chapter 21

"keep eyes on the bodies ! I am sending soldiers for the cremation." Xingchen orders the guards after he comes out of the tunnel.

"Minister !"

Xingchen stops talking and looks at the woman who called him.

"Minister , I am prince Zhan's nanny."

"What happened ?"

"Prince Zhan is crying non stop for hours. I tried so many things but but I think he needs empress Yuzu. But empress is ...."

"Empress is grieving his maid's death. He can't take care of prince now." Xingchen replies with a calm voice.

"But .. minister .. at this rate, prince will be sick."

"You get salary to take care of prince. Figure it out." Xingchen walks past the nanny.

The nanny runs behind "minister, I tried everything..."

Xingchen stops with a sharp breath "I will give the news to his highness as soon as possible! Try to calm him till now. "

The nanny hesitates "minister, you .. have same built as empress Yuzu. If you ... just for a while.."

"I am not empress Yuzu. I can't help in this matter. But I will try to..."

"If prince doesn't stop crying then I will take him back. Just giving it a try. I asked everyone who has same built as empress Yuzu. But everybody is scared to touch prince.. please minister, only you.."

Xingchen sighs. "Ok ! You go. I will be there after changing my clothes."

Only then the nanny looks at the dirty and blood stained robe of the minister. She nods finally.

***

Xingchen stands in front of the mirror in his new set of clothes. He was planning to give Yang Xi and Meimei a last visit. He couldn't even thank Yang Xi for giving him the blade. His last conversation with Yang xi wasn't pleasant.

But now, there is nothing he could do. He slowly walks towards the prince's room. He can hear the colic from half way distance.

"Minister !" The nanny stands up helplessly.

Xingchen walks in with a nod. He looks at the crying Zhan on the bed. He has never calmed a baby either. He slowly leans down to take Zhan in his arms.

Zhan is two and half years old right now. Xingchen doesn't think Zhan would take him as empress Yuzu. But still he slowly rocks and swings Zhan in his arms while walking around the room.

Zhan keeps crying.

The nanny prays to almost all the gods she knows. Her own kid is sleeping peacefully but if the prince keeps on crying, her son will wake up. Then if will be disaster. She can lose her job.

After almost an incense Zhan got tired and the slow swing made him sleepy. He leans his head on the soft shoulder slowly.

The nanny sighs in relief. She bows to Minister Xingchen in happiness "thank you , Minister. You saved me today."

Xingchen nods and was about give Zhan back but the nanny almost screams "Don't put him down !"

"Huh ?" Xingchen frowns.

"If you put him down, He will cry again. Please, minister can you take care of prince untill empress Yuzu takes over ? I will feed, bath and clean  prince.. just the other times.."

"Huhh ?" Xingchen frowns harder.

"Please minister , please !"

***

Zemin smiles at San Yi warmly "I will bring your sister back to you. Trust me ! I will talk with Xingchen as soon as possible."

San Yi smiles tiredly "thank you !"

Zemin stands up from the bed "Now, you take rest. Don't think too much."

"Where are you going ?"

"I need to pay Yang Xi and Meimei  a last visit.."

"I should do that too."

"No, you are already sick. Focus on healing you cheeks and neck wound."

San Yi smiles thinly "why try ! There will be scars anyway. I have accept this ugliness for the rest of my life."

Zemin sits back on the bed "You aren't ugly. You are beautiful enough. Don't say such words again."

San Yi looks at Zemin in the eyes "Can I ask you a question ? Answer me honestly!"

Zemin nods "what ?"

"What am I to you ? Do you .. really consider me as your consort ?"

Zhan Wiggles in Xingchen's arm as Xingchen has stopped rocking him for a long time. Xingchen turns his gaze back to Zhan. He pats his back before walking away from Zemin's door.

***

"You need help ?"

Xingchen who was rocking back and forth with Zhan in his arms, turns around "what are you doing here ?"

Zemin frowns with a chuckle "I can't be here ?"

"It's midnight!"

"I know that." Zemin takes Zhan from Xingchen's arms. He opens his eyes lightly "pa.."

Zemin grins and pinches Zhan's cheeks lightly. "He is only reason I can't really hate Zubina."

"Your heart is big. So many people can fit in there."  Xingchen walks away.

"Huh ?"

"Close the door when you leave and inform the nanny that Zhan is with you."

Zemin sits on the bed beside Xingchen "I am sleeping here !"

"You have your own room !"

"San Yi is sleeping in my room."

Xingchen sighs "so what ? He is your husband. There shouldn't be any problem."

"Why are you talking like that ?" Zemin's face becomes serious.

"Aren't you here to ask me about San Yi's sister ? About how to contact her ? How to bring her back ?" Xingchen almost shouts but he keeps his tone down because of Zhan.

"I wanted to ask that but what's wrong in it ?"

"Nothing. You can ask me directly. You don't need to pretend and sleep here for that."

Zemin's face becomes more serious. He places Zhan in the middle of the bed. "What pretend ? Xingchen be clear."

"I think I am clear enough. I am your chief minister. You can just order me to do a job and I will do it. You don't need to leave your husband in the middle of the night, just to ask me a favor. You can go back to your husband. Or he can doubt you."

"What doubt ? What are you talking about ?"

"He will ask you again what he is to you. Do you really think of him as your husband? Is he beautiful?"

"You listened to my conversation with San Yi ?"

"I am sorry, your highness. I didn't mean to. I was just passing.."

"You didn't hear my replies ?" Zemin cuts Xingchen's rants.

"I heard. He is beautiful ! He is ..."

"Shut up ! You didn't heard my reply whether I really consider him as my husband or not. I said .."

"I don't care. If you said yes then congratulations. If you said no then also congratulations, he is your husband no matter what !"

Zemin clenches his fists "after all this ,   you think that ? Don't you know how Simi trapped me into marrying him ? How your life was threatened time to time ? Why do you think I married San Yi ?"

"To save me ? Should I be greatful to you ? Should I kneel in forgiveness to you forever ? Should I ..."

"I never said that." Zemin closes his eyes in frustration.

"Then what's the point of bringing the past ? I don't want to listen to your stupid excuses."

"Stupid excuses ?" Zemin stands up from the bed "Is that what you think about me ?"

"I do. Because in the end, you really treat me like a guard dog. When you have the mood, you throw a biscuit at me. And then when you gain my trust, when I trust you, you throw rocks at me."

"You trust me ? You never trusted me , Xingchen. Tell me, why did you have the poisoned blade with you in the tunnel ? I asked you to give me some time. But you decided to trust Yang Xi instead. You are lucky, that you didn't end up like Yang Xi.

Do you have any idea how much you risked your life tonight ? You say that you trusted me ? If you have trusted me, then Simi's words wouldn't effect you this much !

You say I am pretending ? You are the one who pretend to love me for two years. Then you are the one who denied to marry me. Today San Yi is my husband because of not only Simi but also you. You are responsible equally , Xingchen!"

Zemin takes in a deep breath controlling his anger. "Because I don't show it, doesn't mean it doesn't affect me. At this point of life, I feel like you are taking my feelings for granted. If you really think all of my actions are pretentious and fake, then there is no point of me trying."

Zemin leaves the room, closing the door behind.

ㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁ