- Chapter Start –
"Bixia, the Styx Flower is the only thing that can cure Li LianHua," Di FeiSheng reiterates, keeping his voice as even as he can.
"No. Out of the question!" The Emperor snaps.
He's projecting outrage, but underneath that is an undercurrent of fear. Di FeiSheng is more than capable of sensing it, having challenged hundreds of men and seeing the same emotion in their eyes the instant they realise they're in a fight they have no chance of winning.
They may have feared for their lives, but Di FeiSheng knows the Emperor also dreads the safety of his family, and the peace and stability of his kingdom, if Li LianHua should live.
No.
If Li LianHua should live and do something about his royal Nanyin heritage.
Bah! All that lazy man cares about is planting vegetables, cooking inedible food, going fishing and basking in the sun. Di FeiSheng pushes aside the fact that nothing would give him more pleasure than to accompany said lazy man in those useless pursuits for the rest of their lives.
"Fuwang," Princess ZhaoLing says, subdued, "please allow me-"
"I'm not done with you yet." The Emperor rounds on her. "Taking something from the Treasure Room out of the palace without even consulting me. Such disgraceful conduct from a princess! Have I truly spoiled you that much?"
"I just want to help Li LianHua. He's my good friend," Princess ZhaoLing says tearfully.
"Bixia." Xuan YuanXiao indicates the six guards surrounding Di FeiSheng with a slight tilt of his head.
The Emperor dismisses them, leaving behind Xuan YuanXiao, Princess ZhaoLing, Yang YunChun and Di FeiSheng. Afer the door closes, he turns back to his daughter.
"Because of your doing, Yang YunChun will lose his position and the guards guarding the Treasure Room will be severely punished. When I find out who told you about the Styx-"
With a little gasp, Princess ZhaoLing hurries forward and – to Di FeiSheng's surprise – drops to her knees beside him, hands clasped in front of her.
"Fuwang, I was the one who took it. Please don't punish Yang YunChun or the guards or – or anyone else. I will bear all the punishment myself!"
"Don't think you will be exempted," the Emperor growls. "From now on, you are forbidden from leaving your rooms without my express permission!"
"I…" Princess ZhaoLing nods, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Betrothal negotiations will be held, but not with Fang DuoBing!"
She starts crying with hitching, pitiful sounding sobs.
Feeling an unaccustomed and bothersome twinge in his chest, Di FeiSheng glares at the Emperor who looks a little nonplussed at his daughter's lack of protest.
"Hm. We will continue this later," the latter says and tips his head at Yang YunChun who steps forward and helps the princess to her feet.
"Bixia, I will not leave without the Styx Flower," Di FeiSheng persists. "I refuse to let Li LianHua die."
"Li LianHua gifted that flower to me of his own free will," the Emperor replies. "He has made his peace with death."
"But I have not," Di FeiSheng states through gritted teeth.
"He was Li XiangYi, your greatest rival. You should be relieved he will soon be gone from this world."
Each word feels like a stab to Di FeiSheng's chest. He fists his hands tightly in his robes to stop himself from doing something rash. Like lunging for the Emperor's neck.
"Relieved?" He shakes his head, a harsh laugh escaping his lips. "No. Not relieved."
"And why is that?"
While Di FeiSheng knows the Emperor is just drawing this out, he can't help replying anyway.
"He is my greatest rival, my closest friend, and my equal."
"He is also the biggest threat to this kingdom!"
"He's no threat. He even gave up the Styx Flower to obtain the freedom of Fang DuoBing and his family."
"What threat?" Princess ZhaoLing asks at once. "Li LianHua is just a doctor."
"It's none of your business," the Emperor tells her.
"If it involves Fang DuoBing or his friends then it is," she insists. "Is it because Fang DuoBing is Shan GuDao's son?"
"That's enough!"
Di FeiSheng feels his frustration spike and bites back a growl. He has little patience with petty family quarrels especially when each wasted second equates to the remainder of Li LianHua's time running out.
"Bixia, you have a dozen physicians at your beck and call," he grounds out, uncaring that he sounds less than polite now. "You have a roomful of treasures. What need have you for the Styx Flower when Li LianHua's life is at stake?"
The Emperor jumps to his feet, face turning red with anger.
"You go too far!" He turns to Xiao XuanYuan. "Get Dian Qiu here!"
- o –
Today is, hands down, the most stressful day of ZhaoLing's young life, excluding the two months she spent in the Red Mountains after being abducted. Since morning, she's been swinging between excitement, worry, happiness, dread, suspense and guilt.
Now, she's even more determined to find out what it is they're not telling her. It's obviously a secret big enough to affect her father and make him believe Li LianHua a threat!
Right now though, she fears that he's somehow discovered that it was Dian Qiu who told her about the Styx Flower. Her heart skips a beat when Dian Qiu enters the room with two other guards. They greet the Emperor without looking at anyone else.
ZhaoLing has told Li LianHua that Dian Qiu is a trusted aide from her hometown, but only she knows he was also her late mother's childhood sweetheart.
"Twenty lashes for Di FeiSheng's insolence," the Emperor orders. "Begin!"
ZhaoLing's poor heart jumps into her throat, her initial relief for Dian Qiu's safety morphing into renewed dread for Di FeiSheng's wellbeing.
"Fuwang, please reconsider," she begs. "Di FeiSheng means well. He only-"
"Enough!"
ZhaoLing bites her lower lip as Dian Qiu removes a coiled whip from his belt. His two guards grab Di FeiSheng's arms and force him to his knees before backing away.
"Gongzhu, you should close your eyes," Yang YunChun says in a low voice.
ZhaoLing shakes her head, fingers twisting in her sash. She was the one who had caused this. Her wanting to help Li LianHua has led to Di FeiSheng, Demon Leader of the JinYuan Alliance, about to be whipped. It's all her doing!
Dian Qiu raises his arm and brings it down sharply. The whip snaps across Di FeiSheng's broad back with a loud crack. His expression doesn't change, but ZhaoLing and Yang YunChun both flinch.
"One!" One of the guards start keeping count.
"Gongzhu, please, look away," Yang YunChun whispers urgently.
But she can't. The whip falls a second time and again she flinches, eyes watering. She presses a shaking hand to her mouth.
"Two!"
The whip falls again.
"Three!"
She finds herself taking a step forward with no idea of what she's going to do, but Yang YunChun hastily grabs her arm and pulls her back.
"You mustn't interfere," he hisses.
The whip falls again, this time tearing the fine crimson silk of Di FeiSheng's robe.
"Four!"
He's still silent, glaring at the Emperor with hard eyes and clenched jaw. ZhaoLing catches sight of her father's white knuckled fist resting on the table, but is too distracted to understand what it might mean.
Another crack.
"Five!"
And another.
"Six!"
When Dian Qiu raises the whip again, it's painted red. ZhaoLing's stomach heaves at the sight, heartbeat thundering in her ears and chaotic thoughts flying through her mind.
There are still fourteen more lashes to go!
How can the fierce Demon Leader submit to being flogged like this?
Is he hoping the Emperor will change his mind afterward?
And how can she ever face Fang DuoBing again when she can't even protect his friends?
With a desperate cry, ZhaoLing rushes forward, flinging her arms around Di FeiSheng as the whip falls again. Fire blazes across her shoulder and stings her cheek which the tip of the lash kisses.
The pain is indescribable.
She screams, barely hearing the cries of horror and pounding feet as she falls backwards. Someone grabs her before she can hit the floor. Half blinded by tears of pain, she sees Di FeiSheng glaring down at her.
"Are you mad?!" He hisses. "This is for me, not you!"
She opens her mouth to protest, but what comes out is another scream as more hands grab her and pull her away, fingers digging into her bruised skin. Her father's face comes into view next, white and distraught.
"Qing-er, you foolish child! Why did you do that?" His eyes are glistening with tears. "What would your late mother say if she knew?"
"She… she would give the Styx Flower to save Li LianHua," ZhaoLing replies.
- Chapter End -
bixia = your majesty
fuwang = royal father
gongzhu = princess