chapter 4

"Why do I need to learn swordsmanship?" Zemin complains while stopping Zixuan's attack.

"Because it's been one year since I officially announced you as the second prince of Zi, yet you don't know how to use a sword."

Zemin scoffs "So what ! You are the emperor not me. Who cares about the second prince's swordsmanship?"

Zixuan attacks again "Who cares ? Aren't You the one who wanted to replace me as an emperor ?"

"I already accepted my mistake. I was insecure and immature. I don't want to be emperor anymore. That suits you , not me. I better focus on my business." Zemin tiredly resists the attack.

"About your business, Xingchen told me ..I never knew you had a porcelain business ?"

Zemin sits on the sand avoiding the attack. He has no energy anymore. "I still have the business. That's what provided me all these years after I left home. My life is not like you."

Zixuan's face sours "I am sorry .."

"Don't.. I crossed that bridge already. But I seriously don't want to learn all these. Can we stop ? Aren't you scared if you teach me all this , I will attack you again ?"

Zixuan sits on the sand in front of Zemin "If it was one year ago, I would be scared but in this one year, I know you are ....

"Useless ?" Zemin tilts his head.

"Kind of !"

"You are useless too. You couldn't even catch Yang Xi in one whole year." Zemin rolls his eyes "Are you even trying to find him ?"

"I am really but he hasn't gone back to his kingdom. He has no friends, no relatives likes him and he is not in Zi. At this stage, I am out of options."

Zemin frowns. He knows Yang Xi very well. Yang Xi wouldn't stop until he takes his revenge. Yang Xi is planning something. And definitely something big. He is worried.

"What are you thinking?"

Zemin comes out of his thoughts. "um .. nothing. But Zixuan can I ask you one thing ?"

"What did you do to Yang Xi ?"

Zixuan frowns "what ? I don't understand.."

Zemin looks at Zixuan "I meet Yang xi three months after I left home. At that time, I just started my business. Yang Xi approached me with the excuse of buying porcelain.

But soon he mentioned I look like emperor Zixuan. I told him I was your abandoned brother. And he soon started asking whether I was angry or not .. whether I wanted revenge or not .."

Zixuan tilts his head "you are telling me that you didn't trap him with fake love but he did ?"

Zemin frowns "That time I didn't think it was intentional. But now as I look back .. he was never interested in porcelain, he was interested in my answers.

And then the provocations made by him here and there. He made my blood boil against you. And slowly we came up with the plan of replacing you and cage you in cellar.

I never said that I love him. He never said he loves me but we both said that we hated you. I know my reason, I never asked his reason."

"But you don't make mistakes ? Why didn't you ask him ?"

Zemin gives out a sigh "Because I did a background check on him."

"And ?"

"He isn't a prince of the Yuri kingdom." Zemin waits a little letting Zixuan process.

Zixuan frowns "That's impossible. I know him since childhood. And I have met him in Yuri palace. He is ..."

Zemin looks around before cutting Zixuan.

"Yang Xi is not a prince. Yang Xi is son of the chief minister of Yuri kingdom. Original name Mei Xi. Mei Xi borned one month after the original prince whose name was Yang Xi.

Mei Xi grew up playing with original Yang Xi but when they were twelve years old Original Yang Xi died. He fell from the roof while playing.

The queen of Yuri was in her deathbed at that time when Original Yang Xi died. The news would have killed her. So to hide it from the queen King took in Mei Xi as Yang Xi."

"Didn't queen recognise the difference of their faces ?"

Zemin's face becomes serious "Queen lost her sight in her last days. So she couldn't see the face. But don't you think all of it was so convenient for Mei Xi ?"

Zixuan frowns seriously this time. "How come I never knew ?"

"Because you already knew Mei Xi as Yang Xi. So you asked for his information.. where he is , what is he doing and all that ! Search deep. You are the emperor, you can get more information than me. I only got the story but I am sure ..."

" Mei Xi murdered original Yang Xi ? Mei Xi pushed him... he didn't fall accidentally?" Zixuan asks. He is thinking the same too.

"He murdered when he was twelve years old. He got away with it. You know what the saying ..."

"Murder is like buying luxury. The first time you do it, you ask yourself  'why' ? Second time, you ask 'why not ?' Zixuan face becomes more serious. He suddenly remembered.. queen of Yuri died because of slow poisoning. Someone gave her poison everyday until she died.

Zixuan needs to research Mei Xi or fake Yang Xi more. If what Zemin said is true, then Yang Xi definitely has a reason to target him. But what is the reason ?

***

Xingchen glares at Zemin as soon as he came back from court. He directly entered Zemin's bedchamber. "What did you say to his highness ?"

Zemin frowns "what ?"

"Why he removed me from Yang Xi's search case ? What did you say ?" Xingchen shouts.

"I said nothing about you." Zemin holds a glass of water in front of Xingchen.

"DON'T LIE ! DID YOU TELL THAT I HELPED HIM TO ESCAPE ?" Xingchen throws the glass away. His eyes are burning from anger. Tears start gathering in his eyes.

Zemin chuckles "I swear I didn't. Ok ! What you want me to do to make you trust me ? Say .. I would do anything.."

Xingchen grits his teeth "I would never fucking trust you. You can manipulate his highness , but not me ! If you think you can break the trust between me and his highness with your lies .. then you are wrong."

Zemin sighs. "Why are you crying ? I didn't ..."

Xingchen pushes Zemin's hand away "DON'T YOU DARE. I See Through You ZEMIN. You Want To Put The Blame On Me. After You Let YANG XI Escape ?"

Zemin walks closer to Xingchen.

Xingchen takes a step back "I Was Silent All These Time because I didn't need to explain to you ! But now listen , that time when YANG XI escaped  I WAS WITH HIS HIGHNESS. I SNEAKED OUT TO MEET HIM."

Zemin shoots a surprise look at Xingchen "What ?"

Xingchen huffs to release some of his anger "Aren't you the one who called me Guard dog ? Now you also blame me for betraying his highness?"

Zemin frowns with a serious face. If Xingchen didn't help Yang Xi then ... "Swear on Zi kingdom."

"What ?" Xingchen stops his rants.

"Swear on Zi kingdom that you didn't betray." Zemin repeats clearly.

Xingchen's face becomes sour with humiliation "Who are you to ask me that ? If his highness doubts me then I would do anything for him.. not for you."

Zemin pulls Xingchen by his wrist as Xingchen turns to leave. "Don't run away. If you aren't wrong , then swear."

Xingchen struggles to remove Zemin's grip.

Zemin pulls Xingchen closer. "Why do you need to sneak out to meet Zixuan ?"

Xingchen struggles more without any reply but he looses his balance making both of them fall on Zemin's bed.

If it was any other moment Zemin would have enjoyed the view underneath him , but now situation is different "Answer me or stay like this. I am not letting you go."

Xingchen closes his eyes in pain. Why he is the one in question , when he only served Zi with his whole heart for years. He needs to swear his innocence to someone who is a traitor of Zi?

Zemin's face softens watching the rolling down tears on Xingchen's face.  Why he ends up hurting Xingchen everytime, in every life ?

"I swear on Zi that  I was with his highness when Yang Xi escaped." Xingchen utters with closed eyes. "I asked his highness to move one of our's bedchamber. It's suffocating to live beside you."

Zemin's takes in a deep breath. He releases Xingchen's wrist but doesn't move from Xingchen's body "I didn't leave my bedchamber that day. You can investigate. I didn't help Yang Xi."

Xingchen opens his eyes to look straight at Zemin.

Zemin stares back at Xingchen "what? want me to swear ? I don't think you would trust me if I swear on Zi .."

Xingchen breaks the eye contact "move.."

Zemin ignores Xingchen's words just like he ignores every insulting remarks Xingchen throws at him.

Traitor ? - ignore !

Coward ? - ignore !

Hate you ? - ignore !

Suffocating? - ignore !

"Move !" Xingchen repeats again.

But Zemin doesn't move. He wipes the corner of Xingchen's eyes instead "I swear on ... umm ..  on Father Tao , I said nothing about you to Zixuan.

If he has removed you from Yang Xi case , maybe it's because he needs you to do something else, something more important. I don't know. But you are the chief minister of Zi. There is more to you than searching a missing person for one year."

Xingchen blinks. He knows that he shouldn't trust Zemin but.......

"Move ..." He asks in a low voice this time.

A grin appears on Zemin's face. "Only if you ..."

"I have jobs to do. I have no time to play chess." Xingchen cuts Zemin's condition.

"I didn't ask you to play chess. I want your help."

"Your wound is healed." Xingchen cuts again.

"It's father Tao's birthday next week. I want to gift him a porcelain collection and I'm going to restart my business again. Take me to the market."

"what do you want to buy ? Maids can buy those if you give them the list."

Zemin leans down and rests his head beside Xingchen's head with a big sigh . "I need to check the quality myself. I don't know the product quality of capital."

Xingchen tries to face Zemin but his cheeks hits Zemin's lips as soon as he tilts his head. He stops moving. "Capital has the best of everything."

"Still , I want to check with my own eyes." Xingchen feels every movement of Zemin's lips on his cheeks. Little goosebumps appears all over his body.

"Please .. help me , for father Tao , atleast."

Xingchen moves his cheeks away with a jerk "o.. ok ..to..morrow."

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