❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

It was now morning. The soft sunlight was hidden behind the clouds, casting dim shadows across the city of Beijing.

Yi-Nuo rested peacefully at the table, the cloak still lain over her shoulders as her eyes gently fluttered open.

Tap tap tap....

Her gaze sharpened, drawn to the doorway. There, framed against the morning chill, stood the young master. His expression was tense, his eyes scanning the street outside with a keen, troubled look. She then noticed his slightly disheveled appearance...his hanfu hung loosely around him, revealing his injured arm, slung carefully across his chest. His long, dark hair was unbound, tumbling down his shoulders—a reminder, Yi-Nuo realized, that he could no longer tie it up himself.

Tap tap tap....

His fingers drummed against the wood, a steady rhythm that filled the quiet room with a type of unsettling worry. To Yi-Nuo, this signaled that something was wrong.

"Young master...." She spoke, her voice soft and hesitant. "Is something troubling you?"

The male's gaze flickered to her, his expression lightening a little when he saw she was awake.

"Ah, Yi-Nuo...you're up. Good. there's something wrong." He voiced, his tone urgent. "Ba hasn't come back from his shift at the palace yet. He usually comes back sometime in the early morning, but the sun is already out, and there's not been no word."

Yi-Nuo felt her chest tighten, concern quickening her heartbeat. She stood quickly, her expression becoming worried and tense at the male's words.

"O-oh...that's quite concerning. Should we go and investigate?" she asked, brow furrowed slightly.

He shook his head, jaw set firmly.

"I'll go see if something has happened. It's best if you stay here, though. In case he comes back while I'm gone."

Yi-Nuo hesitated for a moment. He was injured, and it happened only just yesterday.

"I...I can go instead. You should be resting still. Master Zheng would agree." She voiced, worry lacing her tone.

He looked to her, tightly grasping the doorframe as he gave it some thought.

"It's safer if you stay here, Yi-Nuo. After what happened yesterday....I would be worried if you went out alone. The streets are dangerous these days."

She opened her mouth to protest, but a sudden voice from outside broke the moment.

"Young Master Zheng! I bring news from the Palace....Young Master Zheng?"

A eunuch from the palace ducked under the curtain into the clinic, his expression urgent as his gaze landed on the male.

"Yes? What is it?" He stepped forward, brow furrowed slightly.

"Young master, there's been another accident.
A member of the Emperor's court was found dead in his room last night. He was poisoned, as well. Like lady Cheng. The emperor went into a rage and immediately executed a palace maid. Im not sure what else happened, but your father was involved as well!"

Both of them became pale at his words, eyes wide and expressions tense.

'Oh no...Mei!' 

"Something's going on," The young master muttered under his breath, looking to Yi-Nuo and then back to the eunuch.

"We need to find my Ba...I'll go to the palace and investigate, you should stay here, Yi-Nuo."

Her brow furrowed gently, and she stepped forward, determined to plead her own opinion.

"I'm coming with you." She announced.
For the first time, the young master had heard her use a stern tone. He could tell by that and the way she looked at him with her deep brown eyes, that she was not going to budge.

After a short moment, he let out a sigh, exhaustion seeping through his gaze.

"Alright, then. We'll go immediately."

They closed up the clinic and started out the door, accompanied by the eunuch through the frostbitten stone streets of Beijing.

Yi-Nuo let out a shaky breath as she pulled her cloak over shoulders.

"You're worried about Mei, aren't you?" The young master voiced as he came to her side. He wore the cloak that Yi-Nuo had gifted him, as well.

She looked to him briefly, noticing that the rich color suited him. The sudden thought crossed her mind before she pushed it away, her gaze fluttered back to the street in front of her.

"...Yeah. Master Zheng, too..." She muttered, brow furrowed slightly before she spoke again.

"Well...I'm worried about everything, really."

She sighed, feeling her hands shake as anxiety coursed through her veins.

The young master was silent for a moment, before he lifted his own hand from under his cloak out into the chilly air.

His slender pale hand was shaking as well.

"...It looks like we're both anxious out of our wits,"  He voiced, prompting the faintest smile on Yi-Nuo's cold-blushed face.

Somehow, the smallest things that he did or said managed to put her at ease, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

They reached the gates to Tiananmen Square not too long after, placing a lump in Yi-Nuo's throat as they approached the eunuchs guarding it.
But because of the presence of the eunuch leading them, they let them pass without a word.

The crimson gates creaked, revealing the large stone court-yard that was currently being rid of snow by some servants.

"Come on, let's hurry." The young master voiced, offering Yi-Nuo a weak smile. She followed close beside him, suddenly feeling the urge to grab hold of his arm and hold it tightly, before quickly shaking it from her mind.

'What's gotten into me??' she hid her arms under her cloak, her gaze focused to the floor as they continued.

"I suggest you lift your hood, Yi-Nuo... I'm not sure how the emperor will take it if he sees you back here." The male voiced thoughtfully as they approached another set of crimson gates. The meridian gate.

"Alright, thank you."

She lifted the back of her cloak over her head, making her face barely visible under the fur on the hem.

They then continued across the stone flooring, past the Hall of supreme Harmony and through an alley-way, then, to the left, the Hall of mental cultivation towered over them. There were two lion guardian statues on either side of the large crimson gates, and a thin layer of snow covered the bright yellow roof-top.

"The emperor is inside. Please approach carefully and speak in a calm manner, he's...not himself recently." The eunuch stated, motioning to the gates of the palace.

"Thank you, we'll be careful." the male stated, starting forward with Yi-Nuo following behind.

They entered the courtyard, and were surprised to see the emperor himself kneeling at the front, tending to an incense burner.

"Who has given permission for you to come here? Whoever you are, I command you to leave at once." he spoke, his tone unwavering with a strange sense of sadness.

"Your majesty, please..." The young master pleaded, coming to his knees on the cold hard marble ground. Yi-Nu came to her knees as well, keeping her head low as she felt her heart beat quicken.

"I have come to ask about my Ba...and the court member that was poisoned."

"Hao Li-Wei? I  have already replaced him." he spoke quickly, his voice raising.

"And your father...why should I care about a man who has deceived me his whole life? You are no better, Mingze. I don't want to see you here ever again. Both of you, leave while i'm being kind."

'What does he mean by that...my Ba...decieved him?'

The young male's brow furrowed gently, his gaze flickering to Yi-Nuo beside him. They exchanged a tense glance, before another voice echoed throught the hall.

"Don't you think that's a little cruel, your majesty?"

The man's tone was light, playful almost...in a sickening way. The figure entered the main hall with the three of them, earning Yi-Nuo and the young master's attention.
A mocking smile graced his face, barely visible under the thin black veil that covered his skin.

"After all, it is an auspicious day, is it not? The birthday celebration of your first-born son? At least let them stay for the festivities."

"Yun-Shen...I suppose you're right, but this has to be done." The emperor spoke, finally standing from his spot on the ground. He looked to Yi-Nuo and Mingze.

Immediately, they both froze in place.

The emperor's eyes had been glossed with an eerie red tint, just like the thief from yesterday.

The young master stood, his breaths quickeneing as his gaze met with the veiled man's.

"But, my Ba...-"

"Your Ba is a crazy old coot. One that can't tell the difference between medicine and poison, apparently. He's been locked up for providing the means for Miss Tao to poison his close advisor and Consort. But lucky for you, he is close enough to the Emperor that he isn't planning on executing him."

Yi-Nuo looked to the young master, noticing his fists clenched and his jaw set sternly, though his gaze wavered.

"What are you saying?" he shouted, brow furrowing deeply as he took a step forward. "My Ba is not crazy! He didn't do any of that! Who are you to accuse an innocent person of something like this??"

The man chuckled, seemingly entertained. His red hanfu sleeve fluttered as he put his arm out, motioning to the emperor.

"A trusted advisor." his eyes lifted with a grin, gaze narrowing toward the young master, before finally landing on Yi-Nuo.

"Now, Young lady...I think it's time you return to your duties here. The palace is now one maidservant short, what with that other girl found guilty of both the poisoning crimes, your name has been cleared."

Her breaths quickend, heart beating quickly. It was loud in her chest, almost to the point she couldn't hear what anyone was saying around her.

"W-what do you mean?" she finally spoke up, stepping forward anxiously as her voice trembled. "Who...who was guilty?"

The man smiled, taking a few steps forward until he was in front of her. The young master took note of his strange behavior and came close to her as well, their shoulders brushing as he looked to the man, brow furrowed.

"Tao~Mei."

His sing-song tone echoed through the hall, striking Yi-Nuo in the heart. Her brow furrowed, tears stinging painfully in her eyes. Her lip trembled, fists clenching the fabric of her hanfu.

"No...." she muttered, stepping back from the man. "Thats...not possible."

Her memories flashed back to that day, pieces hesitantly began to fit together in her mind. Ones that she had been ignoring, not recognizing until now.

"Actually,,, a favor would be nice." The girl smiled bashfully, "I've got that pain in my leg again...and Ms.Cao asked me to bring these to Consort Cheng...I don't think I'd make it all the way over there..."

A smile graced the young woman's face.

"I got it. Don't worry," she voiced while taking the tray from her. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable, and I'll hurry back so we can have some tea together!"

The girl, Mei, smiled with a nod.

"Thanks, Yi-Nuo....I owe you one!"

Her sweet voice echoed in her mind. Mei was the only one that had been to Yi-Nuo's room before the accident, before they found the bottle in her desk...the thought had crossed her mind before, but she refused to think about it further.

Mei was a dear friend. Someone she cared about, someone she loved.  The thought of her being capable of doing something so cruel made her mind spin.

"Yi-Nuo..." the young master spoke, brow furrowed with melancholy. He turned to the veiled man, his expression shifting to something more tense. Anger flashed in his eyes.

"What? Don't believe me?" he voiced, sensing the man's emotion, " Why don't you ask the emperor, he's the one that slit her throat with a broken piece of porcelain."

Yi-Nuo's breath caught in her throat, and she fell to the floor, choking back sobs.

The male hesitated to meet eyes with the emperor, a mix of emotions coursing through his veins as the man nodded slowly.

"Yes. I did. I eliminated the threat, thanks to this man here, who offered me the information concerning Consort Cheng and my advisor. Now, Zheng Mingze...leave the palace immediately, and don't ever come back. I don't want to see you or your father ever again."

The young master tensed, his heart beat pounding quickly.

"That's enough, You're lying!" he shouted, looking to the veiled man, breaths quickening. "You're lying about both of them-"

"Mingze! I'll only say it once more...get out of my palace before I lock you up too!" The emperor interrupted, eyes burning with rage. He looked to the Eunuchs guarding the gate.

"Guards? Take him away. Throw him out and don't ever allow him back here."

Yi-Nuo looked to him, their gazes meeting in a brief moment of pain. She wanted to stand up and defend them both, but the weight in her legs held her down. Her mind felt dizzy, her eyes clouding with tears.

He quickly knelt down to her, pulling a folded piece of paper from his sleeve, he stuffed it under her cloak in her hand, as their eyes met once more.

"Don't give up, Yi-Nuo. Endure...I'll find a way to fix everything, I promise." he whispered before standing again.

One of the eunuchs grabbed his injured arm and pulled him away from her, causing a spark of pain to travel from the wound. He grimaced, looking to the veiled man who only smiled sickeningly as the guards drug him away.

She came to sobs, tears flowing freely down her flushed cheeks. She hid the paper in her sleeve, fearing that someone might try to take it. But luckily, he had been quick enough that no one noticed.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Authors note
Hello! Thanks for reading this chapter! I've decided to make them a little shorter from now on, just to break it up a little bit. But I hope you enjoyed the suspense and angst in this one lol, I would love to see your thoughts in the comments!
Sending kisses <33