Yuzu looks around the garden to get any sign of concubine Jia-li or Zixuan. He needs to find Jia-li before, she complains to Zixuan about Meimei. But there is no sign of her. Yuzu walks more deeper into the rose garden.
He hesitated a little before looking behind the bushes.What kind of trouble is this ? What will he do if he finds them in an intimate position.
Yuzu sighs. He was about to leave when he hears a voice from deeper into the garden. It's concubine Jia-li's voice. Yuzu hurriedly walks deeper.
Yuzu finds Jia-li , standing near the lotus pond. She is talking with .. her maid ? Yuzu doesn't know the other person. But he decides to stay at his place before confronting Jia-li.
Jia-li's back is towards him. And she is not wearing veil. Yuzu tiptoes a little to look at Jia-li's hair-stick. He squints his eyes to adjust with the darkness.
"It's not blossom."
Yuzu nods "yes ! It's not...." Yuzu freezes. He feels hot breath on his nape.
"What ?"
Yuzu gets goosebumps all over his body as a deep voice whispers in his ear. He turns around hurriedly hiding his nape. "Your highness."
Zixuan smirks before pulling and spinning Yuzu around so that he gains his previous position again. Yuzu's back hits Zixuan's broad chest.
Yuzu gasps. He tries to remove his hand from Zixuan's grip.
Zixua smirks wider "I told you before .. If within three days, you don't move back to main palace , then after three days I will abduct you from your chamber and lock you in main palace on my own.
Yuzu tilts his head back to look at Zixuan. Zixuan smiles through gritted teeth "Three days end tonight. Did you forget ?"
Yuzu gives a jerk to his hand. His wrist has started to hurt because of the strong grip. "I just came here to give Jia-li her present. I will go back after I give it to her."
"You wouldn't." Zixuan retorts calmly.
"You can't stop me." Yuzu shouts a little. He wants to grab someone's attention. Someone , anyone...
Zixuan chuckles "You are saying I have put all the efforts just to let you slip ?"
Yuzu struggles more "Efforts ? What do you mean ?"
Zixuan pulls out the wooden hair-stick from Yuzu's hair. The long black hair falls on Yuzu's shoulder like dark cloud. "What made you think that a three piece hair-stick will fit concubine Jia-li who doesn't even have one third of your hair ?"
Yuzu widens his eyes. Blossom is famous not only for it's diamonds, but also for the amount of hair a human needs to use it. Even there is a rumour that except him there is nobody in Zi kingdom who can use Blossom. "You ... You lied to me .."
Zixuan pulls Yuzu's left side of hair with one stick of blossom. Yuzu's right hand is still bend backwards in his grip. But Yuzu has stopped struggling.
"Yeah because I knew you would come today. You are like a cat, consort Yuzu. You like to territories. You love to own whether it is a person or a non living hair-stick. And doesn't matter how much you change your attitude, you can't change your nature .."
Yuzu shakes his head "I don't care. Let me go."
Zixuan ignores Yuzu's shout. He is half done with Yuzu's hair. "You do care. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."
"Let me go. I was just here to save Meimei. Not because of any hair-stick." Yuzu shouts louder. He is in the verge of tears.
"Your servant who almost made concubine Jia-li rip her vail. Why is that Consort Yuzu ?"
Yuzu's head spins. He wants to leave , run, escape. "Let me go. You have ten other consorts. They can give you anything you want. Just ... Let me go. "
Zixuan loosens his grips on Yuzu's wrist to let Yuzu pull back.
Yuzu tries to run as soon as he feels the grip loosen but stumbles two step back because of Zixuan's grip on his hair. Yuzu looks at Zixuan directly in the eyes.
Zixuan chuckles seeing the glare of his fierce cat. He leans closer to Yuzu's ear "Do you know about my nature , Yuzu ?"
Yuzu shivers again. He hates the hot breath in his ear. He tries to take a step back.
Zixuan takes a step closer. "I am tiger , Yuzu. I like to hunt. I love to chase."
Yuzu was about to take another step back but Zixuan pulls him closer by his waist. Yuzu yelps ..
"The more you resist, the more I want you and you are mine anyway. I have all the rights to want you , anytime ... anywhere." Zixuan finishes tying Yuzu's hair with blossom.
Yuzu slowly relaxes in Zixuan's arm as there is no way he can escape "What about my rights ? What about what I want ? Just because you are an emperor, you can do whatever you want ?"
"I am not just an emperor to you consort Yuzu. I am your husband too."
"You are not my husband..our marriage is not consumed." Yuzu hisses. "Don't forget that."
"Are you trying deny that you are my consort ?"
"Don't I have enough reasons to do so ?" Yuzu retorts. He knows he can't win against Zixuan in strength but he will not give up. If needed then he will insult Zixuan to the level that Zixuan himself will throw him away.
Zixuan raises his one eyebrow. He likes it that his male consort is finally being a man that he is because he knows how to tame a hissing cat very well.
"I don't know about your reasons consort Yuzu but I have enough reason to slaughter your beloved maid Meimei and chief minister Xingchen. Is he your beloved too ?"
Yuzu widens his eyes "They have nothing to do in this."
"Entering my consort's bed chamber at night , dismissing all the maids to be alone with my consort .. has nothing to do ?"
Yuzu looks at his waist as he feels an intense pain "let me go... You are... Hurting me."
"Does he not hurt you ?"
Yuzu glares at Zixuan with hatred in his eyes "You are sick. I can't believe I have ever loved you."
Zixuan chuckles releasing the pressure from Yuzu's waist. "Let's go inside. It's late already."
"I will not go to main palace."
"Ok , fine by me. I will order the guards to take Xingchen away." Zixuan leaves Yuzu in the garden and starts walking towards the hall. .
Yuzu blinks. Will Zixuan actually slaughter Xingchen? He doesn't think so. But what if ...
Yuzu runs behind Zixuan and enters the hall. "I will go but I have conditions."
The chaotic hall falls into complete silence as Yuzu walks in , talking all alone.
"N.consort Yuzu , who are you talking with ? Don't tell me you have grown a habit of talking alone because his highness doesn't visit you." Concubine Afreen mocks.
Everybody in the hall Snickers.
"N.consort Yuzu, didn't you find his highness in the garden ? Or was he busy with concubine Jia-li ?" Another consort mocks too.
Yuzu blinks. He looks around. Zixuan surely came towards the hall. Where did he go ?
"N.consort Yuzu, I heard his highness took away blossom from you , was that a rumour ? Was it always with you ? I didn't see it when you came here ." Consort Anaya asks looking at Yuzu's hair. She was expecting his highness to give the blossom to her as after consort Yuzu she has the longest and healthiest hair in the palace. But it seems ... Consort Yuzu still has the Blossom in his hair.
"His highness took away the blossom from him. I have the right information." A new concubine who shouts forgetting her eticates.
Concubine Afreen steps forward "Didn't his highness give a hair-stick to Jia-li as her baby shower gift ?"
Every other consort and concubines look at each other "yes ! That's the news says."
Afreen smirks. She knows his highness gave Jia-li a simple Jade hair-stick which is nowhere close to 'The Blossom' but how can she let go such a golden chance. "Don't tell me, you met Jia-li in the garden and snatched blossom from her ?"
Yuzu frowns at Afreen. Why does he feel like Afreen is being testy towards him. Of course, Afreen reduced his allowance next to zero in his last life but she never schemed against him. She is royal consort of Zi kingdom and she always maintains her class.
"N.consort Yuzu , you are the head of harem but you can't use your power against us like this." Consort Anaya protests.
Yuzu frowns harder. He doesn't think he needs to explain anything to these consorts but the water is going about his head now "You all should mind your own business. I haven't snatched anything from anyone."
Afreen tilts her head "Don't lie, N.consort Yuzu. We all know the truth here."
"Yes ! Give it back , right now. Blossom doesn't belong to you anymore." Anaya takes a step forward beside Afreen.
Yuzu chuckles in disbelieve. This two days consorts are shouting at him ? They never dared to do it in his last life even when he was abandoned.
"N.consort Yuzu" Afreen call in a firm voice. "We will not disrespect you if you give back what you snatched respectfully. But...But if you don't, we have to snatch it from you forcefully ."
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