Chapter 164: Don't conspire

Han Yu falls silent after that, resigning himself to having Xi Zirui clean his face and wounds for him.

Xi Zirui hums to himself while he does it, trying to keep himself busy and not dwell on the shitty situation they have found themselves yet again.

If he lets despair settle in, it might never leave.

"This King tried to kill you," Han Yu says after a prolonged silence. "What is this? Some new torture method?"

Now that his face is somewhat clean, he resembles himself more, even with the black eye and the gash across his cheek. His long hair is braided away from his face in tiny braids decorated with silver rings and jade beads, and then tied together in a high pony tail.

He looks as handsome as ever, Xi Zirui wants to kiss him.

"Sure, I'll make you repent for your actions by making you fall in love with me," Xi Zirui says, smiling at Han Yu's indignation.

"It heartens the soul to know that Xin has its days numbered because its Emperor is a madman," Han Yu says, after another frustrated attempt to get up from Xi Zirui's lap.

Once again, Xi Zirui only nods.

---

Food is delivered, and Xi Zirui manages to convince Han Yu to eat something after personally tasting a little of every dish himself.

Talking him into taking a bath is a lot harder, but they come to the agreement that Xi Zirui will stand with his back to Han Yu while he washes himself with his hands tied, so that Han Yu will know this isn't some elaborate plan to drown him in humiliating fashion.

Han Yu's confusion at Xi Zirui's actions doesn't abate, and when it comes time for bed he obviously refuses to sleep anywhere near Xi Zirui.

Xi Zirui expects as much and gives him privacy.

The next day follows much of the same pattern, with everyone respecting Xi Zirui's previous order to not be disturbed.

In the meantime, he has to find a way to break through Han Yu. He might be able to save him from the executioner's block, but only if he collaborates.

He wishes he still had access to the pocket realm. Maybe showing Han Yu all those snippets of their previous lives would jog his memories.

"I can feel his Royal Highness staring at me," Xi Zirui says, aware of Han Yu's probing gaze boring a whole into his back as he tries to read.

"You don't look mad," Han Yu says, narrowing his eyes at Xi Zirui as if this is a personal failing on his part.

"Sorry to disappoint."

Han Yu scowls. "I never expected the Emperor of the Xin dogs to speak so vulgarly, like a commoner." 

"I'm waiting for you to get your memories back so we can go back to figuring out how to stop this."

"The war?" Han Yu asks, his eyebrows climbing dangerously high up his forehead.

Xi Zirui sighs. "Sure."

---

He sleeps fitfully that night, and so does Han Yu judging by all the tossing and turning he hears during the night.

Xi Zirui wants to go to his side, comfort him, release the bindings around his wrists so that he can at least sleep better, but he knows none of that would be welcome in the present circumstances.

In the morning, the Empress Dowager demands an audience with him and Xi Zirui can't afford to deny her.

He gets dressed in the most sensible imperial robes the original has, and ties all of his hair up in a neat queue.

The Empress Dowager has her own wing of the palace. It takes Xi Zirui some time to get there from his own quarters.

She's already waiting for him when he arrives in her reception hall, seating in a tall backed throne carved in the shape of soaring phoenixes, and sipping tea daintily. Her dark eyes appraise him attentively from above the rim of the porcelain cup.

"This son apologizes for making Imperial mother wait," Xi Zirui says, bowing his head in deference to the Empress Dowager before taking a seat at her side.

It's been a long time since he has seen Granny Ma, and he almost didn't recognize her under the large hair crown, and understated but elegant brocade robes. 

She tilts her head towards him, not nearly formal enough. "This lonely one is thankful for the Emperor's company."

A servant offers Xi Zirui his own cup of tea and he takes a sip. It's bitter, a good match for the somber mood of their meeting.

"This one has heard that the Emperor has taken the prisoner suspect of the attempt against his life into his private custody," the Empress Dowager says, measuring her words carefully.

"Imperial mother has heard right," Xi Zirui says.

"May this lonely one inquire as to why?" There isn't any trace of amusement in her lined face, despite her jovial tone.

"This son doesn't want to worry Imperial Mother, but he also wouldn't dare to keep any information from her." Xi Zirui clears his throat, and lowers his teacup into the table before looking the Empress Dowager in the eye and holding her gaze.

"This son believes the attempt against his life might have been orchestrated by someone withing the Imperial palace."

She takes another sip of her tea, swallows, and then says, "Oh?"

"The events that led to the attack on this son's life are murky to say the least, and this son believe it's best to keep the prisoner under close vigilance, away from anyone who might want to silence him before he can reveal anything of use."

Xi Zirui knows he has a tall task ahead to convince her that he isn't as stupid and hedonistic as she previously thought, but he's determined to lay the foundation for that now.

It might buy him some time with Han Yu.

The Empress Dowager levels him with a shrewd look. "The prisoner was perfectly safe in his cell during the time the Emperor was unconscious."

Xi Zirui hums in assent. "It would be suspicious for him to have met a questionable end while this son was still unconscious, which is why this son had to act fast."

A familiar chime rings, and for once Xi Zirui knows it's a good sign.

"Congratulations Host, Empress Dowager's favor up by 15 points. Now at 15 points of a possible 100."

Ah, well, it's better than to start with negative points, at any rate.

"Does the Emperor have any suspects?" she asks, her tone no longer lilting in jovial mocking but dead serious.

"This son wouldn't dare to make hasty judgements this early," he shakes his head with a long-suffering sigh. "As soon as he has any new information, this son will share it at once with Imperial mother."

"Congratulations Host, Empress Dowager's favor up by 5 points. Now at 20 points of a possible 100.

They talk some more about irrelevant issues to pass the time, and the Empress Dowager finally bids him goodbye.

Xi Zirui leaves with a pep in his step and a sense of mission accomplished.

---

His good mood evaporates when he walks into the room and can't find Han Yu anywhere.

Before panicking, he tries to think rationally. He can't have escaped or someone would have alerted him. The whole palace would be on high alert trying to catch him.

Jin Ranyu and Cao Fei wouldn't be standing at the door as if nothing had happened, at the very least.

He's considering the merits of looking under the bed when a rope of silk descends around his neck, pulling taut against his throat and driving him stumbling into a familiar chest.

Han Yu croons into his ear. "Mad Emperor of Xin, what are you going to do now?"

Xi Zirui can do little more than gasp.

Han Yu pulls the rope tighter. "This King will kill you and avenge his people. He will be met with cheers in the underworld when he faces all those your merciless Xin killed!"

Struggling to breath, Xi Zirui raises one hand and taps the side of Han Yu's wrist, driving his thumb into the pulse point.

It's one of the simple moves he learned back when he was a cultivation grandmaster, but it's enough to make Han Yu's grip on the rope loosen.

In a fluid move, Xi Zirui drops to his knees and sweeps a leg into Han Yu's shins, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards in a flurry of tattered robes.

Xi Zirui doesn't want to alert the Imperial guards, and risk having Han Yu detained again, so he jumps over him, settling above his hips and using his own forearm to put pressure on his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"If you wanted some kinky play you just had to say so." He brings his face closer to Han Yu's and puts all his weight behind his forearm making Han Yu choke and his eyes flare wide. "I'm not opposed to teaching how to be a good boy if you don't behave."

---

A.N: In case it wasn't clear, the Empress Dowager (it's such a pain to write it out, I should have gone with pinyin, anyway) isn't Xi Zirui's mother, but all children of the Emperor must call the Empress, "imperial mother", their own mothers they can call "concubine mother", or "consort mother", or "name-mother", depending.