Frozen Fire

Chapter 21

Beyond the Sight

The consort was taking a short walk around that evening. The Jiangnan governor's residence surrounding was breathtakingly beautiful, the consort noticed. The buildings might be wasn't as luxury as the palace in Forbidden City, but this residence was surrounded by forest, mountains and the settlements of its people. And that was the charm of the residence was coming from.

Dayu missed this feeling of being so close to the nature, not trapped in golden cages like what he always felt in the palace. Wherever he goes, he always have few people hawking their eyes on him.

At least here, he was allowed to take a short walk in the residence's enclosed area. Upon his own request, his maid-servants and guard were putting few metres distance and being asked to just check on him from afar.

Truth to be told, what the consort needed the most at this exact moment was having a space for himself. He needed to think, to evaluate all decisions he had made and had put into action, to rearrange all of his future plans.

It was a lie if the consort said that everything the emperor did for him wasn't able to touch his heart even though just a bit. It wasn't love, of course, the consort tried to convince himself. It was the cruel emperor after all, the one who killed his family and destroyed his kingdom. How could he give up his heart to his biggest enemy? It must be nothing more than guilty. The emperor had put a bet on his own life for the sake of saving him. The emperor's every actions slowly managed to confuse his feeling.

Oh, Goddess in heaven, just how Dayu would face his family in heaven if they knew he let the cruel emperor smoothering and attempting to melt his frozen heart?

Why the emperor didn't just continue his cruel acts? Continue to make him suffer and forced himself on Dayu? That way, it was easier to keep hating the emperor. Dayu wouldn't be thrown in the state of confusion of his own feeling. Too confuse until he let himself shed his own tears in front of the emperor like what happened the other day.

"You seem in very deep thought, Your Highness,"

The greet was casual and gentle, but the male consort was too distracted with his thoughts that he ended up jump in shock upon the arrival of none other than Wang Zhiyuan.

"Lord Zhiyuan," Immediately taking a better control of himself, the consort greeted back casually. However, that was as far as the consort was willing to greet. The consort was still the usual his cold self.

Wang Zhiyuan smiled a small smile. He noticed that the consort recently wasn't too friendly with him like he did before. It was easy to make conclusion that there was something the consort used to want from him, and now he knows that he can't get that certain something from him, so the consort was back to hide behind his cold facade. The consort was a little cunning, in Wang Zhiyuan opinion, but who could be better match for the emperor? The emperor was a complete dominant, the real chaser. The male consort was a perfect target to play hunter and the prey that hard to get with the emperor.

"Is something bothering you?" However Wang Zhiyuan couldn't help but feeling curious about what the cause the consort looked so in distraught.

The consort eyed the general, calculating what to say. The consort knew there was something strange going on. He could see that the emperor didn't really pay attention to Wang Zhiyuan whenever they were in the palace. Despite his status as the great general of war, Wang Zhiyuan was far from the image of the emperor's trusted people. That was why the consort guessed that the general was having resentment toward the emperor. He was the original crown prince, but the emperor took that title from him. That the emperor somehow also suspected that Wang Zhiyuan someday would take the throne from him. Wang Zhiyuan would be a perfect ally for him, that was the consort thought at first.