Chapter Twenty-two (2)

"You should be ashamed but we'll forgive you," Qian Luse spoke.

"You're forgiving my daughter?" Consort Shim asked mockingly.

Both sisters scoffed. They hated the empress and the two consorts right down to the bone. Consort Shim's eyes narrowed on them.

Turning their attention to the emperor, together they eerily spoke, "We urge his majesty to reconsider your decisions."

"No!" he dismissed. "The two of you are wasting your time and you are wasting mine. Guards arrest these two, they will be punished along with ex-general Rong and Qinghe!" he ordered. 

The guards in the court room stepped forward immediately. Qian Luse turned around and her back hit her sisters. They were now standing back to back with their guards up and a smirk on their faces. Dong Woo frowned.

Stepping forward he took his sword off his side and tapped the end of his sword against the hardwood floor ordering, "All of you stand down."

The royal guards looked at their commander confused. The emperor just ordered them to arrest the twins but here he was suddenly telling them otherwise. Wu Yong glared at Dong Woo's back. 

"Dong Woo, what is the meaning of this?" he asked sitting forward. 

Dong Woo turned around. Bowing his head he looked back up at Wu Yong. Seeing the conflicted gaze on his face made Wu Yong feel uneasy. 

"I suggest you listen to us since your guard knows why we are really here," Qian Lan said with smile.

Dong Woo glared at her, "Remember, this isn't your home so behaving like runts isn't allowed," he said to them.

Qian Luse turned around facing Dong Woo, "I should have killed him when I had the chance," she said under her breath.

Qian Lan gazed at her sister from the side and nodded. Looking back at the emperor she said, "My family is willing to allow your daughter to marry into our family."

"My daughter won't be marrying that boy," Consort Shim spat.

The twins closed their eyes and sucked in deep breaths to calm themselves. "Your daughter will be marrying into our family whether you like it or not because my brother still has feelings for her even if he declared that he doesn't. Her first mistake was courting him then making him fall for her. She will suffer at his side as his wife and at the hands of our mother since she is the reason why the emperor has decided to imprison our oraboni," she said as she opened her eyes.

Qian Luse continued, "We are willing to exchange a life for a life your majesty."

"What?" Wu Yong asked astounded. A life for a life?

The officials who were quietly watching along with the royals, where confused. "The life of your daughter for the life of you first born," Qian Lan added.

The twins smirked, "Not you, you aren't his first born," they said together.