A Plum Blossom

Chapter 5

Today was probably the worst news Li Mei could ever hear. Especially the fact that it's only been well over a year since she's awaken.

"Mei, the King has asked for your hand in marriage with his son, the 3rd, Prince Han Yusheng. He's known to you as Commander Yusheng." his tone of voice was calm yet irritated in a way.

On the outside she seemed alright but on the inside she was cracking little by little. Moreover, she didn't know one thing till this day.

"Wait, he's a prince?! I didn't know my ex-fiancé had a brother."

"I would refuse but to do so means I am disrespecting His Majesty." simply stating that he had to agree to the offer.

Rather than put a front up about it, she just stood and bowed to her father. "It's alright father...... Maybe it's time that I leave the nest." talking about how her age is now at a period suitable for marriage and was probably her time.

Lady Fu Lin sighed inside but was still happy for her daughter. She was to be married by the end of next month. Time passes quickly, but surely she'll spend all the time she has left with her dear child.

Li Dai was also present during this talk and could only frown. Honestly, he jinxed himself. He deliberately didn't like the fact that the two were becoming friends but here they were about to be wedded by the next month.

"Even I'm not married."

She noticed her brother's sour expression and just laughed to which he noticed.

"Why are you laughing?" he said in sorrow and disbelief.

She only laughed more, "Brother, it's alright I'll make sure you can visit me freely without any stalling."

He gave out a humph.

To him, she was still too young to get married although other girls around her age, even younger, have already tied the knot.

At the palace, Yusheng was last to hear the news everyone else already knew. His father called him to his Jade Palace alone to discuss the matters.

He felt quite disappointed in his father's decision as he didn't really want to get married. Another, was especially that she was still in his heart.

"Your Majesty, why didn't you discuss about it with me first?" he asked respectfully.

The King just drank his liquor with the cup hitting the table loudly. "It's time you get married yourself Yusheng. General Li's daughter is also very beautiful, a great match for you." talking only of looks.

His hand formed into a fist. He was furious on the inside with this. The King only ever thought about the looks of a woman, never their heart. That's why his mother locks herself up in her palace never coming into the daylight but only at night.

A marriage she never wanted.

He simply bowed to the king, the only thing he could do at the moment. "Thank you for this proposal, Your Majesty." and left the room.

At his residence, the Mirror Palace, he just read scrolls that could help contribute to the case of the Ha Family. Doing so, he thought about the recent news from today.

"I'll discuss this with her if she comes again."

He didn't want to marry her if she didn't desire so.

Moreover, he didn't exactly favor this tradition of arranged marriage between the noble and royal bloods.

And even if he got married, he'll still love her as the only woman in his eyes.

Then, he continued his research that could possibly connect to the family.

First, he found out that the person who committed the massacre was a person from the palace. How he knew is that there is a must that every person of the palace, even the royals and the King, must carry a red emblem of a soaring dragon. This helped to know that they were a person of the palace whether on the streets of the city or inside the palace grounds, and this item was found at the scene of the crime. Although the Ha Family head also had one, his was hanging at his waist which no person was able to carry two.

Secondly, he found it bizarre how they were hung at the door. This can indicate that the person who killed them was merely mocking them, however, there was a criminal that would hang his victims after their death. His name was Zhiyuan, but was already given the death penalty 14 years ago after his capture.

His sentence was death by decapitation to the public.

Third, their swordsmanship was a fine art. The cuts on each of the three bodies were made with precision as if to only immobilize them, then were hung to death.

A gruesome way to leave the doors.

One fact for sure is that this person had great art of the sword.

Fourth, if Ha Lee was never found, it is possible that the person idolized or admired her in a way. This could mean that after killing the family, he took her with him to have her close, sell, or worse, a sex slave.

Lastly, a private investigator of his, also found how a few months after the incident, Li Mei also went missing and was found the following month.

Hearing the information, he decided to connect the two cases as they were quite similar yet different. A fact to be made was that this person held interest in beautiful women. Not only that, she was found approximately half a mile away from the palace at the forest outskirts.

Sighing out of large info intake, he threw his scroll onto the table, and leaned back with his hand hovering over his face. Then, he sat straight up with eyes opening and shutting a couple times. This was due to his tiredness of being glued to the scrolls for a while.

"Who could it possibly be?" a question that lingered in his mind always.
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