A Trial by Halves

Punishment

Thinking about his Grandson, Haode sighed deeply.  He too would have to be punished, but unlike Cheng Yu, there would be no bargaining, he would have to take the full brunt of the lightening bolts that were already set in stone for desertion of ones post.  But as to whether he survived it, was a different story.

______

News of Cheng Yus fate was beginning to trickle out even though Bai Zhi and The Empress had tried to contain it, at least until her punishment was over seeing as Haode was in the end against it.  But as is always the case when maids are about, the gossip was soon spreading until eventually Lian Song heard the whisperings.

And that was only becase his own maids were the greatest gossips of all and that was because he was just as much a gossip as they were so he did not place too many restrictions on them, after all, being the second Prince meant he was not always kept in the know with the important stuff and this one would have been one such event that would have slipped him by.

Now racing towards her Palace, he wondered if he would now have access having been kept out the entire time.  For days he had begged on his knees outside his fathers chamber only to be ignored and not even Lord Pua could do anything for him considering Lian Song had only barely avoided being punishment himself.

And for a long while, he had seriously contemplated on taking his guards to her Palace and forcing his way in.  He had even considered abducting her and doing exactly what Ye Hua had done and fled the Palace forever.  But it was when his mind began to contemplate on throwing himself into Zhutian Terrrace that he just happened to overhear his maids talking among themselves.

Now racing passed the guards who had been ordered to continue being a visible presence but to allow her visitors, he did not stop to question them, instead he flew into the parlour before delving off into the main room where he found her in tears.

Falling to his knees at her side, he gently gathered her into his arms which hers automatically flew about his neck.

"You came....." she gasped in both astonishment and fear that he might be caught.

"The restrictions on your Palace have been lifted." he explained as he lavished her face with kisses having thought he would never see her again.

"Lian Song, I don't know what to do." she cried as the tears rained down her face.

"What do you mean?" he asked not realizing that she was holding the contract in her hands and crying all over it.

"The Foxes want to adopt me, but how can I allow it when I did nothing to save that woman.  It was mere chance that I ended at her side.  We were all on the run and we all taking care of each other.  I did nothing to warrant such a prestigious title.  I can't accept it." she shook her head as her tears added to the ones already running off the slats.

Staring at her incredulously, Lian Song was momentarily lost for words.  He understood her reasoning, after all they had found themselves thrown together by one unfortunate incident which didn't even concern them, but for her to be thinking about rejecting their offer, stunned him beyod belief.

She may have been the flighty and at times reckless social butterfly that many considered to be nothing more than a sparkle in the wind, but he knew her far too well.  Beneath all the glamour and colour was a woman who held strong morals and ethics and was exceptionally proud.  And it was her pride he could see was holding her back.  

To accept the Foxes proposal would see the wagging of many tongues and none more so than the world leaders who were already deeming her to be an attempted assassin, a woman that by all rights should die.  But the affect on his father would be even more unacceptable, seeing as he was the Heavenly Ruler.  To have his moment of retribution swiped out from under him by the Fox Clan and what most would deem as underhandedness, would see the vile tongues flapping in her direction.  And after what they had already gone through which saw him purposely ending their relationship in order to save her, he fully understood why she was stumbling now.

But he would not accept it.  This was their only chance to save her life and for him to claim her while also strengthening the Celestials bonds with the Fox Clan which in the end overruled everything else, because as yet, The Foxes had not aligned themselves with any other Lands, because they had no need to until now and he was going to make her take it.

Snatching the contract out of her hands he then forced her onto her feet before dragging her to the small study that she rarely used for anything other than to write the occasional letter when it was required.

"I did not go through all of that, just to watch you burn and die." He seethed as she was then pushed down onto her chair and the contract laid out in front of her.

"Sign it." he ordered.

Shaking her head, she tried to rise.  "You know I can't sign it.  Your father......"

"My father be damned!" he cursed a little too loudly which instantly had her head craning around his body to ensure he wasn't heard otherwise, he'd be facing lightning bolts too. 

"Sign it Yu'er." he demanded and this time forcing the brush into her hand.

"NO!" she cried out in alarm when he launched himself behind the desk and forcing her head back by her hair.

His eyes were pooling to the darkest shade of night she had ever seen, his lips were steeled in determination, and the way his body stiffened against her in anger only had her own rising.

"Either you sign it, or I will."  Lian Songs eyes glittered dangerously as he then forced her body forward and over the scroll.

But the way she continued to stall, had him losing what little self control he had left.

"SIGN IT!" he roared as his fist slammed down onto the desk and forcing her to not only jump in fear, seeing this was a side of him she had never seen, but the brush fell onto the scroll and her name  scrawled across the bottom.

Instantly, she felt herself being yanked out of her chair and into his arms crying.  In her entire life, she had never once seen him anger, in fact she never thought he had it in him, but the strength in his arms and the way he breathing heavily into her hair while every muscle in his body twitched against her, had her deciding that she kind of liked this secret side of him.

"You made me sign that under duress." she whsipered into the side of neck where her face was resting.

"And now we will seal it under me." he replied as those eyes fired above her and her body lowered onto the desk top.  Then raising a barrier to block out the eavedroppers on the other side of the door, Lian Song proceeded to do just that right over the top of the contract.

_____

Not wanting to wait any longer than was necessary, Cheng Yu soon found herself standing on the Rock of Punishment the very next day with Lian Song in a heated discussion with Lord Pua and Haode who had risen to witness her take the lightening bolts for himself.

"But I can't allow her to take them, not when she went to Mount Jun Ji on my request.  Had I not asked her to go, she would not be in this predicament." he insisted while trying his best to force himself onto the rock only to be dragged back.

"No Lian Song.  I went willingly and with full awareness of the risks.  This is my punishment, I will take it." she insisted and had Lord Pua not intervened on what was looking to be an actual arguement taking place on his Punishment Rock, not only would the two have lost their tempers in front of him, but Haode may well have thrown them both on there.

"Stand back Third Prince." he ordered before being forcefully pulled off by Cheng Yu.

And within minutes, she was shackled to the Rock as the skies began to darken overhead.

Thirty six lightning bolts rained down one after the other.  There was no mercy, they came at her with everything they had, ripping her open and forcing the scream from the pit of her belly until eventually the final one saw her not only fall into a heap at Lord Puas feet, but the High Immortal Ascension energy was rippling off her as Lian Song flew forward to collect her while Haode turned away satisfied that she had paid her debt to him and the Heavens had indeed interfered with a fate of their own.