Chapter 12 - Regrets

Two days had passed since the incident at the banquet. Prince Yang Lijun is also getting much better. Even the scars on his face and body are barely visible.

Xiu Ying prepared an ointment made from aloe vera and some paste made from green tea which greatly helped to fade the scars. Every day, Xiu Ying will come and visit Prince Yang to check on his condition, but he's never alone.

When Wu Zhang Wei heard the news that Xiu Ying went to visit Prince Yang, alone, it ticks him off. Xiu Ying was immediately reprimanded by him to not go and visit Prince Yang again, not without his company.

"But you're busy Your Majesty. I won't disturb you just for a short visit," said Xiu nonchalantly.

"No means no! Zhen said never to meet him alone. Is that so hard for you to understand?!"

"Then, what if Your Majesty is in the meeting? Should I call you too?"

"Choose a time when Zhen is not in the meeting."

"But I usually visit him once in the morning and once in the evening. Every day in the morning, Your Majesty must attend the morning court. Then, Your Majesty won't even have time in the evening as that is Your Majesty's consultation time with my father. So...."

Wu Zhang Wei's eyes twitched. 'He's doing it on purpose isn't he?'

"Then go after the morning court and before my consultation time. You got such a long time for a day, just choose other than that two times. End of discussion!" Wu Zhang Wei raises his voice.

'What a grumpy guy!'

Unaffected by the furious emperor, Xiu Ying rolls his eyes. "Fine."

Due to that, Xiu Ying had to drag along the emperor whenever he's going to visit Prince Yang. The latter also beams when he saw his savior. Totally ignoring the emperor's presence, Prince Yang happily talked with Xiu Ying.

Right now, Xiu Ying is visiting Prince Yang for the second time today. He can't do any check-up on Prince Yang as someone forbids him. He can only watch from aside when the physician did it.

"Your Highness, may I ask, did this kind of thing happen to you before?" Xiu Ying asked.

"Yes. Well, I don't know what caused this and even the physician couldn't find the causes. Whenever it happened, I just laid on my bed for days, waiting for the pain to subside." Prince Yang rubs his nape, feeling even the physicians in his country are useless. Can't even be compared to Concubine Li.

"Then, did you remember what did you ate that made you like this? Maybe there are similar ingredients in every meal that you took that causes this."

Prince Yang rubbed his chin, thinking of the meals that he ate before. "Well...usually this happened whenever I ate sour soup. So since that, I avoid eating any sour soup."

Xiu Ying squints his eyes. 'Sour...soup? But at the banquet, there's no sour soup. Mostly dried dish. The only soups are the oxtail soup and shark's fin soup. But both of them are not sour....wait. The shark's fin soup is served with vinegar! If it's vinegar then he must be suffered from vinegar allergy.'

"Concubine Li? Did you know anything?" Prince Yang asked when he saw Xiu Ying's eyes widen.

"Prince Yang...forgive me if I'm wrong but I think Your Highness is sensitive to vinegar. That's my assumption because Your Highness said it occurred whenever Your Highness ate sour soup but at the banquet, there are no sour meals except the shark's fin soup that was served together with vinegar. So, that's what makes me think Your Highness is sensitive towards vinegar."

Wu Zhang Wei, Prince Yang, and the physician look at Xiu Ying with full of admiration. But Wu Zhang Wei immediately frowns when he saw Prince Yang staring at his concubine with not only admiration. It is...more than that.

Ignoring the stares, Xiu Ying continues, "Your Highness, please remember not to take anything that has vinegar in it. Maybe you could ask your cook to change it into citrus fruit juice such as lime. It could give the same taste. In that way, maybe Your Highness can enjoy more meals."

"Concubine Li.....yo- you're amazing! Not even one of the physicians in my country knows about this b- but you! Wow!"

Sensing the unwanted danger, Wu Zhang Wei moves closer to Xiu Ying, hiding him from the prince's view.

Prince Yang turns to Wu Zhang Wei and slightly smirks. Xiu Ying feels stuffy when a pole hides his sight, he moves aside. The tiny movement makes Wu Zhang Wei abruptly turn to Xiu Ying and glare.

"I just read a lot, Your Highness. Don't worry. I'll write everything down on what Your Highness can or cannot eat and what to do if this occurs again."

"Can't I just.....come here if this happened again? I- I think Concubine Li is far more experienced and I feel safer with Concubine Li." Prince Yang said with a pleading voice that might melt every woman's heart.

Wu Zhang Wei interrupts with laughs and sneers. "Sorry Prince Yang but Concubine Li might be busy from now onwards. My imperial mother wants him to handle the inner palace's matter so he won't have time to tend to your trivial needs. Plus, in the future, he might need to take care of.....our kids too."

Xiu Ying almost slumps onto the floor but the hand crawling on his waist prevented it from happening.

The sneer gets wider when the emperor sees the prince grit his teeth.

"Alright MY Ying-er, let's go. The prince needs to rest." Without waiting for the answer, Wu Zhang Wei already drags Xiu Ying out of the room.

Xiu Ying is still lost in thought and didn't realize the emperor leads him around. He blinks repeatedly. He realized he's already out of Prince Yang's room when his butt touched the soft mattress. He was brought to Wu Zhang Wei's room.

Xiu Ying abruptly stands and takes a few steps away from the bed. His act makes the emperor's mood darkened.

Xiu Ying feels the heavy air. He clears his throat, "Your Majesty, pardon this servant but in future please refrain from saying.....things like that. It- it's not good."

"What things?" Zhang Wei crossed his arms, staring deathly.

"Th- things about....k- kids... If! If the other consorts heard it they might not like it. Th- they might think Your Majesty is....showing favor towards me." Xiu Ying hangs his head low. He might look like an innocent ger, feeling shy from talking about such a topic but the truth is, inside his head.... 'F**k you grumpy old man! Who wants to bear your child! If you want a child, let ME MAKE YOU PREGNANT!'

"It's up to them what they want to think. You're Zhen's concubine. Zhen can do anything Zhen wants to you. And Zhen told you before if you want to say something about other concubines, in case they cause trouble for you, just tell Zhen. Zhen will handle it."

"Pardon Your Majesty. There's a proverb saying prevention is better than cure so I better prevent them from finding an excuse to cause trouble for me rather than finding a solution to handle the problem." Xiu Ying said it in one breath.

"........" 'Is that even the same?!' thought Zhang Wei.

"Concubine Li... why are you being like this?"

Xiu Ying sighs. "Pardon Your Majesty. But let me return this question to Your Majesty. Why is Your Majesty being like this? Why must Your Majesty tell me what to do, what not to do? Who I can or cannot meet. Why is Your Majesty.....tried to be kind to me?"

Zhang Wei was surprised by the questions and even he didn't know why he is like that towards Xiu Ying. Plus, he didn't even realize his acts before.

"Wh- what do you mean? You're Zhen's concubine. Zhen has the right to do all that and is it wrong for Zhen to be kind to you? All consorts practically begged Zhen to be kind to them, why are you even questioned it?" Zhang Wei gets off the bed and walks closer towards Xiu Ying.

Xiu Ying raises his head and stares straight into Zhang Wei's eyes. "Be kind to me? After Your Majesty ignored my existence, now Your Majesty wants to be kind to me? When I was dying, in a coma for three days, did Your Majesty ever come and visit me, even for once? Did Your Majesty find out the truth behind the poisoning? Did Your Majesty try to find a cure for me? Did Your Majesty stay up late taking care of me? Did Your Majesty do any of that?"

Wu Zhang Wei fell speechless. He can't retort back because he never did any of it.

"The people in this palace hate me to the core so no servants want to help me and no guards want to protect me. They dare to do that...why? Because Your Majesty didn't even get mad when they treated me like trash. I was insulted almost every day and every time I show myself. Did Your Majesty take any action for what they did to me? No, right? That's because Your Majesty also despised me. That's why I was placed at the furthest palace so I'll be out of Your Majesty's sight."

Xiu Ying scoffs. "Now, Your Majesty, out of nowhere said wants to be kind to me? Gosh! Are you kidding me?!" Xiu Ying is too mad when he remembered what happened to the owner of this body, he even forgets the manner.

Zhang Wei grabs on Xiu Ying's hand, "Xiu Ying...can you give Zhen a chance to make up for all that?"

Xiu Ying quickly yanks his hand, "Why should I do that?"

"Le- let Zhen have a chance to treat you better. Zhen promises not to ignore Xiu Ying again after this." Zhang Wei wants to grab on Xiu Ying's hand again but the latter steps back.

Xiu Ying raises his palm, stopping Zhang Wei from getting closer. "May I know, what makes Your Majesty suddenly has a change of heart? I don't think I did something extraordinary or special that could raise my status in Your Majesty's eyes higher. I'm just annoying and a freak, right?"

Zhang Wei gulps down his saliva. 'Wait did he hear it when I said that about him? Damn this mouth of mine is too careless. Now I have to face these consequences on my own.'

"Xiu Ying...Zhen di- didn't mean to say something like that. Zhen wants to apologize for everything Zhen said before. Zhen knows it was so rude to say something like that b- but honestly.....at that time Zhen was kinda an- an- annoyed when Xiu Ying keeps on pestering like that. Zhen doesn't like it when someone easily threw her/himself at other people. Zhen...sorry.." His voice and his expression clearly show how he regrets what he said.

"Then, what makes it different now? I'm still the same Xiu Ying."

"No!" The sudden high voice makes Xiu Ying flinches. "You're not the same. Even if Zhen didn't know the real you, but Zhen knows you're not the same as before. Xiu Ying now is calmer and mannerful. Your words, your actions, even the air around you are completely changed. It feels like there's someone else taking over your body." Xiu Ying turns rigid.

"Xiu Ying... please... Let Zhen treat you better?" Zhang Wei inclined his head.

"Listen here Your Majesty. Your Majesty has another two consorts and one concubine. Just like me, they also never received any kindness from Your Majesty. Shouldn't Your Majesty do the same to them?"

"B- but..."

"If! If Your Majesty treats them better, then I'll let Your Majesty do the same to me. Be fair. If Your Majesty can't be kind to all of them, then don't do it at all. Not to anyone. Not to me."

Zhang Wei grips his fist tightly. He takes a deep breath, "Then, it means whatever I did to them, Xiu Ying will let Zhen do to you?"

The way Zhang Wei said it makes Xiu Ying rethinks his decision.

"Y- yeah."

"Promise?"

"Pr- promise." Xiu Ying hesitates.. He didn't know his own words that caused him the troubles in the future.