chapter 25

Xi Lan stands in front of Zemin with a smug smile. He is not here to attend Zi kingdom's morning court. So there is no reason for him to sit down.

Zemin on the other hand is trying hard to control his anger. He doesn't even want to see Xi Lan's face.

"I am waiting for emperor Zemin's reply ! Is he accepting my offer or not?" Xi Lan asks finally eyeing Xingchen who is standing at one corner.

Xingchen feels uncomfortable with Xi lan's gaze. He is not in his upright self today. He didn't talk with Zemin after Xi Lan's offer. He doesn't want to interfere or influence Zemin's decision. If he loves San Yi enough to give him up then, he would go with Xi Lan. He was planning to leave anyway.

"Xingchen is mine and he will always be mine."

Both Xingchen and Xi Lan looked at Zemin hearing the firm voice.

Xingchen blinks.

"So, you are rejecting my offer ?"

"Yes !" Zemin didn't even waste a minute to reply.

"How about your consort San Yi ? Don't you wanna save his sister ? He would be very angry at you, if he knows that you are choosing your concubine over your consort !"

"That is not emperor Xi lan's business."

"Fine then, you are not getting the sister back !" Xi Lan smiles and turns around to leave.

San Yi who was standing behind the curtain, clenched his fist. Emperor Xi lan didn't take his offer. He was right, it was not easy to fool emperor Xi lan.

Now it's time to plan B. There are two things that he learnt from Simi. One, never take your opponent for granted. Two, always have a plan B.

Simi lost last time because she took Xingchen and Zemin for granted. She thought they were fools. But he wouldn't repeat her mistake.

San Yi slips out of the court in silence.

***

Hairuan takes a deep breath of relief as his highness walks out of the court without making any further demand.

Xi Lan looks at his chief minister with a chuckle. "Were you worried , Hairuan?"

Hairuan looks down in guilt "I shouldn't have doubted his highness !"

Xi Lan grins. "I still wonder how consort San Yi looks under his veil but I also wonder what Zi kingdom will do next to rescue this maid ! Let's find out one thing at a time. Where is the maid ?"

"Still in cage !" Hairuan replies with a sad voice. He doesn't like how maids are treated in Lan kingdom. But he already realised that he has no say in this matter. Whenever he tried to pass a new rule, every other royals objected it like it's a sin.

"Food , water ?" Xi Lan inquired.

Hairuan looks down "not given."

Xi Lan reads Hairuan face for sometimes. He knows Hairuan is lying. There is no way he would let a little girl starve in his presence. But Xi lan lets it slide.

He doesn't care whether food is given or not ! As long as the girl is alive. "Let's prepare for our departure."

***

"Why didn't you accept his offer ?" Xingchen asks Zemin with a gloom face.

"You wanted to be his slave ?"

Xingchen looks outside the window "maybe it was the last chance to save that girl."

"Save her and push you off the cliff ?"

"Emperor Xi lan wouldn't mistreat me."

"Yes ! He would marry you and make you one of his showpiece in his harem. That's what you wanted ?" Zemin was already angry with Xingchen's indifference and now with his questions, he is losing his calm.

Xingchen understood Zemin's mood. Zemin couldn't keep his promise to his beloved San Yi. It's natural, He will despise Xingchen more.

Zemin frowns as Xingchen stays silent. He isn't getting Xingchen these days. He feels more detached from Xingchen than the time when Xingchen used to hate him. Shouldn't they leave peacefully and happily after Simi and le gui's death ?

"Should we try to stop emperor Xi lan from leaving?" Xingchen asks after a long pause.

Zemin sighs. "No , let them leave. He came here just to mock us. He wouldn't agree to any offer."

"Then ? We can't save the girl ?"

"I will find a way ! I have sent guards to inform San Yi about the proceedings!"

Xingchen feels bitter "You should face him directly. He would be broken by the news ..."

"He already knows I wouldn't accept the offer. Everybody in palace knows. Even emperor Xi Lan knows it. He has already prepared his carriages last night."

Xingchen frowns.

Zemin looks at Xingchen's frown "Xingchen, when I first got my sense after the poison attack.. you said that you remembered our past life ? Do you really ?"

Xingchen smiles warmly "I do. In that life there was no SanYi ... And you used to. ...."

"Don't you want to change our fate ? Don't you want to live a life like my brother and Yuzu lives ?" Zemin stands in front of Xingchen.

"that ..."

"Yes or no , Xingchen? Be honest with me."

Xingchen's blue eyes meet Zemin's dark eyes after almost an eternity "Does it matter ?"

Zemin nods without breaking the eye contact. "It matters to me. I want to know if your wishes match with my wishes or not ?"

"If you have cared about my wishes then you could've married me when we came out of the prison ? You didn't ! You never even thought about it ! You were so busy to fulfil your consort's wishes.

Why .. someone from outside got the audacity to question my relationship with you ?" Xingchen shouts as tears rolls down his cheeks "Tell me why ?"

Zemin was about to hold Xingchen when a guard runs in "your highness ! Consort San Yi is missing !!"

Zemin shoots up "what do you mean ?"

"Consort San Yi's maid said that she couldn't find her master anywhere."

Xingchen wipes his tears and pulls out his professional face "send some guards to search all over the palace. Send some to look outside the palace too."

The guard nods.

Xingchen looks at Zemin "you know where he can go ? Is there any place ..."

"Has emperor Xi Lan left already ? He could've gone to look for his sister !"

The guard nods again "Emperor Xi lan left a while ago. They passed the checking. Consort San Yi wasn't there with them !"

Xingchen frowns in concern. He knows that Sna Yi loves his sister very much and if he knew that he couldn't save her. Is it possible that ....

"Send some swimmers to check the ponds and wells too ! Search everywhere !! Use all the forces as fast as you can !"

***

"Did anyone find him or any clue leads to him ?" Zixuan shouts on top of his lungs in the middle of the dark.

Every soldiers, guards, generals and maids looked for San Yi all day long. Now in the pitch dark of night, it became impossible to look for anything, so Zixuan decided to gather all of them in the courtyard.

The answer came negetive in an instance. Zixuan looks at Zemin "we need to stop the search now. We will look for him tomorrow again."

Zemin nods in agreement.

But Xingchen looks disturbed. A big living human is vanished out of thin air. How can he just sleep and do nothing ? "But what if he is in danger . He is upset. He can risk his own life .."

"I think that's what he did." Zixuan replies also in worry. "I will send someone to check under the cliff tomorrow. But we can't do anything before the sun rises."

***

Xingchen tosses his bed in worry. He sure didn't like San Yi but he never wanted him dead. Also, how can Zemin remain so calm at this hour ? When will the sun rise ?

Xingchen sits on his bed with a sigh. He can't sleep like this. Xingchen decides to have a walk outside the palace.

Xingchen's feet hit a sharp object as soon as he steps down the bed. He hisses in pain before looking down.

He finds a folded paper on the floor. His feet must have hit the folded corner of the paper. He picks up the paper. Did it fall from his quilt ?

He opens the paper to read it's content ...

Xingchen ,

When you will find this letter, I will be out of this palace. I wanted to meet you in person instead of writing this letter. But I guess, I don't have much time for that.

I came in this palace in Simi's order. She ordered me to seduce Zixuan and create trouble in Yuzu's life. I didn't succeed because I was not interested.

I was just pretending to follow her order by creating trouble here and there. I even acted like a fool sometimes to fool her.

When someone is forced to follow tough rules without their consent, they always finds a way to bend the rules. It was same for me. Until she order me to create trouble between you and Zemin.

At first, I was going to play the same tricks again but then I spent an entire day with Zemin. I forgot my problems, I felt like I existed, I felt cared and loved. I got so overwhelmed with my feelings that I forgot my mission. I forgot your entire existence in the story until we came back to the palace.

You just stood in front of me and I saw Zemin drifting away from me. It was the first time I felt the urge to hurt you. I wanted Zemin so I started taking Afreen's order seriously. I manipulated the truth in front of Zemin.

I fed Zemin's insecurities. I questioned your loyalty towards Zixuan in a twisted manner. Zemin didn't trust me at first, but your indifference towards him added fuel to the fire. Zemin started falling in my trap.

Maybe, you sensed it too. That's why suddenly your focus shifted on Zemin. But you were new to this jealousy, you had no idea how to channel it. So, you started fighting with Zemin.

I was benefited by your jealousy of course. Things were going good for me, until that dreadful night when le gui asked me to poison Zemin.

I felt my world crashing again. But this time I had a better idea. I didn't put poison in Zemin's soup. I put poison in your porridge. I thought you made that porridge for yourself.

But then you went to feed Zemin that porridge. I panicked, I screamed in pain, I was running to confess everything so that healer can find the right antidote. But le gui stopped me.

He understood my intentions and thought of a better plan. He threatened me to blame you. I was scared at first. But then I was angry with you. I blamed you with all my power.

I knew that when they would check the soup bowl they will find poison in your bowl. I know you saw my bowl blue too but that blue was fake. I faked it to fool Afreen , just in case.

So, only your porridge bowl had poison. They arrested you.

Then I wanted to take care of Zemin but Yuzu didn't let me. So, I prayed every day and night. But one day they told me Zemin died.

My life stopped then & there. I never thought I would meet him again.

And when I met him with my sliced face, I half expected he would hate me. But he didn't. He.just wanted to know the truth. So, I shared everything finally. Not because I was scared but because I trusted him.

I trusted him with my everything which you never did. My love for Zemin is greater than your love for Zemin.

But you are luckier than me. Your love for Zemin received Zemin's love in return. Do you remember the night I asked Zemin what I am to him ? If he really loves me or not ?

You left without listening to Zemin's reply. I was glad that you left back then. Today as I am leaving, I can tell you his reply.

He said that he only loved you. He took another birth just to love you and if he doesn't get to love you in this life, he will take another birth to love you.

I didn't understand but then he added..

What he felt for me is unlimited concern. He sees his past self in me whose moral senses have been crooked by a traumatic childhood.

Now you know his reply, go take care of our love. I am giving Zemin to you and don't take it as for granted. Because I owe you one.

No need to thank me. Just do one thing. My sister is in the place where you rescued us from Simi. She is in that room. Rescue her for me.

I have replaced my sister in emperor Xi Lan's cage. Don't worry ! They wouldn't catch me until we reach Lan kingdom. And even if they catch me, I will find my way out !

You just need to rescue my sister to repay me. My sister is waiting for you.

- your old nemesis , San Yi.

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