LOTUS

CHAPTER III: Xue Bei Wei

Jiang Ri Jie, the second prince awoke with a moan after being bedridden for a week due to his injuries from his hunting trip. He got up from his bed and the pain from his wounds still bothered him. He cleared his head and memories from a week before flooded his mind like every morning after that encounter. A certain lady kept hunting his dreams and occupying his mind while he's awake. Without noticing, a smile formed at the corner of his lips at the recollection of her. He still wondered how such a beautiful lady was not known from the world and how she's' at a dangerous place at such a dangerous time. It doesn't matter though and he's thankful that she was there. 

He couldn’t wait to see her again.

A knock on the door disturbed his train of thoughts and unwillingly, he let the intruder inside his room. A servant girl approached his bed holding the clothing from the hunting trip.

“Your majesty, here are the things that you used from your trip” the servant informed him, bowing to the ground.

He scanned the items before him and what caught his whole attention was a mint green satchel that flipped his insides just from the sight of it. Without wasting any second, he grabbed it from the pile of clothing and held it to his nose. He was right! It is hers.  

The wide smile from the second prince confused the servant, she knows that the satchel being held by the prince is no part of the prince’s wardrobe. Serving the prince for years already, she never saw such an accessory before. However, she valued her life so she kept her mouth shut.

Her Royal Highness would be thrilled with this news. The female servant thought to herself. Happy to have a chance to curry favor from the royal consort.

The prince continued to caress the small pouch within his palm and longing to see the beauty again just became much more painful.

His moment was broken when his personal guard entered his quarters. Sensing the atmosphere he dismissed the servant and donned his blank face once again. Signaling for his guard to speak, he tried his hardest to listen with full attention, however, the soft silk in his hands made it impossible.

“Young master, I am incapable please punish me ” the young guard announced falling to his knees. Remorse filling his being at what happened to his master.

 Ri Jie sighed and tapped his trusted servant on the shoulder. 

“ Stand, it doesn’t matter, this kind of event is a normal thing to us royals,” he said, sighing at the end of it.

“Any news on my brother?”

“The crown prince is expected to arrive within this week, and preparations have been made for his birthday banquet” the loyal servant replied.

“And the matter that I told you?”

“Apologies young master but no signs of the mysterious woman could be found, she disappeared after I retrieved you from her lap” the young guard reluctantly responded.

The young prince clenched his hand but feeling the soft cloth, he relaxed.

Silence engulfed the room and the young guard, still on his knees began to sweat.

“Continue with your search” dismissing the servant with the raise of his hand, he faced the gigantic windows in his quarters and looked out at the garden with blooming flowers decorating it.

They really are put to shame by her beauty.  Was what he thought of the scenery before him.

-          At the Xue Manor-

“Young Miss, your father requests your company” a maidservant announced to the fair maiden in front of her, sitting gracefully while shining a sword.

A woman who knows how to fight is unheard of but within the Xue manor, a flower as fair as spring and as cold as winter resides.

With her dainty hands, she carefully wiped the long sword she held like a newborn.

The sight looked out of this world that, the maidservant couldn’t help but stare. How can such a beauty exist and be so stoic? In her years of serving the manor, there was never a time where she saw the young miss smile.

As the only daughter of a wealthy family, the fair maiden before her is the pearl of their household. And yet she enjoys the things women in their empire don’t particularly interest. Unlike other noble ladies, their young mistress has no par in the art of fighting. Even their skilled guards stood no chance when sparring with her.

Withdrawn to the outside world, the beauty seems more ethereal.

When the young servant noticed that her mistress halted her previous task, she bowed then waited for the young miss and her personal maid to exit the sleeping quarters to lead them to her awaiting father.

Even her personal maid is different from the rest. Also well versed in the art of fighting, she is more of a personal guard than a maid.

The young miss walked like a deity and carried herself across the halls with grace. Every servant that they passed by bowed and gave their respects to the young maiden and secretly stared with awe. For some reason they were entranced and couldn’t take their eyes from the young miss. Not until she was out of sight did they go back to their chores.

Reaching their destination, the young miss’ personal maid knocked on the master’s study. Not a second longer, it opened and revealed the smiling face of their master, eyes filled with love for their young miss.

“Bei’er , where have you entertained yourself this past week? Please think of this old man’s heart when you go somewhere!” the middle-aged man exclaimed dramatically, glancing sideways trying to make his beautiful daughter crack a smile, but failed

Xue Bei Wei sighed but held her father’s hand to lead him to a chair.

“Father, I thought you gave me your permission to go hunting last week, did you forget? ” she reminded him.

“I only let you do it because you looked so lonely inside the manor,” the poor father told her daughter.

“ I am not lonely father, I have you ” the young miss replied with a straight face.

Though her face remained unchanging, everyone in the manor knows that she only converses with her father in this manner but she deeply cares for the man.

 Xue Chen heaved a sigh at his daughters’ reply. A heavy feeling kept weighing at his being this past few days and he’s worried for her.

“Tell me more about your hunt then” he tried to engage her into talking.

“It was the same as my past hunts, nothing new.” She replied immediately.

“Oh is th-

He was cut off when a servant knocked on his study and waited for permission to enter.

Cutting short his time with his daughter, he let the servant enter.

“Master, the palace has sent a eunuch, he’s waiting at the receiving hall”  the manservant announced bowing at the end.

All the ears in the room perked up at the sudden visit.

“I will be there ”he dismissed

The whole party exited his study and they went on the direction of the receiving hall. However, the young miss made a turn towards her room and bid her father goodbye.

Xue Chen just sighed and let her go. Memories flashed before his eyes as he watched her daughter walk back to her room. Ever since his wife died her daughter has become more distant from the world.

With a heavy heart,  he went to entertain their guest.

Upon entering, he saw the eunuch from the palace and they exchanged pleasantries.

“ My apologies at intruding Master Xue” the eunuch bowed

“The palace is always welcome to come to my humble abode” smiling, he replied.

He saw the eunuch looking around, searching for something or rather someone.

“What did the palace need from the Xue family that you ventured this late ?” smiling, he asked to get to the point. This caught the eunuch’s attention and he cleared his throat. No beating around the bush he announced.

“This is an invitation to the palace, in six days time the young miss of the Xue manor is requested by the emperor to present herself as one of the chosen candidates to become a lotus bride. ” handing out a golden scroll, the eunuch dropped the news like a bomb.

Xu Chen was dumbfounded, to be a lotus bride means that young misses from noble households will participate in the selection for the next empress.

“Ahh, my, my is there a mistake perhaps? This household has no women in it after my wife passed away.” He lied through his teeth. Bei Wei never went outside the manor except to hunt. Besides the manor’s servants, no one really knows she exists.

“Master Xue, the emperor knows of your only daughter, you may think that you can hide her from the world but the emperor has eyes and ears everywhere. In six days' time, the young miss is expected to present herself and accept the decree or the Xue family will be dealt with accordingly. I shall take my leave” the eunuch exited himself as he accomplished his task.

Xue Chen was left there frozen to the core.

How can he let his only daughter go to the palace and be devoured by its merciless walls? He must let her escape, he thought to himself. She’s been through enough.

Without wasting time, he half walked half ran to Bei Wei's quarters.

Pushing the door wide open, he struggled to catch his breath. But as soon as Bei Wei came into view, heartbreaking words left her mouth.

“I’m not going anywhere”