To Love The Unloved Emperor

16. The Moon Immortal and Herbal Chicken Soup

"I understand." Mei Xiu nodded her head, causing the beads to rattle for a moment before stilling. "But I can't help but wonder how long his punishment will last."

"Mm. Probably until he dies."

"And how long will that take?"

"Well, he used some forbidden magic to give Jin Mi a fraction of his life span, so I'm sure it won't be as long as most heavenly emperors."

"Do you feel that much hatred towards your own nephew?"

"It's hard not to resent him." 

"Even to his face?"

"I know how to be polite."

"Mm."

"What?"

They watched the ox lift its head before slowly approaching a small field of grass nearby.

"Did you know that the former empress killed Run Yu's mother?" 

Danzhu blinked at the abrupt fact. "Huh?"

"I don't wish to invalidate everyone's feelings towards the current emperor, but he's been wronged as well."

He looked down. "Sure...but did that give him the right to do such terrible things in return?"

"Who else was going to get justice for him?" She tilted her head. "No one ever cared about him. You all only wanted him to be there... but only if he stayed in his brother's shadows." 

"That's not true."

"Is it not true because it's too much to hear or is it not true because you have evidence that proves me wrong?"

Danzhu's eyes slowly became wet with tears before he moved forward and snatched the hat off the black tiger immortal's head.

Mei Xiu stared at him as tears began to race down his face.

"What do you want me to do?" He sniffled. "I tried to be kind to him and he decided to burn heaven to the ground."

"You could come back... you could try to mend things. Start anew."

"What if I don't want to?"

She reached forward and grabbed her hat before carefully getting up. "Then don't."

His eyes widened as he watched her bow and slowly retreat to her ox's side.

"T-That's it?"

Mei Xiu glanced back as she put on her hat. "I only came to think and let my ox have a drink, remember?"

He inhaled softly and nodded before slowly making his way back to his home in the village.

Mei Xiu smiled as she slowly left the village humming a soft tune.

A few days passed, leaving the moon immortal spiraling in his befuddled thoughts.

Had he been unfair to his nephew?

Had he missed all of his cries for help?

When did Tu Yao, the heavenly empress, do such a thing- and why hadn't his brother done anything to help his mourning son?

He knew that Tai Wei had done several terrible things in his life, but why hadn't he done anything?

Surely anything would have been better than nothing.

Perhaps everyone who died might be alive now if he hadn't been so uncaring for his other son.

Or even if he, himself, had noticed.