Note : Sorry for taking so long time to finish this chapter. Finally I have some time to write this last chapter and I'm really glad that I did it. Thanks for all supporting. Your input and reviews really help me a lot. Sorry for wrong grammar or wrong vocabulary, since English is not my mother language. I would be very welcome if anyone want to be my beta reader.

Before you read this chapter, I just want to tell you that this story is just an alternate universe of the real history. In the real history, Cao Cao is not an emperor; he's just a general. However, after Cao Cao died, Cao Pi killed the emperor and took the emperor's seat. In my story, Cao Cao became an emperor of Wei, so that made Cao Pi became the prince of Wei.

Chapter 13 – The Delayed Performance

As the sun set and the full moon rose into the sky, the birthday ceremony for the emperor finally began. From the balcony, Lu Xun could see many foreign peoples from another continents and provinces came to the castle just to enjoy the ceremony. Some weird clothes, weird animals, weird vehicles, and some other weird things that Lu Xun have never seen; made Lu Xun really excited. He was glad that he could see all of this stuff before he went back to Wu. As he heard a beautiful melody from the harp, he went back to his changing room.

" Wenji, should we head into the stage now?" Lu Xun asked Cai Wenji who was still practicing with her harp.

" Unfortunately no, the knight hasn't called us. Hey, is that your costume?" Cai Wenji put her harp and looked at Lu Xun appearance. Lu Xun wore a teal green long robe, with some falcon feathers accent around the shoulder. The end of his teal green robe split into 2 just like the swallow's tail shape. The golden swallow ornament around the chest and the back are matching with his yellow long silk kimono sleeves. Lu Xun also tied golden ribbons on both of his wrists so that it would move beautifully every time he moves his hands. Cai Wenji moved toward Lu Xun and put a falcon hair ornament on his right side of his head. " The costume looked perfect on you… let me put some make up on your face, so that no one will recognize you…"

" It's okay, Wenji… I prefer to wear a mask to hide my identity." Lu Xun smiled as he put on his plain white half-mask that only covers his eyes and cheeks.

" You're right…" Cai Wenji nodded.

" Say, Wenji… isn't it take too long? The performance should have began as the sun set. It has been 1 hour we waited here, but no one is calling us…" Lu Xun looked around him. The other performers looked so curious as well. " I think it isn't only us, but all the performers as well…"

" You're right… The performance should have began an hour ago, but I don't hear nor see anyone who enter the stage up until now." As Cai Wenji and Lu Xun walked into the corridor, they saw Xiahou Dun in pale face.

" Xiahou Dun!" Cai Wenji bowed her head, " It's good to see you…"

" Ah, Miss Cai Wenji…" Xiahou Dun turned his head, " I'm sorry I don't know that you are here. It's a pleasure to see you."

" You look so pale… Is something wrong?" Cai Wenji asked.

" Emm… something bad happened…" Xiahou Dun seemed uncomfortable.

" Is it related for the delayed performance?" Lu Xun asked.

" Yeah… but please don't tell the other performers. I don't want to make them panic…" Xiahou Dun lowered his voice volume, " Prince Cao Pi went missing… and the emperor won't begin the performance until we can find him…"

" Cao Pi is missing…? When did you see him for the last time?" Lu Xun asked.

" If I remembered correctly, I saw him on his room on the afternoon. He has changed his clothes into the formal clothes, so I don't think that he would go anywhere…" Xiahou Dun explained, " Is he going to meet his lover again? Come on, not at these kind of time… Lord Cao Cao will be very angry…"

" It's impossible…" Lu Xun said. But before Lu Xun explained, the other officer has called for Xiahou Dun.

" I'm really sorry that I can't accompany you, Miss Cai Wenji. If you excuse me…" Xiahou Dun bowed his body and left Lu Xun.

Cai Wenji looked at Lu Xun, " Xiahou Dun said that Cao pi probably looking for his lover… Is that mean he was looking for you?"

Lu Xun blushed, " No, it couldn't be! Cao Pi wouldn't be that stupid…" Lu Xun thought for a moment, " No… he would be that stupid…" Lu Xun sighed. " If he were looking for me, probably he was waiting for me in your clinic. I think we should go back to your house…"

" Is it really okay to leave the performance? It won't be good if the performance began when we was looking for him…" Cai Wenji said.

Lu Xun crossed his arms and thought, " You have a point, but I will still looking for him… I don't know how to explain, but I have a bad feeling about it…"

Cai Wenji smiled, " It's okay… let's looking for him together. Maybe we could get some info from the other town people as well…"

" But what about the performance?"

" My performance would be worthless without your dance. Cao Pi is my best friend, so I have to help him. Let's go home now."

Lu Xun nodded, " But before we go home, I want to visit the barn..."

" The barn? But… Why? "

" There's something that I want to check…" Lu Xun looked into the window," Wenji, you know where the barn is, right?"

" Yeah, I used to play with Cao Pi a lot when we were young. I think I can lead you there, but is it okay to go there now?"

" All the guards are focus on looking for the prince, the barn should be abandoned now. Believe me, let's go to the barn now while the guards are looking into the other way!"

" You're right." Cai Wenji answered, " Let's take our cloak and jacket because it's kinda freezing outside. Lu Xun, don't forget to put your mask on."

Lu Xun nodded, " You get the point. Let's go!"

As Lu Xun predicted, all the guards are panic because they couldn't find the prince. They were looking aimlessly around the court, so that Lu Xun and Cai Wenji could sneak easily into the barn. There are about 20 horses on the barn. The horses looked really big and muscular, much more bigger than the horses in Wu. Lu Xun has heard that the best horses came from Wei, that's why he was curious about the rumor. But after seeing all of the horses in the barn, he believed in the rumors now.

" So, which horse will you take?" Cai Wenji asked as she wandered around the barn.

" I want to see Cao Pi's horse… I have talked to it before and it looked really kind… Ah, here he is…" Lu Xun headed into the white horse on the corner of the barn. The horse seemed recognize Lu Xun, so it growled happily.

" You can talk to animal?" Cai Wenji asked.

Lu Xun nodded. He put his hand on the horse's head. After he whispered to the horse's ear for a while, he looked into Cai Wenji. " It said that it didn't see Cao Pi since morning. It's quite unusual because he usually go anywhere with his horse, even just to visit the town."

" You really know about him…"

" The horse just told me about that," Lu Xun opened the fence and put the saddle on the horse's back. " Come on, Wenji. Let me help you step into the horse."

" Mmm… I don't think that it's a good idea to bring the horse along with us. The town is really crowded because of the ceremony. It would be very difficult to ride this horse on the town…"

" The horse said it's okay. He knew a secret passage through the forest to the town that Cao Pi usually use, so that the crowded won't bother us."

" I believe in you, Lu Xun, we should hurry…"

Thanks to the horse and the secret passage, Lu Xun and Cai Wenji could reach the clinic in a short time. As they arrive on the house, Gan Ning stood in front of the house.

" Gan Ning? What are you doing here?" Lu Xun asked.

" Who are you?" Gan Ning asked.

Lu Xun put off his mask, " It's me, Lu Xun…"

" Ah! Lu Xun! Sorry for not recognizing you, you look so different with those costumes and mask…"

" Take it easy, Ning. By the way, what are you doing?"

" I was looking for Xiao Hua… She said that she has something to do before we go to the festival. However, she hasn't came back until now… " Gan Ning answered.

" Xiao Hua is missing, too?" Lu Xun held his head.

" Too? You mean someone is also missing?" Gan Ning asked. " But hey, how about you performance? Has it finished yet?"

" Well, our performance was delayed because…" Before Lu Xun finished his sentence, he saw a girl with 2 twin-tails and green cloak ran to him. " Xiao Hua?"

" Big brother!" Xiao Hua ran toward Lu Xun and hugged him.

Lu Xun patted Xiao Hua's head, " Where have you been, Xiao Hua?"

" Big brother, our hut is invaded by a group of bandits. We have to fight them!" Xiao Hua pulled Lu Xun's hand.

" What?"

" I just went home to take something, and as I arrived there, I saw a group of bandits holding a very big bag. What scared me the most is the big bag was moving, as if there was something inside it! We have to fight them, big brother! We have to take back our home!" Xiao Hua said.

" A moving big bag? Is it Cao Pi?" Cai Wenji said.

" Yeah… I'm not sure but it could be Cao Pi…" Lu Xun jumped into the horse. " Wenji, stay with Xiao Hua for a while. I will check the hut with Gan Ning!"

" Wait, big brother!" Xiao Hua entered the house and brought Lu Xun's weapon and a lantern, " Don't forget to bring your twin swords… And…Promise me to go back safely…"

Lu Xun smiled, " Yeah, I promise you, Xiao Hua…"

The horse that Cao Pi has was really strong and fast. While it took about 2 hours to reach the hut, with that horse they could reach the hut just in half an hour. No wonder Cao Pi was really loves his horse. As the arrived there, they peeked the hut from the bushes. They saw no one around the hut. The hut was also so dark, as if there is no one inside.

" What's wrong, Lu Xun? Please explain to me!" Gan Ning asked.

" Cao Pi was kidnapped. The emperor was waiting for him to return. That's why the performance is delayed."

" WHAT? The prince is kidnapped? How could that happened?"

" Lower your voice, Gan Ning!" Lu Xun whispered, " I don't know either… something seems odd. The guards should have protected the family member of the emperor, especially on such important day like today. How could he be kidnapped then? It's also impossible if Cao Pi just go by himself because he left his horse on the barn. I don't know what is actually happen…" Lu Xun held his head. "And also… just look at the hut now. It has no sign of human being here…"

" Maybe they have left the hut or changed their plan?" Gan Ning asked. " Or maybe it was a trap…"

" You have a point. I will check the condition." Lu Xun held his weapons, "Gan Ning, you stay here. Please ambush the bandits if they come out."

" Wait, Xun!" Gan Ning pulled Lu Xun's cloak, "You should stay here. Let me check the condition. I can't let you fight, you have just recovered yesterday."

" It's okay, Ning. My body figure is smaller than you, so it would be easier for spying the hut. I also believe that you have the power to fight the bandits if I get caught…"

Gan Ning sighed, " Okay… if you insist… Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Lu Xun nodded and raised his hood as he headed carefully into the hut. As he peeked into the window of his hut, he couldn't see anything because it was really dark inside. Lu Xun walked into the door and pushed it. He saw no one inside. Lu Xun lighted his lantern and he began to explore the room. He could see that some chairs and furniture has been moved from the original position. Finally he found a big bag that Xiao Hua told before. He put the lantern on the floor and carefully opened the knot on the top of the big bag. He was surprised as he saw Cao Pi's body. Cao Pi wasn't moving. His body is completely freezing. Lu Xun opened the knots on Cao Pi's body and tried to shake his body.

As Cao Pi opened his eyes, he tried to punch Lu Xun, "Let me go, bastrad!"

Lu Xun evaded the punch and held Co Pi's fist. He lowered his hood and opened his mask, " Calm down, it's me…"

" Swallow? I mean… Lu Xun?"

Lu Xun smiled, " Yeah… I'm glad that you're ok… "

Cao Pi held Lu Xun's body and looked around, " Where is it? My head… It's hurt…"

" It's Xiao Hua's hut… It seems that some bandits tied you and brought you here."

" Mmm… I remember that I was reading a book on my room. Then a servant entered my room to bring the tea. After I drank the tea…. I don't know what happen after that…"

" Your tea was drugged by your own servant?"

" Most likely… there must be someone inside the castle who want to kill me. I have to go back to the castle to tell dad about it…" Cao Pi tried to stand but Lu Xun pulled his down.

" Calm down, Cao Pi… Just think about it, why did that person just use sleeping drug, not a deadly poison, if he really want to kill you… And also, why did that person hire bandits just to bring you here, not to kill you?"

Cao Pi sat in front of Lu Xun, " You have a point there…"

" May I know, what is your father plan to do on this festival? It seems that he really want you to be by his side, he even delays the performance…"

Cao Pi thought for a while. " Is it about the successor of his position? Xiahou Dun told me that among all candidates, there are only 2 strong candidates, my stepbrother and I. I bet it must be him who put me here…"

" Maybe he wants to ruin your reputation, so he made you absent on this ceremony. He won't kill you because all the crime would be pointed to him." Lu Xun said.

" Damn! I must kill my stepbrother now!"

" Calm down, Pi. It's your father's birthday celebration; some foreign people from many continent and country have come here just to celebrate it. Don't ruin his day…"

" You're right… I have to go back immediately, but my father must be really angry… How can I explain it to him…"

" I dunno…" Lu Xun shook his head, " Of only I can do something to help you…"

" Let's think together then… By the way, it's really cold here…"

Lu Xun took off his cloak and put it on Cao Pi's shoulder. Cao Pi grabbed Lu Xun's hand and kissed Lu Xun's hand.

" Cao Pi?" Lu Xun blushed, " What are you…"

Cao Pi struck Lu Xun's hair, " You look so different today…"

" It's my costume for the performance… Yeah, I know, it looks too flashy, doesn't it?"

" No…" Cao Pi pulled Lu Xun's body to his," You looked beautiful…"

Lu Xun blushed even harder, " Cao… Pi…" Lu Xun's words were cut by Cao Pi's kiss. As Lu Xun moved his body, Cao Pi tightened his grip and deepened his kiss. Since he didn't have anywhere to struggle, Lu Xun broke the kiss, but Cao Pi claimed his neck. " Cao Pi… stop…"

Suddenly Cao Pi saw a blade struck I inch beside him. He broke the kiss and saw a big figure on the door.

" Sorry to interrupt," Gan Ning entered the room, " It was completely freezing outside, let's get moving. If there's something that you want to talk about, let's talk about it in Miss Cai Wenji's house." Gan Ning looked at Cao Pi, " I don't care whether you're a prince or an officer. But I won't let you lay your hand on our precious one." Gan Ning pulled Lu Xun and hugged him.

" You challenge me, huh?" Cao Pi grabbed Lu Xun's wrist and pulled him.

" STOP! Both of you!" Lu Xun screamed, " We don't have enough time, let's go back to Cai Wenji's house!"