral and reports showed that you never left your home during the month Xing er'' left the capital. Xing er'' was also not gone long enough to have made it Xia Zhou and back. So how could you have met her then?"

    "You investigated me?" Tung Mei asked with raised eyebrows and blinked at him, seemingly in disbelief.

    Lei Yong blinked and then looked off to the side and quickly clarified, "No...I just came across the information, from a verified source. Either way, explain yourself." He finished narrowing his eyes at her.

    Tung Mei sighed and then said, "I''m not sure what you want me to explain..." But Lei Yong remained silent and simply waited for her explanation.

    Tung Mei then let out a breath and said, "Well...as far as everyone knows, Xing jie has never left the capital but yet the truth is that she has. I''m not sure how deep your investigation went but as far as everyone knows I was shut in at home in mourning...Just as it was with Xing jie''s case, my father also would not have made my absence public for the sake of my reputation..."

    She paused and then let out a sigh and wearily continued, "It was a tough time for me. I was feeling overwhelmed. I wanted a break and so I left and encountered Xing jie."

    "And where did you meet?" Lei Yong asked with knit eyebrows, his family had never pressed her for information on this issue. Whenever it was brought up, she always just gave vague answers and always switched the conversation and they all respected her not wanting to discuss it.

    "On the road." Tung Mei swiftly responded.

    "Which road?" Lei Yong pressed.

    "I don''t remember." Tung Mei offhandedly responded.

    "Then where did you two go?" Lei Yong further pressed.

    "As I''ve told you before, we wandered around randomly for a while and then went our separate ways. I went home and I assume she came home as well."

    "How long was a while?"

    "A few days..." Tung Mei responded in the same offhand manner.

    Lei Yong knit his brows and scrutinized her, he was not sure what to make of this situation. She did not seem like she was lying, but then again she was giving vague responses.

    Tung Mei frowned at him and then said, "I have no reason to lie, but if you don''t believe me then you can go ask Xing jie. I''m sure she will be able to clarify whatever doubts you have."

    Lei Yong also thought the same as Tung Mei. She had no reason to lie. She had lived with them for a while now and had been nothing but pleasant and has shown no ill will or done anything to warrant any suspicion.

    The only possible motive he could think of was her lying was to get close to family because of feelings she might have for him. But then she knew things about them that could not have been easily accomplished through an investigation. She would have had to have talked to the family member''s own private assistants and even then, what about the things she knew about Lei Xing herself.

    Lei Xing apparently only kept Ah Jin close all these years. By the time he had met Tung Mei, Ah Jin was obviously in the palace with Lei Xing and they could not have met as Ah Jin did not leave the palace between the time he met Tung Mei and Tung Mei showing up at the Lei manor.

    Tung Mei seemed to know little things, personal things about the family. She even knew tunes Lei Xing used to play on the qin when she was little, tunes Lei Xing had claimed to have made up herself. This showed that she would have had to have spent some time with Lei Xing.

    Lei Yong had even considered that the girls might have become close during the concubine selection and that Tung Mei simply made up them having a long history because it sounded better. But then he looked into that theory and uncovered that the candidates were under strict guidance. The only way they could have spent time enough together for them to become close would have been if they shared the same residence, which they did not.

    Lei Yong was feeling very conflicted. Her explanation seemed to make sense but still, it seemed off.

    Tung Mei glanced around and when Lei Yong was still not responding, Tung Mei let out a breath and said, "Let''s go ask Xing jie then." And with that, she stormed back towards the corridor they had left Lei Xing on.

    Lei Xing knit his brows and let out a sigh as he followed behind her. He decided to just play it out and leave it up to Lei Xing. If she corroborated Tung Mei''s story, then he would leave it at that. Tung Mei was clearly not hurting anyone and seemingly held no malice and so he did not really want to make an issue of this.

    Tung Mei covertly glanced over her shoulder at Lei Yong and knit her brows.

    {...This is getting so tiring...Can you get Xing jie to corroborate the story?...}

    {...*You shouldn''t complain when it''s what you wanted ( ��^�� )...}

    Tung mei frowned.

    {...This is isn''t what I wanted. You literally pushed me into this whole mess with false promises!...}

    {...*Hehe I thought we already forgot about that... It''s why I''m not complaining and letting you do as you like~...Buuut, if you really have such heavy grievances. Then I shall have no choice as the concerned and very responsible FATHER that I am to begin to recall my own grievances, forgotten rules, and other such inconvenient matters that have been previously forgotten. Of course, it''s only if you want~  ( ��^�� )...}

    Tung Mei rolled her eyes and inwardly sighed.

    {...Fine, all forgotten...Can you now please go tell Xing jie to agree to this? -_-)''...}

    {...*Aww, that''s a good girl~ Are you going to come back soon. Father misses you a lot~...}

    {...-_-)''...Xing jie. Please!...}

    {...*There''s nothing to worry about there, with her personality she''ll agree with it just to get Yong to leave her alone...Moreover, Xiao Kai came to pick her up so she already left. It was quite the show hehehe~...}

    On hearing that Lei Xing was gone, Tung Mei let out a silent sigh in relief. While she did not honestly think Lei Xing would deny her, if not for anything, but at least to avoid the questions that would undoubtedly be thrown her way. But she was a bit worried that her "godfather" had annoyed Lei Xing so much earlier that she might have just ignored her out of spite.

    Therefore, Lei Xing''s absence was the best-case scenario for Tung Mei as she did not believe that Lei Yong would pursue Lei Xing to the palace.

    Lei Yong also did not appear terribly convinced of the notion that she was lying. He clearly seemed to be leaning towards her innocent. And with his personality, he relied quite heavily on his instincts more than anything, mostly to her annoyance recently. But for today, this was a good thing for Tung Mei.

    Lei Yong''s instincts perceived her as innocent and no threat but his mind required that he confronts her for reinforcement. And Tung Mei held her ground and even volunteered to confront Lei Xing about her "lie". She sold her story and Lei Xing being unavailable for verification will lead to a stall, that will inevitably lead to him letting it go.

    This was perfect for Tung Mei.

    {...That stubborn Xing Xing interrupted our family time. Father will make a grand meal for you. I have some great wine too, I''ll share~ ( ^_^ )...}

    {...-_-)''...}

    {...*Okay, how about this, I''ll reduce your debt. You only have to give me four bottles of wine now, I''ll even share one with you~...Are you coming? You''re going to come, right?...I''ve been really lonely here you know, no one comes to visit. It''s like everyone forgot about me a- (�Ħ�`?)...}

    {...Fineee, I''ll come (?_?)...}

    {...*Hehehe~ I knew my Xiao Ying was the best. If that blind Yong keeps rejecting you then I''ll tie him up and throw him into a-...}

    {...Please don''t do anything. I can handle him on my own -_-)''...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Don''t be late!...}

    Tung Mei let out a silent sigh. She glanced at Lei Yong and with a renewed sense of confidence, she led the way back to where they had left Lei Xing and the others.

 Chapter 231 - Upstaged

    Tung Mei and Lei Yong arrived to find only Xiao Ting''s personal maid standing where they had left Lei Xing. Tung Mei knit her brows and asked the maid, "Where''s Xing jie?"

    The maid who had zoned out jumped, quickly bowed and reported, "The older Miss had to leave early."

    "Ying jie~ you''re back!" Xiao Ting immediately bounced over on seeing Tung Mei, she cast a quick glance at Lei Yong. And hoping that her brother and smoothed over things with Tung Mei, Xiao Ting asked, "Are you still leaving?"

    Tung Mei turned to Lei Yong, who was narrowing his eyes at An Hao, who had suddenly developed an interest in the plant life around him.

    Tung Mei ignored Xiao Ting''s question and turned to Lei Yong, "Let''s go to the palace." And immediately turned to lead the way, but Lei Yong promptly stopped her and said, "It''s okay, forget it."

    Tung Mei eyed him suspiciously with an accusing gaze. He finally sighed and said, "I apologise." It appeared that he had poked a sore spot, he not only brought up her mother''s death but also called her a liar.

    Tung Mei studied him for a bit and then flatly commented, "It''s understandable. I might have done the same...I guess."

    Lei Yong scratched the back of his head feeling uncomfortable with the situation. He was not sure what else to say. He fixed his eyes on Xiao Ting who had been worriedly glancing back and forth between the two of them.

    Xiao Ting noticed Lei Yong looking at her and innocently blinked back at him wondering what he wanted. Lei Yong''s eyes then motioned to Tung Mei, who was narrowing her eyes at An Hao wondering what he was doing. He looked like a complete idiot scanning the ground for nothing.

    Xiao Ting finally got a clue and immediately latched on to Tung Mei''s arm and gently swung it, "Ying jie, why don''t we go back to the party? Or if you''re still unwell, I can take you to your room. I received some very interesting things today and you can open them~ Oh, yes! Hao ge~..." Xiao Ting glanced behind her and waved An Hao over.

    An Hao warily looked from Xiao Ting to Lei Yong, who was now frowning at him. He looked back at Xiao Ting''s smiling and waiting face, gave an awkward smile and sluggishly came over to her.

    Xiao Ting promptly opened the box and brought out the jade panda and excitedly showed it to Tung Mei and Lei Yong, "Hao ge made it!"

    An Hao almost got a heart attack when Tung Mei leisurely grabbed the jade panda with one hand to appraise it. But Lei Yong promptly arrested his attention when he menacingly bit out, "Hao ge?...Quite generous of you."

    An Hao looked off to the side as he said, "It was nothing." through a cough. This was getting uncomfortable. It was time for him to leave, but before he could bow out, Tung Mei handed over the panda back to Xiao Ting and asked, "You really like this?"

    Xiao Ting nodded as she stroked the head of the jade panda, "They''re very cute..."

    Tung Mei nodded and then reached into her sleeve and started searching. It was obvious she wanted to pull out something, most likely for Xiao Ting. But then she was taking an unnecessarily long time digging and her sleeve could not possibly be that deep. She was starting to look stupid too.

    Tung Mei flashed them an awkward smile and then turned away from them as she closed her eyes and continued digging in privacy.

    {...Panda. I can produce a panda too...Why can''t I find a good one?... Oh, okay, not bad. Perfect!...}

    Tung Mei finally turned around with a triumphant smile as she watched Xiao Ting inhale sharply in delight as she saw the object in Tung Mei''s hand. The other three blinked in surprise as well, they had never seen anything like that.

    The base looked like a rocky hill, with grassy green little beds up and down the hill, with baby pandas in various adorable positions on them. Then there was a glass casing the top of half of the hill, with a larger grass bed where a mother panda sitting, busy eating what looked like grass with two little ones playing by her legs. And the most mesmerizing thing was that it seemed to be snowing inside.

    "Is that snow? How?" Xiao Ting asked as she touched the glass.

    "Obviously not, it just looks that way...It''s called a snowglobe, shake it and it snows." Tung Mei said with a smile as she plucked the jade panda from Xiao Ting''s hands and replaced it with her snow globe. Then she plopped the jade panda in the box An Hao was still carrying.

    "Where did you get this?" Lei Yong asked as he touched the glass of the snow globe with raised eyebrows.

    An Hao, who was now pouting at his panda clearly being overshadowed mumbled, "And how did you carry it in your sleeve? It looks quite heavy."

    Tung Mei smiled and promptly responded, "I bought it at the merchant festival and yes, it was quite heavy." She said narrowing her eyes at An Hao with a victorious glint in her eyes.

    "They really do sell all sorts of strange things there." Lei Yong commented as he studied the snowglobe. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to go check out the merchant festival because he was too busy worrying about a certain missing person, who apparently did find the time to shop.

    An Hao knit his brows and mumbled under his breath, "Why didn''t I think of that?" He had gone there three days out of the seven. But he had been too busy trying out the unique snacks and buying recipes to have bothered about things like that.

    Tung Mei smiled, pleased with herself. She pat Xiao Ting''s head and said, "Enjoy your present~ I have plans, I''m leaving."

    Lei Yong immediately knit his brows and looked up at her, thinking that she was going to disappear again. Xiao Ting also promptly looked up from the snowglobe with puppy eyes then Tung Mei sighed and said, "I''ll be back tomorrow."

    Xiao Ting smiled and nodded, "En, I love the present! Thank you."

    Tung Mei smiled, sent a passing glare at Lei Yong and then sauntered off. He deserved some cold treatment for a bit. If she was too happy with him too soon, he would get suspicious of her. It was best to escape to give herself room to breathe.

    Today had been such a stressful day for Tung Mei. From Lei Xing to the old aunt and then to Lei Yong. She was exhausted. All this was honestly starting to feel suffocating.

    Lei Yong watched Tung Mei disappear around the corner and then sighed. He turned back to the trio before him and then his eyes focused on An Hao, who was now glancing from the snowglobe in Xiao Ting''s hands to his jade panda in the box. Obviously comparing them and his displeasure at being upstaged was palpable.

    An Hao did not expect that someone else would know of Xiao Ting''s love for the panda. After all, he had only told her about them recently and so he thought that his present was special. But now he wondered how many other pandas he had to compete with.

    "Xiao Ting, you should return to the garden, you''ve been gone too long." Lei Yong said and Xiao Ting immediately realized she did have a party to return to, "Ah, let''s go."

    "You go ahead." Lei Yong said. She blinked him and then looked at An Hao, who seemed to have resigned himself to Lei Yong.

    "Go on." Lei Yong repeated and then Xiao Ting nodded and then handed over the panda snowglobe to her maid and whispered, "Careful."

    Then Xiao Ting went over to An Hao, closed the box and then took it with a bright smile and sweetly said, "Thank you." An Hao instinctively smiled back at her. She chose to carry his panda herself. Therefore, he was clearly still the winner here.

    An Hao looked on with appreciation Xiao Ting left.

    {...Definitely a great person who knows the value of effort outweighs any novelties...Commendable, very commendable...as always...}

    As soon as Xiao Ting was out of sight, Lei Yong turned to An Hao, "What are you doing?"

    An Hao glanced at him and then faced forward and went, "What do you mean?"

    "Do you have feelings for my sister?" Lei Yong then bluntly asked with knit eyebrows, staring An Hao down.

    "NO. What gave you that idea?" An Hao promptly responded and then he frowned off to the side.

    {...Why does everyone keep saying that today? -_-)...}

    "Then what are you doing? You''re not only making food, but now you''ve turned into a craftsman. If this is some sort of game to you, end it. NOW." Lei Yong seriously said.

    "Of course it''s not a game." An Hao responded with a frown, but Lei Yong obviously was not convinced.

    An Hao sighed and explained, "It happened like this ..I came over to see you one day and there was an accident so - Oy, I just knocked her over, accidentally, don''t think nonsense!" He quickly clarified when Lei Yong frown intensified.

    "Anyway, I came over to apologize. She was nice enough to get the cooks to give me the snack recipes I wanted and so I reciprocated and shared some with her as well and so we became friends...She''s a very nice person." An Hao finished.

    Lei Yong let out an exasperated breath, "Exchanging recipes? An Hao, my sister is not a street vendor!"

    "Of course not! She''s much better than that...The jade panda was simply because food did not seem to be an appropriate gift for such an occasion. I may not know much about your nobleman rules, but I at least have the sense to know that." An Hao said looking at Lei Yong with a displeased and aggrieved expression.

    Lei Yong looked at him and sighed as he brought up a hand up and massaged his aching temple as he said under his breath, "It''s a wonder how someone could normally be so smart but yet so foolish at the same time."

    {...But Xiao Ting is also like that so I can''t really criticize him...But she grew up sheltered so she has an excuse...An Hao is just...beyond comprehension...}

    An Hao eyed Lei Yong and then frowned, "Oy, Lei Yong. It''s not a crime to be your sister''s friend. I had time and knew only a few people in the capital so I had little choice. I had thought of us as good friends and so extended the same courtesy to your family members. But If you''d like me to stop seeing her, you just have to say so. Anyway, I''m going to be very busy soon so it might be for the best...I will not be offended."

    An Hao honestly did not even believe his own words. He would definitely be offended, very offended.

    An Hao had never met someone whose likes aligned so much with his. He normally got made fun of when people found out about his great, borderline obsessive, interest in snacks. Since he was young, he had beaten up all the other boys and men who dared to tease him, except the stall owners whom he needed to get recipes from. They were the exception.

    He knew they all still laughed behind his back but he ignored them. As long as they did not bother him, he would not bother with them. And so Xiao Ting''s eager and happy reception was a breath of fresh air for him. She listened to him ramble about his recipes and adventures and she also really, really enjoyed eating snacks as well and this made him extremely happy. Even happier than when he made them for the Emperor.

    To be clear, An Hao really liked the Emperor but the Emperor was not someone to get enthusiastic about anything, much less about food. So he never got anything more than a nod and maybe a "good" from the Emperor. He also never ate more than a few bites of them. Snacks were really just not his thing but he indulged An Hao.

    An Hao appreciated all this but he could not help feeling a tiny bit disheartened by the muted response. But Xiao Ting was different, she shared in his excitement and gave commentary. Overall, she was just a better companion.

    What''s more, An Hao meant her absolutely no harm. And frankly, he would rather jump in front of a stray sword before he hurt Xiao Ting and would kill anyone he dared. Therefore, he honestly did not see any reason Lei Yong should be worried.

    But while he might not be happy with Lei Yong''s decision, he would respect it. And so An Hao waited with bated breath for Lei Yong''s response.

    Finally, Lei Yong let out a sigh and then narrowed his eyes at An Hao and quietly but menacingly said, "If you hurt my sister in any way, I will kill you. Emperor or not." and then he just stormed off, leaving a confused An Hao behind.

    {...Sooo...Is that a good ending or not?... And why would he bring my Emperor into it, he''s obviously innocent!... But is that a Yes or No? Hmmm, yes?...Definitely a yes~..}

    An Hao let out a relieved sigh as he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, "What a good day~" He said with a smile.

    Xiao Ting was happy with his present, Lei Yong was settled. He had accomplished a great deal and was tired so headed for the exit. But after just a few steps, he changed directions. Since he was here, he thought that he might as well stay a bit longer.

    He remembered seeing some interesting snacks that had not gotten eat yet. Moreover...He did not want Xiao Ting to think that he was scared off by Lei Yong or have any such unflattering notions about his person.

    After all, he was definitely not someone that could be easily scared off.

 Chapter 232 - Cloudy with a chance of Regret

    Prince Yi left the Lei manor completely irritated. He had been in a very bad mood since the day before because like always, the Emperor got in his way.

    There was also the fact that Haiyan had stood him up.

    Prince Yi had expected Haiyan''s backstabbing, which was why he had intended to be in a position to capture the maid Haiyan wanted to give himself leverage in their negotiations.

    He had inquired about the imprisoned maids and one stood out. The other two maids had already been in the palace for a few years, Chun Hua had only entered the palace in the last few months. Naturally, Chun Hua with her questionable background appeared to be the one.

    But then the Emperor had released the two maids but not Chun Hua and that gave Prince Yi pause. He knew the Emperor would have been investigating Lei Xing''s drugging and naturally investigating the maids was the first step.

    And if he could deduce that Chun Hua was suspicious in such a short time, then the Emperor was definitely aware.

    Prince Yi chose to tread more carefully and watch the situation before acting. He sent a few men to secretly follow Chen You''s carriage headed to Fen Li temple and to watch for any suspicious movements there. While he was sure that Chun Hua was the one, he wanted to cover all his bases.

    But then all his plans were brought to a halt when the Emperor released Chun Hua. He had men watching the palace gates for her and they watched her come out, but then watched a few tails follow behind her.

    He definitely could not try to capture Chun Hua now as it would be too troublesome. So he planned to offer up information to Haiyan. Moreover, provided they could successfully escape the capital and make it to a rendevous point along the way, Prince Yi was ready to offer some of his men to help protect them until they safely reach Zou kingdom.

    He was willing to offer this help to properly forge this alliance, and depending on the situation his men could capture Chun Hua and keep her hostage. And then he could be sure of Haiyan''s cooperation.

    But then Haiyan never came. And it was clear to Prince Yi that he had been discarded and it infuriated him.

    The last few months since the Emperor arrived have been hair-splitting for him. Time and time again, the Emperor kept getting in his way, destroyed his plans, turned his people against him and then gloated his victories before him to make everything worse.

    In the end, Prince Yi''s irritation and a nagging feeling of helplessness kept him up all night.

    Prince Yi found himself feeling listless and aimless again. Then the thought of Lei Xing somehow broke through his cloudy mind like a little ray of sunshine. But that light quickly snuffed out itself when he remembered that she had agreed to be his brother''s Empress.

    As impossible as it was, his mood worsened and he tried to push thoughts of her out of his mind.

    But the Emperor''s question during their brawl kept replaying in his mind and he wondered if he truly did have feelings for Lei Xing. He thought that she was beautiful, her personality was not exactly aligned with his tastes as he found it irritating whenever his concubines mouthed off even a little bit. He did not at all care for their opinions.

    But then it was odd, he liked the stubborn personality in Lei Xing, but if she were his he would have preferred she toned it down. But all in all, it was not offensive to be able to talk to a wife like a friend, he quite liked it.

    Then he remembered her running from a little snake and her adorably pouting and glaring at him and he found himself chuckling. He immediately caught himself and frowned. Then he let out an irritated breath then got up and went to bed, trying to put all the irritating thoughts out of his mind.

    But instead of sleeping, he found himself wondering if the Emperor would have truly given her to him if he had answered yes to the question. And then he laid there with an increasingly powerful twinge of regret.

    If the Emperor had not stopped her then during the selection...She would have been his. He would have made sure of it. But it was too late now, he repeatedly told himself as he tried to put thoughts of her out of his mind.

    In the end, he still got up and made his way to the Lei manor...Just so he could see her.

    Prince Yi had the same thoughts now as his carriage rolled on. But this time, he could not help laughing in anger as he thought of the Emperor''s hypocritical behavior.

    {...He didn''t want her at first but then changed his mind after rejecting her...He wanted to give her to me one day, but then the next day he makes her his Empress. What a joke!...}

    Now that Prince Yi thought about it the Emperor must have decided to keep Lei Xing just so he could not have her.

    He regretted talking to her during the selection, he should have kept silent and ignored her like he did the others. If he had not shown interest in her, then the Emperor would have had no reason to suddenly want her.

    Prince Yi scowled as he remembered how Lei Xing pushed him away that night and how she slapped his hand off today when he had barely even touched her. But yet, she did nothing when the Emperor touched her as he liked just so he could put on a show him before him.

    Nothing had changed, the Emperor got everything he wanted, while he was left wanting. Prince Yi fisted his hands in anger at the Emperor...at life, at everything.

    {...What was I expecting in wanting to see her?...}

    He had come there for her, but she had clearly not come for him and it was infuriating.

    ****

    The Emperor escorted Lei Xing to her palace and then told her to get ready to go greet the Empress dowager. Naturally, Lei Xing was reluctant but the Emperor quickly reassured her that she had nothing to worry about, gave her a quick kiss and promptly left her.

    Xiao Ruo then came over to inform Lei Xing that her bath was waiting. It was now obvious to Lei Xing that the Emperor had specifically come to get her so she could get over with this annoyance.

    Lei Xing sighed and begrudgingly dragged her feet.

    {... I''m going to have to see her sooner or later, might as well get it over with...Also, won''t be alone either, there''ll be an entire entourage, plenty of human shields available hahaha...ha -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing absentmindedly went through the motions, she really was not keen on this visit but she had no choice. Honestly, if bowing today could make it so she and the Empress dowager could peacefully co-exist then she would happily bow.

    Although she doubted a bow would be enough to make the Empress dowager happy, the woman just tried to kill her again a few days ago. And she looked so excited about it too.

    Lei Xing sighed as she was getting her hair done. She could not understand how out of everyone, she seemed to have offended this woman so much. Lei Xing sighed again as she thought of the Emperor.

    {...I guess they come as a package deal, heaven and hell...How wonderful -_-)''...}

    Just as she was finishing up her makeup, a maid came to inform her that the Emperor was waiting for her in her reception hall. Lei Xing wondered why he did not just come to her room but as soon as she arrived there she understood.

    The Minister of Rites was waiting with the Emperor, just two of them and with none of the other officials from the day before.

    The Emperor smiled at Lei Xing as she walked over to him and then he turned to the Minister of Rites and curtly said, "We''re all set, let''s proceed." He said taking Lei Xing''s hand and leading the way to the Empress dowager''s palace, with the Minister of Rites following behind them.

    The Emperor had suddenly sent for the Minister of Rites and then ordered that he wanted to conduct a most basic bowing ceremony involving the Empress dowager and that the Minister alone was sufficient witness.

    This was not the usual practice so the Minister did try to advise the Emperor but the Emperor told him he had decided it. And so here he was alone, he did not need to be told that the Empress dowager was not pleased with the Emperor''s choice. There was no other reason for the Emperor to behave this way.

    The Minister of Rites let out a lamenting sigh, this wedding was definitely not going to be easy.

    Lei Xing, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. The Emperor''s presence should be able to keep the Empress dowager under control as she could not order the Emperor about as she liked so it was impossible for her to get Lei Xing alone again. Not that Lei Xing would ever allow herself to be alone with the crazy woman. But the Emperor''s presence just made it so there will be less chance for conflict.

    It was best for the Emperor to handle his own mother. At the very least, she wouldn''t try to kill her own son, right? After all, he was also her only lifeline at the moment.

    Therefore, the Emperor was the best human shield available against Empress dowager. Still, Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Why can''t we all just get along? T_T)...}

 Chapter 233 - Lost Causes

    The Empress dowager frowned as she saw the Emperor come in with Lei Xing.

    She had been notified earlier by a small official under the Minister of Rites that Lei Xing would be coming over to receive her blessings. Like Lei Xing, she begrudgingly got ready.

    She had thought things over and she had been too direct with the Emperor, she should have expressed her discontent with a cool head, hidden her displeasure and then settled things quietly. If she was nice and accepting, she would naturally have easier access to the "problem".

    Therefore, to keep up proper appearances, she was going to "happily" receive Lei Xing and then privately deliver her blessings later. But then the Emperor''s sudden appearance beside Lei Xing threw her off-balance and she found herself seething with renewed anger as she watched them bow in front of her.

    The Empress dowager fixed her glare on the Emperor. She was still reeling over his disappointing behavior, but here he came parading in front of her with the problem, showing off his error.

    After they greeted the Empress dowager, the Minister of Rites informed, "Your majesty, as per custom, your daughter-in-law has come to pay her respects and seek your guidance and blessings for the future."

    "Is that what this is?" The Empress dowager asked narrowing her eyes at the Emperor, who looked back at her mirroring her expression.

    {... Is that supposed to be a warning?... Since he wants it to be this way, then he leaves me no choice...}

    It was obvious to the Empress dowager that the Emperor had left out the entourage to further show how irrelevant he viewed her to be. The Empress dowager condescendingly looked at Lei Xing and then got up and walked down as she said, "Since you have asked for my guidance, then giving it is naturally what I should do."

    The Empress dowager stopped at the bottom of the steps and then looked Lei Xing over and then said, "So you are the one who wants to be Empress..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the Empress dowager, who ignored him and kept her eyes focused on Lei Xing. Lei Xing looked at her with apprehension and then gave her a polite smile and respectfully bowed her head.

    {...Okay, I sense some, maybe a lot, of sarcasm there but not a bad start...I guess -_-)''...}

    "It is good to be young and beautiful..." The Empress dowager commented as she watched Lei Xing straighten up with a strained smile.

    That comment was clearly an insult or at least that''s what it felt like to Lei Xing, who lowered her eyes to avoid glaring at the Empress dowager.

    {...And it would be great if you could be old and tolerable ?_?)...You clearly don''t need curse words to spew venom. Let''s just not pretend to be friends here and just move this along please -_-)...}

    The Minister of Rites smiled and nodded, this was going a lot better than he expected, he bowed towards Lei Xing and said, "Noble consort Lei, you ma-"

    "Did I say I was finished?" The Empress dowager menacingly cut in with an irritated frown at the minister. The Minister of Rites immediately bowed his head in apology and went mute.

    The Empress dowager then narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing, "Do you think you are fit to be Empress?"

    Lei Xing was taken aback by the question, she was not expecting to have to be interviewed for the role after technically getting the job.

    But before she could begin to forge a response, the Emperor cut in and said, "If I deem her fit, then she is fit. Regardless, that is not what we are here for." The Emperor swiftly responded narrowing his eyes back at the Empress dowager.

    "Nonsense! As your mother and the Empress dowager, I am entitled to the right to advice to the next generation, or would you deny me that right too? You may forsake your duty, but I shall not!" The Empress dowager scolded.

    The Emperor frowned and swiftly responded in a cold voice, "Advice is one thing, undue criticism is another."

    "The Empress is the Mother of the nation, a pillar of the country! If she can''t even speak with her own mouth, how is she fitting?!" The Empress dowager angrily responded back, she then switched her attention to the Minister of Rites and calmly went, "Isn''t that right, Minister of Rites? Am I wrong in wanting to guide the next generation?" She innocently asked raising her eyebrows at him.

    The Minister of Rites glanced up at her and then bowed his head.  He had thought too soon, this was exactly the kind of situation he was dreading. Beads of cold sweat started forming on his forehead as he sifted through his mind for an appropriate response that would offend neither party here, "Replying to the Empress dowager, this...ah...this..."

    "Hmph!" The Empress dowager irritatedly went as she turned her gaze to Lei Xing and her smiled grew strained, "What do you think? I remember you had a lot of words to say during the selection. Why aren''t you speaking now or has lazing around in the palace for so long made you go mute?"

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes but she bowed her head and politely responded, "It is naturally the duty of the elders to guide the young..."

    "Smart. See, she understands." The Empress dowager smugly said with a mocking smile at the Emperor, who looked off to the side and let out an irritated breath. He was still very much affected by their earlier encounter and he had no patience for his mother''s antics at the moment.

    "Since you understand, then answer the question." The Empress dowager ordered, but then she did not give Lei Xing a chance to respond as she immediately glared at the Emperor and continued on, "How can she think to be Empress if she is always hiding behind someone else?"

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...This woman -_-)''...So much for getting along...}

    "I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself." Lei Xing cooly said with her head held high, commanding the Empress dowager''s attention, she returned her glare back to Lei Xing with narrowed eyes.

    Lei Xing was unfazed by her death stare and looked at her squarely and continued, "...And I believe I am fit to be Empress. I accede that the position of Empress is a grand and important position that cannot be taken up lightly. But rather than someone who is a blind rush with actions and words, a person with level-headed calmness is much more suited to hold such an important position, after all, the stability of a nation is at stake. A person with a volatile nature can easily bring down a nation. Calmer minds prevail an -"

    "Volatile - Are you speaking of me?!" The Empress dowager interjected in utter disbelief as she glared at Lei Xing.

    {...Well, if the shoe fits...Glad you''re still sane enough to have a guilty conscience -_-)...}

    Lei Xing quickly bowed her head and said, "Of course not, Your majesty. I was referring to the position of Empress. You are the Empress dowager...So naturally different rules will apply..." Lei Xing finished with a polite smile.

    {...Yeah, and by different rules, I mean no rules at all, because apparently you people can be insane...I don''t know if it''s the stress of being in the palace or what it is, but the majority of you just seem to be insane or borderline!...}

    The Empress dowager blinked at Lei Xing and then started to take deep breaths to control her emotions. She clearly heard the mocking tone in Lei Xing''s voice.

    {...Different rules?...}

    The Empress dowager knit her brows still trying to decipher Lei Xing''s words. No matter how she thought about it, it was clearly an insult. But before she could speak up again, the Emperor calmly ordered, "Xing er'' make your bow." With a satisfied smile on his face. He was greatly pleased with Lei Xing''s response.

    Lei Xing nodded towards him but before she could begin, the Empress dowager barked, "No! I am NOT finished! How is she fit to be Empress?! She has even been taking birth control all this time! That is clearly a disservice to the throne that needs to be punis-"

    "I ordered it." The Emperor promptly explained away with a frown. He had instructed for that to be kept silent but obviously someone did not care much for their lives anymore.

    "How can you be this foolish?! She can''t bear your child but she can be your Empress? How can you justify that?!" The Empress dowager angrily barked as she glared at Lei Xing. If looks could kill, hers was definitely ripping Lei Xing to shreds.

    "Xing er'', make your bow." The Emperor repeated again, more sternly. He was done arguing with the Empress dowager.

    Lei Xing who had been frozen by the Empress dowager''s mention of the contraception, regained her senses when the Emperor called her name. She did not at all expect the contraception issue to be brought up in this discussion. She very well could not expect the Empress dowager to patiently hear out her reasoning and then nod her head in understanding.

    {...Definitely impossible. She''s already ready to kill me for it...}

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor and he motioned to the ground and she proceeded to comply. But again, before she could even begin, the Empress dowager barked, "I will not accept this bow! NEVER!"

    "Xing er'', bow." The Emperor ordered again and he stared the Empress dowager down. Lei Xing awkwardly complied and kowtowed to the ground as the Empress dowager glared daggers at the Emperor.

    "Useless!" The Empress dowager bit out and then stormed off. Song mama who had been quietly standing by the Empress dowager''s main seat the entire time immediately ran after her.

    Lei Xing sat back on her knees and let out a silent sigh.

    {...How did this woman even find out about it?... Well, I guess it wasn''t exactly a secret but...will this really cause trouble?...}

    "Xing er''." The Emperor called and Lei Xing snapped out of it to see his outstretched hand in front of her. Lei Xing let out another silent sigh as she took his hand and stood up.

    The Emperor gently stroked her hand and gave her a reassuring smile, Lei Xing returned a half-smile and then looked away, bothered.

    The Emperor then turned to the Minister of Rites, who had been trying to make his presence as small as possible the whole time. "You have your bow. As for the unimportant details..." The Emperor left the words hanging...

    And the Minister of Rites promptly finished them, "Naturally unimportant details remain unimportant, not worth mentioning." He said with a nervous smile and bow.

    The Emperor nodded and then said, "I believe there will be no problems with the rest of the arrangements..."

    "Of course all will go well. Your majesty is the son of heaven. Your wedding is of utmost importance. Naturally, all will proceed smoothly..." The Minsiter of Rites finished with a deep bow.

    "Then I leave it all in your capable hands..." The Emperor said and then walked off taking Lei Xing with him. As soon as they left the room, the Minister of Rites let out a deep sigh, this encounter was tiring for the aging man. He wiped his sweat from his brow and then slowly made his way out.

    {...I pray this wedding proceeds smoothly...For the sake of my own health...}

 Chapter 234 - Irrational Depths

    As soon as Lei Xing arrived back at her palace, she went straight to her room, sat down, put her hands on the table and cradled her aching head. The Empress dowager was now more than ever, a depressing factor in her new life.

    The Emperor who had lingered outside issuing some orders finally sauntered in. He smiled when he saw her like that, walked over and then sat next to her. Then he proceeded to pour a cup of tea which he placed in front of her and then he went on to warmly pat her back, "There''s nothing to worry about...You did very well."

    Lei Xing raised her head and upon seeing his smiling face, she frowned, "What are you smiling about? Your mother hates me and she''s definitely going to cause trouble..."

    "As I''ve told you, her approval is irrelevant. There isn''t much she can do anyway, just ignore her..." The Emperor reassured as he took one of her hands, still smiling.

    Lei Xing was not convinced and did not find his words reassuring at all, "What about -" She paused and her frown deepened, then she let out an irritated breath and pressed on with the uncomfortable subject, "What if she tries to stir up trouble with this whole contraception thing? I mean, I guess stopping would fix that, but even then -" Lei Xing stopped again and let out another exasperated breath and rubbed her forehead as she closed her eyes in thought.

    {...This is such a crap situation! >_

    On hearing Lei Xing''s words, the Emperor froze. He quickly thawed out and immediately asked with some excitement, "Do you want to then?"

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and looked at him, "Want to what?" The fact that he did not seem to be taking this threat as seriously was a bit irritating to her.

    The Emperor blinked at her, hesitated and then simply said, "Stop?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion and then raised her eyebrows and blinked back at him as she realized what he was referring to. She just realized that she voiced out a bit too much of her thoughts.

    {...I mean I could, but...Aren''t you asking too much too soon though? One day, we finally start sleeping together, the next day you want me to be Empress and today you want to have a child...Aren''t you going too fast? This isn''t a speed-family life or anything like that... Give me a bit of room to breathe and come to terms with one reality before jumping to the next >_

    Before Lei Xing could find the least painful words to employ in dashing the hope in his eyes, the Emperor lightly continued the conversation, "There is nothing to be worried about on that issue either, even if the news spread, the court will ignore it. On one side you have your father''s faction who would not want to advertise the issue for your sake...and on the other side, there''s Prime minister Zhao and the relatives of the other women in the harem who would celebrate the news. With both sides wanting to keep this news irrelevant, how could it possibly start trouble?"

    Lei Xing sighed in relief, happy that he got a clue and saved her the struggle and dropped the subject. She could not have hurting him weighing on her conscious at the moment. She was very glad for his understanding and so she circled her arms around his waist and hugged him, putting her head on his chest. She let out a breath and then very quietly said, "Thank you..."

    {...How she had this patient and understanding soul as a son is a mystery beyond human understanding -_-)...}

    The Emperor smiled and wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair in a soothing manner. Lei Xing closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She opened her eyes and blankly stared at his chest as she focused on the warm hand stroking her back. He always seemed to be trying to soother her...and a somewhat disconcerting thought crept into Lei Xing''s mind.

    {...What about him?... Am I soothing to him?...}

    Lei Xing frowned, she did not perceive herself to be a soothing person. Frankly, she knew herself to be quite the self-centered individual.

    Lei Xing''s frowned deepened, feeling even more unhappy. She let out a sigh and then sat up, looked at the Emperor and then asked, "So she''s powerless?"

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows, displeased with the separation but then he nodded and said, "Her power is hollow and she has no allies."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then nodded. Then she turned to the table and picked up her cup of tea with knit eyebrows and then let out a breath and mumbled under her breath, "So I only have to worry about poisoning then...great." She sarcastically made a little toast to the air and drank.

    The Emperor, who is always paying attention to her obviously heard her mumble and picked on her meaning. He immediately grabbed her arm with a frown, "She tried to poison you?"

    Lei Xing looked at him with raised eyebrows and went, "Hmmm...I believe so." Was the only thing she could manage in response.

    "Why didn''t you tell me?!" The Emperor irritatedly asked in a loud voice which made Lei Xing jump a little in surprise. The Emperor never shouted, at least not at her. Not even when they were arguing.

    But the Emperor was taken aback by Lei Xing''s absolute lack of concern over her own safety. How could she hide something so important from him?

    "It happened a long time and I couldn''t be sure..." Lei Xing explained with knit eyebrows and a mini pout in his direction.

    {...Not to mention we weren''t even friends then...You were also always interrogating me over one thing or the other, how could I have brought such grand accusations to you. I''m not stupid ?_?)...}

    The Emperor calmed down a little with that and then pressed on, "When was this?"

    "Well, the first time was my first day in her palace for those "study sessions". I didn''t drink it but she seemed very disappointed though..."

    "You pretended to be ill..." The Emperor said recalling reading a report about her collapsing in the Empress dowager''s palace during that time period.

    Lei Xing gave a nervous laugh and refilled her cup of tea and leisurely sipped it.

    {...Hahaha I am not going to cop to a crime... We''re good bit it''s a matter of principle, sticking to the story... Therefore, it remains that I was ill...}

    Although even if the Empress dowager did find out about the lie, she really could not jump at Lei Xing''s throat as she liked anymore and Lei Xing knew that.

    And of course, Lei Xing did not think that the Emperor would go tattle to the Empress dowager. But she just could not bring herself to affirm his suspicions. But she did not deny it, which was technically a silent agreement.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor, who seemed to be deep in thought with his eyebrows knit. Thinking about it now, she had technically lied to the Emperor quite a lot over the last few months.

    {...Well, I never really lied...I said I don''t remember - the brain doesn''t remember so that''s clearly memory loss right there. I also told him the truth about the bracelet and the ring...Okay, maybe I gave half-truths on all those things, but I gave the truth nonetheless...Therefore, there''s nothing wrong with that...Shut up, there''s everything wrong with that -_-)...}

    Lei Xing looked off to the side, feeling an odd sense of embarrassment.

    {...It''s not like he tells me everything...But then again, I never ask...But then again, he should ask more specific questions...-_-)...I''m a horrible person. How the hell is he supposed to kno-...}

    "And the other times?" The Emperor finally spoke up again, bringing Lei Xing out of her self-criticizing session.

    "Well, I''m not really sure about this time either. It was just about two weeks or so after the first time...She seemed fixated on me drinking a pot of tea, so much so that she even alluded to the fact that she would consider it an insult to her person and punish me if I did not drink. I presented as she wanted but then she seemed to seemed disappointed after and then she irritatedly dismissed us...Suffice to say, I do not understand your mother..." Lei Xing irritatedly said remembering the tiring incident, "Anyway, it''s just those two times. I don''t have any evid-"

    Lei Xing swallowed the rest of her words when the Emperor suddenly enveloped her in a crushing bear hug.

    "You should have told me." The Emperor quietly said after a bit.

    "W-well...I didn''t know you then...Moreover, I had no evidence and she''s your mother so...It was a bit of a scary process." Lei Xing awkwardly said as she put her hands on his back, hugging him back.

    The Emperor promptly took her shoulders and held her away so he could look into her eyes as he sternly said with a frown, "You should never feel afraid to tell me anything..."

    Lei Xing skeptically looked at him and then awkwardly went, "Okaay..."

    "I mean it." The Emperor said with his frown deepening, he could clearly see the skepticism in her eyes, she did not even seem to try to hide it. "I will always be on your side."

    "Okay, I understand. I will naturally tell you if anything like this happens in the future. Thank you." Lei Xing said with a smile, feeling awkward. She took his hands from her shoulders and holding them.

    The Emperor sighed and stared at their joined hands. He had been reckless. When he saw his mother again after he ascended the throne, she appeared to have changed. She seemed to be calm and at peace with herself and her circ.u.mstances. So he had thought that she had put the habits from the past behind her. Or maybe that he had simply hoped that she had...He wanted her to be better, to simply enjoy living life peacefully.

    But apparently she did not want that and it was all a facade that was slowly breaking apart.

    The Emperor sighed again and then said, "I''m sorry. Do not go to the Empress dowager''s palace anymore. If she has a problem with that, she can come to me."

    Lei Xing blinked. She did not expect this kind of response.

    {...Don''t go there? Sure! I never wanted to be there in there first...but that might just be counterproductive in the grand scheme of things...}

    "Isn''t that a bit much though? I mean, wouldn''t it just make her hate me more? Today was already -" Lei Xing knit her brows and let out a breath.

    "Staying away from her is best. My mother is..." The Emperor let out a breath and then continued, "...has always been very adept in poisons, the poisons she makes can even escape detection. I would rather not risk you..." The Emperor then brought a hand up and caressed her cheek and with a weak smile he added, "It''s better if she comes after me."

    "Comes after you?" Lei Xing exclaimed, blinking at him removing his hand from her face, "She wouldn''t poison you...I mean, you''re her only child, that would be insanely fooli -" LeiXing paused when she saw the Emperor frown and look down as his hold on her hands tightened.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then asked in utter disbelief, "She''s tried to poison you before?... Why?" Lei Xing was completely confused with this revelation. If she killed the Emperor then she would have nothing. It was one thing if he already had an heir, then, in theory, the Emperor was no longer needed for her to maintain her status and power. For someone like her who seemed to be power-crazy, it made absolutely no sense.

    {...This crazy witch...If she can kill him then -...then she''s the burn the house down with everyone and her in it kind of crazy! The "let''s all die together" kind of crazy! The worst kind of crazy! Ahhhhhh, this is definitely going to be troublesome T_T)...}

    The Emperor let out another breath, this was an exhausting tale for him. One he had never told anyone. Even after what she had done to him then, he still could not help protecting his mother.

    The crimes that trapped her in the cold palace were already grave enough. He knew that if what she had done to him was ever brought to light, it would have sealed her fate and it would have been hard for her to avoid death.

    Even if the late Emperor still spared her, he would not have been able to keep her at the palace anymore. And the moment she left the palace, her enemies would have killed her. So he kept silent.

    Although the Emperor believed that his father likely knew what she had done. His father would have been informed by the Imperial physician that he showed signs of poisoning but yet his father announced that he was ill and never looked into the matter.

    His father never even asked him while he never bothered to tell.

    But today, he had someone he trusted, someone who comforted his heart, body, and soul. Someone he loved... So today, he finally felt comfortable enough to finally recount this tale, the story he kept closest to his heart.

    "It was a long time ago, when I was still a child..."

 Chapter 235 - Hello from the "Other side"

    The Emperor''s words brought Lei Xing''s mind back to reality. He lightly squeezed her hands and continued on, "Whenever she and my father would have a falling out...She would poison and use my illness as an excuse to mend the broken bridge..."

    The Emperor sighed as he remembered what life with his parents was like, "My mother, the Empress dowager is and has always been a complicated person, a troubled one...A pitiful one...and my father was a..." He knit his brows as he struggled for words to describe his father and finally settled, "...a calculated person."

    Lei Xing knit her brows, unsure how to respond to the new sensitive topic. She thought for a bit, and then lightly squeezed his hands and asked, "Did your father know?..."

    The Emperor was quiet for a bit before responding with a frown, "He knew...He should have known. But perhaps, he didn''t care to know..."

    "Or maybe he believed that she would never actually kill me...After all, I was important to her - No, what I represented was important...It may sound stupid, but I believed this as well...until I was shown otherwise."

    The Emperor let out a tired breath, he felt drained just talking about this. But since he had begun, he would continue, "She was different that day...or maybe I just saw her for the first time, I truly saw how deeply broken she was...She was hysterical...much like she was the day she strangled you..." The Emperor looked up at Lei Xing and she blankly stared at him, holding his stare and her breath.

    Lei Xing felt as if he was looking past her, that her eyes had simply become a mirror to the past. She did not know why, but she got the feeling that she should not move as if the illusion would shatter if she did and take him along with it. And so she stayed still for him.

    After a bit, the Emperor finally looked back down at their hands and continued, "I was never trapped there with her, I could have left at any time...I should have left after being warned the first time. Even if I did not know what was in it, I knew it came with pain..."

    "... Even when I was warned...I still drank it because I believed she would never kill me because she needed me. The pain would be temporary, it was a necessary means to the end she wanted, the end we both wanted. Therefore, I could endure."

    "But then that day, when I was told I would die... I couldn''t bring myself to drink it...I was scared, I didn''t want to die. Like a coward." The Emperor said with a little mocking laugh.

    Lei Xing frowned and defended him, "Fear is a natural response...You were right to be scared, you had reason to be. People who lack fear are just brave idiots and they usually don''t live long. You need to live long...and you need fear to be successful at that." Lei Xing awkwardly comforted.

    The Emperor smiled up at her and then looked away and continued, "She forced it down my throat all the while ranting about how this was necessary, a way for me to be useful. Because I was nothing but a tool meant to be used... if I couldn''t be useful, then I meant nothing...And perhaps I still mean nothing now, even when I''ve achieved so much."

    Lei Xing frowned and because she could not think of any words, she hugged him tight and then managed to scramble for some words together, "You mean a lot more than she does...You said it yourself, she''s irrelevant and you''re not. Irrelevant people should remain irrelevant."

    The Emperor smiled and pat Lei Xing''s head and hugged her back, feeling warmth enveloping his heart, "The strangest thing happened that day...It might sound crazy, you did call it crazy..." The Emperor said with a light chuckle as he remembered one of his earliest conversations with Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing knit her brows as she tried to recall what he was talking about, but nothing came to mind. The Emperor continued, "A voice saved my life..."

    Lei Xing immediately sat up and looked at him wide-eyed, "What?"

    The Emperor smiled at her stunned expression, he had expected a reaction like this. After all, she had called the very notion of it crazy and he knew her to be quite the skeptic. He pat her head and with a smile he continued, "As crazy as it sounds, it really happened. An unseen voice entity urged me to escape and guided me to the main hall, to salvation. Without that help...I would have probably withered there in the cold palace surrounded by the sounds of my mother''s hysterical laughter..."

    Lei Xing finally recovered from her shock and she asked, "Um, I''m sorry...you said you heard a voice...in your head?" She asked for confirmation.

    The Emperor nodded, "Like you, I thought it impossible. I disregarded it as my imagination and forgot about it. But then a few years later it happened again when I joined the war. This time it tried to warn me about a trap laid for me. Again, I disregarded it and the consequences were quite severe. I almost died again...It did not come often, but whenever it did, I made sure to listen to it after that incident..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought and looked down.

    {...Well, it''s definitely not crazy anymore...He hears a voice too? No, I hear a bracelet - No, I hear that quack soo...O_O)...It wouldn''t be that old quack, would it? Could it?... I smell a freaking dead old rat (?_? )...}

    The Emepror looked at Lei Xing''s face and hesitated, but then he carefully said, "Actually, it...it was the reason I chose you that day after you failed the selection..."

    Lei Xing went wide-eyed again and this time her mouth hung open. She was completely taken aback. The Emperor looked at her expression and quickly clarified, "My feelings for you are completely real and have nothing to do with it. I just w-"

    "Forget feelings, what do you mean it was the reason?" Lei Xing interjected with a frown.

    The Emperor knit his brows, a bit offended but he could understand her reaction. "Well...It told me to stop you from leaving or that I would come to regret it. And so I stopped you..."

    Lei Xing looked at him, wide-eyed, open her mouth and then closed it. Then she removed her hands from his and covered her face.

    {...What the- ?! It''s definitely that crazy quack now, it has to be...Ohh, so it''s a long-running joke, huh?... What the hell am I supposed to do with this piece of information?! What the hell is wrong with today?! >_

    The Emperor panicked seeing Lei Xing like this, he held her arms and quickly continued to explain his stance, "Xing er'', at that time, I was confused as to what you could possibly do to make me regret letting you leave the palace. But now I understand, I would truly regret not having you in my life...Please don''t be upset..." He finished as he gently rubbed her arms.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and removed her hands from her face. The Emperor was relieved to see that she was not crying and was ready to change the subject since it upset her. But then contrary to his expectations, Lei Xing pursued it by asking, "What did it sound like? Describe it."

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Well...Now that I''m thinking about it, it sounds like...I can''t say. I don''t remember...No, I don''t think I ever knew. I know when I hear it and can identify it when I do, but then thinking about what it sounds like, there''s nothing...It is quite odd, but the entire thing is odd, as you put it, crazy."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and glared at the bracelet on her wrist. It was the same with the bracelet. After Doctor Lou outed himself today, she had felt incredibly foolish. But after thinking about it, she had to conclude that it was not really her fault.

    No matter how she thought about it, she did not remember the bracelet sounding like Doctor Lou ever. This fact she was certain of. It did not even sound like him when he talked through it right across from her.

    She had initially suspected that he did something to mask his voice to make it "more fun" but then it had been that way since she picked it up. So she decided it must be something close to a network or wiring issue with the bracelet.

    But now that the Emperor also said all this and to her, it really could not be this coincidental.

    {...And I''m not even shocked anymore -_-)''...}

    It was quite convenient that the Emperor could not remember what his voice sounded like. If he did and it was Doctor Lou, then the Emperor would have come to realize this when they met. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at the Emperor and tried a different angle, "Did h- IT ask you to make me Empress by any chance?"

    "No." The Emperor swiftly responded with knit eyebrows and then worried that Lei Xing would doubt him, he expounded, "It had no interest in that. I confirmed it. I had thought that it put the thought of asking to be Empress in my head during the competition, but it denied it and said it did not care about it at all...Making you Empress was my decision and mine alone. Xing er'', this voice has absolutely nothing to do with my feelings for you. Th-.."

    "I get that part..." Lei Xing dismissively waved away his profession of love and continued her inquiry, "What did h- IT say it wants me here for then?"

    The Emperor smiled and a little blush crept into his cheeks, "A companion, mine...It said we were the perfect pair. It knows things and so must have known we were perfect for each other even before we did..." The Emperor said gently taking her hands and caressing them.

    Lei Xing gave a quiet sarcastic laugh and looked off to the side, completely unamused.

    {...Oh, it''s because you don''t know what I know...because if you knew what I knew, you would be thinking that we were being played with by a bored old man who apparently chose me as his entertainment project of the year the moment I walked into his shop! >_

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Wait...but that doesn''t really make sense...}

    The Emperor had just told her that he had been hearing a voice since he was a child and it had saved his life numerous times. The Emperor''s voice also stated it did not care about her being Empress. Moreover, the Emperor did not have any objects that he carried or wore on his person all the time. If he did, she would definitely know about it.

    {...There''s no necklace, definitely no bracelet, no ring, no earrings, no ankle bracelet....and definitely no piercings anywhere...And the whole Empress thing too was all that quack seemed to want...sooo maybe not?...Then, is it really just a coincidence...No, it can''t be...}

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened as she stared at her wrist where the bracelet rested.

    {...I''m really starting to feel more and more like the butt of some stupid ass joke -_-)''...}

 Chapter 236 - Conflicting Loyalties

    The Emperor watched Lei Xing''s increasingly unhappy expression and his bad mood started to resurface again. He had not considered that this issue would have upset Lei Xing so much.

    But now that he was confronted with it, he could understand how this revelation could be upsetting to her and how it could cast some doubts on their relationship. And the last thing he wanted was to give Lei Xing any reason to withdraw into her shell again.

    So he tried to reassure her again, "Xing er'', there''s nothing to worry about regarding this matter...It''s just..." He paused and knit his brows, as he thought of words to explain away this revelation and to pacify her with.

    But before he could find his words, Lei Xing looked up and waved it away, "It''s fine." Then she leaned forward and seriously asked, "Do you...by any chance, have any ornaments or jewelry you always wear or carry on your person? Something you''ve had with you since you were a child...You know, since that incident?"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows at her, it was an odd question, but he thought about it and responded, "No."

    Lei Xing thought again and then rephrased the question, "Any keepsakes you''ve had since you were a child?"

    "No."

    lei Xing knit her brows in thought.

    {...Then what could it be..his hair? Or his - *cough* obviously not, I can''t believe I just thought of that, I am horrible! Crazy! >_

    "Why are you asking those questions?" The Emperor asked with slightly knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then decided to respond with some honesty, this way she may be able to make progress in this discussion.

    So she said, "Well, it''s just this whole voice thing is quite fascinating and I was thinking that...Um, I read it in a book once, a long time ago, about something like this happening. I naturally assumed it was just a story but hearing about your case now I remembered it...Anyway, the character in the book experienced the same things as you but, this voice entity was linked to a stone the character carried with him...So I was wondering if you had a stone of some sort..."

    "You found it in a book? What book?" The Emperor swiftly asked with keen interest. He had tried to find answers but had never found any clues.

    "Oh, I, unfortunately, don''t remember. I just know that I''ve heard about it before...I''m sorry..." Lei Xing apologetically responded and then she continued on to ask, "So do you have a stone or something else that you''ve always had around you during these -...odd incidents?"

    The Emperor let out a disappointed breath as he remembered her memory loss. It was truly unfortunate. He knit his brows in thought and then shook his head, "Nothing of the sort."

    Lei Xing let out her own disappointed breath and then looked back down. She was mentally exhausted, it had been too long of a day.

    {...So maybe not the quack then?... But then what is it? And what are the freaking odds of this?... No, I''m sure he definitely knows a thing or two about this...One said perfect pair and the other gave me some crap about similar energies and stuff. He would definitely know -_-)...}

    The Emperor studied Lei Xing for a bit and then he went, "Xing er''..."

    "En?" Lei Xing absentmindedly responded without even looking up.

    The Emperor was silent for a bit, still studying her and then he bluntly asked, "Do you know more about this? You seem to be holding back..."

    Lei Xing momentarily went rigid and then looked up at him with a blank expression.

    Rather than give her a chance to dismiss his words, the Emperor spoke up first, "...I''ll be honest, I''ve always thought you were somehow linked to it. Simply because things with you have always seemed to be...different -" He paused and let out a sigh.

    "...I would not be shocked or at all bothered if you told me you had ties to it... I wouldn''t think you or it have any ill intent so you have nothing to be worried about. Tell me what you know..." The Emperor calmly expressed looking at Lei Xing with a leveled gaze.

    Lei Xing stared back at him for a bit, gauging the situation. She could see from his demeanor that he seemed to be on to her. She must have been too eager in her questioning and too disappointed with his poor responses.

    {...I mean anyone with a brain would figure something was up with that sort of behavior...I even pulled out a freaking questionnaire, so dumb (?��??)...}

    He had opened up to her a lot and it probably was not easy for him. Lei Xing could feel the pressure now. If she lied now, she felt their newly budding relationship will take a huge hit. And frankly, she felt it was disrespectful to lie to him given how forthcoming he was with his secrets.

    But at the same time, as annoying as Doctor Lou was sometimes, he nevertheless helped Lei Xing, even saved her life on a few occasions, kept her secrets and aided her. Therefore, it did not feel right for her to simply rat him out like this either.

    Especially, when she did not know what the full facts of the situation were. He might have a good reason for keeping the Emperor in the dark or it might not even be him. She just did not feel comfortable jumping the gun and simply exposing his secrets like this.

    Moreover, all she had were suspicions. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, this was truly a dilemma.

    She continued to hesitate for a while and the Emperor patiently waited. Finally, Lei Xing sighed and awkwardly admitted, "I am not sure...I think I might know something...No, I think I might know someone who does but...I can''t be sure. So how about I talk to them and then I...could get back to you?"

    "Is it that doctor?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes...?" Lei Xing awkwardly admitted.

    {...See, I knew it...He''s not an idiot. Good thing I didn''t lie *phew* -_-)''..}

    "I see..." The Emperor calmly responded as he kept looking at her with the same measured gaze that made her feel like an open book.

    It was uncomfortable.

    Lei Xing shifted and then said, "You can come with me...if you want..." She was initially not planning to actually physically go see Doctor Lou physically. But now that she said it out loud to him, she had to make the trip otherwise she would appear suspicious.

    The Emperor scrutinized Lei Xing and he could clearly see how awkward she was being. Although she remained seated and still kept her hands in his, he could feel her palms getting sweaty. She was agitated. It suddenly felt as if they had reverted to the time when she treated him like a predator and the Emperor did not like it.

    "It''s fine...You can go talk to him and tell me what you find..." The Emperor finally said. While he was curious about this voice entity, he was more concerned about Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then nodded. He smiled at her and she gave a strained half-smile back and then she got up and awkwardly said, "I''m tired...I''m going to sleep. Y-you can go be busy or..." She paused, not sure what to say and then she just abandoned the sentence and flew over to her dresser and began to take out the hairpins from her hair.

    {...Ahh, this is such an awkward situation...That quack better have a good explanation for all this and he better be Freaking Grateful! >_

    She heard the Emperor sigh and then stand up. She thought he was leaving and pouted, feeling awful. But then he came up next to her and then turned her to face him.

    Lei Xing stopped and looked at him apprehensively worried that he wanted to continue to pursue the matter. But then he just casually took over the task of taking out the last few hairpins and combed out her hair with his hand.

    "You''re not leaving?" Lei Xing quietly asked.

    The Emperor looked at her face and then sighed, "I''m tired too...Let''s sleep."

    Lei Xing blinked at him with grateful eyes and then she hugged his waist tightly and then gently said, "You know...I really, really like you."

    The Emperor smiled and hugged her back, patting her head, "I know..."

    Lei Xing squeezed him tighter and closed her eyes. She would talk to the good doctor and then she will think about telling him.

    {...I really will...I promise! o(T��To)...}

    After a bit, Lei Xing stepped back and looked at his smiling face and she felt an urgent need to give him something in return for opening up to her. And because she could not give what he wanted at the moment, she would give what she could.

    And so she stepped forward again, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss.

    {...Thank you~...}

    The Emperor easily opened for her as always, wrapping his arms around her, fully indulging in the reverie that she was. Whenever she instigated the passion like this, it set his head spinning. It was a rare delight for him. Before long, the two were pulling at each other''s clothes and littering the floor with them as they meandered their way through the room.

    They did sleep...but it was a long time after~

 Chapter 237 - Heavens Own People

    "You''re late." Doctor Lou grumpily said squinting at Tung Mei as she walked into his courtyard. He had been sitting here with a table full of food and wine for a while now.

    "I walked...I needed to clear my head a bit." Tung Mei said, sitting down and dropping three jars of wine which were strung together by a rope on the ground, "I brought those for you, they''re pretty good...made in the palace."

    Doctor Lou squinted at her and picked one up, opened it and took a deep sniff, held it and then let it out with a nod, "Hmm, not bad...But these are just gifts. You still owe me my four i-"

    "I was just being nice. If you don''t want them, I''ll take them back with me." Tung Mei offhandedly commented as she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

    Doctor Lou chuckled and put the jar back on the ground and picked up his own and filled her cup, "I know it''s great but eat slowly...how is it?"

    Tung Mei nodded and then downed her cup of wine, "The best."

    Doctor Lou grinned and happily refilled her cup, "Since we''ve resolved things, you''ll stay here now, right?"

    "Can''t." Tung Mei offhandedly responded as she leisurely continued to stuff her mouth. Doctor Lou pouted but before he could respond, Tung Mei added, "I''ll visit often..."

    Doctor Lou''s good mood was restored and he continued happily watching Tung Mei eat and drink.

    After Tung Mei had eaten her fill, the two leisurely drank and relaxed.

    Doctor Lou laughed and happily said, "It''s been too long since we''ve done this~" Then he looked at Tung Mei who was absentmindedly twirling her wine cup. He frowned and then asked, "What is wrong now?"

    Tung Mei sighed and then said, "I''ve just been...re-thinking some things..."

    "Ahh? Tou''re finally maturing? It''s too soon!" Doctor Lou exclaimed and then said, "I never thought I would see this day. My poor baby.." He paused and sniffed, but then he put on a "brave face, "...Nevertheless, we must toast to this!" Doctor Lou said and went to clink cups with Tung Mei.

    When Tung Mei just glared at him. Doctor Lou stopped joking around and dropped his cup then seriously said, "Talk, Father will listen to you~"

    Tung Mei let out a breath and sipped her wine and then finally said, "It seems I made some mistakes...the Xing jie I knew would never have bothered with such an event..."

    Doctor Lou raised an eyebrow in surprise, "That''s what''s bothering you?"

    Tung Mei pouted at the table, "I used to think that I knew Xing jie best...but I guess I was wrong."

    Doctor Lou cleared his throat and then explained, "Weelll...It''s not that you were wrong per se. It''s simply that she has changed. They''ve all changed, even your "Yong ge" is different, isn''t he?"

    Tung Mei just knit her brows and did not respond and Doctor Lou simply continued, "The "Xing jie" you see now has lived a different life with different people so naturally she''s different...even if she remains inherently the same at the core. Her coldness is still there but tempered down, she''s overall more reasonable, easier to deal with, still stubborn, but less so...definitely an improvement." Doctor Lou nodded in approval stroking his long beard.

    Tung Mei frowned at him, "Don''t insult my Xing jie! She''s perfect the way she is...You''re the one who needs to change." Tung Mei mumbled the last line under her breath.

    Doctor Lou then narrowed his eyes at her, "Hey, I''m your own father." Tung Mei simply picked up her cup and looked off to the side, pretending not to have heard him.

    Doctor Lou pursed his lips and then went, "Bad influence. You should have just ignored her existence, you complicated things by trying to stick to her, no-..."

    "You''re the one who complicated everything by getting involved! Why did you go and talk to her? Before that everything was fine enough..." Tung Mei indignantly responded with a pout.

    "You were the one who dropped my precious bracelet, I naturally had to talk to the thief - !"

    "Lies! You could have just quietly gone to get it." Tung Mei pointed out, refilling her cup.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her then swiped the jar from her hand and responded with a pout, "I was busy...and I also wanted to give the thief a chance to repent so I wouldn''t end up punishing an innocent person. She was the one who was stubborn and unrepentant. I am perfectly justified!"

    Doctor Lou then mumbled, "Moreover, I didn''t know you were here so why would I have thought it was her? I wasn''t planning on talking to her, she''s too suspicious of everything. It''s your fault!" Doctor Lou finished with a glare.

    Tung Mei rolled her eyes and acquiesced to pacify him, "Yes, yes, my fault..." As she reached for the jar again. Doctor Lou seemed too busy with his thoughts to care and easily released it.

    After a while, Doctor Lou finally said, "If I didn''t get involved, they would have already died many times over, then what would be the point of this life? There may not be a second chance..." He finished with a heavy sigh.

    "And what is the point of this life?" Tung Mei absentmindedly retorted as she decided to forgo the cup. She raised the jar to her lips to drink directly from it, but before she could even get s sip, Doctor Lou swiped the jar and squinted at her, "None of your business." Then he filled his cup and hugged the wine jar with an arm as he drank.

    "Tch, stingy." Tung Mei pouted and instead of dragging the jar with him, she picked up one of the jars she brought with her, opened it and took a big gulp. Then she hugged it and let out a deep sigh.

    The two sat quietly drinking and hugging their individual jars for a while. Then Tung Mei quietly asked, "Is it really impossible?"

    Doctor Lou silently looked at her and then he dropped his jar in front of her, "There''s no harm in trying..."

    Tung Mei looked up at him, "But you said -"

    "I know what I said!" Doctor Lou swiftly interjected and then he calmly said, "But there is no harm in trying for the impossible as long as you do not let it consume you. Moreover, you can never know what is truly impossible unless you try...So try until you can''t try anymore or better yet, until you decide not to anymore. I, unfortunately, cannot make him fall in love with you but...Father will support you, anything you need!" Doctor Lou finished, reassuringly patting his chest for emphasis.

    Tung Mei took a deep breath and resolutely nodded.

    "Good, now drink!" Doctor Lou said nudging his jar closer to her, "Tomorrow we''ll deal with that Yong character who is blind to true greatness!"

    "You can''t touch Yong ge." Tung Mei warned narrowing her eyes at him as she took the jar.

    "Fine, fine...I won''t do anything. Drink and forget the brat for now and just be happy seeing my beautiful face~" Doctor Lou finished with a wide grin that squished up his face, making him look abnormal.

    Tung Mei snorted and then laughed as she raised the jar and drank.

    Doctor Lou watched her with a doting smile and then he pulled another jar out of nowhere and happily proceeded to drink it as well.

    ****

    "What is the urgent matter?" Prime minister Zhao asked with irritation as he walked into his receiving hall in the Zhao manor. He had been brooding in his study about the status of events, the disappointment his daughter had become and debating over what needed to be done to fix things. A servant then came over to inform him that the Minister of Rites had come to visit apologizing for the late time with the excuse that it was urgent.

    The Minister of Rites immediately dropped his teacup, got up and bowed, "I thank Your Lordship for seeing me so late. I will get straight to the point. This matter concerns the Emperor''s wedding - "

    "You came to disturb my sleep because of that?" Prime minister Zhao cut in with a frown, his irritation heightening.

    "Your Lordship, please don''t misunderstand...It is an urgent matter, one that could incur the Emperor''s wrath. I''ve tried but...there isn''t anything I can do so I came to ask for Your Lordship''s guidance..." The Minister of Rites said with a deep bow.

    He had witnessed himself how much the Emperor cared about this smooth procession of this ceremony today. If the Emperor was willing to trample on his own mother over this matter, why would he hold back when it came to him?

    Prime minister Zhao''s ears perked up and he raised his eyebrows and asked, "The Emperor''s wrath? Tell me what the issue is and we will proceed from there..." He said with "concern".

    The Minister of Rites nodded and came closer to him and whispered some words to him. Prime minister Zhao''s face immediately lit up, he drew back with raised eyebrows, "Truly?"

    The Minister of Rites nodded with a worried frown, "I have verified it multiple times...I am not sure how to proceed...We all know what it means but the Emepror...may not take it lightly..."

    Prime minister Zhao lightly snorted, but quickly corrected his expression to one of concern and said, "Don''t worry, I will handle the Emperor, he is not an unreasonable person. You don''t need to worry, just inform him as you would..."

    "Ah? Just like that?" The Minister of Rites looked at Prime minister Zhao in shock, he had come here expecting some help but then he got this?

    Prime minister Zhao raised his eyebrows and dignified said, "Of course, it naturally cannot be kept from the Emperor..."

    The Minister of Rites looked conflicted and then cupped his hands and bowed, "I beseech Your Lordship to accompany me..."

    "Oh, I''ll be there. You should present the issue in Court. This way even if the Emperor is angry, you will not face any injustice because of this matter...I and the other officials will be there to assist you as well..."

    The Minister of Rites knit his brows in thought and then bowed and thanked Prime minister Zhao and left. This ended up being a pointless effort, he was not even sure what he was expecting coming here.

    As soon as Prime minister Zhao was alone in the hall, he laughed heartily. In a better mood than he had been in years. For once, he did not even have to do anything for things to fall into their correct places. He walked outside with a wide grin and stared at the starry night sky.

    {...Heaven always paves a way for its own people...}

 Chapter 238 - Ant Skit Episode 12: Seamless Plot

    Tung Mei: Xing jie, why do I have to do this? It''s weird...And I really don''t think this will work.

    **Tung Mei awkwardly stood in place as Lei Xing put a ???? on her ???? head**

    Lei Xing: Shhh, Don''t worry, it''ll work. He''s stupid enough~...Moreover, you look so adorable like this, he won''t be able to resist hehehe~

    Tung Mei: But - But...Xing jie, you don''t have to stoop to his level, do you?... You can just ignore him -

    Lei Xing: I''m stopping to his level! I''m showing the boss level. I don''t leave petty insulting comments online or talk behind his back so not his level. I do it right to his face. This is just a little prank~

    Tung Mei: But Xing jie-

    Lei Xing: That''s enough fretting! When did you become such a goody goody? Anyway, stay still!

    **Tung Mei lowered her ???? head with a pout as Lei Xing put the finishing touches on her appearance**

    Lei Xing: Okay, so remember the plan...Get him to take you on a tour and lead him to the back garden right under the safe. That''s it, very simple~

    Tung Mei: ...Xing jie, don''t you think you''re taking this too far?... Also, how did you get Author to let you bring a crane here?

    Lei Xing: It won''t kill him, probably. Regardless, it''ll just be a small accident. Wrong place, wrong time. Everything will be fine as long as you do as I instructed~... As for Author, I told her I needed a safe to store my newly found increasing wealth...

    Tung Mei: Just that?

    Lei Xing: Okay, fine...I agreed to give her 5%...Okay, it was 15%. Tch, she drives a hard bargain... Anyway, it was easy once money got involved. So I got this huge safe that can''t fit through the door, so I naturally I need a crane to hoist it onto the roof...It''ll simply be an unfortunate incident. Seamless hehehe~

    *Tung Mei looked at Lei Xing apprehensively*

    Tung Mei: Xing jie...I think you''re becoming a bit scary -

    **Door opens and Lei Yong comes in* Tung Mei immediately turns her ???? head to the opposite direction, hiding her face as Lei Xing stands in front of her**

    Lei Yong: Xing er'', have you seen Xiao Ying?

    Lei Xing: *blink* No, I haven''t. No clue.

    **Lei Yong lowers his head with a frown and then he glances at the ???? head behind Lei Xing**

    Lei Yong: Who is that?

    Lei Xing: None of your business...Anyway, we''re busy. Lots to do. Goodbye!

    **Lei Xng Grabs ???? Tung Mei and goes out the door in search of the ????**

    ????: *at the computer in his room, typing away* Tsk, tsk, tsk...This Jun Kai just doesn''t listen. Even when the universe has given him an easy out like this. This guy is really beyond help, you''d wonder what that Lei Xing does for him. What wasted loyalty on such a selfish...

    Lei Xing: *rolls eyes and whispers* This idiot doesn''t even know how to properly close his door...Anyway, Goodluck!

    ** Tung Mei pouted at her and Lei Xing glared back. Finally, Tung Mei sighed and knocked on the door as Lei Xing snickered and ran off**

    ????: *panics and immediately closes down page* Who''s there?!

    Tung Mei: *deep breath and pushes door open and shyly says* I''m sorry, Author told me to come to find you...You''re the manager aren''t you?

    **????''s eyes (��???`) as he sees ???? Tung Mei**

    ????: *blush* Manager? O-o-oh yes, yes that''s me, t-the manager. ME! (�R?�Q)

    Tung Mei: *smiles and enters* Oh, great. I''m new here, my name is Zing...yours? O-or would you prefer I just call you manager?

    ????: *blush* {...Those idiots have still been treating me like a servant but now here comes an angel!  Heaven truly has eyes! A very pretty angel in this den of demons. How?!...She called me manager~(���)...}

    Tung Mei: Mr. Manager? *blink, blink*

    ????: A-ah, no, no...My name is Borentious, you can just call me that. No need for formalities. We''re all family here~

    Tung Mei: Borentious? What a great name, very unique. I wish my name was unique too~

    ????: Hehehehehehe~ It''s pretty great - I mean, it''s not that great...Zing is a great name too, reminds me of some annoying people, but it''s a wonderful name...for a wonderful person~

    Tung Mei: *smile* {...Tch, idiot (?_? )...} Author, said you could give me a tour of the place...*nervous smile*  I don''t want to end up getting lost, but if you''re busy, I could wait in the hallway...O-or maybe find someone else, I think I saw a girl pas-

    ????: NO! ? _ ?) - I mean, I''m very free I can give you a tour right now. I know this place better than anyone~... {...Can''t have those two demons corrupting her! Definitely not allowed! I must protect the innocent! (?`�ء�?)...}

    **???? opens door for Tung Mei like a gentleman**

    ????: Whatever you need, you can always come to me at any time...I am, after all, the manager here, only second to Author you know. I can even help you with getting roles - Oh, that reminds me, what role are you here for?

    **Tung Mei shyly lowers her head**

    Tung Mei: Author didn''t say...She just says there''s big plans in the works and that I will have an important role...soon.

    **???? stops walking, recalls Author mentioning having big plans for him, looks over at ???? Tung Mei**

    ????: Could this be it? (????��????)

    Tung Mei: *clueless* Could this be what?

    ????: Ohh, nothing, nothing at all~ hehe nothing...

    Tung Mei: Is there a garden here?

    ????: Oh yes, naturally. We have two, one outside in the backyard and another on the roof...I look after them myself~

    Tung Mei: Ohh, very nice. You must be very talented...Can we go to the one outside? I''m not good with heights.

    ????: Of course! Anything

    **???? leads the way and keeps turning back to talk to Tung Mei as they walk along, opens the back door**

    ** Lei Xing perks up and waits with the safe hovering right above the end of the canopy, watching them intently**

    **???? is oblivious and Tung Mei keeps him occupied with coy smiles and praises**

    Lei Xing: Hehehehe I''m not crazy...It''s just - am I? Whatever, we''ll think later...Hehehehehe...get into position, almost there~...

    Jun Kai: Xing er'' what are you doing?

    **Lei Xing jumps and releases lever, the safe comes crashing down with a loud bang**

    **Lei Xing''s heart stops as she can''t see anything through the dust cloud**

    Lei Xing: Xiao Ying?! *She flies out of her seat and almost falls on her face but luckily the Emperor catches her, she immediately jumps out of his arms and rushes to access the damage**

    **Lei Xing sees Tung Mei and ???? collapsed on the ground with Lei Yong on top of them**

    Lei Yong: *sigh* Thank goodness, I got here just in time.

    ????: *jumps up* Hey, why are you playing around with something so dangerous?! You almost injured me! And more importantly, Zing! Are you trying to scare her to death?

    Lei Xing: *ignores ????* Xiao Ying, are you hurt?

    **Lei Yong who was helping ???? Tung Mei up freezes, then blinks at Tung Mei**

    Lei Yong: Xiao Ying?

    **???? immediately remembers to care for "Zing" and shoves Lei Yong out of the way and holds ???? Tung Mei**

    ????: Are you okay?... Don''t be scared. They''re weirdos here but don''t worry, I''ll protect you. I will ensure it never happens again, I promise. {...Don''t leave me! T_T)...} *Then he hugged her and pat her back reassuringly*

    **Lei Yong frowns and pulls ???? off Tung Mei**

    Lei Yong: Xiao Ying, why are you dressed like this? I''ve been looking everywhere for you...

    ????: What do you mean Xiao Ying? This is Zing...She''s a new arrival here. You, don''t get any ideas! (?_? )

    Lei Yong: -_-)''...Move. *shoves ???? out of the way*

    Tung Mei: Hehehe, Yong ge...I was just helping Xing jie...and Author with, um...a project. A dressup acting project scene.

    ????: *blink, blink, blink, total disbelief* So - S-so you''re actually...actually...

    Tung Mei: *half-smile* I am one of those annoying people, Gaffer~ Hmph! *Tung Mei then storms off with her ???? head bouncing*

    ** Lei Yong looked at ???? and shook his head and then followed after her**

    **???? stood there staring at Tung Mei as she walked back into the building, in complete shock and confusion**

    **Lei Xing scrutinized ????. This was not the reaction she was expecting. She walked over to him and then tapped him on the shoulder**

    **???? absentmindedly turns to Lei Xing and she narrows her eyes at him**

    Lei Xing: Oy, you, don''t get any ideas...Our Xiao Ying is naturally off-limits to you (?_? ).

    ????: *frowns* Limits?-- W-who is having ideas? Don''t speak nonsense! Why would I ever like your mini demon? Nonsense! *He fumed and then rushed back into the building completely fl.u.s.tered*

    **Lei Xing burst out laughing, that was a much better reaction**

    Jun Kai: Xing er'', why do I get the sense that you were aiming for him?

    **Lei Xing immediately stops laughing and clears her thraot**

    Lei Xing: *innocent blinking* Of course not, I would never endanger someone that way. I was just helping Author move that. Anyway, let''s go eat. I''m hungry~ She can take care of it herself or she can get her Gaffer to~ *She snickered as she grabbed the Emperor''s arm and sauntered inside.*

    {...What a great day~...}

 Chapter 238 - To Cower or Not?

    Song mama dragged her feet as she approached the Empress dowager''s "tea" making room. She was dreading her meeting with the Empress dowager at the moment. A week ago, she would not have been cowering over something like this.

    Then she knew that even if the Empress dowager would get angry, she would understand that it was not her fault and would definitely not blame her for it.

    But now with recent events and the Empress dowager''s increasingly bad mood, her hands began to tremble a bit as she approached the doors.

    As soon as she entered the room, the Empress dowager calmly said without even looking up from her activity, "Send them in."

    Song mama gulped and then hesitantly said, "Y-your majesty, I...I- I could not get anyone."

    The Empress dowager''s hands froze and then she slowly turned to Song mama with a questioning gaze and menacingly asked, "What?"

    Song mama immediately fell to her knees and bowed her head as she explained, "T-the girls I had been prepping all this time suddenly -... They said the Emperor forbade them from going to any other palace except for Noble consort Lei''s palace. When I tried to solicit their help another way, t-they just left...Your majesty, it seems the Emperor is - is already suspicious!" Song mama finished kowtowing to the ground.

    "Suspicious?" The Empress dowager menacingly asked as she clenched her fists and banged them on the table, "I should have just gotten rid of her already!... This is all your fault, you said to use her, what use is she to me right now?!" The Empress dowager barked.

    Song mama trembled and quickly apologized, "...Your majesty, there will be another way. With time the Emperor will forg-"

    "I don''t have time!" The Empress dowager barked throwing whatever she could get her hands on in Song mama''s direction. The Empress dowager took shaky breaths as her chest heaved in anger. She had not told Song mama about the Emperor wanting to send her away simply because she did not plan on going anywhere.

    "Your majesty, why don''t you go for the slow approach? Even if she becomes Empress, you are still the Emperor''s mother and she will have to show you respect. We can wait until they let down their guard. For now, you can just accept her..." Song mama quickly said to pacify her irate mistress.

    "You want me to apologize?" The Empress dowager asked in disbelief with knit eyebrows.

    Song mama glanced up at the Empress dowager and shakily, "Your majesty, isn''t that what you initially decided on? Y-you can still do it...Moreover, it''s not like she will become Empress tomorrow, it will take at least a month for the preparations to be ready and by then...there will be fewer obstacles."

    The Empress dowager''s frown intensified as she glared at Song mama''s beseeching face. It is true that she initially was intending to accept Lei Xing''s bow. If not for the Emperor showing up and irritating her all over again everything would have gone smoothly. But now for her to apologize and plead her way?

    With the way things stood, that may be her only option if she wanted to stay, but still, she could not do it. It was beneath her, they were beneath her.

    "Get out." The Empress dowager coldly said.

    "Your majesty -"

    "I said Get OUT!" The Empress dowager barked. Song mama jumped and quickly shuffled to her feet and ran out. The Empress dowager glared at the door and then held her head as a stabbing pain shot through it.

    {...I do not cower. They should be the ones bowing to me!..}

    ***

    The Emperor woke up much earlier than usual and just laid on his side watching Lei Xing with a small smirk on his face.

    Last night was amazing.

    Lei Xing was a lot more active than usual. It was, she was just perfectly wonderful. If he had felt at all aggrieved by her withholding information from him last night, he had definitely gotten over it now. She made sure of it.

    He was completely convinced that Lei Xing loved him, despite the fact that whenever he said he loved her, rather than respond in kind, she would hug or kiss him as her response. It was now very clear to him that she simply had a problem with those words.

    The Emperor lightly chuckled to himself and lightly kissed her cheek, then because he could not help it, he planted another on her lips. When he raised his head, he saw Lei Xing''s eyes were open. He smiled at her, she blinked at him and her face and ears speedily turned red. Before he could say anything, she covered her head with the blanket.

    The Emperor snorted and then laughed as he went to remove the blanket from her face, but she held on tightly, "Stop hiding." He said in amused voice.

    She had been avoiding looking at him directly since last night. He had simply made one little comment about how he never expected that she had such a -...an adventurous side to her and she turned beet red, hugged him tight and buried her head in his chest to hide her face from view. The Emperor laughed and thought it was extremely adorable that she was feeling shy after all that. She was such contradictory sometimes.

    But he was amused and let her hide last night, hugging her back until they asleep.

    But now this morning she was still being like this. It would be a problem if she actually started to avoid him because of a stray comment. He should have kept his commentary to himself but it was too late for that now.

    Besides, her shyness was quite amusing.

    "I''m not hiding!" Lei Xing responded back in a muffled voice,  "I''m just cold." As she knit her in annoyance.

    {...Why the hell am I hiding? This is making it more awkward than it needs to be!... It''s his fault, why would he shock me with his face and that stupid smile so early! I panicked...stupidly >_

    "Cold? You looked rather hot to me...Are you feeling ill?" The Emperor asked in a "concerned" voice as he pat the top of her head.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and lowered the blanket a bit to reveal her eyes so she could glare at him. The Emperor smile brightened and then he said, "Have I mentioned that I love your blushing face? It''s perfectly adorable..."

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, "If you keep making fun of me then it''ll never happen again, you can trust me on that."

    The Emperor sighed and sweetly said, "Xing er'', there''s no need for such drastic measures between you and I. As adorable as it is, there''s no need to be so shy~" He said as he lowered himself to her level as he lightly pulled the blanket down.

    Lei Xing looked at him and then glanced off to the side. She had tried her best to ensure that it was a private matter. She had made sure to draw the curtains down before she began. As for the bracelet, she tossed it and it was probably lying on the floor somewhere. And she was sure she would get an earful from its owner later.

    Now that she thought about it, she had completely forgotten about the Emperor''s voice.

    {...O_O) What kind of big brother bullshit is this?! >_

    The Emepror was leaning in for a kiss when she suddenly grabbed his arm and asked, "D-do you think it was w-watching?"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "What?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "T-the Voice thing, d-do you think it was watching or listening? You know what I mean!"

    The Emperor blinked at her a few times, he had never thought about that before. He looked at Lei Xing''s red face and put on a reassuring smile, "It wouldn''t have..." There was no way he could tell her he did not know. With how agitated she gets, their s.e.x life would most likely end when it had only begun and that would definitely be a big problem.

    Lei Xing frowned and the Emperor caressed her cheek and said, "I told you there''s nothing to worry about with it...It''s a friend."

    "Friend doesn''t equal ''not pervert''." Lei Xing quipped back. The idea of an old man sitting somewhere sipping wine and watching her do those things was most disconcerting.

    "Don''t worry, it''s a principled entity." The Emperor reassuringly said, going for the kiss again. But Lei Xing again stopped him and the Emperor knit his brows, suddenly regretting sharing this secret with her.

 Chapter 240 - Hidden Conflictions

    Lei Xing was obviously not convinced by the Emperor''s reassurances. She cleared her throat and then asked, "Has it -... Has it ever spoken to you when we were -" She paused and bit her lip as she fished for the appropriate listener-friendly terminology.

    "Together?" The Emperor suggested and Lei Xing eagerly nodded. The Emperor sighed and then responded, "No."

    Although there was that one incident it interrupted them kissing, but he thought it was best to keep that to himself.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and hesitantly asked, "Are you sure?"

    "Yes." The Emperor confidently responded, "Now, forget that...please." He said as he pulled her body close and then kissed her before she could say anymore.

    Lei Xing was obviously still hesitant, but she eventually set aside her reservations and the two rolled around for a while before the Emperor finally got up.

    As he put on his robe, he saw Lei Xing also get up to don hers as well. This was incredibly unusual as Lei Xing always chose to sleep in. Even if she was awake to see him off. She never got out of the bed. So he could not help asking, "You''re not going back to sleep?"

    Lei Xing shook her head, "I''m going to see Doctor Lou..."

    "Isn''t it too early?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m sure he won''t mind." Lei Xing said with a smile. After all, he owes her an explanation.

    Lei Xing glanced around for the bracelet and saw it on the floor next to her dresser. She picked it up, looked at it for a bit, and then dropped it on her dresser.

    Lei Xing then turned to the Emperor, who was standing there absentmindedly with knit eyebrows. She could understand that this probably meant a lot more to him than it did to her. After all, whatever it was had saved his life on numerous occasions. It was an important but elusive player in his life, one he owed a great debt to. His feelings must be complicated.

    Lei Xing walked over to him and held his hand with a smile, "I''ll wait for you to get back...Let''s go together." She had been thinking about this since last night. Regardless of her own situation, the Emperor seeing Doctor Lou and asking him his own questions should not be much of a problem.

    This way Doctor Lou could choose to divulge as much as he would like on his own and she would not have to pick and choose what to tell the Emperor. This was truly the best option that satisfied both loyalties she felt obliged to uphold.

    The Emperor looked at her and weakly smiled, "You don''t have to -"

    "I want to. It''ll be better for you to explain your own situation to him yourself...for clarity''s sake." Lei Xing said with a reassuring smile. The Emperor frowned, he was clearly hesitating.

    Before he could decide one way or the other, Lei Xing grabbed his arm and walked him towards the doors, "You go bathe, then we''ll eat, then you''ll go to court and then we''ll go together..." She said with a sweet smile.

    The Emperor looked at her face and then nodded and gently said, "We''ll do that then."

    After Lei Xing sent the Emperor off and asked for their breakfast to be prepared, she went back to the room, picked up the bracelet and stared at it. She could see that the Emperor was feeling nervous and uncertain about the meeting.

    She could understand he shared a special relationship with this entity. Lei Xing sighed and slipped the bracelet on.

    {...Some things are truly left best unknown...but even when knowing that, we still can''t help wanting to know...This will be quite the encounter...}

    ****

    The Emperor tried to be as normal as possible as he ate breakfast with Lei Xing, after all, it was rare for her to ever be up to see him off to court. She was also being very sweet this morning and attentive, she kept giving him food and smiling at him. So he naturally smiled back and ate what she gave. It was that she could sense that he was nervous and reluctant with the idea of this visit and was trying to be supportive.

    After their meal, he gave Lei Xing a kiss on the cheek and left for court.

    Once he was out of her palace, he let out a heavy sigh. He had thought he had chosen to let her go on her own last night out of consideration for her. But now he knew it was because he was uncertain about whether he truly wanted to ask these questions of the old man.

    From their first encounter, he could tell there was something off about the old man. Then there was that drinking session they had in Doctor Lou''s courtyard. It was odd and the Emperor could not put his finger on it, but he felt an odd sense of familiarity and respect towards the old man.

    And now to find out the old man could also hold the answers to the mystery that had always eluded him, it excited and terrified him at the same time. But now that it had come to this, he had no choice but to go seek him out for answers.

    The Emperor sat through court with half his mind present. Most of it was just reports on the progress of various initiatives and other such usual matters. Whatever that needed him to actually think on, he asked to be presented with a full written report. That way he could decide on it later when his mind was clearer.

    Finally, when it seemed like there was nothing more to report. The Emperor was about to dismiss court when Prime minister Zhao suddenly spoke up with a bow, "Your majesty, there is still one more issue that is of utmost importance that needs to be addressed..."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and asked in almost bored voice, "And what would that be?"

    "This..." Prime minister Zhao hesitantly said, glancing back at the Minister of Rites who was keeping his head down with a frown on his face, obviously avoiding meeting his gaze.

    The Minister of Rites had thought about it and decided it was best to speak with the Emperor privately about the issue. That way it could be quietly addressed. But now it was clear that his fear had led to make a mistake in seeking out Prime minister Zhao.

    Prime minister Zhao inwardly sighed in irritation at the disappointment the Minister of Rites had become. He had been eagerly waiting the entire court session for him to step up with the good news but the man was clearly a coward.

    No matter, he would simply do it himself. After all, he was simply relaying information.

    Prime minister Zhao quickly faced forward and went ahead to deliver the news himself, "Your majesty, the Minister of Rites visited me last night with a most troubling report..."

    The Emperor immediately frowned and his eyes zoned in on the Minister of Rites, who could feel the Emperor''s piercing gaze.

    The Emperor naturally thought that the Minister of Rites had dared to go spill the issue about his conflict with the Empress dowager. But despite his mounting irritation, the Emperor coolly asked, "And what is this troubling matter?"

    Prime minister Zhao knit his brows to show his" conflicted" feelings, "Your majesty, this is an unprecedented matter in the royal family...but things are what they are and we must go along with the will of the heavens s-"

    "Get to the point." The Emperor irritatedly ordered.

    Prime minister Zhao glanced at Defense minister Lei, who narrowed his eyes at him, obliviously suspicious of him as usual. Prime minister Zhao hid his triumphant feelings and put on the face of trepidation as he spat it out, "The match is incompatible." Prime minister Zhao lowered his head further down to show his lamentation. The hall also came alive with whispers as everyone suddenly had their own opinions.

    "Incompatible?" The Emperor repeated with a frown, "What do you mean by incompatible?" He had an idea of what Prime minister Zhao was referring to, but he did not believe that was the case. It was impossible.

    Prime minister Zhao glanced up at the Emperor and then bowed again and hesitantly said, "I am not too sure myself as I am not a seer...But according to the Minister of Rites, all attempts to divine a royal wedding date has failed...All points to this being an ill-fated match." Prime minister Zhao loudly said, emphasizing the last sentence with trepidation. He covertly glanced at Defense minister Lei''s face to see him glaring at him.

    Prime minister Zhao snorted on the inside.

    {...Look all you want, I didn''t do anything here...It''s not my fault that your daughter''s unlucky...}

    The Emperor frowned, this made no sense.

    All the candidates who made it to the concubine selection all had their fortunes read and charts matched with the Emperor''s. Them being compatible with him was a prerequisite for even making it to the competition.

    He could only see there being two possible scenarios here. It was either that Lei Xing''s results were initially falsified or that someone was messing with the current results.

    And the Emperor felt inclined towards the latter option. Even if the seers behaved as if they were above bribes and material possessions, you can never really tell when it comes to people.

 Chapter 241 - Ill Fates~

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Prime minister Zhao and then shifted his gaze to the Minister of Rites and said in a chilling voice, "Minister of Rites, what is the meaning of this?"

    The Minister of Rites inwardly braced himself and stepped forward, bowed, and explained, "Your majesty, it is the truth...We even went to consult with seers outside the palace and it was the same result. No one could divine a date, the match is deemed incompatible..."

    "Didn''t all the candidates already pass this "test for compatibility"?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at the Minister of Rites, who kept his head down, scared to look up at the Emperor.

    "They did." The Minister of Rites hesitantly responded.

    "So then explain to me... Why is this an issue today?" The Emperor coldly asked.

    "I- I am not sure what is happening..." The Minister of Rites hesitantly responded. The Emperor glared at the Minister of Rites'' head, thinking of how he should proceed.

    Prime Minister Zhao then came forward with an explanation, "Your majesty, perhaps it is because a concubine or even a Noble consort is different from an Empress. One might be enough to satisfy one role but not for the other grand role. I am not a seer but perhaps this could be the reason. I recommend - "

    "You just said you are not a seer so your input is invalid." The Emperor coldly cut him off, he did not need to be told what his recommendations would be and he did not care for them.

    "Since you are all incapable of providing a proper explanation, send for the seers then. Let them explain themselves." The Emperor coldly said. Eunuch Li promptly motioned to an eunuch on the side who swiftly ran out to carry out the task.

    The Emperor did not believe that this problem suddenly cropped up from nowhere, someone must be instigating this trouble and he wanted to see those "seers" lie to his face.

    If he did not know Lei Xing then perhaps he would have acquiesced and gone along with this incompatibility claim. But he knew her and it was impossible for them to be anything but perfect for each other.

    Moreover, the Emperor also had a divine guide on this issue who promoted their union. The Voice itself told him they were perfect for each other and he knows for a fact that those seers do not hear divine voices, unless they lied to him when he had inquired about it.

    And so, they all waited in pin-drop silence for the seers to arrive. The Emperor fuming, the Minister of Rites sweating, Prime minister Zhao comfortably relaxing while casting gloating eyes in Defense Minister Lei''s direction. While Defense minister Lei kept his eyes forward, ignoring Prime minister Zhao, not indulging his gloating with a glance.

    After a long while of waiting, the palace seers finally arrived. They bowed to the Emperor and then the leader of the group, a grey-haired old man respectfully said, "How may I be of service, Your majesty?" It was rare for them to be called to the main hall. Their role has always been a crucial but background role. They were responsible for selecting the dates for all major events in the country.

    "Where is my wedding date?" The Emperor bluntly asked.

    The old man glanced at the Minister of Rites whose face was now dripping sweat, then he bowed and respectfully informed, "Your majesty, as I informed the Minister of Rites we were unable to divine a date...It has never happened before. Your charts match but all dates appear inauspicious...I regret to inform you, but this is a sign of an ill-fated match..." The old man regretfully said with a deep bow.

    "So the problem here is your incompetence..." The Emperor coldly commented, "Since that is the issue, it seems you have served the full length of your term here."

    The old man knit his brows, slightly offended but it was the Emperor so he had no choice but to swallow the insult so he did not lose his head. But still, his skills should not be brought into question and so he respectfully said, "Your majesty, I have been serving in the palace for fifty years now. I not only divined your ascension date, but also that of your father''s and his Empresses. As well as your grandfather''s -"

    "Even the greatest skills can weather with time." The Emperor coldly interjected.

    The old man nodded, "I agree...This is why I went to consult with other sources during the last few days and the result was the same. Your match reads unclear. I daresay that the result will be the same even if you were to gather all the seers in the world, none will be able to divine a date."

    "How pointless." The Emperor scoffed and then said, "Your inability to clearly read the match and find an appropriate date is a result of your own shortcomings, your own failures, your own incompetence...Since you have proven to be useless, there will no need for your divine skills in this matter. Since you have been working hard in the palace for such a long time, you should take this time to rest well. As for the date, I will choose myself, write out the birth charts."

    An eunuch speedily went over to the old man with an open book and a brush. The old man frowned and bowed, "Your majesty, the will of the heavens should not be taken lightly..."

    "Write" The Emperor ordered more sternly. The old man''s frown deepened but he motioned for one of his disciples to take the brush and write as he said out the words.

    Prime minister Zhao frowned and tried to protest, "Your majesty, it would be better to choose someone else as Emrpess and keep Noble consort Lei close. Testing the wil-"

    "Be quiet." The Emperor barked and then calmly said, "As the son of heaven, I naturally know heaven''s will better than anyone else."

    Prime minister Zhao knit his brows and lowered his head. He could not argue with that statement. He honestly did not expect the Emperor to be this smitten over the Lei family''s daughter.

    {...Has he lost his head? Does he not understand the gravity of this decision?...}

    Prime minister Zhao was disappointed. He had always thought the Emperor was the reasonable, calculating sort, just like his father....But now that he thought about it, even the late Emperor seemed to have lost his mind when it came to one woman. Prime minister Zhao inwardly sighed.

    {...Truly like father like son...}

    When the old man was reciting the information, the emperor got up and walked down. The eunuch presented the information to the Emperor, he glanced over it and then directed it to be shown to Defense minister Lei to confirm Lei Xing''s details.

    Instead of looking at the chart details, Defense minister Lei bowed and said, "Your majesty, you should not put your own interests before that of the people. Proceed with c-"

    "Confirm." The Emperor ordered. He was not in the mood to indulge pointless bickering over something he knew was not a problem. He did not need to be told about his compatibility with his wife. He knew better than anyone else how compatible they were.

    Defense minister Lei hesitated, this was truly not a good move.

    Regardless of whether this compatibility issue was true or fabricated, the Emperor reacting this way will escalate this issue to greater heights. It will inevitably cause trouble down the road. He was not in support of this, so Defense minister Lei tried to caution the Emperor again, "Your majesty, it is best not to make a hasty d-"

    "The next person who voices an unnecessary opinion will be imprisoned indefinitely. Regardless of who you are." The Emperor angrily ordered, glancing around the hall. The officials all immediately stood on high alert and kept whatever opinions they had to themselves. The Emperor then narrowed his eyes at Defense minister Lei in a challenge and coldly said, "Confirm."

    Defnese minister Lei quietly sighed, looked over the details and informed, "It is correct."

    "Good." The Emperor said and the book was brought back to him. He stared at the information, looking for inspiration.

    Naturally, he was not a seer and did not know the first thing about divining auspicious dates, so he stared at it for a while and in the end just went, "The date will be on my birth date, a month from now." He personally never cared for his birthday and no one else seemed to care. So there was never a reason to celebrate, but with this, he will now have a cause to celebrate the day.

    It was a great choice, a perfect choice...Like Lei Xing.

    The Minister of Rites immediately advised, "Your majesty, that is not enough tim-"

    "Make it enough." The Emperor cut him off and then menacingly said, "This is the end of this matter. The date has been chosen, make preparations and if anything goes wrong..I will hold each and every one of you here accountable. Is that clear?" The Emperor finished fixing his glare on Prime minister Zhao, who promptly bowed his head and all the other ministers followed suit.

    The Emperor gave the room one last sweeping glance and then stormed off.

    Prime minister Zhao inwardly sighed in annoyance. This did not go at all as he planned. After the Emperor left the hall, he straightened up and looked at Defense minister Lei''s frowning face and felt a bit pacified.

    It was not a total loss and it would not be too bad if they let the Emperor do as he liked.

    After all, the Emperor had a high standing amongst the people, they even considered him to be almost god-like. But the people are fickle-minded and the moment things go bad, they will turn on him. And this decision today will haunt him and in the end, he will have no choice to succ.u.mb to the cries of his people to pacify the heavens by correcting this error he made this day.

    And then, the Lei family will fall. The higher they rise, the harder they will fall and it will be a great sight to see.

    Prime minister Zhao will naturally make sure to be there to watch. He had almost forgotten his sister''s words, patience naturally reaps the highest rewards. Becoming Empress was easy, staying Empress was a problem.

    The moment things go wrong in this country, and they will go wrong naturally or otherwise.  Lei Xing will naturally fall and the position will naturally become vacant again.

 Chapter 242 - Limited Options

    Instead of going to Lei Xing''s palace, the Emperor went to the royal study to calm down first. He knew he had just made a hasty decision but he could not entertain the idea of them being incompatible for even a second.

    If he had shown any hesitation in that moment then that would have shown that his resolve could be weakened. And those who want this to fail will feel that they could pressure and persuade him into changing his mind, either directly or indirectly. And this would end up putting Lei Xing in more harm''s way.

    With this, he showed that he was willing to be unreasonable in this matter...and if not for anything, fear will keep troublemakers at bay for now. But he knew all he did was buy time. Trouble will still come and it may even be more troublesome.

    But what else was he supposed to do in this situation? He could not think of any other ideas that would not cause as much trouble. If he chose not to marry Lei Xing now.

    He would one day still have to choose an Empress and he doubted the results given today would have changed by then. This would mean that he would have to choose to someone else and he knew for a fact that Lei Xing would not okay with that decision.

    Eunuch Li watched the Emperor for a while, feeling concerned and conflicted. Finally, he could not help but speak up, "Your majesty, I understand how you feel about Noble consort Lei but this...are you sure about this?"

    Before the Emperor could respond, an eunuch came in to inform that Defense minister Lei was here requesting an audience with the Emperor.

    The Emperor let out an exasperated breath and then said to let him in. Eunuch Li sighed and then left the room as Defense minister Lei entered to give them privacy.

    Defense minister Lei bowed and then looked up at the Emperor. The Emperor did not flinch and neither was he offended by the direct gaze. Defense minister Lei had made it clear just now in the hall that he did not approve of this decision.

    Lei Yong had also told him a while back that their parents did not approve of Lei Xing entering the palace. And back then, even the Emperor had told Lei Yong that he understood and agreed with the Lei parents. But today, he was not going back down, regardless of his understanding and appreciation of his father-in-law''s sentiment and worry for his daughter''s welfare.

    Defense minister Lei bowed his head with a sigh and said, "Your majesty, please reconsider this decision."

    "I will not." The Emperor bluntly but calmly responded.

    Defense minister Lei frowned, "Your majesty, think of the repercussions..."

    "I am aware of them." The Emperor cooly responded.

    Defense minister Lei was not convinced that he was fully aware of the ramifications of this choice because he went ahead to explain them, "Even if this is just a scheme. It is a well thought out one that will forever hang over our heads... The moment anything goes wrong in the nation, no matter how far removed it is from Xing er''. The people will blame her and by extension, you. I ask your majesty to please spare her this turmoil..." He finished with a deep bow.

    The Emperor sighed and then said, "I understand your concerns but my decision remains the same." He had asked for this to be investigated and even with that, somewhere in his core, he knew this was not a scheme. But his belief remained the same, this was not the wrong choice.

    Defense minister Lei then got on his knees and said, "Your majesty, Xing er'' grew up as a sickly child who always kept her feelings to herself. I understand that you have deep feelings for her, I have heard and have seen for myself that she is happier here. It might be selfish of me to keep asking this but Your majesty, this child is naive and has let her heart lead her here and may not see the grand scenery but you do..."

    "...You have lived life in the palace and you know what this stage that they have set would mean for her future. It will be a hard one. She is already married to you and I can do nothing about that, but I beseech you not to place this extra burden on her shoulders..." Defense minister Lei said kowtowing.

    The Emperor stared at the kowtowing father and then got up with a sigh and went down to Defense minister Lei and said, "Please stand up..." He said as he held on to Defense minister Lei''s arm and pulled him up.

    Once he was standing the Emperor said, "I understand your concerns but Xing er'' is not as weak as you think and she is definitely not naive. She was quite astute and has a mind that naturally considers the grand scenery. I will naturally protect her and the Lei family from harm...But I remain firm in my decision." The Emperor calmly but resolutely said.

    Defense minister Lei sighed, "Your majesty, protecting from physical harm is very different from protecting her heart...Words and accusations still cut deep. Since you have made up your mind. I have no choice but to leave her in your care." Defense minister Lei said bowing.

    The Emperor did not say anything in response and simply nodded. Defense minister Lei gave a second bow and then left.

    The Emperor let out a heavy sigh. Defense minister''s Lei''s words resonated with him. But even they did, he had little choice but to continue down this path.

    His life had never been easy and he had long come to terms with that fact. He had always had work extremely hard for everything and he will continue to do so no matter what life threw at him.

    ***

    The Empress dowager sleeping peacefully when she suddenly frowned and began tossing. She grabbed at her own neck and started squeezing it and then began gasping for breath. Then she suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream and sat up in dazed, dazed, out of breath, sweaty and frightened.

    Ling mama who was outside the room heard the shout and immediately ran in to check on the Empress dowager. She found the Empress dowager breathing heavily while holding her neck with one hand, while the other pressed down on her chest.

    "Youg majesty, are you okay?" Ling mama asked as she hesitantly approached the Empress dowager.

    "Have they found that monk?" The Empress dowager breathily asked in a raspy voice.

    "Monk? Your majesty, you called off the search..." Ling mama reminded with knit eyebrows. As much as she wanted to cozy up to the Empress dowager, the woman was truly becoming unstable. One had to approach her with her caution.

    The Empress dowager glanced at her with bloodshot eyes, "Called off?... Yes, yes, I did. He left..." The Empress dowager went silent for a long while with a deep scowl forming on her face.

    Ling mama poured a cup of water and brought it over to the Empress dowager, "Your majesty have some water."

    The Empress dowager stared at the cup for a bit and then slapped it out of her hand and menacingly said, "Bring me Chen You. She found him...She can find him for me. She must..." She said, with her mind still hazy and reeling from the terrifying nightmare.

    Ling mama pursed her lips and then hesitantly informed, "Your majesty, Noble consort Chen was sent to Fen Li temple a few days ago -"

    "What?!" The Empress dowager barked and then quickly got up from the bed, only to immediately fall to the ground. She groaned in pain as she held onto her throbbing chest.

    Ling mama immediately knelt beside her and exclaimed, "Your majesty!" She then shouted, "Send for an imperial doctor!"

    "No!" The Empress dowager barked. "What is the use of those useless fools?! I need Chen You...get me Chen You, NOW!"

    "Oh okay, I will go inform the Emperor to send for her." Ling mama said and was about to get up, when the Empress dowager gripped her arm, "NO! We can''t do that."

    {...That useless son is not trustworthy...}

    "I will settle this myself." The Empress dowager breathily said. She closed her eyes and then took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then she said, "Ready a bath and tell the Emperor that I am leaving to continue my search for the Monk... Do not mention anything else." The Empress dowager warned narrowing her eyes at Ling mama.

    Ling mama nodded and then the Empress dowager released her and said, "Get out."

    "Your majesty, let me at least help you back into be-"

    "I said GET OUT!" The Empress barked.

    Ling mama immediately bowed and hastily left the room, leaving the Empress dowager on the ground. The Empress dowager then opened her shirt and looked down at her chest. As expected there was not even cut much less a sword wound. Yet she could feel the piercing, burning pain from being run through.

    She had been having a strange nightmare for a while now since meeting Monk Du. She would find herself running through what looked to be a cherry blossom forest. There were always dark shapes in the distance behind her, coming towards her, chasing her.

    She would keep running to somewhere, somewhere she did not know. But she seemed to be going somewhere as her movements always seemed purposeful. And then she would always come upon this clearing amongst the trees and there she would come face to face with someone who looked just like her.

    But before she could even question anything, the other her would dash for her and run her through with a sword with the words, ''You are useless to me.'' And then the dark shapes which seemed to always maintain their distance would suddenly envelop them both, suffocating her. And she would always wake up just as the other her disappeared from view.

    It was always the same dream...but today it was different. First of all, the pain felt more real and carried over into her waking life. But there was something else, this time as the dark shadows consumed them, she heard a Voice say to her, "Xiao Yun, control your emotions." And then she saw him, a figure dressed in white beyond the trees, in the distance watching her get swallowed up by the dark figures.

    He just stood there watching her suffer.

    And then she woke up with her throat and chest burning intensely. The pain was real, she felt it. Although it had dulled, she could still feel the sword embedded in her even now.

    She needed to find Monk Du, even if he turned out to be a fraud. He still knew things, he knew those words and that was the only she had ever gotten. She needed to find him...She needed to find it or she would truly run mad.

 Chapter 243 - One Way

    Lei Xing relaxed in her study, leisurely flipping through a book and eating some fruit while Ah Jin played the qin for her. She was waiting for the Emperor to return so they could go about their journey.

    Meanwhile, she contemplated the things the Emperor had told her. Doctor Lou was still not responding. She wanted to inform him of their impending arrival, as well as, ask a few questions that were nagging in her mind.

    No matter how she thought about it, it did not seem like a mere coincidence that the Emperor''s voice had told him they were the "perfect pair" and then Doctor Lou, a.k.a bracelet also told her the same thing, just with more cluttering details. Not to mention, he kept pushing for her to accept the Emperor.

    And honestly, as much as she liked the Emperor, she was a bit peeved that this Voice had been the one who interrupted her freedom walk, she had been so close, successfully failed...the door was right there.

    Lei Xing sighed, she honestly had no idea what she would be doing at this time if she had left. Perhaps, she would have done some traveling, maybe a business, but most likely she would have just been lounging around somewhere.

    Lei Xing found herself chuckling as she tried to imagine a life beyond the palace, without the Emperor.

    {...But honestly, I quite like it here because of him...*sigh* The situation isn''t great but he''s amazing, I honestly could not have dreamed up better...But then again my dreams a bit too practical, I believe bleak is the word ^^)''...}

    Frankly, it appeared as if they were being pushed together on both sides...Perhaps, forced would be more the more accurate given how things unfolded. Not that she was complaining, Lei Xing really, really liked the Emperor and in his words, he loved her. It was amazing, but one could not deny that this situation was not normal.

    Lei Xing sighed again. Regardless, if it was truly Doctor Lou as she suspected, then she would have a few more bones to pick with him. Her life was not a playing field for entertainment purposes. He said he was bored so he messed with her. She would accede that she started messing with him first, but then what would be his excuse for messing with the Emperor.

    {...I guess boredom still works...I mean I''ve read about something like this before, a bored immortal messing with people''s lives...But then he did say he wasn''t an immortal - Yeah, I don''t believe him. He lies. Regardless, he''s clearly far from a regular human (?_? )...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and then looked down at the bracelet. Doctor Lou was still not responding to her calls.

    {...This one-way communication access channel sucks! -_-)...}

    Xiao Ruo suddenly came running through the open doors in full agitation mode, "Your highness, your highness, there''s trouble!"

    Ah Jin also stopped playing the qin and looked on with concern as Lei Xing sat up and went, "Trouble?"

    Xiao Ruo knelt beside her and then urgently said, "Your highness, there''s a rumor s-saying that..." She paused and frowned, not sure how to tell Lei Xing the news that had been spreading all over the palace.

    "Talk." Lei Xing ordered, already dreading what trouble had come again. A tiny part of her was honestly hoping that her dearest mother-in-law had finally disappeared...for good.

    Xiao Ruo bit her lip and then spat out, "...They''re saying Your highness and the Emperor are...are incompatible!"

    "Incompatible?" Lei Xing blinked and then scoffed, somewhat amused, "And how did they arrive at this conclusion?"

    "Your highness, this is not a laughing matter." Xiao Ruo said, unhappy Lei Xing was not seeing the seriousness of this issue, "Some are even saying foolish things like you are a bad omen and that -" She paused again with a pout.

    "That what?" Lei Xing pressed her again. She wanted to know the full extent of the accusations placed on her head.

    "That...that you have bewitched the Emperor and will bring about the destruction of the country." Xiao Ruo timidly responded.

    "Such grand accusations." Lei Xing offhandedly commented. This was the reason she did not want to get involved with this whole Empress thing in the first place. She had not even gotten to the seat and now she was suddenly the bringer of damnation.

    Lei Xing sighed and went back to flipping the book with mounting irritation, "Explain the situation." Lei Xing offhandedly ordered.

    "En, they said that the seers could not divine a wedding date...It''s a rare occurrence but when it happens, they say it means the couple is a bad match. Because of this...they are saying you and the Emperor are an ill-fated match." Xiao Ruo explained with knit eyebrows. The Emperor and Lei Xing were the most naturally perfect match.

    Although Lei Xing lacked some talents, the Emperor obviously did not mind. lei Xing was beautiful, smart, and kind, a bit lazy but a great fit for a great Emperor. At least Xiao Ruo thought so and the Emperor obviously agrees. This was an obvious plot to defame her mistress.

    "Your highness, It''s all nonsense, don''t believe it. It must be some kind of plot. Your birth chart and the Emperor''s match, so how could they not divine a date?" Xiao Ruo said with a pout.

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows in thought.

    {...Birth charts, birth charts... This wouldn''t have anything to do with -..}

    Lei Xing had an irritating suspicion that this was not a plot and so to confirm it, she went, "The birth chart is connected to a person''s - " She left it hanging there as she looked between Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin wanting them to finish the statement.

    "A person''s soul." Ah Jin succinctly supplied.

    "Ah yes, a person''s soul...True..."  Lei Xing nodded with a nervous smile as she looked back down at the book.

    {...I could see how that could be a problem here. Shit! Just great, of course -_-)''...}

    "Your highness..." Xiao Ruo said again with a pout, Lei Xing never seems to take anything seriously and it was sometimes honestly very worrying and a bit annoying.

    Lei Xing sighed, "What about the Emperor? How did he take the news?"

    "Oh! How could I forget? The Emperor apparently berated the seers and called them incompetent and chose a date by himself...He even chose his birthday to make it a double celebration, a month from today." Xiao Ruo happily said with a smile, "Of course, the Emperor could not tolerate anyone trying to slander Your highness. I heard he even threatened to imprison anyone who spoke out against his decision.."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and mumbled, "This definitely seems like it could be a problem..."

    Xiao Ruo was about to open her mouth to say something else, when the Emperor walked in. Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo quickly stood and bowed to him while Lei Xing just glanced up at him.

    He finally came, just in time too.

    "Leave." The Emperor calmly ordered and the two girls promptly left the room, making sure to close the doors behind them.

    Lei Xing immediately sighed and said, "I heard we''re incompatible..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and quietly walked over to her, sat next to her, took her hand with a smile, "I''ve taken care of it...You don''t need to worry."

    Lei Xing returned a very weak smile, looked at him for a bit, and then sighed and squeezed his hand, "You know...I don''t have to be Empress. I really don''t care about the position..."

    The Emperor''s smile deflated and then he patiently explained, "Xing er'', even if I do not choose an Empress today, I will have to someday. While I may have no obligations to concubines and even consorts. I will have an obligation towards my Empress. Be honest, would you be okay staying at my side if that person is not you?" He asked narrowing his eyes at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing frowned and looked down at his hand holding hers and then mumbled, "No."

    {...I will definitely hate my life because then I will have another dowager on my hands who I need to bow to, who will also hate me and want me dead. No thank you! -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing also remembered reading in that stupid virtuous palace women''s book that the Emperor and Empress were required to spend the night together on a few special occasions, such as new year''s eve. There was something about it being necessary for the benefit of the nation. So at least a few nights each year, she would have to condone the Emperor sleeping with another woman because custom demanded it.

    Even if he makes a promise to never touch the woman. Lei Xing knew that she would not be able to trust those words. She would naturally wonder and think about him being in another woman''s bed, and what could be taking place, the possibilities...She could not live like that, it would drive her crazy.

    Men have fallen with much less temptation and opportunity before them. What''s more, she will undoubtedly feel like a mistress taking away someone else''s husband and she would rather die than be that.

    Not to mention, the hate the Empress would have for Lei Xing. It was a situation that would breed a perfect storm to sweep her away. Lei Xing knew that she would truly come to hate her life then.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing''s unhappy expression and then sighed, "I also do not plan to let you go over this. With both of us like this, this is the only choice."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and went, "As problematic as it is?" She was not an idiot, this meant her becoming an easy target for any and everything that goes wrong.

    "Regardless of the problems, this is the right choice." The Emperor responded, he then brought a hand up to her face and raised it up so she looked at him. "Do you believe we are incompatible? If you truly do, then I will consider changing my mind...You would have to convince me though." The Emperor added the last line narrowing his eyes at her menacingly.

    Lei Xing snorted and could not help letting out a little laugh. The Emperor smiled and then said, "I still want an answer though." He had done that to cheer her up, but he truly wanted to know her thoughts on the issue.

    "Obviously not." Lei Xing responded, "Compatibility is determined by the people themselves and not by the stars aligning in the sky."

    "Very smart." The Emperor complimented, tapping on her nose with a happy smile. He had been worried that Lei Xing would withdraw from him because of this, so he was greatly relieved to hear those words.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and swatted at his hand and then seriously said, "It''s great that we both have this understanding BUT the rest of the world will not see it this way. Not to mention their people who will be out for me...and you."

    "Then I guess we just have to make them understand." The Emperor calmly said.

    Lei Xing scoffed, "You make it sound so easy."

    "It''s not. It will take time, effort, and skill...But I believe we''re both up to the task." The Emperor said with a reassuring smile.

    Lei Xing sent back a nervous smile, "I guess we''ll have to be..." She was never a believer in "love conquers all". So in all honesty, if the situation had been different, she would have rather just left him. It sounds horrible, but it was who she was, she would forget him and move on. And even if she did not, she will still be able to live it.

    But in this case, going forward was the only choice that made sense and so she could only go forward.

    The Emperor was relieved that this was settled between them. He had thought a lot about what her father had said. If he had come here to find a naive scared or even crying Lei Xing, he truly might have just let her go and would have done his utmost to be content with the belief that she was happier elsewhere.

    But as he hoped, Lei Xing thought it through and then took it in stride, with a little persuasion, naturally. This was the Lei Xing he loved and he was all the more glad for her.

    "Ah, Xing er'', this might be a little inconvenient but until the coronation is over and people move on from this, can you not leave the palace, please? I worry that some with foolish notions may act foolishly..." The Emperor finished with a frowned.

    He did not want to believe that anyone would truly be that stupid but he could not deny that some people do not care for their lives. Although he could send her an army to accompany her, she would find it too c.u.mbersome. Not to mention, it would just make her a walking target board. What''s more, mistakes could still always happen. It was safer for her to just stay put during this period.

    "Ahhh, people may try to get rid of me to prevent the calamity from taking place. I can understand that." Lei Xing offhandedly said with a sigh.

    "It is not a calamity." The Emperor immediately corrected with a frown.

    "I know, I just meant in the foolish people''s minds, it is." Lei Xing clarified, humoring him, and then she sighed, "Um, it''s fine actually...I don''t have anywhere I really need to go..." She was honestly a homebody, so staying put was not a problem. She hardly went out and she really did not have anything to do outside the palace anyway.

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, "If you want to see anyone, you can simply summon them to the palace...and if you want anything at all just ask for it. You can tell me directly and I will ensure -.."

    "I know. It''s fine...really." Lei Xing said squeezing his hand. He was obviously trying to overcompensate at the moment and she did feel bad for him, after all, it was not his fault. But he clearly was behaving as if it were.

    {...Would it make a difference if I told him?... I mean it won''t fix the problem but -...}

    "Ah, I have sent for the Doctor. He should be arriving soon..." The Emperor informed cutting through Lei Xing''s thoughts.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows, blinked a few times, and then went, "O-okay..."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Is something wrong? I thought you wanted to see him -"

    "I do, I do...Nothing''s wrong." Lei Xing said with a little nervous laugh and then she hugged him and buried her head in his chest. The Emperor knit his brows as he held her. This was what she did whenever she wanted to hide from him. It made him feel a bit apprehensive but then he quickly decided that she must be nervous and smirked and stroked her back.

    She did not seem at all nervous this morning when she wanted to go pound on the old man''s door early in the morning. But then again, the day had already been quite draining for both of them. So it was understandable for her to have less energy now. He was also quite nervous himself and so he took comfort in comforting her.

 Chapter 244 - Slippery Sage

    In consideration of Doctor Lou''s dislike for strangers in his space, the Emperor sent Commander An to come to go get the old man. Since they were already familiar, the Emperor hoped the old man will be more welcoming and more compliant.

    Commander An arrived at Doctor Lou''s pharmacy to find doors open for business as usual, but the counter was empty. He tried calling for the Doctor but received no response. In the end, after waiting for a while, Commander An told the two men who accompanied to wait in the shop while he went into the house to search for the old man.

    Commander An walked into the courtyard to see Doctor Lou lying on the ground in the pavilion.

    Commander An immediately rushed over, worried that something had happened to the old man. Only for him to crouch down and turn the old man over to find him clutching a jar of wine and snoozing away with a happy smile on his face.

    It was clear that the old man had drunkenly fallen off his chair and decided to make the ground his bed for the night.

    Commander An sighed in relief and called to him, "Doctor Lou...Doctor Lou...Doctor"

    No response.

    Commander An knit his brows and then tapped on the old man''s shoulder as he called more loudly, "Doctor -"

    Doctor Lou immediately swatted the hand away and mumbled with a frown, "Xiao Yiying, I''ll feed you later. Now sleep~"

    "Doctor Lou, please rise. I have a message from the Emperor -"

    Doctor Lou then threw the jar over his shoulder at Commander An swiftly dodged the projectile. Doctor Lou then hugged himself and mumbled, "En, go play with Xing Xing, she has food..."

    Commander An frowned, it was pointless trying to talk to him. So he stood up, took his sword, and banged it hard on the table, "Wake up!"

    Doctor Lou immediately sat up, "Baby!" He then blinked and glanced around his surroundings, then he saw Commander An and blinked, "You''re not Xiao Ying..."

    Commander An cupped his hands and lightly bowed, but before he could even begin, Doctor Lou went, "We''re closed, come back later." And then he laid back on the ground.

    Commander An frowned, "Please rise, the Emperor has invited you to the palace..."

    "En. I''ll stop by later...I''m busy now." Doctor Lou offhandedly retorted.

    Commander An''s frown deepened. He felt the urge to simply haul the old man into the carriage but the Emperor had instructed that he was to be treated with the utmost respect. But now he was clearly disrespecting the Emperor, it was becoming difficult.

    Commander An then rephrased his words, "Doctor Lou, the Emperor requires your presence at the palace...Now. There is a carriage waiting outside for you, so you may continue to sleep on the way if it pleases you."

    There was a stretch of silence, finally, Doctor Lou groaned, rolled over to glare at Commander An, "Can''t you see that I am very busy at the moment?"

    Commander An''s eyebrow twitched, "Regardless, the Emperor has summoned y-."

    "Ohhhh!" Doctor Lou suddenly exclaimed sitting up, "It''s you, the pervert!"

    Commander An frowned in annoyance and reminded, "I am Commander An, commander of the Imperial guards."Doctor Lou kept calling him a pervert to his annoyance during the short time he spent with him in his courtyard. He did not expect that the old would still remember that little issue.

    "Xiao Kai sent you, right?? Why didn''t you say so before?" Doctor Lou scolded as he jumped up and brushed off his clothes and then he chuckled, "I knew Xiao Kai would miss me~ These children all like to pretend, but I know~"

    "You should not be calling the Emperor by his na-"

    "Ahh, I think I should change. Wait for me!" Doctor Lou obliviously interjected and then scurried into the house, leaving a disgruntled Commander An in his wake.

    **

    The Emperor was playing the qin for Lei Xing, but it served more as a means to distract and calm himself as he anticipated the coming meeting. Finally, an eunuch came in to inform them that Commander An had arrived with Doctor Lou and was asking if he should be sent to Lei Xing''s palace.

    The Emperor stopped playing and then casually ordered, "Have him sent to the reception hall..."

    After the eunuch left, Lei Xing turned to the Emperor and could see he was feeling tense so she said, "If you really don''t want to come, I can see him alone and tell you about it..."

    It was obvious to her that the Emperor was uncomfortable with the meeting with Doctor Lou.

    The Emperor sighed, "No, you''re right. I should be there..." The Emperor said and then got up and held a hand for Lei Xing and they proceeded to her reception hall to welcome the knowledgable old Sage.

    **

    Doctor Lou was escorted to Lei Xing''s palace by an eunuch. As he approached the reception hall., he saw Bi Lo and Bi Lu standing in front of the doors and smiled at them as he squinted at them.

    The Eunuch handed over Doctor Lou to the twins and then left. Doctor Lou then went, "Ohh, so there''s two of you..."

    Bi Lu gave a polite smile and said, "Please enter..."

    Doctor Lou ignored him and smiled at Bi Lo, "You must be the fun one, right? I can tell~" He finished with a chuckle.

    Bi Lo snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt and smugly went, "That''s what they say~How -"

    "Please proceed. The Emperor should not be kept waiting." Bi Lu promptly interjected and Doctor Lou squinted at him and then went, "See, no fun." He then flapped his sleeves and then entered the hall.

    Lei Xing and the Emperor turned as soon as they heard footsteps behind them. Doctor Lou beamed at them and then leisurely glanced about the room. The twins bowed in front of Lei Xing and the Emperor and the Emperor then ordered, "Close the doors and guard the area."

    The twins bowed and quickly withdrew. The Emperor then turned to Doctor Lou with a polite smile, "Thank you for coming. We have not had the chance to properly thank you for your he-"

    "No need~ Looking after our Xing Xing is naturally what I should do." Doctor Lou waved with a smile.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows.

    {...Our? Who is this "our"? Also, why have you been ignoring me?...}

    {...*Hehe~ I was busy ...}

    {...Busy with what? Sleeping? -_-)...}

    {...*Noooo, busy with...stuff, important stuff...}

    {...Who are you kidding? Your hair''s still sticking out -_-)...}

    "What? Why didn''t anyone say something?" Doctor Lou suddenly exclaimed with a frown and glanced around looking for something to use as a mirror.

    "What is it?" The Emperor asked with a confused frown.

    Lei Xing stifled the urge to laugh as Doctor Lou haphazardly tried to rearrange his hair.

    {...Relax there''s nothing wrong with it hahaha....How does it feel when someone messes with you now?...}

    Doctor Lou immediately stopped and glared at Lei Xing, only for him to release his hair and it completely fell apart with his hair stick falling to the ground. Lei Xing snorted and the Emperor glanced at her quizzically but she swiftly looked away, trying to contain her laughter.

    Doctor Lou''s glaring intensified which only made it harder for her not to laugh. The Emperor then picked up Doctor Lou''s hair stick and held it out for him.

    Doctor Lou took it with a disgruntled pout, "Hmph!" He said and then stormed off to the nearest seat and sat down and went, "So...what do you want to know?"

    The Emperor was completely confused with Doctor Lou''s sudden erratic behavior, not to mention Lei Xing was also being somewhat weird.

    "If you''re not talking then I''ll leave..." Doctor Lou said as he glared at Lei Xing.

    "Of course, we''re going to talk." Lei Xing said walking over to him. She moved the seat next to him so it was positioned right across from him and then sat down.

    Lei Xing then looked over at the Emperor and motioned for him to come over. The Emperor had been standing there taken aback by how comfortable Lei Xing seemed with the old man. He walked over to take the seat next to Doctor Lou.

    When Doctor Lou kept glaring at Lei Xing and pulling at his beard, Lei Xing and she narrowed her eyes at him and inwardly sighed.

    {...It was just a little joke, I was bored too...Don''t take it to heart. Anyway, we have important business today...}

    {...*Hmph!...}

    Lei Xing ignored Doctor Lou and glanced at the Emperor and signaled for him to talk. The Emperor nodded, he turned to Doctor Lou, who simply raised his eyebrows at him. The Emperor then knit his brows as he thought of the right words to explain this issue.

    Lei Xing saw his difficulty and then smiled at him, "I''ll start." Then she turned to Doctor Lou with a blank expression and flatly said, "He hears a voice in his head, he''s apparently been hearing it since he was a kid. It saved his life a few times and oh, it also said we''re the "perfect pair"and is the reason that I''m here...What do you think about it?" She finished narrowing her eyes at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou immediately turned to the Emperor with surprise, "Truly?"

    Lei Xing looked at him with an unamused expression, while the Emperor nodded and went, "It''s true...It has been like a guardian for me all these years. I owe a lot of what I am, as well as what I have today to it." The Emperor said warmly looking at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing blushed a little and lowered her eyes, feeling shy. That quickly evaporated when Doctor Lou stroked his beard and commented, "Ahh, there are so many wondrous in this world. The Universe is indeed mysterious..."

    The Emperor turned back to Doctor Lou, "Xing er'' told me that you might know something about this...entity." The Emperor tentatively said, "Please do enlighten us..."

    "Hmmmmm..." Doctor Lou dragged out stroking his beard and then he went, "Why?"

    "Why what?" Lei Xing asked knitting her eyebrows.

    {...Can''t you just answer the question for once? -_-)''...}

    Rather than address Lei Xing, Doctor Lou turned to the Emperor, "Why do you want to know? As you said, it has been a guardian to you all these years, it even saved your life...If it chooses to remain in the dark, why do you want to pursue it? Of what use will that knowledge be? What purpose would it serve?"

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought.

    He had honestly never contemplated these questions before. What happens after he knows? He honestly never thought he could truly know. When he told Lei Xing about this, it was just to share a part of him. He did not expect her to actually point him to answers.

    But now that it had been asked, he had to think about it. Other than satisfying a seemingly mild curiosity of his, he truly had no reason for this pursuit but that reason seemed too vain to hold up to scrutiny.

    Before the Emperor could respond, Lei Xing commented, "The pursuit of knowledge needs no other reason but the search for understanding. As an elder, you should naturally be delighted and willing to do us the favor of enlightenment..."

    Doctor Lou narrowed his eyes at Lei Xing, who raised her eyebrows back at him in challenge.

    {...Stop trying to avoid the subject...Say the truth, is it really you?...}

    Lei Xing put it very nicely, but the Emperor still felt that he needed to give a response since the question was to him, "Other than satisfying a simple curiosity, I have no other use for the knowledge. Rest assured, I mean no harm, nor do I have any intentions on using what I learn...I simply wish to know."

    The Emperor could understand that the old man might be worried that he planned to use the entity or the knowledge of it for political gains or nefarious purposes. So he said those words so that Doctor Lou could set aside whatever reservations he held.

    "Oh, I''m not worried about that." Doctor Lou said blinking at the Emperor, then he folded his arms and went, "It''s just that I am not sure that I can help you..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and Lei Xing frowned at Doctor Lou.

    {...Oy, don''t lie to him. This all can''t be a coincidence...You know. Don''t lie ( ?_?)...}

    Doctor Lou cast Lei Xing a side glance.

    {...*A liar is not in a place to chastise someone else for the lying...Also, I already told you, I DON''T lie! I said I''m not sure, therefore I am not sure ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed.

    {...Okay, then you''re not telling what you know. That''s lying by omission...If you won''t tell him then I will...}

    Doctor Lou snorted.

    {...*Well then, I''ll simply tell him what I know too~...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...Are you threatening me??_?)...]

    {...*Nooo, I''m suggesting a mutual trade of information, if you''re feeling threatened then maybe you should just tell him yourself...But then that will never happen, now will it?...}

    Lei Xing leaned back in her seat and raised an eyebrow at Doctor Lou, amused.

    {...I know what you''re doing, you''re trying to egg me on...It won''t work. Moreover, I''m not the one being questioned here, you are -_-)...}

    {...*If you, his wife, can''t even trust him with information, why should I? I am simply following your great example! ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Fine. Then just tell me. I at least deserve to know, given the situation...}

    {...*I disagree. You never shared any information with me. I know all I know because I am Brilliant. Therefore, I owe you nothing...He, on the other hand, is forthcoming and might deserve to know. But given the situation, he appears untrustworthy so therefore, there is nothing I can tell him either~ ( ��^�� )....}

    "So you know nothing at all about this entity...?" The Emperor asked, cutting through the battle of the minds ensuing unbeknownst to him. This was disappointing.

    "It depends...could be nothing, could be something. I can''t be sure..." Doctor Lou responded narrowing his eyes at Lei Xing, who narrowed her eyes back at him, clearly irritated.

    The Emperor glanced between the two of them. He could sense the tension between their gazes. The friction was palpable.  He had always known there was more to the relationship between these two.

    But witnessing their encounter now, it was obvious that their ties ran deeper than he suspected.

 Chapter 245 - Revelations

    Lei Xing and Doctor Lou sat there deeply engrossed in their staring contest, so much so that they seemed to have forgotten that there was a third person in the room.

    The Emperor glanced between them, unsure what to make of this situation. He had never seen Lei Xing look so heated. Doctor Lou on the hand, seemed to be amused, and this amus.e.m.e.nt seemed to be driving Lei Xing up the wall.

    Now that the Emperor thought about it, why did Lei Xing think this old man could help? She must have known something about this old man and this old man appears to know her quite well. Their relationship seems quite close.

    Rather than break them up, the Emperor decided to hang back and let it play out. He had an inkling that he might just discover something new about his beloved Empress.

    Doctor Lou finally broke the stare-off and stood up with a triumphant smile, "Since the situation here is like this, I will be leaving now~"

    The Emperor could clearly see a dark shadow come over Lei Xing''s face, as she lowered her head with a frown. In the end, the Emperor''s hope for learning more about his wife, and this mysterious voice were dashed.

    The Emperor inwardly sighed and decided to ask Lei Xing about her bad mood after sending the doctor off. So he stood up to bid Doctor Lou with a polite smile, "I know about your great appetite and taste for wine, so I have arranged a small gift to accompany your carriage home. The servants will have everything ready for you. Perhaps some other time, we can exchange a few cups again..."

    Doctor Lou chuckled, "I always knew you were the most reasonable..."

    The Emperor lightly chuckled as well and said, "Take care..."

    Doctor Lou nodded with a grin, then turned to leave, sending a mocking glance at Lei Xing as he swept past her. But then Lei Xing suddenly grabbed his sleeve and stopped him.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her and then let out a nervous chuckle, "Xing Xing, this...You shouldn''t be like this~."

    The Emperor saw what Lei Xing did and began, "Xing e-"

    "Sit down." Lei Xing coldly said as she glared up at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou pursed his lips and seemed to be hesitating."..Or are you being a coward now?" Lei Xing asked with a mocking smile.

    {...Running after issuing a challenge? I would have thought it above your brilliant self~...}

    "Of course not!" Doctor Lou indignantly responded with a pout. Then he flapped his sleeves and Lei Xing released him. Then he huffed back to his seat and sat down, "I told you that I''m very busy...the sun will be setting soon, I naturally don''t have all day!"

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing to see her now frowning with a very conflicted expression, he could clearly see she was struggling. Although, he was not sure what was going on between the two of them, seeing Lei Xing look so upset was infuriating. The old man''s tone right now sounded condescending and the Emperor clearly saw Lei Xing''s mood worsen because of it.

    Even if they owed the old man, that did not give him leave to come here and bully Lei Xing. But before the Emperor could set Doctor Lou straight, Lei Xing said, "I am not the real Lei Xing."

    Those words stopped the Emperor in his tracks and he turned to her with a confused frown, "Xing er'', what ar-"

    "Just let me talk." Lei Xing interjected, putting a hand up without even looking at him. She then took a deep breath and held her hands in her lap.

    Then she let out a breath and continued, "It''s the truth. I am not the real Lei Xing - at least not the one you all know here. I am from the future - Ah, no it''s a futuristic world that''s different from this one according to this old man here, who could apparently tell just from "looking" at me." Lei Xing said narrowing her eyes at Doctor Lou, who promptly looked off to the side, pretending not to hear.

    Lei Xing speedily continued, "Anyway, I was on a ship, fell overboard, drowned, thought I died - I did die. Anyway, I woke up here in this body, in this time - in this world after this Miss fell in a pond and apparently drowned as well." Lei Xing curtly finished.

    And then without even giving the Emperor time to ask questions or digest her words, she raised the hand which held the bracelet and ring and continued, "Then I met this doctor here, who gave me this ring, which apparently is able to detect poison - which is how I discovered your crazy mother tried to poison me...."

    "...Also, this bracelet is apparently a tracking device, which is how he found me when I was lost, Oh, and it also doubles as a communication device that he has been using to communicate with me through the mind all this time. Even right now while you were sitting there we were having a conversation in our minds."

    "...The bottom line is that I''m from a different world, which is probably the reason for the whole birth chart error and this old man here is beyond suspicious and has been coaching me all this time to get with you. Hence why he definitely knows something." Lei Xing finished glancing at the Emperor, who was staring at her with a confused frown.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and promptly focused her gaze back on Doctor Lou and went, "There, I told him. Now it''s your turn. Talk..."

    Doctor Lou turned back to Lei Xing and then he looked up at the Emperor, who seemed to be frozen in place staring at Lei Xing with a confused frown on his face.

    "Xing Xing, you don''t explain things like that...Look what you did to him. He''s confused now." Doctor Lou scolded as he pointed at the Emperor.

    Lei Xing cast a quick glance at the Emperor and her heart jumped when she met his gaze. She immediately turned back to Doctor Lou, swallowed, and then frowned at the old man, "Stop trying to avoid the topic and answer the question... Is it you?"

    "Is it me what?" Doctor Lou asked innocently blinking at her.

    "Are you the one that has been talking to him all this time. I find it hard to believe that some random voice told him that we''re the "perfect pair" and then you also told me all that crap about similar energies and whatnot -"

    "Why do you find it hard to believe?" Doctor Lou interjected with raised eyebrows, "If I could tell that you''re the perfect pair, someone else could easily have as well. I think it''s perfectly possible s-"

    "Just answer the question. Are you the "voice" he hears?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes at Doctor Lou, the Emperor who had been frozen also turned to look at Doctor Lou.

    The Emepror''s mind had gone completely blank, he was hoping to learn something about Lei Xing but not this. What did her words just now even mean? Lei Xing had spoken those absurd words so quickly.

    While the Emperor was still confused over Lei Xing''s words, he did manage to understand that Doctor Lou was suspicious...and that Lei Xing apparently suspected that Doctor Lou was the Voice and that she had good reason to.

    "Are you really?" The Emperor asked finally finding his voice. If it were truly him, the Emperor was not sure what to do after getting the confirmation. He would thank him, naturally...but then he would have so many more questions.

    {...Why me?...}

    Doctor Lou stroked his Long beard and scrutinized the Emperor and then said, "Wellll...I, the wonderfully brilliant Doctor Lou, am not."

    The Emperor let out a breath as his hope deflated, while Lei Xing frowned and went, "But ho-"

    "As I said, it is perfectly reasonable that I could reach the same conclusion as someone else did." Doctor Lou explained.

    Lei Xing''s frowned deepened, she had been so sure that Doctor Lou had some connection to this. She became even more convinced, when he tried to run away just now.

    But now he said that it was not him. Lei Xing was still unconvinced, she narrowed her eyebrows and then went, "So it is a person then?"

    "Perhaps..." Doctor Lou offhandedly responded.

    "Is that a yes or a no? And do you know this person?" Lei Xing irritatedly retorted.

    "It''s none of YOUR business." Doctor Lou said squinting at Lei Xing and then turned to the Emperor and smiled, "You, I''ll be nice to and will make you an offer...If you really must know, I can possibly oblige...BUT it will come at a cost. Do you still want to know?"

    The Emperor knit his brows, as he suspected this old man really did have a connection to the Voice. At the very least, he knew of its identity. This was why it had asked him to leave Doctor Lou alone hen he was searching for him in the past.

    The Emperor also remembered that the Voice had mentioned Doctor Lou having powers and now the Emperor also believed that to be true. He knew he had to tread with caution and so he had to ask, "What cost?"

    Doctor Lou c.o.c.ked his head and went, "Hmm...Well, I can''t say for sure BUT for one thing, you will probably never hear from it again, you will completely be left on your own. I have no idea what your future holds here but whatever it is, it will be your problem to face alone. No more warnings..."

    Doctor Lou''s eyes then went over Lei Xing and she frowned at him, but he just smiled and continued, "There might also be some other...consequences." He said as he turned back to the Emperor. The Emperor followed Doctor Lou''s line of sight to Lei Xing and then he skeptically looked back at the old man.

    "So regardless of the cost...Do you still want to know?" Doctor Lou asked again, steadily looking at the Emperor, with all the humor gone from his features. He was serious.

    The Emperor knit his brows. He understood Doctor Lou''s underlying meaning, Lei Xing could be a consequence. Although, he did not really understand what she just said about herself, he still loved her and she remained important to him. He could not risk her.

    The Emperor let out a silent breath and then respectfully said, "Thank you for the offer...but I have to decline."

    Doctor Lou lightly chuckled and then nodded, "Wise choice...Things are the way they are for a reason, some things are not meant to be disturbed. As I always try to tell Xing Xing here, simply enjoy being in your current reality, or are you dissatisfied with something?"

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing, who was still glaring at Doctor Lou and a little smile tugged at his lips, Doctor Lou smiled and then continued, "Good, we''re all happy here!... Other matters will fall into place eventually, just enjoy today~"

    Doctor Lou''s hearty words were met with awkward silence, as Lei Xing and the Emperor remained silent.

    Doctor Lou glanced between the two of them and then got up, "I assume the two of you have some things to talk about so I''ll leave you be~..."

    The Emperor remained looking at Lei Xing with knit eyebrows, while her eyes remained elsewhere, clearly avoiding the Emperor''s gaze.

    Doctor Lou cleared his throat to get the pair''s attention as he put his hands behind his back and announced more loudly, "I am leaving..."

    Lei Xing irritatedly glanced up at him, while the Emperor blinked out his daze and turned to him. He cupped his hands and lightly bowed, "Thank you for coming...The servants will have you taken care of."

    Doctor Lou smiled and nodded, then went to leave but then turned back to them, "Ahh, I can tell you something helpful though..."

    The pair both focused back on him and he continued, "Xing Xing, you are wrong, the incompatibility reading has nothing to do with your transmigration. You might not know this, but your original birth chart is the same as the current one. So it is definitely not your fault so don''t blame yourself..."

    Lei Xing and the Emperor both knit their brows, but before they could inquire, Doctor Lou explained, "...Different worlds, different arrangements. I verified it, it is the same. As for the seers'' inability to decipher a date, it is simply that you two are unique existences that cannot be deciphered by any ordinary means...I say any day is an auspicious day for you two. You can rest assured, your pairing is neither ill-matched nor the bearer of any ill-omen if anything, yours is a glorious one...I believe that, and you should too."

    With that said, Doctor Lou sauntered out of the room and left the two gloriously conflicted pair behind.

    Lei Xing watched as Doctor Lou disappeared through the doors, then she sighed and covertly glanced at the Emperor.

    {...I''m an idiot -_-)''...this old man basically just tricked me into this and said nothing valuable in return. Now he''s sauntered off to sleep and I''m left on the hot seat! >_

    The Emperor looked down at Lei Xing and she immediately glanced the other way with a frown, as her heart thumped loudly.

    {... This right here is a CONSEQUENCE! A consequence of stupidity! My stupidity! Can''t believe I got tricked like that! T_T)...}

    The Emperor quietly scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit. He could clearly see her discomfort, she looked ready to run with the slightest provocation, or was it perhaps fight? He really could not tell.

    The Emperor sighed and then went over sit across from Lei Xing, where Doctor Lou had been, this way he could look straight at her and it would be harder for her to avoid looking his way.

    The silence stretched between them as the Emperor thought how best to proceed with this discussion. The only thing he could understand was that Lei Xing said that she was not the real Lei Xing. And he was not sure what to make of this revelation or what he would do with it.

    But first things first, he has to understand the situation to know how to proceed with it and so finally he calmly said, "You said that you are not the real Lei Xing...then who are you?"

 Chapter 246 - Unearthing a Star

    Lei Xing cast a quick glance at the Emperor and then knit her brows. She was aware that she had rushed through her explanation and that he probably understood nothing of it...and she may or may not have done that on purpose.

    Naturally, he would have questions, she expected them but still, she dreaded them. Doctor Lou had acted as a buffer of sorts, she had simply focused on her irritation with him and spat out the words.

    Now they were alone, it was awkward and she felt incredibly pressured to make it sound alright. She was hesitating and she disliked the feeling.

    {... I already said it and he already heard it, giving a further explanation isn''t going to make him leave me or anything...What if he thinks I''m weird or crazy? Or worse, what if he gets angry that I lied to him - Technically, I never lied. I just omitted all unnecessary and confusing information, two very different things ( ��^�� )...Who the hell am I kidding? I''m screwed!  T_T)...}

    "Xing er''..." The Emperor called when she still had not responded.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and then her eyes shifted and she hesitantly began, "Um...Well...I, um, it''s not that I am not her per se...This is still her body so...it''s just the soul..." Lei Xing mumbled as she glanced at him again, feeling incredibly nervous.

    {...Should I be begging or something?... This is so frustrating, stupid doctor! I hope you heard that! And I hope you choke on your next cup of wine! >_

    The Emperor sighed, he had barely heard what she had said, "Xing er'', I can''t help you, if I don''t understand the situation. Answer this first, if you say you are not Lei Xing, then what happened to her?...Did you kill her?" The Emperor asked with knit eyebrows.

    "NO! No, I did not. I would never kill anyone." Lei Xing immediately defended, finding her courage as she directly looked at the Emperor with an appalled expression.

    The Emperor let out a sigh of relief, that was his most pressing worry. While he did not know this other Lei Xing, he did care for Lei Yong. So he would feel conflicted being with the person who murdered his sister.

    But now that was off the table, he felt much more at ease.

    The Emperor relaxed and looked at the nervous Lei Xing, who was looking away again with a frown. He could tell that she was offended and probably irritated with him for asking that question.

    Normally, she would have said more to him, but clearly she was feeling quite timid at the moment and was holding it in. A small smile tugged at the Emperor''s lips and he sighed again, "Xing er'', I just what to understand your situation. You should know that regardless of what you say, I will not harm you."

    Lei Xing looked back at him with an irritated frown, feeling upset that he did not believe her. She said with conviction, "I did not kill anyone. I had no choice or hand in me being here. As I said, I fell off a ship and woke up in this body. As to what happened to the prior owner, I assume she had drowned in the pond."

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows as he came to a realization, "You never lost your memories..."

    Lei Xing let out a little nervous laugh, "Technically, I did lose them..." When the Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, she promptly backtracked and went, "Okay... I just didn''t know how to tell you the truth, especially with it being such an odd truth. I wouldn''t even believe me...I mean, we weren''t even close then and I thought you would kill me or lock me up or something..."

    "...And later, it was just hard to bring up. You know, it''s not exactly something you talk about over breakfast. I didn''t know how to say it and honestly, what would have been the point of bringing it up? It would simply be starting unnecessary trouble, just like that old man is trying to accomplish with this. It''s not like talking about it would solve anything. The bottom line is I''m innocent,  I didn''t do anything wrong and it''s not my fault." Lei Xing finished her rambling and looked at the Emperor with a pout and an accusing expression.

    The Emperor blinked at her a few times and then could not help smiling. This was probably the most he had heard her talk.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and blinked at him.

    {...He''s smiling, that''s a good sign...right? I think so...I''d like to T_T)...}

    "Just so we''re clear, you''re from another world and you died and then you woke up here...in this body, Lei Xing''s body. Is that correct?" The Emperor seriously asked, his smile was gone now.

    Lei Xing was put back on edge and promptly nodded, "That''s what I''ve told - I mean that is what I know." She knit her brows and explained, "I had thought my soul had simply traveled back in time because where I''m from, this setup, this setting, a time like this did exist about a thousand years ago or -"

    "A thousand years?" The Emperor exclaimed, blinking at her.

    Lei Xing nodded, "...Or more, I did say it was a futuristic world when compared to this one. You wouldn''t believe the things we have there, we have lights, guns, nuclear weapons, we can fly -"

    "Fly?" The Emperor exclaimed blinking with knit eyebrows, starting to doubt the validity of her claims again.

    Lei Xing eagerly nodded again, "En, well not really. There''s this thing called planes which are like huge carriages that can fly, I really used to enjoy flying...Too bad I''m not mechanically gifted otherwise I would have made my own inventions...Ah, but I could still make some, like an oven, which is basically just a modification of a kiln, I think. I''m pretty sure it will work. Ahh, baked goodness~ You need to try pizza, pies, the good stuff, all amazing..." Lei Xing finished casting a longing dreamy smile in the Emperor''s direction.

    When she saw him looking at her with a puzzled and amused expression. She immediately recalled the kind of situation she was in and promptly reined herself in and demurely said, "...But that doctor told me it was a different world. So that''s it..."

    The Emperor calmly looked at her for a bit as he thought things through. He was seeing her in a different light. She seemed different just now when talking about "her world". He was honestly not sure how he felt about all this, but it was not necessarily a bad feeling.

    If he had to put words to his current state, he felt as if he had just met her for the first time. It was different, she was different. Perhaps, they were different?

    The Emperor let out a sigh and then asked, "So what is your real name then?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him, "Oh, it''s still Lei Xing..."

    "How convenient." The Emperor remarked with slightly knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing gave a small nervous laugh and glanced off to the side, "It really is..."

    The Emperor silently contemplated again and then he frowned, "Is this the real reason you want to leave the palace? To return to your world?"

    Lei Xing looked back at him, to find the Emperor looking at her with a piercing gaze, she swallowed and then carefully responded, "Well, um...At one time, I would have liked to, but it seems impossible..." Lei Xing sighed and lowered her eyes and quietly added, "My body was most likely lost at sea, long devoured by fish...there''s nothing to return to."

    As the Emperor watched Lei Xing''s solemn expression, he could not help feeling upset at the knowledge that she wanted to leave him to go somewhere out of reach. In his mind, even if she ever left the palace, she would always be within his reach, where he could always find her if he wanted to.

    He could understand that she might have left loved ones behind in this other world. Although, it might be selfish of him and he felt horrible looking at her despondent expression, but he felt relieved when she said that it was impossible.

    Lei Xing sighed again and then looked up to find the Emperor looking at her with an obscure expression. He did not seem angry but Lei Xing could not properly read his expression. So she bit her inner lip, hesitated a bit, and then carefully, ''You...Are you angry?"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, "Should I be?"

    Lei Xing let out a little nervous laugh, "Noo...I think not?"

    The Emperor looked at her awkward form for a bit and then let out a breath, "I can understand you not wanting to talk about this...it''s not an easy conversation to have and it is quite the strange tale. So withholding this is a perfectly rational decision. I would have done the same...Also, I wasn''t exactly honest with you from the start either. It was only yesterday that I told you the truth about why I chose you...So I can''t exactly criticize you for withholding information..."

    Lei Xing blinked at him as she realized that she had greatly underestimated him. He had proven himself time and time again, to be quite the reasonable person, one with a broad mind and the patience to understand. She suddenly felt a bit foolish for thinking that he would actually blame her for a situation in which she clearly had no control of.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and then smiled at him, "I am not sure if I have ever said this, but you''re an amazing person...I don''t think I''ve met anyone quite like you before." Lei Xing insightfully added.

    The Emperor smiled back at her and simply said, "When faced with bizarre situations, we can only do the best we can..."

    Lei Xing let out a silent sigh of relief...They were fine, thankfully.

    There was one more thing she needed to get off her chest, "My fa - I mean, her family, the Lei family...Can you not tell them?" She tentatively asked. She did not want to have them go through the pain of losing a child. She could imagine they would find it much harder to understand than the Emperor. She would honestly rather spare them the pain.

    "You keep my secrets, so I must naturally keep yours." The Emperor simply responded with a smirk.

    Lei Xing smiled, "I guess that settles it..."

    "It does." The Emperor curtly said and the two of them sat there just staring at each other with strange, perplexed smiles on their faces. Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...I panicked over nothing...That was easy, so easy, too easy...He always makes everything too easy...}

    The Emperor let out a breath, glanced around, and then stood up and walked over to Lei Xing and held out a hand for her with a smile, "Now that this is settled, how about we return to your study? I can play the qin while you continue telling me about this world you come from...Perhaps with some wine?"

    Lei Xing''s smile brightened and she put her hand in his and said, "Sounds amazing..."

    The two then walked out of the room with small smiles and a renewed, better sense of each other.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor''s face and then faced forward as her face reddened. She felt like a great load had just been lifted off her chest, light as a feather and gliding through the halls. Her heart was also feeling warm, weird and jittery...but in a good way.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor''s face again and he looked at her with questioning gaze as his smile widened. Lei Xing promptly faced forward as her heart flew into a dancing frenzy, she brought up her hand up to her heated face and let out a shaky breath,

    {...I think I -  I think this might just be...I mean, this could be...maybe love?...Perhaps?...}

 Chapter 247 - Close to the Heart

    As soon as Zhao Lan arrived at her family manor, she was instructed that her father was waiting in his story and her suspicions were immediately confirmed. Her mother was not ill. She had simply come here to be scolded.

    Zhao Lan inwardly sighed as she walked into the study to see her father''s disapproving glare. She braced herself and respectfully bowed in greeting, "Father."

    Prime minister Zhao ignored her greeting, instead, he sternly asked, "Are you aware of what you have done wrong?"

    Zhao Lan let out an irritated breath and straightened up, "It''s not my fault th-"

    "How is it not your fault?!" Prime minister Zhao cut her off, "Not only have you allowed someone else to climb over your head, I even learned that you have not even managed to even get one night after all this time! After all this time, what did you think you''re in the palace for?!" Prime minister Zhao raged.

    Zhao Lan frowned and defended, "I have tried but it''s not like I can force him. I even took the initiative to go to his palace to present myself and he bluntly dismissed me. He never bothered to see anyone except that Lei Xing and now he has simply moved in with her. I already told you he-"

    "Nonsense! Are you not a woman?! What does that Lei daughter have that you don''t?! You have simply not tried hard enough!" Prime minister Zhao banged his fist on the table and then continued, "You are a disappointment to your aunt! All those years of grooming have proven to be for nothing. You idly sat by and watched someone else take your position!"

    "Well, auntie was not the first Empress either so- " Zhao Lan mumbled under her breath. Just because Lei Xing came Empress first did not mean that she was a failure.

    "You, you!" Prime minister Zhao barked and then took a deep breath to calm his raging nerves, "Your aunt did not have the opportunity to be amongst the Emperor''s first wives. If she had, she would have naturally been the Empress from the start!"

    Zhao Lan''s frown deepened and she lowered her head and did not say anything. What her father was blatantly ignoring was the fact that the late Emperor was a womanizer, while her Emperor seemed to be allergic to women...All except one annoyingly.

    Zhao Lan had grown up and been groomed by her aunt to be the Emperor''s wife. But just like as it had been when they were children, he ignored her very presence and she in her childish mind had always admired him. Even now, she still had admired him and up to a few months ago, she had always believed he would be hers. She had worked hard all her life to ensure that she was worthy of him, but he clearly paid no mind to her.

    If her aunt had not died, she would have probably directly married into the position of Empress. But now she had to struggle for it and she had tried. She even uncomfortably went to his palace scantily clad, but then he turned her away without even sparing her a second glance.

    She had put in all her effort and might into him while Lei Xing did nothing but yet had the Emperor chasing after her. During the competition, Lei Xing put out glorified nonsense, yet she seemed to steal all the attention. She also behaved in a self-righteous manner and had a dismissive attitude along with a demeaning character that made everyone around her feel like they bothering her by simply alive.

    But somehow, despite Lei Xing''s bad character, the Emperor still fell in love with her. It had to be love, there was no other way to explain the current chain of events. It was made all too clear when he had moved into her palace to better look after her while she was sick with a potentially contagious ailment.

    Most men would not have done that for their one wife, much less an Emperor with multiple women.

    The Emperor has made it all too clear where his interests lay and Zhao Lan had no idea how to chase someone that did not want to be chased. Especially one that seemed to dislike her mere presence around him.

    Prime minister Zhao looked at his daughter and then sighed, "It''s good that you have acknowledged your wrongs...But it is not too late. With the way things stand now, getting her out of the way will not be difficult..."

    Zhao Lan glanced at her father and then asked something that happened on her mind all day, "Aren''t you worried the Emperor would discover your hand with the incompatibility result? With his reaction to the news, it would be troublesome."

    Prime minister Zhao snorted, "Those are just rumors probably started by the Emperor himself to sway public opinion in his favor. That was the heavens being against him, not me. But that is still fine, let him have his Empress. The Emperor has been behaving too pompously since ascending the throne, he will learn in the future that some advice must be adhered to..." Prime minister Zhao said with a smirk.

    "For now, you just get close to that Lei girl. The more time you spend with her, the better the Emperor will view you. That way when she goes down, you will be an understanding shoulder~ Be smart and play your part properly, don''t waste my efforts." Prime minister warned narrowing his eyes at Zhao Lan

    Zhao Lan knit her brows, feeling conflicted, but then she mustered up her courage and said, "Father, she''s not an easy person to get along with, why mus -"

    "How can you be so rigid?!" Prime Minister Zhao barked and Zhao Lan flinched, "You must be able to adapt. The palace is not a place where you can remain inflexible. When things fail one way, you turn around and try a different method. Find a way."Prime minister Zhao ordered.

    He did not understand why his children were shaping up to be such disappointments now.

    The boy, Zhao Chang was a good for nothing following a stupid sunken ship. If he had known this friendship of theirs would be such a problem, Prime minister Zhao would have monitored the boy more strictly in the past. Why can the fool not understand that Prince Yi is barren land?

    The girl who he thought had promise became useless once put to the task.

    Zhao Lan inwardly sighed and bowed, "I will find a way..." This brought Prime minister Zhao out of his irritating thoughts and he sighed, feeling somewhat mollified, "Better. Go greet your mother and return to the palace. You should not stay out too long or the Emperor will worry."

    Zhao Lan almost scoffed but simply bowed and left the room. Her father did not understand that the Emperor did not care about anyone''s presence other than Lei Xing''s.

    Her father''s demand was not an easy one and the main problem was Lei Xing''s attitude. Before the Emperor even started fawning on her, Lei Xing already behaved as if she was high up on a mountain. Zhao Lan herself had even witnessed Chen You, the girl''s own cousin, struggling to engage in a conversation with the girl on several occasions.

    How was she, Zhao Lan supposed to manage it then?

    ***

    The Emperor spent the rest of the day listening to Lei Xing talk about all sorts of strange things. He did not understand most of it, but she tried her best to describe them and answer all his questions.

    She really seemed to be enjoying herself and the Emperor was also very happy seeing her so happy and at ease. He had been so worried this morning about her leaving him, but now all his problems and stress seemed to have faded as he watched her happily chatter away like never before.

    She spoke about her family and her dreams of a career. Lei Xing then actually tried her best to explain the idea of the defense and prosecution to him, trying to sell him the benefits of such a system as opposed to the one they have now where the people themselves argued their case before the magistrate. Then she suddenly switched gears and started to criticize the very system she was just advocating for.

    The Emperor silently watched her with amus.e.m.e.nt, but then all of a sudden she grew somber, "All hopes and dreams are dashed...A lot of time wasted too."

    The Emperor knit his brows and wanted to console her, but before he could find his words, Lei Xing suddenly perked up again and began to talk about how women are just as capable as men. That they should be allowed to take part in national official exams.

    "The exams are based on literacy, correct? Look at how well-read and capable the girls who came into your harem are just from reading a few books. If they were allowed the same avenue of learning as men, they would be just as capable. Not to mention, the amount of scheming, planning, and all sorts that normally take place in the palace." Lei Xing matter of factly stated.

    "I see..." The Emperor commented with a raised eyebrow and a little smirk

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, irritated that he was not taking her seriously, "You know women are just as capable of envisioning more themselves than marriage and children. How boring a life that is." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout.

    "As an Empress, your life will be as busy or as leisurely as you want it to be." The Emperor said patting her head with a doting smile.

    "Sure, but that''s just one of many..." Lei Xing said as she removed his hand and then fiddled with his fingers and went, "Um...Can you -" She paused and knit her brows, hesitating. This was probably a big request.

    She looked at his welcoming expression and she sighed and continued, "You don''t have to do it now...or anytime soon, really. I know you have important things to do...but can you maybe consider it in the future?... Even if they don''t use it, it would be nice just to have the capability to...for the women who want more for their lives..."

    The Emperor scrutinized her for a bit and then nodded, "I will consider it..."

    Lei Xing beamed at him and then put his arm around her leaned back on his chest and sighed. Lei Xing was aware that these ideals were not something that was changed in a day, so it was good enough that he patiently listened without reproof.

    {...This is quite comfortable...Very, he''s really too good to be tr- Shhhh, no, no, let''s just enjoy this moment...Nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the moment...please~ ...}

 Chapter 248 - Hesitant Inclinations

    The Emperor smiled and wrapped his hands around her and rested his cheek on top of her head, closed his eyes, and simply enjoyed holding her for a bit. She had told him a lot of things, he understood some of it and others he did not. But they were not important, she was all that mattered to him at the moment.

    But there is something that he was interested in, "Xing er'', I''m curious about something..."

    "Ask..." Lei Xing absentmindedly responded. Now that she had told him the truth about her transmigration, there was really nothing else she could not say.

    "You said you found yourself here in a different body, correct?"

    "En."

    "So...What does your real self look like?" The Emperor tentatively asked. He had been sitting on this question all afternoon and his curiosity only grew as she talked more and more about this very different world.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and then suddenly sat up and looked at him. Then smiled and asked, "You want to see?"

    The Emperor blinked at her and then nodded with a smile. He did not expect that she could actually show him. This day was filled with all sorts of surprising things.

    Lei Xing''s smile brightened and then she sweetly said, "I''ll draw a portrait for you then~" She then went about flattening out a blank sheet of paper on the table.

    The Emperor''s smile faltered and he immediately went, "You''ll draw?"

    Lei Xing stopped and turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Are you doubting my skills?"

    "No, just pleasantly surprised. Go ahead." The Emperor swiftly responded and Lei Xing continued on with a smile.

    The Emperor had definitely not forgotten the past glory of her ant painting, but still, he watched her work with avid interest and an adoring smile. But then as her painting started to come to life, his smile started to go through different phases until it was just a confused frown.

    {...Could that really a face?... A pot maybe? But not a - No, she said it was a portrait of herself...So this is her? Truly?...}

    "Done!" Lei Xing finally said after a while longer. She then held up her work for the Emperor with a proud smile, "What do you think?"

    The Emperor gave her a weak half-smile and scrutinized her "portrait".

    It was an odd piece with a large round face, big round eyes that took up half the face with only three eyelashes at the top. There was an odd-looking squiggly line that he assumed was a nose and then a little flat line as the mouth. Then there was a helmet looking thing at the top which he assumed was hair. The crowning jewel of this masterpiece were the different shaped dots scattered around the face.

    "Emperor~...Your majesty?" Lei Xing sweetly called and then she cleared her throat, "You seem to be frozen in joy~" She added with a snicker.

    The Emperor then realized that she was playing with him and narrowed his eyes at her. Then snorted, he actually could not believe that he was seriously contemplating how a person could actually look like this.

    "What''s funny? I really looked like this, I had warts all over too..." Lei Xing then sighed and pat the Emperor''s shoulder, "Actually, this might come as a much bigger shock but since we''re being honest with each other now. I have to tell you that...I was actually an old woman..." Lei Xing sincerely said.

    "An old woman?" The Emperor exclaimed with wide eyes as he blinked at her. He suspected that she was playing again, but her expression was so serious, that he could not simply dismiss it as a joke, "Truly?"

    Lei Xing nodded and the Emperor knit his brows in thought as he stared at her.

    Lei Xing scrutinized him and then sighed as she gave him reassuring pat his shoulders, "Ahh, poor young man. It''s too bad for you if you fell in love with this beautiful face but don''t worry, I will understand it if you are unable to get past the age barrier~..."

    The Emperor''s knit eyebrows tightened and Lei Xing finally could not help bursting into laughter. This was fun for her, he was really too easy...It was adorable.

    The Emperor let out a sigh of relief as he grabbed her face and squished it, "Xing er'', my feelings for you have nothing to do with your body. I -"

    Lei Xing snorted, "Not even if I''m an old woman?"

    The Emperor hesitated for a bit and then said, "I would still love and respect you...but..." He paused and knit his brows, trying to think of the best words to explain to her.

    "But?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes at him. The Emperor frowned and Lei Xing chuckled and removed his hands from her face, "I''m just joking, I was definitely not an old woman. But I am older than you though, so you should still show me respect as an elder~"

    The Emperor relaxed again and then smilingly went, "Oh? And how old is this elder?"

    Lei Xing squinted at him, "Fifty. Okay, just twenty-five, truthfully... As for how I looked, Hmm...I''m not sure how to describe features. But let me try, my chin wasn''t this pointed, I had higher cheekbones, the nose was a bit - Hm, I don''t know. I guess my face was a bit rounder, my hair was way shorter, easier to maintain, about here...?" Lei Xing said touching her shoulder.

    "See, I''m horrible at this...Ah, the eyes are the same. It''s uncanny but they really are the same, they look and feel the same..." Lei Xing said hugging the Emperor and leaning on his chest with a sigh.

    "I love looking at your eyes, they are definitely your best feature. Although you avert them a bit too much." The Emperor smilingly said, narrowing his eyes at her.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes back at him, "Well then, I''ll try to look at you more often."

    "I expect that~" The Emperor said and Lei Xing laughed and then hugged his waist and leaned on his chest.

    The Emperor let out a happy sigh as he hugged her back. After a while, he hesitantly asked, "Xing er'', did you -...were you...married?" She had spoken of parents and siblings, but nothing about a spouse, and knowing her age now, she should have been married already.

    Lei Xing lightly snorted, "No, was not interested."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

    Lei Xing lightly shrugged, "It seemed like a hassle and I also didn''t meet anyone I liked enough to want to bother with it. I was fine being by myself."

    The Emperor was quiet for a while, then he quietly asked, "And now?"

    Lei Xing went rigid for a moment and the Emperor knit his brows and his mood dampened. But then she raised her head up to him and the Emperor looked down at her warmly.

    Lei Xing would be lying if she claimed to be unaware of the Emperor''s insecurities. It was one thing when she was not paying attention and was being willfully oblivious, but when she was paying attention she noticed the little things. He always seemed to be tiptoeing around her, always trying not to upset her, always apologizing for what was not even his fault.

    Lei Xing knew this was obviously her fault, with her once being so eager to leave him and there was that edict too.

    When Lei Xing did not say anything, the Emperor knit his brows but swiftly corrected it with a smile, and went, "Xing er'', you don''t have to answer. It''s alright, it was a random passing thought. It means little to nothing."

    "Okay." Lei Xing lightly said and she intently watched as the Emperor''s smile faltered, but he maintained it and remained smiling for her and nodded.

    Lei Xing sighed and then brought up a hand to his face, raised her head, and gave him a light kiss. Then she sat back and smiled at him and said, "You''re more than I could imagine."

    The Emperor''s smile became a bit brighter, but the smile still looked somewhat sad, as if he simply smiling for her and not because he was happy.

    Lei Xing lowered her eyes as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She wanted to make him happy. Regardless of his future actions, he had already done so much for her in the present and made her feel something she thought might possibly be love.

    Since he already made her entertain the thought and she knew hearing those words would make him happy, help reduce his insecurities and reassure his heart. She thought she might as well say them. So Lei Xing let out a breath and raised up her reddened face, "I- I...think I might...I -"

    The Emperor pat her head and said, "Xing er'', it is truly alright. Why don''t you tell about -"

    "Just let me say this." Lei Xing interjected with a disgruntled pout at him. The Emperor blinked and nodded. Lei Xing took a deep breath and still pouting, she looked in his eyes and began again, "I think..." She paused, knit her brows and just blurted out, "I might be in love with you."

    The Emperor blinked at her in surprise. Lei Xing bit her lip and knit her brows at him, waiting for his response.

    "Say something..." Lei Xing mumbled when the Emperor had still not said anything after a bit.

    "Ah..." Was all the Emperor could manage before breaking out into a happy laugh and grabbing her face and kissing it all over. Then he softly kissed her lips then rested his forehead against hers with his eyes closed and whispered, "Thank you..."

    ***

    Chen You rigidly sat in the carriage as it rolled on full speed back towards the capital. They had stopped to rest when a messenger bird arrived. The next thing the guards informed her that she has been urgently summoned back to the capital.

    Chen You asked for a reason but the message said nothing but the Empress dowager ordered her immediate and swift return. That statement stopped Chen You''s heart and made her blood run cold. She absentmindedly entered the carriage and now they here they were speeding towards the capital.

    Chen You looked at the two maids who were shivering and crying in fear and she frowned as her eyes heated up as tears pooled in them.

    {... This is all that stupid Chun Hua''s fault!... If I had known this would happen, I would have just -...}

    Chen You looked up and blinked back the tears. This was all that stupid Lei Xing''s fault.

    Chen You honestly still did not understand how Lei Xing could have gotten the Emperor so completely enamored with her that he even forgave an affair. An affair with his own brother! If it were anyone else, they would have killed Lei Xing and Prince Yi together, or at least, they would have banished her.

    And now the Empress dowager was coming after her...She honestly did not know what to do. Chen You had thought that the Empress dowager had let her go, after all, the Emperor had already punished her.

    {...Or could it be about that monk?...}

    Chen You rubbed her sweaty palms on her plain dress and swallowed as she just now remembered that there was still that issue.

    All this was that stupid Chun Hua''s fault. Now that she had thought about things, she really let herself become a fool for this Chun Hua. The Monk was Chun Hua''s idea and it was Chun Hua who found the monk.

    Chen You never asked Chun Hua how she found this monk or even bothered to confirm his identity. For all she knew, it was probably a fake monk trying to con her and the Empress dowager.

    Now that it had come to this, what would she tell the Empress dowager? She definitely could not say she thinks the monk is a con, the Empress dowager may very well kill her for it.

    The worst part was that she had no idea what happened to Chun Hua, she did not even know if she was still alive. With no Chun Hua here, it seemed as if she would have to face the Empress dowager''s wrath alone?

    {...This is so unfair! All I did was try to help and - Why do I have to be the one punished while that useless Lei Xing becomes Empress! How does this make sense?!...}

    Chen You clenched her fists in anger and frustration, she took deep breaths trying to calm herself and hold back her tears. At the very least, she did not think she will die. At most, she would have to suffer a little. She was preparing herself.

    {...It''s okay, I just have to be smart about this. It''ll be fine, the Emperor will be there. He already spared me for my father''s sake so I will be fine...I can get through this. I just have to tell her the truth. This is was all Chun Hua''s fault!..}

    Chen You felt reassured. She could reason with the Empress dowager, she would explain herself and the truth and if she plays her cards right, then she might even be able to return to the palace without ever stepping foot in the temple. She had been demoted to a concubine, but she was still the Emperor''s wife and was, therefore under his protection.

    She did nothing wrong, it was not her fault. Therefore, she will be fine.

 Chapter 249 - Prey Hunting

    After a day and half of speeding towards the capital, Chen You''s carriage stopped for what she thought was another short break. But then she then heard the Empress dowager''s voice, "Drag her out."

    Chen You and the maids immediately froze in fear. The door then opened and Chen You saw the Empress dowager ahead of them sitting on a horse glaring at the carriage, with a large number of troops behind her.

    The three girls inside the carriage immediately gulped.

    "Concubine Chen, please get down!" A soldier respectfully said.

    Chen You hesitated and the Empress dowager got irritated and barked, "I said drag her out!"

    They all jumped and Chen You speedily got down on her own, she took a deep breath as she shakily walked over to where the Empress dowager was now standing.

    With the Empress dowager here, Chen You could sense that this issue was a lot more troublesome than she had thought. She had expected that this encounter to take place in the palace, where the Emperor was.

    She had believed that everything will, that she could even use this opportunity to get back into the palace. But now facing the Empress dowager, her entourage and all these soldiers, she was starting to feel afraid. It was obvious the Empress dowager was incredibly bothered by the issue for her to ride out herself to meet Chen You''s carriage halfway.

    Chen You gulped, braced herself, put on a smile, and bowed, "Your majesty, it is good to see you healthy. I''m sorry I was not able to bid you farewe-"

    "Where is the monk?" The Empress dowager irritatedly asked, cutting off Chen You. She was not in the mood for nonsense.

    "Th-the Monk?" Chen You shakily responded, lowering her head with a frown.

    {...As I thought, it was the monk...}

    "Speak!" The Empress dowager suddenly barked. Chen You jumped and immediately fell to her knees and began, "Your majesty, if I had known he was a fake, then I would ha-"

    "Fake?! You dare bring a fake before me?!" The Empress dowager barked as she reached out and yanked the sword hanging on a soldier''s waist and brought it crashing down towards Chen You.

    Chen You inhaled and swiftly kowtowed just in the nick of time, as the sword cut through the air where her neck had just been. Panic immediately set in for Chen You and she shakily went, "Your majesty, I would never. If I had known - No, I didn''t know, it was that Chun Hau! - Yes, it is all that Chun Hua''s fault! I was tricked! S-sh-she was the one who brought him to me a-and I just wanted to help you so I-I brought him. I''m innocent! Please forgive me, Your majesty! I -"

    "Shut up!" The Empress dowager shouted and Chen You immediately went silent and began shuddering even more as she felt the cold steel edge of the sword come to rest on her neck.

    The Empress dowager took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then she menacingly asked, "Again, I ask...Where is the monk?" Fake or not, he will still need to explain some things to her.

    "I-I don - I don''t know." Chen You shakily replied, squeezing her eyes shut in fear.

    "You don''t know?" The Empress dowager calmly asked, "You''re useless then..." She said in the same calm voice as she dug the sword into Chen You''s neck, drawing blood.

    "Chun Hua! Ch-Chun Hua knows!" Chen You immediately shouted. She glanced up at the Empress dowager with teary eyes and urgently continued, "I can find her! She''s my maid, I can find her and sh-she can find the monk!"

    "Chen Hua?" The Empress dowager asked raising an eyebrow and Chen You nodded, "Y-yes, she knows where the monk is..."

    "And where is this Chun Hua?" The Empress dowager asked narrowing her eyes down at her.

    Chen You swallowed, she honestly did not know but she definitely could not say that now or she might really die.

    "S-she''s at the palace." Chen You shakily responded.

    "Your majesty, the Emperor actually sent that maid out of the palace a few days ago." Ling mama kindly supplied with a bow to the Empress dowager.

    Before the Empress dowager could rage again, Chen You immediately amended, "Then she must be at my family home! T-the Chen manor. She''s friends with my mother! M-m-my mother will know! S-she should be at the house, she has nowhere else to go! She''ll definitely be there...."

    The Empress dowager glared at the shaking Chen You for a bit and then dropped the sword on the ground. Chen You let of the breath she had been holding and looked back down, almost kissing the ground.

    The Empress dowager let out a breath, then she reached down and grabbed Chen You''s hair, yanking her head up. Chen You panicked and froze in fear as her teary eyes looked at the Empress dowager''s icy gaze, "You better find me that monk...otherwise you will be useless." The Empress dowager menacingly said and then threw her to the ground.

    The Empress dowager stood up and ordered, "Get her horse." Then she turned and went back to hers, while a soldier helped the shaking Chen You up. She was promptly placed on a horse and then the group left as swiftly as they had come with Chen You in tow.

    Chen You rode in the middle of the soldiers, escape was daring and impossible. She could still feel the blood oozing out of her wound, she was scared, truly scared. But she tried to reassure herself that she was going home and her father will be there. She will be fine.

    As for Chun Hua, she did not know if she was actually there or not, but she will manage that when they arrive somehow.

    ***

    The Empress dowager''s group arrived back at the capital in the middle of the night. The Empress dowager ordered the city gates to be opened with a few menacing words and she proceeded to storm her way to the Chen manor, with a miserable Chen You and her men in tow.

    As soon as they arrived, the soldiers bullied their way in and began searching the home for Chun Hua.

    Before long, Chen You''s father came running to the front courtyard to meet the Empress dowager. As he approached he glanced at Chen You and her bloodstained collar, took a deep breath, and bowed to the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, I am sorry for the ill reception. Perh-"

    "Bring me the one called Chun Hua." The Empress dowager coldly ordered.

    Chen Bo knit his brows and glanced at Chen You, "Chun Hua?...Your majesty, she is not here. She has no-"

    "Where is she then?!" The Empress dowager barked. She was tired and irritated.

    "Please ease your anger, Your majesty." Chen Bo said with a deep bow, "Chun Hua has not returned here since she left -"

    "You lied to me!" The Empress dowager barked turning her glare on Chen You, "How dare you to take me for a fool?!"

    Chen You immediately dropped to the ground and pleaded, "Your majesty, I just thought she would come here. She has nowhere else to go, Father..." Chen You turned to her father for help.

    Chen Bi quickly jumped in to help, "Your majesty, it is true Her things are all here at the manor. She must have not yet had the time to come retrieve them. She would not leave without them, so she must definitely be hanging around somewhere. I will send everyone in my manor to assist in the search, we will definitely find her -"

    "Find her! Or I will end all of you useless fools!" The Empress dowager barked, she was at the end of her rope. She had been riding for two days now and has barely slept. She needed answers now!

    Chen Bo bowed and immediately glanced at his steward, who immediately went about mobilizing the servants to aid the search along with the commander following behind him.

    "Your majesty, why don''t you go inside to rest while we wait?" Chen Bo beseechingly said to the Empress dowager with a bow.

    The Empress dowager glared at him and then at Chen You and then she irritatedly stormed forward with Ling mama tailing behind. Chen Bo motioned to a servant to help Chen You up and then he chased after the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager took her seat in the main seat in the Chen family''s reception hall, highly irritated. While Chen You and her father stood on the side, too afraid to sit.

    Chen You''s mother finally rushed into the reception hall and bowed to the Empress dowager, "Your ma-"

    "Where is the one called Chun Hua?" The Empress dowager calmly asked.

    Chen You''s mother glanced at her daughter and husband, and then bowed, "Your majesty, I- I am not sure..."

    The Empress dowager closed her eyes and took a deep breath, at that moment the steward came running into the room dragging a young boy along. He promptly bowed and informed, "Your majesty, this boy claims to have seen that girl Chun Hua...Tell them." He said to the boy.

    The Empress dowager slightly opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on the boy and he immediately lowered his head, too scared to speak.

    "Where did you see her? Hurry up and talk!" Chen Bo urgently ordered.

    "I-i-in Ji family''s inn. Their s-son is my friend..." The boy shakily responded.

    "I asked you where! Not who your friend is!" Chen Bo barked when he saw the Empress dowager frown in irritation, "Forget it, you''ll just lead the way."

    Chen Bo promptly turned to the Empress dowager and bowed, "Your majesty, I will go retrieve her myself."

    "En." The Empress dowager simply responded and Chen Bo sent a reassuring glance at Chen You and her mother and then left the room with the steward, the boy and some of the soldiers.

    Chen Bo did not know how Chun Hua had incurred the Empress dowager''s wrath, but he could tell from Chen You''s poor state that this was a very serious situation. Not to mention, the soldiers scrambling all over the place.

    While Chen Bo was grateful to Chun Hua for the help she had rendered his family, it was clear that they needed to produce her otherwise they would be in trouble. Therefore, there was nothing he could do but to drag her here.

    It was simply the girl''s bad fortune that she had offended the Empress dowager.

 Chapter 250 - Assembly

    Chun Hai sat up in his bed and massaged his head. He was having a lot more trouble sleeping tonight than usual. So he had decided to just give up sleeping for now and got with an irritated sigh and walked over to open windows, looking at the empty street.

    He had not been able to feel at ease since arriving here and was feeling more uneasy tonight.

    He had felt some relief when Chun Hua was released from the palace and thought she would give up and come home. But she remained stubborn and refused to leave.

    It was clear their plan did not go under the radar as they had expected. It not only backfired greatly but it brought her under the suspicion of the Long Emperor. It was obvious he was simply biding his time, waiting for them to make a wrong move so he could apprehend them all. They could not be reckless and it was reasonable to wait, which was why he was resisting simply barging in and dragging Chun Hua back.

    But at the same time, it was only a matter of time before the Long Emperor got impatient and simply moved to capture her again, and then they would back where they started and then he would probably have to go plead with Prince Yi again, who would understandably be less than eager to help after being dismissed the first time.

    Chun Hai had nothing against Prince Yi, it was simply that he had no true in brokering a deal for Prince Houyi at the moment. After all, he was the reason his sister was in trouble in the first place. Therefore, once his sister was free, there was no longer a need for him to engage in conversations he had no interest in.

    Chun Hai had hoped that with this Chun Hua would peacefully end this stupidity and return to Zou kingdom with him or if she needed distance to get over from Prince Houyi. He had always supported whatever she wanted to do. But this time he had made his disapproval for this very clear. She was risking her life in enemy territory and he could not be okay with that.

    Chun Hai frowned and decided to order someone to go check on Chun Hua covertly, so he could feel more at ease. He got dressed and just as he unlocked the door, Bao Zhun burst in, "There''s trouble!"

    "What happened?" Chun Hai immediately inquired.

    "Soldiers have taken her. I have men following them, we need to move now." Bao Zhun urgently informed. Chun Hai immediately jumped into action, with Bao Zhun following behind.

    {...Houyi you better pray or Nalan will die this night...and then you...}

    ***

    "Your majesty...Your majesty." Eunuch Li called from outside Lei Xing''s bedroom. The situation was urgent. He had just received an urgent report that the Empress dowager had captured Chen You and was currently rampaging in the Chen manor. To make matters more complicated, she was apparently searching for the maid, Chun Hua.

    As things stood, only the Emperor could stop the Empress dowager before she truly ruined everything.

    "Come in." The Emperor''s voice came over and Eunuch Li entered the room to find the Emperor getting dressed. The bed curtains were closed shut so Lei Xing''s form could not be glimpsed beyond them.

    As soon as the Emperor heard Eunuch Li''s voice, the Emperor knew something serious had happened, otherwise, he would never come to interrupt his night. Eunuch Li swiftly walked over to the Emperor and explained the situation in a quiet whisper.

    The Emperor immediately frowned and fisted his hands in irritation, but he calmly responded, "I''ll go to the Chen manor..."

    Eunuch Li nodded and then asked, "Your majesty, what about the inn? Should they..."

    "En. Since it is already like this, let it play out..." The Emperor calmly responded, Eunuch Li bowed and quickly left to make arrangements with Commander An.

    As soon as the doors closed, Lei Xing poked her head through the curtain and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    The Emperor sighed and walked over to her, "Nothing for you to worry about. I need to leave to sort out some things out...Go back to sleep, I''ll explain when I return." He finished with a small smile, patting her head.

    Lei Xing nodded and then said, "Be careful..."

    The Emperor''s smile widened and he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I will...Sleep." Lei Xing returned a little smile and nodded and then the Emperor turned to leave.

    After the Emperor left the room, Lei Xing let out a sigh and laid on her back and stared at the ceiling of the canopy for a while.

    {...It''s one thing after another these days...Oy, doc, you awake?...}

    {...*...}

    {...Tch, you''re never when someone needs you...? _ ?) I mean, rarely. I recognize you saved me but I''m still pissed at you for today. So come talk -_-)''...}

    {...*...}

    {...-_-)''...}

    ***

    Chun Hua was ushered into the Chen manor leisurely walking on her own two feet. Since she showed no protest, Chen Bo allowed her to maintain the dignity of walking on her, surrounded by soldiers of course.

    Like her brother, Chun Hua had also been having trouble sleeping this night and so she noticed as soon the soldiers approached the inn. She immediately flew into escape mode and tried to flee through the back but before she could scale the wall, she was surrounded by soldiers.

    Chen Bo kindly explained the situation to her as they made their way and this made Chun Hua feel more reassured. Since it was the Empress dowager and not the Emperor, her cover was not yet blown. If it was the Monk Du issue, she believed she could talk her way through it.

    As Chun Hua entered the Chen family''s reception hall, she glanced over at Chen You''s sorry state and was mildly amused. Chen You, on the other hand, glared daggers at her.

    {...This is all your fault!...}

    Chun Hua was not bothered by Chen You''s hostility and swiftly got on her knees before the Empress dowager and cupped her hands and respectfully said, "Your majesty, I am sorry to have kept you waiting. How may I be of service?"

    "Are you the one called Chun Hua?" The Empress dowager coldly asked as she looked Chun Hua over.

    "That is correct, Your majesty. Chun Hua is at your serv-"

    "Where is the monk?" The Empress dowager swiftly cut her off.

    "Monk?" Chun Hua went, innocently blinking at the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager frowned, her temper was surging again, she turned to Chen You and bit out, "You said she would know."

    Chen You immediately felt panic, dropped to her knees, and cast an accusing glare at Chun Hua, "First, you conspire with a fake monk to trick me and now you want to lie to the Empress dowager''s face? How d-"

    "Shut up!" The Empress dowager barked, slamming her hands on handles of her chair handles, jumping to her feet.

    Chen You''s mouth immediately clamped shut and she lowered her head in fear. Chun Hua looked at her and resisted the urge to snicker. Seeing the proud and high Chen You cowering like a little girl was most entertaining.

    "You, come here." The Empress dowager ordered, pointing to the commander. He swiftly immediately responded but instead of issuing an order, the Empress dowager simply drew out his sword. She raised it up and leisurely scrutinized it as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then she calmly said, "Someone in this room tell me where the monk is...Now."

    Everyone in the room remained silent, most of them completely lost and baffled on the subject matter. The only ones who knew what was truly going on where Chen You and Chun Hua, but they both seemed lost in their thoughts.

    Chun Hua reacted first, bowed her head and then calmly said, "Your majesty, if it is Monk Du you are after, then if you give me some time I ca-"

    "I asked his whereabouts, not about the time!" The Empress dowager barked and then put the sword down on a shocked Chun Hua''s neck and menacingly went, "Where is he? I won''t ask again..."

    Chun Hua stared at the Empress dowager wide-eyed now realizing that she was truly in trouble here. This woman seemed to be completely unhinged. Chen You could not even take joy in watching Chun Hua''s fear, considering that she knew that if the Empress dowager did kill Chun Hua, she would become the center of the Empress dowager''s attention again.

    Chun Hua blinked, swallowed, and then shakily went, "I- I..."

    The Empress dowager frowned in irritation, "You''re useless." She said and then raised the sword to strike down.

    "Tauhua temple!" Chun Hua shouted as the sword came crashing down, the Empress dowager stopped the sword in mid-air, but she did not lower it. She raised an eyebrow at Chun Hua, who was staring at the hanging sword.

    "How do I get there?" The Empress dowager coldly asked.

    Chun Hua knit her brows and the Empress dowager menacingly went, "You don''t know?"

    "I know!" Chun Hua blurted out glancing up at the Empress dowager, "I...I can lead you there."

    The Empress dowager lowered the sword as she narrowed her eyes at Chun Hua, "You can?"

    Chun Hua fervently nodded, "He has taken me there before...I can take you." She said as she looked up at the Empress dowager with the most sincere expression she could muster, given the circ.u.mstances.

    Chun Hua did not know where Taohua temple was, much less how to get there. She was not even sure if Monk Du had even gone back there...but right now, she felt that this was the only response that could safeguard her life. She just needed to convince the Empress dowager of her lie and then as soon as they were out of the city, her brother could save her.

    She just needed to stay alive for now and buy time.

    The Empress dowager intensely scrutinized Chun Hua, the cold unfathomable depths behind the woman''s eyes made Chun Hua worry that the Empress dowager would see through her lie. She was uncomfortable, but she knew that she could not look away now. So she braced herself and maintained her "honest" mask and tentatively said, "I speak the truth. I can lead the way."

    The Empress dowager blinked but before she could speak, a loud clamor from outside broke the quiet of the night, arresting the attention of those in the reception hall.

 Chapter 251 - Convergence

    The sound of clanking swords and fighting filtered in from outside, filling the now silent reception hall.

    A soldier swiftly ran in to inform, "Commander, we''re being attacked!"

    "Attacked by who?!" The Commander immediately asked.

    "We''re not sure but we''ve already sent out the signal, reinforcements should be here soon."

    "How many?"

    "About fifty."

    "Fifty?" They had over a hundred around the manor at the moment, about another hundred that were sent out searching. Not to mention that with the signal sent out the city garrison will be on their way as well. Fifty was really nothing to worry about.

    "Highly skilled. They- they took us unaware..." The soldier hesitantly informed.

    "Perhaps it will be safer for Your majesty to move into the inner house..." Chen Bo jumped in with a frown. Although he was very confused as to how his house had become a battlefield, the last thing the family needed was for the Empress dowager to die on their property.

    {...Someone must be out to truly ruin this family...}

    The Commander knit his brows in thought. While it might be true this location was not safe, but having the Empress dowager go out there towards the fire did not seem like a good idea either.

    Chen Bo saw the Empress dowager scowl and quickly explained, "There''s a small exit in the back of the room we can use..."

    Before the Commander could make up his mind, the Empress dowager irritatedly went, "Make sure she stays alive..." pointing the sword at Chun Hua, then she turned to Chen Bo and ordered, "Lead the way."

    Chen Bo promptly went to the back wall, felt around for a bit, and then removed some panels to create a doorway. He poked his head out and quickly glanced around, after verifying there was no enemy in sight, he moved to the side and bowed to the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, please proceed."

    The Empress dowager cast one last glance at Chun Hua and then she turned and walked off, throwing the sword back at the Commander as she did. The commander promptly followed behind her after ordering a soldier to grab Chun Hua.

    Chen Bo led the way, followed by the Commander and the Empress dowager, who was surrounded in a protective circle by most of the soldiers. Then came the soldier who was pulling Chun Hua along by the arm, then Chen You and her mother, with three soldiers at the back.

    Chun Hua frowned as the sounds of the swords got further away. This was definitely a very troublesome situation. She did not need to be told that it was her brother and Bao Zhun who had come.

    {...How could they be so reckless? I had everything under control, now they''ve come here just to - to make everything worse...}

    As irritated as she was with them for recklessness, she could not help feeling worried. Even though they were skilled, numbers was a problem that could not be surpassed here. It was only a matter of time before reinforcements arrived and then they would be overwhelmed.

    What''s more, with this move, the Long Emperor will now confirm his suspicions about her. And if he found out about their origin, he would attack Zou kingdom prematurely and ruin everything.

    Ruin her chances!

    Zou kingdom could definitely not withstand an attack right now, on its own.

    Chun Hua let out an irritated breath. She knew her brother was too stubborn and would not withdraw without "rescuing" her. But if they stayed and got caught, the consequences were too great. While she had faith in her brother and Bao Zhun to keep their mouths sealed, their underlings could not be trusted.

    Regardless of her plan, Prince Houyi and Zou kingdom could not be dragged into this. What''s more, Prince Rui and Nalan were here and could definitely identify both Bao Zhun and Chun Hai.

    She needed to escape now, they needed to escape.

    At the very least, the Empress dowager did not want her dead and she also knew the Chen manor well enough, better than the soldiers. Therefore she had a high chance of a successful escape if she played her cards right.

    The soldiers were obviously not paying attention to her so her the main problem was the soldier holding on to her arm. But luckily she had done some foreplanning.

    Since the day she left the palace and realized she was being watched, she had been coating her fingernails with a highly potent poison, as an extra layer of protection. Therefore, if it was just one person she needed to handle, she could do it.

    But she would only have one chance, so she had to be very careful using it.

    Chun Hua steeled herself and waited for her opportunity. As the group rounded the corner, she swiftly raised her free hand and swiped at the soldier''s face. He was caught completely unaware and she scratched him right across the cheek, leaving three bloody streaks.

    The soldier immediately released Chun Hua as he urgently went to claw at his now burning and itching face, screaming in pain.

    Before anyone could react, Chun Hua immediately turned and pushed Chen You and her mother into the guards behind them, and then she ran.

    The Empress dowager immediately turned back and screamed, "NO! Stop her!" And then she took off running after Chun Hua herself, shoving the soldiers out of her way, pushing them into each other, further causing chaos.

    "Your majesty!" The Commander shouted after the Empress dowager and promptly ran after her through the mess, the other soldiers promptly regained themselves and chased behind him.

    "Your majesty!" Chen Bo echoed, also not missing a miss a beat as he ran after the soldiers, leaving his wife and daughter behind on the ground where the soldiers had deposited them in their rush.

    The soldier Chun Hua had scratched laid on the ground and began convulsing. Chen You and her mother exchanged frantic looks and then quickly got up and followed after Chen Bo, too scared to be left alone with the now convulsing soldier.

    The noisiness of the group attracted the attention of Chun Hai and Bao Zhun''s group of men, who had used the battle in the front as a diversion as they went into the manor to search for Chun Hua. They promptly converged towards the location of the voices and it did not take long for Chun Hua to round a corner and run straight into them.

    Without any hesitation or words, the group turned and started racing for the exit as one of the men blew a whistle, signaling it was time to retreat. They arrived at the front, where their men had already begun carving a route towards the exit. Without missing a beat, they jumped into the fray and were quickly making headway to the exit.

    They knew they were short on time and needed to get out of the manor and disperse before reinforcements arrived.

    But just as they were about reaching the stairs to climb up to the entrance, a new set of soldiers poured in through the doors, forcing the rescuers to fall back.

    They could immediately tell from the way their attire that these were the Imperial guards. The other soldiers gave way for the Imperial guards, who simply surrounded the Zou rescuers with their swords drawn, but they did not attack. At the top of the steps, a line of archers stood took their places on the platform with their arrows drawn and trained on them.

    The Zou rescuers huddled close together, with Chun Hua in the center as they surveyed the grim situation. Any movement right then would result in an instant rain of arrows.

    They had lost their small window of opportunity and the situation was now very grim.

    "Well, this is quite the interesting scene..." The Emperor calmly said as he walked in with a small smirk on his face and stood in-between the archers as he lightly scrutinized the wary group. Now even more curious than before as to Chun Hua''s identity.

    With the Emperor''s arrival on the scene, the atmosphere greatly changed. The Empress dowager stood still at the edge of the front courtyard, glaring at the Emperor as she clenched her fists.

    {...Has he come to ruin things for me again? This stupid son!...}

    The Zou rescuers'' scrutinized the Emperor, who was leisurely standing there with his hands behind his back, with a wall of men behind him blocking the entrance as far back as their eyes could. They could guess there was probably more waiting outside. This situation was now looking incredibly bleak.

    Bao Zhun and his men began to truly feel panicked and huddled even closer, their eyes darting around them, mentally preparing for the onslaught. Bao Zhun covertly glanced around and spotted the Empress dowager on the edge of the fray. He glanced at Chun Hai and whispered, "If we take the Empress dowager hostage, then..."

    It would be hard to get there, but if they could carve out the way for one person to grab her, sword on her neck, they will make it. Chun Hai knit his brows and did not respond as he kept his eyes fixed on the Emperor, who was watching in an irritating relaxed manner.

    {...It could work, it has to...}

    Next to them, Chun Hua was thinking very different thoughts as she narrowed her eyes at the Emperor. With the way things now stood, death seemed to be the only option they available.

    And if she was going to die here, she thought she might as well make her death useful and take the Long Emperor down with her. She lightly rubbed her thumbs over her nails as she considered how she would make her way over to him once the scuffle began.

    {...Just a scratch...I just need a scratch, ju-...}

    But then Chun Hai suddenly gripped her wrist tightly, cutting into her thoughts. Chun Hua raised an eyebrow at him and he just shot her a stern look and whispered, "No."

    "Drop your swords and surrender and I will spare you." The Emperor calmly informed. He would truly spare their lives but as to how they would live it, that was up in the air.

    The Zou rescuers glanced at each other, hesitating and debating the offer. The men looked to Bao Zhun and Chun Hai, who were looking at the Emperor with steeled gazes. It was obvious they were not about to surrender and so their men steeled themselves as well.

    The Emperor saw their determination and let out a sigh, "Fight then. I only need a few wagging tongues."

 Chapter 252 - Outburst

    With the Emperor''s words said, the Imperial guards surrounding the Zou group moved to attack.

    "Clear a path!" Bao Zhun ordered, moving to position himself to make a dash for the Empress dowager.

    Chun Hua also prepared to make her own dash towards the Emperor. She knew that if she moved forward, her brother and Bao Zhun would follow and so would their men. She would be protected, therefore she would have a good chance of making it there.

    The main problem were the archers, who no doubt rain arrows on them before they could even reach the steps. But she believed they should all be able and willing to sacrifice for the grand victory of killing the Long Emperor.

    As the swords were raised and set to clash, a blue light suddenly flashed out from the center of the Zou group, temporarily blinding the imperial guards and all around...and then their swords fell on air.

    The light was gone as quickly as it illuminated and with it, went the Zou group.

    The Imperial guards gaped at the now empty space with completely lost and confused expressions. They looked across at each other and to their sides, each wanting an explanation but all having none.

    Some of them even walked into the center, waving their swords around. Perhaps thinking that the enemy had somehow become invisible, as if that were a more plausible option. But it truly was only air that now occupied that space.

    "Your majesty -" Commander An said from beside the Emperor., bringing him out of his daze. The Emperor frowned and promptly ordered, "Search!"

    The Imperial guards and the soldiers jumped out of their confused dazes, those in the courtyard scattered around the manor. While those behind the Emperor flooded outside to search the parameter. The men who had been outside the manor promptly joined in the hustle, even though they were unaware of the absurdity that had just taken place inside.

    "Search every house if you have to. I want them found." The Emperor irritatedly said without taking his eyes off the now mysterious spot. Commander An bowed and then went outside to lead the confused operation, leaving a few guards at the Emperor''s side for his protection.

    {...This is indeed a strange occurrence... How could they have simply disappeared?...}

    The Emperor thought of himself as a pretty open-minded person given his own experiences, but if someone had come to report this to him, he would have had a hard time comprehending it.

    He would like to believe that the light was simply a distraction. And that they had somehow jumped over all the Imperial guards and soldiers and scaled the walls in that one instant. But he knew that was so unlikely that it was impossible. There was no way all of them could have done that so quickly and without being seen.

    This occurrence was just as unbelievable as Lei Xing''s claim of being from another world. But it was one thing to hear about absurdities and a completely different thing for an absurdity to play out right before your very own eyes.

    The soldiers who had been with the Empress dowager, in their dazed state, instinctively reacted to the Emperor''s order and scattered along with the others. Leaving only the Commander, the stupefied Chen family members and their steward at the Empress dowager''s side.

    The Empress dowager stared at the now empty ground where Chun Hua had just been with wide-eyes. Her breathing increasingly became labored as the reality of what had just happened and what it now meant for her settled in.

    {...S-she - the girl is...is...the monk...is...go-gone...}

    "How could they just disappear..." Chen You quietly mumbled in disbelief as she stared at the same spot.

    Unbeknownst to Chen You, her statement had dragged the Empress dowager''s attention back to her. The Empress dowager stared at Chen You for a bit, then her eyes traced Chen You''s vision down to the disappearance spot. Then she brought her eyes back to Chen You, her gaze now angry as her face contorted into a deep enraged scowl.

    Without taking her eyes off of Chen You, the Empress dowager went to snatch the Commander''s sword. The Commander''s grip instinctively tightened around the hilt, but then the Empress dowager whipped her glare on him and he was immediately persuaded to release it.

    As soon as she got the sword, the Empress dowager took a step and swung it towards the unaware Chen You as she barked, "This is all your fault!"

    The Empress dowager''s call arrested everyone''s attention. The Emperor looked up to see his mother mid-swing and shouted, "Stop her!" as he went to sprint across the courtyard, with his men promptly following behind him.

    The Commander immediately reacted but instead of gripping the Empress dowager''s arm and pulling, he instinctively refrained from touching her and opted to reach towards the sword...With that poor strategy, it was too late.

    It all happened so fast and now Chen You lay on the ground...With her mother on top of her.

    Chen You felt the pain shooting from the back of her head before she felt the weight of her mother. Before she could even begin to comprehend what had happened. The Empress dowager pulled the sword back, knocking the hilt into the Commander''s left eye causing him to howl and recoil in pain as blood oozed from his eye.

    The Empress dowager became even more irritated with someone getting in her way and simply brought the sword straight down towards Chen You''s neck. Chen You froze as her eyes filled with the crazy dowager''s sword coming down for her neck like a red arrow from hell.

    As Chen You saw her life flash before her eyes, the sword was luckily yanked out of the Empress dowager''s hand just as it touched her neck and it ended up simply grazing her neck instead.

    The Empress dowager immediately reached for the sword again and when she saw it was the Emperor who got in her way, her rage increased and she went to attack him instead, reaching for his neck. The Imperial guards promptly peeled her off him, but she had managed to claw at his neck, leaving a few bloody streaks.

    The Empress dowager kicked and struggled and then just settled for irate bitter barking at the Emperor, "This is all your fault! Why are you here?! You''re always in my way! I left both of you alone so why can''t you leave me alone?! You''re always, always, always, always -!"

    Her rant was cut short when the Emperor irritatedly closed the distance and knocked her out with the hilt of the sword to the back of her neck.

    Chen You finally released the shaky breath she had been holding when she realized that she was still alive. It was only now that she realized that her mother was not moving. She froze and then tentatively brought up her shaky hands to touch her mother and as soon as she felt the warm liquid she became petrified and went completely still.

    She had no thoughts, no reaction, nothing...She could not think or move, she did not want to.

    "Take the Empress dowager back to the palace and guard her palace, she is not to leave her palace. Get the nearest physician here and send for the head physician." The Emperor ordered and two Imperial guards immediately carried the Empress dowager off. While others sprinted off to get the physicians.

    Chen Bo finally snapped out of it his stupor and dropped to his knees and pulled Chen You''s mother''s body off of Chen You and into his arms as he checked her breathing.

    "She''s alive." Chen Bo said as he let out a sigh of relief as he realized she had only passed out from the shock of it. He hoped it to be so.

    Chen Bo immediately hoisted her up and raced away with the steward promptly following him, completely forgetting about the shocked and pale Chen You on the ground.

    The Emperor frowned and let out an irritated breath as he watched them race away. Things had gotten completely out of hand. The enemy had somehow magically escaped right when they were in his palm, his mother had completely lost her mind now and an innocent person was potentially dying.

    "Help her up." The Emperor ordered with a sigh as he glanced at the ghastly pale and lost Chen You on the ground.

    Two Imperial guards grabbed her arms and pulled Chen You up, waking her up from her stupor. But as soon as they released her, she crumbled back to the ground. She could not feel her legs or anything at the moment.

    Now that she was sitting up, she could see the blood on her hands. She shakily raised her hands and stared at them. She tried to form words but only unintelligible sounds came out of her mouth.

    Her mind replayed that moment when the Empress dowager''s sword came for her. She heard the Empress dowager''s bark and turned, but before she could even see or react, she was knocked down to the ground.

    It was only now as she stared at the blood on her hands that she finally processed what had truly happened. Her mother had tried to save her and now her mother was...Chen You shook her head and then brought her hands up to cover her ears as she continuously shook her head.

    {...No, no, she''s fine - This is all my fault...No! She''s fine...Blood - No, no, no, no...It was all my fault and now - now...}

    Chen You began hyperventilating, she buried her face in her laps and screamed for about a minute as angry tears poured from her eyes. It was anger at the Empress dowager, at the situation...but anger mostly at herself for bringing this to her mother.

    Chen You suddenly then stopped screaming and then hastily and clumsily scrambled to her feet as she ran off to find her mother on her unsteady legs.

    "Make sure she gets there safely." The Emperor calmly said and an Imperial guard promptly followed behind Chen You.

    The Emperor watched the sobbing Chen You racing off with a very conflicted expression. He looked on long after she was gone from view.

    The Emperor let out a tired breath and glanced at the front courtyard littered with bodies, some of which belonged to the disappeared enemy group.

    "Check to see if any of them is still alive." He calmly ordered and then absentmindedly looked on as the Imperial guards went about checking for signs of life. The Commander swiftly collected himself, ignored the pain and joined the others worried about the Emperor punishing him for his failure just now.

    This situation had definitely blown up into a more problematic one.

    At the very least, the Emperor had finally had enough of his mother''s antics. He had wanted to preserve her dignity but clearly, she apparently cared nothing for it.

    Since she wanted to be treated like a crazy person, then he would have no choice but to indulge her.

 Chapter 253 - Brilliant Tenacity

    The Zou group reappeared in a clearing in the middle of a forest. Some of them losing their balance and toppling over as their swords cut through the air. Their eyes darted around in confusion as they adjusted the new dark surroundings.

    The manor was gone, the city was gone and soldiers were gone. They were in the complete dark of the forest.

    Confused whispers permeated the air, all wondering what and how this happened. They all remembered being at the Chen manor bracing for the onslaught of Imperial guards but then they were suddenly here in the forest.

    Chun Hua was the first to get over her shock and immediately she immediately turned to her brother with knit eyebrows and asked, "You can do this?"

    This question quickly drew the attention of the others and they all turned to Chun Hai with raised shocked eyebrows. They were happy to alive and away from that dire situation, but it was impossible...It should have been impossible but he had somehow done this? It was incredible and they were all very curious, some still in disbelief.

    The men could not question Chun Hai, but Bao Zhun quickly spoke for them all, "You really did this?...how?" He asked, blinking at him in surprise and intrigue.

    Chun Hai narrowed his eyes irritatedly at Chun Hua and then turned to Bao Zhun and simply said, "We should keep moving. The farther we are from the city the better..."

    Chun Hai could not explain the situation to them in a way that would make sense. He himself did not really understand it, he just accepted the possibility of it. Moreover, he also did not want to put a spotlight on Monk Du and cause trouble for him. If it was not because the situation was dire, he would not have used it.

    It might be cruel, but he honestly did not care much about the others, a great part of why were the questions they would have. He was not even sure it would have worked, after all, he had only ever used it on himself.

    So back there, his focus was on bringing his sister with him, which was why he gripped onto her arm so tightly. But it seems he must have subconsciously wanted to bring them all, after all, they were all in that situation because of his sister. He must have felt a duty to save them, but still, he was not going to explain anything.

    He saved their lives therefore, he owed them nothing. If anything, they owed him.

    Bao Zhun observed Chun Hai''s irritated demeanor and he quickly understood and so he went, "Oh well, whatever it was. Let''s just be grateful to be alive and leave it there. I don''t want useless talk about this spreading. No more about this." Bao Zhun finally casting a sweeping warning glare across his men in silent threat.

    The men cupped their hands and promptly bowed to show their understanding and gratitude.

    Bao Zhun nodded and then turned back to Chun Hai, "How far do you think we are from the capital?" Intentionally framing the question like this.

    Chun Hai glanced around and then responded, "I don''t think it''s far. Probably somewhere in the forest surrounding the capital..."

    "Ok -"

    "Excuse us!" Chun Hua cut in as she grabbed her brother''s arm and pulled him along, disappearing through the trees. After they were far enough out of earshot, she stopped. She was not too worried about one of the others sneaking after them as she knew Bao Zhun would keep his men under his watch. She narrowed her eyes at her brother and asked, "What is the meaning of this? How come you can do that?"

    Chun Hai frowned and hesitated, and then Chun Hua indignantly went, "You''re keeping secrets from me now? Is that it? I thought- "

    "Alright...." Chun Hai said with a sigh. "Here..." He said pulling out a small pouch from his inner robe.

    Chun Hua raised an eyebrow and watched as he opened it and emptied it onto his palm, two lightly glowing small blue crystal orbs came out.

    Chun Hua picked one up and scrutinized it as she asked, "Monk Du gave you this?" The crystal orb seemed to hold magical essence, a familiar essence so she did not need to be told who he got this from. The blue contents in it swirled with each movement, reminiscent of the ocean''s waves.

    "En. He showed up while I was going after Prince Rui for my "assignment". He gave me five of them and instructed to break one when in extreme danger and they will lead me to safety..." Chun Hai explained, he had used the first two during his botched assassination attempts on Prince Rui months ago.

    Chun Hau stared at the blue orbs and pouted.

    {...Why didn''t he give me something like this?...}

    A light bulb suddenly came on in her mind and she excitedly went, "This! This is it. With this, we can just appear in the palace and kill the Long Emperor and then leave! Easily! You should have told me about this long ago. Let''s go - No, not now. We should wait, we also need to plan -"

    "No." Chun Hai said with a frown.

    Chun Hua frowned, "Why are you being like this? We can do this. We can appear in his bed chamber and I Just need to use a little poison or we can just slit his throat or something. We do it, we disappear. It''s clean and easy! Do this for me...please." She added with a beseeching expression.

    Chun Hai sighed and then explained, "It''s not that I care about the Long Emperor''s life, I can''t do it because it can''t be done...I have to know where I''m going, I have to be able to visualize it...I have been there before. Like this spot here, I had marked the clearing and seared it into my memory as I made my way to the capital. That is why I could bring us here...It won''t work if I don''t know the place, it won''t break if I can''t see it in my mind."

    Chun Hua knit her brows and then promptly said, "Then I''ll do it." While she had never been in the Emperor''s - No it should actually be that Lei Xing''s bedroom, she amended the plan in her mind.

    While she had not been to Lei Xing''s bedroom, she had been to her palace a few times so she could at least "visualize" it. If she chose a strategic point she might be able to go unnoticed. It would definitely be risky but she was willing to take the risk.

    But then Chun Hai burst her bubble with his next words, "That won''t work either. He had me put my blood on them, so they only work for me. On anyone else, they will be useless..."

    Chun Hua opened her mouth and then closed it and her face formed into a deep scowl with jealousy and anger. They had such a good item but yet it was completely useless now thanks to her brother''s lackadaisical behavior.

    If she had known about this earlier, she would have found a way to get him into the palace, to get him to the Emperor''s side so they could have had this chance.

    She also felt some resentment towards Monk Du for not giving her such a good item when he had every opportunity to do so last time they met.

    {...What a waste!...}

    "Get the thoughts of the Long Emperor out of your head. We''re going home." Chun Hai said snatching the orb out of her, putting them back in his pouch and returning to his robe. After that, he turned and returned to the others with Chun Hua begrudgingly following.

    By the time they reached the group, they had a little fire going and were resting.

    When Bao Zhun saw them, he walked over and explained, "I think it is best for us to wait till morning. After all, no one would imagine we were outside the city, and treading blindly through an unfamiliar forest is not ideal, and using lights could possibly attract attention..."

    Chun Hai nodded and then went sit and rest on the tree at the edge of the makeshift camp. While Chun Hua stood there frowning at her brother. She was not entirely persuaded by his claims just now about not being able to get to the Emperor. After all, he had never been in support of her mission here. Regardless, she could not behave rashly, she needed to think...to plan.

    "Is something wrong?" Bao Zhun, concerned with her poor expression.

    Chun Hua shook her head with a sigh and then turned to him with a smile, "Thank you for coming to rescue me...But next time act with more caution. Don''t let my brother drag you around."

    "How can?" Bao Zhun said with a scoff, he smiled and then changed the topic, "Are you hungry? I can have the men find you some fruit or something..."

    "No, it''s better to rest." Chun Hua responded with another sigh, glancing over at her brother again with a disgruntled pout.

    "Then you should stay by the fire so you don''t catch a cold." Bao Zhun said grabbing her arm and pulling her along with a happy smile.

    It was a definitely good thing that he came along with her. Before she would never even glance his way but now she was smiling at him now. He knew his tenacity would eventually pay off.

    ***

    "Wake up, wake up!" Chun Hua quietly said as she shook her brother awake.

    "What?... What''s wrong?" Chun Hai said as he sat up, ready to fight. Only for him to see a peaceful camp with most of its inhabitants asleep, except Bao Zhun and another man, who seemed to be on watch at the moment and Chun Hua, who was in his face.

    "Come with me." Chun Hua said and then got up and walked into the forest again.

    Chun Hai sighed, he knew his sister was too stubborn and would not let this go. He could guess that she had not slept and had been thinking about how to use this new knowledge to her advantage. This was why he never told her about them before. He was not interested in continuing the conversation, but still, he got up and followed.

    "I have a plan." Chun Hua said with a smile as soon as he arrived on the scene.

    It was just as he expected. Chun Hai did not respond, but not at all dissuaded, Chun Hua ordered, "Take me to that Prince Yi. You''ve been to his manor before, don''t lie...Bao Zhun already told me. Let''s go."

    "Why can''t you just let this go?" Chun Hai said with exasperation, "This is becoming an unhealthy obsession."

    "Take me there." Chun Hua said with a frown.

    "No, it''s a waste. There''s only two left and we''re still deep in enemy territory. Who knows what trouble we will face later on. Our lives could be hanging on this yet you''d rather waste them to go kill an irrelevant Prince? Do you think Houyi will care about that? Do you even think Houyi act-"

    "Who said anything about killing him?!" Chun Hua interjected with irritation.

    "Then what do you plan to do there?" Chun Hai said, obviously not convinced.

    "Talk." Chun Hua vaguely responded.

    Chun Hai snorted, "Well then, I''ll tell you now that he does not want to talk to you or me. I''m sure you should have also heard from Bao Zhun how things with Prince Yi played out..."

    Chun Hai then sighed and advised, "Let''s just go back home. Forget Houyi, Bao Zhun is a good man who clearly cares a lot for you....and if you don''t want that, then we can return to Jiu country. I''m sure uncle would be very happy with that...Just forget this, okay?" He implored as he moved to pat her back.

    Chun Hua immediately slapped his hand off and said, "I can''t return empty-handed, you either take me there or I''ll go myself...and if you try to restrain me, then - then I''ll just kill myself!"

    "Huayan!" Chun Hai said in anger, "Why are you being so stubborn?! Can''t y-"

    "You''re the one being stubborn. How can you not understand what is at stake here?! You''s always like this, how can you not care about what is important?!" Chun Hua shot back, then she took a deep breath to calm herself and lightly touched her brother''s arm and pleadingly said, "We promised to always support each other, to always be there for each other...I need your support now. I need this, please..."

    Chun Hai knit his brows and looked at Chun Hua''s beseeching expression and then said, "This is stupid..." with raised eyebrows.

    Chun Hua smiled in victory and pat his arm and sweetly said, "It''ll work..."

 Chapter 254 - Insight

    Prince Yi felt a shift in the atmosphere of his bedroom, he immediately sat up, reaching for his sword but then he heard a familiar calm voice speak. One he had once spent a whole night anticipating.

    "Relax...I have come to say my farewell as a friend." Chun Hai calmly said walking forward from the corner of the room.

    Prince Yi''s hand remained on the sword as he scoffed and said, "I have heard that the entire city is an uproar searching for "enemies of the state"...I thought you would be too busy have the time to come to say a farewell to such a casual acquaintance...My manor is no place for a fugitive." Prince Yi said that last line with irritation.

    "Ahh, I should, first of all, apologize for my absence the other day. As you probably now know, the situation has been changing very rapidly. Things escalated out of hand and I did not want to endanger Your highness with my problems. So I had no choice but to stay away...Today I naturally came to apologize and naturally came with a farewell gift." Chun Hai leisurely said.

    "Your highness, who are you talking to?" A groggy female voice suddenly went from behind Prince Yi. Prince Yi swiftly turned to the woman and before she could sit up and see the visitor, he hit the woman on the back of her neck and knocked her out.

    It was not that he did not trust his concubines, he just could not take any risks here. Especially considering the Emperor was currently raising the entire capital most likely in search of this person here.

    Although Prince Yi was not fully convinced of Chun Hai''s reason for missing their appointment, he was still open to negotiations. Especially, when someone was here to grovel for his help. He could indulge him a bit.

    Prince Yi got up and asked, "And what is this gift?" As he leisurely reached for his robe and put it on.

    Prince Yi turned back to Chun Hai and it was only then that he noticed that there was someone else in the room besides Chun Hai. There was a woman at Chun Hai''s side frowning at him, seemingly displeased about something. Perhaps it was about him walking around n.a.k.e.d, but it was his bedroom and they interrupted his sleep. Therefore, he was not going to apologize for that.

    Prince Yi raised an unamused eyebrow at Chun Hai and asked, "Is that the gift?" as his eyes went back to Chun Hua, looking her over.

    Chun Hai frowned, but before he could respond, Chun Hua spoke up, "Enough of this. We are here to consolidate our alliance. You want the Long throne and we want the Long Emperor dead...Therefore, we should be able to help each other."

    "And who are you supposed to be?" Prince Yi asked with knit eyebrows, not liking her tone.

    "Prince Houyi''s future princess..." Chun Hua proudly responded, raising her chin.

    "Ahhh, one of his concubines..." Prince Yi offhandedly commented. It now made sense why Haiyan was so eager and willing to run into the lion''s den to retrieve her.

    "My sister is no one''s concubine! Watch your mouth." Chun Hai irritatedly warned, he was already ready to leave at this point. But since they were, they had better make the trip worthwhile. Otherwise, the waste would be too tragic and so he had to endure.

    "Sister?" Prince Yi exclaimed, wide-eyed.

    Chun Hua frowned and irritatedly went, "Please focus on what''s important here. I would like you to-"

    "I am no longer interested in an alliance with you people." Prince Yi interjected, picking up his sword and walking over to sit at his desk on the side, where a jar of wine sat.

    "He''s not interested, let''s go." Chun Hai promptly said as he grabbed his sister''s arm. Chun Hua shrugged him off and turned back to Prince Yi and asked, "Why not? Don''t you want to be the Long Emperor?"

    Prince Yi frowned but then he quickly replaced it with a nonchalant expression. He filled up his cup of wine as he offhandedly explained, "You Zou people are obviously untrustworthy...Also your champion Prince, Prince Houyi is too ambitious. I cannot trade one evil for a greater one. I can manage my own affairs, you should leave now while I am still being hospitable." He finished, picking up the cup and sipping leisurely.

    Chun Hai reached for Chun Hua''s hand again for them to leave, but she shrugged him off and blurted out, "Marry Nalan!"

    Prince Yi stopped and then blinked up at her with a frown, "Do you take me for a fool?" The Zou king wanted Princess Nalan to be the Emperor''s wife so there was no way he would settle for a prince.

    Not to mention, the Emperor would never approve of the union as it will give him more power and connections. Asking for such a union was a foolish move, one begging for trouble.

    Chun Hua ignored the question and clarified, "Obviously, I don''t mean you should go to request her hand in marriage. Her father and your Emperor will naturally not agree, even Houyi would disagree. What I mean is that you should make her fall in love with you...Make it so that she has to marry you." She glanced towards the bed and flatly said, "I believe you should be quite capable of the endeavor..."

    Prince Yi knit his brows in thought as he mulled over her words and what she implied. He had not thought of this before. As absurd as it sounded, as troublesome as it could be...It was not so bleak.

    Chun Hua''s mouth lightly rose in a sly smile as she continued to persuade him, "Nalan will be a very strategic piece for you. She is close to the heart of all her siblings. Her two sisters are married to kings of their own nations, Baiya and Jing country. Most importantly, Houyi has always felt immense guilt for not being there for her when she was growing up. No matter how ambitious he is, he would never hurt her or what is hers. Get her and I promise your throne will be secure. You will have not only Houyi, but you will also have the alliance of Zou kingdom, regardless of which brother later sits on the throne..."

    Chun Hau glanced at her brother, wanting him to assist her. Chun Hai inwardly sighed and then said, "There is no loss to you with this deal. We both grew up with Prince Houyi so we know him best...You will have an ally in him with Nalan at your side."

    {...Probably, I can''t really tell these days ...}

    Prince Yi dropped his wine cup and scrutinized the two of them. It truly sounded like a good offer and he could use them.

    Prince Rui had failed him, but Prince Houyi could deliver. What''s more, he would have a prime hostage against them. This would be a much better situation for him if it worked. But then something still felt strange and so he asked, "Why would Houyi want to help me get a throne he won''t have?"

    Chun Hua frowned in irritation, "As I just said, he loves his sister and will naturally want her to have the best. At most, he may want a city or two and a some little other things as a show of gratitude for his aid. But those will be nothing to one who has an Empire, especially one of this magnitude. Houyi will not attack you, none of the princes will."

    Prince Yi quietly contemplated for a while and then asked, "Wouldn''t it be easier to simply deal with my brother?... Or is it that you consider me a pushover, someone you can more easily manipulate?" Prince Yi asked narrowing his eyes menacingly at the pair, as his anger surged at the thought of being underestimated...at the thought of being looked down upon by his brother.

    Chun Hai grabbed Chun Hua''s arm, sensing the dangerous aura and was ready to flee at a moment''s notice.

    But then Chun Hua went and said something that he did not expect her to say, "We are the inheritors of Dong country and therefore, have a long enmity with the Xia empire, specifically against the Xia royal family''s bloodline. Seeing them alive and on a throne, ruling what was once ours is an eyesore that cannot be overlooked. That is why it is you and can never be your brother..."

    Prince Yi blinked in surprise and observed the pair with knit eyebrows as he digested her declaration. But before he could react, they suddenly loud footsteps coming from outside, and the three in the room froze, suddenly on high alert.

    Next thing, Tian Ji called from outside, "Your highness, the Imperial guards are here on the order of the Emperor..."

    The three in the room looked at each other and then Prince Yi swiftly got up and whispered, "Hide."

    Instead of moving to hide, Chun Hua urgently said some last words, "Once you make Nalan yours Houyi and the Zou lords will naturally feel inclined to want to see you succeed...Do this if you want to be victorious." She said as her brother pulled her towards one of the inner rooms.

    "Prince Yi, we are sorry to disturb your sleep but we are under the Emperor''s orders to search every residence...With no exemption." Commander An''s voice carried over.

    They had searched all over the city to no avail. And now they were truly going into every home waking the city up to search. Commander An had specifically come here to oversee this search, to be respectful of Prince Yi''s status as well as to handle any problems that may come up.

    Prince Yi frowned and took a deep breath and then walked towards the door, thinking of how he could send them away or at least, distract them a little until the pair inside could escape. But just as he was about to open the doors, Commander An noticed a little flash of blue light coming from inside so he promptly threw open the doors and raced inside with his men following, brushing past Prince Yi.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" Prince Yi barked in anger.

    "Search!" Commander An ordered and the men proceeded to ransack the room, as Commander An turned to Prince Yi and bowed, "Your highness, I apologize but we are under the strict orders of the Emperor -"

    "Is it the Emperor''s order for you to barge into my own bedroom so brazenly?" Prince Yi interjected, "You and your men get out this instant!"

    "We cannot do that." Commander An firmly responded as he looked at Prince Yi suspiciously and added, "You can bring whatever complaints you have against me before the Emperor, but for now, I must carry out my duty."

    Prince Yi knit his brows and remained silent, not knowing what else to say or do as his heart pounded rapidly. If he continued to protest even with that, he would look even more suspicious.

    {...I should have just captured them and presented them to the guards myself...How foolish!...}

    But then to his complete surprise, the men came back and reported that they found nothing suspicious.

    "Hmph! Of course, there is nothing." Prince Yi haughtily said, playing the insulted role.

    Commander An knit his brows and then looked at the bed which was obscured by the canopy curtains. They could see the shape of someone there, but none of the guards had dared to open it, "Your highness, who -"

    Before Commander An could finish his words, Prince Yi irritatedly stormed over to the bed and drew back the curtain to reveal the half-n.a.k.e.d woman passed out on his bed.

    The men all quickly averted their gazes and Commander An promptly cupped his hands and bowed, "I apologize for disturbing your night, Your highness...Withdraw." He ordered and he and the men all gave a final bow and swiftly rushed out of the room.

    Once the doors were closed, Prince Yi let out a sigh of relief. He dis a quick survey of the room and decided that the pair must have somehow made their escape, luckily. He went back to sit at his desk and picked up his cup of wine again with a slight smile.

    {...Nalan...This is quite the interesting offer...}

    Now that he thought about it, he had wondered why the Emperor had let her do as she wished. Especially since she was such a useful pawn. But then again, he believed the Emperor must have thought himself too great and important to waste his energy on pursuing a woman.

    {...He is just a fool is what he is...A conceited fool...}

 Chapter 255 - Other Peoples Affairs

    Later that morning, the Emperor sat on his throne scrutinizing his silent ministers with a frown. Chen Bo was naturally missing from the pack. While the ministers who had their homes raided in the early hours of the morning by Imperial guards all seemed to have nothing to say.

    At the moment, the capital still had soldiers roaming around, more soldiers even flooded into the city this morning to assist in the search. The streets were empty and the tension in the city was very high.

    So the ministers all knew to tread lightly as no one wanted to be the one to further irritate the Emperor and become an example for the masses. So they silently waited for the irate Emperor to explain the situation.

    The Emperor finally let out a breath and announced, "The Empress dowager''s health has gotten worse. Therefore, to avoid any further decline and to aid her recovery, she has decided to go into seclusion. From today onwards, she will see no one nor leave her palace...for the sake of her good health."

    The Emperor scanned the ministers and waited for someone to raise an objection. It was obvious he was punishing his mother, but no one stepped forward to chastise him over his diminished filial piety. No doubt they had all already heard about what happened in the Chen manor.

    The Emperor lightly scoffed, it was not like they cared for his mother anyway. But he had expected someone would try to use this to start trouble with him, but clearly those who like to play devil''s advocate were clearly too worried for their own heads to speak.

    He could have probably thrown her back in the cold palace with minimal or no protest. But for the sake of the Xia people who have helped him and to avoid any reproach from the public, he would do his "filial" duty and keep her grand shell intact.

    The Xia palace was no longer an option as the Empress dowager was now too volatile to allow out of his sight. Therefore, the Empress dowager''s palace will become her prison.

    The Emperor got up, scanned the room, and then said, "There are enemies in our midst and I expect all of you to give your utmost assistance in aiding the soldiers in weeding them out of their hiding places..." With that said, he stormed out. He had nothing else to tell them, after all, he himself was still not sure of the identity of the enemies or what their true motive was here.

    Therefore, there was really no explanation he could give anyone at the moment. He was also not interested in discussing the absurdity that happened with them either, that, they could find out about that on their own.

    After Court, the Emperor had a brief meeting with Defense minister Lei and Prime minister Zhao, where he gave them a debriefing on the current state of events as they were to oversee the general matters of it. Then the Emperor left to find the one person he was greatly interested in discussing this topic with, simply because he thought he could get answers here.

    The Emperor returned to Lei Xing''s palace to find Lei Xing in the middle of having breakfast. She immediately smiled and waved him over as she instructed Xiao Ruo to scoop up some congee for him. The Emperor returned a weak smile and sat down next to her, as Xiao Ruo placed a bowl in from of him.

    Lei Xing then handed him a spoon and instructed, "Eat." The Emperor smiled and proceeded to eat. It was obvious she had also heard about what happened. At the very least, his bad mood and the manner in which his mother was brought into the palace was no secret. Since Lei Xing was being careful and nice, he indulged her and ate even though he was not hungry. The conversation could wait a little while.

    Lei Xing tentatively watched the Emperor and inwardly sighed. She had not been able to sleep after he left. She had asked Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin to listen for any information. Therefore she had heard quite early on about the unconscious Empress dowager being carted in by Imperial guards. Later they heard about the Empress dowager''s palace being emptied of servants and locked with Imperial guards even guarding the doors.

    It was obvious something very big had happened.

    There were also rumors about a death in the Chen manor, the Emperor''s anger, and his search for people who hurt the Empress dowager and others in the Chen manor. One rumor said the Emperor attacked his own mother enraged because she tried to kill his concubine, Chen You. Another rumor actually even said that the Emperor and the Empress dowager had a war in the Chen manor because of Chen You.

    Bottomline, the rumors were all over the place and Lei Xing did not give them much importance. After all, she knew for a fact that the Emperor did not at all care for Chen You. Unless Chen You had used some dark magic to make him fall foolishly in love on sight last night, the Emperor would not be fighting wars for her.

    Regardless, Chen You seemed to be at the center of every rumor and Lei Xing was quite curious as to how she ended up back in the capital and in the middle of all this chaos.

    After they were done with their meal, the servants cleared the table and then cleared out of the room so they could talk privately. The Emperor narrated the events that happened and Lei Xing listened with keen attention.

    "They disappeared?" Lei Xing asked in disbelief, quite amused by this wonder. This world seemed filled with many mysteries.

    "En. If I had not seen it myself I would have found it hard to believe. There was a flash of light and then they were gone just as the battle was about to commence."

    Lei Xing nodded with raised her eyebrows in contemplation.

    {...They have teleportation? How cool is that! If I had th- What am I saying? These are enemies, people who freaking drugged me...Crap people who need to found and dealt with! -_-)''...}

    "I have men searching the city, but I don''t think it will yield any results..." The Emperor said with a frown, "I do have one of their men alive, who the physicians are currently trying to save. As for Chen You''s mother..." The Emperor sighed, "She was still alive when I left but her situation seems very bleak. She''s apparently very frail."

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and Lei Xing at a loss for words, she simply put her hand over his and squeezed it. The Emperor took her hand and then smiled and got to the main reason he raced over here, "I was thinking that your doctor friend might have an explanation for this or maybe even some information about the enemy...You said you have a way to contact him privately -"

    "You want to talk to him?" Lei Xing asked as she promptly removed her hand from his, realizing where he was going with this.

    The Emperor knit his brows at her sudden distancing but he nodded, "If it''s okay with you...Or do you -"

    "No, no. It''s fine...Ah, he has not been responding to me today but we can try." Lei Xing said with a fleeting smile. She was not sure if it would work now since she had just touched him but she would try.

    {...Oy, doc?...Hello? Are you still alive? No?...Asleep? WAKE UP!...}

    {...*...}

    {...Tch, answer -_-)''...}

    "Xing er''?" The Emperor called when Lei Xing frowned. Lei Xing looked at him and then took off the bracelet and said, "You try."

    The Emperor reached out to take the bracelet but then she suddenly stopped him and said, "stretch out your palm." The Emperor raised an eyebrow but complied, and then she dropped the bracelet onto it from above and said, "Go ahead, try."

    "Hello?" The Emperor said.

    "You can just do it through your mind." Lei Xing explained.

    "Ah." The Emperor responded, remembering.

    {...Hello?...}

    {...*...}

    {...Hello? Doctor?...Doctor Lou?...}

    {...*Yesss?... How can I help you? ( ��^�� )...}

    "He''s here..." The Emperor said with a smile towards Lei Xing. Lei Xing returned a strained smile, she could see that the good doctor was here just by looking at the bracelet. And honestly, she was mildly irritated that he had been ignoring all day, yet when the Emperor came calling, he swiftly responded.

    {...How coincidental ?_?)...You were intentionally ignoring me, weren''t you? I''ll get you...later -_-)''...}

    "Go ahead, talk to him." Lei Xing urged the Emperor, hiding her irritation and showing her full support. The Emperor looked back down at the bracelet and explained the situation.

    {...I had a strange encounter last night. Where a group of people were surrounded but then they disappeared with a bright blue light from nowhere..in an instant...Have you seen - or heard of anything like this before?...}

    Doctor Lou was silent for a while and then the Emperor knit his brows and went, "Hello?"

    "He likes to use silence to build up momentum, but he''s still there..." Lei Xing reassured with a smile. So the Emperor nodded and patiently waited for a bit longer and then finally, Doctor Lou spoke up.

    {...*Hmmmmmmm...Well, I have...}

    "He has!" The Emperor said, somewhat excitedly, looking up at Lei Xing. Just as he thought, this old man would know.

    The Emperor looked back down at the bracelet in his hand and went, "So how did it happen? How is that possible? Do you know who they are?" The Emperor asked out loud again, he did not mind Lei Xing hearing the conversation and actually wanted to include her. It felt wrong excluding her, after all, it was her contact giving the answers.

    {...*Hmmmm... Well, this is honestly someone else''s affair...and who they are? I don''t know nor do I really care to...I don''t like to get involved in other people''s matters. It''s troublesome~ ( ��^�� )...}

 Chapter 256 - Aftershock

    The Emperor frowned and his mood seemed to worsen. Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and swiftly asked, "What happened?... What did he say?"

    The Emperor pursed his lips and somewhat irritatedly explained, "He said it is somebody else''s problem and he doesn''t know. He does not want to get involved..."

    Lei Xing frowned and then went to take the bracelet, but then she stopped herself. She stretched out her hand and said, "Let me talk to him. Just drop it in my palm, from afar...like I did."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow but awkwardly complied and then Lei Xing immediately glared at the bracelet.

    {...Oy, why do you like being complicated?... Also, you''ve been ignoring me, but I''ll put that aside...Please answer the question -_-)''...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing pursed her lips.

    {...Okay, I''ll set aside all our issues, let bygones be bygones...Help him, please...Explain...}

    {...*Really? You mean it?...}

    {...En, clean slate (?_?)...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Wise choice!...Hmmm, well...Xing Xing, it''s not that I don''t want to help you buuut...As I told him, this is someone else''s business. I don''t like to get involved with other people''s business, because then they''ll get involved in mine which would be an absolute disaster!...}

    Lei Xing frowned.

    {...You have no trouble getting involved in my business (?_? )...}

    {...*Hehehe~ That''s very different, Xing Xing~ We have history~...Hm, okay. I can at least tell you this. It sounds like someone hel- Well, someone there might have d- Well, perhaps someone there has a guardian of sorts just like your husband does, but I truly don''t know anything else about this...}

    {...So you mean some other entity gave them the power to teleport? How useful, I wanna teleport - I mean, he, the Emperor would find it most useful. So how come he can''t teleport like that? Or can he? ? _ ?)....}

    {...*Hehehe~ how cute. He could, maybe sometime in the future but no, he can''t...Don''t worry, one day soon you''ll be soaring high up in the sky like a phoenix and teleporting through space and time. It can be great fun~ hahaha...}

    Doctor Lou''s laughter went from a chuckle to a full-blown howl, to Lei Xing''s annoyance. She frowned with a disgruntled pout as the memory of him howling in laughter at the expense of her wishful thinking months earlier.

    Looking at her expression, the Emperor frowned and asked, "Xing er'', what''s wrong?"

    Lei Xing''s mind was filled with the sound of Doctor Lou''s laughter that she did not hear the Emperor''s words.

    {...It''s not funny -_-)''...If you want to dig up old things, then I have absolutely no difficulty recalling your many transgressions starting f-...}

    {...*Okay, okay, I won''t mention it anymore~ But since you''re actually about to become Empress, this nation''s Phoenix~ I wasn''t at all wrong, you will be a phoenix flying high very soon hehehe~...}

    {...Pointless talk aside, are you still not going to tell me what these bloody entities are? I don''t believe that you don''t know ( ?_?)...}

    {...*...}

    Doctor Lou did not respond to her question and just continued on with that annoying laughter until the rainbow hue on the bracelet dissipated and with it, Doctor Lou was gone.

    {...Tch, stingy. Again, giving nothing...so annoying (?_?)...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath in irritation and the Emperor called again, louder this time, "Xing er''?"

    Lei Xing blinked up at him, remembering she had company.

    "What''s wrong?" The Emperor asked. It apparently seems this old man always gets under her skin. He now knew the reason for her sometimes odd behaviors or mood swings was because of this old man talking in her mind.

    Lei Xing shook her head, "It''s nothing... Um, well, he said it seems they - Well someone there has a guardian entity like yours...which I guess allowed them to do that. But he said he truly doesn''t know about it..."

    The Emperor blinked, taken back by her words. It was odd hearing that others had access to supernatural entities just like he did. Although his had never offered anything but advice so perhaps they were not of the same origin. But regardless, his interest had been piqued and he was now more interested in finding that group.

    But now that he had heard this, the possibility of actually finding the group seemed very slim. Now all he could hope for was that the man they left behind would survive, that way he could at least get some answers.

    The Emperor finally sighed and said, "That aside...There is something else, I would like to discuss with you."

    "Oh, okay." Lei Xing responded, focusing her attention back on him.

    The Emperor sighed again and then said, "The Empress dowager has now been confined to her palace and will remain so until...further notice. Therefore she will no longer be able to handle the palace affairs. Ideally, you should be assuming the responsibilities after you ascend to the position of Empress, but given the situation, I was hoping you could take over the duties now..."

    "Oh." Lei Xing exclaimed, a bit surprised.

    "As I said before, you can do as little as you''d like. It''s just a matter of who to report to if needed...Nothing in your life has to change." The Emperor reassuringly added the last line, remembering how lazy Lei Xing was.

    "Oh, it''s fine. I would love to - I mean, yes. Sure...Yes, I can." Lei Xing haphazardly responded, a little bit giddy about the new job.

    The Emperor smiled and then said, "That''s good then. I will have the Empress''s seal sent over tomorrow, along with someone to assist you..."

    Lei Xing awkwardly nodded, a bit nervous.

    {...A job, a daunting job...potentially. Do I get a salary?... Don''t ask that! -_-)''...}

    The Emperor looked at her awkward form and then reached out and pat her head, "I am sure you will do great. I''ll see you later." The Emperor finished with a smile and then got up and left the room.

    As soon as he turned away from her, his smile disappeared as he contemplated whether to continue with the futile search or not.

    ***

    The Empress dowager woke up to find herself in her bed back at her palace. At first, she was confused but then the memories of the night quickly flooded back into her mind. Chun Hua had disappeared and with her, the only link to the monk and that Chen You was the cause of all this.

    The Empress dowager scowled and immediately went to get up to get dressed. The door then opened and Song mama came in carrying a bowl of water, she blinked and smiled when she saw the Empress dowager getting up, "Your majesty, you''re awake!" She had been asleep when the Empress dowager left a few days back. So she had been very worried when she was brought back unconscious.

    The Empress dowager irritatedly glanced at her and simply said, "Get things ready, I''m going out."

    Song mama froze and then quietly walked over to the side, dropped the bowl of water, and hesitantly informed, "Your majesty, you...you can''t leave."

    The Empress dowager stopped and turned to a questioning frown to her, "What?"

    Song mama looked at her, gulped, and then carefully said, "The Emperor ordered that you are not to leave your palace..."

    "What do you mean?!" The Empress dowager barked and Song mama jumped, then promptly fell to her knees and explained, "I don''t know what happened but the -...when they brought you back, the guards said you are not to leave and...and this morning, they cleared out the servants...and locked the doors..." Song mama''s voice got quieter and quieter as she explained along, lowering her head as she braced herself. She knew the Empress dowager would be enraged by this news.

    But then after waiting for a little bit, the Empress dowager had still not responded. So Song mama dared to look up to see the Empress dowager glaring daggers down at her so she promptly lowered her head again in fear.

    The Empress dowager seemed to have frozen in place and was having trouble processing what she just heard. After a little bit longer, she finally quietly and calmly asked, "He did what?"

    Song mama knit her brows and hesitated. The Empress dowager being quiet like this was a lot more worrisome than her shouting, shouting was unexpected and so Song mama stuttered, "Th-he Emperor...said...Y-your highness c-c-cannot leave your palace..."

    Rather than address Song mama, the Empress dowager simply stormed out of her room into an empty hallway with no servants. She made her way through empty corridors and entered the empty courtyard to see then to the entrance doors closed. Then she stopped and simply stood there staring at the doors.

    Song mama came up behind her and stood some distance away, wary of her mistress eerie calmness.

    After a while of just standing there staring at the locked doors, the Empress dowager calmly ordered, "Open the doors."

    Song mama knit her brows, "Your maj-"

    "I said OPEN THE DOORS!" The Empress dowager barked.

    Song mama jumped, but then before she could react, she heard the sound of the doors being unlocked from the outside. She let out a sigh of relief as she thought the Emperor had changed his mind.

    One of the doors was then opened but then Ling mama was quickly ushered in and the doors were promptly closed behind her with the lock put back in place.

    Song mama''s heart fell as she glanced at the Empress dowager''s tensed up back, dreading her upcoming outburst.

    Ling mama looked from the closed doors to the Empress dowager in confusion. As soon as she arrived back at the palace, she was kept waiting for a long while at the palace gates until an euncuh finally arrived with an order from the Emperor, permitting her to be taken to the Empress dowager''s palace.

    She was confused as to why she needed the Emperor''s permission to enter. Not to mention she arrived to find the entrance locked with guards standing there like it was a prison. She now completely understood that something had gone very wrong somewhere while she was absent.

 Chapter 257 - Mysterious Old Sage

    Ling mama quickly went over to the Empress dowager''s side, bowed and went, "Your majesty, are you alright? I had heard you were injured..." Ling mama said with concern.

    Unfortunately, on their journey back Ling mama started feeling sick and was stopping to throw up. This irritated the Empress dowager and after the third time of her stopping, the Empress dowager simply rode off leaving her alone to catch up. Although two of the men ended up riding back to follow along with her slower pace for her protection.

    This made Ling mama very happy as it showed that the Empress dowager was concerned over her wellbeing. Unbeknownst to her, it was the Commander who was nice enough to send those two men back to her, not the Empress dowager.

    The Empress dowager did not respond and so Ling mama tried again, touching the Empress dowager, "Your maje -" Her words were cut short when the shrugged her off and stormed up to the doors.

    The Empress dowager tried to open the doors but it did not budge, she scowled and barked, "I said open the doors!"

    Still no response, the Empress dowager repeated herself, but still nothing. She barked the order again, sounding more irate but still, the doors did not open.

    The Empress dowager then flew into a full rage and started banging on the doors as she barked, "I said open the doors! How dare he do this to me?! Who does he think he is?! He is MY son! That ungrateful, good-for-nothing useless son! Get him here this instant! Tell him to come to face me so I can end him as he wants! As I always should have! Bring him h-"

    Song mama took a step forward but then froze with a conflicted expression on her face. She wanted to go over to help the Empress dowager out of worry but she was too scared for herself to move.

    Ling mama on the hand was courageous, she raced over to the Empress dowager and held her arm, "Your majesty, calm down. You will hurt your hands-"

    The Empress dowager immediately slapped and shoved her off to the ground, turning her rage on her, "How dare you touch me?! Who do you think you are?!"

    Ling mama stared up at the Empress dowager in shock as her face stung, holding her breath. To her relief, the Empress dowager turned back to the doors and continued her banging and screaming. This time no one interfered.

    Ling mama slowly got on her feet as her uneasy gaze met Song mama''s equally uneasy gaze. Ling mama gulped dreading what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into as she shuffled back from the scene as the Empress dowager continued to rage, repeating threat after threat.

    "I will kill all of you! You all deserve to die! How dare you? How dare you all do this to me?! Yo -" The Empress dowager suddenly stopped and gripped her head and bent over in pain and then she just dropped to the ground.

    Ling mama and Song mama immediately rushed over to her, screaming, "Your majesty!"

    Song mama promptly got up to bang on the doors herself as she shouted over, "Send for a physician! The Empress dowager has fainted! Quickly!"

    ***

    In the royal study, Commander An was briefing the Emperor on the result of the search. As expected, they found nothing. Suddenly an Imperial guard rushed in and reported, "Your majesty, the Empress dowager has fainted!"

    The Emperor simply looked at the man for a bit and then he casually asked, "Is an Imperial physician there?"

    "We sent for one...But she has been asking for you." The Imperial guard tentatively said.

    "That''s fine then...Leave." The Emperor said in the same casual tone. The Imperial guard covertly glanced up at the Emperor, who clearly was not bothered or planning to even move. The man bowed and made his way out.

    Although, the man had been at the Chen manor and witnessed the Empress dowager''s erratic behavior, hearing the Empress dowager banging on the doors and screaming like that was quite nerve-racking...and pitiful. The woman was pitiful.

    After the Imperial guard left, the Emperor turned back to Commander An and asked, "What about the survivor?"

    "The sword wounds on his body are not worrisome. But the head physician said that his head wound was quite so he can''t say when or if the man will wake up..." Commander An solemnly informed.

    The Emperor let out a breath, "And Madame Chen?"

    Commander An knit his brows, "She is still unconscious...Her wound is not too deep, but the bleeding is not stopping. The physicians have tried everything to stop it but they''ve only managed to slow it down a bit...If it continues then the head physician said she will not make it to tomorrow..."

    The Emperor massaged his head and let out a heavy breath. Doctor Lou then flashed his mind again and he immediately perked up and ordered, "Go find that Doctor Lou and ask him for assistance...He is very knowledgeable and may have a solution..."

    Commander An blinked, nodded, and promptly left The Emperor let out another heavy sigh, today was a very long and tiring day. Now that he thought about it, Doctor Lou was probably the one who told Lei Xing about how to use the cure for the flower poison through the bracelet that time.

    The Emperor hoped that the knowledgeable Doctor Lou''s could save the woman''s life. He should truly not have allowed his mother free roam. He had seen the signs but chose to ignore them just like his father did and now an innocent woman was going to die because of it.

    The Emperor knit his brows and let out another heavy sigh.

    {...I should have done better...}

    ***

    Commander An went to Doctor Lou''s pharmacy but surprisingly found it closed. He tried knocking a few times but received no response. So he left someone there to wait for the old man to inform him of the Emperor''s order and bring him over to the Chen manor.

    Commander An then returned to the Chen manor to check on the status of things there; madame Chen''s condition, but most importantly, that of their prisoner who was left there because the head physician said moving the man could result in further damage.

    As soon as Commander An arrived at the Chen manor, one of the imperial guards came over and informed, "There''s an old man waiting for you. He said you are friends and he had something important to tell you...We confined him in the front courtyard..."

    Commander An knit his brows, thinking that it might be Doctor Lou. But then he was just coming from the pharmacy. Doctor Lou could not have returned and got here before him which meant the old man was on his way here already. Commander An wondered if he might have some information on the enemy for him and so he quickly went entered the Chen manor.

    And just as he suspected, it was Doctor Lou but he was sitting on the hard ground in the middle of the courtyard. Commander An turned a question glance at the guards and one of them immediately explained, "We tried to offer him a seat but he insisted on sitting there...and said we were disturbing him so we let him be..."

    That definitely sounded like the old man and so Commander An nodded and went over to him, "Doctor -"

    "Shhhh! Do not disturb!" Doctor Lou immediately shut him up to the surprise of the guards. It was one thing for the old man to be rude to them but to their leader, it was not acceptable. They were ready to drag the old man up, but then to their surprise again Commander An did not issue any order, he did not even seem offended.

    Instead, Commander An simply scrutinized Doctor Lou. The old man had assumed a meditation pose with his eyes closed. What''s more, he was actually sitting right at the spot the enemies had disappeared the night before. They had advertised the details about the disappearance and so this fact made it all the more intriguing.

    Commander An was not sure why, but he got the sense that perhaps the old man might truly know something about this mystery. Otherwise, why else would he be "meditating" on this exact spot?

    As Commander An was debating whether to give Doctor Lou a few minutes, Doctor Lou frowned and mumbled, "This is strange...very strange."

    "What is? What is strange?" Commander An swiftly inquired, but Doctor Lou just raised a hand up, telling him to be quiet.

    Commander An knit his brows and waited with bated breath as Doctor Lou continued on with whatever he was doing.

    Doctor Lou then began stroking his beard with a deep frown as he lightly swayed from side to side.

    {...Feels like mine but it''s definitely not mine, I would know if it was me - and I haven''t! ( ��^�� )... Hmm, it wouldn''t be that annoying sister of mine, wou- No, no, I would also know and she''s also too much of a tree to ever do anything fun!... And the only other person this could be...is long dead...Hmm, so what is this?...}

    Doctor Lou opened his eyes with a sigh as he mumbled, "Someone must be playing a trick on me hehehe~" Doctor Lou chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt, "It''s a good one..." It had been a long time since he found something that truly confused him.

    It was one thing to copy a person''s appearance, but it was a whole different level to copy the essence of a person''s soul. He would have liked to exchange notes with the perpetrator of this but he would not pry into someone else''s business. Moreover, he could not even trace the person even if he wanted to, the trace goes nowhere.

    "So what did you find?" Commander An asked, cutting into Doctor Lou''s thoughts. Doctor Lou innocently blinked up at him as he asked, "Find? Was I looking for something?"

    Commander An knit his brows and motioned to where he was sitting, "They said you have something important to tell me. You also just said something was strange...you were referring to this disappearance spot, correct? is there something about this spot? Or did you find something about the enemy...what trick?"

    "Ohhh, you mean the disappearance~...Help me up!" Doctor Lou went raising up an arm, Commander An pursed his lips but he quickly grabbed his arm and pulled the old man up, "Now tell me, what did you discover?"

    Doctor Lou stretched his back, yawned and then said, "...I heard some people mysteriously disappeared in the Chen manor so I came to see~ It''s not every day that happens and I was thinking of helping Xiao Kai hehe~ You know we a-"

    "Okay, what did you find?" Commander An cut in before Doctor Lou could go off topic.

    Doctor Lou then pouted and pulled at his long beard as he said, "Nothing...I tried to trace them with my amazing mind but I could not..."

    Commander An let out a breath as his hopes were dashed.

    "I''m going home~" Doctor Lou announced and was about to turn when Commander An grabbed his arm. Doctor Lou squinted at him and said, "My arm needs to come too..."

 Chapter 257 - Acting Out

    Prince Rui arrived back at his manor and made a beeline for his room but then he suddenly heard Princess Nalan shout. Worried that they were under attack, he promptly changed directions, racing over. But then Prince Rui arrived at the garden to a scene that confused him.

    "Nalan, how could you be so careless?!" Molin scolded as he moved Prince Yi''s robes aside to see how deep the wound on his shoulder was.

    "He''s the one who didn''t move!" Princess Nalan defended as relief washed over her when she saw the wound was not deep.

    "What is going on here?" Prince Rui asked with knit eyebrows as he walked towards the trio kneeling on the ground. Princess Nalan and Molin both froze and did not turn around as cold sweat formed on their foreheads. They knew they were in trouble now.

    Prince Yi glanced up and then pulling his sleeves back up over his bleeding shoulder as he moved to stand up. Princess Nalan and Molin quickly held onto his arms to help stand up. Prince Yi smiled at Princess Nalan and then looked at Prince Rui and explained, "I asked for a sparring session...and became distracted so I hurt myself."

    Princess Nalan and Molin promptly nodded their heads in agreement. But Prince Rui narrowed his eyes at them, obviously not convinced and the two promptly looked off to the side.

    Prince Rui let out an irritated breath, it seemed to be one problem after another today. "Molin, send for a physician and ask the servants to get some water to clean the wound..."

    Prince Rui saw that the wound was not deep but he would rather they not take any chances with Prince Yi. Therefore, the physician was necessary, even if it was only for appearances. He already had enough problems to worry about at the moment with the Emperor.

    He was expecting that Prince Yi would refuse and just leave. But instead, Prince Yi simply walked over to the pavilion with Princess Nalan following next to him holding his arm as if she were dealing with a crippled patient.

    Prince Rui frowned at their backs and Molin glanced at him and went, "Rui, is everything alright?"

    "It''s fine...go get the physician." Prince Rui calmly said and then walked towards the pavilion himself, where Prince Rui and Princess Nalan were now sitting.

    As Prince Rui walked up to the pavilion, he heard Prince Yi say, "It''s nothing...It was my fault for not being attentive."

    "Still...I should have been more careful." Princess Nalan responded with knit eyebrows. If she knew this would happen, she would not have sparred with Prince Yi. She could already sense the death glare her brother was giving her, she was definitely in for a scolding later on.

    It was just that Prince Yi brought an interesting master craftsman sword and she could not help ogling it when she saw it. He was nice enough to let her appraise it and even gave her permission to try it out.

    So she told Molin to spar with her, but Molin was being difficult saying that his condition was not too good today. Prince Yi then kindly offered to be her sparring partner instead of Molin and she happily agreed, eager to try her hand with a new partner.

    As they sparred, she realized that he was highly skilled and so she got excited and more aggressive in her attacks. He held up against her attacks very well and they were having fun. How could she have known that he would suddenly lose focus?

    Prince Rui came up to Prince Yi, cupped his hands and bowed, "Prince Yi, I apologize for my sister''s mistake...Please do not hold it against her."

    "It''s nothing...It was my fault for being distracted." Prince Yi kindly said, sending a reassuring smile at Princess Nalan, who sent a half-smile back, hoping those words would persuade her brother to let it go as well.

    Prince Rui nodded and then sat down as well, waiting for the physician to arrive. He had urgent matters to attend to and truly did not have the time to indulge a stray Prince today. But his sister had carelessly injured him, therefore he could not just wave him away. So Prince Rui had no choice but to sit down and attend to this guest to avoid any other issue cropping up.

    Princess Nalan glanced at Prince Rui and could tell he was highly irritated and in a foul mood, so she remained silent and kept her head down with a disgruntled pout. Prince Yi was also irritated with Prince Rui''s arrival as it ruined the atmosphere and messed with his plans.

    This was not how this scenario was supposed to play out.

    Prince Yi had spent the last day thinking about how to proceed with this new plan. As Chun Hua had hinted that night, the only option was for him to get Princess Nalan pregnant.

    That was why he brought himself down to visit Doctor Lou, despite the doctor''s past rude behavior. And it was why he was here today to begin the process.

    When Prince Yi arrived at the Zou representatives'' manor and discovered that Prince Rui was out, he was thrilled. He had not expected to be able to get Princess Nalan alone so soon, so this was perfect. Prince Rui always seemed to be restricting Princess Nalan''s behavior and so with him gone, the visit would be more personal and they could get closer.

    Of course, he did not think that he could get the actual deed done today. After all, getting her alone was a huge problem considering Prince Rui was always hovering around her. And even with her brother''s absence today, she herself would probably try to kill him if he tried as things stood.

    During their past encounters, Prince Yi had been ignoring the Zou people completely and only ever actually came because Lei Xing was there.

    Prince Rui and Molin mostly ignored him as well, but Princess Nalan was nice to him and often tried to talk to him, but he had been quite rude and dismissive with his response. Sometimes he did not even respond at all. So today he came to smooth out the playing field.

    With no Lei Xing here, there was nothing to distract him.

    Thankfully, Princess Nalan talked a lot about herself, she honestly did most of the talking in the group. Therefore even though he never paid attention to her, he had no choice but to listen.

    He knew she liked swords, arrows, any form of fighting, horses, riding, fishing. In conclusion, she was an easy person to please, a simple person...unlike Lei Xing. He had spent more time with Lei Xing and even talked more with her than he did with Princess Nalan, yet he did not even know one thing that Lei Xing liked.

    Prince Yi frowned in annoyance as his thoughts veered to Lei Xing again. It was something that had been happening a lot recently and he could not help making the comparison.

    It was infuriating.

    Molin eventually returned with the servants and they went about cleaning Prince Yi''s wound. The group then continued to sit in silence until the physician arrived.

    Once the wound was dressed and the physician had gone, Prince Rui finally broke the silence, "Prince Yi, why are you here?" They had not seen him since Lei Xing''s younger sister''s coming of age ceremony, and even before then, they had not seen him since that time with the Empress dowager.

    "Ahh, it has been a while so I came here to see how you all were faring. Especially given the current state of chaos in the city..." Prince Yi said with a polite smile.

    Prince Rui skeptically looked at him, not at all convinced by that explanation. He nodded and put on a polite smile of his own and responded, "We are doing well enough...Nothing for you to concern yourself with. You should be more worried about yourself..."

    Prince Rui''s obviously dismissive tone did not escape Prince Yi. So he decided to just leave before he became more irritated. After all, nothing more could be done with the iceblock present.

    "You are right..." Prince Yi said with a smile, mimicking him Prince Rui''s flat tone, "I shall take my leave then..." He said, standing up.

    Princess Nalan also promptly stood up as she said, "I''ll esco -"

    "Molin, you escort him back." Prince Rui promptly cut in.

    Molin nodded, cleared his throat, and then said, "Your highness, please go ahead..."

    Prince Yi held back his irritation and simply smiled and made his way out. This Prince Rui was truly a problem. But today was not a waste, he had spent some useful "bonding" time with Princess Nalan and he was sure she now at least considered him a friend.

    She was really too simple...unlike a certain someone. Prince Yi frowned again in annoyance, angry with his mind for always wandering over to the irritating subject that Lei Xing had become.

    {...This is infuriating...Why does she keep coming up?...}

    Once Prince Yi was out of view, Princess Nalan promptly turned to her brother and said, "It was an accident..."

    Prince Rui frowned, "Nalan, don''t you understand that we''re in enemy territory? Why were you sparring with him? How could you be so careless? This is why I didn''t want to bring you along. You don''t think before you act!"

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and defended, "It was ju-"

    "No, just! Just restrain yourself!" Prince Rui irritatedly said. One sibling was already giving him a headache from across the border while this one here could not be left be left alone for a few minutes without causing trouble.

    "Fine!" Princess Nalan barked and then stormed off in annoyance. It was only a simple accident and he was treating her like she committed a grand offense. Even the person with the wound did not complain. This was one thing she hated about Prince Rui, he worried too much about everything, like a second father and it was highly irritating.

    Prince Rui sighed as he watched her storm off. He realized he may have been too harsh just now, but if one was not harsh with Princess Nalan then she would not see the wrongs in her actions. Everyone spoiled her too much and it left her completely unrestrained to a point of daring stupidity sometimes.

    Prince Rui sighed again and then went over to his room to write his father. The negotiations were over and as for Princess Nalan''s marriage to the Emperor....that was clearly not happening. At the very least not the way their father wanted, which was for her to be Empress.

    The Long Emperor has already chosen his Empress. Moreover, it was no secret that the Emperor only had a fondness for Lei Xing, they had even witnessed his doting ways first hand. And even if she entered his harem, he honestly did not see his sister winning over the Emperor''s heart.

    Although Prince Rui liked Lei Xing, he was not comfortable with his sister entering a dead-end marriage, only to be forgotten in the shadow of another. He would explain to their father and make him forget that ambition.

    It was best for them to return home before something more troublesome happened.

 Chapter 258 - Doctors Inclinations

    Commander An let out a breath and said, "There are two patients here you need to see...The Emperor asked for you to see them." He swiftly added when Doctor Lou frowned.

    As Commander An expected, Doctor Lou''s face immediately lit up at the Emperor''s mention and he happily went, "Of course, lead the way~"

    Since Madam Chen''s current condition was more serious, he took Doctor Lou to see her first. As soon as they entered, Chen You who was sitting on the floor by her mother looked up with bloodshot eyes.

    Commander An quickly explained, "This is a renowned Doctor. The Emperor asked me to bring him..."

    Chen You immediately got up and shifted to the side to give Doctor Lou better access. But Doctor Lou just stood where he was at the center of the room, not moving and leisurely scrutinizing the woman on bloodsoaked sheets.

    "Doctor, please go ahead and ch-check on her..." Chen You shakily said, thinking that Doctor Lou was waiting for her to give permission.

    Doctor Lou glanced at Chen You and then sighed and finally said, "There is nothing I can do...It is her time. You should pre-"

    "What?! You didn''t even check her! How can you say that?! What sort of doctor did you bring?!" Chen You barked in annoyance, glaring at Commander An.

    Commander An tried to mediate the situation and so he said to Doctor Lou, "At least check her condition. You won''t know until y-"

    "I don''t need to check, I can already see it. She has always been frail and so her body cannot handle an injury like this. The bleeding will continue which means the wound won''t close. Eventually, it will fester and become infected. If she does make it that far then she will die in immense pain..." Chen You became even paler as Doctor Lou went on.

    Doctor Lou then sighed, "If she were a bit stronger perhaps..." Doctor Lou paused and knit his brows.

    "Perhaps?" Chen You swiftly asked, seeing hope. All the other doctors who came were useless and completely bleak but he said "perhaps" so maybe he had something.

    When Doctor Lou still did not respond, she fell on her knees and pleaded, "Please, please. if there''s any way, I''ll try...wh-whatever it is, I''ll give it to you - I a-apologize about just now, I didn''t mean to be disrespectful. She''s my mother so please save her, whatever you want! Please -"

    Doctor Lou raised a hand up and Chen You immediately closed her mouth and looked up at him with teary pleading eyes.

    "As I said, her time has come. I can''t save her. But I can give something to ease her pain and make her wake her up for you so you can have a few more moments with her...It will only be a few more days at most. That is all I can do." Doctor Lou said, calmly looking down at Chen You.

    "Whatever it is! We''ll try. She''ll wake up...Thank you!" Chen You said as she kowtowed. All the other doctors had said she won''t wake up and that she would expire by the next day, but he said a few days. There was still hope, she would get better.

    "I''ll have it sent over." Doctor Lou said and then swiftly turned and left the room, with Commander An promptly followed behind him.

    Commander An curiously looked Doctor Lou over with new respect. He was truly skilled to be able to decipher a patient''s condition just with a glance.

    When they got outside, Doctor Lou suddenly stopped and sighed as he looked up at the sky.

    Commander An stopped next to him and asked, "Is there really nothing that can be done?... The idea of her death weighs heavy on the Emperor''s mind." He said trying to see if mentioning the Emperor''s suffering would propel Doctor Lou to be interested in saving the woman.

    Doctor Lou squinted at him, "I already said it is her time...I can''t interfere, too troublesome...Where''s the next patient? You said there were two."

    "This way..." Commander An said and then went about leading the way as he thought over Doctor Lou''s response, "interfere" was an odd word to use. But in the end, he said the same thing as the other physicians. Nothing could be done for her but at least he offered to ease her pain.

    When they got to the prisoner''s room, Doctor Lou did the same thing. He simply looked at the man and said that he will be fine and should be awake by the next morning. He also agreed to send over some medication to aid the man''s recovery. After that, they had a carriage prepared and some men escorted Doctor Lou.

    As soon as he arrived, Doctor Lou seemingly leisurely threw together random herbs without even thinking or looking at them as the guards watched him with skepticism. He quickly packaged the medication, gave the guards instructions, and quickly waved them away. Then promptly sat at his desk and plopped his head down, apparently going to sleep.

    The guards looked at each other, shrugged, and then left the pharmacy. As the guards raced off, another visitor entered the pharmacy.

    Doctor Lou immediately raised his head a little and squinted at Prince Yi as he stepped his foot into the pharmacy.

    Prince Yi raised an eyebrow at the old man but continued his approach. He stopped in front of the desk, looked off to the side, and dignifiedly said, "I am here to purchase medicine..."

    When Doctor Lou did not respond or even bother to sit up, Prince Yi knit his brows and looked down his nose at the old man and irritatedly asked, "Are you not open for business?"

    If not for the fact that this was important and that Prince Yi wanted the most effective medication to guarantee a swift victory, he would not have brought himself here to deal with this rude old man. He had not forgotten their last encounter in the palace...and obviously the old man had not forgotten either.

    He had discovered Doctor Lou''s skill in this department after that irritating encounter in the palace a few months ago. Out of anger, he had ordered people to investigate the so-called friendship the old man claimed to have with the Emperor.

    Naturally, he discovered no such friendship. The doctor had been at the palace for the Empress dowager, who apparently wanted to hire him for his renowned skills. And that was how he found out about the old man''s reputation and was the reason he was here.

    "It depends on what you want...we could be closed." Doctor Lou mumbled with a disgruntled pout, finally sitting up and folding his arms as he continued squinting at Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi let out a breath, ignored Doctor Lou''s words, and got to the point of his visit, "I heard you are most proficient when it comes to...matters of childbearing..."

    Doctor Lou''s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open and then his face bloomed into a full grin as he excitedly asked, "You want to have a child? Why didn''t you say so? Wait! You wouldn''t be thinking of Xin- No, no, that''s impossible - Forget that! A child is good! You came to the right place! You know they say I have the w.o.m.b''s touch hehehe~" Doctor Lou finished with a chuckle as he stroked his beard, nodding as he appraised Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi looked at the old man skeptically, taken aback by the old man''s sudden excitement. He shrugged off his apprehension and then said, "I want the most effective thing you have..."

    "Of course!" Doctor Lou jumped off and scurried off to the back and then came back with a few bright leaves that almost appeared to be glistening. He put them a pack and wrapped them up as he explained, "Just put one of this in the wine when you and your- hehe~ just drink and go about your merry business. You only need one, but I gave you the extras because I like you hehe~ I guarantee you an adorable, beautiful, strong, brave and brilliant little one, just like mine, that will light up your li-"

    "So many guarantees on just a leaf" Prince Yi commented with a slight frown. He came here expecting an expert, but the old man sounded like one of those useless street vendors who exaggerated their nonsense products all to make a profit. He was beginning to doubt the old man''s reputation.

    Doctor Lou frowned, "Not just a leaf! This leaf has been filled with all the good things in the world that children like, it attracts only the good babies lingering in the air too~...What? You don''t believe me? Fine, if it doesn''t work you can come have my head~" Doctor Lou assured with a happy smile, chuckling again as he handed over the wrapped up leaves.

    This sounded like nonsense to Prince but he had heard of the old man''s prowess in this area, people apparently came from all over the country to find him. He was very stubborn and finicky about things, and he only helped those he felt inclined to. Although his behavior was strange, all he helped were successful. This was important and he needed quick results and so Prince Yi knit his brows, took the package, and asked, "How much?"

    "For you~ It''s no charge. You just happily enjoying yourself is enough~" Doctor Lou said with a chuckle.

    "What do you mean by that?" Prince Yi asked with an unamused eyebrow. Feeling somewhat insulted that the old man felt that he needed charity and what did his enjoyment have to do with the old man?

    "Well, children are a happy affair so it simply doesn''t feel right to charge you..." Doctor Lou responded with a pout and then he went, "Well, if you don''t want a child, you can give it back!" as he reached for the package.

    Prince Yi promptly moved the package out of the old man''s reach and then lightly nodded, "You have my thanks then..."

    Doctor Lou nodded with a smile and when Prince Yi moved to turn to leave, Doctor Lou went, "Ah, wait...there is something that I would like~"

    Prince Yi turned back to the old man with a raised eyebrow.

    {...Of course, there is something...there is always something...}

    "You can call me Shifu~ I can teach you a lot of things, I''m brilliant and I''m generally just the better person, a lot more fun too~...So, what do you say? Will you become my student? You know I don''t do this often, you know~"

    Prince Yi knit his brows at Doctor Lou in confusion, "What?"

 Chapter 258 - Great Fun

    The Empress dowager seemed to have gone into another strange sleeping spell. She had still not woken up since passing out the day before and like last time, the Imperial physicians could not find any explanation for her strange condition.

    As a good son, the Emperor remembered his mother''s odd condition and decided to have the odd but knowledgable Doctor Lou check on her. And so after leaving the Chen manor, he made his way to Doctor Lou''s pharmacy to bring him along to the palace.

    But the Emperor arrived to find Doctor Lou''s pharmacy closed. Instead of leaving someone behind to wait for the doctor, the Emperor returned to the palace where he could conveniently enlist the Doctor''s services through Lei Xing''s bracelet.

    But when he arrived at Lei Xing''s palace, he found her to be absent as well. He was informed that after she had a long meeting with Ming Shu, they had apparently left to go tour the palace departments.

    The Emperor knit his brows in surprise when he heard this. Lei Xing was quite a lazy person who lounged around for the most of the day, so touring the palace was really not something he could see her doing. He had specifically told her not to push herself.

    What''s more, he had actually cautioned Ming Shu and told her not to bother Lei Xing with any unnecessary affairs. But then she actually went to drag Lei Xing around the palace?

    The Emperor let out a sigh and backtracked. Lei Xing was definitely not a person who could be dragged into doing something she did not want to do. She had quite a stubborn personality. Even he, the Emperor had a hard time making her bend to his will, much less a servant.

    If anyone was doing the dragging, then it was Lei Xing.

    But it still surprised him that she was actually interested in such a bothersome activity. All she really needed to do with this management business was to hand down orders and Ming Shu could handle the rest.

    There was really no need for Lei Xing to strain herself.

    "Your majesty, should we send for Her highness?" One of the eunuchs asked.

    The Emperor sighed and said, "No, leave her be..." He did not want to interrupt Lei Xing''s activity session. Moreover, he was not in a hurry at all.

    With his mother asleep, the palace was quiet and he liked it that way. Therefore, the Empress dowager could do with a little more sleep.

    ****

    On the other side of things, Lei Xing was having a delightful day out.

    After talking extensively with Ming Shu about the palace affairs, Lei Xing discovered there was a lot more going on in the palace than she initially assumed.

    Then again, she never bothered to involve herself in the happenings in the palace. After all, that used to be the terrifying Empress dowager''s job and Lei Xing never wanted to accidentally overstep any boundaries.

    Ming Shu was very knowledgeable and patient in her explanations and responses. So Lei Xing warmed up to the woman quite quickly.

    And seeing that Lei Xing was quite curious about a lot of things, Ming Shu suggested visiting the departments so that Lei Xing could get a better grasp on things. Lei Xing immediately agreed and off they went.

    Now when Ming Shu suggested a tour, she truly only meant cursory glances. But Lei Xing turned this to a full-blown field trip to each department, talking extensively with the department heads about the details of how things worked and other such things that were truly irrelevant to someone of her station. It was not like she was going to be working in the departments themselves.

    This confused Ming Shu, the Emperor had instructed her not to bother Lei Xing with unnecessary affairs. But then Lei Xing herself seemed to be very, very interested in unnecessary affairs.

    At the moment, Lei Xing was talking to the head of the silk farmers about how silk is made. How could that possibly be relevant to her rule? Ming Shu was completely baffled but she had no choice but to go along with her new mistress.

    "Very delicate..." Lei Xing said as she lightly touched the hanging colored silk threads. After a few more exchanges here, Lei Xing and her entourage went over to the tailoring department.

    Lei Xing had actually met the head seamstress a few days ago when they came over to take her measurements and discuss her preferences for her coronation outfit. The woman was very happy to receive Lei Xing and happily took her around the department, specifically taking her to see the major work in progress that was her and the Emperor''s outfits for the wedding.

    All the while reassuring Lei Xing that they were working overtime to ensure that the outfits will be ready in the next two weeks. This way they would have a few days to make any alterations or changes to suit Lei Xing''s needs.

    Lei Xing did not spend long here so as not to interfere with their work and perhaps, she was not that interested in the embroidery process. She politely thanked them for their hard work and left for the treasures department.

    Lei Xing was particularly excited about this one.

    The place was huge with many rooms, each room holding a particular category of treasures. One held rare and beautiful vases, another for statues, another for jewels and gemstones, another for ancient weapons. There was even a large room dedicated to the royal headdresses and other such wonderful items of value.

    Lei Xing spent a long time here taking her time quietly and regally scrutinizing the different treasures. All the while internally gushing over them as her mind was busily deciphering the worth of everything here.

    {...A fortune, a true fortune! I''m RICH! - Well, he''s rich - Whatever, we''re RICH!�c(???)��...}

    The head of the treasures department was another knowledgable elder who knew his treasures. And despite Lei Xing''s restrained demeanor, the old man could tell when Lei Xing was particularly interested in certain pieces.

    He would then happily tell her about the background of those pieces which caught her eye. Lei Xing would ask questions and he would happily respond. It did not take long at all for the two to begin engaging in fan discussions, comparing pieces, and discussing their worth. While Ming Shu was in the background with the others watching them and scratching her head.

    Suffice to say, Lei Xing quickly became fast friends with the old man. He was both knowledgable and entertaining.

    "I agree that the jade piece is finer...but this one has this ruggedness to it that just -...appeals to the soul. It has so much character." Lei Xing commented comparing a marble lion statute to a jade one.

    The old man nodded and then responded, "That is true, Your highness...But in terms of value, this jade one is a lot more valuable. There was this on-"

    "Your highness -" Ming Shu called, cutting off the old man, Lei Xing turned to her and Ming Shu bowed her head and said, "We are short on time..."She politely reminded since it did not seem like Lei Xing planned on leaving anytime soon. They had already been here for almost two hours.

    Lei Xing blinked remembering that she was here on "official" business and was not on a treasure survey.

    "Ah, yes..." Lei Xing said and then she turned back to the old man with a smile, "We''ll continue the tour some other time then..."

    "Of course, Your highness...This old man will always be at your service " The head of the department bowed with a smile.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she sent a sweeping glance at the beautiful statues on the shelves and then she left. When she got outside, she was shocked to see that the sun was already setting.

    {...Hehe~ It seems I really might have spent too much time here (??? )...}

    Lei Xing stopped and took a deep breath with a happy smile. It had been so long since she felt this good.

    She wondered if the Emperor was back yet and honestly it had already been quite a day. It was time to go home, so she turned to Ming Shu and said, "This is enough for today..."

    Lei Xing saw a flash of relief go across Ming Shu''s face as she gave a curt bow. Although the elder woman did not complain at all, it must have been tasking for her to go about with Lei Xing like this for so long. Especially considering Lei Xing had been taking her own sweet time about everything.

    Lei Xing felt bad for being so inconsiderate and so she said, "You should return to rest...and let''s skip tomorrow."

    Ming Shu bowed again and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

    Lei Xing nodded and then walked off with her entourage.

    As soon as Lei Xing arrived at her palace, she immediately plopped down on a comfy chair and stretched out and grumbled, "Food..."

    Xiao Ruo smiled at Lei Xing and then immediately left to see about Lei Xing''s dinner. Lei Xing had truly worked hard today.

    They were all quite shocked that the Lei Xing who lounged around all day long, the one who disliked even getting dressed properly actually spent all that time jumping from one department to another. She had a surprising amount of energy none of them had never seen in her before. She truly seemed like a different person today.

    For once, Lei Xing actually earned her lounging around time after so many meetings, they were as exciting as they were draining.

    So after stretching out for a bit, Lei Xing got up to undress. As a maid combed out her hair, she asked after the Emperor and was informed that he had returned and had come to see her earlier. And that he was currently in the royal study.

    Lei Xing nodded and then got up with a yawn, "Wake me up when dinner''s here." She said and then plopped on the bed.

    Lei Xing happily rolled herself up in the blanket as the maids left the room to allow her sleep in peace. Lei Xing stared up at the canopy of the bed and then let out a happy sigh.

    {....Ah, what a long day...It''s been such a long time since I''ve been so - busy? tired? I don''t know hehe~...So many treasures, hehehe~... What great fun~ (��??��)...}

 Chapter 259 - Royal Debut

    Doctor Lou chuckled and stroked his long beard with a wide grin, "You don''t need to be shy~ Just say it~ Shi -fu~ and I will handle the rest~" He said looking up at Prince Yi with an expectant grin.

    Prince Yi knit his brows in confusion at the old man, completely taken aback by the weird request. He was expecting to get a request for money, land, or perhaps even a person, but for him to be his student? What the hell was this old man thinking?

    But in light of the services the old man politely rendered, Prince Yi took no offense and flatly responded, "Thank you for your offer, but I am not interested in a teach-"

    "Fine, fine. You may leave." Doctor Lou interjected waving Prince Yi away with a pout. Prince Yi nodded and then left the strange old man alone. As he sat in his carriage heading back home, he snorted, somewhat amused that the old man dared to ask a prince to be his student.

    Now that he thought about, he already did have a teacher...even though it was one he never officially accepted as his teacher. The Voice often nagged him to be called "Shifu", but he unfortunately never felt moved to comply.

    Prince Yi sighed, it had been a while since he last heard from the Voice. Then again, it was better for it to be gone. It probably would not have approved with his current plan and being nagged was not something he needed at the moment.

    Prince Yi closed his hand around the package as a smile bloomed on his face. This was the key to everything he wanted. As the carriage rolled along, he mulled over thoughts about how to go about handling this thing with Princess Nalan.

    Doctor Lou stroked his beard and pouted at the door where Prince Yi had just exited.

    {...Stubborn, all too stubborn!... This is all that Qi Yin''s fault! All of them are trees! ( ��^�� )...}

    Now that he thought about his sister again, he remembered the mysterious disappearance and knit his brows in contemplation. Even though he did not like to get involved in other people''s matters, this still bothered him. Doctor Lou stroked his beard and sighed.

    {...Well technically this involves me, therefore, I can at least ask some questions...and if that Qi Yin dares to ignore me again like last time, I just might truly end her this time! ( ��^�� )....}

    Doctor Lou decided to leave and the doors of the pharmacy slammed shut as the chair was suddenly missing its pouting occupant.

    ***

    By nightfall, the Emperor officially ended the search after not finding hair or nail of the enemy. He had received Commander An''s report and was relieved to know the prisoner would awaken soon. Although that was dampened by Doctor Lou''s words regarding Madam Chen. He will have to prepare for that and compensate the Chen family.

    At the very least, Chen You''s punishment was now on suspension. As for what would happen after her mother''s passing, he will decide later...or perhaps, have lei Xing decide. But that was a matter for later.

    As for his mother, the also received a report on her and she was still alive and well. She had apparently simply fallen asleep and has been sleeping since then, which was great for the Emperor''s peace of mind and tranquility of the palace. He had also ordered the guards to simply ignore his mother''s ranting. She did the same thing when his father had initially locked her up.

    She will eventually tire of that and come to terms with her new life.

    The Emperor was not interested in talking to her simply because he could tell how the conversation would go. It was a waste of his time to speak with someone that has shown she could not be reasoned with.

    If she ever became tame enough and shows that she has regained her good sense, he might send her off to the Xia palace. He would even have it remodeled just so she could happily retire in peace...If she were actually capable of it.

    ***

    "...That is why the Emperor has sent me over to assist you as I am - Is something wrong, Your Highness?" The strict looking elder woman stopped and asked when she noticed Lei Xing slightly knit her brows.

    "No, no, everything is fine. You have quite the stellar resume..." Lei Xing commented with a polite smile.

    {...The actual question here is how are you still alive? o_O)...}

    "Resume?" The old woman asked in confusion with raised eyebrows.

    "Experience..." Lei Xing quickly supplied and the elder woman gave a curt bow and said, "Thank you, Your highness, for the praise..."

    This elder woman currently having a meeting with Lei Xing in her reception hall is called Ming Shu.

    When Lei Xing woke up this morning, the Emperor was already gone. Then this afternoon, Ming Shu arrived at her doorstep on the Emperor''s orders to deliver the Empress''s seal to Lei Xing. The woman then went on to introduce herself to Lei Xing as her newly appointed personal secretary for all management affairs.

    The reason Lei Xing was feeling apprehensive and somewhat overwhelmed by this woman was because she had lived through too many changes in power. Ming Shu had apparently been appointed to this position during the Emperor GRANDFATHER''s reign.

    She had served the Emperor''s father''s two Empresses and to top it all off, the Empress dowager. One does not get to keep such a position for so long by being simple. So naturally, Lei Xing was feeling apprehensive of this person.

    But the Emperor had sent the woman so Lei Xing''s worries were a bit relieved by that. She knew the Emperor would not send her trouble but still, she could not help the need to be careful.

    "Your highness, may I ask a question?" Ming Shu politely requested in a flat voice.

    "Of course." Lei Xing responded as she scrutinized the older woman trying to figure out how this woman had survived this long.

    She clearly did not seem to like an ass-kisser or maybe it was just that she did not view Lei Xing as someone important enough that would warrant that treatment. But that would be quite stupid given the current state of affairs and the reason she was here...but a stupid person would not have survived and held on to her power as long this woman has.

    With Lei Xing''s permission, Ming Shu gave another curt bow and proceeded to ask her question, "What kind of leader would you like to be?"

    "I''m sorry?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow, taken aback by the question as she wondered if this was another interrogation session. It was one thing with the Empress dowager, but she was certain that she did not need to explain her qualifications to her "personal assistant".

    Ming Shu glanced up at Lei Xing and quickly bowed her head and calmly went, "I apologize if that question upset you but it is necessary for us to establish certain things from the start. That way I can know how best to serve you...For example, the late Empress was a leader who liked the process of management and wanted to be aware of all the matters in the palace. While the current Empress dowager was not interested in the general matters and only wanted to informed of important matters that required her approval...I would like to know what your preference is..."

    "Ah, I see...that is a good question." Lei Xing responded, finally understanding how this woman had made it this long. She was simply accommodating and gave as much or as little as was required to suit whoever her master was.

    A smart worker who understood how to please, all the while retaining her sense of dignity. The sort never to overstep, therefore, never needed to be "put in her place" as she always remained where she should be. Hence why she could get along even with the crazy Empress dowager and why the Emperor felt comfortable enough to send her here.

    Lei Xing thought for a bit and then went, "...I cannot answer that question right now as I do not have a good understanding of the palace affairs. Therefore I cannot decide one way or the other...So for now, explain to me the general affairs I am to oversee and we can go from there..."

    Ming Shu nodded, Lei Xing nodded back and then to Ming Shu''s surprise, she said, "...Do take a seat. I''m sure this will take a while...I will have many questions." Ming Shu blinked up at her, not sure she had heard correctly. But Lei Xing had already turned to Xiao Ruo and asking for tea and snacks to be brought for both of them.

    Lei Xing turned back to see the elder woman still standing there. She blinked and said, "Sit down."

    Ming Shu was considering declining the initial offer as it was not proper for her to sit. But now that Lei Xing said it as an order, she did not want to upset her with a refusal on their first day. So she quietly walked over to a seat on the side and then awkwardly and uncomfortably sat down.

    "Okay, you may begin..." Lei Xing said as she looked at the elder woman with keen interest.

    Ming Shu glanced at Lei Xing and then nodded and began.

    This was a quite different scenario from what she was used to. This Empress seemed to be missing the loftiness that came with her position. Ming Shu concluded that it must because Lei Xing had not been in the palace long enough.

    She would learn with time.

 Chapter 259 - Languid Arrest

    After being informed of Lei Xing''s return and that she was napping before dinner. The Emperor decided to finish up a few things before going over. But after a few moments, he decided to just go over to join her in her nap, it had been a long day for him as well.

    But then to his surprise, he arrived in her room to find her at her desk surrounded by books, which he realized where account books as he got closer.

    She was so focused in whatever she was doing that she apparently did not even hear the door.

    "Xing er?" The Emperor lightly called as he came up to the table. Lei Xing jumped and then looked up, saw him and smiled, and excitedly went, "Oh, you''re here! Good, come sit...I have a few things I need to talk to you about."

    He had thought that she would be tired after such a busy day, but clearly, she still had a lot of energy. The Emperor sat down at her side with a smile as he commented, "You seem to have had quite the busy day..."

    "It was okay..." Lei Xing dismissively said with a nod and then she proceeded to ask, "Do you know your harem has a monthly allowance of a hundred thousand gold pieces?"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her and tentatively went, "I see..." Not sure what she was actually getting at with this.

    "My allowance is only a thousand gold pieces every month and it''s the same for the other three - well, two noble consorts, the concubines get three hundred. So nine concubines - well, ten..."

    Lei Xing frowned in annoyance, factoring in Chen You''s new status was messing things up so she went, "Let''s just use last month, the nine concubines total twenty-seven hundred, that plus four Noble consorts'' four thousand...the total actual harem allowance for last month was sixty-seven hundred and that''s only 6.7% percent of the total budget. So then what happened to the rest of the money?"

    The Emperor blinked at her but before he could respond, Lei Xing continued, "According to Ming Shu, this was how it was since your father''s time and not much has changed - Ah, I am not at all questioning your mother''s management skills...I''m just saying." Lei Xing promptly clarified raising her hands up, she was not aiming to offend anyone here.

    The Emperor snorted and brought her hands down with a sigh and explained, "My father''s harem at one point had over a hundred women so -"

    "You don''t have a hundred women so - Or do you plan on having a hundred women?" Lei Xing interjected narrowing her eye at him.

    The Emperor smiled and curtly responded, "Never..."

    Lei Xing smiled, "Good, then that much money isn''t needed...All it does is create a lot of room for embezzlement. Ah, I''m not accusing your mother of embezzlement or anything, I''m just saying a lot of money is unaccounted for here...the funds are better utilized elsewhere than it simply sitting idly by to be splurged..."

    The Emperor quietly scrutinized her with an odd expression and Lei Xing warily looked at him and went, "What?... What is it?"

    "You seem different, you seem to be enjoying this...surprisingly." The Emperor commented.

    "What do you mean by surprisingly?" Lei Xing swiftly asked with a raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor blinked at her and then said, "Well, it''s just...you are normally -...."

    {...Quite lazy...}

    He thought that but looking at her expression, he definitely could not say that. It was just that this level of care she was putting into this was very surprising. It truly was very out of character for the Lei Xing he had come to know.

    "Lazy? That''s what you wanted to say, wasn''t it?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes at him with a disgruntled pout.

    The Emperor smiled, "Self-awareness is an excellent trait...very lovable." He added as he went to hug her.

    Lei Xing pushed him back and defended, "First of all, I am not lazy, I am just efficient. You can''t call someone without a job lazy - Actually, forget that. My point is, there was no requirement of me to do anything given that I was allocated no responsibilities..."

    The Emperor simply raised an amused eyebrow with a smirk, but before he could speak, Lei Xing seemed to realize that her defense was weak so she went, "I will have you know that before I came here I was considered a workaholic -"

    "Workaholic?" The Emperor asked and Lei Xing quickly explained, "It means I was always working, all the time! I loved working - Actually, no, I loved making money, very different thing. Anyway, so long as I was getting paid, I was working -"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "So you want to be paid to -"

    "No, no, no. My point is that I am a GREAT worker. If you don''t give me a job, you can''t expect me to work. Therefore, I am not lazy, I am simply an efficient and effective worker who knows the importance of energy conservation." Lei Xing finished with a resolute nod.

    The Emperor blinked at her and snorted, but when Lei Xing glared at him, he held back his laugh and just smiled and said, "All very important points...I always believed you had the capacity to rise up to any occasion." He finished, pulling her into a warm hug.

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...I sense some sarcasm there...definitely some doubt in that statement...But I shall be magnanimous and let it go this time~( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing was in such a great mood, so she smiled and wrapped her arms around him and asked, "How was your day?"

    The Emperor sighed and then released her and proceeded to tell her about the prisoner''s words and his meeting with Prince Rui. As he told her about Doctor Lou helping the patients, he remembered his mother and so he said, "Ah, that reminds me. Could you ask Doctor Lou to come to check on the Empress dowager? I stopped by his pharmacy on my way back but it was closed..."

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and then said, "Well...I don''t know if that''s a good idea..."

    "Why not?" The Emperor asked also knitting his eyebrows.

    Lei Xing looked at him and hesitantly said, "Well...the last time he was here...when she sent for him. She was really angry and...well, he was the reason she went into a fit, I think? Maybe, I don''t know..."

    When the Emperor frowned, Lei Xing quickly added, "Oh, he said he had nothing to do with it though...I will still ask or do you want to talk to him yourself?"

    "No...It''s fine. Actually, that Voice I told you about already told me the doctor had nothing to do with my mother''s condition. I just thought that perhaps he would be able to help her current condition since the Imperial physicians are lost..."

    Lei Xing nodded and then removed his arms from her waist, "Just stay like that for a bit..." She said when the Emperor looked at her questioningly. She put a little distance between them and tried to contact Doctor Lou.

    {...Hellooo? Doc?...Doctor? Wake up! >_

    "It doesn''t work when we''re touching..." Lei Xing explained when the Emperor gave her a weird look, "I don''t really understand it either...He doesn''t really explain these things." She added before he could ask any questions.

    Lei Xing tried for a bit longer and then said, "He''s not responding..."

    "There is no rush...She''ll probably wake up soon enough on her own." The Emperor said with a sigh.

    The doors then opened and the servants came in with dinner.

    "Forget that for now..." The Emperor said as he got up pulling Lei Xing with him and then walked her to the table as the food was laid out.

    Crowning a wonderful day with a wonderful meal for Lei Xing.

    {...That reminds me...I really have to give these chefs a raise ~(? ? ?)~...}

    ***

    While the rest of the palace peacefully slept that night, those in the Empress dowager''s were in a full panic mode.

    The Empress dowager had slept for the full day and the Imperial physicians were not sure what to do about it. Although her heart rate sped up here and there, it was not dipping to irregular lows like it was last time. So the Imperial physicians were not too worried.

    They simply set some medicinal herbs going in the smoke pot in an attempt to calm and relieve her.

    Everything was quiet and peaceful that night, until Song mama who was on shift watching the Empress dowager suddenly screamed, "Your majesty, Stop!"

    The physicians outside the room raced inside to find Song mama struggling with the Empress dowager on the bed. As they got closer, the physicians realized that Song mama was actually trying to pull the Empress dowager''s hands from her throat...where she was strangling herself.

    One of the physicians promptly joined in with Song mama''s struggle, ripping the Empress dowager''s hands off of her neck, leaving bloody gashes behind. The Empress dowager kicked and struggled with them, her hands wanting to go back to her neck.

    But then all of a sudden her eyes flew open and she instinctively kept struggling thinking it was still the shadows grasping at her. The physician and Song mama continued trying to restrain her until the other physician noticed her eyes were open and exclaimed, "She''s awake!"

    Song mama and the other physician whipped their heads to her face, saw her eyes open, and they promptly released her.

    "Your majesty, are you o-okay?" Song mama tentatively asked. The Empress dowager did not respond and just laid there taking deep breaths, staring up at her bed canopy. Now they were not even sure if she was actually awake. She did not respond to any of their calls..

    One of the physicians quickly brought over a bowl of water with a cloth and handed a wet cloth to Song mama. Song mam took the cloth and then went to clean the wounds on the Empress dowager''s neck.

    But as soon as the cloth touched her neck, the Empress dowager immediately slapped her hand off as she barked with a croaky voice, "Don''t touch me!" while she weakly retreated further into the bed, glaring at them.

    "Your majesty, we ha~"

    "Get out!" The Empress dowager barked.

    "Your majesty bu-"

    "I said Get out! Get out! Get out!" The Empress dowager continued shouting with increasing irritation as she threw her pillows and blanket at them. To avoid worsening her condition, the three people helplessly withdrew. It was only when they reached the outer area of the room, out of direct view of the Empress dowager that she stopped screaming and just quietly laid there, hugging herself.

    One of the physicians promptly left to inform the head physician of the new development. While Song mama and the other physician stood there in the room, out of the Empress dowager''s sight, too worried to leave the obviously unstable Empress dowager alone.

    They truly could not understand what was going on with the woman.

 Chapter 260 - Imploring Notions

    The next day.

    After receiving constant reports all day about the Empress dowager refusing treatment and food, the Emperor finally gave in under Eunuch Li''s pleading gaze and went over to see her that evening.

    He arrived in her room to find the Empress dowager still lying on her bed with the same bloodstained clothes from the night before, looking pale and miserable. The Emperor felt bad seeing her like this, but then she opened her mouth and spitefully spat out, "You ungrateful son!"

    And with that statement, the Emperor''s feelings of pity flew out the door, "If that''s all you have to say, then I''m leaving." He said turning to leave.

    "Stop!" The Empress dowager went as she pushed herself off the bed and ended up crumbling to the ground. The Emperor stopped, turned back to her, and then let out a breath, and then went over, picked her up and sat her down on the bed.

    "Is it such a great crime to have had you?" The Empress dowager said in the same spiteful tone as she grabbed onto his arms so he did not leave as she glared at him.

    The Emperor sighed and looked at her, "I don''t hate you...I never have. Y-"

    "Then why are you doing this to me?!" The Empress dowager barked, throwing his arms and shoving him.

    The Emperor sighed and was about to turn to leave again, trying to reason with her did not seem to be possible so why waste his energy? But he stopped and turned back to her, "You being here is me sparing you from making a fool of yourself and showing the world your weakness...." He said using the same logic and words she had always drilled into his head as a child.

    The Empress dowager silently glared daggers at him and did not say anything. Even she could not deny that she was a wreck at the moment. The Emperor let out a breath and then made his way out of the room.

    "I need that monk." The Empress dowager shouted before he could reach the doors. The Emperor stopped and turned back to her.

    The Empress dowager was no longer glaring at him, she was not even looking his way. She frowned off to the side and irritatedly said, "Chen You and that maid, Chun - something knows where he is...I need him." She bit out.

    "What for?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Just make yourself useful and find him!" The Empress dowager fiercely barked as she turned her glare back on him.

    The Emperor quietly scrutinized his mother for a bit and then sighed. It was best to meet her halfway so she could remain somewhat reasonable. He did not want her death on his hands so he said, "I can...As long as you restrain yourself..." He finished and then left the room.

    For this request, he would most likely need to demand Zou kingdom send Chun Hua back. The main problem here is that he already said that he would let Zou kingdom handle deal out the punishment. And he knew Prince Rui already sent out the message to Zou. Going back on his word now was not ideal, it will make him appear fickle. This will give those against him a point to use to attack him.

    What''s more, the Zou people could perceive his backtracking as an insult and could refuse and refusal will mean war, which he wanted to avoid. He was not afraid of war but he wanted to avoid it. So the real question here was whether or not he was willing to go to war to satisfy his mother''s whims...and the answer to that was no.

    For now, he would have to amp up the search in the country in hopes of finding the runaway enemies before they left his borders. At the same time, he would get a unit to resume the search for this Monk Du and that Taohua temple the Empress dowager seemed to be obsessed with.

    ***

    A few days later.

    "...If you don''t have anything else to say then I''ll leave. I am very busy you know." Princess Nalan said, haughtily folding her arms across her chest.

    Prince Rui let out a breath in irritation. Princess Nalan had barely been talking to him since that incident with Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi also had not shown his face here, which was good because Prince Rui did not have the patience to deal with him at the moment. Corresponding with his father has already been draining him.

    Prince Rui was not sure what was going on with his father, but he was being unreasonably stubborn right now. As expected, Prince Houyi denied every knowledge of what the Chun siblings were doing here and even offered to capture them himself. Bao Zhun''s father also claimed that Bao Zhun was young and immature and so was easily led astray by the Chun siblings.

    But this issue was not Prince Rui''s problem right now, his father was compliant and agreed to mete out an appropriate punishment to satisfy the Long Emperor. He even said he will add on more congratulatory wedding gifts to further appease the Long Emperor''s anger.

    The part Prince Rui was having an issue with was regarding their return.

    Their father approved and even ordered for Prince Rui''s immediate return, but then he told him to leave Princess Nalan behind. To make it worse he also instructed Prince Rui to find a way for the Long Emperor to accept Princess Nalan into his palace.

    Prince Rui sent a message back trying to reason with his father, but then the messenger bird returned with an even stronger order to obey.

    Prince Rui was torn, the reason he had was his father''s favorite was that he never argued with him and gave him the respect that his brothers did not.

    It seems that his father was set on having the Long Emperor as a son-in-law. Prince Rui could understand what his father was trying to accomplish with this. It was no secret that his power over the Zou lords was slipping with Prince Houyi and his uncle getting stronger.

    Aside from the fact that the Long empire was the strongest country around, the current Long Emperor had a golden reputation in war which had spread far and wide. Even the enemies held him in high esteem and were wary of his presence on the battlefield.

    What''s more, as soon as the Zou king had accepted this notion of a peace treaty between them, the Long Emperor released the Zou prisoners of war, who were all kept in good health back to their country to show his good faith. Making it clear that unlike his father who ruled with an iron fist, he had compassion for the enemy as people. Therefore, he was a valid ally.

    Prince Rui could see that his father believed that if he could make such a tie with the Long Emperor then that would help him in regaining control over the Zou lords. He simply wanted to attach himself to a stronger tree and he saw Princess Nalan as his rope to cling onto that tree.

    This was the reason why his father quickly latched on to the Long Emperor''s proposal for peace.

    But Prince Rui was having trouble going along with this plan knowing that his sister did not stand an actual chance with the Long Emperor.

    "Nalan, we''re going home in two days..." Prince Rui finally decided, after getting over his internal struggle. He could not allow Princess Nalan to become a sacrificial lamb here. He will deal with his father''s wrath when they return.

    "Two days?" Princess Nalan turned to Prince Rui in surprise, "Father said I can stay as long as I want."

    "He what?" Prince Rui asked with a frown, "Have you been the one telling him nonsense?" Now it all made sense now why their father was being so insistent on this, "Nalan, did you - Do you want to marry the Long Emperor?" Prince Rui asked blinking at her in disbelief.

    "No, of course not." Princess Nalan swiftly responded, "I like Lei Xing and I don''t want to drag her man with her. I naturally want my own man." She said raising her head up proudly.

    "Then why do you want to stay here? You know what father''s plans are!" Prince Rui said with exasperation.

    Princess Nalan knit her brows, hesitated, and then went, "Father''s plans are none of my business. It''s just -...just that Lei Xing is our friend and I want to stay for the wedding, it will be wrong for us to just leave and not attend..."

    Prince Rui''s worries calmed down and he went, "Nalan, you can''t rea-"

    "I''ll return after the wedding with the envoys...It''s just a few weeks and I''m not a child anymore so I can obviously look after myself. I''ll be fine. You can leave in peace..." Princess Nalan said rolling her eyes.

    Prince Rui frowned and did not respond. Princess Nalan glanced at her brother and then sighed and said, "I know you''re worried about me, but you truly don''t have to be. You shouldn''t disobey father and cause issues between the two of you. You know your situation is not stable at the moment. If you upset father..." She paused and knit her brows and then said, "If it really worries you...you can leave Molin behind. I''ll be perfectly fine." She finished with a reassuring imploring smile.

    Prince Rui looked at her and then looked away with a frown, obviously not convinced. He had always been protective of her and she understood that it was because he always worried about her. She truly appreciated this but she was no longer a child and this sort of overprotectiveness can be more of a hindrance than help now and it had been suffocating her since they arrived.

    Her father had written to simply ask her if she was unhappy in Long country. She had responded that she was not unhappy but she had mentioned not being able to fully explore because of Prince Rui''s overprotectiveness.

    And as much as she loved her brother, Prince Rui was in the way and her father understood that. So it seemed calling Prince Rui back was her father''s response to her complaint. After all, in her father''s mind, Long country was to ber her home in the future and her brother naturally cannot stay with her. If he was in the way of "their" progress then he needed to be removed.

    Although Princess Nalan did not care for her father''s plans, she was not quite ready to leave yet. There were some things here that she needed some more time on in order for her to be able to come to a comfortable conclusion.

 Chapter 261 - Room Enough

    "Princess Nalan is staying behind...for what purpose?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at Prince Rui. Prince Rui had just told him that he was returning to Zou kingdom so he could personally oversee the issue of the Chun siblings as it would be best for him to explain things to his father in person. The Emperor also told him about the Taohua temple inquiry that he needed answers on.

    But then Prince Rui surprisingly mentioned leaving Princess Nalan behind.

    Prince Rui slightly knit his brows. After extensively talking with Princess Nalan the evening before, he realized he did not have much of a choice on the issue. His sister was right, if he disobeyed his father on this, the repercussions may be too great.

    The Emperor was obviously not promiscuous and so his sister would be fine in his palace. If it still failed after this step, their father will have no choice but to forget this angle. Therefore, this was the best way to handle this situation, a win-win for all.

    So here he was in the royal study talking to the Emperor, doing his father''s bidding as usual.

    "My sister has become very fond of Noble consort Lei during this period and so would like to remain here until the wedding...Then she will return home with the incoming envoys." Prince Rui said with a polite smile and bow.

    "I see...that is fine then." The Emperor said, he really could not fault that, especially since Lei Xing seemed to like this Princess. So he continued, "...Everything will be arranged for your departure with haste and An Hao will accompany you home since you are familiar with him...I wish you a safe return."

    "Thank you Your majesty." Prince Rui said with a bow and a polite smile. The Emperor nodded but instead of leaving, Prince Rui stayed there with knit eyebrows, hesitating.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at his fidgety guest and asked, "Is there something else you need?"

    Prince Rui glanced up at the Emperor and then cupped his hands and bowed, "I worry for my sister''s safety alone so..." He paused again, "...If it''s not too much to ask, could you house her in the palace for this period?"

    The Emperor frowned, "I thought I had made my position clear on this issue...A marriage alliance is not a necessary component for our alliance."

    "Of course, Your majesty. I am very well aware and my sister, Princess Nalan as you know has also expressed no interest in the marriage...I just worry about leaving her here alone. I am also worried that there might be some retaliation over the current issue at hand...The palace is the safest place in the city so...I dare to make this request." Prince Rui said, bowing lower as he waited for the Emperor''s response with bated breath.

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought for a bit, "I will consider it...But regardless of where she stays, she will be properly protected." The Emperor dismissively said. There were many rooms in the palace so housing Princess Nalan in the palace was not an issue.

    What''s more, Prince Rui did make some valid points but he did not like the idea of giving anyone reason for false hope. He could not believe this request was wholly innocent knowing the Zou king''s wishes.

    ***

    "You want to stay in the palace?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows after Princess Nalan told her of this request.

    "I don''t want to stay in the palace. It''s that my brother - well, my father wants me to stay in the palace.." Princess Nalan clarified with a frown, then she grabbed onto Lei Xing''s arm and went, "Please I need your help!" She decided to come to talk to Lei Xing, knowing that her brother would half-ass the request.

    "What do you need my help with?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows. Princess Nalan had suddenly showed up here, interrupting Lei Xing''s busy day to announce that she wanted to stay in the palace. But now she was backtracking and saying she did not. It was naturally quite confusing.

    "Please let me stay in the palace. I heard you''re now in charge of the palace, just a little room somewhere is enough..." Princess Nalan pleaded.

    "You just said you don''t want to stay in the palace then why are you begging to stay?... You seem confused." Lei Xing said with knit eyebrows.

    Princess Nalan frowned and pouted and mumbled, "Well, the situation is a bit complex..."

    "Well, I can''t help you if I don''t understand..." Lei Xing offhandedly responded, she was somewhat curious but at the same time, apprehensive.

    Princess Nalan looked at Lei Xing with a pout and Lei Xing steadily looked back at her. If she was not going to talk then Lei Xing was not interested in further discussing her housing issue.

    Princess Nalan then sighed and said, "As you know, my father wants me to marry your Emperor - Ah, but I''m not interested in him at all...Not even a little bit. I already expressed my opinion on things during the welcome banquet. I am not interested in a man who is not interested in me...Moreover, he''s really not my type~" Princess Nalan said with a snort and a shrug

    Lei Xing blinked at her as her face twitched, she was suddenly feeling irritated with this guest.

    {...Not your type?... I should not be offended by that, but I really am...What do you mean "not your type" in that crappy tone? And what the hell - I feel the urge to have you thrown outta here, much less let you live here ( ?_?)...}

    "Anyway, the thing is my father - through my brother won''t let me remain here on my own unless I''m living in the palace for my "safety"..." Princess Nalan said rolling her eyes.

    "Well, why do you want to remain here in the first place? I thought you always hated it here for being so - what was it? Restrictive and boring..." Lei Xing said repeating Princess Nalan''s very own words.

    "That was in the past...Now I''ve found...that there are some interesting things here so I need more time to explore~..." She said with a smile.

    Lei Xing scrutinized Princess Nalan''s smiling face and skeptically asked, "Such as?"

    "There''s your wedding, as a friend I shouldn''t miss that~ There''s the city and a whole bunch of other things..." Princess Nalan said with a grin.

    Princess Nalan then sighed and said, "The truth is the reason this place has been restrictive and boring is because of my brother, he doesn''t let me do anything or go anywhere. With him gone, I will have some time to go exploring, see the city and enjoy it...It''ll only be for a few weeks. I''ll leave with the envoys after your ceremony. Please do this for me, hm?...I''ll owe you this debt for life. Who knows what I''ll go home to find. Therefore, this is really important to me and it may be the last chance of freedom I''ll get. Pleeease...." Princess Nalan finished her ramble, blinking at Lei Xing with beseeching eyes.

    Lei Xing blinked back at her, not sure what to say. As big a "house" as the palace was, Lei Xing was not really comfortable with accepting another woman in here.

    But at the same time, there were already women in the palace, what would one more mean? Lei Xing also truly did not think Princess Nalan was interested in the Emperor. As for the Emperor, Princess Nalan seemed to irritate him. So there honestly was not a jealousy issue here.

    Lei Xing also felt somewhat sorry for Princess Nalan and could understand her sentiment of wanting a last chance at freedom. After all, she herself had been so fixated on the idea at one point.

    But being put on the spot like this, she was not sure how to respond. She definitely could not make this decision on her own. Just as she was thinking that, the person she wanted to see walked into her palace with his entourage.

    The Emperor saw Lei Xing and Princess Nalan sitting in the pavilion as he walked into Lei Xing''s palace. He let out a breath and then walked over as the two of them got up and bowed in greeting. Lei Xing normally did not bother with bowing but before outside company, she always maintained proper decorum.

    Lei Xing smiled at the Emperor, relieved for his arrival, but before she could say anything, the Emperor went, "I''ll be inside." And swiftly left without even sparing Princess Nalan a glance.

    Lei Xing looked at him as he swept past with raised eyebrows.

    {...Well, someone''s in a bad mood ? _ ?)...}

    Lei Xing turned back to Princess Nalan with a polite smile, "I''ll talk to the Emperor and see what I can do..."

    Princess Nalan grabbed Lei Xing''s arms and nodded, "Great. My life depends on this -"

    "How does your life depend on this?" Lei Xing exclaimed with a frown.

    "My last freedom. I don''t want any regrets. You know what I mean, you''re the best! Thank you!" Princess Nalan said as she wrapped Lei Xing in a quick hug and then happily bounced out of her palace.

    Lei Xing stood there blinking at her back and then she snorted in disbelief and then she sighed as she turned and went to find the Emperor.

    {...What the hell are you thanking me for? I haven''t even done anything yet...Way to guilt-trip me into this -_-)''...}

    As soon Lei Xing entered her bedroom, the Emperor immediately asked, "What did she want?" In a very flat tone and then continued to leisurely sip on his tea.

    {...Someone is really in a bad mood...}

    Lei Xing walked over and sat on the chair at the other side of the table and then said, "She wants to stay for the wedding..." When the Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, she tentatively added, "...in the palace."

    The Emperor dropped his cup and then looked at her and asked, "What do you think about it?"

    Lei Xing c.o.c.ked her head a bit and then went, "Well...she says she doesn''t like you."

    The Emperor frowned and Lei Xing blinked at him and jokingly asked, "Or do you like her?"

    "Of course not...She almost killed you." The Emperor irritatedly went, facing forward and folding his arms.

    Lei Xing''s suspicions were now confirmed. The Emperor did not like Princess Nalan. Lei Xing''s mood suddenly felt much better and she nodded.

    {...Naturally, brash is really not his type~ Guess we''re even (������)...But...}

    Lei Xing chuckled and then said, "I think you''re overexaggerating it a b-"

    "Do you know how many people have died from falling off of horses?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes at her.

    "A lot...?" Lei Xing awkwardly responded, still amused.

    "Exactly, it''s dangerous." The Emperor said, facing forward again.

    The Emperor was clearly irritated with this topic, but Lei Xing was finding this to be very amusing. She managed to restrain her laugh, but she could not help smiling. She was honestly finding all this very adorable.

    Lei Xing lightly cleared her throat and then asked, "So...can she stay?"

    The Emperor sighed and said, "If you want..."

    "I''ll make sure to choose a residence farthest from ours... You won''t have to see her at all, ever." Lei Xing said, trying to find a middle ground.

    {...She said ours~...}

    The side of the Emperor''s mouth rose in the beginnings of a smile. But he quickly stomped down the smile, raised his chin, and regally ordered, "No lessons."

    "Never...I like my life too, you know." Lei Xing said with a little laugh. The Emperor glanced at her and then faced forward, still refusing to smile.

    Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes, she could clearly tell he was just pretending to be annoyed at this point.

    {...Coaxing really isn''t my thing...*sigh*...}

    Lei Xing then proceeded to sweetly added, "I like my life a whole lot more recently... thanks to a certain someone~..."

    The Emperor promptly turned to her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, "And who is this certain someone?"

    Lei Xing snorted and rolled her eyes and went, "Who knows~"

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her and then she laughed, the Emperor smiled and then got up and went over and pulled her up into his arms, gave her a quick kiss and then said, "I''m serious...no lessons." The last thing he needed was a broken Empress on his wedding day.

    "Definitely none~" Lei Xing said with a sweet smile, wrapping her arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss of her own.

    "No leaving the palace without my knowledge." The Emperor added, giving her another kiss.

    "We agreed I wasn''t to leave during this period~" Lei Xing reminded, giving him another kiss.

    "En, we did." The Emperor whispered before going in for a full kiss. Lei Xing happily kissed him back and the two were engrossed in a deep kiss. The fire was started and their engines were revving up for greater endeavors, but then Lei Xing suddenly broke the kiss and lightly pushed the Emperor back, slamming on the brakes as she went, "Okay, I need to go now -"

    "Go where?" The Emperor asked blinking at her in confusion, while his arms remain locked around her waist.

    Lei Xing blinked back at him and then explained, "Well, before Nalan came I was actually on my way to a meeting with the kiln technicians and the builders to discuss my plans for the oven I want to build. I had to send Ming Shu ahead but she really doesn''t understand this things so I have to be there. Anyway, I''m already very, very late..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and just blinked at her, he could not believe she actually wanted to leave at this moment.

    Lei Xing smiled at him and pat his cheek, "Be good~ I''ll see you when I get back~" She sweetly said and then gave him a soft kiss and a mesmerizing smile as she peeled his arms off her waist and skipped out of the room, leaving a flabbergasted heated Emperor in the room alone.

    The Emperor stood there frozen staring at the doors for a bit and then he let out a defeated sigh.

    He was truly really having mixed feelings about her newfound responsibilities. He now understood what she meant by that "workaholic" thing. She was barely in her palace during the day and he honestly had no idea what she was actually doing most of the time.

    It had only been about a week, but he was already missing having her all to himself whenever he wanted...He missed the lazy Lei Xing. But she seemed much happier now and much more vibrant than ever, so he really did not have the heart to complain.

    Moreover, they spent their evenings together and talked for quite a bit so perhaps he was just being too selfish in wanting her to always be available when he wanted her.

    The Emperor sighed again and went out of the room. He would return to the royal study and immerse himself in his work while he waited for the evening to continue what they had started just now.

 Chapter 262 - A Fans Lament

    After a meeting with the Emperor, An Hao went to the military camp to pick out the unit that will be accompanying him on his mission to escort Prince Rui.

    "What''s your problem? I thought you would be happy seeing the Emperor..." Lei Yong asked as he scrutinized An Hao, who had barge into his office and had just been sitting there quietly with a disgruntled pout. It was really not like An Hao to be this quiet.

    An Hao glanced at Lei Yong and then said, "Prince Rui''s leaving...and the Emperor wants me to escort him...tomorrow." An Hao said with a frown.

    "So what''s the problem? I thought you enjoyed messing with him..." Lei Yong said as he perused some doc.u.ments, not paying An Hao much attention.

    "That''s fun and all but I''m going to miss my Emperor''s wedding and Xia-" He immediately closed his mouth and lowered his head with a bigger pout.

    Lei Yong glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and shook his head, "Why didn''t you tell the Emperor that?" He offhandedly asked with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "How could I have done that?... I naturally have to be available when my Emperor needs me. It''s just disappointing..." An Hao swiftly responded.

    "Since you have decided...Get your men and have a safe trip." Lei Yong said with a smile. An Hao glared at him and then let out a sigh, stood up, and said, "You can just assign any unit..."

    "Why not pick one yourself?" Lei Yong asked with knit eyebrows.

    An Hao blinked at him and then went, "I''m busy..."

    "I''m busy too..." Lei Yong retorted.

    "Welll...you know I''m leaving tomorrow and will be gone for a while so I...I need to go say goodbye...to...to my father!" An Hao awkwardly responded with a smile.

    "Right now?" Lei Yong said narrowing his eyes at him.

    An Hao blinked and then went, "...Well...I...want...to go spend some quality time with him." An Hao said with a resolute nod.

    "An Hao...Are you planning on going to my manor?" Lei Yong bluntly asked.

    An Hao froze and then blinked at him and mumbled, "Noooo, not exactly...." When Lei Yong frowned at him, he went, "Okay, okay...You know we''ve been very busy the last few days so I''ve not had any free time so I have not had time for visitations and such..."

    "...Anyhow, I need to go see to some important stuff before leaving...Help me set things up, I''ll pay you back eventually. See you tomorrow." An Hao quickly interjected and shot out of the office before Lei Yong could get a chance to turn him down or give him a lecture.

    Lei Yong sighed after An Hao''s departure. He could see that An Hao had been a bit restless the last few days. An Hao himself probably did not even know the reason, but Lei Yong had a hunch.

    After all, An Hao had been asking him about his home life quite frequently recently, seemingly at random. Obviously too scared or shy to ask after Xiao Ting directly.

    Lei Yong had looked into An Hao''s actions since he returned to the capital out of concern for Xiao Ting. While he knew An Hao did not play with women, he still needed to do this for his own peace of mind.

    They had this running joke in the army that if An Hao treated his wife half as well as he treated the Emperor then that woman would be very lucky. But then here he was treating Xiao Ting even better than he did the Emperor.

    Lei Yong had even watched An Hao neglect the Emperor in Xiao Ting''s presence. An Hao was as innocent as they come, Lei Yong was not even sure if he had ever held a woman''s hand much less done anything more.

    Although An Hao was a bit clueless, he was the kind of person to go the extra mile for anyone he liked. Therefore, Lei Yong truly had no complaints. His sister deserved someone who was willing to go that extra mile for her.

    As for Xiao Ting, Lei Yong honestly had no idea what she felt towards An Hao. But with An Hao''s cluelessness, it would probably take him a few years to understand what everybody else could see, much less him confessing his feelings.

    So Lei Yong was quite comfortable just leaving him alone, after all, his younger sister was bound to get married someday and rather than some pompous useless ass of a noble''s son, a doting clueless An Hao was much better.

    ****

    An Hao happily made his way to the Lei manor to find Xiao Ting. He had not seen her in almost two weeks and with this impromptu trip he would be gone for at least a month. So he felt he needed to see her before and let her know he would be gone for a while.

    After all, they were great friends, what if she missed him and went to look for him? Therefore, it would be very bad and inconsiderate of him not to give her prior notice.

    Naturally, on his way, he picked up some snacks for Xiao Ting. After all, it would be ill-mannered of him to visit empty-handed.

    He arrived at the manor and simply sauntered in. The people of the household all knew him too well and so the guards bowed and paid him no attention. He casually grabbed a passing servant asked where Xiao Ting was.

    "General, I don''t think you can see the younger miss today." The servant politely responded.

    "Why not?" An Hao asked with a frown. The servant knit his brows but before he could speak, An Hao went, "Just go tell her that I''m here. It''s important, just a quick visit."

    "But -"

    "Just go." An Hao ordered, pushing the servant along, "I''ll be in the garden." He added and sauntered off to the garden where he patiently waited, a bit disappointed. He had been planning to spend the afternoon with her but since she was busy today, he would just talk with her briefly and then return to the camp to see to the arrangements himself.

    An Hao sighed, still feeling disgruntled about the whole affair.

    "General..." The servant returned after a while, An Hao happily turned only to be disappointed when he saw just the servant, the servant promptly informed, "The younger miss said I should bring you over."

    "Oh, okay. Lead the way." An Hao swiftly responded with a smile, which he maintained until he was led to what he realized was Xiao Ting''s bedroom to find Xiao Ting sitting up in bed, with a blanket on her legs.

    "What happened to you?" An Hao worriedly asked promptly shoved the box into the servant''s hand as he rushing over, sat on the bed as he grabbed Xiao Ting''s face, turning it side to side as he quickly looked her over.

    "You''re making me dizzy! " Xiao Ting exclaimed as she grabbed his hands to stop him from shaking her head, "I just hurt my leg." She explained as she frowned at An Hao with a pout.

    An Hao blinked at her as he realized what he was doing, but instead moving his hands he just blinked at her adorable pouting face as his face started to turn red.

    "O-oh!" An Hao finally responded, immediately dropping his hands to his lap and frowning down at them as his heartbeat loudly in his ears.

    {...What am I doing?! (�R_�Q)...}

    "General..." The servant came up to them and presented the box An hao had shoved in his hands. Xiao Ting promptly took the box and opened it, "Oh, I love these...You remembered..." Xiao Ting said smiling at An Hao as she picked one up to eat.

    An Hao raised his head and smugly said, "...I always remember."

    "Here..." Xiao Ting said, holding out the box to him. An Hao smiled at her and took one, letting out a little happy sigh as he did. He had missed this.

    Xiao Ting turned to her personal maid and went, "Ah Cai, tea and snacks..."

    Ah Cai knit her brows and then turned to the servant that came with An Hao and he smartly went, "I''ll go get them" and then left to get things done.

    Ah Cai turned back to An Hao and Xiao Ting, who were smilingly eating and went over to the side to pick up a chair for An Hao to sit on.

    An Hao truly should not be in her mistress''s bedroom, but considering Xiao Ting was not supposed to move, they could make an exception as long as there was a third-party in the room and the doors were left open.

    But still, he definitely should not be sitting on the bed with her.

    "So -" An Hao began but Ah Cai promptly cut in before they could get even more carried away, "General An, please sit here." She politely said.

    An Hao glanced over at Ah Cai and turned to Xiao Ting on the bed and immediately understood and promptly relocated himself to the chair with his face heating up again. He really let himself get carried away today and Xiao Ting''s indulging personality did not help matters.

    "Do you know what''s been going on in the city?" Xiao Ting curiously asked in between bites, bringing An Hao out of his thoughts.

    An Hao blinked at her and then went, "Did you get hurt during the search?" An Hao asked with a frown.

    "Oh no...I tripped on a rock yesterday." Xiao Ting sheepishly explained, lowering her head and turning red. It was really embarrassing to still be falling over like that at her age.

    "That''s good then." An Hao said, relaxing. He was already getting ready to go pick a fight with someone over this. He would have started with his father and then the commanders and then would have located the hooligan who dared to mishandle her.

    But now that he actually thought about it, he panicked over nothing. No one in the army or even in the country would dare to manhandle the Defense minister''s daughter, especially not in his own house.

    "Good?" Xiao Ting asked with a frown.

    "No, I meant that it''s good it is just a simple injury." An Hao quickly amended and then went, "I''ll be leaving the city tomorrow on an assignment..." He informed, switching the topic.

    Xiao Ting paused for a bit and then, "Oh...when will you be back?"

    An Hao sighed and then said, "A month to two...It won''t be too long." Xiao Ting lowered her head and seemed to pout a bit and An Hao immediately perked and said, "I''ll bring you a bunch of fun things! I can get the authentic materials for our recipes and also some other interesting stuff too. You''ll love them!" He excitedly finished with a reassuring smile.

    Xiao Ting looked up at his excited face and then nodded with a smile, "I''ll look forward to it then~"

    An Hao''s smile widened with Xiao Ting''s words and smile. It was a good decision to come here, he was feeling much better now.

    {...This trip won''t be too bad...Could be useful ~(������)~...}

 Chapter 263 - Foundations

    The next day, a rejuvenated An Hao arrived at Zou representatives'' manor to retrieve his human package, Prince Rui.

    After lamenting and spending time with Xiao Ting the day before , An Hao was now feeling much better about this assignment. So he patiently waited for the Zou siblings to finish their farewell, while he glared back at Molin, who had been glaring at him since he arrived.

    It was clear that Molin was still sore about their past encounters. An Hao was honestly a bit disappointed that Molin was not coming along, after all, he was so easy to rile up which meant that he was great fun to tease.

    "Nalan, you have to be careful with your actions, be mindful and wary of everyone around...and Molin, you be sure to watch her and caution her." Prince Rui ordered as Princess Nalan rolled her eyes and Molin resolutely nodded, bowed his head and said, "You can count on me!"

    An Hao snorted when he heard this and the three people instantly turned their gazes at him and An Hao promptly coughed and looked away while stifling his laugh.

    {...Talking as if you have a great track record...You''ll probably lose her on the first day hahaha...}

    Prince Rui turned back to Princess Nalan and resumed, "Nalan, be sure to -"

    "I know, I know it all. I''ll be fine, it''s not my first time on my own~ You be careful too. Say hello to everyone...And I''ll see you when I get back." Princess Nalan interjected, smiling at her brother as she grabbed his arm and walked him out the door, ushering him along. After some fretting and advising, Prince Rui finally departed with An Hao and the prisoner - the evidence of Bao Zhun and the Chun siblings'' actions in tow.

    Princess Nalan let out a sigh of relief and then went back in with Molin following.

    "Okay, Nalan. Now that''s it''s just us, don''t think you can misbehave...For your own safety, you have t-"

    "I have to go pack up!" Princess Nalan swiftly interrupted and then raced off to her room before Molin could start a lecture. As she entered her room, a maid came in after her and said, "Princess, I another letter has come for you."

    Princess Nalan took the letter with a smile and then said, "You are dismissed." The maid bowed and Princess Nalan promptly opened the letter and then chuckled as she read the contents.

    Princess Nalan had never thought of herself as someone who would enjoy poetry, but these ones composed by Prince Yi were...different. His spoke of bravery, alliance, and romance somehow mixed into it. She did not fully understand them but she enjoyed them.

    This whole thing had all begun from the day of his injury.

    He had forgotten his sword here, so Princess Nalan had wanted to send it over and apologize again as well inquire about his injury, but Prince Rui refused and insisted that she send a servant. So Princess Nalan chose not to argue and sent a little note along with the servant apologizing for the wound again and a general ''I hope you are okay'' message.

    To her surprise, he responded with a message of his own and asked after her welfare and added a little poem that he said came to his mind as he thought of their short battle that day.

    She was flattered and so she responded and somehow they had started exchanging letters since then. She got at least one letter from every day, each containing a little poem,

    Princess Nalan naturally kept this hidden from her brother and Molin. She smiled and sat at her desk and prepared the ink, thinking of what sort of response to write. She also tried to match his words with haphazard poetic attempts of her own.

    Prince Yi was clearly more well-read than her and had a finesse with words that she truly did not have. But still, he appreciated and praised her awkward work and even sometimes gave her pointers to elevate her work.

    No one had ever praised her literary skills before. Frankly, she was a hopeless cause and she knew it. But she was finding this letter exchange process to be somewhat gratifying.

    It was different but still, a bit exciting.

    ***

    "Okay, so here''s a pass...you have to be back before sunset and you have to take guards with you...The Emperor''s orders, not mine." Lei Xing added before Princess Nalan could begin to argue.

    "Fine. Guards are fine..." Princess Nalan said with a happy smile taking the pass.

    Lei Xing let out a breath, "Sorry about Molin. Men aren''t allowed to live in the inner palace so even if he came here, he would have to stay in the Imperial guards quarters an-"

    "No, no. Staying back at the manor is more convenient for him and I can go see him whenever I want too. It''s perfectly fine..." This was honestly a much, much better outcome for her. Molin was shaping to be a mini Prince Rui and now he was out of the way.

    Molin, of course, was disgruntled and tried to protest but what could he do when it was a cultural difference that they had all overlooked? So he begrudgingly dropped Princess Nalan off and left. Princess Nalan could handle palace guards. At the very least, they did not have a license to lecture her.

    "Okay, then...If there''s anything you need, you can just ask the servants. I''m very busy these days so if you need me for anything or want to see me, just send a servant to come to find me..." Lei Xing said with a smile.

    While it was true that Lei Xing was busy, this was mainly out of consideration for her Emperor. Lei Xing had said she would keep Princess Nalan out of sights. Therefore it was best for her not to go over to lei Xing''s palace at all or at least not without Lei Xing''s approval first.

    If they needed to meet, Lei Xing would come over to see her or arrange for a meeting at Li Ru''s palace. It was only for a few weeks so they could manage well enough.

    With her courtesy welcome visit over, Lei Xing left Princess Nalan to do as she wanted and went about her own business.

    Apart from her food oven and funds redirection projects, Lei Xing had actually been working on a birthday present for the Emperor.

    While Lei Xing enjoyed seeing the work in the departments, she was not that interested to the point of touring every day. Most of the excitement wore off after the first day, but she did go over to the treasures department a few more times because she wanted to see the full inventory and the head of the department was very engaging.

    But the birthday present was actually the real reason she was away from her comfortable palace most of the time. It was a joint effort of quite a few of the departments and she herself needed to do quite a bit of work.

    She had a vision of what she wanted and was very, very particular the details and so needed to oversee things to ensure it was being exactly right.

    After all, this was very important. The Emperor had already given her so much and kept giving her things, so she really could not come up short on her delivery. She was not so conceited to the point of thinking that simply becoming his Empress was enough of a gift.

    It took her quite a while to come up with the perfect present. After all, what can you possibly give someone who already seemingly has everything?

    The thought of giving up the birth control did cross her mind. After all, this was something only she could give and she knew it would make him extremely happy...And she could admit that she already liked him enough to possibly have a child with him.

    But she was not yet truly comfortable with the idea of it. While she knew it was probably the thing that would make him the happiest at the moment, a few weeks of wedded bliss was really not enough to make such a life-altering decision.

    At the very least, she was coming to terms with the fact that if their relationship continued on as it was now, she would one day give him a child.

    But for the meantime, childbearing aside, after thinking on it for a long time, she remembered something he wanted and had decided to gift it to him with a few special effects to make it all the more special for his - Well, their special day.

    Lei Xing had not forgotten that it was also their wedding day, the day she was to become an Empress as unbelievable as she still found it sometimes.

    It was also quite the challenge to keep all of this quiet so the surprise was not ruined for the Emperor. So Lei Xing only told Ming Shu, Ah Jin, and Xiao Ruo what she was trying to accomplish with all this.

    To the busy departments, they all probably thought she was being bothersome to be giving them more duties at a time like this. But Lei Xing gave them quite a sizable raise from the pool of harem funds. So whatever ill feelings they might have had were thrown out the doors with that and everyone was eager to please the generous mistress.

    It took Lei Xing a while to notice but Doctor Lou has been oddly silent. He had not said anything to her in the last week. Actually, since she discovered he was the Voice in the bracelet, he rarely spoke up now.

    Lei Xing reasoned that since the mystery of it all was now out, he got bored of the whole thing. That or he found something more interesting than commenting on her personal life to entertain his "bored" self.

 Chapter 264 - Lackl.u.s.ters

    True to Doctor Lou''s words, Chen Madam passed away a few days later. The night before she was fine, talking and laughing in good spirits, she went to sleep like normal and her breath was gone in the morning.

    As Doctor Lou had promised, she felt no pain at all leading up to her death, which was shocking to everyone because her wound was not healing at all. The bleeding had slowed but the wound had started to fester.

    The Chen family had tried to find Doctor Lou again to see if he could help with the wound, but his pharmacy was closed and the old man was nowhere to be found.

    In the end, the family only had a few days with Chen madam just as Doctor Lou had promised. The Emperor sent his condolences and gave Chen madam a posthumous title to honor her, praising her for her bravery and sacrifice.

    While it was never announced how she got hurt, but the assumption was that she got hurt during the chaos in the Chen manor that night. And since the Emperor praised her, suspicions that she must have somehow aided the Emperor also rose. But there were some rumors that she got hurt in a fight with the Empress dowager, although no one really believed that as it sounded too absurd.

    The Emperor also graciously never blamed the Chen family for sending Chun Hua, an enemy of the state to the palace. Chen You''s banishment to Fen Li temple also seemed to be dropped.

    It had been over a week since Chen madam had been buried but no order had been made to send Chen You away yet but neither was there one calling her back to the palace.

    Therefore, Chen You was in limbo and had been spending her time in bed or blankly staring into space at home.

    Her father had been badgering her about returning to the palace, telling her that this was an opportunity that she should not waste. The Emperor clearly felt bad about her mother''s death, she could use this sympathy to wheedle her way into the Emperor''s heart.

    Chen You was not as optimistic as her father and just ignored him most of the time. This whole thing was mostly her fault for letting Chun Hua play her, but she honestly blamed her parents a bit as well for sending Chun Hua to her.

    But then the thoughts of blaming her deceased mother made her feel even more horrible. Now she barely talked to anyone or did anything other than sleep and stare into space.

    After several days of her father constantly telling her not to make her mother''s death pointless, Chen You finally could not stand it anymore. So one morning, after her father had left for Court she dragged herself to the palace. She intentionally waited until her father left because she was trying to avoid another lecture about all she had done wrong and how to fix her mistakes.

    As soon as she stepped out of her manor she was greeted with decorations on the street in anticipation of the Empress''s, Lei Xing''s ascension ceremony which was only a few days away now.

    Chen You thought she would have been upset but she honestly did not feel much of anything as the carriage rolled along.

    She did not feel much of anything these days.

    She arrived at the palace and was made to wait outside because the guards were not sure about granting her entry. After all, the last order that was given regarding her was that she was banished to Fen Li temple.

    Apart from that, she was also not assigned a palace considering she had been demoted and immediately cast out. So the servants were also not sure what to do with her.

    Since the Emperor was in the middle of court, the servants decided to go inform Lei Xing to ask her what they should do with Chen You. Lei Xing was actually already awake, she had actually been waking up quite early most days recently. Not as early as the Emperor, but at least she was up before noon.

    Today Lei Xing was already over at Li Ru''s palace practicing on the qin when an eunuch came over to inform her of Chen You''s arrival.

    Lei Xing blinked at the eunuch, she was also not sure what to do with Chen You. She knew that the Emperor was feeling guilty over Chen You''s mother''s passing. Lei Xing also felt sorry for Chen You given the situation but she was really not comfortable with Chen You being back either.

    So, Lei Xing''s default reaction was to tell them to go ask the Emperor but she knew the Emperor was busy which was why they probably came to her. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and ordered for the eunuch to go find Ming Shu to get Chen You settled in a random courtyard for the meantime.

    Sending Chen You back was not an option and having her wait by the palace gates until the Emperor was free did not look good. So this was the best option at the moment.

    As for what would actually become of Chen You, she would talk to the Emperor about it later. Lei Xing had honestly forgotten about Chen You and she suspected that it was the same for the Emperor as well.

    ***

    That evening after they had dinner, Lei Xing brought up the issue of Chen You, and the Emperor''s response was very simple, "...She will be sent to Fen Li temple as planned." He curtly responded and then proceeded to continue sipping his tea.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and went, "Oh, okay..." She was surprised, considering that he gave her mother a posthumous title, Lei Xing thought that he intended to pardon Chen You.

    But apparently, she was completely wrong on his thoughts.

    The Emperor glanced at Lei Xing to find her with her eyebrows slightly knit, "Did you have something else in mind?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and honestly went, "Well, no...It''s just that I thought you were going to pardon her because of her mother..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and lightly let out a breath and explained, "Her mother''s death and punishment are two separate issues. Chen You has committed her wrongs and has to pay for them...I only let her be so she could properly pay her last respects to her mother. Now that she has returned to the palace, it seems she is now ready to serve out her punishment..."

    "Oh..." Lei Xing responded, leaning back in her chair as she sipped her tea.

    {...Harsh...but It''s not like I want to keep her here so whatever, it sounds perfectly reasonable -_-)''...}

    ***

    The next morning, the Emperor woke up as usual for court, kissed his sleeping Lei Xing goodbye, and then left to get ready.

    Lei Xing never woke up when he did these days, she seemed to be draining herself completely every day. He honestly missed their morning play, but it was not too bad. He was still very happy, after all, she was going to be his Empress in the next few days. So nothing could ruin his good mood, not even his mother.

    Although, the Empress dowager has been behaving herself the last few days... much better than recent times anyway.

    After the Emperor''s visit, the Empress dowager kept nagging those around her and throwing fits wanting to know the status of the search for Monk Du.

    Eunuch Li suggested going to give her daily reports and even volunteered to take up the task himself. The Emperor agreed but then the Empress dowager ended up just throwing fits about the slow progress of things.

    But she was eating, receiving treatment and looking after herself, most of the time.

    The Emperor was also informed about her constantly attempting to kill herself in her sleep and the head physician explained that it was not a medical issue as she seemed fine.

    On more discussion, the idea that she might need an exorcism popped up and Eunuch Li even reasoned that this was the reason she had been calling for monks in the first place. The Empress dowager never did tell anyone what she wanted the monks for so it was a reasonable assumption.

    Anyway, after extensive discussions and Eunuch Li getting the Empress dowager''s approval. Eunuch Li had become the liaison between the Emperor and the Empress dowager now since neither cared to see the other.

    And given their history, the Empress dowager was a bit more receptive to him than to random servants or guards. These days, the Empress dowager never called for the Emperor and only asked to see Eunuch Li, who she felt was obviously a lot more understanding and better company than her son.

    After all, most of her discussions were complaints about said son, and Eunuch Li apparently was an understanding ear for her. It seemed they were somehow rekindling their old friendship amidst the chaos of her life.

    The monks were brought in and with each visit Eunuch Li accompanied them for their own safety. The Empress dowager initially wanted private meetings but the Emperor refused. He would not add the possibility of monks dying in his palace to his issues. So after throwing a fit and the Emperor not budging, the Empress dowager eventually agreed to have Eunuch Li in the room.

    But rather than talking about herself and her issues, the Empress dowager always asked them if they knew Monk Du and Taohua temple. And depending on her mood and their answer, she raged and ran them out of her palace.

    While on some other occasions, she quietly listened to what they had to say before kicking them out. And on some rare occasions, she even allowed a few to go about cleansing her palace and placing all sorts of talismans all over the place.

    Following the advice of one of the monks, the Empress dowager had even taken up meditation and her angry outbursts seemed to have subsided. Most importantly, she had stopped trying to strangle herself in her sleep recently.

    So all in all, it seemed like there was a great improvement in the Empress dowager''s condition. Which was great as it meant that she might be stable enough to attend the ceremony in a few days.

    All this traffic in the Empress dowager''s palace had resulted in some hushed nasty rumors about the Emperor locking up his crazy mother and all sorts of other nonsense about his ill-treatment towards her. All painting his mother to be this pitiful character with an ungrateful son who had forsaken her in her time of need.

    They even brought Lei Xing into the mix saying she was the cause of the Empress dowager''s madness and that this was simply the prelude to the chaos this "ill-fated" marriage would bring. The nicer ones simply said that the Emperor imprisoned his mother simply to please Lei Xing, lamenting the fate of the pitiful mother who was forsaken by her husband in the past, and now her son had done the same.

    While those in the palace were coming to like Lei Xing greatly, the people outside already did not have a positive view on her character thanks to Chen You''s nonsensical rumors from the past. This made it easier for the people to believe any nonsense that came their way regarding Lei Xing.

    So this incompatibility issue was enough of a spark to reignite the dying embers of the past rumors. And now everything was lumped together to make Lei Xing out to be this demoness of a character.

    The Emperor was busy with damage control working hard to overturn those rumors by giving out money and relief to the people in Lei Xing''s name. His people also spread some favorable tales about Lei Xing in the process to try to mitigate the damages.

    This was why the Emperor had no interest in sparing Chen You. Her good work from earlier put Lei Xing''s name on shaky ground. With the effect of her crimes still lingering and causing issues, she could definitely not go unpunished.

    With all this going on, the Empress dowager''s absence in the ascension ceremony will definitely give more weight to these rumors. Therefore, the Empress dowager''s public appearance in the ceremony was vital in stomping out some of the negativity around the royal household right now.

 Chapter 265 - Broken Youth

    Lei Xing woke up a while after the Emperor had left for Court. After greeting her, the next thing Xiao Ruo said was, "Your highness...Concubine Chen has been waiting for you outside."

    "Who?" Lei Xing groggily asked as she stretched. She did not remember a concubine Chen.

    "Concubine Chen..." Xiao Ruo repeated.

    "Your cousin." Ah Jin usefully supplied.

    "Ah, her..." Lei Xing said with a yawn and then she froze and knit her brows, "What? What is she doing here?" Lei Xing exclaimed as she blinked at them. As far as she was concerned, she and Chen You had no business.

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows, "She did not say...We told her you were not seeing anyone but she insisted on waiting so she has been standing outside your palace for a while now..." They all knew not to wake Lei Xing up for insignificant people, even the Emperor never requested for them to bother her asleep.

    Lei Xing immediately frowned.

    {...What the hell does she want?... Whatever, I''m not interested -_-)''...}

    "Send her away." Lei Xing dismissively said as she walked out of the room with a yawn. Lei Xing went to the bath room and just as she settled into her bath with a relaxing sigh, Xiao Ruo loudly burst into the room, "Your highness! -"

    "What?! What? It''s too early to be bugging me like this!" Lei Xing irritatedly went, she woke up with a headache today and the last thing she needed was someone shouting right now.

    Xiao Ruo immediately bowed and haphazardly went, "I apologize, Your highness. It''s just Concubine Chen - I told her you could not see her and she - she said it was urgent and e-even on got her knees and pleaded with me. She''s still like that now and she - she...she said she''ll die if you don''t see her!"

    Lei Xing scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Tell her to go die then..."

    {...What a drama queen (?_?)...}

    "Your highness!" Xiao Ruo exclaimed, "This is serious, s-she really doesn''t look good. She said she won''t get up until you see her...She says she''ll die. If she die-"

    "Relax, she''s just being dramatic...Leave her alone, she''ll get up when she''s tired." Lei Xing dismissively said, then she took a deep breath and dove under the water. The discussion was over.

    {...Guess she learned a thing or two from that Chun Hua...But who the hell does she think she''s threatening with that bullcrap? Like I care about her life! I could have her dragged out of here if I freaking wanted. Stupid brat (?_?)...}

    Lei Xing continued her bath at a leisure pace while Xiao Ruo continued fretting. At some point, she riled up her courage and said, "Your highness, what if she really kills herself?"

    Lei Xing did not respond and simply relaxed with her eyes closed.

    {...If she''s crazy enough to kill herself, then what if she wants to take me with her? ( ?_?)...}

    Xiao Ruo stopped talking and by the time Lei Xing got out of the bath, she realized that it was because Xiao Ruo had left the bath room.

    Xiao Ruo returned a while later while Lei Xing was almost finished getting her hair towel dried. She glanced over at the fidgety Xiao Ruo through the mirror, sighed and then asked, "Is she still there?"

    Xiao Ruo looked at Lei Xing sheepishly and nodded, "Yes...She seems scared of something...Perhaps, someone is after her. It could be something concerning that could possibly endanger other lives in the palace. Even Your highness could be affec-"

    "Fine, I''ll see her..." Lei Xing said rolling her eyes, she stood up and then said, "Have her brought to the reception hall."

    Xiao Ruo nodded and promptly left the room while the maids brought over an outer robe for Lei Xing to wear. After putting it on, Lei Xing then made her way to the reception hall with a sigh.

    {...I hope I don''t regret this -_-)''...}

    Today, Lei Xing chose to sit on her main seat to receive Chen You. She had never done this before, but then again Chen You had never tried to kill her at those times.

    Lei Xing was very skeptical of Chen You''s visit and was really only seeing her because she did not want to add fuel to the bad rumors about her. Chasing away a bereaved relative who was on her knees pleading to her would definitely make her look more like a devil once it spreads. And knowing Chen You, it will definitely spread.

    Lei Xing would see her but maintain the maximum distance from her, both physically and mentally. But as soon as Chen You walked through the doors, Lei Xing instantly understood why Xiao Ruo was so bothered.

    Chen You looked like a great mess.

    She was much thinner than Lei Xing remembered and almost a sickly pale. She also seemed very fidgety and walked in with hesitant steps while her eyes kept darting around the room as if she was worried someone or something was going to jump out at her. Her hair was undone and all over her face, her clothes looked haphazardly put on.

    Chen You truly looked as if she would pass out at any moment. In all honestly, she looked like a ghost and Lei Xing was completely taken aback by this foreign entity before her.

    Chen You stopped at the foot of the steps, glanced up at Lei Xing up on her main seat, and then bowed, further shocking Lei Xing. She would have never thought that Chen You would ever bow to her.

    {...What exactly is this girl on now? O_O)...}

    Chen You straightened up and stood there with her head lowered, she looked very jumpy and ready to run at a moment''s notice.

    When Lei Xing did not say anything, Chen You glanced up at Lei Xing and hesitantly went, "Ji-jiejie..." bringing Lei Xing out of her surprise.

    "Oh...sit." Lei Xing awkwardly went as she skeptically scrutinized Chen You.

    Chen You immediately shook her head and went, '' I''ll stand..."

    "Okay...why are you here?" Lei Xing bluntly asked, frail or not, she was honestly not interested in Chen You.

    Chen You looked down, knit her brows and then immediately fell to her knees and went, "C-can you ask the Emperor to send me back to Fen Li temple?"

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows in surprise and went, "What?" That was not what she was expecting at all.

    Chen You glanced up at Lei Xing''s face and went, "Jiejie, I''m very sorry - I didn''t mean - Well, maybe I did. It was a mistake but I - I really can''t stay here. The Empress dowager is going to kill me, she''ll kill me..."

    Chen You sniffed and shakily covered her ears as tears rolled down her face, "I heard her! She came to kill me, she was there with a sword, I saw - I heard. I don''t know anymore, she''s going to kill me...P-please I really can''t stay here, I''ll die..." Chen You pleaded.

    Chen You had not been at ease since stepping foot in the palace. She had not been able to eat or sleep. Every time she heard any noise she jumped thinking that the Empress dowager had finally sent for her or worse come for her. After just a day here, she felt like she was going mad. She spent all night plagued with waking nightmares and throwing up her empty guts in fear.

    Her father''s aspirations for her were impossible at this point. Even if the Emperor forgave her, it did not mean she would get his attention. And honestly, she did not think she could stand being around him at this point. He was another scary entity to her right now, she was even too scared to go to talk to him which was why she was here.

    Lei Xing was not scary and the Emperor would listen to her. Lei Xing would also help her, after all, they were relatives. Therefore, Lei Xing could not forsake her.

    Chen You had honestly been thinking about leaving everything behind the last few days. Even though her mother never blamed her and told her not to blame herself, home without her mother was incredibly depressing.

    Everything in the manor reminded her of her mother''s death and the scene itself tortured her mind and her nagging father did not help matters at all.

    It was actually her father''s constant scolding and talks of disappointment and badgering that made her decide to return to the palace. She had thought life in the palace would be better than being at home but this has proven to be even worse, just one night was driving her crazy.

    She really could not stand being this close to the Empress dowager. She felt the Empress dowager''s presence in everything here, she heard the swing of a sword, she heard the Empress dowager''s irate screams...And it was honestly driving her insane.

    She could not stand being in the palace but she could not return home either. Her father would not approve and now that she thought about it, the Empress dowager could easily follow her home.

    No, she would follow her home.

    The only other place that came to her mind was Fen Li temple. It was far from the palace, far from the Chen manor and far from the Empress dowager.

    "Do you truly want to go there?" Lei Xing skeptically asked with knit eyebrows, pulling Chen You out of her thoughts.

    This was truly unexpected and it both confused and shocked Lei Xing. Even though she and the Emperor had already agreed to send Chen You off, her coming to ask for it herself was bizarre

    Chen You glanced up at Lei Xing and fervently nodded, "Pl-please..."

    Lei Xing scrutinized her for a bit and then let out a breath and then said, "Alright then...I shall let the Emperor know of your request." Even if it was already decided, Chen You did not need to know that. Since it was like this, it was better for her to think they were doing her a favor rather than punishing her.

    Chen You fidgeted, hesitated, and then went, "...Ah, ca-can I leave today?" Chen You asked as she glanced about the room in fear.

    "You want to leave today?" Lei Xing asked blinking down at her, another surprise.

    {...What the hell happened to this girl? O_O)...}

    Chen You fervently nodded again, "P-please...the Empress dowager, i-i-if not sh-she w-will kill me...again..." She said as she began shivering. It appeared that she was cowering in fear.

    Lei Xing sighed, "I''ll see what I can do...In the meantime, you go back to your residence and wait for news." Lei Xing tentatively said, this was so odd and awkward.

    Chen You nodded, kowtowed, and then she shakily got to her feet. She looked up at Lei Xing and Lei Xing stared back down at her. Finally Chen You lowered her head with a frown and mumbled, "Thank you...Lei Xing."

    Lei Xing blinked at her but did not respond. Chen You bowed and then turned and swayed out of the hall. Lei Xing stared at Chen You''s lonely and frail...broken back as she exited the hall.

    Lei Xing was not sure exactly how she felt. Chen You had always been out for head demise and so Lei Xing knew she should be feeling victorious at the moment, but all she felt was an odd sense of emptiness.

    Although she did not care for Chen You, she felt saddened by what Chen You had become. The young vibrant girl was now gone leaving behind a damaged and frazzled mess.

    It was truly a depressing sight.

    Lei Xing sighed and turned to Xiao Ruo, "Have someone escort her back...and send a physician to see her..." Xiao Ruo nodded and quickly went to pass along the orders.

    Lei Xing sighed again and turned back to look at the doors. She was no longer in the mood for breakfast or practicing the qin.

    Chen You truly was the embodiment of all Lei Xing hated about the palace and her mood was dampened by this loss of innocence and confidence.

    Lei Xing honestly hoped that Chen You would be able to find peace and solace in the temple.

 Chapter 266 - Out in the Shade

    "I was starting to think you weren''t coming..." Prince Yi said as he straightened up from the tree he was leaning on.

    Princess Nalan rode up next to him and said, "Sorry...I couldn''t leave the manor immediately, I had to make things believable or Molin would get suspicious..." They had planned to meet up in a spot outside the city for a trip. Since Molin and the guards would be in the way, they came up with this brilliant strategy to get rid of them.

    She left the palace early this morning and went over to the Zou representatives manor. She told Molin that she missed him and wanted to have some fun with him and sparred for a bit and then ended up drinking wine and having fun playing drinking games.

    Princess Nalan, of course, was not really drinking and after they were "both" crazy drunk to the point of almost passing out. Princess Nalan "drunkenly" excused herself to her room to sleep in peace and ordered that no one was to disturb her sleep.

    This way no one would come bothering her. Prince Yi had also arranged for the maid who had been passing her letters in the manor to leave a maid''s outfit and a fake identity table in Princess Nalan''s room so she could change into it and easily slip out of the manor, unseen. And then she raced over to the rendevous point where Prince Yi had a servant waiting with a horse for her.

    Prince Yi was also wearing a simple servant''s outfit. His own plan had been much simpler than Princess Nalan''s. He simply asked Zhao Chang to meet him at one of their usual drinking spots and then he changed outfits with their server and left while the server remained there to be Zhao Chang''s drinking buddy for the day.

    Prince Yi naturally did not tell Zhao Chang his plans, but they had done thins a few times in the past so Zhao Chang did not bother asking questions.

    "You''re here now so it''s fine..." Prince Yi said with a smile as he vaulted onto his horse.

    Princess Nalan nodded and then went, "Let''s go."

    "How about a race?" Prince Yi proposed with a smirk.

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and went, "I don''t know the way..."

    "Then I win by default then..." Prince Yi smugly responded.

    Princess Nalan scoffed, "We''ll see..." as she whipped her horse into action and sped off, with Prince Yi promptly following, quickly overtaking her with a smug smile.

    Princess Nalan scoffed again and leaned forward, pushing her horse faster. She had been anxiously waiting for this over the last two days.

    The last time they met it was at the theatre where they were watching a show about the adventures of an idiot. The idiot was jumping around the stage "riding" and Princess Nalan mentioned missing riding. She rode about the city but she could never go at a full gallop so it was no fun.

    Prince Yi then suggested that they go out for a day of riding. Princess Nalan was quite surprised with the suggestion as they never met out in public, but she was happy and even proposed going over to that flower field spot from the last time and Prince Yi agreed with a smile.

    Over the last few weeks, they had continued secretly exchanging letters even in the palace. They met up a bunch of times at restaurants and theatres but they always arrived separately and left separately. Although they never discussed keeping this secret, Princess Nalan never told anyone, not even when Lei Xing asked in conversation.

    Princess Nalan was honestly not sure what they were doing, but she was enjoying the process of it all.

    They raced through the flower field, finally stopping at the end of it with Princess Nalan in the lead. She smugly turned to him and went, "I win." with a victorious smile.

    Prince Yi smiled back and went, "I guess it just wasn''t my day..."

    Princess Nalan responded, "Better luck next time..." with a laugh and Prince Yi laughed as well. They got down and Prince Yi kindly took Princess Nalan''s reins and went to tie up the horses. Princess Nalan walked forward, scanned the field, and took a deep breath. It was really nice and this was definitely more her style.

    "Horsemilk wine?" Prince Yi asked as he held out a goatskin wine bag to her.

    Princess Nalan''s face immediately lit up, "Ah, Kumis! I haven''t had this in so long..." She promptly took the bag, removed the c.o.c.k, took a deep sniff, and let out a sigh as she took a swig from it, "This is amazing..."

    "I knew you would enjoy it..." Prince Yi said with a smile as plopped down on the grass under the shade of the tree. He let out a sigh of his own as he scanned the flowery landscape. Princess Nalan went to sit down next to him and passed him the wine bag. He took a gulp and passed it back to her.

    Princess Nalan took another gulp and then asked, "Is it always empty here?" It was nice and quiet here, a world removed from the busy capital. She liked it this way but she was just curious, last time they were the only ones here too.

    "It''s removed the main routes to the city...I only stumbled on it when I was out wandering years back.."

    Prince Yi then spotted two little snakes slithering up to him and added, "Ah, perhaps people are afraid of these little ones here...I''ve heard they have bitten a few people so the commoners avoid it, I find them harmless though." Prince Yi said as a pat the head of one of the snakes, smiling as the memory of a certain someone scrambling because of a little snake came to mind.

    "I think they''re harmless too..." Princess Nalan smiled as she reached over him and picked up the second snake while snickering as she also recalled a certain memory. She then stopped laughing, glanced at Prince Yi, and then tentatively asked, "What do you think about Lei Xing?"

    This question had been on her mind for a very long time but she had always been too unsure to ask. But now that they are on much closer terms, she felt that she could finally voice this out. She was truly curious.

    Prince Yi instantly froze and knit his brows but quickly corrected his expression to an unaffected one as he continued to play with the snake, "She''s none of my concern..."

    Princess Nalan quietly took a sip and then handed over the bag to him.

    "But I heard you two were together before she marri-"

    "That was just a stupid rumor -!" Prince Yi irritatedly interjected with a frown and then changed his tone to a softer one and said, "The rumors said you were a frail and delicate beauty but yet here you are strong and brave - Although still a beauty, so at least the rumors got one thing right~" Prince Yi said with a smile.

    Princess Nalan nervously chuckled as she took a sip of wine as light blush spread on her face. The snakes slithered off and the two quietly drank as they stared at the flowery landscape.

    "So you really don''t like Lei Xing?" Princess Nalan quietly asked, glancing at Prince Yi. Although the last few weeks had been different, in the past, she had been getting the sense that he liked Lei Xing.

    Even if the rumors were false, he always seemed to be focused on Lei Xing whenever they were together in the past. She even caught him staring at her a few times...but perhaps those might have just been her imagination fueled by the rumors.

    "Of course not." Prince Yi swiftly denied sending her an incredulous frown, "Watch what you say." He warned.

    Princess Nalan frowned and defended, "It''s just you always se-"

    "I did nothing! She''s the Emperor''s wife, it is impossible for me to have any designs on her. Y-" Prince Yi cut in with irritation but quickly stopped himself, those words came out harsher than he intended. It was just that the subject of Lei Xing and the Emperor greatly irked him.

    Thankfully he swallowed back the rest of his words before he ruined everything for himself, he promptly softened his tone and went, "Moreover, she''s too delicate for my tastes...I prefer a more valiant kind of woman...one just like you~" He finished with a sly smile.

    Princess Nalan froze and blinked at him as her heart skipped. Although she had been getting the sense that he liked her, this was the first time he ever mentioned it and she was not sure how to react.

    Prince Yi put on a serious expression and turned to fully face her and took her hand and went, "I prefer a woman who I can ride at my side ride towards the horizon without me having to worry about her passing out or falling off her horse." He then chuckled as he remembered Lei Xing struggling to get on her horse and then panicking when Princess Nalan had slapped the horse that one time.

    Prince Yi quickly refocused his mind and continued, "A woman who is adventurous, who can hold her own in a fight, someone to spar with to pass the time...You know, I''ll be honest. I''ve actually liked you for quite a long time. Actually, it was since the first time we were here, your beautiful form as you raced towards the horizon that day is seared into my memory. You looked like a goddess, beautiful, valiant, and free. It reminded of a long lost dream of mine but -... I thought it was impossible, believed it to be. You came here to marry my brother, the Emperor...And I knew I would never be enough so I tried my hardest to forget it, to forget you but..."

    Prince Yi lowered his head and knit his brows, hesitating and Princess Nalan watched him completely transfixed.

    Prince Yi took a deep breath and then looked back up at her and smiled and said, "But when you sent me that letter...asking about my welfare. I could not help myself and when you kept replying it was the most wonderful thing in the world. I truly became helpless...and even though I knew this was going nowhere, I could not help wanting to see you..."

    Prince Yi brought up a hand to the frozen Princess''s face and stroked her cheek and then said, "I...I love you."

    Princess Nalan blinked rapidly, opened her mouth, closed it...No one had ever confessed their feelings to her. She wanted to tell him how she felt, how she had felt since their first meeting but she was struggling to find her words, "I - I..."

    She too had been holding back. She never would have thought she would have any interest in the dignified scholarly type but he was different. He seemed to radiate a certain glow that always drew her eyes. Moreover, he clearly could fight as well, she had even tested his skills. He was definitely not a weak scholar, that she definitely had no interest in.

    But she thought he never saw her and so had always tried to shift her mind elsewhere. But now, here he was telling her he loved her. Her heart was in a frenzy and her mind, a jumbled mess.

    With Princess Nalan apparently speechless, Prince Yi leaned forward and kissed her, a quick light kiss. He sat back and stared at the wide-eyed Princess and quietly said, "This is enough." with a weary smile.

    A rejected smile.

    Princess Nalan blinked at him and then knit her brows, took a deep breath, and then leaned forward herself and gave him a quick kiss of her own and then sat back and smilingly blinked at the happily surprised Prince Yi.

    She was never one for words, actions suited her a lot more.

    A slow smile spread on Prince Yi''s beautiful face, he caressed her face again and leaned in for another kiss, this time for a longer, deeper sensual kiss.

    And Princess Nalan haphazardly kissed him back. This was her first, so she was clumsy and a bit aggressive with it at the start, but she was a quick study when engaged and she gradually got softer as they progressed until it felt seamless.

    Princess Nalan was not sure whether it was the amazing weather, the cool breeze, the wine, or the man before but...

    This was amazing.

 Chapter 267 - Flowery Night~

    Princess Nalan opened her eyes, stared blankly for a second, and then froze. She knit her brows and promptly sat up, holding the cloak to her chest. Her eyes scanned the field of flowers before her, she was alone.

    He was gone...leaving only a cloak behind.

    She glanced about and then instantly relaxed when she saw his horse still tied up next to hers. Of course, he would never leave her...not after all this. She smiled and let out a happy sigh of relief and was about to lay back down to relax when she realized that the sun was setting.

    She was late, very late. She needed to get back to the palace, no, the Zou representatives'' manor first and then the palace.

    Princess Nalan immediately jumped to her feet, grabbed her clothes, rushed behind the bushes to quickly get dressed as she called out, "Princ - Jun Shan! Where are you? We have to leave!... Jun Shan! Ju -"

    "Relax, there''s no rush..." Prince Yi finally responded.

    Princess Nalan poked her head out to see him putting down some sticks and rabbit on the ground. He had apparently woken up much earlier and left to go see to their dinner. It was very sweet and it made her very happy but she really had to leave.

    It was already very late and she did not want to cause any issues for Lei Xing, so she sighed as she came out tying the final knots on her outer robe as she informed, "I have to return to the palace by sunset..."

    "Oh that, I already arranged for the maid to inform the palace that you will be staying over at the Zou representatives'' manor if we were late...Prince Yi said as he arranged the sticks for the fire, but then he suddenly stopped and glanced over at her and tentatively went, "Unless, you want to leave -"

    "Here''s great~" Princess Nalan swiftly responded with a smile. Prince Yi blinked at her and then nodded and focused back on preparing the fire.

    Princess Nalan happily went over to him, "I''ll do this~" She said as she went to pick up the rabbit but Prince Yi promptly caught her hand, but then instantly released it and grabbed the rabbit, putting it on his other side as he said, "I can do everything...You just sit down, there''s some berries on the leaves on the side there, water and some more wi -..." Prince Yi paused and knit his brows and lowered his head.

    Princess Nalan''s smile brightened even more and then she said, "I''m not at all delicate, this is nothing. I ca-"

    "No, I want to...You just go rest or go admire the flowers...please." Prince Yi said glancing at her. Princess Nalan looked at him for a bit and then nodded and walked over to the side, where the berries were and sat down, and watched him work with a wide smile.

    {...He''s really too perfect~...}

    Prince Yi dexterously and seriously went about his work, getting a fire going and then cleaning and slowly roasting the meat. Once it was ready, he handed the stick with the whole roast to Princess Nalan.

    Princess Nalan happily took it and then took a bite and went, "Mhm, it''s good..."

    Prince Yi nodded and then put some more sticks in the fire and sat down in next to her. Princess Nalan then cut a piece of the meat and handed it to him, Prince Yi knit his brows and blinked at her hand. Princess Nalan then went, "Aren''t you going to eat?"

    "Oh." Prince Yi went, realizing his error. He took the meat and then proceeded to eat as Princess Nalan quietly observed him. He had been behaving a bit strangely, quiet...too quiet.

    Given how far they''d come, there was no longer need for her to hold back and so she bluntly asked, "Are you regretting it?" with a raised eyebrow.

    Prince Yi froze and then knit his brows, "No..."

    He was not regretting it, after all, he had planned for this. He knew he was behaving a bit strangely, even he did not fully understand himself either.

    Prince Yi sighed and glanced at Princess Nalan and quietly said, "I was thinking that you might be regretting it -"

    "I never regret anything I do!" Princess Nalan swiftly responded, proudly raising her head up. Prince Yi stared at her for a bit and then gave a fleeting half-smile and lowered his head, "That''s good then..."

    He now knew what it was he was feeling...it was guilt.

    It was not because he had slept with Princess Nalan for his grand aspirations but because of the thoughts he had during their time together.

    It was just that being here in this flower field, he could not help thinking of the fleeting dream he had once had of this place. He could not help imagining the woman in his dreams and could not help seeing her in his arms. It felt too unfair to the woman who had lain with him.

    But he could not help it, while his eyes saw Nalan...his heart saw Lei Xing.

    ***

    "Nalan, why didn''t you return to the palace yesterday?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes at Princess Nalan.

    According to the report that was sent to the palace, Princess Nalan slept over at the Zou representatives'' residence. When the sun started to set, the guards who accompanied her asked after her, but then they were told by one of the maids that she had decided to sleep over at the Zou residence.

    Princess Nalan nervously chuckled and then went, "Ah, that morning, I sparred with Molin for a long time and then we started drinking games. You know the usual stuff, got drunk...I was tired and just passed out hehe~" She finished as she picked up her teacup and downed the tea in one gulp.

    "So you slept all day?" Lei Xing asked.

    "En." Princess Nalan nodded.

    "Exactly how much did you drink?" Lei Xing asked obviously not convinced by this story. Sparring was one thing but drinking so early in the day was another thing. Also, she had watched Princess Nalan drink jars of wine without even getting tipsy, much less drunk.

    "A whole lot...I was tired too. Didn''t sleep well...that''s why I went sparring with Molin... to release some spare energy." Princess Nalan finished with a resolute nod and smile as if patting herself on the back for her quick thinking.

    Lei Xing scrutinized Princess Nalan for a bit and then said, "You seem happier these days..."

    "Well...You are happier these days~" Princess Nalan threw back at her.

    Lei Xing snorted and then shook her head, "Fine, don''t tell me...But whatever it is, be careful and for the last few days you''re here, don''t stay out again. The Emperor did not like it..."

    The Emperor had actually not said anything, Lei Xing was not even sure if he was informed about it as neither of them brought it up the night before. But other than keeping Princess Nalan out of the Emperor''s line of sight, Lei Xing also felt that she had to ensure that Princess Nalan did not end up troubling him. So Lei Xing still had to caution Princess Nalan to avoid it becoming a habit.

    "En, I won''t...I just got carried away this one time." Princess Nalan said with a reassuring smile.

    Lei Xing sighed and then got up, "Okay then...I''l see you later." She said and then turned to leave.

    Lei Xing was too busy with other things to be concerned over the actions of a flighty Princess. She had just come here out of courtesy after sending Chen You off today. To Chen You''s angsty dismay, they could not send her off yesterday as she wanted because the physician said her condition was too weak.

    So Lei Xing decided that it was better to wait a few more days but with Chen You''s persistent insistence. Lei Xing could understand that keeping her in the palace would make her recovery much harder so she ordered the arrangements and sent her off today.

    Lei Xing sent an Imperial physician along to look after her health on the journey, as well as gave them ample funds to make the journey much easier. She also permitted Chen You to visit her father before leaving the city. This was mainly so Chen You could let her father know that this was her decision.

    Lei Xing was simply trying to reduce the amount of hate or anger directed towards the Emperor and herself. They already had enough to deal with and since Chen You had presented this opportunity for them to wash their hands off her matter, it would be stupid to let it go to waste.

    Apart from Chen You''s issue, there was only a few days left now to her ascension ceremony so Lei Xing was busy with the finalities of the occasion as well as those of her own personal arrangements for the Emperor''s birthday.

    After Lei Xing left her courtyard, Princess Nalan let out a sigh of relief. Her heart had panicked when Lei Xing arrived here and asked those questions, not to mention the way Lei Xing was looking at her. It was as if she could tell. Princess Nalan used her two hands to pat her face as she shook her head and then her lips curved into a happy grin.

    {...Of course, she couldn''t~...*sigh* It was all like a dream...}

    They had only returned to the city in the early hours of the morning, as soon as the city gates opened. They went to the back door of the Zou residence and Prince Yi knocked a code on the doors and the maid, the same one who had been helping them pass the letters opened it. As Princess Nalan walked in she saw that the three guards stationed there were passed out with wine jars next to them.

    She really did not need to be told that the maid had a hand in this. Prince Yi had really thought about everything. He was definitely a thorough person and Princess NalanPrincess Nalan happily relaxed in her room there until it was bright. She had breakfast with Molin and then returned to the palace in the afternoon.

    They had actually not done anything else last night, they simply relaxed for a long while talking. Well, she did most of the talking and he just listened. But that was nothing new, she liked talking. and then Afterwards, they went to sleep holding each other.

    Although they never actually talked about what was next for them, she was not at all bothered. It was enough that they simply enjoyed their time together, the future could always be discussed later.

    For now, she was having fun and was happy.

 Chapter 268 - Royal Jitters

    Lei Xing stood in the pavilion in the back garden of her new home, staring at the reflection of the moon on the surface of the pond, alone.

    The ascension ceremony was tomorrow and so she had moved into the Empress''s palace today. The place was just as huge as the Emperor''s, it even had its own pond with some beautiful decorative fish swimming in it.

    It was all very grand and imposing.

    Xiao Ruo handled the move while Lei Xing only came over in the evening after having dinner with the Emperor in his study. As per custom, they were not to sleep together tonight and so Lei Xing spent quite a bit of time with him in his study before leaving him. The next time they would meet would be when she climbed up to him as his Empress the next day.

    Lei Xing was having trouble sleeping that night. It was as if the gravity of all this had finally come crashing down as she laid on her new bed alone. Thinking about it, it was actually very daunting and she was suddenly feeling overwhelmed and so ended up coming out here to clear her mind and get some fresh air.

    As she stared at the quiet pond, Lei Xing wished she had some stones to toss in to make the scenery more interesting and maybe wake up the fish.

    She could probably go find some but she knew that even though she sent the servants away, they were still lurking about watching her. Picking stones was definitely not "Empress-like" nor was playing bouncing stones to disturb the fish.

    Lei Xing sighed again but then jumped when she felt arms wrap around her from behind.

    "I thought you would be asleep..." The Emperor said with a smile as he nuzzled her neck.

    Lei Xing instantly relaxed, held back her smile, and then went for a jab, "If you thought I was asleep then what are you doing here?"

    The Emperor let out a happy sigh and said, "I couldn''t sleep..." He had not actually tried to sleep yet. He had not even gone to his palace at all. He had been in the royal study working on this and that to pass time until Eunuch Li reminded him that he needed to rest for his big day tomorrow.

    It was only then that the Emperor realized how late it had gotten.

    It was just that since he was not going to bed to be with his Lei Xing, he felt no interest or urge to go to bed in his cold palace, where he knew nightmares awaited him. Regardless, he had to get some rest so he left.

    But on his way to his palace, knowing that the Empress''s palace was just a stone throw''s from his, he stopped by to see her sleeping face to make himself feel better. But then he arrived to find her awake as well. It made him quite happy to see that she was also having trouble sleeping in his absence.

    "I missed you..." The Emperor added as he turned her around to look at her face.

    Lei Xing snorted and went, "Missed? It''s just one night..." The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her and Lei Xing swiftly added, "I missed you too~" to humor him.

    The Emperor smiled, "Let''s go inside~ I don''t want you catching a cold..." But as he was about to move, Lei Xing pulled him back.

    "You''re not supposed to be here..." Lei Xing reminded.

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows and went, "It doesn''t matter -"

    "It matters to me. I don''t want anyone criticizing you for something so simple." Lei Xing swiftly interjected with a frown, then she let out a breath and softened her tone, "Return to your palace and I''ll see you tomorrow~ " She finished with a smile.

    The Emperor stared at her for a bit and then smirked a little and brought a hand up and caressed her face, "...Sleep becomes very unappealing when it''s not next to you..."

    Lei Xing managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she snorted. This guy had become such a pro with these flirty lines. But she would not be moved tonight, she simply pat his cheek and went, "Goodnight."

    "I mean it." The Emperor said, grabbing her patting hand, "Before I met you, I had always had restless sleep ever since I was little. Even if I was not haunted by ghosts from my past, my sleep was always restless and uncomfortable....until you, until you came to my side. My peace of mind relies on you, so when compared to you nothing else matters..."

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then awkwardly went, "You''re my number one too these days - I mean, you''re precious to me too." Lei Xing quickly finished, covering up her little folly with a wide smile, reassuringly squeezing his hand.

    The Emperor chuckled and then went, "So let''s go in -"

    "Still a no.." Lei Xing stopped him again and seriously explained, "As I said, you''re precious to me too and so I won''t have you - have US facing any avoidable problems...Regardless of the inconveniences, it''s just one restless night, we can do it."

    {...You''ve lived through it before, stop acting like a spoilt baby! ( ��^�� )...}

    As much as she liked the Emperor, sometimes he behaved like a spoiled child. The Emperor sighed and then went, "Fine, I''ll leave..."

    "Great! I''ll walk you out~" Lei Xing promptly said as she linked her arm through his and pulled him along with her, leading him to the exit.

    The Emperor chuckled and lightly shook his head. When it came to their relationship, her level-headedness was sometimes a bit upsetting. But her thoughts of wanting to protect him were very heartwarming so he was pacified.

    Lei Xing would have never expected this kind of lovers'' stupidity from herself, but here she was doing it. She not only walked the Emperor to the exit, but she also walked him all the way to the doors of his own palace...and then he walked her back because the servants were apparently not enough to ensure her "safe" return.

    When they arrived at the entrance to her palace, Lei Xing promptly bid him goodnight before they ended up looking even more ridiculous to the servants who already seemed to be having a hard time containing their smiles.

    The Emperor smiled and hugged her before she could scurry off. After a long warm hug, he released her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead with a quiet, "See you tomorrow..."

    Lei Xing''s heart jumped at the word of tomorrow but she nodded, smiled and went, "Goodnight..."

    "Don''t stay outside anymore..." The Emperor cautioned and Lei Xing nodded, "I won''t..."

    And with that, they left each other to deal with their own anxieties.

    But those few moments together comforted their hearts and made them feel better for the night apart and the sunrise to come.

    The Emperor and Lei Xing tossed about for a long time, but the two eventually fell asleep and the long-awaited morning eventually came.

    ***

    Lei Xing was woken up early to begin her preparations for the event. She really could not even stomach the thought of food and so she skipped breakfast.

    Although the process was long and bothersome, Lei Xing quietly and cooly went through it all. While on the inside she was feeling increasingly anxious and fidgety.

    Once the preparations were done and she looked at herself in the mirror dressed from head to toe as an Empress. Lei Xing blanked for a moment and just stared at her beautiful regal reflection in awe. But the only thought in her head was about how the headdress was heavy.

    {...Too heavy...}

    While Xiao Ruo and the other maids who had been serving Lei Xing all this time were grinning ear to ear, except Ah Jin who simply had a cool, rare smile. They were all very proud and happy for their mistress.

    After a while of Lei Xing not moving or saying anything, Xiao Ruo went, "Your majesty, w-"

    "You all wait outside." Lei Xing swiftly ordered.

    "But the auspici -"

    "I just need a moment." Lei Xing said with a shaky breath.

    Ah Jin swiftly looked at the other maids and motioned for them to exit, while she grabbed Xiao Ruo and went out. Once the doors were closed, Lei Xing let out a deep breath and then started pacing.

    {...Is this what they call cold feet? No, no, I don''t have cold feet. I''m not a person who gets cold feet - Then what the hell is this?!... Cold feet...}

    {...*It''s too late to change your mind~ ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing stopped, knit her brows, and then resumed pacing with a sigh.

    {...You''re back...}

    {...*After all my hard work, how could I miss this monumental day? We had a deal remember Hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing let out a little nervous laugh.

    {...Well, I''m glad you''re having fun -_-)''...}

    {...*Hehe, you should be having fun too~ Reeelax, there''s no room for second thoughts at the moment...no reason to panic either ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing stopped pacing again and took a deep breath. There was obviously no reason to panic and she knew this. She had already been acting as Empress so nothing much would change.

    Well, nothing except her title, she also got a new house. There was also the fact that she would now have to interact with the concubines and other wives. They had been coming around this month but Lei Xing was barely ever home during the day to receive them...She was truthfully busy, but she may or may not have been avoiding them, unintentionally.

    "Your majesty..." Xiao Ruo called again from outside, they were on a tight schedule and there was still so much to do on the way.

    {...* Come now, let us leave, we shouldn''t keep our Xiao Kai waiting. In place of your absentee parents, this old father will accompany you~(��??��)..}

    Lei Xing snorted and rolled her eyes. She was honestly feeling a bit better with Doctor Lou''s company. She took another deep breath and then went out to face her new fate.

    As the Empress''s royal procession slowly made their way to the main hall. Lei Xing relaxed in her spacious phoenix palanquin, she was supposed to be regally sitting upright but this was going too slowly and she could be bothered. Doctor Lou was also being a great source of distraction for her nervousness and was helping her better relax.

    {...So what exactly have you been doing all this time? You haven''t been responding and you haven''t in your pharmacy either...I checked...}

    {...*Hehe~ I see you missed me hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes but did not want to upset her distraction and truthfully, she did miss him a tiny bit.

    {...Sureee....}

    {...*I knew it! Hehehe~...Well, I went to visit my sister...again. She''s been annoyingly making wait an eternity because she''s "busy". I''m very busy too, but I''m not making her wait (? ? ?)...}

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows in surprise.

    {...You have a sister? O_O)...}

    {...*Agreed! She is very annoying ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing snorted and rolled her eyes. That''s not what she said but she was not going to argue with him today.

    {...So are you the younger sibling?... You seem like a younger sibling...}

    {...*Hey! What do you mean by that? (?_? )...}

    {...Oh, nothing...I just mean...that you seem so...vibrant - yes, vibrant and energetic like a younger sibling hehe...he ? _ ?)...}

    {...*Hehehehehehe~ Well I am truly the vibrant one, she''s very dull and boring, definitely no fun!... So? Are you now reconsidering calling me Shifu? There''s still a possibility I will accept you~(������)~...}

    {...Still not interested~*snort*...}

    {...*Hmph! All these brats never know what''s good for them! (���أ�)...}

    Lei Xing quietly laughed.

    {...*Well, just so you know I am older - Well, probably -maybe, we''re twins. Our father never pointed it out, I honestly don''t think he knew BUT I have more white hair! Therefore my vibrant and energetic self is naturally the elder one! I never get the respect I deserve! ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Young people sometimes have white hair - so it''s not an accura -...}

    Lei Xing''s mind froze as her procession stopped in front of the main doors leading into the main hall. All her nervousness instantly returned as she realized they were here. She took a shaky deep breath and sat up as the announcement of her arrival was made and the procession went forward.

    There were rows of palace servants, Imperial guards, and some others crowded on both sides of the long red carpet spilling down from the top of the steps where she could see the vague silhouette of the Emperor waiting for her. Her eyes fixed on the Emperor''s form which eventually disappeared as her procession got closer to the steps.

    Lei Xing took another shaky deep breath and looked down to see her hands shaking, she clenched her fists and willed the shaking to stop. She honestly could not understand why she was so nervous, but her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, her face was heated and she could feel her palms were sweaty.

    Lei Xing frowned in irritation, she had never been this nervous in her whole life and it was honestly very annoying.

    {...*Smile~...You''re going to become Empress NOT a prisoner going up to the Executioner''s platform ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing''s face twitched at Doctor Lou''s words. But as the palanquin was put down and a hand was presented to help her out. Lei Xing took a deep breath and exhaled, willed her nerves down, and stepped out with a cool and calm demeanor as always.

    She glanced up at her Emperor waiting at the top of the stairs and a small smile bloomed on her face and she began the journey that was the climb up to him.

 Chapter 269 - Ascension to the Sky

    As Lei Xing reached the top of the stairs, the Emperor''s smile widened and he held out a hand towards her.

    Lei Xing walked over to him as she covertly did a quick scan of the faces on either side. She saw the aggrieved faces of some ministers, the smiling faces of her brother and father, the "smiling" faces of her co-wives, Princess Nalan smiling face, and Prince Yi''s frowning face which was quickly overshadowed by the Empress dowager''s.

    The Empress dowager was the only one sitting and was sat on a throne chair behind the Emperor. She appeared thinner and weaker but her face was red, probably from frustration as she glared daggers at the Emperor''s back and the approaching Lei Xing.

    The Empress dowager originally did not want to attend but the Emperor had given her an ultimatum. She either peacefully attend the ceremony or all search for Monk Du will stop. Not only that, but he also threatened to suspend all visits from the other monks and would even bar Eunuch Li from visiting her if she ruined this for him.

    Therefore, the Empress dowager had no choice but to begrudgingly sit herself here.

    Lei Xing silently took a deep breath as she stopped in front of the Emperor and put her hand in his as she bowed to him. Her sweaty palms must have betrayed her calm demeanor and told the Emperor of her nervousness because he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She then straightened up to see him giving her a reassuring smile and she returned his smile, feeling a bit better about all this now that she was looking at him.

    An eunuch then came forward with the tray holding the customary wine and bowed before the royal couple. The Emperor released Lei Xing''s hand and picked up the two cups and handed her one. They drank it and returned it to the tray. Then the Emperor promptly took Lei Xing''s hand again and then walked forward with her to the edge of the steps to present her as his Empress.

    The air was promptly filled with congratulatory cries as everyone around bowed and continuously repeated, "Long Live the Emperor! Long Live the Empress!..."

    All this felt very surreal to Lei Xing, she was overwhelmed but happy as she glanced over at the Emperor to find him looking at her with a warm and loving gaze.

    Lei Xing was enthralled.

    {...If I wasn''t in love before...I think I definitely am now~...This is all like a dream - Wait, what if all this is a dream?...*snort* then it''s one heck of a dream. Definitely not a dream though, I would know haahaha...}

    The two turned around amidst the congratulatory cries to make their way into the main hall to their waiting throne when the congratulatory cries suddenly stopped and were quickly replaced with shouting and curious, confused gasps.

    Lei Xing and the Emperor stopped and immediately turned around to see what was panicking everyone and then instantly froze as their eyes went wide with shock and confusion.

    {...What the -...the...hell am I looking at?! o_O)...}

    There were currently five "suns" in the sky - that was what one person screamed anyway.

    The sky remained blue and bright and the sun stood where it had been but it had dimmed and was being overshadowed by the intruding celestial bodies that now shared its sky. One a fiery red, another ocean blue, the third a light purple, and the fourth a dark shadowy circle.

    Four intruders.

    The intruding celestial bodies, save the fourth shadowy one, seemed to be battling for dominance of the sky they had hijacked from the quickly fading sun. The radiance of the three bodies seemed to be slowly and deliberately spreading across the blue sky, dousing the blue with their own color.

    It all happened so quickly, it was as if someone had flipped a switch somewhere and switched out the sky. Both Lei Xing and the Emperor knit their brows as they looked at the impossible scene playing out before them.

    But before they could begin processing what was happening, a piercing scream came from behind them and they promptly turned back to see the Empress dowager clutching her head and screaming in pain.

    Song mama and Ling mama promptly went over to her trying to help but the Empress dowager pushed them aside and stood up, tried to take a step, and then she collapsed to the ground, passing out.

    "Your majesty!" Multiple screams rang out as servants raced to the Empress dowager.

    Before Lei Xing could figure out what was happening, she was being pulled along by the Emperor who was barking out orders to the Imperial guards through the chaos.

    Eunuch Li promptly carried the Empress dowager on his back and followed the Emperor who was pulling a confused Lei Xing along, as the Imperial guards surrounded them, creating a massive protective circle as they raced down the steps and out of the venue.

    In the space of a minute, the royal entourage had disappeared through the doors. And following the Emperor''s orders, the Imperial guards promptly closed the doors to all exits from the main hall, trapping the confused and frightened crowd within.

    Eunuch Li swiftly raced off with the Empress dowager''s entourage to see to her treatment.

    While the Emperor and Lei Xing lingered outside the doors for a moment as the Emperor had some words with Commander An, giving out orders for more men to be deployed to the main hall. The palace gates were to be closed and even more men were to be sent there safeguard the palace gates, sending the palace into a complete lockdown.

    While the Emperor seemed to be taking this in stride, Lei Xing was completely lost and kept her gaze on the colorful sky as she tried to process this impossibility.

    {...What the hell is happening here? I''m so confused right now! >_

    ***

    Lei Xing paced about in the front courtyard of the Empress''s palace as she continuously glanced from the entrance to the colorful crowded sky above. Right now, the actual sun was barely visible, it was completely overshadowed by the other colorful four.

    Lei Xing let out an irritated breath. She did not need to be told that this was definitely going to be troublesome.

    {...What the f***k is this supposed to be, HUH? Planets? Purple, blue, is that even black or brown? I don''t know any planets that freaking look like this! I mean the red one could be Mars, a brighter Mars! A glowing Mars! What the f**k is happening here?! Shit! They''re going to say I broke the bloody sky, aren''t they?! ????(( ???))????...

    ...I''m so screwed, I''m so screwed, I''m so screwed! I knew this was a bad idea! Oy Doc, say something! You wanted this bloody ceremony, right?! Do you see what''s happening right now?! I don''t care what this is BUT why did it have to happen today of all freaking days?! �d(`�ء�)??...}

    {...*...}

    Once they reached the entrance of the inner palace, the Emperor ordered an eunuch to have the ministers meet him in the royal study and then "ordered" Lei Xing to return to her palace.

    He quickly ushered Lei Xing along and then rushed off to the royal study himself without even giving her change to speak - not that she had any words at that time. He also sent a unit of the Imperial guards along with her to guard her palace and protect her.

    And so here Lei Xing was waiting for him and pacing while trying to figure out this situation.

    The more Lei Xing looked at the sky, the stranger it all seemed. She had never heard about this sort of thing happening and even if they were planets, their coloring was off and how was it even possible to see them in the middle of the day?! Moreover, it all happened too suddenly...this was definitely not normal.

    {...Then again, what about my life is normal these days?!...Oy, doc! Come explain this shit! ?( ��?�� )?...}

    {...*...}

    Doctor Lou still did not respond and Lei Xing began to pace even faster, feeling increasingly anxious. She could imagine what the ministers were saying to the Emperor right now with all that prior incompatibility nonsense.

    There were now literally four celestial bodies usurping the sky from the sun and if this did not count as a bad omen for potential disaster for the Empire, then she did not what would?!

    {...This is definitely grounds for sacrificial execution, MY sacrificial execution! F**k! I''m so screwed!...Oy, quack! Where are you?! >_

    {...*...}

    "Your majesty, please calm down..." Xiao Ruo hesitantly said to the obviously panicked Lei Xing. Although she could understand her worry, this was definitely a crazy situation. Not to mention, her ceremony was ruined by this.

    It was just that when Lei Xing got panicked like this, it made her feel more anxious and she was already very anxious with the strange phenomenon above them. Ah Jin was also missing as well, it seems she got pushed out of the protective circle by the Imperial guards during their rush out.

    Lei Xing turned a glare on Xiao Ruo and the poor maid instantly lowered her head in fear. Xiao Ruo desperately wished Ah Jin was here, she was definitely better in handling an angry Lei Xing.

    Doctor Lou''s silence was further aggravating Lei Xing and she went to run her hand through her hair, but then was impeded by the phoenix headdress she was wearing and she irritatedly pulled at it, only to end up groaning in pain.

    "Get this off me!" Lei Xing barked and Xiao Ruo promptly went over but Lei Xing glared at the sky and then resumed her pacing as she held her aching head. Xiao Ruo stupidly trailed after her trying to complete the task, but this seemed to irritate Lei Xing, who suddenly stopped and glared at her as she irritatedly went, "What are you doing?!"

    "Y-you said to take off the headdress." Xiao Ruo timidly responded.

    {...Ah Jin, where are you? T_T)...}

    "Oh." Lei Xing said with a shaky breath and then went and sat down at the table on the side so Xiao Ruo could peacefully remove the headdress.

    Lei Xing kept her eyes glued on the four celestial bodies with the colorful backdrop of the sky and irritatedly tapped her foot and drummed her fingers on the table restlessly.

    {...Doctor Lou. If you don''t answer me, I''ll toss this bracelet in the pond...If that''s not enough for you, then I''ll have them make a fire ?_?)...}

    This was a completely unexpected disaster, one beyond her comprehension, and it was driving Lei Xing mad.

    This was not how today was supposed to go.

 Chapter 270 - Pandemonium

    "Pa, did you do this?" Tung Mei asked narrowing her eyes at Doctor Lou.

    "Of course not. " Doctor Lou indignantly responded squinting at her, "Moreover, why would I cause trouble for myself? Everything was going so well too! Tch..."

    "Then who else would have done something like this?" Tung Mei sarcastically asked rolling her eyes.

    Doctor Lou squinted at her, "I DIDN''T do it. I say so if I did, why would I hide it? Hmph! I don''t think anyone else is responsible for this though...probably, I don''t even think I could do it..." Doctor Lou said stroking his long beard, "Although, it''s never been tested before. Hmmm, maybe -"

    "Then what are they doing here?!" Tung Mei asked with a frown, obviously not buying his claims of innocence.

    "How should I know? Maybe they came to be part of the fun hehehe~ " Doctor Lou said snickering.

    "Is it fun playing with people?" Tung Mei asked not sharing in his amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "It depends...I enjoy it. You used to enjoy it once upon a time before certain people rubbed off on you an- Anyway, I really didn''t do this and contrary to popular WRONG opinion, I do not always enjoy messing with people." Doctor Lou indignantly defended. He then pouted and pulled on his beard, "Xiao Ying Ying, I raised you but why are you always opposing me? This is definitely the bad influence of that brat -"

    "Don''t call my -"

    "That''s enough!" Ah Jin interjected glaring at the father and daughter pair, "Rather than arguing shouldn''t we be thinking about how to fix this? This will definitely raise attention and it''s already causing trouble here."

    The trio were currently in an empty courtyard somewhere in the palace. Doctor Lou had called Tung Mei and Ah Jin to discuss the issue of the four celestial interloping bodies in the sky. But then as soon as they arrived, Doctor Lou and Tung Mei started bickering.

    "Ah, that''s true...Tch, Ahhh I can already feel a headache coming...Xing Xing is already panicking. Even Xiao Kai is on edge, but it is really fun seeing him panic for a change. He''s really too uptight hehe~" Doctor Lou finished with a little snicker.

    "It''s not funny. Didn''t you panic when you first saw them?" Tung Mei said with a frown.

    "I didn''t panic! I was intrigued and interested but definitely did not panic...You can go ask that annoying Qi Yin when she finally comes out of her stupid isolation. I was cool and calm the whole time. She, on the other hand, went completely pale, she almost fainted~" Doctor Lou finished busting into a loud laugh.

    Tung Mei snorted and rolled her eyes as she mumbled under her breath, "I''m sure you were the one who almost passed out -"

    "Please focus!" Ah Jin irritatedly cut in again. When these two got together talking to them was always a chore. Doctor Lou always went off track and Tung Mei always got strung along with him.

    "Oh, relax~" Doctor Lou smugly went, raising his head and stroking his beard, "I already have a grand idea on how to fix this. There''s absolutely nothing to worry about hehehe~"

    ***

    "Your majesty, this is clearly a result of disregarding the will of heaven." Prime Minister Zhao smugly said gaining approving nods and whispers from the other ministers who were obviously feeling just as panicked over the current situation.

    After being trapped in the main hall area with the other servants and guests, the Imperial guards had opened a door with their swords drawn to keep the crowd at bay and then led them here. Their family members were part of those still trapped there and the Emperor was clearly seemed to be prepared for war. Therefore, most of them were too wary of the Emperor right now to speak out like Prime minister Zhao, but they definitely shared his sentiments.

    "Disregarding the will of heaven?" The Emperor irritatedly went narrowing his eyes at Prime minister Zhao.

    Prime minister Zhao cleared his throat and respectfully bowed his head, "...I just meant that this is again an unprecedented sign from the heavens...The sun has been overpowered by - by..." He frowned as he struggled to identify the interlopers "Your majesty, this is obviously not a good sign for the empire. We need to do something to appease the heavens and salvage the future of the empire..." He solemnly finished with a pleading tone, bowing deeper.

    The Emperor knit his brows and did not respond, he glanced at Defense minister Lei who simply had his head lowered with a frown. This was a worse situation than even he could have anticipated.

    "Prime minister Zhao I did not know you are now able to interpret the will of the heavens." Lei Yong spoke up on Lei Xing''s behalf since his father did not speak. He could see his father was very unhappy with the situation, the Emperor, and probably him for the trouble Lei Xing was clearly on track to face.

    It was obvious where Prime minister Zhao was going with this. Lei Xing would be blamed for this. At the very least, it would end with her being deposed.

    But being deposed on the same day as being crowned was a great shame that had never happened before. It was also doubtful that they would even allow her to simply return to being a noble consort or even remain at the palace.

    If Lei Xing was truly ousted out of the palace today, given the situation it would be to a temple at best, and banishment at worst. Regardless, none of them were attractive options for Lei Xing right now. How would she survive on her own with nothing?

    "Hmph! One doesn''t need to be seer to see the obvious! Fine then, we should naturally let the professionals speak on the situation!" Prime minister Zhao haughtily responded and then cupped his hands and bowed, "Your majesty, please send for the seers to give us clarity on this UNPRECEDENTED situation."

    Most of the other ministers followed and bowed and repeated Prime minister Zhao''s call for action save for Defense minister Lei, Lei Yong, and a few of the Lei family''s loyal supporters.

    Even Chen Bo followed Prime minister Zhao''s lead, blatantly disregarding his familial ties to the Lei family. But he did not care, Chen You had stupidly chosen to leave the palace and Lei Xing had wickedly allowed his daughter to go waste her life away in a temple out of jealousy. It was obvious she was worried about losing the Emperor''s favor now that Chen You had the Emperor''s sympathy.

    He honestly could not understand this fear Chen You was raving about when she came to bid him farewell. The Empress dowager was nothing if you had the Emperor behind you! Lei Xing was an obvious example of that. But instead of his stupid daughter to learn from that she foolishly wasted this golden opportunity her mother''s death had presented her.

    What a waste!

    Even before this incident, Chen Bo had been considering getting a concubine or two to produce more children for him because Chen You was not proving to be viable, and then she went and made this stupid mistake. Now that she had truly proven herself to be truly useless and his wife was gone, he would just go marry a new wife.

    Hopefully, he would get a son or even a daughter, a daughter he could later send to the palace. The Emperor was still young so even if he had a daughter a few years in, it would still be a very appropriate match. Moreover, the age difference was nothing when the power of crown was involved.

    But all that were plans for the future. As for today, as far as Chen Bo was concerned, it went from a bad day to an incredibly good one.

    Since his daughter could not have it, why should he help someone else have it? Lei Xing should have thought about family ties when she permitted his daughter''s foolishness. Therefore, her deposal was none of his business.

    "Your majesty, please send for the seers to give us clarity on this UNPRECEDENTED situation." The ministers repeated again.

    The Emperor simply frowned and still did not respond.

    He did not need to see a seer to know what they would "see". They would simply echo what was already on everyone''s mind that this strange happening was heavens disagreeing with his choice for Empress and being angry with him for disregarding the warning.

    Following that, the ministers here will then plead for him to dethrone Lei Xing at the very least. They might even take it a step further and ask that he cast her out of the palace to appease the heavens and "save" his people.

    And if he refused - he could not refuse.

    "Your majesty, please send for the seers and save us from the wrath of heaven!" Prime Minister Zhao repeated, now falling to his knees and kowtowing and his comrades-in-plea followed suit, echoing his words.

    The Emperor looked over at Defense minister Lei and Lei Yong, who were both glaring at the bowing Prime minister Zhao.

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and he let out a breath. He could not do this to Lei Xing...He could not bear to.

    But at the same time, there were things bigger than him.

    {...You said we were perfect for each other, then what is this? What does this mean?...}

    The Emperor thought, calling for the Voice. His expression got even worse when he received no response. All he heard was the ministers repeating, "Your majesty, please spare us from the wrath of heaven!"

    Although everyone here could guess what the seers were going to say, they could not guess what the Emperor''s reaction to this ''I told you so'' scenario would be. He been warned and even pleaded with to change his choice after the incompatibility reading, but he insisted on going down this path and even went as far as threatening them to get their cooperation.

    And given the Emperor''s current reaction now, they could really not tell what he would react this time.

    Although there were rumors and suspicions of the Empress dowager''s "illness" being caused by the incompatible ill-fated match of his, it did not do much damage to the Emperor''s reputation and standing in the minds of the people. The Empress dowager''s reputation was not good amongst the people and so no one really paid it much attention other than idle talk.

    Therefore, it was fine as long as nothing had happened. But now with this happening on the day of her ascension, during the ceremony itself, the Emperor would be in trouble if he continued to insist on Lei Xing.

    This celestial bodies usurping the sky was a phenomenon that had never been seen before and it was very worrying. If they in the palace were confused and feeling panicked, one could only imagine the state the common people were in.

    The Emperor let out an irritated breath. The Voice that pushed him on all this time was not responding and could not remain silent on this issue. He could not delay it forever and so solemnly gave the order, "Send for the seers..."

 Chapter 271 - Retrace

    The seers swiftly arrived and as everyone anticipated, they said the Heavens were angry which was the reason for the change in the heavens and the intrusion of these foreign celestial bodies. They said that it did not speak well for the empire and even went as far as to say that only more trouble will come until "our" - meaning the Emperor''s steps, were retracted and atonement was made.

    After the seers'' enlightening revelation, the hall remained silent. It was clear what those words suggested, the ceremony today was the step that needed to be retracted. The Emperor was not saying anything and no one seemed to want to point out the obvious to him.

    Prime minister Zhao finally stepped forward, bowed, and solemnly said, "Your majesty, we cannot go against the will of the Heavens...Emperor, please make a wise choice..."

    "Emperor, please make a wise choice..." The other ministers, save for Lei Yong and his father, bowed and echoed Prime minister Zhao''s words.

    The Emperor knew what had to be done but still, he remained silent. He clenched his fists and his frown deepened as he thought hard about how to avoid the obvious "solution".

    But other than delaying what was presenting to be the inevitable, he truly could not see any other option and even that option could be even worse for them. If he chose to delay it today and anything more happened, the consequences will be dire for his rule and for Lei Xing.

    Today deposing her might be enough...but tomorrow, the people might call her for life. He was not even certain that deposing her would be enough right now considering they still had to "atone".

    If he had known this would happen, then he would have never insisted that she become his Empress. She was never interested but he had pushed her into it and now, she was the one who would have to face this ridicule.

    He could not do this to her. If he did it, it would hurt her and she would come to hate him. And if he sent her out of the palace, he might never see her again. He truly felt like he was about to lose her.

    "Your majesty..." Defense minister Lei finally spoke for the first time since this meeting began and the other ministers fell silent as their attention focused on him. The Emperor knit his brows and looked at Defense minister Lei. He expected some sort of accusation or reminder of the promise the Emperor had made to protect Lei Xing, but Defense minister Lei bowed and said, "You have more than one important subject..."

    The Emperor blinked and everyone else also blinked in surprise. They expected Defense minister Lei to speak out against this proposal or offer some alternative argument, but then he was supporting dethroning his own daughter? That felt wrong to everyone.

    Lei Yong frowned and went, "Fathe-"

    "Be quiet. The Empire is more important than any one person..." Defense minister Lei interjected with a scowl. He was also not happy with the situation or Lei Xing facing punishment, but what else could be done in a situation like this? If the Emperor insisted on keeping Lei Xing, things would only get worse not just for her but for their entire family.

    If they simply requested dethronement today, tomorrow they will request her death and possibly the death of the entire family. The risk was too great. He knew it and the Emperor knew it. Being stubborn was not an option here.

    It was better for everyone for him to let go now. The Emperor inwardly sighed in irritation. The Voice that had reassured him of all this time of the validity of their union was absent now that this problem had surfaced. It was clear that there was no other choice here so the Emperor took a deep breath and was about to speak.

    {...*Go find Xing Xing!...}

    The Emperor froze and his face immediately lit up. The Voice had finally responded, he suddenly felt the dying embers of hope rekindle.

    {...What''s happening? Ca-...}

    {...*I said go find Xing Xing!...}

    {...But -...}

    {...*Stop wasting time and go! It''ll all be fine. Trust me~...}

    The Emperor suddenly got to his feet and the ministers looked at him questioningly.

    "Further deliberation on this issue will continue at a later time." The Emperor dropped and then promptly made his way out of the hall ignoring the concerned "Your majesty!" cries that followed him out. They had thought he had finally seen the light but it now seemed he chose to continue to be stubborn.

    "Your majestyyyy!"

    The Emperor frowned when he stepped outside to see the four celestial bodies in the sky. He did not understand but he would trust the Voice and delay his decision...It was all he could do for now and he hoped it would be enough.

    He hoped it was not a mistake.

    ***

    The head physician froze in surprise when the Empress dowager suddenly opened her eyes and then shrieked and shoved him away when she saw the acupuncture needle hovering above her face. She sat up and then looked about her surroundings in confusion.

    "Your majesty, how are you feeling?" Song mama quickly asked.

    The Empress dowager knit her brows and simply blinked and then asked, "Where am I?" As she rubbed her aching head.

    "You collapsed during the ceremony..." Eunuch Li supplied coming forward with a worried frown, "How are you feeling?"

    The Empress skeptically looked at him and then did a sweep of the others and tentatively went, "Fine...I guess."

    "You guess? Hurry up and check on her!" Eunuch Li promptly ordered glaring at the head physician, who promptly jumped forward and went to take her pulse, "Of course, your maje-"

    "No, I''m fine!" The Empress dowager swiftly exclaimed moving her hand out of reach.

    The inhabitants of the room knit their brows thinking she was going back to resisting treatment. But right now was not the time to bother the Emperor about this. They looked to Eunuch Li, who let out a breath and tried to reason with her, "Just accept treatment for now. I''ll talk to the Emperor to do something about expediting the situation..."

    "Emperor?" The Empress dowager asked with a frown, then she blinked, gave a nervous laugh, and went, "What I meant was, that I am perfectly fine...No need to worry." She said as she stood up, Song mama held her arm but she promptly shrugged the hand off, smiled at her and went, "I''m fine...really. Thank you."

    Song mama blinked at her and then looked at the other people in the room, who had the same surprised and confused expression on their faces.

    The Empress dowager said "thank you"? There was definitely something wrong here.

    Eunuch Li knit his brows and asked, "Your majesty, are you sure you''re alright?"

    The Empress dowager gave another nervous laugh and went, "Perfectly fine...I will just be leaving now -"

    "Leaving?" Eunuch Li asked with a frown.

    The Empress dowager blinked, "Did I say leave? I meant taking a walk...alone." She added with a smile and a nod as she made to walk past them.

    Eunuch Li''s frown deepened and he promptly stepped in her way, "Your majest, you sh-"

    "Fine, fine...You can come along too...just you." She said pointing at Eunuch Li.

    {...I could probably take him in a fight...I think?...}

    The Empress dowager did not wait for a response and quickly scurried out of the room as perplexed gazes followed her.

    Eunuch Li was still confused and worried so he promptly followed behind her. As they walked along, the Empress dowager kept sending suspicious glances his wad. When they got outside, Eunuch Li froze and frowned as he looked up at the now very colorful sky. He did not have a chance to really see it earlier and now it looked worse than he recalled. This will definitely be a problem and he worried for the Emperor, "What is the meaning of this?" He said with a sigh.

    "Meaning of what?" The Empress dowager asked glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.

    "The sky - I don''t think this has ever happened in history before..."Eunuch Li responded still in disbelief of what his eyes were seeing.

    The Empress dowager''s eyes shifted and then she responded, "What are you talking about? It''s always been like this - Ah, I actually see it now...that is strange." she quickly amended as she looked up and frowned at the four celestial bodies, the dark one in particular and mumbled, "Why is it black? That can''t be good..."

    "Your majesty -?" Eunuch Li went, confused with her words.

    "Nothing...Where did you say this was again?" The Empress dowager asked, resuming her walk.

    "Your palace..." Eunuch Li supplied and then went, "Your majesty, are you sure you''re alright?"

    "En, I''m fine." She offhandedly responded as she reached for the doors and tried to open them but it did not budge, "Can you open this?" She asked turning to Eunuch Li.

    Eunuch Li blinked at her taken aback with her polite question. He quickly snapped out of it and tentatively responded, "Following the Emperor''s orders - but I guess today is an exception due to the ceremony - but where are you trying to go?" Eunuch Li asked with concern.

    The Empress dowager blinked and then smiled and said, "Nowhere in particular...Just a walk~ the doors please...?"

    Eunuch Li knit his brows, let out a breath, and then ordered, "Open the doors..."

    The Imperial guards outside promptly went about unlocking the doors and the Empress dowager beamed at Eunuch Li and said, "Thank you~"

    Eunuch Li frowned in confusion. The Empress dowager paid him no attention and as soon as the doors opened were opened, she bolted outside with quick feet.

    Eunuch Li quickly shook his head, snapped out of it himself, and raced out behind her. When he caught up to her, the Empress dowager slowed down to a walk, "I was just playing...You''re quite fast for an old man." She said with a little laugh and then looked off to the side with a pout.

    Eunuch Li scrutinized her, perplexed. She was definitely not behaving like herself at all...No, it was that she was not behaving like her usual self.

    It was strange but he felt like she was behaving like herself, her old self...One he knew a long time ago.

    The Empress dowager glanced at him with a half-smile as she did a quick assessment of him before glancing about accessing her surroundings.

    {...Tch, I need to lose this old man...but where the hell am I?! >_

 Chapter 272 - Flighty Reassurance

    The Emperor arrived at the Empress''s palace to find Lei Xing still pacing. As soon as she saw him walk in, she rushed over to him and instinctively went to grab him, but managed to hold herself back in time, she was still waiting for Doctor Lou to contact her and did not want to mess things up.

    "What happened? What''s happening? How did it go?" Lei Xing agitatedly asked.

    The Emperor knit his brows as he looked at her expectant face and then let out a sigh. He did not know what to tell her, right now he simply wanted to hold her and so went to do that.

    But Lei Xing swiftly took a step back, out of reach. The Emperor immediately frowned and went, "W-why?" Worried and panicked by her rejection. He had always been afraid this would happen, that she would come to hate him one day and leave.

    {...Did someone tell her?...No, that''s not possible - but then why?...}

    Lei Xing saw the Emperor''s expression and quickly explained before he got the wrong idea, "I''m trying to contact that qua- doctor. I told you it doesn''t work when we''re touching s - Just tell me, what''s happening? Do you - What is this?" She exasperatedly finished, pointing at the sky.

    The Emperor let out a sigh of relief and he dropped his hands. She was not rejecting him...yet. But with the way things stood, tomorrow she might blame him and come to hate him. He let another sigh and said, "I don''t know..."

    "You don''t - then, then -" Lei Xing frowned, she thought he knew something. It seemed as if he knew what was going on at the main hall, he seemed so in control of everything then that she thought -

    {...What am I thinking? Of course he doesn''t know...Mark of a great leader, cool but...}

    "Okay, what did - how did the meeting go? The ministers -" Lei Xing paused and let out an irritated breath. Everything was a mess now and she honestly could guess how the meeting went.

    The Emperor frowned and glanced off to the side, not sure what to tell her.

    "That bad?" Lei Xing asked with a deepening frown and the Emperor promptly turned back to her and said, "It will be fine -"

    "You don''t know that!" Lei Xing interjected and then resumed her pacing as she ran a hand through her hair.

    The Emperor knit his brows and walked up to her and went to grab her arm, "Xing er -"

    "I told you not to touch me!" Lei Xing exclaimed swiftly moving her arm out of reach his. This, of course, got the attention of Xiao Ruo, the twins and the other servants in the area.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and quickly went, "I''m sorry, it''s just...all this, it''s not - it shouldn''t be possible and that quack isn''t responding and I need him to explain this." Lei Xing explained. She was irritated and on the verge of a frenzy.

    {...You think I''m joking about the fire? Are you daring me? You better tell me what''s happening right now or I''ll really have them build a bloody fire! >_

    The Emperor sighed, "Xing er'', I mean i-"

    "Wait - I just heard a chuckle!" Lei Xing suddenly said, putting her hand up.

    {...*Hehehe~...}

    She really did hear it, Lei Xing immediately lit up and she almost jumped, "He''s here~" She said to the Emperor with a smile. The Emperor slightly knit his brows and decided to keep the news of the Voice''s message for now, to wait to see if Lei Xing could get a better explanation from Doctor Lou.

    {...You''re here! Finally!...}

    {...*Hehehe this is quite fun~ I am almost tempted to leave it alone~ (�Цء�)...}

    Lei Xing frowned and her irritation quickly returned.

    {...(?_? ) What do you mean by - Forget that, do you see what''s happening in the sky? Tell me what''s happening?!...}

    {...*Hehehe, you panicking is quite adorable to-...}

    {...Can you please be serious for once?! Do you not see these - these Planets? In the sky? Why did they have to come today? During my ceremony?! Now they''re going to blame me for this! -...}

    {...*HA! Hahahaha I wo-...}

    {...Stop laughing, it''s not funny! ?( ��?�� )?...}

    "What did he say?" The Emperor quietly asked as Lei Xing''s frown deepened. He feared the Doctor Lou had given her some bad news, taking back his prior reassuring words and now saying that this was a bad omen and that their union was a mistake.

    "Nothing...yet." Lei Xing irritatedly responded.

    {...Stop messing around and answer the question!...}

    {...*Okay, okay, sorry Xing Xing, it''s just that seeing you so worked up is quite refreshing~ It''s a great sight to see!...}

    {...Glad you''re entertained...talk ?_?)...}

    {...*Hmm, well this is nothing to worry about. This old father is here for you so just relax, hold Xiao Kai and watch the brilliance unfold hehehe~...}

    {...That''s not an explanation!... What are you talking about?! Explain!...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing continued to ask Doctor Lou to explain but he did not respond. She pulled back her sleeve and confirmed that the rainbow hue on the bracelet was gone, he had left after giving her nothing.

    Lei Xing worriedly looked up at the four celestial bodies and the colorful backdrop behind them.

    {..."Brilliance unfold"?...Can he really fix this?... This was really not how today was supposed to go! T_T)...}

    "XIng er''..." The Emperor called again moving in front of her to get her attention. Lei Xing looked at him and then let out a sigh, "He said there''s nothing to worry about..." She quietly said.

    The Emperor knit his brows and asked, "Anything else?"

    Lei Xing shook her head and then went, "He said to watch the "brilliance unfold"...and then laughed and was gone." She added, pouting in irritation. Although she was still irritated, she honestly did feel a bit better now. She did not wholly trust Doctor Lou''s words but at least he knew about such "wondrous" affairs than she did. So he was in the place to help...he was the only one she knew could help.

    The Emperor also let out an irritated breath. He had also gotten excited when Lei Xing mentioned that Doctor Lou was talking, he hoping Doctor Lou would offer an explanation the Voice did not give. But Doctor Lou also seemed to be a dead-end on the issue but he did give the same assurance.

    So perhaps there was really nothing for them to worry about here. The Emperor knit his brows and looked up at the crowded colorful sky.

    {...Perhaps this is a good sign...}

    He truly wanted to believe that. The Voice had always looked out for him and led him the right way. He trusted it but it was just that this time the stakes felt too high.

    The Emperor sighed and looked at Lei Xing, who was now glaring at the sky and went, "Can I hold you now?"

    Lei Xing blinked down at the Emperor and then put her arms around his waist and hugged him with a sigh, resting her head on his chest with a pout.

    {...This better be okay or I shall make it my life mission to find you and grill you for pushing me into this! >_

    The Emperor wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her head. He closed his eyes and stroked her hair like usual, trying to soothe her while his own mind was in a panic. Her comfort was always much more important than his.

    He truly hoped this situation would resolve itself, he could stand her being in pain, much less causing it himself...Most importantly, he really could not stand to lose her, not now when everything was finally going so well.

    " Aren''t they just so adorable?~" Doctor Lou said sniffing as he dabbed his eyes with his sleeve as he looked at the miserable royal couple comforting each other.

    "Tch...I guess." Tung Mei responded pouting and looking off to the side.

    "Stop being bitter." Doctor Lou scolded squinting at her, "They''re a brilliantly beautiful pair~" Doctor Lou said with a grin as he went back to ogling Lei Xing and the Emperor.

    The royal couple, their servants, and guards remained completely oblivious to the additional spectators on the scene, who were not at all trying to be quiet. It was as if their forms and words were completely obscured from the eyes and ears of the others in the Empress''s courtyard.

    Tung Mei rolled her eyes, "I still think he''s not good enough for m-"

    "Shhhhhh~ What do you know?" Doctor Lou interjected squinting at Tung Mei again, "Can''t you see h-"

    "Can we just start?" Ah Jin grumpily interjected with a weary sigh.

    Doctor Lou turned his squinting to Ah Jin, "Tch, another person who can''t appreciate good things. Hmph! I can''t understand how you two ended up being this way. With me being this vibrant and energetic too! Once this is over, I am going to have to reevaluate how you both have been living your lives. Ying Ying is not too bad but you, Jin Jin you need a lot of work - How about you have your own session? Ah! I can choose someone nice for you and sen-"

    "Not interested. Please start." Ah Jin quickly shut him down before Doctor Lou''s excitement could fully bloom.

    "Hmph!" Doctor Lou went with a pout and sat on the ground as he grumbled, "You''re supposed to be my student yet you''re more like that annoying Qi Yin than the Qi Yin herself. No fun!" He finished squinting at Ah Jin.

    Tung Mei and Ah Jin both rolled their eyes as Doctor Lou cupped his hands in his laps and then closed his eyes to concentrate.

 Chapter 273 - Sky Lights

    "Why are you smiling?" Princess Nalan when she glanced over to see Prince Yi looking up at the colorful sky with a smile, seemingly in his own world. They had been trapped in here for over an hour now and everybody else was feeling worried over this phenomenon and here he was smiling.

    Prince Yi immediately froze and his smile fell. He had not been aware that he was smiling. He sighed and turned to Princess Nalan and softly asked, "Isn''t it beautiful?"

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and looked up at the colorful sky. It was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, but still, this was clearly not normal. She honestly responded, "It truly is...but it''s definitely not normal. What do you think is happening?" She looking at Prince Yi curiously. He seemed to be in a much better mood now than he arrived with.

    This was the first time they were meeting since that time in the flower field. He had not even sent letters during the last few days and she was starting to think something happened to him. But then he showed up today, smiled at her and asked after her welfare. Molin and others were around them so they could obviously not talk freely.

    But he took it upon himself and mentioned that he had been very busy with a few things recently, letting her know that he had neither forgotten nor had been ignoring her. Princess Nalan got his meaning and was pacified. They talked about little things with Molin randomly as well, this was all before Lei Xing arrived and the bizarreness began.

    Prince Yi lightly shrugged and responded, "I have no clue...I am simply appreciating the heavens." He finished with a smirk gazing back up at the four celestial bodies gracing the sky.

    Today had surprisingly turned out to be quite a good and interesting day. One where he would watch his brother finally lose something he wanted, someone most believed he loved - Prince Yi was not convinced of the Emperor''s love though.

    It had been over an hour now and the strange invading celestial bodies showed no inclination that they would be disappearing. Rather it was actually the sun that had disappeared, not even it''s vague form could be seen anymore, this was a very bad sign.

    Although Prince Yi did feel bad that Lei Xing would have to suffer for his brother''s arrogance. The Emperor had blatantly ignored all the signs that showed that Lei Xing was not meant to be his. As far as Prince Yi was concerned, the mistake began when he decided to hold her back after failing her during the concubine selection.

    It was annoying that now Lei Xing would be the one to have to suffer for his brother''s stubbornness.

    With the current situation, it would be hard for Lei Xing to remain in the palace. Even if she remained here, she could not return to her former position and frankly, her life here will not be good. No matter what wrong happened in the country, she will automatically be blamed for it, what sort of life could she have as an outcast of society? One to be trampled on, an easy target for everyone to throw stones at.

    He understood the feeling well enough.

    Therefore, Prince Yi thought it was better if she was banished, that way he could at least find a way to help her. He could possibly fake her death somehow and take her away so she would at least have a chance at a good life, a new life away from his brother and his problems.

    Prince Yi let out a silent sigh, he honestly did not understand his current infatuation with Lei Xing. He had never cared much about anyone else, much less about a woman that was not even his.

    If it were anyone else other than her, he would have been hoping that the Emperor would continue to be stubborn and insist on keeping her at his side so that the situation would get blown up. This way the people would end up losing faith in the Emperor and finally start to look at him as the better choice.

    It was just that in this scenario the woman at the center of it all would undoubtedly end up dead in the end, either at the hand of the Emperor to try to appease the people or at the hand of the people.

    This path was the best-case scenario for him, but yet here he was hoping that the Emperor would resolve this quickly so that Lei Xing''s life would be spared.

    Prince Yi glanced at Princess Nalan next to him and lightly smiled. It seemed following his words, she was starting to appreciate the phenomenal view of the sky as she was looking with a smile of her own.

    Prince Yi inwardly sighed and averted his eyes. He had expected that he would have been ecstatic after accomplishing his mission with Princess Nalan that day in the flower field but that was not the case at all. He had actually been holed up in his manor the last few days, brooding since that day.

    To his utter annoyance and despite his best attempts, he had been thinking more and more about Lei Xing recently. These continuous and irritating thoughts about a woman who was not his further increased the feeling of guilt he had been feeling towards Princess Nalan since their consummation.

    He could not imagine how he would feel if a woman was with him but was thinking about someone else during the process. With all this going on, he ended up making no moves to contact or see Princess Nalan since then even though he felt that he should have - which ended up making him feel even worse. He just did not think he could face her.

    Princess Nalan was a nice girl, one he honestly had fun with. She was laid back, down to earth, not coy or pretentious. She was just herself so he really never had to wonder about her ulterior motives or any such things. So he could have peace of mind around her. He truly thought that she would be perfect as his Princess consort - but this was probably the real reason he had been feeling down since then.

    He honestly did not want to attend the ceremony today but it would look bad if he did not so he begrudgingly dragged himself here. Seeing Princess Nalan happy to see him made him feel both good and bad.

    It was a long time since someone looked this happy with his arrival, especially one who he knew was sincere. It was both heartwarming and depressing. And then with Lei Xing arrived and seeing her smiling at the Emperor just made him feel even worse.

    But then this sky changing scenario happened and the irritating "happy" scene was thrown into chaos and he watched the Emperor panic and run out of here with haste and that instantly put a cooling balm on his wounds. He had never seen the Emperor panic before so it was truly a sight to see.

    {...Perhaps he truly does care for her -...}

    Prince Yi froze when that thought occurred to him. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. His brother''s feelings were none of his concern and neither should Lei Xing''s. She had made it abundantly clear that she felt nothing for him, yet he still thought about her welfare.

    {...*sigh* I truly no longer understand myself...}

    Suddenly another round of panicked gasps filled the air. Prince Yi frowned and opened his eyes as Princess Nalan grabbed his arm. He saw Princess Nalan looking up with her mouth hanging open in awe. He followed her gaze and froze in shock, confusion, and amazement.

    Little balls of light were now falling off of the four celestial bodies in the sky, no, they were not falling. They were moving down in an organized form, converging into one river of multicolored lights floating through the sky to somewhere beyond where their eyes could see.

    What''s more, as the light balls left the celestial bodies, their colors which dyed the sky seemed to be returning to them, leaving a dark night sky in their wake. The four celestial bodies also seemed to be shrinking in size with each departing fragment.

    ***

    The Empress dowager was still roaming about the inner palace heading to nowhere as she was busily thinking of how to get rid of Eunuch Li.She suddenly stopped in her tracks when she saw the river of light fragments forming and froze. Eunuch Li promptly stopped next to her and stared up at the sky with a frown, "What is happening now?"

    "I''m not sure." The Empress dowager lightly responded. She then closed her eyes and knit her brows.

    After a while of just standing there, Eunuch Li finally got over his shock and spoke up, "I think we should return, this situation is really getting out of ha-"

    Before he could finish, the Empress dowager suddenly opened her eyes and picked up, running at full speed.

    Eunuch Li quickly ran after her, "Your majesty, where are you going?... Why are you running again? Your majesty, please stop!"

    Eunuch Li kept kept calling after her but the Empress dowager did not even turn back, much less respond.

    {...I''m pretty sure it''s him...Has to be...I hope T_T)...}

 Chapter 274 - Celestial Guests

    Lei Xing was still hugging her Emperor suddenly with her eyes closed, trying to distance herself from the surrounding bizarreness. She suddenly felt the Emperor stiffen and heard shocked gasps from the others around them. She knit her brows and then opened her eyes and froze in shock when she saw little balls of purple, blue, red, and black with surrounding halo of white little balls floating around her and the Emperor.

    She looked up like the others to see that the balls were floating down from the four celestial bodies. The sky was also steadily turning to night, further enhancing the shine of the celestial bodies and the river of their fragments.

    All four celestial bodies now appeared smaller and seemed to be shrinking as a river of lights steadily streamed into the Empress''s palace, coming to swirl around where Lei Xing and the Emperor stood, forming a colorful enclosed wall of light.

    Lei Xing then turned to the Emperor to receive another shock and her eyes went wide. She immediately grabbed his arms and held him back at arm''s length. She knit her brows, opened her mouth and then closed it, in complete disbelief.

    Today was really one thing after another.

    She gulped and then tentatively said, "You''re glowing...." in a quiet raspy voice, that was almost like a whisper.

    The Emperor smirked and then responded, "You''re glowing too~" in a sweet tone of voice.

    Lei Xing frowned and irritatedly went, "This is not the time for flirting! I mean you''re physically actually glowing!" She stressed. The Emperor she was looking at had a blue light, almost like a fire radiating off of him. But obviously he was not on fire, she was holding his arms and it felt normal.

    "I meant it...You''re actually glowing." The Emperor responded, somewhat amused. Lei Xing blinked at him and then looked down at her arms and then down at the rest of her body, just noticing that she too was glowing as well, glowing a fiery red.

    {...Um - is this normal? OoO)...What the hell?! Of course, it''s not normal! >_

    Lei Xing looked down with a frown and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. The Emperor raised up a hand and pat her head and said, "Don''t worry...it''ll be alright. The Voice said so and even your doctor said so...and you trust him, don''t you?"

    Lei Xing lightly nervously laughed and went, "Sure...not really, it''s complicated." She honestly admitted. Doctor Lou seemed like a flighty person and so she had understandably had issues trusting his words. Not to mention, he liked to mess with people''s minds, for all she knew he could saying absolute nonsense. He was definitely not the naturally trustworthy sort and neither was she the naturally trusting sort.

    The Emperor smiled and stroked her hair and said, "Trust me then...It''ll be alright."

    Lei Xing nodded and then she looked at the increasingly densely packed swirling lights around them with knit eyebrows. She could barely see through the lights now, she took a step and stretched out her arm towards the swirling lights. But the Emperor promptly pulled her back and said, "Don''t touch them."

    Lei Xing frowned at him and went, "But -"

    "They could burn you." The Emperor kindly advised. Lei Xing gulped and quickly withdrew her hand, she was curious but not that curious. Lei Xing stared at them, she truly could not wrap her mind around what was happening right now. Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...Oy, doc...is this is you doing this? (?_? )...You''re going to have a lot of explaining to do...later...}

    She did not get a response and she honestly did not expect to at the moment with the Emperor holding her. Lei Xing sighed and then glanced at the Emperor who was calmly looking at her and went, "Why are you so calm if you think they could burn us?"

    "Why are YOU so calm?" The Emperor threw the question back at her with a little smirk.

    "Do I look calm to you?" Lei Xing responded narrowing her eyes at him with a pout.

    The Emperor lightly chuckled and pulled her back into his arms, "It will be fine..." He was also feeling very confused and panicked on the inside but he had been trained to maintain a calm demeanor no matter the situation. As far as Lei Xing was safely in his arms, he really did not care what was happening. her presence soothed his heart and calmed his spirit.

    He could also safely assume that whatever was happening right now was the Voice resolving things, somehow.

    "Take your positions." Doctor Lou calmly ordered with his eyes still closed. Ah Jin and Tung Mei nodded and promptly disappeared and reappeared within the wall of lights where Lei Xing and the Emperor stood.

    "Are you sure you can do this?" Ah Jin asked looking at Tung Mei skeptically.

    "Of course, it''s just copying, it''s simple enough~" Tung Mei offhandedly responded as she narrowed her eyes at the Emperor''s arms wrapped around Lei Xing.

    "You go first." Ah Jin said and Tung Mei sighed and nodded and then fazed into the whirling wall of lights and then Ah Jin followed suit, and the swirling of the lights increased exponentially and so did the river streaming in.

    Xiao Ruo and the others in the Empress''s courtyard were so completely stupefied and enraptured by the scene playing out before them so much so that none of them noticed the Empress dowager suddenly ran into the courtyard.

    The Empress dowager stopped and bent down to catch her breath. Then she glanced around, ignored the now rapidly spinning wall of light in the center of the courtyard, the servants and the guards. Her gaze finally stopped at exactly where Doctor Lou sat and then she blinked at him in what seemed to be confused surprise.

    Doctor Lou finally opened his eyes and then froze when he saw the Empress dowager looking directly at him. The Empress dowager knit her brows, opened her mouth but then closed it as if at a loss for words.

    Doctor Lou frowned and then broke the eye contact, looking down. What was left of the celestial bodies in the sky finally burst into little balls of lights and went to flow into the incoming river just as the Empress dowager finally found her words, "Se-" A crippling pain suddenly shot through her head and she clutched it as she fell to her knees in pain.

    "Se-" The Empress dowager''s words immediately froze and clutched her head in pain as the last remaining orbs of the four celestial bodies floated into the river of light that was now rushing down to the wall of lights.

    Eunuch Li quickly arrived at the Empress dowager''s side and held her up, "Is your head hurting again?" Completely ignoring the bright scenery before him. The Empress dowager did not respond and simply raised her head and looked at where Doctor Lou sat through blurry eyes before finally passing out.

    The maids and guards were now backing away slowly completely confused and lost as to what to do in this situation. Eunuch Li cast a quick glance at the spinning wall of light, frowned, and swiftly carried the Empress dowager and sped out off, not at all sure what was going on but more concerned about the Empress dowager''s condition.

    The other people around seemingly took his exit as a cue and they started to run as well as the wall of light spun faster and got brighter. Leaving only a stupefied Xiao Ruo and the twins and a few other brave guards, who were slowly backing away with their swords drawn.

    They were at a loss and did not know what else to do so they held out their swords out of habit. They were loyal to the Emperor but did not know how they supposed to battle celestial enemies, especially ones lacking bodies to cut down.

    In the center of the blazing light, the Emperor stood clutching Lei Xing to himself now feeling very worried, while Lei Xing just looked on awe-stricken. The wall of light suddenly shot out to the sky and exploded in a bright blinding flash that covered the whole palace. Two distinct loud piercing noises that sounded somewhat like animal cries reverberated through the air.

    They all averted their gaze to avoid the light and when they looked again, it was too see another even more shocking sight as the light dust shimmered down from the sky.

    Above the Empress''s palace, in the sky was a huge magnificent flame blue dragon and an equally awe-inspiring fiery red phoenix, circling each other in an almost playful dance.

    Lei Xing''s mouth as well as a host of other people''s mouths all over the city instantly fell open.

    The dragon and phoenix''s cries rung out again and they continued took their festive dance around the palace as onlookers gaped in shock, fear...awe, petrified by the unbelievably remarkable sight.

    A true dragon and phoenix were gracing the sky above their heads. Legends from folklore were before their eyes.

    It was unbelievable.

    The dragon and phoenix went back to circle over the Empress''s palace one more time before flying out in the sky above the city, basking all below in the radiance of the warm shimmering light falling from their celestial bodies.

    Lei Xing finally closed her mouth, gulped, and then burst into laughter. Her laugh promptly detached the Emperor''s attention from the incredible scene playing out in the sky.

    Lei Xing looked at him, still laughing as she looked between him and the sky, "You see that too, right?"

    The Emperor tentatively nodded as he glanced at the forms of the dragon and phoenix "playing" in the distance. They were so grand and bright, that they all could still clearly see them even though they had left the palace. He too was honestly at a loss for words.

    "So, planets turn to light to dragon, phoenix...all that...?" Lei Xing said still laughing, The Emperor nodded again. Lei Xing''s fit of laughter increased as she kept pointing from the sky to him. The Emperor knit his brows in concern and was about to say something but before he could speak, her eyes suddenly rolled up and she went limp in his arms, her mind had gone into overload.

    {...This is all too insane...}

    The Emperor swiftly picked her up in his arms and then looked up at the dark sky and the two bright celestial beings still dancing in the sky and smiled.

    He would have never imagined of this...but this was much better than he could have possibly hoped for.

 Chapter 275 - Revealing Queries

    Eunuch Li stopped with the others and gaped at the blue flame dragon and fiery phoenix in the sky. He quickly shook himself out of it, remembering the unconscious Empress dowager. He swiftly ran over to the Empress dowager''s palace expecting to find the head physician still there but he found Song mama alone.

    He dropped her on the bed and told Song mama to watch her and swiftly left the room. He sent one of the guards to go find the head physician and then ordered to protect the Empress dowager, then he raced off to go find the Emperor. He honestly had not seen him since they left the ceremony and the situation right now was very perplexing and he was worried about the Emperor.

    After Eunuch Li left the room, Song mama went over to the side to bring a bowl of water and cloth to cool the Empress dowager''s head. As she returned to the bed, she suddenly went still, frozen in place.

    Doctor Lou came out from the corner, passed the frozen inanimate Song mama and went over to the bed and sat down next to the Empress dowager and pat her head, "If I had known I would have left them alone a bit longer...I''m sorry I looked away, I was just...surprised...and sorry." Doctor Lou frowned and then let out a weary sigh.

    "...But it was good to see you...Did you see your son? Kai...I thought you would like that name. Xiao Kai is a bit too serious, much like his father but he still has some of your humor to him so he''s not too dull..." Doctor Lou snickered, "I taught him a few things as well and as you know I''m a great teacher so he''s naturally amazing~..." He smugly said, stroking his beard.

    "There''s Xing Xing too, she''s a lot like her mother so I guess you''ll like her but she''s too stubborn and unmoving, a bit too cold but she''s not too bad. She can be funny and she has an eye for good things too~ Xiao Kai really, really likes her too - Ah, I also found a daughter! Xiao Ying, you''ll really like her. She''s just like you although these days she''s been getting distracted. She''s really, really, adorable, naturally, I raised her~ You''ll really like her..."

    The unconscious Empress dowager naturally did not respond and Song mama remained frozen where she stood.

    Doctor Lou solemnly looked at the Empress dowager for a long while before finally letting out another weary sigh, "...I''ve always wondered how you''ve been all this time, but you seemed normal today, like your old self. Perhaps time stopped for you a long time ago, that''s good though. I worried you had been suffering alone."

    Doctor Lou sighed again, "At least now I know I am not wrong, this is the right path...It''ll only be a matter of time now and you''ll be free...We''ll all be free..."

    Doctor Lou then lightly placed his fingers on the Empress dowager''s forehead and trails of darkness suddenly started slithering up his fingertips and into his arm.

    Doctor Lou frowned as beads of sweat formed on his forehead but he focused on the task. After a while, he finally removed his hand and smiled down at her, "I''m sorry, this is all I can do for now....but it won''t be too long ...I promise." He quietly said and then he was gone.

    Song mama resumed her walk over with the basin as the doors opened and the guard came in with the head physician.

    ***

    The blue flame dragon and the fiery red phoenix finished their dance above the capital with the two bursting into a shimmer of colorful fireworks that rained down colorful warm lights around the capital.

    The show above was over, but yet the people below remained fixed in place staring up at the now empty dark sky, still in awe.

    Ah Jin and Tung Mei reappeared in a clearing in the forest outside the city, with Tung Mei immediately falling to her knees gasping for air, that had been too much for her.

    "Are you alright?" Ah Jin asked knitting her brows and crouching down.

    "I''m fine..." Tung Mei promptly waved.

    Ah Jin frowned and let out a breath, "This is why I always tell you to -"

    "What is happening here?" A voice suddenly asked and Ah JIn and Tung Mei froze and looked at each other, gulped before turning to look at the tall noble-looking white-haired old woman before them.

    Ah Jin promptly stood up and bowed in greeting. While Tung Mei just looked up and nervously laughed and went, "Auntie..."

    The old woman frowned and blinked as she looked at Tung Mei and did a double-take, "Xiao Ying? What are you doing possessing a corpse?"

    Tung Mei''s eyes shifted and she nervously went, "I...I...I-"

    "Forget that for now, where is your father?" The elder woman asked with a frown. She knew these two were not the culprit she was looking for. She had simply come here following the trail of the dissipating dragon and phoenix expecting to find the person she came hunting for and met these two.

    But if these two were here doing something ridiculous, then she knew her brother was definitely not far.

    "I''m not sure..." Tung Mei awkwardly responded, looking away suspiciously.

    The elder woman obviously did not believe her, as she turned to Ah Jin and asked, "You answer...Where is your master?"

    Ah Jin knit her brows and lowered her eyes, she could not lie to the elder woman but at the same time, she knew if she told the truth, then the elder woman would go there and it would probably be very troublesome for her shifu, Doctor Lou.

    "Answer me." The elder woman demanded with a frown.

    "Ah, aunt-"

    "You be quiet. I am not even scolding you yet on playing about with a deceased person''s body! Does your father know about this? What am I saying? He''s probably the one who taught you how? Why does he never think about what he''s doing?" She turned her attention back to Tung Mei and went, "Just because your father is thoughtless doesn''t mean you have to be thoughtless too!"

    "I asked her for permission first..." Tung Mei mumbled looking off to the side with a pout, "...and she''s not really dead..."

    "Qi Yin, stop bullying innocent people...It''s unbecoming of your "status"." Doctor Lou''s voice scolded and the three turned to see him, resting against a tree glaring at the elder woman.

    Ah Jin and Tung Mei let out a sigh of relief and Qi Yin''s face twitched, how dare he scold her for bullying "innocent" people when he enjoyed messing with random people for no reason other than"fun"?

    Qi Yin took a deep breath, ignored his statement and asked, "What are you teaching these girls?"

    Doctor Lou folded his arms and squinted at her, "My daughter, my student...Therefore my business. The question should be why are you here? I thought you were too busy with your isolation training...you''ve been ignoring all this time and now you''re here complaining about this and that and yet you wonder why I never come to see you...not like you ever come to see me...." Doctor Lou went from talking normally to grumbling under his breath.

    Qi Yin let out a breath and decided to just let it drop and focused on what brought her here, "Was it you who brought the four suns here?"

    "Can you move them?" Doctor Lou responded with a raised eyebrow and a question of his own.

    Qi Yin did not respond and simply narrowed her eyes at him and Doctor Lou went, "Exactly. If you can''t do it, then why would you think that I can?... If I could, then I''d have sent them back rather than using this stupid false night to hide them. But don''t worry, they''ll eventually return on their own, probably by the end of the day...I think- either way there''s nothing you can do and there''s nothing to worry about so you can go~"

    "Why are they doing here in the first place?" Qi Yin asked with a frown.

    "How should I know? Maybe they came here to witness a wedding. Why ask me? Do I look like their keeper? If you have questions, then you should go ask their owners..." Doctor Lou indignantly said pulling at his beard.

    He was still very disgruntled about his sister making him wait so long. He had been to visit her twice now and she made him wait so long he got cramps and now she showed up here with not even an apology.

    Qi Yin narrowed her eyes at Doctor Lou and he narrowed his eyes back in challenge.

    "Where are my students?" Qi Yin asked. She had come out of her isolation to find her temple empty. She did not have time to ponder over their whereabouts as the issue of the missing suns was more concerning. But now that she was here, she was getting the sense that her brother also had something to do with their absence.

    "How should I know? They''re your students...and I''m definitely the better Shifu~ I at least know where my student is~...Too bad some people are just blind to my brilliance~" Doctor Lou shook his head with a lamenting sigh.

    "You don''t know?" Qi Yin asked with a frown.

    "I don''t." Doctor Lou firmly responded with a resolute nod.

    "Fine. I''ll go find them myself." Qi Yin said turning in the direction of the capital but Doctor Lou swiftly moved to her front and said, "You are not allowed to interfere...I am in charge here, and you being such a stickler for the rules that you are, you wouldn''t want to make any mistakes and ruin your well-crafted image, now would you?" He finished with a smug grin as he stroked his beard.

    "Move."

    "NO."

    "Qi Yang! -"

    "Don''t call me that! I''ve told you I don''t like that name, who the hell wants to be a Yin-Yang pair with you?... It''s Lou now, Lao Lou." Doctor Lou corrected with a fierce glare.

    Qi Yin rolled her eyes, "Have you thought about the repercussions of what you''re doing?"

    Doctor Lou glanced off to the side, "I am simply doing what is right..."

    "This is not what is right, this is what you want. I thought you had already let go of your obsessive feelings lo-"

    "It''s not about that!" Doctor Lou angrily interjected.

    Qi Yin frowned and barked back, "Then why exactly are you doing all this?! How can you endanger everything just for on-"

    "I''ve told you it''s not about that! It''s unfair is why!... You grew up with her as well, how can you not feel any guilt? !If we had done better then -" Doctor Lou paused and let out a breath, "It''s not her fault...she has suffered enough. You shouldn''t be so uncaring..."

    Qi Yin lowered her head with a frown, "It''s not that I don''t care...but the risk is too high. I can''t let you do this."

    Doctor Lou scoffed, "So what are you going to do now? Report me? Go ahead, not only will they support me, they''ll force it...And if you decide to go talk to the clans then you''ll be destroying the peace and solidarity you seem to love with your own hands...I''m still trying to be reasonable here." Doctor Lou finished with a pout, "You should stop putting trees on nature''s established path or a karmic tree fall on your head~..." He finished squinting at her.

    Qi Yin did not respond and simply glared at Doctor Lou in annoyance.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her and then covered his chest with his hands, "Ah? Do you want to fight me? Oh ho~ then I''m ready! It''s been so long since I''ve had a good fight...Come, let''s see if all your so-called-ignoring-me training has paid off~" Doctor Lou said as he began stretching while squinting at Qi Yin, "Come on, you should stretch too~...Don''t complain after that your back hurting is what caused your loss~..." He added with a snicker.

    Tung Mei and Ah Jin stared at the arguing aged siblings, forgotten and at a loss. Tung Mei turned to Ah Jin and sent a message to her mind.

    {...Do you know what they''re arguing about?...}

    Ah Jin shook her head and responded.

    {...No clue...I thought your father was doing all this for fun...But it seems there''s more to it than entertainment maybe?...}

    The two girls knit their brows and then turned back to look at the two elder siblings, who now seemed to be deeply engaged in a stretching competition with all sorts of odd poses.

    Tung Mei frowned and covered her face with a hand.

    {...If anyone saw this - so embarrassing...I definitely don''t know these people! ( ??��??)...}

 Chapter 276 - Yin-Yang Struggles

    Qi Yin was naturally a competitive person, who found it very difficult to turn down a challenge, especially one from her life long rival. After all, they had been competing since they were babies.

    Qi Yang, well, "Lou" as he liked to call himself now particularly irked her. They were both highly regarded for their exceptional skills but they were very different on many levels.

    He was what everyone called a natural-born genius while she was exceptionally gifted. What he could achieve in an instant, she had to spend days training to achieve. The most annoying part that had always irritated her was his lackadaisical manner towards everything.

    It was hard to get him to be serious and even when he was serious, he still seemed to be playing around.

    While he was lazy and playful, she was serious and dedicated, next to someone like him, it was natural she often felt inadequate growing up. So she worked harder than anyone else and still did today and did her best to ignore her playful brother, who enjoyed dragging others into his "fun" games.

    This was the reason why she had been ignoring him all this time he had been coming to find her. She would not allow him to interrupt her training with "important" matters that were often not at all important. If not for this mysterious event, she would not have raced out to find that something serious had been going on during her training in isolation.

    "If I win, then you end all this and return with me...right now." Qi Yin said as she bent from one side to the other.

    "Not possible." Doctor Lou responded as he copied her movements.

    "Qi -!"

    "What do you want me to do? Kill them?" Doctor Lou swiftly interjected with a pout as he twisted his waist, "Can''t do it...you know that~" Doctor Lou finished with a smug victorious expression to irritate his sister.

    Qi Yin glared at Doctor Lou and then sighed and stopped indulging in his stretching game, "Forget it..." It was now pointless. He was right, there was nothing she could do now. She inwardly sighed in irritation.

    {...I was careless...}

    Doctor Lou also stopped and immediately protested with a pout, "Ah, but we were going to have fun for once!... Okay, how about if you win I''ll go with you? Hm? It will be a lot of fun~..." He said as he went over and lightly nudged Qi Yin''s arm with a sly smile, "Hm? How about it? It''ll be just us two..like the old, old times~ Lots of fun!"

    Qi Yin looked at him, completely unamused, "And what am I supposed to do with you? Out of my way!" She said as she moved to jab Doctor Lou hard with her elbow, he smoothly leaned back and she swiftly stretched out her arm, swinging it with full force, slamming it into his chest.

    Doctor Lou fell to the ground before he could get a hold of himself, Qi Yin swiftly kicked him and sent him flying, crashing into an opposite tree.

    "What did you do that for?!" Doctor Lou barked with a pout as he sat up.

    "You deserve more for never listening." She explained as she condescendingly looked down at him, "Regardless, you are going back with me, since it is your plot you should go reasonably explain things yourself so I don''t cause "chaos". I''m obliviously not the only one who would have noticed this..."

    "Tch, true..." Doctor Lou said pulling his beard with a frown. He had been so focused on preventing chaos here that he had forgotten about what this event would do back home. He could already picture all the annoying faces with even more irritating questions bothering him. He honestly did not want to go, but then if he didn''t who knows what his sister would go tell them. or worse, what if more meddlers come here to stupidly mess things up.

    {...So troublesome! >_

    Qi Yin left Doctor Lou alone to ponder over his newfound problems and turned back to Tung Mei, "As for you...Xiao Ying, return that body to its rightful place and report back to me immediately."

    Tung Mei looked up her with a frown and swiftly protested, "But -"

    "No buts about this! Do not make me have to come for you." Qi Yin warned, staring Tung Mei down.

    Tung Mei pouted and then turned to Doctor Lou, "Pa -"

    Doctor Lou promptly raised his hands up, "Don''t look at me, I told you this was a bad idea. I don''t even understand why you chose to go about it like this -"

    "But you said -"

    "I know what I said! But I never told you to do this, you decided not to wait for me and went ahead on your own. You''ve been learning to be stubborn recently, that Xing Xing is definitely a bad influence, I always tell you..." Doctor Lou mumbled as scrambled to his feet, holding his back. He narrowed his eyes at Qi Yin and then said, "Just listen to your beautiful, wise old - I mean, very young-looking brilliant aunt, the most brilliant too~..." Doctor Lou said smiling at Qi Yin, remembering that he was trying to be on her good side at the moment.

    Qi Yin rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Don''t pretend, you''re the one always teaching her nonsense. How else would she get it into her mind to do something like this?"

    "She''s my baby, therefore, I can teach her whatever I like~...and unlike you, I let my students have fun~...sometimes, just sometimes." Doctor Lou finished with a little laugh, and then went over to Tung Mei, who was now pouting at the ground. He crouched down next to her and pat her back, "Ying Ying, don''t be sad...I know you like Yong, but it''s just that he''s really not deserving, truly a blind idiot!"

    "I told you not to insult Yong ge..." Tung Mei grumbled without looking up.

    "Okay, okay, I won''t...But you should look at things for yourself, you''ve been hovering around him all this time, but there still hasn''t been any progress...Is it really worth it?" Tung Mei frowned and did not respond.

    Doctor Lou sighed and then pat her head, "Just finish things nicely here and come home. We can forget all these annoying people and go on a great adventure, hm? I''ll take you to somewhere you''ve never seen before. It''ll be AMAZING! It''s been so long since we did something fun~...I''ve truly been forsaken and forgotten for way too long. Father is very, very saddened by this~..." Doctor Lou sniffed and dabbed at his eyes but Tung Mei still did not mind him.

    Doctor Lou sighed again and then stood up and turned to Ah Jin, "Look after her...and stay back to monitor things after. If anything suspicious happens again, alert me."

    "Alright..." Ah Jin said with a bow.

    "You''re the only suspicious person here..." Qi Yin said narrowing her eyes at him, "Can''t you just leave things alone?"

    "You should speak yourself, you were the one always getting in the way. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had to bother with this circ.u.mventing route." Doctor Lou clapped back, squinting at her, "So this is technically your fault too."

    Qi Yin frowned and looked off to the side, "I hope you know what you''re doing..."

    Doctor Lou blinked and then sighed, "You two can leave.." He said and with a swift wave of his hand, Tung Mei and Ah Jin disappeared from the clearing.

    Doctor Lou then bounced over to his sister and linked his arm through hers as he said, "Let''s go, don''t worry, Xiao Ying listens to me. You know I raised her very well~ She''ll show up...eventually~"

    Qi Yin sighed but then she suddenly froze and frowned. She grabbed Doctor Lou''s hand with a frown and went, "What happened to you?" There were trails of wiggling black vine-like things moving under his skin, going up his arm.

    She was about to pull his sleeve up, when Doctor Lou snatched his arm back and went, "Nothing. I just accidentally touched something, something I''ve been working on -I was just careless. Nothing to fuss over~" He finished with a nervous laugh, "I''ll deal with it later..."

    "Touched what?" Qi Yin asked with concern.

    "Don''t know, don''t remember, it''s none of your business!... That reminds me, I wanted to ask you if you''ve been helping someone here?" Doctor Lou quickly asked, holding his hands behind his back and changing the topic before she would get more suspicious.

    "Of course not. Unlike you, I do not play with the lives of others." Qi Yin indignantly responded.

    Doctor Lou knit his brows, "I thought as much..."

    "Did something happen?" Qi Yin asked with a curious eyebrow.

    Doctor Lou let out a breath and went, "I came across some people here who used a power that held our essence...It wasn''t me and I thought it couldn''t be you...the only other person I know is dead...so do you think someone else from our clan survived?"

    Qi Yin also knit her brows, "Hmm...I did feel something strange when I arrived here. It was for a brief moment, it was fleeting and oddly familiar. I had thought it was you, but now that you mention this, perhaps there''s more to it...It is possible someone survived...but it''s unlikely, it''s been so long and why hide out here all this time?" She finished with a frown.

    "That''s what I thought too...but it did not seem malicious at all. I couldn''t trace them either which meant they had to be quite powerful or very skilled." Doctor Lou explained and Qi Yin''s frown deepened. Even though she would never praise her brother outright, something confusing him was very worrisome.

    "Well, they didn''t seem malicious or anything. I was just curious, the fact that I couldn''t trace them makes it all the more interesting~" Doctor Lou said with a smirk, "Anyway, let''s go before people start to panic and it gets too troublesome..."

    Qi Yin glanced towards the capital and then looked back to the Doctor Lou, "I hope we do not come to regret this..." And with those words of warning, she was gone, just as swiftly as she arrived.

    Doctor Lou glanced in the capital''s direction as well, knit his brows as he clenched his fists.

    {...This is the right path, I''m sure of it...It has to be...}

 Chapter 277 - Grand Status

    After dropping off the unconscious Lei Xing in her room, the Emperor left her to Xiao Rou''s capable care and went out to discuss the situation with Eunuch Li, who had finally found his way back to the Emperor after running around for a while.

    Eunuch Li had already been briefed by others around on the true nature of the event that unfolded in the Empress''s palace. He set aside his questions and informed the Emperor about the Empress dowager''s current condition and the general situation of the palace at the moment. Once that was done, he finally asked the Emperor the question that had been on his mind, "What do you make of this situation?"

    "A blessing from the heavens~" The Emperor simply responded with a slight smirk.

    Eunuch Li knit his brows and scrutinized the Emperor, who looked completely at ease and unaffected by the bizarreness that had centered around him.

    "Your majesty, do you know something more about this?" Eunuch Li tentatively asked. He knew the Emperor was never one to panic but he really did seem too unaffected by it.

    Rather than answering the question, the Emperor simply asked a question of his own, "Isn''t it a blessing for a nation to have a true Dragon and Phoenix for its Emperor and Empress?"

    Eunuch Li''s eyes widened and then he knit his brows, then he blinked and smiled as he comprehended the Emperor''s meaning. Eunuch Li bowed and then said, "It truly is...I will ensure to pass on this great news..."

    "En..." The Emperor simply responded and then ordered, "Open up the main hall and send everyone home. Tell the ministers I will send for them tomorrow..." It will be best to discuss this once the situation was completely back to normal.

    "Understood..." Eunuch Li said with a bow and quickly went to see to things. It was not that the Emperor was unaffected, he was simply looking at things from a different angle.

    How it happened was not important. What was important was how this could be used. With the Emperor''s enlightening words, Eunuch Li could see now see the unique opportunity that would be immensely advantageous, one that could definitely not be missed.

    The Emperor looked up at the dark, afternoon sky and then sighed. While he felt certain that everything will return to normal, he would feel a lot more reassured once it returned to normal. That way no one would have reason to question anything.

    Leaving the meeting with the ministers till tomorrow will also give time for the news of the empire''s "blessings" to spread and take roots in their minds.

    The Emperor laughed again and returned to Lei Xing''s bedroom, where Xiao Ruo had already stripped her down to her innerwear and tucked her into bed. As the Emperor walked over to the bed, Xiao Ruo promptly bowed and left the room.

    The Emperor stopped at the foot of the bed and stared down at the sleeping Lei Xing for a while before finally sitting on the bed, still watching her. He lightly touched her face and then went to stroke her hair.

    She was truly a strange existence for him and a stranger existence in the world. After all, she did mention coming from a different world and what happened today was obviously otherwordly. Therefore, he naturally believed that what happened during the ceremony had something to do with her...something even she herself did not understand.

    Her existence was a mystery.

    As for the dragon and the phoenix, the Emperor believed that was a sort of wedding gift from the Voice...a sort of damage control move to resolve the situation of the four celestial bodies in the sky invading their ceremony.

    And it was a truly brilliant coverup, turning legends into reality.

    While Emperors and Empresses of the past have always borne the symbol of the dragon and phoenix, none in the history of the country have ever been graced with the presence of an actual dragon and phoenix.

    The fact that it was on the day of the Empress''s ascension made it seem all the more like Lei Xing was the reason for this unprecedented "blessing for the empire". This will naturally would blow away whatever ill rumors existed around her. After all, no one would dare want to speak ill of someone who is naturally favored by the Heavens.

    From today, the people will come to see Lei Xing and the Emperor as living gods walking amongst them. The Emperor will ensure of it, after all, no one who witnessed what happened today would dare to say otherwise.

    This was truly a grand gift.

    The Emperor smiled, feeling very light and happy right now. It felt like all his worries were suddenly alleviated and he could breathe easily. He had been so worried earlier today that he would lose her.

    The Emperor sighed again, he was honestly a bit tired after the emotional highs and lows this day had presented. So he got up, took off his ceremonious robes and joined Lei Xing in bed, promptly wrapping his arms around her and snuggling against her. He had been so worried he would never be able to do this again.

    But thanks to the Voice, his fears were short-lived. The Emperor closed his eyes and planted a lingering kiss on Lei Xing''s forehead as he whispered, "Thank you..."

    ***

    It took a while but after receiving the Emperor''s orders, Commander An ordered the main hall to be opened and for the Imperial guards to withdraw. The ministers who had already been informed of the Emperor''s decision went in to find their families so they could make their way home.

    Maids and eunuchs scrambled to light up dim the palace and while a bunch of them promptly arrived at the main hall with lanterns ready so that they could safely lead the way for the guests.

    Defense minister Lei and Lei Yong found Xiao Ting and her mother and immediately noticed someone missing from their party, Tung Mei.

    "Where is Xiao Ying?" Lei Yong promptly asked with a frown as he glanced about the crowd.

    "She said she was going to look for her aunt when the sky -..." Xiao Ting knit her brows, she not sure how to say this part so she quickly skipped it and went, "...I''m not sure where she is, but she said not to bother to look for her...so it''s fine?" She tentatively finished. She honestly did not know anything at the moment.

    "Perhaps, she will be returning with her aunt...I''m sure she''s fine, after all, we''ve all been locked in here." Madam Lei reassuringly said to Lei Yong and then turned to her husband and asked, "What is going on?"

    Defense minister Lei sighed, It had truly been a crazy day. It went a glorious day to a potentially disastrous one and then ended up transforming into a blessing in just a few hours. He did not understand what had happened today, but at the very least knew he would not be losing a daughter today. No one in this country would dare to call the sighting of a dragon and phoenix on a ceremonious day like today inauspicious. So he smiled and said, "I''m not sure either but...I believe everything will be fine now..."

    "You all go ahead, I''ll look around for Xiao Ying for a bit and catch up...Just to confirm she''s alright." Lei Yong said and then disappeared into the crowd without waiting for a response.

    Xiao Ting looked up at the sky as she joined her parents in the slow procession of people making their way through the palace. She could not help wondering if An Hao was also seeing this dark afternoon sky where he was.

    This was all so fascinating and honestly a bit exciting. She could not wait to tell him about the events of today when he returned. He did tell her about how he was unhappy to be missing the ceremony. She smiled as she thought that he definitely could not have imagined things happening like this.

    An Hao was always the one with the exciting stories, so Xiao Ting was quite giddy about finally having an exciting tale of her own to tell him, one she was sure he had never encountered before.

    Xiao Ting''s ears suddenly perked up when she heard someone "quietly" say, "I heard the dragon and Phoenix came out of the Emperor and Empress?"

    Xiao Ting promptly glanced in the direction of the voice to see an eunuch "whispering" to a maid.

    "Don''t say nonsense! How could that happen? " The maid whispered back, obviously in disbelief.

    "It''s true! I saw it. The lights from the sky surrounded the Emperor and Empress and then the light shot to the sky and then the dragon and phoenix came out of them...I''m telling you it''s true. I slapped myself and everything to confirm, it really happened, right before my eyes!." The eunuch explained.

    "But how?" The maid responded with a frown.

    "It''s obvious how..." The eunuch swiftly responded. The maid looked at him questioningly and he went, "Just think about~..."

    Xiao Ting and the other curious covert listeners around felt a pang of annoyance at the eunuch for keeping them on edge like this. They were all hoping the maid would ask but the girl was actually foolishly thinking about it like an idiot instead of simply asking the eunuch, who was obviously eager to respond.

    Xiao Ting pouted and would have asked herself if not for all these people around, it would be bad to draw attention to herself by openly indulging in servants'' gossip. The other noble guests close-by who were covertly eavesdropping on this conversation were probably thinking the same as they quietly held back their curiosity and moved even slower, waiting for the maid to finally give up and make the inquiry so they could all move on.

    They quietly walked along for a while until finally, a male voice went, "So what''s obvious?" Breaking the suspense. Everyone glanced over to see Zhao Chang hovering above the eunuch and the maid.

    Prime minister Zhao glared in annoyance at his son from the side. He honestly would have given him a beating right there if not for the eyes watching all around.

    {...How can this stupid son be so foolish as to want to lay the enemy''s bed?!... Does he ever think?!...}

    "Ah?" The eunuch jumped back as he just "realized" that he apparently had a bigger audience than he "intended".

    "Hurry up and talk." Zhao Chang ordered narrowing his eyes, on the edge of his patience rope.

    Prime minister Zhao gritted his teeth in annoyance. This was clearly a gimmick by the Emperor in an attempt to brush everything wrong with this whole situation under the rug. Prime minister Zhao and anyone with a brain could already see how the Emperor would use this situation to his advantage, he would honestly be a complete fool not to use it.

    Zhao Chang was really too disappointing...Prime minister Zhao inwardly groaned in frustration as he covertly stared daggers at his oblivious air-headed son, who was busy staring down the eunuch.

    {...How dare this little eunuch try to behave like those stupid storytellers? Leaving me at a cliff''s edge ( ��^�� )...}

    The eunuch flinched under Zhao Chang''s piercing gaze. The eunuch swallowed and glanced about the watching eyes of the slow-moving audience and then tentatively said, "The Emperor is obviously a dragon god and the Empress a phoenix goddess who came down here to bless our empire~"

    Zhao Chang knit his brows and the eunuch went closer to him and continued "whispering", "Listen I have a friend who works in the seers'' department and he said that the seers have now realized that the reason they could not divine the date for the ceremony was because mortals are naturally unable to decide on the fate of immortals...so this is obviously how the situation is."

    The guests around glanced at each other as the weight of those words sank in. Xiao Ting''s eyes went wide and she turned to her father and went, "Father..."

    Defense minister Lei glanced at her, smiled, and then faced forward and Xiao Ting got his message to be quiet. She piped down but was quite excited on the inside.

    {...Ohh, I always knew jiejie was amazing but a phoenix goddess? Ohhhhh that''s so AMAZING, she''s definitely AMAZING! \(��ء�)/...Oh, I can''t wait for Hao ge to come back now~ He''s definitely going to be so shocked and confused, good confused~ I can''t wait! o(>��

    Xiao Ting happily stifled her smile and skipped along, but then she suddenly knit her brows in thought.

    {...Soo...if jiejie is a phoenix...does that mean that I - could, maybe, be too? hehehehehe what am I thinking? (? ?>? �� ?

    Similar conversations to that of the eunuch and maid''s were happening in different little groups all across the palace. Eventually spreading through the city along with the crowd flowing out through the palace gates with the tale becoming more and more exaggerated.

 Chapter 278 - Dead End

    Lei Yong obviously did not find Tung Mei in the palace crowd, he met her aunt but the old woman simply said that she must have gone ahead and that there was nothing to worry about. Regardless, Lei Yong still glanced about for her as he left the palace.

    In the end, he did not find her and went home with a sigh. Tung Mei always came and went as she pleased and giving everything that had just happened, everyone had a lot more important things on their minds than her whereabouts.

    But when the Lei family walked into their manor, they were met with a pouting Tung Mei, who was sitting just in front of the entrance, waiting.

    Xiao Ting immediately bounced over to Tung Mei, "Ying jie~ how did you get here?" The other family members were also somewhat curious about this.

    Tung Mei ignored the question, got up and looked right at Lei Yong, and seriously said, "Yong ge, we need to talk.. Now." And without waiting for him or acknowledging anyone else she solemnly walked off to the side.

    The Lei family members knit their brows and glanced at each other with concern. They could tell there was something wrong.

    "Go on...It seems to be something serious. If there is anything we can do to help, let us know." Defense minister Lei said to Lei Yong. Lei Yong nodded and swiftly followed after her.

    "What is wrong?" Lei Yong promptly asked when Tung Mei finally stopped in a corner.

    Tung Mei frowned, took a deep breath, looked directly at him, and asked, "Do you have feelings for me?"

    Lei Yong''s eyes went wide and he blinked, taken aback by the sudden question.

    Lei Yong knit his brows, "Xiao Ying...I...care for you, you know that." He tentatively said.

    "That''s not what I asked!" Tung Mei irritatedly responded, then she took another deep breath and calmly said, "Okay, I''ll rephrase....do you have romantic feelings for me?"

    Lei Yong knit his brows even more tightly and remained silent.

    "I need an answer." Tung Mei said with a deepening frown.

    Lei Yong looked at Tung Mei''s resolute expression. She had never asked him so directly before and he had been somewhat dreading this moment, he did not want to hurt her...but now that she asked, he was obliged to respond.

    Lei Yong let out a breath and then responded, "I care for you...but not like that. To me you''re li-"

    "A sister?" Tung Mei interjected with a scoff, "I am NOT your sister, never was, never will be! Look at Xing jie and that stupid demon, they grew up around each other and actually lived together for a long time but yet he obviously doesn''t see her as a sister! We''ve never even been together nearly half the time they''ve spent together so on what basis am I your sister?!''" Tung Mei asked with exasperation.

    Lei Yong blinked in confusion, "What are you -"

    "Nevermind, forget it. I''m tired and going home. Goodbye." Tung Mei swiftly and irritatedly went and then went to storm off but then swayed.

    Lei Yong promptly caught her, "Are you alright?" He asked just realizing how pale she was.

    Tung Mei swiftly brushed him off, "I''m fine, I''m going home...Leave me alone!" She said pushing him away. She had come here to get her final clarity on the subject of his feelings. But she could not stay here.

    With how weak her powers were now, she could no longer maintain this body which meant it will soon fall back into the rapidly declining state of health she had found it in. If she became terribly ill while at the Lei manor, it would cause problems for the Lei family so she had to quickly return to her relative''s.

    Lei Yong did not reach for her again, so as not to further aggravate her. But she clearly did not seem well so he followed closely behind her waiting to catch her again.

    When they reached the front courtyard, Tung Mei seemed ready to walk straight out the doors, but Lei Yong grabbed her arm and said, "Wait for a carriage...please."

    Tung Mei frowned but she nodded. Lei Yong saw Xiao Ting awkwardly hovering in the corner and motioned for her to come forward. Xiao Ting quickly bounced over and seeing Tung Mei''s suddenly pale face, she asked "Ying jie, are you okay?"

    Tung Mei nodded but did not say anything.

    Lei Yong inwardly sighed and then said to Xiao Ting, "Sit with her while I arrange for a carriage and escort to send her to her aunt''s...Be sure to look after h-"

    "I''m not going to run away." Tung Mei irritatedly interjected as she wobbled over to the side and sat down. Of course, she wanted a carriage and would have eventually asked for one. She could not teleport the body at the moment and walking in her current state was rather foolish. It was already taking all she could for the body to remain functional. She honestly did not expect this stupid phoenix show to drain that much energy from her...and then there was her aunt too.

    Xiao Ting looked at Lei Yong questioningly and he simply motioned for her to follow, so Xiao Ting quietly went to over sit by Tung Mei.

    Lei Yong then narrowed his eyes at the guards at the door warning them not to let her leave and they promptly nodded in acknowledgment and after that, he left.

    If he could not talk her into staying to rest, he would at least have her safely escorted home. He would prefer to escort her himself but since she did not seem to want to be around him, he would respect her wishes.

    He felt horrible about rejecting her but he could not lie to her... He liked having her around as did his family, they all wished he would marry her and truly make her one of them. He honestly did try to imagine a future with her, but no matter how he thought about it he could never picture it.

    He truly only felt a fondness for her, the same kind of fondness he had towards Lei Xing and Xiao Ting. Since he could not do as her heart desired, it was best for her to return home if that was what she required for her heart to truly move on from him.

    Xiao Ting sat next to Tung Mei silently scrutinizing her, while Tung Mei looked down at the ground with a frown.

    After a long while, Xiao Ting quietly asked, "Ying jie...are you really leaving?" While she was young, she was not stupid. The atmosphere around her brother and Tung Mei were different today...and Tung Mei seemed too serious. What''s more for her brother to allow Tung Mei to leave while she looked so ill was not normal.

    Xiao Ting got the sense that if Tung Mei left today, she might really end up returning to Xia province tomorrow and that she would never see her again.

    "En...I''m leaving." Tung Mei responded without even glancing up at Xiao Ting.

    "Leaving the city?" Xiao Ting tentatively asked.

    "Probably..."

    "To Xia province?"

    "Probably...much farther..." Tung Mei added with a weary sigh.

    Tears welled up in Xiao Ting''s eyes but she held them back and then asked, "Will you come back?" She quietly asked lowering her head with a pout as she tried her best to stop herself from crying. Her tears would only make Tung Mei angry and if she made Tung Mei angry, then she would definitely not want to come back to see her.

    Tung Mei turned to Xiao Ting and then let out a sigh and pat Xiao Ting''s head. Xiao Ting looked up at her and tears started rolling down, "Ying jie..." She said as she went to hug Tung Mei and started crying.

    Tung Mei pat her back and showed a wry smile, "You little crybaby...Don''t worry you''ll be perfectly fine even if I''m not here...You still have Xing jie, although that stupid demon is currently hogging her all to himself, but if you want to see her she''ll promptly toss him aside for you, trust me~ Xing jie is the best..."

    "En..." Xiao Ting responded in between sniffs.

    Tung Mei then held Xiao Ting back and ordered, "Now stop crying, clean those tears and buck up! You''re already fifteen now, not a baby anymore, no more tears!"

    Xiao Ting wiped the tears with her sleeve as she sniffed and tried to stop the tears. She was an "a.d.u.l.t" now and could not keep crying like this.

    Tung Mei smiled at her and Xiao Ting tried to smile back, but it ended up just looking like a weird ugly pout that made Tung Mei lightly chuckled.

    Tung Mei sighed and then released Xiao Ting and looked up at the sky, "You know I never had a younger sibling before you and my father was most indulgent...I always had everything I could ever want. It was quite fun~..." She said with a little chuckle and then sighed again, "But I guess Yong ge was the one thing I just couldn''t get...Even working hard didn''t help...but I promised myself and Xing jie that this will be last time...and I meant it...Now that it''s come to this, I should rightly leave..."

    Xiao Ting quietly listened with a pout, not sure what to say. She honestly blamed her brother right now for being so stupid as to let go Tung Mei like this.

    Tung Mei turned back to Xiao Ting and said, "As annoying as you sometimes were, it was very nice having you as a younger sibling. I''m sorry we could not have had as much fun as I would have normally liked. I was unfortunately under very strict instructions and I couldn''t make Xing jie look bad...It was quite trying but fun. It also made me realize how annoying I probably was to a certain demon...but I regret nothing, he deserved it all." She finished with a snicker but then stopped when she saw Lei Yong coming towards them.

    Lei Yong noticed Tung Mei looking at him and so he stopped at a distance from them, not wanting to interrupt their talk. He truly hoped that Xiao Ting would at least be able to ease whatever hurt his rejection had caused Tung Mei''s heart.

    Tung Mei inwardly sighed as she looked at him. She had made up her mind but still, it hurt. It was not easy to let go of the dream she had been working so hard to achieve for so long.

    Tung Mei took a deep breath, braced herself, and then got up to leave while Xiao Ting remained sitting down with a fierce pout fighting back her tears.

    But then Tung Mei stopped and glanced down at Xiao Ting, who had pitifully had her head lowered. As she looked at Xiao Ting, a thought cropped up in her mind and so she said, "...Even though he''s a brat...That An Hao truly likes you...a lot. You should consider him."

    "Huh?" Xiao Ting went blinking up at her in shock, "Ying jie what are yo-"

    "It''s not good to drag it out for too long..." Tung Mei advised and then smiled and added, "Be sure to happily live well~" Then she swiftly marched out the doors to the waiting carriage without even sparing a glance at Lei Yong.

    She was truly going to let go this time....No turning back.

    {...This is truly the end...}

 Chapter 279 - BrainStorm

    Lei Xing''s eyes fluttered open and it took her a few moments to register her surroundings and realized she was in the Empress''s ceremoniously decorated red bedroom. She quickly remembered the bizarre scene of a dragon and phoenix flying above her head and began chuckling as she rubbed her head.

    {...What a crazy dream...pre-wedding anxiety I guess hehehe~ ...}

    "You''re awake..." Lei Xing froze and then frowned when she heard the Emperor''s voice. She promptly sat up and saw him walking towards the bed in his inner clothes.

    "You''re not supposed to be here." Lei Xing promptly said and the Emperor knit his brows and asked, "Why can''t I be here?" As he sat on the bed.

    "It''s the night before the ceremony so you shouldn''t be here...It customary, you should leave." She said as she covered her mouth and yawned.

    The Emperor raised an amused eyebrow at her, "Xing er'', have you lost your memory "again"?"

    Lei Xing froze, blinked at him, and then knit her brows. She opened her mouth and then closed it, pursed her lips while the Emperor looked on curious and amused, as he wondered if she would pass out again.

    Lei Xing then leaned forward and looked at him sideways, squinting at him as she tentatively went, "Soo...all that...dragon...phoenix thingy...real?"

    The Emperor smiled a bit, holding back his urge to laugh at her oddness, it was so cute and funny. She was always cute and funny.

    "Was it?" Lei Xing inquired again with a pouting frown, obviously irritated with his delay. The Emperor cleared his throat and nodded.

    Lei Xing inhaled a sharp breath and then sat back, putting her hand over her mouth with a deepening frown.

    {...What the hell? O_O)...}

    The Emperor watched her with a smirk, still holding back his urge to laugh, knowing that it would definitely annoy her but he could not help poking a bit so he asked, "Are you going to faint again?"

    "Of course not! I don''t f-"Lei Xing immediately jumped to defend but then turned red as she realized how she had gotten to the bed, she promptly glanced to the side with a pout and mumbled, "That was just a-...a universal fluke..."

    It was true, she had never fainted in her life before...but then again, she had never been met with such an insane scene before.

    {...It''s perfectly understandable... It was a processing error...Anyone would have passed out... even brave souls like me have a limit... Yes. Facts! ( ��^�� )...}

    The Emperor snorted and promptly moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, "It''s okay...I''m sure you were not the only one who fainted this afternoon...I heard we had a record high of fainting spells today -"

    Lei Xing''s face lit up as she turned to him, "Truly? - Wait, you record things like that?" Lei Xing asked narrowing her eyes at him, quickly catching herself before she embarrassed herself again.

    {...Who are you trying to fool? Do I look like a toddler to you? (?_? )...}

    "Um...Well, no...but I''m sure it''s the case." The Emperor said with a reassuring smile, "It''s nothing to feel embarrassed about...I would have fainted too if I didn''t have to carry you..."

    "Tch..." Lei Xing went, rolling her eyes.

    {...You must really think I''m stupid or something ?_?)...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath, "That aside...what do you think -" Realizing he probably did not have the answer to that question, Lei Xing swiftly switched her words, "What happened after? I''m sure the ministers had more to say on that note..." She finished rolling her eyes again, a dragon and phoenix were definitely not on the agenda for the day.

    "Well...you''re currently being hailed as a phoenix goddess~" The Emperor said with a smirk.

    "A what?" Lei Xing exclaimed with knit eyebrows as she looked at him with an incredulous expression.

    "A phoenix Empress to be exact...It''s the natural explanation for such wondrous beings to grace the skies on such a ceremonious day..." The Emperor said with a smile.

    "Can you be serious, please?" Lei Xing said, completely unamused.

    "Alright..." The Emperor said with a sigh and then proceeded to summarize, "Well, after you... fell asleep. The phoenix and dragon show continued for a while and then they literally burst into...fireworks I suppose? I haven''t spoken to the ministers yet, I decided it would be best to do so after the sky had returned to normal...and so I sent them all home and came to sleep with you...As I suspected, I woke to see a normal sky with the moon and stars intact. It seems the sun will also be back ruling the sky tomorrow...so all is well now..."

    In his usual manner, the Emperor said everything so nonchalantly and calmly that if Lei Xing had not witnessed the chaos earlier herself, she would truly be deceived. So Lei Xing sighed and moved out of his hold, "let''s go outside...I want to see for myself."

    As Lei Xing brought her legs down and went to put on her shoes, the Emperor went over to the side and returned with her cloak. He put it on her with a smile and Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she looked at his face. while he tied the cloak.

    {...The sky could be burning outside but he''ll probably tell me it''s alright (?_?)...I love him and all but I''m really not a child, obviously, my stupid fainting spell did not help my image at all, now he must think I''m some fragile puppy! >_

    As they came out of the bedroom, Lei Xing noticed that she was getting strange looks from the servants...their heads were bowed but they kept sneaking glances at them as they walked past.

    Lei Xing sent the Emperor a questioning look but he simply smiled at her and seemed unbothered. Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...It''s understandable...Even I''d look at me weird after all that crap...}

    As the Emperor said, Lei Xing stepped outside to see a normal night sky with one moon and a multitude of stars illuminating the dark canvas of the night.

    There was nothing strange about the sky now...all that happened before could have very well been a dream.

    "See...it''s normal." The Emperor said with a slight smirk. She was really too skeptical of everything but overall, he considered a good trait so he did not mind it at all.

    Lei Xing glanced over at him and scrutinized him. He really was too calm about all this, it was an excellent trait but she was the sort who liked to know when the roof was burning.

    So she directly asked, "What do you think of all this? Those planets - I mean four celestial bodies in the sky...and then the dragon and phoenix - I take it this is not normal procedure for the ceremony, is it?"

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows and was quiet for a while and then he sighed, "No, it isn''t... I don''t understand it either and as per its usual manner, the Voice did not explain. It rarely ever does."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and was quiet for a while before finally saying, "I think that qua - I mean Doctor Lou was somehow responsible for the dragon and phoenix show. I honestly always thought he was an immortal or something, although he denied being an immortal. But he definitely has supernatural powers and he told me to watch the "brilliance" unfold. He might not have caused the four planets and I don''t know how but it is clear that he made the dragon and phoenix thing happen..."

    "You think?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Definitely." Lei Xing responded with a nod.

    "Hmm..." The Emperor went knitting his eyebrows, "I was actually thinking it was the Voice that had done that...Actually, when I was meeting with the ministers, the Voice told me to come to find you. It even asked that I hurry and gave a reassurance that it will all be fine. Obviously for the dragon phoenix to have had the best effect, we had to be in the same place. At least its how I would have done if it were my plan...So naturally, my assumption was tha -" The Emperor suddenly stopped and frowned.

    Lei Xing looked at his expression and promptly asked, "What? What is it?"

    The Emperor looked at her for a bit, dragging out the suspense and just when Lei Xing was getting the urge to hurl him, he finally asked, "Is Xing Xing your nickname or something?"

    "Huh?" Lei Xing went blinking at him, completely thrown off by the random question. She was thinking that he had just gotten some sort of breakthrough on the state of things but instead he was thinking about her nickname?

    "Well, it''s just that Yong doesn''t call you that or at least he hasn''t used it in front of me. Do you your parents call you that?" The Emperor continued to inquire.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, unamused but she flatly responded, "No, no one calls me that, not even in my old life. The only one who calls me that is that anno-" Lei Xing suddenly stopped herself and stared at him wide-eyed as the realization also dawned on her, "Did your Voice call me that?"

    The Emperor nodded, "En, today..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought and folded her arms and quietly said, "Life really can''t be that coincidental..."

    "Exactly.." The Emperor responded back, also knitting his brows in thought.

    The two of them stood there in silence, each with their own thoughts for a long while.

    Finally, Lei Xing broke the silence, "You know...the first you told me about having a Voice, I really thought it was him...It was just that he was truly a bit too persi- no, he was very persistent about wanting me to accept you. He was even more persistent about it than you were but then he claimed it was all just for fun" Lei Xing said air quoting the last word while rolling her eyes, "I had a hard time buying that explanation...I still do."

    "...Not to mention from day one, long before we were even a true couple, he was pushing for this ceremony. Also back when he told me about the cure for flower poison, he actually tried to get me to promise to agree to be Empress in exchange for saving my life. In the end, he begrudgingly told me after I promised to seriously consider your offer "when" you made it. He spent all that effort and time pushing for this ceremony which turned into this fantastical mess...It can''t all be a coincidence."

    "I was thinking the same...The first time I met him, I got an inkling that something was strange and the second time I met him...that night we stayed in his residence, I confirmed that inkling. He felt familiar and I even told him that..." The Emperor said with a little smirk, remembering their night drinking together, "...He actually reminded of the Voice and when you told me about your experience, I honestly thought it might be him too....and when he denied it, I was honestly quite disappointed -"

    "Don''t listen to him, he''s the very slippery sort. Can''t trust his words at all, he lies A LOT. This just occurred to me now, can''t even imagine why he''d even lie about this BUT he told me that he can''t talk to me when we''re touching because it "disrupts" his connection to the bracelet or something like that and it bothers him..."

    "...But then when he told me about the cure for the flower poison, you were holding me...So see, he clearly lies. All the time for no reason top. It''s definitely him...You should trust your instincts - and mine, I have great instincts." Lei Xing said with a resolute nod.

    Doctor Lou was probably the universal master of lies and half-truths. It was just that he was the sort to sound so assertive and convincing that a listener felt inclined to believe him.

    {...Actually it was more like you had no choice but to believe him considering he either never explained things or his explanation made you more confused and therefore it was pointless to even keep asking...Still, I am so stupid -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes, "Now that I think about it, he probably has something to do with me being here, I mean he said all that bullcrap about similar energies coming together and the universe righting itself by me transmigrating here and all that nonsense...and him facilitating things on behalf of the universe..."

    "...I mean when you consider everything with him especially wanting a "wedding" and all. He could have very well brought me here just so I could marry you and so this craziness in the sky could happen...maybe?...And then what does that mean? It''s Insane, I know...but it makes sense, right?" Lei Xing asked turning to the Emperor.

    She had been thinking out loud for the Emperor to hear, but she was truly confused. Her thoughts had reached a dead end so now she turned to him for some affirmation or other theories.

    The Emperor simply blinked at her, she had just said a lot and he honestly did not really understand most of it.

    She had been talking quite fast but before he could even begin to respond to her inquiry, Lei Xing suddenly snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "I''ve seen them before!" with her mouth hanging open. She closed her mouth and then scratched her head as she pursed her lips, looking even more confused now.

    "Seen what?" The Emperor prodded, curious and confused. While her thoughts were all over the place, it did seem like she had more of an idea of what was going on than he did. At the very least, she had a lot more to say about the situation.

    Lei Xing did not respond and simply frowned and continued scratching her head, lost in thought.

    "Xing er''?" The Emperor called and she snapped out of it and looked at him in confusion and asked, "What?"

    "You''ve seen what before?" The Emperor patiently inquired.

    "Ahhh...that." Lei Xing said and then ran her hand through her hair and said, "Well...I think I have, I think....I couldn''t tell during the day because well...it was different, it looked different and I guess I wasn''t really thinking...But looking at the night sky now reminded me. That time earlier when it got dark before the celestial bodies dissipated and the phoenix dragon thing happened...I could be mistaken, but I think...I really think I''ve seen those...four planet thingys...before..."

 Chapter 280 - Relaying Minds

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor''s expectant face and started to feel a bit foolish. It was not like she had an actual explanation or anything concrete. She was not even sure about it, so she awkwardly said, "You''re not allowed to laugh..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and lightly snorted. Whenever she told him not to laugh, it was always because she was about to say something ridiculous. So whenever he heard her start with that warning, he automatically felt the urge to laugh. But this situation was obviously very serious, so he tampered down the urge and seriously responded, "I won''t...Go ahead."

    Lei Xing nodded, frowned, and then tentatively said, "Ummm...well...I think...I saw it in a dream...?"

    "A dream?...What kind of dream?" The Emperor inquired with a frown of his own.

    Seeing him taking her seriously, Lei Xing felt reassured with her crazy theory and explained, "Well...I didn''t actually, like see them directly...I just saw their reflection or what I think is their reflection in a pond...could have been a drawing on the ground too I guess..."

    The Emperor raised a confused eyebrow and Lei Xing quickly explained, "Well you see, in the dream, it was night time...and rather than just the moon reflecting in the water or what I think was water, there were those four, reflecting...I think it looked similar I think...It kind of a lucid dream, where I was watching the scenery unfold before me like a movie -..."

    "Mov-?"

    "It means a play..." Lei Xing offhandedly clarified and continued, "...Anyway, so I saw them in the water and thought they were intriguing so I took a bit of note of it. I didn''t see the actual sky though because I - well, we were under a roofed walkway apparently following these two kids who were arguing about - I don''t really remember. The weird thing was - actually I guess it''s not weird if she has my name, after all, it is my dream...Anyway, I saw them there, I think...As for what it means I have no clue..." Lei Xing finished scratching her head with a frown again.

    {...Therefore, pointless information...Oy, Doc...I''m going to need you to come out of your drunk hole now (?_? )...}

    The Emperor blinked at her, "Two children...a boy and a girl?

    "En."

    "And one had your name..." The Emperor said with a frown.

    Lei Xing let out a little awkward laugh, "I know it''s ridiculous...I could also be wrong...Anyway, it just occurred to me as I looked up at the moon just now... I''ll ask that qua- Doctor Lou later. It''s not useful at all for now so let''s just forget it -"

    "Was it in a temple...with peach blossoms?" The Emperor continued to inquire. It was an absurd thought but as soon as she mentioned two children and her name, he remembered his own odd, intriguing dream of the past. And as Lei Xing just advised he should trust his instincts and so he here was following his instincts and asking these questions.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and looked at him skeptically, "I guess, temple...palace? I can''t be sure. Anyway, how ha-"

    "Was this the night we spent at that Doctor''s place?" The Emperor cut in again with a deepening frown.

    Lei Xing blinked and knit her brows, "How did you -Did he give me something weird to drink that night?!" Lei Xing loudly exclaimed, shocking the servants who were keeping their distance awake. Lei Xing glanced at them and they promptly lowered their heads and went back to ignoring the couple. Lei Xing grabbed the Emperor''sarm and lowered her voice, "How did you know? He told you about it, didn''t he?"

    {...That sneaky old man (?_? )...}

    Even though Lei Xing did not tell Doctor Lou about the dream, he could have always seen into her head, dream, or at this point, whatever he wanted. She truly did not know the extent of his powers right now.

    Frankly, Lei Xing never thought anything about the dream as she woke up to face a day of chaos with the Empress dowager and Chen You''s rubbish. Then the issue with the birth control and the Emperor. that sent her into a self-inflicted depression for days. She truly did not have the time or energy to ponder over a dream at that time.

    Rather than answering her inquiry, the Emperor asked, "Were the children discussing bracelets?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him in surprise again, "Yeah...I think. Tell me, how did you - Wait, did you see into my head?" She suddenly asked, remembering another possibility.

    {...I mean there was that thing with the stupid painting and...that other one too...so maybe? O_O)...}

    "See into your head?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, "What do y-"

    "Nevermind." Lei Xing swiftly interjected, reining in her crazy, "Just tell me how you know." She said with a frown.

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Well...I think I had the same dream that night..."

    "Really?" Lei Xing went, completely taken aback.

    The Emperor nodded and Lei Xing knit her brows in thought and then said, "It has to be that quack again...Has to be..."

    {...Definitely him -_-)''...}

    The Emperor thought back and then answered her question, "Well...I can''t be sure if he gave you anything before I arrived...As for me, I did drink with him but that was after our bath -"

    "Bath?" Lei Xing asked with wide eyes, "You had a bath with the old man?"

    {...Ohhhh O_O)...}

    The Emperor frowned, "Of course not. I meant you and me."

    "Oh hoho~ My mistake." Lei Xing said snickering. She had already been imagining the awkward scene of the Emperor and Doctor Lou giggling and splashing water on each other in the hot springs.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, he could imagine the nonsense going on her head, "I woke up in the middle of the night, from that dream to find you burning up. I went to get the doctor and he said it was because there was still some of the toxins left in your system so instructed me to put you in the hot springs for a while to sweat it out..."

    "...Obviously there were no maids so naturally, I had to take care of you myself and naturally, I had to sit in there with you to ensure sure you didn''t drown...Didn''t you wonder why you were dressed in the morning?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow and a little smirk.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and promptly looked away as her cheeks began to redden, "W-well...it was a busy morning...I naturally couldn''t be bothered...about clothes so..."

    The Emperor snorted as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged before she could fly away. He pat her head and whispered, "You can''t seriously still be so shy after all this time?"

    "I''m not shy...just a bit surpr - taken unawares..." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout.

    "Ah, taken unawares...I see..."The Emperor said with a chuckle as he released her.

    Lei Xing sent him a glare and then said, "Back to the IMPORTANT topic...s-so you had the same dream?" She said, quickly changing the topic before the Emperor could gain more laughs at her expense.

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought and responded, "Well, it sounds like it was the same...But I don''t remember seeing those celestial bodies in it though, but then again, my mind might have been focused on other matters...such as those bracelets..." The Emperor said with a sigh.

    "...I don''t know if you remember, but apparently the bracelets were meant to alert the other when one was in danger...I was thinking about how nice it would be to have them, that way I would know to go save you whenever you''re in trouble...I was really worried that night and today -... I thought I would lose you..." He quietly said as he hugged her again.

    The Emperor sighed and he remembered in the dream, the bracelet was a parting gift of sorts, he could truly understand the heart of the boy who had gotten this gift to ease his heart as he had to leave her behind.

    {...Perhaps if we had something like that, I''d feel much better letting you go...}

    The Emperor sighed.

    Lei Xing also sighed and hugged him back, unsure what to say. She could not say she would never leave him as no one could tell what tomorrow will bring. If a situation ever came that made it so her presence here would hurt or destroy him, she would rather leave...She would never be able to live with herself otherwise.

    "I was worried too..." She finally managed to say.

    The Emperor released her and held her cheek, "Xing er'', I honestly don''t care much about how all this happened -"

    "You really don''t care? Even when there''s obviously-"

    "Something more between us?" The Emperor finished with a smirk.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and nodded, "Aren''t you curious? This isn''t the only instance of these shared visions? Should I call them visions?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and hesitated for a moment but then proceeded, "You know, I just asked if you saw into my head...It wasn''t a random question. It''s because I think I''ve seen into your head before. You know that dragon and phoenix painting you gifted me, you said it was from a dream but I have a memory of that view long before I ever set eyes on it, I even described it to others during the selection period...You drew it exactly how I imagined it."

    "...Also, remember that poem I wrote during the contest, you thought I was paying homage to the other painting you showed me but I really wasn''t. I had never set eyes on that painting before nor had I ever heard of any of your battles at that time, much less hearing about how you were ambushed in your first war...I - I just had those images in my head...And now there''s this dream and all this that happened today...It''s obviously not normal, it''s very strange...How can you not be curious about all this?"

    The Emperor was not at all surprised by her string of revelations just now. After all, he had already had his own string of oddities pertaining to her. This just made her reaction in his study that day make more sense. The Emperor sighed, "I am curious but...stranger things have happened." Such as him seeing a future vision of his mother strangling Lei Xing.

    {...Should I tell her about that?... It would probably just make her more worried...}

    The Emperor sighed again, "I have long learned that not all things should be questioned and not all questions will be answered..."

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, "But -"

    "What should matter is how it worked out. This was in our favor, we should be grateful..." The Emperor calmly said.

    Lei Xing pouted, "I guess but...I''m sure that quack knows what''s happening..."

    "I''m sure he does..." The Emperor responded hugging her and stroking her hair.

    Lei Xing hugged him back, "He probably won''t tell us though..."

    "He probably won''t..." The Emperor acknowledged.

    "I don''t like being played with..." Lei Xing irritatedly said

    "Neither do I." The Emperor calmly responded.

    "I don''t feel very grateful right now." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout.

    "I do..." The Emperor said with a light chuckle, closing his eyes and resting his cheek on top of her head. He was curious but for him but Doctor Lou''s warning about the repercussions of uncovering the Voice''s identity still resonated in his head. So for him, there were much more important things than satisfying curiosity.

 Chapter 281 - Winning Logic

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes but begrudgingly, she had to agree that the Emperor had the right idea on the issue.

    It was not like they could go catch Doctor Lou and force him to explain anything. First of all, there was no way they could easily apprehend or threaten someone who could do the things he did. Not to mention, Doctor Lou himself had even told her that "no one in the universe" could force him to do something he did not want to.

    What''s more, who knows what he would do to them if they actually even attempted to torture him.

    {...Not that I''m up for torture, but I doubt it would even work on him...Knowing him, he''ll probably turn it into a crazy game of sorts (?_? )...}

    For one thing, they would have to find him first. The Emperor had once sent out an extensive search for the old man but could not even find his trail...All in all, it would be a pointless stupid effort.

    Lei Xing sighed, she could kick all this under the rug as the Emperor''s suggested. After all, she was never the sort to bother about things beyond her but then again, nothing had ever affected her like this so it was different. Moreover, it was different when she knew a way to possibly get answers.

    Therefore, she could not just ignore it. She would still try to question Doctor Lou, who knows she might catch him in one of his sparse truthful moods. She would prefer a face to face encounter where she might be able to get him riled enough and he could not outrightly ignore with the way he did with the bracelet. So tomorrow she would check to see if he was back...Although she doubted it.

    Regardless, she would still try later with the bracelet as well. For now, he was not responding and it was very late so there was nothing else to be done. Lei Xing closed her eyes and sighed.

    {...What a crazy day...When I find you doc, you will have to answer some questions or else - Well, please just answer the questions! I need answers T_T)...}

    Xiao Ruo eventually came over to inform the couple that dinner was ready. Apparently, knowing that Lei Xing would be hungry, the Emperor ordered the meal to be prepared earlier, to be quickly reheated as soon as Lei Xing woke up.

    The couple returned to their bedroom and ate in silence, each with their own thoughts. Since this was her first meal of the day, Lei Xing happily gulped down the meal.

    But obviously her mind was still bothered by their conversation earlier, because as soon as the table was cleared and the servants withdrew, she turned to the Emperor and skeptically asked, "So you really don''t have any thoughts on this issue at all? Not even on the dream and shared memory stuff? No?..."

    The Emperor glanced at her and as he looked at her expectant expression, he was reminded of a certain thought, he smiled and then said, "Well... I did have a certain thought that night about the dream -"

    "What is it?" Lei Xing asked, when the Emperor suddenly stopped talking and knit his brows.

    "Nothing." The Emperor swiftly responded, smiling again.

    Lei Xing frowned, "Nothing? You were going to say something just now...Just say it, it can''t be any weirder than what''s already happened."

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought again and then finally said, "Well, I thought the dream was strange, so vivid that I thought I could actually still smell the peach blossoms for a bit after waking... but I later dismissed it as nothing, I was simply hazy from the dream..."

    "Hmm..." Lei Xing went and knit her brows in thought, "It''s all very strange...so we can''t discount anything..."

    The Emperor showed a wry smile, picked up his teacup, and sipped his tea, facing forward. Thankfully she had bought that excuse.

    He could not tell her the true thoughts he had that night, the thoughts about how he had dreamt up their children. That he had thought how adorable their little Xing er'' would be or that he had been wanting to know Lei Xing''s thoughts on the giving them their names.

    That night, he had thought he could discuss it with her in the morning. But reality proved to be very different from expectations and he had woken up to overhear her asking for birth control and to her not wanting children...for now.

    Moreover, he had agreed to not pressure her and was willing to wait until her own time. Therefore, he could not tell her these thoughts.

    Lei Xing obviously continued to ponder over the issue at hand, "One you could say is a coincidence, but three, four? There''s definitely something going on...And even if I can''t be sure about those celestial bodies and stuff in the dream. But then what are the odds of two people having the same dream on the same night?"

    The Emperor smirked at her and responded, "Well, given the activit-"

    "Don''t even try to say it has something that has to do with "love" and stuff." Lei Xing promptly cut in, narrowing her eyes at him, "It''s not normal, even the most "in-love" couples don''t experience things like this -"

    "Have you been in - Well, have you "thought" you might have been in love with someone else before?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, still smirking.

    "No." Lei Xing truthfully responded, "But I don''t need to have more experience to know it''s not normal."

    "Me neither~" The Emperor said with a happy smile, patting her head. Lei Xing immediately glared at him and swat his hand away.

    The Emperor snorted and then continued to say, "Well, if we have never experienced these feelings with others before, how can we deem what we have abnormal?"

    "Are you playing with me?" Lei Xing flatly asked, unamused.

    "No...I''m asking a serious question. You can''t know what experiences other people have in their relationsh.i.p.s. And if you haven''t experienced other relationsh.i.p.s, how can you know what we have in this relationship isn''t normal?" The Emperor finished narrowing his eyes back at her.

    Lei Xing''s face twitched in annoyance, "Don''t play mind games with me, I know mind games. You''re trying to distract me, it''s not working. People talk so over time a general idea of what to expect in relationsh.i.p.s has been established. THIS is abnormal."

    The Emperor quietly looked at her for a bit and Lei Xing sent him a little smug look, challenging him to refute that.

    {...I win. Don''t argue with logic~(��??��)~...}

    The Emperor put down his teacup, "Xing er''...Have you told others about the odd happenings in our relationship?" He seriously asked, interrupting the victory lap Lei Xing was currently running in her head.

    Lei Xing paused and blinked at him and then pursed her lips. But before she could respond, the Emperor added, "Other than me of course, who you just enlightened just now and that bracelet doctor who we both suspect is unordinary...have you told any others?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and glanced over to the side with a frown.

    {...Tch...This guy...but everyone isn''t like me. I know I have issues, I don''t talk to people but people talk to people...So it still makes sense - I can already see his counterargument to that...A simple question of "why didn''t you tell anyone?" - To which the true answer is because it''s weird and I don''t want to look crazy. I only told him now because an even crazier situation happened today...So obviously other people wouldn''t want to look crazy and so would naturally keep qui-...}

    "You''re not going to respond?" The Emperor asked, with a victorious smirk of his own.

    Lei Xing glared at him and then leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, "Fine...but still you have to accept that it is all rather strange..."

    "I''ll accept that..." The Emperor said with a smile and then reached over again and pat her head.

    Lei Xing pouted but let his hand be this time. The Emperor happily continued lovingly patting her head as he advised, "There''s nothing to worry about...Let''s just relax and be happy today~"

    Lei Xing glanced at his smiling face and then sighed, "This wasn''t how today was supposed to go..."

    The Emperor stopped patting and let out a sigh of his own, "True...I should be painting you right now.

    When Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him, he smilingly explained, "You looked so stunning in your Empress''s ceremonious outfit that the moment I saw you I made the decision right there to paint you tonight before I took them off..."

    The Emperor then smirked and leaned towards her, "But it''s not too late, how about you go get right now? Consider it my birthday pre-""

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes as the Emperor spoke, they were discussing serious life-altering matters and here he was thinking about - "Ah!" Lei Xing suddenly exclaimed, shooting to her feet.

    She was about to rush out when the Emperor promptly stood up and grabbed her arm, "What is it?" He asked with a concerned frown.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then quickly said, "Nothing...I just need to go ge- do something -"

    "Do what?" The Emperor asked. It was already so late, not to mention, anything that made her so jumpy was definitely very concerning to him.

    Lei Xing knit brows, "Nothing important, I''ll be right back!" She said quickly patting his cheek and shrugging his arm off, and moving towards the door.

    Before the Emperor could say anything again, Lei Xing turned back to him with a bright smile, "Please stay here for me...Thank you~" She sweetly said and then turned and pretty much ran out of the room, leaving a concerned and confused Emperor behind.

 Chapter 282 - Stage Presence

    Lei Xing quickly left the room and as she marched, she glanced at Xiao Ruo and asked, "Everything is ready, correct? Just the lighting, right? Have that done quickly, I''ll go get dressed."

    "Lighting?" Xiao Ruo asked, blinking at Lei Xing in confusion.

    Lei Xing immediately stopped and turned to Xiao Ruo, "Lighting the pavilion, it''s ready, isn''t it?"

    "Ah!" Xiao Ruo exclaimed and then tentatively went, "We were going to have it prepared during the banquet but then all that happened and you fainted...and we - I wasn''t sure -" Xiao Ruo timidly explained.

    Lei Xing sighed and then said, "It''s alright, I understand." After all, it was a crazy day for all of them, even she herself forgot. "Just go get everything ready, get more people if needed to speed things up..." Lei Xing ordered and then resumed walking but stopped again and scanned her maids, " Where''s Ah Jin?" She asked suddenly realizing that she had not seen Ah Jin since the morning.

    "She said she''s not feeling well, so she went in to rest." Xiao Ruo explained.

    "Oh...Has she seen a physician?"

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows, "I wanted to send for one, but she declined it and insisted that she just needs some rest. She did not want to bother you..."

    "Alright then...If she''s still not doing well in the morning, send for a physician and have a maid watch over her tonight to ensure she doesn''t get worse..." Lei Xing said and then resumed walking.

    She had basically been preparing all month for this and then almost forgot. Well, she could not be blamed for that, she even forgot her own birthday sometimes...and given the situation of the day, it was perfectly understandable.

    {...I am such a crappy girlfriend - or wife, whatever I am right now!... Well, at least I remembered. That''s better than most people, right?...No? (??��??)...}

    Even though everything was feeling a bit chaotic at the moment, she still wanted to give him his moment, well, her moment. She needed to see her hard work come to life.

    After Lei Xing left the room, the Emperor sat down, glancing in the direction of the doors for a while, curiously waiting for her return. After a long while passed, he realized she was not returning anytime soon. He sighed, "What is she up to now?"

    He glanced around the room and then decided to go over to her desk. Just as he sat down the doors opened and he perked up, expectantly with a smile causing Xiao Ruo to almost jump out of her skin when she came into view to see the Emperor smiling at her.

    The Emperor immediately frowned in disappointment and Xiao Ruo quickly lowered her head and explained, "The E-empress sent me to ask if you needed anything..."

    The Emperor lightly sighed and asked, "What is the Empress doing?" While he did not mind her being busy during the day, it was already the middle of the night, what could she possibly be doing right now...that was more important than him?

    Xiao Ruo blinked and her eyes shifted awkwardly, she could not lie to the Emperor BUT Lei Xing would be very angry with her if she told him. Cold sweat started to form on her head as she pondered which crime was greater at the moment.

    "You can leave..." The Emperor said, sparing the poor girl. Xiao Ruo quickly bowed and then sped out of the room before he could change his mind.

    The Emperor sighed again and picked up a book to see it was an accounts book. He picked another to see the same thing. After going through a few options, he finally found something interesting, Lei Xing''s "drawing" book. She had shown it to him before when she had drawn the plans for her oven a few weeks ago before she commissioned. She wanted to get his opinion to check if he could make sense of her words before she went to discuss it with the builders.

    He smiled as he remembered how excited she was telling about all the good food they would be able to eat with this "invention" of hers. Although she did explain that it was not really her invention. The Emperor chuckled to himself.

    {...She could be so serious and unserious at the same time...really cute~...}

    The Emperor leaned back and continued to flip through Lei Xing''s art book. As expected there were all sorts of other weird, but oddly interesting designs in there.

    He had discovered during the last few weeks that Lei Xing was quite skilled, as long as you were not expecting her to draw a person or anything lifelike. Although he had told her that she had foundations to be good, if not highly-skilled, and he even offered to teach her but she declined.

    She agreed with his analysis of her skills, but then explained that she lacked the natural aptitude for it and most importantly, she lacked the patience for art. Then she cutely said she would leave all the complicated drawings to him with a sweet smile.

    Thus, he had unofficially been dubbed her personal artist, although she had yet to commission his services for a job. He would honestly prefer to draw her over anything else, but she also lacked the patience to be a proper model.

    {...She really needs a lot of care...}

    "What does this all really mean?" The Emperor said with a sigh as he put the book down, speaking both on the odd forms in Lei Xing''s collection and the oddities that had taken place today.

    While he told Lei Xing to forget the unanswerable, he was truly curious as well. But rather than waste his energy on questioning the state of things, he would rather use the energy to device how best to use the situation to their advantage.

    If he played his hand correctly, he could take complete control of the country''s politics simply by monopolizing heaven''s will. Heaven''s mandate was after all even above the Emperor''s. Therefore, if one controlled heaven''s will, they controlled the people.

    His first move tomorrow would be to make the role of the seers obsolete, their words were given way too much weight now and he did not like it. How dare they tell him who is to marry?

    {...Useless...}

    The doors finally opened again, pulling the Emperor out of his thoughts. Having learned from last time, he controlled his expression and simply glanced in the door''s general direction. Xiao Ruo reappeared again and bowed to the Emperor and happily said, "Your majesty, the Empress asked me for you to come over...please follow me."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, Lei Xing had said she would come herself but he said nothing and simply rose, "Lead the way..."

    He honestly was not sure to expect but he as he walked along, he began to anticipate seeing her more and more. It was clear she had organized something special for them and that thought alone was enough to make him ecstatic.

    They walked through the corridors of the Empress''s palace and arrived at the back doors, which were then opened to reveal a beautifully decorated blue scene that was not there the night before.

    While the rest of the palace and city was decorated with the red lanterns celebrating the ceremony today, the back of the Empress palace was decorated with blue, seemingly silk flower-patterned lanterns, strung out around and above the garden.

    From where he stood, there were several wooden beams put in place, wrapped and connected at the top with blue silk linens. There were then columns of the flower-patterned lanterns hanging from the beams. There were also blue lotus lanterns floating in the pond, further brightening the serene, festive scene.

    It was all reminiscent of a brightened ocean.

    In the center of this beautiful serene scene, Lei Xing stood there looking at him with a welcoming smile. She was wearing a simple light, almost netty blue silk strapless wrap dress of various layers with a vined silver chest band and on her neck, rested the Emperor''s wolf teeth pearl necklace.

    Her hair was put up in an elaborate array of braids with several silver circlets and jewelry pieces placed in them with a little crystal resting on the center of her forehead, it all presented like a silver crown.

    There were two silver circlets up one on her arms which had long strips of lighter blue silk which billowed in the wind, like open sleeves as she slowly walked over to him. She was glowing radiantly and seemed otherworldly...It all, well, she looked like a dream, a beautiful dream.

    A slow smile formed on the Emperor''s face as his eyes fixed on her neck, it always brought a smile to his face whenever he saw it on her neck. Staying true his request she always kept it on, like she did the bracelet and ring.

    Lei Xing stopped in front of him with a bashful smile, up close he could see her ears were completely crimson. She met his eyes and then quickly averted her gaze, she was suddenly feeling embarrassed now under his scrutiny with her heart doing cartwheels on the inside.

    {...You really shouldn''t look at someone like that, you''re gonna give me a heart attack! (/T/��/T/)...Okay, buck up! This is MY stage!...}

    Lei Xing lightly cleared her throat and then looked - well, more like glared up at him as she announced, "Happy birthday!" loudly and so rigidly, like a soldier reporting for duty with a "sweet" smile...which combined with the glare presented as a menacing look that was simply incredible to behold.

    {...What the hell did I shout it for? (??��??)...}

    The Emperor blinked at her and then snorted, and snorted again and just burst out laughing.

    Lei Xing''s "smile" immediately fell and she frowned at him.

    {...What the hell is funny?! Huh? What?... Tell me, so I can laugh too or kill you, whichever one comes first. ?(?_? ?)...}

 Chapter 283 - Prime Utterances

    Lei Xing did not at all share the Emperor''s humor at the moment. She had spent all this time planning this to celebrate his birthday and had happily gotten dressed for him and now he was laughing at her?

    Seeing Lei Xing glaring daggers at him, the Emperor promptly reined in his laughter and wrapped an arm around her, "You look as beautiful as a dream~" He said as he brought up the other to her face as he happily leaned in for a kiss.

    {...Really cute~...}

    Lei Xing swiftly swat his hand away and narrowed her eyes at him, "A hilarious dream I suppose -"

    "I''m sorry..." The Emperor apologized with a smile, "It was just the face yo-"

    "You have a problem with my face now?" Lei Xing interjected with a glare, "Great! Then you and your reflection will have a great time tonight...alone." Lei Xing finished with a disgruntled pout as she tapped on his arms, demanding to be released.

    The Emperor obviously did not budge, instead, he hugged her, "Not possible...last night was already too much..." He said resting his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck.

    "I had a great night..." Lei Xing said rolling her eyes, although she did not reject his hold.

    {...This player, "sweet" words don''t work here...Laugh and kiss, I''ll kick you! ?_? )...}

    The Emperor lightly chuckled, he knew she did not mean that. After all, she was the same person he had found here blankly staring into space in the middle of the night the day before. He really liked this outfit but as he held her like this and the coldness of her shoulder, he could not help asking, "Aren''t you cold?"

    "Tch, like you care..." Lei Xing mumbled in response and he could hear the pout in her voice.

    The Emperor snorted, her making snide comments like this meant that she was really not angry. The Emperor straightened up, looked down at her with a smile, and sweetly said, "I obviously care about you the most~..."

    Lei Xing scoffed and rolled her eyes, still pouting off to the side, not looking at him.

    The Emperor sighed and pulled at her cheek, "Xing er''...don''t be angry. I was just happy...It was a laughter of joy and happiness. No one has ever gone through such an effort for my birthday before...I myself usually forgot the day, it was nothing to celebrate..."

    Lei Xing sent him a skeptical glance and he smiled at her.

    {...Tch, guilt trip but...It''s okay~...}

    She had asked Ming Shu about it and been told that his birthday had never been celebrated in the palace before, apparently the late Emperor did not "pamper" his children. This was one of the main reasons she was so excited about it.

    But she could not make it too easy for him, how dare he laugh at her? So she cleared her throat, "Laugh of joy?"

    The Emperor swiftly nodded, "Immense joy..."

    Lei Xing skeptically looked him over, "And what was that about the face?"

    "Most beautiful as always..." He sweetly responded, caressing her cheek.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat again and tried to stamp down her smile, "Fine...I''ll let myself be deceived...this once~"

    The Emperor smiled and then asked again, "Aren''t you cold?" As he ran his arms up and down hers to warm them.

    "I''m fine...It''s warm enough." Lei Xing said stopping his arms with a smile, "Anyway~ back to the schedule, come with me..." She said as she linked her arm through his and walked him over to the pavilion, which like the rest of the garden was decorated with blue flower lanterns and blue silk hangings.

    Lei Xing walked the Emperor over to a table filled snacks, fruits, and three jars of wine. She sat him down on one of the soft plush cushions and sat next to him, and then went to fill two cups of wine. She then handed one over to the Emperor and then raised the other with a smile to him and said, "Congratulations on your happy 21st...correct?"

    The Emperor nodded and she continued, "I wish you a long, fruitful, brilliant, fulfilled rule and life~" She finished and then linked their cups.

    "With you..." The Emperor added with a smile. Lei Xing paused and blinked at him, then she said, "Together~"

    The Emperor''s smile brightened and he drained his cup along with her. He looked at his necklace on her neck and her "together" reverberated in his head. She might know it, but she had just given him a lifetime promise and he will do his utmost to ensure that it is kept.

    After they gulped down the wine, the Emperor promptly enveloped Lei Xing''s in his arms and got the kiss he had been longing for all day.

    After a deep, long happy kiss, they parted lips. The Emperor caressed her cheek and looked down at her blushing face with a doting smile. She truly seemed very nervous tonight, it was very adorable, "I love you..." The Emperor softly said, feeling immense joy for having this precious moment with her.

    At one point today, he had feared he would never spend another night with her yet here they were celebrating his birthday together. He was truly grateful to have this moment.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then shyly glanced to the side and quietly said, "Me too..."

    "You too what?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow as he gently turned her face back to him.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and kept her eyes fixed on his chest and awkwardly went, "W-well... you know."

    The Emperor looked at her blushing face and smiled. He definitely knew what she meant or at least he thought he did...After all, even if she rarely expressed her feelings in words, her actions always spoke on her behalf.

    But other than on two questionable occasions, she had never mentioned "loving" him. The first he now knew was thanks to her explanation about the bracelet was simply fueled by urgent excitement at being freed from an "oppressor".

    And the other was the recent "I think" situation after she had told him the truth about herself. This one he honestly could simply have been due to feelings of gratitude for him being so understanding and open-minded in accepting her.

    Therefore, he truly could not be confidently sure she meant what he thought she did. But while he would like to hear her say those words, it was not too important. The Emperor lightly sighed and moved on from the topic, "Are you sure you aren''t cold?" he asked again frowning at her bare shoulders.

    "No, I''m really fine..." Lei Xing responded with a smile as she moved to refill their cups.

    {...I''m too warm actually...Your eyes are basically an oven these days (??��??)...}

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows and then stood up and quickly removed his outer robe and crouched down and dr.a.p.ed it over her, "Still...wear this. I don''t want you to get sick."

    Lei Xing blankly stared at him as he adjusted the robe over her and then sighed, "You know...I don''t think even my own parents doted on me as much as you do..."

    "It is what I should do..." The Emperor responded patting her face, "So do you have any request for tonight?"

    "Request? It''s your birthday, you should be the one making the requests." Lei Xing responded with a little laugh. She had taken pains to look beautiful for him but he apparently did not care much about it and now he was asking her what she wanted?

    {...Be a bit selfish, won''t you?...}

    The Emperor blinked at her and then said, "I have no requests..."

    "Are you sure?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor took her hand, looked down at it, and caressed it, "I have all I need...So tell me, what do you want me to play for you?" He asked smiling up at her.

    Lei Xing blinked at him in confusion and then he motioned to the qin placed on a table across from them and Lei Xing glanced remembered what she was doing and went, "Oh!...Sit down." She quickly said pulling him down on the cushions.

    She then removed his robe and put it in his lap and said, "It disrupts the scenery...just for now."She quickly added before the Emperor could protest. " Today, I''m the one who will be playing for you~" She happily announced with a smug smile.

    "Oh?" The Emperor went slightly knitting his brows in surprise. Till today, he had still never heard her play. She always turned down his requests, so he was pleasantly surprised to hear this.

    This was again not the reaction she was expecting, Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, "I will have you know that I have been training very hard for this event and while I may not be a master YET...I am most certainly no longer a noob." She finished, proudly raising her head high.

    The Emperor knit his brows, "Is this why you''ve been so busy recently?"

    "Partly..." Lei Xing responded knitting her brows as well, another unexpected response.

    The Emperor sighed and then hugged her, "Thank you...but you shouldn''t have stressed yourself so much ove-"

    "Why are you picking at everything today? Can''t you just be happy and enjoy it...?" Lei Xing interjected. He kept focusing on weird points today, it was confusing.

    The Emperor chuckled and then released her and held her hands, "I''m sorry...It''s just...I can''t help it when it comes to you. You make me worry...I''ve never worried about anyone like this before..."

    Lei Xing scoffed and sarcastically said, "Guess you''ll make a great father then..."

    The Emperor froze and Lei Xing also froze as she realized she just brought up the taboo topic. She glanced at the Emperor to see him calmly looking at her with an odd look in his eyes. She gulped as her heart jumped.

    Lei Xing promptly got to her feet, "Um...I''ll go play now."

    With that said, Lei Xing quickly scurried over to the qin table while stifling the feelings of wanting to bang her head on a wall somewhere for her insensitive remark just now.

    Since their cold war, they had both intentionally been avoiding talking about anything related to children and she just had to go and "praise" his parenting skills.

    {...Prime example of mouth moving before brain! Way to ruin the atmosphere! Crazy stupid mouth! >_

    Lei Xing sat down, took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. She glanced at the Emperor to see him calmly smiling at her, looking completely unaffected by her remark just now. This made Lei Xing relax a bit and she smiled back at him and tentatively went, "Um...I composed this for you...It''s my first so, um...I hope you like it."

    "Naturally will~" The Emperor said as he picked up his cup and raised it to her with a smirk.

    Lei Xing''s face twitched a bit but she maintained her smile and then looked down at the qin and inwardly sighed. It would be a lie if she said she had no clue what he wanted, not only was it a want, it was an actual need yet he said he needed nothing.

    This sort of selfless love he offered her was sometimes disconcerting...Sometimes, she felt horrible for giving him so little in return, times like now.

    Lei Xing glanced up at the Emperor again and he playfully asked, "Nervous?"

    Lei Xing blinked and swiftly went, "No, just making you''re ready to receive this...magnificence." She awkwardly finished, raising her head high.

    The Emperor snorted and she narrowed her eyes at him. He quickly adjusted his expression and motioned for her to go ahead. Lei Xing cleared her throat and then announced, "I''ll start now."

    She looked down at the qin, took a deep breath, and began to play the song she had memorized with laser-like focus.

    {...I feel a bit foolish...sometimes...}

 Chapter 284 - Home Base

    "See~ I told you they would come back on their own...You all worry for nothing~" Doctor Lou dismissively said as he lazily stretched out on a table with a yawn and stared at Qi Yin''s back.

    He was currently in a pavilion, situated next to a roaring waterfall situated on the edge of the Qi temple. Doctor Lou had "followed" his sister home after running from the annoying meeting with the troublesome clan heads who were insisting on going to poking their noses where it did not belong.

    Especially that annoying bickering trio of Feng, Han, and Long clans...Honestly, they should be thanking him for all his efforts and not questioning him, Doctor Lou thought with a pout.

    Although, Doctor Lou could understand that the disappearance of the four suns was something that affected their own closely so it was natural they were defensive. They seemed even more worried than the three people who were directly affected by this phenomenon - they did not even show up to the meeting.

    Then again, for a long time now Doctor Lou has not been able to tell what was going on the heads.

    They all changed since that time, even he changed...Only Qi Yin here seemed to have remained the same or perhaps, she remained grounded to hold them all up. After all, she was the one directing things in the background in those early days.

    Although, them not showing up was good because then the Qi siblings were left in charge of things, and so Qi Lou, Doctor Lou technically did not have to answer to anyone. So naturally, Doctor Lou disagreed with anyone going to check things out and told them it would all be fine with some time.

    He kept signaling for Qi Yin to chime in and support him since, for some reason beyond him, people seemed to find her more reassuring. But she stubbornly remained silent and just quietly sat there, leaving poor Doctor Lou to sort things out on his own.

    But thankfully mid-meeting, just before things were starting to get rowdier, the uninvited wedding guests returned to their positions, silently and mysteriously as they had left instantly brightening up the dark sky.

    Their return naturally cooled the tension and then the focus shifted to where they went, Qi Yin was nice enough to remain silent and Doctor Lou obviously did not divulge. He simply announced that it was a good sign, nothing to worry about. It was simply the universe doing a bit of...rethinking?

    And with that said, Doctor Lou announced they were busy, grabbed his sister, and hightailed it out of there and went to go find Long Jian.

    It was normal for the other two, Feng Lifen and Han Shen to be absent from such meetings, in fact, them being present would be abnormal. But Long Jian took his rule very seriously and would never be missing in action in such a chaotic situation. They arrived at his palace, but they were barred from entry by his guards and were informed that he was not seeing anyone right now.

    Other than fighting their way through, there was nothing else they could do and so Doctor Lou followed Qi Yin home, and here they were.

    Qi Yin ignored Doctor Lou and continued standing there with her back turned to him observing the four suns, that looked completely normal and "innocent" after causing so much panic with their otherworldly adventures.

    Doctor Lou looked up at Qi Yin and grumbled, "...I don''t know if you''ve noticed but your wine cellar is empty..." Qi Yin still did not respond and so he went, "Ah, but you can''t blame me for that! You left me alone waiting here for so long with no one to keep me company, naturally I had to entertain myself by myself -"

    "And whose fault is it that no one is here?" Qi Yin irritatedly asked, finally turning around, "Also...I never invited you here." She added as she sat down on the table on her side of the pavilion and poured herself a cup of tea.

    Doctor Lou sat up and folded his arms and squinted at her, "In case you''ve forgotten, this is my home too...I don''t need your invite."

    "A home you abandoned..." Qi Yin calmly responded as she took a sip of tea.

    Doctor Lou frowned and mumbled, "I just needed some space..."

    "Some space from here but not space from Taohua temple..."

    Doctor Lou blinked and pouted at the waterfall. After a while, he finally said, "You know I don''t stay there anymore. If you paid attention to anything besides yourself, you would know that I handed it over to Xiao Feng and Xiao Han a long time ago. Hmph! You don''t even know your own student''s history and you call yourself a master -"

    "We do not discuss frivolous matters..." Qi Yin loftily responded narrowing her eyes at him.

    Doctor Lou rolled his eyes, "Of course...if you were a tad bit more fun, I would naturally visit here more often..." He finished pulling at his long beard.

    Qi Yin let out a breath in annoyance and put down her cup loudly, "Why are you here?"

    "To talk." Doctor Lou said with a pout, "I told you I''ve been patiently waiting to for you for a long time - Twice now I''ve come here and you ignored me. Hmph! I always make time for you...You''re unfair."

    Qi Yin rolled her eyes and then went, "Fine...what do you want?"

    Doctor Lou snickered, "I knew you would be interested...So I''ve come across a few things recently that have left me confused so -"

    "Something besides what happened today?" Qi Yin asked with a frown.

    Doctor Lou pouted again and swiftly waved his hand, "Forget today..." He then leaned forward on his table and tentatively asked, "Have you ever handled a person''s soul essence before?"

    Qi Yin looked at him skeptically, hesitated for a long time before finally admitting, "A time or two..."

    "You have?" Doctor Lou exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise, "Why didn''t you tell me? And here I thought you never did anything fu-"

    "It''s nothing for you to know! I - I just had a few...accidents." Qi Yin admitted with difficulty.

    Doctor Lou immediately fell over laughing, "So you can have accidents?! Here I thought you were perfect and would never dab-

    "If you have nothing more to say then leave, I''m busy!" Qi Yin cut in, glaring at the Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou promptly stopped laughing and sat up, "Fine...so stingy!" Squinting at her

    "Says the one actively doing things behind my back..." Qi Yin said squinting back at him.

    "Let''s not get sidetracked!" Doctor Lou swiftly said, not wanting to talk about today''s strangeness at all. "Soooo...have you ever cleansed someone''s soul essence before?"

    "Cleansed?" Qi Yin exclaimed with a frown, "Don''t tell you''re actually thinking ab-"

    "I''m not thinking about anything!" Doctor Lou swiftly defended, pulling his beard, "Don''t make any false assumptions...It''s just a - a research project...I''m theorizing."

    "Does this have anything to do with the issue with your hand?" Qi Yin asked narrowing her eyes.

    "Not important!... Anyway, here''s the theory...So say, I- You or someone else were to get some soul essence of a certain unimportant other individual...say, the soul essence was somewhat, maybe a little bit corrupted... so say you, for example, cleanse the soul essence with your own soul essence and it became brilliant and bright so you sent it along..."

    Qi Yin knit her brows as she listened to her explain his "theory". Doctor Lou squinted and then went, "Pay attention, here''s the tricky part...If, and I say if because this is all theory based, don''t make an-"

    "Just get to your point..." Qi Yin said with an irritated breath.

    Doctor Lou pursed his lips and then cleared his throat and continued, "So if...just if, that same soul essence starts to become a bit, just a bit corrupted again...In this case, is it the same corruption that was cleansed before? - which would mean it actually wasn''t completely cleansed before and in this case, does that mean that it is impossible to fully cleanse another person''s soul essence or did I mi - do you know of a way for me or you or someone else to do that....theoretically." He added for clarification.

    "....Or is it a new corruption setting in? - in which case, does it mean that the fact that the core soul was once or maybe still is corrupted makes it more susceptible to a new corruption or -? What do you think?..." Doctor Lou asked expectantly looking at Qi Yin as he stroked his beard.

    Qi Yin frowned, "What are you - Forget it." Qi Yin finished with a sigh, "I will just respond to your inquiry. A soul is cleansed from the inside out, from within and not the other way around that is why it is not exactly something someone else can do for you..."

    "...Your soul essence remains connected to your core soul, if the source of a river is contaminated, whatever water flows from it will forever remain contaminated unless you can isolate the part from the whole. But physical links are easy to detach, the invisible links of the soul are impossible to detach. With a river, it''s as simple as taking a bowl of water but I''m not sure it''s possible with a soul. No, it''s impossible ..."

    Doctor Lou frowned and pulled at his beard and did not say anything. Qi Yin quietly observed him for a while and then sighed, "Get that idea out of your mind. If it were simple as a cleanse, then father - we would have done so already...Just let it go."

    "As I said, it''s just a theory...You should pay attention." Doctor Lou indignantly responded, "I have always warned you to stop making assumptions. Not goo-"

    "My assumptions have never been wrong..." Qi Yin flatly said.

    "Well, there''s a first time for everything!" Doctor Lou folding his arms on the table to rest his head and stared at the rapidly flowing water heading down into the waterfall.

    Qi Yin sighed again and then said, "Be sure to tell your Xiao Ying to be sure to return here...I''ve decided to leave things alone but if I go back there, I can''t be sure what I''ll do."

    "I can''t talk to Xiao Ying if I''m here...She doesn''t have the bracelet." Doctor Lou quietly responded without looking up.

    Qi Yin frowned, "What happened to the bracelet?"

    Doctor Lou did not respond. After a while of quiet, he repositioned his head and pouted at Qi Yin, "I want to eat."

    "There''s no food here." Qi Yin irritatedly responded, unhappy at being ignored.

    "Wine then"

    "You emptied my cellar."

    "Fine...tea."

    "There''s only enough for one here."

    Doctor Lou sat up, glaring at Qi Yin, "Hmph! You should naturally cater to your guest and should naturally, at least hand over your tea!"

    Qi Yin leisurely refilled her cup of tea and offhandedly said, "As I did not invite you and as you so brilliantly stated earlier, you are no guest here...if you want something, go get it yourself~" She said as she blew over her cup of tea and took a sip, ignoring her brother.

    Doctor Lou frowned at her and then looked down at the kettle and it suddenly flew over to him and he grabbed it before Qi Yin could react.

    "Hah!" Doctor Lou went as he poured the tea straight into his mouth and then hugged the kettle so she could not get it back, "Next time, share~" He smugly said with a snicker.

    Qi Yin frowned at him and then let out an irritated breath, "Rather than worrying about tea and about cleansing someone else''s corruption, you should be worrying about getting rid of the one on your arm before it gets worse..."

    Doctor Lou blinked at her and his eyes shifted oddly, "It''ll be fine...It''s something small..."

    "Small or not, deal with it." Qi Yin said, standing up with a sigh, "As for Xiao Ying, I can already imagine what she is trying to achieve with her actions. But even if you want to spoil a child, there should still be boundaries in her actions, taking over someone else''s life to gain love is not acceptable...If one was to gain the love of another, it should be for who they are and not for a facade..."

    Doctor Lou suspiciously looked up at her, "Why do I get the sense that you also talking to me?" He asked squinting at her.

    "Because I am..." She said squinting back at him

    "Hmph! What do you know? It''s not like you''ve ever been in love before..." Doctor Lou indignantly responded pouting, looking away from her.

    Qi Yin froze and simply blinked at Doctor Lou. When he did not hear a comeback, Doctor Lou cast a side glance and then his eyes went wide as he came to a realization. He promptly turned to her and went, "You have? With who?" He never heard anything about anyone in her life, ever!

    "None of your business!" She loudly responded, shocking both her and Doctor Lou, she blinked and then cleared her throat, "I''m giving Xiao Ying three days to report here...You...You can stay as long as you like to take care of yourself." She finished and then swiftly turned and scurried out the pavilion and disappeared into the surrounding trees.

    Doctor Lou sat there blinking after her. He c.o.c.ked his head and stroked his long beard as he thought hard about who this "love" of his sister''s could be. "Forget that..." Doctor Lou said with a sigh.

    He put down the teapot and looked down at his hand, at the black vines still wiggling about. It was not the first time, so he was not at all worried about it. He was feeling more anxious about other things more important than himself.

    He stood up and walked to the edge of the pavilion and stared at their colorful sky brightened by the three celestial bodies. His eyes fixated on the dark one, which seemingly gave off no light of its own like the other three.

    {...It will all be fine...soon...I''m sure of it...}

 Chapter 285 - Morning Blues

    The next day.

    Lei Xing woke up to find the Emperor gone. According to his schedule, today was an off day but given yesterday''s situation, there was definitely a lot of things to be handled.

    According to custom, Lei Xing and the Emperor were supposed to go to pay their greetings to the Empress dowager this morning. But given their relationship with the Empress dowager, it definitely would not be a welcoming visit and if the Emperor did not care, then Lei Xing did not care either.

    Lei Xing sighed and pulled herself up and absentmindedly went about her morning routine. It was only when she sat down for brunch that her bad mood finally peaked and she ended up just frowning at the bowl of contraceptive soup.

    After a long time of Lei Xing just sitting there, Xiao Ruo finally could not help asking, "Your majesty, are you alright?"

    Lei Xing did not respond, so she became even more concerned and spoke more loudly, "Your majesty?...Your majest-"

    "What?" Lei Xing jumped and blinked up at Xiao Ruo in surprise, "What is it?"

    Xiao Ruo shook her head and tentatively asked, "...Do you not like the food?"

    Lei Xing knit her brows and looked down at the table of food, which were all some of her favorites, probably ordered by the Emperor and sighed, "It''s fine..." She said as rested her elbow on the table and leaned her head on her hand, picked up her chopsticks, and lazily picked at some spicy chicken, "That reminds me... How is Ah Jin?"

    Xiao Ruo smiled, "She said she''s feeling much better and should be here soon...I''m not sure what''s keeping her -"

    "It''s okay..." Lei Xing lazily responded as she put some chicken in her mouth and then sighed. She was really not in the mood to eat or do anything really.

    The reason for her poor mood was because of a little thing that happened last night, something she was actually not supposed to be privy to.

    {...Or maybe he did it on purpose (?_? )...No, no, he wouldn''t...It''s my fault for not responding properly... The whole topic was honestly my fault too...}

    After Lei Xing''s qin performance, the atmosphere pretty much settled back to normal. The song she had played was actually a remixed version of the first song he ever played for her, one she was very fond of and often asked him to play.

    She had painstakingly spent a lot of time making a makeshift music sheet key by key, strumming each key every time in the process of trying to identify every note. Then she had to memorize the song and then afterwards, she decided that it would be more impressive if she added her own personal twists to it, rather than just regurgitating his song.

    Lei Xing was very, very happy when the Emperor recognized his song and praised her for making it sound better. With that, the awkward atmosphere her inconsiderate words had caused seemed to have completely dissipated and Lei Xing scurried over to him with the qin and they spent their time happily drinking, eating and playing for each other - she had learned just one song but she had memorized the sound of each key and so could work on the go now.

    They did their best to ignore their grand statuses and the celestial events of the night, whatever problems would come from it were for tomorrow. It was like they were in their own happy little world for the evening.

    All in all, they had a lot of fun outside and were quite drunk by the time they finally took their party inside. Everything was going great, they had their fun and were cuddling in each other''s arms...The night was perfect, all that was left was to happily sail on to dreamland.

    But while Lei Xing was a lazy drunk and simply wanted to sleep, the Emperor was surprisingly in a chatty mood. Obviously very happy, which made Lei Xing also very happy, but she was tired. So while he talked to her as he stroked her hair in his usual something manner, she laid there with her eyes closed giving light responses until it reached the point where she was too tired to bother even though she was still somewhat awake.

    And through her hazy mind, she heard the Emperor say something that sent a jolt through her, or at least she thinks she heard him quietly say, "A little Xing er'' would be most adorable..."

    Now, she was drunk and half-asleep so she could not truly be sure and she was too much of a coward to open her eyes or mouth to ask him. She also had no clue if he felt her stiffen as he did not react any differently and simply kissed her and said "goodnight" before cuddling her closer and seemingly going to sleep himself.

    So honestly, Lei Xing was not sure whether he actually said that or if her mind was just playing tricks on her. Regardless, Lei Xing did not sleep well and was honestly somewhat happy to wake up to find the Emperor gone.

    Lei Xing let out a weary sigh again and Xiao Ruo quietly observed Lei Xing''s off mood. She had actually happily come here this morning to share the grand news regarding yesterday''s affairs going about the palace. But Xiao Ruo knew from experience that when Lei Xing was in a bad mood, it was best to leave her be. So she quietly stood there and held her tongue while Lei Xing continued absentmindedly picking at her food.

    People did not talk about mini-me versions of themselves or their spouses without alluding to the fact that they want children. It was common sense and she was not stupid. Lei Xing sighed again.

    {...I mean, it''s not like I would be burdened with actually raising the child or anything...I mean I would have to interact and play with it, but it''s not like I''d have to have sleepless nights, feed it, change it, or anything really...But there is that nine months thing though and it''ll hurt too - and it will be a lot harder to leave a child behind...Not that I plan to leave, I have no reason to...but who knows about the future...}

    Lei Xing frowned and stabbed a piece of chicken in annoyance. She then sighed again and went back to slowly picking at her food.

    {...I''m way too "practical-minded" for my own good. Pessimism is what this is...All he''s done is prove himself time and time again yet I''m still like this...I definitely have issues -_-)''...}

    {...*I know right, poor Xiao Kai~....}

    Lei Xing immediately sat up and looked at her wrist with a happy smile, which was even more confusing to Xiao Ruo who was observing Lei Xing with concern.

    {...You''re here!....}

    {...*I know I''m great but isn''t me missing me just after a day a bit much? Hehehe~(�R?�Q ~)..}

    Lei Xing''s smile immediately diminished and she rolled her eyes.

    {...You have a lot of explaining to do (?_? )...}

    {...*Hmph! Here I thought you had finally learned to be grateful! ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Give me answers and I''ll feel the urgent need to be "immensely" grateful ?_?)...}

    {...*...}

    Lei Xing waited for a bit, but Doctor Lou was not responding. The rainbow hue was still there on the bracelet so she knew he was still lurking. So Lei Xing tried to change her approach and inwardly sighed.

    {...Hey, it''s not that I''m not thankful...I truly am and the Emperor too, we''re both thankful for your help...but it''s all just very confusing and we just need some clarity to help us...make sense of things a bit, okay?...}

    Still, silence and Lei Xing pouted.

    {...Don''t be like this, I''m really thankful...Next time we meet, I''ll toast you and even offer a bow too!...}

    {...*Truly? ?_? )...}

    {...Honest, definitely will!... You''ll tell me, right? (??��??)...}

    {...*Hehehe~ I knew you would one day realize my brilliance~...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes but indulged him. Had to keep him in a good mood.

    {...I always knew it, you''re clearly the best~ the most brilliant ever!...}

    {...*Hehe~ Are you regretting not becoming my student now? Well, it''s not too late, I could still consider you, maybe~ Hehehehe~...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes again, but played along.

    {...I am the sort who requires an honest relationship with my "Shifu" so if we''re to forge ahead with this shifu-student thing, we need to have an honest conversation first~...So tell me was it you yesterday? The dragon, phoenix thing, it was you, right?...}

    Lei Xing waited with bated breath as Doctor Lou went quiet again. If not for the rainbow hue, she would have truly thought that he had left her hanging.

    {...*Hmm, I guess it makes sense~ Okay!...So you said dragon phoenix thing - Hehe~ Well, I did tell you to watch the brilliance unfold (?????)...}

    Lei Xing almost jumped out of her seat, but managed to control herself.

    {...I knew it! It was you~ ...Great! So how did you do it?...}

    {...*None of your business~ ( ��^�� )~...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath and frowned.

    {...I said honest...}

    {...*Well, every Shifu always keeps a thing or two to themselves...Maybe I''ll pass it on to you on my deathbed many, many, many, MANY years later hehe~ ( ��?�� )~...}

    Lei Xing put down her chopsticks and massaged her temples.

    {...Another trade secret? Fine, I won''t push that one...Just explain to me what those celestial bodies were? Planets? And what the hell were they doing crashing my wedding?!...}

    {...*I don''t know, maybe they wanted to see a grand wedding or something...It''s the universe, it does what it wants...Perhaps you and Xiao Kai have an affinity with them so they came to celebrate with you hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she did not really buy this explanation, but she had many questions for him today, so she would just move on to the next one before he changed his mind and ran away.

    "Your majesty, are you okay?" Xiao Ruo finally asked. Lei Xing had barely eaten and now she was making all sorts of weird faces, from smiling to frowning, it was just very bizarre to watch.

    Lei Xing turned to her, remembering that she was not alone, "I''m fine, you can leave...Go tell Ah Jin to take the day off." She dismissively said as she waved Xiao Ruo away.

    Xiao Ruo knit her brows and nodded, hesitantly bowed and left the room, still concerned. Lei Xing was being quite odd today, it was understandable that she would be uneasy because of the happenings of the day before.

    But Lei Xing had not even asked about what was happening in the palace which was very odd. But whatever the situation, Lei Xing was not the kind of mistress to discuss her problems with her servants. So they would just have to wait for the Emperor to return to correct her mood.

    After Xiao Ruo left, Lei Xing got up, completely ignoring her meal, and went to sit on the side to comfortably sit back and discuss things.

    {...So what were they?...}

    {...*Suns~....}

    {...Suns? From another solar system or what?... Pretty sure other suns, especially a group of them cannot enter one solar system without causing massive issues, if not destroying the place -_-'')...}

    {...*Hehehehe~ Your science would also say it''s not possible to transport a soul from one body to another and yet, here you are~...}

    {...-_-)...Point taken...So suns and you don''t know why they were here?...}

    {...*Don''t know ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath and rubbed her forehead.

    {...This is all just crazy, too crazy...Okay, let''s move on to something you do know~...You lied to me (?_? )...}

    {...*? _ ?)...Lie? I did NOT! ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing pursed her lips, she honestly did not expect him to easily admit it. So she laid down the facts.

    {...There are two counts of you lying. Firstly, you are the Emperor''s voice, don''t even bother denying it, you calling me "Xing Xing" gave you away, you should really be more careful with your lies next time...

    ...Secondly, you told me you can''t talk to me when the Emperor''s touching me because of the bracelet''s connection becoming disrupted or something like that. I was rather stupid - I mean, unconcerned at the time and so just took your word for it and even went through lengths to ensure you weren''t "disrupted", but that''s clearly a lie (?_? )...

    ...You have talked to me on several occasions when he''s touching me...such as when you gave me the "cure" for the flower poison and during our bloody proposal - you should really learn a few things about respecting privacy but that aside...Tell me I''m wrong (?_? )...}

    {...*Well...You''re wrong ( ��^�� )...}

 Chapter 286 - Discerning Identities

    Lei Xing scoffed as she leaned back and folded her arms, eager to hear this explanation.

    {...Okay, tell me how I''m wrong then.. I''m all ears~ ..}

    {...*Well, I never lied to you is how you''re wrong ( ��^�� )...I never said I couldn''t talk to you when he''s touching you, I only said it bothers me and gives me a headache, it''s just annoying...Sure it disrupts the connection or whatever but I can talk to whoever I want when I want - most of the time. Anyway, I just tend to lose interest when things get bothersome is all. No one likes being the third wheel~ ( ��^�� )~...}

    {...No, I could swear yo-...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Best you don''t, because I did NOT. I would tell you if I did~ Lying is pointless (��3 ��) ...}

    Lei Xing sat there, frowning and blinking in confusion. She was sure he had said it, but on second thought, maybe he didn''t? There were other things going on in her mind at the time as it was right after the whole announcement of her coronation. Not to mention, the complicated stuff the bracelet was telling her at the time. Her mind was pretty occupied, therefore, it was possible...

    {...Okay, fine...That''s mostly irrelevant anyway. How about the other thing? Say you''re not the voice that talks to the Emperor? Not the one who told him to "Go find Xing Xing", yes, he told me...deny this one then ?_?)...}

    Doctor Lou went silent again and Lei Xing tapped her foot as she narrowed her eyes at the bracelet on her wrist with a little smirk, waiting.

    {...No point thinking up a lie, just say the truth an-...}

    {...*I always speak the truth! ( ��^�� )...}

    {...Great, hurry up and speak it then~...}

    {...*Well...I never denied anything in the first place ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing paused and knit her brows in confusion.

    {...You never deni- Wait, so it is you?! But you said it wasn''t! You clearly lied!...}

    {...*Didn''t lie...It all depends what you mean by "you" ( ��^�� )...}

    {...?_?)...And what the hell does that mean?!...}

    {...*...}

    Doctor Lou went silent again. Lei Xing let out a breath and massaged her temples. She honestly could not believe this old man, it was like he actually thought he could do no wrong AT ALL.

    {...Hey, explain yourself!...}

    There was another stretch of silence and Lei Xing felt the urge to hurl the bracelet across the room, but that would definitely not help her get answers. So she took deep breaths to calm herself as she irritatedly waited.

    She was never someone with a temper, but this old man always managed to get under her skin. She could already sense that his explanation would greatly irritate her, just like the bracelet''s hidden identity situation where he said, ''you never asked''.

    {...I''m waiting, "Shifu-in-waiting".(?_? )...}

    {...*O_O) Shifu? hehehehe~ I will enlighten you then~...But first of all, I have two questions for you. Here''s the first~..Did you go to law school?...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in irritation.

    {...What does that have to do with anything! Can you just answer the question, please? -_-)...}

    {...*You will know after you answer my questions~...}

    {...And the reason you can''t just tell me is because? -_-)''...}

    {...*Hmph! Here I thought you were the inquisitive sort who liked to understand the process rather than to simply be told what is~...If I simply told you, you would not understand it so answer my questions~ It''s just two little questions why can''t you just answer them without complicating things ( ��3�� )...}

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

    {...You''re the one who is always complicating things...But okay, Fine. Yes, I did. So what? (?_? )...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Good child!... Now, that''s established. Here''s the second question~...Did Empress Lei go to law school?...}

    Lei Xing froze and frowned, and then scratched her head.

    {...*Answer the question~( �� �� �� )~...}

    Lei Xing''s frown deepened and she let out a breath and responded.

    {...Well...It''s still technically a yes -...}

    {...*But it''s also technically a no...See, it depends on what the asker means by "you"?...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows, she could see where he was trying to go with this. But no, it will not work here.

    {...Bullshit! You clearly knew that I meant "you" as in "you" and you''re not even a transmigrator so that logic doesn''t appl - or are you? O_O)...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought, as she thought back to their conversation about her transmigration. She had asked him if he was an immortal and if he knew other transmigrators but she did not remember asking him if he was one. And this old man apparently does not even answer straight questions straight so there was no way he would have volunteered that information.

    {...Tricky like a freaking genie -_-)''...}

    {...*No, not a transmigrator. Also not a genie either ?_?)...*sigh* Let me see how to make this clear to you...Okay, if the Emperor came right now and asked you if you went to law school, you would answer yes. BUT if a random minister or your even your favorite maid came up and asked you the same question, you would answer no...Understand yet? (?????)...}

    Lei Xing frowned and blankly stared at the opposite wall, processing. She finally groaned and leaned forward, put her elbows on her laps, and cradled her head.

    After waiting for a bit in Lei Xing''s blank mind, Doctor Lou got impatient.

    {...*Hey...you asleep?... Say something~...}

    {...-_-)''...No...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Was it that mind-blowing for you?...}

    Lei Xing let out an irritated breath.

    {...(?_? ) Stupid is what it was...}

    {...*Hey, you can''t blame me your lack of comprehension skills...I told you that I, Doctor Lou was not the voice...that is a true statement. Have you met a doctor who can talk to people in their heads or who can even make a poison detecting bracelet? No, because they do not exist. I''m not actually a doctor, I thought you would have known that by now...Quite disappointed actually~...}

    Lei Xing wished he was right in front of her so he could see the deathly glare she was sending across.

    {...Where I''m from not only doctors are called doctors...There''s the whole Ph.D. thing and regardless, people give themselves whatever titles they want. I am obviously aware that you are not an ordinary doctor but I didn''t care that you called yourself a bloody doctor! ?_?)...}

    {....*Hmm, if you say so~....Anyway, the persona "Doctor Lou" can''t do it, BUT I, the wonderfully gifted and talented Qi Ya- Lou! I mean, Lou, my name is LOU! LOU, Qi Lou - that''s Lao Lou to you, can do it~...So see, you two simply had a gap in understanding, not my fault...I, never lied to you~ (?????)...}

    {...(�p?_?)...You -...*deep breath* Just go away...}

    {...*? _ ?)...Xing Xing, ah, Xing Xing~, you can''t seriously be blaming me for this, are you? I was j-...}

    {...Then what was all that nonsense about threatening the Emperor and other such bullshit you were saying that day!...}

    {...*Correction, I never threatened him. I simply made him an offer and he refused. Not my fault if he unjustly felt threatened for no reason...Now I feel offended. I was trying to do something good and was labeled as an unscrupulous being!...}

    {...-_-)...I''m not going to apologize to you...}

    {...*Xing Xing~ Come on, don''t be angry...I told you now even though it''s none of your business... See, I''m showing you good faith as a Shifu~ So you should naturally reflect this good faith as a good little student~...}

    Lei Xing shook her head and sighed as she leaned back in her seat again.

    {...You know, it''s not nice to play with people...I don''t care about all this nonsense about having different personas...You knew what I meant when I asked that question and you intentionally gave a misleading answer...that you can''t deny-...}

    {...*But misleading isn''t lying though...and you do it too (??��??)...}

    Doctor Lou responded in such a timid and accusing voice, that Lei Xing did not know what else to say to him.

    All she could do was sigh and blame herself for being too stupid. But honestly that day she did not believe him. But that day, he had side-swiped her to focus on the more gullible Emperor and her own truths he made her tell boggled down her mind.

    After all, the Emperor''s voice was truly not her problem when she was being confronted with all her own misleading statements and lies she had fed the Emperor all that time. Now that she thought about it, Doctor Lou must have made her bring up her past in order to throw her mind off of his issue.

    Lei Xing sighed, it was as if this Doctor or Qi Lou or whatever he called himself was her karma in the flesh...or in the head. She was feeling too tired to continue to scold the old man.

    {...* I knew you would understand~...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and rolled her eyes.

    {...You once said that you did not tell me all that crap about the similar energies stuff when I first told you about my transmigration because I did not have the capacity to accept it then...I have come to wonder about what other things you might be withholding from me...So I have one more question and I want the honest truth...}

    {...*Of course, anything~...}

    Lei Xing did not at all find his enthusiasm at all reassuring. It just sounded as if he was in the mood to play and she was really not in the mood for games today.

    {...I will not be angry - I won''t be enraged anyway. I won''t do anything to your bracelet or you when we meet again. I just want to know...and I want a simple honest yes or no...Do you, Doctor - Qi Lou, Lao Lao or whatever the hell you want to call yourself (?_?)...Have anything to do with me being here, my transmigration?...}

    Doctor Lou went silent again and Lei Xing quietly waited for him to collect himself.

    Finally, he found his words and to Lei Xing''s annoyance, he decided to answer in more words than one.

    {...*Well...It depe-...}

    {...Yes or no? (?_? )...}

    {...*.Well ? _ ?)...it''s a bit complicated hehe...he...}

    Lei Xing frowned, her irritation rising.

    {...Simplify it. Yes or no?! ?( ��?�� )?...}

    {...*Fine. Kind of ( ��^�� )...}

    {...So that''s a yes?...}

    {...*Kind of ? _ ?)...}

    Lei Xing let out a breath. She was not surprised, after all, she had come to this conclusion already. Even if he denied it she would have had a very hard time believing him. Not with how pushy he was for them to be together on both sides and with everything that happened so far, it was all too abnormal.

    Moreover, life was never really this coincidental.

    So she took a deep breath and asked the question that had been at the back of her mind, one she had withheld from the Emperor during their discussion. She was truly not sure how she would react to the truth of this...or if she truly wanted to know. But she could not help herself and asked with a bit of tears pooling in her eyes - whether they were of anger or sadness, she did not know.

    {...Did you - did you kill me for your Emperor?...}

    {...*NO! NOooo, Noooo, nooo, No. I did not kill you...technically (??? )...}

    Lei Xing immediately frowned, anger surging.

    {...So technically you did?...]

    {...*No, no, Don''t make any assumptions. As I said it''s complicated. Anyway, details are not at all important. Not important at all, nothing to worry about...Just forget it hehe~....}

    Lei Xing took a few deep breaths to calm herself. It was one thing for her to randomly end up here and fall in love with some guy who was apparently her "pre-ordained" universal match but it was a whole different story if someone took away her life just to make that happen.

    {...I am not worrying, I just want to know...Talk -_-)''...}

 Chapter 287 - Lives Summary

    Doctor Lou then let out a long, long sigh, testing Lei Xing''s patience before finally beginning.

    {...*Okay, I could tell you~... Hmmmm, but you''re not allowed to be angry...It''s not my fault anyway...technically your fault honestly-...}

    Lei Xing frowned in irritation when she heard that last statement.

    {...You killing me is now my fault?! ?_?)...}

    {...*I already said I didn''t kill you! ?( ��?�� )?...I won''t talk anymore if you won''t listen!...}

    {...Fine. Talk ?_?)...}

    Lei Xing anxiously tapped her foot as she waited for Doctor Lou to gather his words. If this crappy, voice talking in head entity old man actually killed her just to bring her here just because he believed she and the Emperor were a perfect fit, she honestly was not sure how she would come to view the Emperor then.

    Regardless of how much she liked the Emperor, she still considered the loss of her old life a great loss.

    {...*You''re worrying for nothing. I already told you that your former life was an accident and your transmigration was to correct that universal error, the universe righting itself if you will. The whole episode yesterday probably had to do with that too~...Anyway, just consider your first life a bonus level in the saga that is your life~ ( ���أ� )~...}

    Lei Xing let out a silent sigh of relief, glad she would not have to worry any awkwardness in her relationship.

    {...*Hehehe~ It''s good to see you worrying about Xiao Kai like this~ *sniff* You''ve finally grown a heart~...}

    {...Back to the topic please ?_?)...}

    {...*Hehehe~ Surreee...Hmm, how to explain this? Okay....so you were part of a group of soulful little ones I was put in charge of sending off to live this life...and I being my wonderfully brilliant self was doing a great job of the task but then!.... All of a sudden, you became jumpy for no reason at all - Not my fault!...

    ...Anyway~ in the process of trying to get your hyper self under control, you ended up in the wrong world, which is your first world...Unfortunately, we, okay, maybe it was just me, who did not realize this error...and by the time I noticed...you were already born there so nothing could be done~ ( ��?�� '')...}

    Lei Xing opened her mouth and then closed it, completely confused now.

    {...You - I - what now?...}

    {...*Well, you were so cute and adorable so killing you was a no-no so I had no choice but to leave you alone for the universe to correct itself...Remember how I told you you were bound to die at that time regardless of the cruise?....It''s sad to think about, but you were bound to die at that age, that''s the truth...But thanks to your ties with Xiao Kai, on your death, your soul was directly transported here and got a unique second go at life. Yay for you~...}

    Lei Xing sat there blinking in confusion, she did not expect this sort of revelation from him. Doctor Lou obliviously continued on to explain.

    {...Anyway, in your absence, the body you were supposed to inhabit in this world was soulless - therefore, an empty corpse.... Luckily for you, I found out just in time and arranged a wonderfully adorable substitute to take your place here until your time in your first world elapsed and you found your way back in your intended body~...I even enforced strict rules and took steps to ensure your substitute mimicked your behavior to make things easier for you on your arrival here...aren''t I great? (?????)...}

    {...}

    {...*Hellooo? Say something~...A thank you perhaps?... What? Are you feeling it''s unfair that you had to do double time in one go? Don''t worry, it''ll all add up to your karmic tally and you''ll get extra perks, later on~ It''s a good opportunity for you hehehe~...}

    Lei Xing finally took a deep breath and regained her senses.

    {...So, so...is this like...reincarnation then?... It''s real? And are you like a shinigami or what? You''re definitely not human, clearly not O_O)...}

    {...*What I am or not is none of your business!... Not even a thank you for all my hard work. Hmph! Ungrateful brat ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing''s mind was too busy processing this news to care about Doctor Lou''s pouting words.

    {...So me and the Emperor...then -...}

    {...*As I''ve told you, you two share a unique bond....Therefore, even if you ended up leaving the palace at the competition, odds are you would still have ended up falling for your Emperor. It would have simply taken a much longer, confused route to arrive at the same conclusion. I just made your lives easier by skipping ahead~....A thank you would be really nice though ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing was quiet for a while, this was all very weird.

    {...So then what about the dream?...}

    {...*What dream?...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows.

    {...I saw - Well, I think I saw those four things that were in the sky... before in a dream with like two kids....somewhere...I don''t know...}

    {...*Hmm, well, I don''t know about that.....I truly have nothing to do with those four being here or your dreams for that matter. Whatever oddities you and Xiao Kai have experienced together probably has to do with your connection and the aftereffects of your cross-world journey messing things up...I already had to do a lot of damage control here so I wouldn''t cause more problems for myself (? _? )...Well now you know, happy now?...}

    Lei Xing bit her inner lip, feeling a bit embarrassed for some reason and at a total loss for words. In the end, all she could muster up was more questions.

    {...Then why did you want the ceremony then?...}

    {...*Well, as I''ve told you, I''m a romantic~...and this is MY personal ship of which I dubbed myself the captain. Therefore I naturally wanted to watch it sail into the sunset hehehe~...Nothing wrong with having favorites! ( ��^�� )...}

    Lei Xing knit her brows, still very confused.

    {...So reincarnation, right?... So when I die, when we die we just do it -...}

    {...*Oh~ That? That''''s just none of your business!... Still no thank you (?_? )...}

    Lei Xing frowned and rolled her eyes.

    {...Okay...so why are you telling me all this now?... I honestly didn''t expect you to be so forthcoming...."None of your business" sounds a lot more like you (?_?)...}

    Doctor Lou let out a long, long sigh again.

    {...*Well, I''m leaving -...}

    {...You''re leaving?! O_O)...}

    {...*Ohh? I thought you would be happy to hear this~ No? Why? Are you already missing me? Go on, say it, I''m all mind hehehe~ (��??��)...}

    Lei Xing awkwardly shifted in her seat with a frown. This was unexpected, she had honestly forgotten about their deal and even then, she did not think he would leave her alone so easily after the ceremony.

    Now that she was confronted with him leaving, she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Despite her sometimes harsh words to him, she had gotten used to having him around, and quite enjoyed his company sometimes. But there was no way she could admit that she did not want him to leave to this already extremely c.o.c.ky old man.

    After hesitating for a while, Lei Xing sighed and finally managed.

    {...I remember you telling the Emperor he would never hear from you again if you told him...I can keep your secret...if you want, he doesn''t actually care so...You don''t have to leave (??��??)...}

    Doctor Lou went silent again and Lei Xing anxiously fiddled with her fingers as she waited for his response.

    After a long while, Doctor Lou sighed.

    {...*Well, you''ve kept your end of our bargain, so I should keep mine~...Ah! Don''t worry, you can still keep the ring, just return the bracelet to Xiao Ying. It was never meant to be yours anyway...I''m going to be very busy soon and I''ll be very worried if she doesn''t have it~...}

    Lei Xing pouted.

    {...I see...will you be at the shop then?...I''m still processing so I may have some questions later on...}

    {...*Awwwwn, you''ve become so cute! *sniff* Don''t cry Xing Xi-...}

    {...I''m not crying! >_

    {...*Hehehe~ You have been most entertaining too...Give the bracelet to your maid, Ah Jin - I like that one~ It''s a bit urgent so have it returned today...And don''t worry Xing Xing, we''ll meet again soon enough. After all, we''ll have to discuss our Shifu-student relationship. Shifu will come back for you when Shifu has more time to play, good pupil~ (?????...}

    And with a chuckle, Doctor Lou left as Lei Xing snorted and shook her head. She took a deep breath and glanced about her room. It was an odd feeling being told you would have died regardless, but oddly enough, this conversation made her feel a lot better about her death.

    {...Tch, if I had known in advance, I would have enjoyed life a little more~...Screw it all! (??��??)...}

    Lei Xing lightly chuckled and then got up, feeling lighter. She was about to go out to send for Ah Jin and maybe just get some fresh air, when the doors opened and Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin came in and Xiao Ruo promptly informed, "Your majesty, the Imperial wives are here..."

    "Here for what?" Lei Xing asked, knitting her brows. She definitely did not send for them. After all, she was really not in the mood for visitors today.

    "They are here for the daily greetings...They had come in the morning but since you were still asleep, the Emperor ordered us to tell them to leave and come in the afternoon...so here they are." Xiao Ruo explained.

    Lei Xing sighed, "Okay then...get things ready." Xiao Ruo smiled and then quickly went over to bring over Lei Xing''s outfit. Ah Jin was about to follow when Lei Xing asked, "Ah Jin, how are you feeling today?"

    "Fully recovered, Thank you for your concern, Your majesty." Ah Jin said with a bow and a polite smile.

    Lei Xing nodded, "That''s good..." She put her hand on the bracelet and lingered there for a bit before finally removing it for what she knew would be the last time. She frowned down at it in her palm for a bit before finally sighing and holding it out to Ah Jin, "Take a carriage and return this to Tung Mei for me...and then take the rest of the day off to rest..."

    Ah Jin nodded and took the bracelet, bowed, "Thank you, Your majesty. I will deliver it safely..." She said and then turned and left the room.

    {...Shifu, should I send the bracelet back to her wrist?...}

    {...*Nope, take it back to Xiao Ying. I''m worried she''ll run off sulking somewhere and get in trouble...Also, tell Xiao Ying to be sure to at least stop by in Qi temple sometime in the next two days before running off. I''m going to be staying at Qi temple for a while and the last thing I need is to give Qi Yin more reasons to scold me the entire time ...}

    {...Understood, how are things back home?...}

    {...*Fine, nothing to worry about~...I don''t think Xiao Ying is happy with me so bind the bracelet to her wrist for me~ I can''t do it myself at the moment and who knows where she''ll toss it this time - Ah, also make sure she can''t touch it too! I don''t any harm to come to it *sniff* My poor baby being treated like crap. If she wasn''t my own daughter, I would have- Hmph! Warn her. ( ��^�� )...

    ...Anyway, I''m going into seclusion for a while to recover so if anything happens - nothing weird should happen anymore but if anything does, come find me in Qi temple~ ...}

    {...Understood...}

    Ah Jin knit her brows when she heard he needed to go into seclusion to recover. She was surprised that the sky show event had taken that much of a toll on him for him to need to recover.

    Honestly, Ah Jin was quite happy to see the bracelet finally go. Being stuck between her master and Lei Xing''s whims has been quite stressful for her.

    {...One less headache, two less with Xiao Ying leaving...Deserves a celebration -_-)''...}

    {...*Don''t worry, Shifu will treat you to the best wine later~ Ah, also you''ll finally be getting some junior disciples too- I mean it, they''re finally starting to see the fun on the fun side of life hehehe~ ?????)....}

    Ah Jin simply sighed in response and lightly shook her head as she went about completing this assignment.

 Chapter 288 - Grand Meeting

    While Lei Xing got dressed, the Imperial wives were led into her reception hall and served tea and snacks while they waited.

    Xiao Ruo was very adamant about lei Xing making a perfect first appearance as the new Empress so her hair and makeup could definitely not be rushed today and Lei Xing was not in a hurry either so she allowed Xiao Ruo do as she liked.

    Lei Xing''s mind was still boggled down with thoughts of the things Doctor Lou had divulged and more importantly, she was feeling a sense of loss with the bracelet''s exit.

    She had thought she would feel a sense of relief but now, but her wrist felt very uncomfortable and she felt nothing, she was feeling numb.

    After finding out that Doctor Lou was the voice, she had wanted to dump the bracelet then, but with his coaxing and fearmongering on her issues with the Empress dowager, she had kept it. And now, well, the Empress dowager was stuck in her gilded cage and kept far from Lei Xing so the woman could honestly no longer a threat.

    And even if the Empress dowager were later released, Lei Xing no longer had to fear the woman coming for her head. After all, the Empress dowager could not order the Empress around. The only way she would have had power over Lei Xing was if the Emperor were an indulging son, which he clearly is not...but he was obviously an indulging husband to Lei Xing .

    The only potential problem Lei Xing now had was the beautiful and wonderful Imperial wife collection. Chen You should have been lesson enough for normal people, but then again you never know with these people.

    More importantly and honestly, even though she would never outrightly admit it, Lei Xing often worried about the day one of his wives would come to catch his eye and there will be nothing she could do about it. She would leave, but then where would she go...She had no clue and most importantly, she did not want to leave either. This was the main reason she had been avoiding interacting with the other Imperial wives, save Li Ru, the last month but now she had no choice but to interact with them.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...First, I''m getting rid of this daily morning greetings thing...I need to wake up to peace of mind, maybe I''ll make it evening - no, the Emperor is here then...Noon then. Also only three times a week...I really don''t need to see them every day, we would have absolutely nothing to talk about anyway -_-)''...}

    As she sat there, Lei Xing also remembered another thing she had been thinking about with regards to the other wives. She could understand that some, if not all of them had no choice in the matter and probably had their own stories just like Li Ru.

    Therefore, while she could not intend to become "friends" with all of them, she at least planned to be fair - and that started by not enforcing rules she had no interest in complying with.

    So when the Emperor returned later, she would talk to him about getting gate passes for all of them. Obviously, under the same rules he had given her, with the inclusion of accompanying guards for better safety.

    She would also think about something to better occupy their time as well. They were all too free here and the saying, ''idle hands are the devil''s workshop'' is not unfounded. But getting them to participate in "work" without earning their ire was another tricky thing, can''t have her good intentions backfire. Lei Xing let out a weary sigh.

    {...So tiresome...}

    Xiao Ruo was finally done with her work and so Lei Xing got up and made her way to her reception hall. But halfway there and eunuch suddenly came running, he quickly bowed to Lei Xing and then informed, "Your majesty, the Emperor has requested your presence in the Main hall..."

    "Main hall?" Lei Xing asked, slightly knitting her brows.

    "Yes, Your majesty...The Emperor said that he will commence the meeting with the ministers after your arrival..." The eunuch curtly explained.

    Lei Xing blinked, a bit confused. She remembered the Emperor talking about meeting the ministers today while they were in bed, but she did not recall him saying anything about wanting her attending. But then again, she was not really paying attention so perhaps he did.

    When Lei Xing did not respond, the eunuch bowed lower and implored, "Please come with me, Your Majesty...."

    Lei Xing lightly let out a breath and turned to Xiao Ruo, "Tell them I have accepted their greeting and shall see them tomorrow...at noon." Lei Xing added, she did not want them coming to disturb her sleep in the morning.

    Xiao Ruo quickly bowed, "I will inform them..."

    And with that done, Lei Xing and the rest of her entourage left with the eunuch. Lei Xing stepped out of the doors of her palace to find the phoenix palanquin parked there waiting for her.

    "The Emperor said for you to ride in this..." The eunuch informed, bowing with a smile.

    Lei Xing glanced at him and simply nodded and then got in and then the solo ride began. This time, she did not have Doctor Lou rambling in her mind to distract her and some of the anxiety from yesterday''s ride came flooding back. Lei Xing sighed and leaned back in her seat

    {...That quack sure had his uses (??��??)...}

    ***

    Meanwhile, in the main hall.

    The ministers looked from the seers, who were demurely standing at the front with their heads bowed, to each other, and then glanced up at the Emperor who was looking way past their heads.

    One thought reverberated in all their minds: What are we waiting for now? -_-)''

    The ministers had all stayed home, anxiously waiting for the Emperor to summon them. He finally summoned them and but after the Emperor arrived, he said nothing. So they all awkwardly stood in silence.

    Prime minister Zhao was looking down the entire time with a perpetual frown. Based on the "explanations" spreading around the city at an alarming rate, he could tell where this meeting was headed and he did not care to facilitate other people''s gloating sessions.

    Since Prime minister Zhao was too busy sulking to do his job, Defense minister Lei finally broke the awkward silence by suggesting to call for the seers, earning Prime minister Zhao''s glare - which Defense minister Lei magnanimously ignored.

    But then the Emperor informed that the seers had already been sent for and were on their way.

    And the ministers all went: Ahhh, so that''s what we''re waiting for...

    But then the seers arrived and before they or anyone could speak, the Emperor simply said, "Wait..."

    And now, here they all were, waiting for what they did not know. And the longer the silence stretched, the more tense the atmosphere grew and no one dared to question the Emperor''s current motives.

    They all thought he would be happy with the current rumors spreading around, but given his current behavior now, they could not be sure of anymore.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity on pins and needles, an announcement suddenly rang out from outside, "The Empress has arrived!"

    The Emperor immediately smiled and jumped to his feet and calmly walked down the steps, while the ministers knit their brows and glanced at each other, wondering why she was here.

    Lei Xing walked in to find all eyes trained on her, she nervously gulped and felt somewhat panicked, but her face remained calm and unaffected.

    {...Stop looking at me like that...I don''t even know why I''m here -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing''s eyes settled on the Emperor who was standing at the bottom of the steps with a welcoming smile and a hand outstretched towards her, beckoning her over. Lei Xing plastered on a small smile and walked over to him and bowed.

    The Emperor promptly took her hand and walked her over to his side and then glanced over the ministers and seers and announced, "Since the ceremony could not be fully completed yesterday... Today is the perfect opportunity to finalize it." And without waiting for even so much as a confirming nod from his impromptu guests, the Emperor turned to Lei Xing and went, "Shall we...?"

    Lei Xing gave a half-smile nodded, after all, what else could she do. The Emperor happily took her along up the steps to their throne chair. Lei Xing was a bit disgruntled that he did not tell her about this, but perhaps he wanted to make it pleasant surprise gesture, so she was quite happy that he bothered to "complete" ceremony, not that the grand finale of the ceremony was lacking.

    The Emperor sat Lei Xing down first and then sat next to her, sending her a happy smile, which Lei Xing could not help but mirror.

    Prime minister Zhao almost rolled his eyes as he watched the affectionate pair, but luckily he held it together because the Emperor promptly turned back to the crowd with a frown. And they all quickly jumped and bowed as they said, "Congratulations to the Emperor and Empress! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

    The Emperor smiled and then seriously said, "Now that is settled...I am sure you all saw or at least have heard about the divine signs we witnessed during yesterday''s ceremony...I have my own ideas but Head seer..."

    The head seer immediately jumped and bowed, "At your service, Your majesty..."

    The Emperor smiled and cordially said, "...I believe it would be wise to hear your divinations first before sharing my own thoughts..."

    The head seer glanced up at Lei Xing, who was calmly looking down at him, and then at the Emperor, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes and a what seemed to be a sinister smile.

    The old man gulped and quickly bowed his head and let out a shaky breath, "Your majesty...ahh..." It was quite different now with Lei Xing sitting right there. Not to mention, with what ended up happening yesterday, he and his group of seers look and feel really foolish right now for daring to call this royal union an ill omen.

    "You don''t know?" The Emperor asked with a frown when the head seer was still hesitating, "Were these heavenly signs unclear to your seer''s eyes as well?"

    Lei Xing almost snorted as she watched the Emperor''s dealings with the head seer. She had never met these seers before, but she had obviously not forgotten what they had said about her ill-fated match, and obviously neither had the Emperor.

    His statement just now was clearly a warning signal to the seers which said ''If you want to stay relevant here, then be smart. Otherwise, watch me drag you into the mud.''

    The old man clearly got the message and smartly played along, "Ah, responding to the Emperor... The dragon and phoenix gracing the skies on such an auspicious occasion truly speak to the magnificence of the Emperor and Empress. A blessing upon the Empire and a harbinger of good fortune...a blessing for the union of one of their own."

    "is that so?" The Emperor calmly asked, knitting his brows in "thought".

    "Yes, Your majesty..." The head seer promptly responded, bowing lower. The other seers promptly followed and bowed as well.

    The real truth was that they had really not seen anything, in all honesty, they had no idea what happened yesterday. But the head seer could not come here with nothing again, they would look too foolish and so he made the decision to along with what everyone believed to be true and what the Emperor wanted.

    No matter what, there was no way those signs yesterday would be anything bad, calling it a bad omen would be blasphemous and would only earn their department mockery and may even get them thrown out of the palace altogether. The head seer was not so stupid as to let the department die during his time, this was time to bow and submit to the throne and so he would.

    "Ahh, I see..." The Emperor calmly said, nodding.

    "Congratulations Your Majesty for this fortuitous blessing for the Empire..." All the seers echoed. The ministers also promptly followed, bowing and echoing the same tune, although some of them quite begrudgingly so.

    "Good, very good..." The Emperor said with a smile, "A grand auspicious omen to welcome in a new age of progress and prosperity..." The Emperor paused and then glanced at Lei Xing with a little smirk and she returned his glance with a somewhat apprehensive glance of her own.

    {...What? What now? Do you want me to say something?... I don''t think you brought you me here to say something... Next time you have something like this planned, better tell me or else (?_? )...}

    The Emperor smiled and gently squeezed her hand as if he heard her scolding and was apologizing. He then turned his attention back to the crowd and continued, "In the light of all this, I have come to some important realizations which will herald us into this new age of prosperity..."

 Chapter 289 - Clean House

    "I have thought deeply all night and all morning about this, but this is the dictate I have received from heavens - The will of heaven by which I am bound by, which we are all bound by. Therefore, from this day onward... the harem shall only have the Empress -"

    Lei Xing immediately froze and turned to the Emperor wide-eyed in shock, it took all of her self-control for her mouth not to drop open in shock.

    {...Huh? Say what now?! O_O)...}

    "Your majesty!" Prime minister Zhao loudly exclaimed in shock, while confused and shocked whispers promptly followed amidst the crowd of ministers. Prime minister Zhao quickly bowed, adjusted his tone, and politely asked, "Your majesty...what do you - what exactly do these words this?"

    "Exactly, what the words imply..." The Emperor curtly responded, as he gave Lei Xing''s frozen hand a reassuring squeeze to tell her that everything was alright and under control. He could understand that she was naturally shocked and worried about his seemingly out of the blue declaration.

    But it was not out of the blue, he had been thinking about this for a while now, actually since that night when she asked him to promise to let her go when he found someone else. He had told her that would not happen but clearly she did not believe him and her heart was uneasy.

    He had no need for the other women in the harem, but it was just that it was hard for him to find a justifiable situation to propel releasing them. But then yesterday happened and he would be a fool not to use this golden opportunity to clean house.

    Since he could not glare at the true culprit of this situation - Lei Xing, Prime minister Zhao instead sent a side glare Defense Minister Lei''s way, "Your majesty, that cannot be done! Do not let yourself be led astray an-"

    "Led astray?" The Emperor asked, cutting in with a frown.

    Prime minister Zhao further lowered his head and backtracked, "Forgive my language, Your majesty. It''s just...this is not done. The harem cannot be occupied by one person. It goes against your ancestors and everything that your status stands for. The harem is an integral part of your station!.... Your majesty, this cannot be done!" Prime minister Zhao wailed, bowing low. The other ministers looked at themselves and half of them promptly followed to bow and remained like that.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and scratched the Emperor''s palm. He glanced at her and she flashed him a glare.

    {...What are you doing?! I didn''t - What are you doing?! ????(( ???))????...}

    The Emperor snorted a little and flashed her a little smirk, before swiftly refocusing his gaze back on the crowd below, he narrowed his eyes on the head seer''s head and called, "Head seer..."

    The head seer jumped and then bowed, "Your majesty..."

    "How many beings did you see occupying the sky during your divination of yesterday''s events?" The Emperor calmly asked.

    Prime minister Zhao knit his brows in annoyance.

    {...What sort of nonsense is he trying to do now?...This Lei family! why are they always getting in my way?! If it''s not the father, it''s the son, if it''s not the son, now it''s the daughter! WHY?!...}

    The head seer also knit his brows, unsure why he was getting pulled into harem politics now, but he had no choice but to answer, "There were just two...A dragon and a phoenix..."

    "Were there any birds?" The Emperor further inquired.

    "No, Your majesty..."

    "Did anyone else see any birds?" The Emperor asked scanning the ministers, who looked at each other and shook their heads amidst whispers.

    Prime minister Zhao frowned in irritation, annoyed with this side topic, "Your majesty, we are dis-"

    "I asked a question!" The Emperor loudly cut in and everyone piped down, "If you are not responding to my query, then be silent." The hall remained silent and Prime minister Zhao lowered his head with a frown.

    The Emperor scanned their heads below and menacingly said, "I will take this silence to mean that no one saw any birds...Why do you think that is, head seer?"

    The head seer slightly jumped again, this meeting was really bad for his heart. He bowed and lightly cleared his throat before tentatively responding, "Well... naturally...the dragon and phoenix rule the heavens so...their magnificence makes it so all other creatures must bow and -...and gi-give way so...so..."

    "So the birds cannot share their sky, correct?" The Emperor questioned in summary, irritated with the old man''s beating around the bush.

    "That is correct...Your majesty." The head seer responded, bowing lower. That was the common-sense response, even humans would be scared to walk where a dragon and phoenix stood, much less little birds staying in their sights.

    "But- Your majesty, they are your wives. If they do not occupy your harem, where else are they to reside?!" Prime minister Zhao jumped in with a frown as he understood what the Emperor was alluding to with this question on birds.

    "That is very true..." The Emperor commented and Prime minister Zhao let out a silent breath of relief, relief that was very short-lived because the Emperor went on to say, "...Therefore they shall no longer be classified as my wives..."

    "Your majesty!" Prime minister Zhao and a host of other ministers exclaimed in disagreement.

    "Your majesty, it is fine if you want to divorce your wives, but there has to proper grounds for it otherwise it sets a bad precedent. You are the ruler of the nation, the example for the masses. These girls have done nothing to deserve such treatment...Please have a rethink, Your majesty." Prime minister Zhao passionately implored, bowing.

    "Your majesty...I have a suggestion that I think will suit all parties." Chen Bo said, suddenly stepping out with a bow, earning a glare from Prime minister Zhao.

    {...Who is this idiot now?!...}

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows, but said, "Go ahead..."

    Chen Bo nodded and then proceeded, "Your majesty, I can understand the Prime minister''s concerns but at the same time, I can understand your own woes... The harem is a place to give the Emperor reprieve from the heavy duties of ruling the nation, a place to ease his mind, body and soul...a role that may be too heavy for one person, hence why other women are brought in to assist the Empress with this important heavy duty. But it is no secret that none of these maidens currently in question here have appealed to you, in that case, they have naturally failed in their duties and so have become obsolete. Therefore, they should naturally be replaced so p-"

    "What nonsense are you saying?!" Prime minister Zhao barked, he had thought this useless Chen Bo was going in the direct direction until he showed his stupidity, "Do not dare lump my daughter into the same category as your failure of a child!"

    Chen Bo frowned, feeling insulted and jabbed back, "It is no secret that your own success of child has not even had her first night with the Emperor after all these months, what is that if not a failure?!"

    Prime minister Zhao''s veins almost popped out with his blood pressure shooting to the roof as he held the back of his neck and pointed at Chen Bo, "You -You, you! How dare you-!"

    Chen Bo ignored Prime minister Zhao, cupped his hands and bowed to the throne, "Your majesty, I suggest we hold a second concubine selection!" He implored. Chen You was already dry stupid ground so why should he care about the current wives getting swept out. Since the Emperor was open to new things now, he could find a daughter to adopt as a goddaughter from somewhere down the Chen family line and start up again, waiting for his own new child was too far.

    Defense minister Lei knit his brows at Chen Bo and inwardly sighed. He had been staying quiet during this whole fiasco because he was not sure where he stood on this issue. Frankly, with the harem empty he would not have to worry about Lei Xing as much.

    But then at the same time, he was not completely convinced that the Emperor''s ousting the rest of the harem was a good decision. But he could not fault the Emperor''s choice in wanting to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the celestial show the day before presented to push contentious decisions....but then what about the girls who have lived with him?

    It was easy for him not to care, but what if the situation was reversed and it was not his daughter sitting up there next to the Emperor?

    And it was on this point that his cousin, Chen Bo confused him. Did he not understand that this would mean that his own daughter, his only child will truly no longer have a future if this happened?

    Even if Chen You was not in the palace at the moment, there was still a chance that she could return in the future with a little time...but if this happens, then that chance would become obsolete and she and the rest of the wives would live the rest of the days in a temple while their Emperor still lived.

    Meanwhile, at the back, the other ministers also knit their brows and quickly reasoned that Chen Bo was on the right track and making sense. With quick glances and a few nods, they quickly bowed and chimed, "Your majesty, please hold a second selection..."

    Prime minister Zhao glanced behind and glared at the heads of the ministers who bowed and then faced the Emperor and bowed and made his own imploration, "Your majesty, it is good if you want to hold a second selection but there is no need to empty out the harem for that... You are the role model for your people, think of what this would mean for the citizens and for the women of the country who marry in good faith. Your majesty, Please do not make a mistake in your haste!"

    Other ministers who currently had daughters from their clans in the palace also chimed, "Your majesty, please do not make a mistake in your haste!" To everyone''s surprise, Defense minister Lei also bowed and chimed in as well. He honestly thought that Prime minister Zhao had spoken very reasonably.

    Prime minister Zhao on the hand, did not care for Defense minister Lei''s support and sent him a side glare.

    {...How dare you mock me? What if your daughter is a "phoenix"? Isn''t she just a flesh and blood woman like any other, he''ll eventually get over this stupid obsession soon enough and then we''ll see who is on top! (?_? )...}

    Lei Xing awkwardly stayed frozen next to the Emperor, not sure what to do with herself right now. There was nothing she could do or even say here and honestly, she had no words... She was just very confused, too confused to process anything.

    She did not understand how they arrived at this and she was not sure how she felt about this. She did not need to be told that getting divorced in those days could mean the end of a woman''s life, what''s more, getting divorced from the Emperor. No man would dare to approach them much less marry them.

    While she would not care and would enjoy her days happily single, it would not be the same for most, if not all of these girls. At least, married to the Emperor, even if they could not physically have him, they would have the respect that came with it.

    What''s more, she would take the blame for their misery, and honestly, it would weigh on her conscience if they were unfairly treated. After all, none of them had truly done her any wrong yet. If the Emperor had spoken earlier about this, then perhaps they could have brainstormed on something that could help the situation. But rather they were already here and he was doing it and she had no clue what was going on...was it too late?

    The Emperor finally spoke up again, after a short stretch of tense silence, "I do not plan to have a second selection nor do I plan to discard those in the harem...Rather, I plan to honor them."

    Everyone in the hall to knit their brows in confusion, if he was not planning on discarding them but wanted only the Empress in the harem, then was he going to demote them all to maids then?

    "While it is true fact that I have not touched any of them, it is also an undeniable fact that they have lived with me all these months and have not wronged me...Therefore, I cannot wrong either. They are my responsibility and I owe it to them to treat them well..."

    Prime minister Zhao secretly smiled victoriously and let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully he was able to avert this danger. He really did not understand the Emperor''s thinking these days. No one was complaining about him doting on one woman so why was he suddenly trying to make it issue all of a sudden? It seemed that this stupid dragon and phoenix show the day before must have truly clouded the Emperor''s mind and affected his good sense of judgment.

    After all, it was not like the palace could not afford to take care of the women. It was obviously someone, a.k.a Lei Xing, saying nonsense in his ear to get him to suddenly have an issue with the presence of women in his harem.

    Prime minister Zhao inwardly sighed, even though he could no longer use the ill-fated match ruse to get rid of Lei Xing and the Lei family, they could always just go the old fashioned route and have her killed. It would only take a lot of planning to ensure proper execution. As long as his daughter remained in the palace, there was always be hope for the future, it was only a matter of time before she claimed the seat which has always been hers.

 Chapter 290 - Clearance

    The Emperor continued on to say, "As the head seer said other creatures cannot share the same sky as the dragon and the phoenix. While the practice of a full harem may have been alright with other Emperors, yesterday was a clear sign that it cannot be the case for my rule. And so, for the sake of the prosperity of the nation, I shall adhere to the will of the heavens and the harem will be cleared out today -"

    Prime minister Zhao frowned, "Your majesty, this is -!"

    "Silence!" The Emperor ordered, glaring down at Prime minister Zhao and then he continued, "The records will be amended today to accord them all the statuses of titular Princesses and they will be given the respect and all that comes with that new status. And within the next three days they shall be relocated to the Imperial residences outside the palace. Alternatively, they may return to their family home if they choos-"

    "Your majesty!" Prime minister Zhao exclaimed again. This was not what he wanted.

    {...What am I supposed to do with a stupid adopted Princess?!...}

    "Would you have me go against the will of the heavens?!" The Emperor shouted back in annoyance, he had been tolerating Prime minister Zhao''s nonsense long enough.

    Prime minister knit his brows and hesitantly, "Well, not that...but...Your majesty!" he wailed in a greatly aggrieved tone.

    The Emperor then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or would you prefer I sent them all to Fenli temple live out the rest of their days as nuns? Would that be better?" Prime minister Zhao promptly and quietly lowered his head with a frown.

    Obviously, a Princess was the better choice. In normal circ.u.mstances, it would be considered a great honor for one''s child to be adopted into the royal family but a princess was really not what he wanted.

    {...It obviously cannot compare to the seat of Empress, to being the mother of the next Emperor...What is a stupid princess compared to ruling an empire?!...}

    "I will take this silence to mean we are in agreement...They may return home if they choose or go wherever they please with royal sanction and protection. They are free to marry whoever pleases them and their dowries will come from the royal family. Their weddings will also naturally be as grand as is deserving of their statuses as Princesses. That is my decision and it is final."

    The ministers silently bowed, all of them in questionable moods while Lei Xing stared at the Emperor with an incredulous expression, unbelieving. She honestly could not describe her current feelings right now, she was not even sure what these feelings were herself. She was drawing a blank.

    "Minister of Rites..." The Emperor called and the Minister of Rites promptly stepped out and bowed, "Your majesty..."

    "Make the required preparations for their crowning, the edicts shall be sent over later today..." The Emperor calmly said and the Minister of Rites bowed, "I will prepare accordingly Your majesty..."

    "Good, then that is all for today... As for the other realizations, they will come with time. You may all leave." The Emperor said and the ministers bowed, although some begrudgingly so and then withdrew from the hall along with the seers.

    As they withdrew, Defense minister Lei cast one last glance at the royal couple on the throne to see the Emperor turning to what looked to be a confused and conflicted Lei Xing with a little smile. Defense Minister Lei inwardly sighed in relief, it seemed sending her to the palace was the right decision after all.

    Lei Xing watched the departing figures of the men and remained staring through the huge doors of the main hall at the open sky even after the top of their heads disappeared down the steps.

    "Xing er''..." The Emperor called but Lei Xing did not seem to hear him. So he lightly pulled her hand to get her attention and called again, "Xing er''...?"

    Lei Xing finally reacted and turned to him wide-eyed and then she frowned and went, "What are yo- why did you do that?"

    The Emperor blinked and knit his brows, this was not the reaction he was expecting. He glanced at his eunuchs and they promptly bowed and scurried out of the hall to give the couple complete privacy.

    The Emperor then sighed and wrapped his arms around her, "For our peace of mind..."

    "Peace of - This is ostracizing your ministers, look how disgruntled the Prime minister was..." Before the Emperor could talk, Lei Xing put a hand up and went, "Sure, you might think you have him in your palm, but when you combine him, along with the other ministers you have upset today, then they can become a whole that will be troublesome for you..." Lei Xing paused and let out an exasperated breath and went, "Why would you suddenly wake up and do this?"

    The Emperor sighed, "It''s not sudden. I have been wanting to get rid of them for a while now, I just lacked the proper justification to. After all, they serve no purpose here, and honestly, normally I would not have cared but even if you don''t say it, they bother you and that bothers me... So I saw an opportunity with yesterday''s event and took advantage of it. I thought you would be happy about this?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    {...Of course, he noticed...Then again, I wasn''t exactly being secretive about it -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing lowered her eyes and held his arm, then sighed as she stroked it and said, "Thank you, but even if they bother me, I can live with them - I would have... I''m not unreasonable so I understand that the concept of a harem is about more than just you having women. It''s a political structure, a way to pacify and control the ministers and you just relinquished that control. I can''t help thinking it might have been easier to have just lived with them..." Lei Xing finished with a worried sigh.

    The Emperor also sighed and hugged Lei Xing and said, "Xing er'', you think too much. While they all might have sent their daughters here hoping I would come to favor them, most are satisfied with simply having a connection to the royal family and so, the status of a princess is more than sufficient and is more than what most royal "wives" would even get during their lifetime here...So it''s fine. Trust me and be happy, please. I can handle this."

    Lei Xing lightly sighed and hugged him back, "I am happy...I already was very happy."

    They silently hugged for a while and then the Emperor quietly asked, "So you''ll stay?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows and then mumbled, "Well...I wasn''t planning on leaving in the first place...Where would I even go?" She jokingly said as she straightened up and smiled at the Emperor.

    The Emperor returned her smile, but Lei Xing noticed there the smile was a bit forced. Even though he said all that nonsense about following the will of the heavens, she knew he obviously did not actually believe that and did not need to be told that he was doing this for her. He always did everything to make her secure in their relationship, and she...Well, she - Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...I am a selfish brat is what I am! >_

    And with that, Lei Xing went ahead to correct things and put her arms around his neck and happily gave a long deep kiss and then said, "Thank you~..." The Emperor''s smiled at her, at it was the bright she loved. She smiled back and then playfully glared at him and went, "But it seems you''re misunderstanding something..."

    "Am I?" The Emperor asked with an amused raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing vehemently nodded, "You are, very much so. But don''t worry I shall enlightenment you~..." She sweetly said and then kissed him again, "I never planned on leaving you...What I said was that I would leave IF, that is IF you left me. It''s a conditional vacation...Therefore, if you don''t leave me, then naturally I wouldn''t leave you either~...Are we clear?"

    The Emperor blinked at her and slightly knit his brows, feeling a bit foolish for misunderstanding.

    "Clear?" Lei Xing asked again, lightly shaking him when he did not respond and he smiled and nodded, "My mistake..." He said as he caressed her face and kissed her.

    {...I''m not going anywhere either...}

 Chapter 291 - Its a Love-Hate Thing

    Lei Xing happily returned his kiss, her scolding was honestly more out of shock than anything. She could not believe that he had actually done this, it was...everything right now and she wanted to do something. The impulse, or competitive streak to also give her own grand gesture, was so strong that she broke the kiss and smilingly went, "Ah, there''s something else I need to correct you on..."

    The Emperor raised an amused eyebrow and smilingly asked, "And that is?" Happy to be corrected by her.

    Lei Xing lowered her head and cleared her throat as her face reddened and fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating.

    {...I mean...It doesn''t get much grander than this, does it?... He deserves it, clearly - I still can''t believe he did this! Crazy person >_

    The Emperor snorted and pulled at one of her crimson ears, "What is it?" She was being so fidgety, it was adorable but really not like her.

    Lei Xing slapped his hand away and covered her ears with her hands as she sent him a glare and then her gaze softened.

    {...He''s really cute too~ (>//?//

    Lei Xing dropped her hands and took a deep breath, looked at him steadily, and opened to speak but then an eunuch suddenly scurried into the hall and halted her speech and her words went back down her throat.

    The Emperor knit his brows, irritated with the interruption. The eunuch quickly stopped at the bottom of steps, bowed, and held out a folded piece of paper - a letter and informed, "Your majesty, an urgent message from General An..."

    The Emperor frowned and promptly waved for the eunuch up to bring the letter up. The Emperor opened the letter and his frown deepened as he quickly scanned its contents. He closed it and let out a breath, he turned to the eunuch and then ordered, "Leave..."

    The eunuch promptly bowed and raced out the door. Lei Xing knit her brows and then asked, "Did something happen?"

    The Emperor sighed and said, "Just a little trouble at the border... What did you want to say?" He asked turning to her with a little smile, that was somewhat forced. The carefree happy mood was gone.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then smiled back, "It''s nothing... What''s happening at the border?" She asked with concern.

    {...I can wait...No rush. It''s not like we have to go about the baby-making process right this moment - Not that I was thinking about that, just saying...no rush (??��??)...}

    The Emperor looked at the letter and informed, "The Zou eldest Prince, Prince Houyi is apparently at the border wanting to welcome his brother home...he''s trouble." He finished with a sigh.

    {...This could be troublesome...}

    ***

    Meanwhile, in the Empress dowager''s palace.

    The Empress dowager finally opened her eyes and just laid there staring at the canopy for a long while in utter disbelief. She had a dreamless sleep, a peaceful sleep. It had been so long that she was actually awe-stricken by the notion of peaceful sleep.

    It had truly been too long.

    "Your majesty, you''re awake!" Ling mama suddenly exclaimed interrupting the Empress dowager''s quiet time. She had walked over from her spot in the corner to do the regular hourly check-ups on the Empress dowager to ensure she was not hurting herself again. When she came over to see the Empress dowager''s eyes wide open, she almost jumped out of her skin in shock.

    The Empress dowager immediately frowned at her and Ling mama immediately froze in fear, but the Empress dowager simply let out a breath and went, "Why are you being so noisy in the morning?"

    Ling mama blinked at her and then bowed, "I apologize, Your majesty... It''s because I''ve been so worried about your health... How are you feeling? Should I send for a physician?"

    "I am fine..." The Empress dowager swiftly responded, irritated with all those annoying useless old men that call themselves physiciancs. She simply stretched out a hand for Ling mama to help her sit up and Ling mama quickly went over to help her. After sitting up, the Empress dowager frowned and went, "What is the time? I''m not yet late for the ceremony, am I?"

    {...I''d rather not go....But then that heartless ungrateful son would make it an issue. He b-...}

    "Ceremony?" Ling mama went knitting her brows, "What ceremony, Your majesty?"

    "The stupid coronation of that ungrateful child!" The Empress dowager irritatedly said, annoyed to even say the words.

    Ling mama frowned and tentatively asked, "Your majesty...The ceremony was yesterday -"

    "Yesterday?" The Empress dowager repeated blinking up at Ling mama, who nodded in confirmation as she asked, "Your majesty....you don''t remember?"

    The Empress dowager frowned in thought as she rubbed her temple, trying to recall. She remembered going to the ceremony and even the Emperor and Lei Xing drinking the wine but then everything after that was a blank.

    "Your majesty...should I send for an Imperial physician?" Ling mama tentatively asked as she skeptically observed the Empress dowager.

    Before the Empress dowager could respond, the doors opened and Song mama came running in and then exclaimed, "Thank heavens, you''re awake your majesty...Leave us." She dismissively said to Ling mama as she quickly walked over to the Empress dowager.

    Ling mama knit her brows, annoyed at being ordered around by another maid but she disgruntedly bowed to the Empress dowager and then left the room. Song mama promptly bowed to the Empress dowager and asked, "Your majesty, how are you feeling?"

    "What happened?" The Empress dowager asked with a frown as she looked over Song mama''s rattled state. Her memory loss could be dealt with later, she could tell there was something very wrong from Song mama''s expression.

    Song mama knit her brows and then hesitantly went, "The Emperor...The Emperor announced that he is going to clear out the harem -"

    "Going to what?!" The Empress dowager exclaimed with a disbelieving frown.

    Song mama gulped and slightly moved backward worried about the Empress dowager''s outburst, "According to what I heard...he wants only the Empress, so he is sending the others away...to live outside the palace."

    The Empress dowager scoffed and rolled her eyes, "What do I care what he does with those fools? If he wants, he can kill all of them for all I ca - Wait! What about that Zhao brat?!" the Empress dowager suddenly asked, her frown returning.

    "She..." Song mama hesitated again, "...She will be...leaving too..." She warily informed. As soon as she heard the news, she knew the Empress dowager would be angry about this and raced here to inform her.

    "NO! What is the meaning of this nonsense? Why does he keep getting in my way?!" The Empress dowager barked, swiftly rising to her feet, "Tell that stupid son of mine to come here right now!"

    Song mama knit her brows and then quietly said, "Your majesty, he has already given the order, and...the Emperor might not come -

    "Then I''ll go to him! Ready my clothes!" The Empress dowager barked, turning her glare on Song mama, who shrunk back and then tentatively reminded, "Your majesty, the doors...are still - How about I send for Eunuch Li instead?" Song mama said, attempting to calm the Empress dowager down.

    The Empress dowager stopped and then took a deep breath and sat back down on her bed, "Forget it. Just kill her now...There is no way I am letting that Zhao brat leave this palace alive."

    Song mama blinked and then hesitantly, "Your majesty, if she just dies just like...it will suspicious an-"

    "Why should I care?!" The Empress dowager barked in anger, her good mood was now completely ruined by this nonsense. She did not understand why this son of hers always seemed to be against her.

    {...What was the point of giving birth to him if he was to be nothing but a hindrance to me?!...}

    Song mama furrowed her brows and timidly said, "Your majesty, I know you''re upset...but if the Emperor finds out...the monk..."

    The Empress dowager froze, remembering that she still needed the Emperor to handle Monk Du''s issue. He had already threatened to stop his search and all her visits if just because she did not want to attend this coronation ceremony. What''s more, if he discovered she actually killed that useless girl.

    {...Is that brat worth losing my sanity?...}

    Even if she slept peacefully last night, she knew it was only temporary, she still needed to find the Voice and that Monk Du was the way. After a long while of the Empress dowager just sitting there, Song mama finally called, "Your majesty?"

    The Empress dowager let out a breath, "Fine. Forget it for now... Get out. I''m going to sleep." She ordered, lying on the bed and turning her back to Song mama.

    {... A time will come when I will end all of them...Every single last one who had ever stepped on me will bow and then die...And that stupid monk who has reduced me to a pleading fool better be sure to make himself useful or I shall give him the worst death!...}

    Those were plans for later, for now, the Empress dowager closed her eyes and hoped another dreamless peaceful slumber, hoping it would get rid of the bad taste that her son always seemed to bring to her mouth. She scoffed, "Only the Empress...We''ll see how long that''ll last..."

    Song mama knew those words were not meant for her, she silently let out a sigh of relief and promptly bowed and left. She had thought of not informing the Empress dowager of this new development, knowing it would only aggravate her. But then the Empress dowager was bound to eventually find out and Song mama did not want the Empress dowager finding out from someone else, namely Ling mama who obviously did not like her and would love to drag her down before the Empress dowager''s eyes.

    Song mama sighed, she did not want to give anyone ammunition to drive a wedge between her and the Empress dowager. Their relationship was already currently strained and she definitely did not want to bring the Empress dowager''s wrath upon herself again.

 Chapter 292 - Lobbying Antics

    Ah Jin arrived at Tung Mei''s relative''s manor and was promptly led to their main hall to await the mistress of the household. Tung Mei''s aunt quickly rushed in a short while later and bowed, "I apologize for keeping you waiting..."

    "It''s alright..." Ah Jin responded, respectfully bowing back.

    "How may we be of service to the Empress?" The aunt asked, bowing with a smile.

    "Ah, I am actually here on an errand to Miss Tung..." Ah Jin informed.

    "I see..." The aunt said, knitting her brows, she hesitated a bit before informing, "Unfortunately, my niece is very sick at the moment... But I can take the message on her behalf and ensure she receives it once she recovers..."

    Ah Jin smiled, "I am sorry that is not possible, the Empress gave very specific instructions. I have to directly speak with Miss Tung...I am fine with going to her so if you would just lead the way..."

    The aunt bowed and again and said, "It''s not that I don''t want to...but it''s just that Mei er'' has had a relapse of old illness we thought was gone. She is currently unconscious and receiving treatment so it''s a bit difficult..."

    Ah Jin let out a breath and narrowed her eyes at the woman and the woman froze and stared at Ah jin wide-eyed as if under a spell.

    {...Take me to Tung Mei...}

    "Of course, come with me..." The aunt promptly responded with a bow, still wide-eyed. She then promptly turned and led the way to Tung Mei''s room in a daze. Ah Jin sighed and immediately followed behind her.

    They arrived at Tung Mei''s room to find a doctor adding herbs to a large smoke pot in the middle of the room with a maid assisting him while another was cooling Tung Mei''s face with a cloth. As soon as they entered the room, Ah jin glanced at the aunt and ordered, "Clear the room..."

    The aunt bowed and then turned to the doctor and the maids and ordered, "You all leave..."

    The maids promptly stopped and went to leave but the doctor knit his brows and protested, "Madam, I am not yet done with the -"

    "I said leave, now." The aunt swiftly cut him off with a frown.

    "Wait outside...It won''t take long." Ah Jin added and the aunt nodded and repeated, "Wait outside..."

    The doctor frowned but got up and left the room with the maids, closing the doors behind them. Ah Jin then glanced at the aunt and the aunt went to bow again and then froze in place.

    Ah Jin sighed, "What are you still doing here?" She asked as she went over to the bed and sat down next to the "unconscious" Tung Mei.

    After a while of silence, Tung Mei finally responded, "Thinking...meditating..." without opening her eyes.

    "Wouldn''t it be easier to recover your powers back home?" Ah Jin asked.

    "...I need to heal this girl. If I leave, she''ll die...Why are you here?" Tung Mei asked opening her eyes with a pout, glaring at Ah Jin as she sat up.

    Ah Jin narrowed her eyes at Tung Mei, "Don''t look at me like that, I didn''t tell on you...Even your father had no clue that would happen yesterday and the last thing he would have wanted was for your aunt poking her nose in what he''s doing here... I''m actually quite surprised she let it go that easily." She finished knitting her brows in thought.

    "I doubt she did...He''s probably getting a long scolding session about this. Deserves it!" Tung Mei said with a frown, "He made me do all that work, seventeen long years here and I could barely even wake up without being scolded by you and him." She said with an intensifying glare at Ah Jin.

    "I did everything he wanted and then he refused to help me. He not only tricked me but then he actually pretended not to know what was going on in front of auntie!... I was on my own and he came to bug me with his stupid deal! I''m not going to forgive him this time! Not!" Tung Mei finished folding her arms in anger.

    Ah Jin awkwardly sat there and then went, "Ahh...Well, I''m sure your father had his own plan for you...and you never know he could still help you-"

    "How?" Tung Mei asked with a frown, but before Ah Jin could respond, she went, "Nevermind, don''t want it anymore..." She said facing off to the side.

    Ah Jin''s eyes awkwardly shifted, she was not sure how to deal with an angry Tung Mei. She was usually very playful and rarely serious, like her father. It was awkward.

    "...I went to see Yong ge yesterday..." Tung Mei quietly said and then sighed, "...I had thought if I had become someone else Yong ge will finally realize that he likes me...but still rejected me. I know it was stupid. I don''t even know what I was thinking... He still rejected me... It seems it is really impossible...It seems he can truly only ever see me as a "little sister"..."

    Ah Jin knit her brows and mumbled, "Well, to be fair, you did actually play his sister th-..."

    "I am a very good actress and stuck to script! Xing jie and I are very different! " Tung Mei indignantly said, glaring at Ah Jin again.

    "Does your Xing jie jump, cling and go "ge!" every time she sees a certain someone?" Ah Jin asked with a raised eyebrow and Tung Mei pouted and lowered her head, turning red as she mumbled, "Well...I couldn''t help it...it was a good opportunity...and it''s not like I clung to him all the time...Anyway, I''m going to forget him! Father is right, he is truly blind not to realize my adorable brilliance! Hmph!" Tung Mei proclaimed raising her head up.

    "You''ve finally regained your senses..." Ah Jin dryly said and Tung Mei narrowed her eyes at her.

    Ah Jin cleared her throat and went, "Moving on... I came to return this to you." She said holding out the bracelet.

    Tung Mei frowned down at it, "Don''t want it!"

    "That''s not an option..." Ah Jin said and the bracelet promptly vanished from her hand and appeared on Tung Mei''s wrist. Tung Mei immediately went to take it off but her fingers just went through the bracelet and she glared at Ah Jin, "Get it off!"

    "If you want it off, go find your father..." Ah Jin said with a polite smile.

    "If you don''t take it off, I''ll saw my hand off!" Tung Mei angrily said.

    "Sure, just make sure to get out of that body first, and then you can do as you wish with yourself~" Ah Jin said with a smile.

    Tung mei frowned, "But-!"

    "I should mention that if you saw that hand off, the bracelet will go to other, if you saw that one of, then it''ll go to your feet and if you saw them off too...then I guess your father will probably understand then~" Ah Jin finished with a snicker as she stood up.

    "This is not fair!" Tung Mei said with a pout.

    Ah Jin looked down at her and then said, "Well, life isn''t fair for most people... It''s time you learned that. Your father ordered for you to report to Qi temple in the next two days or your aunt will come for you...and if she comes here and messes things up here, then you will have both of them to contend with...Since you''ve decided to move on, return home." Ah Jin advised and then turned to leave.

    "Wait!" Tung Mei suddenly went and Ah Jin stopped and turned back to her with a raised eyebrow.

    Tung Mei knit her brows and then went, "...I''ll go, but can you heal this girl, first?... I promised to heal her, I know I shouldn''t have but I wasn''t really thinking...please help." Tung Mei said looking up at her with a pout.

    "Why would you promise something like that?" Ah Jin said with a frown.

    Tung Mei frowned, "Well...I thought I could do it, but now I''m not really sure. Nothing is working, I mean if I were staying, I could have taken her body home to her father and then used my powers to temporarily jog her awake...but since I''m leaving, I don''t know how I can keep her alive...I''ve already tried infusing her with my powers and leaving a few times but it just dissipates as soon as I come out...could it be because I''m too weak now? Anyway, please just help...Pleaseeee, I''ll owe you~...a lot. Jin Jie~ Pleaseee..." She finished looking up at Ah Jin with a beseeching expression.

    Ah Jin sighed and then wearily said, "Fine...come out first and I''ll see what I can do..." Tung Mei beamed at her and nodded. Then a ball of light zipped out of her chest and Tung Mei''s body collapsed on the bed, unconscious.

    The ball of light then expanded to form a body and quickly went out to reveal the form of a beautiful girl with an oval face and fox-like eyes with long hair put up in a ponytail secured by a golden circlet. The girl was dressed in a beautiful yellow dress with little pearls sewn into it all over, she quickly turned to Ah Jin, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Ah Jin went, "Give me the soul stone..."

    "Why?" Xiao Ying promptly went, knitting her brows, "Are you planning on going to possess someone to get revenge?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

    "Of course not and who would I even -..." Ah Jin paused and took a deep breath and said, "I want it because your father will probably forget to retrieve again and I don''t trust you not to go running around possessing other bodies again. Give it or I''ll leave and you can sort the girl yourself..."

    Xiao Ying pouted, she was thinking that the stone was hers now, a sort of consolation prize for all her hard work. After all, her father had not asked for it back, not even after catching her roaming around in Tung Mei''s body. Obviously, she had used the stone to do it, as it impossible as it sounds, it was really possible that her father had truly forgotten about it. And even if he remembered it, he would still have gifted it her if she coaxed him a little.

    But then this Ah Jin was a different matter, she was too rigid.

    "Tch, no fun..." Xiao Ying mumbled as she dug into her sleeve for a bit and finally fished out a glowing purple stone and begrudgingly handed it out to Ah Jin.

    {...It''s not like I wasn''t planning on using it again...probably not...}

 Chapter 293 - Delayed Departure

    Ah Jin took the purple soul stone from Xiao Ying''s hand and put it in her sleeve.

    Xiao Ying then nodded towards the bed, still pouting, "Go..."

    Ah Jin lightly shook her head and went over to the bed where the unconscious Tung Mei lay. She sat down, took Tung Mei''s hand and closed her eyes.

    Xiao Ying also walked over to the bed and crouched down beside Ah Jin and went, "She''s still alive, right? I did say she wasn''t dead. I''m not stupid enough not to know the difference...So can you hea-"

    "Stop talking." Ah Jin ordered with a frown and Xiao Ying quickly shut her mouth and anxiously waited for Ah Jin to be done.

    After a while, Ah Jin finally opened her eyes and Xiao Ying promptly jerked alert, "So?..."

    Ah Jin sighed, "Her soul''s too weak..."

    Xiao Ying frowned, "But then you can give it some energy to strengthen it...It''ll work, right?"

    Ah Jin shook her head, "No, it will only make it worse...Her soul''s already been here too long, she was supposed to die months ago, but then you came along and kept it tied here all this time...Trying to force her soul to remain here right now could end up destroying it... There''s nothing we can do for her..." Ah Jin said, dropping Tung Mei''s hand on the bed.

    "But..." Xiao Ying pouted and looked at the unconscious Tung Mei feeling horrible, "...Even this I can''t do right..." She mumbled, blinking back tears, "...She said she wanted to see her father again, so I promised to heal her if she let me borrow her body. She said she didn''t want to die here without saying goodbye to her father but now...now" she sniffed, "Nothing goes well for me these days..." She wailed and then buried her head in her knees as tears streamed down her face.

    Ah Jin looked at the crying Xiao Ying in surprise and not knowing what to do. She had known Xiao Ying a long time but this was the first time she had ever seen her cry like this. No one had ever taken her infatuation with Yong seriously, but now Ah Jin could see that her feelings ran deeper than any of them understood. It was obvious that this rejection was really hard on her.

    Ah Jin knit her brows in thought for a bit, then she got an idea and went, "How about this? I can cast a spell on her so when her soul leaves, it''ll go to her father for a bit...in maybe a dream? Hm?

    Xiao Ying sniffed and poked her head up a bit and asked, "You can?"

    Ah Jin swiftly nodded with a smile, "I''ll do it right now..." Xiao Ying nodded and Ah Jin lightly touched Tung Mei''s forehead with her fingers, closed her eyes, and then Tung Mei''s body seemed to be covered in a light glow. After a bit, Ah Jin opened her eyes again and smiled at Xiao Ying, "There, it''s done...She''ll see her father again, you kept your promise."

    Xiao Ying looked at Tung Mei''s body and bit her inner lip, using her sleeve to dab at her eyes as she sniffed. Ah Jin sighed and pat Xiao Ying''s head and said, "It''s okay, she would have never been able to say goodbye to her father if not for you...You should go home now..."

    Xiao Ying glanced at her, "Say bye to Xing jie for me..."

    Ah Jin nodded and Xiao Ying then glanced at Tung Mei one more time and her crouching form vanished.

    "Don''t forget to go to Qi temple first!" Ah Jin called out after her. Obviously, she got no response but she was not worried as long as Xiao Ying had the bracelet, Doctor Lou could find out her whereabouts if he really wanted and take his sister to her, if necessary.

    Ah Jin sighed and then quickly rearranged Tung Mei''s body to its former position. It would be too suspicious for her to die right after one of the Empress''s head maids came over so she had also put enough energy into Tung Mei''s body so her soul would remain at least a few days before beginning its journey to the afterlife.

    Ah Jin walked back to where the aunt stood. The woman then unfroze and Ah Jin said to her, "I can see that her condition is really bad so I will take my leave now... She is a personal friend of the Empress so she deserves the best care, I will inform the Empress of her condition and an Imperial physician will be sent over."

    The aunt smiled and bowed, "Many thanks to the Empress..." Ah Jin smiled and then left the room and the aunt promptly followed behind to see her off.

    ***

    An Hao walked into Prince Rui''s tent to find him standing on alert with his sword ready to fight and stopped in his tracks with a raised eyebrow at Prince Rui, the "warrior." He would have laughed if he was not so irritated with the whole situation they were in, "If you''re so on edge like this, why were you so eager to go over to properly be killed like a fool?" An Hao ill-humoredly said as he waltzed in and sat down, irritated.

    This was supposed to be a simple mission, he was supposed to already be on his way back to the capital now. But now, here he was stuck here babysitting a Prince.

    Prince Rui glared at An Hao and An Hao raised his eyebrows in challenge, "I''m not the one who wants you dead here...Tch, you should be thanking me..." An Hao mumbled folding his arms and looking off to the side.

    Prince Rui let out a breath and then sat back down as well, but retained his hold on the sword.

    They had arrived at the camp two days ago and An Hao would have handed over Prince Rui as planned and been on his way back to the capital by now if not for a few questionable things occurring.

    First of all, An Hao''s group actually arrived three days earlier than scheduled, but then before he could even pass on the order for them to notify Zou kingdom''s troops, a Zou messenger came to inform them that they will be ready to receive their prince the next morning.

    It was odd but An Hao was thrilled until he got to the meeting point to find Prince Houyi leading the reception.

    Apparently the search for the offending Chun siblings and the other fugitives had brought Prince Houyi down to the border. And when he heard his dear younger brother homecoming, he could not help coming to receive him himself so they could "work" together on the case.

    An Hao quickly picked up on the awkward atmosphere between the two Zou Princes so before Prince could go his brother. An Hao quickly jumped in and halted the process, claiming that there he still had some official matters left to discuss with Prince Rui and so they would need to keep him for a few more days. Prince Rui frowned in confusion but he quickly caught his drift and played along.

    Prince Houyi did not seem to buy it as he flashed then a glare, before silently departing with a disgruntled frown. And so here they were.

    "The Emperor should have received my message by now... It''s only a matter of time until he decides what to do with you...If he says you can leave, then you can leave...That is if you still want to." An Hao flatly informed.

    Prince Rui did not respond and simply knit his brows. He had also sent a message to his father but with the way things stood, he was not even sure that his father would receive that message. It was no secret that his oldest brother was not fond of him and he even suspected that he wanted him dead. It was also no secret that his brother was not happy with the situation with Long country. He was angry with their father for not allowing him to lead the war back then and blamed Prince Rui for their loss.

    But he could blame their father, he worried his ambitious son would turn his army against him.

    What''s more, with Princess Nalan not here to be a hindrance or to witness anything. Prince Rui could imagine that Princess Houyi saw this as a perfect opportunity to get rid of him.

    Prince Houyi did not even bother to hide it by coming over with his own personal guards. He could already imagine his brother lamenting and claiming to have received his dead body from Long country and calling for a war to right this wrong. Prince Rui inwardly sighed, this was all so troublesome.

    An Hao also inwardly sighed, massaging his temples. He could not trust anyone in the camp right now because obviously someone had fed information about their arrival to Zou without authorization.

    With that said, An Hao was also worried that Prince Rui''s life was in danger in camp, so he had men from his unit guarding the parameter of his tent 24/7. For extra protection, An Hao himself also slept in the same tent.

    If Prince Rui was killed in Long country, it would definitely be a problem for the Emperor. There was no way An Hao was going to allow this Prince to die under his watch and ruin his Emperor''s plans.

    {...This is all so irritating...Who knows when I''m going to get back and I even made all those promises to Xiao Ting - will she be angry? Should I write her explanation maybe?...}

    An Hao''s face lit up as he thought of writing her, he immediately stood up to leave. But then he stopped in his tracks and sat back down with knit eyebrows.

    {...It''s best to wait for the Emperor...Who knows he might tell me to return tomorrow...Let''s not rush, just wait...Can wait...wait...}

 Chapter 294 - Broke Crossing

    Chun Hua opened her eyes and immediately frowned when she was faced with the tattered roof of the shack. She silently sighed and then glanced to the side to see Bao Zhun crouched down looking through the cracks of the window with a hand on the hilt of his sword, on high alert.

    They had crossed into Zou kingdom four days ago and just when they had thought they were safe, they quickly discovered that they were also considered fugitives here. Not only were the posters of the Chun siblings all about, but there were also bounties on their heads.

    Chun Hai quickly decided that they were going to return to Jiu country and he asked Bao Zhun to depart with his men. As long as Bao Zhun denied every knowledge of the affair, his father would help him, so he would be fine. Moreover, it would be easier for him and his sister to maneuver their way unnoticed, a crowd sought attention.

    But Bao Zhun refused, saying he could not deny anything. After all, it was he who ordered his men to attack. More importantly, he felt that he could not leave Chun Hua stranded here. So Bao Zhun agreed to send his men away but insisted on escorting them to Jiu county.

    The Chun siblings did not argue and the three stole some horses and rode nonstop south of the border disguising themselves as travelers from a northern tribe.

    They then purchased horses and rode nonstop south of the border disguising themselves as regular travelers until they arrived at this port town where Chun Hai had connections and could get them on a ship departing for Jiu country no questions asked.

    Chun Hua had tried to persuade her brother to find a way to contact Prince Houyi so he could help them. She also needed to tell him about the deal with Prince Yi. Even if she failed to kill the Long Emperor, it would not be considered a total loss, and most importantly, if she were a fugitive how would she marry a prince! - This last issue she kept to herself.

    But her stubborn brother insisted that if she really "needed" to, she could contact Prince Houyi once they had safely returned to Jiu country. He left the morning before to secure their ship passes, leaving orders for them not to leave this shack, saying he would be back by nightfall with food.

    A whole day had passed and another was ending but he was not back and they had heard nothing. Chun Hua let out an irritated breath and sat up, she hated all this.

    Bao Zhun promptly turned over to her with a smile, "You''re awake...Um, are you hungry?" He immediately frowned after asking that, there was no more food here and he was not comfortable with leaving her here alone.

    Chun Hua sighed, "I guess he got himself captured -"

    "...I''m sure he''s fine." Bao Zhun responded with a reassuringly smile, even though he himself did not believe those words.

    "If you think he''s fine then why are you behaving as if you''re expecting the army to come storming through? Have you even slept?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Bao Zhun awkwardly blinked and then sat down and relaxed, "I''m just bored..."

    The two sat quietly for a while, each with their own thoughts. It was not like Chun Hai to be late. Given the situation, neither of them were sure what to do if he really were captured.

    Chun Hua finally broke the silence and said, "If he''s not back by tonight then we''-"

    Suddenly there was a sound from outside and they both reached for their swords, ready to fight. But then the door opened and Chun Hai, the long-awaited son returned and swiftly apologized, "Sorry about the delay. There was increased security around the town so I had to be careful..."

    Chun Hua inwardly let out a sigh of relief but she frowned at her brother, still showing her disagreement with this move. Chun Hai glanced at her and simply ignored her, she had been pouting this entire time. If he had not threatened to kill himself if she left to go find Prince Houyi, she would have long left.

    It was sad that this was what their relationship had come to but at the very least, it was good to know she still considered more important than her confused "feelings" for Prince Houyi.

    "See, I knew he would be fine. You had us worried..." Bao Zhun said with a little laugh, trying to cut the tension between the two siblings.

    Chun Hai smiled at Bao Zhun and handed him parcel in his hand, "I brought some food...eat up. There''s a ship tonight so we need to move soon."

    Bao Zhun took the parcel and went over to Chun Hua with it. While, Chun Hai went over to the side, laid down, and closed his eyes to rest.

    Bao Zhun crouched down next to Chun Hua, put the parcel down and opened it to find a roasted chicken and a few buns.

    "I still think we should go to Houyi..." Chun Hua said growing at her brother.

    "If he wants to, he can come to you in Jiu..." Chun Hai dismissively responded, turning his back to them.

    Chun Hua glared at his back and Bao Zhun glanced between the two siblings and then said to her, "Just eat for now...we can discuss after he''s rested...okay?" He swiftly put a chicken leg and bun in her. Chun Hua sighed and then proceeded to nibble on it, she was not happy but definitely hungry.

    As the evening came, Chun Hai got up and said it was time to move. Before they left he told Bao Zhun that he can still return home. There was no reason for him to leave his country. But as expected, Bao Zhun declined again.

    Chun Hai inwardly sighed, wondering what his sister did to make this man so obsessed with her. He glanced over at Chun Hua, who read his expression and narrowed her eyes at him before walking past him. Bao Zhun quickly followed and Chun Hai sighed and went along.

    {...I truly don''t understand her...}

    The trio made it to the town harbor just in time to board the ship.

    As they approached the ship, a man suddenly approached them and blocked their way, the trio moved to avoid him but the man promptly bowed and quietly said, "Prince Houyi sent us to retrieve you..."

    Chun Hua''s face lit up but before she could speak, Chun Hai frowned, "No need...Move." He said as he grabbed Chun Hua''s wrist and sidestepped the man, with Bao Zhun following behind staring the man down.

    They had barely taken a step, when another three men blocked their way and ten other men around the dock who appeared to be random people hanging around the harbor, also stepped forward purposely.

    It was clear, they were surrounded.

    The man behind them then said in the same polite tone, "It is best for you to come with us quietly. It won''t do for anyone else to become aware of your presence here...Prince Houyi has already made arrangements for your safety. Please come with us...quietly."

    Chun Hai frowned, feeling conflicted and debating his next move. Could they fight their way through and make it unto the ship? But then given that Prince Houyi was involved, he doubted that the ship would even move.

    {...But then if we go...Can Houyi be trusted?...}

    But before he could make his decision, Chun Hua made the choice for them. She violently shook her brother''s hand off and turned around and said, "Lead the way..." And proceeded to walk off.

    {...I knew there was no way Houyi would abandon us...Should have gone to him from the start...}

    Bao Zhun hesitated and quietly asked Chun Hai, "What should we do?" He was not close to Prince Houyi but everyone said he was a cold-hearted person, what if this was a trick to claim the glory of capturing them?

    "Chun Hai...let''s go." Chun Hua called, glaring at her brother''s back. Chun Hai sighed and then turned around and followed.

    With the way things stood, there was not much of a choice. if their fate was to be captured, then Prince Houyi was the only chance they had to get out of it. The only one they had in this country to speak for them.

    There was also their uncle to consider, they had been trying not to think about him. But considering they were wanted fugitives, he was probably already jailed in the Zou''s capital. So perhaps this way, they would be able to save their uncle too.

    Chun Hai sighed, he did not trust Prince Houyi anymore. The last time he saw Prince Houyi was when he was blowing at him for sending Chun Hua to Long country on this fool''s mission. This was not the ideal position he wanted to be in during their next meeting.

    But he truly hoped that maybe he felt guilty about getting them into this mess...and would hopefully help them.

    ***

    They were taken an inn in the city and as Chun Hai was led away from the other two, he stopped in his tracks and protested it. But the mouthpiece in their escort group spoke up again and explained, "Prince Houyi has some matters he would like to discuss with you... matters of a private nature. Do not worry, they will perfectly safe and would be in a room just down the hall waiting for you."

    Chun Hai inwardly sighed and nodded. It was best to cooperate now so he entered the room as he was bade and entered the room to find Prince Houyi relaxing and drinking. When he saw Chun Hai, he immediately sat up with a smile, "You took longer than expected to arrive here..."

    "How did you know we would come here?" Chun Hai asked with a frown.

    Prince Houyi snorted, "We''ve known each other for most of our lives, I know you about as well as I know myself...but that''s of no issue today. Come sit and drink, are you hungry?"

    Chun Hai did not move and sighed, "Let us go..." He simply said, completely unamused.

    Prince Houyi paused and then knit his brows "You don''t think I would really hand you over to be imprisoned, do you?"

    "Won''t you?" Chun Hai asked with a skeptical eyebrow.

    Prince Houyi looked at him for a bit and then sighed, "how disappointing..." He said as he looked down to refill his cup, "I won''t...After all, we are best of friends, aren''t we?" He finished glancing up at Chun Hai.

    "Stop the games. What do you want?" Chun Hai asked irritated. He was not stupid, if this was a friendly conversation, there was no reason to exclude Chun Hua from it. Prince Houyi was also not the sort to do something for nothing either.

    Prince Houyi sighed and leaned back in his seat, "I have many things I want...But I guess we should start from the story of your escape. I have heard some interesting things about it...that raised some interesting questions in my mind...But let me hear directly from you first, how did you disappear?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Chun Hai.

 Chapter 295 - Reciprocity is Key

    Chun Hai frowned, as expected the news of his disappearance could not be sealed. he knew he should not have done that in public, but what else could he have done then.

    Prince Houyi watched Chun Hai hesitating to respond and then he sighed, "If I were you, I would have killed Bao Zhun and his men, that way you could have delayed the news getting here. It''s one thing to hear it down the rumor vines and another to hear first-hand accounts...You''re lucky that I was the one who found them first, those men were quite talkative..."

    Chun Hai glared at him and Prince Houyi smiled back and continued, "If you were worried about being overpowered, Huayan was with you, she could have easily come up with a poison and taken care of it for you... But no matter, I have already taken care of them for you. All that''s left is t-"

    "Don''t touch him." Chun Hai immediately interjected. Bao Zhun had been good to them and his sister especially. He would not have his blood on his hands, he was not so ungrateful to kill those who had helped him...this was why he let Bao Zhun''s men go.

    Prince Houyi shrugged, "I don''t plan to. After all, his father did come to plead on his behalf, and being such an affluent general I should naturally give way for a request or two. His son would be delivered safely...so long as you cooperate, I''m sure no accidents will come to him." Prince Houyi finished with a reassuring nod and then circled back to the main topic and simply asked, "...It''s that monk, isn''t it?"

    Chun Hai froze and then sighed, "Yes..." There was no point lying. Prince Houyi had long since known about this mysterious Taohua monk in their lives. Moreover, it was not as if Prince Houyi could actually do anything to Monk Du - he would need to find him first, which was probably an even more impossible task.

    "As I thought.." Prince Houyi calmly said, "How did you do it? Show me..." Prince Houyi said with a hint of excitement. When Bao Zhun''s men had talked about how Chun Hai saved them with this disappearing act, the other men found it unbelievable but Prince Houyi believed them.

    He knew the Chun siblings were not ordinary and it all stemmed from that monk. The only thing he had really felt in that moment was some anger towards Chun Hai for not disclosing this new finding. It made him wonder what more these siblings could possibly be withholding from him.

    After leaving the meeting with An Hao''s group, Prince Houyi did not return to the Zou army camp rather he camped somewhere in between the two armies waiting to intercept his brother''s correspondence to his father.

    He honestly did not think his brother would actually follow to him that day. His coming there was actually just a ruse to delay Prince Rui''s departure from Long country until his plan to properly end him was properly set in motion.

    Since the Chun siblings were linked to Prince Houyi, he naturally could not escape all blame for this mess. Their father believed that he had arranged all this in an attempt to assassinate the Long Emperor, ruining his plans for a marriage alliance. After all, Prince Houyi has made his dislike for this "peace" arrangement with Long country very clear. So others in court who were against him had ample ammo to easily fan the flames.

    Before the Zou king could have Prince Houyi dragged to the court to answer for all this, his grandfather arranged for him to exit the capital. Then his grandfather announced to his father and the court that Prince Houyi was so angered when he discovered the traitorous act of the Chun siblings that he raced ahead to find them to bring the traitors before the king to answer for this great crime.

    His grandfather persuaded everyone that since Prince Houyi grew up with the Chun siblings, he understood them the best and was in the best position to find them. And in the end, his father let him be giving him the chance to bring the Chun siblings to fix the mess he began.

    Prince Houyi was ordered to bring the Chun siblings back for punishment, but he was honestly not too keen on the idea.

    But as it stood, he could not return without bringing them. His claim to the throne was also on very shaky ground. His father was already leaning too much towards Prince Rui and this failure would completely tip the scales in his younger brother''s favor and he could not live and let that happen.

    Right now, Prince Rui''s life was his main issue. If there was no Prince Rui then his father would not look at him the way he did, with disappointment. It was not his fault that Prince Rui was the coward his father wanted for a son and an heir. But he, Houyi would never have a coward for a king.

    Prince Rui needed to die and his death needed to be at the hands of "Long" country. That way it will prove his point that Long country could not be trusted. Like father like son, the Long Emperor only wants to gain their trust and then cut down when their guards were lowered - At least, this is what his younger brother''s death would prove.

    Honestly, if not for Prince Rui''s sudden return with his absurd proposal for peace back then, Prince Houyi would have gotten the support of their royal brother-in-laws. With the three countries combined they would have been able to confront and claim victory over Long country and divide up the vast empire, which was obviously bursting at the seams, ready to fall apart....and he, Houyi will be the one to claim it.

    But since Prince Rui went and did something foolish and unnecessary, his death would be used to set things back in motion.

    Once Prine Rui was dead, no one would care about the Chun siblings anymore. They could even end up being hailed as heroes who saw the Long emperor for the traitorous enemy that he was. It definitely could be spun that way...two birds with one stone, he wins.

    "I can''t..." Chun Hai said, bursting through Prince Houyi''s thoughts of victory.

    Prince Houyi immediately frowned, "Why do you mean you can''t?"

    "It means I can''t do it anymore..." Chun Hai said, frowning back at him.

    "Why not?"

    "Because it''s done..."

    "Done?" Prince Houyi coldly went, unconvinced.

    Chun hai let out a breath, "Do you think if I could still do it, I would be standing here before you having to plead our way to safety?"

    Prince Houyi knit his brows and scrutinized Chun Hai for a bit, "Fine then...Call for the monk and get him to teach me?"

    "As you know, we can''t... He finds us on his own, in his own time." Chun Hai irritatedly responded. Prince Houyi frowned, debating whether to believe him or not. He knew about the monk coming on his own and believed that, but he was not sold on the idea that Chun Hai no longer could "disappear" anymore.

    Perhaps he was just biding his time and looking for the best opportunity to go unnoticed, learning from his past mistake. Prince Houyi could not be sure.

    "You''ve asked your questions, let us go..." Chun Hai said, ending the silent stare down.

    Prince Houyi sighed and then said, "Unfortunately, this has caused issues for me as well...My father is unhappy and my grandfather has ordered that I must return with you, both of you. I am not allowed to return empty-handed, so I can''t just let you go, unfortunately... but I have a way forward for all of us..." He added, smiling again.

    Chun Hai frowned, Prince Houyi''s tone was not reassuring at all but he went on to ask, "What is it?"

    "I have delayed my brother''s departure from Long country, intercepted his messages, and communicated with my father on his behalf. As far as my father and the Zou army is concerned, Prince Rui is still en route in Long country, due to some unexpected blockages in the path, his arrival will be delayed by another two weeks... two weeks you need to make use of a-"

    "Houyi..." Chun Hai wearily said as he understood where he was going with all this again, "Y-"

    "Relax..." Prince Houyi said putting a hand up to stop him, "...I have already arranged everything for you. I have a few contacts in the Long army that will arrange you a uniform and all you need to succeed. I would use them for the job but we can''t risk their exposure as I have greater use for them in the future. So you just need to go there and do it -"

    "I''ve told you I have no interest in all this. Why not send someone else? You have many men under you, send one of them..." Chun Hai tried to persuade.

    "My contacts in the Long army cannot be used as they are important for my future plans, I cannot risk their exposure right now....You, on the other hand, are already a fugitive. and more importantly, I am doubting your loyalty" Prince Houyi said narrowing his eyes at Chun Hai, still unconvinced of his past failure to end his brother.

    "I am trying to judge whether you''re someone who I can put all I have on the line for or not. Your sister has proven herself, but what have you done?" Prince Houyi asked with a frown, "Why should I save you?"

    "Save me? This is all your fault!" Chun Hao angrily responded, "If you hadn''t sent my sister to-"

    "No, it is not!" Prince Houyi said, banging his hands on the table and rising to his feet in ager, "Huayan caught me on a bad day and I said a few words. Then she got it into her mind to go do this leaving a stupid letter behind informing of her own grand intentions. What did you expect me to do when I returned a few days after to find this? Run after her? I have my own problems that are way greater than you obviously care to imagine!"

    Chun Hai knit his brows and fell silent. He knew since the war with Long country started Prince Houyi had been in an increasingly irritated mood as his relationship with his father worsened. He could honestly see this possibility.

    But regardless, Chun Hai still felt that Prince Houyi should have done something more to stop his sister from risking her life like that. If it had been Princess Nalan who had run off to do something like this would he have simply sat back and folded his arms? No, he would not. He was not blameless in all this.

    Prince Houyi sat back down with a sigh, "My father has thoughts of making Rui the crown prince. He has not announced it yet but there are rumors...I can''t risk it anymore. He needs to go. You failed me once but I know it was because you did not feel the need to stretch yourself, as per usual behavior. I had thought you would understand my need but it''s alright, all that is in the past... Huayan will remain here to ensure you have that need this time...But don''t worry, even if you can''t return alive, I will ensure she remains safe. You have my word."

    "You also failed me once...How can I trust you with her?" Chun Hai said narrowing his eyes at him.

    Prince Houyi blinked and smiled, "I guess that is the way it seems... I will not force you. As things stand, you have two options, do what I want to save us all or I will get someone else and ALL of US can begin our journey back to the capital tonight... It''ll be out of my hands then."

 Chapter 296 - Pointless

    "Are you really sure they won''t turn us in?" Bao Zhun quietly asked Chun Hua. They had been locked in this room for quite a long time now. They had no idea how Chun Hai was doing either and the more time passed the more restless the pair felt.

    Chun Hua knit her brows and just frowned at the door. She was trying to be calm as she honestly did not believe that Prince Houyi would turn them in, but all this felt weird.

    Why would Prince Houyi exclude her from the meeting? And more importantly, why would he keep her locked up here? Like she was a prisoner who was going to run away - Chun Hua''s frown deepened and she shook her head, her brother''s words were getting to her.

    {...Houyi would never do that!...}

    Suddenly, they heard sounds coming from behind the door. The two immediately tensed up and Bao Zhun rose to his feet, ready to fight their way out with his bare hands if necessary.

    The door opened to reveal Prince Houyi and his men on the other side. Prince Houyi sent Bao Zhun a fleeting glance before focusing his eyes on Chun Hua with a smile "Huayan, come with me..."

    Chun Hua inwardly sighed in relief. See, she had worried for nothing, she thought as she promptly stood up to leave. But Bao Zhun put an arm in front of her, stopping her and went, "Where is Chun Hai? I thought you were their friend? Why are keeping us captive? Let us go!"

    Chun Hua frowned and brushed Bao Zhun''s arm away and whispered, "Relax..."

    "You are Bao Zhun? I expected something better...Your father is right to be disappointed." Prince Houyi offhandedly said with a frown, "I did promise to return you, as to your specific condition, I made no promises. You''d best not tempt me...Chun Hua, follow me." Prince Houyi ordered and left before anyone could say anything.

    Bao Zhun frowned, angry about the insult and threat, he wanted to go after him but Chun Hua swiftly grabbed his arm, "Relax, he doesn''t actually mean that...We''re safe. I''ll be right back." She said with a smile and then quickly ran out of the room to catch up with Prince Houyi.

    "Wait -" Bao Zhun said running after her, but the men promptly blocked his way, pushed him back in the room, and shut the door before he could get his bearing. Bao Zhun banged on the door, but no one cared for his angst.

    As Chun Hua caught up to Prince Houyi, he suddenly stopped and she almost ran into his back. She quickly composed herself and was about to speak, when Prince Houyi glanced at her with a suspicious glint in his eyes, "...Bao Zhun seems to care you for quite a bit, recklessly so even-"

    "He''s just like that - he''s like that with everyone." Chun Hua blurted out without thinking, knitting her brows angry at the stupid response she gave. It was just that she definitely did not want Prince Houyi to get the wrong idea, especially not after all her hard work to gain his favor.

    "He would run into danger for everyone?" Prince Houyi asked with a skeptical eyebrow.

    "En, mostly... He''s like that." She said with a nod and a half-smile.

    Prince Houyi lightly snorted and shook his head, "He''s a much bigger fool than I thought...It''s almost sad..."

    Chun Hua lowered her head, still maintaining her half-smile, not sure if Prince Houyi was being sarcastic or not, or if he even believed the stupid lie she gave.

    She was also not exactly pleased about him insulting Bao Zhun either. After all, Bao Zhun had been of great help to her and by extension, to him... At the very least, she considered him a friend, one not deserving to be insulted. She was not that ungrateful, but she was also not about to pick a fight with Prince Houyi because of Bao Zhun either.

    "You''re not much better yourself..." Prince Houyi quietly said.

    Chun Hua frowned in confusion and immediately looked up at him, Prince Houyi frowned and then continued to scold, "If it was an easy task to assassinate the Long Emperor, then I would have already long accomplished it? Who asked you to be an assassin?"

    "Well, I -... I was trying to be helpful and-...I wasn''t trying to get myself killed either." She mumbled with irritation. She already knew the reason he was scolding her like this was because her stupid brother had gone and dug up this dead matter again, highlighting her failure, "I''m sorry I caused you trouble..." She added lowering her head with a scowl.

    Prince Houyi sighed, "What''s done is done... Let''s go, you must be hungry..." He dismissively said and then resumed walking.

    Chun Hua let out a breath and quietly followed with a pout.

    {...You wouldn''t be scolding me if I had succeeded in killing him...If not for that stupid Chen You, by now, I would have gotten a chance!...}

    They arrived back at Prince Houyi''s room and quietly sat down at the table. As the servants arranged the food on the table, Chun Hua glanced around and then asked, "Where is Haiyan?"

    Without missing a beat, Prince Houyi informed, "He said he has some things to take care of you before you two leave... He will be back in a few days." He finished, picking his cup of wine.

    Chun Hua nodded, it was better for her that he was not here while she talked things out with Prince Houyi. The servants finished placing the plates and then moved to the side.

    Chun Hua glanced at them and then looked back to Prince Houyi, "Can we talk alone?" She was itching to tell him all about the new plan she returned with, to show she was not a total failure whose only good deed was causing him trouble. Even though she caused a mess, she was still able to return with something.

    Prince Houyi obliged and waved away the servants and then leaned back in his seat and asked, "What is it?"

    Chun Hua pursed her lips, she had rehearsed this so many times in her mind but now that she was before him she was feeling tongue-tied for some irritating reason, "Umm...about the Long Emperor...I actually...have a plan...You know the plan the Long Emperor''s brother had with Prince Rui?"

    Prince Houyi knit his brows, "The plan to initiate a war to help him to the throne he foolishly lost to his younger brother...that one?" He irritatedly said, just thinking about Prince Rui annoyed him. One of his people had overheard Prince Rui telling their father all about how he had managed his return from captivity...and this Prince Houyi had sent down the gr.a.p.evine to Chun Hai, in the event that they needed any help while they were in Long country.

    Prince Houyi''s reasoning was that if Prince Yi was desperate enough to strike that sort of deal with his brother, he would definitely be open to pursuing other routes...and he knew Chun Hai was smart enough to use his name to get Prince Yi''s cooperation. Of course, Chun Hai had no clue that Prince Houyi had directed that message to him...It was pointless for him to know.

    Chun Hua nodded, "With that plan, the Long Emperor would still die and then the other kings would have the courage to join forces with us just as you wanted and then we would -"

    "And if he fails?" Prince Houyi cut in and Chun Hua froze, Prince Houyi sighed and then said, "Huayan, I appreciate you trying to think for my sake, but I don''t need it... As for the Long Prince, if he is of no use to himself, how can he be of use to me?"

    Chun Hua knit her brows, she opened her mouth to argue her case but Prince Houyi put a hand up and said, "I don''t plan on fighting anyone''s battle for them. I would be a fool to trust him and I am no one''s fool...Eat." He ordered, picking up his chopsticks and going about eating his meal.

    Chun Hua frowned, this was not the response she was expecting. She was not asking him to become Prince Yi''s pawn, it was actually the other way around. She was asking him to use Prince Yi as his own pawn.

    Their ally nations were hesitant to join forces mainly because of fear fueled by the Long Emperor''s overexaggerated reputation on the battlefield.

    Prince Houyi had said it himself, the Long Emperor was the main problem. Therefore, if the Long Emperor died, then the allies would naturally be more easily persuaded, and together they could take down Long country and the irrelevant Prince Yi in one fell swoop.

    All problems solved. Chun Hua frowned and begrudgingly picked up her chopsticks and irritatedly picked at her food.

    {...Why isn''t he understanding this?... Why is everyone missing the point of all my effort?... What was the point of all this work?...Not even a thank you...}

 Chapter 297 - Lofty Packaging

    After receiving An Hao''s report on the current situation at the border, the Emperor dragged Lei Xing along with him to the royal study.

    It was a complex problem with a simple solution, Prince Rui was not a prisoner so he could leave whenever he wanted to. Therefore, the Emperor could not give the order to forcefully detain him here as An Hao was asking.

    If Prince Rui wanted to walk into a death trap, they technically could not stop him. But they could house him if he had the good sense to avoid the danger. After all, he was still considered a royal guest so the Emperor instructed An Hao to relocate him to Jingli - a city near the border and "recommended" that Prince Rui should wait for Princess Nalan and the other Zou representatives to arrive there and then depart with the group.

    Although the Emperor was not yet informed of a fixed date for their departure, they should be leaving within the week, especially if they knew Prince Rui was waiting for them. With their presence there, Prince Houyi would have to be more discreet in his endeavors and would be less likely to blatantly attack Prince Rui en route... Unless Prince Houyi planned to kill all witnesses and with his own sister, Princess Nalan part of the entourage, it was unlikely he would do that given their relationship.

    Although the Emperor could also send an envoy to escort Prince Rui, he did not want to risk his own people going into shaky enemy territory like that. He also doubted am escort from Long country would dissuade a Prince who was hungering to cause discord between their nations.

    As for the issue of locating Monk Du, while the Empress dowager was in a hurry, the Emperor himself was in no rush at all. Thanks to this monk search, his mother had been behaving herself the last few weeks and the Emperor was enjoying the peace of mind having leverage over his crazy mother brought. Also, he honestly doubted they could locate and capture people who could apparently disappear in a flash like that.

    As for the matter of spies in the camp, An Hao did not expressly mention his suspicion of spies the way he recounted the events made it possible for the Emperor to get the message. For that, the Emperor simply wrote a vague statement that An Hao could handle the other matters as he deemed fit.

    Once he was done writing his response and he handed it over to an eunuch to send it off. The Emperor and Lei Xing then moved on to the issue of the harem dismissals.

    While Lei Xing was still in a bit of a daze of disbelief over the whole issue, she still went ahead to help the Emperor with writing out the edicts since he had a lot to write - twenty-four edicts to be exact for this matter alone.

    Two for each wife, the first edict to remove their status as an Imperial wife and erasing them from the royal register. Then the second edict to appoint them as honorary princesses and adopting them into the royal register, as well as giving them their titular names.

    The Emperor wrote the first removal edict for Li Ru and then Lei Xing settled in to write out the remaining eleven, copying the Emperor''s words, only changing the name and title of the recipient.

    While the Emperor worked on the second set of edicts, which was more complicated as they needed to think up their title names because apparently the Emperor had not planned that far. After successfully writing the first two edicts for Li Ru and Zhao Lan, the Emperor drew a blank and just sat there, his brush hanging in the air with a frown on his face.

    After a while, Lei Xing noticed the Emperor had stopped writing, she turned to him to see his frown and promptly asked, "What''s wrong?"

    The Emperor blinked, glanced at her, pursed his lips, and then awkwardly said, "Names..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow in confusion and then she went wide-eyed and her mouth hung open, "You still don''t know their names?!"

    The Emperor''s frown deepened, he did not like the accusatory tone in her voice and felt the need to defend himself, "Well...I''m a very busy person and I have never interacted with them. I only know of the two Noble consorts because you keep mentioning Li Ru and as for Zhao Lan, well that one I''ve known about since she was a child s-"

    "You''ve what now?" Lei Xing cut in, knitting her brows in surprise.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I''ve what?"

    "You just said you''ve known - how come I didn''t know about this?" She asked blinking and frowning at him in confusion.

    The Emperor snorted, "Well, you know she''s the late Empress''s niece..." Lei Xing nodded and the Emperor continued, "...and you know I was "raised" by said late Empress for years..." Lei Xing slowly nodded again, suddenly feeling like an idiot.

    "So...so you two were childhood friends -" Lei Xing inhaled sharply and then asked, "Childhood sweethearts?" Putting a hand over her mouth, even more shocked.

    {...So I''m the mistress here? I always liked the childhood sweethearts trope, shit! I ruined the ship - Ohhh, she must hate me O_O'')... How did I not make that connection?! >_

    The Emperor frowned and removed her hand from her face, "Don''t let your mind run, we were NOT childhood friends, much less anything else... She was simply an occasional existence in the late Empress''s palace, one I ignored."

    He did not even recognize Zhao Lan until she introduced herself on the final day of the selection, and even then he still did not bother to pay attention to her. She was of absolutely no interest to him, much less a "sweetheart" and the fact that Lei Xing mentioned that actually annoyed him.

    "Ah, I see..." Lei Xing went with a little smile, letting out a little sigh of relief.

    The Emperor blinked and then slightly knit his brows and a smirk crept up his lips, "Are you, by any chance...jealous?"

    Lei Xing immediately leaned back and looked at him with an incredulous expression, "Jealous?" She laughed, "Why would I be jealous? You''re about to send her packing...there is clearly nothing for me to be jealous about here. I was just mourning the loss of a promising ship is all."

    "Ship?" The Emperor asked knitting his brows in confusion.

    Lei Xing''s face twitched, "Forget that part, the point is...I am not jealous. As for the names, I know their names, I''ll - wait...you wouldn''t... by any chance, need their first names, would you?" Lei Xing tentatively asked. Her own set just included only their titles and last names.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her with a smug expression and Lei Xing narrowed her eyes back at him and said, "I was going to learn their full names eventually... Well, I''m not the one who married them so I don''t have to know their names..." Lei Xing added with a pout when the Emperor looked at her with a disbelieving expression.

    The only reason she even knew their last names was because of the account books she had been managing the last few weeks, but those only had their titles with their last names.

    The Emperor laughed and then pat her head as he called out for a servant to come in and then ordered for them to go retrieve the most recent Imperial records book.

    Lei Xing continued to write her own set of edicts, still pouting. The Emperor tried to offer to help her, but she brushed him off and told him to focus on his own work.

    {...Always laughing...hopefully you don''t die of laughter one day (?_? )...}

    The Emperor laughed and then hugged her causing her to smudge the paper, Lei Xing opened her mouth but before she could complain the Emperor said, "I''ll write that one~...Let''s take a break." He finished as he pulled her down to rest their backs on the chair. Then he rested his cheek on top of her head, closed his eyes, and let out a happy sigh.

    Lei Xing snorted, they had barely worked and now they were taking a break. After a while of quietly relaxing with him, Lei Xing sighed and said, "I was thinking... Shouldn''t we hold a farewell banquet or something for them? It feels odd for them to just leave quietly. I mean, they are not criminals and according to you, they are getting "promoted"... I feel some fanfare should be in order... What do you think?"

    "... En, a banquet the night before they exit the palace then..." The Emperor simply responded without even opening his eyes, fully enjoying his relaxation time with her.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, it still did not feel enough. It still felt off to her, her outlook on this issue was nowhere near as positive as the Emperor''s and perhaps she was trying to overcompensate because she then said, "How about making it a city-wide celebration the day they leave...Um, much like how a wedding procession would go - No, no, that''s stupid -" Lei Xing frowned, "...and highly insensitive too." She mumbled.

    The Emperor sighed and brought a hand up and pat her cheek, "You are thinking too much again..."

    "...And you apparently aren''t thinking enough." Lei Xing clapped back without thinking. Rather be offended by her remark, the Emperor just chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Then I say you should learn a thing or two from me~" He finished, kissing her cheek.

    Lei Xing frowned, not amused and brought up a hand to push his face away but the Emperor just caught her hand and kissed her palm. Lei Xing pulled her hand free and wiggled out of his hold, "Stop playing, I''m being serious." She said as she sat up.

    The Emperor looked at her worried expression and then sat up with a sigh, "Xing er''...those who will seek to harm you because of this, would have harmed you regardless of this..."

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows, "I guess..." His words made sense given the circ.u.mstances.

    Even if she shared the Emperor with others, there would still be jealousy and trouble coming her way. Not to mention once children were thrown into the mix, it would become a whole new battle arena for not just the Emperor''s affection but for the throne itself.

    The best way to avoid harem drama struggles was to obviously NOT have a harem just as he has done. But there was still a big BUT and Lei Xing could not help voicing it out, "...but those same people would not have had enmity towards you regardless of this..." She seriously said.

    She was happy that he thought to do this but she was honestly still not comfortable with this move. She had been trying to set aside her worries and just be happy but she was finding it quite difficult to ignore them. She could not help feeling that he rushed into this and that he - well, they might come to regret it in the future.

 Chapter 298 - Worrisome

    The Emperor inwardly sighed, she really worried too much about everything. This was the reason he chose not to tell her of his decision to disband the harem beforehand.

    If he had told her, it was unlikely she would have readily agreed to it, at the very least, he was almost certain she would not have agreed for him to do it today.

    But he had already made up his mind to do this so she would not have been able to dissuade him on it. But if they discussed it and she refused to align with his thoughts and he proceeded to do it, he did not think it would bode well for their relationship.

    While he was the Emperor and everyone, including his Empress, had to bow to his will, he has actually never flaunted his authority over Lei Xing before. And he got the sense that if he ever did that, things will drastically change between them...for the worse.

    He could not really put his finger on it, but he just felt that he could not cross that line with her. His instincts had never failed him before, it was actually quite similar to how he felt with Doctor Lou and look how that turned out, the Doctor has been proven himself to be unordinary.

    What''s more, the feeling was even stronger with Lei Xing. Of course, he reasoned that his feelings played a role in that but still he felt there was something more to it, it was like that even before they became close. Even from their first conversation, he indulged her much more than was permissible, much less possible.

    Initially, he thought it was because of Lei Yong. But on later thought, he had never giving Lei Yong half the breadth he gave Lei Xing, so how could it simply be because of Lei Yong?

    Lei Xing told him that Doctor Lou said they had similar energies from one source or something like that. He did not really understand it but Lei Xing said it basically translated to an uncanny sort of soulmates situation.

    The Emperor liked that word soulmates, he thought it to be very fitting for them. He and Lei Xing connected on many levels, they thought alike, had similar senses of humor - they had a deep level of understanding of each other and they connected very easily.

    But then there was one part where their personalities differed greatly, if not clashed. The Emperor trusted his instincts and acted on them, whereas for Lei Xing, acting on instincts was not something she allowed herself. Taking risky moves was not something she did or would endorse and this to her was a very risky move. She focuses too much on what and all that could go wrong.

    The Emperor had come to learn that his Xing er'' was quite the complicated girl and it took skill and intellect to navigate around her quirks to avoid conflict.

    So he weighed his options and decided to keep it to himself until it was done. Even if she would be mildly upset that he did not inform her, it would not be compared to the potential fallout that would happen if they had a disagreement and he blatantly disregarded her opinion by proceeding with his plans.

    He had thought they were already over the upset phase in the main hall, but apparently he was too optimistic. The Emperor sighed and took her hands, "Xing er'', I properly thought this through before doing this. Moreover, an affront against you is an affront against me. Your enemies are my enemies. Therefore, those same people would still have become my enemies regardless of this... I, we, have lost nothing."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and looked down at their hands and mumbled under breath, "...Easy to say-"

    The Emperor frowned, "Xing er''-"

    "Okay, I''ll stop...It''s too late to backtrack anyway." She said, plastering a smile on her face for him.

    The Emperor smiled back and hugged her, "Everything will be alright... Trust me and stop worrying."

    Lei Xing sighed, "I guess you''ve turned into a worrywart..."

    {...You doing worrisome things and not worrying is obviously bad for my head! T_T)...}

    The Emperor lightly chuckled, he was not sure what "worrywart" meant but it obviously had to do worrying so he threw her words from last night back at her, "Well, then you''d make a great parent too..."

    Lei Xing snorted and rolled her eyes.

    {...The things this guy picks up...*sigh* This is good, it will be fine...It will...}

    ***

    After the eunuch arrived with the imperial records book, the two resumed their individual tasks to send off their royal "palace-mates". Once they were done writing, the Emperor put his seal on them and sent them off with the eunuchs to arrange and deliver to the Minister of Rites, who would then deliver it to the recipients to make it all truly official.

    Lei Xing blankly looked on as the eunuchs disappeared with the edicts and the doors close behind them. She then took a deep breath and stood up, "I''ll see you later..."

    Before she could move, the Emperor swiftly grabbed her hand and asked, "Where are you going?... You said you were free today." He added with knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing blinked down at him and then went, "Hmm...well, I was free but...now with this... Your wiv- I mean, your sis-" Lei Xing frowned and just went, "They''re leaving so there are things that would require my attention so-"

    "You can give orders from here." The Emperor supplied.

    "True...but excessive gloating is bad form, so I''ll see you later..." Lei Xing said with a smile, patting his head like he was a child with her other hand.

    The Emperor knit his brows and promptly grabbed her stray hand, "Gloating?" He asked in confusion.

    Lei Xing raised her eyebrows and explained, "...It''ll look bad if we celebrate too much in the open...I can imagine most people aren''t in celebratory a mood like we are... Even though you might not have had a relationship with those girls, it is an undeniable fact that you - I guess, we did crush a few dreams today...Me staying here with you today will only be rubbing salt in their wounds. We ought to be a bit considerate so I''ll see you at dinner..."

    The Emperor frowned and sighed, "You really think too much..."

    "I''m thinking just enough now." Lei Xing said with a smile as she bent down and kissed his cheek to appease him and sweetly said, "Work hard~"

    The Emperor sighed again and released her hands and mumbled, "Don''t work too hard..."

    Lei Xing lightly chuckled and then gave him another kiss before she turned and left him. The Emperor sighed and watched her as she sauntered off.

    {...I really cannot win with her...}

    ***

    After Lei Xing left the royal study she went to the bureau of human affairs to find Ming Shu. As soon as she stepped into the office, Ming Shu promptly stood up and walked to the center of the room and bowed in greeting.

    Lei Xing simply nodded in acknowledgment. Instead of going to sit in the main seat, Lei Xing just sat in one of the guest seats, folded her arms and knit her brows.

    Ming Shu quietly stood there observing Lei Xing, waiting for her to speak but Lei Xing seemed to be lost in thought. After a while of silence, Ming Shu finally went, "Your majesty...how may I be of service?"

    Lei Xing blinked at her, coming back to reality. She cleared her throat and went, "Ah, sit."

    Ming Shu bowed and then went to sit on the guest seat across from Lei Xing. Even though Lei Xing did not seem to care, she could not risk the rudeness of sitting in the office seat before Lei Xing.

    After all, when it came to these royals, you never know when and what they will take issue with, they could say something was alright now and then a crime later. It was best to not cross any lines.

    Ming Shu patiently waited for Lei Xing to think things through and the silence stretched again until Lei Xing finally sighed and asked, "Have you heard about what happened in Court this morning?"

    "I have..." Ming Shu said with a nod. Even though she was not one for gossip, as the head of affairs in the palace, it was her business to be in the know of palace matters. News like this also spread very quickly in the palace.

    "What do you think about it?" Lei Xing seriously asked, calmly looking at Ming Shu.

    Ming Shu blinked and slightly knit her brows before bowing her head, "The Emperor is wise to see the blessing that Your majesty is to the empire..."

    Lei Xing quietly scoffed and almost rolled her eyes.

    {...Not bootlick 201! -_-)... Why is it so hard to have an honest conversation with people these days?...}

    Even the Emperor always seemed to be dancing circles around her, it was honestly quite irritating but she could obviously not fault him for trying to considerate of her feelings. It was sweet but also worrying. She needed to talk to someone and somehow her feet led her here.

 Chapter 299 - Precedent

    Lei Xing was honestly not even sure why she came here.

    When she left the Emperor, she had actually planned to go see Li Ru but then as she went along she suddenly realized that she did not want to be there when the Minister of Rites arrived with his announcement...It would be awkward.

    Moreover, Li Ru was not someone who would understand her current reservations on this matter. As as far Li Ru was concerned, Lei Xing should be happy that the Emperor is so in love with her that he has chosen to exclude all others.

    And Lei Xing was happy, so happy she wanted to take the leap and give him the child he wanted. But there was still the politics of the matter in play and the Emperor seemed to be dismissing it all a bit too easily...Could it truly that simple? Was she simply thinking too much, being too cynical about it all?

    Lei Xing had also noticed that when it came to things involving him, the Emperor never really told her the full nature of his troubles. He let her read edicts but she was pretty certain that he already knew exactly what was in them before he offered them to her. So she knew he would never tell her about the true nature of his troubles as he always seems to be unnecessarily worried about her worrying.

    It was sweet but Lei Xing found it even more worrisome because it meant she could not trust him when he said everything was alright. Case and point, yesterday''s incident when the world was literally rolling over right before her eyes he was going, ''everything will be fine...no problem at all''.

    It was for her sake, she understood that. Another example of this was is how he handled the birth control situation, according to him the main reason he was upset was simply because she wanted to take the contraception behind his back and not because of her not wanting children. He pretty much ignored the fact that it was NOT fine for especially someone in his position not to have an heir.

    And now he did this with the harem, yes he had told her before about not being interested in the existence of the harem. But despite his disinterest, he had taken the women in so as not to cause friction between him and the ministers, so he could get more important things much done much easier. But now he was setting the important matters aside in a bid to make her happy...It was heartwarming, but she was honestly finding it all stressful and worrying.

    It was starting to seem as if when she was involved, he did not really think things through as he normally would.

    Since his reassurances were not as reassuring as they should be, she wanted to get a neutral opinion to see if she was really thinking too much of all this. Perhaps, he had really done enough to pacify the ministers.

    She wanted to get a neutral opinion, but her people options were very limited and it was not really dawning on her how limited they were. She actually started to miss Doctor Lou and his bracelet, but then again, much like the Emperor, Doctor Lou only tells her what he thinks she has the "capacity" to handle.

    It was annoying.

    As she changed directions to return to her palace to stew on her own, Ming Shu came to mind and it was like a light bulb went on in her head. Ming Shu had lived in the palace all these years, lived and served three Emperors and their harems. She definitely understood how things worked here and well, Lei Xing had come to understand the old woman a bit over the last month or so. They could be said to have developed a relationship of sorts and so here Lei Xing was talking to her "personal assistant".

    Lei Xing lightly sighed and then said, "I want to know - No, I would like an honest discussion with you. You have been in the palace longer than anyone else has. You have also held this position for decades as well and that takes an understanding and a breadth of mind that does not come easy. I''m curious about how such an understanding and seasoned mind sees this development... Rest assured, nothing you say will be held against you so your honesty is required." Lei Xing added the disclaimer to make the old woman more comfortable.

    Ming Shu slightly knit her brows and scrutinized Lei Xing for a bit before asking in a confused tone, "You are worried...?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then lightly sighed, "...I would just like a different perspective on the situation to further my own understanding hence my asking you..." She calmly with a small smile. She did not need to share her mood of the day with outsiders.

    Ming Shu was quiet for a while and then she said, "Most women would simply be happy..."

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows, a bit annoyed but she smiled and said, "I am happy and as I said, I am simply trying to further my understanding so do share your insight."

    {...Why are people assuming that me asking questions means I''m unhappy? -_-)''...Can''t someone still think things through without causing unnecessary speculation! >_

    Ming Shu still scrutinized Lei Xing then she sighed and said, "Well...It''s not the first time an Emperor has dismissed the idea of a harem..."

    "It''s not?" Lei Xing asked in surprise, knitting her brows. The ministers definitely did not behave like it wasn''t.

    Ming Shu nodded, "Although the situation is a bit different...The Emperor''s grandfather only had his Crown princess when he ascended the throne and his harem stayed empty even after he became Emperor..."

    Lei Xing listened with her rapt attention, this was a pleasant surprise. Ming Shu showed a slight smile as she continued, "...back then when the ministers had tried to insist that the Emperor should accept concubines, he simply told them that the palace already had way too many maids than he knew what to do with so he could not accept more at thattime..." Ming Shu snorted as she recalled the outrage it had caused at the time. Then she froze and stared at Lei Xing wide-eyed before quickly lowering her head as her face reddened.

    Lei Xing also lightly snorted and almost burst out laughing as she watched Ming Shu''s reaction. But she had always been respectful to elders so she just lightly cleared her throat and stamped down her laughter.

    {...Maids? I like this grandpa hahaha...guess he takes after his grandpa. Oh my goodness, imagine if he had gone and compared the girls to maids in front of the ministers, I would probably have died from a heart attack right there O_O)...Princesses are definitely awesome, great choice...Amazing!...}

    "It is unfortunate that his Empress died young during her second pregnancy due to unexpected complications with her health..." Ming Shu said with a depressed sigh, having recovered from her earlier embarrassment.

    Lei Xing froze and her jolly mood deflated. She gulped and somewhat nervously brought her hand to her neck and fiddled with the teeth on the necklace on her neck.

    {...Relax...It will be alright, many, many - a huge percentage of women deliver safely...I also have great luck and a crazy doctor on my side - that''s if I can find him but - he''ll show...I wouldn''t even need him haha...ha... it''ll be fine -_-)''...}

    "It was only after the death of his Empress that he accepted others into the harem to give him more children and even then, he never crowned another Empress during his reign..." Ming Shu sighed again and looked down at her hands.

    The two sat quietly for a while, each with their own thoughts. Ming Shu finally looked up at Lei Xing and said, "She would be proud of her grandson and would have been proud in his choice of a wife" She finished with a polite somewhat saddened smile.

    Lei Xing blinked at her for a bit and then nodded, "Thank you." She was suddenly feeling awkward.

    She had heard that Ming Shu had been close with the Emperor''s grandmother, the rumors said they were close as sisters and she was even charged with raising the Emperor''s father after his mother''s passing.

    So obviously this was not an easy conversation for her and it was like Lei Xing had come to dig up old wounds so naturally, Lei Xing was feeling very awkward. She did not do well when people got emotional and it was even worse when she was not close to them.

    It was clear this conversation had gone way over its limits. So Lei Xing got to her feet with a polite smile, "I''ll be leaving now..."

    Ming Shu also stood up as well and bowed bidding her farewell and Lei Xing awkwardly nodded again and quickly but dignifiedly shuffled out of the room.

    ***

    After leaving Ming Shu, Lei Xing returned to the Empress''s palace and simply decided to have Xiao Ruo send out scouts to gauge the reaction in the other palaces. She could go see Li Ru after the buzz had died down.

    Just as Lei Xing was settling down to relax, one of the Emperor''s eunuchs arrived to inform her that Emperor has asked for her to lead the ceremony for the clearing of the harem/crowning of the princesses. Lei Xing blinked at the Eunuch in surprise when she got the message.

    {...There''s a ceremony? O_O)''...Well, I guess, makes sense...But me?...Oh yeah...I am the Empress so I guess, harem is my thing?... But why didn''t he say something to me - Nevermind, I guess he didn''t know the procedure either considering it wasn''t everyday one turns their wives into princesses. I doubt there''s a manual for it...*sigh* ceremony -_-)''...}

    It was as if the eunuch heard Lei Xing''s thoughts because he went on to explain, "...Normally this could have been done with the Empress dowager but since she is currently indisposed and you are the head of the harem, the Emperor decided that Your majesty should handle it instead. The Emperor said to tell you that your presence is simply required..." The Eunuch finished with a bow.

    Lei Xing swiftly understood the Emperor''s message, all she apparently had to do was to sit there, and that was fine by her. Would be awkward but it was alright, she could sit in, "Alright then...Is everything ready then?"

    "The Minister of Rites said it will be another hour or two..." The eunuch informed.

    "In that case, send word to the Imperial wives to assemble here in two hours then..." Lei Xing said and the Eunuch bowed and then left to do as instructed.

    Lei Xing sighed and sent the maids away and went to lay down on her bed to relax for a while before she had to get up to get ready for this "glorious" ceremony. The irony of it all is that she had decided against going to Li Ru''s palace to avoid being there when the edict arrived, but now not only was she going to be there, she was going to be leading the whole affair for all of them.

    {...Life sure has a great sense of humor sometimes ?_?) ...What a long day...}

    Lei Xing frowned and shook her head as she thought she heard Doctor Lou''s snickering in her mind. She raised her arms up to confirm the bracelet was not there and then sighed and decided that clearly she was traumatized.

    After all, it definitely could not be that she was actually missing the quack doctor and his irritatingly clingy bracelet already, right?

    {...Definitely not...Speaking of clingy, I wonder how much of the "truth" his "goddaughter" knows...Everything? So she was playing me from the getgo?... Kinda pisses me off -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and then decided she would send for Tung Mei in a few days after the whole issue with the Imperial wives was over. Not for anything in particular, she was just curious to know how much this girl really knew.

    {...I mean, if the quack''s her godfather and he got someone to play me as he said, then it follows that dear goddaughter should know who it was...so perhaps her case was really one of mistaken identity? So she could have run over to me during the lantern festival thinking "I" was still the doc''s friend?...

    ...It makes sense but then why was she mean to me during the selection if she thought I was the friend then...Well, maybe she had a fight with said friend at the time? ...Or was it just for fun? Playing the palace game maybe?... Yeah, I can see that, would not even be surprised if that quack actually put her up to it just for "fun" (?_?)...}

    Lei Xing yawned and then rolled to her side and closed her eyes. She would deal with Tung Mei when she met Tung Mei. For now, she would nap and then go deal with the send-off ceremony for her palace-mates.

 Chapter 300 - Comforting Solitude

    Lei Xing sat there in her throne seat and watched the Imperial wives on their knees, one by one thanking and receiving their individual dismissals and promotions as the Minister of Rites stood reading out edict after edict.

    Lei Xing could imagine that this must also be so strange for them as well. Lei Xing could see the anxiousness, confusion, and relief spread on their faces...It was a mix of emotions, complicated expressions.

    Their first day giving their greetings to the Empress, was now the last day of them doing so - at least in the capacity of sub-wives. The Imperial wives had all expected things to change after Lei Xing became Empress, but they honestly could not have anticipated this.

    It all seemed to have happened so quickly and honestly, none of them understood what has been happening the palace these days.

    it has been one thing after another since they arrived here, the Empress dowager was obviously crazy and the Emperor was covering up for her. The rest of them had the good sense to stay clear of the Empress dowager after what happened with Lei Xing, only Chen You had the guts to approach and look at what happened to her.

    Then the bizarre events of the ascension ceremony the day before. They were all confused and on edge. The truth was that even for those who were somewhat disappointed that they were leaving, a part of them was still glad to be leaving this bizarre place the palace was becoming.

    When the edict reading was over, the girls held on to their two edicts and kowtowed towards Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and then calmly said, "You may rise..."

    And although the Emperor had said she was not expected to say or do anything during the ceremony, as Lei Xing watched the girls rise to their feet, she felt inspired to say something. It somehow felt wrong for her not to say anything,

    So she did, "In a few days, you will be out of the palace, and as princesses, you will always have the support and protection of the royal household...For you all, this is a new beginning, a chance to rewrite your story, a chance to live the life you want, and as you desire...Be sure to live well and be happy..."

    Li Ru and some of the girls smiled at her while the others just had complicated expressions, but they all bowed together and said, "Thank you Your majesty for your grace..."

    Lei Xing smiled and then said, "You may retire..." the girls bowed again and then turned and left.

    Lei Xing briefly thought about having Li Ru stay back so they could talk about her thoughts, her plans. But then she decided against it, it was not the time to be playing "favorites". It would be best to see her tomorrow and besides what plans would she have already? She would need time to think as well.

    The Minister of Rites also bowed and retreated with his assistants and Lei Xing now sat there, alone on her throne seat staring out through the doors open doors. Today has been an odd day, the last two days have been very odd days.

    {...Why am I suddenly feeling lonely?... This is odd, I don''t like this -_-)''...}

    After a while of Lei Xing just sitting there, staring blankly, Xiao Ruo became concerned, "Your majesty...is everything alright?" She asked, cutting into Lei Xing''s thoughts. She had thought Lei Xing would be delighted over this but rather, Lei Xing just seemed out of it. She had been in an off mood since she woke up this morning, which was understandable given the events of yesterday but then with this, with what the Emperor has done for her, she should be happy.

    Lei Xing just blinked and turned to Xiao Ruo, she then turned back to the doors and dryly chuckled, she had actually forgotten that there were other people here.

    Actually, this feeling Lei Xing knew too well, the feeling of being surrounded by people and yet feeling completely alone.

    Lei Xing suddenly started feeling agitated, she knit her brows and then let out a breath and got up to go find the Emperor. She was not lonely, she had him. When he was around she never felt lonely, so Lei Xing went to find him.

    As she got outside, Lei Xing saw Ah Jin coming towards her and her face immediately lit up and she walked over to her and immediately asked, "How did it go? Did she take it?" Although Lei Xing would deny it, a part of her did miss the bracelet''s company so her voice was a bit agitated.

    Ah Jin bowed in greeting and then said, "Miss Tung''s condition was not too good so I could not speak with her directly b-..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and went a bit wide-eyed in surprise, "She''s ill?"

    Ah Jin nodded, "Yes, quite ill. She was unconscious when I arrived. Her aunt took me to see her, she accepted the bracelet on Miss Tung''s behalf and put it on her wrist right then. The madam sends her thanks and greetings on Miss Tung''s behalf, she said that she will ensure Miss Tung comes to show her thanks once she is recovered..."

    Lei Xing nodded and knit her brows and offhandedly said, "Send an Imperial physician - No, send the head physician over there to see if he can help..." Ah Jin bowed and left to see to that.

    Lei Xing let out a sigh and looked to the clear blue sky.

    {...It turns out the quack was right to worry...It''s good he left then, wouldn''t want him to have any regrets...}

    Lei Xing sighed again and began walking again, changing directions. She decided to go back to her room and return to sleep. She was sure the Emperor was busy and did not want to interrupt him simply because she was feeling a bit "lonely".

    She would sleep and she would forget these lost little feelings that had no place in her mind, the bracelet can be gone, Li Ru can be gone and even the Emperor could be gone and she, Lei Xing would be perfectly fine.

    She reveled in her solitude...Always have, always will.

    ***

    Lei Xing found herself in a happy dream or at least one that started off that way.

    She was little again and happily strolling through what looked to be a night market or perhaps a festival, much like the one she went to with the Emperor, it definitely seemed to be in the same time period as she everyone was dressed in long robes like they wore now but different.

    There were people everywhere, children with their parents happily enjoying their time and Lei Xing was one of those children with her parents. Although she could not make out their faces, Lei Xing was certain she was looking up at her parents.

    Her father handed her coin and she happily turned to the street vendor and handed the coin over to him. The vendor smiled down at her and then passed her a stick candy. Lei Xing smiled and then turned back to her parents and her smile fell when they were not behind her.

    Lei Xing glanced about trying to locate them and then began to feel panicked when she could not see them. She called out for them but got no response back.

    The crowd had now stopped and all heads were raised up to the sky watching the sky fill with lanterns. But Lei Xing could not pay attention to the show, instead, she was too busy trying to find her parents, she pushed her way through the crowd and kept calling for them but still got no response back.

    She finally saw what looked to be the backs of her parents and began racing towards them but then suddenly the crowd all began running in the opposite direction, trying to sweep her along. Little Lei Xing desperately tried to keep rushing forward as the backs of her parents seemed to be getting farther and farther away, fading, merging with the scenery somehow.

    Lei Xing naturally frantic and was screaming for them at the top of her lungs at this point. But they did not turn around and did not stop. She kept trying to push against the tide of the crowd, and suddenly felt herself be knocked back to the ground by an unseen force.

    She sat up and anxiously glanced around, but she could not see anything through the sea of legs. She could not even make out which way she had last seen her parents, she just sat there confused and anxious as the sea of people sped past her, all the while parting around her, as if she were in a bubble that was protecting her from the stampede.

    Lei Xing was now on the verge of tears and she bit her inner lip hard to stop the tears blurring her eyes from falling. Then all of sudden, she felt warm arms wrap around her from behind. She froze in place and then felt a hand pat her head and a familiar voice say, "It''ll be alright... I''m here."

    Lei Xing blinked and turned to look at the person but then no one was there, she was still alone.

    "Xing er'', come over..." Lei Xing heard the same soothing voice say again. She looked up and then saw the silhouette of a familiar man standing on the edge of the crowd. She could not make out the face but she knew that she knew him and he knew her.

    She had to get there, so Lei Xing rose to her feet again, using all her strength she dashed towards him. The crowd and scenery fell away as she focused on reaching the man and the warmth of the bright light that was illuminating the darkness surrounding her. But the harder she ran, the farther away she seemed to be away from him and the light.

    Lei Xing''s panic began to set in again as she raced even harder but then it was happening again, no matter how much she tried, she could not reach the light or the ones she wanted. She would be alone again, abandoned.

    As they moved farther and farther away, Lei Xing heard her name echoing all around her from the darkness in the same calm voice, mocking her, "Xing er''...Xing er'', wake up...Xing er'' -"

    It was driving her so mad, she screamed her head off and she shot up in bed, gasping for breath and pushing at the clutches of darkness that were trying to grip her, "Leave me alone!"

    "XIng er'', calm down, calm down! It''s alright, it''s me! Xong er'', open your eyes and look at me!" The Emperor urged, holding onto her arms tighter before she would end up falling over and hurting herself in her panic. Lei Xing stopped and just stared at him wide-eyed, taking deep breaths as she realized it was just the Emperor.

    Lei Xing held on to the Emperor''s arms to steady herself and glanced around and realized where she was. She gulped and took another shaky breath and looked back at the Emperor, who was looking at her with concern.

    She shakily brought up a hand and ran it through her hair, "I''m sorry...it was just a...just a bad dream." She said with a raspy voice.

    "A dream that brought you to tears..." The Emperor said, as he used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from one of her wet cheeks.

    Lei Xing promptly touched her other cheek to feel it soaked and immediately frowned in confusion and annoyance with herself.

    {...What the hell - ?...}

    "Xing er''... what exactly is bothering you?" The Emperor softly asked as he gently tucked her hair behind an ear and then warmly caressed her cheek. This was supposed to their happiest time but Lei Xing was behaving abnormally right now.

    He could not understand her right now.

    Even the servants had noticed she was being strange. He had been in an off mood since Lei Xing left him and then when he came over this evening, Xiao Ruo reported to him about how Lei Xing had been a bad mood all day.

    He had thought his announcement would make her happy, but the happiness she had derived from it seemed to have been only momentary, fleeting. Since the main hall, she seems to be more bothered than happy, he could see it even she smiled for him. And now it was even to the point of her being haunted in her dreams.

    He had entered the room to find her in cold sweat, tossing and turning in her sleep and just about to fall off the bed, but luckily he got there in time and caught her. But then she woke in a frenzy which was even more concerning. He had never seen her so agitated by anything, much less by a simple dream.

    Lei Xing blinked at him for a bit and then wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, "It''s nothing...I''m fine, just a bad dream." She said as she closed her eyes.

    {...It''s just a stupid dead dream...I''m fine, doesn''t matter, none of it matters, no one, nothing, I''m fine. Always fine...}

    Lei Xing meditated on the words while tightly clutching to the Emperor. The Emperor looked down at her, he did not like it when she got like this, it made her seem too fragile. He kissed the top of her head and reassuringly caressed her hair and pat her back, "It''s alright...I''m here."

 Chapter 301 - To the Future and Beyond~

    After a long time of quietly clutching the Emperor, Lei Xing announced, "I don''t like clinging..." all the while still hugging his waist.

    Even if he could not see her expression, the Emperor could hear the pout in her voice. It seemed he was truly worrying for nothing, she was definitely herself right now. So he smiled and caressed her cheek and said, "I love when you cling..."

    "Of course, you do..." Lei Xing mumbled with a snort and then she released him and tried to sit up but the Emperor tightened his hold around her and held her to him. Lei Xing knit her brows and looked up at him and he looked down at her face with a smirk, "I''m not complaining~..." He said leaning down and giving her a light kiss on her lips.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him, "I also don''t like clingy people..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes back down at her, "Same...but you''re the obvious exception~"He said patting her cheek.

    Lei Xing absentmindedly blinked up at him for a bit and then smiled, "...Well...not that I want to complain but this position is a bit uncomfortable, my back''s starting to hurt -"

    As soon as she said that, the Emperor released her and Lei Xing sat up. She then stretched her arms before dragging herself back to lean on the headboard and stretching out her hand to the Emperor with a smile. The Emperor took her hand and shifted closer, he lightly ran a hand through her hair and asked, "Does sending them away really make you so uneasy?"

    Lei Xing briefly knit her brows in confusion before remembering the sendoff ceremony, she smiled and offhandedly said, "They don''t matter..." Before squeezing his hand and seriously saying, "What you''ve done makes me very happy. You not only thought to give us peace of mind but also thought to give those girls their lives back. It was very thoughtful and honestly amazing that you would consider their future in the bid for your own happiness, our own happiness...so thank you."

    The Emperor smiled, "I''m glad you see it that way... I was worried you were still worrying."

    "Not at all...It''s not like you made them maids." Lei Xing mumbled the last bit with a snort. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her and she shook her head and said, "Nothing."

    The Emperor then asked, "What were you dreaming about? I''ve never seen you so shaken before..."

    Lei Xing immediately pursed her lips and said, "Nothing important..."

    "I like hearing you talk so it''s importance is irrelevant...tell me." He countered with a gentle smile.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and looked at him for a bit before lowering her head with a sigh, "It''s nothing scary or anything and I''m not even sure why I was so bothered by it. Honestly, it''s highly embarrassing that something like actually made me panic even just a bit, so..." She sheepishly glanced up at the Emperor waiting for him to tell her not to bother but he just quietly narrowed his eyes at her, waiting.

    Lei Xing frowned, "Tch, fine...It was just a psychologically bothersome dream, I wasn''t scared, I was just -... Okay, I was a child out with what I assume were parents at some festival of sorts, they disappeared, I panicked and then I woke up still panicked, nothing to it. Just blurred lines between dream and reality..." She flatly said.

    "Was it a memory of yours?" The Emperor asked with concern.

    "Nope..." Lei Xing dismissively responded, obviously not interested in the topic.

    But the Emperor continued to question, "Have you had the dream before? Is it perhaps a recurring dream?" He was certain she had not had a dream like this in the time he has been sleeping with her. But he then he was thinking that perhaps like him, she too had troublesome memories from her past that haunted her.

    It would be nice if she too derived peace of mind from his mere presence.

    But then he quickly remembered that unlike him who only slept with her around, Lei Xing peacefully sleeps without him all the time.

    The Emperor looked down at her hand in his and frowned. A part of him honestly yearned for her to need him as much as he seemed to need her.

    Lei Xing scrutinized the Emperor and thinking that he was unhappy because of her unenthusiastic responses, she put in a bit more effort and told the truth, "Well, no...but you see, I sent the bracelet back today so I guess I was feeling a bit lonely...a tad bit left behind I guess."

    "Oh?" The Emperor exclaimed looking up at her in surprise. He had actually not noticed even though he had just been staring down at the wrist the bracelet normally graced.

    Lei Xing lowered her head and sighed, "He asked me to when I woke up today... Regardless of how annoying he has been, he has been a confidante, a good friend - for the most part anyway, for quite a long while now...Moreover, the bracelet has been connected to my body, mind and perhaps even soul for so long, so naturally, it being gone would mandate some hormonal and mental readjustments for me... I just needed a good sleep so I''m perfectly fine now, really." She finished with a reassuring smile.

    The Emperor smiled and nodded, he looked down at her empty wrist and then smiled back up to her and said, "...I''ll get you an even more beautiful bracelet for your wrist and you can come to me whenever you''re lonely, with anything at any time..." He said, caressing her wrist.

    Lei Xing smiled and then felt her eyes heating up again and she snorted, today was truly a rare emotional day for her. It was annoying but could she do, she was getting moved to tears. She put a hand on the Emperor''s cheek and searched his face for a bit and smiled at him, "I still don''t understand how I got so lucky..."

    The Emperor smiled at her and took her hand on his face and kissed it as he said, "I''m the one who is lucky..."

    Lei Xing bit her inner lip and fought back her tears and then jumped forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and dived into the kiss with wild abandon.

    She truly did not understand how she got so lucky to find a man who was beyond good to her, it almost always seemed like an impossible dream.

    Even the part of her that was still reluctant to believe that someone could care for so much her could not deny the reality that in this present time, at this moment, he truly loved her...and she loved him.

    The future could become whatever it wanted to be, if he left her one day she would still survive it but for now, he deserved all her love and more.

    After a deep long kiss, Lei Xing sat back but still left her arms hanging around his neck, she smiled at him for a bit and then said, "I think...I''m a highly inconsiderate, selfish and self-centered individual so I think a little Xing er'' will be more annoying than adorable..." She finished and then shyly lowered her eyes, anxiously waiting for his response.

    The Emperor chuckled and kissed her cheek, "You''re always adorable, never annoying~..."

    Lei Xing glanced up at him and blinked at him in confusion.

    {...That''s it? O_O)...Don''t tell me, he didn''t get it?...Okay, understandable and I am plenty annoying by the way, I even annoy me...}

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and tentatively said, "In my opinion...a little Kai would be most adorable..."

    "Ahh..." The Emperor went, realizing she was giving her opinion to his words from the night before. He had actually thought she was asleep then but obviously she heard them and had her own opinions and oddly, chose now to share them. He chuckled and said, "I was a very boring child..."

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then frowned, "You still don''t get it?"

    The Emperor raised an amused eyebrow at her with a smirk, "Get what?"

    Lei Xing pouted in annoyance, the Emperor snorted but promptly corrected his expression when she narrowed her eyes at him. He never understood it, but he always found her anger to be amusing. She would be very upset with him if he ever told her that. It was one of the many things he found adorably amusing in her that he would find completely intolerable in anyone else.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and then ill-humoredly repeated with emphasis, "I said I think a little YOU would be most adorable!"

    The Emperor blinked at her, now a bit confused as to why she wanted to argue about this, she was normally very open-minded to different opinions, "I heard that...and I simply disagree. While I was boring, you, on the other hand, I''m sure was the most entertaining and adorable child~" He said with a teasing smile and leaned in to kiss her but Lei Xing moved her head back.

    She looked at him with a wry expression and then sighed, "You know, I usually think of you as an incredibly brilliant person who gets life and stuff but sometimes...like this, you truly surprise me."

    {...Your cluelessness sometimes is just next level (?_? )...}

    The Emperor skeptically narrowed his eyes at her, "That doesn''t exactly sound like a compliment...Is it?" Her tone was half-teasing, half-serious so he could not be sure.

    Lei Xing smiled and pat his cheek, "Sure thing...But since you don''t get it, I will be nice and spell it out for you~...I said, I think a little YOU would be most adorable...to have." She added for clarification and then stared at him, nervous and wide-eyed as her face heated up, waiting for his reaction.

    The Emperor blinked at her and then knit his brows, then he blinked some more, opened his mouth to speak but just ended up staring at her wide-eyed with a raised eyebrow as if asking for confirmation on his unvoiced thought.

    Lei Xing blinked back at him, swallowed, and then lowered her eyes and shyly said, "I want a baby with you...I already didn''t drink it today." She quietly added to show her conviction.

    The Emperor''s face immediately lit up and he laughed and grabbed Lei Xing''s face and happily gave her a hard warm kiss on the lips, before planting kisses all over her face as Lei Xing laughed.

    He then stopped and just stared at her face as he gently caressed her cheeks, Lei Xing stared back at him with a smile and then brought a hand up to his face and caressed his cheeks and softly said, "I love you..."

    Before the Emperor could respond with his own words of love, she captured his lips again in a long deep kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself to her knees as she went about helping him to get rid of the "bothersome" hindrances known as clothes that separated them.

    Since they were discussing their babies, they unanimously came to the conclusion that they might as well begin on the path right now. And so the pair happily went about rolling in bed, working hard for a long time to ensure their bright future comes to life, doing their part to secure the empire''s future.

 Chapter 302 - Lost in Transit

    The next morning, Lei Xing and the Emperor had a leisure morning together.

    They woke up very early mainly because they were hungry, well, Lei Xing was hungry, the Emperor already always woke up early most of the time.

    After Lei Xing''s wonderful declaration, the pair had immediately set out to fulfill this grand endeavor of theirs and ended up lulling themselves to sleep without dinner.

    Lei Xing, who had worked very hard and had barely had anything to eat all day yesterday woke up famished.

    While their breakfast got ready, the pair took a fun bath together to kill time. At breakfast, the usual bowl of contraceptive broth was there waiting for Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor across the table to find him staring at the bowl but when he noticed her eyes on him, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and looked down at his plate.

    Lei Xing smiled, he always did that. Whenever they had breakfast together, he would always sneak glances at the bowl, obviously trying and failing at not paying attention to its presence. And when she would drink it, he would intentionally bury his head into his plate.

    Lei Xing was sure that in his mind, he was trying not to pressure her, but his eyes could not help "sneakily" being drawn to it and he did his awful best to do it without her notice.

    "Take this away...and tell the Imperial physicians not to send it anymore." Lei Xing ordered pointing at the bowl. Xiao Ruo smiled and happily took the bowl and handed it over to another maid to take away.

    Lei Xing then turned to see the Emperor happily smiling at her. She snorted and then picked up her chopsticks to spend precious time with her second love, good food.

    After breakfast, the two sat down together sipping on tea, well, Lei Xing was sipping on tea and the Emperor was staring at her.

    He had been behaving a bit oddly since they woke up. She had actually woken up to him staring at her stomach and lightly stroking it with a smile - which she understood, he was excited about the prospects of a child. But then he kept glancing at her stomach, every time she stood up and even now that she was sitting, he was staring.

    {...It''s weird but kinda cute...maybe he thinks the more he stares at it the quicker it happens...}

    Lei Xing snorted and smiled at the Emperor, who blinked at her before smiling back and promptly faced forward.

    They sat quietly for while, until the Emperor suddenly looked at Xiao Ruo and ordered, "Call for head physician..."

    Xiao Ruo promptly bowed and then left, while Lei Xing asked with concern, "Physician? Are you feeling ill?"

    "Not at all..." The Emperor responded with a smile and then he seriously asked, "Do you feel any different?"

    Lei Xing looked at the expectant expression on his face and knit her brows and tentatively asked, "Any different how?"

    The Emperor knit his brows as well and then picked up his teacup, "We''ll wait for the head physician..." He resolutely said and then went about sipping his tea.

    Lei Xing scrutinized him and then asked, "You don''t think I''m pregnant already, do you?"

    {...That would certainly explain all the stomach staring (? ???��??? ?)...}

    The Emperor glanced at her and nodded, "Perhaps..."

    "I''m not pregnant." Lei Xing said with a little laugh, amused.

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows and asked, "How do you know you''re not?"

    "Well...What makes you think that I am?" Lei Xing asked with another laugh.

    The Emperor knit his brows and glanced at Ah Jin, who immediately got the message and bowed and exited the room to give them privacy. The Emperor then smiled at Lei Xing and said, "Well, I had a dream about babies...What do you think about twins?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him in surprise before bursting into laughter. The Emperor frowned at her and Lei Xing said still amidst laughter, "I''m sorry...I didn''t know men had conception dreams...What?"

    "I''m serious, I''ve never dreamt about babies before..." He said, unhappy Lei Xing was not taking this seriously. It was important.

    "Well, have you ever had your wife tell you she wants a baby before?" Lei Xing asked with an amused raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, understanding where she was going with this, "This was different. It means something...I have a sixth sense about these things."

    Lei Xing lightly snorted and then cleared her throat, "Okay, twins. I like twins, they''re a 2-for-1 special, bargain deal. But even if I got "pregnant" last night with "twins", doctors won''t be able to tell today. That''s not how it works, it''s way too soon..." She patiently explained.

    {...Well, that quack might be able to tell, but let''s not encourage him haha...}

    The Emperor knit his brows and asked, "Well, how long then?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him and shrugged, "Two weeks, a month, two months. I don''t know, haven''t been pregnant before...But I know it''s definitely not today." She added narrowing her eyes at him.

    "In that case, you cannot be certain, we shall wait for the head physician to be sure..." He said resuming sipping his tea.

    "Fine..." Lei Xing said stifll very amused, she could not believe that he was actually "convinced" that she was pregnant. She refilled her teacup and his and said, "Since we''re waiting, why not share this revelatory dream of yours..."

    The Emperor smiled and turned to her, happy for her interest, "It was a dark place, completely dark and empty, it seemed cold too. But in the middle of this empty darkness were two little babies with their own inner light radiating off of them brightening their immediate scenery, lighting their way as they crawled seemingly on a mission, with one following the other in complete silence, total concentration. They were the most beautiful babies I''ve ever seen - Not that I''ve seen a lot of babies, but there was something about them, a feeling...They''re ours." He finished smiling at Lei Xing as he picked up his teacup.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then went, "Hmm...Well, I do understand how you got to conclusion of it being a conception dream. The surrounding darkness can be perceived as the w.o.m.b and their mission, as you call it, can be the journey to their birth...but dreams often bring to life our inner -"

    "We''ll wait for the head physician." The Emperor calmly cut in, facing forward and sipping his tea.

    Lei Xing lightly shook her head and picked up her own teacup, "We''ll wait then but I assure you, I am not pregnant..."

    The Emperor did not respond and the two quietly waited, both with their own thoughts.

    Lei Xing could honestly not believe they were having this conversation. While she has had one bizarre experience after another since arriving here, she really did not think this was much more than a simple situation of his dreams manifesting his desires. And even while, she knew the head physician''s readings will show nothing, she could not help feeling anxious.

    {...There is no way I''m pregnant already, it''s way too soon! Way, way too soon...Can''t be that quick O_O)...}

    The head physician quickly rushed over and Lei Xing was surprised to see that the old man had lost weight, it seems they had really been working him too hard recently. The Emperor apparently was not phased by the old man''s condition and promptly instructed him to check on Lei Xing.

    The head physician knelt down next to her and took her pulse under the intense scrutiny of the two pairs of eyes. The head physician knit his brows and the Emperor and Lei Xing both went, "What is it?"

    The head physician glanced at both their anxious faces and knelt back and bowed, "Her majesty is perfectly healthy...Your majesty, do you have any pain or discomfort anywhere?" He asked looking at Lei Xing, he had knit his brows because he was confused as to the reason he was summoned.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor with a raised eyebrow, the Emperor then frowned down at the head physician and asked, "Anything on conception?"

    "Conception?" The head physician repeated, confused, he then bowed and reminded, "Your majesty, as per your orders, the Empress has been drinking the contraception on a daily basis, so it -" He paused and glanced up at the Emperor''s face and changed his tune, "I will change the medication to one for conception -"

    "No, no, I don''t need any medication." Lei Xing cut in, she was honestly tired of drinking this and that every day.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Xing with a disgruntled expression and she explained, "As he said, I am perfectly healthy so there''s no need for medication..."

    {...Why don''t you try drinking it every day and see how you feel? I''ve not even thought about the side effects of all these medication in my system -_-)''...}

    The Emperor nodded and then dismissed the head physician. The head physician bowed but just as he got to his feet, Lei Xing remembered and asked, "How is Tung Mei doing?"

    The head physician bowed and said, "Miss Tung''s condition is not too good. It seems her illness was not treated properly the first time it occurred a few months ago. When an illness returns like this -.."

    "Returns? She was sick before?" Lei Xing cut in with concern.

    The head physician nodded, "I was told she came down with the same type of illness a few months ago and so had to delay her return home. But she miraculously recovered overnight so we are hoping for the same time of miracle again. But when an illness like this, it is often worse than before, but I will do my best to ensure the Miss''s recovery." He added with another bow.

    This royal couple had truly been overworking him these days. They called him for everything and even sent him outside the palace to whoever they wanted. It was as if they forgot that there was an entire department of physicians at their disposal. He had to handle the Empress dowager and just when he was finally getting some rest with the Empress dowager stabilizing, Lei Xing came and gave him another charge.

    Lei Xing nodded, "Oh, okay. Thank you..." She said smiling at the overworked old man.

    The head physician blinked and smiled, at least they were grateful for his services, he was somewhat pacified with that, he then bowed and left.

    Lei Xing was not that worried about Tung Mei. After all, she had her precious godfather with her now. She did not need to be told the miracle that happened before was the work of her godfather. Therefore, even if the head physician could not heal her, Doctor Lou would.

    So there was no cause to worry.

    Lei Xing turned back to the Emperor to see him with a disappointed expression. She lightly snorted, it was cute that he was truly expecting her to be pregnant already.

    Lei Xing stifled down her urge to laugh and tried to correct his mood. She held his hand and then smilingly said, "Don''t worry, I''m sure your twins are still on the way, maybe they got lost en route -" She stopped and cleared her throat when the Emperor glanced at her, obviously not sharing in her amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "I''m sure they''ll be here soon enough, they might even be here already, it''s just that no one can tell yet, so let''s try again in say two weeks or a month maybe..." She finished leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

    {...Twins, as if hahaha...}

    The Emperor knit his brows and then suddenly got up and then he reached down and pulled a confused Lei Xing up into his arms and kissed her and then smirked as he said, "We should put in more effort..."

    Lei Xing raised an amused eyebrow and snorted, "More? There''s no rus-" Her words were caught in her throat when the Emperor kissed her again. She laughed against his lips and happily kissed him back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, happily indulging in the passion.

    This was the morning after they had missed the day before, their blissfully happy morning after.

 Chapter 303 - Languid Despair

    Prince Yi massaged his aching head in annoyance. Since the debacle of the coronation ceremony, he had been questioning any and everything he could. He could not get passed his current confusion, not even after drowning himself in alcohol.

    He was no longer sure about anything, nothing seemed to be working out for him. While he would like to think that the Emperor somehow faked those celestial events to suit his selfish needs, Prince Yi could not fathom how on the earth the Emperor could have done it.

    It was not a simple magic or an illusion. Given how the Emperor reacted too, he was just as surprised as anyone. So did this really mean that the heavens were on his brother''s side?...did this mean there was really no hope for him?

    {...A dragon and a phoenix...a phoenix, how can this be a manifestation of heaven''s will?! Why not ME?!...}

    Prince Yi threw his cup of wine at the opposite wall in anger. He had worked so hard so why could it not be him?!

    Prince Yi let out a breath and picked up another cup and filled it and gulped it down to calm himself. He was turning into a bit of drunk these days but what else was he supposed to do. He could not run into a fire blindly, he needed to wait, to be patient. But it seemed that his patience reserve had suddenly run dry so his frustration was growing every day.

    What was more infuriating was the fact that while he was falling into the pits of despair, his brother was happily enjoying his time in "love". Now rather than dreaming about him being intimate with Lei Xing, he was having nightmares about his brother being intimate with her. Their smiling faces were irritating him both in his sleep and waking moments.

    At this point, he was considering just killing Lei Xing. If she were dead, then at least, images of her with his brother would stop haunting his dreams. It was annoying that she was irrelevant but kept trying to make herself relevant in his mind. He had a lot more important things to be thinking about than what his brother did with his wives.

    He was tired of it, of her.

    "Your highness..." Tian Ji called from outside and Prince Yi perked up and immediately responded, "Enter..."

    As soon as Tian Ji entered the room, Prince Yi asked, "Any news?"

    Tian Ji shook his head and the little hope that had bubbled up in Prince Yi burst into nothingness as it had done so many times already.

    A few days after Chun Hua left, he had decided to be proactive and so sent some spies to Zou kingdom to find Prince Houyi to build a foundation for their future plans. But the spies kept reporting that they were having difficulty locating Prince Houyi.

    This was exactly what he meant, nothing was going well.

    Thanks to his stupid brother''s good work, he had even lost the blackmail leverage he had on some of the ministers, now they even had the gall to speak rudely to him - talking about him trying to drive a wedge between them and their Emperor, as if they knew anything about loyalty. If not for him, they and their clans would have long been rotting in their graves along with the Crown prince for joining his rebellion.

    He saved them and now they spat on his face because the new Emperor was "magnanimous" and would not believe in "falsehoods".

    Since Jun Kai arrived at the capital, Prince Yi''s life has been falling apart one thing after the other. On every front, the Jun Kai got in his way. His throne, his ministers, and even the girl he managed to develop some "little" interest in - Jun Kai took everything.

    Apart from his irritation with the Emperor and his wife, there was also the fact that the Voice was ignoring him. Of all times to ignore him, it was doing it now. He did not want to believe the nonsense the Emperor was passing around, that he, Jun kai was the dragon incarnate and Lei Xing his phoenix.

    He refused to believe that they were gods and he was not. If the Emperor were truly a god, then why did nothing happening at his coronation? That was Lei Xing''s coronation...and he honestly could believe that she was a phoenix, so she was the one who brought the Emperor the good luck of the heavens.

    Prince Yi was certain that if he had been the one who got her, he too would have had a dragon and phoenix grace their ceremony. He wanted to confirm it with the Voice, but even there he made no progress, no response.

    All his efforts resulted in nothingness.

    "I thought I ordered not to bother me unless there''s news..." Prince Yi dismissively said as he refilled his cup.

    "There''s a message from the Zou Princess..." Tian Ji informed as he walked over and put the letter on the table before Prince Yi, who simply glanced at the envelope before gulping down his wine.

    Here came another problem to disturb his mind. He did not need to read the letter to know she was writing to inform him that her departure date was set. She would want to meet him, but whether it was to discuss their next steps or to say farewell, Prince Yi could not tell.

    He was not sure what Princess Nalan had in her mind.

    She has on more than one occasion talked about how she did not like life here, saying it was too rigid and boring for her taste. She liked to be wild and free so for all he knew, he was just a passing whim for her.

    After all, they had never discussed the possibility of a future together.

    So this would either be a goodbye or a what now meeting. Both of which Prince Yi was not in the mood or in the right frame of mind to have right now.

    The prospects of this whole Princess Nalan and Zou business was seeming like it was going to be another dead end it was currently infuriating him. The idea that in the end, this affair would simply bring nothing but trouble to him - to both of them was weighing down his mind.

    If that Doctor was really as good as he claimed to be then Princess Nalan was already pregnant. Therefore, he had already kicked up a storm and so it was too late to turn back. He should have not been so hasty with this, but what was he to do, time was short. He had to take the gamble or lose the opportunity.

    Of course, he was still trying to tell himself that a union with a Princess could not be bad per se. Even if Prince Houyi did not work out then perhaps her father might buy into the deal. After all, he had wanted her to wed an Emperor. So a prince who was just one person from the throne was not too bad.

    They just need to get rid of the obstacle in the way. But even this Prince Yi could not be certain about. He sighed and refilled his cup and ordered, "More wine..."

    Tian Ji knit his brows and then hesitantly informed, "Master Zhao is here again...I told him you were not receiving guests but he is being very insistent, he says he has some good news for you..."

    Prince Yi scoffed, "Is the Emperor dead?"

    Tian Ji''s calmly advised, "Your highness, the walls have ears..."

    Prince Yi dryly chuckled and said, "Apparently the heavens too have ears...yet they never hear me. Isn''t this level of favoritism too cruel?" He asked and then went about refilling his cup and grumbled, "They answer all his prayers..."

    "I will send Master Zhao away..." Tian Ji said with a bow and then turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, Prince Yi said, "Send him in..."

    Tian Ji bowed and again and left. Prince Yi glanced at Princess Nalan''s letter again, then he sighed and continued his drinking without touching the letter.

    He truly needed some good news in his life, he could not remember when last he heard any good news...Perhaps, it was at his father''s death. That old man did not know what was good for him.

    After everything he had done for him, he actually had the audacity to threaten him.

    A sad smile made its way across his lips as he remembered that fateful day. His father had called him to the Emperor''s palace and praised him for all his efforts all those years, made him feel good about himself - made him feel accomplished.

    He had thought his father had finally recognized that he was just as good - no, better than his brothers. For a brief moment there, he had believed it was his victory, that the time had come for his father to officially recognize him, for him to claim his rightful place as the Crown prince of the empire, he had worked so hard all those years to earn that place.

    But then his father went ahead to say that it was time for Jun Kai to return to the capital.

    Prince Yi was confused and his father, of course, noticed this and kindly went on to explain that he did not want to personally kill his own son, but there cannot be two tigers on one mountain.

    ''The time had come to face the truth'', their father said.

    The truth that no matter how hard Prince Yi worked he would never be better than Jun Kai in his father''s eyes, in the world''s eyes. After all, the people hailed Jun Kai as the god of war and he, Jun Shan was just another official in court. A good follower but not born to lead.

    He was inadequate from birth, while Jun Kai was exceptional from birth. There was nothing he could ever do to change those facts in their father''s eyes.

 Chapter 304 - Flipside

    Their father had made his choice, the Crown prince was Jun Kai. Now it was time for Prince Yi to make his own choice. He could either leave the empire, go into exile, never to return with enough funds to live out his days comfortably or he could wait here and die by Jun Kai''s hands.

    And knowing their father, he would personally see to the execution himself to ensure that Jun Kai did it or be the one to die for showing weakness - This might have been what their father would have done if it were any of his sons, but not for his protege, his little genius.

    For Jun Kai, their father would have probably taken the sword from his hands and thrust into Prince Yi himself to ensure the deed was done and would have simply scolded Jun Kai for his weakness.

    After all, it would not have been the first time Jun Kai flouted their father''s orders and went unpunished.

    It was finally clear to Prince Yi that he would never be enough.

    So Prince Yi made his own choice then and there, he told his father that he would as he requested and thanked him for caring for him. He then offered to help his father to bed to thank him for all he had done for him, for giving him the chance to live... and then he suffocated his father to death with a pillow, tucked him into bed and walked out.

    The old man was already quite ill so no one thought too much of his sudden death in his sleep... After all, no one really cared if he lived. Empress Zhao and her brother, Prime minister Zhao definitely did not allow his death to be investigated, quite a few servants including his father''s head eunuch disappeared at that time so it was not hard for anyone to piece things together that his quickly deteriorating health was a result of their handiwork.

    The only person that probably cared was Defense minister Lei but when the Empress, Prime minister Zhao and his supporters and Prince Yi and his own supporters banded together to oppose his call for an investigation, his voice was drowned out.

    And so it was simply announced that the Emperor had died peacefully in his sleep and everyone moved on to what they all truly cared about, the important issue of the successor.

    Since the Emperor regrettably died before appointing a crown prince, the throne was up in the air between the two princes, and the court opinion was divided between the two. By right of being the older son, Prince Yi should have been the one to ascend the throne. Moreover, since the death of the Crown prince, Prince Yi had been acting as the Emperor''s right hand so there was no reason to deny him his birthright.

    But then the Empress came over with an edict which the Emperor had secretly given her. This so-called edict appointed Jun Kai as the Crown prince. Prince Yi suspected that the edict was fake, but then Prime minister Zhao and Defense minister Lei then corroborated it by saying the Emperor had informed them of his choice before his demise.

    Even from the grave, his father mocked him. Even now, Prince Yi could still see the condescending smile on his father''s face.

    Prince Yi again threw his cup at the wall in anger, smashing it to pieces.

    {...So what if I killed you? You killed your own father so it''s only right that you die by your son''s hand!... Do you think your precious protege would not have killed you? He probably hated you more than I did. He has hated you from birth, yet you still gave him everything!...After everything you''ve done, how could you expect anything from anyone?... How can i expect anything from anyone? -...}

    Prince Yi grabbed the jar and threw his head back and gulped down, squeezing his eyes shut.

    [...No, no, I''m different...I''m nothing like him, I did what I did to survive! It was all a lie! He would have never let me go, he would still have killed me, sent assassins, I was dead to him, we all were...from the begi-...}

    "Well, you look horrible..."

    Prince Yi frowned when he heard those words, he stopped drinking and opened his eyes to see Zhao Chang by the door, holding three jars of wine.

    Prince Yi had not even heard when he came in.

    "What do you want?" Prince Yi asked as he dropped the jug back on the table.

    "It seems the craziness from the coronation ceremony really got to you..." Zhao Chang said as he went over and sat across from Prince Yi. He picked up a cup and then opened one of the jars of wine he brought with him and poured.

    Prince Yi leaned back in his seat and solemnly asked, "Do you really think my brother is the dragon incarnate?"

    Zhao Chang snorted and raised an amused eyebrow at Prince Yi in surprise, "You believe that?" He would never have thought that Prince Yi would buy into the rumors as well.

    Prince Yi frowned and let out a breath and quietly said, "I don''t know what I believe anymore..."

    Zhao Chang paused and knit his brows at Prince Yi. Zhao Chang then cleared his throat and said, "It''s all nonsense...It''s just like the time when you were poisoned and the Emperor came to see you. You said it yourself it was not because he was worried about you but because he was worried about his precious consort''s reputation. You know better than anyone that Emperor is quite skilled at manipulating the people with ru-"

    "But then what does it mean? Why did it happen then?!" Prince Yi said banging on the table in annoyance, causing Zhao Chang to flinch.

    Of course, Prince Yi knew the Emperor made up the explanation, so that was not what he wanted to hear. He needed a counter explanation, something else to refute the Emperor''s claims...some other truth for him to believe in.

    Zhao Chang frowned, "I don''t know..." Then he gulped down his wine. The whole situation was unbelievable.

    The two sat quietly for a while, drinking. It seemed Prince Yi''s bad mood was infectious because now Zhao Chang who had come here in a good mood was brooding now.

    Prince Yi finally sighed and broke the silence, "What''s the good news?"

    Bao Zhun pursed his lips and then sighed as he refilled his cup, "Well...Now I''m not sure if it''ll be good enough news but as you know - for reasons beyond me, the Emperor has decided to shut down his harem an-"

    "He what?" Prince Yi asked blinking at him wide-eyed in surprise, his spirits lifting up.

    "You haven''t heard?" Zhao Chang asked with raised eyebrows, also surprised. It was all anyone was talking about since the day before when the Emperor boldly made the announcement in court.

    Prince Yi frowned, feeling somewhat embarrassed. While he would like to blame his staff, he has not been very receptive to information the last two days. Other than news from Zou kingdom, he had ordered not to be disturbed.

    A little smile tugged at Prince Yi''s lips, he could not believe the Emperor actually let Lei Xing go, he was both surprised and confused.

    {...See, he used and abandoned you...Just as I said, you should have listened to me...}

    Zhao Chang looked at Prince Yi''s uplifted expression. Zhao Chang then smiled and raised his cup of wine and said, "It looks like we can still become in-laws after all..."

    Prince Yi''s smile immediately fell and he knit his brows, annoyed with himself for thinking of Lei Xing.

    {...What am I thinking? I can''t alienate Zhao Chang because of her... There''s also Nalan too...}

    Prince Yi suddenly paused and frowned, "Don''t tell me he has decided to marry the Zou princess?"

    "I haven''t heard about that, it''s the Lei family''s daughter again - Ah, a phoenix goddess is what she''s called now, she''s really something -" He said with a chuckle.

    Prince Yi frown deepened as he said, "Don''t tell me you''re interested in her -"

    Zhao Chang choked on his wine, spat it out, and then frowned, "Of course not, I''m not interested in dying." He said amidst his coughing.

    Prince Yi froze and stared at him wide-eyed, then he gulped and tentatively went, "You know?"

    {...He couldn''t...No one knows, not even she knows - except maybe that Jun Kai but he wouldn''t have told h-...}

    Prince Yi knit his brows, it seems there was some sort of misunderstanding here.

    Zhao Chang has disliked the Emperor since they were young and the Emperor returned the sentiment and ignored Zhao Chang''s existence. Therefore, there was no way the Emperor would have discussed anything with Zhao Chang, much less the topic of Prince Yi and Lei Xing.

    "Know what?" Zhao Chang asked with a raised eyebrow as he shook off his sleeve, "Please be careful what you say. He already doesn''t like me, I don''t need to give him a reason to finally kill me..."

    "What do you mean?" Prince Yi asked, now even more confused.

    Zhao Chang blinked at him confused and then he went, "Well, she''s the Empress...and considering he decided to clear out his harem because of her, even simply looking at her now might be considered an offense...I would have never thought he was the sort to obsess over a woman, but it seems he still has blood flowing in veins after all." He finished with a snicker.

    Prince Yi blinked for a bit and then his mood plummeted as he realized what the Emperor had done, he tightly gripped his cup and bit out more to himself, "He released everyone but her..." It infuriated him even more that he was happy for her release, even it was just a moment.

    Zhao Chang stopped laughing and scrutinized Prince Yi with a raised eyebrow and then said, "I thought you would be happy about this..."

    Prince Yi looked up at Zhao Chang and irritatedly said, "How the Emperor lives his life is none of my business..."

    Prince Yi honestly could not understand what Lei Xing had done to him. Frankly, if he wanted anything to do with her, it should be her death at this point.

    She treated him like dirt and not to mention, she seemed to be the only thing his brother cared about. If he wanted his brother to feel the pain of loss, then killing her was the best way. After all, Lei Xing seemed to be more important to him than his own mother.

    {...Her life or his throne, I wonder he would he choose?...}

    Prince Yi inwardly scoffed, it was obvious to him that the Emperor would choose his throne but it might not be so obvious to Lei Xing who the Emperor was leading along. So he made a mental note for the future. If the Emperor was not immediately killed, he would give him choices, much like how their father had given him his choices back then. He would let the Emperor make this choice right before Lei Xing''s eyes so she could see the truth of his character.

    After all, as their father believed Jun Kai resembled him the most. Therefore, he cared only for himself. So in the end, as their father always did to all around him, Jun Kai would stab Lei Xing in the back when she least expected it.

    It was in his nature.

    "It must all this wine clouding your mind..." Zhao Chang said after a while of watching Prince Yi brooding, it was obvious that Prince Yi did not understand the good in this news.

    So Zhao Chang explained, "...Even though my sister has been given the title of a princess, my father is greatly disappointed... and I''m certain that he is not the only one. After all, the Emperor has sworn off other women, vowing to stay faithful to his Empress - the "phoenix" for the rest of his rule... Do you understand now?"

    Prince Yi glared at Zhao Chang in annoyance at the reminder of his brother''s happily married life, but then before he could tell Zhao Chang to get out, his intoxicated brain processed the information and he suddenly realized what Zhao Chang was telling him and his face lit up and he asked, "Your father is upset?"

    Zhao Chang smiled, "He went on a rampage in his study yesterday, screaming curses at the heavens..."

    Prince Yi looked down at his wine cup and twirled the contents and smirked.

    {...This is truly great news...}

    After all, the Emperor was truly not a member of the Zhao clan and Prime minister Zhao was obviously not the loyal sort, he had already betrayed two Emperors, so why not a third?

    This was it...This was what he had been waiting for all this time.

 Chapter 305 - Stealth Missive

    By the time Chun Hai arrived at the Long army camp, he was promptly informed by Prince Houyi''s spy that Prince Rui had been moved to Jingli city. And so Chun Hai had no choice but to change his plans and follow him there.

    While his chances of escape were better in a city as opposed to an enemy army camp, the problem was that he would be left to figure out how to infiltrate the residence Prince Rui was be staying at on his own.

    The spies Prince Houyi had in the army could not help him there because they had no ties to anyone in the unit that was guarding Prince Rui as they part of the Emperor''s personal army. They even refused to attempt to help out of fear of exposure.

    As for the escorts, Prince Houyi had sent along with him, the men told Chun Hai that they were only meant to bring him to the camp and were not authorized to enter Long country itself. So they wished him good luck and then left with haste.

    This was honestly starting to feel like a setup, it was as if Prince Houyi wanted him to die on this mission.

    Chun Hai knew Prince Houyi so there was no way he did not have some other plan in play here. He did not understand the reason Prince Houyi seemed fixated on wanting him to assassinate Prince Rui.

    It seemed Prince Houyi had taken his botched assassination mission from the past very personal. Perhaps, he even thought that he had become sort of spy for Prince Rui because matter how Chun Hai thought about it, there was no reason he had to be the one...unless Prince Houyi wanted him to prove a point, that or he wanted him dead.

    Chun Hai honestly did not understand Prince Houyi anymore, if he could not trust him then why not just let them go? Did all their years of friendship count for nothing in his eyes?

    With a heavy heart, Chun Hai arrived at Jingli city. He had to believe that no matter what happens here, Prince Houyi would keep his word and keep Chun Hua safe.

    He found the residence Prince Rui was staying at and after scoping it out for the last two days, he decided that tonight would be the night for his mission. He did not have the luxury of time, after all, he was still a wanted man in Long country and Prince Houyi could always change his mind and think he ran away if he took too long.

    Also if he were captured in Long country, knowing Prince Houyi, he might just hand Chun Hua over as a way to smooth things over with his father. After all, Prince Houyi had already said that failure was not an option for him, he could not return empty-handed.

    Even Chun Hai died here, he had to ensure that Prince Rui died with him.

    So that night Chun Hai prepared himself with poison-laced weapons of all kinds and stealthily made his way to Prince Rui''s residence. He entered the manor from a blind spot in security and so slipped into the manor unnoticed. Getting in unseen was the easy part, navigating to Prince Rui''s room would not be so easy.

    Chun Hai hid in the shadows and stalked around, looking for a lonely soldier to attack. He finally found one and stealthily grabbed the man from behind and covered his mouth and nose with a poison soaked cloth as he strangled the man in a chokehold.

    Then he carried the man''s body to a more secluded spot under a little bridge and quickly switched out the man''s uniform for his and then hid the body in the bushes, completely out of sight.

    All done very quietly to avoid disturbing the silence of the night. Dressed as a soldier, Chun Hai confidently went about making his "rounds".

    But then as he walked around, he stumbled onto the scene of Prince Rui standing in a courtyard, staring up at the moon alone. Chun Hai was elated with his good luck and swiftly hid in the corner and surveyed the scene.

    There were soldiers in the area, but they were far enough that they could not stop his attack and neither could they clearly identify him from the distance.

    He considered simply throwing a few poison knives but to be able to ensure a clear shot, he would need to come out of his hiding spot and that would raise alarm. While Prince Rui may not be the best fighter, he did have keen senses and might be able to avoid the knives at a moment''s notice.

    If that happened, then Chun Hai would lose the opportunity completely. The alarm would be raised and the soldiers would swarm the area and he would have to flee. The security would also be raised in the residence so he might not get another chance at this.

    Therefore, he concluded throwing knives was too much of a gamble.

    So he considered a close-range attack, he would have the advantage of surprise and in one swift move, Prince Rui would be no more. The soldiers would chase him, but he believed he could easily blend back into their ranks and then slip out unnoticed. Either that or he could outrun them. So he seems a close-range attack was his best chance for success was.

    The plan was set, he would slit Prince Rui''s throat.

    So Chun Hai calmly and unassumingly approached Prince Rui. He slipped the poison daggers into his palms and stopped behind Prince Rui, cupped his hands, and slightly bowed his head and called, "Prince Rui..."

    Prince Rui blinked and began to turn around as Chun Hai waited for his moment, poised to attack once Prince Rui''s jugular was in clear shot.

    But then Prince Rui turned to find no one behind him. Prince Rui knit his brows in confusion, he was certain he had heard someone call him. He sighed and then massaged his head and decided it was probably just the stress of the whole situation. He was worried for his father, for Nalan and himself.

    The soldiers who were in the area also glanced at each other, confused, wondering if any of the others had been paying attention and seen that, each trying to verify that they were not hallucinating. But they all just looked at each other and then looked back to Prince Rui, now on high alert.

    Men dressed in black on the surrounding roofs also glanced at each other in confusion and one of them asked, "You saw that, right?"

    "The soldier disappeared..."

    "I had heard the reports but it is truly hard to believe..." Another responded. He had heard the reports of the fugitives that escaped the Emperor''s grasps by disappearing right in the middle of the fight.

    "There was someone else, a bald man right then behind the soldier and then the soldier was gone..." Another one shared his observation with a frown.

    "Are you sure?"

    "I''m sure. A bald man in white robes. It was just a glimpse but I saw him..." The keen-eyed man repeated with a frown.

    The man who seemed to be their leader frowned and ordered, "Go report this to General An. They must have something to do with the fugitives the Emepror is hunting. Double the soldiers on duty, the Prince is not to left alone like that again..."

    The men nodded and the keen-eyed man turned and swiftly left.

    Shortly after two soldiers approached Prince Rui and stood behind him, while another set of soldiers joined the watch in the area.

    Prince Rui glanced at them but they simply bowed their heads and did not say anything and he also did not bother to ask. Even if he did, they would not have told him anything. An Hao had dumped in here with the entire unit ordering them to protect him and then left.

    The men provided for him but they were definitely not under his command, they did not answer any questions besides basic ones and did not permit him to leave. But Prince Rui did not need to be told that something had just happened to warrant this increased level of security.

    He would need to write to his father again.

    ***

    Chun Hai suddenly found himself in a dark forest, he promptly turned around to find Monk Du standing behind him and then let out a sigh of relief.

    "What are you doing?" Monk Du calmly asked looking at him with raised eyebrows.

    Chun Hai sighed in relief and sat down on the ground and asked, "...Isn''t it a bit early for your return?"

    "My master sent me on a mission to bring someone to him... I sensed you were in danger and so came to you. You would have died there... Why do you want to kill that man?" Monk Du asked, holding his hands behind his back.

    Chun Hai sighed again and explained, "Houyi is holding Huayan hostage, if I don''t kill him, he''ll have her imprisoned or worse..."

    "I see..." Monk Du said with a nod, "It seems you two have gotten yourselves in quite a lot of trouble. I have heard the rumors..."

    "I''m sorry..." Chun Hai said, "I didn''t have much of a choice but to use it in public...But no one except Houyi knows about you - I didn''t tell him but he figured it out." Chun Hai swiftly clarified, he then frowned and said, "Don''t worry, he won''t tell others either, he would hate for someone else to find you first..." He sheepishly finished. He was anxious that Monk Du would ask what he did with those crystals he had given him.

    He was feeling ashamed about having to explain how he wasted them on his sister''s stupid whim, he was disappointed in himself and he knew Monk Du would also be disappointed and may never trust him with such again.

    Monk Du was quiet for a while and to Chun Hai''s relief, he simply said, "Even if they found me I would not be able to do much for them either...let''s go find your sister." He said with a sigh.

    His master would understand a slight delay. After all, this may very well be the last time.

    Chun Hai smiled and then promptly got up, there was hope again. Monk Du was here and so everything would be fine. Monk Du put a hand on his shoulder and then asked him to envision where he left Chun Hua and as stealthily as they appeared in the forest, they were gone.

 Chapter 306 - False Allure

    Chun Hai and Monk Du transported into an alleyway by the inn, Chun Hai had intentionally brought them here so they could quietly access the situation and work out a plan before proceeding.

    Prince Houyi was not expecting Chun Hai to be back for at least another three days or so. Moreover, knowing Prince Houyi he would be very skeptical of Chun Hai returning without him hearing any news of Prince Rui''s death.

    After a bit of thinking, they settled on the story that Chun Hai came across Monk Du as he was on his way to Jingli city. Since Prince Houyi had expressed interest in learning the transportation technique, Chun Hai decided to bring Monk Du over instead of continuing with the assassination plan.

    That way Prince Houyi could learn the transportation technique himself from Monk Du and could go murder his brother or whoever he wanted himself, the Chun siblings could go free and it was a win-win for all parties involved.

    Of course, Monk Du would insist that he would not agree to teach him anything until he sees that Chun Hua and Bao Zhun are safe and in good health. And once the two were brought before them, they will work out their escape.

    With Monk Du there, Chun Hai was not at all worried about how things would play out so he confidently approached the inn with Monk Du in tow.

    But then as they approached the inn, Chun Hai began to get a sense that things were a bit strange. He expected to be intercepted by security as he neared the entrance of the inn, but no one stopped him. It seemed as if the people on the streets were truly just random strangers going about their lives.

    It was odd that but Chun Hai did not think too much of it until he entered the inn to find random strangers sat about eating, drinking, and chatting loudly.

    Chun Hai stopped in tracks, confused with this scene. When he had left the inn a few days ago, Prince Houyi and his men were the only ones occupying the inn.

    He was right, the situation had changed. There was no way Prince Houyi would leave himself unguarded much less share a residence with random strangers.

    Prince Houyi was no longer here.

    Chun Hai frowned in annoyance, he now pieced together the was the reason Prince Houyi''s men instructed him to contact them once his mission was complete and he was back in Zou kingdom.

    Obviously Prince Houyi truly did not trust him and so had moved locations as soon as Chun Hai had left. This way Prince Houyi could ensure Chun Hai''s devotion to the cause - he would not meet his sister again until the news that Prince Rui was dead had reached Prince Houyi from a verified source.

    This way, even if Chun Hai changed his mind and decided to sneakily return to grab his sister and disappear, he would find nothing. He would be left with no choice but to continue with the assassination or to forget his sister and move on with his life - And Prince Houyi knew Chun Hai would never abandon his sister.

    For all Chun Hai knew, Prince Houyi could keep her as a hostage and continue to use him for more nefarious purposes even after the successful assassination of Prince Rui.

    Chun Hai inwardly sighed, luckily Monk Du showed, he really was not sure how all this would play out otherwise. Most importantly, Monk Du would be able to find his sister wherever Prince Houyi was keeping her. At the very least, Prince Houyi would not have been able to predict Monk Du showing up in the nick of time.

    Chun Hai sighed and walked over to the inn clerk and ordered a room. Once they were securely in the room, Chun Hai turned to Monk Du who had been quietly following him all this time and explained, "Houyi moved her, but you can find her, right?"

    Monk Du frowned and Chun Hai became a bit fearful, thinking he had overestimated the Monk''s powers or perhaps Monk Du had concluded the twins were now too much trouble and was going to abandon them. So Chun Hai quickly added, "I know you said you were on a mission and I''m sorry about all this, I should have handled things better b-"

    Monk Du raised a hand up and Chun Hai went silent and waited, Monk Du then asked, "Will we need to fight?"

    Chun Hai carefully nodded, "Houyi is very careful...and -" He paused hesitating, but then continued, "Other than Huayan, there''s someone else we need to rescue...if possible. Bao Zhun has been protecting us all this time and is only in this mess because he was looking after Huayan so-...only if we can." He tentatively added.

    "I see..." Monk Du said as he walked over to a cushion on the side and sat down, crossed his legs, ready to meditate. He then looked up at Chun Hai and said, "You should rest. Once I''ve located her, I will wake you."

    Chun Hai nodded and turned the bed, but then turned back around and said, "Thank you...for everything."

    Monk Du smiled and nodded, and then motioned to the bed and said, "Go sleep...You are safe here."

    Chun Hai smiled back and then went over to the bed and laid down to sleep as instructed, feeling like a child again following Monk Du''s lead. He was not sure if it was something Monk Du did, but his eyelids were suddenly very heavy and within a few seconds of laying his head down he was fast asleep.

    Monk Du lightly let out a breath and then closed his eyes to concentrate.

    {...*Grandmaster, I need more power...}

    Monk Du meditated while he patiently waited for a response. After a long while, the response finally came.

    {...*Is she resisting?...}

    {...No, I haven''t arrived there yet...The Dong descendants are in trouble so I came to them, I will be sure to resolve the situation quickly and return to the mission by tomorrow...}

    {...*Alright then, do not waste time...}

    {...I won''t, thank you Grandmaster...}

    Monk Du''s body suddenly began to radiate a bright blue fiery glow as he concentrated in regulating the energy flowing into him. He then channeled the energy outward, with invisible bright blue strings soaring through the sky, searching for Chun Hua.

    After a long while, the blue strings retracted and flowed back into his body and the light faded until they disappeared, Monk Du opened his eyes and blankly stared at the ground for a bit.

    He then got up and walked over to the window and looked up at the full moon and a wry smile tugged at his lips, "I thought I would be ready for the end when it came. But now that it is near, this world suddenly seems all the more alluring...I worry." Monk Du said with a sigh as he glanced at the bed where Chun Hai was fast asleep.

    ***

    Chun Hua sat on the bed, across the room watching Prince Houyi looking through some doc.u.ments. She inwardly sighed, this was not at all going as she expected.

    She had thought that Prince Houyi had finally recognized her efforts and seen that she was just as driven as he was for greatness; that he had finally acknowledged that she was worthy to be at his side, but then what was the meaning of this?

    Since their reunion a few days, they had been sharing the same room. She had initially been very excited that night when he had said she would be staying with him, but then did not even share so much as a kiss much less anything else happening between them.

    For days now they had been sharing the same room, a grown man and a grown woman and nothing has happened.

    So she was frustrated, highly irritated, and incredibly confused.

    He has concubines so he has obviously been with other women before...Although since he had no children yet, she could not prove that he had actually been intimate with said women, but no, there was no way her Prince could not be impotent. That would be highly problematic for their future and highly unacceptable.

    Therefore, the only other conclusion was that he did not find appealing as a woman - which was another acceptable notion. She knew she was beautiful and could not understand how a man could possibly find her unappealing.

    He spent all day with her which was great but then at night, he kept his distance within the room, burying himself in doc.u.ments or books and only coming to bed when she was asleep. What''s worse was that if she even so much as "accidentally" touched him when she was "asleep", he would jump up and out of the bed, back to his reading.

    She could not imagine that prince Houyi was the sort to care about the minor details of wanting their relationship to be official before he touched her. Even if that were the case, they did not at all seem like a couple, nothing had changed, nothing was different, actually, it was even worse than before - Prince Houyi barely looked her way these days.

    To make things worse, images of Lei Xing with her Emperor kept poppping into her mind. Chun Hua knew she should not be comparing them, after all, Prince Houyi and the Long Emperor were different people.

    But then even if Prince Houyi was naturally a cold man, the Long Emperor was also a cold man, if not colder. Prince Houyi at least spared an occasional glance or two at his concubines, the Long Emperor bluntly ignored their existence, not to mention how indifferent he was during the torture.

    Yet when Lei Xing was around he was completely different, his features softened and even he doted on her as if she were the only thing that mattered - that was what a real relationship looked like and that was what she wanted. And even though she told herself she did not need that sort of idiot level of affection, she still hoped she and Prince Houyi could have some affection between them.

    So she had spent the last few days wallowing in disappointment rather than the glee she had envisioned. He had shut down her ideas and barely spoke to her now and if she did not know better she would think he was angry with her. He was right here with her, all the time too, but oddly enough, she felt incredibly lonely right now and she was not one to feel lonely.

    Chun Hai sighed and then got up, "I''m going for a walk..." She said grabbing her cloak.

    Prince Houyi promptly stood up and said, "I''ll come with y-"

    "No need, I''m fine alone -"

    "I insist." Prince Houyi said and then proceeded to walk over to the door, he opened it and then turned back to her and said, "Come along..."

    Chun Hua knit her brows and begrudgingly followed. This was what she was talking about. He was clearly doting on her, following her every whim but it was different, it was odd.

    This was not how it supposed to be.

 Chapter 307 - Plotting Chivalry

    Bao Zhun could not sleep and so was pacing about his guest room in the manor situated the middle of nowhere - he assumed it must be one of Prince Houyi''s secret residences, most likely one of his maternal grandfather''s secret residences that Prince Houyi was "borrowing".

    At this point, Bao Zhun was finally coming to the true realization that his affection was unwanted. He had heard from the guards talking about how Prince Houyi has been "doting" on Chun Hua, they even addressed her as "her highness".

    After all, to the men, it looked as if Prince Houyi had gone through all this trouble of hunting down the "fugitives" just to find her so he could protect her. Because instead of taking her back to his father as he was supposed to, he was holed up here with her here in the middle of nowhere, spending night and day at her side.

    They honestly did not expect that it was possible for their Prince to ever be so lovestruck that he would set aside his ambition for a woman, yet here they were watching him do so.

    Bao Zhun had known from the beginning that Chun Hua had affection for prince Houyi but he had always believed that Prince Houyi did not reciprocate her feelings. After all, what man would send a woman he had affection for on an assassination mission? What''s worse, he did not even bother to send a single guard to assist her?

    Apparently, Prince Houyi was that type of man.

    They had come to see him that afternoon, well Chun Hua had come to see him, Prince Houyi was just there to play a condescending escort. Apparently, he did not think she needed an escort to an enemy nation on a fool''s assassination mission, but he thought she needed protection when going to see Prince Houyi''s "guest" in Prince Houyi''s manor that was already surrounded by Prince Houyi''s men.

    What an opportunistic bastard, playing the hero when only when it was convenient...Bao Zhun really did not like Prince Houyi at all and honestly could not understand what Chun Hua saw in him.

    Prince Houyi remained outside the open doors while Chun Hua came inside to talk to Bao Zhun. Bao Zhun immediately asked after Chun Hai and Chun Hua informed that he had left earlier to see to some things but would be back soon.

    She then thanked him for all his help and apologized for getting him in trouble to which Bao Zhun kindly waved off saying it was no trouble at all.

    Chun Hua smiled and then informed him that Prince Houyi has arranged for his father to come to pick him up and that his father would be arriving the next day so he would be able to go home. She also said that Prince Houyi will intercede on his behalf so his father will not scold him too much.

    Bao Zhun frowned and looked from Prince Houyi to Chun Hua and then asked her if she was happy, she hesitated, slightly knit her brows but then smiled and nodded.

    Then Prince Houyi called for her, apparently tired of waiting. So Chun Hua thanked him again and said she will not be able to see him off tomorrow so she bid him farewell, thanked him again, and then she left with her irritating escort and his men in tow.

    Since that time, Bao Zhun had been replaying that conversation in his head. She had gotten what she wanted but he did not think she looked happy at all. She honestly seemed happier when she was going about planning out the Long Emperor''s assassination.

    Another suspicious thing was Chun Hai''s absence. Bao Zhun had gotten to know him quite well over the last few months. While the Chun siblings and Prince Houyi were childhood friends, he knew that Chun Hai was very unhappy with Prince Houyi at the moment.

    Chun Hai had even been very apprehensive about going to see Prince Houyi back at the port, if they were not surrounded he doubted Chun Hai would have gone. So Bao Zhun naturally found it very suspicious that Chun Hai would have left his sister in Prince Houyi''s care again so soon.

    Whatever the situation was, Bao Zhun was not comfortable leaving Chun Hua here alone. if Chun Hai was here then he would not be so bothered but as things stood, he could not leave feeling at ease. So Bao Zhun was pacing about his room, thinking about how he could persuade his father to let him stay here.

    {...Maybe I should pretend to be sick - No, that''s stupid, he would probably just tie me to a horse and go...}

    Bao Zhun let out a breath in irritation and then decided to go take a walk to clear his mind. He opened the door and stormed out, sending back a glare at the two guards who promptly fell into step behind him.

    This place was really suffocating and infuriating.

    Bao Zhun walked around randomly for a long while before stopping in some random corner in the residence that had the least eyes watching him. He stood there staring up at the moon for a long while deep in thought.

    He could tell the guards behind him were unhappy with his midnight walk, thanks to the irritated grunts and noisy shifts they were making. But Bao Zhun did not care at all. After all, he was not the one who asked them to stalk him and he was too busy thinking about how to go about handling his father to bother about insignificant minions.

    Back when he left with Chun Hua, he knew his father would not have approved of him going to Long country for anything given the war situation. So he ran off and later sent a message back when he had reached the border when it was too late for anyone to stop him. Of course, his letter did not mention any particular details, it just said that he would be gone for a while sightseeing in Long country.

    He could imagine his father had been livid when he read the note. But all that was fine and good, he would have gotten over it by now. But now this trouble happened, so naturally, Bao Zhun expected his father to be hopping mad again. There was also that irritating Prince Houyi in the mix, given the situation his father would undoubtedly not want to get on Prince Houyi''s bad side so he would not ask to take Chun Hua, a stranger with them.

    What''s more, Bao Zhun actually did not trust his father not to hand over Chun Hua to the Zou king. After all, she was a wanted fugitive.

    Bao Zhun heavily sighed, although he hated to admit it, Chun Hua was probably safer here with Prince Houyi than with him. It seemed he truly had no choice but to leave her here without any protection.

    But he was still worried, just then he heard some sounds coming from behind him and swiftly turned to see the two guards falling to the ground.

    Bao Zhun''s face immediately lit up when he saw Chun Hai, he was so excited that he completely missed Monk Du''s presence and hopped over the two motionless bodies and hugged Chun Hai as he went, "Where have you been?"

    Chun Hai immediately frowned, stunned by the sudden show of affection, he awkwardly grabbed Bao Zhun''s shoulders and moved him back.

    Bao Zhun also awkwardly blinked back at the stunned Chun Hai as he realized what he had just done, he quickly released Chun Hai and cleared his throat, "Ah, you see, it''s just been a bit cold here...is all..." He said as he put his hands behind his back and then glanced at Monk Du and asked, "Who''s this?"

    "A friend here to help, we''re getting out of here..." Chun Hai swiftly responded.

    Bao Zhun blinked at him and then glanced at the motionless guards on the ground and then smiled, "This is more like it, I was about to suffocated to death by that your Prince. I don''t understand how you could have lived with him for years.." He said with an exaggerated sigh of relief.

    Chun Hai snorted, "Pick them up, let''s move..." He said as he reached down and grabbed one of the guards while Bao Zhun grabbed the other and they went into one of the nearby storage rooms. Then Chun Hai spread the map Monk Du had made on the ground and explained things to Bao Zhun.

    It was good they had run into Bao Zhun just as they arrived here as it made things much simpler now since they no longer had to worry about how to go about "rescuing" him. Not to mention, they were gambling on where he was since Monk Du had no idea what Bao Zhun actually looked like.

    Of course, Chun Hai''s original plan of tricking Prince Houyi with the Monk Du teaching scheme could no longer work. With Prince Houyi''s suspicious nature he would be too apprehensive of how they located his whereabouts to buy into the idea.

    After all, if Chun Hai were truly to behave as one looking to make friendly relations, he would have contacted Prince Houyi''s men and gotten advance approval instead of simply showing up at the door.

    So the new plan was a simple divert, grab and dash. The residence was basically one big wooden structure, as complex and large as it was, it was all mostly connected together even if some of it was just by obscure walkways. Therefore a fire would be a great cause for concern.

    So if they set fire on this end of the residence, it would quickly become the priority and all available on hands be sent to handle the fire to avoid the whole mansion setting ablaze.

    And while everyone in the residence is going haywire, the trio would teleport in, grab Chun Hua and be gone, free and out of Prince Houyi''s reach before any alarm could be raised.

    Bao Zhun nodded, it sounded like a good plan but then frowned and said, "Ah...I should tell you, ah...Huayan and Prince H-"

    "I know..." Chun Hai cut in with a frown and then sighed. His sister was really being too hare-brained and naive with how she dealt with Prince Houyi. Although perhaps, Prince Houyi might not have even given her a choice on the matter.

    When Monk Du had told him about the two sleeping together in the same room, Chun Hai had been enraged. Monk Du then went on to assure him that they had their clothes on as if that was the actual problem with the picture.

    The actual problem was that Chun Hai did not believe Prince Houyi actually cared for his sister that way. At most he was humoring her, using her. Whatever it was, there was no way Prince Houyi would choose to go against his grandfather and marry her as his crown princess as she wanted, she knew it and he knew it.

    At most, she would end up as one of his concubines, not even a side consort. Even if she wanted to marry someone to be their concubine, it should not be to someone as cold as Prince Houyi. She would end up regretting it and they had so much to regret in their lives already so Chun Hai refused to allow anymore for either of them.

    With Chun Hai with him as a hostage, they could not be too careful. It seemed Prince Houyi was already expecting an attack because his courtyard was packed with guards both in and outside the building.

    It was clear that he had virtually "trapped" Chun Hua in prison with himself for extra measure. It seemed Prince Houyi was expecting him to come here, even after he had gone through the trouble of switching locations.

 Chapter 308 - Easy Execution

    One thing Chun Hai really liked about Bao Zhun was that he asked no questions, Chun Hai said Monk Du would teleport them here and there and Bao Zhun simply nodded.

    Chun Hai then continued on to say that they would drag the fallen guards outside and leave them in clear view. This way it would look as if Bao Zhun was the one who attacked them and set the fire to orchestrate his escape.

    This way, even if the fire was not enough, then the search for the missing hostage would be enough to occupy the men.

    Bao Zhun frowned, "I don''t think that will work. That Prince Houyi wants me gone, he actually sent for my father, he''ll be here tomorrow to take me back...so I don''t think he would care about me escaping-"

    "Even better..." Chun Hai said with a little smirk, "Houyi hates people looking down on him more than anything. If he already informed your father that he has you, then he will have to provide you. His ego won''t be able to stand you escaping his grasp. He can''t stand what he can''t control..."

    This was honestly the true reason Chun Hai believed Prince Houyi and his sister could not work. Prince Houyi could not stand people who he would not control and his sister was probably the definition of headstrong, she was not one to put herself in the subordinate position that Prince Houyi now expected of all who surrounded him.

    It was alright when they were children as it was all fun then. But now, Prince Houyi could not stand that the Chun siblings had access to a power beyond his control and reach. Hence his acting out now with all these assassination missions he has been throwing their way.

    The plan was set and they were good to go. They set the fire, positioned the guards outside and Monk Du teleported them into the forest, just outside the residence for them to wait in safety until the coast was clear for Monk Du to teleport in, grab Chun Hua then teleport back to the other two and then a final teleportation out of here.

    Bao Zhun and Chun Hua watched Monk Du with bated breath as he closed his eyes and seemed to be scanning the residence and waiting for the right time to teleport in and grab Chun Hua. They heard the manor come to life with shouts and orders being loudly barked out as the fire raged on, it was all going as expected.

    But then after a few minutes, the noise from the manor suddenly died down, the fire was still raging but the shouts had oddly gone silent.

    Monk Du frowned and opened his eyes and Chun Hai and Bao Zhun immediately asked, "What happened?" in unison.

    "It did not work..." Monk Du calmly said.

    Inside the manor, Prince Houyi was now standing in the middle of the courtyard, in the center of a protective circle that was quickly growing as all the men in the residence flocked to it, with their swords drawn and eyes scanning for the enemy. while the fire raged unattended in the background.

    Prince Houyi had one arm wrapped around Chun Hua''s chest with the other hand holding a sword to her neck with a smug smirk on his face as he began, "Do you really think I wouldn''t have expected this?" He paused and scoffed, "Like I care what happens to a building, it is nothing but a minuscule sacrifice for a grand future...And here I thought you understood me the most, you have again proven yourself to be an utter disappointment."

    Prince Houyi waited but received no response, he then sighed and called out again, "I know you can hear me...You have ten seconds to come out and bring that Bao brat with you or she dies -"

    Chun Hua stiffened, feeling lost and completely taken aback by that statement.

    When the chaos had started outside, Prince Houyi had swiftly woken up and dragged her outside with him. The men quickly explained that there was a fire and that they were working hard to put it out. Prince Houyi nodded at first but then suddenly frowned and ordered that they ignore the fire and all the men were to come to protect him right this instant.

    He then turned to look at the confused and sleepy Chun Hua and told her they had a show to put on. Chun Hua did not need to be told that they were being attacked so she patiently stayed at his side and observed the surroundings waiting for the enemy''s move.

    But then Prince Houyi suddenly switched moves, grabbed her and put a sword to her neck and as soon as he began to speak she realized who this "enemy" was and it made her even more confused.

    Why would her brother be attacking Prince Houyi? And what was this standoff for?

    When Prince Houyi felt Chun Hua tense up, he quietly whispered into her ear, "Relax, I''m just trying to fish him out. I obviously won''t kill you but your brother can''t know that... He does not understand our grand visions. Do you know he had the chance to kill Rui but spared him? Now, who knows what else he has up his sleeves? We have to make him understand..."

    Chun Hua relaxed feeling reassured with Prince Houyi''s words. She did not like the position since she was completely defenseless right now, she obviously had not had access to her poisons or to make any. But she was feeling more worried about her brother. What was he suddenly doing this?

    With Chun Hua settled, Prince Houyi went back talking loudly "Do you really think I won''t do it?..."

    No response or movement.

    "Alright, try me...ten seconds, you have ten seconds." Prince Houyi said and then he ordered his men, "Countdown, all of you..."

    The men promptly began to loudly count down in unison. Chun Hai and Bao Zhun no longer needed Monk Du to communicate the words being spoken in the manor, they could hear the countdown from where they stood, and panic began to set in.

    "Can''t you just teleport there and take her from him?" Bao Zhun asked with knit eyebrows.

    Chun Hai looked at Monk Du and went, "You can, right?" He should be able to do that just as he had done for Chun Hai earlier.

    Chun Hai did not want Monk Du to expose his skills so publically in order to avoid him being targeted. This was why they went through all this trouble of setting a fire and all that hoping they could make a quiet escape. But since things were now like this, it seemed they had no choice but to proceed with the public show.

    "He has a sword to her neck. If I go to take her, he would come along and if he panicked, then she could die. Also, I have a blood pact with your siblings so taking you with me is the same as taking myself hence why it is was so easy for me to jump and take you in an instant. But with another party in the mix, it will throw things off so there will be a short delay as I have to adjust the energy to account for the other person on my return. .." Monk Du calmly explained with a frown. A one-way journey with others was not a problem but an instant two-way journey might be troublesome.

    If he still had one of those blue energy crystals his master had made for him, then an instant two-way journey would not have been a problem.

    A moment''s hesitation there would mean death for Chun Hua and perhaps even Monk Du himself. Chun Hai also frowned, it was truly too risky.

    "4!"

    "You''re counting too quickly!" Bao Zhun exclaimed with frustration, "So what do we do?"

    "We''ll go, I just need a single opportunity and we can all leave." Monk Du calmly said and with that, Bao Zhun and Chun Hai found themselves at the side of the burning building. It was quite convenient that his own version of the teleportation did not include a light show, stealth was key. The trio wasted no time and quickly stepped out just as the men went "1"

    Chun Hai and Bao Zhun frowned as they saw blood dripping from Chun Hua''s neck where the sword was placed.

    "You bastard, how dare you treat her like that?!" Bao Zhun instantly raged as he moved to storm over there to hurl Prince Houyi and punch him to oblivion, but Chun Hai quickly grabbed him and stopped him.

    He shared the opinion that Prince Houyi deserved to have his face stumped into the ground but they were not here for a battle. They were greatly outnumbered, moreover, if they got separated in the fray of battle, it would further complicate matters.

    Prince Houyi turned to them with a smile, still holding onto to Chun Hua tightly with the sword still pressed against her neck. Chun Hua frowned as she looked over at Chun Hua and Monk Du, she was suddenly feeling on the wrong side of the line and was feeling bad about going along with Prince Houyi''s plan to trap them.

    "...I take it you failed again or did you change your mind and come over here to assassinate me instead?" Prince Houyi calmly asked as he narrowed his eyes at Chun Hai.

    "Assassinate?" Chun Hua repeated with a deepened frown, she tried turning her head to look at Prince Houyi, but the sword further dug into her skin, she winced and stopped.

    Prince Houyi either did not notice her pain or did not care as he neither moved the sword or loosened his grip.

    Prince Houyi fixed his eyes on Monk Du and his smile widened, "This must be the famed Monk Du...You haven''t aged a day after all these years. I guess you have truly found the key to immortality, perhaps you would share it with the rest of us one day. " He said with a snicker and his men snickered along with him.

    His eyes then went back to Chun Hai and he frowned, "You greatly underestimate me, I knew you lied about not knowing his whereabouts. How could you be so selfish?! After everything I''ve done for you!" Prince Houyi said in anger.

    "You sent me on that suicide mission because you thought I was lying? I could have died today." Chun Hai said, taken aback. Now it all made sense, there was no reason he had to be the one to assassinate Prince Rui. Moreover, there was no reason for it to have been a solo suicide mission. Prince Houyi was simply giving him the chance to go contact Monk Du and bring him here to prove his point.

    "You don''t look dead to me...and your monk is right there to protect you. Ah, let me warn you. If you even so much as flicker, she dies..." He warned narrowing his eyes at Monk Du, "I grew up alongside these two so I consider them as close as siblings so I naturally don''t want to hurt them but you must understand that sacrifice is necessary for one to attain glory. Huayan understands this and so she will be fine no matter what happens but I don'' -"

    "You bast-!"

    "If you dar-!"

    Chun Hai and Bao Zhun both swallowed their angry words when Monk Du raised a hand up to silence them.

    Monk Du then turned to Prince Houyi and said, "You speak the truth..."

    Prince Houyi smiled, "As expected, you''re a man with great wisdom...As I have said, I do not want to shed blood today. I''m sure Haiyan there has told you, all I want is for you to tell me how to use that technique..."

    "In front of all these men?" Chun Hai asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Prince Houyi frowned and hesitated for a moment, before finally saying, "I''ll risk it...Talk."

    When Monk Du knit his brows and seemed to be hesitating, so Prince Houyi became further irritated, "Do you want her to die? Wouldn''t that be failing in your promise, Monk? Tell me or I will proceed to begin to end their bloodline..." He coldly threatened.

    In the past, Chun Hua had told him all about Monk Du''s relationship with them, of course, she held some things back. But Prince Houyi obviously pieced together the missing bits and Chun Hua was starting to feel like she was truly in danger here.

    This did not feel like an act anymore. Her getting slightly hurt was one thing but she knew Prince Houyi well enough to know that if he said something, then he would do it if put to the test.

    "...Ah, if it pleases you, you are free to disappear with Haiyan over there, but as you know, his sister is very precious to him. I wouldn''t even need to hunt him down, he would eventually come to me himself seeking death...To save us all the trouble and unnecessary heartache, it''s best you just start talking..." He finished, pressing the sword even more to Chun Hua''s neck, causing even more blood to drip down to her collar.

    Chun Hua swallowed and stared past the rows of guards and looked directly at her brother and Monk Du, reality mixed with other feelings suddenly set in.

    {...What have I done?...}

 Chapter 309 - Fools Bargain

    "I apologize but people here do not have the capacity to learn such skill..." Monk Du curtly explained.

    Prince Houyi immediately glared at Chun Hai as he asked through gritted teeth, "He has the capacity to learn it and I don''t?"

    "I did not teach him either-"

    "Then how?!"

    "I simply gave him some objects that allowed him to temporarily use the skill..." Monk Du explained and then kindly offered, "I can give you the same objects if you want." He said, then he slowly reached into his sleeves and held out his palm to reveal little round blue jewels sitting there.

    Prince Houyi frowned at his hand, trying and failing to scrutinize the objects from the distance. He then motioned to his right-hand man to go over to bring them to him but then Monk Du went on to say, "It has to be you. To be able to use them, you need to drip your blood on them for me to go on to activate them... It has to be done between me and you."

    Prince Houyi frowned and scrutinized Monk Du, skeptical of this requirement. But then he remembered that Chun Hua had told him about how Chun Hai was the only one who could use the orbs because Monk Du had them to his blood or something like that. So he found the requirement to be credible, but at the same time, he was still wary.

    Prince Houyi knit his brows and after hesitating for a while, he ordered, "Stay where you are...no movement." Then he glanced at his right-hand man and motioned for him to follow as he walked through to the front of the protective circles, his guards clearing a path with their eyes and swords still trained on the trio.

    Prince Houyi of course moved chun Hua forward with him with his sword still at her throat. Once they reached the front and his men, Prince Houyi then ordered, "Come forward..."

    Chun Hai and Bao Zhun stepped forward with Monk Du, clutching their swords and Prince Houyi quickly ordered, "Stop! Just him." Narrowing his eyes at them.

    "What? Are you scared your elite group of guards can''t handle two extra people?" Bao Zhun said with a disgruntled snort, raising a mocking eyebrow at Prince Houyi.

    Prince Houyi scoffed, "You greatly overestimate your relevance..."

    Monk Du glanced at Bao Zhun and lightly nodded, "It''s alright..." Then he resumed walking and the other two still followed along, keeping a few paces behind and Prince Houyi did not protest anymore and simply ignored them, keeping his eyes on Monk Du.

    "That''s far enough." Prince Houyi said once Monk Du got within fifteen feet from him, "Show them..." He ordered.

    And Monk Du held out his hand, where five blue little balls rested. Prince Houyi scrutinized the five objects and then frowned, "Is that all you have?"

    Monk Du nodded, "This was an unexpected encounter, and as you can imagine they are not easy to come by..."

    Prince Houyi quietly contemplated for a bit until Monk Du went, "Now you just need to drop your blood onto them and I can connect them to your mind and you can use them as you wish..."

    Prince Houyi narrowed his eyes and then warned, "You better not be trying to do anything stupid...I will kill her."

    "I assure you, it is what you need..." Monk Du said with a slight bow of his head.

    "Huayan, is that it?" Prince Houyi quietly asked Chun Hua, still feeling skeptical of going over. Since Chun Hua had been the one to tell him about the blue orbs and because he trusted her more than he did the other three across from him, he asked her to get some sense of confirmation.

    Chun Hua knit her brows and looked to Monk Du''s palm, the objects were blue, but they definitely did not look like the ones Chun Hai had shown her. Although perhaps it was because she was too far to see clearly. Moreover, she actually did not know what the orbs looked like before the process was complete since she was not there. So she honestly could not tell if they were real or not.

    And given Prine Houyi''s current somewhat erratic behavior, he would probably give the order to kill them if she said they it seemed fake. Not to mention, his hand on the sword at her neck seemed to be itching for blood. He had not released the pressure even by a bit the entire time, it only seemed to be pressing more and more, digging into her flesh.

    He did not even care.

    She should have realized something was weird with his behavior back at the inn. It all made sense now, he was keeping her at his side so he could keep watch over her and not because he cared for her. Perhaps he was worried she would escape or that her brother would come for her and he could lose the precious hostage that would give him power beyond his imagination.

    She had thought they could be a partnership, a power couple that would rule the world but obviously, in his eyes, she was a simple pawn. If he had told her, she would have helped him.

    After all, she had already gone to risk her life for him, but rather than being appreciated, rather than earning his trust, all she got was a sword digging into her neck.

    Chun Hua snorted and then burst out laughing, to the surprise and confusion of everyone.

    "What? If I say it''s not, then would you kill them..kill me?" Chun Hua said turning her head to look at Prince Houyi, ignoring the sword expanding the radius of her wound, she smiled up at Prince Houyi as she lightly held the hand holding the sword and said, "You know, I had such grand dreams for both of us. Why can-"

    "I can listen to your nonsense later...Answer the question." Prince Houyi cut in without even sparing her a glance as his eyes remained trained on the enemy.

    "Nonsense...?" Chun Hua echoed with a snort, lowering her head.

    While the others did not understand what she was finding amusing in this current situation, Chun Hai did. He could understand his sister''s feelings right now because he had experienced the same thing himself a while back. The moment he realized that to Prince Houyi, they like the others were nothing special.

    He said he considered them as close as siblings but yet, he was for a fact planning on killing at least one of his own siblings. At this point, he could kill all of them if they got in his way. Even his own father would not be safe if he got his hands on this skill, what''s more, simple friends.

    The years meant nothing to him.

    "I don''t know..." Chun Hua flatly responded, "It looks like it, but I wasn''t there when they were made so do what you want." She bitterly responded.

    Chun Hua''s words definitely did not help the situation. Before Prince Houyi could react, Monk Du quickly cut in to try to calm the situation, "I am called a monk for a reason...and one of the traits of monks is that they do not lie. I have said these are the objects that will grant you what you want and so they are if you choose not to believe me then there is nothing I can do for you." He finished moving to put the items back in his sleeve.

    "Wait!" Prince Houyi said and Monk Du stopped, while was annoyed with Chun Hua''s behavior just now, he did not have the time nor did he care to scold her right now. He smirked at Monk Du and then said, "Work with me and I will give you access to all the riches you want. Anything you need, want, and more. Together we can accomplish great things..."

    "Thank you for the offer, but I have no interest in riches. I simply live to exist, that is all there is for me..." Monk Du said with a slight bow of his head.

    Prince Houyi''s expression fell, unhappy at being rejected but there were always other ways to work around it to get what he wants.

    Despite her sour mood just now, Chun Hua obviously did not want to leave him. So as long as he kept her around, he would always have a link to the Monk and could always find his way to obtaining what he needed, either through peaceful methods or whatever was required.

    "That is alright then..." Prince Houyi said, glaring at the trio he warned, "No movement." He was not stupid enough to go over to the trio with Chun Hua in tow, anything could happen. So he decided to hand her over to his man, with the order to maintain a sword at her throat and to kill her at the slightest odd movement of the trio to show his seriousness and to keep them in order.

    Chun Hai and Bao Zhun exchanged a quick look, the moment of opportunity was here.

    As Prince Houyi lowered his sword and moved to transfer Chun Hua to the other man, Monk Du disappeared. Prince Houyi''s men inhaled but before they could raise alarm or Prince Houyi could refocus his attention and act, Monk Du was at his side holding onto his arm and shoving him backward crashing into the rows of men behind him.

    In the same second, Prince Houyi''s right-hand man reacted and brought his sword crashing towards Monk Du and Chun Hua.

    And then they were gone, Monk Du, Chun Hua, Chun Hai, and Bao Zhun disappeared in those few seconds.

    "NO!!!" Prince Houyi screamed as he shoved the men who were helping up and glared at the now empty spot where Chun Hua had been.

    "Where are they?!" Prince Houyi barked and the men looked at each other confused, how were they to know what the hell just happened?

    "Search for them! Search for them now and bring them all back to me! NOW!" Prince Houyi angrily ordered and the men promptly scattered, still confused but running ahead regardless.

    Prince Houyi''s right hand man then came up to him and asked, "Your highness, are you alright?"

    Prince Houyi sent the man a scowl but then he froze and blinked down at the man''s sword, "Who- whose blood is that?"

 Chapter 310 - HomeComing

    Monk Du and his passengers reappeared in a dark bedroom, lightly illuminated by the moonlight coming in from the slits in the windows. Monk Du promptly fell to his knees taking deep breaths, cold sweating, still holding onto Chun Hua''s arm, while she stood still, completely out of it seemingly still reeling from the sudden realization of her "true" value.

    Chun Hai promptly knelt down beside Monk Du and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine...Just the distance was a bit too much." Monk Du responded in between ragged breaths.

    Meanwhile, Bao Zhun was more concerned for someone else, as he grabbed Chun Hua''s shoulders and despite the poor light, he appraised still bleeding large slit on her neck, running end to end. Bao Zhun frowned.

    {...That bastard! This is probably going to leave a scar...}

    "Does it hurt a lot?" Bao Zhun gently asked but then Chun Hua simply squinted at him as her vision blurred and managed to say, "I thin-" before she slumped and passed out.

    Bao Zhun caught her before she hit the ground but feeling wetness on her back, he immediately panicked and exclaimed, "She''s injured!"

    This instantly arrested Chun Hai and Monk Du''s full attention as Bao Zhun went down on his knees with her and sat her up so they could appraise the bleeding slash running across her back.

    "Go get your uncle!" Monk Du ordered and Chun Hai jumped to his feet, ready to race out but then he stopped in confusion and asked, "My uncle?"

    "Yes, get hot water, clean sheets, and whatever herbs he has in the manor and we''ll work from there..." Monk Du said as he ripped open the back of her dress so he could get a better look at how deep the wound was.

    Even if he really did not understand, Chun Hai did not ask again and simply turned and ran out the door, grateful that his uncle was safe and that Monk Du had brought them to him. But as soon as he opened the doors and stepped out, Chun Hai realized where they were and understood why Monk Du had been so tired out...He had brought them a huge distance.

    Not only had he taken them out of harm''s way, he had taken them all the way to Jiu country, to his uncle''s manor, to Chun Hai''s old bedroom to be exact.

    Chun Hai''s heart filled as he raced over to his uncle''s courtyard to rouse the old man. His uncle obviously must have escaped in time and come here to wait for them, knowing they would come back here.

    He burst through his uncle''s bedroom doors to find the old man with a sword raised, ready to strike him. His uncle quickly dropped the sword and raced to hug him, "Oh, you''re alive! Thank heavens! I was starting to get worried." The old man said through silent tears.

    Chun Hai hugged him back, happy to be home again before he promptly remembered why he was here, he held his uncle back, "There''s no time for this...Huayan is injured."

    With that announcement, the two swiftly jumped into action and went about gathering what was needed, they no longer kept servants here as after their uncle''s wife died a few years back, he decided to move to Zou kingdom to be closer to the only family he had left, his niece and nephew.

    But his uncle returned to this manor once every year for a few days on his wife''s death anniversary. And it just so happened that this yearly event fell right around the period were the Chun siblings became wanted fugitives - this meant that their uncle had long left Zou kingdom before the news of their activities reached there... Luckily.

    Chun Hai could not help thinking about how they really got lucky this time on all fronts. Even though Chun Hai was worried about Chun Hua''s wound, Monk Du was here and he was much better than any doctor they could ever find.

    Therefore, Chun Hai''s relief at being home, far from Long country and Zou kingdom outweighed whatever worry he felt.

    She was in good hands...they were in good hands.

    ***

    The next morning Lei Xing woke up in a super good mood. She and the Emperor had spent a lazy day together happy holed up in their palace. It felt really nice to just disconnect from all the trouble and responsibilities for a while and it felt like it had been forever since they have had a day like that.

    Although Lei Xing acknowledged that it was her who had been blowing the Emperor off for the last month or so, being too busy with qin rehearsals and other preparations for his birthday as well as other matters. Vacations feel best after a long time working hard, she really was enjoying have a job again, more so one where she was the boss.

    Today, it was back to life as usual, by the time she woke up the Emperor had already left for court and Lei Xing went about her morning routine and then went off to see Princess Nalan.

    The Emperor had asked Lei Xing to talk to Princess Nalan and try to get confirmation on her departure date.

    The Emperor did inform her two days ago about the situation with Prince Rui and during their very brief encounter that day, she did not seem at all excited at the prospects of leaving. It seemed something was bothering her, so as her host, the Emperor asked if there was a problem and she obviously said that nothing was wrong and that she would discuss with the others and get back to him with a date.

    But she still had not given a response. He expected that given the urgency of Prince Rui''s situation, she would be quick to respond. But that did not seem to be the case so he mentioned it to Lei Xing yesterday and since they were "friends" perhaps Princess Nalan would find her easier to talk with. Of course, Lei Xing was ready to jump up and go get it sorted yesterday since it was quite a serious matter but the Emperor stopped her and said it can wait till "tomorrow".

    As far as he was concerned yesterday, everything could be pushed till "tomorrow" and Lei Xing had little issue with his mantra of the day.

    So after her meal this morning, Lei Xing made her way to see Princess Nalan, but arrived to be informed that the Princess had gone out for the day. So Lei Xing instructed the servants to inform her as soon as Princess Nalan returned. Then she went over to Li Ru''s palace to find her sitting and chatting with Zhao Lan in her front garden.

    Lei Xing slightly faltered in her steps, a little annoyed, she did not anticipate a third party here, especially not this recently uncovered "childhood fre-enemy" of her Emperor''s.

    Lei Xing was aware that Li Ru and Zhao Lan had become "friends" recently. Zhao Lan had visited a few times while Lei Xing was having her qin lessons with Li Ru.

    Since Lei Xing was naturally a reserved person, Zhao Lan''s attempts to try to engage her were received with short and disinterested responses with Lei Xing often leaving shortly after Zhao Lan''s arrival.

    It was not that Lei Xing was running from Zhao Lan, it was just that she could not bring herself to trust Zhao Lan, it just felt fake. And Lei Xing did not have the interest in tolerating fake and pretending to be interested when it was not necessary.

    Lei Xing did enough to be polite and then left. After all, the timing of Zhao Lan''s switch in behavior was not lost on Lei Xing. Since their first day in the palace, Zhao Lan had looked at Lei Xing with condescension and given her the cold shoulder.

    But then suddenly after the Emperor announces Lei Xing as his choice for Empress, Zhao Lan''s attitude did a full 180. She was suddenly warm and friendly with Li Ru, who she had put down and rudely ignored.

    Even if Li Ru had forgotten all that, Lei Xing had not. It was blatantly obvious that she was only trying to warm up to Lei Xing because she was to become the Empress and since Lei Xing herself was highly unreceptive and hard to approach, she chose to use Li Ru as a pathway to Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing did tell Li Ru to be careful around her, but she could not control what Li Ru did.

    But Li Ru could not blatantly be rude and bar Zhao Lan from her palace nor did she have it in her to be subtly dismissive in her behavior as Lei Xing always was. So she had a hard time brushing off a relentless Zhao Lan who lept showing up to visit her.

    Regardless of Lei Xing''s reservations about Zhao Lan, as the Empress and even as Lei Xing herself, she could not just turn tail and run like a coward because of an awkward encounter, especially not when she had already been seen. So she walked over with a smile as the two girls got up and bowed.

    They sat down and Li Ru smiled at Lei Xing as she poured her cup of tea. Lei Xing smiled back and glanced at Zhao Lan as she picked up her teacup, taking a sip before breaking the awkward silence saying, "I was returning from visiting Princess Nalan so I thought I would stop by...It seems I came at the right time..." Lei Xing said with a calm smile at both girls, playing her part as a proper Empress.

    Zhao Lan smiled and quickly spoke up first, "Your majesty truly came at the right time...We were just discussing our plans for when we leave the palace tomorrow -"

    "Oh?" Lei Xing went with raised eyebrows glancing at Li Ru, this was after all the curious reason she had come here, "Do tell..." Lei Xing added.

    Li Ru smiled and then hesistantly said, "Hmm...Well, I was thinking of maybe going home -"

    "Home?" Lei Xing lightly exclaimed with slightly raised eyebrows in surprise, "I thought - Well, home is good..." She stopped herself from prying, immediately changed her tune, and plastered on a smile.

    Zhao Lan was here so they could not discuss as they normally would. She was actually very surprised that Li Ru wanted to return home, she thought she would have chosen to stay. After all, why return to a place where she was maltreated?

    {...Well, I guess I can understand wanting to have those who once trampled on you bow at your feet but -... Nevermind, she has time and money so why not get the gratification of groveling payback -_-)''...Can''t say that I would bother though but okay...}

    "I was just trying to persuade her to stay but she insists that she would like to go to her family home..." Zhao Lan said with a mini pout and Lei Xing looked at Zhao Lan''s expression, somewhat put off by her expression.

    While Lei Xing thought it would be nice if Zhao Lan and Li Ru had actually developed an honest friendship, she could not help seeing insincerity when Zhao Lan made expressions like these. It always looked as if she was trying too hard.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and for the sake of politeness, she turned to Zhao Lan and asked, "What about you? What plans do you have?"

    "Oh, I will be going home as well." Zhao Lan said, her face instantly brightening up with a smile, "But I live in the capital so I will be sure to visit you in the palace often..."

    Lei Xing obviously was not interested in Zhao Lan visiting, but etiquette did not allow her to say her true thoughts, so she maintained her smile and flatly said, "Do that then..."

    Although she was "free" to come, it will be up to Lei Xing whether to receive her not. And considering that Zhao Lan did not dare to go over to Lei Xing''s palace to "visit" even while she was living right in the palace. She probably feared outright rejection from Lei Xing or worse, even the Emperor himself so Lei Xing doubted that girl would actually come "visit".

    Already feeling tired of the conversation, Lei Xing went on to say, "I have other matters to attend to so I will leave you two to your planning..." Then she stood up and the other two followed suit and bowed to her in farewell.

    Lei Xing nodded and walked off with a silent sigh, with her plastered smile quickly falling off, feeling a tad depressed again.

    {...This is for the best...}

 Chapter 311 - Food for the Damned

    Princess Nalan went over to visit the Zou representatives'' residence again today. After a short while there, she pretended to have a headache to avoid answering questions about their departure date. She went to "nap" and secretly ran off on her own again.

    Molin and the envoys were not aware of Prince Rui''s situation since the Emperor had spoken with the highest person in charge - Princess Nalan believing that she would make the responsible choice but the truth was that she was a bit befuddled at the moment.

    She kept the news about Prince Rui''s situation to herself and simply gave the vague response of soon, stalling. After all, the Emperor had assured her that Prince Rui was safe and will remain protected until her group arrived. Even she had to acknowledge that the Emperor was being very considerate of them given the reason Prince Rui had left in the first place.

    Anyway, today she was a girl on a mission.

    Everyone was waiting for her to give the go-ahead, but before she could do or say anything, she needed to get her affairs in order.

    Prince Yi had still not responded to her letter and she had finally gotten impatient and decided to make a move herself. She did want to wait for him but he was too slow and she was usually not good at patience, not to mention, the pressure she was under right now.

    So today with the assistance of Prince Yi''s undercover maid who served as the communication channel between them, she sneakily left the Zou representatives'' manor again.

    And with a little persuasion, she bullied the maid into leading the way to Prince Yi''s manor. Now here she was standing across the street from the entrance and hesitating.

    "Your highness, please let''s go back...The Prince won''t be happy if you just barge into his manor uninvited like this..." The maid pleaded as she worriedly held onto Princess Nalan''s arm in a pointless bid to stop her from going.

    Princess Nalan knit her brows, she too acknowledged that this might not be the way to handle this. Prince Yi liked his privacy. Not to mention, the fact that she knew that he was not on good terms with the Emperor and her visit, if known can be seen as something more than it was - which was a simple visit.

    But what else was she supposed to do?

    So regardless of her reservations, Princess Nalan shrugged the maid off and marched towards the entrance where she was promptly blocked by guards holding out their swords. She frowned at them but rather than fight or argue with them, she simply folded her arms and haughtily says, "Go inform Jun Shan that I am here..."

    "Princess Nalan is here..." The maid quickly supplied before the guards could toss her out of there for that bold and frankly very rude request, even more so for using Prince Yi''s name like that.

    The guards looked at each other and then one of them informed, "The Prince is not receiving visitors today..."

    Princess Nalan frowned and then said, "I am not a visitor so go inform him that I am here..."

    The guards knit their brows and the maid tried to advise again, "Princess, why don''t we go for now and I can deliver a le-"

    "What is the point of sending a letter when I am standing right there?!" Princess Nalan exasperatedly asked and the maid shut her mouth. Princess Nalan then turned to the guards and went, "Would you go inform him, or do I need to bring an edict from the Emperor for you to do so?"

    The guards knit their brows in contemplation, Prince Yi had ordered not to disturb him but then an edict from the Emepror would definitely put him in a worse mood. Also, this princess was a guest of the royal household. If they upset her, it could mean their heads. But Prince Yi also could have their heads for disobeying him.

    But before the guards could make their decision, Tian Ji arrived at the entrance and was surprised to see Princess Nalan and the maid there. Tian Ji bowed to Princess Nalan, glancing at the maid, who promptly lowered her head apologetically with a frown as she timidly said, "...The Princess insisted on coming..."

    Tian Ji glanced about the street hoping no one knew Princess Nalan''s identity but it was probably already too late. He inwardly sighed and ushered them in, leading Princess Nalan to a pavilion in a garden and politely said, "Please wait here...I will go inform the Prince."

    Princess Nalan nodded and sat down with a satisfied expression, as she glanced about the surroundings, appraising the manor.

    {...Not bad...}

    Tian Ji sent the maid another disappointed look and then left them to go inform Prince Yi of his unexpected guest. After Tian Ji disappeared, Princess Nalan promptly got up to walk around and fidgeting maid quickly jumped in front of her, "Your highness, please just stay here...You really shouldn''t be wanderi-"

    "I''m just stretching my legs..." Princess Nalan dismissively said as she brushed past the maid while mumbling, "Don''t you people get tired of telling me what I can and can''t do...so annoying."

    The maid made a crying face and promptly followed closely behind her, this job was suddenly becoming very tiring.

    ***

    It seemed Prince Yi was getting back to his normal self, today he was not only awake already, but he also was sober, groomed and dressed in his usual elegance, sat in a meditation pose with his eyes closed wearing a frown, seemingly in deep contemplation.

    "Your highness, Princess Nalan is here to see you." Tian Ji informed after entering the room. Prince Yi immediately opened his eyes with a deepening frown.

    Tian Ji swiftly continued on, "She was insisting and creating a scene with the guards at the entrance so I brought her inside to avoid attracting unwanted attention. I can send her aw-"

    "It''s alright..." Prince Yi said with a sigh, "It was bound to come to light sooner or later. Time is short..." He said as he rose to his feet.

    He had been thinking about things since Zhao Chang left last night. And at this point, he could only try to balance things out. After all, what''s done is already done.

    He could not simply discard Princess Nalan like that, it would be too cruel and well, he could not bring himself to abandon not abandon Princess Nalan - that was if she wanted him, he owed it to her. More so, if she had his child in her, he could not abandon his own child...he could never.

    Moreover, it was not as if Princess Nalan would be a detrimental choice for him. As for the rest, well, he was sure Bao Zhun could understand. After all, it was not as if he was required to have only one woman - Prince Yi frowned as thoughts of the Emperor and Lei Xing flew to his mind again.

    He honestly still could not believe that the Emperor had actually done what he did. As much as he loathed to admit it, it was clear now that the Emepror was truly smitten with Lei Xing, why else would he have done what he did? After all, all the Emperor gained from this act was an unnecessary amount of ire from the ministers by cutting a potential path to greatness for them.

    Prince Yi inwardly sighed and pushed thoughts of his brother''s "happy" marriage out of his mind. But he then arrived at the garden to find another troublesome scene, one of his concubines was talking to Princess Nalan.

    "What is going on here?" Prince Yi irritatedly asked as he walked up to them. Princess Nalan turned to him with a smile, while the concubine almost jumped out of her skin, she quickly bowed and explained, "I...I was just wondering what this Meimei was doing here-"

    "When did it become your duty to question my guests?" Prince Yi coldly interrupted.

    "I just thought she might be lost -"

    "Lost? Does this look like a marketplace where people wander into when they are lost? Ge - Leave..." Prince Yi ordered with an irritated sigh. The concubine swiftly bowed, glanced at Princess Nalan, and scurried out of the garden.

    Princess Nalan, who had awkwardly been standing there watching the short exchange turned to Prince Yi and said, "That was a little too hard...I could have easily handled myself-"

    "If you don''t set boundaries then they will only get more unruly with time...You have to use a firm hand at the start to ensure compliance in the future." Prince Yi simply said. He would not allow his palace to be like his father''s, where there was no order or peace and his women did whatever under his blind watch.

    "True..." Princess Nalan said, knitting her brows in thought but then remembered why she was here and went, "Why haven''t you responded to my letter?" She asked turning to Prince Yi with a disgruntled pout.

    Prince Yi raised his eyebrows and informed, "...I was actually about to send for you." This was true, he was actually on the verge of sending for her, once he was done arranging his thoughts.

    "Oh..." Princess Nalan said lowering her eyes, feeling a bit foolish now for rushing over here and causing a scene.

    "It''s of no matter now...Have you eaten?" Prince Yi asked with a smile and Princess Nalan shook her head, "Time was of the essence...We need to talk about some things, I''ll -"

    "Good, we''ll talk after eating...We have time." Prince Yi interrupted again still smiling, it would not have mattered if she had eaten or not, this meal she had to eat because it contained a special something he had arranged so they could move forward.

    As if on queue, Tian Ji entered the garden with the servants bringing in the food. Princess Nalan pouted, unhappy with the interruption, she really just wanted to get this talk out of the way but she obliged him and followed him sit down for the meal.

    Prince Yi glanced at Tian Ji, who nodded at him. Prince Yi then smiled at Princess Nalan and encouraged her to eat. He picked up his own chopsticks and began to eat himself while surreptitiously glancing at Princess Nalan across from him.

    He was actually feeling somewhat excited by the prospect of a child. It had never occurred to him to have one before, the timing was never right so he always made sure his concubines took birth control. Moreover, it would not be a good look for him to already have a child before marrying his Princess consort.

    After all, for peace and harmony, the first child should naturally come from the Princess consort herself. All that aside, it will be good to have a child. He would be a great father, he thought smiling to himself.

    Princess Nalan looked at Prince Yi smiling and also smiled to herself, happy that he was happy with her presence. Even if it did not seem that way, she had for a second or two worried that he would have been angry with her barging her way in here like this.

    She was relieved to see him smiling, so she too smiled to herself. Once this meal was over, they would talk about things and then - Princess Nalan suddenly froze and frowned, she lightly scratched her throat, feeling off and then she suddenly jumped up and raced over to the corner holding her stomach in pain and hurling.

    Prince Yi hid his smile and quickly shot to his feet and went over to her to play the dutiful host, "Are you alright?" He asked, patting her back as he waved over for a maid to bring some water.

    Princess Nalan took the water and rinsed out her mouth, taking deep breaths but before she could talk, she went back to hurling again.

    "Quick, send for a doctor." Prince Yi ordered and Tian Ji, right on queue again raced off to "find" the doctor.

    After her stomach had calmed down a bit, Prince Yi helped her to her seat, "I think something here must disagree with me..." She said in a raspy voice.

    "Clear the table." Prince Yi ordered with a frown and then he sat next to Princess Nalan and asked, "Feeling better?"

    "En, better..." She responded with a frown, "I normally have a strong stomach..."

    "I am aware." Prince Yi said with a snort, remembering her taste for bugs, but then he also remembered Lei Xing and frowned, quickly shoving the memory and the annoying thoughts away before they ruined his mood again.

    "Still, let''s have you checked by a doctor...just in case." Prince Yi said as he poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.

    Princess Nalan sipped her tea, looking at Prince Yi, who was smiling at her and glancing behind her anxiously waiting for the doctor to arrive to give the verdict.

    Princess Nalan smiled to herself again. thinking that It was not such a bad thing to be ill once in a while, it was nice being doted on like this.

 Chapter 312 - Unthinking Revelation

    "So?" Prince Yi prodded with a frown after the doctor had spent a longer than necessary period of time checking Princess Nalan''s pulse.

    Prince Yi had initially wanted doctor Lou to verify the potency of his medicine himself but the doctor seemed to have traveled or something. So Tian Ji found him this backup plan who claimed to also be an "expert "in the affairs of pregnancy.

    Prince Yi had this doctor ready for a few days now but he just had to work out how to go about getting Princess Nalan tested without seeming suspicious. After all, suspicion would be a bad way to start a possibly lifetime arrangement that is marriage.

    Anyway, here they were. He had done his part but this "expert" was here looking confused.

    The doctor knit his brows and c.o.c.ked his head to the side, before releasing Princess Nalan''s wrist and bowing his head, "Well...I can''t be sure-"

    "Can''t be sure of what?" Prince Yi interjected, his frown deepening.

    "Am I sick? ...It wouldn''t be something incurable, right?" Princess Nalan asked knitting her brows in concern. She had heard of healthy people starting out like this with something small and then suddenly dropping down with a severe illness a few hours later.

    "Ah, no, nothing like that..." The doctor swiftly reassured and then went on to say, "It''s just that it''s very weak, but it should be nothing to worry about. It''s probably because it''s very early on. It''s a bit unusual you''re getting this symptom so early on as well but it should be nothing of concern, the adjustment might just be a bit stressful on your body hence the symptoms coming in earlier -"

    "Symptom? What''s wrong with me?" Princess Nalan asked in confusion, this doctor was talking in confusing circles.

    The Doctor blinked at her and then realized she was not aware and then bowed with a smile, "Congratulations Your highness, you are pregnant..."

    Princess Nalan''s eyes went wide and she froze, while Prince Yi knit his brows when he saw her appalled expression.

    This was not the reaction he was expecting, and it was a bit - just a bit upsetting. He had thought that she liked him and so would be happy to hear that she was pregnant but her expression right now held no happiness. He could only see panic, confusion, worry...and maybe even regret.

    It seems his suspicion was right, she saw him as a simple summer''s fling, one she would quickly forget in a few days.

    Of course, she did not actually like him. This was the reason she never asked him about his intentions for them or anything...They never had a serious conversation because she had no need for one. She was simply enjoying the thrill of an affair, using him to entertain herself with the intention of discarding him once she left.

    This was upsetting.

    When no one spoke, the doctor glanced at the two dark expressions in front of him and then went on to add, "I can prescribe something to help re-"

    "That''s enough, leave." Prince Yi interjected.

    The doctor blinked up at Prince Yi and quickly got the clue that this was not the news that the couple wanted. He did not understand why the prince would be upset that one of his wives was pregnant with the first royal child of this next generation. Regardless of his thoughts, the doctor decided to quickly retrace his steps so as not to lose the favor that had landed on his lap so instead of leaving, he said, "As I said, it is still very early and so I cannot be certain sand even if it is so, I have medicine to abo-"

    "I said leave." Prince Yi sternly ordered, shutting up the doctor before he could say something to ruin things for him. Tian Ji swiftly yanked the doctor up and dragged him off, as the maid smartly followed along, leaving Prince Yi and Princess Nalan alone to talk.

    The two sat silently for a while, Princess Nalan digesting the shocking information while Prince Yi was upset about the fact that she was upset over this news. He was not interested in the idea of forcing a woman to be with him. Obviously, if she had not shown interest in him, he would not have forced himself on her.

    But regardless of his annoyance now, he still had to persuade her that this was not such a bad idea. It was already too late to turn back and he would not allow her to terminate his child. That would be too cruel. Even if she did not want to anymore, he would still go ahead with his plan.

    But obviously it would be best for both their sakes if they were both on board with the program.

    "I''m pregnant..." Princess Nalan quietly, breaking the silence still in disbelief. Pregnancy was the last thing on her mind - it was not even on her mind.

    "En..." Prince Yi disinterestedly responded, before correcting his tone and solemnly going, I''m sorry."

    "It was just one time though..." Princess Nalan said turning Prince Yi with a flabbergasted expression.

    Prince Yi frowned and averted his gaze and informed in an almost condescending tone, "One time is enough..."

    His irritated tone completely flew over her head as Princess Nalan was going through her own emotions right now, she took a deep breath and then a few more and then jumped to her feet, "I think that doctor did not know what he was talking, we should find someone else better -"

    Prince Yi swiftly shot to his feet and grabbed her arm before she could race off, "Nalan, calm down -"

    "Calm down? Do you know wha- ? How am I supposed to -?" She was at a loss for words, she put a hand to her head as she tried to think but her mind seemed to be frozen right now. She had definitely not expected to get pregnant.

    "Is it such a bad thing?" Prince Yi finally asked, "You said you wouldn''t regret it..." He said as he released her arm, leaving her free to run off if she wanted.

    Princess Nalan froze and blinked at him and seeing the hurt expression on his face, she calmed down and reigned her panic in, realizing how her behavior must seem to him. She sighed and held his arm and said, "I don''t regret it but...telling my father that I''m pregnant is..." She frowned and sighed, words failed her again, "a bit much...It''s-"

    Prince Yi took her hand and weakly smiled, "I understand...but Nalan, this isn''t such a bad thing. Even though I''m not an Emperor, I''m still a prince and I still don''t have a Princess consort. We can get married and even if they want to object, you''re pregnant - they would have to accept it and the fact that marriage is the only way to fix this." He reassuringly explained, somewhat excited - although careful not to be too excited.

    "Get married?" Princess Nalan asked, blinking in surprise.

    Prince Yi frowned, "Or you don''t want to?"

    "No, no...let''s." Princess Nalan said with a smile, "It''s just...I thought you didn''t want to because of your brother an-"

    "He doesn''t matter. I know how to handle him..." Prince Yi dismissively said. Of course, he had thought about how to handle the Emperor since he concocted this plan of his. Prince Yi smiled and sat Princess Nalan down and then sat with her and then asked, "D- do you need anything?"

    Princess Nalan shook her head and then put her elbows on the table and cradled held her head in her hand and groaned.

    It was one thing to tell her father that she wanted to marry Prince Yi and not the Emperor but actually being pregnant for him was another thing, "How am I going to explain this? My grandfather is going to kill me..." Her maternal grandfather was already not in support of her coming here or marrying the Emperor, now she was pregnant and not married, she could already see his face becoming red with anger.

    She would not even be surprised if he finally passed out due to this news- she always thought that he looked on the verge of passing out whenever he was angry. He never passed out, but this news might finally be the one and she will miss it...thankfully.

    "It''s okay. I can help you write the letter if you want~" Prince Yi offered, reassuringly patting her back.

    Princess Nalan glanced at him and his smile brightened and she sighed and said, "You don''t know him..."

    "It''s alright. I can handle everything. Stress is bad for the baby~" Prince Yi said with a smile, waving over the maid. This was actually much better than expected, forget Prince Houyi, he could connect to her grandfather directly. After all, Prince Houyi derived his power from said grandfather...Therefore, an introductory letter from his apologetic "love-stricken" son-in-law was in order.

    Princess Nalan weakly smiled as she watched Prince Yi happily ordering paper and ink to begin writing to who he called his "in-laws". She was not so ecstatic about the endeavor but seeing him like this was a bit heartwarming.

    {...Well, at least he''s happy about it, that''s good...pregnant, how can I be -? O_O)...}

 Chapter 313 - Charred

    The group of riders finally arrived at the hidden residence to find what remained of the burned down building. The only reason the building was not burned to the ground was due to the midnight rain that quenched the raging fire.

    "Search the area..." Prince Yul ordered as he got down from his horse and the men promptly fanned out while he scanned the area. It was a very troubling sight indeed, but there did not appear to be a batttle here.

    Prince Yul frowned and glanced at Bao Zhun''s father, who was worriedly staring at the charred building, at a loss.

    "General Bao, did you inform my brother that I will be coming with you?" Prince Yul asked with concern over the prospect that Prince Houyi had truly decided to go rogue over the Chun siblings.

    General Bao shook his head, "No, your grandfather was very clear..."

    The Zou prime minister - grandfather of the Prince Houyi, Prince Yul, and Princess Nalan had promised him that as long as he helped with the search for the fugitives, he would ensure that Bao Zhun was completely absolved of all blame.

    So as soon as he received word from Prince Houyi that Bao Zhun was in his custody, General Bao had gone against Prince Houyi''s request to keep this quiet and immediately went to the Prime minister with the location. And following the Prime minister''s orders, he came here with the second prince, Prince Yul and guards to capture the fugitives as well as to quietly escort Prince Houyi back to the capital.

    This constituted as a betrayal on his part so naturally he would not have told Prince Houyi anything that would have endangered his son.

    Even though General Bao did feel a bit bad for outing Prince Houyi who had simply offered his help, in the end he had to do what was best for his son. And between Prince Houyi and the prime minister, the prime minister was the obvious choice. After all, Prince Houyi derived most of his power from his maternal grandfather.

    Not to mention the fact that the King was highly upset with Prince Houyi over this very matter, believing him to be the mastermind behind the Chun siblings. Prince Houyi himself was on shaky ground and therefore, not in the position to be pleading anyone else''s case right now. So General Bao believed that the Prince would understand that he had to consider all avenues to make the right choice.

    But now General Bao was starting to regret that decision. If Prince Houyi found out that he betrayed him...what if he decided to simply kill Bao Zhun?

    "Do you think the Prince found out I told the Prime minister? Do you think my son is alright?" General Bao asked, but Prince Yul simply knit his brows at him and turned back to the building with a sigh. He honestly did not want to be here, but their grandfather had ordered it and so here he was to talk sense into his older brother and drag him back home, of course with the fugitive twins in tow.

    He had hoped his brother had some sort of reason for camping here instead of bringing them to the capital as instructed. Their grandfather had been very angry when he had heard the news and almost rode here himself to drag Prince Houyi through the mud. But Prince Yul had managed to talk him out of it, assuring him that Prince Houyi had a good reason - a good reason he could not provide at the moment. But would naturally inform them once everything was set.

    Of course, their grandfather did not buy this explanation and still sent him here with very specific instructions he dreaded carrying out...But now that he had arrived here to this, it seems he would be left with no choice if his brother had truly gone rogue for the Chun siblings.

    Some of the men suddenly came out dragging a beaten and bruised man with them, they threw him to the knees and explained, "We found him in one of the rooms in the back..."

    Prince Yul scrutinized the man, but before he could speak, General Bao crouched down and asked, "What happened here? Where''s my son?"

    "The prince, he-"

    "Bu Lao! That''s you, right?" Prince Yul suddenly exclaimed, also crouching down to look closer at the man, it was a bit hard to tell with how swollen the man''s face was, but he was sure it was him...Prince Houyi''s right hand man.

    "It is I..." The man said with difficulty.

    "What happened here?" Prince Yul asked with a frown, feeling somewhat relieved. If his brother was attacked, it makes sense that he would have switched locations. For all he knew, Prince Houyi might already be on his way back to the capital right now.

    Bu Lao frowned, not sure how to explain.

    "Hurry up and talk!" Bao Zhun''s father immediately barked.

    "Well...the priso- I mean, Master Chun, Master Bao and...Miss Chun -" He said the last name with a little bitterness, "Ran away with some monk and the Prince chased after them." He said, intentionally withholding the mysterious method of escape.

    Even if Prince Houyi had not shared much of his plans, he pieced it together on his last night that Prince Houyi wanted whatever it was that allowed them to disappear like that... And for his plans to work, that cannot be shared to outsiders.

    "Escaped?" General Bao exclaimed with a little smile, feeling a huge sense of relief that was shortlived when Prince Yul advised, "There''s nothing to be happy...If my brother catches him, he will be better off dead."

    General Bao immediately frowned, filled with even more worry now. Prince Yul stood up and then let out a breath and looked down at Bu Lao and asked, "Why did he leave you behind?...Was it your fault?"

    Bu Lao shook his head, hesitated and then quietly said, "...I made a mistake so I stayed back to pass on the message."

    Prince Yul raised an unconvinced eyebrow, not buying that explanation. It was truly odd, after all this man always went wherever Prince Houyi went. For Prince Houyi to have left him behind to simply "pass on a message" was unheard of - which meant he must have done something to have enraged his brother.

    Looking at the man''s behavior, he would not be surprised if his brother was the one who had beaten him up himself.

    Prince Yul hit the nail right on the head, it was Prince Houyi who had beaten him up, simply because he had said he did not know whose blood was on his sword and dismissively said it was important. What was important at that time was finding the fugitives. After all, Prince Houyi could not return without them.

    But apparently, Prince Houyi was not exactly thinking straight at the time as he launched at him from behind and proceeded to pommel him into unconsciousness. Bu Lao woke up early this morning and dragged himself inside to find something to treat himself and later fell asleep and was later awoken by Prince Yul''s men.

    Honestly, Bu Lao had been very aggrieved, how was he to know Prince Houyi actually cared for the girl? After all, the same Prince Houyi had been digging a sword into her neck.

    But then again, on the other hand Prince Houyi could have simply been angry that the monk could have died from the wound before he could get what he wanted from him.

    So truthfully Bu Lao had no idea where Prince Houyi went, much less what he was doing. But regardless of their little squabble, he obviously still had to cover for Prince Houyi.

    "Why did my brother bring them here?" Prince Yul asked, causing Bu Lao to jump and he quickly said, "I don''t know....the Prince did not say." He added bowing his head.

    Prince Yul quietly scrutinized the man and then sighed. He had always told his older brother that these twins were trouble but his brother had always reassured him that they were fine, great friends. But now look what they had done and look what his brother was doing now.

    "We''ll rest here for a few hours and then continue on..." Prince Yul calmly said.

    "Go where? Do you know where they are?" General Bao asked, rising to his feet.

    Prince Yul shook his head, "No, but I have a hunch...More importantly, we cannot go back empty-handed." At the very least he had to find his brother and he hoped that when he did find him, the Chun siblings will be there too.

    Otherwise, it will truly be a pity.

 Chapter 314 - Uplift

    After leaving Li Ru''s palace, Lei Xing went to see Ming Shu, hoping for the distraction of work to correct her mood. But after a while of going through boring paperwork, she concluded this was not what she needed right now and cut the meeting short in favor of more pleasant affairs.

    Unsurprisingly, pleasant affairs constituted of a visit to the treasury department where she found the old department head, who happily took on the role of tour guide again.

    Lei Xing''s mood was quickly uplifted as they moved from room to room. She was actually tempted to pocket a few things here and there for further...analysis. But she opted for the more dignified approach of asking for them to be sent over to her palace for further "assessment" - which of course, the head department happily obliged.

    After all, they were all hers - well, the Emperor''s, but obviously what''s his was hers and what''s her was...well, debatable.

    Lei Xing let out a happy sigh as she slowly sauntered through the aisles of delicately and intricately designed vases. She was enjoying herself when she heard a faint, "Hmph!" Her heart jumped and then isntantly fell, when she realized the sound had come from the old department head, who had stopped to clean one of the vases with his sleeve.

    Apparently, he was not very pleased with the maintenance of this part of the treasure trove. Looking at him rubbing the vase even reminded her more of Doctor Lou. Lei Xing sighed and looked away, continuing her walk down the aisle.

    Honestly, Doctor Lou was the kind of person she usually disliked the most. They force their way into your life with no regard for your will, and then they come and go as they please with no care for the ones they are leaving behind.

    It makes it all the worse when they return and expect everyone around to simply fall in line and behave like they had never left in the first place.

    Lei Xing sighed, feeling down again.

    "Your majesty, is something wrong? Do you not like this piece?" The old department head asked from behind her, surprising Lei Xing, who quickly realized that she was frowning at a particular vase.

    Lei Xing quickly corrected her expression with a smile, "I was just focusing on the patter.... In deep appreciation for the skill of the artist..."

    "It is indeed well done..." The old head said with a nod, appraising the vase, "Do you want this one to be sent over as well?" He asked with a smile.

    "En..." Lei Xing absentmindedly responded and then said, "I will be leaving now...Till next time." And with that said, Lei Xing made her way out.

    But then when she got outside, she was at a loss for what to do now. There was still plenty of daylight left. She thought of returning to her palace to sleep the rest of the day away but then she would end up unable to sleep when night came.

    Of course, she had no issue with staying up late, but the problem was that the Emperor would then end up staying up with her. It seemed he had developed the habit of not going to bed unless she was going to.

    And while Lei Xing could sleep and wake up whenever she wanted, the Emperor did not have that luxury - correction, he did not allow himself that luxury, most days..he was very disciplined.

    Thinking of him, she decided to go see the Emperor. But then she remembered Princess Nalan''s issue. It would be best if she showed up with a report on this one simple task he asked of her, so she asked, "Is Princess Nalan back?"

    "We haven''t received any news yet..." Xiao Ruo quickly responded, "Should we send someone to go check?"

    "No need." Lei Xing said, it was not as if the servants would forget that she instructed them to do something.

    With that out of the way, she dignifiedly scurried along to the royal study, hoping he was not in a meeting. Otherwise, they will both be having a late night because sleep was the next best option for a bothered Lei Xing.

    Luckily, Lei Xing arrived to find the Emperor working and his face immediately lit up when he saw Lei Xing walk in. It was a rare and happy surprise for her to come here without his prodding. It was even much better when she sat down and proceeded to hug his waist and rested her head on his chest.

    "Feeling lonely again?" The Emperor jokingly asked as he put an arm around her.

    Lei Xing raised up her head and frowned at him, "I don''t feel lonely..."

    "Ah...bored then." The Emperor corrected, patting her head.

    Lei Xing sighed and straightened up, "Nalan''s not here..."

    "Oh...okay. Is that what brought you here?" The Emperor curiously asked.

    "Am I interrupting?" Lei Xing asked with a pout as she scanned the contents on his desk.

    "Of course not." The Emperor swiftly said, "...I was just sorting out the travel arrangements for the princesses who chose to return home - those whose family resides outside the capital." He added for clarification.

    "Are these the ones leaving?" Lei Xing asked, picking up a shortlist with only three names.

    "Yes, and another three who live in the capital opted to return to their family homes..." The Emperor explained, "Four will remain in our care...and Chen You can make her choice after her punishment."

    "En..." Lei Xing offhandedly responded as she continued to "read" the list. After a bit, the Emperor knit his brows and took the paper from her hand and asked, "Are you feeling alright today?"

    Lei Xing blinked at him but then she narrowed her eyes at him and said, "It''s still too early..." Thinking he was still hung up on the pregnancy issue and asking if she was "feeling" pregnant yet.

    "I am not asking about that..." The Emperor said playfully narrowing his eyes back at her, "You seem to be in a bit of a bad mood...Did something happen?"

    "...Just bored I guess." Lei Xing said with a shrug, her eyes went back to the list again and the Emperor followed her line of sight and then realizing that seemed to be her problem.

    But before he could probe, Lei Xing spoke up on her own, "You should add Li Ru...She''s going home too..." She offhandedly informed.

    And the Emperor was enlightened to the reason for her poor mood, but he was a bit surprised by the news. He had sent out eunuchs to inquire from the princesses what living arrangement they had decided on for themselves and they had the last few days two days to think about it. So they could begin preparations for the journey of those who would be journeying outside the capital. This way they could be on their way as early as next week.

    The eunuchs had gone to collect their responses this morning and Li Ru had said she would be remaining in the capital. Not that they could not change their minds, after all, he had promised that they could go wherever they chose with his support. But still, the Emperor thought it unlikely that Li Ru had suddenly changed her mind within the short space of a few hours so he asked, "Did something happen between you two?"

    "Something like...a fight?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow, looking unamused.

    The Emperor blinked at her, it was clear she was in a touchy mood. So he explained, "Well...It''s just that she informed my eunuch this morning that she would be remaining the capital -"

    "...Guess she changed her mind...I don''t know." Lei Xing cut in with a "disinterested" shrug.

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought as he stared at Lei Xing, who picked up a random edict and offhandedly said, "For the banquet tomorrow, I chose some headdresses for them to wear from the treasury since there was no time to make new official sets for them...They''ll be sent back the day after."

    "That''s fine..." The Emperor responded and Lei Xing nodded, focusing on her reading, which the Emperor scrutinized her. The mood was now feeling a bit weird, awkward. The palace affairs were hers to deal with so she did not have to report this to him. It was obvious she was trying to change the topic.

    The Emperor knit his brows, not happy with this. She was shutting down and retreating into her shell, which seemed to be her go-to when she had issues with people. The Emperor sighed and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, "...I''m sorry."

 Chapter 315 - Outsider Influence

    "What are you apologizing for?" Lei Xing asked with a confused somewhat amused smile.

    "Perhaps we can ask her to stay..." He said, instead of answering her question. He could understand that she was feeling lonely. The bracelet who seemed to have been a great companion to her all this time was gone and now Li Ru was leaving and so would Princess Nalan in a few days.

    Lei Xing frowned and moved back, "We can''t do that...It would be too selfish. Anyway, it doesn''t matter."

    The Emperor frowned, he had not considered this friendship when he had done what he did. If he had, he would have put more thought into ensuring she lost nothing. It was just that for him she was enough and so he hoped it was the same for her. But obviously that was not the case.

    It was a bit upsetting...but he could understand. So he tried to fix it and pressed, "Are you sure? I can ord-"

    "It''s really fine as is... It''s good for her to live as she wants, I can''t and won''t dictate her life. She''s just a friend, minimal obligation there. It''s not like we''re married or something... You, wouldn''t happen to be considering waking up one morning and disappearing without a word, right?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

    The Emperor frowned and seriously responded, "You know I would never do that. If any-."

    Lei Xing snorted and cleared her throat, patting his shoulder, "Relax, I''m joking...full disclaimer though...If you ever did, I will forget you instantly, just saying." She said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

    "I''m sure you will....after sulking for a long time." The Emperor added, taking her hand.

    "You wish." Lei Xing smugly responded with a scoff.

    The Emperor chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt and hugged her again, "Also you don''t have to worry, if I go, you go. I love you too much to leave you behind." He finished and went in for a kiss.

    But Lei Xing pushed him back with a little shudder, "You say the cringiest things sometimes..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and lightly cleared his throat, "...I''ve been told that such "cringe-y" things as you put it, are good for a developing relationship."

    Lei Xing snorted, "By who? Your trustee eunuch?" She asked with a little laugh. He had told her about Eunuch Li''s love advice. And while what he said was not wrong, summing it up like that.

    The Emperor pursed his lips and said, "No...from someone naturally wiser."

    "Ah...that old man." Lei Xing said, rolling her eyes. It seemed she could not escape Doctor Lou''s influence today.

    "Not the old man...the voice, mine." The Emperor clarified, "It told me you require a lot of words of reassurance -"

    "I require?" Lei Xing exclaimed with a scoff.

    {...That quack''s the one who requires a lot of words of reassurance. Give him a little criticism and you''re an ungrateful brat -_-)''...}

    "So it''s wrong then?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing blinked at him, opened her mouth, and then closed it. It was the truth, she could not deny it. But then again, who did not like words of reassurance?

    "Don''t you like reassuring words?" She asked indignantly asked with raised eyebrows, challenging him to deny it. If he did, she would another say another word of affection to him...not that she often did anyway.

    The Emperor got her message and responded accordingly, "Naturally, I do~...You should tell me more." He beseechingly said, causing Lei Xing to laugh and kissed him as he wanted..

    Lei Xing let out a happy sigh as she rested in the Emperor''s arms. Coming to the Emperor was really a good choice. He could be such a cute weirdo sometimes, Lei Xing herself was also very weird sometimes, so it was perfect for her.

    "Ah, that reminds me, I need to tell you something." She said, turning over to look at the Emperor, "...Actually, that old man...the doctor, he''s the voice who speaks to you. He told me - Ah, I wasn''t hiding it from you, it was just...The last few days have been crazy, it just slipped my mind -"

    "It''s okay..." The Emperor said with a smile.

    "That''s it?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows, she expected more of a reaction from him.

    "What else?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "You''re not surprised? He lied to you...to us, to your face." She curiously said.

    "Hmmm..." The Emperor knit his brows in thought, "Well, I already figured. Although it did not occur at the time given everything that was going on, but on later thought, I did think it was suspicious but since he clearly did not want to be probed, I let it be -"

    "What are you talking about?" Lei Xing asked with a frown, the Emperor seemed to be running off on a tangent on his own and she was just here trying to figure how he "figured" it out.

    "Xing Xing, you said no one else calls you that...correct?" He asked and Lei Xing nodded to confirm.

    "En, that''s what I thought. On the day of our wedding ceremony, my voice told me to go find you during the chaos of the ceremony, it - Well, he, called you Xing Xing. I did find it peculiar but then again perhaps the old man could have told it to call you that...but I did think it unlikely so I had my suspicions. This was more just confirmation." The Emperor explained.

    "Oh." Lei Xing went, blinking at him in surprise, "Why didn''t you tell me then?" She asked knitting her brows, feeling a bit foolish and a bit annoyed with him for keeping it from her - even though she was doing the same thing. The big difference was that she did not think he would have told her at all if she had not mentioned it first.

    "Well, it''s not important so there was no reason to bother you with you..." The Emperor said with a smile but when Lei Xing''s unamused expression remained, he sighed and said, "...I was worried he would do something to you. He was not exactly discreet about his threat. Since he''d rather I remain ignorant, I indulged him. After all, with an unpredictable and powerful ally, one should tread carefully lest we make them enemies."

    Lei Xing nodded in understanding but then she had to say, "Well, I don''t think he''s malicious. After all, he did - kind of, I think, I still don''t get how it works but he seems to be the one who brought me here. He did give me a second chance to live a happy life so he''s not an enemy...But he is a liar and a joker, and was probably just messing with you regarding the threat so you really shouldn''t take him too seriously..."

    "...Moreover, if he cared about you not knowing, he would not have told me...or he would have tried to buy my silence. As usual, he was just messing with you because he can..." She finished with a pout, remembering that Doctor Lou had turned down her offer of silence. She could not even believe she had tried to get him to stay with that.

    Of course, she would not tell the Emperor that little tidbit of unimportant information.

    The Emperor snorted, "Seems you get along with him quite well..." He had only ever heard her say bad things about the old man and his bracelet.

    Lei Xing shrugged, "... Well enough. Peace of mind is much better though. At least I don''t have to worry about him popping into my mind uninvited...Too bad for you~" She said, patting the Emperor''s arm with an "understanding" smile.

    "You get used to it... After all, it''s not like I am being held hostage~" The Emperor clapped back with an even more understanding smile. Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and he narrowed his eyes back and eventually, they both just burst out in playful laughter.

    As unbelievable as it all still seemed, they like all others who know him, just learned to live with Doctor Lou''s presence hovering over their lives.

    ****

    Lei Xing spent the rest of her day leisurely with the Emperor, reviewing edicts while he worked on his plans. It was still paperwork, the company made all the difference as they discussed here and there. They had dinner and when it was dark, they finally got up to return to their palace to rest.

    But just as they turned the corner to the walkway leading to the Empress''s palace, they came across Li Ru, who did a little jump in surprise when she saw them. But she quickly recovered and scurried over and bowed to the Emperor, "Y-your majesty..." She shakily said glancing at the Emperor, before her eyes quickly darted over to Lei Xing with an almost pitiful expression.

    Lei Xing lightly snorted when she met her eyes and cleared her throat to stop herself from laughing. One would expect that Li Ru would have adjusted to the Emperor being around after being here for so long.

    But then again, it was understandable considering she almost never interacted with him on a personal level and seemingly had no interest in any such interactions. She even went out of her way to avoid any such personal encounters, only coming over to see Lei Xing when she knew the Emperor was definitely away.

    Lei Xing had discovered that her initial impression of Li Ru''s character was wrong. She was not the Emperor''s fangirl, but rather she was simply a fan of the arts in general, much like how Lei Xing was a fan of profitable material. She had simply mentioned the Emperor''s artwork because it was an appropriate thing to say for the occasion but she was truly happy and honored to have received such an invaluable piece.

    "Were you looking for me?" Lei Xing asked. Only the Emperor and the Empress''s palaces were in this area of the inner palace and it was unlikely that Li Ru had come over here to see the Emperor.

    Li Ru nodded, casting a quick questioning glance at the Emperor asking for permission, before quickly lowering her eyes.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor but he beat her to it and simply said, ''Don''t stay out too long..." Lightly touching her arm to give her reassuring warmth before he walking off, with Li Ru quickly bowing again and moving over the side as if there was not an entire walkway for him to go through.

    "Let''s go, I''ll walk you back..." Lei Xing said with a warm smile. She truly was not upset with Li Ru for wanting to return home. She was just a bit blindsided by it, especially when the news was coming from Zhao Lan. She just, maybe, expected that Li Ru would have talked to her before anyone else.

    After all, Lei Xing had always joked about what they would do if they left the palace...a pipe dream she had often included Li Ru in. But now, the dream could be reality for one of them. Li Ru was going to live their pipe dream... And hearing her plans from someone else just made her feel a bit displaced, like an outsider invading their space.

 Chapter 316 - Pipe Reality

    The two friends walked at a leisurely pace, while the servants kept their distance to give them privacy to talk.

    "You look better now -" Li Ru said smiling at Lei Xing.

    "Better?" Lei Xing asked with a confused eyebrow.

    "You did not seem yourself earlier so I was worried...and tomorrow will be busy so...I was worried." Li Ru haphazardly said, this was actually not her first time coming over here looking for Lei Xing today. She had noticed she did not look alright but understood she would not want to discuss anything with Zhao Lan there. So she had come here looking for Lei Xing shortly after she left but Lei Xing was not in her palace.

    She had come by two more times but Lei Xing was still not back and she did not want to bother her so she did not allow the servants to go inform Lei Xing. After all, she might just have been worrying for nothing...and now it seemed to be the case as Lei Xing looked bright and happy as she should be.

    "I was just a bit tired..." Lei Xing quickly explained with a smile, cutting through Li Ru''s thoughts. It was absolutely not her intention to make Li Ru worry or feel guilty. Lei Xing herself could not stand being guilt-tripped, even less so her doing that to someone else.

    Li Ru nodded and they walked in silence for a while before Li Ru let out a loud breath and said, "I still can''t believe all this is happening...I am not even sure how to go about all this, where to begin? What should I do? It''s all so odd..." She was honestly still in disbelief that she was not only leaving the palace, but was actually getting to live a life on her own terms with her own house to live peacefully.

    It was something she had never really envisioned for herself.

    Lei Xing chuckled, "Baby steps, don''t worry, you''ll get the hang of it....no one''s rushing you. You do what you want, when you want. I''ve got your back, whatever you want - within reason but - just enjoy it..." Lei Xing said with a happy smile, honestly, this was all she wanted, a sincere conversation to send off her one good friend here.

    It was just a bit sad though that with the way things were here, it was possible that once Li Ru left the capital, they would never meet again. That was a bit disheartening but such was life, paths cross and separate with no mind for our heart''s sorrows but we all live through it.

    {...And live well, we shall!...}

    Li Ru looked at Lei Xing with a somewhat saddened smile, "Are you truly alright with all this? You often talked about leaving the palace to live your own life and now it seems I have that chance to... while you remain here. Doesn''t it feel unfair?"

    Lei Xing blinked at her, taken aback by the question, and honestly she had not thought about it that way. But then again, who would actually look at the current situation and call it unfair for her?

    But obviously someone who knew her could see it that way. Lei Xing looked up at the night sky and let out a wistful sigh.

    {...Well...considering the trade off is a life of comfortable riches with a handsome man who adores me and would pretty much do anything I ask of him, within reason of course...So, I really can''t complain (��?��?? )...}

    "Well, there is that saying that when man proposes and heaven disposes... It seems Heaven has made a habit of disposing my plans." Lei Xing said with a little laugh and Li Ru chuckled along with her, obviously not having any idea as to the true gravity of Lei Xing''s meaning.

    But them laughing together was good enough for Lei Xing, she would miss this and she could not help making one final pipe offer, "By the way, if you still need an agent for your very talented self, I am always available. I''ve got a lot of free time here so I''ve got you~"

    The two laughed and joked around a while longer, before Lei Xing finally asked the question that was hanging at the back of her mind, "I would have thought home would be the last place you''d want to return to...so why go back?"

    Li Ru''s expression fell and she sighed, "I don''t want to return to there but -... While I may not have a lot of good memories there, there were some good people, servants really, who treated me kindly and helped make my days easier. Now that I do have some means, I should not forget them. Xiao Su''s mother is back there too..." Xiao Su was Li Ru''s personal maid who had followed her to the capital.

    "I see...That is good of you. One should always repay kindness." Lei Xing understandingly said. No matter how Lei Xing had thought about it, Li Ru did not seem like the vengeful sort to care for the satisfaction of watching her father bow. It all made perfect sense now and Lei Xing truly understood as she would have done the same if the roles were reversed.

    Li Ru smiled and nodded, happy for Lei Xing''s support, "Although I''ve not decided on a date yet, but hopefully within the next month if it''s not too much to ask. I was not sure how to tell the Emperor so -..."

    "Don''t worry, I will talk to him for you." Lei Xing helpfully chimed in, "We can have your travel arrnaged for as early as next week if you want."

    Li Ru let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I won''t waste time there, just a day or two and we can head back -"

    "You''re bringing back here?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows in surprise.

    Li Ru blinked at her in confusion, "En, I want to move them into my residence so they can live a more relaxed life -"

    "Here?...in the capital?" Lei Xing asked, still somewhat lost and Li Ru nodded and it dawned on Lei Xing. She stopped in her tracks and put up a hand to cover her face as embarrassment washed over her.

    "Are you feeling unwell?" Li Ru asked with concern.

    Lei Xing raised up a hand and went, "Let me get this straight, so you plan on going home just to get the servants you want so they could then journey back to the capital with you so they could live here with you, in the capital..." Lei Xing wearily said, feeling stupid!

    "En, exactly that." Li Ru said, blinking at her in confusion.

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned, feeling very stupid. She could guess that the reason Li Ru did not mention this plan of hers to the Emperor was because she looked at it as he only gave them three options; live in the residence in the capital, go home or go somewhere else. So the poor girl did not dare to ask to visit home, worried she would not get the residence in the capital.

    "Can''t I do that?" Li Ru nervously asked, worried seeing Lei Xing''s expression.

    "No, no, it''s perfect. Of course you can." Lei Xing quickly said, "Wait, actually...you do know you can just order your father to send the servants here to you, right?"

    Li Ru blankly stared at Lei Xing, obviously that had not occurred to her. She then frowned and shook her head, "Th-that won''t work..."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, but let it be. After all, she understood that being put down all your life by the word of a certain individual does not just disappear over night, especially not when you have such a timid personality like Li Ru''s.

    But then her going home was even more worrying now because of this behavior. The last thing the poor girl needed right now was someone trying to force or coerce her into anything. And given how she ended up in the palace in the first place, Lei Xing could tell that her father and the others in her family would be eager to use her however they can and with her personality, they would never worry she would actually report anything.

    So Lei Xing offered another option, "How about this? You stay here and I can write an edict for you ordering their release. You can even send Xiao Su back to deliver it, of course with guards for the protection on the way. And they will safely brought back to you, hassle-free..."

    "Is that okay?" Li Ru hesitantly asked. Even when told something was alright, she still felt the need to confirm again and again. Lei Xing honestly felt even more strongly now that it was best for her not to face her family if she would be timid over everything.

    "Of course it is." Lei Xing said with a reassuring smile, "It''s fine if you still want to go, but this is an option that is available for you. So you think it over and let me know what you decide..." Lei Xing said warmly patting Li Ru''s arm as they arrived at the entrance to her palace.

    Li Ru nodded, seemingly on the verge of tears. She sniffed and then hugged Lei Xing, "Thank you...for everything."

    Lei Xing lightly cleared her throat and awkwardly pat on her back, "It''s nothing...You''re welcome." She awkwardly said.

    Li Ru cried for a bit before releasing her, dabbing at her eyes, "You should hurry back before the Emperor decides to come to fetch you..." She said and the two shared a laugh before finally parting ways. Li Ru returning to finalize her packing and Lei Xing returning to her Empero

 Chapter 317 - Prelude

    "Good news, my father is starting to warm up to us..." Zhao Chang announced as soon as he walked into Prince Yi''s study.

    Prince Yi stopped what he was doing and looked at him with a curious eyebrow, glad and somewhat surprised that more good news was coming his way....this was until Zhao Chang explained, "This time he actually let me finish talking before telling to get out...It''s progress!" He exclaimed when he saw Prince Yi''s expression fall, "Anyway, at this point. He''s at least thinking of you as a viable option...before he would send me out once I mentioned your name let alone actually listen. Anyway, why''d you send for me so urgently?" He asked, leaning back into his chair.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and then averted his eyes, "I have decided on a princess consort."

    Zhao Chang''s eyes went wide, "You have?... And it''s not my sister, is it?" He asked with a frown, "Is it because she was married before? That wasn''t even a marriage, you know this. Everyone knows it, the Emperor''s life is pretty open, he even admitted it himself, he never touched her, he''s never even held her hand. Trust me I know, he never liked my sister or me. You can talk to her yourse -"

    "It''s not about that." Prince Yi cut in with a frown.

    "Then what is it...Why not her?!" Zhao Chang barked.

    Prince Yi let out a breath, then stood up and walked over to the window, keeping his back turned to his friend as he calmly said, "I cannot wait for your father to see reason...Time is short."

    Zhao Chang also stood up and walked over to Prince Yi, facing him, "You cannot wait? Why can''t you wait? This is unlike you, why the rush? There''s no better no one better for you, my father will support you and with him, you can achieve what you want, what we want. The Emperor is obviously too busy with his family affairs to bother with you so why are in a hur-"

    "By the time he does something, it will be too late!" Prince Yi bit out, "Why should I wait on his attention?!" He added, glaring at Zhao Chang.

    Prince Yi faced forward, he did not intend to get angry. It was just that the mention of him rushing things hit a sore spot. He has been quite aware that he has been rushing into things a bit too much.

    He knew it was unlike him, but this feeling of restlessness was also unlike him and it was driving him mad he could not sit still and remain sane, he tried and could not go one day without drinking himself to a stupor being plagued by incessant irritating thoughts.

    No one seemed to understand that he is silently being driven towards a cliff''s edge right now.

    They stood there quietly for a while, each with their own thoughts until Zhao Chang sighed, massaging the back of his neck as he said, "Fine...It''s not like it will make much of a difference anyway. My father will be fine as long as my sister becomes Empress later on, but my sister a side consort right now might be hard to swallow -"

    "Understandably." Prince Yi flatly responded and then sincerely said, "You should know that this was not my intention. Had I known -" Prince Yi paused and let out an irritated breath, working through this mess the Emperor created was truly annoying.

    Prince Yi had called Zhao Chang here to inform him beforehand the news about Princess Nalan got out. He decided to do this, not only because Zhao Chang was a useful pawn but also because Prince Yi actually like this friend of his. As irritating and air-headed as Zhao Chang could sometimes be, he was still a good friend to him. It was sometimes nice to have someone to talk to...not that Prince Yi talked a lot anyway. After all, one could never be too careful with people.

    So Prince Yi had to handle this with care. Regardless of the promise of becoming Empress, the prime minister''s daughter being a side consort to anyone but the Emperor would be hard to swallow for anyone. But how could Prince have expected that the Emperor would suddenly toss such a good pawn his way at such a terribly inconvenient time too?

    Prince Yi closed his eyes and let out an irritated sigh, balancing was not an easy act at all.

    "So...who''s the lucky girl?" Zhao Chang asked, not at all trying to hide the sarcasm in his tone. He was not happy, after all, he had been working for years to have his best friend as his in-law. They were supposed to be on the same page on this issue but now, Prince Yi had gone and chosen someone else.

    Who else could compare to his sister?!

    Prince Yi opened his eyes and looked outside at the night and responded, "Princess Nalan..."

    Zhao Chang''s eyes widened, he opened his mouth but no words came out and then he knit his brows, "The Emperor will not allow it..."

    Prince Yi scoffed, "I don''t need his permission..." He said and walked back to sit at his desk with a smile on his face as he imagined the surprise and shock on the Emperor''s face once he revealed his hand.

    "I have a lot of things to prepare so you may leave now. I just wanted to inform you ahead of time...as a friend." Prince Yi said, flashing a smile at the confused-looking Zhao Chang, "Actually, you should stay the night...just in case."

    It would not do for Zhao Chang to go running his mouth ahead of his plans.

    ***

    The next day, the Emperor and Lei Xing were having a quick little brunch before getting dressed to host the celebratory farewell banquet for the princesses when Eunuch Li entered the room with a worried expression. He did a quick bow to Lei Xing before bending over to whisper something into the Emperor''s ear.

    The Emperor immediately knit his brows in confusion, he glanced at the maids and ordered, "Leave." And as soon as the doors closed behind them, he turned back to Eunuch Li and ordered, "Explain..."

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brows and glanced at Lei Xing, a bit skeptical about talking about this in front of her. But he knew the Emperor would not take kindly to him mentioning that this was better said in "private". i=It seems the Emperor noticed his apprehension because he sternly repeated, "Explain."

    Eunuch Li let out a sigh and began, "I am not exactly sure what happened, I just read in yesterday''s report from the men at Prince Yi''s manor that she was there... It seems she was uninvited. The guards at the door did not seem to be aware of her arrival. They tried to stop her and it appears there was a bit of a scuffle before the one named Tian Ji arrived and took her into the manor...It seems they just ate a meal together and then she left..."

    The Emperor frowned, he never knew Princess Nalan and Prince Yi to be close. It seemed a bit weird that she would barge into his manor just for a meal. It did not make sense to him so he looked over at Lei Xing and asked, "What sort of relationship does Princess Nalan have with my brother?"

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows in thought, "As far as I know, not much of a relationship...they were cordial I guess but Nalan never mentioned him particularly..."

    "So this is strange to you as well?" The Emperor asked to confirm and Lei Xing nodded. When they met up as a group, Prince Yi barely spoke and save for that one time with the snake encounter, she never really saw Prince Yi and Princess Nalan "vibing" together. But then again, she was not always with them so she was not really a good source.

    Asking the servants around them would be much better, but before Lei Xing could suggest that, Eunuch Li went on to say, "It also seems that she snuck out...According to the report, she showed up with only a maid. But I will have to confirm that with her guards on their return..."

    Princess Nalan had sent over a message that she would be staying at the Zou representatives manor last night. And as per usual behavior when she did this, she would not return to the palace until this evening.

    The Emperor sighed, "Investigate it then...And since she seems incapable of handling the simple responsibility of settling on a date, I will choose one for her. Send a message to the Zou representatives manor to inform them that their Prince is in a precarious situation at the border and so they are required to make a hasty departure. The day after tomorrow should suffice... You go yourself so they understand the gravity of the news and escort the Princess back to the palace. She is not to leave until her departure."

    Eunuch Li swiftly nodded, agreeing with the Emperor''s choice to send off this loose cannon that was Princess Nalan. He bowed and swiftly went off to see to the arrangements.

    The Emperor let out an irritated breath, completely losing his appetite. He never liked this Princess Nalan and now it seemed that she was trying to start unnecessary trouble here for him. Honestly, he did not want to keep her around. And if not for Lei Xing asking him, he would never have permitted this unrestrained Princess to stay even a day more in his country, much less accepted her into his palace.

 Chapter 318 - Reservations

    This news was truly an irritating one, handling a wayward Prince Yi was already enough trouble, the Emperor really did not need a combination of the two on his plate right now. As for addressing the problem, grounding Princess Nalan and sending her off as quickly as possible would be enough for her.

    For Prince Yi, it seems it was time the Emperor talked to him a bit more sternly. He had obviously let Prince Yi run free long enough and Prince Yi had made it extremely that he did not take him seriously at all. After all, he even went as far as touching the Emperor''s own wife without even an ounce of remorse.

    The Emperor frowned at that memory and looked across the table at Lei Xing, who blinked and then tentatively asked, "...Is it really bad?"

    "What?" The Emperor went and then shook his head, realizing he was frowning, he flashed a smile and said, "Nothing serious...eat, we''re running out time." He instructed doing the same, looking down at his plate as the frown quickly returned.

    Lei Xing absentmindedly picked at her food, also having lost her appetite now. She could tell from the Emperor''s expression that he was very bothered by this news. It was not often that something bothered him...so this could be very bad.

    Lei Xing frowned down as she remembered Princess Nalan''s words about not wanting to have any regrets.

    She was really having a bad feeling about this now. She inwardly and decided to find out what Princess Nalan was up to as soon she was back in the palace.

    {...Nalan, please don''t tell me this a***ole is the reason you wanted to stay T_T)...}

    ***

    The royal couple and the "princesses", the guest of honors finally arrived at the main hall where the guests were already waiting. The setup was similar to how it had been the day they were accepted into the palace with the girls being sat in the front rows closest to the throne.

    The Emperor courteously held out a hand to Lei Xing with a smile to help up the steps and Lei Xing accepted with a grateful smile, considering she could not really look down to watch her step with this heavy headdress on.

    But this little heartfelt gesture of theirs got a lot of mixed reviews from the peanut gallery. A few people, particularly Prime minister Zhao "hmph-ed" at the little exchange. After Lei Xing and the Emperor took their seats, he sat down and proceeded to glare daggers at his daughter, who was unfortunately sat right across from him.

    Zhao Lan saw her father''s condemning gaze and immediately lowered her head, knitting her brows. She could not believe that her father was seriously blaming her for this too. How was she to blame for the Emperor''s decision? How could she have expected this, and even if she did, how could she have stopped this? Even he had no idea about it and he was the Prime minister... If the Prime minister himself could not do anything about it, how could she have any impact on it?

    She was suddenly dreading her "decision" to go home...not that she had much of a say in the matter. Whether she stayed home or stayed in a royal residence, her father would still be there, wherever it was to scold her.

    Meanwhile, on the other spectrum of things, Xiao Ting was happily staring at the Emperor and Lei Xing.

    It was quite ironic that her sister who had no interest in a fairy tale life was the one who was given the joy of living one. She was very happy for Lei Xing and even now she watched her sister and her loving Emperor with a smile...but she was honestly a little jealous.

    She wanted her own fairy tale too.

    Oddly enough, Xiao Ting found herself thinking of An Hao quite a bit recently. It had been over a month now and he was still not back, yet he had not even bothered to write her a simple letter. For all she knew he could be dead somewhere...but then Lei Yong would know about and would have told her.

    She asked...a few times.

    But then again, perhaps she was expecting too much. After all, they were just ordinary "friends", why would he write to her? And thinking about this again annoyed her and she grabbed the wine jug and poured herself a cup. She had heard alcohol was good for forgetting unpleasant affairs so it was perfect!

    But as she soon as she picked up the cup, it was yanked out of her hand, "No." Lei Yong said, frowning at her.

    "I''m old enough!" Xiao Ting quietly protested with a pout.

    "Not quite." He responded, as he took the wine jug from the table and waved over a maid. "Just tea." He said, handing it over.

    "Hmph!" Xiao Ting went with an even bigger pout, facing the other way.

    Lei Yong sighed and pat her head, but Xiao Ting shrugged him off. She was still upset with him over the issue with Tung Mei.

    It was not that she expected him to force himself into a relationship with someone he did not like, but the problem was that he actually liked Tung Mei. He even paid more attention to Tung Mei than he did to her, so Xiao Ting could not understand what his problem was.

    Also he has been a bit annoying recently. Since that day with Tung Mei, Lei Yong has been hovering around Xiao Ting. It seemed he had much more free time and was trying for some sibling bonding which has not been going too well... He was really not much fun and very limiting.

    "Ying jie is not here..." Xiao Ting muttered and Lei Yong knit his brows and solemnly responded, "En." picking up the confiscated wine cup and drinking it himself with a frown.

    The mood between the siblings was now completely sour as both quietly contemplated the state of their lives.

    ***

    Following the Emperor''s request, Eunuch Li went to the Zou representatives'' manor to deliver the Emperor''s message as well as to escort Princess Nalan back to the palace.

    "She already left for the palace... Is something wrong?" Molin asked, knitting his brows when Eunuch Li asked for Princess Nalan.

    "No, nothing like that." Eunuch Li swiftly responded with a smile, it was good enough that she was already on her way back to the palace. "We must have missed each other on the way. The Emperor sent me over to deliver some urgent news that required the Princess''s presence -"

    "What news? Did something happen to the Prince? I knew something was wrong. Is he sick? Injured?" Molin asked in a panic. He had still not heard from Prince Rui since he left and it has been quite worrying for him.

    He had even spoken to Princess Nalan about this and asked her to her find out about Prince Rui''s situation from the Emperor. Princess Nalan then came back to inform that there were just some delays on the way and that Prince Rui was fine. Even with that, Molin still felt uneasy and had been hounding Princess Nalan about when they were leaving but she kept blowing him off and he was not happy at all.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow, Molin''s words seemed to indicate that Princess Nalan had not even informed the other Zou representatives about Prince Rui''s situation.

    "Is it really bad? -" Another of the Zou representatives asked when they saw Eunuch Li expression.

    "Did he get attacked?" Another asked and Eunuch Li shook his head with a sigh and said, "Nothing so serious...but the situation is nonetheless urgent..." Eunuch Li set aside his questions about Princess Nalan''s character and priorities and went about informing the group of Prince Rui current situation.

    Although to not kick up any unnecessary drama, he did not mention the fact that Princess Nalan was already aware of the situation - this was an internal matter that they could discuss while on the way back to their country. For now, all they needed to know was that they would be living the day after tomorrow to catch up to their waiting prince.

 Chapter 319 - Simple Request

    "I still don''t think this is the right way. It''s just a bit - Can''t you just talk to your brother normally?" Princess Nalan asked knitting her brows. She was currently in a carriage outside the palace discussing some very haphazard plan with Prince Yi.

    "As I have already said, it''s not such a simple matter...He won''t just simply allow it." Prince Yi said with a frown, annoyed she was still not understanding the situation. He had honestly never encountered anyone less self-aware before. But then again, it was because she was the way she was that he was able get to her.

    Therefore, he could not complain.

    "Okay, but won''t this be complicating things even more?" Princess Nalan asked, confused, "Causing a scene is unnecessary... We''ve already written to my grandfather and father so-"

    "Do you really think they will easily accept it?" Prince Yi asked with a raised eyebrow, "It will be great if it were that simple..." Prince Yi said with a hint of sarcasm.

    "Well, it is that simple...You think too much~" Princess Nalan said with a smile, giving him a kiss, "My father will accept you and so will the rest of my family. They may not like it but they will accept it. It is my decision and I have made my choice. Regardless, there''s nothing they can do about it anyway...given our condition." She finished glancing down at her stomach, she still could not believe that she was pregnant but whatever it was, it set the ball rolling...and now she was getting married.

    Yay!

    Prince Yi knit his brows and then sighed, he was not going to argue with her or even bother to try to explain the complex politics of the issue - which she clearly did not care for. She made it sound all too simple...which it was not. What happened to the worry she felt when she found out about the baby? At least then she was thinking.

    But Prince Yi could not be like her, after all, he was the one who was going to be taking on all the risk in this endeavor. The Emperor could kill him and her family could also want his head so of course, he had to be very careful.

    Considering how pampered she was, her family would not kill her or even punish her in any way, and as for his brother...Well, even if he decided he no longer wanted to bother with this so-called peace game of his, Princess Nalan was the friend of his "precious" Empress and therefore, he would not want to upset her...probably.

    Prince Yi sighed and put on a smile, "Okay, how about this? We do it your way when it comes to your family and we do it my way for mine..."

    Princess Nalan frowned, "But -"

    "No buts! This is what we need to do...for us." Prince Yi sternly said, fed up with arguing.

    Princess Nalan''s frown deepened, she could understand his point but at the same time, she could not see how this was supposed to make things better. Prince Yi looked at her sideways for a bit before letting out a breath and opening the carriage door and hopping down.

    He turned back and held out his hand for her and flatly asked, "Are you coming?"

    Princess Nalan inwardly groaned, "Fine...Just this once then." She said taking his hand and hopping down, "I still think it''s a bad idea though but let''s go..." She said with a shrug and a smile.

    Prince Yi smiled, "Trust me, I know what I''m doing."

    "Hopefully..." Princess Nalan said, strolling forward. Prince Yi''s lips twitched but he maintained his smile and fell into stride with her and together, they strode into the palace towards the venue of celebration...their waiting stage.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the mood in the main hall was festive with music in the air, dancers swaying along to the tune, food, and wine aplenty. Most people were in a cherry mood, well, at least Lei Xing and the Emperor were. It was honestly a party celebrating the solidity in their relationship rather than a farewell party for anyone. They had even forgotten about Princess Nalan''s unpleasant matter and were happily sending off their palace-mates.

    At least they were happily doing so until Prince Yi and Princess Nalan made their entrance..side by side with determined steps.

    Of course, Lei Xing and the Emperor were not the only ones who noticed this anomaly, considering the pair chose to walk straight down the middle of the aisle, through the array of dancers - inconsiderately ruining their formation.

    Everyone watched them with confused and curious eyebrows, wondering what statement they were trying to make with this scene.

    The music stopped as the pair stopped at the foot of the steps to the throne. Prince Yi looked at the throne where Lei Xing and the Emperor were sat, his eyes seemed to linger on Lei Xing, who noticed his gaze and lightly flinched, knitting her brows.

    {...What the hell are you looking at? Actually more to the point what game are playing now, ass***e?! -_-)...}

    Of course, trouble could not wait for them to locate it, it just had to be proactive. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and glanced at the Emperor only to find him looking at her with an odd expression she did not quite understand.

    But before she could make sense of it, he turned his gaze back down to Prince Yi and coldly but calmly asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

    Prince Yi silently locked gazes with the Emperor, almost in the form of a challenge drawing out his response - the silence as if in a bid to irritate the Emperor.

    "Hey, you''re not here to fight!" Princess Nalan whispered, nudging Prince Yi. Prince Yi glanced at her with a frown and she motioned for him to begin. They were not here for a staring contest with the Emperor. Prince Yi glanced at Lei Xing and the Emperor on the throne and then let out a breath, flapped his sleeves and went down on his knees, cupping his hands in front of him and he began, "You -" But then he stopped when he realized Princess Nalan was still standing.

    Prince Yi frowned up at her and Princess Nalan cluelessly raised her eyebrows and blinked at him and the two proceeded to exchange a brief tense silent interaction with their eyes.

    Prince Yi: What are you doing?

    Princess Nalan: What?

    Prince Yi: Kneel!

    Princess Nalan frowned: What? Why?... Is kneeling really necessary?

    Prince Yi: Yes! it''s MY way remember, Get down!

    Princess Nalan: Fine!

    Princess Nalan begrudgingly got down on her knees and cupped her hands as well, frowning up at the Emperor and Lei Xing, who were both looking down at them with raised eyebrows. Lei Xing''s with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt at the lack of coordination of the pair, while the Emperor looked on coldly and completely unamused.

    Princess Nalan lowered her disgruntled gaze to the steps, obviously glaring at the "benefactors" was not a good look. But she was not pleased with this at all, she had never even knelt before her own father, but now thanks to a paranoid and complicated Prince Yi, here she was on her knees today before some foreign stranger.

    She was going to go along with it, but she was definitely not happy doing so. Life here was really not her style, it was way too rigid. She made another mental note to discuss with Prince Yi about moving to Zou after their wedding. He did not seem to like it here much either so the move would be great for both of them, a liberation even.

    She could endure for now.

    With his partner in his crime in her place, Prince Yi turned back to the throne, bowed his head, and loudly made his bid to the throne, "Your majesty... I have found a suitable woman and we have come to receive your blessings on this auspicious day..."

 Chapter 320 - Party Poopers

    Prince Yi''s words stunned everyone in the room and they all looked to the Emperor.

    The Emperor on the hand seemed unfazed and he calmly went, "I am glad to see you finally have the will to settle down... But now is not the time, we will discuss this at a later time."

    This seemed to be good enough for Princess Nalan and she was about to stand up when Prince Yi grabbed her arm and held her down, frowning up at the Emperor. He had not come here expecting the Emperor to simply nod in agreement.

    Therefore, he had naturally come ready to work to achieve compliance. He could not allow the Emperor to brush him off right now, could not give him the opportunity to manipulate things in the shadows. It needed to be resolved now and publicly, this was the best chance for him to have his way.

    So Prince Yi cupped his hands and bowed again and pressed on, "Your majesty, not so long ago, in this very hall, you made a promise to immediately decree my marriage once I informed you of the woman of my choice...I have now informed you, so I ask that you do as promised." He empathetically requested, kowtowing for extra measure.

    The Emperor knit his brows in slight confusion at the mention of said "promise" that he apparently had made. But it only took him a few seconds to recall the exact "promissory" incident that Prince Yi was referring to.

    The main hall was silent as onlookers watched the scene playing out before them with avid interest for various reasons - some with worry, confusion, apprehension, while others such as Prime minister Zhao were quite pleased with this turn of events...anything to ruin this farce of a celebration was considered good news to him.

    While most of the guests in the hall at the moment had actually been in attendance during the incident, not many were paying attention at that point, and even then not many would have put any weight on the very brief cordial conversation that Prince Yi had deemed to be a contract.

    But Prime minister Zhao had been paying a bit too much attention at that time and it took a few seconds to recall. After all, it was during what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life until the Emperor ruined it by causing a show with "handpicking" Lei Xing.

    Prime minister Zhao had been unhappy about that fact and so had been closely scrutinizing the Emperor at the time trying to figure out what was his meaning by picking Lei Xing that way. If he wanted the girl, he could have easily picked her beforehand.

    What''s more, there was no way it was simply a coincidence that she happened to be Defense minister Lei''s daughter. He actually never believed in the anonymous nonsense the Empress dowager was touting. So he was convinced that it all meant something and considering where they were right now, he was right.

    That day, after the chosen concubines had left for the inner palace, the Emperor and Prince Yi had a brief exchange discussing marital affairs.

    Prince Yi had feigned joy and congratulated the Emepror, while the Emperor being polite had feigned some interest in Prince Yi''s own marital affairs, and in a gesture of goodwill, he had urged his brother to choose a princess consort and offhandedly said he would decree Prince Yi''s marriage once his choice was made.

    So that was it, of course, the Emperor did not actually mean those words. But he had said them and the Emperor''s words were not only law but were as good as gold and could not simply be retracted...in theory.

    Back then, Prince Yi did not seem to care about the Emperor''s goodwill gesture and had swiftly made his exit. Prime minister Zhao understood Prince Yi''s was disappointed. After all, his daughter was now out of Prince Yi''s reach, and the marriage bond, he had been aiming at for years was no longer possible.

    It was obvious to Prime minister Zhao that Prince Yi had been trying to get in his good graces by antagonizing Defense minister Lei''s daughter.

    And in all honestly, Prime minister Zhao had started to entertain the thoughts of Prince Yi lately since the Emperor seems to have become a muddle-headed fool...but then now it seemed Prince Yi too was also becoming a fool.

    How disappointing. He was certain that the late Emepror was turning in his grave watching his children falling so short of greatness. Women seemed to be the great weakness of the men of the Jun clan, each generation seemed to lose their heads over women.

    The grandfather refused to take a second Empress, the father had his lifelong obsession with the Empress dowager and the current Emperor, he did not even to think about, and now Prince Yi...such a disappointment!

    Prime minister Zhao''s frown deepened and he inwardly sighed and gulped down his wine. He locked eyes with Defense minister Lei and went "hmph-ed" and looked towards the open doors of the main hall, losing interest in the scene of the confused brothers playing out at the front.

    The Emperor was not at all amused with PrinceYi''s approach of putting him on the spot. Forcing one''s hand was never a welcome approach. As annoying as it was, the Emperor actually found it quite amusing that Prince Yi was doing this. He was actually quite curious if this recklessness in his brother was motivated by love or something else. But now was really not the time or place for this.

    So the Emperor let out a breath with a slight smile and said, "It seems that you have...but as I said, now is not the time. Today is a day to celebrate the princesses. You will have your day...soon, so for now, take your seats." The Emperor and glanced at the eunuchs, who promptly moved to assist the troublesome couple to their feet.

    Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor and he reassuringly sent her a little smile which promptly disappeared when Prince Yi did not take the hand offered by the eunuch and continued on, "Your majesty, I know this is not ideal and perhaps I should have spoken to you first before pursuing this, perhaps sought your permission, but you have made it abundantly clear that you have no interest in marrying the Zou princess so it shouldn''t be - Unless I''m mistaken in my assumption?" Prince Yi asked with raised eyebrows at the Emperor.

    And the hall even became more silent than it already was. Considering the occasion they were "celebrating" right now, Prince Yi''s accusatory tone there was a bit...too daring. Even Lei Xing was looking at the Emperor sideways, not at all sure how he would respond to that one. It was now very clear that Prince Yi was on a mission to get the Emperor riled up.

    But then to the surprise of everyone else and to Prince Yi''s great annoyance, the Emperor actually started laughing with the most incredulous expression on his face as if Prince Yi had just said the most ridiculous thing ever.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and lightly cleared her throat a few times, hinting for the Emperor to stop laughing. Even if he did not like Princess Nalan, laughing at the thought was very rude, inappropriate, and highly unprofessional.

    The Emperor reigned in his laughter but still clearly amused as he went on to say, "Dear brother, you are perfectly correct in your assumption. But as I am sure you aware, Princess Nalan is not a citizen of this country, therefore if you wish to marry her like you...say you do, then seek the approval of her father first as is customary in these matters and then come to me. I cannot single-handedly decree her marriage...even if she wants to." He added just as Princess Nalan opened her mouth to protest and she immediately closed it with a frown.

    The Emperor looked down at the quiet frowning couple for a bit and then said, "Well then, now that we have reached an understanding, take your places and let us resume the celebration of today and tomorrow, we shall revisit this matter -"

    "Cannot or will not?" Prince Yi stubbornly interjected, obviously not convinced with the Emperor''s "excuse". If the Emperor decreed that they should marry, Zou will likely say nothing to contradict and even if they did, the Emperor could easily quiet them with negotiations or force if necessary.

    Therefore, the Emperor simply did not want to and sure enough, the Emperor responded with a simple, "Both."

    The conversation was over and Prince Yi needed to understand that, "Take your places." He sternly ordered again.

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened and Princess Nalan nudged him and whispered, "This is enough..." The Emperor basically just said that once her father agreed, he would. That was very reasonable. And as they agreed upon, she would handle her father.

    But for Prince Yi this was not enough, the Emperor had just deflected responsibility. In his mind, now all the Emperor had to do was to tell the Zou king to refuse and he was sure his brother could have his way with the weak-willed king. This way, the Emperor would simply say the Zou king refused and that was it, the promise he made will become obsolete.

    Since Prince Yi was stewing, Princess Nalan took the helm and said, "Thank you for your understanding and consideration for my father and my people. I have already written to my father to let him know of my decision. I am sure good news will come from him soon..."

    "That''s good then." The Emperor responded with a nod and Princess Nalan lightly gave him a grateful bow and then glanced at Prince Yi, who was busy frowning at the steps before him. She nudged him again and whispered, "Stand up."

    Prince Yi turned to her and she smiled at him, but he knit his brows and whispered, "I''m sorry..." Princess Nalan raised an eyebrow in confusion as Prince Yi took a deep breath and looked back up at the throne and proclaimed, "She''s with child."

    Princess Nalan''s eyes went wide as her mouth fell open in shock as did quite a few other mouths in the hall. Prince Yi kept his eyes trained forward and ignored the burning gaze that was being directed at him.

    They had agreed not to disclose this and he had not wanted to do this to her either. But as things stood, this was the only way to ensure that things went their way...his way.

 Chapter 321 - Pipe Down

    "Leave...all of you." The Emperor chillingly ordered, causing the audience to blink out of their stupor, "NOW!" The Emperor added with a frown when they were too slow to react.

    They were all immediately jerked back to reality and with great urgency, they clamored out of the hall, people grabbing and dragging their slow family members along. Within just a few seconds, the hall was cleared out, leaving only Lei Xing and the troublesome couple with the Emperor.

    Lei Xing apparently did not consider the Emperor''s order to include to be referring to her. Princess Nalan''s brain seemed to have frozen as she still had her mouth gaping at Prince Yi. And Prince Yi, well, he did not need to be told that he was the exclusion to that order.

    Lei Xing looked from prince Yi to the Emperor, who were currently engaged in an intense stare-off. She inwardly sighed and then touched the Emperor''s arm and said, "I''ll take Nalan..."

    The Emperor nodded to her, giving her a fleeting half-smile before fixing his back down on Prince Yi, who to the Emperor''s further irritation had his eyes elsewhere now, precisely to the left where Lei Xing sat.

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and Prince Yi''s frown also deepened when he returned his gaze to find the Emperor glaring at him. Lei Xing worriedly looked at the Emperor for a bit before inwardly sighing and rising to her feet.

    She went down the steps and crouched down next to Princess Nalan, who still seemed to be in shock and lightly pulled on her arm, "Nalan, let''s go..."

    Princess Nalan blinked about in confusion, coming out of her shock but she quietly let Lei Xing lead her away. They went through the side and out into a hallway leading to the back exit to avoid the eyes of the crowd that had just left from the front.

    Princess suddenly stopped halfway down the hall and said, "I want to hear..."

    "We can''t..." Lei Xing simply responded. While she would also like to listen out of curiosity, given the atmosphere in there, she was certain some words were definitely not meant for other ears...For hers it would be fine, but definitely not for a sensitive and impulsive Princess Nalan who also happened to be the point of contention.

    Princess Nalan frowned, "This concerns me! So I should naturally be there..."

    "Rightly it does..." Lei Xing calmly said, stroking Princess Nalan''s arm in agreement, "And this is why we have our own conversation to have..." She added, glancing down at Princess Nalan''s stomach.

    Princess Nalan also looked down at her stomach and her frown deepened and she mumbled, "He wasn''t supposed to mention it...why did he -?" She paused and let out a breath, feeling greatly disoriented.

    "Desperation..." Lei Xing offhandedly responded, when Princess Nalan turned at her with a conflicted expression, obviously still not wanting to move, Lei Xing added, "...Desperation out of love perhaps...out of fear of losing you..."

    "You think so?" Princess Nalan asked with a hopeful pout, obviously not entirely convinced of that possibly yet. He had said he loved her, but he did not seem the desperate sort.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows, she did not actually believe that Prince Yi''s move was anything but a calculated risk on his part. The last part about love, she had just said to satisfy Princess Nalan''s curiosity and more importantly to spare her feelings.

    Why tell the poor girl that she had been royally played? Most importantly, she could not imagine that Princess Nalan would peacefully walk away with her if she said her true thoughts so they were best kept to herself.

    Moreover, she knew nothing of their relationship so perhaps, Prince Yi was desperately in love with Princess Nalan.

    So Lei Xing put on a reassuring smile and truthfully responded, "Perhaps, I''m sure he has his reasons and in them, I''m sure he would have taken your feelings into account in making his choice..." Lei Xing was certain that he would have considered it, as to whether or not, he chose to dismiss her feelings in his consideration was an entirely different matter.

    Princess Nalan knit her brows in thought and Lei Xing gave her a few seconds before gently pulling her along again. The Emperor and Prince Yi were still engaged in their quiet death glare match, but they could start talking anytime now and the last thing they needed was another emotional gatecrasher adding to the fire.

    Thankfully Princess Nalan calmly followed her lead again because there was no way Lei Xing could take Princess Nalan in a fight. Not to mention that would most likely this whole thing worse, not that Lei Xing was going to fight her anyway.

    When they got outside, Lei Xing instructed one of the guards stationed there to go get her retinue from the front. While Princess Nalan plopped down at the top of the steps.

    Lei Xing looked at Princess Nalan''s back and inwardly groaned, this was exactly the kind situation she avoided in her life. But now handling troublesome royals was another aspect of the life package she has signed up for.

    Lei Xing sighed and then walked over and plopped down next to Princess Nalan. It was not an "Empress-like" thing for her to be sitting on the ground, but here was a born and bred Princess on the ground. Most importantly, who were the busybodies going to complain to?

    Princess Nalan stretched her legs and then said, "You know I didn''t even tell my father yet...about it." She said frowning down at her stomach. She and Prince Yi had decided to keep the info about her pregnancy secret, they had agreed that it might complicate matters so they kept it simple and simply explained their intention to form a marriage alliance through Prince Yi rather than the Emperor - who had sworn absolute devotion to his Empress. This seemed like a valid argument that made sense, her father technically got what he wanted and they got what they wanted.

    Princess Nalan was certain that even the Long Emperor would not have an issue with this idea but Prince Yi was obviously not persuaded. So they agreed that if faced with rejection then they would reveal the pregnancy given them no choice but to allow the marriage...But it was supposed to be to select few - on a need to know basis, not a revelation to the entire world!

    She had done reckless things in her life but never anything this big...this damaging. Arrrgh, she had to go write to her family right now before they heard about through the gr.a.p.evine. So she shot to her feet, "I have to go."

    But before Lei Xing could say anything, Princess Nalan sat back down, "I''ll just wait here for him...It can wait." She honestly was not sure how to go about writing said letters, she was never good with words and even worse with explaining things, much less something of this gravity so it was best to wait for the professional.

    Princess Nalan took a few deep breaths, Lei Xing was right, he must have his reasons for changing the plan, he must have thought things through. He knew what he was doing, he understands his brother than she did. Therefore, he must have realized some form of deceit.

    She had to believe that Prince Yi knows what he is doing and that the Long Emperor was really not trustworthy.

    "Are you okay?" Lei Xing asked, looking at Princess Nalan''s conflicted expression. Princess Nalan simply shook her head but did not say anything. So the two sat in silence and Lei Xing sent a look to Xiao Ruo and the others and they kept their distance from the pair.

    "XIng er''...we''re friends, right?" Princess Nalan asked, finally speaking up.

    Lei Xing calmly responded, "We are..." They were considered to be on "friendly" terms.

    Princess Nalan nodded and then they sat in silence again. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and looked at the clear blue sky...It was such a nice day, too bad it had to go hell.

    Lei Xing knew she was supposed to be having an inquisition of some sort right now to figure out how this all happened, but then was there really a point to that now? It would not change anything and scolding the already clearly panicked girl did not seem appealing.

    After all, she was not her mother or anything like that. But still, there were some things she had to inquire about, it was required of her. So she took a deep breath and finally began the inquisition, "Is he the reason you wanted to stay back?"

    "En..." Princess Nalan simply responded. Lei Xing nodded, feeling somewhat irritated with the confirmation. Of course, he was the reason. How had she not noticed anything between them during those times?

    Lei Xing sighed and then asked, "Are you really pregnant?"

    "En...I - " Princess Nalan paused and then shook her head, "...A doctor checked so...I am?" Princess Nalan finished, somewhat confused and then groaned as she buried her head in her hands.

    Lei Xing awkwardly stretched out her hand and then pat her back and awkwardly said, "Are you...crying?"

    "No..." Princess Nalan mumbled back without raising her head.

    "It''s okay, we''ll check again..." Lei Xing said and then turned back to the servants and said, "Send for the head physician..." And one of the maids scurried off and Lei Xing continued to absentmindedly continued to pat her back.

    They could confirm her pregnancy, but at this point it did not really matter. The fact that they was suspicion of pregnancy meant that they were intimate and that alone was enough for problems in this time period.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and wondered how the conversation on the Emperor''s side was going.

    Princess Nalan suddenly and looked at Lei Xing with knit eyebrows, "I need to ask you something..."

    "Alright? Ask." Lei Xing skeptically responded with raised eyebrows. Usually, when people started a question like that, it was usually not a welcome question.

    "Your Emperor...why is he against this?" Princess Nalan asked with a frown.

    Lei Xing blinked at her and then knit her brows, "Nalan, he didn''t say that he is. It w -"

    "He is! That''s why Jun Shan did that." Princess Nalan irritatedly said.

    Lei Xing blinked in confusion, "Nalan, you-"

    "If he''s not, then why not just say yes then? Huh? My father will have no issue with my choise so why make it into an issue then? Look at the mess he''s caused now!" Princess Nalan barked, jumping to her feet in annoyance.

    Lei Xing''s eyebrows twitched in irritation and she closed her eyes and let out a breath.

    {...The one who made this is an issue is obviously your newly found dearly beloved as***le! ?_?)...}

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and looked up Princess Nalan and went, "Nalan, he wasn''t making it into an issue, he was taking considerably reasonable steps which you and your beloved failed to consider in your wayward approach."

    Princess Nalan frowned, "We-"

    "You were not thinking." Lei Xing interjected with exasperation, also rising to her feet, she let out a breath and then turned to Princess Nalan and explained in a less than pleasant tone, "You hijacked an event and demanded for an Emperor to sanction your marriage. He receives you in you good cheer and then you go against his order several times in the span of a minute. You''re lucky he''s lenient enough to let that blatant disregard for his authority go..."

    "...And no, he doesn''t have a personal problem with you and Ju- Prince Yi being together. The problem stems from who you are - who you both are, and in the manner in which this has come about. You are a princess in a foreign country here for diplomatic relations and you not only go about frolicking about with a foreign prince but you get yourself pregnant in the process and rather than handling this with dignity you let yourself be led by the nose, disregarding who you are and the people you represent..."

    "...Since you cannot maintain your own dignity, at least maintain that of your nation and stop stirring up trouble. Now sit down and wait patiently." Lei Xing irritatedly ordered, Princess Nalan glared at her and Lei Xing repeated, "Sit down."

    then sat back down in a huff... Delicate was really not her thing.

    "Hmph!" Princess Nalan went as she sat down in a huff, facing away from Lei Xing as she mumbled, "Things aren''t so complicated in the grasslands..." She did not appreciate being spoken to like a child. Alright she was pregnant but it really was not that big of deal, after all the responsible man did want to marry and she liked him, so there really wasn''t that much of a problem...They just skipped a step is all.

    {...Well, we''re not in Kansas anymore, you brat...Get used to it ?_?)...}

    Lei Xing looked up at the clear sky and let out an irritated breath, before sitting down and massaging her aching head as she hoped the Emperor was having better luck with the better half of this mess.

    Clueless people were the worst kinds of people to deal with.

    {...Such a waste of a good day...}

 Chapter 322 - Grovel, no Pity

    "...What is this?" The Emperor finally asked, breaking the silent standoff that had been going on for too long.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and then went, "I do not understand the question...Your majesty." He "respectfully" added after a slight pause.

    The Emperor let out a breath and clarified, "What is it that you''re planning now?"

    Prince Yi raised his eyebrows and blinked up at him in "confusion", "Planning? I am not planning anything ... Unless a blissful marriage qualifies as a plan then perhaps I-"

    "Stop with the games." The Emperor calmly interjected, irritated with prince Yi''s coy response, "You must think that the fact that you still live means that I am foolish. Otherwise why else would you continue to be so brazen in your actions."

    Prince Yi frowned, "All I ask is permission to marry. How is that being brazen? Al-"

    "Leaving aside everything else you have done over just the last few months. Today, you not only dared to have a frivolous affair with a foreign Princess under my care, you got her pregnant, and then you had the audacity to barge in here to proudly announce this "great" deed of yours. If this is not being brazen, then what is? I can turn a blind eye to what you do in private, but I cannot tolerate you undermining me in public!" The Emperor angrily said, raising his voice. He has been really trying his best to be understanding with his brother and had overlooked one thing after another but Prince Yi just kept pushing the line, tempting his own death.

    Prince Yi knit his brows and looked down at the ground, "It''s not like I "planned" for her to get pregnant, we simply got carried away in a moment of passion...It was my mistake but we cannot punish Princess Nalan for it, she is already suffering enough and so I ask that you grant me this marriage so I can make this right for her!" He beseechingly said, cupping his hands.

    "So your idea of making this right for her was to destroy her reputation like this?" The Emperor asked with a frown, the hypocrisy of Prince Yi''s words were too pungent to be simply glossed over.

    Prince Yi frowned, he obviously could not tell the Emperor that it was because he wanted to make it so there was no room for the Emperor to manipulate things and ruin his plan. And since there was really no other excuse that would make sense, he opted for silence.

    The Emperor let out an irritated, somewhat weary sigh and said, "I have tolerated your antics so long because I felt pity for the life and dreams you have lost and perhaps I felt some measure of guilt for the role I may have played in diverting your course. But you must agree with me that whatever debt I might have owed you has long been paid. I have spared your life where you would not have spared mine. I have turned a blind eye where you would have persecuted me. I have given you chance after chance yet you show no signs of turning back..."

    Prince Yi knit his brows, he did not understand where the Emperor was going with this, but he was sensing danger so he switched gears and tried to appeal to the Emperor''s sensitive side, "I know I have made a mistake, it was just that seeing you so blissfully happy in your marriage made me realize that I too wanted that in my life, to find my own happiness..."

    Prince Yi paused and looked up at the Emperor, who seemed to be skeptically observing him, he continued, "I too long to live a happy life. I had not expected to find such happiness so soon and not in Princess Nalan, but it happened and I - we got carried away with it. Now that it''s come to this, I am pleading with you to grant me this. I know it is not a difficult thing for you, if you approve, the Zou king cannot refuse you so please grant me this...It is my first and only ask of you." He finished, kowtowing to the ground.

    The Emperor blinked and then knit his brows as he stared down at the kowtowing Prince Yi. He had not expected these soft words or sincerity from Prince Yi so he was a bit taken aback, "You found happiness in the Zou princess?" The Emperor quietly asked after a moment of silence.

    "Yes." Prince Yi loudly said, raising his head and looking up at the Emperor with as sincere an expression as he could muster. On the inside, Prince Yi was all smiles. He knew he had won the Emperor over.

    Since their last spat over the kiss incident, Prince Yi had realized that the Emperor still held a sentimental side for him, however small it was. But it should be enough to give the extra push for compliance that he needed, especially after that debts and life course. Especially considering the Emperor had no choice but to agree, there was nothing he could do but agree so all this - making him beg for it, was simply the Emperor flaunting his power over him.

    But he would indulge the Emperor''s whims and beg today for the chance to flaunt tomorrow.

    "Is it the girl or the princess in which you have found happiness?" The Emperor suddenly asked, cutting through Prince Yi''s thoughts and bursting the little victory bubble that had been forming in Prince Yi''s head.

    Prince Yi slightly knit his brows, hesitated for a moment before responding, "...The girl and the princess are one the same, just as I am a man and a prince. "

    "Hm...Perhaps." The Emperor quietly commented, knitting his brows and going silent again.

    In all honesty, it was just as Prince Yi said, sanctioning the marriage was not a difficult thing for him to do. After all, the Zou king had sent Princess Nalan here with marriage in mind. But it was not the marriage or pregnancy that truly concerned him, it was what Prince Yi''s thoughts with this marriage, his motive.

    While the Emperor would like to believe that Prince Yi held no ulterior motive, he could not fully bring himself to believe that, not even with Prince Yi seemingly pouring his heart out to him here. Especially not after he had just seen Prince Yi looking at Lei Xing with those lovelorn eyes, he was not even sure Prince Yi was aware of how much his eyes revealed. He saw nothing of that now when Prince Yi was speaking of Princess Nalan and the happiness he felt with her.

    It could not be that simple, especially not given Prince Yi''s ambition for the throne and past attempts to connect with Zou. It needed to be looked into, starting with how his men had missed this relationship forming between Prince Yi and Princess Nalan. The fact that they even had enough time to get pregnant meant there was a huge blindspot in the surveillance and that was very concerning.

    Prince Yi started feeling uneasy again and tried to persuade again, putting on an even more earnest expression, but before he could even begin, the Emperor went, "You have still not explained why you chose to announce her pregnancy here, knowing what damage it would cause to her reputation...I want your answer."

    Prince Y stiffened and then frowned, his irritation starting to rise to the surface. He honestly did not understand why the Emperor was dragging this. After all, it was not like the Emperor actually cared about Princess Nalan and her reputation, he was simply just trying to make Prince Yi''s life difficult. The situation was simple, the solution was simple, him pleading was pointless and he was getting tired of it.

    "You still don''t have an answer...do you?" The Emperor asked after a stretch of silence, "You once used to be the most considerate person I knew, but now it seems that you have become too selfish. Selfish enough to hurt those you claim to care for without any thought for their wellbeing...It is quite unfortunate."

    Prince Yi glared at the Emperor, his anger rising. The look of pity in the Emperor''s eyes as he looked down at him further infuriated Prince Yi. He was prepared to beg, even grovel if he had to, but seeing the Emperor looking at him condescendingly with those eyes of pity kicked him over the edge and pretending for his future "good" was kicked out of his mind and his bitter honesty took over and he honestly said, "I was driven to it...by you."

 Chapter 323 - Make Your Claim

    The Emperor raised a confused eyebrow at Prince Yi, lost as to what angle he was working now. How could Prince Yi''s lack of tact be his fault?

    Conveniently, Prince Yi did not leave him hanging and promptly continued on his vent path, "I used to be the most considerate person? Alright, but you also didn''t used to be such a hypocrite either, but yet here you are. You have your Empress and flaunt your happiness in front of everyone''s faces, disregarding any and everyone in between yet now here you are scolding me about being considerate of others?!"

    Prince Yi scoffed and then his glaring intensified, "You have taken everything from me! Everything I ever wanted, you have! My dreams, my aspirations, my happiness! So why would I believe that you would suddenly allow me this "joy" that I have now settled on when you have taken everything else?!" Prince Yi said it all one breath so took deep breaths both to catch his breath and calm himself as he looked up at the Emperor with an intensely aggrieved expression.

    The Emperor blinked at Prince Yi with an even more incredulous expression, then he snorted and looked down at Prince Yi with a bemused smile on his face. His confusion at his brother''s aggrieved mindset overpowered the feelings of anger at his brother''s blatant disregard, "I have taken nothing from you." The Emperor said, knitting his brows still with that bemused smile on his face, which further angered Prince Yi.

    "You took -" Prince Yi caught himself and frowned at the ground, now convinced that the Emperor was simply toying with him but yet, he could not bring himself to simply turn and walk away.

    The Emperor studied Prince Yi for a bit. He then let out a weary sigh, got up, and walked down the steps towards Prince Yi, whose frowning intensified as the Emperor got closer. He felt the impulse to shift but he would not give the Emperor the impression that he was cowering. He was not afraid of him... He would not give the Emperor the satisfaction of thinking he feared him.

    The Emperor stopped at Prince Yi''s side put his hands behind his back and calmly said, "Stand up."

    Prince Yi kept his glare on the ground, unmoving. The Emperor lightly snorted with a small smirk and then said, "Alright, keep kneeling then."

    And right on queue, Prince Yi in his defiant mood stood up. The Emperor slightly shook his head as Prince Yi rose to his feet. Prince Yi turned and faced the Emperor squarely with a frown and said, "Is it so difficult for you to let me have one thing?"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows and calmly said, "It depends on what that one thing is... What is it that you believe I have taken from you?" He seriously asked, slightly knitting his brows.

    Prince Yi blinked and then averted his gaze with a frown. Since he had suddenly lost his tongue, the Emperor decided to help him state his claim, "Is it the throne?" The Emperor asked.

    Prince Yi stiffened and glanced at the Emperor with a wary expression, not sure what the Emperor was trying to do now.

    The Emperor faced forward, towards the big open doors of the main hall, looking at the sky ahead as he emotionlessly went ahead to state the facts, "As I am sure you are aware, the throne has always been mine from the onset. But perhaps, one could claim that I took it from our eldest brother''s, but as you know he ran himself into a wall. And even if I had a hand in his undoing, that still has nothing to do with you. You, yourself, even once said that the throne was not for you...Therefore, it cannot be that. What else is there?" The Emperor finished with this question, turning back to Prince Yi with raised eyebrows.

    Prince Yi blinked at the Emperor still in shock, he quickly recovered and looked away, frowning at the ground, "I have no interest in the throne, if that is what you fear, ease your worried heart..." He said with his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He did not understand why the Emperor was bringing this up.

    The Emperor glanced at Prince Yi with a raised eyebrow, "Really? My mistake then..." The Emperor lightly said and Prince Yi went to sigh in relief, but that sigh got stuck in his throat when the Emperor continued on to ask, "...Then perhaps it''s the support those little ministers?"

    Prince Yi stiffened. He already suspected that the Emperor was responsible for that nonsense about a "ghost" attacking his ministers of a few months ago. He knew the Emperor was targeting his supporters, but it was still shocking to actually hear him confirm his suspicions. Moreover, why would the Emperor tell him about it?

    {...How much does he really know?...}

    The Emperor carried on in his casual tone as if he were unaware of Prince Yi''s inner struggles, "As Emperor, I am entitled to the support of the ministers of my court. Moreover, considering you acquired said support through blackmail, it was never truly yours to begin. I am sure you need no reminder of how you came to acquire said support... Therefore, that cannot be counted as taken something from you. I simply reclaimed what belonged to the throne, and as I own the throne, it was naturally mine to begin with...What else is there?" The Emperor asked, again turning to Prince Yi.

    Of course, Prince Yi had the good sense not to admit to anything of illegal nature, "I do not understand what you speak of...Perhaps you have made another mistake...Your majesty." He said, cupping and raising his hands with a slight bow with beads of sweat starting to form on his brow. This was getting out of hand.

    {...Is he looking for a reason to kill me now?...}

    The Emperor ignored his words, faced forward, and answered for him again, "Your dreams...I remember them being about exploring the world. I had heard you used to travel quite a bit in the past but then after our elder brother''s tragic end, you became busier trying to handle affairs in my absence. That added to the late Emperor''s illness made it impossible for you to travel..."

    "...In light of that, I have freed you from the chains of court and given you back the ability to live your dreams again. You have your freedom and the funds so how I have impeded you?... Unless your life''s dream has changed in recent years. In that case, it is possible that I may have impeded them in some way...What is this dream of yours that I have taken from you?" He asked, again turning to Prince Yi.

    Prince Yi blinked at him and then averted his eyes, gulping. He did not know what to say. What sort of conversation was this? He had no idea where the Emperor was going with this, but it was obvious that the Emperor was trying to goad him into making an irreparable mistake.

    The Emperor calmly scrutinized Prince Yi for a bit and then said, "I will take your silence to mean that it remains the same...In that case, I have facilitated rather than taken your dreams from you." The Emperor was quiet for a bit, seemingly in thought, then finally he spoke, "Your mother..." The Emperor paused, frowning, "I had no hand in her demise...but because of her, I have spared you where I would have spared no other. I have given you chance after chance to continue to live rather than to take your life from you..."

    The Emperor looked at Prince Yi''s frowning face, the aggrieved expression more prominent on his face now. The Emperor sighed and then asked again, "What else is there that you feel that I have taken from you?"

 Chapter 324 - Misplaced Entitlement

    The frown on Prince Yi''s face deepened but he neither looked up at the Emperor nor responded. The Emperor apparently having "run out" of things his brother could have misconstrued as "theft" on his part, quietly waited for his response.

    The Emperor could see that Prince Yi seemed to be in a bit of a shock right now, but he could not believe that Prince Yi seriously thought that he was in the dark about him wanting the throne. After all, his activeness in court in the years following the Crown prince''s death was quite telling. Not to mention the increased disdain he seemed to have for the Emperor since his return.

    It was obvious that Prince Yi thought himself to be competent and thought he had proven as much, therefore he naturally believed he deserved the throne, completely disregarding the fact that Jun Kai himself was equally if not more competent.

    But competency was not enough. The one thing that created the major divide between them was people and the power that came with them. And even though Jun Kai did not like his father, he had to admit that their father had given him the advantage of power since young.

    Therefore, the Emperor could understand that given the circ.u.mstances, Prince Yi may have felt aggrieved and thus robbed when the younger brother was named Emperor in absentia after all his hard work in court.

    The Emperor could also acknowledge that his handling of the ministers with the "ghosts" assault was done in a somewhat "underhanded" manner, but then he was sure Prince Yi would not have preferred it had been done in the "proper" way either.

    The point is he could stand to give reason to justify the outcome of those events. But there was still one thing in his life that the Emperor reasoned that Prince Yi might feel a misplaced sense of entitlement that he failed to mention. And he no interest in bringing it up either.

    It would be a lie for the Emperor to say that he did not suspect during the concubine selection that Prince Yi was interested in her. After all, there was obviously there was that battle of wits game the two were playing during the event. It was clear to everyone that there was something going on between the two of them.

    The Emperor even had a hard time believing Lei Xing''s explanation about him picking on her because of the "rudeness" she had shown him outside the palace. Back then he had thought she was perhaps a spy working from him or something like that - a logical explanation. It was not until he had confirmed with his own investigation that the two had truly met for the first time that day at Doctor Lou''s pharmacy.

    Anyone who knew Prince Yi would not have believed her. It was an abnormal reaction for Prince Yi. He naturally a restrained personality - Well, he used to have a restrained personality. Regardless, he was not the sort to publicly "pick" on anyone, much less a young woman.

    But in the end, the Emperor decided to dismiss it, after all, Prince Yi had done nothing wrong. The sitting ministers and he were permitted to pose questions and "respectfully" criticize the candidates.

    But then the encounters continued, the flower field...and that kiss happened. It became obvious that Prince Yi had feelings for Lei Xing and they did not seem to be simple feelings either.

    So yes, the Emperor had considered the possibility that Prince Yi had become interested in Lei Xing before the concubine selection. And looking at Prince Yi''s current aggrieved mindset and daring behavior he has showcased it came to her, the Emperor got the feeling that Prince Yi was under the impression that because he met her first, it somehow reserved her for him.

    Putting aside the fact that Lei Xing would refuse to accept that she ever "belonged" to anyone. The moment her name was submitted for the concubine selection, she, along with every other girl whose name was submitted, became the Emperor''s. And they remained his until he, the Emperor turned them away at the end of the competition.

    Therefore, Lei Xing has never been Prince Yi''s to reserve or claim, at least not from the point at which he would have "marked" her for himself. The Emperor could stand to justify his claim to the throne and justify his handling of certain matters BUT he would not stand here and justify his claim to his own wife.

    Since Prince Yi''s did not seem stupid enough to mention the Emperor''s omission or any other grievance really, the Emperor faced forward and declared, "I have taken nothing that was not already mine..."

    Prince Yi glanced at the Emperor with a conflicted frown and the Emperor turned his gaze back to him with raised eyebrows, daring him to challenge that.

    When Prince Yi again failed to state any claims, the Emperor continued, "You, on the other hand, seem intent on continuing to fixate on things that do n-" The Emperor suddenly stopped when the sound of a door slamming shut rung out from the back, interrupting the conversation. Prince Yi and the Emperor immediately went on alert, both looking towards the hallway, but no one came through nor did they hear any footsteps.

    The Emperor knit his brows and turned back to Prince Yi, but before he could decide whether to continue, the door louder this time.

    ***

    "Arrgh, why are you being so stubborn?!" Princess Nalan said with frustration as her hand tightly gripped the handle of the back entrance, below Lei Xing''s own hand that was also tightly gripping the door. Both hands trying to seize control of the door - one trying to open and

    "I am being reasonable, further disobedience of the Emperor''s orders will not help your case..." Lei Xing advised with a frown, slamming the door shut again. She and Princess Nalan were both tightly gripping on the handle of the back door, both struggling for control - one trying to open, while the other was struggling to keep it closed.

    "Are you seriously going to continue being like this?... I don''t want to have to use force." Princess Nalan warned, glaring at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing lightly scoffed and narrowed her eyes at her, "That will also not help your case...Think this through, what do you hope to gain by storming in there?"

    Princess Nalan blinked and hesitated, "This has to do with me and so naturally I should be there... Unless there is something to hide from me?"

    Lei Xing let out an irritated sigh, "Nalan, no one is hiding anything from you... This is just between the brothers. You have siblings, you should understand. You may be at the center of the problem, but you are not the problem...This is not a conversation that involves you." Lei Xing flatly said.

    "Then what is the problem?" Princess Nalan asked narrowing her eyes at Lei Xing, "If you just tell me, then I''ll obediently wait, this is frustrating you know!" Princess Nalan said with a pout. She had tried to patiently wait but she was really not a patient person. Waiting is was killing her.

    Lei Xing inwardly groaned and let out a sigh, "I know nothing more than you do, but it -"

    "Then get out of the way!" Princess Nalan shouted, pushing the door open and Lei Xing pulled the door back with a hard, "No."

    Prince Nalan glared at her and let out an irritated breath, "I don''t want to hurt you so let go while I''m still asking nicely..." She menacingly said, staring Lei Xing down as she put more force into pushing the door, clearly showing that she had not been using her full strength in this push-pull game of theirs.

    The door dug into Lei Xing''s arm as she did her best to hold it steady. It was painful but she could not just simply let go now. Princess Nalan was not the only one with a stubborn personality, moreover, she was the Empress, it would be embarrassing to lose especially in front of one''s subjects, who were watching this little squabble closely.

    And while Lei Xing could order the guards to restrain Princess Nalan, she did not want to do that. Other than the fact that it would bruise Lei Xing''s ego a bit - just a little bit to relinquish her hold on this door, the more pressing and true concern was that Princess Nalan could actually be so daring to start a fight with the guards over this, causing even more trouble.

    Lei Xing lightly sighed, "Nalan, if you''d pay a bit more attention to your surroundings, you''d realize that I am the one asking nicely here..."

    Princess Nalan frowned and glanced to the side where Bi Lu and BiLo along with five imperial guards were standing, eyes fixated on her and hands on the hilt of their swords. She was sure she could take them, but still, she hesitated, she was not sure starting a fight here would be a good idea.

    She was already trying not to cause more trouble by asking Lei Xing to move rather than simply flicking her out of the way. She was not stupid so she knew that if she actually hurt Lei Xing or even as much as pushed her down, those guards will attack her. But then she could not simply back down now and keep waiting here as if she were powerless. For all she knew, the Emperor could be killing Yi in there.

    Princess Nalan pushed the door again, with more force and frowned at Lei Xing, who was frowning back at her, struggling to keep the door shut, so much so that she put her other hand on it and warned, "Stop it."

    But then suddenly someone pulled the door from the inside throwing the stalemate off balance. Sending both girls tumbling to through the open door, heading to the ground - Princess Nalan who was applying more push than necessary, and Lei Xing who had just barely been maintaining her stand with just Princess Nalan''s force alone.

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and braced for impact but then she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her safely into a warm embrace. She let out a relieved sigh with a slight smile once her feet found the ground again. She did not need to be told that the Emperor was the one on the other side of the door.

    "Th -" The words caught in her throat when she opened her eyes and saw the Emperor frowning at her, while he standing to her left, holding the handle of the door...not her.

    ...With Princess Nalan sprawled on the ground between them.

 Chapter 325 - Pit of Confusion

    Lei Xing''s heart stopped when she saw the Emperor. Her mind quickly computed and she dreaded turning her head to see the person whose arm was around her. Prince Yi on the hand, had his gaze fixed on Lei Xing with a slight smile on his face. It was only when he noticed her stiffen that he turned his head to see what was causing her distress and locked gazes with the frowning Emperor.

    Prince Yi immediately realized what he was doing, he blinked and promptly released Lei Xing, hastily stumbling back and landing on the floor himself. He blinked up at Lei Xing in confusion, he had even realized when he had grabbed her. He took a deep breath and then glared at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing blinked at Prince Yi, taken aback by the sudden hostility in his gaze before quickly looking away. Her eyes met the Emperor''s own hostile gaze and she lowered her eyes with a frown as her face heated up with embarrassment.

    {... I didn''t do anything, okay?! It was Nalan who was being stupid! >_

    Seeing Lei Xing look away, Prince Yi lowered his gaze with a disgruntled frown but then he met Princess Nalan''s gaze and he immediately went stiff, realizing his biggest mistake. Princess Nalan was on her hands and knees on the floor, glancing back and forth between him and Lei Xing with knit eyebrows in confusion.

    "This is why I can''t trust you..." The Emperor''s calm voice cut through the reeling thoughts of the other three. Lei Xing and Prince Yi''s frown deepened and they did not look up, Princess Nalan was the only one of the three who looked at the Emperor. They exchanged a strange look before the Emperor side-stepped Princess Nalan, took Lei Xing''s hand, and stormed out the door, leaving the other royal pair to pick up themselves.

    Once they were out the door, Prince Yi let out an irritated breath, finally regaining himself. He got to his feet and then went to help Princess Nalan up.

    Princess Nalan accepted his help and then frowned at him, "You-you helped her...Why?" She was aware the question did not come out quite right, but it was all that she could manage right now. She was honestly not even sure what she was asking. But she had seen that look between the two, not to mention the Emperor''s expression... There was definitely something.

    Prince Yi frowned in irritation and let go of Princess Nalan''s arm and matter of factly stated, "She would have gotten hurt -"

    "She would have gotten hurt?" Princess Nalan repeated in utter disbelief, her mouth hanging open with a frown.

    {...What about me?! I could have gotten hurt!...}

    Prince Yi blinked, realizing that was not exactly a good excuse considering all things. He put his hands behind his back and added, "She''s fragile..." Which got him a raised eyebrow in response, so he quickly followed up with, "...If she got hurt, the Emperor would have been angry with you and then it would have been harder to get his approval for US...nullifying all my hard work." He finished, disapprovingly narrowing his eyes at her.

    Princess Nalan blinked, realizing that she almost caused another incident. But still, she had good reason and so she explained, "I was just worried... And I don''t like being excluded from my own matters." She muttered, glancing off to the side with a disgruntled frown.

    Prince Yi faced forward and inwardly sighed in relief, glad she accepted the explanation. That explanation was weak at best but thankfully Princess Nalan was easy to distract. In truth, he was not thinking about any of that when he did what he did. The point is he was not thinking at all because if he had been thinking, he would have grabbed Princess Nalan instead!

    He was not stupid. Of course, he was aware that saving his brother''s wife got him no merit here, especially not when his own wife-to-be faced the same peril. Most especially not when he was trying to persuade the world that he was in love with said wife-to-be. Thankfully, the whole thing was only seen by a select few.

    Prince Yi frowned, this was why he hated being around that Lei Xing, she made him think and do stupid things. He let out a sigh and turned to storm down the hallway, he needed to distance himself from all this nonsense. But he had only taken a few steps when Princess Nalan grabbed his arm and asked, "Where are you going?"

    Prince Yi irritatedly looked at her, "Home-"

    "But we haven-" She paused, knit her brows, and let out a breath to calm herself. She knew they were both tense right now, so she simply went straight to the point, "How did it go? Did he agr-"

    "Princess Nalan, the Emperor has ordered for us to escort you back to your palace..." An eunuch suddenly interrupted from the open doorway. The pair followed the voice and saw three eunuchs standing there along with five guards.

    "Wait, we''re b-"

    "The Emperor was very explicit. Please come with us...Now." The eunuch added for emphasis.

    Princess Nalan frowned, "I sai-"

    "It''s alright." Prince Yi cut in, putting his hand over Princess Nalan''s and quietly said, "There''s no other choice for him, it''s all fine..." He finished with a reassuring smile. Princess Nalan gave him a dubious expression but before she could argue, he urged, "We shouldn''t give him a reason to impede us... go with them."

    Princess Nalan knit her eyebrows, she was still getting a bad feeling about all this and also wanted to talk about what just happened. It was true that Lei Xing was more delicate and needed rescuing from little things like this while she, Nalan did not. And it was also true that the Emperor would probably have been very angry if Lei Xing got hurt and could have made their lives difficult just for the sake of it. Those reasons made all the sense to her, but still, it felt off.

    It was not that she wanted to be rescued, after all, she did not need it. But still, she did not like it. Regardless, she could not dive into this discussion with the eunuchs and guards hanging around so she had no choice but to shelf it for now. "Fine..." She mumbled and then turned and stormed out the doors. Prince Yi lightly sighed and then raised an eyebrow at the others, when only one eunuch and guard left with Princess Nalan.

    "Ahh, the Emperor also instructed for us to safely escort you to the palace gates...Your carriage and an escort should already be waiting for you there." The eunuch again supplied bowing with a polite smile.

    Prince Yi scoffed in his mind, and went, "Of course..." He then flapped his sleeves and put his hands behind his back, and continued on his way, with eunuchs and guards following behind him.

    Prince Yi knew that this was not a simple escort. He could guess that the Emperor was putting both he and Princess Nalan on lockdown until his decision was made. But Prince Yi was not worried, the Emperor could flaunt his power all he wanted, but in the end, this marriage was the only outcome there could be.

    It was either this marriage or war. The thing about war was that it needed adequate justification to persuade the people - and waging war because you refuse to let your brother and a foreign princess, whom you did not want, to get married, especially when she was already carrying your brother''s child just does not make the cut.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the Emperor in his irritation had dragged Lei Xing all the way to the royal study. It was only when they were through the doors that the Emperor released his iron grip on her hand. He then proceeded to take a few steps toward his throne before stopping with an irritated sigh.

    Lei Xing flexed her hand to ease the pain as she scrutinized his demeanor. His grip had been quite painful but she silently bore it because she could understand that he was tense, caught off guard, unhappy and angry.

    "Are you angry with me?" Lei Xing tentatively asked, after a while of observing him.

    "No." The Emperor simply responded with the frown on his face deepening.

    "...Upset with me then?" Lei Xing amended.

    "No." The Emperor flatly responded again.

    The room went silent again for a while with the Emperor deep in his thoughts, while Lei Xing stared at his back, not sure how or what she should be feeling right now. Finally, she sighed and broke the silence, "Then why aren''t you looking at me...?"

    The Emepror blinked and then let out a sigh and turned to face her, "I am neither angry nor upset with you..." He stated with his head held high, raised eyebrows with his hands behind his back.

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at him, looked him over, and went, "That''s not a very reassuring pose..."

    The Emperor knit his brows, then mirrored her expression and flatly said, "It is irrational for me to be upset with you because my brother has feelings for you-"

    Lei Xing blinked at him, completely taken aback by this statement as she switfly went, "He doesn''t-!"

    "Don''t deny it!" The Emperor loudly and sternly cut her off with a fierce expression, causing Lei Xing to jump back a bit. She quickly straightened her back, opened her mouth to protest but then closed it, and pursed her lips. She did not like the aggrieved expression he was giving her, nor did she care for his accusatory tone. He had said he was not upset with her but that was not the message his body language was excluding right now.

    {...Guess we''re going with irrational today -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing let out an irritated breath, "Fine, let''s say for the sake of argument that he does... But that has nothing to do with me. I have done nothing to lead him on - Okay, there was that one incident that night..." She admitted with a frown remembering the kiss incident, "But you know and he knows that I wasn''t myself... It wasn''t my fault and if he''s stupid to think that means something, then he''s obviously confused."

    "...And if you think there is anything between him and me, then you are too." She added, glaring at the Emperor, "...Even more so."

 Chapter 326 - Irrational Understanding

    The Emperor expression remained the same and he responded in the same flat tone, "As I said... Irrational."

    Lei Xing raised a questioning eyebrow at him and when he did not say any more. She took a deep breath and went, "...Well then, I''ll leave you alone to your irrational thoughts." She flatly said and turned to leave, irritated. But the Emperor quickly closed the gap between them and stopped in front of her, grabbing on to her arms and started, "Xing er''-"

    "What?" Lei Xing coldly asked with a frown.

    The Emperor blinked at her, a bit taken aback by her harsh tone. He knit his brows in annoyance, he was not trying to upset her or start an argument. It was just that he was not happy with everything going on and seeing Prince Yi holding and ogling her did nothing for his mood. What made it even worse was that she just stood there...so yes, he was a bit annoyed with her - Well, not her exactly, it was at her lack of reaction.

    But again, he did not want to start the argument that was already brewing and so he simply said, "I don''t like him touching you. Stay away from him...please?" He added to make it seem like a "request", not an order, which it was.

    Lei Xing scoffed, "Well, you didn''t see me smiling in his arms, now did you? And it''s not like I ever looking for him..." Lei Xing irritatedly said with a frown.

    "Yet it happens..." The Emperor swiftly commented, without thinking. he quickly realized his error, but before he could rescind the statement, Lei Xing went, "I guess you would have preferred that I fell on my face...Sorry to have disappointed you." She sarcastically finished with a smile.

    Despite her smiling face, the Emperor knew that she was getting upset. Obviously, it was not that he wanted her to have fallen to the ground. But between that and being in his brother''s arms, he could not honestly say that he would not have preferred the ground. But he obviously could not say that so he raised his eyebrows and said, "I would have caught you..."

    "Yet you didn''t..." Lei Xing said mimicking his tone, still smiling, she asked, "Can I go now?" Glancing down at one of his hands gripping her arms.

    "No." The Emperor said with a frown, "Let''s resolve this now..." He could not let her leave if she was upset. He did not enjoy receiving a cold shoulder any more than she did and if she left here like this, who knows how closed off she would be when next they meet.

    "Resolve what?" Lei Xing asked, knitting her brows, "Look, I can''t defend irrational. It was an accident or do you think that I intentionally chose to fall into his arms?" The Emperor''s frown deepened with that question but before he could respond again, Lei Xing continued, "I am not going to apologize for an accident and I am also not going to stand here so you can accuse me of having an affair with your broth-"

    "I''m not accusing of any such thing." The Emperor swiftly denied.

    "Your eyes certainly are..." Lei Xing quietly said, lowering her head with a disgruntled frown. She did not appreciate him even thinking about the possibility that there was something between her and anyone else, much less his own brother. Apart from the fact that she had more tact than that, she personally could not stand the idea of cheating, it was honestly a really a sore spot for her. So even the fact that it had crossed his mind infuriated her so much so that her eyes were heating up, she felt the beginning of tears building up and it further infuriated her.

    {...If you cry, I''ll kill you!...}

    "I didn''t mean it that way..." The Emperor gently said, bringing up a hand to her cheek wanting to raise her head up so she could see that was not his intention. But Lei Xing moved her face out of his reach with a deepening frown, "... Then why are we having this conversation?"

    The Emperor sighed and hugged her, "I''m sorry, my darling. I really didn''t mean it that way...It''s just...Seeing you like that with him was..." The Emperor paused again with a frown.

    "Upsetting?" Lei Xing supplied, still disgruntled.

    "En... I admit, I was - am angry but not at you. At the situation, at my brother, at Princess Nalan even but not at you." He said, patting her back reassuringly. There was no point in stressing himself over this, she was already his, and upsetting her over the petty jealousy of someone - no matter what they feel for her, simply holding her for a few seconds was not the way to keep her.

    Lei Xing was quiet for a bit and although she was still disgruntled, she later sighed and wrapped her arms around him as she said, "I can understand you being jealous and it''s good to an extent that you are...jealous, but you can''t take out your anger on me...I don''t like it." She said frowning, again.

    "I''m sorry..." The Emperor apologized again, hugging her closer.

    They quietly hugged for a while, each calming their own emotions. After calming down enough, the Emperor released her and then held her hands as he smiled at her. Lei Xing looked at him with what looked to be a disgruntled pout. It seemed she was still upset so the Emperor tried to cajole her, "Xing er'', I''m sorry...I really didn''t mean it that way. I know you would never... Don''t be upset, please?" He urged, swaying her hands back and forth with a sheepish expression he knew she always found amusing.

    Lei Xing looked at him and almost laughed but she quickly masked it by clearing her throat, she turned her to the side, feigning annoyance and said, "... We''ll see how you do."

    The Emperor lightly chuckled, but immediately stopped when she narrowed her eyes at him, he then went, "Won''t happen again."

    Lei Xing smiled and nodded, but her smile quickly left as she let out a breath and said, "I''m sorry about this mess too. If I knew he was the reason she wanted to stay, I would have never urged you into it...I''m sorry."

    "It''s alright..." The Emperor said, patting her head with a smile. Then he led her up the steps and sat down with her on the throne chair. Although he said that, Lei Xing was not entirely convinced that it was alright. After all, this was not a simple situation.

    "So...what are we going to do?" She asked with a frown, getting to the meat of the matter.

    The Emperor knit his brows and went, "Well, considering that he prevented you from possibly getting hurt, I can''t exactly punish him for that so...we''ll have to let it go."

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then snorted, "I''m not asking about that, I''m asking about their request to marry."

    "Oh." The Emperor went blinking at her, he then cleared his throat and said, "Well... There is nothing else to do but for them to get married."

    "Seriously? Just that?" Lei Xing asked in surprise. She did not expect the answer to be that simple. After all, this was not a simple issue of a boy and a girl getting married, this was a political situation. More importantly, a political scandal!

    And most importantly, Princess Nalan was a political pawn that came with some advantages, that she did not think was exactly alright for Prince Yi to have access to, given his disposition.

    The Emperor could almost see the wheels turning in Lei Xing''s head so he went, "I want to ask you something, I need an answer honest answer..."

    "Okay..." Lei Xing swiftly responded.

    "Do you think my brother is sincere about Princess Nalan?"

    Lei Xing hesitated for a moment and then honestly and bluntly admitted, "No."

    The Emperor raised a curious eyebrow and then went,"...Because you know he has feelings for you -"

    "No." Lei Xing swiftly denied with a frown.

    {...Is he going to keep mentioning this? -_-)...}

    The Emperor let out a breath and said "Xing er'', it''s okay. I said to be honest..."

    "I am being honest, it''s not that... My answer would have been the same even without that point..." She indignantly responded.

    "Alright, I''m listening..." The Emperor calmly said, urging her to continue.

    "Well, it''s because Princess Nalan is a powerhouse, one connected to an entire nation. Even if you don''t particularly perceive them as much of threat, it doesn''t change the fact that they are a threat of some measure...." Lei Xing succinctly explained.

    She knit her brows in thought for a bit and then continued, "I understand that given the situation and the fact that their affair was made public, the obvious rational response would be to permit and rush their marriage to avoid criticism of the royal family. But even Nalan had not known that he planned to announce it right there. It was clearly a calculated move to force the issue when you understandably had reservations and refused to give immediate approval. I hope that he is sincere but I can''t help but worry that is simply a ploy to gain more power to aid his aspirations for the throne. It''s problematic to feed ambition with power -"

    "How do you know my brother wants my throne?" The Emperor interjected with knit eyebrows, c.o.c.king his head to the side. He had never mentioned it to her.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and tentatively went, "You didn''t know?" It seems in her analytical state, she had said a bit too much,

    "I know...I''m asking how you know. I didn''t tell you and I doubt your father or brother did. So, how do you know?... Did he tell you?" The Emperor asked with raised eyebrows, his eyes slightly widening in surprise.

    Lei Xing stiffened and immediately wanted to knock her head against the wall. They had just gotten over this jealousy and she just had to go and mention that.

    {...Shit! I''m a bloody idiot��??)... Should I just lie? He''ll never know, right? I mean, it''s not like he''ll go ask him or anything...And even if he did, the dude''s not that stupid to admit to having such intentions... right? ? _ ?)...}

 Chapter 327 - Insecure Possession

    On second and better thought, it would be unwise to create any potential for future problems between them. Moreover, she had already told him her greatest secret and he wholeheartedly accepted it and her, so this little insignificant thing that was not even a secret should not be a problem... Ideally. He was understandably a bit -maybe more, touchy about the topic of her "entanglements" with Prince Yi, so she had to be careful in her explanation.

    But there was no reason to withhold the truth. After all, it was not like Prince Yi actually told her about plans to usurp the throne or anything actually relevant. So there was nothing to worry about, the Emperor would understand.

    Coming to the final verdict, Lei Xing was about to open her mouth, when the Emperor commented, "It seems you two are a lot closer than I originally presumed..." With a frown on his face.

    He was still holding her hand so he felt her go rigid the moment he asked that question. And that was more than enough for him to know that his guess was right.

    "We are not close." Lei Xing swiftly said with her own frown, "Frankly, I barely know the guy-"

    "Yet he told you that..." The Emperor gave his own swift response, "It''s not something you tell a bare acquaintance..." He flatly added.

    Lei Xing pulled her hand out of his and scratched her forehead in irritation as she closed her eyes and let out an irritated breath, "Are we really going to do this again?"

    "I am simply curious..." The Emperor indignantly defended with raised eyebrows, looking disinterested, as if he did not care much about the topic. But considering the irritation oozing off him and his tone, it was definitely the opposite.

    "Of course you are..." Lei Xing sarcastically said looking at him with a weary expression, she was suddenly feeling very tired. Her first instinct was just to walk away and let him deal with his stupid thoughts. But that would not help the situation, if it were anyone else, she would quickly forget they existed once she was gone.

    But unfortunately for her, it was not really the case when it came to the Emperor. She would most likely just end up stewing over his stupidity for the rest of her day until one of them crawled back to the other to talk it out. So it was just best to talk it out now and get it over with plus she was really not in the mood to argue. It was why she simply let the other thing go and this was also not something that should cause a fight between them either.

    After all, he understood and indulged her jealousy and even took actions to reassure her. So naturally, she too should be understanding and indulging of his now that it has surfaced.

    She had to be patient with him, so she sighed and took his hand, "Okay, full disclosure. I did find out from him, but he did not exactly tell me. I simply guessed his intentions from a conversation we had at the Imperial library... It was that one time when I went there to get some books to read, I guess he worked there - I was bored. This was also long before you filled my library, shortly after I had entered the palace...It was a very, VERY brief encounter, thirty seconds tops, okay maybe a minute but nothing more. He showed up randomly and interrupted my day. I didn''t look for him, I never do." She haphazardly explained, realizing she was starting to get into more detail than necessary, she stopped herself and cleared her throat.

    "...Um, anyway he talked about aspiring for control and freedom or something like that for himself - Honestly, I think this was more of a sales pitch meant for me to convey to my father or brother, rather than for me myself. After all, I had nothing to offer him -"

    "So you think..." The Emperor offhandedly commented, looking down at his hand in hers with knit eyebrows.

    Lei Xing''s mouth twitched, but she tried to remain understanding and simply corrected, "So it is." Before continuing on, "I obviously told him that I was not interested in whatever aspirations or freedom he begets and quickly left. That was it...that was all. A prince aspiring for absolute control would naturally seek the throne as it as close as one can get to control and freedom in these circ.u.mstances... So I simply deduced his intention. That''s how I know...see, he didn''t really tell me, not close at all." She added for good measure.

    "I see..." The Emperor "distractedly" responded as he seemed focused on deeply scrutinizing their hands.

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows, not convinced that he really understood. So she squeezed his hand and added, "You know that if he told me anything significant, I would tell you...Maybe not back then when it happened, but once we -" She paused thinking of the right word and then awkwardly continued, "We came together, I would have definitely told you if there was even a hint of anything, after all, we are one. If you go down, I go down, isn''t that right?... That we''re one?" She asked bending her head to look up at the Emperor''s lowered face with a smile, "No?"

    Looking at her adorably blinking at him, the Emperor could not help the smirk tugging at his lips. He did not say anything but Lei Xing knew that she had already won him over. She hugged his waist and put her head on his chest as she coyly went, "Truly, it''s not that I didn''t want to tell you, it''s just that it never came up. Honestly, I had even completely forgotten about it until you asked me just now. It was a highly insignificant encounter you know, nothing worth remembering, much less reminiscing about so... let''s not argue about this, okay? I''m already so tired, today was supposed to be such a good day too..." She finished in a sulky voice.

    The Emperor hugged her and nodded, "...Insignificant is understandable."

    Lei Xing snorted and lightly chuckled, "...highly~" She raised her head and looked up at the Emperor and smilingly asked, "So we''re good?"

    "Always~"The Emperor responded, finally smiling, bringing up a hand to caress her face. It was rare for Lei Xing to coax him, so there was no way he could ignore it or stay upset at anything when she got like this.

    Making him even happier, Lei Xing brought her hand and caressed his cheek, before stretching her head up and kissing him. The Emperor''s smile broadened as he happily indulged in her kiss, pushing Prince Yi and his many problems to the back of his mind.

    Lei Xing was just happy that he had regained his enthusiasm and was completely unaware when the Emperor brought her hands down and went about his new mind''s focus. It was only when she felt his hand on the bare skin of her shoulder that she realized what was happening, she promptly moved back, covering her chest with her arms as she went, "What are you doing?" It was only now that she realized that her outer robe was dangling at her wrists.

    "What do you think?" The Emperor said with a smirk as he held her wrists and pulled her back into his embrace, kissing her neck as his hands on her back began fidgeting with the ties of her dress.

    Lei Xing frowned and immediately pushed his chest, "Are you -?"

    "You don''t want to?" The Emperor asked, slightly knitting his eyebrows.

    Lei Xing blinked at him, her face now completely red. She opened her mouth and then closed it, opened it again, and then closed it with a pout, biting her inner lip. Given his poor mood a few moments ago, she did not feel it would be right to refuse him and it was not like she did not want to, but... "It''s not that...It''s just...here?..." She shyly and awkwardly asked, lowering her head.

    Seeing her like this, the Emperor smiled and kissed her cheek, "Why not?" The throne chair was soft enough and wide enough for them to be comfortable.

    "Well... there are people outside and if I - we...they can hear and..." Lei Xing haphazardly explained with a frown, turning even redder.

    "Well then just be quiet..." The Emperor said, kissing down her neck to her shoulder.

    "I''m always quiet..." Lei Xing indignantly responded with her hands still on his shoulders, but not pushing him back.

    "Then we have no problem..." The Emperor smugly responded as his hands successfully loosened her dress enough to pull down the front, but then Lei Xing quickly shifted back in the throne chair and covered her chest with her arms again, and shook her head.

    "You all wait outside." The Emperor loudly ordered and immediately the sounds of departing footsteps echoed and then it went silent. The Emperor smiled at Lei Xing and shifted closer, wrapping her in his arms as he sweetly said, "There, problem solved. Now you can be as loud as you want~"

    Lei Xing was still not convinced, doing it in such a wide-open, echoey space was still a bit much, "But -" The rest of her words were swallowed when the Emperor put his head on her shoulder and let out a weary sigh.

    Lei Xing could feel that something was not right, so she kept quiet and waited. She felt the arms around her tighten and although she was not sure, she thought his arms were trembling. She knit her brows with concern and was about to ask if he was alright, when the Emperor quietly said, "Xing er, don''t refuse me this... not right now, please. I need to feel you..."

    {...To feel that you''re still mine...}

    Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows at his head.

    {...Why is this affecting you so much? I don''t understand this...}

    Without waiting for her response, the Emperor started planting kisses on her neck again while lightly tugging at her dress, asking for her permission as he kissed his way down. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, not knowing what to do with him. She was honestly having a hard time understanding why he would be bothered over such little things, regardless, she released her hold on her dress and grabbed his head and kissed him, gently and lovingly.

    He really had nothing to worry about and was really trying her hardest to convey that.

    The Emperor happily indulged in the kiss and removed her hands from his face so he could slip her sleeves off. He continued to deepen the kiss, putting a hand behind her head and the other around her waist, bringing her as close to him as their bodies would allow. He then got to his feet pulling her along and made quick work of removing both her clothes and his with some assistance from the still shy and hesitant Lei Xing. Then the excited Emperor quickly sat down, pulling Lei Xing onto his lap as they delved into the heady passion of each other, forgetting all the pomp and trials of their position.

    As the warmth of her enveloped him, the Emperor closed his eyes and held her tightly to his chest, she was his... always has been and always will be.

    {...Mine...}

 Chapter 328 - Petty Scales

    "We should get dressed..." Lei Xing said, not even making an attempt to move. She was resting on the Emperor''s chest with her eyes closed. While the Emperor sat slanted on the throne chair, resting his back on one of the arm pillows put up on the back, with his legs stretched out with Lei Xing sitting in between them and both arms around Lei Xing, one petting her lightly stroking her hair with the other wrapped around her waist.

    Lei Xing was always up for lazing around but they were not on their bed and it felt weird being n.a.k.e.d in such a huge and open space. They were in full, elevated view of the doors - if anyone opened them... Lei Xing inwardly sighed, she could not believe they just did that here, wasn''t the throne chair supposed to be sacred or something? But then again...it was just a chair - albeit a fancy one, but the Emperor who technically owned it apparently did not care so why should she?

    "Not yet." The Emperor said, snuggling her closer as he rubbed his face into her hair, eyes closed with a lazy smile, "There''s no rush, no one will come in here..."

    Lei Xing opened her eyes and scanned the huge room, her eyes fixed on the doors and she quietly went, "Still..."

    "Not yet..." The Emperor repeated, taking her one of her hands and bringing it to his lips. Knowing the main reason for Lei Xing''s concern, he sat up, still not releasing his hold on her waist as he leaned down and picked up his dragon robe from the ground. Then he rested back with her and dr.a.p.ed it on her, "Better?" He asked with a smile.

    Lei Xing looked at him with a raised eyebrow then she smiled and shook her head, "Fine, I guess we can stay a bit longer..." She responded, resting her head back on his chest and circling her arms around his waist and closing her eyes again. She was so happy that this was so easily resolved, then again, it should have never been a problem.

    The Emperor happily smiled and wrapped his arms around her under the robe. They quietly stayed like that for a while until the Emperor kissed her hair and very quietly said to himself, "... I would regret not having you in my life."

    "What was that?" Lei Xing lazily asked, not quite having heard what he said.

    "My voice - Well, that old man I guess. He said I would regret it if I let you leave the palace that day... My life would have been different without you...still unhappy and - Well, very different." He said rubbing his face in her hair again.

    Lei Xing opened her eyes, thought for a bit and then said, "I''m sure it wouldn''t have been that different. You would have simply fallen in love with someone else."

    "I wouldn''t have." The Emperor swiftly responded.

    "You would, when someone seeks out love, they often find it ...Given the many opportunities around you, you would still have found happiness in someone else." Lei Xing said, closing her eyes again with a yawn.

    The Emperor was quiet for a bit and knit his brows, "So you''re saying you would have too... with someone else."

    "I don''t know, maybe, maybe not..." Lei Xing offhandedly responded, "Unlike you, I was never bothered about these things..." She added with another yawn.

    The Emperor''s knit eyebrows tightened and he went silent again. Lei Xing was already dozing off to sleep when the Emperor suddenly asked, "What did you think of my brother when you first met him?"

    Lei Xing immediately frowned and sat up, holding the robe over herself as she glared at him, "Are we going to keep doing this today?" She irritatedly asked. She could only indulge jealousy to a certain extent.

    The Emperor quickly sat up as well, grabbing her arms, worried she was about to storm off, "I''m just curious..." He said with a smile, "Truly..."

    Lei Xing tentatively scrutinized his face and did not say anything. They had already been over this twice today and today was not the first time she had to clarify this to him. It was honestly quite the irritating subject for her and the more times she had to explain herself, the more irritating it was becoming.

    "See...I''m not upset. I really just thought of it and was curious what your thoughts were. Nothing more to it, I promise... If you don''t want to talk about it, we can talk about something else, hm?" He reassuringly and apologetically said, rubbing her arms as he slowly brought her back into his embrace.

    "Fine..." Lei Xing mumbled and settled back in, still with a frown on her face.

    The Emperor stroked her hair and kicked himself in his mind for asking that question. He was not even sure what he was thinking when he did. He was just wondering how life would have been like for them if he had let her leave the palace at the competition - if the Voice had not interfered. Would they still have met and fallen in love? Or would she truly have ended up with someone else? And who that someone else could possibly be. And in light of very recent events, the thought of someone else with her led to his brother and that question came about... and then he stupidly, blurted it out without thinking.

    "Annoying..." Lei Xing quietly said, cutting through the Emperor''s thoughts, he blinked down at her head and tentatively asked, "What is?" Worried about upsetting her...again.

    "Your brother, he was annoying...still is." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout, hidden from the Emperor as she kept her head down.

    {...He better not mention this again, or just might kill him ?_?)...}

    The Emperor smiled, a bit too much, happy with that she still answered the questionand even happier with her response. Riding on that high, he asked, "What about me?"

    Lei Xing raised her head and looked at him with condemning eyes, and the Emperor raised his eyebrows and indignantly said, "A curious mind is a sound mind..."

    Lei Xing scoffed and shook her head and lowered her head, going back to her resting position.

    The Emperor waited for a bit, but when she did not speak, he pinched her waist and sulkily went, "Xing er'', tell me~" Lei Xing immediately slapped his hand and said, "You are also being annoying right now."

    "En, I agree." The Emperor cheekily responded, What about back then?" He asked, unrelenting in his hunt for answers.

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine...Hmm." She thought for a bit and then went, "Yours is a bit complicated."

    "How so?" The Emperor swiftly asked, knitting his brows. While it was not so important how she saw him back then, after all, he was well aware that she did not welcome his presence at the start. Still, he did not think it could be that bad... but he would not feel hurt if it was, probably... As long as it was not worse than annoying. But it was still just simple curiosity, it meant nothing.

    "Well... In the beginning, I didn''t think about you much, tried not to anyway. You''re a bit hard to ignore." Lei Xing said, pinching him back with a smile, "Then I thought you were shady, very shady -"

    "Shady?" The Emperor interrupted with a raised eyebrow, not understanding and Lei Xing quickly explained, "It means suspicious, everything you did was suspicious, shady - unclear, confusing, get it?"

    The Emperor nodded as he knit his brows in thought.

    {...Suspicious?...Is that better than annoying or not?...}

    Lei Xing observed the Emperor''s thinking face and could guess what was he was thinking. She lightly snorted and added, "Also petty..." The Emperor immediately frowned down at her and Lei Xing snorted again.

    {...Very petty...}

    Before the Emperor could begin another sulk campaign, Lei Xing quickly kissed his chin and said, "But I''m also quite the shady person, so we suit quite well.."

    The Emperor, too easily appeased, smiled beautifully and went, "Naturally~" And then the smile disappeared and he raised his eyebrows and had to add, "And I''m only petty because of you."

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then snorted in disbelief at this reasoning, she chuckled and then was about to rebut, but before her first word could form, the Emperor covered her mouth with his for a doting kiss, which quickly deepened into a lot more.

    The Emperor ordinarily could not help himself whenever she was being sweet and coaxing him and with their current setting, it was even more impossible for him to resist wanting more. So the dragon robe quickly found its way back to the floor again as the two happily frolicked about, the atmosphere quickly heating up again.

    But before their passion could fully ignite, they were interrupted by Eunuch Li''s voice calling from outside, "Your majesty, I have urgent news..."

    Shocked, Lei Xing instinctively rolled off of him, landing on the floor in the process. She immediately grabbed the robe and loosely wrapped it around herself. She was about to start crawling to locate her clothes, when the Emperor reached down, hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her back up on the throne chair and whispered, "Relax, he won''t open the doors..."

    No matter how urgent the matter was, Eunuch Li knew better than to barge in here when the Emperor had specifically ordered everyone out of not just the room, but the entire building. Eunuch Li naturally knew better.

    "What is it?" The Emperor called out, both annoyed at both being interrupted and at whatever problem has cropped up now to re-ruin his day.

    There was a slight delay on the other side, before Eunuch Li''s response came, "...The one called Monk Du is here to see you." Eunuch Li finally responded.

 Chapter 329 - Elusive Capture

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise, "The Monk has been found? Why is this the first that I''m hearing about this?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    Eunuch Li looked at the closed doors with knit eyebrows, it seemed that the Emperor intended to have the entire conversation through closed doors. He had obviously been surprised to find all the servants standing outside and he was quickly informed that it was the Emperor''s order.

    Eunuch Li sighed, he was happy that the Emperor was happy in his relationship with his Empress. But sometimes, especially with recent events, he had been getting worried that perhaps the Emperor might be taking this relationship a bit too seriously and putting himself in a disadvantageous position just to please this wife of his.

    For example, the issue of emptying out his harem, there was no political advantage for him doing that. Then there was the meeting during the bizarre event of the Empress''s coronation, the Emperor ready to wage war with his ministers to keep her with him. The Emperor had never been one to act out of his emotions, he was practical in his actions, only making moves after careful consideration. But now, he was taking unnecessarily reckless moves because of this relationship.

    Eunuch Li had tried to caution the Emperor about controlling his infatuation with this girl, but the Emperor got angry and shut him down before he could even make his point. Criticizing Lei Xing was now a taboo topic. For example, Eunuch Li was no longer comfortable with her going out of the palace after she became the Emperor''s favorite and advised the Emperor to retrieve the pass. But the Emperor did not even acknowledge his words and simply remained silent.

    Then the issue with the kiss with Prince Yi happened, Eunuch Li then advised the Emperor to retrieve it again. Regardless of the drug incident, as a consort, she should not have been wandering outside alone with Prince Yi in the first place. It could give people the wrong idea, especially since there were already rumors of an odd relationship between the two. Even though she was there on "official business" as a companion for Princess Nalan, she should have naturally been more mindful of her position and the Emperor who doted on her. But the Emperor simply got angry and warned him against mentioning it. Not only did the Emperor not punish Lei Xing, he even sent her gifts.

    He had originally thought that the Emperor was distancing himself from her to punish her but then he sent her gifts? was the Emperor punishing her but then he sent gifts? Eunuch Li was very confused as to what good deed she had done to earn those gifts and asked the Emperor as much but was simply met with a silent frown. So faced with a stone wall, he had no choice but to let it go.

    And now this, he did not need to be told what the young couple wanted privacy for. It seemed the Empress dowager was not wholly wrong, this girl might really be trouble for him... The Emperor was obviously losing his head for her, so much so that he did not even consider what sort of image this act would create when it got out. A serious matter of international proportions was at hand but rather than addressing it with his ministers and advisers, he was frol.i.c.k.i.n.g with his Empress in the royal study.

    But even with the Emperor doing things like this, Eunuch Li could not bring himself to do as the Empress dowager has been requesting, for him to get rid of Lei Xing. Eunuch Li understood her concerns better than anyone else after all he did watch the Emperor and this relationship of his grow into what they are today.

    The Emperor occupied a very important position with grand duties and obligations to fulfill. Therefore, he did not have the luxury of slacking off, nor was it something he ever did. At least not up until Lei Xing came into his life. She was clearly becoming too much of a distraction for him. His priorities became jumbled whenever she was involved.

    But on the other hand, Eunuch Li could understand that the Emperor''s life has been complicated and difficult since he was little, so denying this little reprieve he found for himself seemed too cruel. So Eunuch Li has been speaking up for Lei Xing, trying to change the Empress dowager''s mind regarding this daughter-in-law of hers. After all, the girl''s mistakes were mostly due to the Emperor''s overindulgence of her whims... As for the other things, they were really just the Emperor trying too hard to please a difficult girl.

    Eunuch Li honestly believed that this was just a phase for the Emperor - it was natural for a man to get distracted by a beautiful woman, especially one who has gone so long without one. After over-indulging for a little while, the Emperor would quickly realign himself and would be back to his normal self with proper priorities. The harem can be refilled and ministers appeased...It would work out.

    Therefore, there was no cause to worry or so Eunuch Li constantly told the Empress dowager every time she brought up the topic of discarding Lei Xing. He also made the good choice not to tell the Emperor about his mother''s ideas for his love to avoid widening the gap between the mother and son, they already did not even see or ask after each other these days. It was best not to make it worse.

    "Eunuch Li..." The Emperor called out, a bit irritatedly after a long while of no response from the other side.

    Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and awkwardly and quietly said, "Maybe he wants a one-on-one with you, I''ll jus-"

    "No." The Emperor interjected, tightening his hold around her waist. This matter was not exactly confidential in nature, moreover, all the other servants were outside and there were to be no secrets between him and Lei Xing. So nothing was hindering Eunuch Li''s report and even if something was, then he could simply say so rather than remaining silent.

    Eunuch Li blinked coming out of his thoughts and quickly said, "We didn''t find him, he showed up on his own at the palace gates, introduced himself and asked to see you. The commander of the Empress''s dowager''s unit back then has already confirmed that it is truly him. He is refusing to speak with anyone but you..."

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought for a moment and then said, "...Alright then, send him over."

    Eunuch Li bowed to the door and turned to leave when the Emperor suddenly changed his mind, "...Have him wait in the main hall."

    Eunuch Li turned and bowed again, "I''ll take him there myself... Do you require anything else?" He thoughtfully asked since there were no servants around to help them if needed.

    The other side was quiet for a while, and Eunuch Li could guess the two of them were talking amongst themselves before the Emperor responded, "Send Xia -" He suddenly paused and Eunuch Li raised an eyebrow as he heard the Emperor quietly going, "No? Nosy?" The Emperor quietly asked and then chuckled after a pause, which Eunuch Li assumed was Lei Xing responding in a truly quiet voice.

    The Emperor then went, "Ah Jian then? Ah, Ah Jin..." The Emperor then loudly spoke again, "...Send Ah Jin over..." There was another pause and then he added, "...Have her wait outside the doors."

    "As you wish..." Eunuch Li said, bowing and then shaking his head as he left with a sigh.

    {...It''s good to be young...}

    "Why is she waiting?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow as she stood up and looked around for her clothes which a certain someone had thrown all over the place. Her dress was at the bottom of the steps, her innerwear was at the top of the steps and her u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.ts were - she wasn''t sure.

    "I can help you get dressed." The Emperor said as he bent down and moved over his innerwear and robes and fished out her u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.ts and then hugged her sideways, kissed her cheek as he showed her his good work, "See...I''m all you need~"

    "Tch..." Lei Xing went as she snatched her u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.ts from his hand, "What about my hair?" Thankfully, as soon as he complained that they were "in his way", Lei Xing had promptly warned him not to toss her very delicate hairpieces. So he had lightly tossed them all on the table for her to avoid her ire.

    Lei Xing cheekily shook him off, "I can dress myself, hurry up and get dressed and go, isn''t this important?" She said as she walked over to pick up her innerwear and started to get dressed. She was well aware of this monk, who had dared to stand the Empress dowager up and the fact that the Emperor had been looking for him and using it as a crutch to get the Empress dowager to behave. So this was very important.

    The Emperor followed her instructions and started to get dressed, "...I can guess why he''s asking for me..."

    "Which is?" Lei Xing asked, turning back to him.

    "To bargain..." The Emperor simply said, casting a knowing look towards her.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then realized he was referring to the Chun siblings who were responsible for drugging her. She knit her brows and then faced forward and continued to put on her upper u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.t as she casually said, "You can do as you like..."

    "I thought you wanted them dead." The Emperor said as he went over to her, moved her hair to the side, and took over tying the strings of her upper u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.t for her. He then slipped his hands around her waist and said, "You don''t have to pretend, we can still -"

    "I already told you I didn''t mean that. I was just high on emotion then..." Lei Xing said, removing his arms and turning around to look at him, "If you gave me a sword now and asked me to kill them, I couldn''t -"

    "No need, I can do it for it." The Emperor matter-of-factly stated.

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then smiled, "Thank you.... but I''m really fine with them staying alive, so you don''t have to go killing anyone on my behalf." She said patting his cheek like she would do to a child, "I actually don''t care anymore, truly. So do as you will and make a deal if you need to... With no consideration for me, I have no thoughts on this." She firmly said and then gave him a kiss on the cheek to keep things sweet.

    The Emperor stared at her and did not say anything, simply studying her face with an odd expression. Lei Xing then lightly shoved him and urged, "Get dressed... Even though you''re the Emperor, you shouldn''t keep your guests waiting for too long."

    The Emperor did not say anything and simply did as he was bid with slightly knit eyebrows. They both quickly got dressed, helping each other with the troublesome bits of their attire. Lei Xing helped the Emperor with hair and when he tried to help, she quickly ushered him out the door without even giving him a chance to show his skills. She pushed him out, ordered Ah Jin in, and with a sweet but yet dismissive, "Goodbye~" She closed the door in his face.

    The Emperor lightly chuckled as he looked at the closed doors and then shook his and went on his way with a smile. Since she was doubting his skills, he made a mental note to show her he was quite capable in all aspects including hair arrangement.

    In a much better mood, the Emperor made his way to the main hall to find Monk Du waiting with Eunuch Li. Monk Du politely bowed as soon as he saw the Emperor walk in.

    The Emperor lightly scrutinized the bald man as he made his way to the throne, this polite appearance was not what he was expecting of this daring monk that caused such a stir. Once he was seated, the Emperor casually said, "So you''re the famed Monk that has been eluding my men for so long..."

    "I apologize for my hasty departure last time. The circ.u.mstances were such that I had no choice..." Monk Du quickly said with a bow, hoping to start off on a good note.

    "En...Considering you returned on your own, I am sure you have a perfectly reasonable explanation for it..." The Emperor casually said with a polite smile, "I''m listening..."

 Chapter 330 - Bargain Bin

    Monk Du knit his brows and sighed, "My Master does not like interfering with the lives of people. I made that decision on my own to take your mother along without consulting my Master. I thought that her case was different - is different, so I believed that I could persuade my master to see her..."

    "... But when the Empress dowager did not show up at the appointed time, it appeared that she was not taking her situation as seriously as I thought. I was already taking a risk by taking her without permission and my Master is not someone to be taken lightly, he is not to be toyed with. So I decided to spare the trouble and return first to discuss your mother''s case with him..." He finished politely, bowing again.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "And you didn''t think to inform us of this conclusion before departing?"

    "You know your mother better than I do... Do you think she would have easily accepted that?" Monk Du asked, looking up at the Emperor with a knowing expression.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brows and jumped in, "Do you know that an innocent woman died because of your ill-thought action?" He irritatedly asked, annoyed at the insult thrown at his "friend", the Empress dowager. Even though he had witnessed her irrationality, she was not entirely beyond reason or so he liked to believe.

    Monk Du turned to Eunuch Li and solemnly said, "An unfortunate consequence... But every person is responsible for their actions. I am sure you know better than I the road that led to that woman''s death."

    Eunuch Li frowned, but before he could rebut, the Emperor glanced at Eunuch Li and said, "Enough..." They both knew the Empress dowager''s situation better than anyone else. It was true that she would not have been receptive to the thought of having to wait for permission to be granted to get an audience with anyone. If the position of the Emperor meant nothing to the woman, what would some random monk?

    "I take it that you have now received permission...from this Master of yours." The Emperor casually said, turning back to Monk Du.

    "Yes, Your majesty..." He responded, bowing again.

    "Alright then, your business is with the Empress dowager...Why am I here?" The Emperor asked in the same casual tone.

    Monk Du slightly nodded and then got down on his knees, then cupped his hands, and bowed his head, "I have a favor to ask..."

    The Emperor was not surprised and neither was Eunuch Li, The Emperor slightly let out a breath and then casually asked, "Does your ability to help the Empress dowager depend on this favor?"

    Monk Du knit his brows and hesitated for a bit before responding, "... Possibly."

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow and lightly smirked, "Possibly?... Alright, what is this favor that you need?"

    Monk Du bowed his head again, showing gratitude for the listening ear, then he went on to explain, "A long time ago, a member of the Chun family gave me a helping hand and in the process of this, they lost their life for the sake of my own battle. With his dying breath, the father entrusted his little daughter to me and pleaded that I secure his family bloodline. I took the girl under my wings and have lived by that promise...this promise extends to the lives of the twins of the Chun family. The same twins that have now branded fugitives with bounties placed on their heads..."

    "They have committed crimes for which they have to answer for..." The Emperor simply informed.

    "I am aware that they attacked the Empress dowager and that is a grave crime... but I ask for your understanding. They meant no harm to the Empress dowager, it was simply the desperate act out of worry for a loved one." Monk Du responded bowing his head again, "I am sure Your Majesty can appreciate a will to protect... Please accept this apology." Monk Du finished, kowtowing.

    The Emperor was quiet for a bit and Eunuch Li worriedly looked at the Emperor, trying to send a message with his eyes but the Emperor was not looking his way, but to his relief, the Emperor went on to say, "... I can understand that they felt panicked in such situation and in their panic, they became reckless. Considering that they simply retrieved their person and sought to retreat, a pardon is possible."

    Monk Du''s looked up with a smile and bowed again, "I thank your Maj-"

    "Don''t thank me yet." The Emperor interjected, causing Monk Du to blink up at him in confusion. The Emperor then went on to say, "Since you brought it up, there is something I want to ask you..." The Emperor calmly interjected.

    "Please ask." Monk Du swiftly went, although he did feel that things were going to be as simple as he hoped.

    "Are you the one responsible for the disappearing act the group put on?" The Emperor casually asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Monk Du knit his brows again, hesitated, and then responded, "Yes, but...It''s not something that can just be given to anyone..." He said politely bowing.

    The Emperor lightly snorted and nodded, "Of course..." While it was true that it would be useful to have such a technique in his arsenal, the Emperor was honestly not too interested in pursuing it.

    "Are you responsible for providing them with that magical seyu drug they used to use to poison my Empress?" The Emperor asked, slightly narrowing his eyes in irritation at the thought of the resulting trouble that drug had led to.

    Monk Du froze and blinked up at the Emperor in surprise, "Poisoning?"

    "Is that a yes or no?" The Emperor asked with a frown, he was not in the mood for playing games. His session with Prince Yi was enough for one day.

    Monk Du knit his brows in confusion, "I am responsible... But the seyu drug is nothing poisonous. It''s purely medicinal -"

    The Emperor''s lips twitched and he bit out in a low voice, "It was used as aphrodisiac...against her will, in a plot to shame her, that is poisoning..."

    Monk Du frowned, still confused. Before deciding to leave for the Long palace, he had asked Chun siblings to tell him what their situation was with Long country. After hearing how they had attacked the Empress dowager''s group, he decided it was something he could bargain for mercy with the Emperor. After all, the whole thing was due to his disappearance.

    But now the Emperor was talking about poisoning his Empress, completely blindsiding him. After seeing Lei Xing and the Emperor that day in the palace, he had warned Chun Hua to leave Lei Xing and the Emperor alone and let go of whatever vengeance she sought with Long country. She was naturally unyielding but he did his best to persuade her, despite not being able to tell the reasons behind his warning. He simply left it at that they were protected by divine providence and in the end, she had promised to let it go and that she would find a time to quietly exit the palace.

    But now, it was clear she had not heeded his warning. As if that was not enough, they withheld the information from him.

    The Emperor observed Monk Du''s reaction and could see that the man was probably kept in the dark as to the true extent of the deeds of his charges.

    The Emperor lightly scoffed and went, "I believe that they did not mean the Empress dowager harm and hence they are pardoned for that.... but I do not believe that they did not mean my Empress harm and therefore I am of no mind to pardon them for that. And so now I ask again, does your ability to help the Empress dowager depend on this favor?"

    Monk Du remained as he was with his tightly drawn together. While it was true that initially taking the Empress dowager to his master was up to his own whim, it was no longer the case. This time, his master had specifically requested that he bring her as soon as possible. But the Emperor did not know that and he hoped to use this as leverage.

    But now it seemed that the Empress dowager''s health did not have as much value as a grudge for his Empress. Tales of the Long Emperor''s affection for her had spread far and wide, so Monk Du was aware of it. Monk Du thought of requesting an audience with Lei Xing so he could appeal to her and appease whatever anger she still held towards the Chun siblings. Thinking that if she was appeased and talked to the Emperor on the Emperor on their behalf, perhaps the Emperor would change his mind. But...

    Monk Du glanced up at the Emperor who was calmly looking down at him with a blank expression. There was no way this Emperor was going to agree for him to have an audience with her. Jumping his way around the palace was also not ideal either, it could cause more problems than it could solve.

    After a long while of Monk Du''s silence, the Emperor sighed and went, "Since that is the case... You can leave."

    Monk Du blinked and immediately raised his head, but before he could speak. Eunuch Li turned to the Emperor and exclaimed, "Your majesty! Yo -"

    The Emperor raised a hand to silence him, "The Empress dowager is recovering well. She has survived with this for so long and will continue to survive. I will not negotiate with those who wish mine harm..."

    Eunuch Li frowned, this was exactly what he was worried about - that the Emperor would ignore the right path because of Lei Xing. This was why he chose to stay to watch over this exchange. He, like the Emperor, had suspected that the reason Monk Du was requesting an audience with the Emperor was regarding the Chun siblings. It was not ideal, but given that the Empress dowager''s ailment, he thought it should still be worth it.

    Eunuch Li''s frown deepened, he was going to argue and plead on the Empress dowager''s behalf, but then Monk Du asked, "Aren''t you curious as to why I came now, at this time?... It only took me a few days to reach my master... so naturally, it should have taken only a few days for me to return here. Yet it took me months..."

 Chapter 331 - TugBoat to the Dark Side

    "And what is this reason?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Monk Du nodded and looked up at the Emperor, "It was the great spectacle of your wedding with your Empress that convinced my Master...Although at that time, neither I nor my master knew that the celestial miracle of that day was tied to your ceremony."

    The Emperor knit his brows and did not say anything in response, Monk Du took his silence as a cue for him to continue, "That event moved my Master, he immediately into deep thought and recalled that I had once spoken of a certain Empress dowager with dark energy emanating from her. His interest was finally piqued and it was even more so when I informed him of the tale of spreading around about this event, the one about you and your Empress being celestial beings..." He finished with a knowing look in his eyes.

    The Emperor lightly scoffed and steered the conversation away from his fabricated tale with an inquisitive question, "If his interest is so piqued, can you afford not to deliver then?" The Emperor asked, now feeling more certain that this Monk was simply bluffing. His reluctance to leave was a clear indicator that he could not simply walk away as he did before.

    Monk Du blinked and then raised his eyebrows and indignantly responded, "My Master understands the importance of my promise�� He will stand by me in my decision."

    "My mother also understands the importance of not giving room to enemies of the state to operate... So she will also stand by my decision." The Emperor said and continued on with a calm smile, "It appears we''re at an impasse. I bear no grudges against you so you may leave in peace."

    Eunuch Li frowned, but he remained silent. Normally, if it were on any other issue, the Empress dowager would naturally agree and praise the Emperor''s decision right now. After all, she was clearly the type to hold grudges and see them through... But as she was now, if she heard that the Emperor did this, she would be upset and see it as an affront against her, especially because it had to do with this "Empress" whose very existence she seemed to loathe. She would definitely explode, the Emperor had to know this.

    Moreover, no matter what ill she had done to him, the Empress dowager was still his mother. This issue concerned her health, it was not something for him to dismiss for the sake of petty revenge - the Emperor should also know this. Eunuch Li wanted to believe that the Emperor was working some kind of angle here, but he could not help thinking that he really meant for the Monk leave. It was no longer a farfetched notion that the Emperor would truly dismiss the dowager for the sake of this Empress of his.

    It could not be risked, if this Monk left now they may never locate him again, so Eunuch Li had to intercede. He turned to the Emperor, cupped his hands and bowed, "Your majesty, please reconsider..."

    The Emperor ignored Eunuch Li and kept his calm eyes on Monk Du, who was looking up at him with a steady gaze. Eunuch Li glanced at Monk Du, frowned and repeated, "Your majesty, please reconsider this..." He pleaded, looking up at the Emperor, trying to pass on a message with his eyes but the Emperor was still not looking at him.

    Monk Du knit his brows, he had simply been bluffing hoping to make a benefit through this service that he was going to be rendering. He could not just leave as he said, he had never seen his Master agitated about anything before. It was important that the Empress dowager be taken to Taohua temple, his Master''s orders were clear. But he could not just leave the fate of the twins hanging in the air either.

    Eunuch Li frowned at the Emperor and was about to open his mouth again, but Monk Du beat him to it with a simple, yet shocking question, "If not for your mother''s sake, then how about for yours?"

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, slightly amused as he went, "Mine?"

    Monk Du let out a slight breath and nodded. He had noticed this as soon as the Emperor walked in but he did not plan to mention it. After all, it was not his business and he would rather not poke an unfamiliar sleeping dragon. But since the situation was already like this, he thought it was worth a try and so he went ahead and hoped for the best, "Yes, yours. Although it''s to a lesser degree, I sense the same dark energy your mother possesses in you now..."

    Eunuch Li immediately worriedly swept his glance over the Emperor, looking for anything amiss. While the Emperor blinked at Monk Du and then laughed, "... Do I seem like a child to you?" He asked, all traces of humor gone from his face in an instant.

    Monk Du knit his brows, "I know it is hard to believe and might seem like a desperate falsehood but I speak the truth. The fact that I am seeking a pardon for the siblings does not mean that we cannot do without it. After all, we have managed to evade capture this long... But life on the run is no way to live... Moreover, even if I may lie to others, I will dare to lie to you for fear of retribution." He said bowing his head in deference.

    "So am I to go along to visit your master now...to be "saved"?" The Emperor asked with a dry laugh, clearly being sarcastic. It seemed Lei Xing had rubbed on a bit too much on him. The Empress dowager had told Eunuch Li about her recurring nightmares of being swallowed in dark mass, this she believed to be the dark energy Monk Du had mentioned was surrounding her.

    And Eunuch Li, in a bid to make the Emperor more understanding of the Empress dowager''s condition, had told the Emperor about it. While the Emperor thought this "dark possession" excuse explained his mother''s peculiarities, such as her memory lapses. He was still not wholly convinced that she had no fault in her actions. After all, it was not as if she held no ill will to those she attacked.

    "That is not necessary..." Monk Du responded, he then looked up at the Emperor and explained, "As I said, yours is to a lesser degree, subtle. It seems to be more or less under control, for now...But you should understand that its existence means there is a potential for danger in the future."

    The Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes and Monk Du could sense his skepticism growing deeper but before the Emperor could shut him down again, Monk Du swiftly added, "Your mother was not born the person that you see today, as I''m sure your eunuch here can corroborate... And neither was your father born as the person you came to know, I am sure there are also ways for you to verify that as well. I cannot say for certain, but it seems to be a sort of hereditary curse... As unlikely as you may find it, is it worth the risk?" Monk Du asked, looking at the Emperor with Sage''s confident expression.

    The Emperor knit his brows, not sure how to respond to this. Of course, he had heard of stories of what his parents were like before the decimation of Xia country. Eunuch Li had told him a few stories about his mother''s childhood and his grandfather''s annals consisted of conversations of his father advocating for peace and other humane practices in court. But just because someone suddenly did something out of character or because a change was too drastic did not mean that it had to do with some otherworldly possession.

    People and their views change and most importantly, people are also great at hiding their true colors. His mother''s change had an easy explanation, grief and anger changed her. As for his father, perhaps he had simply been lulling everyone around him into a false sense of security, which gave him the advantage he needed for his plans.

    Monk Du could tell that the Emperor was seriously considering his words. But he also got the sense that the Emperor was still not leaning in his favor and was simply explaining away his words in his mind. So he tried for one more push, "Although it''s nothing like what you have with your Empress, your parents also shared a similar extraordinary connection��"

    "I do have a great gift of insight, I see much beyond the capabilities of ordinary people��" Monk Du reminded, seeing the question in the Emperor''s gaze, "I could tell that you and your Empress were both extraordinary from one glance back when I visited your mother. I had seen you both exiting the palace that day...but that is neither here nor there."

    "...My point is your parents'' lives together were once happy, probably as happy yours seems today. But yet their blissful relationship still soured and your mother succ.u.mbed to her rage which fed and awoke the dark energy which slept within her as it does for you. It not only pulled her towards the dark but due to the peculiar connection they shared, it pulled your father as well. Your connection with your Empress is much stronger, what do you think will happen to her once you become unstable?"

    "... But of course, you have no need to worry about that if you are always happy together - which of course, you are now. But even now when things should be going very well here you are...seething on the inside. Why is that?" Monk Du thoughtfully asked and then instantly regretted it when he was suddenly faced with a cold piercing glare from above.

    Monk Du lightly gulped, it seemed he had gotten carried away in his assessment and poked a sore spot. He immediately thought to recant but before he could speak, the Emperor quietly and menacingly went, "The fact that I cannot keep you here, does not mean that you can do as you like. Will you rise and leave on your own or do you require assistance?"

    Monk Du blinked at him, gulped again, and then lightly sighed. He bowed his head and then rose to his feet, finally giving up. It seemed he had said a bit too much and failed. The Emperor looked ready to launch at him and toss him out on his own if he said one more word. So Monk Du decided that it was best to leave for now and return another day with an apology to take the Empress dowager on their journey.

    As for the Chun siblings, he tried his best. He would help them as long as he lived... and after he was gone, they would have to fend for themselves. At the very least, they were not completely helpless. They would have to fight whatever enemy came their way.

    It was a pity, but it seemed that he would have to end his long life filled with worry for his two charges, he wondered if he would even be able to rest in the afterlife leaving them like this.

    Monk Du inwardly sighed, deeply bowed to the Emperor and was about to turn to leave, when Eunuch Li suddenly walked over to him in quick steps and under the Emperor''s still piercing glare, he quietly said, "Please wait outside."

    Monk Du blinked at him in surprise, seeing a ray of hope, he slightly smiled and bowed his head to Eunuch Li. Then he turned and left the hall as Eunuch Li turned to look up at the Emperor with a disapproving frown of his own.

 Chapter 332 - Haunting Repercussions

    Eunuch Li got on his knees, still holding the Emperor''s gaze as he cupped his hands and sternly said, "You can do as you like on everything else but you cannot forsake your roots..."

    "I have not." The Emperor coldly responded, narrowing his eyes at Eunuch Li.

    Eunuch Li narrowed his eyes back at the Emperor, "Then why are you risking the health of your mother over a petty grudge?"

    The Emperor let out an irritated breath, but rather than argue with Eunuch Li, he simply said, "It''s a bluff..."

    "You can''t know that for sure. I have always supported you, but this I do not support. You cannot gamble with your mother''s life." Eunuch Li said with a frown deepening.

    "He gave himself away when he said that his Master sent him here for the Empress dowager. He is simply trying to take advantage of the situation to meet his own end... " The Emperor calmly explained, "They are enemies of the state and cannot be let off, who knows what other trouble they will cause if pardoned today?"

    "I understand that..." Eunuch Li said and then pursed his lips, "But what if you''re wrong?... If he does not bow and never returns, where do we begin? He said his Master would understand..." Eunuch Li reminded and then somewhat glared at the Emperor as he added, "If it was the Empress''s health on the line, would you take the risk?"

    The Emperor frowned, annoyed that people kept bringing Lei Xing in everything these days. It was not as if he lost his senses when she was involved, he was always thinking rationally. Although he would admit that he was always a bit emotionally charged when it involves her, still he never forsook reason.

    "Your majesty, you have not come to see your mother recently so you do not understand the situation she is in. You have also been busy these last few days so I have not mentioned it... Your mother is not doing well. Since that time during your ceremony with your Empress, nightmares have returned, this time she claims that this time rather than being killed, she is killing the man in white who had always passively stood there watching her be attacked..."

    "... All this should be fine, but then she continues to still strangle herself and now even claws at her neck. If you go see your mother now, her neck tightly bandaged to both cover the wounds and to protect her from more injury... She needs this." Eunuch Li said looking up at the Emperor beseechingly.

    "...Do not forsake her in her time of need, as we have not forsaken you. Think of the repercussions and please reconsider this, Your majesty." Eunuch Li finished, kowtowing to the ground and hitting his head hard to show his deep resolve.

    The Emperor knit his brows tightly, understanding the true meaning in Eunuch Li''s words. Recently, there has been some unrest brewing amongst those from the Xia troops, some people were getting upset that it was taking the Emperor so long to liberate their people. They were finding it hard to understand that enacting such drastic change in an empire such as this had to be handled delicately to avoid a societal collapse.

    Eunuch Li had been able to calm them down by reassuring them that the Emperor could not forsake his mother''s people, the Empress dowager was still there and now free. Her freedom from confinement after fifteen long years was received as a sign of progress and hope for the Xia people. This was the main reason the Emperor was more tolerant of the Empress dowager as she represented the Xia people, not just herself.

    So even though the Emperor announced that the reason for the Empress dowager''s confinement was for her health, there were still rumors saying that he did it because Lei Xing did not like the Empress dowager.

    So naturally, the sparks of unrest started to bubble up again with rising concern that the Emperor was getting distracted. And of course, Eunuch Li and both Commander An have been trying to stifle any unrest, even going as far as executing some who were especially fueling dissent. Of course, the Emperor was aware of all this but he had chosen not to bother Lei Xing with these concerns.

    Therefore, if news got out that the Emperor did this because of the same Lei Xing that it was rumored instigated him into confining the Empress dowager, it will cause an even bigger stir, one that may not be easily covered up.

    After a while of anxiously waiting for the result of his bid with ears perked, Monk Du finally saw Eunuch Li stepping out of the hall. Monk Du looked up at him with expectant eyes. Eunuch Li came up to him with his eyebrows still scrunched and simply said, "You will have your answer tomorrow... Stay the night, no harm will come to you. You have the Emperor''s word."

    Monk Du slightly knit his brows and stared into the hall, up at the Emperor who still solemnly sat on his throne. He inwardly sighed and then his gaze fell back on Eunuch Li as he bowed his head and calmly said, "Thank you..."

    Eunuch Li nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I really hope you can help her..."

    "I will do my utmost for her recovery..." Monk Du said with another bow.

    Eunuch Li nodded again and then said, "Follow me..." And with that, the two went down the steps of the main hall.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Lei Xing had finally put herself back in order and left the royal study to return to her palace in a pretty good mood. While the mention of the Chun siblings left a slightly bad taste in her mouth, she really did not care too much about all that anymore. After all, she had lost little in the encounter.

    The only thing that really irked her about the entire encounter was the fact that the Emperor was quite bothered about her kissing Prince Yi. It was really not pleasant having to explain away an accident that should not have happened.... over and over again.

    It seriously got on her nerves, but she was trying to be understanding. It was honestly draining but it paid off, the Emperor was happy and the subject was thrown back in the trash where it belonged. At least that was what Lei Xing thought until she rounded the corner of the pathway to her palace and stopped in her tracks with raised eyebrows.

    Princess Nalan sitting on the floor with her arms folded just in front of her palace doors, with her eyes closed and a stubborn expression on her face. While two eunuchs and a few maids stood around her looking at her with troubled expressions, obviously trying to talk her out of this scene.

    Lei Xing knit her brows and inwardly sighed and then proceeded to walk forward, her irritation instantly returning.

    When the eunuchs and maids saw Lei Xing approaching, they immediately bowed and one of the eunuchs stepped forward and began, "I apologize Your majesty. The Princess insisted on -"

    "Hey, where are you going?!" Princess Nalan suddenly exclaimed when she saw Lei Xing simply walk past them heading toward her palace doors without acknowledging her or the eunuch.

    Princess Nalan swiftly sprung to her feet and went to grab Lei Xing, but Bi Lo and Bi Lu quickly blocked her path, providing a barrier. Princess Nalan frowned at them and then fixated on Lei Xing''s back as she shouted, "I have been waiting here all this time and you''re just going to walk away! You owe me an explanation! You lied to me! Hey! Hey! If you don''t stop I''ll..." Princess Nalan continued mouthing off while trying to push her way through.

    Lei Xing stepped onto the landing and then let out an exasperated breath and wearily said, "Let her in..." And then she proceeded to walk in.

    Lei Xing sat down at the pavilion on the side, this was all really tiring. Princess Nalan naturally rushed in, stopped at the door for a bit, and glanced about for Lei Xing before making a beeline for the pavilion.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and waved away the servants as Princess Nalan stepped into the pavilion. The last thing she needed now was to become the talk of the palace... Well, at this point it was too late for that. But there was no need to give the gossips more ammo.

    Princess Nalan stopped in front of Lei Xing and promptly said, "You owe me a proper explanation...No lies this time, I want the truth." She added, narrowing her eyes down at Lei Xing, "staring her down".

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed at this, but maintained her calm expression as she looked up at Princess Nalan and wearily asked, "What are you on about now?"

    "Stop trying to be smart!" Princess Nalan barked, "Do I seem like that much of an idiot to you?" She asked, glaring now.

    "Well..." Lei Xing refrained from saying the ''apparently'' that was on the tip of her tongue and simply sighed and said, "Look...Nalan, it''s been a very long day for all of us, so if you''re not going to speak directly then just leave, I''m tired."

    Princess Nalan pursed her lips and glared at Lei Xing, who unflinchingly met her gaze with calm eyes.

    "Fine." Princess Nalan went and then went to sit down across from Lei Xing. She put her fisted hands on the table, hesitated for a moment, and her frown deepened before she finally spat out the question that''s been haunting her since leaving the main hall, "What''s between you two?... And don''t pretend to be stupid or lie to me again. I won''t have it." She warned, glaring daggers at Lei Xing again. She was serious this time.

 Chapter 333 - Petty Urges

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, "Between -?...Nevermind." Lei Xing said with a hand up before Princess Nalan could open her mouth.

    Lei Xing then sighed and said, "There''s only one person I that I have any "between" with and that is my Emperor. But you could not possibly be inquiring into my relationship with him and given recent developments, I assume you''re referring to "your" Prince...correct?" Lei Xing asked and waited for clarification.

    "Yes." Princess Nalan haughtily responded, sitting upright and folding her arms.

    "Well then, absolutely nothing." Lei Xing flatly stated. As irritating as this line of questioning was, she just wanted to peacefully get this over with so she could soak in a warm bath and then get some rest in peace.

    "I said no lying!" Princess Nalan said a bit too loudly and then immediately glanced at the servants who were watching from a distance. She frowned and then leaned forward and went back to speaking calmly, "...If it''s nothing, then why did we did have to cover up for you that night?"

    Lei Xing blinked at her in "confusion" and Princess Nalan let out an irritated breath and expanded, "We left you two alone, together. Yet we lied and said we left you with the Emperor. I also asked about it and you didn''t return to the palace that night and that was what caused the uproar that morning. I even heard that the Empress dowager searched Prince Yi''s house that morning. Why would she have searched there when you were said to be missing? I have also heard the rumors about your past with him... So don''t lie to me. I want to hear it from you, what''s really going on between you two?" She finished with a glare and a disgruntled pout. She asked it but she was honestly not sure she wanted to know the answer.

    {...That stupid Chen You! Is it too late to end her?! I''m feeling petty right now -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing inwardly g.r.o.a.n.e.d and brought a hand up to massage the side of her aching head, all this was such a nuisance. It may have really just have been better if he had left her to fall to the ground. At most, it would have been a bit of bruising, but she would not have to be dealing with 101 questions about something she knew nothing about.

    Lei Xing sighed and wearily looked at Princess Nalan and let out an irritated breath, "I also heard that you were apparently some dainty little elegantly delicate princess -"

    "What''s that got to do with anything?!" Princess Nalan interjected, frowning in confusion and annoyance.

    "Are you?" Lei Xing calmly asked with raised eyebrows, ignoring her question.

    "Of course not! Stop trying to change the topic." Princess Nalan irritatedly went.

    "Obviously untrue, just like those rumors you supposedly heard..." Lei Xing simply said, "You grew up in a palace, so I am sure you aware that rumor mill is one of the simplest of weapons..."

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and looked down at the table in silence. Lei Xing let out a sigh, believing this to be enough, she rose to her feet to leave. But Princess Nalan was up just as quickly, blocking her way, "Just rumors? Then why did he -" She stopped and scowled not quite sure of her question, "Why did he grab you then?"

    "How should I know?" Lei Xing said with some exasperation, she was really tired of this now. She took a deep breath and said, "Nalan, I have tried to indulge you, understanding that this must all be very stressful for you... But I have nothing to tell you, I know nothing. If you need any explanation for his actions, then go find him for your inquisition." With that said, Lei Xing promptly side-stepped Princess Nalan, but Princess Nalan grabbed her arm again and began, "No, you ha-"

    "Enough." Lei Xing sternly said with a frown, at her wit''s end. She could endure the Emperor''s ignorant questioning because of their relationship, but she generally had a short fuse for stupid inquiries like this and so she could only handle so much in one day.

    "I am neither the person whose action is in question nor am I the one who signed a relationship contract with you. Therefore, I do not owe you anything, much less an explanation... If you truly want answers for whatever this is, go find him." Lei Xing irritatedly finished, angrily brushed Princess Nalan''s hand off, and stormed off, throwing out an order to the servants in her wake, "Escort her to her palace, use force if necessary and keep her there."

    Princess Nalan stood rooted to the spot, glaring at the spot Lei Xing just left, not quite thinking of anything but feeling uncertain about everything.

    {...Is it truly nothing?... Why am I feeling so worked over nothing then?...}

    ***

    It was very late at night when the Emperor finally returned to their palace. He had spent a long time thinking about how to best proceed with everything. He had a long meeting with the ministers about the revelation of the day, which yielded little. And after that, he had just hung around in the royal study thinking alone for a long time.

    The head physician gave a dubious verdict on Princess Nalan''s pregnancy. Apparently, according to Princess Nalan''s own admission, the encounter only happened about two weeks ago. Therefore, he announced that it was too early to be certain, all he could say was that it was possible that she was pregnant. This news naturally made the Emperor angrier as it made it clearer that Prince Yi''s sole intent by making that announcement was to manipulate the situation.

    Regardless of her pregnancy status, Princess Nalan''s reputation was now ruined thanks to that announcement. To avoid her becoming an object of ridicule, the natural and most "reasonable" solution was for them to get married...as they wished. Still, doing this left a bad taste in everybody''s mouth given Prince Yi''s calculative manner.

    Therefore, neither the Emperor nor his advisors were keen on the idea of simply obliging. But some other peaceful solution was fleeting. If the Emperor refused the marriage, then it would likely mean war with Zou kingdom which was not ideal, especially considering the fact that even the people of Long country were likely to condemn the Emperor''s decision. After all, the average person may not understand why granting a marriage would ever be a problem.

    In the end, the meeting devolved into an argument sparked by Prime minister Zhao''s callous remark about how if the Emperor ever listened to him this would not have happened as he had long advised the Emperor to get rid of Prince Yi as his father would have wanted him to. An ambitious Prince should not be left alive to grow wings. Even though he was right, Defense minister Lei and did not like his insulting tone and told him to mind himself. Prime minister Zhao then basically accused him of being the Emperor''s bootlicker because his daughter was the Empress. From there, the two and their supporters began talking over each other.

    The Emperor had let them run on for a bit, too occupied with his own thoughts and irritation at the situation, his brother and himself to be bothered with their bickering. Eventually, he shut them up and sent them home so he could think peacefully on his own.

    At this point, even if he wanted to, the Emperor could not "deal" with Prince Yi the way Prime minister Zhao had been advising, killing him now would only create more problems right now. The main problem being what would happen to the possibly pregnant Princess with a ruined reputation. For now, the two problems will remain locked up in their respective "homes" until he decided what to do with them. Of course, they had already sent out a message informing the Zou king of this new development as nicely as he could put it.

    There was also Monk Du''s request to consider and the Emperor has acknowledged that Eunuch Li was somewhat correct. But at the same time, he was concerned that the siblings who bore an obvious deep grudge might still come back to attack later if let free to roam.

    But...then again, the Emperor also had to admit that he was probably being a bit too petty here. Now that he knew where their mysterious disappearing power had come from, he now understood why they had not simply used it to attack them in the palace. It was simply because they could not. According to Eunuch Li, Monk Du had also assured that they no longer had access to it and would be absolutely no trouble anymore.

    If Monk Du was to be believed, the siblings were absolutely no longer a threat... And the Emperor had to admit to himself that he did believe it, he had believed it the moment he heard Monk Du had asked to see him.

    The Emperor sighed as he lightly c.a.r.e.s.sed Lei Xing''s cheek with the back of his fingers. He had come in to find her sleeping at her desk. It appeared she had been waiting up for him to return and had chosen to take a quick nap at her desk, a quick nap that had sent her into a deep sleep.

    She must have been really tired too because she did not stir when the Emperor carefully took her in his arms and carried her over to the bed. Not even when he laid next to her and wrapped his arms around her, a bit too tightly.

    Although the Emperor preferred to think that it was because she was too comfortable with his touch to bother to wake up. He let out another long sigh and gave her a light kiss on the lips, before resting his forehead on hers and closed his eyes to drift off to sleep.

    Today he had discovered that he apparently had a stubborn petty side, one that he was not aware of. The Emperor frowned as the image of Lei Xing "comfortably" being in Prince Yi''s arms cropped up in his mind again. He opened his eyes and knit his eyebrows at Lei Xing''s sleeping face as he stifled the renewed urge to go cut off Prince Yi''s arms along with that mouth and tongue of his that dared him. He had not even been this angry when he was informed of that stupid kiss back then. Obviously, hearing about it and witnessing it first-hand were two very different things.

    But the Zou Princess and her people would definitely not appreciate a husband with no hands or tongue�� It was quite unfortunate and still very tempting.

 Chapter 334 - Crystal Cave

    "Exactly how far are we going?" A slightly irritated, but familiar voice asked.

    "We''re almost there, just a little more..." Another somewhat familiar voice responded with a hint of excitement that made the voice sound very foreign.

    The Emperor heard these two voices amidst the darkness before the scene suddenly came into view as if a blindfold was taken off his eyes. The Emperor immediately frowned, both in annoyance and confusion. He went to move but found that he could not, he seemed like a statue, rooted to the spot with his arms clasped behind his back... and neither could he speak, for some reason.

    It was as if he was simply a guest, a passenger in his own body forced to silently watch an irritating scene unfold.

    {...Is this a dream?... It has to be...}

    The Emperor found himself standing in the wide passage of a cave with odd little glowing white dots embedded in the cave walls, lightly illuminating the passageway. The light was low but it was enough for the Emperor to clearly see the faces of the two people who had stopped in front of him, facing each other as they spoke. This was what confusing him, one of them appeared to be his beloved Lei Xing while the other one seemed to be his currently infuriating brother, Prince Yi.

    The Emperor was close enough to Lei Xing to see her knit her brows in a familiar way that indicated she was slightly annoyed. He could guess that she was not on going along down some random cave - this was about right for his Lei Xing, she did not a fan of the unknown and was skeptical of people.

    The Emperor guessed that she was only here because he was. And since he did not care to go into a random cave with his brother, much less drag his Lei Xing along, the Emperor was about to open his mouth to say they were leaving, but Prince Yi beat him to it, "You''ll like it, I promise...Just a little more." He said, smiling at Lei Xing beseeching.

    The Emperor immediately glared at Prince Yi and wanted to grab Lei Xing''s hand and drag her out, but he found that he could still not move. He tried to open his mouth to speak again but he still could not say anything. This was extremely infuriating. He hoped Lei Xing would ask his opinion or at least look at him, but instead, she simply relented with a sigh, "Alright..." Causing Prince Yi''s smile to widen in an obvious glee that made the Emperor want to go knock his teeth out.

    Neither of the duo before him asked for his own input on the matter as they resumed their walk. Dream or not, the Emperor could obviously not leave Lei Xing alone with his brother and so instantly wanted to follow, but again this iron of a body that was apparently his was still not responding to his will.

    As the two people rounded the corner, the Emperor started to feel more agitated, worried he would lose sight of them. Finally, when the Emperor was drowning in his increasingly anxious thoughts, his body started to move but it was in infuriatingly slow measured steps, following the two from a distance.

    He was moving now, but he was definitely not in control here because if he was, he would be holding Lei Xing''s arm dragging her out of here while questioning her as to what they were doing following his brother into some random cave.

    What''s more, she was ignoring him while giving deference to his brother''s words. She did not even glance at him once, neither of them did. Prince Yi turned back several times as they went along, but his eyes only ever stopped at Lei Xing. Prince Yi too was ignoring him, but that was to be expected. Since there was nothing else he could do, the Emperor begrudgingly satisfied himself with glaring at Prince Yi every time he turned back to look at Lei Xing.

    Finally, they ended up coming out in a wide opening, with an even more surprising view that surprised the Emperor. There was a small man-sized hole in the ceiling of the cave, where the outside light shone in.

    What was even more surprising was that in here, the walls had pointed clear glass crystals growing out of them, all around them, even on the ceiling itself. The ground was the only place with no crystals, instead, it had a bright green, somewhat shimmering grass bed - Although there were a few large crystals boulders strewn about.

    The Emperor was greatly surprised by the scenery, but he found himself looking on with uninterested eyes, with his remaining fixed on Lei Xing, who lightly glanced about the cave, also not very interested as she flatly went, "Crystals...interesting."

    Prince Yi was apparently not phased by her dry response, He simply smiled at her and said, "Wait a bit... You''ll see." Then he walked to the middle of the opening and looked up through the hole in the ceiling of the cave.

    The Emperor found himself glaring at his brother again and it was only now that he realized that Prince Yi appeared younger...much younger. The Emperor''s eyes quickly returned to Lei Xing and he also realized that she too did not quite look the same either. While he had never known Lei Xing in her younger years, he did have a frame of reference that was Xiao Ting.

    Now he was confused and was even more convinced that this was a dream, an odd one at that. It was one thing for him to dream about his brother with Lei Xing. But why would he dream of a younger version of them in some random cave?... Moreover, with him being the third wheel in the scene, of all things.

    "Now..." Prince Yi suddenly excitedly said, as the light coming from outside diminished greatly and a soft hue of purple, red and yellow light shimmered in from above. The next thing, the ground below came to life, as flower stems with white shimmering buds suddenly sprung up from the grass below.

    The flower buds opened up to reveal bright petals, radiating the similar soft white light the dots in the cave passageway had. The most surprising component of these flowers was that in their centers housed little crystal clutters of three, that mirrored the hue of yellow, purple, and red glow from above.

    To the Emperor and Lei Xing''s amazement, the crystals lining the walls also took on the colors coming in from above, each crystal picking its own choice of light from the three presented, creating a room of colorful lights. Seeing this astonishing sight reminded the Emperor of something, but before he could place it, he was distracted as his eyes narrowed in on Lei Xing''s lit up face.

    She was smiling, obviously enthralled by the scene as she glanced about and then crouched down to scrutinize the flowers, "It''s beautiful..." She quietly said as she touched the crystals in one of the flowers, her smile slightly widening. The Emperor also found himself slightly smiling as he watched her, he wanted to go over and hug her, she looked incredibly beautiful in the soft glow of the room, but again, his body was back to being a rigid unmoving stone.

    "...Not as beautiful as you." Those shy words filtered into the Emperor''s ears and he was reminded that there was an unnecessary third party in the room with them. Prince Yi apparently shared his thoughts, but it was greatly unwelcome and the Emperor went back to glaring at Prince Yi, who was surprisingly blushing as he hesitantly looked at Lei Xing, completely unphased by the Emperor''s glare or rather, he was bluntly ignoring it.

    To the Emperor''s delight, Lei Xing did not have much of a reaction to Prince Yi''s sickening words. She simply cast him a nonchalant glance and then went back to scrutinizing the flowers.

    He had also come to the conclusion that the other two could not see him and was completely convinced that this was a dream. Therefore, there was no reason for him to get affected by anything he saw here...but that was easier said than done.

    This was really a strange dream, one he would like to be done with now. Despite the fact that he knew this was not real and the fact that all they were doing was talking, it still REALLY rubbed him the wrong way as he glanced between the two.

 Chapter 335 - Uninvited Spectator

    "Um... A few years ago, I don''t know if you remember but..." Prince Yi began and then paused, lowering his head, hesitating again as if unsure whether it was a good idea to proceed.

    "I remember..." Lei Xing quietly said and both Prince Yi and the Emperor promptly looked at her to find her looking up at Prince Yi with a slight smile, "You were the one at the lantern festival years back, weren''t you? I never forget a face..."

    Prince Yi nodded as his face lit up with a nervous smile, which only further incensed the Emperor, as much as it piqued his curiosity as to what incident warranted her smiling at him like that.

    Lei Xing stood up with knit eyebrows and awkwardly explained, "Well, I didn''t mention it because... Well, you didn''t and well... It''s not exactly a... Well... fond memory." She mumbled the last bit with a slight frown, obviously uncomfortable with the topic.

    Prince Yi''s expression instantly fell, obviously disappointed with the revelation that it was not a "fond" memory. But still, he tried to maintain his smile and said, "I understand, you were little and being left alone in a foreign place, it''s natural that you would have been frightened s-"

    "Frightened, no. Annoyed, yes." The Lei Xing sharply cut in with a full frown, obviously annoyed at being labeled as "frightened".

    This made Prince Yi fl.u.s.tered again, while the Emperor felt himself smirk again and inwardly scoffed,. But then the strangest thing happened and he thought he heard his own voice very quietly say: Idiot...Of course, it was nothing significant. If it was, I would naturally know about it

    If he could move his head, he would have immediately looked around him to see if somehow his peripheral vision had missed a person next to him... a person who could somehow mimic his voice because he had clearly not spoken.

    Another odd thing, with an equally odd feeling. It was quite startling, but the Emperor quickly dismissed it. After all, this was already as odd as a dream could get, so what was one or two more oddities.

    Prince Yi found his tongue again and smiled, trying to backtrack, "Ah, of course, your parents - I mean, their maj-"

    "Ah, I haven''t actually thanked you for that day..." Lei Xing cut in with an almost strained smile, obviously not wanting to discuss this. Prince Yi blinked at her and she brought up her hands, cupped them, and slightly bowed her head as she said, Thank you for your help -"

    To the Emperor''s great annoyance, Prince Yi swiftly closed the space between them with an insane speed and clasped onto one of her hands as he panickedly went, "Ah, you shouldn''t bow, please... I - It was an honor to help you and...an-anyone would have been glad to. I - I just got lucky..." He said turning red as he blinked down at the hand he was holding.

    The Emperor felt his hands ball into fists with a wave of mounting anger as he watched all this unfold. Lei Xing, on the other hand, did not seem at all bothered. She slightly raised an eyebrow and with a slightly more genuine smile and frankly said, "Still, gratitude should be shown, I owe you a debt."

    Prince Yi nervously smiled and looked down at the hand in his again, seemingly shocked and both glad that she was not pulling away. He took a deep breath and then looked up at her face again, where he was met with a now confused eyebrow.

    Prince Yi became even more fl.u.s.tered when he met her inquisitive gaze but he persisted, "Xing er'', I... Instead of that, I... Actually, I... Since that day, I''ve always...always -" He paused and nervously lowered his eyes, gulping hard, "I..." He suddenly stopped again and knit his brows as he stared at what seemed to be the bracelet on her wrist.

    At this point, the Emperor was absolutely mad with rage, and a good portion of it was directed at the Lei Xing who was stupidly just standing there allowing Prince Yi to do as he liked with her. Dream or not, the Emperor wanted to race over there, shove Prince Yi to the wall, not particularly caring if he got impaled by a crystal.

    Then he would grab Lei Xing by the shoulders and shake her lost senses back into her... But his stupid body refused to move! Other than fist-clenching, glaring, and smirking, this body wanted to do nothing else.

    "Is something wrong with my hand?" Lei Xing asked with a somewhat amused expression as she looked from her hand to the person in front of her.

    "Why do you always wear this?" Prince Yi asked with a frown

    Lei Xing slightly stiffened and then lightly shrugged, "No reason...Just a habit I guess."

    Prince Yi obviously did not like the answer, he looked up at her with a disgruntled frown and said, "It doesn''t suit you..."

    Lei Xing raised a questioning eyebrow, with slightly narrowed her eyebrows and he immediately realized he had spoken out of turn and backtracked, "I mean, it suits you... It''s just, well...If you want I can take it off for you." He fumbled and then looked at her with a determined and expectant gaze as he waited for her answer.

    Lei Xing lightly snorted and then removed raised her hand, "It''s fine..." She dismissively said. before turning to the side and nonchalantly sweeping a glance about the beautiful cave room with a little smile.

    When Lei Xing raised her hand, the Emperor had gotten a good look at the bracelet that was the point of discussion. Not that he was really expecting anything. It was just that he assumed that if he would be dreaming about a bracelet, it would be the one she used to wear, the one that she claimed terrorized her.

    But it was not that bracelet, this one was very different. It was a bracelet made of pearls, with a rhombus-shaped midnight gemstone that looked like it held the starry night sky as the centerpiece. The Emperor could not place it but he was sure that he had seen it before.

    The Emperor was distracted when he heard himself snort as his fixed on Prince Yi, who was intently staring at Lei Xing with a disgruntled pout, while Lei Xing stared everywhere but at him. He could not be sure whether Lei Xing was ignoring him on purpose, but whichever it was, he was amused watching his brother squirm in her presence.

    Prince Yi finally found his tongue, "But -"

    "Hehe~"

    The three people froze when they heard that light feathery snicker, which disappeared so soon that it made one unsure if they actually heard it. Lei Xing and Prince Yi looked at each other questioningly, obviously, neither of them had done that. And the Emperor knew he did not either.

    Before the three could collect their thoughts, a voice suddenly exclaimed, "Ow! Who''s the brat who put this rock here?!"

    They immediately looked at one of the few large crystal boulders near the entrance and next thing, a familiar form walked out from behind it, a form that surprised the Emperor.

    Doctor Lou came out from behind the crystal boulder, squinting at it, "You better watch yourself or I''ll grind you to dust!" He warned, then he turned to the two people at the center and blinked in innocent surprise, "Ohh... You''re still here?"

    "Were you eavesdropping on us?!" Prince Yi exclaimed in surprise, visibly taken aback.

    Doctor Lou squinted at Prince Yi and then haughtily raised his head, "Nooo... I was proudly listening, I do not eavesdrop...unlike some people." He finished, turning his head to the side and squinting at where the Emperor stood.

    The Emperor immediately felt himself freeze, feeling a slight pang of guilt. The old man could see him, he had to be. It could not simply be a coincidence that the old man cast an accusing gaze his way when he said that.

    "Of course..." Lei Xing sarcastically mumbled and Doctor Lou turned his accusing gaze on her, "You were the ones who ruined my nap... And I was simply being considerate. You should thank me." He indignantly stated as he strolled over to where the Emperor "invisibly" stood in slow deliberate steps with a curiously raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor felt himself gulp, feeling a bit nervous as Doctor Lou stopped in front of him. The old man then squinted up at his face and the Emperor knew for sure that he was about to get exposed.

    The Emperor felt himself worriedly glance up at Lei Xing and then frown down at the old man, who now had a mischievous smile on his face as he slowly stretched out an index finger towards the Emperor''s c.h.e.s.t. The Emperor gulped again, he wanted to move out of the way but his body was still not responding, it stood firm and simply frowned down at the old man, who was clearly messing with him at this point.

    "Xing Xing, did you know..." The old man intentionally dragged out the words, "Ah?" He went with a frown as his finger went through the Emperor''s body. Doctor Lou c.o.c.ked his head and then used both arms to wave through the Emperor''s body, wading through nothing but air.

    "What are you doing?" Lei Xing asked with a confused eyebrow as she watched the old man flapping his arms like a bird.

 Chapter 336 - Forbidden Inclinations

    Doctor Lou promptly stopped and then squinted up at the Emperor again and then turned to Lei Xing and Prince Yi, who were both curiously looking at him. He blinked at them for a moment and then narrowed his eyes, "Frol.i.c.k.i.n.g is not allowed in my cave..."

    Prince Yi immediately lowered his head, while Lei Xing snorted and said, "Frol.i.c.k.i.n.g? It seems your old age is finally getting to you -"

    "Scavenging is also not allowed... I''m onto you." The old man cut her off, squinting even harder at her. Lei Xing quietly scoffed and rolled her eyes as she mumbled, "Like I''d want anything here..."

    Doctor Lou smiled and then walked over to her and nudged her arm a bit, "Although, if you were MY~ student, I would naturally be willing to gift you a few~ but unfortunately... Still, I am magnanimous so if you ask nicely enough, this great one might just conside-"

    "I''m leaving." Lei Xing cut in and swiftly turned around and walked off as the old man called out, "Hey! I am trying to help you here!... Tch, stubborn brat." He mumbled and then turned his attention to Prince Yi, "And you?"

    Prince Yi immediately cupped his hands and bowed his head with knit eyebrows, "I apologize, I did not know that cave belonged to you. I just..."

    Doctor Lou studied Prince Yi for a moment before sighing and saying, "You know, you remind me of myself when I was younger...much, much, much younger....."

    "Oh?" Prince Yi went, his face lighting up with welcome surprise.

    "...I didn''t like myself much then either..." Doctor Lou added, promptly bursting the bubble that was Prince Yi''s face as the old man stroked his long beard frowning at the ground.

    "Pardon?" Prince Yi went, knitting his brows.

    Doctor Lou turned to him again and chuckled, "Don''t worry, you''ll grow out of it too~" He said patting Prince Yi''s back, "But I will say this...You should let go while it''s still early, some things just are not meant to be. Life gets much easier if you learn how to let go early... Trust me, it''s a vital skill for survival. Look at me, I have less white hairs now~" He finished with a smug smile.

    "What won''t work?" Prince Yi asked with a frown, obviously not amused.

    Doctor Lou blinked at him for a few seconds and then shrugged, "If you don''t know then I don''t know~...But you know I could help you, if you were my student. There are a great many things that I know, that not even the suns and stars know and of course, I am a great sharer too~"

    The Emperor who was finally recovering from being the shock of being air heard himself scoff at the old man''s statement. That scoff again was not his but it brought his mind back to the scene ahead and he realized that Lei Xing was gone and Prince Yi suddenly looked troubled under the old man''s squinting, smiling gaze.

    Prince Yi averted his eyes and cleared his throat before cupping his hands and bowing, "I-"

    "Nevermind, I am also very busy... Too much to do already!" Doctor Lou interjected, pulling at his beard, "Buuut...since I like you, I''ll be magnanimous and I''ll offer some wisdom~"

    Prince Yi''s ears perked up and he looked at the old man with an expression that seemed eager to receive said wisdom. But rather than looking at him, Doctor Lou narrowed his eyes at where the Emperor stood and said, "Can a stalking hunter who cannot even see his own shadow outwit a meandering prey?"

    Prince Yi knit his brows in thought and then seriously responded, "I don''t know... Can he?" Even the Emperor looked at the old man with a curiously raised eyebrow, also wanting an explanation.

    "How should I know?" Doctor Lou exclaimed, turning to Prince Yi with an incredulous expression.

    Prince Yi frowned, "But you''re th -"

    "Students these days are so lazy..." Doctor Lou said with a weary sigh, stroking his beard, "My job is to make up stuff and yours is to make sense of it! You can leave." He said waving Prince Yi away and retuning his squinting gaze to where the Emperor stood.

    Rather than leaving, Prince Yi turned his gaze to where the Emperor stood and curiously asked, "Is there something there? You keep looking that way, not to mention yo -"

    "Didn''t I say I busy?" Doctor Lou cut in with a pout, before kicking at Prince Yi''s legs, "Hurry up and leave! How many times do I have to say it? Go ponder out my wisdom words or go pacify Xing Xing, I''m sure she''s pouting somewhere or thinking of how to steal from me, she better not take anything or I''ll blame you. Anyway, shoo! Shoo! Goodbye!" Doctor Lou finished, finally kicking the dodging Prince Yi into the passageway, "Hurry away before I stop being polite!"

    "O-okay, I''ll leave..." Prince Yi said, composing himself and giving a quick bow, sparing one last curious look at where the Emperor stood before turning and rushing down the hallway.

    Doctor Lou raised his hand to frame his ear as he crooned his neck down the halfway, seemingly listening to ensure that Prince Yi had left. Once he was satisfied, he turned around and with a smile, narrowing his eyes at where the Emperor stood, "Does Xing Xing know you''re stalking her?"

    The Emperor felt himself frown, but he gave no response.

    "Are you ignoring me? I know you''re there... and don''t even try to run away..." Doctor Lou said, narrowing his eyes at the Emperor.

    The Emperor wanted to respond, but as it had been since this whole "dream" episode began, he had no control of his body and could only watch as his body remained stoic, with hands behind his back, apparently frowning at the old man.

    The old man pouted and then turned as if to leave, "If you don''t respond, then I''ll go tell Xing Xing that you were spying on her in the bath the other da-"

    "That was an accident!" The Emperor suddenly heard himself exclaim to his surprise - Apparently, he could speak.

    But the Emperor was positive that those were not his. Moreover, why would he need to spy on Lei Xing in the bath, he could easily just go join her with no question from her or anyone else... But then again, he reminded himself that this was a dream and evidently, he was a passenger in some other person''s body.

    Even though this should be a dream, the Emperor was still not pleased with some random man watching Lei Xing bathe.

    As if to respond to the Emperor''s accusing thoughts, his host explained in a now measured tone, "I left before I could see anything... so there is nothing for you to report. I am no pervert." He added for good measure.

    Doctor Lou turned back to him with a sly smile, "Neither am I."

    The Emperor was not convinced by either of their words and would say something if he could. Then his host body asked a question that he had apparently completely overlooked, "And what were you doing near her bath?" His host asked, causing the Emperor to mentally nod and also internally frown at the memory of Doctor Lou walking in on him and Lei Xing in the hot springs. Back then he had not said anything to the old man because they were on his premises but it was definitely not something that was allowed.

    "Do I look like you?" Doctor Lou asked with an incredulous, "insulted" expression.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes along with his host, both having the same thought as he said, "Don''t play dumb. How did you know about t-.." He paused, pursed his lips, and awkwardly finished, "...the incident...in the bath?"

    "Ahhh, that~... I guessed, but now I know for sure hehe~ Looks like you''ve truly learned an interesting thing or two hehehe~" Doctor Lou said covering his mouth as he snickered and then he caught himself and added, "Ah, but I definitely didn''t teach you that, better not tell anyone I did."

    The Emperor could feel his host''s exasperation at being played by the old man, "How can you see me?"

    "Can''t" Doctor Lou responded, "It was just the o.b.s.c.e.n.e level of jealous rage radiating from your little corner that gave it away~." When he felt the other person''s glaring holes into him, he cleared his throat and honestly responded, "I''m serious, but...it probably has to do with this place, these crystals are quite unique structures, they illuminate a lot of things for those who are...in tune~ A little more and even the entertainment would have noticed. You should be more careful w-"

    "Xing er'' is not for your entertainment..." The Emperor''s host reproachfully said, narrowing his eyes at the old man.

    "Tch, you''re all no fun..." Doctor Lou, plopping down on the grass again. He then sighed and laid down on the grass, "I never understood why young ones these days are in such a hurry to grow up, trust me when I say you''ll miss your younger days if gone too soon.."

    The Emperor''s host pursed his lips and glanced to the side to where Lei Xing and Prince Yi had just been. Rather than responding to the old man''s words, he asked a question of his own, "Do you know of this debt matter between them?"

    "Of course I do~..." Doctor Lou said, plugging at a blade of grass and twirling it in his fingers with a playful smile.

    The Emperor''s host waited for a bit, but when it seemed like Doctor Lou was not going to simply volunteer the information, the Emperor''s host finally irritatedly said, "So, tell me..."

    "Why should I? If you want to know, then go ask one of the two...After all, it is none of my business, remember." Doctor Lou said, squinting at the Emperor and then smiling smugly and resuming his scrutiny of the grass blade.

 Chapter 337 - Quack-Ception

    The Emperor''s host glared at the old man, Doctor Lou spared him a glance and then sighed and said, "But... Since it''s rare that the student confounds the teacher, given this monumental occasion, if you tell me how exactly you''re doing this... Then I may feel inclined to forget certain words you may or may not have said..." He finished, throwing the blade of grass in the Emperor''s direction, and somehow, the blade of grass sailed through the air and landed right in front of the Emperor''s - Well, his host''s feet.

    The Emperor''s host hesitated for a moment, before sighing and begrudgingly saying, "It''s the bracelets, I don''t know how..."

    Doctor Lou stroked his beard, "Hmmm, can I -"

    "No." The Emperor''s host cut in, "Now, you tell me."

    "Tch, no fun." Doctor Lou said, pulling at his beard, "Since you won''t let me examine it and that stubborn Xing Xing won''t give it either...Then answer my questions or my memory might just fail me~... How does it work?"

    "I don''t -" The Emperor''s host let out an exasperated sigh, "...It happened that day she got hurt, I didn''t know where she was and I was desperate and...it brought me to her, like this, for a single moment. It was how I knew she was here."

    "I see..." Doctor Lou said stroking his beard and nodding, "...and?"

    "... And I refined the skill - I''m just looking after her welfare." The Emperor''s host indignantly said.

    Doctor Luo pouted and pulled at his long beard, "You never come to look after my welfare..."

    "Now tell me about the incident." The Emperor''s host dismissively said, not at all bothered by the old man''s pouting.

    Doctor Lou glared at him and then sighed, "...I don''t really know the details myself, but it seems Xing Xing and her parents went to some lantern festival somewhere...and then apparently, those irresponsible airheads forgot they took her and left without her. Somehow Xing Xing ran into Shan and his friends and they brought her back, then I ran into them on their return and took her home...The end. Isn''t it such a wonderful beginning to a beautiful...something?" He finished, leaning forward with a sly smile as he wiggled his eyebrows at the Emperor.

    The Emperor''s host glared at him and then Doctor Lou chuckled and smugly straightened up, stroking his long beard with both hands, eyes closed with a satisfactory smile on his face, "You know, it''s still not too late to ask for my help -"

    "Mind your own business and if you tell anyone about this, I''ll dig up all your treasures and disintegrate them." The Emperor''s host speedily cut in.

    "Tch...ungrateful brat." Doctor Lou said with a pout, he then sighed, "Always so quick to run - who are you?" He suddenly derailed when he opened his eyes, suddenly looking at the Emperor with a confused frown.

    The Emperor knit his brows, very confused at what was happening now. No one else had entered the cave and the old man was still looking in his direction, the direction he had been facing the entire time, so...

    {...Did he suddenly forget who he was talking to?... No, he said he couldn''t see him so perhaps someone else is here?...}

    "You better start talking while I''m still asking nicely..." Doctor Lou asked with a frown, suddenly jumping to his feet at a surprising speed, his eyes never shifting.

    The Emperor glanced behind him, checking to see if someone was standing there. Doctor Lou promptly said, "I''m talking to you. We''re the only two people here, the brat''s gone... better start talking while I''m still asking." He warned with a serious expression that was unbecoming of the old man''s usual jovial manner.

    Realizing the old man was talking to him, the Emperor faced forward and promptly raised his arms to show that he meant no harm, but then he looked at his arms with surprise. He could move again!

    "Ah." The Emperor tested and then let out a short laugh, "I can talk!" As he dropped his arms and flexed his wrists. and laughed a little again, fascinated by these little things.

    "Hey! Don''t ignore me!" Doctor Lou said with a frown as he studied this intruder, "How did you get in here without me noticing?" He said more to himself than to the "intruder".

    The Emperor finally blinked out of his stupor and faced the old man with knit eyebrows, "I''ve been here the entire time...Well, I think so, I think I was somehow attached to the person you were talking to just now...and now they''re gone, right?" The Emperor asked, glancing behind him as if unsure, "... This is a truly odd dream." He said turning back to Doctor Lou.

    "A dream?" Doctor Lou asked with a raised eyebrow.

    The Emperor nodded, he still did not understand what was happening, but from Doctor Lou''s words, he could guess that the host - the brat that seemed to be in control of his body was now gone. or rather he now had his body. He truly did not understand, but first of all, he introduced himself, "I am the Long Emperor."

    Doctor Lou snorted, "No, you''re not."

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, "Yes, I am, we have met, remember?..." He could mention knowing about the old man being his Voice, but he had not forgotten the old man''s warning about this knowledge bringing harm to Lei Xing. So he held his tongue and instead said, "Those two that were just in here, one was my wife, my Empress, Xing er''...along with my brother." He finished with a frown as it occurred to him that those two could presently be together.

    "Empress?" Doctor Lou asked, blinking at him with even more confusion, "Xing Xing?"

    "Yes."

    "And your brother is...?" Doctor Lou asked, looking even more confused.

    "Shan....the one that was with her." The Emperor said with a hint or more of resentment

    {...Remember, this is just a dream..}

    The Emperor let out a breath as he repeated that thought in his head, trying to purge his thoughts. Doctor Lou scrutinized him and then cautiously walked over, drawing the Emperor''s attention back to the scene. Doctor Lou stopped in front of him again and went to poke him again and just like last time, he was still air.

    Doctor Lou knit his brows and then put his hands in his sleeves and suspiciously looked up at the Emperor, "So you say you''re the Dragon Emperor?"

    **(Long means Dragon...so translated, it''s Dragon country)**

    "Yes... "Getting the sense that the old man was being strange, the Emperor felt the need to add, "We''ve met before. I recognize you, you''re that Doctor Lou, aren''t you? Xing e- Xing Xing''s friend..."

    Doctor Lou cluelessly scratched his head as he mumbled, "Well, I am a Lou and Xing Xing - well, I guess we are friends... of sorts, even if she is a brat... but doctor -? Well...I do like the sound of it, sounds important. Hmmm, I can accept it, I am THE Doctor Lou!" He announced with a resolute nod at the Emperor, who looked at him with confused suspicion.

    "What did you say your name was again?" Doctor Lou asked looking up at the Emperor with a deep scrutinizing gaze that made the Emperor uncomfortable.

    "I didn''t say..." The Emperor suspiciously responded, not quite sure what to make of the old man''s behavior but still, he answered, "It''s Jun Kai..."

    Doctor Lou''s eyes went wide and then he narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard as he nodded and quietly said, "Ahh, so you''re not the Dragon Emperor, but the place where you are Emperor is called Dragon, therefore you are the Dragon Emperor Kai... I see." He finished, stroking his beard and nodding.

    **(Long means Dragon)**

    "Yes..." The Emperor tentatively confirmed with a frown as he scrutinized this strange old man who did not seem to be all there upstairs.

    Doctor Lou then suddenly grabbed one of the Emperor''s hands, the Emperor instinctively wrenched his arm back but the old man''s grasp was too strong. He did not even seem to notice the resistance as he brought the Emperor''s wrist up to his eye level and squinted at his empty wrist, "Ah... Now it all makes sense~"

    "What does?" The Emperor asked with knit eyebrows as he looked down at the strange old man.

    Doctor Lou looked up at him with a smile, "Who knows?" He said and released the Emperor''s wrist and then sauntered off with a chuckle and plopped back down on the grass, facing the perplexed Emperor, "So Xiao Kai who has Xing Xing as his Empress and apparently -" He snorted, "Shan as -" Snorted again, " - brother.." He managed and then broke out in a full laugh, even holding his stomach as he laughed.

    The Emperor was naturally not amused and frowned at the old man. Doctor Lou promptly cleared his throat and put on a serious expression, "...Now come, tell me about yourself~" He said with a somewhat excited look on his face.

 Chapter 338 - Interview

    The Emperor looked at the old man apprehensively, getting the sense that the old man was playing some sort of game now. A game that he did not want to participate in so he tried to excuse himself, "Perhaps some other time. I need to go find Xing Xin - I mean, Xing er''. I have something to ask -"

    "I can answer! Ask me!" Doctor Lou eagerly volunteered, bouncing up and down on the ground.

    "It''s best I speak with her directly..." The Emperor said with a half-smile as he slowly backed up towards the passageway. He worried that the old man would try to stop him but Doctor Lou just smiled at him, simply watching but not moving as he edged closer to the passageway.

    Seeing that the old man had no intention of stopping him, the Emperor turned and went to leave, but then was stopped by an invisible barrier that was blocking the entranceway. The Emperor hit the invisible unmoving wall and turned back to frown at Doctor Lou, who promptly raised his hands and went, "Oh that''s not me..."

    "Then what is it?" The Emperor asked, starting to feel a bit panicked. He was still under the impression that this was a dream but...It was all a bit too strange.

    "It''s simple really, you only exist in this cave room..." Doctor Lou supplied and when the Emperor looked at him with confusion, he clarified, "...because of the crystals, they can be quite troublesome sometimes but nothing can be done..." Doctor Lou finished with a nod, stroking his beard.

    The Emperor frowned, "That''s wrong, I came in this way with the others..."

    Doctor Lou nodded, "True~...buuut back then you were piggybacking on a certain someone, who is now gone... don''t think he''s coming back anytime soon either soo..." Doctor Lou said as he glanced up at the ceiling, "You could be trapped here a really long time unless..." He cast the Emperor a telling glance and said, "You tell me a thing or two or more and I''ll send you on your merry way back to "your" Xing Xing~...and brother." He added, snorting again and again, barely able to contain his laughter.

    The Emperor frowned at the crystals on a wall, not quite sure what to make of this. But he thought that if and since this was a dream, he could just wait until he woke up... as if reading his mind, Doctor Lou asked, "How long do you think a body can survive without its soul?"

    "Soul? This is just a dream... Isn''t it?" The Emperor asked, frowning at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou chuckled, "I tell myself that everyday~...Doesn''t really work though. Anyway, come sit, let''s talk and then I''ll be nice and send you off~"

    "O - kay... Xing Xing''s from another world?" Doctor Lou asked with a raised eyebrow, pausing in his "note-taking", which was really just him using one finger to scribble nonsensically on his other palm.

    "Yes...She says you sent her there through some mishap... I''m not quite sure." The Emperor tentatively responded, not quite sure what to make of anything anymore. Since he could not leave or wake himself up, he had resigned himself and was now sitting across from Doctor Lou, answering questions.

    "Mishap?... Pretty sure it''s her fault." Doctor Lou said with a little pout as he took notes. The Emperor watched the old moving his finger along his palm and let out a weary sigh. The Emperor naturally doubted the old man''s finger writing capability, especially with no ink, not to mention he seemed to be writing over every word with each new one, but he did not mention it.

    "She said you said that."

    "See~... I know these things!" Doctor Lou said with a chuckle.

    "Then shouldn''t you know all this already?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow, slightly amused. They had been talking for a really long time about any and everything.

    Doctor Lou froze and stared at him wide-eyed for a bit, then he blinked and then raised his head as he indignantly said, "Oh, I know~...I''m just checking to see if you know."

    "Why w-"

    "Shhhhh! Stop questioning me! Do you want to go home or not?!" Doctor Lou asked squinting at him.

    The Emperor pursed his lips and fell silent and Doctor Lou straightened up and smiled, "Good, now...about this brother of yours, Shan... What''s your relationship like? Do you like or dislike him? love or hate him? Friends or foes? Comrades or enemies? Amiable or loath -"

    "I get it." The Emperor cut in with a hand up, causing Doctor Lou to chuckle. The Emperor took a deep breath and then knit his brows, "It''s...complicated between us."

    "Of course! Simple is boring~...Tell me more." Doctor Lou said with a raised eyebrow as he continued his finger scribbling while his eyes remained on the Emperor.

    The Emperor frowned, not particularly wanting to discuss this.

    "Someone''s running out of time..." Doctor Lou said in a sing-song voice when the Emperor began brooding.

    The Emperor sighed, "Alright...Well, I don''t hate him, I think. He seems to hate me though... But that''s neither here nor there, I can stand him hating me and even wanting my throne -"

    "He wants your throne?" Doctor Lou asked with a surprised expression, seeming taken aback.

    "Well, yes..." The Emperor said with a frown.

    "Hmm, that''s... interesting news." Doctor Lou said, resuming his scribbling, "Continue..."

    The Emperor pursed his lips, "Well...the thing is, he''s overstepping too much." He said, clenching his fists.

    "Uh-huh~" Doctor Lou offhandedly went with a nod, "In love with your XIng Xing?" He offhandedly asked.

    "You know about that?" The Emperor asked with wide eyes and then went, "Of course you do... So you should understand me wanting to kill him now, right?"

    Doctor Lou blinked at the Emperor, looking confused again, "I should?"

    "You should." The Emperor assertively said, staring Doctor Lou down.

    Doctor Lou snorted and then resumed his scribbling, "Considering your bitter tone, I take it something happened very recently with him... Let''s hear it~"

    The Emperor''s frown deepened and he let out another breath, "Well, you see today. Well, yesterday... He shows at the banquet we were having to send off the concubines. I was satisfied with them leaving quietly, but Xing er'' thought it would be in poor taste." He clarified before Doctor Lou could ask.

    "Anyway, he arrived with the Zou princess announcing that he wants to marry her - Which honestly, I was glad about, although a bit surprised. But I was happy that he had moved on from his attachment to my Empress. But even though I was happy for him, there is still a process to be followed with these things and I told him as much. But then this... fool went ahead and announced that the Zou princess was pregnant with his child. Unnecessarily complicating the situation... I would still have been happy to think that he was suddenly love-struck with this Princess, but then I cannot pretend not to notice the longing glances he keeps giving my wife, why is he like this?!" The Emperor harshly bit out, obviously frustrated.

    "How should I know? Don''t take out your anger on me, it is in poor taste." " Doctor Lou said, covering his c.h.e.s.t with his hands and leaning back with a wronged expression.

    "I''m sorry, it''s just...frustrating." The Emperor apologized with a sigh, unclenching his fists and flexing his fingers.

    Doctor Lou nodded, "I can understand, but...I cannot condone you killing him, you need to give people room to grow... There are no lost causes."

    "You truly think so?" The Emperor asked, looking up at the old man with a dubious expression.

    Doctor Lou steadily held the Emperor''s gaze for a while before saying, "I hope so..." and then he looked down and frowned at his palm.

    The two sat in silence for a while, each with their own thoughts before Doctor Lou suddenly perked up and went, "So... What''s this Princess like?" He asked, his excited smile returning and his trustee palm and finger back to scribbling.

    "Reckless and unthinking." The Emperor said, raising his eyebrows, surprisingly glad for the change in topic.

    "That''s good, he thinks too much..." Doctor Lou said with a resolute nod and the Emperor surprisingly nodded in agreement.

    They fell silent again for a while until Doctor Lou let out a loud breath and asked, "So...are you happy?"

    "Incredibly... much more than I ever thought possible." The Emperor said with a smile, "Thank you..."

    Doctor Lou blankly stared at him for a while, before clearing his throat and lowering his head as his face slightly reddened.

    {...Is the old man ...blushing? O_O)...}

    "...And Xing Xing?" Doctor Lou quietly asked and the amused Emperor responded, "What about her?"

    "...Is she happy with you?" Doctor Lou asked looking up at the Emperor with a hesitant expression that both surprised and unnerved the Emperor.

    The Emperor slightly knit his brows and averted his gaze, hesitating a moment before responding "She is. Very much so."

    Doctor Lou blinked up at the Emperor and then looked down and pursed his lips, "You don''t sound convinced..."

    "She is happy. We''re very happy." The Emperor reaffirmed, raising his head a bit for good measure.

    Doctor Lou leaned forward and squinted at the Emperor as if peering into his soul. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at him, but sat firm and then the old man chuckled and said, "I''ll take your word for it~"

    The Emperor knit his brows, he did not like the choice of words, "It is a fa-" He suddenly stopped with a frown and brought a hand up to his c.h.e.s.t. He just felt a sting of pain there, a pain that was lingering, almost growing.

    "Something wrong?" Doctor Lou asked with a raised eyebrow as he watched the Emperor massaging his c.h.e.s.t with a deepening frown.

    The Emperor shook his head and dropped his hand. He let out a calming breath and decided to move on from the topic of Lei Xing to something else that had been bothering him, so he asked, "The monk... Do you really think he can help my mother? Should I agree to his request?"

    Doctor Lou blinked at him, looking lost again, but just as the Emperor was about to open his mouth to explain, Doctor Lou inquisitively asked, "...Why not?"

    The Emperor frowned down at the grass again, truth be told, he knew he did not particularly have any good reason to object to this request. He sighed again and simply said, "Alright then...I will accede."

 Chapter 339 - Alarm Bells!

    Doctor Lou simply nodded and resumed his finger-palm scribbling while the Emperor silently observed him as he considered everything that had happened.

    With the presence of the old man, the Emperor was no longer certain if this was simply just a dream. He glanced about the cave room and his eyes settled back on the old man and he could not help inquiring, "You still haven''t told me what exactly is this place and who was that person you were talking to earlier, the one you say I "piggybacked" on and how does he know my Xing er'' -"

    "Your Xing er''..." Doctor Lou interrupted with a snort followed by a giggle, struggling to contain his laughter.

    The Emperor glared at him and stated, "She is mine." And then continued his questioning, "Why were Xing er'' and my brother here...together? More importantly, where did they go?" He finished with a frown, the thought of the two of them together, even in a dream was upsetting, "Is this really all just a dream?"

    "How should I know?" Doctor Lou responded with a shrug.

    "Stop it." The Emperor flatly said, tired of the old man''s antics.

    "Stop what?" Doctor Lou asked, innocently blinking at him.

    "You know, so tell me." The Emperor said, narrowing his eyes at the old man in irritation.

    Doctor Lou quietly looked at him for a few seconds before sighing and asking, "Do you want to go home to "Your" Xing Xing, or do you want to go see that one?" He asked, nodding towards the passageway.

    The Emperor knit his brows, "I''m not asking to stay here, I just want to know what this is and they were here...when they were here." He added, recalling that they looked younger here. He could not help recalling the rumors of them having something together before his return to the capital. He knew they were rumors started by Chen You to besmirch Lei Xing''s reputation...but seeing this, he could not help thinking that perhaps there was some truth in those words.

    He had looked into it and they had no meetings, but there was still a chance that their encounters had escaped detection, a slim chance but still a chance. Lei Xing would not know, but Prince Yi would know, would remember what they had...and he would not tell him. The Emperor clenched his fists in anger, considering whether torture could work.

    "Didn''t you say this was a dream?" Doctor Lou''s voice cut through the Emperor''s thoughts and he looked up to see the old man looking at him quizzically. Doctor Lou smiled at him, "Can''t trade a dream for reality, now can we?"

    The Emperor stared at him, feeling his ruffled feathers settling, he opened his mouth to speak but then suddenly g.r.o.a.n.e.d in pain as his hand clutched his c.h.e.s.t. It felt as if something had just rammed into his ribs, knocking the air out of him. While he was still struggling to catch his breath from the first blow, another blow came and then another, and another...

    The Emperor was suddenly feeling like he was being submerged underwater, struggling for breath. Doctor Lou chuckled, "Best send you home before someone else makes that choice for you hehehe~"

    The Emperor raised his head with difficulty, "Wha -" Before he could finish his words, he fell over, and his gaze, and the world, went dark.

    {...What in heaven''s name is happening to me?...}

    ***

    "I said pour it!." Lei Xing barked at Xiao Ruo who was holding a basin of water by the bed, hesitating.

    Xiao Ruo glanced at the bed, where Lei Xing was pounding on the Emperor''s c.h.e.s.t with her fists, occasionally pausing to "kiss" him. Xiao Ruo knit her brows, not quite understanding what was happening, "But your majesty -"

    "Right now!" Lei Xing ordered, glaring at her as she sat back up from one of her "kisses". Xiao Ruo flinched and promptly emptied the bowl on the Emperor''s face and to her surprise, he did not even flinch. Of course, he had not. If Lei Xing''s pounding did not wake him, how would ordinary water do the trick?

    "Where''s the stupid doctor?" Lei Xing said with irritation as she continued using all her might to pound the Emperor''s c.h.e.s.t, one fist after another in swift decisive, painful moves. Xiao Ruo quickly looked at two of the maids and they ran off to go check on what was keeping the Imperial doctors before Lei Xing turned her anger on them.

    "...It''s not working." Lei Xing panickedly said, before slapping the Emperor hard across the face, causing Xiao Ruo and the maids in the room to jump, "Wake up!"

    "Your majesty, be caref -"

    "Shut up!" Lei Xing barked out and then went to "kiss" him again, longer this time before she straightened up and resumed her pounding on his c.h.e.s.t.

    {...Wake up! You have to wake up!...}

    The Emperor felt before he could see, felt the assault on his c.h.e.s.t, and then he felt warm lips on his, which he quickly knew were Lei Xing''s. His lips instinctively wanted to move to kiss her lips, but they were gone too soon. He could feel his body but could not move or open his eyes. Next came the influx of pain again, he was very confused now, still submerged in the darkness.

    He felt her lips again and instinctively his moved to grab onto hers. Her lips moved against his for a split second, before they were gone again. In pain and a tad irritated, he willed his eyes and body to move and this time, they responded. His eyes sprung open as his body sat up in bed and his hand moved to clutch his c.h.e.s.t. The sudden movement had caused a ripple of pain to go through his c.h.e.s.t.

    The Emperor glanced at the shocked faces of the maids who were looking at him with shocked faces before they quickly averted their gazes. The Emperor then promptly turned to look at Lei Xing, who was blankly staring at him. She was sweaty and completely disheveled, not in a good way, "Xing er'', what''s wrong?" he asked, completely forgetting his own pain as the hand that was clutching his c.h.e.s.t went to hold her pale face.

    Lei Xing finally reacted and let out the breath she had no idea she had been holding, before she jumped on him, arms wrapping around his neck and burying her face in the crook of his neck, "You''re awake...and warm" She quietly said in a breathless voice, followed by a little sniffle.

    The Emperor nodded. He did not quite understand what was happening, but he held and comforted his rattled Lei Xing, who he suspected was crying. She was hiding her face and he could feel her shaking. He was just about to send the servants away so he could properly talk to her when the doors flew open and he turned his head to see a bunch of Imperial physicians and servants rushing towards the bed in a frenzy.

    Before he could ask what was happening, Lei Xing swiftly straightened up and looked at the head physician as she said, "Come check him, he wasn''t breathing an - Just check him." She irritatedly finished, not wanting to sound even more foolish. He was awake now, clearly breathing and warm. Still, she could shake the agitation from earlier away, she released him but still held onto one of his arms, her fingers on his pulse, soothing her frantic heart with each heartbeat she felt.

    The Emperor turned to look at Lei Xing and curled his fingers up to hold her hand and she looked up at him. The worry in her eyes caused his heart to ache. She looked terrified, an expression he had not seen before on her face. He smiled reassuringly and said, "I''m alright."

    "Still, check him." Lei Xing ordered with a frown at the head physician who had just been standing there obviously confused by her saying he was not breathing when he was sitting up looking at them.

    The head physician came over and checked his pulse and then knit his brows, he let go of the Emperor''s wrist and then scrutinized him and then asked, "Are you in pain anywhere?"

    The Emperor turned to him and began, "Well, my che -" He stopped and Lei Xing lowered her head, he slightly smirked and said, "I''m fine..." Lei Xing worriedly looked up at him, but before she could say anything, the Emperor patted her head and smiled at her, "I''m really fine..."

    The Emperor then turned to the head physician and said, "You can leave..." The head physician glanced at Lei Xing and then bowed with knit eyebrows, it seemed again this royal couple disturbed his sleep for no reason. He let out a sigh and then left with his retinue.

    The Emperor then looked at Xiao Ruo and ordered, "Change the sheets." She bopped and quickly fled the room with the other maids, leaving the Emperor and Lei Xing alone.

    "I woke up and you weren''t breathing...your body was also cold." Lei Xing said with a frown as she put her hands to his neck, happy to feel the warmth on his skin and movement as he held her hands. She smiled at him and then looked at his wet hair and said, "You should get changed..." She said and then climbed over him and held his arm to help him up.

    The Emperor lightly grimaced as he stood up and Lei Xing worriedly asked, "Are you sure you won''t get something for that? Do you think I broke a rib?" She said as she opened his shirt and was shocked at the sight of the reddening bruise on his c.h.e.s.t. Her administrations had been very focused on a particular spot, "Sorry..." She mumbled with a pout.

    She had no clue she was using that much power...but she could not be blamed. The terror of waking up and finding your spouse cold and not breathing would naturally drive anyone mad. At least she had the breath of mind to immediately perform CPR.

    Lei Xing nodded and gave herself a pat on the back.

 Chapter 340 - Awake

    The Emperor looked down at the reddened bruise on his c.h.e.s.t and slightly snorted. It seemed his little Xing er'' had a bit more strength than he presumed.

    "What''s funny?" Lei Xing asked, looking at him with a disgruntled frown, "Do you know - understand how horrifying that experience was?"

    The Emperor innocently blinked at her as she continued her tirade, "You were dead - Okay, maybe not dead, dead for obvious reasons, BUT you were definitely - Okay, maybe not definitely -" She paused letting out an exasperated breath with a pout, "Look, I don''t take to pounding people for fun, you know." She finished, folding her arms, irritated with the whole affair. She had seen the looks the Imperial doctors and servants had been giving her and now he was laughing at her too.

    Naturally, it was upsetting and the Emperor''s amused expression was not helping. She glared at him and added, "I''m not crazy."

    "Of course not." The Emperor said with a smile, wrapping his arms around her, "I am sorry for worrying you and I wasn''t laughing, I was simply re-evaluating my opinion of your strength. You''re a lot stronger than you look~"

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and he smiled even more "reassuringly". Lei Xing raised her chin and went, "Hmph. I told you the time with your mother was a fluke. I can take her and probably take you too... soon enough." She finished, lightly poking the bruise on his c.h.e.s.t.

    The Emperor burst out laughing with that and grabbed her finger, "Of course, I wouldn''t stand a chance...soon enough~" He said, giving her a quick kiss but Lei Xing held his face and deepened the kiss. A few moments ago, she had thought he was gone and that she would never have this again. She was still greatly rattled and unnerved by this experience. The Emperor never being able to turn her affection away, naturally indulged her.

    When Lei Xing finally eased away, she rested her forehead against his, still holding onto his face and lightly c.a.r.e.s.sing it as she very quietly said, "I was so scared..."

    "It''s alright... I''m alright." The Emperor said, bringing up his hands to hold and c.a.r.e.s.s her face. Lei Xing turned her face into one of his palms and kissed it then she straightened up, moving her hands to his shoulders as she seriously asked, "What was wrong with you?... You must have felt something wrong...right?"

    The Emperor shook his head, "No, as far as I know, I was simply asleep but..." He stopped and knit his brows, feeling something odd, as if he was forgetting something.

    "What? What is it?" Lei Xing asked with concern.

    The Emperor shook his head again, "Nothing, I just think I had a dream...about you!" He said the last bit a bit too excitedly for the current situation. It was just that his mind was hazy, so he was happy to recall that tidbit.

    Lei Xing, on the other hand, was less enthused. She frowned and sarcastically asked, "So dreaming about me stopped your heart...?"

    The Emperor smirked at her, "Well, you do sometimes have that effect~"

    "I''m not playing here." Lei Xing said narrowing her eyes at him.

    The Emperor sighed and seriously said, "I know... But I honestly don''t know. I just remember falling asleep, might have dreamt of you, but then again, I could be mistaken, I dream about you a lot." He could not help confessing with another flirtatious smirk. Before Lei Xing could scold him again, he quickly got back on track, "... Then I woke up to you and all this..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought for a bit and then scratched her forehead, "Alright then... Well, it is possible that I might have...overreacted... a bit. It''s good as long as you''re fine. But are you sure you''re alright? Maybe you should get a full-body exam or something, hm?"

    "I feel fine... But if it really bothers you then I''ll have the head physician do a check-up tomorrow." When Lei Xing''s knit eyebrows tightened, he raised his eyebrows, a bit amused as he added, "Or tonight? Alright then, I''ll send for the hea -"

    "No... Let him sleep, the old man probably hates me by now, I think." Lei Xing grumbled with a pout. Even she would be beyond pissed off if someone woke her up in the middle of the night for supposedly "nothing" twice!

    The Emperor chuckled and pat her head, "I''m sure he appreciates your diligence..." He then let out a breath and seriously said, "It won''t happen again... I promise." He finished hugging her to his c.h.e.s.t. Lei Xing sighed and hugged him back, putting her ear to his c.h.e.s.t, comforting herself with the sound of his beating heart.

    {... Haha...ha... I think I might actually be going crazy little by little >_<)...}

    ***

    Doctor Lou opened his eyes and they promptly swept across the expanse of the crystal cave over and over again. After confirming and reconfirming that he was alone with no strange presences lingering around, he stretched his arms with a loud and wide yawn, "Can''t feel my legs..." He grumbled as he bent forward and used his hands to massage his lower back with a frown, eyes closed. He was currently sitting on a patch of grass in the middle of the crystal-wielding flowers in the same colorfully lit crystal cave from the Emperor''s forgotten dream.

    "Hmmm...so that was today? I had almost forgotten about it..." Doctor Lou said as he bent his waist from side to side. Stretching exercises were necessary after a long nap, not nap, training, meditation...Important stuff.

    "Forgotten about what?" A familiar voice asked and Doctor Lou immediately opened his eyes and turned his body a bit too quickly, causing him to hold his back and groan as he glared at his sister who was standing at the entranceway.

    "When did you - What are you doing here?" Doctor Lou asked with a pout, still holding his back.

    "I live here, remember." Qi Yin glumly reminded.

    "I remember." Doctor Lou responded, narrowing his eyes at her, "What I mean is shouldn''t you have gone back into isolation?... It''s bad to be wandering around in your condition."

    "Same goes for you, so you''re not one to offer anyone advice..." She retorted with a mocking smile.

    "Hmph!", Doctor Lou went, shifting in his position to stretch his stiff legs out as he continued his stretching exercises, "You and I are different..."

    Qi Yin scoffed, "Of course."

    Doctor Lou realizing he had made an error, stopped and turned to her, "I didn''t mean it that way. I just meant that you should watch your health. Unlike you, I don''t have any responsibilities hanging on my neck so I have plenty of time to rest every day. It''s not too late for you to reconsider your life choices~ I can show you the ropes!" He finished with a brilliant smile.

    Qi Yintscrutinized him with a blank expression for a while, making Doctor Lou feel uneasy and he averted his gaze to the flowers on the ground with a little pout. Finally, she sighed and asked, "How is your hand?"

    "Huh?" Doctor Lou went, blinking up at her in confusion.

    "Your hand?" She repeated with knit eyebrows.

    "Oh! Oh - Perfectly fine!" Doctor Lou swiftly responded, raising both hands up high above his head and flipping them over with a playful smile so she could see, "But nothing was wrong with them in the first place~"

    "Alright then." Qi Yin simply said and turned to leave.

    Apparently taken aback, Doctor Lou exclaimed, "That''s all?" With wide eyes.

    Qi Yin stopped and turned back to him with a raised eyebrow, "Is there something else we need to address?"

    Doctor Lou blinked at her for a second and then shook his head, "Nope! Nothing at all! All''s perfectly fine. Good." He finished with a resolute nod, pulling on his long beard.

    Qi Yin scrutinized him for a bit and then said, "Since I''ve confirmed that you have unfortunately not gotten yourself killed yet, I''ll be leaving then."

    Doctor Lou nodded, waving her away, "You go live long too~" And with no more words, his sister disappeared down the pathway and Doctor Lou promptly let out a sigh of relief.

    He was surprised that his sister had no words of reproach for him, not even questions. There was no way she would not have heard about what he was doing... It felt really odd that she had nothing to say. Her silence made him curious, but it was best not to go looking for trouble. If she said nothing, then he would have nothing to say either.

    He glanced about the crystal cave room again and then let out a sigh, massaging his aching head. Things and well, people did not always go according to expectations.

    Take this current situation, for example, he had thought the whole thing through from start to finish. But yet, troubles keep sprouting up left and right, complicating things. Even after he had taken such careful notes from that bizarre experience with whatever that Jun Kai thing was, things still got messed up.

    He was still not exactly certain how it was possible for Jun Kai to have been here all those many years back, long before he could have come into existence.

    While Doctor Lou knew a great deal more than most - if not all people, at least those still alive, there were still a few minor things here and there that eluded him but then again, elusions were necessary to keep things interesting. After all, what''s the fun in knowing everything about everything?

    Although he did have a working theory, he had been too "busy" to bother about the logistics of how Jun Kai - or at least the person he now knew to be Jun Kai, had been able to show up to him in the past.

    Doctor Lou scanned the empty cave room again and sighed, "I really should have asked better questions..."

 Chapter 341 - Memory Lane

    It was true, he really should have asked better questions. But back then Qi Lou honestly had no idea what he was facing. At the time of the occurrence, he simply saw it as something interesting to pass the time. It was only after Jun Kai left that the bright idea dawned on him...an idea he now questioned the validity of. But it was too late to turn back now, he had dealt the cards and the damage had been done.

    After Jun Kai had disappeared from the crystal cave that night many years ago, Qi Lou had promptly gone to his most secretive vault of treasures to seek out the crystal he had long kept hidden in the most obscure of his trove. This crystal was his most precious gem for what it held - a swirling wave of golden light swam about inside it. What that crystal held was, in actual essence, a piece of an old friend he had lost a long, long time ago... A piece that had now become known as the Long Empress dowager.

    All those years back when Qi Lou had decided to keep this portion of her soul essence, he had no idea what he was going to do with it. Back then, when he had collected her soul essence, he had no idea what he was going to do with it then, but he still did it to satisfy himself.

    It was only after meeting Jun Kai that night that he finally knew what he wanted to do. She deserved a second chance at life and a second chance he gave her.

    Naturally, no one knew that he had kept a piece of her soul and no one could know. If anyone found out, they would have either tried to destroy it - destroy her, or would have tried to use her to satisfy their own greed again.

    Qi Lou had thought he had fixed it, believed he could control it, believed he had mastered it... but of course, things were never that simple. It now looked like he might have simply been dancing to someone or rather something else''s tune.

    But back then he had not expected so many complications and troubles. Once he had made up his mind on this path, he had set off to look for the world Jun Kai had come from. It took him a few years, he got sidetracked a few times, but he found his way there, to the Long and Xia countries. At the time he located them, Jun Kai''s grandfather was still a young prince and he watched as both he and the Xia prince at the time battled together and forged their friendship on the battlefield.

    Qi Lou found it all very interesting. He even watched their father, Jun Wei be born and after seeing his good nature and the good nature of the Xia royalty at the time, he decided that this would be it. So he went and planted the little soul he had been protecting for so long in the w.o.m.b of the Xia Empress, and hence, Xiao Yu was reborn and she was just like he remembered.

    She was good-natured and sweet and with the right upbringing, her confidence was in the right place. She was perfect but still, he feared that any instability in her behavior might cause history to repeat itself so he always warned her about negative emotions as he kept her company, and just as she was before, she was an attentive good child.

    As for Jun Wei, well, Qi Lou also quietly watched him grow up and as much as it irked him to admit it, Jun Wei was exactly the Empress dowager''s type; strong, kind, and quiet. And as expected, the Empress dowager liked him.

    Even though Qi Lou was the one who technically arranged her marriage with the Long prince Jun Wei, it was a bit hard to watch their relationship blossom. So once she got married, Qi Lou made himself scarce and busied himself with other things. He spent some time watching little Lei Xing in her other life, then spent some more time hanging out with his drinking buddies, and then he spent the rest of his time in seclusion, resting.

    Anyway, after two years of leaving them alone to enjoy their marital bliss, Qi Lou finally decided it was time for the next generation to arrive so he returned to the Long empire. And it was at this time that he realized that his cleansing was apparently not thorough enough as it seemed that little specs of the dark miasma had remained in her soul.

    What''s worse was that it had been festering in his absence, feeding on her feelings of jealousy and insecurity caused by her philandering husband. Qi Lou had noticed that the Long Prince, Jun Wei''s personality had changed but he did not think much of it and believed it to simply be his natural course in life. However, Qi Lou did think it was unfortunate that he did not rise to meet Xiao Yu''s expectations of him.

    Regardless, Jun Wei was not his concern, he had too much to do already. Since the situation was like this, he used his own soul essence to cleanse her soul with his own, it was a bit tricky since she now had a "living" body now, but he managed to work around it. After all, she had once been held in a crystal he had refined with his own essence. Once that was done, he then went about getting her to "conceive" Kai, hoping her time with her son will console her. But then this proved to be another problem. No matter what he tried, her body refused to accept baby Kai.

    Qi Lou found this extremely frustrating as the longer it took, the more agitated the Empress dowager became, which made it more difficult as she was becoming more unstable. At one point, out of frustration, Qi Lou considered that perhaps the Empress dowager''s soul was not "pleased" with Baby Kai hence the rejection. To test this theory, he actually took Shan and tried to make it work with him.

    After all, Kai had simply said Shan was his older brother, he gave no specifics as to the relationship. So even though Shan was not part of an initial plan for Xiao Yu''s life, two children might be fine too.

    But as expected, Shan did not work either. So after sitting around doing nothing for a long while trying to figure what the issue with conception was, he finally decided to go situate the others first.

    First on the list was Shan. But the problem was that he did not like the other consorts or concubines in Jun Wei''s harem and did not feel comfortable leaving his upbringing in their hands. In the end, he discovered Jun Wei philandering with a maid one drunken night. The maid was kind with good humor, so he chose her. She would raise him well and let him breathe a little, get him to relax.

    Once the other matters were settled, Qi Lou refocused his energy and time on "conceiving" Kai. In the end, he finally managed to get Kai in there, but it required him to nurture the fetus himself because the Empress dowager''s body was apparently not going to do it. And so Qi Lou had to spend all his time and focus on nurturing and protecting Baby Kai in the w.o.m.b.

    So naturally, with a baby literally tied to his hands, he was unable to pay attention to what was happening to Jun Wei or anything on the outside. The next thing Qi Lou knew the Empress dowager was blowing her top on the verge of collapse, jerking his attention to full alert. He managed to rein her in at the last second and it was then he realized what had truly been happening with Jun Wei.

    She, well, "it" - it was not her conscious choice - had outsmarted him.

    The thing was that when Qi Lou had decided on Jun Wei for Xiao Yu. He had connected her and Jun Wei by something he liked to call a string of fate.

    Some, namely his sister, would call it immoral since it affected a person''s will but to be clear, his string of fate forced nothing. All it did was create a possibility, a possible life path to each other. Developing feelings and whatnot was entirely up to them. He actually meddled more in the children''s lives than he did the parents, for example, he made two connections for Lei Xing, one to the Emperor and the other to Prince Yi. And while he may have intervened a bit more than necessary with them, they each still obviously made their own choices in the end.

    Anyway, it seems this string of fate he created for the Empress dowager and Jun Wei had given the dark miasma a channel to affect another person, one he was not paying to. While Qi Lou was not paying attention, the dark miasma had been traveling from the Empress dowager to Jun Wei.

    And by the time Qi Lou noticed, it was too late. He severed the string of fate between them, but it made no difference, their connection had gone much deeper than the single thread Qi Lou had woven. Qi Lou could do nothing more for Jun Wei, if he tried to cleanse Jun Wei, it would kill him since he was a simple human who did not share the type of connection Qi Lou did with Xiao Yu, the Empress dowager.

    Although with the Empress dowager''s outburst, her connection to Qi Lou was greatly damaged and she could no longer hear him. What''s more, her unstable state made it easier for the dark miasma to return and begin to fester again but Qi Lou could do nothing about it at the time, since he had to continue to nurture and protect Baby Kai to ensure he would be born safely, albeit to a mother who was dead set on killing him physically and spiritually. Qi Lou still hoped that Kai would be able to forge a good relationship with his mother upon his birth.

    But sadly that did not happen. Kai was born safely but the Empress dowager''s resentment for him continued. But Qi Lou could nothing about it at the time, the Empress dowager could not hear him and he was too weakened from the months of labor. He needed to go into seclusion to recover, but before he left, he re-cleansed the Empress dowager''s soul and hoped it would help her settle down.

    As for Lei Xing, he barely had the energy left to deal with her nor the heart to end the happy life she was living there. So he managed to rope his daughter into playing her and with everything relatively settled, he went back home to his crystal cave for a long "sleep".

    By the time Qi Lou returned, the Empress dowager was in confinement and was on track to killing Jun Kai...again. Things had apparently become quite complicated in his absence and the rest developed from there.

    Jun Wei was now a warmongering Emperor, the Empress dowager was going crazy again and poor innocent Jun Kai was stuck in the middle. Qi Lou saved Jun Kai and the next thing he knew, Jun Shan''s mother was dead and he was spiraling now. Suffice to say, Qi Lou was not very good at this "guardian" job.

    Doctor Lou had initially planned to go straight back to check on things in Long country, but he felt compelled to come to visit first. He was worried about this monk character gunning for the Empress dowager, but he was not particularly in a rush. After all, if anything bad was happening, Ah Jin would have notified him. She was a very responsible student...unlike a certain someone who would threaten their great Shifu for simply being helpful.

    Doctor Lou sighed again as he tapped the last drops of wine out of the jug, "I know you don''t like wine, but I think you might just change your mind with this one... It''s a new brew I came up with recently, it''s particularly light and sweet. You should like it ~" He cheerfully said as he put the now empty jug back into his sleeve.

    Then he stood still with his arms behind his back staring at the tree for a long time, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he placed a hand on the tree and said, "Don''t worry, these are just minor setbacks, I''ll figure it out in the end... I won''t give up on you this time~" He finished with a wry smile and disappeared with the flowing wind, leaving the forest of peach blossoms once again empty.

 Chapter 342 - Unexpected Caveats

    Monk Ku awkwardly stood in the Empress dowager''s reception hall with his head bowed. He had just explained and apologized for his prior hasty departure to the Empress dowager who just maintained a blank hard stare and stony silence.

    After a while of the eerie silence, Monk Du glanced up at the Empress dowager, who was looking down at him with the same expression, blank and unmoving. It did not seem like she had even registered his words just now. Monk Du glanced at Eunuch Li, who had brought him here.

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow and signaled up at Song mama, who was standing beside the Empress dowager''s throne chair. Song mama promptly got the message, bowed close to the Empress dowager, "Your majesty...your majesty...your majesty!"

    The Empress dowager jumped and frowned at her, obviously annoyed about being bothered. Song mama motioned towards Eunuch LI and Monk Du below and the Empress dowager followed her line of sight and immediately glared at Monk Du with wide eyes, "You! What are you doing here?!"

    Eunuch Li knit his brows, a bit confused. He had come to see her this morning and had explained everything and even though she did not speak, she had nodded and waved him away in acknowledgment. Obviously, she was not paying attention, "Your majesty, I told you this morning that the Emperor asked me to bring the Monk to you... He is here to escort you to his Master, who can help you."

    The Empress dowager knit her brows, still glaring at Monk Du, who promptly got the message and bowed and re-explained himself, "I apologize for my hasty departure last time... There was an emergency that could not wait. I would have returned sooner but I had to convince my master to agree to receive you. He normally does not see anyone but on realizing who you were he made an exception and immediately sent me escort you."

    "Escort me?" The Empress dowager said with a laugh that lasted a bit too long, making all of them feel wary. Her laughter abruptly stopped and she shot to her feet with a frown and coldly said, "Get out before I kill you." Shocking the trio in the room. After all, she was the one going on a rampage looking for this very monk.

    Normally, the Empress dowager would have liked to order guards in to deal with the monk, but thanks to a certain ungrateful child, there were no guards or maids around. And the two "servants" currently in the room no longer listened to her and she did not have the energy to bark out orders on deaf ears. So she simply told him to leave, she was too tired for any drama right now.

    Empress dowager turned to leave but Song mama immediately went down on her knees with her arms outstretched blocking the Empress dowager''s way, "Your majesty, you shouldn''t -" Unsure of what to say, she looked down at Eunuch Li for help.

    The Empress dowager could definitely not be in her mind right now. But she could not be blamed, she had not been sleeping the last few days, choosing to "meditate" all day instead, claiming that the man in white was hunting her and wanted her dead. Her dark circles were huge and she was barely eating or drinking anything now. If she continued like this she would kill herself and yet she was turning the monk away? She could not be thinking straight.

    Eunuch Li quickly shuffled up the steps to quietly talk to the Empress dowager, he knew it was too easy when she showed no reaction when he had informed her of Monk Du''s arrival earlier.

    As the Empress dowager irritatedly side-stepped Song mama with a frown, Eunuch Li caught up and blocked her way, "Your majesty, I know you''re upset but you cannot deny yourself a reprieve. He can help y-"

    "I don''t need help!" The Empress dowager irritatedly cut in, her tightly controlled temper was starting to flare again. She took a deep breath to calm herself, holding her pounding head, and said through gritted teeth, "Get him out of here. I need to go meditate."

    Eunuch Li frowned and held her arm and gently advised, "Your majesty, think this through again. You cannot continue like this, you will kill yourself if you do. You need to go."

    The Empress dowager looked at him with a frown as her tired brain slowly processed, then she glanced at Monk Du and her frown deepened. When she did not say anything, Eunuch Li quietly prodded, "Your majesty... This is not the time to be fussy about these things. After your life is saved, we can address past matters..."

    "Your majesty, I know it is hard to trust me again given the events of last time but I come to you with the most sincere heart now... I even come with a remedy for your nightmares." Monk Du finally cut in, reaching into his sleeve and pulled out a small vial, and held it out bowing his head.

    Eunuch Li knit his brows, the monk had not mentioned anything about this remedy in their discussions. He was a bit put off by this revelation, but still, he went down and brought it back to the Empress dowager, who simply looked down at the little vial dubiously and then stalked off with Song mama promptly following after a nod from Eunuch Li.

    Eunuch Li sighed and turned to Monk Du, "I''m sure you can understand her ire with you... But she will come around. As for this..." He said, raising the vial as he walked down to Monk Du, "I will have to have it looked at before it can be presented..."

    Monk Du slightly bowed his head with a smile, "Naturally..."

    Eunuch Li scrutinized the monk and then sighed and led the way out.

    "Hmmmm...." Doctor Lou went as he squinted at Monk Du''s back from his vantage point on the roof of the Empress dowager''s palace. He was too wary to get close to the monk, worried that the monk would be able to detect his presence. So he stayed here on the roof, eavesdropping on the conversation.

    {...Not familiar...}

    Doctor Lou knit his brows and then let out a loud sigh. He had considered going to confront the monk to figure out who and what his plans were, but it seemed this monk was simply a messenger. He worried that if confronted, the monk might run or alert this "Master" of his and complicate things.

    The element of surprise was after all, most valuable. He had already made a decision, he would have to accompany the Empress dowager on this journey, and she was going - he would ensure of it. While he could no longer influence her, he could always influence others.

    As for that remedy, it could work, for a while. It was just a matter of subduing the warring energies within her. Temporary relief was possible, but it would not last long.

    When Prince Yi came to him to ask for the herb, he had been elated, he thought he had finally detached himself and rose above his convictions. But from what he understood of the current situation from Dream Kai, Prince Yi''s misdirected infatuation was still relenting.

    {...How could it be so stubborn when she''s given absolutely no encouragement?!...}

    Doctor Lou pouted and pulled at his beard, there was also the relationship between the Emperor and Prince Yi to consider too...All this was such a headache!

    {...Last time I play matchmaker, too much work! \(.����)/...}

    ***

    The Emperor spent his morning in court discussing Prince Yi''s issue and then spent the afternoon with a few select other ministers discussing his plan for the future. He had not wanted to do this but Prince Yi clearly was not going to stop on his own. Prince Yi wanted to marry Princess Nalan, well, then he will marry her. But a tradeoff will be necessary, he had had enough of his brother''s poking.

    Through this, the Emperor will solve two problems, he can dispatch both Princess Nalan and his brother. He had already written a message to the Zou king expressing his will to form the marriage alliance through his brother, expressing his p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and happiness at the "fortuitous" union.

    The Emperor sighed and then handed over the official letter for the Zou king to Prime minister Zhao. He then turned his attention to the line of ministers who were kowtowed before him with cold sweat pouring from their faces, amongst them was Chen Bo. The Emperor inwardly sighed, he had not wanted it to come to this but his brother left him little choice.

    "Lock them up..." The Emperor ordered in a cold voice.

    "Your majesty, please we were misled. We didn''t mean to lie to you..."

    "Your majesty, I did not know the true extent of the plot..."

    "Your majesty, I was deceived!"

    "Your majesty, please spare us!"

    Seeing that the Emperor was obviously not going to change his mind, Chen Bo broke free of the Imperial guard pulling him and rushed over to Defense Lei, grabbing onto his arm, "Cousin! You have to help me! I am innocent!" Chen Bo pleaded, falling to his knees, "I-I was deceived! My name on that - My signature must have been forged! You have to help me!" Chen Bo haphazardly pleaded.

    Defense minister Lei frowned and stepped back, brushing off Chen Bo''s hands, "Were you deceived, or are you innocent?" He condescendingly asked in disgust.

    Chen Bo blinked and then cried, "I have been wronged!" Kowtowing, banging his forehead on the ground.

    Defense minister Lei shook his head, this cousin of his always seemed to end up on the wrong side of the fence. Not to mention ungrateful - to think that the cousin he had fought so hard for in the past actually contemplated and assisted what would have been his end!

    "Get them out of here!" The Emperor irritatedly said and the Imperial guards promptly doubled their efforts and dragged the pleading ministers out the doors. Their pleading cries could still be heard long even after the thick doors of the royal study had been shut.

    With only Defense minister Lei, Prime minister Zhao and Commander An left in the room, the Emperor sighed and honestly said, "I did not want for it to have to come to this..."

    "It is necessary to affirm your rule... You have let him run amok for too long." Prime minister Zhao responded with a hint of haughtiness that was not missed by anyone in the room.

    Defense minister Lei cleared his throat and cast Prime minister Zhao a disapproving glance, before turning to the Emperor and politely agreeing, "This is for the best..."

    The Emperor nodded and turned to Commander An and gave the final necessary order, "Arrest Prince Yi on the grounds of conspiracy to commit treason." He solemnly said, beginning the end of all hope for a reconciliation with his brother.

 Chapter 343 - Shattered Illusions~

    Prince Yi was having a good day, not at all bothered by the fact that Imperial guards were "guarding" his residence. Although he did not expect that turn in his conversation with the Emperor in the main hall, he reasoned that it was inconsequential. After all, that conversation had nothing to do with the matter at hand, which was a foreign pregnant Princess.

    As Prince Yi had expected, the Emperor placed him on house arrest but he was not bothered at all. After all, it was not like Prince Yi had anywhere else he actually wanted to be. Princess Nalan was stuck in the palace so it was not like he could go see her, not that he actually felt inclined to at this point. Moreover, she was already pregnant which even made this house arrest seem more pointless since there was nothing this was preventing. Prince Yi surmised this whole house arrest episode to simply be the Emperor showing off his power to soothe his bruised ego.

    The Emperor had no other choice, they had to marry, otherwise he, the Emperor would appear unreasonable, cruel, or worse and his genius of a brother could obviously not stand to be perceived as anything but perfect and morally imperious.

    Prince Yi lightly chuckled as he thought about how rattled the Emperor must be right now. He was honestly feeling sufficiently proud of himself at the moment and was giddy with anticipation for the future. He had been losing for so long, finally, he was feeling like himself again. So now, here he was relaxing in a pavilion in his back garden playing a chess game with himself while sipping on tea, not wine, tea.

    It was such a nice day and he was in such a good mood. , in a much better mood than he had been in a long time. He was actually having a leisurely day, playing a chess game with himself while sipping tea, not wine.

    {...*Well, someone''s in a good mood (? _? )...}

    Prince Yi''s hand stopped mid-way to the board and he blinked in pleasant surprise.

    {...You''re back!...}

    Prince Yi laughed at that as he put the chess piece in place. Even he had to admit that it had been a long time since he had greeted the voice with a warm reception.

    {...Well, the day is beautiful and... a child is always a blessing to be appreciated...}

    {...*Ah, I heard~ I like babies, they''re fun!...}

    Prince Yi chuckled again as he picked up his cup and sipped his tea.

    {...*I hear weddings are also great fun too~ Congratulations! It''s been a long time coming, you''ve finally evolved~ *sniff*...}

    Prince Yi slightly knit his brows and then let out a sigh and picked up another chess piece as he offhandedly and less enthusiastically responded.

    {... Yes... there is that too...}

    {...*? _ ?)... I see... I like her... She knows how to have fun ...}

    Prince Yi scoffed and put the chess piece in its assigned place.

    {...*Reckless can be fun! It''s better than being boring (���أ�)...}

    Prince Yi blinked, taken aback and amused again, chuckling.

    {...It seems I am really easy to amuse today... You think I''m boring?...}

    {...*Among other things... But as I''ve said before, it''s not your fault. You just need better influences around you, fun people... like this Princess. She is good for you...}

    Prince Yi had no thoughts or words on that comment and simply re-focused his mind on his chessboard.

    {...*You know, you should appreciate what is yours and let bygones be bygones. You are quite grand yourself you know~...}

    Prince Yi snorted.

    {...Bygones are bygones. I am not looking towards the past, but the future...}

    {...*Have you really?...*sigh* I know I''m not exactly one to talk but... letting bygones pass involves forgetting what is not meant for you...}

    {...What is not meant for -?...}

    Prince Yi frowned as the memory of a certain kiss dealt by a certain woman raced into his mind and caused his heart to skip. He clenched a fist, irritation instantly setting in.

    {...Why did you - ?...}

    The thought stopped uncompleted as Prince Yi''s frown turned to a deep scowl.

    {...*Did I what?...}

    {...Mention her!...}

    {...*...? _ ?) I didn''t mention anyone...}

    Prince Yi knit his brows in confusion, playing back the conversation in his mind, he then sighed in irritation when he realized that his mind was the one running rampant with unwarranted information. She always did this to him, confused his mind.

    Prince Yi sighed and put his elbow on the table and leaned forward massaging his head with a frown, suddenly feeling a headache. He was not stupid, he knew he was attracted to her before the kiss incident, but then he still had his wits about him. Then she just had to go and assault him, send shockwaves through him, and turn his mind upside down with that stupid kiss. He obviously knew that it was not her fault, if she were in her right mind she would never have touched him - which was also an upsetting thought.

    Since that night at the merchant festival, he had not touched his concubines, they all seemed greatly unappealing and a bother. And when he finally indulged in intimacy after such a long time with Princess Nalan, as he feared it was HER face he saw in his mind''s eye. He sighed again in irritation, now of the mind to go kill the Chun siblings for causing the encounter in the first place.

    He honestly did not understand this perverted attraction, he was naturally not so depraved to want his brother''s wife...but then again, when he met her she was not his brother''s wife and she also failed the selection. He should not have been so attentive to her during the selection, if he had not been so attentive she would never have become his brother''s "wife". Prince Yi shook his head with a frown, he did not want to think about this. She was trouble and he knew better.

    {...Focus! It''s all going according to plan, I''ll marry Nalan and have Zou on my side, and eventually, I will rid myself of my brother and -...*gulped* her too...}

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened as he refilled his teacup with a slightly shaky hand. He could not even think of harming her without his body aching.

    {...*Hmmm... I don''t understand this either. You should have moved on by now...}

    Prince Yi blinked and froze for a second before resuming his actions, he had completely forgotten that he had been in the middle of a conversation. Prince Yi sighed and put down the teapot.

    {...I...want to ask something...}

    {...*Oh, ask! I like questions!...}

    Prince Yi held his teacup and smiled wistfully, before taking a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous.

    {...Have you... ever... been in... well....love before?...}

    {...*Love?? _ ?)... What do you mean love?! Are you in love with - But how?! I already cut the stupid string! Also, haven''t I already told you she''s not for you! She has even - What are you even in love with?! Fine, she talks to you, but her words have never exactly been encouraging! She has made her choice incredibly clear! Also, you''re getting married and having a baby too! How can you b-}

    Prince Yi banged his fist on the table in anger and raged, "Do you think I asked to be in love with her?! I was having a good day until you had to come and bring her -!" Prince Yi suddenly caught himself.

    {...Love?...}

    The air stilled as silence ruled the scene as Prince Yi tried to make sense of this sudden realization. Finally, his reeling mind was brought to a halt by the voice going...

    {...* I was just helping (��3��)...}

    Prince Yi let out a deep breath to calm his nerves and calmly said, "Well, I don''t need you scolding me. I know sh-"

    "Your highness, there''s trouble..." A panicked voice suddenly called out, interrupting the rest of his word and Prince Yi turned to see Tian Ji racing towards the pavilion. Before he could ask what the problem was, Commander An and a host of Imperial guards came into view.

    Prince Yi knit his brows in confusion, he had not expected the Emperor to summon him so soon. But regardless, it was best to get it over with, the earlier this impasse ended, the earlier he could begin the next phase of the plan. So Prince Yi rose to his feet and walked out of the pavilion with a small smile ready to go face his brother and his future marriage alliance.

    Commander An did a quick bow and then proclaimed, "Prince Yi. On the order of the Emperor, you are under arrest on grounds of conspiracy to commit treason. Please come wit -"

    "What?" Prince Yi asked, with a confused frown.

    "Arrest him." Commander An ordered, ignoring the question. Two of the Imperial guards promptly stepped forward and went to grab Prince Yi''s arms, ready to pull him along. Prince Yi snapped out of his shock and shrugged free and glared at Commander An, "What is the meaning of this? Treason?!"

    "I am not at liberty to explain the facts... Please do not make this difficult, I simply have my orders." Commander An said with a curt bow of his head, then he slightly narrowed his eyes at the Imperial guards at Prince Yi''s side. The two guards nodded and promptly moved to grab Prince Yi''s arms again, but Prince Yi flapped his sleeves and put his hands behind his back and coldly declared, "I can walk on my own."

    Commander An nodded and then stepped aside, while the Imperial guards in the back, separated into two halves, clearing a path in the middle for Prince Yi to pass. cleared a path. Prince Yi took a deep breath and walked forward, still frowning in confusion as his mind raced to make sense of this event.

    {... Treason? How?.... He couldn''t know, I haven''t even done anything yet! - Do you know how?...}

    He asked the voice but received no response. As usual, when one needed valuable input, it was always conveniently missing in action. He was left on his own again... On his own and confused.

    This was not part of the plan.

 Chapter 344 - Thoughtful Interlude

    "He is to wait quietly for my summons... No one is to come here on his behalf again," The Emperor coldly said, without even sparing a glance for the Imperial guard who Prince Yi - who was now in prison had again sent with a plea for an audience with the Emperor. The Imperial guard promptly bowed in understanding and quickly exited the room.

    As the guard left, an eunuch came in to drop off a few reports and the Emperor turned to him and asked, "Where is Eunuch Li?" He had barely been seeing that old man these days. On a busy and important day like this, he should naturally be here at his side.

    The Eunuch bowed and informed, "He''s overseeing the monk''s visit with the Empress dowager ..."

    The Emperor knit his brows and leaned back in his throne chair, closing his eyes as he massaged his aching head. He had actually forgotten about the issue of the monk and his mother. As much as he liked the fact that Eunuch Li seemed to have a handle on the Empress dowager, it was a bit grating that he has been relegated to the side these days. But he knew he should not complain, after all, Eunuch Li has been effective in managing communications between them since they both dislike the presence of the other.

    Thinking of his mother made him wearily sigh. It was not that he actually truly disliked his mother, she was a pitiful soul and he understood that. He wanted to treat her well and had once hoped to do so, but he could not have her ruling his life, especially when she seemed to detest all that mattered to him and all he stood for. If she were more reasonable and thought more, he would have no problem with her.

    The Emperor sighed and looked back down at the edict he was writing. It was interesting that no one questioned or even tried to speak up for Prince Yi, he could decide to kill him tonight and no one would care. It seemed everyone had been expectantly waiting for this outcome, it was a bit disheartening. The Emperor sighed again then asked, "Has the Empress returned to her palace?"

    "No, the Empress has been at the Imperial pharmacy for a while now meeting with the head physician -" The Eunuch curtly informed.

    "Imperial pharmacy? Is she hurt?" The Emperor quickly cut in with a frown and then promptly realized that the question made no sense and dismissively said, "Nevermind, you may go... Continue to monitor the Empress''s movements and let me know if anything happens, even if it''s a small development." The Emperor amended and the eunuch bowed and turned to leave.

    He had woken up to find her intently watching him with bloodshot eyes, as if on night''s watch duty. Then she proceeded to hover over him the entire morning, even walking him out to her palace entrance. On a regular day, such rare fawning behavior from her would be welcome, but not when she was watching him so intently as if she expected him to collapse at any second. Then while he was setting his mind at ease that she was finally resting, she got pulled into another bothersome affair.

    To the Emperor''s surprise, just as soon as the doors closed behind the eunuch, it opened again and he looked up to see Lei Xing sauntering in, a smile lighting up her face when she met his gaze.

    The Emperor let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she looked better and much like her normal self. So at least she did not look beaten down by the events of the day, the last thing he needed now was her getting ill. He unconsciously smiled and held out a hand to her as she came around the desk.

    Lei Xing took his hand and sat next to him and he promptly asked, "Are you feeling better?"

    "Oh, there was nothing wrong with me. You, on the hand... need work" Lei Xing said as she moved things around the table to clear space. Ah Jin who had silently followed her in, promptly dropped the tray she was carrying on the cleared space, then she bowed and made her way out.

    The Emperor blinked and then raised an eyebrow at the brownish-gray liquid in the bowl, "What is that?"

    "It''s vitality soup, the head physician said it''ll help, um... relieve any um...ailment. It''s good for you." Lei Xing haphazardly said with a strained smile, raising the bowl up to his lips.

    Actually, she was pretty sure the head physician just chose to make this so she would leave him alone. He had assured her nothing was wrong with the Emperor. Honestly, she was sure that the old man would have tossed her out of there if she was not the Empress. In the end, he settled for illuminating the foolishness of her claim by asking a simple rational question: If the Emperor was not breathing, how could he have woken up with his breathing completely normal, not labored?

    Lei Xing naturally had no response for that and he used the opportunity to explain to her as if she were a child that sometimes people feel truly exhausted and sleep like the dead - even clarifying that the dead was just figurative. Seeing that Lei Xing was still not budging, he agreed to make this soup for the Emperor to help boost his vitality just to get her to leave him alone.

    "Vitality soup?" The Emperor said, jerking his head back as she moved it to his lips, "Xing er'', you should know better than anyone that I don''t need vitality soup." The Emperor said with a slight smirk. Even on an irritating day like this one, being Lei Xing was enough to temporarily uplift his mood.

    Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at him and then she tried to urge, "Trust me, it tastes much better than it looks... And you also didn''t go to see the Imperial physician -."

    The Emperor let out a breath and said, "It''s been a busy day..."

    Lei Xing nodded, "I understand that which is why I took it upon myself to look after your health so you can have the energy to brave the day~" She sweetly said with a smile, "Please... Just drink this." She finished with a beseeching expression that she knew he could not refuse.

    The Emperor looked at her for a bit then helplessly sighed and took the bowl and downed the contents in big gulps. Her concern was most disarming as it was heartwarming.

    Lei Xing beamed at him as she took the empty bowl from his hand. The Emperor sighed - he had been doing a lot of sighing today, he took one of her hands and reassuringly said, "Stop worrying, I''m perfectly alright..."

    Lei Xing nodded, "But better safe than sorry..." She said, patting his cheek like a child. She then picked up the folded piece she had dropped on the table on her arrival and handed it to him, "This is for you. Eunuch Li handed it to me at the Imperial pharmacy, he was apparently there checking on some medication for your mother..." She dismissively informed, she did not like discussing the Empress dowager as just the mention of her usually dampened the mood.

    The Emperor did not say anything and simply took the folded paper and opened it, within the folded note was another smaller folded note with two words written on it. The Emperor knit his brows and removed the second note and handed it back to Lei Xing, "This is for your sister..."

    Lei Xing blinked, taken aback as she took the folded note in her hand and read the words "Xiao Ting" on the top. Lei Xing snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt and asked, "Is this from that General? He''s been writing to her?"

    "Now and then..." The Emperor offhandedly responded.

    "I see..." Lei Xing said with a slight smile. She could not imagine that uppity General An writing love notes. She was curious to know its contents, but her morality won out in the end and she placed the note on the table and turned her attention back to the Emperor. She wanted to talk more with him but she knew that now was really not the time.

    The Emperor folded the note and turned back to her to find her intently watching him, again. He inwardly sighed and took her hands and repeated the words, he had been saying on repeat since last night, "Xing er'', I am truly alright... stop worrying or you''ll get yourself sick." He said with a frown.

    "En." Lei Xing simply went knitting her brows in a disgruntled pout, before wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. She was aware that she was being a tad overbearing today but she could not be blamed. She was simply being cautious and attentive. The Emperor sighed and put an arm around her, reassuringly stroking her arm.

    They quietly stayed like that for a while before Lei Xing sat up and held his shoulders and seriously said, "You should stop worrying too. The stress lines on your forehead are unbecoming..."

    The Emperor touched his forehead with a confused expression, looking even more confused when he felt no lines there, making Lei Xing snort in laughter. The Emperor slightly smiled as he narrowed his eyes at her, perplexed.

    Lei Xing snorted and pat his head like a child and added, "... Don''t worry, you still look beautiful even with them~" She jokingly said, trying to brighten his mood, today had been a stressful day for all of them.

    Doctor Lou had said to her that the Emperor behaved muddle-headed when she was involved. But as far as Lei Xing could tell, it was when Prince Yi was involved that he truly behaved muddle-headed and incessantly indulgent. After all, she was not gunning for his throne or his life, nor had she ever truly stepped on his toes. Not that she thought that he would not offer her the same, if not more leniency.

    The point was that she did not abuse his affection for her - not anymore anyway and her past errors could not compare. Most infuriatingly was that Prince Yi did not appreciate his efforts and kindness towards him, which made it more grating for those watching. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, it was what it was.

    The Emperor knew what she was doing and chuckled as he pulled her into a tight hug as he said, "I love you..."

    "I love you mo-" Lei Xing caught herself on the word and knit her brows.

    Lei Xing''s face colored and she awkwardly shifted a bit, before going ahead and adding, "...more." It was just a word. It took nothing from her and would lighten a heavy day for him so it was nothing she couldn''t do. The Emperor straightened up and looked at her face with a blinding smile, causing her to avert eyes with a frown as her face reddened even more as the images from the last time they were here "together" flashed through her mind.

    Lei Xing cleared her throat and promptly changed the topic, "Ah...have you heard from the old man recently?" She almost forgot this matter in her fretting over the Emperor.

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, "No... Why?"

    "It''s nothing serious. It''s just that he told me he was going back to Tung Mei because he was worried about her. You know she''s been ill, so I originally thought he was going to heal her but... the head physician told me today that she''s not faring well. So I was wondering if something happened to him..."

    The Emperor knit his brows, it was really one thing after another today. But since Lei Xing asked, he would definitely have to look into it. So he said, "... ''ll send scouts out to try to find him. As for Miss Tung, the Imperial physicians will continue to do all they can until he makes an appearance... Although, I''m sure he''s perfectly fine and has reasons for allowing her illness to continue."

    Lei Xing nodded, "I thought so too, but I just thought to mention it just in case you hear from him. I honestly won''t put it past him to have forgotten about her somewhere along the way..." She added with a little laugh which the Emperor responded with an agreeing smile.

    "Anyway, I''ll be leaving now. Don''t work too hard~" Lei Xing said with a smile, dropping a kiss on his cheek before rising to her feet. Uncharacteristically, the Emperor simply smiled and nodded at her departure. Usually, he would be clawing at her to stay longer, this just showed how much burden this move against Prince Yi put on him.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed, this interlude was simply a break from her own nagging problems as well. She had temporarily left everything to Ming Shu and Xiao Ruo because in the irritated frame of mind she was in, she was bound to explode on someone if she did not go discuss find out about the Emperor''s health from the head physician.

    Now that she had confirmed with her own two eyes that he was alive and well, she had to go deal with the mess caused by a certain boisterous Princess who naturally did not take the breaking news of a certain Prince''s imprisonment well.

 Chapter 345 - Floundering Calvary

    After leaving the Emperor, Lei Xing went to see Princess Nalan again. She had to go meet the girl and reassure her again before she did another foolish thing. Although she had sent him an update on the situation, Lei Xing was still surprised that the Emperor did not ask after Princess Nalan.

    But then again, he already had enough things to think about and did not care for Princess Nalan''s drama. And Lei Xing did not mention it either as there was no point bothering him with something she had under control. Moreover, she was sure he was getting updates on the matter from other sources.

    Earlier today, someone or other - it was currently under investigation had gone to inform Princess Nalan about the imprisonment and criminal charge of her dear Prince. Naturally, the valiant Princess Nalan could not take this affront on her household and took it upon herself to save her "Prince".

    So she got in a fight with her Imperials guards who were - more like beat them up considering they were all too scared of actually harming her. Then she continued her rampage, this time with a sword she had taken from one of the Imperial guards. She harrassed all the unfortunate servants who came across her path, before eventually bullying one maid who could not run fast enough into guiding her to the prison.

    In the end, a brigade of Imperial guards cornered her. Obviously vastly outnumbered, in a last-ditch effort Princess Nalan put the sword to her throat and decided to threaten her way out but the guards did not move and simply circled her. Luckily, Lei Xing was the first person of authority to arrive on the scene with her retinue, out of breath and a bit worse for wear, wearing a simple robe over her nightdress with her hair up in an unadorned ponytail. It was obvious she had hastily departed her palace to come here.

    This crazy episode managed to end on a peaceful note after Lei Xing talked Princess Nalan down, after all, she could not have possibly hoped to make it to the prison, break Prince Yi out, and then actually escape the fortress that is the palace. Even Princess Nalan was not that stupidly reckless.

    Therefore, Lei Xing rightly guessed that she was only doing all this for attention to make her point clear: If they killed Prince Yi, she would kill herself and her blood will be on their hands... which she clearly stated after Lei Xing assured her that she would talk to the Emperor and they will work it out. After which, Princess Nalan dropped her sword and peacefully followed Lei Xing back.

    Of course, the Imperial guards all followed along worried that Princess Nalan would attack Lei Xing or something. But in the end, nothing more happened. So by the time the Emperor who was interrupted in a meeting had rushed over, it was all over. Despite his irritation with Princess Nalan, he had the good sense not to interrupt Lei Xing''s talk with Princess Nalan and simply returned to his meeting trusting that Lei Xing could handle the situation.

    Thankfully, Lei Xing had actually managed to de-escalate the situation before the Emperor arrived, because she rationalized that given the current situation, it was quite possible that the Emperor would outrightly call Princess Nalan''s bluff and tell her to go ahead and do it. After all, it was not as if he feared her country and if he showed weakness, then she would try to force a pardon out of him which was obviously not something he would want, especially not publicly.

    Moreover, there was also a chance that with Princess Nalan''s character, if her stance was challenged, she might have truly gone ahead with it simply out of pride. Therefore, a confrontation between the two of them would have definitely not gone well. So at least the escalation of another disaster was averted.

    After ensuring that Princess Nalan had regained rationality, Lei Xing left her in her room and then quietly ordered for all of Princess Nalan''s servants to be replaced. Being loose-lipped was not allowed, especially after they had been warned to keep palace matters quiet from their guest when she went on lockdown. After all, Lei Xing was their mistress, not Princess Nalan.

    Therefore, even though the problem had been taken care of, how it came to be still had to be addressed. Ming Shu was currently overseeing the interrogation of Princess Nalan''s former servants as well as the Imperial guards who were on duty at her residence at the time.

    The punishment of the guilty party would be up to Lei Xing and even though she was not keen on it, she recognized that it was a necessary evil to maintain order in the system. After all, it was her orders that had been "flouted" - probably because she seemed too easygoing. She always rewarded achievements but never actually bothered to punish "wrongs" to Ming Shu and Xiao Ruo''s disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e . She usually let things go with a simple apology, and at most, she would dismiss the person from her presence.

    Although it was usually that Lei Xing never really felt the wrongs, often simple mistakes were ever bad enough to warrant "punishment". Moreover, she had never been faced with an egregious wrong before or perhaps it was that Ming Shu quietly dealt with them herself worried Lei Xing would be too lenient.

    Therefore, even though no one said anything to her, Lei Xing suspected that they all thought of her as "easy". Ming Shu had already spoken to her privately and advised that she would need to come down hard with punishment on this matter to make an example of this. The Empress''s words were not to be taken lightly.

    Lei Xing understood and accepted that perhaps she was too laid back in both mind and spirit for her new position. It was alright when she was living only having to worry about her own "problems", but it was obviously not alright when one had become the "law".

    So this lax in her management of the palace coupled with the fact that she actually let herself get used by someone as unthinking as Princess Nalan in the first instance was weighing heavily on Lei Xing''s mind. Even though no one scolded her or admonished her for anything - because the only person who was in the position coddled her and could apparently not bear to speak one wrong word to her her, she still felt the weight of disappointment.

    Therefore, this day was an irritating one for all parties involved.

    ***

    "Father! Father!"

    Prime minister Zhao frowned as he thought he heard his son''s idiotic voice coming from outside his office. The lesser ministers he was discussing with also seemed to have heard something as they stopped talking and looked towards the door.

    Prime minister Zhao got a bad feeling and immediately got up but before he could excuse himself, his idiot son burst through the door shrugging off the office assistants, obliviously exclaiming, "Father, we have to do something. Treason! How? It''s a setup! The Emperor never liked Shan an-" He immediately fell silent as he finally noticed the ministers sitting around the table. But he then quickly regained his composure and narrowed his eyes at his frowning father and said, "Father, I need to talk to you."

    Prime minister Zhao glared at his son and bit out, "We will continue this meeting later..." The ministers promptly rose, bowed their heads, and flocked out as Prime minister Zhao solemnly sank back into his seat.

    Zhao Chang did not wait for his father to speak first, "Father, we need to do something. This is a conspiracy!" He said as he began pacing.

    "Yes, we really should do something..." Prime minister Zhao said, leaning back in his chair.

    "You agree?" Zhao Chang questioned in surprise, stopping in his tracks, he did not expect his father to be so easily persuaded. They were rarely ever in agreement.

    Zhao Chang had just gone to Prince Yi''s manor where he was promptly informed that he had been arrested for treason of all things. So naturally, Zhao Chang had immediately turned and headed for the Imperial palace to get an explanation. Thankfully, he had the good sense to stop himself from attempting to barge into the inner palace to find the Emperor, and opted to calmly - in contained rage, trooped to the ministry departments to find his father for help.

    Prime minister Zhao got up and walked over to the window as he said, "Of course, I''ve already arranged for some guards to whisk him away from prison, and then the two of you can sneak out of the city and gallop into the sunset..."

    Zhao Chang''s face lit up and he went over to his father with a smile, "Really?!"

    Prime minister Zhao turned to his son with an infuriated expression, "You -!" He let out an irritated breath and bit out, "If not for the fact that I have heard of your wayward ways with women, I would be questioning your motivations with this -" He paused thinking of the appropriate word, "...Obsession with Prince Yi." he finished dismissively waving his hand.

    Zhao Chang blinked at his father and then pursed his lips, "Father, you cannot possibly -"

    "I can and I will!" Prime minister Zhao barked and then lowered his voice as he said through ground teeth, "Not only have you tried to sell your sister to him but now you want to sell your entire family to him! Can''t you think straight?! You should know to distance yourself from trouble -!"

    Zhao Chang frowned and cut in, "He is a friend, it''s in times like these that friends need to show so -"

    "If you had used your great zeal for friendship to form a proper friendship with Jun Kai then today your sister would be Empress!" Prime minister Zhao raged, "You better not try anything stupid or I swear I will kill you myself! In fact, what am I saying? Anyone out there! Guards, men, someone! Anyone" Three Imperial guards promptly shortly raced in and Prime minister Zhao ordered, "Escort my son home."

    "Fath-!"

    "If you say one more word or do one more foolish thing, I will disown you and you will be thrown out on the street and I will see how helpful your friends can be. Useless!" Prime minister Zhao growled, staring his son down. Zhao Chang locked angry gazes with his father for a bit, before turning and stomping his way out, with the servants flanking him.

    Prime minister Zhao let out an irritated breath as the doors closed behind his wayward son. He could not believe he had almost been persuaded by his stupid son into boarding this sinking ship. What was he thinking? Jun Kai was definitely the better option. After all, it was not like Prince Yi was going to become a pawn in his hands, the boy seemed too confused in his actions to be any use.

    As for that Lei daughter, so what if she was Empress. Empressed are replaced all the time. They had done it before and could do it again. Fine, the Emperor had put her in a protective cocoon, the girl never went anywhere without a host of guards - not that she even went out at all these days.

    She was also never alone in the palace at all. The people around her were also too risky to approach. Even the cooks in the kitchen that cooked her food were all unapproachable. It was all quite infuriating but all they needed was one opportunity and it was only a matter of time until that opportunity presented itself. Something had to give and it will eventually give.

    The last thing he needed while biding his time was for his idiot son to draw unnecessary attention to him by running rampant for a lost cause.

 Chapter 346 - Clamoring Alliance

    Following his father''s "orders", Zhao Chang begrudgingly made his way out of the palace. It was not that he had given up on Prince Yi''s campaign, it was just that he could not push his father too far. Otherwise, that old man might really disown him if pushed too much. After all, the old man had already put on a show of marrying a second young wife last year to give him a "good" son, and probably a new daughter now that Zhao Lan was also proving to be a "disappointment" as he called them.

    Since his father refused to be useful, Zhao Chang had to think of another avenue but he was honestly not very good at thinking. Usually, whenever he had things to think about, he just went to Prince Yi and got a solution. Prince Yi always patiently listened to him and gave him candid advice and would even often advocated for his stupid father who did not understand how to appreciate people.

    Zhao Chang wearily sighed.

    {... It would have been good if Shan were here, he would know what to do...}

    Thinking of that, made him sigh again. He had considered trying to find his way into the palace prison to talk to Prince Yi so they could work out something together. But, unfortunately, Zhao Chang had no contacts in the palace, that was another aspect that Prince Yi handled for him.

    As Zhao Chang lamented, finally incompetence, he glanced up and his hope was reignited. He would have never thought of this himself, but obviously, the heavens smiled on him and delivered the answer to him. He jogged forward as he called out to the group way ahead of him on the path, "Hey, wait, wait...I said stop! Yong!"

    Lei Yong raised an eyebrow at his name and stopped, turning back with a raised eyebrow, as his group made way for this unlikely halting presence. Zhao Chang stopped and put his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. It had just been a short run but it was grueling enough for him.

    {...I really need to get in better shape...}

    "I need your help." Zhao Chang finally said, straightening up.

    Lei Yong raised a questioning eyebrow, "I wasn''t aware there was anything that I could possibly help you with..."

    "It''s important..." Zhao Chang said, knitting his brows as he glanced at the men with Lei Yong and added, "...in private." As he grabbed and pulled Lei Yong, who irritatedly followed along to the side. This "important" matter of his was definitely not hard to guess.

    Zhao Chang awkwardly smiled and said, "We should not allow the enmity between our fathers to affect us... You know you and I once used to be great friends. I don''t even remember how we grew apart." He finished with a lamenting sigh.

    Lei Yong inwardly scoffed in disbelief, he remembered. It was when Zhao Chang began following the Crown prince like a puppy being rude and looking down on Jun Kai. Jun Kai never bothered to respond to any of the taunts and rude behavior of his brothers and their cohorts, which was even more infuriating to Lei Yong. How Zhao Chang later switched his object of attachment to Prince Yi was another mystery in itself.

    Lei Yong sighed and then flatly said, "I am not going to plead on his behalf -"

    "Oh, no, no, no. That''s not what I''m asking at all." Zhao Chang quickly said, waving his hands with a smile.

    "Then what do you want? I''m very busy." Lei Yong said, already tired of this conversation.

    "Take me to the prison -"

    "No." Lei Yong flatly responded, cutting him off and promptly turning to return to his men. Zhao Chang panicked and grabbed his arm, "I am not saying you should help me help him escape. I just want to talk to him, you can even come along -"

    "I just told you I''m busy -"

    "I''m also very busy!" Zhao Chang irritatedly exclaimed, causing Lei Yong to cast him another dubious look. They both knew that despite his father''s efforts, he had trouble holding onto any job position, he was renowned as a loafer going and coming as he pleases with no responsibilities.

    Zhao Chang cleared his throat and amended his approach, "One minute and I''ll owe you a great deal, no, he''ll owe you a great deal!" He added, realizing that just his credit did not have enough weight.

    Lei Yong sighed, "Look, you should go home and forget about him before you get yourself and your fami -"

    "Family! Yes!" Zhao Chang suddenly exclaimed, causing Lei Yong to frown in irritation. It seemed Zhao Chang was finally running mad, but Zhao Chang proved he was thinking clearer than ever when he narrowed his eyes at Lei Yong and said, "In fact, you do owe him."

    "What?" Lei Yong asked with a frown, shrugging his arm free and starting to move back to the group but Zhao Chang was relentless and fell into step beside him, talking quickly, "Didn''t he save your sister from a snake or something?! Even if she is married, she is still your sister. Her debts are yours too. You should pay for your debts!"

    When Lei Yong just frowned and quickened his pace, Zhao Chang pushed even further, pleadingly, "Just one, one minute, it won''t kill you. That Emperor too will understand, isn''t she his latest most prized possession? If not for my Shan, she could have broken a hip or worse, her head! Then where would we be? Not to mention, he almost died from that unknown illness and was bedridden for a month because of saving YOUR sister, and yet you can''t sacrifice one minute, just one for him to see a familiar face in all this confusion. One minute, you can even count the seconds!... Just one. One. Yong, don''t be like this, I know you''re good at heart. You don''t owe debts. One minute, one..."

    ***

    "I said I''m not eating. Take it away!" Princess Nalan irritatedly ordered, folding her arms and looking away from the table.

    Xiao Ruo''s lips twitched but she cordially responded, "Your highness, you haven''t eaten or drank anything today... If you''re not worried for yourself then at least for the baby."

    Princess Nalan knit her brows as if in thought for a moment, before she slightly shook her head and folded her arms, glaring at Xiao Ruo as menacingly bit out, "I said. Take. It. Away."

    Xiao Ruo slightly jumped before straightening her shoulders and motioning for the maids to clear the table. She was the Empress''s right hand and therefore had to represent this in her bearing. She could not be whimpering in public before anyone else.

    Lei Xing had asked her to look after this Princess, but she was becoming increasingly difficult, not that she could blame her. But why take it out on herself and the baby? She had already refused to eat both breakfast and lunch and now, dinner too. Xiao Ruo wanted to continue to insist but Princess Nalan looked near ready to beat her up. After the incidents of the day, Xiao Ruo did not fear that she would.

    Even crying did not work on Princess Nalan, Xiao Ruo had tried the kneeling and nag cry bit that always worked on Lei Xing and Princess Nalan had hauled the plates in her direction, before flying over, grabbing her by the collar and tossing her out of the room.

    Suffice to say, Xiao Ruo, like all the other servants, was terrified of Princess Nalan.

    Lei Xing arrived at Princess Nalan''s bedroom doors to see the maids carrying out the untouched plates of food. Lei Xing inwardly sighed and braced herself for another round of trouble before walking into the room.

    Xiao Ruo''s face immediately lit up when she saw Lei Xing and she promptly ran over to her side. She stopped short of actually grabbing Lei Xing''s arm, but her bullied expression communicated to Lei Xing all she needed to know.

    "So...Is he released yet?" Princess Nalan asked, narrowing her eyes at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and sat down across from her on the table and calmly said, "You know it can''t be that simple..."

    "You said you -"

    "And I have." Lei Xing calmly cut in, "But you must understand that while I can talk to the Emperor, I do not control him. But -" She raised her hand to silence Princess Nalan just as she opened her mouth, " - I can and will continue to work on your behalf so long as you do not cause another ruckus."

    Princess Nalan settled back in her chair, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground as she suspiciously looked Lei Xing over, "Hey, why are you so invested in this?"

    Lei Xing blinked and opened her mouth in disbelief, feeling the sudden urge to bash Princess Nalan''s head in. Lei Xing took a deep breath to calm herself.

    {... It''s okay, irrational does as irrational is -_-)''...}

    "You asked me to." Lei Xing said as calmly as she could muster while frowning at Princess Nalan in obvious irritation.

    Princess Nalan looked at her for a bit longer, before haughtily turning her head to the side with a curt, "I see."

    "Why aren''t you eating?" Lei Xing asked after a bit of awkward silence.

    "Hmph, what do you care?" Princess Nalan scoffed, then she frowned at Lei Xing and added, "I''ll eat when my husband is free..."

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed, truth was she had actually not talked to the Emperor about anything related to this matter. But she did not have to, after the "deep" sleep issue last night, she and the Emperor had talked for a long time and had talked their way up to the current events. The Emperor did not plan to execute Prince Yi - well, not to her knowledge and she did not think he would lie to her about that.

    Furthermore, while the Emperor may not intend to Kill Prince Yi, if pushed, he might just decide that killing him was the less irritating option. Given how touchy the Emperor was when it came to issues relating to her "involvement" with Prince Yi, Lei Xing advocating for him might just backfire rather than aid. Even Princess Nalan who had basically ASKED her to help was idiotically suspicious of her motives for "rendering" said help.

    Lei Xing could honestly not understand how these people thought things through, but she knew better than to go poking the Emperor when he was already stressed. Therefore, Lei Xing smartly concluded that it was best for her peace of mind, to leave the Emperor alone and let everything run its intended course. Handling Princess Nalan was already enough of a headache for her. With regards to this issue, she had thought of a solution.

    While she could not outrightly tell Princess Nalan what the Emperor had told her in confidence, she could offer some solid "advice" that would steer her mind on a much more peaceful path. So Lei Xing motioned to Xiao Ruo and Ah jin and they both quietly left the room under Princess Nalan''s suspicious gaze to which Lei Xing simply responded with a smile.

    Once the doors were closed, Lei Xing calmly began, "Nalan... I remember you saying you didn''t like it here, has that changed?"

 Chapter 347 - Closet Encounters

    "What are you getting at?" Princess Nalan asked with a raised eyebrow, still frowning.

    "Well...I was just thinking about how this could be good for you." Lei Xing enlightened and Princess Nalan''s frown deepened. She was obviously still confused but she did not want to ask so she just trained her eyes on Lei Xing and waited for her to continue.

    Lei Xing leaned forward on the table, knitting her brows and lowering her voice, "See, the thing is I can''t, well... It will be hard for me or anyone to get the Emperor to simply release Prince Yi. This is treason we''re talking about, once this arrow has been released, it cannot be called back. It is not something a leader can afford to be lax about, otherwise, others will follow suit thinking nothing of such a crime -"

    "So, what does that have to do with me?" Princess Nalan irritatedly cut in, she grew up in a palace so she understood all these, but this was her life and her future husband, she could not be seen as soft or understanding.

    Lei Xing let out a breath and flatly said, "While I can''t persuade the Emperor to release him, it is possible that I could persuade him to say.... banish him?"

    Princess Nalan blinked and then knit her brows in confusion as she echoed, "Banish him?" Not quite understanding.

    Lei Xing quickly explained before Princess Nalan could jump the gun, "En, if you marry him as it is now, you would be expected to live here with him or do you think he would want to move back to Zou with you?" She paused for effect and watched Princess Nalan''s frown deepen.

    Up until yesterday, Princess Nalan had truly thought that she could persuade Prince Yi to move back to Zou with her. She thought he would like it better there, but now if the claims of treason were true, then it would mean he wanted the throne...here.

    And Lei Xing went ahead to confirm her suspicions when she softly said, "Nalan, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, Prince Yi has greater aspirations. Most of which do not ordinarily include a life frol.i.c.k.i.n.g in the wild, but that can change. We as people adapt regardless of whether we''re willing or not. He can learn to love it through you, you can show him how. If he''s banished then and you marry him, then he would be left with nothing, his aspirations gone, he would be lost and you can show him the way. You can take him back home with you, marry him, and make him happy in your life. I can advoc-"

    "You''re asking me to betray him?!" Princess Nalan menacingly said, glaring daggers at Lei Xing.

    Lei Xing lightly sighed in exasperation, "It''s not like I''m asking you to testify against him, I''m not asking you to do anything at all. I am just explaining to you why this is a good option for you."

    Princess Nalan frowned down at the table between them, seemingly in contemplation. Then obviously restless, she jumped to her feet and began pacing. Lei Xing quietly watched her and waited while it all sank in for her. If all goes well, Princess Nalan would stop thinking of how to cause trouble and would simply patiently and happily wait to cart off her dear Prince on her shoulders to Zou, out of sight, out of mind.

    Lei Xing was almost positive this was what the Emperor had in mind and if that was not it, then she could persuade him a little - but she would have to be careful about going about this. Although she did not think that he could find anything to be jealous of her talking about sending his brother away, but you never know with him these days. Even when he had told her about what he planned to do with Prince Yi last night, she was careful not to show too much interest in the issue - not that she really cared in the first place, her mind was occupied with other matters.

    After a while, Princess Nalan finally stopped her pacing and turned to Lei Xing and declared, "He would hate me." Dragging Lei Xing back from her wandering thoughts.

    Lei Xing sighed and took the teapot to pour herself a cup of tea as she lightly responded, "Hate you for what? It''s not like you''re the one who turned him or asked him to commit treason. He didn''t even know you then... Moreover, with your wild show of love today, hating you would be far from his mind." She offhandedly said as she sipped the tea. She was really tired today and dealing with all this crap was draining her fast.

    "You think so?" Princess Nalan skeptically said, walking over to stand by the table.

    "Of course. Honestly, considering he would be left with nothing when banished. You, my dear -" She said, raising her cup to Princess Nalan, " - would be saving him, he would undoubtedly come to feel a great deal of gratitude and devotion towards you. You can live as freely as you will and he will accommodate all your wants. This will be a win for your union." She finished, putting her cup down and looking up at Princess Nalan with a smile.

    Princess Nalan pursed her lips, still looking hesitant as she sank down to the stool next to Lei Xing, "So... so... what - what-" Princess Nalan frowned, annoyed with the tone of her voice, "What now?" She irritatedly blurted out.

    "Nothing..." Lei Xing said, innocently blinking at her, "You just need to be quiet the next few days, nothing like you did today. We can''t further exacerbate things. I''ll take care of the rest. You just take care of yourself and of course, the baby. I''m sure the physicians have told you that stress is bad for your condition, I know you''re strong but you have to take better care now..." Lei Xing gently said, giving Princess Nalan''s shoulder a reassuring pat.

    Princess Nalan frowned and stared down at the table, deep in thought.

    ***

    "Shan!" Zhao Chang excitedly called as he reached Prince Yi''s cell. He then blinked, taken aback when he saw the state of the "lodgings". Prince Yi was in prison, yes. But unlike the other cells, his cell was clean with a bed - not a comfortable bed, but it was better than the straw the others had. There was also a table in the center of the "room" with two stools, where Prince Yi was currently sat drinking out of a cup.

    {...Is that hot tea? O_O)...}

    Zhao Chang frowned, this was not the state of the prison he had imagined. He had imagined Prince Yi shackled to a wall, stripped with wounds all over his body while continuously being tortured.

    "Well... You look comfortable." Zhao Chang said, sounding a bit disgruntled as Prince Yi calmly approached him. It seems Prince Yi did not need his rescuing at all and well, it was a bit upsetting.

    "What are you doing here?" Prince Yi quietly asked, knitting his brows as he glanced about the walkway, before looking over Zhao Chang''s obviously borrowed guard''s outfit, "How did you get that?" Prince Yi asked with a frown. He could not imagine that Zhao Chang had the good sense to effectively bribe his way into the prison.

    "Nevermind that. What''s going on? How do we get you out of here?" Zhao Chang hurriedly said, trying to move the conversation along. He knew Prince Yi would definitely not approve of him going to Lei Yong for help, it would be dubbed "too suspicious".

    But to Zhao Chang, straight-laced people like Lei Yong were easy to handle. You just had to get under their skin and they would do as you bid as long as you phrased it the right way. Even though Lei Yong had not agreed right away and sent him off saying he was busy at the time, Zhao Chang believed that he would eventually come through... And he did.

    Lei Yong had sent a man to him that night. The man came ready with an Imperial guard''s outfit for him and then walked Zhao Chang through all the checkpoints in the palace. It was obvious Lei Yong had informed the prison guards prior to their arrival as the man simply nodded at the prison guards and they opened every gate for them...Of course, every gate did not include Prince Yi''s cell.

    Prince Yi knit his brows, sighed, and irritatedly said, "I don''t know, no one has mentioned what these charges are about... Has anything happened outside?" Prince Yi asked with great intent.

    Zhao Chang knit his brows and shook his head, "Some other ministers were arrested as well, I don''t really remember which ones exactly, a few small ministers - Ah! The finance minister, Chen Bo, he was part of them, but nothing has been said about the charges. My father isn''t telling me anything." Zhao Chang grumbled, he was sure his father knew what was going on.

    {...Stingy old man!...}

    "Chen Bo...?" Prince Yi quietly said to himself, frowning in confusion.

    {...I have not had any dealings with Chen Bo - except... But why would that suddenly come up after all this time? How could he -!...}

    Prince Yi sighed in irritation, raising a hand to massage his temple. He was starting to get an idea of what the Emperor was doing and it was particularly infuriating. It was now clear why he had been spared from their father''s wrath those few years back during the aftermath of the Crown Prince''s rebellion. Prince Yi frowned, as he wondered if their father had planned this or had it been Jun Kai who had planned this from the beginning.

    {...I should have known when he started all that "ghost" nonsense with the ministers... How long has he known? Did father leave him the evidence so he could "take care" of me? Or was he just playing with me all this time? Playing with all of us!...}

    Jun Kai was now Emperor, even if he wanted to dispute the evidence or claim innocent, who was he to appeal to? Not that their father would have given his pleas a listening ear either. Prince Yi stiffly punched his fist into the prison bars as he said under his breath, "I acted too late..."

    Zhao Chang looked Prince Yi over and then lowered his voice and asked, "Don''t tell me you really did something? Why didn''t you tell me? I could have hel-" Zhao Chang stopped when Prince Yi turned his glare on him and then cleared his throat, "I''m just saying, it could have gone a different way if I were involved." He disgruntedly said.

    "If you were involved, you would have been dead." Prince Yi irritatedly said and Zhao Chang smiled said, "I knew you were thinking of me. In that case, I forgive you~... But next time, you have to tell me these things. I''m not so useless you know, see!" He said, spreading his arms, obviously referring to the fact that he made it to the prison "on his own".

    "You still haven''t told me how you got here." Prince Yi said, narrowing his eyes.

    "Not important, not important." Zhao Chang quickly said, rubbing his nose and clearing his throat.

 Chapter 348 - Waiting Game

    Prince Yi frowned at his friend but did not press any further. How Zhao Chang got here was not at all important, he could use this unexpected visit to discover how things were playing out on the outside. The guards here told him nothing and despite his calm demeanor, he had been itching to know what was happening.

    "What about Princess Nalan? Did anything happen with her��?" Prince Yi carefully inquired. He was certain that something should have happened by now.

    Before Prince Yi got on the carriage to leave for the palace earlier in the day, he had stopped and told Tian Ji to "look after Princess Nalan on his behalf". He was sure Tian Ji would have understood his message and would have acted accordingly. Therefore, something should have happened on her end.

    "Oh, that!" Zhao Chang said with a snort, "I heard she actually went mad in the inner palace, she went on a rampage looking for the prison, apparently to rescue you..."

    Prince Yi nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he listened. She behaved just as he had expected. Even though he had acted too late in executing his own plan to claim the throne, Jun Kai had also acted too late in getting rid of him, because now he was tied to a very headstrong and important Princess.

    While Zou on its own was not at all a threat to Long country, if their allies got involved it could pose a big enough problem. And while those allies did not act before when Prince Rui was taken, Princess Nalan was an entirely different matter altogether.

    No one of importance other than the Zou king cared for Prince Rui. There was even speculation that the allies did not get involved in the war back then because of Princess Nalan''s grandfather''s influence blocking the way. Apparently the old man was angry that the Zou king had chosen Prince Rui was over his older brothers, his own grandsons - because he was scared of the old man gaining too much power. Therefore, that whole situation was set up for Prince Rui to fail so the other princes could have their chance to shine.

    There was also the fact that two of those allies were married to Princess Nalan''s very close sisters, while they might not have cared for Prince Rui''s matter, the now Queens of their own country would definitely care for their "greatly" wronged sister. The fervor of the "unfair" treatment of this beloved Princess in Long country may even prove enough to rile their troops anger and nothing fueled strength and boosted morale quite like unified anger.

    Therefore, thanks to this new wonderful ally of his, Prince Yi''s formerly inconsequent death now meant war with at least, three countries.

    And while Long country troops might still have the advantage of being battle-hardened and perhaps even in numbers, they would still have their hands full fighting off three countries. In such circ.u.mstances, if any little spark of civil war should happen within the country, then the empire would be finished. Being an empire of this size and having trampled through many nations and its people in recent years, it was no secret that there was a great amount of dissatisfaction in the nation, dissatisfaction that was searching for a point of weakness to erupt through.

    If the Emperor were really as smart as everyone believed him to be, then he would know this. Therefore, Jun Kai presently cannot afford his death. So Prince Yi concluded that all this was just another show of power that would go nowhere in the end, he simply had to be patient.

    "...It took an entire squad of Imperial guards to subdue her. They said she even threatened to end her life if anything happened to you..." Zhao Chang continued and Prince Yi listened with casual interest anda slight smile, "...but then the Empress-"

    "The Empress? What about her?" Prince Yi interrupted, eyes widening in surprise.

    Zhao Chang dismissively waved a hand and said, "... Apparently she promised Princess Nalan that she would help you"

    "She did?" Prince Yi blinkingly asked, his face lighting up a bit with a smile as his heart lurched.

    "En..." Zhao Chang obliviously responded, stroking his chin with knit eyebrows in thought, "Although I can''t say whether that helped or not. I don''t think that Emperor would have liked that... Also, she wa sjust been saying it just to get Princess Nalan to calm down and end the show, we can''t trust her words -"

    "She''s not like that." Prince Yi indignantly said with a frown.

    "Who''s not like what?" Zhao Chang asked, blinking in confusion.

    "She''s not the sort to say things casually. If she says she''ll do it, then she will." Prince Yi said with rising irritation, "Do not in-"

    Zhao Chang scoffed, "I didn''t know you two were close -"

    "We''re not!" Prince Yi barked, causing Zhao Chang to jump, "Mind your words." He warned through gritted teeth, glaring at Zhao Chang.

    "I know, I was just joking..." Zhao Chang awkwardly said, "Anyway, I get what you mean. The Lei family are always uptight about everything. My point is that even she meant those words, what can she do if that Emperor won''t listen? I mean, it''s not like she''ll be threatening to end her life for your sake like - what?" Zhao Chang suddenly stopped and asked when he noticed Prince Yi glaring daggers at him.

    Prince Yi let out a deep breath and irritatedly said, "Why are you here?"

    Zhao Chang nodded and sheepishly scratched his head, he had almost forgotten he was not here for a casual chat. He glanced up and down the hallway to ensure the coast was still clear, Lei Yong''s man was looking out for him but one never knows. He then lowered his voice and asked, "So...what is the plan?"

    "Plan?" Prince Yi asked with raised eyebrows.

    Zhao Chang nodded, "En, I''m here to help."

    Prince Yi looked at him for a bit and then slightly smiled and said, "Thank you... But there is no plan."

    Zhao Chang blinked and frowned in confusion, "So you''re just going to wait to die?!"

    "I don''t plan on dying, but there is nothing for you to do here. Don''t do anything foolish and go home. I will be alright." Prince Yi said and then turned and walked back to resume his seat, even picking up his cup and sipping his tea, looking completely unbothered by his current circ.u.mstances.

    Zhao Chang looked at him in confusion, at a loss for words.

    ***

    Later that night in the royal study...

    "That''s all?" Eunuch Li asked with a frown.

    The same man who had led Zhao Chang to the prison bowed his head and said, "That''s all..."

    "You can leave... Tell Yong there is nothing to worry about but he should still have someone watch Zhao Chang, just in case he chooses to anything stupid...It would be best to catch him in the act." The Emperor calmly said and the man bowed and left the room.

    Only an idiot like Zhao Chang would have actually believed that Lei Yong would risk his friendship with the Emperor to please someone who had antagonized both of them all these years. Lei Yong had naturally informed the Emperor of Zhao Chang''s request and this visit only happened with the Emperor''s consent.

    While the Emperor did not think Prince Yi would actually use Zhao Chang to plan anything since Prince Yi would know better than anyone Zhao Chang''s capabilities. He still allowed it on the off chance that Prince Yi was desperate enough. Even though he doubted that Prime minister Zhao would get involved with his son''s "mission" - nabbing his son was equivalent to nabbing him. Prime minister Zhao had been running his mouth and head a bit too much recently. So his son''s recklessness should definitely be encouraged.

    But as expected, Prince Yi was no fool, neither was he the sort to panic and make mistakes. So even though Zhao Chang was stupid and brazen enough to wish to carry out a "rescue" plan, Prince Yi was not.

    But this conversation had confirmed one thing for the Emperor. Prince Yi was responsible for Princess Nalan''s outburst earlier in the day. No doubt he had someone whispering in her ear this entire time, an oversight on their part. Naturally, just a few months was not enough time for the Emperor to have gotten rid of all the minions that Prince Yi had spent years installing in the palace. But that one would be taken care of soon enough.

    Eunuch Li turned to the Emperor with knit eyebrows, "Your majesty, it is because you keep treating him with such care that he has the guts to be so brazen..."

    The Emperor shrugged and lightly responded, "He''s not wrong though. The decision of his life and death does depend on Zou''s response... As for his cell, it would be an inconvenience for him to become ill and die at the wrong time."

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brow and protested, "Even so... How can he be afforded a lavish life while in prison? You sh-"

    "It''s hardly comfortable - Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" The Emperor asked, sounding a bit irritated. If Eunuch Li so desperately wanted to offer advice on this issue, then he should have made himself available when the decision was being made.

    Eunuch Li had been missing all day - apparently seeing to the Empress dowager, a frequent occurrence these days. He had just come in to see the Emperor with a "request" when Lei Yong''s man arrived with his report of Zhao Chang''s visit. The Emperor had summarized the situation and then asked the man to give his report and now Eunuch Li wanted to start scolding.

    Eunuch Li scrutinized the Emperor for a bit and then let out a long sigh, he was worried, very worried. Finally, he said, "You are not a child anymore... so I trust you know what you are doing."

    "I am not... and I do." The Emperor calmly responded and then asked, "What is your request?" He was almost certain he knew what Eunuch Li wanted.

    Eunuch Li nodded and then knit his brows and said, "Your mother... She does not trust that monk and thinking about it, I don''t either..." He paused and lowered his eyes with a furrowed brow, seemingly in thought.

    "I also don''t trust him..." The Emperor calmly added, after a stretch of awkward silence. Eunuch Li nodded, feeling a bit foolish considering he was the one urging the Emperor to give the monk a chance earlier, But we need him. Your mother needs him." Eunuch Li added, looking up with a reproachful expression as if he thought the Emperor was about to toss Monk Du out of the palace again.

    "And I have acceded..." The Emperor reminded with a slight smile.

    "And I thank you for that." Eunuch Li said, bowing in gratitude.

    This made the Emperor feel a bit awkward, after all, it was his mother they were talking about. Being thanked for helping her like this made it seem as if he did not care for her welfare in the first place.

    "What is it you wish to ask?" The Emperor asked again as Eunuch Li straightened up. It was not like Eunuch Li to hesitate like this and the Emperor was not in a very patient mood today.

    Eunuch Li took a deep breath and nodded, then went down on his knees and kowtowed to the Emperor, before straightening up and cupping his hands and finally saying, "I wish to lead the Empress dowager''s escort to TaoHua temple..."

 Chapter 349 - DownCast

    Eunuch Li seemed to panic a bit when his request was met with silence and so he added, "I know that is not a good time for me to leave, with everything happening... But I worry that she might have another outburst while away. Song mama cannot handle her on her own and the other servants all naturally fear her, they will be of no help, and that monk..." Eunuch Li knit his brows and let out a breath, "Your mother needs me, please grant this request." He resolutely finished with knit eyebrows and eyes lowered.

    Eunuch Li''s mind was clearly made up and the Emperor could not refuse him and he truly had no valid reason to. In the Empress dowager''s current state, she could not be expected to be in command of any troops. It would be another disaster if she got into one of her murderous rage moods.

    So even the Emperor had realized the need for there to be someone there who could effectively counter her and the only person she remotely even listened to now was Eunuch Li. So it made all the sense for him to be the one to go.

    Given Eunuch Li''s frequent absences recently, he had anticipated this and had even thought to send Eunuch Li. But thinking of sending him and him asking on his own were two different things. It was not that he was jealous of his mother, it was just that Eunuch Li had been at his side for as long as he could remember. Even though the Emperor had always been aware that Eunuch Li stuck to him because of his mother, this man was still the only stable figure in his life. So, he occupied an important space in his life. This absence will be felt.

    "How long did the monk say this treatment will take?" The Emperor finally asked.

    "He didn''t say but it''ll be about four to six months... for the entire journey."

    "Three months?" The Emperor exclaimed with knit eyebrows. He had expected that the monk would use his disappearing technique to get them to the TaoHua temple.

    Clearly reading the Emperor''s mind, Eunuch Li frowned and explained, "The monk said he cannot use that disappearing technique." He had also had the same query, not that he was looking forward to experiencing the wonder of it all or anything like that... It would have just been convenient.

    "We would have to go by road, which I think is best... This way, we will be able to see what we are heading into and plan ahead... The temple is apparently somewhere deep in Beiyuan province. It is still within our borders so there should not be much to worry about. It''s just your mother is..." Eunuch Li furrowed his brow and sighed.

    Beiyaun was in the farthest most corner of the empire, so six months made sense. The Emperor was quiet for a bit before finally sighing and asking, "Will you return?"

    The Emperor''s plan for the Empress dowager to move herself to the Xia palace was still underway. The repairs to the palace should be completed in the next two months. Therefore, she had no reason to make the full journey back to the capital. The Xia province was a lot closer and the Emperor was not particularly interested in seeing his mother. So naturally, there was no need for her to return here.

    Eunuch Li went stiff for a bit and then looked up at the Emperor and said, "I believe your mother will recover and you two will be able to find peace together..."

    The Emperor blankly stared at Eunuch Li for a while before looking back down at his work, resuming his writing as he calmly, "You may leave..."

    Eunuch Li kowtowed to the Emperor again and then got up and quietly left the room. As the doors closed behind him, the Emperor looked up and stared at doors as a frown crossed his face. He eventually put down the brush and massaged his aching head with an irritated sigh, closing his eyes.

    After a while of sitting like that, the Emperor got up and made his way out, too irritated to continue "working".

    ***

    "Where were you?"

    On her arrival, Lei Xing was immediately met with this query from a clearly disgruntled Emperor sitting in the corner. He was tired and annoyed, which was never a good combination. So he came home to Lei Xing to ease his mood. But to his further annoyance, she was not here when he arrived despite it being dark already. The servants at her palace were not sure where she was but offered to go hunt her down, but he declined and simply sat down, waiting while ruminating.

    Lei Xing blinked at him with a raised eyebrow, slightly amused with the sudden inquiry as she walked over to him, "You''re early..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "It''s cold out, you shouldn''t be roaming at night."

    "I was sufficiently covered." Lei Xing dismissively said, "Have you eaten?" She asked as she sat next to him.

    "I''m fine. Where were you?" The Emperor asked again, grabbing one of her hands. Lei Xing blinked at him, she had actually not thought he really wanted an answer. She was a bit put off but she sighed and answered, "Nalan was -"

    "Nevermind, I don''t want to know." The Emperor cut her off, frowning down at the hand he was holding.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/downcast_50754214900593087">/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/downcast_50754214900593087</a> for visiting.

    "Good choice." Lei Xing sarcastically went, she also did not want to know about it either, but somehow Princess Nalan was now her business. The girl was apparently on the verge of throwing another fit again, insisting that she would not eat until Lei Xing showed up. Lei Xing did and it seemed the girl had been thinking, demanding to know what was happening with Prince Yi''s "release".

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed.

    {...Like it could happen that quickly -_-)... Doesn''t she know anything about buttering up someone? Even if I ask, he''s not going to arrest him today and then release him today...}

    In the end, she had to eat dinner with her to ensure the girl actually ate. Lei Xing was of a mind to leave her alone to starve but then what if the girl got sick or lost the baby - Her country would accuse her - well, them of doing something to her.

    Lei Xing frowned, "Speaking of that, um... A maid confessed, apparently she panicked when she saw Prince Yi being led to the prison and rushed over to tell Princess Nalan in a panic. Ming Shu says I can''t just send her out of the palace or demote her and that I need to make an example. She''s "suggesting" 100 lashes with that plank thing, but that would kill anyone! I might as well just sentence her to death, which I am not going to do. That will be too much for a simple lapse in judgment, but I understand the need for maintaining order and I accept that I may have been too lax in my management hence causing this lapse...."

    "...But still, even though I understand that this little lapse may have led to an international incident, I can''t condemn someone to death for something so little. Therefore, I was thinking how about a productive yet hard punishment? A sentence to work the fields, for example, she could learn a skill and be punished. How about a year? Too little? 2? 5? What do you think?" Lei Xing vented all in one breath, looking at the Emperor expectantly.

    She believed he would understand. But then the Emperor simply took her other hand and offhandedly said, "Your hands are cold..." As he rubbed her hands in his.

    "My hands are fine... Were you even listening to me?" Lei Xing asked with a frown as she tried to pull her hands free.

    "En. A maid... punishment. Just do as you fit." The Emperor dismissively said.

    Lei Xing blinked and nodded, "Okay then...moving on, I... um." She paused and pursed her lips, thinking of how to carefully phrase this next bit about her arrangement with Princess Nalan, "...I was the - wondering, about your bro-

    "Can we -" The Emperor loudly and sharply interjected, then took a deep breath and calmly continued, "... Let''s not talk about any of that, right now... Later." The Emperor added warmly c.a.r.e.s.sing her hands with a sigh. He did not mean to snap at her but the last thing he needed right now was to argue with Lei Xing about his brother of all things.

    Lei Xing, who was taken aback by the sudden sharpness, simply blinked at him and slowly nodded with an awkward, "...okay..."

    {...Guess not today O_O)...}

    "Good." The Emperor said with a half-smile and then he wrapped his arms around her tightly as he buried his face in the curve of her neck. He closed his eyes and breathed in her flowery scent and let out a relieved sigh as he felt his tense muscles relax. This was his happy place.

    "Did something happen?" Lei Xing asked as she tentatively put her hands on his back.

    The Emperor was quiet for a bit before he opened his eyes and sighed, "My mother will finally be leaving soon..."

    "Oh~" Lei Xing exclaimed and then immediately chided herself, hoping that her tone did not sound too happy just now. It was good he was not looking at her when he said that otherwise, she did not think he would have appreciated the excitement on her face just now. But she could not be blamed, the woman hated her and had literally tried to kill her and would do it again if she got the chance.

    "...Eunuch Li is leaving with her." The Emperor quietly added.

    "Oh..." Lei Xing went again, this time solemnly. Now she understood his poor mood. She awkwardly patted his back a few times, thinking of what to say. Finally, she cleared her throat and said, "Well... I mean, it doesn''t have to be permanent, right? Maybe..." She paused, thinking a bit more before continuing.

    Even she did not believe the words she was about to say. After all, she did not think the Empress dowager''s issue with her was purely spiritual. Crazy or not, the woman did not like her and it was unlikely that an exorcism would change that.

    But for the Emperor''s sake, she went against her better judgment and continued, "...Maybe the Monk really has a way and um, she could...change." Even Lei Xing slightly rolled her eyes at that, "... and well... it doesn''t have to be permanent -"

    "It doesn''t matter anyway..." The Emperor said, closing his eyes and hugging her even closer. If he could pull her into himself, he probably would, that way he can always feel happy and content.

    {...They can leave, they can all leave... anyone but you. Only you are not allowed to leave me. Never...}

 Chapter 350 - Stubborn Waylays

    Meanwhile, on a certain rooftop, a certain old man''s head was dangling side to side, back and forth. It lulled too much to back and then, down he went, noisily rolling down the roof and falling down into the ground with a loud thud!

    The two guards standing at the entrance both froze and stared at the area the sound came from. The ground was clearly empty and well strange things have been happening here since that Monk arrived.

    "Y-you know... I... I really think this place is curs-"

    "Shhh! Some things shouldn''t be said out loud..." The Second guard advised in a whisper.

    "S-so you know it too?" The first guard whispered, he then glanced at the building to ensure no one was coming and scooted closer, "I wasn''t going to say anything, but last night, when I was doing my rounds, I could swear I heard snoring coming from the roof! I thought it was just because I was tired but... others have been experiencing odd things too. I''m telling you, things have been really strange since that Monk got here. I think he may have put a curse o-"

    "I told you to stop. mentioning it. You''ll bring the curse up- What are you doing?!" The second guard exclaimed as he dodged the fist flying towards his face.

    "I don''t - I swear I didn''t do it! I th - I just told you I didn''t do it!" The first guard indignantly said as he ducked to dodge the fist now gunning for his own face.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to - Stop messing around!"

    "I swear I''m not doing anything! - Hey, be reasonable. Stop!"

    "You stop!"

    The two very confused guards continued their sparring - more like a dance session, where they were throwing and dodging punches and kicks across the front garden of the Empress dowager''s palace.

    "Who''s a curse again? I''ll show you a curse you little brats hehehe~" Doctor Lou said, squinting at the guards. He was still sitting in the same "empty" spot he landed. He was holding up his fists in front of his face with his two index fingers pointing at the two guards directing their "play" combat.

    "What do you two think you''re doing?!" Eunuch Li''s voice suddenly came from the building and Doctor Lou immediately stopped and turned his head to see Eunuch Li standing at the side of the building.

    "Tch...no fun person." Doctor Lou mumbled, folding his arms as he glared at the approaching Eunuch Li. The two guards who were now released from his manipulation fell to the ground, breathless and gaping at each other in confusion, then they quickly scrambled to their feet just as Eunuch Li stopped before them with a frown, "What is the meaning of this nonsense? Don''t you know where this is?!" Eunuch Li scolded, he had just been making his way out after checking on the Empress dowager only to be met with the scene of the guards play-fighting in the front garden.

    "It wasn''t us, it w-" The first guard stopped when his partner gave him a hard elbow jab in the ribs. The second guard quickly cupped his hands and bowed, "We apologize, we got carried away, it won''t happen again." There was no way they could tell Eunuch Li that the Empress dowager''s palace seemed cursed, he would think they were insulting the Empress dowager and if that were the case, they would die.

    "Got carried away? Where do you think this is to be carried away? Even if there are no external threats so deep within the palace, you must still remain vigilant. If anything were to happen to -" He paused and let out a breath and then dismissively said, "Go report to Commander An for your punishment and have replacements sent over... Now." Eunuch Li added when the guards seemed to be hesitating.

    The guards quickly bowed and ran off to do as they were bid. Eunuch Li sighed and began walking towards the doors, he would stand guard until the new guards showed up. But then his leg suddenly tripped on something and he almost fell over but managed to catch himself with a hop jump movement which had Doctor Lou snickering as he withdrew his out-stretched leg.

    Eunuch Li frowned and immediately turned around to see what he had tripped on but he found only air and flat ground. He blinked in confusion and then frowned at the ground, then he cleared his throat and surreptitiously glanced about to confirm that no one saw and then brushed his clothes and turned and resumed walking.

    {...I must be pushing myself too hard recently... Need to rest more..}

    Doctor Lou chuckled and then sauntered after Eunuch Li. Guard duty was very boring work and being the very understanding person that he was, he had been entertaining the guards with little things here and there to make their day. Of course, nothing quite like he did tonight with those guards but they had insulted his person so he had to teach them a lesson.

    Not to mention, since he had been so rudely awakened, his mood was not the best at that time - that roof was really not conducive for sleeping at all. So he needed more uplifting than usual for his mood. But then Eunuch Li had come to ruin the fun and sent away his comrades. Therefore, it was only natural that Eunuch Li should substitute.

    Doctor Lou jumped ahead on the path again, squinting at Eunuch Li as he raised his robes to stretch out his leg again, but then he suddenly froze and looked up to the sky with a confused frown. In the next moment, the troublesome invisible Lou disappeared and an oblivious Eunuch Li continued on his path unhindered, spared from the impending face plant.

    ***

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Doctor Lou''s voice reverberated in the room before his person appeared.

    "Shhhh... You''ll break my concentration." Xiao Ying calmly responded, unfazed, without even turning her head to acknowledge the intruder.

    Doctor Lou''s face twitched, "I thought you already gave up on this��" He paused and waved his hands trying to think of an appropriate term, "...this childish infant -"

    "I did give up. You said that we should always uphold their promises - when we can. I made a promise here, so I''m working on it." Xiao Ying said, her eyebrows knitting with irritation. It was already hard enough to concentrate on what she was doing, the last thing she needed was someone scolding her.

    They were currently in Tung Mei''s bedroom, Tung Mei was naturally still unconscious and the maid and the Imperial doctor who were waiting on her were passed out in a corner, out of the way. Doctor Lou was standing in the middle of the room while Xiao Ying, who currently knelt in front of Tung Mei''s bed with her hands hovering above Tung Mei''s abdomen.

    Tung Mei''s body was currently bathed in a pink effervescent light which she seemed to be radiating off of Xiao Ying as well. And it was only after Doctor Lou came closer that he noticed that Tung Mei''s abdomen was glowing blue where Xiao Ying''s hands were, "You - You! You actually gave her my vitality pill?!" He exclaimed as his eyes went wide and his mouth hung open in disbelief.

    "Shhh! This is hard work you know!" Xiao Ying shouted back, briefly turning to glare at him before refocusing her attention back on Tung Mei, "If you''re not going to help me, go away."

    Doctor Lou opened and closed his mouth a few times, before holding the back of his head and squatting with a groan as he lamented, "My - My precious -"

    "Are you crying?" Xiao Ying asked glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/stubborn-waylays_50876732315597881">/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/stubborn-waylays_50876732315597881</a> for visiting.

    Doctor Lou raised his head and glared at her and she quickly looked away. She was not bothered with his lament, he would get over it... eventually.

    "Do you know how long it takes me to make one vitality pill?! Doctor Lou continued to scold, "Even if the Emperor - no, scratch that, even if my own sister begged me for it -... I''d have to consider it." Doctor Lou said that last bit quietly, pulling at his long beard with a pout. Despite how he behaves, if his sister was actually dying, he would give it to her without a thought... but it did depend on the situation though.

    "Tch, stingy old man." Xiao Ying mumbled.

    "You -! You -!" Doctor Lou jumped to his feet at a loss for words, he looked around the room, looking for something to scold her with. He had clearly pampered her too much.

    "Father, calm down, angry doesn''t suit you~" Xiao Ying said, finally turning to him and flashing a smile, "Don''t worry, I''ll help you make another one later~ I''ll even add in another two jars of wine to our arrangement. Just let this one go~"

    Doctor Lou squinted at her and then said, "Five."

    "Three."

    "Five."

    "Three!"

    "Do you know how lo -!"

    "Five, fine, five." Xiao Ying said with exasperation, rolling her eyes.

    Doctor Lou smiled and then crouched down next to her again, "Ying Ying, you know if this were anyone else, I would have crushed them... Stealing from me is a very very bad thing that cannot become a habit. Moreover, you could have just asked me -"

    "Would you have agreed?" Xiao Ying grumbled, irritated. Clearly, he did not plan to leave... or help.

    Doctor Lou stroked his long beard and sighed, "Xiao Ying... This might seem like a great idea but it is not. My vitality pill is not for mortals -"

    "I know -"

    "You know?" Doctor Lou asked, blinking at her in surprise.

    "I do pay attention to your lessons too you know..." Xiao Ying said with an indignant expression, "I''m not that much of a bad student..." She mumbled in addition.

    Doctor Lou frowned and then hit her head, Xiao Ying''s hands instantly flew to her head, "Ow!" The blue light instantly began to spread through Tung Mei''s body and Xiao Ying promptly remembered herself and put her hands back over Tung Mei''s abdomen and drew the blue light in, "Stop distracting me!"

    "And you stop playing with someone''s life! If you truly paid attention then you should know that something like this will not only kill a mortal but could destroy their soul. Now, move over so I can fix this and you go home." Doctor Lou sternly said, reaching towards Tung Mei''s body.

    "No!" Xiao Ying barked as she used her body to knock Doctor Lou to the ground, glaring at him. Her eyes had now changed color from their light brown to different colored eyes - one blue and one yellow.

    "I know what I''m doing! I have a theory! I can save her so just leave us alone!" She barked and then turned her attention back to Tung Mei as beads of sweat ran down her face.

    {...I can save you...You will be alright...}

 Chapter 351 - Woes of Fatherhood

    Doctor Lou sat watching Xiao Ying''s unrelenting rescue efforts from his corner of the room. After that outburst from earlier, he had let her be and she had been going at this for a few hours now...for the most part.

    Doctor Lou sighed, "See, it''s not working. The moment you let go, she will die... I can still save her soul though. Just let me -"

    "NO." Xiao Ying bit out, cutting him off again, "What are you even doing here? I thought you were recovering in seclusion..."

    "Hmph, I''m perfectly healthy. Why would I need to recover?" Doctor Lou mumbled with a pout, pulling his long beard. No wonder she had the thought to steal from him. Doctor Lou sighed, "...I''m telling you, this is useless." She was obviously having a difficult time and watching his baby suffer like this was not easy for him either. Despite his cool appearance, he was very attached to his baby, no matter how troublesome she was. Trouble meant spirit, spirit meant alive, therefore, trouble was a good thing.

    Not that he was one to talk but he did not understand why she was so set on saving this mortal girl either. He had already told her that Tung Mei would have died regardless of her intervention in her life. Therefore, it was not her fault one way or another. Not to mention, his Xiao Ying was not a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e person, something like this should not bother her to the point of stealing from him.

    Doctor Lou sighed again, "Why won''t you let this girl rest in peace? You''ve been clinging on to her for too long. If this is about Yong -"

    "This is not about anyone!" Xiao Ying barked again, causing Doctor Lou to jump a bit.

    The room was silent for a bit until Doctor Lou mumbled, "Being angry also doesn''t suit you..."

    "She is not at peace..." Xiao Ying mumbled back.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/woes-of-fatherhood_50919029690387149">/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/woes-of-fatherhood_50919029690387149</a> for visiting.

    "Not everyone can leave at peace..." Doctor Lou advised with another sigh, closing his eyes. She really was too obstinate, but then again, he had raised her to be that way. Doctor Lou shook his head.

    {...No, obstinate is good! No one can bully her then! But then again, if anyone dares that then I''d crush on them and then scramble them and then roast them alive and the-...}

    Xiao Ying ignored him, this was a very important part. She was sure she had healed her, now she just had the guide the vitality pill out of her body - it was not something a mortal body could handle, which was why she had used her own powers as a foil to protect Tung Mei''s soul while she used the vitality to restore her body.

    Xiao Ying took a deep breath and then slowly began to move one hand up Tung Mei''s body, while the other remained centered on her abdomen, keeping the vitality centered as her other hand channeled it out of her body, releasing the blue energy into the air.

    "What a waste..." Doctor Lou lamented with a sigh and a disgruntled pout. People would kill for what she was dissipating into the air like nothing - uselessly too considering he had already told her that this would not work but some lessons needed to be learned on a personal level. Still, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the crime this child of his was committing.

    The last of the blue light washed through Tung Mei''s body and dissipated into the air and the pink glow sank into her body, gradually dimming as Xiao Ying brought her hands down and with a nervous almost disbelieving smile quietly said, "I did it..." finally letting out the breath she had been holding the entire time.

    Doctor Lou rushed over and scrutinized the unconscious girl with knit eyebrows, her face had regained its color and well, she seemed healthy now. "How did you - This should not be possible." He said, frowning in confusion.

    "Well, naturally I learned for the best~" Xiao Ying said, her smile blooming even more as she looked at Doctor Lou.

    Doctor Lou grabbed his long beard and tried not to smile, clearing his throat, "My daughter is naturally brilliant but.." His discerning eyes moved between Tung Mei and Xiao Ying. Normally, he did not need to read pulses to tell most situations, but this truly perplexed him. He could not trust his reading right now. So he took Tung Mei''s hand and checked her pulse and then frowned as he got his confirmation, "... this should not be possible."

    But it was true, her pulse was strong and steady... and oddly, somewhat familiar. But before he could discern that familiarity, Xiao Ying retrieved Tung Mei''s hand and proceeded to tuck her in as she dismissively said, "There is a first time for everything..."

    "I keep encountering perplexing things recently..." Doctor Lou mumbled to himself and then crouched down, "... I didn''t teach you this, who did you learn it from?" He seriously asked, squinting at Xiao Ying.

    "No one...I told you, I just had a theory" Xiao Ying responded, quickly rising to her feet, looking about ready to bolt.

    "Okay, then enlighten me." Doctor Lou said, playfully twirling his beard with raised eyebrows.

    Xiao Ying blinked at him and then awkwardly cleared her throat, "Well... I just repurposed your vitality pill, as you saw an-"

    Doctor Lou snorted, "I taught you to be a better liar than this -"

    "Whatever, mind your business!" Xiao Ying said and immediately went to leave, disappearing from the room.

    "Come bac-" Doctor Lou exclaimed, raising a hand towards her but before he could do anything, she reappeared a second later on the ground.

    Doctor Lou blinked at her and hurriedly went over to her, "What''s wrong?"

    But Xiao Ying was not looking at him, she was looking at the bed as she mumbled with a frown, "Tch, she''s waking up already? So soon?"

    Then Doctor Lou heard a groan from the bed and then he looked at his daughter who was struggling and his eyes widened as he connected the dots, "You - You - What did you do to yourself?!"

    "It''s nothing, Let''s go, she''s waking up!" She ordered, grabbing her father''s arm and urging, "Hurry up!"

    Doctor Lou frowned, not amused, but as more movement came from the bed, he picked Xiao Ying up and disappeared from the room. They reappeared again in the little courtyard of Doctor Lou''s pharmacy. He put Xiao Ying on the bed and then seriously but calmly asked, "What have you done?"

    "Repaying a debt... She loaned me her body so I''m just loaning her a bit of life." Xiao Ying offhandedly said with a dismissive wave, turning to face the wall, closing her eyes.

    Doctor Lou glared at her back and then began pacing, "Where did you even learn how to perform a soul pact? Do you even understand what it is?! Have you thought about the repercussions of interfering with someone''s fate like this? What if -"

    "You''re not exactly one to lecture me about changing fates. Besides, her fate already changed the moment she met me... Better still, from the moment you gave me the soul stone to play Xing Jie. Therefore, I disagree that she was meant to die -"

    "That is not the point!" Doctor Lou roared, "The girl was already dead! You were the one clinging to her soul! If I had known this was where you were going with this, I would have never allowed you to have begun this stupid fantasy in the first place! How can you foolishly put yourself on the line for some stupid -"

    "I know what I''m doing so leave it alone." Xiao Ying sternly said, turning back to him with a frown, "If you touch her, I won''t forgive you." She warned, glaring at him.

    Doctor Lou scoffed "Who said I was going to do anything? It''s your life. If you wish to throw it away, what''s it to me? You should naturally suffer the consequences of your own actions!" He shot back and then turned and stormed towards the doors. But then he stopped after a few steps, took a deep breath and stormed back to the bed, and plopped down on the ground with a pout, pulling his long beard and looking away.

    Xiao Ying smiled at him and relaxed on the bed and calmly said, "Father, don''t worry. I''m not stupid, It''s not a soul pact, why would I want to live and die with some random mortal girl? It''s not like she''s my Yong ge..." Doctor Lou scoffed and rolled his eyes at that, but Xiao Ying was too weak to bother and she finally mumbled, "It''s a loan... They said I''d just be weak for a while, an adjustment period -"

    "Who said?!" Doctor Lou exclaimed, his ears perking up as he turned around. But then she had stopped responding, he checked her pulse and it seemed steady as well, but her body was rapidly growing cold. This confused him. Doctor Lou sighed and massaged his forehead with a hand, feeling stressed.

    Even though he said all that to her, she was still his baby. So even though he was really busy right now with important matters, he could not leave her like this even though she said that she would be alright, he needed to know that she would be. He could not take her word for it nor the words of the idiot "They" who apparently gave her the guide to stupidity.

    From what he could see, what she had done was a soul pact, and that was something stupidly in love idiots did to ensure they lived and died together. If she had done this with her "Yong Ge", then he could try to understand - even then he would have tossed "Yong Ge" into a volcano after forcing him to undo it. But then how could she be stupid enough to actually do it with some random human who could die from a flimsy misstep?! Not to mention, their short lives!

    Doctor Lou took a deep breath to calm himself, reminding himself that Tung Mei was technically an innocent bystander dragged into his daughter''s hunt for a distraction. The girl would not even be able to undo it even if he threatened her over the volcano. It was just annoying him that now he had to worry about some random human girl''s life now.

    He sighed, resigned to his fate as he got up and put Xiao Ying over his shoulder again and left. He reappeared in Tung Mei''s room again and found the girl now awake, apparently having located the maid and physician that Xiao Ying had knocked out, she was currently trying to shake the two awake.

    Doctor Lou glared at the girl and then froze the room. He dropped Xiao Ying on the bed and then rummaged through his sleeve and pulled out a little white gemstone, similar to ones on the bracelet on Xiao Ying''s wrist. He then crouched down next to Tung Mei and put it on her forehead and it was absorbed into her forehead. Then he squinted at her and poked her head, "Annoying..."

    Then he went back to the bed and picked up Xiao Ying and was gone again, and the room''s occupants resumed their activities. Doctor Lou stopped again at the Imperial palace, Ah Jin''s room to be specific.

    "Shifu!" Ah Jin exclaimed in surprise, immediately jumping up in bed as Doctor Lou dumped Xiao Ying on the bed next to her, "Xiao Ying? What happened to her?" Ah Jin asked with a surprised frown as she touched her arm and felt her ice-cold skin.

    "Long story..." Doctor Lou mumbled, sitting down on the bed as well, pushing the two girls back into the small bed with his b.u.t.t.

    {... A very bothersome one...(���أ�) ... When I find the idiot who put this idea in her head, I am going to grind them!...}

 Chapter 352 - Middle Ground

    The next day, the palace was still on edge with everything going on with Prince Yi. The Emperor had still not spoken on the punishment for the traitors but the details of the treason had finally surfaced soothing the confused minds of those who thought they had slept through a rebellion in the last few days.

    Apparently, this case had to do with the deceased Crown Prince''s failed rebellion. "New" evidence had come to light showing that Prince Yi, along with the imprisoned officials had been key members of that rebellion.

    This revelation did not surprise most people considering his closeness with the then Crown prince and his perfectly timed arrival that fateful night, just in time to save the day and be the hero of the battle. Not to mention the fact that all the men in the rebel army killed themselves following the Crown prince''s death. Why kill themselves when the battle was already lost? It only made sense if there was something left to protect.

    Back then, what was surprising was that his father - who was not a fool, not only did not investigate his suspicious son but had actually put said son in charge of the investigation of rebellion, basically giving Prince Yi the power to cover whatever tracks he might have left. Given that was the situation, most people kept their mouths shut to avoid causing trouble for themselves by accusing the Emperor''s new "favored" son.

    Some had anticipated back then that Jun Kai would finally return and bring the accusation forward against Prince Yi to completely clear out the competition and comfortably assume the position of Crown prince. But Jun Kai did neither of those things and seemed unconcerned with the affairs in the capital. Obviously, he was confident that winning wars was the way to his father''s heart and rightly so, because, in the end, he was made heir to the throne.

    Jun Kai, the current Emperor announced that this was a matter of "justice for his father" to right the wrongs of the past in order to "protect" the future of the empire. Saying that Prince Yi had not only tried to usurp the throne but had also deceived their father because the late Emperor would never have pardoned the treasonous crime, son or not.

    Those left in court nodded along, even as they questioned ''why now?''. It all happened too quickly. The evidence suddenly showed up a day after Prince Yi announced his "dalliance" with the Zou princess. No one actually believed that Jun Kai cared about "upholding justice for father", it was clearly just an excuse to get rid of Prince Yi.

    But at least the current Emperor gave a valid reason for getting rid of his sibling, even "consulting" with the court. On the other hand, his father had basically massacred his family overnight and then sat on the throne with a bloody sword daring anyone to speak and when no one did, he announced that assassins infiltrated the city and killed the royal family members, but not to fear as he had neutralized the threat.

    Therefore, the current Emperor''s actions were still a lot more reasonable than his father''s. Regardless, this was expected from the first day Jun Kai returned to the capital. It was either going to be him or Prince Yi, someone had to die. It was just unfortunate for Prince Yi that he had no one to speak up for him. The Emperor had swept all his possible allies into the prison with him and everyone else minded their business to avoid being dragged down along with the sinking ship.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the Empress dowager was currently stewing in her palace. For the first time in a long time, her mind was clear. The antidote provided Monk Du worked, she had no dreams, just blissful darkness in her sleep. She woke refreshed and in a good mood to the relief of all around her.

    Due to her lack of sleep and um, illness, she had not been paying attention to palace affairs. She concluded she had enough headaches all on her own and her useless son did nothing to help her case, so she had stopped after him. But now that she woke up with a clear head, she realized she had let him run amok for too long. Even though his stupidity irritated her, he was still her son and so had to be set right.

    The news of recent events surprised her. For the first time in a very long time, she received good news. Her son had finally regained his senses and had done what must be done. She was quite pleased with him at the moment. Although there were other matters she still could not stand such as his overindulgence of that scheming witch who had obviously dug her nails so deep into him that he had become blind.

    Lately, Eunuch Li had been talking to her about how "nice" it would be to be in Xia "country" again, reminiscing about their childhood, about which she honestly couldn''t care less. What bothered her was the fact that the Emperor still planned on exiling her. Once she left the palace, it would be hard for her to return here. Therefore, she could not leave, she had been dreading it despite its necessity.

    But now with this antidote, she had thought she could stay here and just have the Monk keep delivering it to her. But then Monk Du just had to be difficult and said it was apparently only temporary relief. It would not last and would effectiveness with each subsequent use. Therefore, she still needs to make the journey to see his stupid master who apparently did not have legs for a cure. Hence, ruining her good mood.

    So... she had been thinking that since she had to leave, perhaps it would be best to form a truce and leave on good terms. This way she could avoid being exiled and could return to the capital with a clear head to handle the matters that need to be handled.

    So even though she did not at ALL like Lei Xing, the girl just had the most irritating air about her. She could make do... for now.

    Moreover, she could be gone for about a year. She had not forgotten her initial plan to permit Lei Xing to bring forth her grandchild before dispatching her. After all, the girl''s lineage still had its uses. By the time she returns, there could be a baby - a son, and then she could dispatch the girl and possibly, her wayward foolish son - if he persisted in his foolishness. She could start over and do things right this time.

    {...If not for that stupid scheming girl tempting me into outrage, our relationship wouldn''t be like this right now! It''s not like he actually cares about the Chen family. I can''t believe a son of mine, who I birthed would treat me like I am nothing because some stupid brat fawns him into stupidity! I will kill her and then him and then all the -...}

    The Empress dowager caught herself and took a deep breath to calm herself, reminding herself that she was trying for a truce and not looking for a reason to murder. She let out the breath and then said, "Send for the Empress."

    "Hah? The Empress?" Song mama exclaimed with a frown.

    "Did I misspeak?" The Empress dowager asked, narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

    "Um, no, Your majesty...It''s just-" Song mama paused and let out a breath, "Your majesty, it''s best not to anger the Emperor, if y-"

    "Who said anything about angering him?!" The Empress dowager barked, banging on the table, "Is it wrong for me to want to speak to my own daughter-in-law?! Am I going to eat her, huh?! Alright then, let her come with an army! Just tell that wit -" She caught herself again and then bit out, "Daughter-in-law. Tell that daughter-in-law to come here."

    Song mama furrowed her brow, still hesitating, and tried to advise again, "Your majesty, maybe you should wait for Eunu-"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/middle-ground_50966481025948519">/book/circ.u.mventing-fate_13455346806916405/middle-ground_50966481025948519</a> for visiting.

    "You there" The Empress dowager interjected, glaring at Ling mama in the corner, who jumped and quickly came forward. "Go tell my daughter-in-law that I require her presence immediately. Do not return without her." The Empress dowager bit out and Ling mama quickly bopped and rushed out of the room.

    The Empress dowager glared at Song mama, who quickly lowered her head with a frown.

    As for Ling mama, she was feeling quite miserable. Even if one was to ignore the near-murder "accidental" event, the Empress dowager still had never treated Lei Xing with warmth. Not to mention, filial piety was clearly not a thing the current Emperor and Empress placed any importance on. If the Emperor did not care about his mother, then why would his pampered Empress care?

    Ling mama did not need to be told that Lei Xing would refuse to come. The current Empress did not seem at all like the vindictive type, otherwise, she would have long come with her entourage to gloat before the locked up Empress dowager. Honestly, even she herself did not want to see the crazed woman if she could help it.

    And if she does not return with the Empress, the Empress dowager might just kill her, but it was not as if she could drag the Empress over there, that would asking for her death. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in between both of them. So she dragged her feet as she debated whether or not to run to Eunuch Li to get him to come to talk the Empress dowager out of whatever craziness had gotten into her head now. But then if the Empress dowager found out she disobeyed her and went to report to him, she may think she was working for the Emperor, and then she would truly end up dead.

    There was really no winning with this.

 Chapter 353 - Drunken Consequences

    Lei Xing, whom the Empress dowager was gunning for, was not in a good mood and most especially not in the mood for people or their problems. The Empress dowager was also the farthest thing from her mind. She was tired, irritated, and in pain which was making her more tired and irritated.

    The Imperial physician knit his brows and swayed his head side to side in thought, further irritating Lei Xing and so she took a deep breath, "Tell me... If my foot hurts, would you be able to tell that from my pulse?"

    "That..." The Imperial physician awkwardly said, not sure how to respond but he got her message and immediately removed his hand from her wrist and bowed, "If Your majesty''s foot is the source of the pain perha-"

    "It''s not." Lei Xing flatly interjected.

    The Imperial physician lightly cleared his throat and then said, "Y-your majesty, if you would tell me where the pain is, I will be able to administer treatment."

    Lei Xing let out an irritated breath and glared at Xiao Ruo who awkwardly smiled and guiltily said, "... Your majesty, it''s better for you to get checked by a physician... you can''t just take random medication..." She mumbled that last bit, lowering her head.

    Lei Xing had seemed unwell all day and seemed to be having difficulty. After Xiao Ruo had asked for the nth time if she was alright, Lei Xing finally asked her to get her pain medication. But, well, Xiao Ruo thought it would be best to bring a physician instead and so, she brought one to Lei Xing''s current annoyance.

    Lei Xing turned her irritated eyes on the Imperial physician and let out a breath and responded, "My body is hurting, below the neck to above the knees. Everything in-between hurts..." She coyly said, narrowing her eyes at him in annoyance. She did not want to be explaining this right now.

    "Your majesty -!" Xiao Ruo exclaimed.

    "What? I''m answering seriously." Lei Xing indignantly said with raised eyebrows. Xiao Ruo looked at her with an aggrieved expression and Lei Xing glared at her.

    The Imperial physician lightly cleared his throat again and shifted, trying not to seem affected. Despite his face turning red, he tried to seriously continue, "Ahh...ahh... where exactly - um... how did this pain, um... how long - when did it - how -"

    "That''s enough. Can''t you just get me painkillers and leave me alone?" Lei Xing finally went, out of patience.

    {... And what the hell are you blushing for? Be professional! -_-)''...}

    The Imperial physician bowed again and seemed to be fidgeting thinking of how best to answer her question. Lei Xing glanced at the ceiling with exasperation and then massaged her aching head as she said, "That was an order, not a question. Go. Just get me pain medication, a strong one, please."

    "I will get it done immediately..." The Imperial physician quickly responded, then he scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room. As the doors closed behind him, Lei Xing turned to Xiao Ruo and scolded, "And you, next time I tell you to get me something, just do it. I know exactly what''s wrong with me which is why I asked for painkillers. If I needed a doctor, I would have said so."

    "I was just worried..." Xiao Ruo mumbled, lowering her head apologetically. She then looked up at Lei Xing with teary eyes, "I''m sorry. It''s just that if something were to happen to you -"

    "... And I understand that, but please don''t add to my stress. Get up." Lei Xing said, leaning back in her lounge chair with a weary sigh.

    Xiao Ruo bit her lip and scurried over to Lei Xing, silently refilling her teacup and holding it out to her, Lei Xing silently took the cup and sipped a bit, then she paused and asked, "By the way, where is Ah Jin? I haven''t seen her all day..."

    "Ah, I''m not sure... I checked her room earlier but she''s not there. I can have someone go look for her -"

    "No, it''s alright..." Lei Xing said, handing the cup back to Xiao Ruo, and then she proceeded to lightly massage her aching left shoulder with a frown. Xiao Ruo quickly dropped the cup and took over that task from Lei Xing, shortly after Lei Xing flinched and scolded, "Gently, gently." Xiao Ruo quickly adjusted the intensity and Lei Xing closed her eyes and seemed to relax a bit.

    After a short while, Xiao Rio could not help her curiosity and tentatively asked, "Your majesty... What happened? Did you fall?"

    "How does one fall in their sleep?" Lei Xing offhandedly responded.

    Xiao Ruo was already used to Lei Xing''s sarcasm so she understood that was not a serious response. She knit her brows in thought and then went, "Then why are you in pain like this? It''s not normal -"

    "Let''s just say I fell... Be quiet, I''m tired." Lei Xing dismissively said. This was the reason she preferred Ah Jin for no-hassle tasks. Xiao Ruo asked too many questions.

    Xiao Ruo pouted and remained silent, carefully kneading Lei Xing''s shoulder. Lei Xing inwardly sighed, it was not that she was trying to mean or anything. It was just that she could not exactly explain to anyone how she got into her current condition. The causal event was a bit of an embarrassing mishap between herself and the Emperor.

    They talked about light matters of no consequence, anything but palace matters and responsibility. Then after getting almost blind drunk, at least on her part, they ventured to bed very...excitedly for other interesting affairs.

    It was fun and games until, to Lei Xing''s current misfortune, she woke up to find that the Emperor passed out squarely on top of her with his head nestled in her hair. She blacked out immediately after they were done with... and it seems he did as well.

    Lei Xing naturally panicked and tried to wake him up but the idiot was not responding. Since her body had gone numb, it took a while of struggling and wriggling to painstakingly rid herself of the dead weight.

    What was even more grating was that the rogue did not even flinch when he was shoved and prodded, but as soon as she was free, he frowned and started feeling around the bed for her. Lei Xing had glared at him and threw a pillow at his face. But instead of waking up, he simply grabbed the pillow, rolled to his side, and snuggled it with a stupid smile that made Lei Xing want to kick him.

    But she was too tired at the time and simply plopped down and went to sleep. He was very lucky that he was not available when she later woke up otherwise she really would have kicked him. She was aching all over and the hangover did not help either. Given how sore she feels, he had to have been like that for a few hours.

    They both drank too much... way too much.

    Lei Xing massaged her temple and sighed, "Nevermind...I''m going to lie down. Let me know when the medicine arrives."

    Xiao Ruo nodded and then stood up and held out a hand to help Lei Xing up. But before Lei Xing could stand up, the doors opened and Ah Jin came in with Ling mama.

    "She says she has a message from the Empress dowager..." Ah Jin supplied after bowing.

    Lei Xing closed her eyes and held her head as she asked, "What do you want?" She said under her breath with a sigh.

    Ling mama plastered a smile on her face and stepped forward and bowed, "The Empress dowager woke up in great spirits today and remembered that she has not been able to receive you since your coronation. So to quickly undo this great injustice, the Empress dowager is requesting to see her daughter-in-law, so she can officially welcome her into the family..." Ling mama finished and froze, waiting for a response.

    Those were not the Empress dowager''s words, but they made sense, they made a lot of sense. Ling mama had thought long and hard about how to persuade the Empress and this was the most perfect reason she could come up with. With this, the Empress could see reason and follow along. But after a while of not hearing a response, she glanced up to find Lei Xing staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

    Ling mama bowed again with a smile, "Your majesty... we should make haste. The Empress dowager is waiti -"

    Ling mama stopped when Lei Xing suddenly burst into laughter, before quickly holding her stomach and lightly groaning in pain, "I''m sorry, what did you just say? Who wants to welcome me?" Lei Xing asked, looking quite confused and amused.

    {... What is this? Did that woman hit her head and suddenly forget who she is?... Want to welcome me? Like hell you do (?_? )...}

    Seeing Lei Xing''s somewhat amused expression, Ling mama inwardly sighed in relief, "The Empress dowager is requesting to see Your majesty to officially welcome her daughter-in-law...." She repeated. It was a lie, but certainly, the Empress dowager knew better than to upset Lei Xing as things stood right now.

    While Ling mama was not sure what the Empress dowager wanted with Lei Xing, based on the Empress dowager''s conversation with Monk Du earlier, the Empress dowager did not want to leave the palace. It was also no secret that the Xia palace was being prepared for the Empress dowager and from what Ling mama has seen during her time at the Empress dowager''s side, she was not happy about moving back to her childhood home.

    All these things led Ling mama to conclude that whatever the Empress dowager wanted with Lei Xing, it must be related to that. Therefore, this could not go wrong.

 Chapter 354 - Confused Edges

    Lei Xing finally recovered from her shock and knit her brows in thought and massaged her head with a sigh. She was under the impression that the woman had forgotten that she existed, she knew she was trying hard to forget the woman existed. But now she wanted to welcome her?

    {...Well... I guess people can change and evolve but.... This woman literally tried to kill me, first-hand! Poisoning aside. Therefore, I don''t care if she''s turned into Mother Theresa, we are not friends or acquaintances even and will never be. Not going. Daughter-in-law my ass! That woman needs to be a hundred feet away from me at all times! (���أ�)...}

    Public occasions were one thing but privately, no. Call her unforgiving, but that was simply the kind of person she was. She was not going to go out of her way to pretend to care when she was not required to. Thoughts concluded, Lei Xing cordially smiled and went about "gift-wrapping" her excuse, "I am glad my "dear" mother-in-law is feeling well enough for our long-overdue welcome liaison, but unfortunately, I am not in a state to visit anyone a-"

    "The Empress dowager will not mind the wait. Your majesty can take your time in getting ready." Ling mama promptly said with a smiling bow.

    Lei Xing lightly scoffed but managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes and maintained her smile, "I am sure she won''t... but I am currently indisposed and cannot leave my palace today so pass along the message that I have received her welcoming thoughts with "immense joy and gratitude". I will be sure to visit her when I am in better condition..."

    {...Which will conveniently be long after you''re gone... possibly be in the grave for extra measure...}

    Rather than bow and depart, Ling mama knit her brows, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled and said, "I can have the palanquin arranged for your comfort -"

    "What part of I am unwell are you failing to understand?" Lei Xing interjected, irritated again, "Her welcoming thoughts are well-received and that is all. Leave." She sternly said.

    Ling mama stubbornly stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds before falling to her knees and pleadingly going, "Your majesty, if you do not come with me, I cannot return. The Empress dowager will kill me!"

    Lei Xing let out an irritated breath and laid back on the lounge chair and massaged her aching head.

    {... Honestly, can''t a human have a break. What the hell is wrong with today?! >_<)...}

    Ling mama looked at Lei Xing''s demeanor and thought fast. It was clear that Lei Xing did not want to go anywhere but at least she seemed to be putting some weight on her life, so Ling mama tentatively said, "Your majesty, instead of that, how about you assign me to somewhere else? If I don''t have to return there, the Empress dowager can''t kill me! Please, she is truly insa-" She caught herself and then changed her tune, "... Well, the Empress dowager will be leaving soon and I-I''m not good with travel so I think it will be best for someone else to be assigned to her - for her comfort. I can even serve you! I have been in the palace for many years and have amassed a host of knowledge. I can be very -"

    "I am not lacking knowledgeable attendants, leave." Lei Xing wearily said, without even looking her way. Who knew what angle the Empress dowager was playing with this. She was not about to accept a trojan horse.

    Ling mama realized she had overstepped with that and panicked, "Then anywhere! Anywhere will do...Please, I can''t stand it any longer. I can''t breathe in that place and if you don''t come -" Ling mama paused and then kowtowed, wailing for extra effect.

    Lei Xing let the wailing go on for a few seconds, before saying, "I understand your concerns and even though I am master of the harem, the Empress dowager is still my mother-in-law and must therefore be accorded certain respect. Regardless of her ill state, as her retainer, your duty remains to serve her and the fact that you would even come to me to make this request behind her back should warrant punishment -"

    Ling mama panicked at that and started, "Your majesty, it''s n-"

    "Don''t interrupt me." Lei Xing warned and then continued, "As I said, I understand your situation. So I won''t be punishing you or reporting it to her..." Ling mama''s face lit up and then crumbled when Lei Xing continued to say, "But I cannot - will not widen the bridge between my "dear mother-in-law" and I by overstepping certain boundaries. If you wish to be reassigned then ask the Empress dowager for that or simply wait until she leaves, I am sure she is aware of your poor travel constitution, if not, then you may enlighten her -"

    Ling mama opened her mouth to interject again but stopped when Lei Xing irritatedly narrowed her eyes at her, "As for your plight, I will send one of my maids with you to explain my condition... Xiao Ruo -" Lei Xing began and then sighed when she saw the panic set in on Xiao Ruo''s face, "Ah Jin, you go with her." Lei Xing amended.

    They walked out of the room and just as they rounded the corner, they ran into the Emperor who instantly frowned on seeing Ling mama, "What are you doing here?" He coldly asked as the two bowed in front of him.

    Ling mama shakily explained, "A-ah, the Empress dowager sent me to escort the Empress -"

    "For?" The Emperor cut in with a deepening frown.

    Ling mama slightly fidgeted, "...I - I''m not sure..."

    "Wait here." The Emperor ordered as he swept past her and into the room, his eyes quickly located Lei Xing who was now sitting up on the lounge chair with Xiao Ruo holding her arm. She had just been about to get up to relocate to the bed when the Emperor made his sudden intense entrance.

    "You are not allowed to go there." The Emperor announced with a frown.

    Lei Xing blinked at him in confusion, "Go...where?"

    "The Empress dowager... I was informed that she sent for you. You are already unwell, why would you even consider going to see her?" The Emperor scolded as he walked over and sat down next to her, taking her hand. Xiao Ruo had naturally quietly snuck her way out of the room before Lei Xing could send her another round of glaring daggers.

    "I have no plans of going to see your mother and I am not unwell. I say we''ve enough encounters to last a few lifetimes..." Lei Xing said with a pout.

    "Good." The Emperor said with a relieved sigh before asking, "Why did you ask for an Imperial physician then?" He had rushed over after being informed that Lei Xing had requested for an Imperial physician. The Emperor had been very concerned about her since waking up this morning to find her curled up in a corner of the bed, shivering without anything on her. While he had apparently been busy kissing and warming some random pillow all night.

    This was very strange because Lei Xing got cold very easily and so could not sleep without a blanket. Even in the summer months, her palace had a lit stove in the corner of her room. Not to mention the fact that she always slept in his arms, even when he came late to bed, she rolled over to him. So to find her sleeping so far from him made him feel on edge, something definitely had to be wrong.

    He had covered her up with a blanket before leaving, but the strangeness of it all had stuck with him all day. So he had actually sent someone to have a physician go over to check on her, only for him to be notified that she had already sent for one. This confirmed his suspicions and he dropped everything and rushed over here, only to find that his mother had actually come to bother her on top of her ailment.

    Lei Xing turned her head only to catch the last glimpse of Xiao Ruo''s departing back. The girl had naturally very quietly snuck her way out of the room as soon as the Emperor arrived, sparing herself from another round of daggers from Lei Xing''s eyes.

    "I''m alright, I just asked for some pain medication and Xiao Ruo went and brought a human...." Lei Xing irritatedly said, rolling her eyes, "I''m just a bit sore is a-"

    "Sore, why?" The Emperor swiftly interjected with a frown, "Did you fall?"

    Lei Xing''s lips twitched, "I don''t know... I must have been reckless in my sleep. I''ve already seen a physician and even he''s confirmed there''s nothing to worry about. I''m perfectly fine." She stressed with a strained smile - it was hard to kick a guy when he was looking so concerned. She obviously was not going to complain to him, it was a little accident. This was the reason she had simply asked for medication, there was no need to get him worrying over something so small. He already had too much to worry about right now.

    The Emperor scanned her face before relenting with a sigh, "You should rest... I will go see to the Empress dowager." He said, rising to his feet with a frown. He had warned his mother not to bother her and he had thought she understood but clearly, she did not.

    But before he could leave, Lei Xing grabbed his hand and sweetly asked, "Can you please carry me to the bed? I''m feeling a bit too lazy right now..."

    The Emperor smiled and leaned down and gently picked her up, while Lei Xing wrapped her arms around his neck and cutely snuggled against it, adorably like a cat. The scene from this morning left him a bit unsettled, so it made him happy to know that it was not because she had suddenly become averse to his touch.

    The Emperor happily tucked Lei Xing in, got a kiss, and then left the room. First, he looked at Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin and instructed, "Look after her closely and let me know immediately if anything happens..."

    Ah Jin and Xiao Ruo bowed in understanding and then the Emperor coldly turned at Ling mama, "Follow me" Then he swept past her. Ling mama gulped as she quickly followed behind with cold sweat dripping down her forehead. This was the worst outcome, not only did she not bring the Empress, she brought the angry Emperor in her place.

    The Empress dowager will definitely kill her for this, so she began to brace herself while crying silent tears as the entourage headed for the Empress dowager''s palace.

 Chapter 355 - Submissive Foe

    The Empress dowager froze mid-sip as she saw the Emperor enter her reception hall and a frown slowly crept on her face. She silently watched as the Emperor stopped at the bottom of the steps and sent a cold glance towards Eunuch Li who was standing next to her chair before settling his cold eyes on her, holding his hands behind his back and icily going, "What is the meaning of this?"

    The Empress dowager off-handedly blew on her tea and took a sip as she leisurely said, "Shouldn''t I be the one asking that? I''m not the one who stormed into your hall without even so much as a greeting for your mother..."

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the Empress dowager, "A mother who thinks nothing of her son cannot cry disrespect."

    The Empress dowager slammed her cup on the table, "You un-"

    "Your majesty, your mother simply wanted to have a meal with the Empress to rekindle their good relationship." Eunuch Li quickly cut in with a smile before the Empress dowager could ruin things for herself.

    The Emperor scoffed and looked at Eunuch Li with a raised eyebrow, "Good relationship? Since when did you care for fostering relationsh.i.p.s?" He asked, turning back to the Empress dowager with knit eyebrows.

    The Empress dowager quickly re-adjusted, remembering her plan, antagonizing the Emperor was not part of the plan. Trying to get on her son''s good side was the whole reason she even wanted to bother with Lei Xing.

    The Empress dowager lightly touched her cheek with the back of her hand and "embarrassingly" said, "I have been quite unwell in recent times..." She paused and frowned before reverting her expression back to a forlorn one, "... My behavior may have at times been..." She took a deep breath, "...difficult, but you must know that I have always had you at the back of my mind, always." She said looking even more forlorn.

    The Emperor flexed his fists in discomfort as he glanced from her to Eunuch Li, who smiled and clarified, "The Empress dowager wanted to set things right with you and the Empress before leaving. She even prepared gifts." He said, motioning to the Emperor''s right.

    The Emperor followed Eunuch Li''s direction and glanced at the decorated boxes arranged on the table with knit eyebrows.

    "They are all herbs to aid with conception." When the Emperor turned his skeptical eyes to her, her wry smile wavered but she held it and explained, "You know how long it took me to have you... and it is "heartwarming" to see how much you two love each other, but no matter how deep your love runs, it cannot be without a child." She took a deep breath to reign in her anger as she added, "Your father had other children so no one cared whether or not I conceived, frankly, they all hoped I wouldn''t." She bit out, slamming her fist on the arm of her chair with a frown, closing her eyes as she shook with contained fury.

    The Empress dowager took another deep breath and opened her eyes and calmly said, "They will not be so patient with you given your recent actions. In a few months, they will start clamoring, and if you persist, in another few months, her name will be dragged through the mud, and eventually, you will either be forced to take others to save her face and then bitterness will consume her and your "heartwarming" relationship will crumble. I lived this life so I know, I am only thinking of you..." She finished with a "warm" smile that made the Emperor''s skin crawl.

    The Emperor lowered his eyes with knit eyebrows, not quite sure how to feel. This was very uncomfortable. He had stormed here wanting to give the Empress dowager an earful but then he was met with this amiable facade and it honestly threw him off balance. It made it hard for him to lash out at her being so...so reasonable.

    "Your concern is unnecessary. We are both young and healthy, Xing er'' will conceive in due time... What is it that you truly want?" The Emperor asked, narrowing his eyes at her. The only person who smiled at him without wanting anything was Lei Xing, the rest, and most especially the Empress dowager did not. There was always a catch to any kindness he received and his mother, most especially, had never looked at him with kindness. He could honestly not even recall her ever smiling at him.

    The Empress dowager frowned, annoyed at the accusatory tone in his voice, "My concern is unnecessary? Is it wrong for me to want to look after my son? Is it wrong to want to see my daughter-in-law to offer her some words of advice?!" She barked, clenching her fists. She did not understand why they were treating her so coldly when she was trying so hard to be nice to them? She had planned it all out and now they were ruining everything!

    "Your majesty -"

    "Be quiet!" The Empress dowager ordered, glaring at Eunuch Li before turning her angry eyes back on the Emperor, "I am you mother and by extension her mother. Not only has she never come here to pay her respects as custom demands, but now that I send for her she goes to cry to you that I have wronged her with no cause -"

    "She did no such thing!" The Emperor said with irritation, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He knew his mother being amiable was too good to be true, "Xing er'' is unwell today and I happen to have been there when your maid delivered the message. As for the daily greetings, you were the one who told the Imperial wives to stop "bothering your mornings" months ago. You cannot bl-"

    "Still! The Empress is not the same as an ordinary Imperial wife, she should know better! I am not even asking for daily greetings, I don''t need that. Also, I haven''t even complained about you two not coming to pay your respects the day after the coronation ceremony yet. It''s because you''re like this that she dares to -"

    "Is that it then?" The Emperor asked with a slight smirk, "Alright, after Xing er'' recovers, we will come to formally pay our respects... Anything else?"

    The Empress dowager glared at him and then she stood up and walked down to him as Eunuch Li followed while sending the Emperor signals for him to calm down. The Emperor inwardly scoffed and looked away as the Empress dowager stopped right in front of him and frowned up at him. The Emperor let out a breath and unfeelingly looked down at her, waiting for her to get to the point.

    "Have you forgotten who stayed back and saw to the destruction of your country while that demon returned here to ensure his sc.u.m-like existence did not meet retribution?" The Empress dowager bitterly asked through gritted teeth.

    The Emperor knit his brows and flatly responded, "That was in the past. He was simply a soldier following orders and he has greatly contributed to your current survival and OUR current success. Moreover, it has nothing to do with his daughter that had not even been born yet..."

    The Empress dowager scoffed and then suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter, making the Emperor feel even more uncomfortable. He never liked when his mother laughed, although this whole nonsense of helping Lei Xing conceive was truly laughable.

    But even if he went and married a girl formerly from Xia country, his mother would still not be pleased. She would never be pleased with his happiness, it was as simple as that. She innately hated him and his existence. It had been like that from the day he was born and would probably always be like this. Perhaps the same could be said for Lei Xing. Although the Empress dowager did not seem to dislike Lei Yong as much as she does Lei Xing.

    When the Empress dowager just continued with her crazy laughing, the Emperor let out an irritated breath and said, "If that is all, I will be leaving. You have a long journey ahead so you should get plenty of res-"

    "I''m more rested than ever." The Empress dowager quickly said, snapping out of it with a frown, "Since your Empress is "indisposed", you should stay for the meal in her stead. I can pass along my advice through you."

    "Write a letter, I''m busy." The Emperor offhandedly responded, turning to leave but the Empress dowager grabbed his arm, "Are you scared of me too?" She asked, glaring up at him.

    The Emperor wearily looked at her for a bit, seeing how pitiful she looked, he sighed and said, "Of course not, but as I am sure you have heard, the palace is very chaotic right now. Th-"

    "Ah, yes! I did hear about that. You have finally done well." The Empress dowager praised with a smile, this was another weird skin-crawling experience for the Emperor. He could not remember her ever praising him before.

    The Empress dowager released the Emperor''s arm and continued on with a victorious smile, "He deserves to be drawn and quartered or perhaps death by a thousand cuts, that will be most befitting." She finished with a nod. Prince Yi also resembled a certain demon, which was why his existence irritated her all the more. Now finally, even though she could not watch the demon''s own execution, she could live out his deserved end through his son. She was most pleased, "I shall oversee his execution, when is it?"

    "That will be unlikely, I haven''t decided on his punishment yet -"

    "Then decide." The Empress dowager said with a frown, she had just praised him but now he was being foolish again, "How hard is it? Treason deserves death and death it should be -"

    "It is my decision to make." The Emperor countered with a frown.

    The Empress dowager glared at him again. This stupid son of hers, she had just praised him but now here he goes being foolish again, "Yo-"

    "Your majesty, don''t forget about the meal..." Eunuch Li who had been silent for most of the exchange quietly advised, reminding the Empress dowager ot to get side-tracked again. The Empress dowager glanced at him and she got the message and begrudgingly said, "I will leave it up to you then... and trust your judgment..." She lowered her head and let out an irritated breath, before raising her head and adding, "... Much like I have come to accept your choice of a wife..."

    The Emperor raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her, blinking at her in both confusion and suspicion. The Empress dowager mustered up a smile and pat his arm, sending goosebumps up his arm again, "Since you''re busy today, you should go... We can share a meal next time. Of course, with your Empress in company... after she gets better." She added, her smile becoming more strained

    The Emperor looked from her to Eunuch Li, who simply smiled and nodded to him. The Emperor knit his brows, awkwardly nodded, and then turned and fled this uncomfortable scene.

    The Empress dowager''s smile fell as soon as the Emperor was out of the hall. She let out an irritated breath and asked, "How was that?"

    Eunuch Li smiled and said, "Not too badly..."

    "Do you think he will be persuaded by that?" The Empress dowager asked, frowning at Eunuch Li.

    Eunuch Li sighed and honestly admitted, "No... But the Emperor has always had a soft spot for you. The three days we have left should be enough to get him thinking and then..." He paused when the Empress dowager glared at him. Eunuch Li weakly smiled and added, "Don''t worry, the Empress is also quite soft-hearted. I''ve seen them together, she won''t get in your way. She is not one to hold grudges and appealing to her is the same as appealing to the Emperor..."

    The Empress dowager''s frown deepened as she glanced at the gift boxes on the side and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. It was killing her that she had to appeal to that scheming witch.

    {... A letter... It''s nothing, it''s all a matter of time...I will not be robbed of my position again!...

 Chapter 356 - Fervent Farewell

    "You want to leave the palace?" Lei Xing asked with raised eyebrows, taken aback. Lei Xing had been unable to sleep and after tossing and turning for a while, she had called someone in to get a book for her. Ah Jin came, gave her book, and then informed that she had a request and here they were.

    "Yes... You once told me, you said release me from the palace if I wished it so... I wish it now. Please grant my wish." Ah Jin said with a bow.

    Lei Xing took a deep breath and then blurted out, "Why?" Then she quickly added, "I mean, it''s not like I don''t want to, it''s just... curious..."

    Ah Jin knit her brows and thought for a bit before awkwardly saying, "I would like to go live with my family."

    "Family? I thought you said you had no one? You grew up with my family, did you just locate your family then?" Lei Xing skeptically asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Ahhh... yes. We just met." Ah Jin awkwardly responded again.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/fervent-farewell_%!d(string=51334838627660248)">#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/fervent-farewell_%!d(string=51334838627660248)</a> for visiting.

    Lei Xing quietly scrutinized her for a bit, before raising her eyebrows and declaring, "I want to meet them -"

    "Ah?!" Ah Jin exclaimed, "Why?"

    "To make sure you''re not being swindled." Lei Xing flatly said and then watched on with masked amus.e.m.e.nt as Ah Jin looked down, her eyes started spinning and cold sweat started to form on her forehead.

    Ah Jin had really not expected to be questioned like this. Doctor Lou had said that Lei Xing would not care one way or another, all she had to do was ask to leave and Lei Xing would simply dismiss her. Therefore, well, Doctor Lu knew Lei Xing a lot better than she did, so she went along with him and obviously did not prepare any excuse!

    Doctor Lou had come last night to see her, to inform her of a few changes to the, um, operations.

    Doctor Lou had to leave to see to Xiao Ying''s condition. Honestly, Ah Jin had no idea where Xiao Ying got this hare-brained idea of hers. She had thought the girl understood and had gone to go sulk somewhere or perhaps, even moved on from all this. So Ah Jin had been really surprised when Doctor Lou showed up with her like that... Honestly, this father and daughter pair would probably be the death of her.

    As for the operational changes, since Doctor Lou had to leave, Ah Jin was now assigned to following the Empress dowager and the monk. As soon as they neared the Taohua temple, she was to alert him immediately and was not to engage. He also warned her to be careful not to alert the monk of her presence.

    Ah Jin was honestly glad for the change of pace, being in the palace has been so restricting and honestly, boring. But still, she was curious about why he was suddenly so interested in the Empress dowager and this monk, but as it had been from the beginning of these "covert operation", he did not want to divulge anything and said he was simply "curious" and warned her not to slack off.

    This meant that her task of "minding" Lei Xing was officially finally over. Ah Jin had asked what would happen with her current role - he did tend to forget the "minor details" of things while planning. In true Doctor Lou fashion, he waved it off and said to "forget about insignificant matters".

    In his own words, the three of them - Lei Xing, Jun Kai, and Jun Shan, could go run themselves headfirst into a volcano, he apparently no longer cared. He was too busy. Although there was one more thing he needed Lei Xing and the Emperor to achieve before their volcano dive.

    "You know, you''re a really bad liar..." Lei Xing said, bringing Ah Jin out of her panicked stupor and she began fidgeting even more.

    Lei Xing sighed, "Relax, you are no prisoner here. I am simply asking out of concern for you... So tell me, why are you really leaving?" Ah Jin hesitated, her mind reeling searching for a plausible excuse.

    "Are you in a relationship?" Lei Xing asked, inquisitively asked and Ah Jin became even more fl.u.s.tered as she shook her head, "No - ah, no, that-"

    Lei Xing snorted and then said, "It''s alright if you are. I will ensure you marry you off in style -" Lei Xing suddenly paused and frowned, "Wait, don''t tell me you''re planning to elope? Is the person a noble or something? If that''s the case, there is no need to worry. We can simply adopt you into our family. I am sure my parents will have no problem with that and even if they do then, I can have the Emperor elevate your status, no one would dare to look down on y -"

    "No, that''s really not it!" Ah Jin finally exclaimed at her wit''s end, "It''s really not it. I - I...I just want a change of pace. The truth is... It''s just that when you asked before, you had just entered the palace, your future was uncertain and you had no allies here, I couldn''t just leave you like that, alone here. But now..." Ah Jin finally looked up at Lei Xing, finding her confidence in the truth, "You have found your rightful place here and I can leave knowing that you will be alright." She finished with a smile.

    Lei Xing was right, she was a terrible liar. Therefore, she spoke the truth. This was the reason Doctor Lou had instructed her to stay even after Xiao Ying left - at least this was the main reason, or well, the only one Ah Jin acknowledged. The other reason was to spy on Lei Xing and the Emperor to ensure things went "smoothly". But of course, Ah Jin had no idea how Doctor Lou had expected her to bring those two together, so she did little to nothing on that front.

    Moreover, she did not want to do anything that will bring her trouble later on. It was still alright to be a passive bystander while Doctor Lou played about. They could understand that there was not much she could do to stop her master from doing whatever he wants.

    Lei Xing scrutinized Ah Jin for a while and then finally sighed, "Alright, if there is really nothing then you may leave tomorrow if you will. I will arrange some things for you to take and well, if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask..." She finished with a little pout.

    Ah Jin smiled and said, "Thank you for all your care... I hope you will live out the rest of your days here happily." She finished with a light bow.

    Lei Xing awkwardly shifted on the beard with knit eyebrows.

    {... Honestly, is there some stupid leaving bug going around or something? -_-)''...}

    Le Xing turned back to Ah Jin with a sigh and said, "You should go prepare yourself then... Thank you for all the care as well."

    Ah Jin smiled and bowed low and then turned to leave just as the other two reached her. Ah Jin stopped and frowned, "What is that for?"

    "The Empress is not feeling too well and asked for pain medication." Xiao Ruo informed.

    "And you brought this?" Ah Jin asked with a frown, her tone one of clear dissatisfaction - disgust almost.

    The Imperial physician glanced from Ah Jin to Xiao Ruo, and he then looked down at Lei Xing and then tried his best to mask his frustration at the fact that even a maid was now questioning his expertise. It was one thing for the Empress to question his expertise, but a maid was grating. But with no choice, he cordially responded - aiming his response at Lei Xing instead, "Although the smell is strong and displeasing, it is very safe and will aid Your majesty in recovering -"

    "You can''t drink this, it''s too strong." Ah Jin interjected, also addressing Lei Xing.

    The Imperial physician''s lips twitched and he turned to Ah Jin and reiterated, "As I have said, it is perfectly safe for Her majesty. At most, it would allow Her Majesty to slip into a relaxing sleep that would give her body time to heal itself. She will feel greatly refreshed upon waking. Moreover, the Empress asked for strong medication -"

    "Even then, as a doctor, you should know better than to give something so strong to someone in her condition." Ah Jin said with irritation, also now addressing him.

    "Are you a doctor?" The Imperial physician asked with glare, his face slightly turning red.

    "I -" Ah Jin froze and blinked at him, then lowered her head and mumbled, "...no..."

    "Then how can you know which is good or bad medicine? You cannot judge medication based on the look and smell. Good medication is not sweet. This blend of medication is great in resolving body aches and pains. It is exactly what the Empress needs. Even though -"

    "Okay, that''s enough. You two are aggravating my headache. Bring it." Lei Xing ordered and the Imperial physician, feeling vindicated, slightly smiled as Xiao Ruo picked up the bowl and took it over to Lei Xing, but before Lei Xing could take it, Ah Jin intercepted the bowl, "Your majesty, you really can''t drink this. It will be bad for the child -"

    "What child?" Lei Xing and Xiao Ruo asked in unison with raised eyebrows. Ah Jin froze and simply blinked back at them with wide eyes, simply at a loss herself.

    "Your majesty, are you pregnant?" Xiao Ruo asked, turning to Lei Xing for an answer since Ah Jin had gone mute. Lei Xing blinked back at her, equally taken aback. Lei Xing then turned to the Imperial physician with knit eyebrows, "Am I pregnant?"

    {... It can''t be that quick - Well, it can but...no�� too soon O_O;)...}

    The Imperial physician, who had also been shocked, shook his head before going, "... no, you''re - I can check again." He said, quickly walking over to kneel at Lei Xing''s side, taking the wrist she offered. Then he let out a sigh and confirmed, "You''re not pregnant Your majesty."

    Xiao Ruo also sighed in disappointment while Lei Xing sighed in relief, she was honestly not ready for that phase in life just yet. Honestly, sometimes she felt like her life was a speed train, so she was glad the train was not in a rush for this stop just yet.

    With that out of the way, the trio looked back to Ah Jin and Lei Xing voiced their thoughts, "What child are you talking about?"

    Ah Jin gulped, opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again, "Um... I was talking about... Well, your majesty c-could be with child, yesterday -" When Lei Xing raised a suspicious eyebrow, she quickly added, "...Or the day before, or the day before that, the one after that too or - Point is, he would not be able to tell if you had just recently, very recently became pregnant. Therefore, you should always be treated as a prospectively expectant mother...." Ah Jin awkwardly finished, quite fl.u.s.tered.

    The three of them still looked at her oddly, seemingly not quite convinced. Lei Xing''s eyes especially made her uncomfortable, causing her cheeks to heat up as the memory of the scene she had been faced with last night in this very room came to mind.

    {...No, no, I am NOT a pervert!...O_O)...I''m starting to sound like him T_T)...}

 Chapter 357 - Offending Parties

    Ah Jin cleared her throat and pushed aside her discomfort and tried to move the focus of the room away from her. So she turned to the Imperial physician and asked, "Would you have prescribed this if she was pregnant?"

    The Imperial physician started, "That -... Well, it may be strong but it still wo-"

    "Can you say for sure that it would not have affected the child - if, she happened to have become pregnant yesterday -" She caught herself again, her eyes darted to Lei Xing and she quickly added, "Or the day before or the day before th-"

    "We get it." Lei Xing flatly interjected with a frown, "Honestly, just say recently..." She mumbled under her breath, holding her reddening ears as it dawned on her that they were in fact, so matter of factly too, discussing her s.e.x life. Seeing this old physician''s face turning red too made it even worse.

    Ah Jin awkwardly nodded and then glared at the Imperial physician, who frowned and awkwardly said, "Well... It would also depend on the situation, but I''m sure it wou-"

    "Then that is enough, one should always err on the side of caution. This body is already very weak and being pregnant makes it even more so." Ah Jin uncharacteristically scolded, "The Empress should be treated with extreme care as if she were already pregnant as we can never know when it could be yesterday- I mean, know the time it could be that she conceived. It could be anytime... not just yesterday." Ah Jin awkwardly finished, cold sweat sliding down her reddened face.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/offending-parties_%!d(string=51404111098210414)">#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/offending-parties_%!d(string=51404111098210414)</a> for visiting.

    The three people stared at her with curious eyes until finally, Lei Xing cleared her throat and awkwardly said, "Um... something lighter then - Actually, nevermind. I''ll sleep it off. You can go." She said to the Imperial physician, who quickly bowed and nervously retreated with his offending medication.

    Ah Jin let out a sigh of relief, feeling completely drained as she turned to Lei Xing and continued to scold, "Your majesty, you need to be more careful in your actions... and you Xiao Ruo, you should also ask questions. Your role is to advise, not just to serve."

    "I -" Xiao Ruo protested and then turned to Lei Xing with an extremely aggrieved expression. She had tried but Lei Xing never listened to her.

    Lei Xing lightly cleared her throat and looked Ah Jin over with a skeptically raised eyebrow, "You... Are you sure you''re alright? I''ve never seen you talk to so much of your own volition before. If somethi-"

    "I''m perfectly fine!" Ah Jin loudly exclaimed, causing Lei Xing and Xiao Ruo to jump. Before they could say anything more, Ah Jin bopped her head, "I''ll go pack now." She hastily said as she rushed out of the room and all the way back to her own room, where she sat at her bed and fanned her heated face.

    This was all Doctor Lou''s fault, he just had to have dragged her along with him to Lei Xing''s room last night for what he called a "learning experience". To be fair, Doctor Lou had no idea - or so he said, one could never truly be sure when it came to him - that they would find Lei Xing and the Emperor so�� "tangled."

    Even Doctor Lou had been temporarily stunned by the scene and when Ah Jin threw him an accusatory glance, he announced "I am NOT a pervert." as he directed blankets to bury the two. Before he went over and shoved the Emperor off Lei Xing, with a banket swiftly redirecting itself to cover Lei Xing''s body. Doctor Lou then crouched down in front of the bed and waving Ah Jin over and telling her to learn "well".

    At that point, Ah Jin was not sure exactly what she was supposed to be learning here. But after he fished out a glowing gem from his sleeve, she quickly figured out what he was doing.

    Honestly, at that point, she began to worry that she might be doing something that was not allowed. After all, capturing souls for personal use, human or otherwise, was expressly banned. But her master, the great Doctor Lou waved away her concern by indignantly saying "We are simply righting a past wrong in this case - nothing to worry about! Nothing at all! Don''t worry, Shifu will protect you!"

    He had quickly covered up that slip-up, but Ah Jin had not missed it nor its implication - there were other souls he had captured and stored like this. But she pretended she did not understand and focused on the "lesson".

    Even though it was worrying, she trusted that her Master was a good person. If he did something, then there was a good reason for it, no matter how bizarre. Moreover, it was not like she would actually report him. Even though he did not officially adopt her as he did with Xiao Ying, he had still done a lot for her.

    Moreover, she knew that the reason he had not adopted her was because unlike Xiao Ying, when he found her, she knew who she was and he probably always believed that she would have eventually made her way back home when she was ready to. He asked no questions and simply took her in and well, tried his best to raise her.

    After Doctor Lou was done with the...procedure, he went about correcting the scene. With a flick of his finger, the blankets went back to where they once were in the corner, folded. Then the Emperor floated over Lei Xing and plopped back on top of her with a bit more force than anticipated - to Lei Xing''s detriment. But Doctor Lou could not be blamed for that, after all, he was being good and did it all with his eyes "closed".

    When Ah Jin tried to protest this rearrangement, Doctor Lou cut her off with "One must not interfere with the course of events. We must always maintain the integrity of the scene, where possible~ It''s important! Hehehehe~ Let''s go!" He ordered as he swiftly picked Xiao Ying up from the lounge chair and disappeared.

    Despite Doctor Lou''s "words of wisdom", Ah Jin felt bad for Lei Xing and was going to move the Emperor and properly tuck them in but then she turned back to them to find Lei Xing awake and frowning, upset. Doctor Lou''s hold on the sleeping pair had disappeared with him and since Lei Xing was now awake, there was nothing Ah Jin could do anymore so she left as well.

    Ah Jin wearily sighed and massaged her head, wondering when all this would be over, "Forget it!" She knocked her head as her eyes spun with the offending memory.

    {...If they ever find out that I saw - They''ll kill me! T_T)... but I am most definitely NOT a pervert! This is all Shifu''s doing, not mine! (? ?>?��?<? ?)...}

    ***

    "You seem to be adapting well."

    Prince Yi knit his brows and immediately sat up to see the Emperor standing in the corridor. He had been lying down staring at the ceiling of his cell. Prince Yi brought his legs down but remained sitting, obviously not bothered with greeting or showing the Emperor any deference. He straightened his back and looked at the Emperor sideways, "Is this it then? An ancient treason plot I know nothing about..."

    The Emperor quietly looked at his deviant brother and his lips rose in a smirk. He had thought that he would be upset seeing Prince Yi like this, but he honestly felt nothing. If anything, he actually felt quite pleased with the current circ.u.mstances, "You do realize that I do not actually need a reason to kill you... I just thought it more apt to provide one." The Emperor said with a smirk, purposely looking to agitate his brother.

    Prince Yi smirked back at the Emperor, "I see you have decided to finally show your true colors..."

    The Emperor lightly chuckled, "Unlike you, I never hid in the first place. It seems you simply misunderstood my intentions. I turned a blind eye, hoping that you would use the time and opportunity to realize your mistakes and turn back. But clearly, all you used it for was to grow your greed."

    "Hmph! Grow my greed?" Prince Yi went with a snort, as he rose to his feet and approached the bars and glared at the Emperor, " You sound as if you have never been greedy in your life? You keep talking out the side of your mouth. You say you don''t want the throne, the next thing you conspire to get it. You refuse h-" Prince Yi caught himself and instead said, "You say you want peace with Zou, yet you would happily make their princess face the disgrace of bearing a dead man''s child out of wedlock."

    The Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes at Prince Yi for a bit, before raising his eyebrows and flatly stating, "I won''t spare you. You may think you are protected because you managed to hoodwink the Zou princess but let me make this clear. I fear no one and no country, whether it be Zou or their allies, I can crush them all if I so wished... Do you know what I located today?"

    Prince Yi warily looked at the Emperor with knit eyebrows but did not humor him with a response. But the Emperor was not phased, "Would you mind telling me what you were raising a personal army for?" The Emperor asked and Prince Yi went still.

    Prince Yi quickly recovered and indignantly went, "What personal army?" There was no way the Emperor should have been able to find them, especially not so quickly... unless the Emperor had already been looking for them. Prince Yi inwardly shook his head, he had to be bluffing.

    The Emperor smiled and took a step closer to the bars and leaned in as he responded in a low voice, "When you''re the only antagonist I have left, it''s hard not to connect the dots, even harder to ignore them. You have really grown the numbers since the death of our dear older brother. It seems you are truly more capable than he was. It is unfortunate, but there will be much bloodshed come morning." He menacingly said with a smirk, seeming to be enjoying himself a bit too much.

    Prince Yi''s face betrayed his thoughts as his face paled, he had not actually believed that the Emperor was serious about killing him until just now. It was one thing to bring up the matter of his past treason - he could argue against this by saying that their father had already pardoned him for it by not investigating him and that any suspicion on him was an affront to their father. It was a dead matter. But for the accusation of having a personal army which broke a cardinal rule, there would be no recourse.

 Chapter 358 - Shocking Arrangements

    Despite his mounting apprehension, Prince Yi would never give his brother the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of watching him plead for mercy. Not that it would matter much, his brother was a cold-hearted man. He cared for no one and sought no one''s approval, not his parents and definitely not his siblings; very much like their royal father.

    But what made Jun Kai more dangerous was that he was highly deceptive and manipulative; deceiving people and leading them to believe that they truly mattered to him. Then the moment they became useless, he would casually discard them, showing his true colors.

    Therefore, Prince Yi steeled himself and harshly stared the Emperor down. But even then the Emperor could still sense his fear. It seemed the dire state of his present situation had finally sunk in for Prince Yi. The Emperor was finding Prince Yi''s dip in self-importance to be quite a welcome sight.

    The Emperor straightened up as he smugly continued on to say, "But... Xing er'' has taught me a thing or two on leniency for my subjects. I understand that people are sometimes left with little choice in their life matters. Therefore, I have permitted the option of surrender before battle and they have naturally been informed of your current circ.u.mstance. Ahh, what is it that Xing er'' calls it again? Full disclosure? Ah yes, full disclosure. They have been made aware of all the facts, to be fair, as I''m sure Zhao Chang did for you earlier."

    Prince Yi lowered his gaze and frowned. The Emperor smiled, raised an eyebrow, and casually asked, "How many of them do you think will remain loyal and fight for you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Prince Yi gulped, and his frown deepened, "I know nothing about any army..."

    "Of course you don''t. If you did, I would kill you right here..." The Emperor coldly retorted. Prince Yi looked up at him skeptically, not quite understanding what the Emperor was getting at now. If he did not want to kill him, why bring it up at all?

    "What do you want?" Prince Yi asked in a low voice, containing his anger.

    The Emperor sneered, "Do you have anything to offer?" He asked with that irritating sly smirk that always made Prince Yi want to bash his head in.

    Prince Yi angrily glared at the Emperor while the Emperor steadily met his gaze with cold calm as he callously stated, "You just need to understand that your life is at my mercy. It has always been so and will remain so. I warned you not to tempt me..."

    Understanding suddenly dawned on Prince Yi. His glare intensified as he clenched his fists and quietly spat out, "You can kill a man but you should not humiliate him..."

    "You humiliated me first!" The Emperor lashed out and then took a deep breath to regain his calm.

    The Emperor leaned forward again and menacingly said, "If you can''t stand it, then kill yourself because I will not grant you death. You will be here for as long as it pleases me. When I am satisfied that you have truly learned your place, you may go live your life. Perhaps when I have something to celebrate, maybe the birth of a child? New life does bring with it new beginnings but that won''t be for about a year, at the very least..."

    "...Well, it is great seeing you adapting so well to your new home," the Emperor finished with a smile which fell as soon as he straightened up. He gave Prince Yi a final hard stare before leaving. Prince Yi stood frozen for a long time, still glaring at the spot the Emperor had vacated, not thinking of anything.

    Was the Emperor serious about his threat of indefinite imprisonment? Maybe, maybe not...but that was not for Prince Yi to know.

    Regardless of his true intent, the Emperor could not have his prisoner being too comfortable in captivity. Therefore, this ought to give Prince Yi a lot more to think about. He needed to understand fear since respect was unlikely. He needed to understand that no one was coming to his rescue, not unless the Emperor permitted it. And well, the Emperor was currently not of a mind to grant such permission.

    ****

    The next afternoon, true to his words, the Emperor returned to the Empress dowager''s palace with Lei Xing in tow. Seeing that Lei Xing was unwell yesterday, he had not planned on "visiting" so soon but Lei Xing insisted on "getting it over with".

    Last night, he shared his encounter with the Empress dowager and what her "grievances" with Lei Xing were. He thought he would need to persuade Lei Xing to visit the Empress dowager, but to his surprise, Lei Xing said she was expecting it. Apparently, the thought had occurred to her the day after the ceremony that they needed to pay a visit to the Empress dowager. But everything was so hectic at that time and the Emperor had not said anything, so she too had ignored this obligatory visit.

    After all, it was not like the Empress dowager actually wanted to see her face, the woman had made her dislike for Lei Xing utterly clear. However, Lei Xing had obviously underestimated the woman''s superiority complex.

    It occurred to her that the Empress dowager would not leave until she had received her "due respect". The Emperor had apologized for the trouble and was glad for Lei Xing''s understanding. He did not want anyone to have any more reason to criticize Lei Xing, and by extension, him.

    So here they were, standing in front of the Empress dowager''s palace as the guards undid the locks at the entrance. The Emperor turned to Lei Xing when he heard her sigh, he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as he said, "Nothing will happen, I''m here."

    Lei Xing cast the Emperor a side glance, straightening her back, "I''ve told you, I can take your mother... There''s nothing to worry about." She mumbled with a lopsided smile. She had absolutely nothing to worry about.

    The doors finally opened to reveal Ling mama waiting on the inside to escort them, "This way please..." She said with an outstretched hand pointing towards the flowery path to the side of the building instead of the straight path to the reception hall - which was the expected venue for this "grand" visit.

    Lei Xing and the Emperor glanced at each other. The Emperor deeply exhaled and walked forward, Lei Xing also let out an irritated breath of her own and followed, with Ling mama and their retinue followed after.

    The Emperor and Lei Xing slowed to a halt as they came around the building to find the Empress dowager sitting in a pavilion in absolute serenity, brewing tea. While a host of servants stood to the sides; amongst them were musicians and what they assumed were entertainers, who bowed towards the guests of honor, who seemed rooted to their spots.

    Seeing the guests had arrived, Eunuch Li bent close to the Empress dowager and whispered, "The Emperor and Empress are here." The Empress dowager looked up. She saw the Emperor and smiled at him, then her eyes went to Lei Xing and her smile slightly faltered, but she held it and "warmly" said, "You''re right on time. Welcome, come forward... Come sit."

    Lei Xing was the first to snap out of the stupor and she quietly murmured to the Emperor, "Hey, wasn''t this just a simple greet and leave?"

    The Emperor quickly collected himself and he stepped forward and calmly asked, "What is going on here?" He casually asked, sending veiled daggers at Eunuch Li rather than the Empress dowager. This was obviously his arrangement, after all, no one could come here without his approval. The emperor was even more confused now as to what these two wanted from him.

    Regardless of their intent, the Emperor felt as if he had just walked into a trap.

    Eunuch Li smiled and bowed, "The Empress dowager thought that since it was such a nice day, it would be good to get together outside a-"

    "I realize that we haven''t had a meal together as a family. I could not bear to leave knowing that, so I thought it apt to arrange one. It should naturally be grand as well, so I asked for some entertainment to go along with it... Or do you find my company so undesirable that you cannot bear a simple meal?" The Empress dowager asked, looking aggrieved as she cast Eunuch Li a quick glance, which he replied with an approving nod.

    "Not at all." The Emperor responded with a slight smile, "It''s just that you did not need to go through the trouble. After all, you are just recovering..." The Emperor said as a dutiful son should.

    The Empress dowager''s smile faltered, then she narrowed her eyes at Lei Xing and said, "Your Empress is still young so I am left with no choice but to be the one to take initiative..."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/shocking-arrangements_%!d(string=51404145709611832)">#%!d(string=13455346806916405)/shocking-arrangements_%!d(string=51404145709611832)</a> for visiting.

    {... This woman (?_? )...}

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed and almost rolled her eyes at that masked insult.

    The Emperor knit his brows and jumped to defend Lei Xing, "Xing er'' has been unw-." He stopped when Lei Xing touched his arm and he turned to see her smiling at the Empress dowager.

    Obviously, with the crowd around, Lei Xing could not express her true feelings, but she could not give the Empress dowager the satisfaction of her or the Emperor apologizing for her supposed "failings". If she allowed the woman an inch, she would ask for a mile.

    Moreover, she did not want the Emperor to get angry and prove the rumors right that she was the reason for his poor relationship with his mother. The two of them arguing because of her will do her no good. There were many ways to handle things like this and giving excuses was not quite it.

    "It seems I have made mother feel neglected with my care. I may be young, but I was raised uprightly. Therefore, I rightly believe that it is health above all else. How could I have asked mother to indulge my whims when you are unwell?" Lei Xing said, putting on an aggrieved expression.

    The Empress dowager blinked and then her eyebrows slowly drew together as the question hung in the air.

    {... How dare this useless brat insinuate that I wasn''t raised right?! What right does sh-!...}

    The Empress dowager''s raging thoughts were interrupted when Lei Xing smiled at her and continued, "Seeing you today feels my heart with so much joy. It is so good to see that my consideration has truly paid off..." Lei Xing "sincerely" said with a plastered on smile, narrowing her eyes back at the Empress dowager as she lightly bowed her head.

    The Empress dowager glared at Lei Xing briefly before she caught herself and remembered the cause of the day.. She took a deep breath and then let out a dry laugh, "I see... It seems I failed to notice how considerate a child you were~" She replied tersely, clenching her teeth, "Such a good child, no wonder why my id- NOBLE!" She corrected when Eunuch Li loudly cleared his throat, "... My very noble son is so taken with you..." She finished, flashing a wide smile at the Emperor, who was looking at Lei Xing with an amused smirk.

    Lei Xing smiled and bowed again, rolling her eyes as she faced the ground and coyly said, "It''s what I should do~..."

    {... Tsk, tsk, if you keep talking out the side of your mouth like that, it might just rip you a new one... Ahhh, I''ve become such a hypocrite in this place. I might get a new mouth first Y_Y)... This woman, why can''t you just leave well enough alone? We had a good thing going, you and I! T_T)...}

 Chapter 359 - Tea Party~

    Due to the presence of too many eyes, the Emperor and Lei Xing were left with little choice but to indulge the Empress dowager and accept this ambush of an event. So Lei Xing and the Emperor sat across from each other, exchanging looks as the Empress dowager quietly went about brewing a new batch of tea because their distraction had "ruined" the pot.

    The musicians began playing a soft melody while a dancer moved with the warm spring wind. Honestly, it was quite a beautiful and peaceful setup that one could easily enjoy... if one was not currently sitting a few feet away from what seemed to be the devil playing house.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed and faced forward at the Emperor, who was currently busy scrutinizing the Empress dowager and her right-hand man standing behind her, who was looking anywhere but at the Emperor.

    {...Guilty conscience, Eunuch Li? You must be one orc.h.e.s.trating all this crap (?_? )...}

    "This one for the Empress..." The Empress dowager said and Lei Xing''s attention flicked back to the woman to find her looking at her with another skin-crawling smile. It was not that she had a weird or naturally creepy smile, it was quite pretty honestly, but on the Empress dowager''s face, it just seemed unnatural and wrong.

    Ling mama picked up the little tray and came up to Lei Xing''s side and put the teacup in front of her. Lei Xing raised her eyebrows in genuine intrigue as she saw the transparent deep blue color of the "tea". What''s more, she then looked up to see the Empress dowager pouring regular black tea from a different pot into two cups and directing one to be served to her "son" and picking the other for herself, smiling at the Emperor.

    The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the tea in front of him and then skeptically looked at the Empress dowager and flatly asked, "Why is Xing er''s tea different?" Beating Lei Xing to the punch.

    "It has quite the interesting color..." Lei Xing added, smoothing the edge of the question with a plastered on smile, trying not to seem bothered. But she felt a bit relieved knowing that she was not the only person that had a problem with this.

    The Empress dowager did not seem at all bothered with the question and casually explained, "Ah, it is made from the butterfly pea flower... It is great for expectant mothers." She added, slightly leaning towards Lei Xing with a smile.

    "I''m sorry?" Lei Xing blurted out without thinking, slightly leaning back with knit eyebrows.

    The Empress dowager sighed and put her teacup down, put her hands in her l.a.p, and looked at Lei Xing, straightfaced, "I have been informed that you have stopped taking the contraceptives..."

    "Ahh..." Lei Xing said, her mind calming down. That pregnancy talk from Ah Jin the day before had really put her on edge with the topic.

    The Empress dowager glanced at the Emperor, then looked up at Eunuch Li who gave her a nod of encouragement. She then took a deep breath and let it out, "I have decided to make my peace...with you." She said, nodding in Lei Xing''s direction.

    Lei Xing blinked at her, at a loss for words and unsure how to react as the Empress dowager''s declaration hung in the air.

    The Empress dowager faced forward, haughtily raising her head as she said, "I realize that I have been perhaps...unfair in my dealings...with you. A lot of that is due to the fact that I have a grudge against your father - but you must understand he took an active role in the demise of my family, country, and my people. He ruined my life!" She suddenly barked, jumping in her seat and glaring at Lei Xing, who slightly jumped, seemingly ready to defend.

    The Empress dowager blinked at her wide-eyed as she realized she was shouting again, which was not good. So she swiftly turned to the Emperor with raised eyebrows, "But as you said, he was simply following orders and the past has nothing to do with a child that was not yet born. I understand that and I have accepted that." She said wide-eyed, holding her c.h.e.s.t and fervently nodding, trying very hard to be convincing.

    The Emperor just looked at her, the two locked eyes for a bit, before he cast a brief glance at Eunuch Li and tentatively said, "I see... That is good."

    "It is good." The Empress dowager said, turning her smile back at Lei Xing, who was awkwardly holding her teacup and looking down at her ring, glad to see that the color remained neutral. Even though she was now the Empress and the Empress dowager was apparently currently groveling, she did not put it past the woman to stab them in the back. After all, it would not be the first time that the Empress smiled while attempting to stab her in the back.

    "So do you accept?" The Empress dowager asked, bringing Lei Xing out of her distracted thought.

    Lei Xing looked up to find the Empress dowager boring her. She blinked and cast a quick glance at the Emperor, but she could not quite read his expression. She turned back to the Empress and then said, "Um... Of course. The past is the past, the future is what matters." Lei Xing said, pinning up a smile. She could see from her peripheral vision that the Emperor smiled at her as well and she inwardly sighed.

    {... How could I say anything but "of course"?... I don''t know what you''re up to but... okay... I''m still on to you though ?_?)...}

    "Very well said. You have always had a way with words~" The Empress dowager said with a laugh, "Let''s drink the tea before it gets cold. I know it''s not wine, but I think a toast is still in order." She picked up her cup and raised it and motioned to Lei Xing and the Emperor to do the same.

    Lei Xing looked at the Emperor and they both tentatively raised their cups and the Empress dowager proclaimed, "To our family and new beginnings... new life as well - a grandchild will only be a matter of time, won''t it~?" She asked, facing Lei Xing again.

    "E-en." Lei Xing awkwardly responded, quickly facing away and sipping her tea, her ears were now bright red.

    {... What exactly is this rampant fascination with my babies all of a sudden? Stop talking about it! Don''t you all have better things to think about?! (? ?>?��?<? ?)...}

    "Do you like it?" The Empress dowager asked and Lei Xing awkwardly turned to her and weakly smiled, "Yes, i-it is quite... pleasant."

    The Empress dowager smugly smiled, "Naturally~... This is my own blend, personally grown flowers too! You can''t find them anywhere else in the country."

    "I see... You are quite gifted." Lei Xing awkwardly responded again.

    The Empress dowager''s expression suddenly fell, and Lei Xing was put on edge again, slightly panicked that she had said something wrong again. It was not that she really cared or that she was actually scared, it was just that she could not help being on edge around this woman.

    But to Lei Xing''s relief, the Empress dowager simply looked down with what looked to be a pout and fingered her teacup as she mumbled, "... Not as gifted as the one I learned from... I still had much to learn."

    Both Le Xing and the Emperor were taken aback that the Empress dowager could actually compliment someone else, but neither cared enough to further the discussion.

    After that, the Empress dowager seemed to have fallen into a daze and did not say anything more. She blankly stared at her cup until the meal came and even then, she did not notice when the dishes were placed in front of her and it was only after Song mama practically shouted next to her ear that she snapped out of it.

    It seemed this happened quite a bit. Even after that, she picked up her chopsticks and simply stared at the food, lost again. Although they were creeped out by the strange atmosphere, Lei Xing and the Emperor slowly ate in silence, both wanting to get this over with and leave in peace.

    "I cannot return to Xia..." The Empress dowager quietly said and the Emperor and Lei Xing froze, while Eunuch Li frowned at her and started, "Your m-"

    "Enough!" The Empress dowager irritatedly said, raising a hand to silence him and then looking up at the Emperor with a resolute expression. It was not part of their plan but this sort of meandering and catering was too irritating for her. If she wanted something, she would get it.

    The Emperor slightly smiled, put down his chopsticks, and faced the Empress dowager, and calmly asked, "Is that it then?" The mystery has finally been unveiled.

    "I cannot return to a place -" She paused, frowning, apparently having difficulty with the words, "I cannot live in that lost place filled with things that will haunt me. Sending me there is the same as killing me." She bit out.

    The Emperor frowned but before he could say anything, the Empress dowager continued, "You asked me to forgive and I have done so." She said, dismissively waving a hand in Lei Xing''s direction, "But you cannot ask me to forget. Just as you cannot forsake those who have made you, I cannot. My family, your family was massacred there! How could I "happily" live there? Could you?!" She finished, slamming her fist on the table.

    He remembered passing through Xia during his war travels with the Emperor, then he had felt melancholic but at the same time, he had felt at peace, at home. It seemed that both he and the Emperor had been narrow-sighted, absorbed in the lore of the homeland. How could they forget that it was the place of a massacre of all she loved?

    The Emperor sighed and then said, "I have been short-sighted... but as I said before, the choice remains yours. There are various palaces across the empire, pick one and it shall be prepared for your arrival. This was a nice lunch, we''ll be leaving now..." The Emperor said, starting to rise to his feet, slanting his gaze to Lei Xing, signaling for her to do the same.

    Lei Xing did not need to be told to get up, she had been itching to leave since they got here and so she quickly got up. But before they could give their departure bows, the Empress dowager said, "You would forsake your only family! Why? Is it because of this girl?! I already made peace with you, what else do you want?!" The Empress dowager barked, glaring at Lei Xing.

    {...Oy, oy, oy, please leave me out of this! I told him you could stay - didn''t mean it, but I told him ? _ ?)...}

    Lei Xing inwardly g.r.o.a.n.e.d and lowered her head, frowning off to the side, highly irritated and at a loss for words. She could understand that the woman wanted to deflect responsibility for her poor relationship with her son and could understand she was an easy target but...seriously?

    {...But do you think I could be the reason?! I had nothing to do with her being at Chen You''s house or that monk running away! I also had nothing to do with her mind falling apart - Okay...um, if Doctor Lou was involved...then I might but - I didn''t ask her to send for him, I tried my best to dissuade her - In fact, that reminds me, you physically tried to kill me and he did nothing, absolutely NOTHING to you!... Yes, I am still angry about that (?_? )...}

    "It has nothing to do with anyone. It is for peace of mind, for you and I." The Emperor calmly said, staring down the Empress dowager, who obviously was not phased.

    "I am the only true family you have..." The Empress dowager bit out, her body shaking with barely contained rage.

    "As I am sure you will agree, distance is a necessity for fondness in our family... My mind will not be changed." The Emperor said, sending Eunuch Li a warning glance before turning and storming off. Lei Xing quickly bowed her head and turned to follow, but then the Empress dowager spoke up, "Don''t think you''re safe... He will forsake you too."

    Lei Xing stopped and turned, not quite sure the woman was talking to her. She locked eyes with the Empress dowager and the woman menacingly warned, "He is a traitor by nature..."

    Lei Xing snorted.

    {...Since when did you and I become friends to be offering me such "candid" advice? (?_? )...}

    "Rest assured, I''m not the kind of person to betray those I claim to care for and neither is he, so there is no cause for worry -"

    The Empress dowager scoffed and scowled, "Are you trying to say that I betrayed him first?"

    "Not trying. I am simply thanking you for your concern..." She said with a bow, flashed a mocking smile, and turned and left.

    {...Crazy woman -_-)''...}

    The Empress dowager scowled at her back, clenching her fists, and then she suddenly lunged forward, forgetting the table was in front of her, she crashed into it and flopped to the ground with a loud crash.

    "Your majesty!" Both Eunuch Li and Song mama exclaimed, rushing to her side. Lei Xing also turned around at the commotion and saw as the Empress dowager shoved Song mama and Eunuch Li aside and raced towards her with rage-filled eyes. Lei Xing was stunned and stumbled back a few steps and in the same second, Bi Lu and Bi Lo both instinctively jumped in front of her having sensed the rage with hands on their swords, confused and hesitating.

    But luckily Eunuch Li''s senses kicked in and he rushed to grab the Empress dowager just before she could lunge herself off of the pavilion like a mad person, locking his arms around her pulling her back as she flailed wildly, "GET OFF ME! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME?! I''M GOING TO KILL YOU AND WHEN I''M DONE, I''LL KILL HIM! I''LL KILL ALL OF YOU! WHY?! HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ME?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS YOU?! YOU RUIN EVERYTHING! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME?! GET OUT! GET OUT! LET ME GO!"

    "Your majesty, please stop!" Eunuch Li shouted back and then took an elbow to the face and his grip momentarily loosened. Free, she continued forward but Eunuch Li grabbed her again and this time, she fully turned her assault on him, clawing at his neck and head, trying and failing to twist his neck as he continuously moved his head, trying to free himself.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#~_51606296130015587">#~_51606296130015587</a> for visiting.

    Song mama ran to help him restrain the Empress dowager taking hits in the process, while Ling mama shuddered in the corner of the pavilion, in tears terrified. Everyone outside the pavilion stood transfixed at a loss, until Lei Xing finally gasped for breath, not at all aware that she had been holding her breath.

    She looked to the pavilion and her brain finally registered what was happening and she shakily, but quickly said, "Go, g-go, go help him." Bi Lo and Bi Lu snapped out of it as well, glanced at Lei Xing before quickly rushing into the pavilion, trying to grab the Empress dowager''s flailing arms that were keen on ripping Eunuch Li''s head to shreds.

    "Just knock her out!" Lei Xing ordered. Bi Lo raised the hilt of his sword again and brought it swinging down but then, the Empress dowager moved her head, and instead, it hit Eunuch Li square in the face. Eunuch Li g.r.o.a.n.e.d and his head flew back and slumped to the ground, giving the Empress dowager her freedom again.

    But luckily again, Before she could take a step, Bi Lu locked his arms around her, locking her arms in as well, "Now!" Bi Lu shouted to his brother as the Empress dowager wildly flailed to get free again, his hold gradually weakening.

    Bi Lo raised his sword again, aiming but then a teapot swiftly came crashing down to her head first, and then the Empress dowager went limp.

    Ling mama let out a shaky laugh and looked up and froze, immediately going pale as her eyes fixed on something past Lei Xing. She dropped the teapot and instantly fell to her knees, kowtowing to the ground, "Please don''t kill me! T-t-the Empress said to do it!"

    Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion and then turned back to see the Emperor standing by the corner of the building, frozen in shock staring at the "possible" murder scene in the pavilion. Lei Xing blinked at him a few times and then awkwardly said, "It was self-defense...?"

 Chapter 360 - I got you

    "The Empress dowager seems to be resting in peace -"

    "Resting in peace?" Lei Xing exclaimed as her eyes widened in pleasant surprise. The Emperor glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and Lei Xing realized that she had sounded a bit too excited just then. She lightly cleared her throat and awkwardly said, "Are you sure?... Well, just be sure. Check her again."

    {...She''s dead? Finally! - I mean, not that she''s done anything to me recently but - Screw it! She''s DEAD!!! Who knew it would be this easy? Hahahahahaha - Oh wait! My poor Emperor. Awwn, well, don''t worry, I''ll comfort you...a lot~..}

    Lei Xing turned to the Emperor with shining eyes filled with mixed emotion. If people were not around, she would hug him tightly. As much as he liked to pretend not to care, she knew he was a big softie on the inside. He would need much consoling despite his cold and strained relationship with Empress dowager. After all, she was still his mother and she knew he had once yearned for a good relationship with her.

    The Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes at Lei Xing''s odd expression, not quite sure what was going through her head but he would deal with Lei Xing later. So the Emperor turned his attention back to the head physician, who was kneeling by the Empress dowager''s bed, and asked, "So what exactly is her condition?"

    {...What condition? Resting in peace is resting in peace. There''s no condition to evaluate, my poor baby *sniff* (��?�n?)��...}

    Lei Xing went over to the Emperor and held one of his arms, gently rubbing it as she softly said, "It''ll be alright. These things happen. It''s nature''s natural course�� It was her time." She said, closing her eyes with a solemn nod.

    The Emperor was even more confused with Lei Xing''s behavior. But he ignored her for now and turned back to the head physician, who had also been looking at Lei Xing in confusion. When the physician saw the Emperor looking at him, he promptly reported, "Your majesty, there is nothing wrong with the Empress dowager. She''s simply asleep -"

    "Asleep?!" Lei Xing exclaimed, eyes opening wide as her mouth hung open. The head physician nodded and Lei Xing''s face twitched, "Wait. You - You meant resting in peace as in asleep?!"

    The head physician nodded again, "...Is there some other kind of resting in peace?" He tentatively inquired, glancing at the other faces in the room for an answer.

    Lei Xing scoffed as she dropped the Emperor''s arm, and scratched her forehead as she stepped towards the head physician and asked, "Not even unconscious, but asleep?"

    The head physician was confused but nodded, and tentatively responded, "She is really just asleep..." As if to drive home his point, the Empress dowager suddenly stirred with a frown and rolled over to her side, facing away from them.

    With that, the people in the room heaved a collective sigh of relief - well, mostly. Lei Xing just stared at the woman in bewilderment.

    "And her head injury?" The Emperor inquired. The head physician furrowed his brow before asking, "Is it certain that she was hit with the teapot?"

    "What? Do we look jobless enough to make a joke out of that too?" Lei Xing irritatedly mumbled under her breath, now pouting, glancing off to the side.

    "Why are you asking that?" The Emperor asked.

    The head physician looked at the Empress dowager''s back and responded, "...If she was hit as was described, then there should be an injury or some sign of the effect. But there is nothing. She did not react to any of my proddings and does not seem to be in any discomfort... Although, I will be more certain after she wakes up. But for now, she seems healthy."

    {...Healthy? *scoff* Well, of course, I didn''t actually expect that she was going to die from a knock to the head but seriously?! Is this woman''s head made from uranium or something?! No injury? Ridiculous! Quack, you''re a quack - No, no, it''s this woman. She''s a quack! Tch, giving false hope -_-)''...}

    Lei Xing inwardly scoffed, while an invisible Ah Jin who had been hanging in the corner of the room sighed in relief. It was good that she arrived just in time. She had been waiting for Lei Xing to return to her palace so that she could give her farewell. But Lei Xing seemed to be taking much longer than anticipated, so Ah Jin decided to go check up on things at the Empress dowager''s palace. And she just so happened to arrive as Ling mama was bringing the teapot down on the Empress dowager''s head.

    Ah Jin had quickly frozen the scene, which was a bit difficult with Lei Xing and the Emperor there. But she managed to hold it for a few seconds, which was enough for her to put the Empress dowager to sleep. As for Ling mama''s teapot, it had hit Ah Jin''s hand which had been hovering above the Empress dowager''s head.

    Luckily, she chose the right time to appear. Otherwise, she would have been in trouble if they had really killed the Empress dowager before Doctor Lou got what he wanted out of her existence.

    "The Empress dowager has the divine protection of the heavens so naturally she is protected..." Monk Du said, drawing attention to his position in the back. Most people were surprised, especially Ah Jin who panicked and disappeared - worried he might have caught on to her presence. Ah Jin had no idea when he had arrived in the room, but then again, she had been preoccupied with trying to figure out what exactly she had felt when she touched the Empress dowager. She felt a familiar, yet sinister energy just then. It was very odd, but it confirmed her suspicion that the woman was definitely not ordinary. She had to be different for Doctor Lou to be so interested and worried about her case.

    The woman was definitely not ordinary.

    Meanwhile, back in the Empress dowager''s room. Monk Du''s words had earned quizzical frowns from both Lei Xing and the Emperor, albeit for different reasons. Lei Xing was still stewing over the Empress dowager''s seemingly impervious nature and Monk Du''s statement had only further irritated her sensibilities.

    {... Hmph, divine protection my a.s.s. If the Heavens are that jobless then I need to talk to their manager about a couple of things (?_? )...}

    "I thought your potion was supposed to prevent an incident like this? Yet, her outburst seems even more violent now..." The Emperor queried with a frown.

    Monk Du bowed his head and promptly explained, "As I explained to her, it only offers temporary relief and not true liberation. For it to work, it still requires her to keep her emotions in check which..." He trailed off, not needing to explain that she obviously had not heeded his instructions. He then sighed and said, "The sooner we leave, the better. Otherwise, I fear it will only get worse..."

    The Emperor''s frown deepened. He turned back to the bed and looked at his "sleeping" mother for a bit, in thought. Then he turned to Eunuch Li who was sitting on the side, being bandaged up, and sighed before saying, "You should rest while you can. I will have someone else see to the arrangements."

    Eunuch Li furrowed his brows but then quickly stopped, wincing in pain due to the bump on his head. Still, he quickly recovered and began to protest, "Your majesty, I can d-"

    "If you insist on not resting, then I will remove you from the mission." The Emperor sternly interjected, this was not up for debate. Eunuch Li pursed his lips and begrudgingly nodded in acceptance.

    The Emperor cast Monk Du another scrutinizing look before he turned to leave. This time, making sure to grab Lei Xing''s hand, not making the mistake of leaving her behind again. His heart almost dropped earlier when he heard his mother''s deranged scream and realized Lei Xing was not with him.

    He had expected that Lei Xing would have happily trotted along behind him when he stormed off. It was only after he had gotten to outside the Empress dowager''s palace and turned around to hand Lei Xing into her palanquin - they had both come in palanquins because the Emperor did not believe Lei Xing''s claims of being perfectly fine, and Lei Xing thought it was awkward if only she rode one while he walked. Hence, this was their middle ground.

    Anyway, when he noticed Lei Xing had not followed him, he turned back, worried that she was bent over somewhere feeling ill. He was not particularly panicked until he heard the Empress dowager''s shrill screaming. He raced back to the back garden, only to arrive as Ling mama clunked the Empress dowager on the head.

    It was a scene that brought forth a confusing mix of relief and shock within him.

    As they exited the Empress dowager''s palace, they came across Ling mama who was fretting in the corner of the front garden, talking to a wall, pondering over her life choices, "What was I thinking? How - how could I -?" She could not even speak her deeds with her own mouth and simply broke into loud crying. Her life was over.

    On seeing the poor woman''s state, Lei Xing grabbed the Emperor''s arm, stopping him, "Can we take her? Your mother will kill her when she wakes up..." Lei Xing said, turning to the Emperor, somewhat worried.

    The Emperor cast an uninterested glance at Ling mama, clearly not bothered with the prospect. Lei Xing quickly added, "It was really in self-defense, your mother would have killed someone and - you''re not really angry, are you?" Lei Xing tentatively asked.

    Crazy or not, she was still his mother. It was one thing for him to "mistreat" her and a whole different story for others to do so. Even though the Emperor had not said anything, he still looked visibly upset at the scene - or at least, bothered by the whole affair.

    Back then at the pavilion, after he recovered from the shock, he had simply gone over to pick up the Empress dowager while giving out orders. He had not said anything to Lei Xing, not even while they waited for the physician or while she was hanging on him, trying to offer him "comfort" over his sudden "unfortunate" loss. So perhaps he was really upset with her and had simply been holding back.

    "I''m not angry, I would have done the same..." The Emperor replied and motioned for one of his eunuchs to go to Ling mama. Then he continued on his way, pulling Lei Xing along.

    As Lei Xing sat in her palanquin, returning to her palace, she stared at the Emperor''s silhouette through the shimmery curtains of the palanquin. She sighed and massaged her temple. She really should have just kept her mouth shut and ignored the Empress dowager''s words at that time.

    She knew better than to mess with crazy and even though she "won", ordering an assault on your mother-in-law was really a no-no. Even if the Emperor agrees with her choice, it does not mean that he liked it. Even she herself would have trouble with it if the roles were reversed. No matter how crazy one''s family was, it always just rubbed the wrong way when others spoke ill of them or hurt them. It was one thing for me to hurt them and a whole different story for others to do the same.

    Lei Xing sighed again and resolved herself to soothing the Emperor''s ruffled nerves when they got "home".

    {...It seems I''ve been doing that quite a lot recently. It''s a bit - nevermind, I''m sure I was a bigger pain in the a.s.s - Was I really though? Just saying... I''m not that difficult a person to deal with (? ?)...}

    As they arrived at her palace, she expected the Emperor to storm in without her again but he came over and dutifully helped her out. It was always nice how he cared for her even when they were on "off" terms. Feeling touched and a smidge - just a smidge, guilty for rejoicing at the prospect of his mother''s death earlier, Lei Xing swiftly began her apology speech, "I''m sorry, I know I -" Her words caught in her throat when the Emperor turned and pulled her into a tight hug as he said, "I was so worried."

    "En?" Lei Xing went, blinking in confusion. The Emperor moved back, arms still wrapped around her as he asked, "Why did you not follow me out?"

    "I -"

    Before she could even begin to answer, the Emperor scolded, "You should know better than to stay with my mother. You know my mother is dangerous and I have told you to stay away from her. Even though there were servants around, still, why would you linger there? With her?" He finished, letting out a frustrated breath as he frowned down at Lei Xing, who was blinking up at him looking adorably confused. Looking at her face, his annoyance with her started to dissipate, he sighed and softly confessed, "My heart almost stopped when I heard those screams and you weren''t there..."

    Lei Xing blinked at him and then lightly chuckled, relieved, amused, and touched all at the same time, "Well... I naturally went to follow you but then your mother started saying all sorts of nonsense, calling a traitor and whatnot, making herself out to be the unfortunate saint and victim of a crappy son - which is obviously not true, you''re a gre -" She paused, he was definitely not a great son but then she was a horrifying mother. Hard to be a great child to a horrifying parent.

    Still, Lei Xing could not tout falsehoods to the Emperor, she did not appreciate such and she was sure neither would he. So instead, she diplomatically said, "You''re not a horrible son and definitely not a traitorous son. You''ve indulged more than most would. Anyway, her words don''t matter, you shouldn''t pay it any attention." She said with a resolute nod, patting his c.h.e.s.t.

    "I see��" The Emperor said as a slow smirk tugged at his lips, "You should not pay her words any attention either." The Emperor said, lovingly patting her head. It always warmed his heart seeing her worked up on his behalf.

    "Of course. It''ll be a waste of brain cells." Lei Xing responded, still pouting as she hugged the Emperor.

    {...Tch, offering me advice...not even a scratch, heavenly protection my a.s.s. Pretty sure if I put a sword through her throat, she will die... Just saying, the heavens really can''t be that jobless -��}

    A certain flighty, troublesome old man popped into Lei Xing''s mind, and she frowned. He certainly seemed that jobless. Lei Xing shook her head.

    {...Nope, he wouldn''t. But then again - nope, nope, why would he? He said he didn''t know her... And he lies, he lies a lot... It''s that old man, isn''t it? Of course, it is (?_? )....}

 Chapter 361 - Good Riddance, no?

    Following the Emperor''s orders, Ling mama had been taken to Ming Shu who reassigned her to one department or the other. Lei Xing had no idea which one nor did she really care, she did her part in ensuring the woman was out of the Empress dowager''s reach.

    The Emperor and Monk Du "concluded" that their departure could survive another delay of an extra day or two. This way they could ensure that Eunuch Li''s injuries could heal a bit more to avoid any complications. As for the Empress dowager, she had mostly been asleep and when she was awake, she spoke to no one. It seems she was now in some sort of pout mode.

    Unfortunately for her, pout mode only worked when the people around the pouter actually cared about the said pouter being upset.

    When the day came for the Empress dowager''s departure, Lei Xing and the Emperor, like the dutiful children they were, stood waiting at the palace gates to bid her farewell.

    The Empress dowager''s palanquin arrived and the woman stepped out and then froze when she saw Lei Xing and the Emperor. She blankly stared at them for a moment before she haughtily raised her head and walked forward, towards her waiting carriage without sparing them another glance.

    They thought she would pass without acknowledging them, but then she surprisingly stopped in front of them and slanted the Emperor a condescending glare, "I won''t forget this... I never forget." She menacingly bit out, turning her glare to Lei Xing before storming off to her carriage.

    Lei Xing and the Emperor watched her walk off and then glanced at each other and both let out a breath. Eunuch Li then came up to them, bowed, and awkwardly said, "The Empress dowager is glad you were both able to come see her off. These last few days have been especially taxing on her."

    The Emperor slightly nodded, while Lei Xing flashed a weak smile with a slight nod as well. Even though neither of them believed his words, they ignored it for the sake of Eunuch Li''s bandaged up face. His loyalty was admirable but sorely misplaced in the hands of an unappreciative master. Lei Xing was almost certain that the Empress dowager had not even bothered to apologize for this assault.

    {... You poor man, loyalty is good and all but if you keep excusing crazy, it really might just kill you one day.. You''re not wrong though, I could feel all that menacing glee down to my soul (?_?)...}

    "I will do my utmost to protect your mother and ensure her return to health!" Eunuch Li loudly pledged, going down on one knee. The rest of the men in the escort immediately followed suit, echoing the pledge.

    The Emperor looked down at Eunuch Li and knit his brows as his eyes warmed, "You have my trust. Go well." He calmly said.

    Eunuch Li looked up at the Emperor and their gazes held for a moment. Eunuch Li''s eyes swirled with tears, then he took a deep breath and rose to his feet, gave the Emperor a brilliant smile, and turned away to mount his horse. He gave the Emperor one last long look, then a strong nod, then he turned his horse and began the journey through the palace gates.

    The Emperor''s gaze remained locked on Eunuch Li''s departing back, never losing its mark, not even as other hors.e.m.e.n filed out behind him. Lei Xing could see the loss hidden behind the Emperor''s eyes. She moved closer to him and took his hand, gently squeezing it. The Emperor took the comfort she offered and tightly held on to her hand, but his gaze never strayed.

    "I will be sure to send him back to you." Monk Du''s voice interrupted their somber moment, finally drawing the Emperor''s attention from his departing guardian.

    The Emperor and Lei Xing silently looked at Monk Du, both seemingly at a loss for words. The Emperor turned back to the departing group, but he could no longer single out Eunuch Li in the sea of horse riders surrounding the Empress dowager''s carriage. The Emperor''s eyes lingered on the carriage for a moment and in a surprising moment of obscurity, he asked, "...And my mother?" The Emperor scoffed at the word, he could not remember the last time he referred to her as "mother".

    Monk Du blinked a few times and lowered his head. He hesitated a moment before vaguely said, "...I will do my utmost."

    The Emperor quizzically turned to Monk Du, eyes slightly narrowing as his eyes bore into Monk Du''s. Monk Du went rigid but held the Emperor''s gaze, more like, he could not move his gaze even if he wanted to.

    "Do that then." The Emperor finally said, then abruptly turned and walked away with Lei Xing firmly in his grip.

    ***

    Lei Xing let out a deep sigh and closed the account book in front of her. She could not concentrate on anything at all today. She had not expected to be affected by the Empress dowager''s departure like this. Frankly, she had thought that she and the Emperor - well, at least she would be celebrating.

    Well, apparently that was not the case because here she was moping and obviously not throwing a party. And this was all because of the Emperor. Obviously, Lei Xing had underestimated the Emperor''s attachment to Eunuch Li and well, she had also underestimated or perhaps, forgotten her attachment to the Emperor. How could she possibly be in the mood to celebrate even breathing when he''s moping?!

    After the send-off, they had walked back in silence still holding hands. Unexpectedly, the Emperor stopped at their palace entrance and turned to Lei Xing, intently staring at her face. It looked as if he were expecting her to say something but...for some unforeseen reason, Lei Xing''s brain short-circuited and just stood there, staring back at him like an idiot.

    In the end, it seems she hesitated for too long because before she could reorganize her brain cells, the Emperor smiled at her and told her to go in to "rest" - he kept telling her to do that and it was honestly starting to get annoying. Anyway, he turned and left before she could say anything more, not that she had anything to say anyway.

    To be honest, she never did well with emotional issues and family issues were particularly touchy for her. She avoided them and well, avoided people with them. It stressed her out, obviously.

    But, it was quite impossible to avoid the man you sleep with, who happened to be quite the sentimental creature. His shoulders back then were as straight and high as ever, but to Lei Xing, they looked to be weighed down with the weight of the world.

    But what was she supposed to say to him? She had held his hand to comfort him and he was apparently not in the mood to come inside for more comfort. What else could she have done? This was obviously not a pain that she could solve.

    {...I''m sorry for your loss doesn''t exactly cut it here -_-)''...}

    "Arrrgh, I suck��" Lei Xing wearily said with a groan, flopping down on the table with her arms outstretched. At times like this, it was best to leave people alone to sort out their thoughts, or so Lei Xing told herself. When he was ready to see her, he would come back to her.

    {...Space�� Space is the answer��}

    All that was great and good but then, waiting was not exactly her strong suit. It made her feel agitated and well, irritable.

    Xiao Ruo, who had been embroidering on the side glanced up from her work and almost pricked herself when she found Lei Xing staring at her with a disgruntled pout, "Your majesty... is something wrong?" Xiao Ruo carefully asked after composing herself.

    Lei Xing blinked, pursed her lips, and shook her head and wrapped her arms around her head.

    Xiao Ruo looked at her for a bit, feeling at a loss for what to do. Lei Xing had been a bit down since Ah Jin left and now with the Empress dowager''s departure today, she seemed particularly down.

    Xiao Ruo sighed, thinking of Ah Jin made her feel upset too. They had been together for quite a while now but, it was good she found her family and she hoped she was happy with them. With that thought, Xiao Ruo perked up and went about dealing with her pouting mistress, "Your majesty... are you hungry?"

    Lei Xing simply g.r.o.a.n.e.d in response, not even bothering to raise her head.

    "How about something sweet?" Xiao Ruo tried again and received another groan in response.

    Xiao Ruo then thought for a bit and suggested, "The head of the treasury department sent news that he got some new valuables, do you want to go see?"

    There was a slight pause and it seemed like Lei Xing was contemplating the idea. But then she just raised a hand and dismissively waved, signifying "later". Xiao Ruo knit her brows, food did not work and neither did treasure. Considering Lei Xing was in her study, she did not want to sleep either and work was obviously not working either.

    It then clicked in Xiao Ruo''s head, then she smiled and tentatively asked, "Your majesty, do you want me to send someone to check on the Emperor? I''m sure he has not had lunch either..." Xiao Ruo added, intentionally dragging out her words.

    At first, Lei Xing did not respond, and then she slightly raised her head, contemplating eyes poking over her arms, "Hmmm...do you th-"

    "Your majesty?" A maid called from outside, interrupting Lei Xing, who let out an irritated breath, rolled her eyes, and plopped her head back down.

    Xiao Ruo sighed and then walked over to the door to talk to the maid. Then she excitedly returned with a smile. There was finally something to cheer Lei Xing up, "Your majesty, your sister is here an-"

    "Xiao Ting? For what?" Lei Xing exclaimed, sitting up in surprise.

    "I''m not sure�� Should we send her away?" Xiao Ruo tentatively asked.

    Lei Xing knit her brows in thought for a bit, she was really not in the mood for people. But then again, Xiao Ting was a breath of fresh air, a bubbly ray of sunshine, it was exactly what she needed right now, "Send her in, send her in~" Lei Xing excitedly said, suddenly perking up.

    Xiao Ruo beamed and turned, but then Lei Xing added, "And snacks! she likes those."

    "Of course." Xiao Ruo said, bowing her head with a smile, and then she bounced out to carry out the orders.

    She needed fresh air, fresh little babies with uncomplicated problems.

    When the doors opened, Lei Xing walked forward with a smile to greet her ray of sunshine, only to stop short in surprise when she saw Tung Mei enter with Xiao Ting. She was a bit surprised but she smiled and went ahead. Tung Mei was an even more fun person to be around, they could get drinks and diss Doctor Lou together. This was even more perfect!

    But... as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.

    And so, Lei Xing''s ray of sunshine came as a moody, leaky cloud, who promptly clung to her arm with a pout and a whimpering, "Jiejie��"

    Before Lei Xing could react to this pouting puppy she did not invite, Tung Mei awkwardly went, "Hello - I mean, um, it is good to meet you... Your majesty." She finished with an awkward curtsy, looking up at Lei Xing with wary eyes.

    "Your majesty?" Lei Xing went with raised eyebrows, taken aback and confused with this odd greeting. Tung Mei has never once addressed her as "Your majesty", much less curtsied.

    "Ah? Di-did I do something wrong?" Tung Mei said, sounding in a bit of a panic, ''I-I-I was told, my aunt, she - I''m so sorry!" She rambled, promptly dropping to her knees and kowtowing.

    Lei Xing stared at Tung Mei, frozen. Then Xiao Ting whimpered and then burst into tears, "Jieee, Ying Jie, she, shev- This is all Yong ge''s fault!" She said, wailing even more.

    Xiao Ruo happened to come back in at that moment and froze at the door, looking at the three in the middle of the room. This was most definitely not an uplifting scene she had envisioned.

    {...What the hell is wrong with everyone? Drama and more drama... Why the hell is it so hard to get a ray of sunshine?! Is the sun on strike?! (�p?��?)...}

 Chapter 362 - Noble Role

    "So...Let me get this straight. You lost your memories, all of them?" Lei Xing skeptically asked with knit eyebrows.

    Tung Mei slowly nodded and haphazardly explained, "Ahhh, it appears so... my illness this time was...particularly severe. I was told I nearly died, um... well, the physicians called it a miracle I survived."

    "Really?" Lei Xing responded with the same skeptical tone.

    Tung Mei nodded, "Yes. If not for Your majesty''s care, I would have already met my end. Thank you for saving my life." She finished with a polite bow, her body quite tense. With Lei Xing''s tone, it felt more like an interrogation than a concerned "friend''s" curiosity.

    Her aunt had been anxious about her making a mistake in the palace and had actually given her etiquette "reminders". Her anxious aunt had even had her go through practice conversations and prepped her responses. Although her aunt must not have been that worried considering she threw her to the Lei siblings as soon as they showed up.

    Tung Mei inwardly sighed and took a sip from her teacup, trying to ignore Lei Xing''s eyes boring holes into her.

    "Where''s your bracelet?" Lei Xing suddenly asked, narrowing her eyes at Tung Mei''s empty wrists.

    Tung Mei froze and looked up to see Lei Xing frowning at the jade bracelet on her wrist, "Bracelet?"

    "The one you normally wear, it''s like a string of diamonds. The one you use to ta- Nevermind, you don''t "remember"..." Lei Xing said in the same unnerving skeptical tone.

    {... There has to be a trick somewhere...Can''t imagine that quack couldn''t heal an illness. I mean the guy made a freaking poison detecting ring, some weird bracelet phone, and from what I gather, my bloody transmigration situation. Human anatomy shouldn''t be a problem for him... But then again, he couldn''t heal Chen You''s mother back then - he probably didn''t want to, pretty sure he could have... There''s no way you really lost your memory, right -��}

    "Jie, stop staring." Xiao Ting whispered, pulling on Lei Xing''s arm, "You''re making Ying jie uncomfortable."

    Lei Xing turned her attention to Xiao Ting, who had parked herself right next to her, "Do you really believe she lost her memories?" Lei Xing quietly asked.

    Xiao Ting pouted, "She didn''t recognize me or even Yong ge -" She sniffed and then bit her lower lip to hold back her tears, "Why? You don''t believe her?" Xiao Ting curiously asked.

    Lei Xing scoffed and mumbled, "Of course not, it''s the oldest excuse in the book. Everybody uses it..."

    {...What kind of illness can''t that quack treat? There''s a trick here, has to be (?_? )...}

    Xiao Ting knit her brows in thought for a bit and then c.o.c.ked her head, "Jie...didn''t you also say you lost your memories?"

    Lei Xing froze, blinked a few times, and then laughed and pat Xiao Ting on the head, "That''s different, I drowned. Water can cause brain damage, don''t you know? Water-logged brain, brain freeze, and all that...brain stuff." Lei Xing awkwardly explained.

    Xiao Ting looked even more confused and before she could say anything more troubling, Lei Xing swiftly changed the topic, "Why aren''t you eating? I even ordered your favorite snacks, at least try some~" Lei Xing urged with a smile, obviously trying to distract her.

    "Oh." Xiao Ting somberly went, picking up a biscuit and nibbling on it.

    Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief and turned her attention back to Tung Mei and after a bit more thought, she threw out the question, "Do you know what transmigration is?"

    "Me?" Tung Mei asked, glancing at Lei Xing to make sure she was talking to her.

    "Yes, you."

    "Ohh��" Tung Mei knit her brows in thought, "Trami -"

    "Transmigration." Lei Xing provided and then helpfully went on to explain, "It''s this theory of a soul traversing through time and/or space to enter a body. Quite interesting stuff, ever heard of it?" Lei Xing casually asked.

    Tung Mei slowly shook her head and tentatively responded, "No��"

    "I see. I had thought that perhaps I had come across a like-minded individual." Lei Xing said with a wistful sigh.

    "I am sorry I am not able to be of help to you��" Tung Mei awkwardly said with a bow, not quite sure what this whole "transmigrator" business was.

    Lei Xing shrugged and picked up her teacup, "It is of no matter..."

    {...Was worth a try, I guess. Anyway, fake or not, as the quack would say it''s "none of my business"..}

    "This is all Yong ge''s fault." Xiao Ting mumbled with a sniff.

    Hearing this re-ignited Lei Xing''s dying interest and she promptly turned to Xiao Ting and quietly asked, "Lei Yong?" What did he do?"

    Xiao Ting glanced at Tung Mei, who was picking at the snacks on her table, pretending that she could not hear the whispering siblings - just wanting this nerve-racking visit to be over so she could go home.

    Satisfied that Tung Mei was not paying them any mind, Xiao Ting turned to Lei Xing and quietly explained, "I don''t know what they talked about but after we left your coronation... Ying jie, she was very sad that day. She looked very sick, pale, like she would collapse at any moment and -" She stopped, sniffed a few times, took a deep breath, and then chokingly continued, "She talked as if she was going away, saying goodbye and -"

    Xiao Ting choked and tearily looked at Tung Mei and chokingly said, "I think, I think she did something... to forget. If only Yong ge had. I don''t understand why he would - Ying jie, I''m so sorry!" and then she started crying...again, loudly.

    Lei Xing frowned, but before she could open her mouth, Tung Mei suddenly exclaimed in exasperation, "Why does she keep crying?! It''s annoying!"

    Both Xiao Ting and Lei Xing turned to Tung Mei with raised eyebrows. Tung Mei immediately realized she had just said that out loud. She panicked and promptly kowtowed on the ground, "I deserve death, Your majesty - Wait, what am I saying? Please spare me, Your majesty!" She promptly corrected.

    Xiao Ting saw this and her crying intensified, "Ying jie!"

    "Your majesty, I apologize, it was a slip of the - the - the mouth? Anyway, it will never happen again. Your maj-"

    "Both of you shut up!" Lei Xing irritatedly snapped, jumping to her feet. She took a deep breath and pointed at Xiao Ting, "You, you are supposed to be my ray of sunshine, not a storm cloud, so stop storming and start shining!" Xiao Ting innocently blinked at her wide-eyed with a furious pout, but she was definitely no longer crying.

    Lei Xing then turned to Tung Mei and continued, "And you! Tung Mei - Xiao Ying, whatever you call yourself, get up and be your usual daring and borderline crazy self!"

    Tung Mei raised her head and confusedly asked, "Crazy?"

    Instead of responding to her inquiry, Lei Xing just growled in a menacing low voice, "Sit down." Tung Mei gulped and promptly shuffled to her knees with a frown, no doubt offended about being called mad.

    Satisfied, Lei Xing sat back down with a smile, which promptly fell as she looked from one pouting guest to a frowning one. Lei Xing then closed her eyes and heavily sighed, "I''m going to need a lot of alcohol..."

    ***

    "Is there a reason you''re here or... are you just here to brood?" The Emperor asked, dropping the scroll in his hand and looking at Lei Yong with a scrutinizing eyebrow. Lei Yong had barged in here, announced that he came to visit, and then proceeded to park himself in a chair.

    Since the Emperor was also in no mood to talk, he left his silent guest alone. But it had been almost two hours now and after Lei Yong''s nth sigh, the Emperor finally could not stand it anymore and had to ask before his irritation got out of hand.

    "I''m not brooding! Who cares if she''s forgotten who I am?!" Lei Yong defensively responded with an incredulous expression, looking as if the Emperor had just punched him in the gut.

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes at him and he realized that he had just shouted at the Emperor. Lei Yong cleared his throat, shifted in his seat as he massaged his neck, "Sorry... It''s nothing."

    The Emperor slightly smirked, seeing something amusing. He got up, walked down the steps and sat in the chair next to Lei Yong, and scrutinized him for a bit before finally asking, "So...who is this person that has ungraciously forgotten such a great person like yourself?"

    Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at the Emperor, "Don''t patronize me."

    The Emperor scoffed, not at all bothered, "Let me guess, Miss Tung finally got tired of chasing after you? If you''re jealous, just say so -"

    "I''m not jealous... I have no reason to be and I''ve told you, it''s not like that with us. I only see her as a sister. I''m just -" Lei Yong folded his arms, "...worried is all. Memory loss is not an easy thing to deal with a -"

    The Emperor raised his eyebrows, "Miss Tung lost her memories?"

    "It would seem so. Her aunt said the doctors have no clue why, they say it''s a miracle that she''s even alive and we should just be happy with that... I had no idea she was even sick." Lei Yong mumbled that last bit, sinking further into his chair.

    {...And what was I doing when she was at death''s door? Stupid!...}

    To make it worse, if not for Xiao Ting insisting to go see Tung Mei, he would not have gone today. He thought it was better to give her space to move on, so he had been holding himself back from checking up on her all this time.

    He had occupied and satisfied himself with either working or "doting" on Xiao Ting - although he was aware that his "doting" efforts were not exactly welcome. He might have been paying Xiao Ting a bit too much attention recently. Even their parents had commented on his sudden anxiousness over Xiao Ting. But he could not help it, he was not sure what to do with himself otherwise.

    Moreover, he was just being a good brother.

    Lei Yong sighed, "How will I explain memory loss to her father? She doesn''t even know who her father is, much less remembering me." He mumbled with a disgruntled frown.

    The Emperor looked at Lei Yong, "You do realize that she is not your responsibility. Her father''s request to look after her was simply a ruse to help his daughter achieve her wish of marrying you. You know better than to be strung along like that. Since her pursuit of you has been relentless and you have no feelings for her, her memory loss - true or not, should be good for you -"

    "How can you say that?!" Lei Yong angrily said, rising to his feet, "Emperor or not, I cannot tolerate that. You cannot expect me to rejoice in someone else''s misfortune, her misfortune." He bit out, clenching his fists in anger.

    The Emperor scoffed, "Calm down, I am not asking for you to rejoice in her misfortune. I am asking you to behave accordingly."

    "Behave accordingly?" Lei Yong asked, his irritation spiking, "How would you feel if Xing er'' suddenly forgot who you are?!" He angrily added.

    The Emperor inwardly sighed, Lei Yong was usually good at picking up on clues, but it seemed his friend was too affected by Tung Mei''s condition to think straight.

    On that note, the Emperor did not quite understand Lei Yong when it came to matters involving Tung Mei. From all indications, Lei Yong liked Tung Mei - he paid more attention to the girl than he did his own sisters. But of course, Lei Yong denied any romantic interpretations of his feelings.

    It was odd... then again, perhaps not. The Emperor had no sisters and no other woman except Lei Xing had ever ignited any feelings in him. Therefore, the Emperor had no idea how Lei Yong came to the conclusion that what he felt for Tung Mei was sister-like.

    Then again, Lei Xing was also the same with him. She never called her feelings "brother-like", but she did refuse to acknowledge her feelings for him for quite a while. So the Emperor thought it might just be a thing with the Lei family. But then again, according to Lei Xing, she was not truly Lei Yong''s sister, so perhaps not.

    Regardless, the Emperor sighed and honestly advised, "You are missing the point. You have made it clear to anyone who cared to listen that you do not share the girl''s feelings. Since you do not share her feelings, now that she has forgotten you, it is best that you do not stir up her emotions again."

    Lei Yong blinked a few times and then lowered his gaze, frowning down at the ground. The Emperor sighed and stood up as well, put his hand on Lei Yong''s shoulder, and added, "Do the noble thing and keep your distance... Unless things have changed."

 Chapter 363 - Drunken Stooges

    BRIEF RECAP: Prince Yi''s finally in jail under charges of treason... Princess Nalan is pregnant with Yi''s love child and is currently under house arrest in the palace after gate-crashing the Emperor and LX''s send-off party for the newly appointed Princesses (former concubines) to announce their marriage and baby on the way plans... Tung Mei (Xiao Ying/ Doc Lou''s adopted daughter) has lost her memories after messing with things beyond her powers and the doc has gone to solve her issue... Empress dowager is finally GONE to go look for the solution to her mental health in some remote temple far far away...and well XT suddenly showed up with a lost Tung Mei at Lei Xing''s door and we continue from there~.....

    *****

    Meanwhile, back at the Empress''s palace, the mood had taken a turn for the better. Lei Xing had ordered wine and began a drinking session to try to comfort her guests and liven the mood. In the process, she had comforted herself a bit too much.

    Tung Mei put down her empty bowl - Lei Xing had decided somewhere along the lines that cups were too "limiting" and had ordered bowls. Lei Xing immediately went to task refilling Tung Mei''s bowl, "Here Ying Yang, have some more. Don''t worry about that crappy person, he''s not worth the time. Hiccup!" Lei Xing put her hand over her mouth and blinked at Tung Mei and then started giggling, "Sorry hehe - hiccup! Hehehehe~"

    Tung Mei weakly smiled, "Thank you, Your maje-"

    Lei Xing slammed the jug on the table and glared at Tung Mei, "I told you to stop calling me that! You''re giving me goosebumps!"

    "Goosebumps~" Xiao Ting echoed, raising her bowl and peering into it, "checking" to see if the wine was truly finished.

    "See, you''re scaring little Ting Ting." Lei Xing said, leaning over and hugging Xiao Ting, who dutifully played the role of "scared" and wrapped her arms around Lei Xing''s waist and sniffed as if she was going to cry again. Lei Xing patted her head and two of them looked at Tung Mei with disgruntled pouts.

    Tung Mei''s face twitched and she plastered on a smile. She picked up her bowl and raised it to them and said, "Xing jie -"

    Before Tung Mei could react, Lei Xing threw an arm around her neck and pulled her into the hug, sending the bowl of wine clattering to the floor.

    "There we go, that wasn''t so hard, now was it?" Lei Xing jovially asked. Tung Mei frowned and tried to loosen Lei Xing''s grip around her neck without upsetting Her drunk royal majesty.

    "Ying jie~" Xiao Ting went, stretching her arms to include Tung Mei in her hug. Lei Xing laughed, Xiao Ting giggled and Tung Mei looked to the ceiling wondering ''why me?''.

    Tung Mei had just realized that she must have been an avid drinker because they had been drinking for a long while now and had gone through several jugs. And while Lei Xing and Xiao Ting were clearly high, giggling at nothing and everything, Tung Mei was completely sober - in fact, she might as well have been drinking water.

    Being the only sober person amongst drunk people was a hard job.

    "From now on, It''s gonna be just us girls!" Lei Xing declared, holding them tighter - choking Tung Mei, "We''re gonna be the three amigos! Three musketeers! Three stooges - wait, I''m pretty sure those were idiots, right?" Lei Xing knit her brows in thought.

    Lei Xing shook her head, "It doesn''t matter!" She then turned to Tung Me and her eyes became teary, she released Xiao Ting and then hugged Tung Mei, "My little Ying Ying, what are we going to do about your head~?" She drunkenly wailed.

    "Ying jie!" Xiao Ting wailed along as she picked up Lei Xing''s bowl that was full to the brim with wine and went to chug it, making sure she still hummed her cry to accompany Lei Xing''s wailing.

    "Um...Is it alright for your little sister to drink this much?" Tung Mei awkwardly asked, trying to divert the clingy Lei Xing''s attention back to Xiao Ting. Lei Xing stilled for a moment, glanced Xiao Ting''s way, and promptly turned and slapped the bowl out of Xiao Ting''s hands.

    "Jie!" Xiao Ting exclaimed with disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

    "You''re too young to drink!" Lei Xing scolded.

    "Says who?! I''m old enough to get married already!" Xiao Ting protested.

    Lei Xing grabbed Xiao Ting''s face with both hands, narrowed her eyes into hers, and menacingly went, "Get married? Says who? I hear you''ve been receiving love letters. Who''s that brat? You''re a baby! Babies don''t get married!"

    Tung Mei, who was just recovering from the chokehold, was rubbing her neck when Lei Xing grabbed again and rocked the two girls from side to side, "We''re the three babies~ It''s overrated and troublesome, we''re never getting married!" She declared and then began laughing like a crazy person.

    Tung Mei grabbed onto Lei Xing''s arm again, frowning in annoyance as she tried to save herself from being choked...again.

    "Jie... Aren''t you already married?" Xiao Ting asked with a pout, rubbing her sore cheek with one hand and stretching the other towards one of the jugs of wine on the table.

    "Who''s married?" Lei Xing asked, glaring at Xiao Ting, who quickly withdrew her hand to avoid being caught and innocently responded, "You, to the Emperor."

    Lei Xing frowned and shoved the two girls away and grabbed a jug of wine, "What Emperor? Never heard of an Emperor. There are no Emperors where I''m from. Don''t need them!" She loudly proclaimed and then threw her head back, chugging the jug of wine.

    "En! No Emperors!" Xiao Ting proclaimed as well she picked up another jug and chugged along with her sister. While Tung Mei rubbed her neck and glared at the two of them.

    Meanwhile, outside the door, Xiao Ruo who had just been about to open the doors, stopped and turned to the Emperor and Lei Yong and awkwardly laughed, "The Empress likes to joke sometimes... She - they don''t mean that -"

    "Who needs men?! We don''t! They suck, isn''t that right, stooges?!" Lei Xing''s jolly voice could be heard hollering again and Xiao Ting''s accompanying shout of "Right!" followed. Xiao Ruo glared at the door and then hesitantly looked at the Emperor, "...She doesn''t mean that either...they, um, might have drunk a bit too muc-"

    "Alcohol?" Lei Yong exclaimed, stepping towards her with a frown, "Xiao Ting too?

    "Um -" Xiao Ruo jumped and then hesitantly said, "...probably?"

    Lei Yong''s frown deepened, "How ca-"

    "Just open the doors." The Emperor interjected with a sigh before Lei Yong would take out his frustration on an innocent person.

    Xiao Ruo nodded and quickly opened the doors and they were met with the scene of Lei Xing happily squishing Xiao Ting''s face and singing something in a foreign language about a person named Bink? While Xiao Ting tried to hum along and Tung Mei slowly edged her cushion away from the pair of siblings, while keeping her eyes trained on Lei Xing, trying not to get caught.

    "Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-"

    "Xing er''! How could you let Xiao Ting drink?!" Lei Yong scolded and the three in the room realized they had an audience and turned to the doors.

    Xiao Ruo promptly lowered her head and pretended not to see. She had done her job and sent all the servants away when Lei Xing started shouting nonsense, but there was nothing she could do about the Emperor.

    {...I tried my best! T_T)...}

    Lei Yong tried to ignore Tung Mei''s presence and fixed his eyes on Xiao Ting as he stormed into the room, but then Lei Xing suddenly shouted, "Stop!" and Lei Yong froze. Lei Xing glared at him and protectively wrapped her arms around Xiao Ting, "Don''t come any closer! You, we especially don''t like!"

    "Don''t like!" Xiao Ting echoed with a nod, glaring at him too while Tung Mei just weakly smiled at the newcomers.

    "What in the -" Lei Yong started and then let out an irritated breath and resumed walking, only for Lei Xing to throw an empty wine jug at his foot. Lei Yong jumped back to escape in time and exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"

    "Next one will be on your hic - head." Lei Xing threatened, picking up another empty jug, while Xiao Ting nodded in support.

    Lei Yong glanced between Tung Mei and his sisters in shock, Tung Mei weakly smiled and looked away.

    {...I am not a part of this T_T)��}

    The Emperor who had been ignored at the door lightly chuckled as he walked into the room, drawing attention. Lei Yong turned and glared at him while Lei Xing''s face lit up, "Kai!"

    The Emperor froze, stopped in his tracks and stared at her wide-eyed. She had never used his name before and it just short-circuited his brain.

    "It''s good you''re here, beat him up!" Lei Xing ordered, pointing the empty jug at Lei Yong as she accusingly explained, "He made our Ying Ying bash her head against the wall to forget him!"

    "I did what?"

    "She did what?"

    Both Tung Mei and Lei Yong asked in unison, then they both paused and glanced at each other in surprise. Lei Yong frowned as guilt washed over him, and Tung Mei quickly looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

    Lei Xing turned to Tung Mei and offhandedly said, "Figuratively speaking but I''m sure it was something along those lines..."

    Tung Mei raised a skeptical eyebrow at her and Xiao Ting interjected, "It''s true! Jiejie knows everything~" Xiao Ting said, looking at Lei Xing with twinkling eyes.

    Lei Xing snickered and turned to Xiao Ting, "That''s right! It happened, we saw it~" Lei Xing declared, putting an arm around Xiao Ting and they both smiled at Tung Mei.

    "I see��" Tung Mei awkwardly said, it was pointless talking to drunk people.

    The two sisters then started giggling again and Lei Xing squished Xiao Ting''s cheeks, "Were you always this adorable~?"

    "Jiejie is the adorable one, Pretty~" Xiao Ting responded, also squishing Lei Xing''s cheeks.

    Lei Xing giggled, Xiao Ting giggled, Lei Xing kissed Xiao Ting''s cheek, Xiao Ting kissed Lei Xing''s cheek. The two blushing girls laughed, then Lei Xing rubbed her nose against Xiao Ting''s and hugged her, "I''m definitely keeping you! From now on, it''ll be just you and jiejie~ We''ll go sailing across the seas, see the stars, just you and me, alone forever~" She finished, petting Xiao Ting''s head.

 Chapter 364 - Blasphemous Acts

    Lei Xing''s blasphemous words of elopement sparked the Emperor''s brain back to life. He frowned and swiftly strode past the guilt-ridden Lei Yong who was still staring at Tung mei, seemingly still in shock over Lei Xing''s thoughtless explanation for Tung Mei''s condition.

    The Emperor stopped behind the embracing sisters, put his hands on their shoulders, and drew them apart. "I''m busy, go away." Lei Xing dismissively said, reaching for Xiao Ting who was also stretching her arms out to get back to her. The Emperor''s frown deepened and he glared at Xiao Ting while pulling them back again.

    The two girls turned to him with disgruntled frowns, but then when Xiao Ting met the Emperor''s irritated eyes, she promptly faced forward, lowered her head, and began fidgeting with her dress with a pout. Meanwhile, Lei Xing was naturally unfazed and glared at the Emperor and irritatedly asked, "What''s your problem?"

    The Emperor blinked at her, taken aback, he had not expected to have to explain himself. He swept a glance around the faces in the room and immediately concluded that he could not say out loud that he did not like seeing her clinging to someone else... That would be an incredibly stupid thing to say, not to mention embarrassing.

    I mean, it was not like he was jealous. It was...unseemly to have the Empress clinging a person like this, in public. With that thought, the Emperor concluded that it was best to get Lei Xing out of here before she did anything more...troublesome.

    The Emperor smiled at Lei Xing and said, "How about I go with you instead? In fact, we can leave right now. Let''s g-"

    Lei Xing slapped his hands away and shook her head, "No, you can''t leave the palace."

    The Emperor''s smile faltered but he persisted, "Well, you can''t leave either unless it''s with me so..."

    Lei Xing knit her brows and held her chin as she skeptically looked him over as if she were debating the validity of his words. The Emperor sighed and thinking that she was quietly contemplating, he reached towards her again, but she just leaned back. He leaned in closer and she moved back again. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, "Xing er'', beha-"

    "Stop!" Xiao Ting''s shout suddenly cut through the room followed by the sound of breaking porcelain, and Lei Yong''s following shout of "Xiao Ting!"

    In response, Xiao Ting grabbed a plate and raised it up, "Not allowed!" She threateningly said, her glare on Lei Yong intensifying.

    Seeing that the Emperor seemed to have Lei Xing under control, Lei Yong had decided to just go grab Xiao Ting. He had only taken two steps when Xiao Ting suddenly took it upon herself to send a jug flying at his head.

    Lei Xing looked at Lei Yong who was holding his head, then she laughed and jumped to hug Xiao Ting, "They grow up so fast~"

    Xiao Ting happily giggled and threw the plate towards Lei Yong, who jumped back, glaring daggers at his sisters.

    "That''s enough!" The Emperor said with a frown, separating the two sisters again, "We are leaving right now!" He sternly said as he tried to gather Lei Xing in his arms but then she started punching and kicking, "No! You can''t tell me what to do! I''m the Empress!"

    "And I''m the Emperor!" The Emperor said, fending off Lei Xing''s hands that were attempting to claw out his eyes.

    "So? Leave me alone! I did not sign up for you!" Lei Xing struggling even more, "Help! Kidnapping! Ting Ting, Ying Yang, save me!"

    Tung Mei promptly turned her head away, pretending not to see but then she locked eyes with Lei Yong, and it felt even weirder. Meanwhile, Xiao Ting the dutiful younger sister grabbed the Emperor''s arm, "You are not the Emperor! Unhand Jiejie!"

    "Xing er'', calm down! Lei Yong! Come contain your younger sister!" The Emperor irritatedly said, trying to lightly shake off Xiao Ting while trying to maintain his around Lei Xing who was wriggling and trying hard to crawl her way towards Tung Mei, who must be deaf because she was too busy studying something in the opposite direction to grab Lei Xing''s outstretched hands.

    "Oh!" Lei Yong snapped out of it and raced over.

    "I said unhand my Jiejie!" Xiao Ting shouted as she latched onto the Emperor''s arm and then bit down hard!

    "Ah!" The Emperor exclaimed and reflexively flung his arm and Xiao Ting was thrown against the wall behind them and they all froze.

    Lei Xing sharply inhaled and covered her mouth, "You killed my Ting Ting!" She shouted as she quickly crawled over to Xiao Ting''s "lifeless" body and started slapping her face, "Ting Ting, you in there? Ting Ting!" Lei Yong also raced over and crouched down beside them.

    "I- I didn''t mean to - she attacked - I - I just - Send for a physician!" The Emperor bumbled through, Xiao Ruo who had been lingering at the doors quickly bopped and raced off to get a physician.

    "Mmm, jie~" Xiao Ting suddenly mumbled as she rolled onto her side, cozying up to Lei Xing''s legs. It seemed she was just asleep. The inhabitants in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. Lei Xing well back to the floor, suddenly exhausted while the Emperor just massaged his forehead.

    Lei Xing had definitely sobered up now. She looked from Xiao Ting who was now happily cuddling her arm to the rest of the room, then she nervously laughed and said, "Um... I think the party''s over now..."

    The Emperor and Lei Yong narrowed their eyes at her and she added, "...may have gotten a bit, just a bit out of hand. It''s the alcohol you know heh - hiccup!" Lei Xing cleared her throat, "It''s bad for you~" She added with a smiling nod.

    "Um... Can I go home now...please?" Tung Mei awkwardly asked and the three turned to her, "If it''s alright with you...Xing jie, Your majesty." She added, bopping her head in the Emperor''s direction.

    "Of course it is, I will escort you home." Lei Yong quickly responded, jumping to his feet. Tung Mei glanced at him, her face twitched a bit but she weakly smiled and politely said, "Thank you."

    Lei Yong cleared his throat and nodded. He then reached down to carry Xiao Ting, but Lei Xing bent over and wrapped her hands around Xiao Ting, "No, I''m keeping her."

    Lei Yong sighed, "Xing er'', we''re all tired. She''s already asleep, ju-"

    "I said I''m keeping this one, go get your own sister!" She blurted out, glaring up at Lei Yong.

    Lei Yong let out another exasperated breath and looked at the Emperor, asking for help. The Emperor sighed but before he could even begin Lei Xing had caught wind of the strategy and narrowed her eyes directly at the Emperor and sternly said, "Kai, we''re keeping her." While she nodded her head in Lei Yong''s direction and then towards Tung Mei''s.

    The Emperor came out of his freeze and knit his brows at her in confusion. He was having trouble comprehending right now and it was also now helping that she was blinking at him rapidly. It was really strange to hear her saying his name. He was not quite sure how he felt about her calling him by name. It made him feel - he could not quite place it yet, this was unfamiliar territory that required more thought to identify.

    But for now, he was tired and just went along with Lei Xing for his peace of mind. Moreover, he did not think the Defense minister finding out that he had almost "killed" his daughter - her getting drunk in the palace, Lei Xing''s fault in this notwithstanding, was also not a good look. So he said, "Yong, I''m sure your parents will be shocked seeing your younger sister like this. I think it''s best you leave her with us today. We''ll send her back tomorrow."

    "When we want." Lei Xing amended and the Emperor smiled at Lei Yong and flatly said, "Tomorrow."

    Lei Yong looked down at the sleeping Xiao Ting and then said, "I... I guess that makes sense." It would definitely be awkward to return home with a drunk Xiao Ting. Especially considering they had no idea they were even going to the palace.

    Lei Xing glared at the Emperor and the Emperor smiled at her and then stood up. He walked over to Lei Xing and dutifully bent over and picked up the sleeping Xiao Ting, who happily wrapped her arms around his neck and mumbling unintelligible nonsense that ended with, "Jie~"

    The Emperor sighed again and looked down at Lei Xing who was still sitting on the floor looking up at him with a blank expression, "Can you walk?" He asked and Lei Xing cluelessly blinked at him and then excitedly nodded. She then grabbed onto one of his legs and literally climbed up to his arm trying to get herself up. This was obviously uncomfortable for the Emperor - for unspoken reasons. So he cleared his throat and started, "Xing er'', I''ll just come ba-"

    "No need, I''m up!" Lei Xing announced, stabilizing on her feet as she clutched his arm for dear life, "Let''s walk~" She said, beaming up at him.

    The Emperor slightly smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt and then sighed in defeat when Xiao Ting further cozied up to him. This was not at all the sister he wanted in his arms but apparently, even Emperor''s can''t always win. The royal nodded goodbye to their guests and then awkwardly walked off, stopping occasionally when Lei Xing almost tripped on her own feet and then when she stepped on the Emperor''s foot, a few times.

    When they got to the doors, Lei Xing suddenly pulled the Emperor to a stop and turned back, and glared at Lei Yong. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her, "Wh-"

    "Shhhh!" Lei Xing said, covering his mouth with her hand. She then pointed two fingers to her eyes and then pointed them at Lei Yong and menacingly said, "I''m watching you."

    "Oh..." Lei Yong awkwardly responded. Satisfied, Lei Xing turned back to the Emperor with a smile and pulled him along, and the two stumbled their way into the hallway.

    Lei Yong and Tung Mei sighed in unison before catching themselves again, they glanced at each other and then promptly looked away, both frowning.

    {...Well...this is going to be awkward...}

 Chapter 365 - Healthy Minds

    BRIEF RECAP: Prince Yi''s finally in jail under charges of treason... Princess Nalan is pregnant with Yi''s love child and is currently under house arrest in the palace after gate-crashing the Emperor and LX''s send-off party for the newly appointed Princesses (former concubines) to announce their marriage and baby on the way plans... Tung Mei (Xiao Ying/ Doc Lou''s adopted daughter) has lost her memories after messing with things beyond her powers and the doc has gone to solve her issue... Empress dowager is finally GONE to go look for the solution to her mental health in some remote temple far far away...and well XT suddenly showed up with a lost Tung Mei at Lei Xing''s door and we continue from there~.....

    ****

    "I apologize about my sisters...they usually don''t drink - Xiao Ting, definitely not at all, and Xing er'', um... I''m not sure where she picked up this bad habit from... She''s usually very calm and reliable." Lei Yong said with an awkward laugh.

    An absentminded "Oh" was all he received in response and Lei Yong''s expression fell. He knit his brows and massaged his neck.

    He had been trying and failing at conversation since they left the Empress''s palace and each attempt was either met with silence or one-word responses. He really should not have left Xiao Ting behind, this sort of abnormal awkward silence was suffocating.

    Not to mention Lei Xing''s words just now had been replaying in his mind making him feel guilty. He wanted to ask Tung Mei but she clearly did not want to talk to him, not to mention the fact that if she really lost her memory, she would not know how it happened either. They fell into silence again for a few minutes, before Lei Yong spoke up again, "Um... Are you feeling alright? You must have drunk a lot too, right? I can have a palanquin arranged if yo-

    "I''m alright." Tung Mei dryly responded again.

    "Oh, yes. Of course, I forgot what a great drinker you were..." He said with another awkward laugh which was met with a silent scrutinizing glance. Lei Yong frowned and looked away, irritated with himself. He was never good at carrying a conversation, especially not with women. Moreover, Tung Mei was the one who always talked first in their interactions. Now that she was silent, he was at a loss.

    Thinking about that, he looked over at Tung Mei''s face and thought that she looked trouble. But then again, who would not be troubled if they were told they tried to end their lives but could not remember the how and why of it.

    Lei Yong inwardly sighed and silently cursed Lei Xing for her insensitivity, "Don''t mind what Xing er'', she... she was just talking nonsense, just the alcohol talking."

    "Oh." Tung Mei absentmindedly responded again and Lei Yong felt the urge to punch the wall. It was understandable that she was angry but wasn''t ignoring him like this too petty?! Lei Yong pursed his lips and fixed his eyes to the side, not exactly minding where he was going as he fell into sulking silence himself. He was tired, if she won''t talk, he won''t talk either.

    "So what exactly was the relationship between us?" Tung Mei suddenly asked and Lei Yong whipped his head back to her in excitement, which quickly died down when he met her scrutinizing gaze. His body had moved faster than his mind because he ended up blankly staring at her and stupidly going, "Huh?"

    That was a very complicated question that he could locate the starting point for the answer.

    "Were we close?" She rephrased, looking slightly irritated at having to repeat herself.

    "Yes! No!...maybe?" Lei Yong bumbled and then frowned and scratched his neck.

    "If you''re asking me, then who should I ask?" Tung Mei countered with a frown.

    Lei Yong''s face twitched a bit and lowered his head and "shyly" said, "Um, we were - are friends, good friends!"

    "Oh." Tung Mei simply responded and faced forward again and Lei Yong glared at her as they fell back into silence.

    {..."Oh?" Is that really all you have to say? No questions? Nothing? Is it not normal to be curious? Even if you weren''t curious before, shouldn''t you be curious after hearing the nonsense Xing er'' was saying - not that I''m happy you tried to kill yourself because of me, I am simply concerned that you are not concerned!...*sigh* But then again, when has she ever been normal...}

    Lei Yong''s frown deepened and his steps unintentionally sped up. This awkward atmosphere between them was suffocating, it was best they reached the carriage quickly to put some distance and people between them. Perhaps the Emperor had the right idea. What was he even trying to accomplish by trying to talk to her about their past? Perhaps, it was best if he left her alone, she clearly did not want to even talk to him. It would be understandable if she hated him now, it was even fine if she did. It was alright as long as she was happy - but was she happy?

    Tung Mei suddenly stopped walking. It took Lei Yong a few steps to notice in his current wallowing state but when he did, he hurriedly rushed back to her and grabbed her arm, "What''s wrong? Do you feel unwell?" He worriedly asked.

    Tung Mei stiffened and her eyes widened as she stared at the hand holding her arm. She looked up at Lei Yong''s worried expression, then she looked down at his hand again and frowned. Lei Yong followed her line of sight and promptly released her arm, "Sorry, habit." He apologetically said.

    Tung Mei silently looked at him, causing Lei Yong to avert his gaze in discomfort as his face slightly colored, "Um...Wait here, I''ll get a palanquin." Lei Yong hurriedly said and started to walk off.

    Tung Mei quickly grabbed his hand, "Wait! You haven''t answered my question!"

    "What question?" Lei Yong tentatively asked, facing forward. with knit eyebrows, trying to ignore the hand holding his.

    "What was the relationship between us? Did - did we like each other?" She hesitantly asked. Lei Yong looked at her glowing eyes and found that he could not respond. Tung Mei smiled and nervously laughed a little and admitted, "Actually, since I met you earlier, there''s been this, um...feeling. I couldn''t place it earlier but now I think... I liked you, right?"

    Lei Yong knit his brows and lowered his head. While he wanted her to talk to him, this was not the conversation he was hoping for.

    "I did, didn''t I?" Tung Mei said with a laugh, "I knew it! And you -" Her expression fell when she noticed his complicated expression, "Wait, don''t tell me it was one-sided?!" She exclaimed in surprised horror and Lei Yong looked up at her, equally as surprised she got to that conclusion on her own.

    Lei Yong felt complicated, "I -"

    "No!" Tung Mei raised her hands, "I don''t want to know. Don''t say anything!" She warned with a glare and then turned and stormed off as her face reddened in embarrassment. Since waking up she had never been curious about anything in her past. It was odd but she had felt at peace in her lack of memories that was until he came along to bother her mind.

    {...And for what?! A one-sided relationship?! So embarrassing! >_<)...}

    Lei Yong stood there blinking at her back as she walked away like an idiot, confused and at a loss, "What just -" Lei Yong shook his head and sighed and quickly ran after her and fell in step next to her. He glanced at her face and met Tung Mei''s eyes. Tung Mei slightly jumped and quickly looked away, even using a hand to shield her face from his view. This time, she was clearly intentionally ignoring him.

    Lei Yong inwardly sighed as they fell back into the uncomfortable silence.

    {...This is such a mess...}

    ****

    "Move." Lei Xing said, narrowing her eyes at the Emperor. The Emperor did not respond and simply stared her down. Lei Xing stepped to the left and he did the same, blocking her path. She went right, he went right.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and then dismissively said, "Fine, I''m not going anymore." She turned around to walk towards the side table. The Emperor smiled in victory and followed behind her, only for her to suddenly turn and run towards the door. But before she could get to it, she felt arms wrap lock around her waist and felt herself be hoisted off her feet, "Hey! That''s cheating!" She protested as the Emperor carried her in this awkward position.

    "I wasn''t aware there were any rules to this game." The Emperor said as he carried the flailing Lei Xing. He dumped her on her favorite lounge chair and sat in front of her, grabbing her before she could run off again, "If you insist on going to sleep with that little sister of yours, I''ll send her home."

    Lei Xing stilled and narrowed her eyes at him, "You wouldn''t."

    "Try me." The Emperor said, narrowing his eyes back at her. Lei Xing scoffed and laid back on the chair and folded and confidently said, "Then I''ll go with her."

    "You will not." The Emperor menacingly said in warning with a frown, but Lei Xing simply shrugged, "Try me~"  She mockingly said with a taunting smile.

    The Emperor looked at her smug expression and sighed, "Why are you avoiding me?"

    "Avoiding you? Who''s avoiding you? Why would I be avoiding you?" Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at this line of questioning, "Did you do something wrong?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him again.

    "I''m not sure... You tell me." The Emperor wisely responded. Lei Xing stared at him for a moment and then suddenly sat up, grabbed his face with both of her hands, and moved it left, right, up and down, assessing him. This was not exactly the kind of attention that he hoped for, but at least she was paying attention to him now. The Emperor smiled and also grabbed her face and went in for a kiss, but Lei Xing moved her head back and irritatedly ordered, "Be still! I''m checking something!"

    "Checking what?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Lei Xing took a few seconds more before squinting at him and asking, "You... Have you been crying?"

    "Cry- What? No!" The Emperor incredulously said with a laugh, "What gave you that idea?"

    "Your eyes are red." Lei Xing responded, squinting at him. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her but before he could defend himself, Lei Xing put an arm around his shoulder, "It''s okay! There''s nothing to be ashamed of! There''s nothing wrong with crying! I cry, you cry, we all cry! It''s definitely normal~" She finished with a nod and a few reassuring pats.

    The Emperor smiled and held onto her hand, "Why did you drink so much?" He asked in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "I''m not drunk!" Lei Xing defended and then she put her other around him and put lazily put her head on his shoulder as she lazily explained, "I only drank a little bit because today''s a day of great celebra -" She caught herself and looked up at him with a smile, "Sorrow! I was drowning my sorrows~"

    "Really?" The Emperor asked with a slight smirk. Of course, he did not believe her lie. Even he was not drowning in sorrow at his mother and Eunuch Li''s departure, so how could someone with Lei Xing''s character be.

    Lei Xing fervently nodded, "Most definitely~" She said, stretching up and planting a kiss on his lips, "You know I love you, right? Like more than anything~" She sweetly said with a smile. The Emperor willingly took the bait and smiled down at her, bringing up a hand up to c.a.r.e.s.s her cheek.

    Unfortunately, Lei Xing had some other thoughts that she did not have the presence of mind to keep to herself at the current moment so she continued, "... More than most things anyway. Food and money are debatable essentials. Money, I guess is meh, perhaps. but if it''s between you and food, then it''s a matter of basic survival an -"

    The Emperor clamped her lips shut with his hand, earning a disgruntled glare. He smiled and advised, "Stop talking." Thankfully more amused than offended that he apparently ranked third on her list.

    Lei Xing swiped his hand and glanced off to the side and mumbled, "Tch, I was going to say I would pick you..."

    "I would pick you too~" The Emperor said with a happy smile, easily appeased as he kissed her and whispered against her lips, "I love you...more than anything."

    Lei Xing smiled and then suddenly narrowed her eyes at him, "More than Eunuch Li?"

    The Emperor''s head popped back up, "What?"

    Lei Xing pouted and grabbed his collar, "Don''t stall, answer the question. Is it me or Eunuch Li?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

    The Emperor blinked at her and then he laughed, "What sort of question - Of course, it''s you. Why w-"

    "You hesitated." Lei Xing accused with a frown, shoving him away.  The Emperor quickly wrapped his arms around her and defended, " "I did not. I do not "love" Eunuch Li or anyone else for that matter...only you."

    "Really?" Lei Xing asked, trying and failing to hold back her satisfied grin. The Emperor lightly chuckled and patted her head, this was strange but cute. To think that she was jealous of Eunuch Li of all people, Lei Xing always had the strangest thoughts whenever she was drunk, "You''re really not allowed to drink anymore." The Emperor said with an amused smile.

    "I''m not drunk!" Lei Xing interjected with a pout. The Emperor nodded along and pulled closer, "Yes, yes, not drunk. Just celebrating~"

    "Exactly!" She affirmed with a series of happy nods, forgetting that she was supposed to have been drowning in sorrow. The Emperor chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her again. This time she was finally quiet and simply reveled in his attention. It did not take long for the scenery around the lounge chair to heat up as the couple got loose, clothes and all.

    "Ow!" Lei Xing suddenly exclaimed, pushing the Emperor off her, "What did you do that for?!" She irritatedly asked as she sat and held onto her stomach and bent over, groaning.

    "Why? What''s wrong?" The Emperor asked, hovering over her. He had no idea what he had done wrong just now. He had barely touched her, okay, maybe he did more than that but it was nothing out of the ordinary, "Xing er, what''s wrong?" He repeated, more concerned when she did not respond.

    Lei Xing slightly sat up, taking deep breaths and swallowing, "I think -" She stopped again and swallowed, taking a few more deep breaths.

    "You think?" The Emperor impatiently went, "Nevermind. Let me help you get dressed and then we''ll get a physician here." He said as he re-tied the strings of her innerwear, but then she suddenly shoved him away again and leaned over the chair and began purging her system... all over his dragon robe.

    It was definitely not intentional.

    "I''m sick!... I''m definitely-...sick -" Lei Xing announced amidst her coughing and retching fits.

    The Emperor stared at her for a moment before he sighed and went to help her hold her hair in place as wearily asked, "Why did you drink so much?"

    Lei Xing turned a glare on him, "I''m not dru -!" Another purge session interrupted her denial.

    "Yes, yes, not drunk, just celebrating -" The Emperor kindly helped her finish her words and then frowned as he asked, "Didn''t you eat anything?" He just noticed that she was vomiting only clear liquid, exactly like the wine she had been drinking.

    "I-" Before Lei Xing could defend herself, she was interrupted again.

    The Emperor sighed, slightly annoyed. They had not been intimate the last few days either because Lei Xing was unwell or feeling tired, and tonight was clearly another bust. So he could not help feeling a bit salty about this.

    Helpless, the Emperor sighed and said, "Empty it out, and then we''ll have the physician come and prescribe something for your stomach, then we''ll have some dinner and you can rest..."

    Lei Xing coughed, "I don''t want those quacks!" She insisted with her head still bowed, "I''m perfectly hea-" She said, starting to cough and retch again.

    "En, I''m the one that needs them. Don''t worry about it..." The Emperor sarcastically indulged, patting her back. The Emperor sighed, this was really not how he envisioned his night going. But he had long learned that there are just some fights we cannot win, and matters relating to Lei Xing were all such fights in his life.

 Chapter 366 - Caught Red-hicked~

    "Are you sure Jiejie is not awake yet? It''s already past noon..." Xiao Ting said with a pout as she stretched out on the table. She was currently in Lei Xing''s study and had been reading to pass the time for the last few hours but now she was really bored. All Lei Xing had here were war strategy books and philosophical nonsense. Xiao Ruo offered for her to embroider but after an hour of that, she had given up - she was not in the mood for it.

    Xiao Ruo inwardly sighed, this was the nth time Xiao Ting was asking this question, "The Empress was unwell last night and so she''s sleeping a little longer."

    "A bit longer? It''s already this late..." Xiao Ting mumbled in response. Wasn''t it the same wine they drank, how come Lei Xing had ended up sick? Xiao Ting had woken up before the sun had even risen, perfectly fine. She could not remember much about yesterday, but since she was still completely herself in the morning, she considered this as an accomplishment. It turns out she was a great drinker, even better than Lei Xing. She was a little happy about this and also a little disappointed in Lei Xing''s ability.

    She knew how much Lei Xing disliked waking up, even if she was awake she won''t come out unless motivated to. She was almost certain that Lei Xing had forgotten that she was even here. She had been wanting to go see Lei Xing since she woke up but Xiao Ruo had been getting in her way.

    First, it was that she should freshen up first. She did that, then Xiao Ruo said that Lei Xing was unwell, which made Xiao Ting even more eager to see her. Xiao Ruo then informed that the Emperor was there too so it would be "inappropriate". So Xiao Ting waited until the sun rose high in the sky and the Emperor had left. She thought it was finally time but then Xiao Ruo said that the Emperor had ordered that no one was to disturb Lei Xing.

    Honestly, Xiao Ting was getting the feeling that Xiao Ruo was messing with her and treating her like a child. But then again, Xiao Ruo would not dare to lie with the Emperor''s name. So  Xiao Ting could only console herself that it was good that the Emperor was taking such good care of her sister.

    Xiao Ting waited in the guest room, then in the garden, and now here she was wallowing in Lei Xing''s study but Lei Xing had still not woken up. At this point, she was impatient and a bit disgruntled.

    Xiao Ting suddenly sat up and smiled at Xiao Ruo, "Jiejie likes to roll around in bed a lot after waking up. How about we go check~?"

    "Young Miss, the Empress also does not like to be disturbed when she is rolling around in bed. I''m sure she will send for you once she has risen... Just be patient." Xiao Ruo wearily responded without looking up from the embroidery she was working on.

    This babysitting job that Lei Xing had thrust upon her was a bit of a headache. Xiao Ruo had not left Xiao Ting''s side since last night. She could not even sleep properly for fear that something would happen to this little princess Lei Xing adopted for the night. All this anxiety was due to Lei Xing''s departing words as the Emperor dragged her off: ''Xiao Ruo you watch her! If anything happens to my baby, I will skin you and bathe in your blood!

    Xiao Ruo had never heard Lei Xing threaten anyone much less herself. Even she did not think Lei Xing would actually skin her, it just stressed the importance of this little sister to Lei Xing. In just this short time, Xiao Ruo had noticed that these two sisters were as different as night and day.

    Xiao Ting was bubbly, adorable, slightly clueless but overall sweet and happy. They both seemed to like food though, but that just a family trait or something. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lei Xing was... Xiao Ruo shook her head to clear her mind, it was not her place to judge Lei Xing''s character. Besides Lei Xing had some redeeming qualities too, for one thing, she was an incredibly easy master to serve once you got to know her. She was not picky and her only requirement was "not bothersome".

    "I still think we should check!" Xiao Ting declared and speedily jumped to her feet rushing to the door. Without delay, Xiao Ruo sprung up and blocked her, "Young miss, the Empress aside, the Emperor''s words cannot be dismissed, just wait a bit more."

    Xiao Ting pouted, "But I''m not going to disturb her. I''m just checking on her. It''s been so long and you said she''s sick. I''m just worried..." Xiao Ting said with a sniff, lowering her head and looking up at Xiao Ruo with teary eyes.

    Xiao Ruo gulped, as a feeling of guilt washed over her. If anyone saw this they would think that Xiao Ruo was bullying her. Xiao Ruo watched as Xiao Ting dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve and caved, "Alright, I''ll take you but you must be quiet. Even if the Empre-"

    "Great, let''s go!" Xiao Ting interjected, suddenly perking up with a smile, tears and the abandoned puppy were gone in an instant as she bounced out of the door. Xiao Ruo knit her brows and held her head as she exhaled, she was definitely played. She had let her guard down, of course, anyone who grew up with someone like Lei Xing for an older sister would definitely have thick skin - they must also be shameless too.

    Regardless of this realization, there was no way that shrewd puppy would let her go back on her words. So Xiao Ruo helplessly sighed and walked out of the study to find Xiao Ting standing at the intersection of the hallway, glancing left and right in confusion. Xiao Ruo sighed again and said, "Take a right."

    "Oh." Xiao Ting said, beaming a smile at her before continuing on her way as Xiao Ruo begrudgingly followed her. She really hoped this would not come back to bite her. As they neared Lei Xing''s bedroom, Xiao Ruo advised, "Even if the Empress is awake, I''m certain she will not in a good mood so you really can''t be noisy." Lei Xing was always grumpy the next morning after a drinking session so Xiao Ruo had learned to tread carefully.

    Xiao Ting eagerly nodded, "I know." But as soon as the doors opened, Xiao Ting rushed in with a "Jiejie!"

    {...Didn''t I just say be quiet! Scratch that! This one has problems too! >_<)/...}

    Xiao Ruo almost burst a blood vessel as she rushed forward and clamped onto Xiao Ting''s arm, "Quiet!" She whispered in a panic.

    "Oh, quiet." Xiao Ting apologetically nodded, but it was too late as they heard a low groan followed up by Lei Xing''s groggy voice, "Xiao Ruo, what have I said about being loud in the morning? If it''s not on fire don''t shout..." She scolded.

    "See, I told you she was awake~" Xiao Ting said as she shrugged Xiao Ruo off and went to over to the bed. She poked her head through the bed curtains and smiled down at Lei Xing, "Jiejie, good morning~"

    A surprised frown crossed Lei Xing''s face as she went, "What are yo- Oh, yes. I forgot about that." She mumbled as she rolled onto her side and covered her face with the blanket, "I''m sleeping, go away." Xiao Ting had it right, Lei Xing had completely forgotten that she had adopted a lost puppy in her absurdity last night.

    "Jiejie, don''t sleep anymore. I''ve been waiting for a long time already." Xiao Ting said as she parted and secured the bed curtains.

    "I think...we should let her sleep." Xiao Ruo quietly urged, not wanting Lei Xing to realize that she was the one who had brought Xiao Ting here to disturb her.

    Xiao Ting ignored her and plopped down on the bed and lightly shook Lei Xing, "Jiejie... are you really sick? I heard you weren''t feeling well last night...Jiejie?"

    Lei Xing g.r.o.a.n.e.d and turned back to Xiao Ting and irritatedly asked, "Why do you have so much energy in the morning?"

    "It''s already past noon." Xiao Ting helpfully informed, "Even if you''re sick you should still get up and eat something, otherwise how will you recover?"

    Lei Xing rolled her eyes and pulled the blanket over her head again, ignoring her. Xiao Ting frowned, "Jiejie, it''s time to wake up!" She said as she yanked on the blanket, pulling it off Lei Xing''s body.

    Xiao Ting''s eyes widened, "Ji-ji-jiejie, why are you n-not wearing any clothes?!" She asked, staring at Lei Xing as her face turned red.

    Lei Xing scoffed in disbelief as she sat up, definitely wide awake right now, "You -! I see you''ve definitely grown up now. You even have the guts to assault me! You''re not even scared!"Lei Xing scolded as she snatched the blanket back from Xiao Ting''s hand in annoyance.

    "Sorry..." Xiao Ting mumbled, holding her ear and lowering her head as her cheeks turned red, "Jiejie, are you really sick? They said you were sick..." She backtracked, trying to smooth Lei Xing''s ruffled feathers.

    "They said I''m sick and you still came to disturb me..." Lei Xing scolded as she shuffled up the bed and leaned back on the headboard.

    "I just thought - " Xiao Ting started to defend, but just ended up saying, "I was just worried." She said looking at Lei Xing with her teary puppy dog eyes.

    "Don''t even try!" Lei Xing scolded and Xiao Ting promptly s.u.c.k.e.d back her tears with a pout. Satisfied that she would not have to deal with anyone''s tears this "morning", Lei Xing sighed and answered her question, "I''m not sick, just had a bit of hangover..." She said, massaging her temple.

    Seeing that Lei Xing was not angry and was clearly rising up, Xiao Ting smiled and moved closer to her, "Jiejie, what''s a hangover?"

    Lei Xing looked at her happy face for a second, then narrowed her eyes at her and pushed her head away with a finger, "Clearly none of your business..." They had both been drinking the same alcohol but Xiao Ting still had the energy to be jumping about and looking for trouble. Clearly, this world was unfair. But then again, she probably drank way more than Xiao Ting.

    Xiao Ting pouted and was about to speak but suddenly knit her brows as her eyes fixed on a spot on Lei Xing''s shoulder and then traced to another on her neck and then her c.h.e.s.t and Xiao Ting could not help asking, "Jiejie, are you okay? There''s spo-" She suddenly froze for a few seconds and then hurriedly looked away as she said, "Jiejie, you should cover up."

    Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at Xiao Ting, wondering what was suddenly wrong with the girl,  "What are you shy about? Aren''t we both girls?"

    "Pr-pr-opriety must be maintained!" Xiao Ting nervously said, glancing at Lei Xing and then quickly looking away.

    Lei Xing scoffed in disbelief, "Propriety? Weren''t you the one who just barged into my room and dragged my blanket with me? Where was your propriety then?"

    Xiao Ting shifted, "J-j-jiejie, it''s not - I can''t - Aiya, Jiejie just put some clothes on!"

    Lei Xing snorted, this was slightly amusing. She leaned forward and dr.a.p.ed an arm around Xiao Ting''s shoulders and turned Xiao Ting''s body to face her, "What is it? Tell Jiejie what is wrong and I will resolve it immediately.

    Xiao Ting lowered her head, almost burying it in her own c.h.e.s.t as she nervously mumbled, "J-ji-jie, this is improper."

    Xiao Ruo watched this scene with mixed feelings, Xiao Ting was clearly being bullied and she felt the urge to rescue her. But it was rare for Lei Xing to be in such a playful mood in the morning, she will definitely not take it too kindly if Xiao Ruo should interrupt her "fun".

    Lei Xing held back her laughter and grabbed Xiao Ting''s face with both hands and brought it out of hiding as she scolded, "What have I told you about cowering? You are a great general''s dau-" Lei Xing suddenly stopped when realization dawned on her.

    Xiao Ting currently had her eyes fixed on the ceiling, trying and failing to avoid looking at Lei Xing. The problem was when she did look at Lei Xing, she was not looking at her face but rather at her shoulder. Out of curiosity, Lei Xing glanced at her shoulder and her words caught in her throat.

    Lei Xing opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally snapped out of it. She immediately frowned and went,  "Oy? Don''t tell me you and that brat have -?" Her mouth clamped shut when she remembered Xiao Ruo was also in the room.

    "Xiao Ruo, you wait outside, um, ready my bath and food too." Lei Xing dismissively said, Xiao Ruo bowed and left the room with one last complicated glance at the sisters, who were currently too a bit too close for a certain someone''s comfort.

    {...The Emperor will definitely not like this....}

    But Xiao Ruo kept her mouth shut and went to stand guard outside to avoid the disaster of the Emperor walking in on another unsavory scene. Once the doors closed, Lei Xing released Xiao Ting''s face and seriously said, "Xiao Ting, answer me truthfully. I won''t be angry and I won''t tell anyone. I will also not scold you so be honest..."

    Xiao Ting knit her brows, confused by Lei Xing''s sudden serious tone, but she nodded in understanding.

    Lei Xing pursed her lips and let out a breath, "Have you and An Hao...done...anything...intimate?" Lei Xing awkwardly asked. This was definitely not a conversation she was interested in having, but since the matter came to light before her she could neither ignore it nor pass it on to someone else.

    {...Like hell I won''t scold you! I am about to scold your ears into oblivion (?_? )...}

    Xiao Ting''s eyes widened in shock, "O-of course not! Jiejie, how can you think so lowly of me?!" Xiao Ting asked with a frown, clearly upset.

    "Then how do you know what this is?!" Lei Xing countered back, pointing at the hickey on her shoulder.

    "Did I say I know?!" Xiao Ting smartly countered back and Lei Xing froze for a second and then narrowed her eyes at Xiao Ting, who had promptly lowered her head after her outburst, "Oy, don''t play smart with me. You''re a very bad liar, hurry about and talk before I go looking for answers elsewhere..." Lei Xing menacingly said.

    Xiao Ting bit her lip and was quiet for a bit longer before she finally mumbled,  "Xiao Liu got married recently..."

    "Who the hell is that one?" Lei Xing asked with a frown.

    "Oh, you don''t remember her? She''s my close friend so...I saw...on her...and s-she told me what...about...that..." Xiao Ting shyly confessed.

    Lei Xing blinked at her for a moment and then snorted, "So you do have a social life. Here I thought all you did was follow me around."

    Xiao Ting looked even more aggrieved as she mumbled, "It''s Jiejie who does not have friends..."

    Lei Xing slapped her arm, "Friend or not! How can you let someone corrupt you like this? You''re supposed to be an adorable little rabbit!" Lei Xing scolded with a frown.

    "Don''t rabbits reproduce too?" Xiao Ting mumbled under her breath.

    "Did you just say something?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow and Xiao Ting promptly shook her head, "No!" She then grabbed Lei Xing''s arm, "Jiejie, don''t me angry. I was just curi - worried, worried about her and then she - I didn''t ask." Xiao Ting said, looking like she had been greatly wronged

    Lei Xing lightly scoffed and poked her forehead again, "Who do you think you''re fooling? Don''t worry, I don''t care. I was just curious as well~" Lei Xing said, poking her head and shrugging her off, "Don''t worry, you''ll soon get a chance to satisfy all your curiosities. From what I hear you''ll soon be getting married yourself." Lei Xing finished as she got up from the bed.

    "Hah?! Jiejie, what do you mean?" Xiao Ting asked, promptly getting up to follow after her.

    "Don''t pretend. I hear you''ve been getting letters~" Lei Xing said, narrowing her eyes at Xiao Ting as she put on her robe.

    Lei Xing did not think it was possible, but Xiao Ting''s face reddened even more, "How did you know about that?" She quietly asked, lowering her head again.

    Lei Xing smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Didn''t the letters come from the palace? How won''t I know? Take note, Xiao Ting, a good relationship has no secrets~"

    {...Except when necessary, but that''s a different story ???'')...}

    "Oh." Xiao Ting simply responded. Lei Xing silently reassessed Xiao Ting, it seems she really got this girl''s character wrong. But then again, a week is definitely not enough time to get to know someone. Not to mention that Xiao Ting was probably on her best behavior that week due to the pond incident. She is definitely not as clueless as she seems.

    {...What do you know? I like her actually more like this~...}

    Lei Xing went over to Xiao Ting and nudged her with her elbow,  "So,  when can we expect a wedding?"

    "Jiejie I''ve told you, it''s not like that..." Xiao Ting shyly said, shrinking even further.

    Lei Xing scoffed, "He''s already sending you love letters and you still say it''s not like that, and here I thought I was difficult..." Lei Xing mused as she walked away.

    Xiao Ting knit her brows and did not respond as she fell in step behind Lei Xing. Lei Xing suddenly stopped and turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "Where are you going?" Xiao Ting blinked up at her cluelessly and Lei Xing smirked and slyly asked, "What? You still want to follow me to bathe? Are there still some things you''re curious about?"

    Xiao Ting frantically shook her head and then frowned, "Jiejie, it''s not funny."

    "No, it''s just entertaining~" Lei Xing responded with a wide smile, "Stay here. I''ll send Xiao Ruo to keep you company. Don''t go anywhere." Lei Xing warned and then left with a laugh, this was definitely an interesting start to her day.

 Chapter 367 - Forewarned

    While Lei Xing was having fun teasing someone gullible for a change, the Emperor was in quite a bad mood, dealing with some unpleasant matters. He had just received a message from his contact in Zou kingdom, and the response was irritating. Due to the idiocy of a certain couple, it seems he was about to be forced to take on some losses.

    "Your majesty, Princess Nalan is here." An eunuch informed, the Emperor nodded, and the eunuch bowed and went out of the doors. An irritated Princess Nalan was escorted in shortly after with a dozen Imperial guards on her tail. She stopped in the center of the room, glaring up at the Emperor as she folded her arms, "You forgot the shackles..."

    "Retreat." The Emperor calmly ordered, ignoring Princess Nalan''s words. The Imperial guards bowed and retreated as the Emperor put down his ink brush and silently scrutinized Princess Nalan.

    Princess Nalan waited a few seconds, and when he still did not say anything, she got irritated and spoke up, "Have you finally decided to release him?"

    "No." The Emperor flatly responded and then let out an irritated breath and went on to say, "It has now occurred to me that I have no idea what your thoughts are regarding the... current events." He offhandedly stated, "I ordinarily would not care, but as you are considered a charge of the royal house, it is my responsibility to be concerned."

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and blinked up at the Emperor, unsure where he was going with this. Neither his words nor tone conveyed concern, not to mention that he had kept her and her spouse locked up all this time, "What is this about?" She asked, glaring at the Emperor.

    The Emperor was not bothered by her show of hostility and asked, "Did Prince Yi force you?"

    Princess Nalan was stunned by the question for a few seconds. When her brain processed the meaning behind the question, she was appalled and angry as she shouted her response, "Of course not! Why would you think that?!

    The Emperor ignored her again and continued to ask, "Were you tricked then?"

    "No." Princess Nalan flatly said, at this point fuming, "Do you really think so lowly of your own brother?!"

    "Your people certainly seem to think so lowly of us..." The Emperor offhandedly responded.

    "What do you mean?" Princess Nalan asked with a frown, mellowing down.

    "The consensus in Zou seems to be that you were either tricked or forced into your current predicament, and a fuss is being raised. Some are even calling for war to restore the honor of their "precious" defiled princess and wash this insult from the nation''s face. Does this make sense to you?" The Emperor asked with a slight smirk.

    His face was smiling, but Princess Nalan had the good sense to know that this was not at all an amusing situation. She slightly gulped, dropped her arms to her side as she shook her head, "I already wrote to my father and even my grandfather explaining the situation. They know it was nothing like that. Yes, what have they said? Random rumors mean nothing! You have nothing to worry about." She argued, regaining her confidence.

    "Worry?" The Emperor scoffed with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile as he continued, "Princess, I do not fear war. Therefore, I do not worry about it. What worries me is that some people have misunderstood my benevolence for weakness." He finished, his smile gone.

    Princess Nalan knit her brows and glanced to the side, not at all sure what to say here. This was clearly not something she was equipped to handle. Even if she was stupid, she knew she had to tread carefully here. War was a serious matter, and being on enemy territory during a war was an even more serious matter.

    Seeing that Princess Nalan was quiet, the Emperor put his arm on the arm of the throne chair and relaxed as he leisurely asked, "If we, you and I, as representatives of our nation decide that war is the answer, what do you think my first step will be?"

    Princess Nalan slightly went rigid and glanced up at the Emperor to see that the smile was back on his face. She clenched her sweaty palms and raised her head defiantly. She was not scared, she was not scared of anyone - she reminded herself and confidently continued, "This is not a matter that warrants a war. There will be no war. My father granted me full authority over my marriage, which naturally extends to all affairs involving it. It was my choice, and it remains so. I will explain more clearly to them."

    "Well said." The Emperor said with a curt nod and then informed, "Your grandfather has requested permission to visit the capital. Now that I have confirmed your side of the story, you may leave." The Emperor said, picking up his brush and resuming his writing.

    Princess Nalan stood rooted to the spot. Her grandfather was coming himself? She did not expect this. Actually, this was not at all going the way she and Prince Yi had imagined.

    Prince Yi said they would all have no choice but to accept their marriage, but was all this talk about war now? Defilement? Even the people who have never met her know that Princess Nalan cannot be bullied.

    Thinking about Prince Yi was another confusing matter, treason? How?

    "Anything else?" The Emperor''s cold voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Princess Nalan looked up at him and then tentatively asked, "What about Prince Yi - Your brother? the treason, he couldn''t possibly have com-"

    "That is none of your concern." The Emperor flatly said, "Leave."

    Princess Nalan frowned, "How is it not my concern? We are engaged, and I am already pregnant. You locked him up under some random pretense of treason! I don''t even know if he is dead or alive right now! If the roles were reversed and it was Lei Xing wh-"

    The Emperor suddenly slammed his hand down on the table, and the rest of Princess Nalan''s words got stuck in her throat. The Emperor let out a breath and then threateningly said, "What should be concerning you right now is how to make sure I do not lose my patience. Leave." He repeated with a cold hard stare.

    Princess Nalan frowned back at him and stated, "This is not fair." The Emperor did not say anything and maintained his cold stare, waiting. Princess Nalan steadily met his gaze with a glare of her own.

    But after a few seconds and better judgment, she slightly bowed in "respect" and turned to leave, fl.i.c.k.i.n.g her sleeves in the process. She disgruntledly stormed out of the room with a deep frown on her face. Without missing a beat, the Imperial guards promptly fell into step behind her. Princess Nalan glanced at them and clenched her fists so hard her nails bore into her skin, but she could not feel any pain. She had never been so humiliated in her life, neither has she ever been so agitated before in her life.

    {...This is all wrong!...}

    ***

    Shortly after Princess Nalan left the royal study, the report came to him that Lei Xing was awake. Seeing as he was not in the best of moods, the Emperor decided to go have lunch with Lei Xing to uplift his mood. But when he walked into their bedroom, he found an unexpected guest. Xiao Ting was sitting at their table, happily chatting with Xiao Ruo and some other maids.

    The Emperor knit his brows and stopped in his tracks. The maids noticed him and turned to bow, and Xiao Ting promptly shot to her feet and bowed along with them. Before the Emperor could ask, Xiao Ting nervously volunteered, "G-greetings to the E-emperor. My s- the Empress told me to wait here..." She nervously said, making sure to keep her head lowered, cold sweat suddenly forming on her forehead.

    She had completely forgotten that this was not simply Lei Xing''s room, but the Imperial couple''s private bedchamber - Lei Xing must have also forgotten. Otherwise, how could she have told her to leisurely hang about here?!

    The Emperor did not say anything and silently moved his eyes to Xiao Ruo, who intuitively volunteered, "The Empress went to bathe..."

    With the way the Emperor came and left, he seemed like a man on a mission. He was probably going to find Lei Xing in the bathe. Thinking about that, Xiao Ting remembered the kiss spots she had seen on Lei Xing''s body earlier, and she suddenly shot to her feet, "I - I think I should I leave..." She nervously declared, holding her burning cheeks.

    Xiao Ruo smiled and said, "I was just thinking that with such great weather today, an outdoor lunch will be more to the Empress''s liking. What do you think?" She asked, turning to Xiao Ting, who swiftly nodded and took the lead, almost sprinting out of the room.

    Xiao Ruo and the maids all smiled as they watched her, trying to hold back their laughter as they all thought: It seems this young miss is really not as clueless as she appears.

    Xiao Ting could not be bothered by the thoughts of others at the moment. She had no idea why but as soon as she saw the Emperor, her skin started crawling. Now that she thought about it, this was actually her first real encounter with the Emperor, and he was definitely an imposing presence. The Emperor did not look happy to see her, not that he should. It was just that he seemed annoyed. He also did not even acknowledge her presence, much less her greeting back there.

    Xiao Ting could not help feeling that she did something wrong. Moreover, she was suddenly overcome with the feeling that she had forgotten something very important... but for the life of her, she could not remember.

    {...I hope this won''t cause trouble for Jiejie... Aiya, Jiejie, how could you be so thoughtless?! >_<)...}

 Chapter 368 - Sweet Aftermath

    As was suspected, the Emperor went to the bath chamber to find Lei Xing leisurely resting in the bathtub, eyes closed with her head resting on a makeshift pillow that was folded over the edge of the tub, while a maid was giving her a massage.

    The Emperor motioned for the maids to withdraw and they quickly bowed and quietly exited the room. The Emperor then walked over to the tub and stopped right next to Lei Xing, but she did not even flinch even a bit. The Emperor quietly watched her for a few seconds and then said, "If you still wanted to sleep, why did you get up?"

    Lei Xing''s eyes flew open and she sat up, startled for a moment, "Oh, you''re here." She said as she quickly relaxed and glided to the edge of the tub, "I was just thinking about you and you show up like this. Our minds are truly synced~" Lei Xing sweetly said with a smile as she reached out and grabbed his hand.

    The Emperor smirked and narrowed his eyes at her, "What did you do wrong now?" Lei Xing only ever said sweet words like that whenever she was trying to coax him.

    Lei Xing knit her brows, "What do you mean by that? Can''t a person express my love without -" When the Emperor raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her, she cleared her throat and awkwardly admitted, "Um, well, yesterday, I was a bit much, wasn''t I?... Are you upset?" She carefully asked.

    While soaking in the bath, Lei Xing had remembered some, and hopefully all, of her escapades from the night before. She immediately became concerned that he might be upset with her, so she had been considering going to find him before she dozed off in the tub.

    The Emperor snorted in laughter and stroked her wet hair, "How can I? It was good to see you in such a celebratory mood."

    Lei Xing lowered her head with a frown and mumbled, "I wasn''t exactly celebrating..." Her cheeks quickly reddened in embarrassment.

    She had truly embarrassed herself yesterday in all sorts of ways, from clinging to Xiao Ting to even publicly assaulting the Emperor who was just trying to help her. What''s worse was that she even got Xiao Ting to join in on the "fun" of attacking the Emperor. Thinking of that, Xiao Ting would probably run herself into a wall in a panic if she had any idea what she did.

    Honestly, if it were anyone else, she and her entire family might just be six feet under right now. No matter how much he loved her, yesterday was clearly over the line. Even she would not tolerate herself like that, drunk or not. She had no idea what was in that wine but it definitely was not normal wine - although the ring did not act up, but that was beside the point!

    Even if the Emperor was angry, which he was not, it would be hard for him to remain so seeing her lamenting so adorably like this. The Emperor lightly chuckled and crouched down to see her face, "It''s alright, I was also in a celebratory mood. I''ve told you absence breeds fondness between my parents and me..."

    Lei Xing just stared at him for a bit, then she put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "I''ll make it up to you, I promise..."

    The Emperor smiled and patted her head but then he could not help adding, "Just no more alcohol for the next little while, okay?"

    Lei Xing eagerly nodded, she was about ready to swear off alcohol entirely, being drunk to the point of stupidity was definitely not to her liking, "Want to join me? The water''s still hot~" She informed with a smile.

    The Emperor blinked at her and then his eyes slipped down. Since her arms were up around his neck, her c.h.e.s.t was partially out of the water, showing off the glistening pair of soft mounds on her c.h.e.s.t. His eyes lingered on their two rosy buds in the centers for a moment before he knit his brows and dragged his eyes back up to her face and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

    "I wasn''t sick in the first place�� It was just the alcohol," Lei Xing said with an awkward laugh then gave him another kiss, "I''ve been neglecting you the last few days. If you don''t want to come in, then I will come out~" She coquettishly said, stroking the back of his neck.

    The Emperor smirked, "Alright then." He said and then reached into the pool and pulled her out, rising to his feet with her in his arms, sleeves dripping wet, but he was not bothered.

    "There." Lei Xing said, pointing to the lounge chair in the corner. The Emperor glanced at the massage bed on the other end of the room and then back at her.

    "I did say I will make it up to you..." Lei Xing mumbled, lowering her head as her blush deepened. The Emperor was lost for a second, but then understanding dawned on him and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

    The Emperor then burst out laughing and marched to the lounge chair as she wished. He laid her down and quickly followed, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss, one hand holding and c.a.r.e.s.sing her face while the other busied itself roaming her body, while Lei Xing busied herself with relieving him of his clothes.

    The maid Xiao Ruo sent to check in on Lei Xing, finally returned and informed, "The Emperor is still with the Empress... I could not enter the bath chamber." The maid''s blushing face communicated the rest of the unspoken story.

    Xiao Ruo thought for a bit before she turned to Xiao Ting, who was staring at the blushing maid wide-eyed.

    "Young Miss, why don''t you go ahead and eat first? I don''t think the Empress is really hungry right now..." Xiao Ruo advised with a smile. In all likelihood, it will be at least another hour before Lei Xing would surface again, that is if she does not fall asleep.

    "En." Xiao Ting robotically nodded, lowering her head with a pout as her face turned bright red.  in response with her beet-red face. This visit to the palace has turned out to be a lot more than she bargained for. She will never be able to look at her "jiejie" the same again.

    ***

    "Xing er, you should offend me more often~" The Emperor said with a doting smile, completely satiated as he looked down at the head resting on his c.h.e.s.t while lazily drawing circles on her back. An eager-to-please Lei Xing was definitely a rarity.

    "Stop saying nonsense..." Lei Xing retorted, playfully hitting his c.h.e.s.t as she sat up and reached over to climb over him. The Emperor swiftly caught her waist and pulled her back on him, "Where are you going?" He playfully asked as he leaned forward to kiss her.

    Lei Xing kissed him, but before the kiss could develop into something else, she pushed him back and tried to sit up again, "Stop playing. I really have to go now, Xiao Ting is waiting."

    "Oh." The Emperor dryly responded, he had forgotten about that person.

    Lei Xing slightly knit her brows in worry as she said, "I thought you said you were not angry with her."

    The Emperor blinked, glanced off to the side, and cleared his throat, "I''m not, it''s good that she would so fearlessly jump to your defense." He said with a slight smile, releasing her.

    Lei Xing looked at his pouting face, chuckled, and then she leaned in and kissed him, "I''ll see you tonight~" She added, patting his cheek before she got up to get dressed.

    The Emperor watched her walk to the dressing table and sighed, then he sat up himself to get dressed as well. He picked up his robes, which were now properly rumbled, and frowned. He definitely could not wear them any longer, so he threw on the chair and started to put on his pants.

    "After I send off Xiao Ting later, I''ll go see Nalan. I''ve been ignoring her the last few days so I''m sure she''s agitated..." Lei Xing informed as she put a small towel in the washbasin and went about wiping her body.

    The Emperor turned to her as he put on his shirt, "You don''t need to bother with her anymore. I already spoke with her earlier, she''s well aware of how she should conduct herself."

    Lei Xing stopped and turned to him, "You met with Nalan? Why? Did something else happen?" She asked with concern. She knew the Emperor did not like Princess Nalan, something must have happened for him to go out of his way to meet her.

    "Nothing serious. Just that some people in Zou are twisting the situation to make the most out of it. They claim we defiled their princess." The Emperor said with a scoff.

    "How is that not serious?" Lei Xing asked with a frown. The Emperor smiled and came over to her and put his arms around her, "It''s nothing to worry about, they can''t do anything."

    "But -" Lei Xing started but the Emperor blocked her words with a kiss and then he reassuringly said, "It''s really nothing to worry about. At most, we will have to take a few losses, nothing more. They know not to be too greedy. After all, it was their princess who put herself in this predicament. They know not to push too much."

    Lei Xing knit her brows but then sighed, "Alright then. I hope you weren''t too harsh with Nalan. She might be a bit headstrong, reckless, and forward but she''s really not a bad person. It''s normal for her to be agitated in this situation..."

    The Emperor shook his head, "Of course not, I have no reason to be harsh. I already told you that I will support their marriage." He said, kissing her cheek and plastering on a wide smile for her.

    Lei Xing still looked at him with doubt, his expression was a bit too keen to be believable. Before she could further grill him, the Emperor suddenly picked her up, "You''re already in the bath chamber, why bother with a towel?" He said as he marched her over to the bathtub.

    "No! Wait! The water''s cold, I don''t li-" The rest of her protests were drowned by a loud splash as he dumped her in the tub. Lei Xing resurfaced and irritatedly brushed her hair from her face as she glared at the Emperor, who was quickly undressing again to join her.

    "If you keep throwing me about like this, I swear I''m going to kill you one day." Lei Xing grumbled under her breath in annoyance as she stood up to climb out of the bathtub. Being teased like this was not fun.

    "You''re always welcome to try~" The Emperor retorted as he grabbed her waist and sent them both tumbling back into the bathtub with a laugh. He was not quite finished with her yet. As for that sister of hers, well, he can tolerate her presence for a few more days, there was no need to rush.

 Chapter 369 - Reality Calls

    By the time Lei Xing resurfaced again, a few hours had passed. Xiao Ting looked up from her embroidery to see Lei Xing, fully dressed, coming towards the pavilion with the Emperor in tow. Lei Xing seemed to be pouting while the Emperor, was seemingly coaxing her saying some words with a doting smile on his face.

    Xiao Ting blinkingly stared at them as they came closer, Xiao Ruo even had to remind her to stand up to greet. Xiao Ting quickly stopped staring and shot to her feet, "G-greetings to the Emperor...jiejie..." She hesitantly added, keeping her head lowered, not quite sure if the Emperor would be alright with her not greeting Lei Xing.

    After being ignored earlier, she was making sure to be very careful this time. She would have already gone home but she could not leave without permission from either Lei Xing or the Emperor, so she was stuck. She had even refused to go back inside to her guest room for fear of running into the Emperor again, but then he still ended up coming here himself. It seems some things cannot be avoided.

    "Be at ease." The Emperor calmly said and then asked, "How are you feeling?" When Xiao Ting did not respond, the Emperor called, "Xiao Ting?"

    "Huh?!" Xiao Ting went as her head shot up, and she stared at the Emperor in wide-eyed shock. The Emperor smirked, "Your sister and brother call you Xiao Ting, so I automatically did the same. It would be odd to address you as anything else."

    "O-oh." Xiao Ting awkwardly responded with a nod. This was confusing. The Emperor was actually talking to her, so casually too. Before he had not even bothered to acknowledge her presence, was it because Lei Xing was here that he was suddenly being nice? Xiao Ting felt even more nervous.

    "So?" The Emperor went again, and it took Xiao Ting a few seconds to register that he was waiting for an answer to his question. She quickly bowed and responded, "My health is fine. T-thank you for the concern."

    The Emperor nodded, "That is good. Be careful not to overindulge in alcohol like this again. It is bad for your health."

    "I-I will keep it in mind. I thank Your majesty for your concern." Xiao Ting repeated, bowing even lower as cold sweat started to drip down her back. This was uncomfortable, she wants to go home!

    "Be at ease, you are family, so there is no need to be so formal." The Emperor said, and even Lei Xing gave him a dubious look.

    {...What are you suddenly being so nice for?...}

    The Emperor smiled at Lei Xing and continued, "Since you''re already here, you should stay a few more days to keep the Empress company -"

    "Huh?!" Both sisters went in surprise. Xiao Ting quickly reigned in herself and lowered her head, while Lei Xing frowned and whispered, "What are you doing?"

    "Your mood hasn''t been too good recently, and I saw yesterday that the presence of your sister greatly lifted your spirits. So I think it will be good to let her stay for a few more days, or you don''t think so?" The Emperor cluelessly asked. She had been so eager to be with Xiao Ting last night, and even today, she wanted to run to find her as soon as possible, so naturally, he thought that this would be a welcome surprise for her.

    Lei Xing looked at Xiao Ting, who was staring at her with wide eyes, like a doe in headlights, and she did not have the heart to refuse her. So Lei Xing sighed, "Of course, it will be good." She said, plastering on a smile while sending daggers into the Emperor with her eyes.

    {...Tactless (?_? )... I guess she has her uses too...}

    The Emperor smiled and turned to Xiao Ting, who quickly lowered her head. "I will inform your father." The Emperor calmly said and then sternly added, "No alcohol." and Xiao Ting fervently nodded.

    Satisfied, the Emperor turned to Lei Xing, lightly pat her head, "I''ll see you later." He softly said with a smile and then turned and left.

    Xiao Ting stared after him, and once he was gone from view, she turned her astonished gaze to Lei Xing, "Jiejie -"

    "You don''t say anything!" Lei Xing swiftly warned with a glare and walked over, "Xiao Ruo, I''m hungry, food." She ordered as she plopped down on a seat. Xiao Ruo bowed and quickly went off to see to the arrangements, leaving the two sisters alone.

    "Jie -"

    "Didn''t I tell you to be quiet?" Lei Xing interjected again with a glare and Xiao Ting closed her mouth and bit on her lower lip, looking at Lei Xing with a red face, watery eyes, and an extremely wronged expression. Lei Xing uncomfortably twisted in her seat and faced away from Xiao Ting  as her own face started to heat up.

    {... Ahhhh, who do I kill in this case? (??��??)...}

    ****

    Princess Nalan skeptically followed the guards through the dark corridors of the prison. After her rude dismissal earlier, she had not expected that the Long Emperor would actually allow her to meet Prince Yi, not so quickly anyway. But to her surprise, the Long Emperor randomly grew a heart in a few hours and decided to be reasonable.

    They turned the corner, and she saw him, sitting on the bed with his eyes closed. "Shan!" Princess Nalan exclaimed as her eyes lit up. She immediately rushed to him but was impeded by the bars. She frowned and turned to the guards and the eunuch behind her, "Open the door!"

    "The Emperor has given you fifteen minutes. It is best not to waste it." The eunuch advised with a curt bow and turned to leave, only for Princess Nalan to grab his collar and drag him back, "Are you deaf? I said, open the door!" She ordered, pushing him against the bar.

    The guards put their hands on their swords, ready to draw and Princess Nalan stared down.

    The Eunuch panicked a little and tried to mediate, "Princess, we cannot release him just because you say so. You are already wasting your little time with t-"

    Princess Nalan frowned, "That''s not your concern! I said o-"

    "Nalan, that''s enough." Prince Yi''s calm voice interrupted. Princess Nalan turned to see that he had stood up from the bed and was approaching the bars. She turned back to the guards and frowned, "But -"

    "They won''t release me just because you say so, not even if you kill them." Prince Yi calmly enlightened as he stopped in front of the bars.

    Princess Nalan let out an irritated breath and shoved the eunuch into the guards. Then she turned back to the cell with a small smile as she reached through the bars to touch Prince Yi''s arm, "How are you?" Seeing him now, she felt more reassured. He still looked healthy and handsome even in prison.

    "I am alright." Prince Yi responded with a slight smile, and then his eyes slanted to the eunuch and the guards who were still standing there. The Eunuch pursed his lips, but he bowed and withdrew with the guards.

    "How are things? Have you heard back from your family?" Prince Yi asked and then frowned at the anxiousness in his voice. Doing this, he remembered how he should behave and quickly took her hand and asked, "Forget those, how are you doing?"

    Princess Nalan smiled, "I''m alright. It''s a bit tense, but it''s nothing." She said, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

    Prince Yi smiled in response and then went back to the important questions, "Have you heard back from your family?"

    Princess Nalan let out an irritated breath, "No, but your Emporer has...my grandfather is coming here..."

    "Really?" Prince Yi went, his face somewhat lighting up.

    "En, apparently there''s been a bit of an uproar back home because of this, but it''s nothing serious." Princess Nalan lied, but Prince Yi was definitely very interested in this trouble and pressed, "What trouble? Tell me."

    Princess Nalan sighed and then told him about her earlier conversation with the Emperor.

    Instead of sympathizing with her, Prince Yi began chuckling, earning a glare from Princess Nalan. She pulled her hand out his and folded her arms, "I am telling you of the greatest humiliation of my life and you are laughing?" She asked with a frown.

    Prince Yi stopped, but his face still held a smile as he reached out and retook her hand, "Relax, he won''t do anything to you. My brother is all talk. He never makes the first move, so long as you don''t provoke him, he won''t touch you. As for the war�� You just need to explain the situation clearly. You can talk to your grandfather once he arrives and everything will be alright."

    Princess Nalan nodded in agreement, then she knit her brows, "You just said your brother doesn''t act unless provoked, so did you provoke him then? Were you really raising a private army?" Princess Nalan carefully asked. She had defended him before the Emperor earlier, but she could deny her own doubts. While she can justify his role in the Crown prince''s rebellion of the past, it was hard to justify him secretly raising private troops.

    Prince Yi froze, "Army?"

    Princess Nalan nodded, "I heard that the Emperor found your secret army, and that they even surrendered without a fight. They are currently being transported to the capital for questioning, the news is all over the place."

    Prince Yi then took a deep breath to calm himself. After all, nothing was confirmed. Even without him being there, he had put in place various warning outposts along the way to the valley. An invasion would have been noticed long before they neared the valley. In all likelihood, the Emperor may have truly found the valley but the majority of the troops would have vacated before his men arrived. Therefore what the Emperor''s men were faced with was likely only a sacrificial troop, a diversion to buy time for the others.

    Moreover, Princess Nalan was not even a reliable source of information anyway. Worrying prem.a.t.u.r.ely was stupid, he was certain he would soon receive the full report from Tian Ji - he was just taking his time, being careful not to alert the Emperor. Besides, the captured men will never reach the capital alive. His men were well trained or better said, they knew what was at stake. They would die before they implicated him. He was still safe.

    While Prince Yi was processing this shocking information, he had forgotten that Princess Nalan was right in front of him, watching him intently. When Lei Xing told her that Prince Yi had greater aspirations, she did not want to believe it. But looking at him now, this expression on his face was unfamiliar and another nagging question surfaced in her mind, ''why else would a prince be raising an army in secret?''

    "Is true then?" She still had to ask, "Were you really planning to rebel then?" She asked with a scowl.

    Prince Yi blinked out of his thoughts and stared at her for a moment, he had made a mistake. But it was not fatal. He lowered his head and c.a.r.e.s.sed her hand and in a weary voice, he said, "Anything I did, I did to protect myself. I had no choice. I have always been on my own with no support, no family. You''ve seen how my brother is... If I don''t look after myself, who will?" He looked up at her with a conflicted expression and added, "Growing up in a royal household, you should be able to understand. If you can''t then -" He paused, looking pained as he let go of her hand.

    "No!" Princess Nalan exclaimed as she grabbed his hand with both her hands, "I understand." She said with a resolute nod, looking at him with pity in her eyes, "You have me now. You have my support, and with that comes the support of Zou."

    Prince Yi did not like the look of pity but he s.u.c.k.e.d it up and plastered on a small smile and nodded, "Thank you�� I''m sorry I cannot look after you now... and I don''t know about the future either -" He sighed, "No matter what happens, you have to make sure to look after yourself and our child." He finished with a worried and anxious expression, putting his other hand over her hands.

    Princess Nalan smiled and then pouted, "If not for Lei Xing interrupting back then, I would have alre- " Speaking about Lei Xing reminded her of the important matter. She glanced up and down the hallway, then she leaned in closer and whispered, "Don''t worry, while might be a difficult person to handle, Lei Xing is relatively easy, I managed to persuade her to intercede on your behalf -"

    "She really will?" Prince Yi interjected, eyes widening in surprise.

    Princess Nalan thought but she eagerly nodded, "She sounded confident, but we can''t really trust her. Just because she tells the Emperor not to do something, doesn''t mean he won''t. With things like this, it''s good my grandfather is coming, no one will able to bully us when he''s here!" She reassuringly said, even though she did not quite believe her own words.

    Her conversation today had dimmed the hope she had in Lei Xing''s words. After all, it was not as if Lei Xing would truly fight the Emperor on Prince Yi''s account. As for her grandfather, for him to actually journey here himself signaled that he was very angry. He was the only one she was not confident in swaying to her whims, the only one she was scared of. But hope was necessary for survival, so she needed to give Prince Yi hope.

    Prince Yi lowered his head as his lips curled in a smile, his mind elsewhere. He was suddenly feeling a bit better about his current predicament. He did not quite believe it when Zhao Chang had told him about what Lei Xing said, but hearing it from Princess Nalan was different. He did not expect that Lei Xing would actually stand against the Emperor because of him. It was definitely welcome, if not great news. Just thinking about the Emperor''s heartbroken expression warmed his heart and he could not help smiling.

    Princess Nalan saw that he looked happy and felt more confident as she continued, "Nothing will happen to you for sure. You will only have to suffer here for a few days. After the banishment then we -"

    "Banishment?" Prince Yi asked his body went rigid, "What do you mean banishment?" He asked, now glaring at her. Whatever warmth his heart just felt had frozen over in an instant.

 Chapter 370 - The Mantis and the Oriole

    Seeing his reaction, Princess Nalan felt a bit panicked and quickly explained, "You''re already in prison like this. I''ve had to think about it too. Regardless of the reason for it, an accusation of treason is a serious matter, now that it''s on the table, it''s not possible to come out of this unscathed, not even with my grandfather''s help. Your Emperor is stubborn too." She said with a frown and then quickly perked up.

    "...But you don''t have to worry. While the situation may not exactly be ideal. I''m already pregnant so my family will "have to accept you." Princess Nalan said with a reassuring smile, "I won''t abandon you, I promise." She added, giving his hands a hard squeeze.

    Prince Yi blankly stared at her and then took a step back, out of her reach, "Did he say that?" He asked, now glaring at her.

    His expression surprised Princess Nalan, she had never seen him look this but she understood that this was indeed shocking news. If it were her, she would have brought this prison down but her Shan was too reserved to behave like that.

    A glare was nothing, so she stamped down her disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and answered, "No, but it seems that''s what he''s leaning towards. Lei Xing said that was the best she could do and from his demeanor today, it seems there is really no better way out of this. At least it''s better than being executed or rotting away in prison forev-"

    Seeing Prince Yi''s expression get worse, she agitatedly grabbed the bars and put on a reassuring smile, "But maybe my grandfather can still do something. You know he''s very resourceful, no one can ignore him when he speaks, not even my father! Moreover, Zou is much better than this place, I''m certain you will prefer it! We also talked about traveling, we can do-"

    "That''s enough." Prince Yi interrupted in a quiet voice, "Go back." He said as he turned his back to her, walked back to his bed, and calmly sat down.

    "But -" Princess Nalan started but then stopped herself, bit her lip with a disgruntled frown as she stared at Prince Yi who had retreated deep into his thoughts.

    The two stayed quietly like that, one deep in thought while the other looked on with a frown, agitated and frustrated. Finally, the sounds of incoming footsteps could be heard and Princess Nalan turned to her left to see the eunuch and the guards returning.

    "Princess, it is time to return." The eunuch respectfully said with a bow.

    Princess Nalan glared at him and then turned back to Prince Yi and said, "Shan, Zou is a beautiful and warm place with great people. You will be happy there, I promise. Take care of yourself, I will come again."

    She waited but Prince Yi said nothing in return, neither did he look in her direction.

    "Princess, please y-"

    "I heard you the first time!" Princess Nalan shouted at the eunuch, she glanced at Prince Yi again but he still did not look her way. Irritated beyond comprehension, she shoved the eunuch out of the way and stormed past the guards, who smartly moved out of the way.

    She understood that being banished was not a small matter for a person, but Prince Yi had told her himself that his life here was not easy. His parents were already dead, and he had no extended family. He kept to himself, so he barely had friends, and his only relative, his brother, has now accused him of treason and wants his head. What kind of life does he expect to live here? How could he possibly live comfortably here?

    Lei Xing''s reassuring words echoed in her mind and she calmed down a little. It may be hard for him to accept at first, but he will eventually see that this was for the best. They just need to get to Zou first and he will come to appreciate her efforts, just as Lei Xing said. She is his benefactor so naturally, he will come to appreciate her efforts. He will be happy, no, they will be happy and free.

    It was just the shock that was making him weird, very soon he will come to terms with it. With those reassuring thoughts in her mind, Princess Nalan''s footsteps regained their confidence and she walked off feeling lighter.

    Princess Nalan was right, Prince Yi was quickly coming to terms with this new development. Since the Emperor''s visit, he had been expecting something, but then to think that the Emperor would pass the news of his exile through Princess Nalan... Wasn''t this rubbing salt in his injury?

    He had nothing left here and he knew it. The ministers who "supported", blackmail or not aside, were now imprisoned and all of them have turned to blame him for all their "misdeeds". Now his army was potentially decimated. Even if only a fraction of them were caught, the rest have still scattered and will need to be regrouped somewhere else.

    Not to mention the supplies that have been lost. Since Jun Kai returned and assumed the throne, Prince Yi''s access to funds has been greatly diminished since Prince Yi lost control of the court. His army was already suffering before this, so this will naturally be a huge setback even if they survived this. But it was not over, he still had Princess Nalan and potentially the armies of Zou, the problem was of course convincing those with power to fight his war. It was possible but...

    Prince Yi''s frown deepened, it seemed to achieve his dream he would have to sell out his own country. He had hoped that he and Jun Kai could resolve their differences quietly, without making a big fuss that would negatively impact the country. But as it stood now, if he were truly banished, he would have no choice but to kick up a big fuss. It was unfortunate,  but the country could be rebuilt after the fallout.

    While the Long country may be strong, its foundation has been weakened by the multiple wars. The enslaved outnumber the free, five to one. Even though the enslaved come from various unfriendly backgrounds - after all, some of them had been at war with each other before they were conquered, with the avenue these enemies can be made to unite and work together. Prince Yi was now thinking that he could be that unifying force.

    Even though this alone was not enough to topple the empire, it would be enough to weaken it enough for him to swoop in and claim victory. The problem was that this was a very delicate matter as his victory would rely heavily on others. If he made even a small mistake in handling this, then the empire would be torn apart and he would end up cooking a dish for someone else to enjoy.

    Prince Yi took a deep breath and stood up, held his hands behind his back, and let out a heavy sigh, "Banishment..."

    {...I don''t want this either but you are forcing my hand... One way or another, I will claim what rightfully belongs to me. It is natural for sacrifices to be made...}

    ***

    "He was calm?" The Emperor asked, slightly narrowing his eyes. The eunuch had just reported to the meeting of the ill-fated couple and its aftermath. Since Lei Xing asked him not to be "too hard" on Princess Nalan, he decided to grant her request to meet Prince Yi. He did not want Princess Nalan complaining to Lei Xing about it later. He knew Lei Xing was quite a compassionate person, he did not want her bothered by petty issues if he can help it.

    Although he could not truly say his motives were entirely pure. He wanted to gauge Prince Yi''s reaction on certain matters before making certain irreversible decisions - to make himself feel a bit better about the whole affair.

    The eunuch respectfully nodded, "He seemed calm but he dismissed the Princess and even ignored her farewell... The news must have affected him greatly."

    "As it should." Commander An responded with a light scoff. As someone who followed the Emperor all these years, it was very fulfilling to see him finally taking steps against this disrespectful and ungrateful brother of his. He had no idea what Prince Yi did for the Emperor that made him so lenient with him, but Prince Yi had been getting on everyone''s else nerves for the longest time.

    "And after that?" The Emperor thoughtfully asked.

    "As per the guards, he sat for a long time and then stood for a long time. It seems he is still standing in place." The eunuch politely responded.

    The Emperor knit his brows in thought for a bit and then sighed, "You may leave." The eunuch bowed and quietly withdrew. Once the doors closed behind him, Commander An turned to the Emperor and said, "Your majesty, he is obviously still scheming something."

    The Emperor scoffed, "Scheming? He is already in the palm of my hand, what can he do?" He lazily responded, picking up his brush and resuming his writing.

    Commander An frowned, "Your majesty, it is best to kill him now that we have the chance."

    "He still has his uses..." The Emperor offhandedly responded, silent and simply concentrated on his writing. After a few minutes, he put down the brush and held out the sheet to Commander An, "Pass this on to the storytellers, I want this spread around the country within a week. They are free to embellish it as they will, so long as it riles up anger in the people, I do not care."

    Commander An''s face lit up when he read the contents of the sheet, "You mean to destroy his reputation?"

    "I didn''t write anything that is not true." The Emperor matter-of-factly stated, "Since he has chosen this path for himself and is unrepentant, we might as well make good use of it." The Emperor said, picking a memorial and opening it, signaling that he was done talking.

    Commander An nodded, bowed, and then turned to leave but then  the Emperor spoke up again, "Also, inform An Hao to take extra special care with transporting our guest from Zou. I wouldn''t want him to get hurt in his haste."

    "How long?" Commander An asked, correctly concluding that the Emperor wanted An Hao to delay the Zou Lord''s arrival.

    "About three months should be enough." The Emperor calmly responded. The journey from the Zou border to the capital city took about a month on a horseback, three weeks if one were to rush it. He was asking for that time to be doubled, if not tripled, but he was confident An Hao was resourceful enough to sort through it.

    "I will pass along the instructions." Commander An responded, bowed, and then left. With An Hao''s resourcefulness and talent for irritating people into submission, it would most certainly be taken care of, even if he has to break the old man''s legs to delay him. Commander An knit his brows as he made a mental note to remind An Hao not to cause too much harm to the old man.

    As Commander An left, the Emperor dropped the memorial and sighed, from the report he received the old man was greatly displeased. He was aware that the old man already did not like the idea of Princess Nalan marrying him, the Emperor. So it naturally went without saying that the old man probably wanted Prince Yi''s head on a platter given the recent developments. This visit was definitely not to congratulate them, most likely, he was coming to drag his granddaughter home.

    The old man was also known for being unscrupulous, forcing Princess Nalan into aborting the baby or even using nefarious means to force it was a possibility. As it stood now, that baby was the only true tether between Princess Nalan and his brother. If that baby was gone, it would be troublesome. Therefore, the Emperor had to take some steps to protect it, for the sake of his brother''s future happiness.

    It would be hard to abort a four-month-old pregnancy without gravely endangering the mother''s life.  Of course, if the old man cared nothing for Princess Nalan''s life, then that would be irrelevant. At worst, the Emperor could step in but he preferred not to directly involved get in the middle of this dispute. It will be too troublesome.

    But more important than his brother''s happiness were his own plans. Prince Yi was integral for him right now and important matters could not be rushed.

    The Zou prime minister rushing here himself complicates things, the Emperor had not anticipated this. Of course, he expected emissaries to be sent immediately - people he could have brushed off until he was ready to attend to the matter. But this stubborn headstrong old man would be a headache. Therefore, he needs to buy time.

    The Emperor sighed, Prince Yi''s tenacity was definitely something. Even when confronted with such a hard future, he still relented and began calculating again. He could guess what was now brewing Prince Yi''s mind right now and he would not allow it.

    While the Emperor cannot, or rather will not kill Prince Yi''s because of his benefactor, the elusive voice''s instructions. This did not mean that Prince Yi could not be punished, he had simply let him roam free all this time because of the personal debt he felt he owed him from their childhood - which, as Lei Xing said, he has rightfully paid many times over. If he left Prince Yi alone any longer, Prince Yi would grow to be a thorn in his side too deep to ignore.

    He will let him go, but not before ensuring that Prince Yi''s wings have not only been clipped but have been ripped right out of their joints and destroyed - for both their sakes.

    The Emperor picked up his teacup, closed his eyes, smelled the fragrant tea, and smiled to himself, looking quite pleased. He truly did wish Prince Yi and Princess Nalan all the best in their future lives together.

 Chapter 371 - Unlucky Suspect

    Prince Houyi irritatedly looked down at the bruised and miserable Bao Zhun for a long time before saying, "Look, I don''t want to hurt you. Your father has shown great loyalty to my family so I would rather not kill you. Just tell me where they went and we can all put this behind us. I will even reward you."

    When his heartfelt plea was met with disdainful silence accompanied with a glare, Prince Houyi let out a breath in frustration as he leaned forward and once again tried to appeal to Bao Zhun''s common sense, "I don''t want to hurt them. We grew up together. I would never hurt them, I just need their help - like they need my help. I am on their side, so let''s end this, take me-"

    "I don''t know if you''re deaf or just stupid. I''ve told you I don''t know where they went! So stop wasting my time, either kill me or release me." Bao Zhun condescendingly bit out. He was not lying, he truly did not know where the Chun siblings and their uncle went.

    After nursing Chun Hua''s injuries for a few days, the siblings and their uncle had upped and disappeared, knowing that Prince Houyi was most likely on his way to Jui kingdom. They knew him too well to think that he would just forget about them because they escaped. And with Monk Du now gone, it would be foolish of them to stay here knowing that Prince Houyi could easily locate this place.

    Bao Zhun had wanted to follow them but Chun Hai spoke sense to him and this time, Bao Zhun finally stopped to think before acting. Chun Hai had told him that Monk Du had resolved the matter with Long country.

    But there were still the Zou King''s orders to consider. It did not matter for the Chun siblings as they had nothing left in Zou, but Bao Zhun still had his family there. If he did not return, it could cause trouble for them. He had already done more than a friend should. It would be too foolish for him to leave his whole life behind for a woman who clearly did not want him.

    Chun Hua had not even spared him a glance since that night in Prince Houyi''s secret manor. She had actually been ignoring all of them since that night. It seemed the incident had left her deeply scarred. Bao Zhun was worried about her but he understood that some things needed to end. It was time to let go.

    So he said his farewells, Chun Hua still refused to look at him, the uncle thanked him and Chun Hai gave him one of those little blue orbs they had used to escape Long country - Apparently, it was a ''thank you'' from Monk Du for aiding his charges. Chun Hai explained that all he had to do was visualize his home, then break the orb under his foot, and in a flash, he would be home.

    Still, Bao Zhun was not in a rush. Although it was simple enough, Bao Zhun was not at all confident about transporting with the blue orb on his own. Anything could go wrong. So he sent a message home advising them that he was on his way back and opted for the scenic route home.

    Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, Bao Zhun encountered some of Prince Houyi''s men. He fought hard but before he could use the blue orb to escape, he was overpowered and captured. They dragged him back to the Chun siblings'' manor where a furious Prince Houyi was waiting.

    It had been a few days since then and he had been starved, beaten, and tortured for answers he did not know. Of course, he had asked them where they were going but Chun Hai, in his endless wisdom, said that it was better if he did not know. It stung a little then, but Bao Zhun could argue it. If he did not know, then he could not go find them, and neither could he lead anyone to them.

    With that one statement, he knew he would never see them again...never see her again.

    "Since you continue to insist on stubbornness, then you cannot blame me for being harsh." Prince Houyi''s voice brought Bao ZHun out of his thoughts. He was hauled to his feet, thrown in a chair, and then his wrist was held down on the table.

    "Wait! What are you doing?!" Bao Zhun asked in a panic as Prince Houyi got up from his chair and approached him, nonchalantly appraising the knife in his hand.

    "We are going to start with your fingers. One for each hour that you do not tell me where they are. If your memory still fails you, then we have your toes and other attachments...until we get to your head. At that point, I will be left with no choice but to believe you.." Prince Houyi said with a smile as he raised the knife in his hand.

    Bao Zhun''s eyes went wide and he struggled against the men holding him down, "Wait! Y-you can''t be serious?!"

    "I advise you to keep still. Moving targets are never easy even for someone as skilled as I." Prince Houyi kindly advised.

    "I really don''t know! I swear, I- AHHHHHHHH!" Bao Zhun''s pleas were swallowed as Prince Houyi brought the knife down, severing the pinky finger of Bao Zhun''s left hand.

    "Anything come to mind now?" Prince Houyi asked as he wiped the knife clean with a cloth. All he got in response was Bao Zhun''s anguished groans. Prince Houyi frowned, he tossed the cloth on the table and threw the knife to one of his men, "I assure you that I take very little p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in maiming people. It is best if you cooperate early, you have one hour." He coldly said and then turned and left the room.

    Prince Houyi stopped when he got outside with a deep frown on his face. He had considered the possibility that Bao Zhun did not know where they went, but the problem was that if Bao Zhun did not know then where was he supposed to go find them. This was the only home the Chun siblings had ever known. Actually, on deeper thought, there was one more place. He remembered the siblings mentioning that they had stayed with the Monk in the forest for a while before he brought them to their uncle.

    But Prince Houyi had no idea what country the residence was in, much less the actual location. Bao Zhun had to know, and even if he did not, he had made himself enough of an eyesore. Besides, his death could always be blamed elsewhere.

    Prince Houyi let out a heavy breath and resumed walking. Why do things always seem so complicated for him? The people who were closest to him, who he thought would always stand by him, have turned their backs on him now when he needed them most. His father has already reached a breaking point but his grandfather is still too stubborn to listen. If he went back empty-handed like this, it would not be long until the sword is driven through him.

    Prince Houyi suddenly stopped as he turned the corner and saw a few of his guards leading his brother and his men, more irritatingly Bao Zhun''s father towards him. The party stopped in front of him and bowed, while his brother smiled at him as he went, "I finally get to see you. You''ve led me on quite a journey."

    "What are you doing here?" Prince Houyi asked, frowning at his brother, not at all amused.

    "I was tasked with bringing you home." Prince Yul casually responded, scanning the men behind his brother and then glancing at Bao Zhun''s father, who was stretching his neck doing the same - looking for his son.

    "Go back. I''m busy." Prince Houyi said, brushing past them. Prince Yul blocked his way but before he could open his mouth, Bao Zhun''s father beat him to it, "Um, Your Highness, I''m sorry but...where is my son?"

    Prince Houyi turned to the old man with a raised eyebrow, "Your son?" He asked, it was as if he just noticed his presence

    Bao Zhun''s father nodded and kept his head respectfully lowered as he answered, "Yes. Bao Zhun... Your letter said he was with you."

    "I am sure he''s around here somewhere. Just have someone lead the way, I have a few things to discuss with him as well." Prince Yul said, smiling at his brother.

    Prince Houyi''s irritation ebbed a bit as he thought that this might not be too bad. Since Bao Zhun did not seem to care much about his own life, he will probably care about his father''s. Although his brother here could be a problem, he would be persuaded to fall in line. After all, all he was working for was for the benefit of both of them.

    "Escort the general to his son, I''m certain Bao Zhun will be happy for the company." Prince Houyi cordially said to Bao Zhun''s father, "I hope for your sake you will be able to talk sense into your son General."

    Bao Zhun''s father knit his brows not quite understanding the situation here but still, he bowed and said, "Thank you Your Highness for looking after my son."

    Prince Houyi turned to his brother and flatly said, "Follow me." As he brushed past them.

    "Don''t worry, I will talk to him." Prince Yul quietly reassured Bao Zhun''s father with a smile, before turning to follow his brother.  after

    "Thank you." Bao Zhun''s father said with a bow before he was shoved in the direction of the torture chamber. When he entered the room and saw Bao Zhun, he froze as he saw his only son''s battered in the corner.

    "Father -" Bao Zhun inhaled in shock and then he quickly lowered his head with a frown, hiding his mutilated hand in his shirt, "What are you doing here?"

    Bao Zhun''s father snapped out of it and walked over with a frown, he crouched in front of Bao Zhun and sat him as he looked him over, "Look what you''ve done to yourself? Was it worth it in the end, huh? Were you seriously going to ruin yourself like this over some random woman? How could you fight the Prince because of a woman?!" He got angrier the more he talked, "What exactly were you thinking?!" He barked, slapping Bao Zhun''s arm.

    Bao Zhun grabbed his arm, forgetting his injury, "Father! I didn''t do anything wrong! It''s that stupid prince t- Ow!" His father slapped his head, "Be respectful! Are you not in enough trouble al- What? Your hand..." His father went still, his eyes fixed on the stub oozing blood on his son''s hand.

    Bao Zhun quickly remembered his situation and put his injured hand back in his shirt, hiding it and lowering his head again with a frown. It took his father a few moments to regain himself as the magnitude of the trouble his son had brought dawned on him. Prince Houyi was not a forgiving man, yet his stupid son refused to listen to reason. The man plopped down next to his son on the ground and let out a heavy sigh, "We''re in trouble..."

 Chapter 372 - On The Flipside

    "What is the situation back home?" Prince Houyi asked as soon as his brother walked into what seemed to be the manor''s reception hall. For his brother to have come chasing after him, trouble must be brewing.

    "First tell me why you''re torturing him?" Prince Yul responded, unflinchingly staring meeting his visibly furious brother''s gaze.

    "That is none of your business." Prince Houyi coldly responded.

    "It is my business when I have been made to chase you across the border. Have you thought about the repercussions of all this?" Prince Yul scolded, starting to get worked up himself. His siblings were all going mad, "All this because of some girl who - Where is she? I''ll kill her for you since you''re having so much trouble with it." Prince Yul said as he took the seat across from his brother.

    Prince Houyi ignored the last sentence and responded in the same cold tone, "That''s what I''m trying to find out and no one''s killing anyone." He warned, he knew his brother never liked the Chun siblings, especially Chun Hua. In Prince Yul''s words, she was too desperate for his liking and was hiding something. Of course, Prince Houyi knew what she was hiding but he did not feel inclined to share the Chun siblings'' history with anyone, not even with his brother.

    "They were gone by the time I arrived. I found Bao Zhun wandering about, I need the information and he has been proving stubborn. Time is short and wounds will heal." Prince Houyi offhandedly said. He did not like explaining himself to anyone but he had heard that his brother and Bao Zhun shared a friendship.

    Although he was not clear how deep that friendship ran, he was not going to fight with his brother over the idiot Bao Zhun so he made a bit of compromise, "Now what is the situation back home?"

    Prince Yul quietly assessed his brother for a bit before saying, "If they''re gone, can''t you just leave at that? They''re your friends, right - Ah, you probably haven''t been informed. The Long Emperor has pardoned them. Apparently, there was some misunderstanding." Prince Yul explained.

    But unexpectedly Prince Houyi''s expression was not one of relief, "Misunderstanding?" Prince Houyi went with a frown.

    "Apparently some spies infiltrated Bao Zhun''s men and stirred up trouble trying to incite war between our nations. I believe the blame is being thrown on the Long Emperor''s brother for that."

    "His brother?" Prince Houyi went again, apparently questions were the only reply he could give.

    Prince Yul scratched the back of his head, "Well... I''m not really clear on the situation but...His brother is accused of treason, currently imprisoned, Nalan''s pregnant, grandfather has stormed over to Long country to drag her home, Father''s trying to milk the situation. The main point is everyone''s forgotten about you, so we can peacefully return home now." Prince Yul gave the great news with a smile.

    Prince Houyi stared at his brother, seemingly in shock. After a few seconds, he finally blinked, "Nalan is - Nalan is pregnant?!"

    Seeing his brother''s expression, Prince Yul quickly tried to rationalize things for him, "It''s not that bad. He''s still a prince, not married, no children - there''s the whole treason bit but I''m sure there is some explanation for it. It can still work out, at any rate, I think everyone is overreacting a bit too much. She could have done way worse. Frankly, with her attitude, it''s a miracle that a Pri-"

    "How dare he?!" Prince Houyi suddenly pounded his fist on the wooden table next to him, denting it.

    "Okay, I think we''re overreacting here too..." Prince Yul muttered under his breath, glancing off to the side.

    Prince Houyi was fuming. He knew that the Long Emperor only had one brother and that was Prince Yi. The same Prince Yi that Chun Hua had been trying to get him to work with, the same conniving fool who was desperate for his throne. It was obvious what his plan was with Nalan?

    {...I will kill him. How dare he use my sister as a pawn?!...}

    {...Chun Hua...How dare you?! I regarded you as a confidante and you dared to scheme against my own?!... You have greatly underestimated me...}

    Meanwhile, Prince Yul opened the jug on the table next to him and was disappointed to find that it was empty. He turned back to Prince Houyi, who was banging against the innocent table again. He sighed and stood up, "If you''re going to Long country too, when you meet grandfather, do remember to tell him that I did find you as he wanted. I''m going home now, I''m taking Bao Zhun too -"

    "Sit down." Prince Houyi menacingly ordered before he could take a step.

    Prince Yul frowned, "As I just told you, you don''t need to find them anymore. I can''t leave him here... He still needs to explain himself before father." He added, for extra pressure. Prince Houyi sent him a death glare and he quietly lowered himself back to his seat.

    Prince Houyi was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, it seemed he had reigned in most of his anger. "You said grandfather went to Long country?" He solemnly asked.

    "En. He rushed over as soon as he heard the news."

    "And Rui?"

    "Still in Long country, I think...I haven''t heard any news about him." Prince Yul admitted, he usually did not care to know about Prince Rui''s matters.

    Prince Houyi''s eyes slightly narrowed in thought for another long while. One could tell from his eyes that he was calculating his next move, "And the Zou Lords, what is their reaction?"

    Prince Yul sighed, "As I said, Father is trying to milk the situation. Obviously, it did not go as he wanted since she got a Prince rather than an Emperor. They are saying that Nalan was defiled and stirring up calls of war - but you and I both know Nalan always does as she likes, she is not one to be bullied or forced into anything, especially not this."

    Prince Houyi silently nodded in agreement and Prince Yul continued, relieved that at least one other person was thinking straight, "From what I hear, they are either discontent and angry. The ones who want war are still angry over our last surrender - they are blaming father for his weakness and now, grandfather for his impulsiveness. He should not have rushed to Long country like that." Prince Yul said with a sigh.

    "On the other hand, there are others who want nothing to do with the situation who are discontent about being forced to fight in a war for...nothing." Prince Yul finished, making the executive decision to keep the insulting words that had been used to describe Nalan out of the narrative.

    "Good enough. We''ll leave tomorrow." Prince Houyi calmly announced, rising to his feet to leave.

    "Leaving to where?" Prince Yul asked for clarification, falling into step with his brother.

    "Home. We can''t waste this opportunity." Prince Houyi dismissively answered. He stopped in front of his men on guard and ordered, "Prepare to move out in the morning." He was not yet certain where exactly he was heading first or how this would all unfold, but he needed to return to Zou to be able to do anything now.

    After passing along his orders, Prince Houyi then moved in the direction of the makeshift prison to Bao Zhun and his father, only to be stopped by his brother grabbing his arm, "What do you mean not wasting this opportunity?" Prince Yul asked with a frown.

    "Grandfather''s away, tension is high and everyone is distracted. It''s the perfect time to act." Prince Houyi calmly explained, "There may not be another chance like this. I am tired of walking on eggshells, aren''t you?"

    Prince Yul''s frown deepened as his brother''s meaning sank in. Still, he neither responded nor released his hold.

    Prince Houyi sighed and slightly smiled, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill him. He will be more useful to us alive. Moreover, I think he will be much more willing to cooperate with his father here. You did well to bring him. You''ve had a long journey, you should go rest." He added, with a reassuring pat, brushing off the hand holding him back and signaling to one of his men to escort his brother away.  slapping his brother''s arm and brushing his hand off and walking on, leaving his brother rooted to the spot.

    "Your highness, this way please." The man courteously said to Prince Yul, who seemed to be rooted to the spot staring after his brother. Despite knowing of Prince Houyi''s ultimate plans, Prince Yul never committed to the "cause", Prince Houyi never demanded that of him - all that was asked of him, just like now, was not to get in the way.

    It had always been like that between them, this was the way Prince Houyi wanted it. It was his responsibility to protect his siblings so while he did all the dirty work, their hands stayed clean. This way if anything went wrong and the plan failed, they would at least be safe. As for Prince Yi and the Chun siblings, he would deal with them in due time.

    Although he was angry about Nalan''s condition, this condition has provided him with quite the opportunity. The Lords were dissatisfied with his grandfather, plus his grandfather was absent and his stupid father was greedily distracted instead of taking advantage of this absence. He would ordinarily be grateful to Prince Yi for providing such a unique opportunity, if not for the strong urge to disembowel him.

    It did not take long before pained cries emanated from the makeshift torture chamber, shocking Prince Yul out of his stupor. He could hear Bao Zhun cursing, his father apologizing, and his brother "negotiating". Prince Yul hesitated for a few more moments, before he finally clenched his fists, turned, and walked away from the room... distancing himself from whatever horror was unfolding.

 Chapter 373 - Waylaid Knight

    "So...You want to chase after her?" The Emperor tentatively asked, looking down at Lei Yong with a piercing gaze that made him uncomfortable. He had been busy at work in his study when Lei Yong rushed in with a bizarre request.

    Lei Yong inwardly sighed, he knew this conversation would be awkward and he would rather not have it. But as a general and an official in the Emperor''s court - friend or not, he could not be absent from the capital for an extended period of time without the Emperor''s permission.

    It had been a few days since Tung Mei left the capital - without a word to Lei Yong''s annoyance. He was only made aware of her departure after dropping by at her aunt''s manor to check on her. At first, he was taken aback as he thought they were becoming friends again despite her memory loss. The fact that she did not even deem at least a goodbye necessary was disappointing. He had resolved to forget about her and live his life as well, but after a few days of worry-fueled restlessness, he found himself here asking for permission to go after her so he can regain his peace of mind.

    "Don''t phrase it like that. You''re making it sound strange. I am just concerned about her safety." Lei Yong defended.

    "Safety? The roads from here to Xia province are probably one of the safest in the country with various checkpoints. I am also certain that the young miss is accompanied by a sufficient number of armed escorts. Some may consider your presence will be redundant." The Emperor happily reassured with a slight smirk, clearly enjoying this situation.

    Lei Yong knit his brows, "It is not about that. Her father entrusted her to my care, so naturally, it is my duty to ensure her safe return. I know it''s a busy time right now with Prince Yi and the Zou situation but..." He paused in hesitation before he cupped his hands and bowed his head, "I need to do this."

    The Emperor was quiet for a long while. Lei Yong was uncomfortable with the silence, he knew that it meant that the Emperor was contemplating something and that it was best to be silent. Lei Yong did not actually think the Emperor would have an issue with him leaving, but now with this prolonged silence, Lei Yong was thinking that perhaps the Emperor has plans for him to do something and his absence would complicate the Emperor''s plans?

    Lei Yong''s resolve began to waver and he was starting to lean toward telling the Emperor to forget it when the Emperor finally spoke, "Well... My brother''s situation is under my control, as for the Zou situation, their prime minister won''t be arriving for a while and even then, there isn''t really anything I need you to do with that. As for other matters, they can be assigned to others but... just to clarify, you''ve finally decided to marry her, correct?"

    "What? No!" Lei Yong denied as he whipped his head, giving the Emperor a look of horror. The Emperor raised a curious eyebrow up at this reaction, he really was not the nosy type but this matter surprisingly peeked his nosiness, "Then why are you chasing after he-"

    "I told you I''m not chasing after her!" Lei Yong fiercely denied again.

    "Yong, I''ve known you a long time and I''ve never seen you so bothered about anything before this girl. You have feelings for this girl and yet you deny it. Why?" The Emperor asked with a frown.

    Lei Yong frowned and lowered his head, "I''ve told you, it''s not like that..."

    {...Why does everyone keep assuming?!...}

    "Then why do you follow her about?" The Emperor asked, "And do not mention her father again." With that excuse scrapped, Lei Yong closed his mouth with a frown. Seeing he had no response, the Emperor continued, "If you cannot give me a valid reason then you may not go."

    Lei Yong looked up at the Emperor with a wounded child''s expression but the Emperor did not care and unfeelingly said, "Let the girl move on." and resumed what he was doing, ignoring Lei Yong, who he assumed was in silent protest as he refused to leave.

    After a long while of silence, Lei Yong hesitantly spoke, "I... I don''t know." He finished with a heavy sigh.

    "Don''t know what?" The Emperor asked, giving him attention again.

    "I... I like her but... It''s just that whenever I am confronted with us being, you know, together, I just -... I don''t know, it''s just... I''m not entirely convinced." Lei Yong haphazardly explained.

    "Convinced about?"

    "Well..." Lei Yong paused, trying to find the words, "I don''t know... It''s just...a feeling? A thought maybe?... I don''t know." He confusedly said. To be honest, even he did not know what his problem was.

    The Emperor snorted and lightly chuckled, "You Lei siblings are definitely something else..."

    "What?" Lei Yong asked with a frown.

    "Nothing." The Emperor said, shaking his head in amus.e.m.e.nt and disbelief. Even though his Lei Xing had explained to him that she was not at all related to this Lei family, the Emperor could not help drawing similarities between Lei Yong and Lei Xing in this very moment. They both are clearly very confused and irritating individuals when it comes to matters of the heart. While he could never have beat sense into Lei Xing, he could definitely do that for Lei Yong but he would try for a more civilized route.

    "So it''s the decision to marry her that is your problem." The Emperor helpfully surmised.

    Lei Yong uncomfortably shifted on his feet, it was too awkward having this conversation, "I guess so..." He awkwardly said, this conversation was too awkward. It felt as if he were on trial in the nude.

    The Emperor fell silent again, this time Lei Yong was too on edge to wait so he went, "Since I have answered...can I leave then?" He asked, after all this was the whole point of him sharing his innermost thoughts. Once he found Tung Mei, he would give her a stern lecture.

    How could she leave without a word, putting him in such an awkward position to "chase", Memory loss or not, did their friendship really mean so little? If not to him, then what about Xiao Ting? Or their parents? They were quite close, she should have at least informed them as elders - this way, someone would have informed him and he could have planned more appropriately.

    The Emperor sighed and then said, "You know... Xing er'' wanted nothing to do with me at the start. Contrary to what you might believe, she did not want to marry me." The Emperor stated before Lei Yong could contradict his words with talk of the past, "I won''t get into her reasons for insisting on joining the selection back then as those are private matters between she and I." The Emperor smartly covered for her character inconsistencies.

    "She would stealthily send me away whenever I came close to her, she even tried to negotiate and barter her freedom with me." The Emperor said with a light chuckle, remembering the puzzle that Lei Xing was to him at the beginning of their relationship, "Even when she came to have feelings for me, she still pushed me away because like you, she was not certain that she could trust in durability our relationship, which was fair given the circ.u.mstances."

    Lei Yong frowned, he was surprised that Lei Xing would treat such a good-natured husband like the Emperor like that. The Emperor was obviously not a frivolous man, he had no idea that  Lei Yong cupped his hands and bowed, "My sister was shortsighted. I apologize for any distress she  -"

    "It''s all fond memories now." The Emperor said with a dismissive wave, "The point is there are no certainties in life, all decisions we make are simply based on a gamble on possibilities. Do not hinder your own happiness because of trivialities... Do you understand?"

    Lei Yong was silent. He understood but...

    The Emperor sighed, "How about this? Since declaring your future intentions is the root of your problem, how about I decree your marriage?"

    Lei Yong''s eyes went wide and he looked as if he were frozen in shock.

    "No?" The Emperor asked, "She comes from an appropriate background and your family seems quite fond of her. You also apparently cannot rest peacefully in her absence, the natural next step is marriage. This ambiguous stage cannot play out forever. Even the most patient person will eventually wear out one day. You realize that if not you, the lady in question will eventually marry someone else. "

    Lei Yong knit his brows but still remained silent, obviously still not "convinced".

    The Emperor sighed, "I will make it simpler for you. If you chase after her, then I will take it that you have decided to marry her and issue a decree. If you can live with her as your wife, then you may chase after her. If you cannot, then I expect your presence in court. That is my decision. The choice is now yours, that''s all. You may leave." The Emperor finished and went back to work. While he can tolerate playing this cat and mouse game with Lei Xing, he was not going to get into that with Lei Yong.

    The Emperor finally understood why he was feeling especially nosy on an issue that had nothing to do with him. He was feeling sorry for Tung Mei as a comrade, having prior experience of dealing with the invincible walls these Lei siblings have constructed in their heads. He was starting to think it was a genetic issue and he was suddenly curious about how Defense minister Lei and his wife got together. Regardless, it was unfair for Lei Yong to play with the young woman''s feelings like this. Why latch onto someone when you don''t want them?

    Lei Yong stared at the Emperor, at a loss for words. He could tell from the Emperor''s demeanor that this was not a joke. If he left now, he would really be forced into marrying her... but was forced really the word? Maybe not, but still, this did not seem fair and he wanted to argue as much, but for some reason, his words failed him. In the end, he turned and stalked out with a frown, most likely returning to his brooding spot or perhaps setting out to chase the horizon.

 Chapter 374 - Floundering Knight

    "I see... So you''re here to say goodbye then?" Lei Xing tentatively asked, tapping her finger on her desk in contemplation. She had been busy digging through some doc.u.ments when she was informed that her "brother" urgently wanted to see her.

    She was initially hesitant to accept this surprise visit, but Lei Yong was still considered her brother, and she felt a bit bad about attempting to kill him with flying wine bottles at his head the last time they met. She honestly had no idea what had come over her that day, alcohol was definitely not her friend.

    Anyway, she thought she should probably apologize for her behavior that day so she invited him in.  But before she could even open her mouth to welcome him, he flared up at her asking her if she was aware Tung Mei had left.

    To which she truthfully responded that she wasn''t. He seemed to calm down a bit and without prompting, he launched into narrating his encounter with the Emperor and the bizarre ultimatum he was given. Lei Xing was surprised as well over the Emperor''s intervention in the matter, but she was also quite confused as to why Lei Yong came to complain to her.

    "No." Lei Yong ill-humoredly said, "I need you to go talk to him. Marriage is not a small matter that should be decided on a whim." He dryly stated.

    Lei Xing blinked a few times, then slowly nodded, "I agree but...from what you said, he isn''t exactly forcing you ei-"

    Lei Yong quickly interjected, "Xiao Ying has just recovered from a grave illness - In fact, she is still not completely recovered, you know this. She is especially vulnerable right now with her memory lapses so she needs protection from someone trustworthy. She should not even have been allowed to travel right now - Anyway, I need to go to see her, to ensure her welfare. I will not be able to live with it on conscience if anything happens to her and neither will you." He added for good measure, staring her down for good measure.

    Lei Xing wearily looked at him as she wondered exactly how this situation came to be her problem. She was certain Lei Yong was overreacting. After all, it was not as if Tung Mei ran away from home, she went with the approval of her guardian. If her escort was good enough to get her to the capital, they were good enough to get her back home. So what exactly was his problem?

    {��More importantly, what is my nosy husband doing sticking his nose in other people''s love lives? Since when did he get into the freaking matchmaking business?! Is he really that free?!...}

    Still, looking at Lei Yong''s anxiety-filled expression, Lei Xing swallowed her comments and sighed, "Alright. Since you''re so worried, I can send some imperial guards along to escort her h -"

    Lei Yong interjected, "I should go."

    "Why?" Lei Xing asked with knit eyebrows, "The Imperial guards, in addition to the escorts which I''m sure she has, should be more than sufficient for safeguarding the one girl''s life." She dryly stated.

    Lei Yong''s eyes widened at her in exasperation and disappointment. How could Lei Xing be so dismissive?! He thought Li Xing being his sister and Tung Mei''s friend would understand his concerns. He thought that perhaps Lei Xing would go reason with the Emperor on their behalf. But here she was also proving to be another stone wall, dismissing him.

    Lei Yong clenched his fists, having his sister and his best friend gang up on him like this was indeed unexpected and uncalled for. It was not as if he was asking for too much here, just some time off! He was literally volunteering for work, so why were they being so difficult?!

    Seeing as Lei Yong had gone silent, Lei Xing sighed again and dismissed him, "Go home. Tung Mei will be fine."

    Rather than argue with her on the merit of his request, Lei Yong opted for a different approach, one greatly beneath him but one he took nonetheless, "You owe me this."

    Lei Xing scoffed and readjusted in her seat, her interest slightly piqued, "I owe you?"

    Lei Yong swallowed and shamelessly pressed on, "If not for me, you would not be in the position you are in today. Back then when you wanted to enter the palace, our parents refused and it was only me who stood with you and assisted you, betraying our parents'' trust. I am really not asking for much here, am I?"

    Lei Xing''s face twitched as she blankly stared at him, comprehending the meaning of those words. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times, "You �C This. It was �C" She took a deep breath, then let it out to rid herself of negative emotions.

    {...It''s okay, it''s okay...We will pretend we didn''t hear that admission of guilt. We are happy now and relatively content so it doesn''t matter anymore�� we''re good�� but how dare you try to blackmail me with that?! (?_? )...}

    "Look, Lei Yong -"

    "You used to call me Yong ge." Lei Yong pointed out with a clearly hurt expression in his eyes.

    Lei Xing plastered on a sarcastic smile and amended, "Yong ge...A word of advice. Tung Mei is not as simple as she seems. If you keep playing this game with her, you will get yourself in trouble-"

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Lei Yong asked with a frown.

    "You have asserted time and time again that you are not interested in the girl. So now that she has finally seen the light and left you alone, why do you want to go bother her again?" Lei Xing flatly asked.

    Lei Yong knit his brows in thought for a few seconds before his eyes went wide with realization, "Did you put him up to this?"

    "What? Of course not." Lei Xing retorted, a short laugh escaping her lips at the ridiculousness of this claim. Managing her own love life was already a handful, she had absolutely no interest in managing that of others, "You''re the one who barged in here to tell me this story. Although I have no idea what spurred his sudden interest in your love life, I can''t deny that there is some merit to his words."

    Lei Yong frowned, "So you''re not going to talk to him then��" He stated rather than asking.

    Lei Xing sighed, "I will not. But I''ll make it easier for you. I will send as many Imperial guards as you wish so you can rest easy and stay put. How''s thirty?...fifty?... A hundred then? Two hundred even, whatever you need." Lei Xing went on when her offers were met with stone-cold silence.

    Lei Yong lowered his head, a scowl forming on his face as he tightly clenched his fists obviously battling with his own thoughts.

    "If anything happens to her, I won''t forgive you��either of you." Lei Yong slowly bit out, looking up at her with fierce daggers for eyes.

    Lei Xing looked at him with weary eyes and could not help poking, "Says the man who doesn''t want her��Regardless, nothing will happen to her. it seems you think she is helpless without you but she''s quite capable, more so than most people��" Lei Xing reassured.

    Lei Yong glared at her but said nothing more. Having nothing more to say herself, Lei Xing quietly met his gaze until he finally turned and stormed out, visibly seething.

    Lei Xing watched his departing back, somewhat amused. Tung Mei was definitely not in any danger, yet Lei Yong was behaving as if he had just uncovered a secret plot to behead her - If he did, she was sure he would announce it. His silence and evasion of the question only meant that he had no good reason to insist, but it seemed he could not help himself.

    Tung Mei could handle herself and if that somehow failed, there was still her troublesome "godfather" to come to her rescue. That old man was already such a handful on friendly terms, one could only imagine what a nightmare he would be when angered. Speaking of the devil, Doctor Lou has surprisingly been ignoring Lei Yong''s existence so far.

    He was certainly aware that Tung Mei has been chasing after him and the fact that Lei Yong has been proving difficult. Whenever Lei Xing had brought him up in conversation with the bracelet, he simply brushed it off like it was irrelevant. Perhaps then he was too busy, for reasons beyond her, fixated on getting her with the Emperor. But now that he had the free time, Lei Yong definitely had to be on his radar now, right?

    Lei Xing stroked her chin in thought,

    {...Perhaps it was actually the old man spurring on this nonsense now...}

    It made sense, if Doctor Lou asked, more like threatened, the Emperor to grant the marriage, the Emperor would likely comply. The old man could even be the one pushing Lei Yong on this fool''s journey, the guy didn''t seem like himself at all, he even had dark circles and looked like he had not slept well in days.

    "That old man''s torturing can definitely do that to someone..." Lei Xing thought out loud with a sigh, remembering her early days with the bracelet. He used to drive her crazy, funny that she missed him now that he was gone - but it was definitely for the best.

    If all this was not happening and Lei Yong was just being a confused puppy chasing trouble, then he was truly an idiot. Instead of being grateful that he managed to escape this troublesome family unscathed, here he was trying really hard to push his luck. Doctor Lou might not have bothered with him in the past, but she was certain that now that the bracelet had returned to Tung Mei, the old man''s fixation would follow.

    Lei Xing sighed, "Some people have no idea what''s good for them..."

    ***

    At this point, Lei Yong was feeling like he was being mocked.

    As Lei Xing promised, the next morning Imperial guards were dispatched on the mission, the entourage actually stopped by at the Lei manor. On Lei Xing''s orders, the captain came to reassure Lei Yong of his capabilities, telling him not to worry and even asked him if he had any specific instructions for them to follow.

    Lei Yong, of course, had nothing to say, especially not when his family was in attendance, all looking at him with varying degrees of judgment - in his mind, but he could be wrong. He had not been feeling like himself lately and Tung Mei''s disappearance was not helping matters. He was stressed.

    To further his annoyance, the captain then insisted that Lei Yong must survey the group to ensure that everything was to his liking - this one was apparently the Emperor''s order. If there was anything out of place or if he found anything to be lacking, such as the number of guards, it would be rectified immediately. They were really trying hard to "work with him".

    In order not to make any irritating situation any worse, Lei Yong quietly went through the motions. After he gave a stiff nod of approval, the Imperial guards then loudly reassured him that the "lady" will be properly looked after, turning a few more curious heads their way.

    Lei Yong took a deep breath to calm himself. It was definitely clear to him now that those two royal brats were using his situation for their own personal entertainment, trying to goad a reaction out of him.

    Well, they were going to be disappointed. He had embarrassed himself enough, he was not going to put on any further shows. Lei Xing was right, Xiao Ying was not easy to bully, she could definitely handle herself. Moreover, he had thought it through overnight and come to this conclusion once again, they were right, he should leave her alone.

    After all, if she needed him, she would not have left like that - Although if she truly did lose her memory then she would not exactly know him, and - Lei Yong stopped himself.

    {...She is fine...that captain looked competent and she has people...she doesn''t need me...at all...I have other things to do...}

    "Ge, what exactly is going on?" Lei Yong turned to find Xiao Ting pulling on his sleeve looking up at him with a disgruntled pout, "They say you have a lady, since when? Who is she?"

    Lei Yong shrugged her off, "Not now." He said with a frown as he walked back into the manor, not all in the mood for a conversation.

    But Xiao Ting could not be so easily avoided, "Ge! What about Ying jie?" She cried, following after him. Lei Yong quickened his steps, but Xiao Ting picked up her dress and ran after him to Lei Yong''s exasperation to let him know they will not accept anyone but Ying jie!

 Chapter 375 - Fear Not

    "Ge! Are you seriously just going to let go of Ying jie like this? En? I''ve thought long and hard about this but I really couldn''t come up with anything. You like her and she likes you, so what exactly is the problem? Or am I wrong? You like her, don''t you?... There''s nothing not to like." She quietly mumbled that last part.

    Xiao Ting had followed Lei Yong all the way to the garden, where Lei Yong laid down on the grass, closed his eyes, and proceeded to ignore her existence. Used to being ignored, Xiao Ting plopped down next to him, hugged her knees, and proceeded to "talk to herself".??

    "Jiejie says being able to live with someone is more important than love... Love can come later but compatibility may not. Ying jie has already lived with us for so long and there were no problems. You two definitely get along!"

    Silence.

    "Or is it her family that is the problem?" Xiao Ting prodded with a frown, "Jiejie says your in-laws are also very important. She says a crazy in-law can make or break a relationship... Jiejie wouldn''t tell me but I think she doesn''t get along well with the Empress dowager but since the Emperor dotes on her so much, it doesn''t seem to be much of an issue... But this can''t be your probelm, right?" She said, getting back on track.

    "You''re a man so you don''t have to live with your in-laws. Other than the occasional meeting maybe once or twice a year, you can pretty much forget they exist. As for father and mother, they have already accepted Ying jie as their own so that can''t be the problem either." Xiao Ting thoughtfully said, knitting her brows and going through the list of dealbreakers Lei Xing had given her during her time in the palace.

    Tung Mei had a great sense of humor, she was rich, reasonable, smart with a great character, and beautiful - not that Lei Xing mentioned that as a necessary requirement. Xiao Ting added that one on her own.

    Silence.

    "Ge!" She irritatedly said, shaking him with her hands, "How can you be sleeping at a time like this?!"

    "If you''re worried about in-laws, you should marry An Hao then. His mother is dead and his father is extremely loyal to the Emperor and since your jiejie and the Emperor are cut from the same cloth, you shouldn''t have any problems." Lei Yong sneered. He was still not over his encounter with Lei Xing. Even if the Emperor wanted to mess with him, how could his own younger sister follow along too? When they were younger, she used relentlessly chase after his shadow, but now that she has gotten married, she has forsaken him - not loyal at all!

    Xiao Ting''s face reddened and she puffed her cheeks, "We''re talking about you, why are you bringing up an unrelated person?!"

    Lei Yog sneered, "So you can be nosy and I can''t? And unrelated? Ahh, I really pity An Hao..." He said, shaking his head.

    "I''m pitying Ying Jie!" Xiao Ting fired back, jumping to her feet and glaring daggers at him, "At this rate, she will be an old woman before you make up your mind!"

    Lei Yong blinked at her a few times, before bursting into a dry laugh, at a loss, it was becoming more apparent that he really did not know his sisters at all, "Were you always this brazen, or is this a new thing?"

    Xiao Ting scoffed, feeling insulted, "I am not just giving you candid advice. Since she left you have either been suffocating me or moping around the house like a lost puppy - those are jiejie''s words, not mine." She quickly clarified, lowering her head when Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at the insult. She cleared her throat and mumbled, "I''m just saying, Ying jie has a host of other suitors so-"

    "Like who?" Lei Yong interjected with a raised eyebrow.

    Xiao Ting raised her head with a sly smile, "I thought you weren''t interested. Well, Ying jie is a beautiful, fun to be around and a rich governor''s daughter, naturally those things attract attention so it''s a given that she would have many admirers. Just so you know Ying jie is going back to get married. I''m just informing you ahead of time so you don''t blame me when it''s too late." She spat out and then scurried off before he could further question her.

    Xiao Ting stopped once she rounded the corner and poked her head back to check if he took the bait. To her dismay, she watched as Lei Yong shook his head and laid back down, perfectly at ease.

    "Nothing?" Xiao Ting exclaimed with a frown, as her excitement deflated, "Is he really not interested?" Any normal man would have charged up to go steal the bride at the discovery, or so the stories go. Xiao Ting sighed, perhaps her brother was not normal. After all, her sister was an anomaly as well, it would make sense that they were all abnormal in this family. Xiao Ting shook her head, "No, I''m normal!" She reminded herself with conviction and she poked her head out again to check to see if Lei Yong had moved.

    Lei Yong spied Xiao Ting watching him from the corner and rolled his eyes, he let out a heavy sigh and turned his back to her.

    {...Honestly, why is everyone being so troublesome?...}

    ***

    "Just admit we are lost." A member of a riding party in the forest wearily said.

    "We''re not lost! How was I supposed to know that road would be flooded? I was ju"

    "If you were any type of guide, you would have done your homework before we left! Because of your stupid shortcut, we have been circling the forest for days now!" Another member of the group piped up, tired of this useless guide''s inability to take responsibility for their situation.

    "Hey, you can''t blame me for that! You know I''m not too familiar with the capital roads. It makes sense to go the way we came. Also, this trip was very rushed. If I had time to prepa -"

    "Enough arguing!" Tung Mei ordered in irritation, stopping her horse, turning to face the group, "This is not helping anyone. Lost or not, we''ll find our way back... eventually." She added, not sounding all too confident. She let out an agigated breath, faced forward, and resumed riding.

    The group rode in silence for a while, until the useless guide rode up to Tung Mei and tentatively asked, "Miss, do you...know where you''re going?"

    "Do you?" Tung Mei asked, narrowing her eyes at him, not at all in the mood for stupidity. The man gave her a smile and quickly bowed his head, "The Young Miss knows the capital well... This is indeed the right way."

    Tung Mei lightly scoffed and rolled her eyes. After following this idiot fruitlessly for days, she woke up today and decided she would lead the way. While it was true that she had no idea where she was going, she had a strong gut feeling guiding her. She was confident it would lead them back to civilization, kind of... At any rate, she had a good feeling about this.

    "Wait, stop!" Someone from behind suddenly called out and the group stopped and turned to him, "Do you hear that?"

    "Hear what?" The guide frowned, this was the same man who had just been giving him grief from earlier.

    "Horses... I think I hear horses." The man explained, ignoring the guide''s sour tone. The group instantly straightened and they all listened intently, their eyes met as they all heard it, galloping horses drawing closer.

    "Riders! People! We''re saved!" The useless guide was the first to act, instantly spurring towards the sound while calling out to the riders.

    "I thought you said we weren''t lost." One of the others called after him and the others laughed as they spurred forward to salvation. At that moment, Tung Mei was quite pleased with herself, it turns out she was going the right way. Where there were people, there were roads - unless, the people they were chasing after were also idiots who also happened to be lost in the forest.

    As they burst out into the road, Tung Mei suddenly pulled hard on the reins of her horse, bringing it to an abrupt stop. The sudden stop almost caused an accident as the riders behind her almost collided with her. Luckily, most of them managed to safely stop at the last second, although two of them did end up falling off their horses.

    "What are YOU doing here?" Tung Mei asked with knit eyebrows. Of all the people, it just had to be this person! What was more annoying was her stupid heart for being so jumpy.

    Lei Yong stared at Tung Mei for a few seconds too long, before blinking out of his stupor and glancing off to the side, feeling nervous for no reason, his hands were even sweaty. He frowned and surveyed the group, "I didn''t think you would actually be here, in the forest no less." He had only thought to check here to be thorough.

    He had made up his mind not to go after her, but he still could not help checking in on her situation. Three days and the Imperial guards had still not caught up to Tung Mei, this seemed odd as there was only a day between them. The guards were given orders to charge through and so would have been going at double the usual travel pace. Five days passed and there was still no news of her, at that point, Lei Yong became too restless and so here he was - everyone else just seemed too incompetent so he had to direct the search personally to be at ease.

    Good thing he did too because the girl got lost in the forest! If not for him, no one would have come through here. His men had even been trying to dissuade him but he decided to just ride through the area, just in case.

    "The bridges here are flooded during this season and so unusable. There is also a threat of flooding in this area so no one passes through here during this time, didn''t you see the sign?" One of Lei Yong''s men asked.

    Tung Mei''s group glared at the guide, who cleared his throat and indignantly said, "There was no sign where we passed."

    "You and your shortcuts." Another member mumbled in retort.

    "You have not answered my question." Tung Mei repeated, now glaring at Lei Yong, "Why are you here?" It was never a welcome thing when the person you were trying to avoid shows up at your doorstep.

    Lei Yong blinked in surprise at the hostility, it was not that he was expecting a hug or anything like that, but... not this, "You were reported as missing." He curtly said, lowering his eyes with a frown. The others wisely stayed silent and glanced between the two as the frost settled in between them.

    In the end, Lei Yong broke the silence with a sigh, raised his head, and looked at Tung Mei, who returned his gaze with a suspicious one, "Let''s go, I will lead the rest of the way, so you don''t have to worry."

    "I wasn''t worrying in the first place." Tung Mei flatly said, then turned her horse and galloped in the direction Lei Yong had come from, wanting to put distance between them. She was worrying, she had definitely been worrying, but she did not want to be rescued by him!

    Lei Yong knit his brows and watched her back, displeased. Was she really that upset with him? The girl he knew had really thick skin, she was not one to hold grudges this long. Even when she was upset with him, she never avoided him.

    Lei Yong sighed again and galloped after her, not sure what he or anybody else was doing.

    As for the Emperor''s ridiculous condition, well, Lei Yong did not want to really think about that. When he went to inform the Emperor that he wanted to lead the search for her, the Emperor eagerly gave his approval. When he asked about the condition of marriage, the Emperor simply asked if he did not want to go. In the end, Tung Mei''s safety took priority so Lei Yong dropped the topic and left without another word.

    He seriously doubted the Emperor would actually consider the fact that his worry was actually substantiated since the girl was actually in trouble and let it go. He knew the Emperor well enough to know that he could be ridiculous and stubborn in his antics sometimes. Lei Yong could already envision the Emperor telling him that since fate intervened on his behalf and he should not fight it.

    Whatever will come, will come. He really wanted to believe it would all work itself out in the end.

 Chapter 376 - Fools Journey

    "Ahh, it looks like it''s going to rain...I think we should stop here for today." An Hao casually said as he brought his horse to a stop. The soldier riding beside him nodded and then turned to the group behind them and ordered, "Make camp!"

    The soldiers quickly complied, leading their horses to the side to begin setting up camp. One soldier who had been riding by the carriage rode up to the front, "An Hao! Why are we stopping again?" Li Bao asked in annoyance.??

    An Hao cast him a dismissive glance, "Is it you asking or is it the old man?" He asked as he jumped down from his horse.

    Li Bao frowned, "And what does that matter? Why are we making camp already? The sun is still high in the sky!"

    An Hao scoffed and shook his head, "It matters because you do not get to question me. Set up camp." He dismissively ordered and turned to lead his horse away. This Li Bao was naturally already irritating, but now that he has been kissing up to the Zou prime minister, An Hao found him even more irritating.

    "You -!" Li Bao paused and took a deep breath to calm himself as he jumped off his horse, threw the reins at a passing soldier, and stormed after An Hao and condescendingly said, "You know, you really shouldn''t be talking to me like this anymore. Even though I am still a mere commander, you should still show respect. After all, I am technically considered part of the royal family now."

    An Hao rolled his eyes with a scoff, "Don''t flatter yourself, just because your sister has been made a "Princess" doesn''t make you a Prince"

    {...Honestly, how could my Emperor make the mistake of accepting this idiot as an in-law?! Who knows what kind of crazy his sister is? My poor Emperor, the things he has to deal with -_-)...}

    An Hao slightly shook in disgust but then reminded himself that said sister had been booted out of the Emperor''s life, mostly.

    Since An Hao suddenly had to take a big shot back to the capital with him, extra protection was required. It was not that they were necessarily anticipating an attack, it was more a matter of prestige. After all, Prime ministers typically did not leave their countries so unannounced and uninvited like this.

    An Hao honestly had no idea what strings this Li Bao had to pull, but this was annoyingly the only unit available to spare. But An Hao knew that this was some sort of plot by other generals to make his life difficult. The fact that he was the youngest general - especially with no family backing, coupled with the fact that he, An Hao was not the most polite person made it so he was not very popular.

    Then there was also the fact that he had a bit of a falling out with the generals before leaving. He had found the spies, but unfortunately, they were high-ranking generals. Since the Emperor told him to handle it, he could have executed the generals on the spot but it would have been a great headache. They naturally argued their innocence and got other powerful generals to stand with them and question his motives as well. In the end, An Hao decided to transport the traitors to the Emperor himself for judgment.

    Knowing that An Hao and Li Bao did not get along, they must have saddled An Hao with him for a bit of payback. The joke was on them though, having someone stupid on your side had its benefits, despite the annoyance.

    Li Bao stopped behind An Hao, who was feeding his horse an apple, obviously not interested in conversing, "What exactly are you trying to do here? We''ve barely made any progress today. First, it was that the horses needed to rest, and now, what is it? Do you need to rest too? Is that it? If you weren''t competent enough, you should just have told the Emperor and he would have found someone else, it''s not like you''re irreplaceable." Li Bao said with a scoff.

    An Hao froze at the mention of his Emperor and turned back to find Li Bao glaring at him. An Hao released his horse and faced Li Bao squarely, "Did you say competence? That reminds me, I''ve not even questioned about the fact that you fed the Zou prime minister diseased meat -"

    "A "disease" you just so happened to have the cure for." Li Bao retorted, stepping up to him, narrowing his eyes in challenge.

    "Guess you were in great luck." An Hao responded, narrowing his eyes back at him, "Can''t imagine causing a national incident which would have more than likely resulted in a war would bode well for your career or your head. You''re very welcome~" An Hao finished with a smile, giving Li Bao''s arm a hard pat - which Li Bao quickly raised his hand to deflect, but An Hao was faster and withdrew his hand with a smug expression.

    "You -!"

    "Are you both done?"

    An Hao and Li Bao turned to see Prince Rui standing next to them, looking unamused and not at all interested in their bickering.

    Li Bao quickly went into his kiss-up mode and smiled at Prince Rui, "Oh, Prince Rui, do you need something? Anything -"

    "An Hao, why are we stopping again?" Prince Rui directly asked An Hao, ignoring Li Bao.

    Li Bao''s expression deflated, while An Hao turned to Prince Rui and casually responded, pointing to the sky, "It''s about to rain." Prince Rui looked up at the clear sky and back at An Hao with a slight frown, but before he could say anything, An Hao added, "Just because you can''t see a storm, doesn''t mean it''s not brewing. We have to prepare early, we wouldn''t want you or your grandfather to get sick again-"

    "He''s not my grandfather." Prince Rui corrected with a frown.

    "It''ll be a hassle." An Hao continued, not bothering to acknowledge Prince Rui''s correction.

    Prince Rui let out an irritated breath, dealing with this kid was never easy, "If a storm is coming, shouldn''t we push forward and try to find shelter instead of camping out on the road?"

    "Exactly!" Li Bao jumped in, "If you''re so concerned about His highness and the Prime minister. Having them stay on the road exposed to the elements like this is not ideal. We should push forward." Li Bao echoed his agreement.

    An Hao looked up to the sky, let out a sigh, and then wearily looked at the two and said, "There is no other inn close by. Unless you want to go back to the inn we left this morning, it will be foolish to try to outrun a storm. You talk amongst yourselves and then let me know what you decide, I''m alright with either way." An Hao said with a curt smile which quickly disappeared as he pulled his horse and stalked off.

    Usually, An Hao enjoyed missions like this which involved him messing with people, but he has been finding this particular one quite lacking. He was tired and just wanted to go home. Another thing that was eating at him was the fact that Xiao Ting had not returned even one of his letters.

    He did not write to her every report or that often actually. He had decided much earlier on that it was best to collate the things he wanted and send a comprehensive letter every couple of weeks, this way it would be more interesting to read.

    But it had almost been four months now. He sent her one letter halfway through his journey to the border with Prince Rui. Then another one shortly after he arrived at the border. Then another shortly after his departure back to the capital with the Zou prime minister in tow. And finally, another one a week ago. He had just received his report back from the capital today and there was no letter from her again, hence his mood was not too good today. He did not understand this, why wasn''t she writing back?!

    He did, for a very brief moment or two, wonder if the Emperor had failed to pass the letters along, but he trusted the Emperor. They were definitely passed them along.

    Which left him with the only other option, Xiao Ting was not writing back. An Hao plopped down on a rock, folded his arms, and closed his eyes with a deep contemplative frown.

    {...Has she even been reading them?... Why wouldn''t she though? Did they bore her? But I tried to write only interesting things...Is she angry with me then? Ah, I did say two months and now it''s... But I explained that it wasn''t my fault...I even explained to her, vaguely...Did she forget about me then? O_O)...No, no, something must be wrong, something could have happened to her...}

    An Hao opened his eyes to see Prince Rui and Li Bao frowning at him, he glared at them and then twisted on the rock, turning his back to them as he debated whether he should ask the Emperor to check on her or if it would be better to send a message directly to Lei Yong to ask about her welfare, after all, he was living with her. He still had to delay their arrival in the capital for another month, but he really could not remain in the dark like this. He was becoming increasingly anxious, so he needed to do something for his own sanity''s sake.

    Prince Rui wearily watched An Hao for a bit, then he sighed and massaged his forehead as he wondered exactly what An Hao was trying to do now - asking him was pointless. But it''s been one trouble after another during this journey to the capital, it was even worse than the one he took with him last time. It was either, this road is flooded, that bridge is broken, food is bad, horses are sick...something was always going wrong.

    It seemed to him as if An Hao were stalling their arrival in the capital. Although Prince Rui could not work out if it was just An Hao naturally being his difficult self or if there was something else at play here.

    "Your highness, we can''t trust him. I can send some men ahead to scout out to see what they can find." Li Bao offered with a smile, trying again to gain some points.

    "Upto you." Prince Rui dismissively said, walking off as well. He had much better things to do with his time than humoring this idiot. While he was anxious about Princess Nalan''s condition, her letters have somewhat reassured him. She seemed well-taken care of and seemed happy with her situation, she said she has a plan and for him not to worry. But knowing Prince Yi and his ambitions, Prince Rui was having a hard time trusting these feelings she claims he has for her. Nalan was really too naive.

    There was also Princess Nalan''s grandfather, who had somehow got it in his head that he, Prince Rui encouraged into this "stupidity". This journey has also been taxing on the old man''s body and he stubbornly refused to go home. So that was one more thing on Prince Rui''s plate. Much like Long country, the last thing he needed right now was for the Zou prime minister to die on his watch. Prince Houyi and his minions would definitely pin that on his head and his life would become even more treacherous.

    Li Bao frowned as he watched Prince Rui''s back, these Zou people were really hard to win. He had been trying to get on their good side since he met them and it was working, at first. But ever since that diseased deer issue - although he had no proof, he was certain An Hao somehow poisoned the deer just to get under his skin. It was always like this with this guy.

    An Hao stood in his way whenever he tried to approach the Emperor. Well, it was not just An Hao, Lei Yong apparently still held a grudge against him because of that small incident that happened between their sisters when they were younger, petty! Either way, thanks to these two, Li Bao was unable to make an impression on the Emperor. It was definitely not because he did not make any great contributions over the years.

    Li Bao had been hoping to use this opportunity to get his chance before the Emperor. After all, his status was different now, surprisingly thanks to his usually useless and almost forgotten sister, Li Ru. He had been forgotten at the border but he was certain that once he arrived in the capital, the Emperor would quickly recognize his value and keep him close, given their relationship~

    Li Bao took a deep breath to calm himself and went out ordering his men to go scout ahead for shelter. He would not let An Hao get in his way this time. Despite these minor setbacks, he had a noble goal awaiting him.