Author's Note:

Mind you, this is a very long chapter. No, it's not spartace. This is the conclusion to Ji Hyo's stay in Yuan and the perspective of the Emperor.

 

**Special Episode**

The Emperor sat on the boulder in his white robe. Worn out and still healing, he glanced into the setting sun. Everything in the palace was the same. The palace walls, the engrave rails, the river still flowed. Only different faces appear.

24 years ago, he buried his brothers. Today he buried his nephew.

*

~More than 30 years ago~

“Prince Ou Xiang! Prince Xue Lang!” the nannies and maids called for them worriedly. The two mischievous boys, one around 10 and the other around 12, snickered as they hid under the building. They smirked as they run out of sight while the voices called for them in the back.

“Xue Lang, you !” the 8 year old screams behind him at the secret hideout. His face flushed up red.

“Who? Who are you addressing as the you dwarf!?” He screams back.

She stomps towards him. “Then should I address you as the PRINCE Xue Lang?!” She angrily shouted and emphasized the last two words to him.

“SH!” his hand covers immediately.

She bit his hand, making him pull back but she wouldn’t let go. He ends up pushing her head away and pulling her hair but her bite was tight.

“Ah!” he screams as he felt his skin tearing. She finally loosen and fell on the ground as he clutched his hand, checking for any torn skin.

Blowing his hand, he stops and sniffs it before pinching his nose with his left hand.

“What the hell did you eat?! Garlic? Ugh~”

She rubs her head and glares at him.

“Serves you right.” She stands up and grabs the pendant from his hip. “I knew it! You stole this from the ladies’ bathing quarters huh?”

He fights with her to get it back but she holds it away.

“What do you know, shorty?” he teases her.

“More than you dimwit.”

They pushed each other until he managed to take it, making her fall into the muddy ground of the newly rainfall.

She wiped her face and as Ou Xiang runs along to check on them.

“What happened?” he asked Xue Lang who only stared at the muddy puddle. He turns his head and they both laughed at her.

She touches her clothes, remembering the importance of the day, she screeched loudly, barely deafening the two boys.

A string of cursed words starts blabbering out and they could only zip their lips. The string of curse words was nowhere near ending as she sat in the sun with her clothes lying on the rock to dry.

She finally finished cursing as she finished putting on the shoes.

“Am I correct?” she turns her head to ask them.

To her left, the two boys sat with their clothes messy and mix-matched as she had taken Xue Lang’s outer garment for the shirt and Ou Xiang’s outer garment for pants. They sat disheveled and tired, bored out of their mind. They haven’t been listening to what she had to say for the last thirty minutes to an hour.

She finally sat in between them and watch the view as if nothing had happened.

That’s how it always was. They could never win against her. Ji Hua was not only the most annoying person in the palace, but their only most annoying little princess.

Ou Xiang the orphaned prince being raised by the Empress Dowager, Xue Lang the fourth prince of a concubine and the Emperor, and Ji Hua the only young princess of the Prince of Langye who lives in seclusion were outcast by the other royal members.

***

 

Though she was much of a talker and troublemaker, she made sure to show up when there was trouble. And as much of a headache she was, she was also their savior.

He remembers when she protected them when the group of dogs was about to bite them. She had accidently kicked a wad bee nest at it, making them run like wild.

Only, she stepped on poop and they had to help her scrape it off her favorite shoe.

“I wonder who will be in their right mind to marry a foul mouth girl like you?” Xue Lang fussed.

“Don’t even start it, I don’t think she will even get a candidate,” Ou Xiang chirped. “Just her face will scare the boys away.”

They turned to face her as she glares at them deadly, making them quiet. “I wonder why two young boys are so scared of dogs? What a sight. Maybe I should’ve brought a few girls to see. The court has been quite down; I should probably ask my father to bring in some dogs into the palace to keep you boys accompany.” She grins the most devilish grin at them, making them gulp and sweat.

“No way…” Ou Xiang whispered.

“She won’t.” Xue Lang whispered.

She did it anyways. That day, they ran through the whole courtyard, dodging her path at any sight. But being the quick-witted troll she was, she dropped the puppies right into their hands, leaving them screaming for help.

In the end, it took them two weeks to get her to take out the dogs from the palace.

****

She had to leave the palace to the ladies’ quarter for her princess, becoming a lady, training. She dreaded the thought of it and sighed as she squats down by the courtyard. She had been grilling a chicken and trotted over the thoughts of having to restrain herself like a ‘lady’ should. It will take her years. Oh the freedom~

She sighs then smells something burning and sees her chicken turning black.

“Ah!” she screams and blows out the firing, stomping on it. Instead, she hurt herself as he and Ou Xiang came by at the time to sneak on her.

They end up sitting together, looking at the stars.

“I didn’t know the day would come like this,” Ou Xiang whimpers as he takes the piece of chicken.

Xue Lang also dreaded as he held the meat. “And we were planning to go fishing tomorrow…”

She sighs and holds the chicken. “I know right…” She deadpans them, “Just because I’ll be gone, that doesn’t mean you two can replace me with someone else.”

Xue Lang ignores her and pushes her head out of the way to speak to Ou Xiang, “We should invite the other princesses.”

“We totally should.”

“I’m right here.” She glares at them.

Ou Xiang his head behind her and Xue Lang does the same.

“I haven’t seen Rurong for a while, do you know if she can fish?”

“I can ask for her if you want,” Xue Lang agrees.

Ji Hua deadpans and sighs as she takes a big bite from the chicken in her hands.

Suddenly a string of curses warped between the two boys frowns and come back to the front and observes the girl between them spitting out the chicken and curse words.

They turned away and rubbed their ears and each take a bite out of their own chicken… only to spit it out and look at her in disgust, understanding what she was blabbering about.

“ugh~!” She stomps up. She turns around and points at the two boys. “And you two, go ahead. I don’t want to be involve with you anymore. Such dimwits who **** their pants and peek at old ladies in the streets and sneak out to play. Fishing? Ha, don’t make me laugh. You’re not the slightest good at fishing!”

Ou Xiang stands up, “W-Why do you say so? We caught so many fishes last time.”

“Right.” Xue Lang stands up and crossed his arms.

Ji Hua pinches her forehead and rolls her eyes, “Sure there were fishes…” she points to herself, “and I did the fishing by myself as you two were busy playing hide and seek in the water,” and points to their legs, “to only get bit by the mini-turtles.”

Their face reddens at her word, remembering the time instantly.

She stomps away, “Why am I even related to these two idiots?”

“Hey troll, your chicken.” Xue Lang calls after her but she didn’t even look back.

“You eat it!” and she disappears into the backyard.

The two boys sat by each other and complained about her.

They finally sigh and Ou Xiang looks at the burnt chicken. “That little scoundrel… how can she think we will replace her with someone else?”

“Out of all the princesses, she’s the only one that will even talk to us like real kids,” Xue Lang adds.

“It will be a long time before we see each other again. I heard that princess grooming and becoming a lady training takes years.”

Xue Lang stands up. “Alright, fine. Since she will be leaving us to become a lady, let’s show her much of a gentleman and good fisher we will be.”

Ou Xiang gets up and the two boys high-fived.

***

Just like that, their childhood flew by they had already reached their teens. Ou Xiang had turned 20, Xue Lang 18, and Ji Hua had bloomed into her young ladyhood of 16.

Who knew eight years will fly by this fast?

Their reunion was unexpected and unrecognizable.

Her youth had blossomed and marriage proposals came from across the land for her. Catching the eye of the Prince of Su. She adamantly refused to answer and locked herself in Langye Palace with her parents.

Ji Hua pours the bucket of cold water over her head.

“You dummy, are you trying to kill yourself?” Xue Lang yells at her.

“You are already sick enough, why are you doing this?” Ou Xiang tries to climb through the courtyard.

But she only looks at the ground. She takes another bucket of cold water and pour it over her head, drenching her in water. Her lips had turned bluish-purple, shivering from the cold. Ou Xiang reaches her and stops her from drenching her with another bucket of water.

“Ji Hua!”

Xue Lang reaches them as Ou Xiang stops her.

“Look at you,” Xue Lang sternly nags her.

“As long as I’m sick, I don’t need to see him.”

They froze at her words. She raises her head and looks at them, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“As long as I’m sick, I can stall time and not give an answer to the Emperor. Then… then… I won’t have to-“

Ou Xiang pulls her into his chest. “You dummy, how can you think like that?”

Ji Hua turned quiet and soon hiccups in his chest. With her hands raised to his side, she clutched tightly to the sleeve of his shirt.

“I-I’m afraid…” she whispered in a shaky voice, as if she was about to cry.

Xue Lang looks at her pitiful state. He could only reach his hand out and pat her head silently as she cried in Ou Xiang’s arms.

After lying her on her bed, they were informed by the doctor that because of the cold water, her cold had become worse, pneumonia.

They both sat beside her, taking turn changing the towels for her headache.

Xue Lang looked at her tender face and upset over the fuss of her marriage. “Take care of her,” he leaves the room as Ou Xiang calls after him.

*

He met with the Emperor, his father and questions why Ji Hua was chosen to marry the Prince of Lin State.

“Do you have feelings for her?”

“I-“ he stops at the realization of his meaning.

The Emperor studies him. “I know that both you and Prince Ou Xiang cherish her, however, this is a political matter. Yuan and the Lin State has been part of an ally from long before. If Princess Ji Hua is to marry him, our political ties will strengthen and with Lin State’s enforcement, we may become a bigger country.”

“But…” he looks up at the Emperor. “She’s not willing.”

His brows furrow, “How do you know?”

Tongue-tied, Xue Lang looks down.

Sighing the Emperor takes his son by the hand and points to the city. “Because I am the ruler of this city, of this country, it is my duty to take care of political matters firsthand.”

Xue Lang looks depress as he looks out to the city. The city was dark as the cloak of the sky covers it. Only the torches of the guarding troops and citizens kept the city alive.

His father touched his shoulder. “Do you want the throne? If you want it, you will have a long way to go,” his father lightly smiled.

Xue Lang takes one more glance at the city then answers his father, “No.” He turns to his father. “The more I look at it, the more I despise it. It makes me uncomfortable.”

The Emperor looks away and chuckles. “Like father, like son.”

Xue Lang shook his head. “No, we are different. Father is the Emperor of Yuan and son is the prince of the 8^th concubine, 4^th prince. If Father Emperor found it uncomfortable, why did you throw away mother?”

The Emperor’s gaze turn cold.

“I don’t want to be like Father Emperor.” The wind rustles as his hair flew past his face. “I am so high above the ground, looking over the city, and Father Emperor is by my side… But why do I feel so alone?”

With his eyes, shimmery with unshed tears he turns to the Emperor,

“Fourth Prince may have spoken out of line, Father Emperor please forgive me. About Princess Ji Hua, please delay the marriage until Princess Ji Hua recovers and is able to make a decision. Then, I’ll excuse myself.”

He bows deeply and turns to leave.

“If I want her to marry Prince of Lin, then she will marry him.”

He stops and turns his head slightly back. “No, you won’t.”

“No?”

“I won’t let you. Even if I can’t stop you, there are other ways.”

The Emperor gives him a stern look. “With every decision, there is a price. Do you think you have what it takes to pay with the decision you make?”

“Isn’t Father Emperor doing the same?” His words made the Emperor’s body colder than before, touching a soft spot in his chest. “Isn’t Father Emperor paying the price for becoming the chosen one? Such pity…” he whispers the last words and walked away.

After Princess Ji Hua’s marriage was turned over, Xue Lang watches the Prince of Su turn away sadly. He smiles, seeing how happy Ji Hua was.

Only did he not know… the price he would have to pay…

***

Ou Xiang was getting married to a Japanese princess. He had never thought of marriage before. Therefore, it was overwhelming for him. He scurried back and forth in his room.

Finally, he sat outside to watch the stars.

“What are you thinking?” Ji Hua plops down by his side.

He sighs, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” she repeats and he nods. “Really nothing? Nothing at all? I thought there was something and wanted to gossip with you.”

He chuckles, “I forgot, no other princess will talk like you.”

She chuckles along, “And I know no other princess will talk to you like me.” She stops for a while, “Really, there’s nothing?”

He chuckles again.

“When Ou Xiang says there is nothing, there is usually something.” And this time he nods in agreement. She frowns and observes his face.

He sat still and moments passed by as they stayed quiet.

Slowly, he lies next by her shoulder. “This must have been how you felt…”

She sat still, listening to him.

"I wonder how she feels," he whispers before falling asleep.

Ji Hua sat by his side and gently pats his head, not knowing what was happening.

Xue Lang stands afar as he spots them falling asleep by the pond.

***

Ji Hua stands by the guidelines, clenching her fists as she bit her lips.

As Ou Xiang and the foreign woman bow to the elders, she didn't dare to look up. Her eyes filled with tears, threatening to fall from her eyes.

As they finish bowing and are about to make their way down the aisle, she felt the rapid urge to step up.

Instead she felt her body weaken as they walk passed her.

A trickle of salty water drips down her face as she raises her head slightly.

Xue Lang appears in front of her and raises his hand to her face, wiping away the drip of tear from her cheek. His actions made her look down, afraid the others would notice her. The other imperial prince and princess looks at them.

He nudges his hand towards her, "If you're done, let's go."

Keeping her head down, she reluctantly takes his sleeve. He grins at her childishness and proceeds to walk down the aisle with her as the others stare on.

Ou Xiang who turns back to look at them stops as he sees them walking side by side. They made a turn at the intersection and left the banquet.

They end up sitting by their secret hideout without Ji Hua downing food, tray after tray through tears. He sat by the boulder, watching over her as she cries silently with the disguise of eating.

Hearing her choke, he jumps down by her side and pats her back carefully.

"If you are gong to cry, then cry properly. If you're going to eat, eat properly. Mixing food and tears?!"

She spits ut the sun that she's choking on and takes a deep breath. Her face had turned pink.

With tears streaming down her face, she spoke through cries, "I'm hungry, why shouldn't I eat? I'm sad, why can't I cry?"

"Then cry. Cry until there is a hole in your stomach then eat to your heart's content, that way you won't end up choking like this."

Saying that, she cries out louder like a child, taking in deep breaths.

He huffs and pats her back only to sit beside her, fussing by himself, "He's getting married, not a funeral. We should be happy for him, not cry." Though the look on his face does not portray his words.

She turns to him and hits his back with the buns. "What's the difference?! He is stuck to a marriage he does not want. What makes you think he is not crying either?"

Upset, he turns to her, "Who are you to say that he doesn't want the marriage?! If he didn't he would have run away already. Ou Xiang is not such a person who you can force him to do something. Obviously, he wants the weddng too."

Standing up, she yells at him, "Because you are like that, Ou Xiang had never protest aloud or against you."

Impulsively, he stands up to argue with her but she continues rambling on.

"Ou Xiang is the nicest person in the world. He does not deserve this! He deserves to be with someone he loves!"

"What do you want me to do then?!"

"I don't know!"

"That-That," he huffs as he swipes away his loose hair, gathering his words. "You dimwit. The wedding is already over, the banquet has already started. It is their wedding night. Ou Xiang wants the marriage!"

"As if!"

"I even tried talking to him last night but he insisted on the marriage, saying it will be for the best!" From the anger, he felt his throat burning and his eyes grew teary. Not because of sadness but exhaustion.

Pouty she grabs a piece of bun and shoves it in his mouth roughly.

"What can you-" he holds the bun in his mouth as she glares at him. "What are you doing?! Are you insane?"

Frustration and denial, sadness written on her face, "I can't do anything. If it's what Ou Xiang wants then I can do nothing about it. I just…feel so useless for not being able to help him in anyway like he did for me." Tears glimmer in her eyes. "I can't say or do anything, therefore... the only thing I can do is cry. But.. but... I don't want him to see me cry." She did not finish before her voice cracked and whimpered in short sobs.

He stares blankly at her as she squats down to bite into the bun in her hand.

Her swollen eyes were as big as the bun, runny nose and pink cheeks.

"I know it's not your fault..." she mumbles silently. "I'm just... too upset."

He exhaled, looks down at her and sits by her as he silently bites into the bun.

Suddenly she jots up all ready now, making him jump by her mood swings. "No, I'm not going to cry. I am going to see that woman. If she dares touch a hair on my sworn brother's body, I will make sure that she cries."

She gets ready to go but slips on the food from earlier and falls. Xue Lang quickly reaches for her but lost his footing and they both fall into the water.

A big splash and they emerge from the water with her in his arms. He helps her out and they enter shallow water.

“Stop struggling, you’ll make us both drown!” he holds her tightly as her movements slows.

Just as she was about to make it to the ground, she felt a blob under her feet.

"Why are you stopping?" he turns as he held her hand.

"I... Well I..." she raises her feet nervously and he looks away in agitation.

Of all days and times...

"Ugh!" she starts crying, both annoyed.

"Why are you so unlucky???" he pinch his nose as his face turn sour. "And who in the world would take a dump in a running river???!"

She hits the water angrily, swearing vigorously to find the person who pooped in the river.

He takes her hand and helps her out of the water. Helping her scrape off the poop on her shoe, he complains to no end.

In the end, he piggybacks her with her shoes tied behind them. Both drenched and annoyed argue about her unluckiness and the countless times she stepped on .

It was a beautiful day. A day to remember. But it was the start of a quiet storm, one that would erase all those memories, that friendship.

Ou Xiang’s wife gave birth to a son on the day of a rebellion set by Xue Lang’s brother’s attempt to rebel. Because the Emperor was ill, the palace gates were closed off and secured as they fought blood against blood.

In the end, instead of the Crown Prince being named Emperor, the Emperor had decreed Prince Xue Lang to be the next Emperor.

Much to his dismay, Prince Ou Xiang rebelled against him to usurp the throne.

“My father, what did he do wrong? My mother? It is all because of the royal family’s thirst for hunger! My children, what will happen to them, do you know?” Ou Xiang shouted at him. “I am but an orphan prince. If you become Emperor, my son would die!”

“I won’t let them-“ Xue Lang protested but is shoved back.

“You will never understand.” Ou Xiang declared. The two man could only fight their way to express their thoughts before Ou Xiang ran away from sight and began the rebellion the next day.  

*

“I… will never return.” The 24 year-old Ji Hua spoke in the golden court.

“Go!” he yells at her with his back faced to her.

Taking off the helmet and armor, she placed the sword down. She bowed one last time to him.

“Thank you… Xue Lang.” Then she walked away.

The emperor clutched onto the arm of the throne as tears burned in his eyes. Her footsteps that echoed in the hall grew fainter with each second.

He had lost everyone, even the most loyal person to him. Had he truly become such a monster?

He fought the urge to turn around, to watch her back that now faces him. He swallowed his tears as the lump was as hard as a rock.

Only she stayed. She was the only one to stand up to protect him while the war was going on. She had killed OuXiang for him. He thought OuXiang’s rebellion was the most dangerous one for him yet now, he felt smaller than before. It wasn’t his rebellion that scared him. It was the fact that the throne was pushing away the lives of all the people he once loved and cared for farther away from his reach.

What once held on as a happy memory can only be thought of as a bitter regret now.

He was the Emperor, the Mandate of Heaven, one that rules all of Yuan.

***Ou Xiang’s Rebellion & Ji Hua’s Fight***

Ou Xiang stares back at her, gripping the sword in his hand. “He is complying with his duty, and so am I.”

“Brother-“ she protested.

“Whether or not he will let me live, as long as I am alive, he won’t be at peace!”

Ji Hua shakes her head, unwillingly. “If that is really how you feel, why do you still choose to go against him?”

“Child,” his eyes turned soft. “You must pick a side, or else you will end up losing both.”

Tears stream down her face as she stares in disbelief.

“I will not back down now,” Ou Xiang declared. “Either direction means life and death. This is what I have chosen.” He picks up his sword and looks at her, his eyes turned cold, “Now, choose yours.”

Ji Hua held the sword in her shaking hand. With blood streaming from her abdomen and down her head, she stood up as she stabbed the sword into the ground.

“If that is what you want… then I have no choice…” she grits through her teeth as she clutched tightly onto the sword in her hand, “but to kill you.”

OuXiang furrow his brows.

Finally gripping to the sword and holding her gaze with his, she holds back her tears. She dashed forward and charged towards him. He blocks her with his spear, making her jump back, only to kick him back in the face.

He rolls on the ground as she stabs the sword at him. He kicks at her and gets up as they fight over the sword.

With a few combats, he punches her, stealing the sword. Before he could use the sword, she tackles him and they roll as she got on top of him, punching him in the face, she grabs the sword and was about to stab him as she stops in mid-air.

Her eyes filled with bloody tears as the injury on her head resulted with a drip of blood running down the side of her face into her left eye.

He stares back at her, seeing the desperate mess that she was stuck in. His hand moved in the moment to grab the sword but she stabs him right in the chest in reflex.

Blood spurt out of his mouth as the sword pierces at him. With his hand on the sword over hers, a smile left his lips as he pushes the sword down to his heart.

Her eyes widen at his action and his eyes slowly closes as a drop of tear falls to his bloody face.

Ji Hua stops all movement as Ou Xiang lay dead underneath her.

Her eyes swirl with fear as the splash of blood stain her face, slowly dripping down. A shaky breath escapes her lips, she couldn’t move.

Paralyzed.

The colors of the blood blurred and so did his face. She could no longer feel the pain as her body became numb.

The wind slightly brushed past her, the strands of loose hair flickers. Life vanished from her eyes, only emptiness remains.

“The traitor Ou Xiang has been executed!” the announcement renounced across the land.

She is brushed to the side as the guards appear and dragged his body away, leaving a trail of blood.

The palace gate opens and an anxious Xue Lang appears. His steps halt as the scene appears before his eyes. His best cousin’s dead body is being dragged away. His hands lost all strength, his feet were tremble. His heart skipped a beat as he held his breath.

He looks up and sees her sitting on the ground, covered in blood. Her eyes were locked on the ground. No reaction at all, no response. So dazed.

“Greetings your majesty!” all the people knelt and praised him.

His feet moved on its own, as if her silence was calling for him. Each step weighed down in his chest. He stood before her, taking the place of the pool of blood.

She raised her head for the first time, turning her gaze to him. The dried tears had gather again and streams down her cheeks once more. The words were stuck in as she stares at him. He knelt to her side. His heart ache, seeing the wounds inflicted on her body.

His hands reaches out but unable to touch her. Hesitantly, he takes her hand. “Ji Hua,” he whispers, “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

She pushed his hand away when he tried to help her up. The unexpressed hurt edged and he could barely hold back the urge to pull her into his arms.

She backs away from him, grabbing the sword.

“Ji Hua-“

She raised the sword towards him, glaring angrily. She swings the sword and attempts to commit suicide when Xue Lang grabbed the blade, slicing into his palm. He yanks it away as she screamed at him, grabbing the sword back. She had manage to graze his neck as the soldiers pulls her back.

Thrown in prison was she for attacking the Emperor. Sitting alone in the cell, she muffled cries and words to herself, apologies like a crazed person. He forced his way into the cell and tries to help her but she went on a rampage. Biting his hand, scratching him as he tries to clean her wounds. He didn’t mind the pain as she was in greater pain that he was.

It took her days before becoming normal again. The first words she said to him was those cruel thorns that poke into his heart. She had demanded to be sent to the border as a military officer, the first female.

He could not convince her as she threaten to publicize her threat to his reign, thus making her an enemy to the kingdom of the court.

“You-“ he grits his teeth. “Ridiculous! There are many skilled warriors and officers. From this fight, you are already injured this much, I cannot let you risk your life on the borders!”

However, she knelt unmoving.

“I will never permit this!” he turns to walk away as he glanced at his subjects.

“Because I am princess,” her voice trembles through the air, making him stop. “my title will wage a greater price to help your majesty.”

He turns and face her, now sitting up, looking at him.

“Because I am a woman, my position in the military will play a better role to all the people. Because there are more skilled people who can protect your majesty up close, I can avoid the risk of having to be married off to allies and enemy for treaty so it won’t burden your majesty at the same time.”

She’s using this opportunity to its upmost use.

“Please allow this favor for this loyal subject who had chosen to serve you, your majesty,” with that she bows again.

His head tightens and shook with pink eyes as he glances to the side and sees his minister and subjects look down.

Then a voice calls out, “Please accept her favor, your majesty.” It was his guard. He moves besides Ji Hua and bows.

“Y-You too?” he clenched his teeth. The emperor angrily roar, “Are you all together on this?!”

 “No one is in this, only I am.” She picks up the sword, “If your majesty sees this as a rebel, please punish as you deem reasonable,” handing the sword to him.

“Princess!”

“Here,” she shoves the sword up to him.

With angry tears, his voice low and husking with his quivering lips, “Do you have to do this?”

She looks up at him in the eyes as the blood on her face had dried up.

“Yes.”

With his shaking hand, it reached towards the sword. As his hand circles around the handle, she closed her eyes.

It pained him seeing her waiting for death, as if she had no will to live anymore.

The smiling Ou Xiang’s body now lie on the ground, covered in dried blood and his face shabby. Ji Hua that stood in front of him waiting for death gathered tears in his eyes. What has the world come to? What has he become?

With one swish, he throws the sword on the ground and it clangs. Her eyelids twitch.

Heaving deep breaths, he spoke, “Princess Ji Hua has killed the traitor, leaving a great deed behind with her exquisite skills. She will serve the military of Yuan as a military officer. Depart immediately.” He turns around and walks away without looking back.

“Thank you, your majesty,” her voice answers as she bows and kneel, kowtowing.

His steps slow down at her words but he keeps his composure, continuing towards the palace.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-6lbqV_Cxk - 知道不知道 - 侃侃 [Zhi dao bu zhi dao by Jiu Jiu])

With every step, he was walking away from those he had love the most.

As Ji Hua gets on the horse, her face all cleaned and clothes changed into armor, the Emperor stands before the throne.

She takes one last longing look at the palace and takes the rein on the horse, striding with the troop.

The Emperor walks up to the throne and sat down. He had all the power now, the ruler of Yuan. But why did he feel so out of place? Just yesterday, they were all drinking tea together, though the tense atmosphere.

Now, he won’t ever get to be the carefree person he was again. He is no longer the fourth prince Xue Lang. This day forth, he is the Emperor, Mandate of Heaven.

***

~Present Time~

 “You are truly lucky,” the doctor tells her as she sat by the bedside. “Your heart is on your right side and not your left side.”

“Thank you,” Ji Hyo winced as she puts her clothes on. The invasion had took place midnight to dawn and ended. The palace was restored to how it was.

“How’s is the Emperor, Doctor?” she asked

“His Emperor was fatally injured but he is healing. Princess,” he concernly spoke, “I have to break the news to you.”

Confused, she readily listened.

“Your royal highness is pregnant.”

Those words came thundering to her, leaving her speechless.

“P-pregnant?”

The doctor smiled, “The child is unharmed, do not worry. Congratulations Princess,” he bowed before leaving her with a list of nutrient and medicine. She was still bewildered when she sat in the room with maids congratulating her.

Her hand slowly moves towards her lower abdomen, caressing it gently. The maids smiled as her eyes blurred and salty tears ran down her cheeks. So many emotions ran through her mind, happy and excited, disappointed at herself, worried about the child.

She cried tears of joy before remembering something important. The father of her child!

She instantly stood up, holding onto her abdomen and chest, she runs out as the maids run to stop her to no avail.

Finding Crown Prince Bolin was the first thing she needed to do. She needs to know where her husband is!

She passes down the Imperial hall when the eunuch hastily bumped into her, asking if she’s seen the Emperor.

“The Emperor has disappeared!” the eunuch yells, ordering for everyone to find the emperor. “Where is the Crown Prince Bolin! We need everyone to look for His Majesty!”

***

Tears filled his eyes as he swallowed the choking sobs. Turning to his side, as if waiting to see the two most precious people in his life, his lips quiver uncontrollably.

Ji Hyo stood before him. “Your Majesty,”

His starry eyes never left her as a smile formed.

“You are the first to find this place,” he broke the silence, “A long time ago, only three people knew of this place.” He turns to river.

“Who?” she asked.

“Ou Xiang, Ji Hua, and I.”  his voice was somber. He turns to her, “Three cousins grew up together.” He points to the place, “Running around, causing mischief,” he chuckles. “All that is left now are memories.”

Pale lip, desolated eyes, weak, tired, lost… Powerless.

His eyes downcast to hers, wretched tears form. His cold, wrinkled hand urge to hold her hand, lips quivering.

“Do you know how miserable I’ve lived all these years? Afraid of every day, any day without you…” tears run down cheeks.

An image of Ji Hua sat in front of him she transitions from Ji Hyo. The Emperor had transition to the youthful him, caressing her cheek as they look at each other.

She reaches over and wiped his tears with her slender fingers, her lips curving up into a smile. “I know.”

His face twisted and his head hangs low as more tears stream down, his hand leaving her face. Trying to pull himself together he glances up once more but Ji Hua was no longer there but Ji Hyo.

His aged heart rendered in the cruelest way as he finally throws his arms around her. He transitions back to his aged self, holding Ji Hyo.

“I’ll protect you. For her.” He sobbed inconsolably.

Ji Hyo sat still, hearing the regret and inconsolable cries from the old man. Her eyes water and hugged him back. “Thank you.”

Fireflies glow in the dark night as the Empress and Crown Prince Bolin stood behind the boulder. The Empress’s eyes water looking over at the aged man she loved all her life.

Bolin held his mother’s shoulder as they look forward. “Imperial Mother, can you understand Imperial Father now? The words he left unspoken, the closure he needed… can you forgive him?”

The Empress slowly nodded, wiping the tears that made its way down her cheek.

*********************************************************************

Epilogue of the Emperor

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-6lbqV_Cxk - 知道不知道 - 侃侃 [Zhi dao bu zhi dao by Jiu Jiu])

 

~ years ago in Goryeo~

 

“Take a deep breath and push again, my lady,” the midwife directed.

Ji Hua’s hands grasped onto the hanging rope from the ceiling, pushing through gruff breaths, holding back her breath as her teeth clenched tightly.

She throws her head back as she gasps for breath. Every breath she took was like torture as the contractions pinched into her core. Her abdomen strike with sharp pain while liquid and hints of blood stream out onto the white mattress.

Sweat continue to drip down her temples and around her neck, the loose hair around her face sticking. Biting the bottom of her lip, she pushed again, focusing the strength on her lower region.

It has been 4 hours since she had gone into labor, exceeding the average 2 hours most women took. It was a full-term pregnancy and the birth of her first child is on her shoulders.

“Ugh!” she collapsed back onto the cushions. Her body shook constantly, her head spun, dark spots appear like stars in sight.

“Princess!” A female, Chinese, voice calls her, shaking her awake. “My Princess!”

Ji Hua’s eyes slightly open, shock, overwhelm. “E-Erxi… why are you here?”

Erxi wiped away her sweat, “Hang in there, Princess. I’ve brought a highly skilled physician. Everything will be fine.”

As she opend to speak, the contractions came again, in stronger intervals, causing to gasp for air, clenching tightly onto Erxi’s hand. She attempts to push but the pain became unbearable, her voice crack as tears mixed with tears trickle down her face.

“…I … don’t think I’ll make it.-“

“Don’t say that, Princess. As long as you push-“

She shook her head, sobbing. “I can feel it. My broken body is running out of energy… I… can’t even-“ she screams, grasping to her big bump.

“My lady!”

A gush of blood streams over the already stain mattress.

Ji Hua’s eyes roll back and fainted.

The door slams open and the Emperor, under disguise as an ordinary person, barges in. the midwife panicked and quickly cover Ji Hua’s lower region but the amount of blood did not escape his eyes.

His eyes widen, bolting to her side. He trembled, his fingers lightly grasp her arms.

“Ji Hua,” he whispers under his shaking breath. No response, no reaction. Fear engulfed his mind, with more force, he shakes her. “Ji Hua,” he spoke louder, “Wake up, Ji Hua.”

His face ashen as he pulls her limp body into his chest, caressing her drenched hair, rocking her body. “It’s me, I’m here.” His voice shook with nervously, looking for the words to say. He holds her hand to his cheek, with the other hand around her shoulders.

Still nothing.

Tears form in his eyes, his breath stopped for a second, his heart uneasy. He shakes her again, “Open your eyes! Ji Hua! Where is the doctor?!” he shouts. He wiped away the loose hair and remaining sweat before holding her again, muttering prayers, begging her to hear his voice.

Two figures appear by the door, the skilled doctor and him. Song Gwang Hyo, her husband.

He glares at him.

*

The two men stood outside the room, glaring at each other.

“Who are you?” Gwang Hyo asked.

He coldly stare at the man, “No one.”

Gwang Hyo’s eyes narrow, looking at him from head to toe. “By chance-“

Her voice resonated as she had woken up and continue to push. Her husband rushes inside.

His heart pounded like lightning, fighting the urge to jump in the room. Within a few pushes, the cries of a baby filled the room. He finally sighed in relief as tears of joy gather in his eyes. Stepping forward, he stops as he could see through the slit of the door.

Her husband held the child as she weakly smile as everyone congratulated her.

His palm touches the door before withdrawing. He was happy for her, mostly because she was alive.

With one last glance, he smiled with teary eyes as he reluctantly turned away. His guard walked behind him with every step he took.

That night, secretly left like how he came, leaving forever, never to see her again like his promise. Even when they coincidently pass each other at the Northern borders four years later, they never met each other again. It was as if fate was written that way.

A fleeting moment to remember…

*********************************************************************