Love In The Forbidden City (Completed)

Chapter XVI - Ice Face's Anguish (Revised)

Huge punishment did come the next time we met. 

It caused losses to all of us, especially Die Hard Thirteen, Ice Face, and me. We could only trade our health, freedom, and even to the extent — our lives in exchange for forgiveness from the Son of Heaven. I thought happiness would come one after another, but I had to encounter separation from the ones I cared the most in the palace. I thought I could always breathe without woe if I chose Ice Face. He was always meticulous and he had never raised suspicion from the emperor thus far. Yet, in order to help me escape the marriage with the Crowned Prince, he sent his men to further investigate the bribery case led by the Crowned Prince. 

Once he readied the account ledgers, he delivered it to the Eighth Bei'Le through an anonymous person. However, the Eighth Bei'Le, driven by jealousy, had suborned Ice Face's men to betray him. They spread the misdeeds among the citizens and convinced the emperor that it was directed by Ice Face. The emperor was so vexed that he threw the ceramic teacup on the Fourth Prince's face during the morning meeting. The emperor accused him without even giving him a chance to explain. My heart exploded in fury, hatred, and agony as I saw my lover bit his lip to suppress his seething emotions. Purple veins protruded out of his fists.

The Fourteenth Prince knelt beside Ice Face and begged for him. "Father, Fourth Brother does not seem like a person who will spread the rumour. He always practices calligraphic writings or meditates whenever he is free. Father, please think thrice."

Die Hard Thirteen stepped forward and took the blame. "Father, I was the one who spread the rumour. I did it without Fourth Brother's conscience. Please punish me."

"Thirteenth Brother..." Ice Face cautioned him to stop, but the latter merely smiled.

Ice Face's ambassadors nodded in relief as they had found a scapegoat.

The emperor asked Ice Face in a mean voice, "Yin Zhen, was Yin Xiang the one who had spread the rumour?" He flicked his vision to Die Hard Thirteen.

Ice Face balled his fists so tight that he could've snapped them. A droplet of hot tear slipped from my eyes as I couldn't share his anguish. That question... No matter what his answer was, both of them would receive severe punishment. If he answered "Yes", Die Hard Thirteen might even be executed. If he answered "No", he'd lose all the chance to win the throne. My eyes crossed path with the savage Crowned Prince. I wished I could slap him, kick him, and lash him. Ice Face always debated for him when he was accused of his misdeeds, but now he just stood next to the emperor, savouring Ice Face's anguish. 

The time ticked by until Ice Face muttered, his voice was shaky, laced with unvented wrath. "Yin Zhen does not know anything about this case. So Yin Zhen cannot determine whether Thirteenth Brother is involved in this case."

"Fine!" The emperor announced, "Give my order that Yin Xiang is to be grounded in a cottage by the Queen Bee Forest. No one is allowed to visit him without my permission."

The Queen Bee Forest... No living souls would dare to approach it. The weather there was the killer itself. It was hotter than a desert in the Summer and colder than an iceland in the Winter. Worse still, one might face the attack of the bees at night. How could Die Hard Thirteen, someone who was born as a prince and who had never experienced bitterness in his life, withstand this torment? Even the commoner couldn't outlive the challenge of nature.

Die Hard Thirteen smiled grievously and removed his official hat. The other princes returned to their Residences, except Ice Face, who was still kneeling on the cold floor of the Hall of Justice and Honour. His palms cut into the smithereens of the teacup; blood dribbled out like geysers. But what pained him more wasn't the physical injury. His tears... This was the first time that I saw him cry. The true tears of the hero in my heart.

Justice and Honour? I sniggered. Where were justice and honour? Did justice mean scraping off a person's freedom without giving him a chance to clear himself? Did honour mean believing in the rumour without investigating the root cause? Did fairness mean constantly protecting the wrongdoer simply due to personal favoritism? But I couldn't say this in front of Ice Face; that would only deepen his anguish. He needed my moral support now.

I knelt beside him and gripped his shoulder. "Go back. For the sake of Thirteenth Prince, go back." My voice shattered with fear, scared that he would hit me.

Most men from the Millennium era wouldn't think twice and would strike a woman when they were in a bad mood. But Ice Face didn't do so. He spared me with his magnanimity by walking away. His lips sealed tight. Though I could only see his back, I could sense his shadow crying. Die Hard Thirteen was his best friend, and he couldn't do anything to save him. He didn't even want to share his torment with me, because he didn't want to put me into trouble. 

Such a man of etiquette. My hero...

Seven days had passed and Die Hard Thirteen hadn't been released. How could he withstand the loneliness? Now, only the bamboo grooves would sing along with the solemn music from his faithful flute. Only the moon and stars could accompany him when he drank to his sleep. Ice Face didn't attend the morning meeting ever since Die Hard Thirteen was grounded. Miss Lv Wu, the commoner whom Die Hard Thirteen loved, pleaded me to allow her to serve her lover in his most distressed state. I tried to persuade the emperor, but he banned my request immediately. Disappointed, I knelt on the Royal Garden, hoping that he would change his mind.

When I saw the emperor again, I crawled towards him on my knees. "Your Majesty, please allow Miss Lv Wu to accompany the Thirteenth Prince. She is a woman who never lusts for the luxuries that the Thirteenth Prince offered. She even offers herself to take care of him when he is in his most distressed state. If she is materialistic, she would have long fled. Please, Your Majesty, Ruo Xi is willing to accept any punishment in exchange for this consent of yours."

"Any punishment?" The emperor glared at me. "How dare you bargain with me? If I want to punish you, can you bear the consequences? If you want to kneel, go ahead."

He flung his cloak and walked away. I knelt from morning to night. The gravel stones cut into my flesh but I didn't yield. Fatigue and hunger attacked my will but I didn't succumb to them. Night gave way to morning and the emperor still didn't want to meet me. I knew he wanted to test my obstinacy with his own stubbornness. Fine! Let's see who would be the final winner. I was putting my life as a stake in this gamble but I didn't fret. 

I snickered to myself. Can you really win, Ruo Xi? Even the princes — his own sons had no say in their lives, what could I demand? Victory? I smirked again. Worse still, above me, lightning arched, splintered and spread until a giant web illuminated the sky. Within seconds, the sky opened up, and heavy rain poured down as if wanting to join the gamble. We were almost stepping into Autumn, and the icy water burned my flesh and seared into my bones. When I thought that all hopes and human's kind nature was lost, and I almost blacked out, a shadow in a black cloak stood in front of me. I raised my head and saw Ice Face holding an umbrella.

We stared at one another. Our tears mixed with the rainwater; our souls nodded at each other with unspoken understanding. All of a sudden, he threw the umbrella away. With lightning speed, he stood next to me and shielded me with his cloak.

"Please... go back. Don't cause trouble to yourself anymore," I begged him.

"I will not leave you. If you want to kneel here in the rain, I will accompany you."

Sobbing, I hugged his leg. On this freezing rainy day, I wasn't alone. Ice Face, the future ruler of the Qing Dynasty, was willing to drop his status and kneel side by side with me. I shivered as I cried harder. He hugged me tighter. Seconds turned to minutes, our bodies clasped with one another like an inseparable magnet, until we saw two people standing in front of me. Ice Face released me and walked towards them, his eyes filled with hatred.

His lips quivered with warring emotions as he reached the newcomers.

Edited by YvonneKindle