A/N finished 1/3 diplomas!! :ppp a step closer to freedom XD
Liu Qingyuan glanced briefly at the iron bars in front of him. It seemed that after the last incident, they weren't taking any chances even if this underground prison was meant for prisoners who'd committed far more heinous crimes. Liu Qingyuan looked down, a wry smile gracing his lips. Treason counted as a serious crime, didn't it? He didn't have the energy to think about the details.
His hands had been shackled, the chains attached to the ceiling and deliberately raised to a height where the most comfortable position, besides standing, was kneeling on the straw-covered ground. The wound on his stomach had already recovered from the blow from that guard, but that unsettling feeling in his meridians hadn't abated, rather, it had gotten worse. These past few days, he felt increasingly antsy.
Liu Qingyuan closed his eyes, sweat beading at his temples. That strange sliding feeling appeared again, the feather-shaped mark repeatedly flaring with a pain that matched the tempo of his heartbeats.
In the midst of suppressing his addled senses, he heard the faint squeak of the door being unlocked and opened. He glanced up, turning his head away uninterested when he saw who it was. Xiu Ying, lifting the cloak from her head, caught his indifference, an ugly expression momentarily surfacing on her face. Despite her displeasure, she sneered in her heart. We'll see if you're still so arrogant later! She turned to the prison guard at her side. "You can go. Let us talk."
"Noble consort, I can't do that...The rules are strict." The guards here were different, aware that if something happened, there would be no forgiveness, only consequences. Xiu Ying turned back impatient.
"What? If I tell you to leave, just leave!" The guard stiffened, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Forgive me, Noble Consort, but rules are rules. You being here is already...pushing it."
"You-!" The guard's mouth twitched, swallowing a few choice words. Were all those in the palace so arrogant?
"I'll give you five minutes." His tone brokered no negotiation and Xiu Ying could only glare at his retreating back. He didn't go far either, only stepping a little out of earshot.
Hearing a soft snort, Xiu Ying whipped back around. "You dare laugh at me?!"
Liu Qingyuan finally looked up at her, unconcealed contempt turning the corner of his mouth up. This time, he didn't bother to hide his expression, his eyes as cold as the snow falling outside. "Nobel Consort Xiu, let's not keep up pretenses. What brought you here from the cold palace?" His words were deliberate.
"You, you, you-!" Consumed with rage, Xiu Ying could only repeat that one word. However, she wasn't inexperienced with biting words and quickly collected herself. She scoffed, schooling her expression and reached into her sleeve. A jade bottle fell to the ground, rolling and stopping at Liu Qingyuan's knees. "Well? How about it? I'm offering you a way out." Liu Qingyuan looked slowly at the bottle, nearly laughing in disbelief.
"Noble Consort Xiu wants me to kill myself?"
Xiu Ying looked at him like he was dumb for asking. "A mere servant like you; this is already good. Your corpse could be desecrated in the back mountain, eaten by a pack of wolves." Liu Qingyuan leaned back slightly.
"And if I refuse?"
"You dare refuse? Don't forget your place!"
"Of course," Liu Qingyuan drawled, "I dare laugh at you."
"You-!" She wanted to step forward and give this arrogant guard a good slap! But the wolfish look in his eyes made her hesitate. She was a pampered woman and he was a man who'd trained and fought; the disparity between their strength was only slightly offset by their circumstances right now. She couldn't amidst that she didn't dare, because she really didn't dare.
"Heh," She sneered, "Just wait! If you didn't trick him, the king would never have looked at you!"
Liu Qingyuan gazed at her lightly. "As an outsider, you have no say. Gain his majesty's favour before you speak."
"You! Argh!!" Xiu Ying couldn't hold back her anger, directly grabbing the jade bottle. The lid fell to the ground as she attempted to force the contents into Liu Qingyuan's mouth. He turned his head away, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. Because his hands were bound, he was unable to push her away as she crowded him into the corner.
"What are you doing!"
"You say I don't dare? Just watch!"
"Are you crazy? Don't touch me!" Xiu Ying, lost to her desperation, ignored his warning and boldly reached out to grab his jaw. Liu Qingyuan twisted away, her nails digging into his face. He bit down in response, hearing Xiu Ying's answering shriek of pain.
"Fucking dog!" Smack! The crisp sound rang out clearly. Liu Qingyuan turned his face slowly, a gloomy aura exploding out of him. His clothes and hair were a little messed up in the struggle but Xiu Ying herself looked like a madwoman, chest heaving and jewelry knocked askew. She caught the look in Liu Qingyuan's eyes, feeling a sense of dread sweep over her. It's over. I'm finished. The clanking of the chains accompanied the frantic beating of her heart as Liu Qingyuan stood up, his murderous gaze never leaving her face. Behind her, the cell door was closed and the space was small enough for him to reach her. Even with his hands tied, he had other ways. "You...what do you want to do?"
"Are you finished?" The guard's voice rang out, feeling suspicious about the noises coming from the cell. The five minutes were up so he started to approach, his gait brisk and without hesitation.
"Go back! I'm not finished yet!" Xiu Ying's shrill voice drilled into everyone's ears, her elegant demeanor long gone. The guard frowned in disgust. Noble women really were hard to deal with. But he didn't slow his pace or turn around. Rules were rules and he'd already broken them by letting her talk to the prisoner.
Xiu Ying turned back to Liu Qingyuan, panting like a bulldog. She had a sense that this would be her last chance; if she left without killing him, her future would only lead to despair. Surprising both the guard who'd just arrived outside the cell, and Liu Qingyuan, she rushed forward. Liu Qingyuan quickly recovered his senses, contemptuously twisting away. Xiu Ying slammed into the wall but she merely pushed off again, reaching for Liu Qingyuan with a crazed expression.
"Hey! What are you doing?" The guard scrambled for the keys on his belt. Liu Qingyuan stepped to the side, preparing to dodge her again, but a sudden pain stabbed through his chest.
"Ugh...' distracted, Xiu Ying managed to grab him. He felt cold jade pressed against his lips and liquid splashed into his mouth. He kicked her, vaguely hearing a crack and a curdling scream as her flying body bowled down the guard who'd just opened the door. He leaned over, retching in the straw, but a bitter taste had already spread across his tongue. As if in response, the feather on his chest burned and his ears filled with a high-pitched whine. In the background, Xiu Ying was howling and writhing, clutching her leg in a state of constant pain that prevented her from fainting. As the guard's companions heard the commotion and rushed over; her image was completely ruined. However, the chaos proved to be more than just her.
Down the corridor, an imposing figure strode down the dark passageway, the heads on his mianliuguan swaying with his footsteps and the dragon robe billowing out behind him. Morning court had just ended and he'd bullied them into agreeing. After several days, there were still no results from the investigation so he refused to continue letting Liu Qingyuan stay in a place like this. It was unknown if his wound had worsened, or if he'd gotten some other ailment. On his right, Eunuch Shuang followed him with his head down, sensing the king's bad mood. And on his left, the Chief of Guards was sweating as he led the way.
Jiang Zhilan frowned, quickening his pace. "What's the commotion?"
"Slow down, your majesty, slow down..." eunuch Shuang quietly protested. Although, he knew his protests were useless.
"Ah...," The Chief of Guards himself had just been notified moments before the king arrived. That subordinate of his! How dare he allow private counsel! And it was even the Noble Consort Xiu who'd lost favour and was supposed to be confined in the cold palace right now. He dabbed at his temples. The king's temper hadn't come out for a long time and he didn't expect himself to be the target. Thankfully, they arrived at the scene before he had a chance to explain.
"Qingyuan!" Jiang Zhilan's eyes widened at the scene, watching as Liu Qingyuan fell to one knee, coughing out a mouthful of blood. His face was abnormally pale, a dazed look in his eyes. He pushed past the tangled mess at the cell door, only for his robes to be caught by a jade hand. Xiu Ying, with her hair disheveled and tears on her fair cheeks, put on a pitiful expression.
"Your majesty! Sob sob...your majesty, please carry out justice for this consort! I was wronged! He...he..."
"You let go." Jiang Zhilan pulled his robe but Xiu Ying's grip was like iron. She refused to let go.
"Your majesty! Do you not love this consort anymore? How can you turn away when my circumstances have become like this?!"
"Quickly let go!" Besides a few guards who were awkwardly standing around, Eunuch Shuang was the only one who stepped forward, attempting to drag her back. "You dare to block his majesty's path?" Xiu Ying only cried pitifully, her face a mess. Frustrated, Jiang Zhilan straightforwardly tore his robe from her grip and rushed to Liu Qingyuan's side.
'What's wrong with you?" Liu Qingyuan swallowed the rust in his throat, trying to hear around the tinny ringing. Staggering he grabbed the king's arm, his brow trembling in pain. Since that little bit of liquid entered his mouth, the thing in his meridians went crazy. Right now, he felt as if his body was being torn apart.
"Poison...," The word squeezed itself from his throat.
"What? Spit it out quickly!" Jiang Zhilan smacked his chest as if that would help. Liu Qingyuan coughed once, his other knee trembling and falling as he fell against the king. His brow knitted.
"Too late," He grunted, pressing his face into Jiang Zhilan's neck, "I'm fine." He didn't know if it was his illusion but the air seemed clearer in his embrace, the pain receding like the evening tide. Jiang Zhilan suddenly trembled, feeling the phoenix mark on his back flare with heat again. He pretended as if nothing had happened, even as his back became soaked with sweat. It must be that strange mark again. This time though, if Liu Qingyuan said he was fine, he really believed him. He was relieved, at least, that his power could be shared with him, even if only a little. He lowered his head, tremblingly placing a kiss on his forehead at an angle no one could see.
"Don't close your eyes okay?" It was still too scary.
A screech sounded behind him, and an urgent, "Watch out your majesty!" Jiang Zhilan turned blankly, eyes widening at the hairpin stabbing down at him. In front of his eyes, a hand reached over, tightly clamping the gold ornament in its grip and stopping its trajectory. Although nobody got stabbed, the rough motion tore skin and a bead of blood rolled down.
"Qingyuan!"
"It's a small wound. I promised...that I would protect you." Jiang Zhilan quickly overcame his shock, angrily turning to the group of spectating guards at the door.
"What are you guys doing? Catch her!" At the king's order, they gave up all pretense of propriety and directly grabbed Xiu Ying, ignoring her protests and her declaration of status. Every criminal was the same in their eyes. Eunuch Shuang ran to the king's side, feeling like his heart had nearly burst from his chest. Right before his eyes, the king's dragon body had almost been injured. Aiyo...
"Your majesty," his trembling voice revealed his emotions.
"I'm fine." Liu Qingyuan groaned quietly. Although he tried to hide it, his back still trembled from the pain. "You, quickly come here and release his shackles."
Before the guard could comply, a third person arrived at the scene. The Dowager's Eunuch announced his mistress's presence.
"The Dowager has arrived!" Instantly, all the howling coming from Xiu Ying ceased. She almost shrunk into herself, trying to pretend that she wasn't there. Curses! The old woman saw me in such a state!
"What are you all doing?" Her tone was stern and every one of the guards bowed their heads, unwilling to confront her. Jiang Zhilan, still holding the weak Liu Qingyuan, didn't get up, only saying in greeting,
"Imperial mother.' The Dowager turned her gaze to the situation within the cell, catching the pleading in her son's gaze. Inwardly she sighed, gesturing with her chin to the Chief of Guards.
"Release him." Sweating, the Chief of Guards quickly rushed forward and hastily unlocked the shackles. They fell to the straw carpet with a thud. Liu Qingyuan tried to push up from the king's embrace in order to properly salute the Dowager but Jiang Zhilan pressed him down. How could the Dowager miss that small action?
"Mother," Jiang Zhilan called again. The strings of beads on his hat swayed, scattering the dim light in the underground prison. That face...carried his resemblance to his father. Forget it.
"Go quickly." These two words were like heaven's blessings, opening a path of retreat in a sea of fire. The light in Jiang Zhilan's eyes changed. He'd finally understood his imperial mother's stance on this whole matter.
Once the pair of them left, one smaller figure supporting a larger one, and an anxious Eunuch Shuang trailing after them, the Dowager turned to the group of people left in front of her. "Q-queen Dowager," the sniveling female voice sounded out. For a moment, her gaze fell disdainfully on Xiu Ying's disheveled figure. What a disappointment. She turned her eyes away. "Dowager..." Xiu Ying crawled to the Dowager's feet, grabbing her skirts in a prostrating position. "Xiu Ying was wrong, Xiu Ying...Xiu Ying begs your majesty..."
"Hmp!" The Dowager tore her skirt away, shrewd gaze tearing the Noble Consort into pieces. "Why haven't you still removed her?"
"Yes, your majesty." Two guards stepped forward to drag Xiu Ying away. From this day, the Noble consort had been disgraced. It was already good if she could obediently stay in the cold palace. Heavens forbid she implicate her entire family as well. Xiu Ying understood this as well. Her future was now hopeless and she could become nothing better than trash discarded on the side of the road. In a fit of fury, she burst into struggle, screaming and howling.
"You lousy woman! You think you're so great? Look at the harm his majesty has suffered at your hands! You think you're so great but you've long been declining." She laughed wildly, expression crazed. "You didn't even notice the assassin you put in your son's harem, how ignorant!"
"You dare!"
"Quickly, why aren't you taking her away! You dare let her say such words to the Dowager?!" The Chief of Guards was sweating profusely. How did his peaceful life of managing criminals become riddled with the chaos of the three royals in the span of one day? Aiya...it was too much for his old heart. Maybe he should start thinking about retirement...
The two guards scrambled to pull Xiu Ying away, her thrashing form casting strange shadows in the torchlight. The Dowager frowned slightly. She knew of Xiu Ying's jealousy towards Liu Qingyuan, yet he wasn't part of the harem. Was there someone else?
"Your majesty, please don't take offense..." The Dowager dismissed his perfunctory words.
"From this day on, Liu Qingyuan has been pardoned. Are there any objections?"
"No, your majesty!"