chapter 29

Xingchen throws a sheet at Zemin as soon as Zemin enters the bedchamber.

Zemin frowns "what is it ?"

"Look ! I didn't invite anyone from the Mur kingdom ! Read the draft carefully!"

"Damn , it's almost dawn , Xingchen. Can we have this conversation later. I am tired." Zemin yawns.

"Of course it's almost dawn because you were so busy with your friend that you forgot to count times. And when will we talk Zemin ? You promised to take her horse riding early in the morning ? Do you even have time for me ?"

"She came to capital for the first time."

"Uninvited! I didn't invite her." Xingchen almost shouts.

Zemin frowns irritated "then maybe Zixuan invited her. She is our guest. And what you did out there, was so rude."

"Well, I am the chief minister here. I need to think about the safety unlike you who forgot everything around him just by seeing his best friend."

"Are you really worried about Mur kingdom attacking Zi ? Is this believable?" Zemin shouts out of patience.

"Don't you use that tone with me ,Zemin. You are at fault here."

"And what is my fault ?"

"If you can't see it, then there is no point of arguing." Xingchen was about to leave the room when he bumps into a girl.

He looks at Princess Tani with a frown "what are you doing here ?"

Tani looks past Xingchen. "There is a mouse in my bechamber. I am sorry but I was scared."

"Don't you have guards outside your bedchamber ?" Xingchen asks before Zemin could reply anything.

Tani lowers her head. "I was just scared.."

"Aren't you a princess ?"

Zemin takes in a deep breath before walking up to the front.

Tani looks at Zemin hesitantly"I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's ok !" Zemin reassures "let's go , we will chase that rat away in a blink.

***

"I guess I messed up !" Zixuan whispers while sitting beside Yuzu.

"What happened ?"

"Zemin and Xingchen. Their arguments are increasing day by day. I thought if I bring princess Tanishy here , Xingchen would get jealous and realise his mistake."

Yuzu smiles "and that is working. Xingchen was very jealous today. He looked kinda cute."

"But he is not realising his mistake and somehow Zemin is getting frustrated with him."

Yuzu rolls his eyes "let them be. They aren't kids. They will figure out themselves. We will mess up more if we interfere in between husband and wife."

Zixuan frowns "Maybe you are right. I just want them to be happy.."

***

"I will never let them be happy." Empress dowager hisses through clenched teeth.

"Why is that ? Isn't Zemin your son too ?"

The empress dowager looks at her friend with a scoff "Son ? He is the curse of my life. He snatched my everything from me. Since the day he opened his eyes , he took my husband from me, then he took my Zixuan from me. Now look at me, dying all alone in this cold palace. All because of him. I wouldn't let him live in peace."

"But what can you do from here ?"

Empress dowager laughs like a maniac. "What can I do ? I will do exactly what I did years ago."

"What ?"

Empress dowager doesn't reply. She just smirks rememing the day when she met Zemin for the first time after throwing him away.

That boy looked happy. He came smiling at her like a pet dog. How she wished to put a harness on his neck and pull it tight until it sucks the last breath out of him. "I made him leave his home. I broke his safety nest and I will do it again."

****

Tani looks around the forest after climbing down her horse. "This is forest so big. I have never seen such a big forest before."

"Well, have you ever left your palace to see nature ?" Zemin chuckles beside her "Do you remember , once we decided to camp in the mountains ?"

"Oh my god ! You still remember?"

"Yes, you got a little allergy from flowers and you screamed like you were dying."

"Hey, don't mock me. I was really scared." Tani pouts but chuckles after a few seconds. "Life was good back then."

"Yeah, no worries for future, no regrets of past." Zemin sits on the ground, leaning on a tree.

Tani sits beside Zemin. "I still remember you being obsessed with your saviour crush. It was the time you first confirmed that you liked boys too."

"Well" Zemin smiles softly "that boy who saved me on the cliff that day ..was Xingchen."

Tani's face suddenly goes blank "you mean ... Minister Xingchen ? He was your crush ? You sure ?"

Zemin nods. "I have never confronted him personally but I am sure that he was the one who saved me that day. Of course, he thought he was saving Zixuan but ...he actually saved me."

"Oh, that's great. But you two didn't seem ... I mean most of time you fight with him and you are also looking for another consort."

"That's complicated." Zemin lets out a deep sigh "I don't really want to take another consort but Xingchen thinks Zi kingdom needs more heir."

"If you really don't want to take a consort then you shouldn't. I mean ... It's not good to give anyone a false hope."

Zemin sighs again "forget about me , you tell me what happened to your secret crush ? Confessed ? Or you are waiting for him to marry someone else ?"

Tani chuckles "he is already married to someone else."

"No way." Zemin shakes his head "what were you doing ? Seriously?"

Tani smiles softly at Zemin "I don't know what I was doing."

"Then tell me, what are you doing here ? Didn't you know that the consort selection was for me ? Or you were forced to come even after knowing it's me?"

"I ... I knew it's your consort selection.  And I was not forced to come." Tani's face turns serious.

Zemin frowns. "You ... Mean ?"

"If you really have to choose a consort can you choose me ? You don't have to love me back. We can be friends like we are now. This way, you wouldn't give anyone any false hope."

Zemin looks at Tani's face for sometimes "love you back means ..."

"You were my crush since the beginning, Zemin. You are just stupid. You never realised it."

***

"XINGCHEN !"

Xingchen comes out of his thoughts hearing a shout. "Huh ?"

Zixuan looks at Xingchen in disbelief "What are you thinking ? We are in the middle of the court. I asked you about finance report ?"

Xingchen nods hurriedly "forgive me ,your highness. I am getting the report right now."

Zixuan looks at Xingchen's dishevelled expression. "Just give it to me and leave the other matters. You look sick. Take a leave for today."

"No no .. I am fine."

"I didn't ask you Xingchen. You need rest and time to figure out what you really want."

Xingchen nods with gloom face. He looks out of the court. He can see Zemin and Tani's horse passing the courtyard from the sheer curtain. He sighs.

His highness was right. He feels sick since the morning. He needs a little rest and sleep. But no matter how many times he tried he just can't sleep. He feels restless.

He shakes his head and walks towards his bed chamber.

"Court dismissed? This early ?"

Xingchen hears Zemin's words as soon as he enters his room.

"No, I took a leave."

Zemin gasps "you and leave ? Are you sick ?"

Xingchen slowly sits on the bed "how was your horse ride ? Had fun ?"

Zemin blinks. He hesitates a little "good."

Xingchen tilts his head "just good ? Not fun ?"

"Yeah ... It was good ... Forget it .."

"You are avoiding my eyes."

Zemin looks at Xingchen directly "I am not."

Xingchen chuckles "Did you two kissed ? Confessed love ? Or did something else that you need to hide your eyes from me ?"

"We did nothing of that sort." Zemin stands up from the bed in frustration.

"Shouting doesn't change the truth." Xingchen clenches on his own robe. He noticed the awareness between Zemin and Tani, the moment they walked in. The awkwardness that you feel after a confession, kissing or cheating.

"What are you implying on, Xingchen ? What are you accusing me of ?"

"You know better in your heart. Don't you ?"

"Well, I know what I do and what I want. Not like you, who has no idea of what he wants and what he does. Wasn't you the one who wanted me to take a consort? Then isn't it normal that I would confess, kiss or love someone else too ?"

Xingchen's eyes burn "I only wanted another heir. I never asked you to love someone else.... "

Zemin laughs with a red face "Are you even listening your words, Xingchen? You want me to use a woman as use and throw bags ? I marry someone just to give birth a baby ? Then let that person die without love in this palace ?

You want me to ruin someone's life to secure ours ? Xingchen, weren't you the one who helped Yuzu when Zixuan treated him like that ? How can you change so much ?"

Tears rolls down from Xingchen's cheeks "Weren't you the one who used Yaad, Zubina just to execute your plans ? How can you change so much ?"

Zemin looks at Xingchen shocked. "Xingchen, you .. you aren't making any sense."

"Who is making sense then, your Tani ?"

Zemin closes his eyes in frustration "let's talk later."

"You said this same thing last night."

"Because you made me tired last night too. I don't know what's wrong with you but Xingchen, you are ruining what we have day by day."

"I am ruining ?"

"Yes , you are. You are ruining our love and our time."

Xingchen huffs "then what, you love someone else now ?"

Zemin folds his arms in front of his chest. "I wouldn't marry anyone, without loving that person. If you want another consort, then be prepared to share."

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