Chapter 182: Don't capitulate [END WORLD 8]

The Empress Dowager turns towards Li Siqi, still cowering in a corner, as physically distant from Liao Min as she can get. 

"Does young miss Li confirm the events that were discussed here?"

It takes Li Siqi some time to finally answer. "They seem to match the events this one experienced," her gaze drifts towards Liao Min, before darting away quickly. "Despite the fright, at no point did the barbarian attempt to harm this one, lending credibility to the conjecture that she was acting at someone else's behest."

Liao Min rolls her eyes, her expression set. "Not mere conjecture. Fact."

The Empress Dowager ignores her, and nods towards the guards holding her. "Take her back to the holding cells, and ensure she stays there this time," the threat is implied in her mild voice.

She sketches the approximation of a comforting smile and tells Li Siqi. "Young miss Li can return to her quarters, the servants will ensure anything she wants is provided for her."

Li Siqi curtsies to all of them and leaves at once, clearly relieved to put the whole thing behind her.

"Youngest princess should return to the great hall, and let our guests know that everything is alright and that young miss Li has been found unharmed," The Empress Dowager tells Bai Mi, who leaves after Li Siqi with only one look back at Xi Zirui.

Now it's the moment he seals his fate, and fulfills his end of the bargain with Bai Mi.

He needs to talk the Empress Dowager into accepting his proposal, only then can Bai Mi be in a position of preventing Su Xueyi from being executed. 

All of Xi Zirui's careful planning will have been moot, otherwise. 

She wasn't too happy to hear about it. She wisely remarked that it would be much better for both of them if Su Xueyi was dead.

Xi Zirui wasn't quite able to explain why that wouldn't be possible.

The Empress Dowager turns to him now, as if already expecting him to have something to tell her anyway.

"This Emperor would like imperial mother to sign off on a decision he has been thinking over for the past days," Xi Zirui says, standing to his full height, towering over the Empress Dowager.

A woman like her isn't easily intimidated, and that isn't Xi Zirui's goal, but she does look up at him attentively, she doesn't see him as a spoiled libertine any longer.

"His Majesty has showed great perspicacity in handling the latest internal court affairs, this widow is sure any decision he arrives to will be a wise one."

"This son is flattered by imperial mother's trust," Xi Zirui says, bowing deferentially to her. "This one has been considering naming youngest princess his heir."

The Empress Dowager doesn't let surprise show on her face. "Why does his Majesty think this is a necessary decision."

"In light of recent events, this Emperor believes it would be wise to name an adult heir, and keep that information secret, so that the nation won't be threatened in case the next assassination attempt ends up being successful," he smiles ruefully.

"His Majesty isn't planning on having his own children?" The Empress Dowager probes, one of her thin eyebrows arching over her wrinkled forehead.

Xi Zirui smiles placatingly. "Of course, this one plans on marrying several consorts and concubines as soon as possible, this is merely a safeguard measure."

"Wouldn't his Majesty rather name a male cousin? A woman as heir is a rather...unorthodox choice."

The Empress Dowager's slightly contrite smile is exactly how Xi Zirui knows he's going to be successful.

"Youngest princess has impressed lately with her shrewd deductions and cautious approach. This one is convinced she is the best choice to be Emperor of Xin if the worst were to happen and this one didn't produce any heirs of his own."

Before the Empress Dowager can offer any more token protests, Xi Zirui cuts in, "It was Imperial mother's strong guidance and powerful leadership that has persuaded this one that it was important to ignore youngest princess gender because like Imperial mother, she is the best choice for our great Xin."

Xi Zirui can hear ringing in his hears in the seconds that follow. The room seems to contract with each moment the Empress Dowager doesn't speak.

It's only when he hears a familiar chime that Xi Zirui allows himself to release a long breath.

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

"It will be done as His Majesty says." She nods, regal and dignified, but Xi Zirui doesn't think he imagines the tears shinning on the corners of her eyes.

---

Things progress very fast after that, the very next day the official document is drawn up, with the official in attendance sworn to secrecy under threat of death.

Only Bai Mi, the Empress Dowager and Xi Zirui are present to sign it and seal it. 

And that's it, Bai Mi has what she wants, and the trump card of Ji Limei's mother's identity if the Empress Dowager gives her trouble in the future.

"I expect older sister to keep to her end of the bargain," Xi Zirui says, setting his white go stone on the board in front of him.

The weather is pleasantly warm outside, and he and Ji Limei are drinking tea and playing go in Xi Zirui's private courtyard. Han Yu is lazying around in a patch of sunlight, and Ji Limei is standing ramrod straight at Bai Mi's side. 

Xi Zirui can't help noticing how her eyes drink in Bai Mi's every movement, as if she's either reliving something or trying to commit whatever is happening to memory.

Whenever Bai Mi addresses her she smiles sweetly. In every way the sweet, shy girl Xi Zirui remembers from the previous worlds.

It's only when her eyes flicker briefly towards him that Xi Zirui catches a glimpse of the steel core that runs through her.

Bai Mi puts down her own stone, capturing one of Xi Zirui's. "You have my word."

"We both know that isn't worth much."

"It's all I have to give you," she says with a careless shrug. "I can promise I'll keep him alive, either by delaying the trial or by influencing the sentence outright, it's of no consequence to me, but after doing that much I'll wash my hands clean of this matter."

Her eyes sharpen like a hawk's. "Don't expect me to be Su Xueyi's nursemaid in the years to come."

Xi Zirui realizes she has set a trap for him, and that he's going to lose the game. There's nothing for him to do but capitulate.

---

Han Yu's excitement grows as the day they're supposed to leave approaches. He makes grand plans for all the things they're going to do once they reach Han Yu's people. Of course Xi Zirui's identity as the former Emperor of Xin will never be revealed, instead he'll be a good Samaritan who helped Han Yu escape the clutches of the terrible Xin guards.

"And then this King will marry you," Han Yu says, grinning maniacally. "It's the least he can do to show his appreciation."

Xi Zirui rolls his eyes, and pulls Han Yu down on top of him in the bed. "And how will my King convince his people to accept such an unusual marriage arrangement?"

Han Yu scrunches up his nose cutely. "You'll find a way, you always do," he says, and lowers his lips against Xi Zirui's in a messy kiss.

That kind of faith makes Xi Zirui's pulse speed up.

He can only hope he can live up to Han Yu's expectations, in this world, and wherever they might go from here.

Xi Zirui takes precautions of course. He can't entirely trust Bai Mi's goodwill to retreat from the border lands and return Han Yu's people's land to them, so on the night they disappear he steals several confidential documents, as well maps detailing Xin army routes and encampments areas.

Their plan is a simple one: spring Liao Min out of her cell, and fake the scene of a bloody rampage in Xi Zirui's rooms. Her final hateful gesture against Xin. Violence that neither Xi Zirui or Han Yu will survive.

Clues will be left to implicate Shen Yun in Liao Min's release, and if anyone looks too closely at why Xi Zirui dismissed his own guards on the night he ended up being assassinated -- he trusts Bai Mi will convince them to look somewhere else.

As expected, the three of them have no problems escaping the imperial city in the dead of night, riding prearranged horses and wearing dark cloaks that disguise them as efficiently as the night itself.

They have a long ride ahead of them, but Xi Zirui is glad to find himself free of the stifling Imperial palace and his role as Emperor.

That first night he and Han Yu sleep in each others arms, with the brilliant night sky as their silent witness. The vivid slash of the milky way fills Xi Zirui's field of vision until Han Yu's steady heartbeat lulls him to sleep and his eyelids keep the starts out of his eyes, but not out of his heart.

The following night they fall asleep in much the same way, except Xi Zirui never wakes up.