chapter 17

"have you gone mad ? Why did you challenge him ?" Yang xi shouts from other side of the jail.

Xingchen ignores Yang xi and throws to dead worms at the snakes. "I couldn't bring force. I need to go out again."

"I can't seduce them again." Yang xi sneers.

"You have to. If you want to walk out of this prison alive."

"Minister, why are you feeding the snakes ?" Meimei asks finally. She feels a lot better now.

Xingchen smiles "you will know. I bought a healing paste for you. Apply it."

Meimei takes the healing paste from Xingchen "how is my master?"

"I guess , they are fine for now. I couldn't meet them."

"Then what did you do ?" Yang Xi asks  in frustration.

"I will go out again. These snakes will not harm you two. They will be dizzy for now. If they starts crawling again, feed them two more." Xingchen passes a small sack to Meimei.

"Are these poison ?"

"No, they will be alive but it worms will damage their venom gland slowly."

Yang xi sits up interested "you mean , they will not be poisonous?" .

"It will take time but yes !"

Yang xi grins. "You are useful. I will seduce the guards now. Let's go ! bring forces this time. "

Xingchen sighs "... I don't think I can bring force today. I am going out for ... Zemin's burial."

***

"Zemin died ?" Afreen laughes loudly hearing the good news.

"Yes ! It's our time to shine. We got our reason to slaughter Xingchen. Let's kill Yuzu and Zixuan..then we can take over the throne." Le gui cheers.

"Don't act rashly." Afreen frowns. We can't slaughter Xingchen in Zixuan and Yuzu's existence. We need to deal with them first."

"Don't ask me to wait anymore. I have waited so long. It's the perfect time."

Afreen looks annoyed "we need to be careful. The court officials, the generals, the ministers...we need to fool each one of them . It's not easy."

"Why not ust attack and tell them it's assassin's job ?"

"No ! We can't do that." Afreen almost shouts.

"Then what ? Wait for another two years ?"

***

Xingchen hides behind the rose bushes and sees Zixuan throwing soil on Zemin's face. His heart trembles.

Doesn't matter how hard he consoles his heart, he just can't accept it.

He looks away with a new determination in his mind. Le gui has to pay , Afreen has to pay. And most of all, Yaad has to pay for his crime.

Yaad was lazing in his room when his room door opened with a bang. Yaad frowns and and looks at the source. "What the fuck are you doing here ?How did you get out ?"

"You will know right now." Xingchen pulls out his sword.

Yaad takes steps back. "You .. have you gone mad ? Guards !"

Xingchen chuckles "No one is here to guard you. Why not shout for your sister and Le gui !"

"You have gone mad . If you kill me , they will slaughter you."

"You killed my husband ! Do you think I care ?"  Xingchen swings his sword and cuts through Yaad's cheeks.

Yaad screams in terror "Noooo ... Please ... Nooo ...  I didn't kill him ..."

"Oh you didn't. I did , right ?" Xingchen slashes Yaad's another cheek.

Yaad screams more in pain. His face gets covered with blood and tears "I didn't ... I swear ! Listen to me... Please ... Then you can do... whatever you want ...."

Xingchen grips his sword tightly "I have nothing to hear from you."

***

Yang xi looks at Xingchen as he walks back into the prison. "You changed your clothes?"

Xingchen looks at his fresh clothes. He needs to apply dirt on it before leaving gui visits. "Yes , how are the snakes ?"

"Good ! They aren't moving much ! But they ate everytime we gave the worms." Meimei informs then bites her lips "Minister ..."

Xingchen nods and pulls out a stuffed bread from his pocket. Meimei grins and hurriedly takes the bread to eat it.

Yang Xi shakes his head "you need diet."

"You need to mind your own business."

Xingchen ignores Meimei and Yang Xi's bickering and applies dirt on his sleeves carefully "I have news."

"What ?"

"Le gui has plotted two assassins around empress Yuzu and emperor Zixuan. One step out of place, they would kill them without wasting a minute."

"So, you can't ask them for force ?" Yang xi growls. "Then let's do one thing. All three of us can escape through garden gate."

"That too will draw the same result. If they can't find us. They will kill the emperor and empress before we can reach them."

"Then what ? Stay here happily?" Yang xi slaps one of the sleepy snake in frustration.

"Le gui only has two snakes. When he comes in our cell, he doesn't bring any guards with him, le gui doesn't carry a sword, he knows how to fight but we are three , he is one."

"Still, we can't win against him. He is fatter than Meimei." Yang Xi shakes his head.

"Who said that we need to win ? We need to drug him. Enough to reveal the identity of the assassin." Xingchen pulls out three needles from his pocket.

"I have a question. From where are you getting all of these ?" Yang Xi frowns at Xingchen. "This is so not you. You are the righteous Xingchen ! The guard ....

Xingchen smiles "The guard dog. Yes, I am. But most people don't know that a guard dog is trained to tear flesh out , when in danger."

***

Afreen panics after a long time of confidence.

"Calm down, love."

"Shut up ! Where is Yaad ? We need to find Yaad." Afreen shouts.

"He is somewhere. Maybe, he got scared after Zemin's death and escaped."

"He can't be scared of anything more than me.... He didn't escape. If he is not in his room, then something happened to him. Someone .. someone is working behind our back ? No no."

"Why do you care so much about Yaad ? If someone did something, then isn't it in our favour? You planned to remove him .. anyway." Le gui chuckles..

"And what if they didn't kill him ?" Afreen sneers. "He knows too much ! He can't fall into enemies hand. I asked you to keep a tail on him."

Le gui frowns with an irritated expression. He doesn't understand what the meaning of this much panic is ?

What else Yaad can say ? That he didn't poison the food. He only made the soup. He doesn't know where the poison came from. He was threatened to blame Xingchen during inquiry. So what, if he confesses that?

He would mention le gui's name ? Afreen's name ? Let him do that. Le gui would get the news beforehand if such things happen.

"GO ... FIND HIM..WHAT ARE YOU DAYDREAMING ABOUT ? I NEED YAAD OR HIS BODY ! I NEED HIM." Afreen shouts out of her lungs in frustration. All her plans can't fail like this.

***

"Your tears are going to infect your wounds."

Yaad tries to control his tears. But his cheeks hurts like hell "please , let me go."

"I wouldn't."

Yaad's eyes turns watery again "I didn't do anything. I swear."

A cold knife slaps on Yaad's bleeding cheeks "I don't like to hear broken records. Sing a new song for me."

Yaad closes his eyes " I ... I didn't.. please let me go."

"Or what ?"

"Or kill me .. please.. Ahh ." Tears falls on Yaad's sliced cheeks again.

"Afreen ! You are that much scared of her ? Why ? Does she have something against you ?"

"Let me go."

"What does she have against you ? You did something bad ? She has proof against you ?"

Yaad cries tiredly.

"No ? Then what ? She has someone locked up ?"

Yaad's eyes opens finally.

A laugh echoes in the empty room "who ? Your lover ? Your mother ? Your father ? Your sister ?"

Yaad's eyes turns teary hearing the sister word.

"Your sister ? Who is it ? Where is she ?"

Yaad closes his eyes again.

"If she can't find you within two days, do you think she will wait for you ?"

Yaad struggles this time.

"Open your mouth, Yaad. Your sister will die anyway. Why not use your last chance to save her ?"

Yaad looks at the masked figure in front of him. "W...who are you ?"

The masked figure sits in front of Yaad lazily "Minister Xingchen's loyal guard dog !"

Yaad blinks "He... He is powerful !"

"Who ?"

"My sister .... She sold my sister to him. He is .. powerful."

"More powerful than Prince Yaad, of course."

"More powerful...t..than anyone you know. A..and I am not ... Prince Yaad. N.. neither she is p..princess Afreen."

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