Water Master kneeled in front of the cold palace under the hot sun. She's been here for half an hour only, and she had started to lose her focus; water elementals shouldn't stay under the sun for long or in hot temperatures for prolonged periods.

She was kneeling with the thought that two hours would pass by immediately as they usually did. But it was harder since she was still recovering from her poor health; it was difficult for her to do this, but she was stubborn too, so she kneeled by the cold palace gates when she suddenly felt a shade on her face; she looked up to see Ghost King standing there shielding her from the sun.

"Leave, it's my punishment," she told him. 

"Don't assume that I am here for you; I was just passing by and saw this place. It looked interesting, so I came to have a look," he remarked casually. 

"Stand somewhere else then," she replied.

"I like this place," he said firmly.

ShuîYuê shook her head. She didn't feel as hot as before as the sun wasn't on her head directly. Instead, Ghost King stood there as sweat rolled down his temples.

"I am sorry about his Majesty," she apologised to him.

"Why are you sorry for him?" he asked calmly.

"He isn't like this, really, but it was still insulting," she answered softly.

"I don't feel insulted," he claimed, turning his head around as he observed the place.

"That's good," she said, unsure of what to say.

"Water Master?" 

"Hmm."

"What do you think about that woman who was a prostitute? How would her son feel to have a prostitute as his mother?" 

"He would be proud. His mother loves him, and she is trying her best to raise him, so he should feel proud to have a mother like that," ShuîYuê replied soothingly, her calm eyes looking at Ghost King.

Chéng Huá stared at her, 'You aren't like I thought you would be,' he thought to himself.

"Was your mother a prostitute?" she asked carefully. His face turned hard as he looked away. "I- I am sorry, I didn't mean to, please don't be upset!" she apologised, panicking, waving her hands around anxiously.

"She was, and I am not upset," he stated calmly.

"Please, I am sorry!" She stopped mid-sentence, realising what he said, "Oh, Oh, she must be so pretty," ShuîYuê rambled without thinking, 'Why am I so stupid?' She asked herself, embarrassed once again.

Ghost King stared at her before he broke into laughter; she looked up to see him laughing with his head thrown back; he had tears in his eyes from laughing too hard, and his body shook as well; for some reason, she liked hearing him laugh, she would like to see him smile more.

'ShuîYuê what are you thinking?' she scolded herself mentally.

Ghost King wiped his eyes, calming himself down, "She was a foreign beauty, as you can see," he responded, winking at her, ShuîYuê turned her head away as her heart raced.

Earth Master stared at the Crown Prince's face while he carried her to the infirmary, which was quite far away from where she had sprained her foot; she couldn't take her eyes off him; he's such a handsome gentleman, always respectful with everyone from maids to his father.

Shù Zìrán wondered who raised him to be so perfect, and she also questioned why he was so smitten by Water Master who in Earth Master's opinion was below average in everything she did, nor was she beautiful neither she had power, a crap personality followed with her rude behaviour towards everyone, from disrespecting senior officials by not attending banquets and gathering held by them to not have any friends other than Wind Master, she wasn't that great with her fighting skills either like Fire Master.

Earth Master was certain that Water Master would lose to her in a duel in less than two minutes, and how she fought General Yông was very clear to her, she was always on edge as Shù Zìrán had noticed her being anxious around everyone, there was nothing remotely likeable about Water Master so why was Crown Prince smitten by her? She must have done some black magic on him for her to like him.

The Crown Prince had the entire Heaven to choose from, and he liked this Water Master who couldn't even stay a day without getting injured; she was a walking, talking menace with frighteningly excellent control over her elemental powers.

GuānYû was rushing to bring Earth Master to the infirmary, worried for Water Master's safety; he turned a corner too fast, bumping his shoulder into the column and hurting Earth Master's already sprained foot more, "I am so sorry, Earth Master, are you alright?" He asked, looking down at her; she was trying to hide her pain.

"I am fine, are you alright?" She asked instead.

"Of course it's nothing," he assured, slowing his pace as Earth Master tightened her hold on his shoulders, scared that he would drop her, "Don't worry, I won't drop you," he added with a smile as Earth Master blushed bashfully.

"I don't doubt His Highness's words," she said softly as GuānYû chuckled.

"You are the only elemental who's mature enough among them all, Wind Master is bubbly and friendly and everyone knows her passion for shopping and attending parties," he spoke with a smile as Earth Master stared at his happy face, "Fire Master is the charming one whom everyone likes, he's also quite enthusiastic about fashion, you are the mature, calm one among them all."

"I am honoured that His Highness feels this way," she responded trying to keep herself from blushing even more.

"You are just a year younger than me. That's why you understand me better; I have quite the age gap with the rest of them," he stated, watching the branches sway with the wind.

"Fire Master doesn't act his age nor does Wind Master," she commented airily.

"They are both young; I believe they don't know the struggles of life yet; Water Master is quite wise, though," GuānYû remarked, sounding all cheery at the end.

"She's rude and immature," Earth Master spat without realising she was saying all this in front of the Crown Prince.

"Earth Master, you are too hard on her. I agree that she's very difficult to get along with or even talk to, but she's not that bad," he tried to persuade Earth Master into thinking Water Master was tolerable.

"I don't know your Highness, she never helps us in tasks and always has Wind Master delivering her letters and words through her, we all are elemental masters and supposed to support each other and work together, I don't understand why she tries to be the lone wolf," Earth Master put forth her thoughts as GuānYû nodded his head.

"She's indeed reserved and doesn't get along with anyone but maybe you should see her from my perspective," he replied as Earth Master gripped his shoulder.

"What is your perspective?" She asked stiffly.

" I think she's just nervous most of the time. Have you noticed how she's always on edge whenever Martial Hall gets slightly crowded?" Earth Master nodded her head at his question, "I believe she's scared of crowds, always clinging onto Wind Master for New Year's banquet party, not attending any invitations from Senior officials or other officials, flinching at the slightest sounds or touches, why would someone be anxious about people so much? She must have had some unfortunate experiences in the past; no one is the way they are just because they want to be; something always happens to change people."

"But that doesn't explain her rude attitude towards everyone; she doesn't even pay attention to what Wind Master, her only friend, is saying most of the time," Earth Master remarked sharply.

"That's not true, she's always listening to Wind Master, I have myself witnessed her moving away incense burners when they were irritating Wind Master's eyes and all that in a meeting with Father," GuānYû told,
"You haven't noticed her kindness, Earth Master."

"She's rude to everyone, including maids and guards; I don't know what kindness you are talking about; she acts like a spoiled child plucking flowers and putting them at random places," Earth Master disagreed with Crown Prince's words.

GuānYû just smiled at her words; Earth Master hadn't caught ShuîYuê playing tag with the children of maids in the back of the Central Palace; she wasn't the one who had found Water Master getting drenched to save a raft of baby ducklings who were being swept away by the strong current of the river.

Shù Zìrán hadn't seen ShuîYuê smiling at the moon with so much joy GuānYû was certain the moon was smiling back at her when he had the fortune of seeing her one late evening when Water Master was returning to Wudu Palace, Crown Prince had caught her making paper boats and trying to make them float in the narrow streams of Central Palace when she was stuck here in the thundering rain last July, he got where Earth Master and her dislike for Water Master was coming from.

ShuîYuê had never been inviting to anyone, or should he say kind to them, but he could see past the guards she had put up around her, and GuānYû knew exactly why she behaved the way she did; ShuîYuê was just trying to protect herself.

Martial Hall is the field of politics and manipulation; GuānYû had witnessed plenty of officials losing their lives or the will to live right under the nose of the Emperor; getting a position in the Heavenly Court had more to do with internal politics than actual talents and abilities.

His Father had concubines in numbers like a field of rice grains, to unite such a big part of Heaven Jun Wu married daughters or sisters of chiefs from different classes frequently, that's how he ensured his rule over vast territories, the only issue with humans and their greed was that it never ended, an eighteen-year-old girl who doesn't know anything about manipulation, revenge, politics, becomes a master at it in just a few years and every single one of them wants more power, from the lowest rank of escort to ascending with, companion, attendant, noble lady these four ranks had no limitations that meant that his father could marry as many women he wanted in these four ranks.

Competition begins after these ranks, concubine(6), consort(4), noble consort(2), imperial noble consort(1) and finally the top rank which has taken lives and made these women into living monsters, the rank of Empress(1), these upper five ranks has women fighting and killing each other.

GuānYû wondered how he survived being twenty-eight since most children of the Emperor die young due to this greed for ranks, his father's concubines had murdered many of his children so that their child could be the Crown Prince, and those who bore daughters were at least lucky that their child wasn't going to be killed for Crown Prince's position, Jun Wu married off his daughters to Generals of distant borders.

GuānYû was certain his mother had been quite the force in his father's harem to be the only Empress he ever had, there were no imperial noble consort or noble consorts, as they would eventually take control of the inner palace. Jun Wu ensured this by never bestowing any women with the first three highest titles; even Jīnyú's mother, who was from an important clan, wasn't titled with noble consort.

She died when Jīnyú was ten with her prestigious title of Consort Yu, only the Crown prince's mother had the highest power in the Emperor's harem as Empress, she had always been a strict mother to GuānYû, raising him to be the perfect Crown Prince and Jun Wu was hell-bent on keeping GuānYû as the only candidate for Crown Prince's position. GuānYû had no fear of other siblings of his; they could never surpass him anyway; if only Jīnyú hadn't seen his spiritual weapon before GuānYû had accepted it ten years ago, he would be Emperor soon.

So Water Master's aloof nature and coldness were very understandable to him, she didn't get in through senior official's recommendations nor was she the product of inner politics his father's concubines weaved so intricately, setting officials in his Heavenly Court so they would have pawns everywhere they were, however underestimating Jun Wu's cleverness, he wasn't hundred years old without seeing the world, there were reasons he only married GuānYû's mother forty years ago, she was the daughter of the chief of Ming clan, GuānYû was born after twelve years of their marriage and Jun Wu never had any kids with his other wives before his legitimate child was born.

Most junior officials be they civil, those who are scholars and handle the written work of Heavenly Court or martial, those who protect the army and fight battles were mostly chosen from the fifteen Senior officials, elementals were the only ones who weren't chosen through them, they were the only ones who fought for their positions, and GuānYû respected them deeply for that, they didn't get positions served to them on a silver platter, they got it through hard work and perseverance, and since elementals were rare Jun Wu couldn't risk his most precious protectors of the four major territories being idiots.

They managed and protected the four corners of Heaven while Jun Wu ruled over the centre of Heaven; according to him, ShuîYuê was cautious. She had always been cautious and smart with her dealings, just like GuānYû, who pretended not to like Jīnyú, she was pretending to be cold and aloof.

GuānYû would lay his life for his brother; since his mother passed away, Jīnyú was the only happiness he ever got. He was twelve years younger than him, and GuānYû would often sneak away from his training to play with baby Jīnyú.

Consort Yu was kind and loving giving GuānYû much-needed attention he never got from his mother, Jīnyú was the sole reason he could never be Emperor, and even after years of training and everything GuānYû went through the only thing left was his spiritual weapon just because he didn't have that he couldn't be Emperor, he couldn't fight a Supreme Ghost King without his spiritual weapon and he could never bring himself to hate Jīnyú for that. His Father, however, had been very crossed with Jīnyú since he was six, from scolding him whenever he came back for holidays to Central Palace to neglecting his son. He treated Jīnyú like he was a speck of dust on his shoes.

Water Master was the only one who loved Jīnyú as much as GuānYû did, she was childish and a little on the pampered side as she treated Jīnyú how her mother raised her with a lot of love and care, but that wasn't the only reason GuānYû was so in love with her, there were a thousand many which he could pinpoint day and night they would never end, pulling himself out of his thoughts he looked down at Earth Master.

"Earth Master, she's eight years younger than me and seven from you; she's just four years older than Prince Jīnyú, who acts like he's ten. What do you expect from people their age? I agree she's rude and aloof, but somewhere, I feel she's caring; I know that much with certainty," He said decidedly as Earth Master pursed her lips in a thin line, having no intentions of speaking about Water Master anymore.

Crown Prince gently put down Shù Zìrán on the infirmary bed, he retreated his hand back from under her shoulders, and she gasped quietly as she finally took a breath, she had been too nervous about him carrying her and had seized breathing for a while, a junior physician rushed to Earth Master's side as he noticed the Crown Prince in the infirmary.

"Your Highness, you shouldn't bother walking here yourself; you could have just ordered me to come instead," she replied, bowing her head.

"It's fine," GuānYû looked back at Shù Zìrán, "Earth Master has sprained her foot, do take care of her," he said giving Shù Zìrán a smile which had her burning cheeks even more purple.

"I shall do my best to provide the best care for Earth Master; rest assured, Your Highness," the junior female physician assured as GuānYû nodded his head.

"Take care, Earth Master; I have to go see if your important scrolls have been delivered to Father or not," GuānYû said to Earth Master, who nodded her head.

He stepped out of the infirmary, just about to leave for his Father's study when Ling Wen approached him, "Your Highness, Senior official Wu Yu and Jang are waiting for an audience with you."

GuānYû was conflicted; he wanted to go see if ShuîYuê was fine or not. He had to leave her with that scandalous Ghost King, but he couldn't let two of the most high-ranked senior officials wait; his Father wouldn't be pleased if he knew GuānYû was late to a meeting with senior officials.

"Sure, let's go," he nodded as Ling Wen waited for him to take a few steps ahead before following after him.

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Author's note:

I am so sorry the chapter is 3000 words long, I got swept away in my feelings and kept on writing, sincere apologies I'll make sure to keep the chapters smaller, and now that I have given you a very long chapter to read I shall go and write my fluid mechanics assignment tons of derivations lord have mercy on my tiny soul!!

What are the ships till now ? Any guesses?

Word count: 3000