"I also got a plan." Afreen gets interrupted by Jia-li.
Afreen frowns "really ? What is it ? Let me hear yours first."
Jia-li looks around to make sure no one is hearing them "look, His highness doubts that Yuzu and minister Xingchen have an affair. What if, we trap Yuzu with Xingchen and make it look like he cheated on his highness ?"
Afreen tilts her head "you mean ...
"I mean , we need to make consort Yuzu sleep with minister Xingchen. Better if one of them is unclothed. What do you say ?" Jia-li's eye glows in excitement.
"No." Afreen shakes her head. "I thought about it already. But I have dismised the idea."
"Why ?"
"Because we have to divert his highness's attention from Yuzu not the other way around. If he sees Yuzu with minister Xingchen, he would get jealous and keep Yuzu close to him.
Just like he did last time. He brought Yuzu back from Abandoned chamber to main palace in the blink of an eye. "
"Oh no no no." Jia-li shakes her head. "This can't be ...."
Afreen nods "I know. Now, listen to me. My idea is a little risky but if we succeed Yuzu will be out of the picture forever."
"You mean murder ?" Jia-li gasps.
Afreen chockes on her saliva "noo .... are you mad ? I am talking about distracting His highness's attention from Yuzu."
"Just tell me your plan." Jia-li loses her patience finally.
"Well, think one thing .. why are we so scared of Yuzu ? Out of all consorts why we are only after Yuzu ?"
"Because he is the male consort of his highness and his highness has a thing for male consort." Jia-li replies.
"Yes ! And right now Yuzu is the only male consort of his highness but what if Yuzu not stays the only one ?" Afreen raises her one eyebrow with a questioning gaze.
"You mean ... a new male consort ?"
Afreen smirks "yeah .. a new one."
"Is only Yuzu not enough ? You want to bring another one ?"
"Think it through, Jia-li.. two male consorts wouldn't make Yuzu exceptional anymore and this new one will be from our side, listening to our orders."
Jia-li frowns "are you sure ?"
Afreen nods. "I am but there is one problem .."
"What ? Empress dowager ? I will manage her. I am pregnant now. She will listen to everything I say."
"Not her. The problem is about executuing the plan. Why would suddenly his highness take another consort ? We can't just bring a boy and ask his highness to marry him."
Jia-li laughs loudly this time "you just find a boy, Afreen. Leave the rest on me. We can't ask his highness to marry the boy but empress dowager can."
Afreen's eyes lit up "Then what's the delay.. I already have a boy in mind. I am so ready to destroy Yuzu's peaceful sleep forever.
**
"I told you I wouldn't sleep with you." Yuzu glares at Zixuan as Zixuan climbs on his bed.
"No, consort Yuzu. I said you wouldn't consummate our marriage. And I am not here to consummate our marriage. I am here to sleep." Zixaun smirks.
"It's the same thing. You can't sleep here. Go back to your own room or anywhere else, I don't care. But, You. Can't. Sleep. Here."
Zixuan whistles while lying peacefully on Yuzu's bed "You think only you can trap me with your conditions ? I can't ? Did you forget who is the king here ?"
Yuzu grits his teeth "Owh ! So you are getting back at me for punishing your beloved concubine ?"
Zixuan shruggs "I don't care whatever you think consort Yuzu. The point is I am sleeping here tonight."
Yuzu climbs down the bed "Fine then you sleep here. I am going back to Abandoned chamber."
Zixuan just grins. He doesn't reply to Yuzu.
Yuzu frowns. This is not so Zixuan. Is Zixuan thinking that he is only giving fake threats ? If that's what he thinks , then he is wrong. Yuzu takes his pillow and proceeds to walk out of his room.
"Meimei ... Meimei..." Yuzu calls as soon as he walks out of his room.
"Yes master, I am here .." Meimei suddenly appears in front of Yuzu.
"Let's go to abandoned chamber. I am shifting back there." Yuzu proceeds to walk forward but soon he stops as Meimei doesn't ...
"What happened , Meimei ?"
Meimei bites her lips "master, I forgot to tell you. Today at court .. his highness has order to demolish abandoned chamber. So ... there is no abandoned chamber anymore."
Yuzu halts in shock "demolish ?"
Meimei nods.
Yuzu blinks. That abandoned chamber .. it was the chamber where he took his last breath in his last life. He has no where to go except that chamber ... that ...
A tear rolls down from Yuzu's eyes.
"Master .." Meimei hesitates a little seeing her master cry.
Yuzu wipes his tears. Now he knows from where Zixuan got that confidence to sleep in his room. "I am fine. You go sleep."
"Master you .."
Yuzu sighs. "I will have some talk with his highness."
Zixuan smiles with pride as Yuzu walks back in the room.
Yuzu huffs "I am still not going to sleep with you on the bed. I will sleep on floor."
Yuzu throws the pillow on ground but before it could touch the ground Zixuan catches it. "Tonight I am sleeping beside you consort Yuzu. If you sleep on the floor , I will too."
Zixuan places the pillow beside him " so it's better to co-operate than making both of us suffer."
Yuzu glares at Zixuan "you can't force me."
Zixuan looks into Yuzu's honey toned eyes "your eyes are beautiful."
Yuzu frowns.
Zixuan chuckles "all this years I have only noticed your face never your eyes. Now that I can see only your eyes, I noticed how beautiful it is."
Yuzu blinks "my eyes are common. I don't have blue eyes or emerald eyes like your other consorts."
Zixaun Shrugs "I like sunset, I like the yellow of sky just before the rain in the afternoon. I like honey and hazelnuts, I like the season of late autumn. you eyes are like the mixture of all."
"You can find people with same eyes in every corner of your kingdom." Yuzu states while sitting slowly on the bed.
"Nah ... I will never find a man with as beautiful eyes as yours." Zixuan places the pillow properly "sleep, I will keep my promise and will not touch you."
"Why did you destroy the Abandoned chamber ?"
"So that you can't sleep there." Zixuan jokes.
"What will you do, if you want to abandon me again ?"
Zixuan becomes serious this time "I have a feeling that you want to abandon me more than I ever wanted or will ever want to."
Yuzu lies on bed beside Zixuan slowly "I just want peace. I don't care about ..."
"Me ?" Zixuan interrupts. He turns to look at Yuzu's half covered face. "It's funny ... how I never cared about you when all did was care about me and now ... when you don't care, I feel so empty."
Yuzu looks at Zixuan's face. He often wonders what was Zixuan's reaction when he died in his last life. Did Zixaun actually regretted after his death ?
Yuzu sighs and turns around giving Zixuan his back.
Zixuan's eyes falls on the blue moon decoration Yuzu's long hair. Yuzu forgot to untie it. He slowly pulls the hair stick out of Yuzu's hair.
"What are you doing ?" Yuzu asks as he feels his hair loosens.
"The hair-stick can hurt you, if you turn around." Zixuan places the hair stick on the side of the bed. Then he proceeds to untie the knot of Yuzu's face cover.
"What ...."
"You don't need to suffer for my promise. If needed I will cover my eyes." Zixuan whispers softly.
Yuzu fists on the bed sheet with closed eyes. Not again. Not again. He can't fall in love with this man. He can't. But why his heart is beating so fast today ...
**
"Oh my heart .. my heart !" Empress dowager holds her chest in disgust. "Are you insane ?"
Jia-li rolls her eyes. She needs to work up a lot to convince this bitch. "That's the only way."
"What way ? Wasn't one infertile burden, enough ? That you want another one ?" Empress dowager shouts.
"Empress mother, once his highness turns his attention from Yuzu, we will get rid of the new one." Jia-li argues.
"If it's that easy why don't you get rid of Yuzu directly?"
"We can't. His chamber is just beside his highness. Also his highness is spending his nights with Yuzu these days." Jia-li lies a little. His highness has spent only last night with Yuzu.
"WHAT ?" Empress dowager shouts again. " Has my boy gone insane ? No matter how many nights he spend with that burden, there will be no result. All waste of time.."
"That's why, we need to take this extreme action, empress mother. Please give me permission."
Empress dowager sits on her bed with a deep sigh. "If there is no other way then, .... who are you talking about ? Who is going to be Zixuan's new male consort ?"
"You know him very well, Empress mother. He is more beautiful, sexy than Yuzu. His family is higher in rank than Yuzu's family. Also ... his highness wanted to marry him way before Yuzu."
Empress dowager raises her eyebrow "owh ... him. Fine, I will write to him now."
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