The sun has risen yet Xu Zhengming remained motionless on the bed inside the Lotus Hall. He's currently in the deepest parts of his dream world. He even chuckles at times, perhaps dreaming about women again.
Meanwhile, the triplets gathered at the round table inside the same hall. After breakfast, they decided to talk about the events lately. They didn't even fully discover who really is their enemy, Eunuch Xu's condition got worse, the empress went missing, and now, Eunuch Yu appeared again.
"I really think the empress is aware of everything about this bloodthirsty creatures' origin." Prince Yin Wenyan said in s solemn manner. "If not, how come she knows Eunuch Xu's condition who has the same symptoms as those monsters?"
"What if she's the very person who plotted all of these?" His majesty made a guess.
"Not possible." His brother immediately turns his idea down. "She's clearly just being used here. She asks for our protection but we failed to give her that. After she came with us, I'm afraid the one controlling her would not forgive her. If worse comes to worst, we can't take her back alive."
"This is just a wild guess but..." Princess Yin  Xiulan isn't so sure about her assumption but says it anyway. "Is the Liaodong Xue Sect the one behind this?"
"I don't think that's impossible." Emperor Yin Renshu speaks. "Remember what shizun said? That sect isn't righteous. But the question is, if it really is them, what's their real motive? Why attack the town square? And last night, the Lotus Hall?"
Prince Yin Wenyan thinks over the idea of the other two. "I see your point but I don't think they benefitted from the chaos that happened in the town square. What would they possibly get after that? The only connection they have in this incident is the empress' knowledge about Eunuch Xu's condition. It's too weak. Most probably, she learned the knowledge in her sect but she can use it to aid whoever she's working for."
The other two remained silent. What their brother said makes sense. They can't just put the blame on that small sect with such a shred of weak evidence.
The prince continues, "And besides, aren't they being too bold to attack us inside the imperial palace? If it's them, they won't be exposing themselves like that. I think the ones behind all of these are expecting us not to suspect them even after that move."
"If the empress is the only lead we have, we should find her first to ask whatever she knows about all of these." His majesty said like she's just some key to resolve a case and not his wife at all.
Poor empress, she did her best, even letting her first love go, just to get into her current position only to lean on the emperor's cold shoulder.
"That's right." Prince Yin Wenyan remarks. He turns his head to Yin Xiulan and asks, "Did you find out anything?"
The princess shakes her head. "Not yet but Liu Chen is still working on it."
"That's alright." Prince Yin Wenyan replies. "I have an idea where she might be in."
The other two look at each other with confused expressions on their faces.
The prince added, "I have a feeling that the grand empress dowager is hiding her. Think about it, she's not going after us after confining the empress in the Department of Justice. Didn't she care too much for her?"
"Now that you mentioned it..." Emperor Yin Renshu utters. "Didn't she always cover up for her, gave her all her convenience and all."
Princess Yin Xiulan nods. This is one of the rarest cases that she agrees with Emperor Yin Renshu. "I agree. She even favors her over us."
"I'm going to sneak and check her place. And besides, the empress mentioned that the empress dowager took YueguangHua from me so there's a chance I might find it there. The empress dowager is more like a confidant of the grand empress dowager after all. I'm suspecting she gave it to her."
"Why not ask it directly from her about the herb?" Emperor Yin Renshu doesn't get it. Why does he have to make assumptions and secretly make his way to get it. If it's in the hands of the empress dowager, is the really a need to look for it in an uncertain place?
"If I do, she will suspect that the empress is going against her. We can't just recklessly ask her that." The prince responded with a straight face.
"Do you want me to do it instead?" The princess asks.
"No, let me do it." The emperor said.
"There is no need." Yin Wenyan raised his right hand, declining the offer. "I am the one who lost it so I'll be the one retrieving it. Also, it was me who made a promise to the empress. Her safety is my responsibility now."
The princess speaks, "But isn't it too risky? The grand empress dowager hardly leaves her hall."
Prince Yin Wenyan nods. "Then we need to make her get out of her hall." The prince looks at his brother. "Renshu, you attend the conference with the high-ranking eunuchs for today. Set the date for the annual ceremony of good harvest as soon as possible."
The emperor points to himself. "Me? You always do that part. Why are you sending me now instead?"
Emperor Yin Renshu is not as logical and rational as his brother Prince Yin Wenyan and he is very aware of that. The date for this anticipated ceremony plays an important part in their conspiracy against the grand empress dowager.
"Those eunuchs would most probably try to change your mind not to make things in a rush. Especially with this important ceremony. You're stubborn so you won't let them delay our plans. Remember to set it as soon as possible." Prince Yin Wenyan replies. He looks at his sister to give her a task. "Xiulan, continue with the search but don't make it obvious, or else they would hide the empress even more."
The princess nods. "That wouldn't be a problem."
Yin Wenyan, "As for the meantime, I'll let the royal physician take a look at Eunuch Xu and make sure he'll shut his mouth up."
The emperor wants to say something but remained silent anyway. The fact is that he worries about Eunuch Xu and would like to personally hear what the royal physician has to say. However, he got an important part of their plan. Perhaps it's for the best if he'll just ask his brother about it later.
With that, they have different tasks to do. Since there are no objections from any of them and so they went on their own way as planned. Just like what Pirnce Yin Wenyan said, he remained in the Lotus Hall and let the royal physician examine the silly eunuch.
"How is he?" The prince asks the royal physician after examining Xu Zhengming.
Eunuch Xu, on the other hand, is anxious about what he would say. Would he die soon? Or can he hope for a chance of survival?
"Your majesty." The royal physician's facial expression is ashen. Both Yin Wenyan and Xu Zhengming have a bad feeling about it. But still, they need to know the truth.
The royal physician continues, "I am not quite sure about Eunuch Xu's condition anymore. There is a lot of evidence of him slowly becoming a monster. However, the symptoms such as his sore throat disappeared. I have something in mind however I cannot assure you that it is a hundred percent true. This is only my theory."
"Speak." The prince demanded.
"From what I have observed, as long as he consumes blood whenever his illness got triggered, he'll be fine. I also don't see any signs of him dying anytime soon too... Well, at least if he's not targeted to be killed."
This statement made the other two feel like a big needle got pulled out from their chest. One lets out a sigh of relief, while the other one wants to jump and roll over the bed back and forth, thinking he's not going to die anytime soon. But blood... Xu Zhengming isn't so sure about it. This emperor might have allowed him to suck the blood out of him a couple of times now. But the problem lies in the emperor himself, or at least that's what Xu Zhengming thought. This emperor is temperamental after all. And if the emperor wouldn't give him blood, where would he get some? He doesn't want innocent people to get involved with this.
Is he really going to consume blood for the rest of his life? Is he going to depend on other people to live from now on?!
The prince did not celebrate yet. He asked the royal physician further questions for confirmation. "I would not allow any harm to happen to him. So as long as he drinks blood, there would be no problem, correct? He'll be going to live long?"
"That is correct, your majesty." The royal physician replies. "However, I'm afraid the physical changes in his body won't revert to how it originally looked like."
"That is fine." The prince replied in a casual way.
Hearing this, Xu Zhengming knits his eyebrows and gives the prince a face full of disbelief. "No, that's not fine! This face is the only thing I have now. There'll be no girls going after me. They'll get scared of these red eyes! And these fangs destroy my good looks!"
Hearing these complaints from the eunuch, the royal physician can't decide if he's going to laugh or feel pity for him. Too bad, he can't do anything about it to help the poor eunuch.
On the other hand, Prince Yin Wenyan sighs quietly and told the royal physician that he can leave the hall now, and demanded that he should keep this matter to themselves.
As soon as the royal physician closed the door, the prince comes closer to the eunuch. Prince Yin Wenyan sits on the edge of the bed beside Xu Zhengming. He gives him his usual signature smile to the other before he speaks, "Don't worry, Eunuch Xu, it's not true that you only have your face. I'm here."
Eunuch Xu stares at him quietly for a good while. He's not saying anything so the prince raises his eyebrows, wondering what's wrong.
"You're too kind to me lately." Xu Zhengming throws him a doubtful look. "You're scaring me. Don't tell me you're not going to let me eat tomorrow's meals?"
Prince Yin Wenyan totally got caught off-guard. He never expected to hear this from Xu Zhengming at all. He chuckles then tries to console the upset eunuch. "Why would I do such a cruel thing to you? Of course, that's not going to happen. I'm just telling the truth. I want you to know that your face isn't the only thing you have because I don't think you're aware of that." His gentle smile becomes wider. He took something underneath his sleeves.
He handed the thing he grabbed to Eunuch Xu. "And besides, you still have this." It's the pendant that his father had with him that his mother personally made. The one he wanted to buy with fifteen gold coins.
Xu Zhengming's hand is slightly shaking when he took the pendant from Yin Wenyan's hand. Although he hasn't seen this for many years, he is sure that this pendant is his father's. "H-how...?" He lifts his head to meet the other's gaze.
With a soothing voice, he replies, "My shizun kept it for many years. I heard it's Lin-dage's... it's your father's belonging." Prince Yin Wenyan pauses for a while to sense the other. He knows this matter is going to be painful for Eunuch Xu. "I'm so sorry for what happened to your father. If my shizun knows that he's going to sacrifice himself to bring him back, shizun would definitely not allow it to happen."
"..." Xu Zhengming pursed his lips and takes a deep breath. He tightens his hold onto the pendant as he speaks, "Say, did you know this from the very first place? Did you intentionally keep this from me? Are you trying to cover up for your teacher?"
"No, no, Eunuch Xu, please listen to me." The prince holds him on both shoulders. "I knew this story but I don't have the slightest idea that he's your father. I am not trying to cover my shizun. In fact, my shizun said that he doesn't have the face to see you again. He blames himself for the death of your father. He really felt sorry for what happened."
Prince Yin Wenyan still has a lot to say but he stopped himself when Xu Zhengming raises his hand. "There's no need for you to explain, your majesty. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that. Please tell your shizun that he's not at fault and I'm not blaming him." Xu Zhengming slowly put his hand down. He added, "Also, I saw through my dreams that it was my father who offered himself."
Yin Wenyan remembers the fact that Zhao Yangguang cast a spell on Xu Zhengming when he was unconscious. He mentioned something like, "He will know everything once he wakes up." and "I don't have the face to meet him again." He thinks that must be it.
"I'm not upset and not blaming your teacher for my father's death. However, I am upset about the fact that they hid it from me. I thought I saw my father when I was about sixteen or seventeen years old. Turns out, it's only the body that is his but the heart, soul, and mind aren't him anymore." Tears start to form in his eyes but he tries his best not to shed a tear. "I've even wronged my father. I thought he didn't want to recognize me as his son. I got depressed that time. Really, you don't have an idea how painful it was for me."
Yin Wenyan can't bear to see his beloved like this. He wants to cheer him up but he doesn't think he can at this moment. What he needs is to let his emotions out for him to feel better. He pulls Xu Zhengming into his embrace. The least thing he could do is to make the other feel that he's not alone. That he's here for him.
"I don't know what it feels like to have a father, not to mention how painful it is to be not recognized by your father and lose him. But it's okay now, Eunuch Xu. You finally learned that your father will never disown you."
Xu Zhengming buried his face on prince Yin Wenyan's shoulder. In a low voice, he says, "I just wanted a complete family, leaving peacefully in a small town, happily looking forward to what awaits us. But it never happened."
Prince Yin Wenyan noticed the other's hands clutching his robes.
"Yin Renshu..." He calls out with his voice slightly trembling.
"..."
Although he knows that it's not possible for Xu Zhengming to know his identity because of the current situation they are in, he still wished that he called him with his name. He really wanted to tell him the truth but he tries his very best to suppress these emotions. He forcefully replaces his selfish thoughts with thoughtfulness towards the other. It is Eunuch Xu who feels the most pain at the moment. There might be a chance that he'll be able to tell him everything and confess his feelings towards him but this is definitely not the right time for that.
"Mn. I'm here. You're not alone."
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Literary Glory, the conference just got dismissed. Court Lady Han and the rest of the emperor's court maids are patiently waiting for his majesty. the old woman is still feeling irritated, especially that the maids are asking Eunuch Xu's whereabouts.
For some reason, the high-ranking eunuchs are making their way out of the conference hall with long faces. This is the scene that the princess general saw when she arrives at the Hall of Literary Glory. She thinks, his brother might have done something unreasonable that upsets these eunuchs. After these eunuchs left the hall, the emperor shows himself at the doorway.
"Your majesty." Court Lady Han called. Seeing the first princess, she thought that his majesty must ask the ministry that his sister administers to 'catch' Eunuch Xu. "About Eunuch Xu, how about---"
She didn't get to finish her sentence when his majesty interrupted her. "There is no need to look for him. Let him be."
Court lady Han, as well as the clueless maids, are confused. Eunuch Xu is missing and they're not going to look for him?!
"Also..." Emperor Yin Renhu looks at the court lady. "Court Lady Han, you have a hoarse voice today. Ask the royal physician for medications." The emperor seems to be anxious about it. It's Eunuch Xu's first symptom after all.
"Yes, your majesty."
"How was it?" Princess Yin Xiulan made her way with Lieutenant General following her.
His majesty replies in a casual voice. "The ceremony for good harvest is tomorrow."
Court Lady Han widens her eyes. Why does his majesty want to schedule important events with just a short preparation time?! But the princess' reaction is the exact opposite.
The princess laughs, "So that explains those eunuchs' long faces! I'd say, you made a great job, hardheaded emperor!"