chapter 3

"How could Yang Xi escape ?" Xingchen hears emperor Zixuan, shouting at his entire court.

Today early in the morning, he woke up with news of Yang Xi's escape. The main culprit who killed the emperor's consort , attempted to kill the noble consort Yuzu and schemed against the emperor .. escaped.

Xingchen has a mixed reaction in his mind throughout the court. He loved Yang Xi even when Yang Xi just pretended. So , he couldn't handle the death sentence of Yang Xi. But being happy with a traitor's escape, that's a direct betrayal to the emperor.

He feels like he is betraying his highness.

"How is Zemin ?".

Xingchen comes out of his thoughts hearing noble consort's voice. He looks at noble consort or the current empress Yuzu with a frown. He doesn't know when he got assigned as a care-taker of Zemin. But everything about Zemin is asked to him.

Xingchen gives a light bow just to acknowledge the question "getting better."

"Did he leave his room yesterday or today ?"

Xingchen frowns seriously this time. Zemin's bedchamber is just beside his bedchamber, outside the main palace.

Outside the main palace there are only five rooms. Once belongs to him, one belongs to the defence minister, one was the abandoned chamber where empress Yuzu used to live once and two guest rooms. With five rooms this area is called Wú Dián.

In Wú Dián .. if one leaves his or her room , others automatically notice. And with Zemin living next to him, he knows Zemin never left his room. But "I didn't notice, empress Yuzu."

Empress Yuzu looks at Xingchen in confusion. Of course, he was an abandoned consort living in Wú Dián in the past. So he knows , Xingchen is lying.

Xingchen looks away from empress Yuzu.

"Search every corners of Zi, find Yang Xi. I want him alive. Also find out, who helped him to escape.. without a traitor inside, he couldn't have escaped. Court Dismissed."

***

Xingchen felt someone following him since he left royal court. But he ignored it till he reached his bed chamber.

"Does empress Yuzu need me for anything ?" Xingchen asks without turning around.

"You seem different, Xingchen."

Xingchen hears Yuzu's reply. He sighs. He has always respected consort Yuzu even when nobody in the palace respected him. But these days, he feels so distant from Zi that ..

"Sorry for my misbehaviour !" Xingchen turns around with a bow.

Yuzu studies Xingchen's face carefully. "Are you ok ?"

Xingchen nods.

"Then why did you lie to his highness? You can't help but notice if anyone leaves Wú Dián. Xingchen, we need to know if Zemin still have the plans to replace his highness. What if he helped Yang xi to escape ?"

"I did nothing of that sort."

Both Yuzu and Xingchen look at the entrance hearing a third party voice.

Zemin enters the room with a little limp "I have no intention of being a life-saver. But, Yang Xi has other people who can be his life-saver anytime."

Xingchen glares at Zemin "Why are you looking at me while saying this ?"

Zemin smirks "no reason.."

Yuzu looks at Zemin with a frown. "What are you doing here ?"

"I need minister Xingchen's help." Zemin replies casually.

"For what ?" Xingchen clenches his fist.

"To change my dressing."

Yuzu frowns again "I have assigned you maids."

"I don't need maids. I am not a prince who has grown up with ten maids around him. I can't deal with that."

"But you are a prince, Zemin."

"I don't need your assurance, empress Yuzu. Neither I need your consolation prize. You have done enough for me."

"You can't insult empress Yuzu like that." Xingchen interrupts.

"And your empress can force me to live here ?" Zemin growls.

It's true. Zemin wanted to leave this palace as soon as he gained his health back. But he was forced to live in this palace as a prince. He was almost threatened with father Tao last week. Zemin was livid. But after careful consideration, he agreed to live in Wú Dián."

"It's for your own good." Yuzu replies after a long pause. "You family is here."

"What family ?" Zemin sheeths.

"Your father Tao who loves you more than his own life. Your son Zhan who needs you because his original mother is already dead." Yuzu raises his voice a little. "You know what's your problem , Zemin ?"

Zemin scoffs.

"You focus on what you can't get and don't value what you already have." Yuzu almost shouts "Same goes for you Xingchen."

Xingchen was about to reply but Empress Yuzu leaves the room without listening. Why Empress Yuzu is angry with him ?

"Help me !"

"I am not your servant." Xingchen turns his eyes at Zemin.

"You are chief minister of Zi and I am prince. You have to listen to me." Zemin towers over Xingchen. But his face doesn't hold the mocking attitude like before.

Xingchen averts his gaze. "I will not. Do whatever you want."

"Well..."Zemin takes another step closer, invading Xingchen's personal place "Since minister Xingchen is not willing then I guess, he has other jobs to do like sneaking out of his room in the middle of the night."

Xingchen eyes shoots up "What. You. Want. To. Imply ?"

Zemin grins "Just like you can watch over me from your room. I can watch you from my room too."

Xingchen grits his teeth "Are. You. Blackmailing. Me ?"

Zemin shrugs taking a step back "I just want help. Nothing else."

Xingchen clenches his fists. A dog's tail can never be straight. Zemin's whole life is full of schemes and fraud.

Zemin waits for a little before sitting on Xingchen's bed "After you help me, let's play a game of chess."

Xingchen almost screams "GAME OF WHAT ?"

"Chess ! I heard you are good. Let's play....I am bored here."

Xingchen pushed Zemin to turn his back. He takes the new bandage in his hand in frustration.

Zemin chuckles "Don't be too harsh. I am injured."

"Then do it yourself."

"Then what will be the fun ?" Zemin pulls down his robe.

"Is this fun to you ? You love seeing other people in trouble?"

Zemin turns his head a little to look at Xingchen's gloom face. He leans back , almost laying on Xingchen's arms. "I asked to play chess to ease your trouble and my boredom. Mutual help."

"I don't want to play with you." Xingchen tries to push Zemin away.

"Why? scared that you will lose ?"

"I don't lose in chess."

"Really ?" Zemin tilts his head.

Xingchen looks at the mockery on Zemin's face "If I will , you won't bother me again."

"If I win ?" Zemin asks back excited.

"Then what ?"

"Come on , it's give and take." Zemin sits straight.

"What do you want?"

Zemin thoughts for a moment before grinning "If I win, be my princess!"

"What ?" Xingchen turns purple in anger.

Zemin laughes out loud with raised hands "joking .. joking ... I can't be the princess... You need to be my male consort."

"YOU ..."

Zemin who was still laughing avoids a pillow that Xingchen has thrown at him. "Ok .. ok sorry. If I win, you have to capture Yang Xi as soon as possible."

Xingchen lowers his hands that was holding another pillow.

Zemin clears his throat "Xingchen, Yang Xi is not a good person. He needs to be inside the prison bars for Zi kingdom's sake."

Xingchen's hatred for Zemin rises again "hipocrisy is in your blood, huh ? Yang Xi needs to be inside the bar and you need to enjoy your life as a prince? Even when you are the one who used him ?"

Zemin sighs "I don't scheme with  innocents, Xingchen. Because good, innocent people like you can never scheme others. Those who can scheme successfully, are not the good ones. And Yang Xi is one of them."

"You have no right to say who is good and who is not."  Xingchen scoffs in disgust.

"I have no right, I know. But you had no right to unlock the prison, either." Zemin comes to the straight point.

Xingchen clenches his fists.

"You love him. I can understand but ..."

"No, you don't. A pathetic person like you can never understand. You don't know what love is. You don't know what love is , what friendship is ... You only know how to scheme and blackmail to get your way."

Zemin takes in a deep breath after a long silence "fine then , I only know to get my way. So, you have to fulfill my demands if I win the game."

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