Yibo's pov.

I don't remember how I was able to come home that day, all I remember were the shocking scenes that I saw that day.

I am still in shock, my heart was still beating so fast, and I felt extremely nauseas, my head was spinning and I felt sick.

These were the people I had supporting all these years, these were the people I had been fighting for, I had been defending these people.

These were the people I hurt my Zhan for. My Zhan. He begged me so much, he cried and kneeled in front of me just for me to tell him to get lost. I called him names and I kept my knife at his throat, what have I done.

How could I do this to my Zhan. He was out there putting his life in danger for the people of this nation and here I was defending the very people who are destroying it. Tears spilled my eyes as I remember Zhan's face, his tears. He wanted to tell me where he was going and I didn't even listened to him.

And now I have no idea where he is, I want to go to him so bad, I want to just pack my stuff and run to him and tell him that I am sorry, that I will support him but I don't know where he is. Whether he is safe or not.

"Zhan..." I mumbled his name.

"Yibo." Once I entered the house, my family was waiting for me over there, my mother was seated on the sofa and my father and brother were standing.

"Where have you been Yibo." My father asked with worried in his eyes as he stared at me, "we have been worried about you. Crown prince is worried about you, he thinks your heart is elsewhere, what's going on with you?"

I looked at my father and wondered if he knew anything about the crimes that I just witnessed, so I looked him dead in the eyes and asked, "Father....do you know anything about Nathan Aberdeen's underground parties?"

My father looked confused and so did my brother, my father spoke, "What parties?"

So my father did not know, I took a deep breathe and asked, "Father... what if... what if... the emperor has done something wrong... are we still suppose to protect him?"

My father was confused and spoke, "Yibo, our duty is to protect the king no matter what. Under any circumstances we must always do our duty."

I clenched my fist, "but I don't want to! I want to question him, I want to know his reasoning behind doing things! Why should I blindly trust him! If he does something wrong then I want him to be punished for it to.."

"What are you talking about Yibo." my brother Adam spoke, "have you lost your mind? You cannot question the king!"

"BUT I WANT TO!" I yelled at him, "WHY ARE WE NOT SUPPOSE TO QUESTION THE EMPEROR! WHY ARE WE SUPPOSE TO PROTECT HIM! WHAT IF HIS WRONG! WHAT IF HE IS CRIMINAL! SHOULDN'T WE STRIP HIM OF HIS TITLE AND-"

Before I could complete my sentence my father slapped my across the face, my face flew to the side and for a second I heard a ringing sound in my ear. My father did not hold back.

"In this house." my father spoke, "we do not insult the emperor. How dare you Yibo, How dare you insult the emperor! How dare you bring shame to the Wang family. We are born to serve him!"

"I REFUSE TO SERVE HIM ANYMORE, I DON'T WANT TO! HE IS NOT A GOOD EMPEROR HE SHOULD NOT BE THE EMPEROR, FATHER COME WITH ME, I'LL SHOW HOW WRONG YOU ARE PLEASE....YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME, YOU HAVE TO..."

Before I could complete Adam punched me in the face and took out his sword and aimed at my neck, my mother immediately stood up, "Adam!"

Adam looked at me with fury as he said, "any Wang who cannot honor their duty, who wishes harm on the crown, should not be allowed to live... Yibo... you are a shame to this family, you should die."

I looked at my brother, the brother that I grew up with, the brother that I loved so much, the brother who was precious to me, ready to kill me, he was pointing his sword at me. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my heart, I felt like I was on fire. I so much pain that I could not describe.

My mother just stood and watch and my father was equally angry, is this how Zhan must have felt?

This is my karma for hurting him.

"Yibo." my father spoke, "take your words back, or else you will be punished."

"I won't." I spoke and my father slapped me again, "ADAM, GO AND BRING MY WHIP!"

Adam went and brought my dad's whip, me dad looked and spoke ,"last chance Yibo, except your mistake and take back your words."

"No." I said one last time.

"Alright, then take out your shirt."

"I did" and with that my father went berserk, he swung his whip and started to hit me as hard as he can and he did not hold back, the whip hit my skin making it burn, each attack was worse than the other, I closed my eyes and took his beating.

The whole time he was asking me to accept my mistake, and to apologize, but I refuse, I will not acknowledge my mistake, because I did not make any mistake.

After what seemed like about hours, he finally stopped, because he was exhausted and I was all bloodied, I was barely holding myself back from fainting. My entire body was covered in blood and sweat and I was in terrible pain.

I looked at my father with defiance, "I am not wrong!"

"YIBO!" My brother spoke, he took out his sword but he hesitated, even they cannot kill me.

"YOU WILL HAVE OUR ENTIRE FAMILY KILLED!" My mother spoke, "YIBO... PLEASE SON."

I closed my eyes and tears spilled, "mother, father, Adam why are you all not understanding."

"You are the one who is not understanding!" my mother shrieked, "dear, please."

I kept my hand over my chest as I felt pain in my heart and my mother saw that , she rushed to me and cried, "Yibo dear, please... you will die like this."

"I would prefer to die rather than serving that ruthless man."

"YIBO." My mother started crying and my father spoke, "if you do not accept your mistake, then you are going to be branded as a traitor and will be thrown out of the Wang family!"

"Fine!" I spoke and my father looked so angry that it seemed like he was going to vomit blood, "lock him up in the basement and don't give him any food and water!"

~~

The basement was cold and I was only wearing my pants, I was shivering and my body was aching so bad, my chest hurt so bad. Those scenes that I saw today flashed in my mind and the voices of those people filled my head.

I remember Zhan and his pleading face, I missed him so much. I burst into tears as I remembered him. I was missing his smile, his warm embrace, his gentle words. I missed him so much.

I laid there on the cold floor, calling out Zhan's name.

~~

The next day I was woke up when cold water was splashed on me, and my parents as well as my brother stood in front of me.

"Have you realized your mistake Yibo?" My father asked in a hopeful voice.

My mother spoke, "Yibo dear... just accept your mistake and come back to us."

"I am not wrong mother, father." I said, "I am not wrong... you are wrong."

My father was got angry again and said, "Yibo do you know what the Wang family does to the people like you?"

I nodded and my father asked, "what?"

"People like me are branded as traitors and thrown out on the streets."

"If you do not accept your mistake then that's exactly what's going to happen to you, you are also the commander of the royal knights, I will have to tell this to the emperor and you will be disgraced and humiliated in front of everyone."

"I know."

"And you are still not going to accept your mistake."

"No."

"Fine then... bring me the seal... and after that we will go to the emperor."

"Alright." I said.

My brother went and grabbed the iron rod and started to heat in the fire, my mother cried and begged my to reconsider, "honey, lets give him one more day... okay... let's just think it over." she said to my father.

"Don't waste your tears, mother I will not change my mind."

My mother came to me and slapped me across the face, "I want to talk to him alone." she suddenly said in her cold and authoritative voice.,

"But..." my father tried to argue but my mother gave him a look and said, "alone!"

My father gave her a look and nodded before he took my brother with him and left the room.

My mother finally looked at me and said, "Yibo... do you know that our Wang family is cursed?"