I Want Winter

Chapter 71

The next thing I knew was my wrists, ankles, arms, and mouth was tied up, and I was also in the corner of a room in the dark. I couldn't see anything even if I squinted my eyes.
Where am I?
Then I heard footsteps creeping in and soon I heard a voice say, "So you are up?" He comes near with a portable lantern.
He then reached over to me and pulled the cloth that was covering my mouth, down to free my voice. "Why are you doing this?" I ask.

"Why?" he laughs hysterically. "So I can become Emperor for you. Didn't you want power and to be Empress just like the old you?" He said.

"No! I don't want that," I said as my head had enough problems to even ask if he knew I'm not Concubine Liling.

Then an evil smile appeared on his face before he said, "I knew you were going to say that, but what choice do you have unless you want the Emperor to die?" he chuckled.

"What do you mean?" I said, fearing the worst.

At that moment, he pulled out from his sleeves a bottle. "This is the last antidote to cure the poison. You know I was going to slowly plan things out, BUT you just have to fall in love with the 4th Prince again!" he lost it and grabbed me by the shoulder and started to shake me.

"What are you going to get out of this?" I asked and looked directly at him.

"Tsk, I'll be Emperor because just before I poison him, I force him to sign a paper saying that I'll be the next Emperor and I will get you at the end," he gleamed.

"I will never be yours!" I said, glaring at him.

He smirked and said, "Remember I'll be Emperor what choice do you have?" As his plan tormented me.

I look directly into the eyes and had a serious face, "I'll rather kill myself than be with you." At that moment, his eyes grew angry and he tossed me to the side and was furious, but then he calmed down which left me with an unsettling feeling.

He does a low quiet chuckle, "Don't forget I have to last antidote. Do you really want the Emperor to die?" Which silences me.

"Fine!" I force the word out.

He smirks, "Alright then. Sit tight now. I'll be back." as he touched my face before vanishing.

I then scan the room to find anything to cut the ropes but I found nothing. The only way was to escape the room as I rolled over to my stomach, but I had a hard time because one of the ropes was wrapped around my body and arms were digging into my skin. I bend my legs to kneel on the ground and use my tied hands to push myself up. I was on my feet and quickly hop towards the doors. I escaped the secret hideout and continued to hop away to realize it looks familiar, but I couldn't stand there in the open wide space, so I hid behind a big tree because I thought I heard something.
I have to untie myself to move faster.
I sat down in the snow and brought my legs closer to me and opened them, like a butterfly, so I could reach the rope as the rope around my arms was sinking deep into my skin, but I continued to endure the pain and tried to untie the rope at my ankles. I grunted as I finally untied the rope from my ankles, but that was the only one I could untie; I tried to untie the one on my wrist with my teeth, but it didn't work out the way I wanted as I just got back up and ran for it, but then I bump into someone who pops out.

"Where do you think you're going?" the 3rd Prince threatened me and I quickly shoved him and tried to run for it. However, it didn't last long as he roughly grabbed me and dragged me away. "They are starting to piece it together. It's probably time for us to get away because once the Emperor wakes up for being cured there's no stopping him from spilling the beans on me," he said before tugging me the direction he wanted.

"Let go of me! HELP! HELP!" I shout, I must at least try, as he pulled me harder and tightly covered my mouth to shut me up.

He then yanks me to the hidden backward out of the palace to find a large number of guards blocking the exit. I also saw Ying Zhi there too, in front of the guards. I felt relieved and continued to struggle free, so I could go to him.

"It's over. We knew it was you," Ying Zhi said as the 3rd Prince held me hostage.

"Really? How? The Emperor should still be unconscious from the poison inside of him," said the 3rd Prince.

"The 1st Prince," Ying Zhi said, which silenced him.

"I should have finished him off when I got the chance," the 3rd Prince said deadly. "But why didn't you guys act on it?" He asked.

"Then we wouldn't know where you hid Liling," Ying Zhi said and the 3rd Prince quickly chuckled.

"Let her go," Ying Zhi said seriously.

"Do you think I'll let her go easily," the 3rd Prince mocked and I took my chance to bite his hand as the 3rd Prince yelled in pain before releasing me. I tried to run to Ying Zhi, but the 3rd Prince caught me and placed a blade against my neck.

"Wow, very ballsy of you to bite me! Aren't you afraid I'll KILL you," he said into my ear as I flinch in fear and felt the blade move. "Ah, don't come any closer or she gets it," he said to the others as I felt him slowly moving backward and dragging me with him. He dragged me as he was practically running and forced me to run with him, but it was hard to run in the snow as the snow was ankle-high.

"YING ZHI!" I called his name and saw him following us, and trying to keep up with us.

We reached the pond, where the Emperor and I played chess, and Ying Zhi also reached us.

"Let her go," Ying Zhi shouted and had his sword out.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" The 3rd Prince mocked and held the blade closer to my neck and caused me to move my head back. The 3rd Prince slowly moved us back, under the gazebo.

"Please don't do this'" I said to the 3rd Prince, trying to convince him to stop.

"So you can be with him!" He shouted as I flinched in fear and felt the blade cut me a bit, but the 3rd Prince was still angry and went out of control before he flung me to the frozen pond.