No Repeats

Aftermath of the battle

"Shu Mei, you cannot fall ill, the empire depends on you alone, why not share the load. You can trust them" said the concerned grandfather in a gentle tone.

Shu Mei slammed her hand on the table and glared at him.

"Grandfather, this is the last time I will say this, if you ask again, I will flee this place with Bai Ye and will never return. Without Bai Ye, we would have turned into corpses hanging on the city walls as Huang Yu Li parades around as the usurper. Without Bai Ye, there is no more empire. Without Bai Ye, there is no Shu Mei. He is my man and my responsibility. I will not allow anyone else to touch him, no woman, no man, he is mine alone. End of conversation."

Rui Hao Liang looked at this granddaughter with concern and pity.

How can he not know how important Bai Ye is?

But she is also important to him, seeing her already slender figure look so thin and haggard from overwork and caring for the comatose man, his heart couldn't help but break. It wasn't unreasonable to let the maids too after Bai Ye, maybe even the imperial physicians would be better. But Shu Mei is stubborn and persistent, it was as if, she was willing to tie her fate to his and deliberately working herself to death.

"Prime Minister let it go, her Highness has her limits, after all, if she falls then how can she look after Bai Ye," said Lu Tai wisely.

"Prince Zubain Lu Tai, thank you, I understand," said Rui Hao Liang with a sigh of resignation.

Lu Tai smiled and watched Shu Mei's profile carefully.

He knew her well enough to know her stubbornness and having seen her lifeless eyes when she thought Bai Ye was dead, he knew that her obsessiveness stemmed from desperation to avoid those feelings again. If they forcefully tear her away from Bai Ye, he is certain that her remaining will to live will be extinguished.

"Captain Lu Tai, actually Prince Zubain Lu Tai, you know our Shu Mei very well. Gosh, its odd to call you that now," said Lin An cheerfully.

Lu Tai smiled, he too felt it was odd to be called by his proper title again. He had been undercover for so long that he has almost forgotten his identity as the fourth prince of the Mongstad nation. The Mongstad nation was one of the first nations who willingly absorbed themselves into the Empire after seeing the benevolent leadership of the Zhou Emperor and the prosperity of his people.

The Mongstad nation was able to maintain their own independent rule and considered as the Empire's child. Since the great absorption, the Mongstad went from strength to strength, working very closely with the Zhou Emperor to carefully guard the frontiers from invaders.

After Lu Tai was born, the Mongstad King started to share the Zhou Emperor's burdens and worries about the Murong clan's powers. When they realised that the young Lu Tai was a true talent and saw the rapid rise of Huang Yu Li, they originally thought that Lu Tai could befriend Yu Li and help him rise to fight against the Murong Clan. So, they sent the young prince to infiltrate the army and befriended Yu Li. Using his wits and intelligence alone, Lu Tai was able gain Yu Li's trust and helped him rise in power and fame.

When Lu Tai realised Yu Li's true ambitions, he despaired because Yu Li had become too powerful to take down by himself. It was at this time that Zu Bai Ye returned and raised so much havoc for Yu Li that Lu Tai began to see Bai Ye's true potential to stop Yu Li.

Arguably, Lu Tai had the most difficult job and played the biggest part in saving the empire. He held the delicate balance in being Yu Li's right-hand man so he could foil his plans while helping Bai Ye win over the Wulin and weed out its detractors. Without Lu Tai's secret messages and forewarning, Bai Ye would have faced more troubles in identifying friend or foe.