Chapter 33

The Aftermath

"Why did you summon him here?! If you hadn't summoned him, he wouldn't have die!" Ziyuan angrily grabs onto Taizao's shirt and scream in his face.

The two of them are currently in Taizao's private study room. The guards are still clearing out the area of the incident. Weimin's body had been entrusted to the imperial physicians after Taizao and Ziyuan became emotionally stable enough to let go. The two of them were silent while getting escorted back to Taizao's study room. However, as soon as the door was close, Ziyuan jumped angrily at Taizao.

Taizao's personal eunuch was taken by surprised and stumble as he tries to grab and pull Ziyuan's arms away from the emperor, "General Zhang! How dare you act rude and violent to the Emperor?! Let go of him! How can you blame His Majesty? He simply invited Official Zhang for talks. His Majesty doesn't know that there would be assassins within the palace aiming for his life! You can't blame him for Official Zhang's sacrifice!"

"Qiangshan, back off!" Taizao yells at the eunuch.

"But Your Majesty!"

"It is not your place to be rude to General Zhang!" Taizao yells at his eunuch again before focusing back on the still fuming Ziyuan. "Ziyuan, I am sorry for your loss… Weimin was… I…" Taizao can't seem to form a coherent sentence, the loss of Zhang Weimin was still so fresh and painful to him.

Seeing the tears roll down Taizao's cheeks, Ziyuan was quiet for a minute. Then he let go of Taizao and kneel down, "Please forgive me for my rudeness. I am overwhelmed with grief and acted without thinking. I will accept any punishment that you see fit, Your Majesty."

Taizao quickly reaches out to lift the kneeling Ziyuan up, "How could I punish you? Your actions are understandable. Though not related by blood, Weimin was as much of a brother to me as he is to you. I feel for his passing as much as you do so I understand your pain. Furthermore, he sacrificed himself for me. It is only right for you to blame me…"

The two fell into silence and try to calm down their own emotions. After awhile, Taizao turn back around to face Ziyuan, "I wish to promote Weimin to first rank and hold the appropriate ranking funeral for him…"

"Thank you, Your Majesty" Ziyuan said without any soul in his voice.

"I know Weimin didn't care for rankings, but it's the least I could do for him…"

"Did he… did my brother say anything before he…"

Taizao nodded, "His last words were of his daughters. He was worrying for them. How will we inform them of their father's passing…"

Ziyuan clenches his fist tightly as he thinks of his nieces, "I… I will bring him home to them and… explain to them."

They were silent again for a few minutes until Taizao spoke up again, "Ziyuan, with my understanding of Weimin, he probably wants for his daughters to live the life they choose. Will the Zhang clan have any plans for Weimin's daughters or will you be taking them in?"

Ziyuan seems to be in deep thoughts for a bit then replied to Taizao, "Your Majesty, I hope you can take pity on my brother's daughters and take care of them. They are still too young to be thrown to the other elders of the Zhang clan. I am always away on the battlefield and I'm rarely home. I won't be able to properly care for my nieces since I even fail at caring and disciplining my own son. Also, my wife and son are at odds with my nieces due to a little family issue that I've failed to prevent. I worry for my nieces' well being and if they'll be able to attain a good future if they were to stay with me."

Taizao nodded and agree to take in the Zhang sisters to the palace but then his eunuch quickly stops him, "Your Majesty, it will not be appropriate to take in and raise daughters of your subjects in the imperial palace."

Taizao scowl at Qiangshan, "I did so for Ziyi. Why can't I do the same for Weimin's daughters?"

Qiangshan immediately explain, "Your Majesty, the Empress was a special case since Empress Yinhua accepted Empress Ziyi in as her adopted sister back then. You've also taken in Empress Ziyi because she didn't have any other family or a clan to take care of her. She also eventually became your Royal Consort. If you are to take in the daughters of Official Zhang now, what kind of identity will they have in the palace? Your Majesty, you cannot adopt them without the approval of the Empress and your other subjects. Those subjects will not be understanding and allow for Official Zhang's daughters to stay in the palace. They will pressure you to send the Zhang young misses to the Zhang clan or forces you to also accept their own daughters into the palace as well."

Taizao was furious, "Weimin saved my life and I can't even care for his daughters without other's approval?!"

Qiangshan quickly knelt down and apologize to Taizao, but he still insists that Taizao must rethink about taking the Zhang sisters into the palace. Ziyuan who has been silent finally spoke up, "There is a way, however, I am not sure if it is appropriate for me to suggest it." Taizao urges him to continue and he said, "Marriage."

"General Zhang! How dare you scheme to have your nieces marry into the royal family!" Qiangshan shouted at Ziyuan.

Taizao raised a hand to silence Qiangshan. He thought for a bit and nodded slowly. He thought what better way to partly pay for his debts than to grant Weimin's daughters the highest position a woman could ever wish for. Once they lawfully become part of the royal family, he can protect them and provide care for them without having to worry about pressures from his other subjects.

It was a great plan; however, he was still worry about one thing. "Will it be what they would want? I do not want for them to think that they are forced into it by my authority."

"Your Majesty, allow me to speak with my nieces first."

---

"Father is awfully late today," Meiyin said as she sat down in her seat at the dinning table. She returned from her training with Tao and Master Wong awhile ago. She's usually the last one to the dinner table due to her training schedule. She often rushes through her bath so they can start dinner right after. Although rare, but it's not the first time her father work late. However, he would never purposefully work past their family dinner time. It's an unspoken tradition to have dinner together in their family, so no matter how busy any of them are, they'll always make sure to not be home too late. Meiyin wondered how serious the problem might be for the emperor to have kept her father this long. They're usually almost done with dinner by now if her father had been home on time.

"Let's wait a little bit more, he might be picking up snacks for us on his way back," Yueyin said.

Meiyin nodded but pouted, "I'm so hungryyyy…"

"Was practice tough today?"

"Sifu taught us a new form and we went all out during practice so now I'm really tired and hungry," Meiyin slough and rest her head on the table. "Did you hear that? My stomach is demanding for food."

Madame Lin brought in a plate of milk cookies, "Why don't you have some of this for now? It's not good for your stomach if you let it be hungry for too long."

"Madame Lin, you're the best!" Meiyin quickly dive for the cookies.

"Ruyi. Xiaolan, you two should have some of these cookies too. The two of you must also be very hungry by now," Yueyin said as she held a cookie in each hand and bring it over to where Ruyi and Xiaolan was standing.

"Is it really alright for us to have some? The Master haven't even had any yet. Also, Madame Lin made those for you and the Second Young Miss," Ruyi said nervously, not daring to reach out for the cookie.

"Ruyi, don't worry too much and just have some cookies. Madam Lin's snacks are the best! Don't be so stiff. You should just be comfortable like Xiaolan is," Meiyin said as she bites into the milk cookies.

Xiaolan already ate half the cookie Yueyin handed her, "It's going to take Ruyi some more time to get used to the way of this residence. Second Young Miss, you might not know but housemaids and houseworkers gets treated very different in other places." Xiaolan finished up the last of her cookie and accept the one Meiyin is holding out for her.

Ruyi nodded, "Though most of the time I was begging on the streets, but I did work for some places before and this is the first place that I see servants getting paid properly. They're given the kind of freedom and privileges that they wouldn't have gotten elsewhere. Not to mention, getting asked to eat at the same table as their masters is definitely… different."

Yueyin grab hold of Ruyi's hand and gently places the cookie on her palm, "There are no servants in this residence. Don't use such words anymore or you'll face everyone's mischievous punishments. It is only right we pay people for their service. Regarding eating at the same table, Madame Lin was my Mother's personal maid and she have helped taken care of my parents, Meiyin and I, so we considered her a part of our family. She has eaten at the same table with us since before my sister and I was even born. As for Xiaolan, she grew up with both Meiyin and I so she's like a little sister to us. Needless to say, she's also a family member. Ruyi, don't you remember what my Father said when you've accepted the offer to stay here?"

Ruyi had a questioning look on her face, trying to recall what Weimin have said to her, "Um… he said that I can become one of your personal maids?"

Meiyin got up from her seat and bring over another cookie to place on top of the one Yueyin place on Ruyi's hand. "Father said you are to be given all the same privileges as Xiaolan. That means you can become a part of our family too if you wish to," Meiyin smiles at her.

"… Family…" Ruyi mumbled to herself, moved by everyone's kindness, tears start to pool in her eyes.

Meiyin was about to tease Ruyi when her stomach let out a loud grumble, breaking the warm atmosphere and causing everyone to laugh out loud.

They were all enjoying the cookies that Madame Lin made when a houseworker rush into the room. He informed them that general Zhang has arrived and requested for them to meet in the main courtyard. They were curious about why their uncle would visit their residence at this hour, and even wanted for them to meet him in the courtyard instead of coming straight into the room like he usually does. They made their way to the courtyard to see Ziyuan standing with his back towards them and looking up at the night sky.

"Uncle? What brought you here at this hour?" Meiyin asked as they come over to where he's standing.

Ziyuan takes in a deep breath then slowly turn around to face his nieces, "Meiyin. Yueyin."

Yueyin has never seen her uncle look so serious and sad before, "Uncle, what's wrong? Are you looking for Father? He was summoned by the Emperor and isn't home yet. He should be back soon though. Would you like to come inside and have dinner with us while waiting?"

"Girls, I… I don't know how to tell you… I…" he tried but just can't seem to spit out the words he needs to say to them.

Meiyin had never heard her uncle stuttered in her life so seeing him this way made her a bit anxious. She come closer to him and looks up in his sad eyes, "Uncle, are you alright? Did you have a fight with Aunt again? Is there something we can do for you?"

Ziyuan couldn't help himself and pull Meiyin in for a hug, "Meiyin, I'm sorry… your father… your father…"

While Meiyin was still trying to make sense of her uncle's actions, Yueyin's eyes widen and immediately question Ziyuan, "Uncle, what are you saying? Our Father… did… did something happened?"

Ziyuan let go of Meiyin and look up with a face full of grief at Yueyin. He wanted to break the news to his nieces but he can't seem to open his mouth. He looks away then raised his hand and signal for his guards to bring in his brother's coffin. Once the coffin is gently placed in the center of the residence's courtyard, Ziyuan in a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry… today there was an assassination attempt in the imperial palace. Your father… sacrificed himself to protect the Emperor… he… I… I thought it would be best to bring him home to the two of you instead of leaving him in the palace…"

Everyone that was present in the courtyard was trying to process what Ziyuan had just said. It took another minute for it to sink in and all the house maids and workers kneeled down and cry for their kind master that they've lost. 

Madame Lin fell down on her knees and cried out, "How could this happened?! He can't just leave us like this! He promised the late Madame that he would take good care of the Young Misses! How could he leave them?!"

Ruyi and Xiaolan quickly rush to her side to make sure she's alright after her fall. They both were also crying. Ruyi can't help but feel extremely sorry for the Zhang sisters. Why do such kind people have to face the grief of parting with their love ones so unexpectedly like this. Although she hasn’t been staying here that long, but she can already tell how close the Zhang sisters were to their father. She worries for them and if they'll survive such a lost. Ruyi places a comforting hand on Madame Lin's shoulder and Xiaolan's shoulder. Xiaolan was crying her heart out. Though she was just an orphan but the Zhang family took her in. She should have just been a lowly servant but they never treated her as such. She grew up with her two young misses and had truly thought of Weimin and Yiling as her own parents. When Yiling passed, Xiaolan was in as much pain as the two young misses, but they were all able to slowly recover because Weimin was still there with them. However, now he's also gone. This residence has lost yet another master.  Madame Lin loses not only a master but also an important friend. Xiaolan lost the only father figure in her life. Yueyin and Meiyin… loses another parent. They've lost their beloved father.

"No…" Meiyin shakes her head, denying what she had just heard, "IT'S NOT TRUE!" she screamed and run towards the coffin. She uses her martial arts and hit the coffin's lid. The lid was forced open and fell loudly to the ground. Meiyin look inside the coffin to see her father laying there with his eyes closed. He wasn't wearing his fifth rank official robes that he had on when he left. He now wears the first rank court official robes. People must have been extra careful when they placed him in the coffin because there was not even a small crease that can be seen on his clothes. "Father…" Meiyin calls out to him as she reaches for his hand, "This joke isn't funny. You've always told me to behave properly and now you're teaming up with uncle to pull this prank on us. As the adult you shouldn't be copying my mischievousness. Even if it was me, I wouldn't have dared to pull such a horrible prank." His hand was so cold in hers, "Father. Get up! Father!" she shouted at him as tears roll down her cheeks.

Ruyi handed Madame Lin over to Xiaolan and the two of them continue to cry as they lean on each other for support. Ruyi got up off the ground and was about to make her way over to Meiyin to comfort her when out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Yueyin's form swaying and was about to fall. Luckily, she was close by and quickly reaches out to help stabilize Yueyin. She looks over and wanted to ask if Yueyin is alright but couldn't open when she saw Yueyin's face.

Yueyin was the only one who didn't cry. She had thought that she would be crying and screaming for her father like her sister is doing right now, but somehow, she couldn't. All her senses seem to be blocking out everything. She could see people crying for her father. She could see her grieving uncle. She could see her heart broken sister. She could see it all but she can't seem to hear them. She wants to run to her father but she can't seem to control the muscles in her body to move her limbs. Everything just feels so… numb and… scarily empty. Suddenly she feels all the strength left her body and she stagger. If it wasn't for Ruyi, she would have hit the ground hard. "Help me…" she willed herself to say with whatever strength she had left, "Help me… my Father…"

Ruyi understood and held onto Yueyin tightly and support her as they make their way to the coffin slowly. Once there, Yueyin stare at her father's lifeless body. She doesn't cry and she doesn't reach for him. She only stood there and look at him. A few minutes later and the world starts to spin and darkens around her. She can feel herself falling but nothing else after that.

"Young Miss!" Ruyi calls out as she struggles to catch Yueyin's sudden dead weight.

"Yueyin!" Ziyuan also calls out when he saw her falling backward and quickly rush over to help Ruyi catches her. Ziyuan looks down at the unconscious Yueyin in his arms and then looks over at the still crying and screaming Meiyin on the other side of Weimin's coffin. He shed tears again for his brother’s death.

---

A man dressed in the third rank court official robes was pacing back and forth anxiously in his room. He sent death glares at the assassin that was kneeling on the floor in front of him. This was the lucky assassin that escape from the imperial palace and had came back to report to him. Upon hearing that the assassins had failed to kill the emperor, this third rank official was angry. However, after hearing that the person who was killed was Zhang Weimin, the man's face paled. Failing to kill the emperor was one thing but killing Zhang Weimin was something they shouldn't have done. This official knew what kind of consequences he was going to have to face so he's trying to think hard of what he needs to do now to escape. He then quickly instructed the assassin and his residence's manager to help him pack up. He told them they all need to leave now if they want to keep their lives. The official scrambling around and quickly writes down a message. He then attaches it to a pigeon and sent the bird off. He and the assassin were about to leave but the door was kick open and soldiers rushes into the room to surround the two of them.

"Where do you think you are going?" Ziyuan enters the room last. 

"Gen… General Zhang! I… I was about to go look for you," the official stutter. Ziyuan didn't answer so he continues, "We… we might have failed this time but… but we can always try again." Although he was shivering in fear but he pretends to not have known of Weimin's death. He was hoping that Ziyuan would let him off if he doesn't know anything about it.

"Still pretending?" Ziyuan asks, his voice low and dangerous. Ziyuan drew his sword and slice through the assassin's arm. The assassin cried out in pain and the official fell to the ground, almost peed in his pants. "Do you still not know who died today? It's understandable if the mission to assassinate the Emperor had failed, but you instead killed the one person you should never have touch," he said then cut off the other arm of the assassin. Blood was dyeing the room red as the assassin writher around in pain.

"General Zhang! Please forgive me! I really didn't know anything! It wasn't my intention! You know that I sent them to kill only the Emperor! I would never dare to harm your brother! It was all them! You can kill them for revenge but please spare me!" the official beg in tears as he continuously bowing and banging his head on the floor. 

Ziyuan grab the official's hair and pull his head up to face him, "Do you think that by just killing you and him will quench my anger? I promise the two of you a life worse than death. Look forward to it!" Ziyuan let go then gave the official a hard kick before motioning for his soldiers to take the two of them away. He instructs his soldiers to torture them but make sure they don't die too early and also prevent them from killing themselves.

"General Zhang! Please spare me! Please spare me!" the official continues to cry for forgiveness as he was drag away.

Ziyuan wipe his dirty sword on the official's table cloth, "That is already a lenient punishment for killing my brother…"

---

The news of the failed assassination attempt had already made it to Junmyeon from a different route. He had quickly sent an order for Minseok to infiltrate the third rank official's place and kill him. However, when Minseok got there, from where he is on the roof, he saw the official being taken away by Ziyuan. He doesn't know what Ziyuan will do to the official, but orders were absolute and Minseok have to see the official's dead body for himself to ensure the completion of the mission.

He secretly follows Ziyuan's men back to where they plan to keep the assassin and the official imprison. It was a hidden secret base behind the royal guards' training ground. Minseok had to carefully maneuver himself from shadow to shadow to sneak into the place. He waited for the soldiers to lock up the official and leave the base before knocking out the ones standing on guard. He showed himself to the official and the man thinks the Japanese has sent someone to save him.

"I knew Master Junmyeon wouldn't abandon me! Thank you for coming to rescue me! I was right to pledge my loyalty to Japan!" the official cheer in joy.

Minseok didn't say anything. He unsheathes his katana and slice it cleanly across the official's neck. The official's body fell backward onto the ground, his eyes still wide open. Minseok shake the blood off his katana before sheathing it.

He stares emotionlessly at the official's body and said, "Whether you have truly pledged your loyalty or not, it is your biggest mistake in thinking that he is someone who wouldn't abandon you. Looking at this place, maybe it's better you've die this way." He then turns away and swiftly escape from Ziyuan's secret base.

---

Everyone in the Zhang residence was busy preparing for Weimin's funeral. Yueyin has woken up the next day but she had locked herself in her room since then. Madame Lin, Xiaolan and Ruyi had take turns to bring in food and water for her but she hadn't touch any. They tried to comfort her and talk sense into her but she still doesn’t cry, eat nor does she sleep. She only sat there on her bed, staring into space. Three days has pass and even the depressed Meiyin has had enough of her sister ignoring her own health. Meiyin stormed towards her sister's room and kick the door open. She walks up to the bed and grab hold of Yueyin's arm. She tried to pull her sister up from the bed, wanting to take her outside of the room, but Yueyin resisted. However, Meiyin practice martial arts so she has more strength and on top of that Yueyin hadn't eaten in days so she lacks strength more than usual. Yueyin's weak resistance and Meiyin's strong pull caused Yueyin to fell hard off the bed.

"Jie!" Meiyin quickly let go of Yueyin's hand and kneel down next to her, "Are you alright?" she gave Yueyin's legs a quick glance over to make sure she wasn't badly hurt. Yueyin doesn't response, she just continues to stare blankly into space. Meiyin gritted her teeth in anger. She uses both her hands to force Yueyin's head to turn towards her. She looks into her sister's soulless eyes and angrily asks her, "Are you done yet?! Just how much longer do you plan on being like this?! Do you think by doing this it'll hurt any less?! Do you think it'll bring Father back?! You think that by wasting your life away like this will make things better?!" Tears flow out of Meiyin's eyes, "Jie… I've already lost Father… I can't lose you too," she let go of her sister's face and wraps her arms around her sister tightly, "It's been so painful and lonely… Jie, I'm hurting so much too… I only have you left… can we at least face it together and suffer together?... please…"

Yueyin slowly wraps her arms around her sister. Meiyin was hugging her so tightly as if she's afraid that Yueyin will disappear if she let go. Yueyin doesn't know what she has been doing the last few days. Her mind was just so empty and her body didn't see any meaning or found any strength to move. Her body and mind were just an empty shell and her soul was refusing with all its might to accept reality.

Meiyin's voice somehow penetrated through the emptiness of her mind. Her little sister's tears and words were like rocks thrown into a lake, causing countless ripples on the once still and silent water surface. Tears finally fall from Yueyin's eyes like water rushing through a broken dam. The two sisters continue to hug each other and cried for hours. Madame Lin, Xiaolan and Ruyi also shed tears of relief as they watch over the two sisters from outside the room. 

Author’s Notes:

After making you guys wait for so long, here's the new chapter :)

Special thank you to Ahslde and revekingdom for my 4th and 5th upvote!

Welcome new subs! Although updates are slow but I promise that I will never drop this story so I hope everyone will continue to follow it with me till the end.

I know I tagged romance and so far there’s still no romance T^T be patience with me, I promise it’ll come.

I will update the next chapter tomorrow or in a few days. I have half of it done now so just wait a little longer ^.^

Thinking of rewriting the description but is having such a hard time with it... T^T I'm really not good with description... how did you guys even got attracted to this story with such a sad description of mine? lol I'm so glad you guys gave the story a chance without skipping through it because of the description and prologue. Wonder if any of you guys skipped the prologue and returned to it later :D