"RETREAT !" Zixuan shouts as soon as Yuzu talks about leaving main palace.
Yuzu flinches a little from the shout. He was standing close to Zixuan so for a second he got shocked.
Zixuan looks at Yuzu's expression with cold eyes.
"you too, concubine Jia-li.." Zixuan states without looking at Jia-li. His eyes are still on Yuzu but he got the hint when Jia-li tried to linger on.
Jia-li hurriedly bows before leaving the room.
Zixuan grips Yuzu's arm as soon as everybody leaves the meeting room except Yuzu. "WHY YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO ABANDONED CHAMBER SO MUCH IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH XINGCHEN ?"
Yuzu flinches more with the high toned voice. He is sure every other concubine and consorts can hear Zixuan from outside. "I gave two options. I will go back to my father ....
"ISN'T IT THE SAME ? YOU WILL BE FREE ACCESS TO GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT, MEET ANYONE YOU LIKE BEHIND MY BACK ?"
Yuzu holds Zixuan's palm that was holding his arm "you are hurting me."
"ANSWER ME." Zixuan gives a jerk. The blue moon on Yuzu's hair jingles with the jerk.
"THERE IS NOTHING TO ANSWER." This time Yuzu shouts out of his lungs "I came back here with conditions. And as a son of heaven if you can't fulfill my conditions then I am not obliged to answer you."
"You hate Jia-li that much ? Is it that important to you to give her punishment ?" Zixuan tone came down but Yuzu felt Zixuan's hatred behind those words.
"You are asking me this ? I was close to death because of her. My father was kneeling in front of you because of her. We bore the punishment for nothing and that woman who actually did the crime got away with nothing. Why ? Because she is pregnant." Yuzu hisses.
"Her position is freezed forever." Zixaun reminds Yuzu "she can never be more than a mere concubine while you are the noble consort."
"Yet, she can insult me anytime she want and I can't punish her. Is this how your positions work ? Is this how you are equal to all ?" Yuzu feels himself losing control.
"Noble consort Yuzu, you are a male consort. Being involve in this harem's stupid fight is against your pride. Can't you see it ?" Zixuan looks at the honey toned eyes with a frown.
"Yuzu, I am not doing this for her. I am doing this for you. What do you think people will say if they heard noble consort punishing a pregnant woman because she came late ? They will call you scum and sympathies with Jia-li." Zixuan calms down a little.
"Am not I , your scum consort since the day I stepped in this palace ? I have always been your scum consort. You, yourself said it in your birth anniversary party. Remember ?" Yuzu looks at Zixuan in the eyes before turning his gaze away.
Zixuan notices a tear drop escaping the eyes that were fighting with him few seconds ago. Zixaun's grip from Yuzu's hand loosens. He feels a ache in his heart. "Yuzu ..."
Yuzu who almost lost his all control, raises his palm to stop Zixuan. "You don't need to persue anymore." Yuzu pulls out blue moon from his hair slowly. "I can't be your noble consort, your highness. You should find someone else for this."
Zixuan frowns as Yuzu places the blue moon in Zixuan's palm.
"scum and noble are two contradictory words, doesn't go with each other." Yuzu turns around to leave.
"What punishment do you want to give to Jia-li?" Zixuan stops Yuzu by holding Yuzu's hand from the back.
Yuzu stays silent. "I don't want anything, anymore."
Zixuan pulls Yuzu back , making Yuzu face him. Zixuan sees the redness of Yuzu's eyes. He pulls Yuzu in his arms. "I am sorry ....I am really sorry ..."
Yuzu struggles a little break Zixuan's hug. It is Zixuan's trick to fool him. Same as his past life. Every time Yuzu would remind Zixuan about his wrong doings , Zixuan would hug him and say sweet words to him but next day he would be back to doing the same wrong doings.
"I was angry with you that night. I had no control on my mouth and I never thought how much it would hurt you." Zixuan coaxes.
Yuzu breaks the hug after a long struggle finally "save it. I have crossed that bridge, your highness. Now I am in a position where I don't need your sorry."
Zixuan shocks a little. It's first time Yuzu initiated to break the hug. It was always like Yuzu would be a leach to him,. everytime he hugged Yuzu. Either he had to push Yuzu away or he had to work with Yuzu sleeping on his chest.
There were so many days and nights in the past like that. Yuzu used to fall asleep while hugging him and he used to work on his papers while playing with Yuzu's long hair. Have they really crossed that bridge ? Does Yuzu really love Xingchen now ?
"I would be leaving for my father's house today." Yuzu states finally.
"I wouldn't allow it." Zixuan pulls Yuzu back in his arms. "Don't forget, noble or scum, you are still my consort and I have every right to stop you."
Yuzu tries to break the hug again but this time Zixuan uses his force. Soon, Yuzu gasps out of breaths because of the pressure.
"You can punish anyone you want. Take full control of harem. If they call you sum consort, I will take care of it. Just don't .... leave." Zixuan mumbles slowly in Yuzu's ear.
"They didn't call me scum consort first, it's you who did."
***
Side story 5
"I wish you a wonderful birthday dear." Empress dowager smiles giving his son a warm hug. "I already gave you my gift in the morning so that I don't waste the time of your beautiful consorts and concubines. Now, it's see what they bought for you."
Zixuan chuckles "stop sounding like an old mother-in-law, mother. Who told you that if you give me gift now , it will be a waste of time..." Zixuan jokes. "Rather I would love to show off your gift to everyone at the party."
Other kings and princes nod with Zixuan. Some even asked Empress Dowager to bring her gift to the party.
Empress dowager smiles thinly with a sour expression on her face. She looks at Afreen to excuse her.
Afreen smiles "your highness, empress dowager is not a person who says things without any reason."
Zixuan frown with a happy smile "huh ? What ?"
"Actually last year, you showed off empress dowager's gift for so long that you couldn't open all the gifts on your birthday and ..."
Zixuan stops smiling "And ? Be clear Consort Afreen."
"And someone was upset. It was not his fault. He prepared the gift with so much excitement for you that he lost control ..." Afreen stops with a sigh as other prince and kings have stopped talking now. They all are listening to her.
"Who in this world has the dare to question empress dowager?" One of the king asks with wide eyes.
"Lost control means ? Empress dowager did this consort insult you ?" Another asked.
Zixuan's face went dark "Consort Afreen, if I heard it correctly then you mentioned 'He' .. not 'she' ... right ?"
"Zixuan it's not a big deal. He is comming, don't scold him because of this old woman." Empress dowager confirms that it is indeed a 'he.'
Zixuan's cold eyes fall on that particular 'he' who is walking towards him, wearing excessive make up like a woman. "Consort Yuzu ... how dare you insult my mother ?"
Yuzu's excited steps stopped. He looks around the hall before looking back at his husband . Every eye is on him. "I did not ...."
"Then My Mother Is Lying ?" Zixuan hisses in hatred.
"I .. I just asked mother.. why she placed my gift at the last after all concubines.. I didn't insult ..."
"Shut up !" Zixuan growls. "I tolerate your every mistake and every whine because you are my consort but that doesn't give you the right to insult my mother. I wouldn't tolerate this kind of scumness."
Yuzu shakes his head with teary eyes "I didn't ...... "
"From today onwards , I will never accept any gifts from a scum consort like you."
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