Xu Zhengming and Sect Leader Zhao are facing each other at a small tea table having their afternoon tea. Their jaws are literally aching because of forcing their smiles on each other. No one talks, just drinking jasmine tea, and smiling.
This is awkward to both of them. Very awkward.
Setting his jaw aside, Xu Zhengming has something else that bothers him for a good while now.
He wants to pee.
For goodness sake! Xu Zhengming and Zhao Yangguang are pouring each other's teacups for who knows how many times already? Wang Junjie brewed them tea a couple of times too.
Eunuch Xu's stomach is full of tea and he really wants it out as soon as possible. However, he doesn't want to be rude to the sect leader. Wouldn't leaving sect leader Zhao here make him look bad?
Xu Zhengming could only hope that the emperor will find his twin sister as soon as possible, and come back here real quick. He doesn't think he'll be able to handle this level of awkw
"Have you seen the prince?" The grand empress dowager asks the empress dowager as soon as the latter steps inside her hall. It's been two days since the news about the emperor's death circulated in the entire imperial palace. This news also spread into the nearby towns and will soon notify all the colonies that the empire holds. The prince is nowhere to be found. Since Prince Yin Wenyan didn't show himself before her after the last time they met, the grand empress dowager suspects that he went out to search for his siblings, which is actually the case. "Grand Empress Dowager, I still couldn't see even the shadow of the first prince. The emperor's personal eunuch isn't in the Lotus Hall as well." The empress dowager replies. "Could it be he gave up and run away?" The old empress sneers. "We're talking about Yin Wenyan here. That man is cunning. Let's not assume that possibility. It's still too early to say that." Yin Wenyan is the empire's tact
It's already nighttime when Emperor Yin Renshu and Princess Yin Xiulan heard a loud exploding sound in the sky. His majesty immediately extinguished the campfire and get his guards up. As for the princess, she still remained crouching, spacing out while facing the small mound. It seems she already gave up trying so hard to survive. She lost her holy weapon during that fall. Her brother lost his sword too. She's hopeless and feels like they really got defeated in the game of fate. The loud explosion is followed by a sharp whistling sound as a light launches into the sky. When it reached a certain point, the small light scattered with a loud bang. The firework forms a white five-petaled flower. It's Wan MoliHua Palace's emblem. "Xiulan let's go!" Emperor Yin Renshu grabs his sister's wrist and drags her along towards the direction where the firework came from. He thought it must be Prince Yin Wenyan or anyone in Wan Moli Hua Palace. The Princess, on the
As soon as the day breaks, the three of them started their journey, Emperor Yin Renshu, Princess Yin Xiulan, and Prince Yin Wenyan fly their way back to the palace mounting their swords. A few meters away from the imperial gates, they noticed that the guards on duty doubled. They lowered themselves, leveling on the tree to hide their presence. It seems they are very tight with the security. However, what's worse here is that the men in charge are Lieutenant General Song's subordinates. From the looks of it, any of the three of them isn't allowed to step inside the imperial palace again. "This is clearly a message from the grand empress dowager to us." The emperor said while hiding on top of the tree. "She forbids us to enter the imperial palace." "The grand empress dowager very much anticipated our return." Princess Yin Xiulan commented. Emperor Yin Renshu, "What should we do now? Should we force ourselves in?" His majesty's suggestion
"It suits you very well, Ming'er!" Zhao Yangguang said with all smiles. "Don't you think so, Ah-Jie?" "Mn." The sect elder nods. While the emperor, the prince, and the princess are struggling to eliminate the ongoing corruption in the imperial palace, Sect Leader Zhao, Sect Elder Wang, and Eunuch Xu are having a peaceful morning together. For a short period of time, Sect Leader Zhao and Xu Zhengming became comfortable with each other as if they met for a good while now. Xu Lin's death was never brought up ever since Xu Zhengming set his feet inside the Wan Moli Hua Palace. He doesn't think there's someone to blame. It's his father's choice so he respects that. Also, he can't disregard the fact that the sect leader didn't force his father to do so. Sect Leader Zhao, on the other hand, is being sensitive to the other. If he wants to talk about it, he's willing to exchange words with him. But if he doesn't bring the topic up, it could only mean one thing
The long and slender fingers of Sect Leader Zhao pluck the strings of his guzheng. The series of strum created a harmonious melody, pleasing the ears of everyone who can hear. The music he plays is slow in tempo, truly soothing. Like a mother humming to a sleeping child. Like a stream of water that flows towards the sea. Like a gentle rain that falls on one's cheek. This melody can calm one's troubled heart and mind in a mess. Xu Zhengming yawns as he lay down on the wooden floor. The music that Zhao Yangguang plays makes him sleepy in broad daylight. The sect leader, Sect Elder Wang, and our silly eunuch just finished their pot of jasmine tea for the nth time of the day inside the main hall of Wan Moli Hua Palace. It's been five days since Yin Wenyan left Xu Zhengming here yet there's no sign of him coming back any time soon. Not even his shadow is coming for him. They don't even know his whereabouts, or if he already found his siblings or not yet. Z
Meanwhile, in a dark chamber of the underground prison inside the imperial palace walls, three captives have their limbs bounded by heavy metal chains. A huge magical array is activated underneath them. It's the spiritual power nullifier. It blocks the flow of one's spiritual energy as long as the victim is inside its circumference. The dim glow of the array is the only light that the royal siblings have in the middle of endless darkness. Well, not really, they can only see each other. Nothing else. This underground prison is like an open space cave. There's literally nothing in here but rocks, dust, and soil. It's half as big as the entire Department of Justice and is located underneath the said department. It's as high as the Lotus Hall so climbing to the top would be difficult. The only possible way to get out is through the bar gate which is heavily guarded. Ever since the day that they are cornered by the grand empress dowager and Lieutenant General Song
"Here's your meal!" The waiter put the dishes they ordered on their table. The aroma comes from the hot bowls of Wonton Noodle Soup Lingers in their nose. The savory smell of chicken broth makes their stomachs even wilder, growling like an untamed animal. After everything is set, he immediately leaves so that the customers can finally dig in. Eunuch Xu, Sect Leader Zhao, Sect Elder Wang, the prince, princess, and the emperor all went inside a nearby restaurant. This isn't the most luxurious restaurant in town but it's the nearest. It's not a famous one too so their food must be not that good but not that it matters. Any food tastes good when you're hungry after all. But before they go to the restaurant, they first stop in a nearby store that sells clothes. The triplets look so dirty and are still wearing the imperial chefs' uniform so they need to change into casual robes. They might draw too much attention from those uniforms. They chose chea
All the high-ranking eunuchs can't believe what they are seeing right now. The emperor of the Dynasty's eighth generation is right in front of them. Sitting on the throne with a cold pair of phoenix eyes looking down on them from his throne. Apparently, Eunuch Xu, Court Lady Han, and one of the personal maids of the emperor managed to convince them to go into the Pavilion of Literary Glory. It was not easy but they did it in the end. The high-ranking eunuchs all kowtow to express their highest form of respect. That moment, his majesty's eyes meet the little eunuch's who's the only one who isn't doing the formalities. Xu Zhengming is not a tall man so he's not easy to find in the crowd of tall old men. And now that he's the only one standing, it's not so hard for the emperor to see him anymore. Court Lady Han, who also kowtowed, pulled Xu Zhengming down, forcing him to pay his respects to the returned emperor. This made Emperor Yin Renshu puff a laugh despite