🌸|𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸|🌸

🏮CHAPTER FOURTEEN🏮

The putrid smell of death hung thick in the hallways of the Huo palace.

For weeks, it seemed as if the sun refused to enter the palace and shed its light where it was needed.

Due to his refusal to eat, drink, or leave his room, the new Prince Zian fell terribly ill. Emperor Houzhu was finally able to see him since his last attempt on his life when Zian became so weak he would sleep all day long.

A maid would notify him that the boy was asleep, and Houzhu and a few guards would enter swiftly and quietly in the darkness.

Carefully sitting down at his son's side on the bed, Houzhu rescued forward and gently touched his son's face, brushing his thick dark hair from his cheek to join the black veil that hung at his back. Zian's skin was flushed from fever — a bright red color that tinged his cheeks.

Zian stirred at the touch, sighing and turning on his side away from his father. Even in his sleep, he refused to let his father love him. Balling his hand into a fist, Houzhu started to shake with pent up frustration.

The emperor knew that if something wasn't done to help Zian adjust to his new life as royalty and accept his father as anything other than an enemy, he could very well die.

Houzhu felt like he'd tried literally everything. He'd offered him gifts, his own private palace, and promises. When Zian refused them all, sobbing that nothing would bring Lihua and Nuwa back, Houzhu acted on a horrible fit of rage.

Houzhu had everything that Lihua and Nuwa had touched in the palace gathered and burned. Every dress, every earring, every trinket, every blanket. He had every personal servant or lady in waiting previously assigned to Nuwa executed immediately after he gave the order. There were so many servants, in fact, that there had been executions spanning from that morning to the afternoon. Within hours, he'd wiped out over 3/4ths of the palace staff.

He had hoped that by getting rid of everything and everyone that ever knew Lihua or her mother, or had ever seen their faces, Zian would slowly come to forget about them.

The cleansing operation didn't seem to be happening quite fast or efficiently enough, because Zian was approaching critical condition.

"Tell me what to do, I don't know what to do, my previous son..." Houzhu felt fire gather behind his eyes, and steaming tears rush down his cheeks.

SHHF

"My lord, we have an issue with the next execution!"

Houzhu turned to shoot his Eunuch a glare for barging in and speaking loudly.

Huang realized his mistake and fell to his knees.

"F-Forgive me my lord..."

"What could possibly be so pressing?"Houzhu stood from Zian's bed and rubbed his eyes free of tears. Huang lifted his head slightly, panting from having apparently ran to deliver the news.

"A servant, my lord. Her name is Jingfei. She used to assist the treacherous woman with her dress in the morning."

"Why is she not dead?"

"She claims she is a witch, my lord. She says she knows how to help Zian, make him forget everything and accept who he is now, in exchange for her life."

Houzhu glanced at his son, then away. The woman could be lying to save her skin. He'd been offered so much today in exchange for sparing lives, but he had refused to hear them out. The only reason why this particular offer required any consideration was because of the offer itself.

No one today had offered to help the prince.

With such few options and such little time, Houzhu knew he'd have to take a chance.

"Send her in, Huang." Houzhu gave a tired sigh, "I will discuss this with her. But if she fails, she will die."