Threads Of Fate.

STRANGE ENCOUNTER.

The sun cast its warm glow over the palace garden, in the shaded pavilion as Prince Dù of Bei Chan sat beside Emperor Wèi Shén and the princess. The atmosphere was tense.

"Your Majesty," Prince Dù said, his voice low and concerned. "I see the city is in chaos. What's happening?"

Emperor Wèi Shén's expression turned guarded, and he glanced at the princess before responding. "Just some minor issues, Nothing to worry about."

Prince Dù's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing that the Emperor was hiding something. He leaned forward, his interest piqued. "I see."

The princess spoke up, her voice soft. "How was your journey here?"

Prince Dù sighed. "Pleasant, i expected a warm welcome. But the city is hostile."

As they conversed, Prince Dù couldn't help but notice the Emperor's distant demeanor. Prince Dù's eyes locked onto the Emperor's, his gaze piercing. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I sense that there's more to it than just 'minor issues'. The kingdom is in turmoil, and I've heard rumors of unrest and discontent among the people."

The princess's voice was barely above a whisper. "There's a plot, Prince Dù. Some officials are manipulating the situation, using the people's suffering to turn them against the Emperor."

Emperor Wèi Shén's face remained unreadable, the princess continued, her words spilling out in a rush. "They're exploiting the situation for their own gain, and the Emperor refuses to take action."

Prince Dù's eyes widened, his mind racing with the implications. He turned to the Emperor, his voice measured. "Wèi Lòng Shén, the people's trust is crucial to maintaining stability in the empire. Your empire."

The Emperor's expression remained unyielding, his silence speaking volumes. Prince Dù wondered what lay behind his stoic facade.

"Brother." Princess Mèi Xiāng called.

"Give it a rest, Xiāng." The emperor said, sipping his tea without a care in the world.

The conversation shifted, and the princess smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Prince Dù, I'd love for you to meet someone. She's one of our maids here in the palace, and I think you two would get along beautifully."

Prince Dù raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the princess's sudden change in subject. "Oh? And what makes you think that, Your Highness?"

The princess laughed, a soft, melodious sound. "Let's just say she's charming, intelligent, and...unique. I'll have one of the guards fetch her. Her name is Yìng Yìlán."

With a nod, the princess signaled to a nearby guard, who bowed and left to summon Yìlán. Prince Dù couldn't help but wonder what this maid was like, and why the princess thought they'd be a good match.

A few moments later, the guard returned with a young woman, her steps graceful and demure. The princess smiled warmly. "Yìlán, this is Prince Dù of Bei Chan. I thought it would be lovely for you two to meet."

Yìlán bowed deeply, her long white hair falling like a cascade of silk around her face. As she rose, Prince Dù stared at her grey eyes, and he was struck by her astonishing beauty. Her features were delicate yet striking, with porcelain skin and full lips that curved into a gentle smile.

Prince Dù's gaze lingered on her for a moment, taking in the serene elegance that seemed to emanate from her very presence. He couldn't help but wonder why the Emperor hadn't taken notice of her himself, or perhaps he had, and that's why she was being introduced to him now.

The princess seemed to sense his curiosity, and her smile grew wider. "Yìlán has been serving in the palace for a while now. But i feel she doesn't belong as a maid, if you know what i mean." She said.

Prince Dù nodded, his interest piqued. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yìng."

"It's an honor, your highness." Yìlán smiled.

Prince Dù's gaze shifted subtly to the Emperor, his expression neutral, but his eyes narrowed slightly. The Emperor's face remained impassive, but Prince Dù detected a flicker of emotion, a hint of struggle that seemed to simmer just beneath his stoic exterior.

As he glanced at the princess, Prince Dù caught the mischief dancing in her eyes, and a spark of understanding flashed between them. It seemed the princess had orchestrated this meeting for a reason, perhaps to test the waters or to stir up something within the Emperor.

The air seemed to thicken with unspoken meaning, and Prince Dù's curiosity was piqued. He turned back to Yìlán, who stood serenely, her eyes cast downward, oblivious to the subtle currents of tension that flowed between the others. "Would you mind serving us, miss yìng."

Yìlán bows slightly and takes the teapot, she served till it got to the Emperor, he slowly raised his head, his gaze locking onto hers. For a moment, their eyes met, and the air seemed to vibrate with tension. The Emperor's expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to hold a depth of something different.

Prince Dù spoke, his smile courteous. "Don't keep her hanging. Or would you like me to serve you instead?" He said as he reached out to take the teapot from Yìlán.

The emperor glared at Prince Dù, he brought fought his cup to Yìlán. "You seem to be having fun today." He said.

The Emperor's gaze returned on Yìlán for a moment before shifting to Prince Dù again, his expression inscrutable. The princess watched the exchange with interest, her eyes darting between the three of them.

Prince Dù sipped his tea as he stares at Yìlàn's face. "Perhaps, i could make this beauty one of my concubines."

"She doesn't leave this palace, find another." The emperor retorted, his voice calm but his eyes gave a stern warning.

Time seemed to slow down as an arrow whizzed through the air, heading straight for the Emperor. Yìlan's eyes widened in horror, and she reacted instinctively, pushing the Emperor out of the way. The arrow grazed her arm, causing her to cry out in pain as she stumbled backward.

The Emperor's reflexes kicked in, and he swiftly caught Yìlán, holding her steady as she swayed. Prince Dù's eyes snapped towards the direction the arrow came from, his face darkening with anger. "Guards!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the palace garden. "Find out who did this!"

The princess's face went pale, and she rose from her seat, her hands fluttering anxiously. Prince Dù searched the emperor with his eyes.

"Your majesty...." He called but was interrupted.

"Yìlán, are you alright?" The princess asked, her voice trembling.

As the Emperor still held Yìlán, he released immediately her before examining her arm, his face twisted with anger. "Are you stupid or just dumb." his words sharp.

Yìlán scowled at him for a few seconds before she bowed her head, she was clearly angry but she didn't dare to speak up, her eyes cast downward in submission. The trio saw this reaction, prince dù and the princess was amazed by her boldness. The emperor was even more furious.

The princess stepped forward, her voice rising in defense of Yìlán. "She just saved your life! If it weren't for her quick thinking, that arrow would have hit you," she said, her words laced with indignation.

The Emperor's glare turned towards his sister, his expression unyielding. "She's a maid, not my personal guard." the emperor stormed off.

Prince Dù chuckled softly. "The emperor is not used to being looked out for, you should understand princess." He smiles and excuses himself to attend to the matter of the emperor's attempted murder.

Princess Xiāng's attention was diverted to Yìlán, she took her to her palace and invited the royal physician. "It's really not serious your highness, i can handle it." Yìlán said.

"I insist, Wèi Shén is just being insensitive."

"Was he always like this your highness?" Yìlán asked carefully.

Princess Xiāng sighed, she sat on her bed and gently pulled Yìlán by her side. "No, he wasn't always like this. Though he wasn't the gregarious either, but i liked him better when he only looked unapproachable."

The soft voice of the palace maid echoed through the chamber, "The Royal Physician, Sir Wu, has arrived, Your Highness."

The princess nodded, her expression softening as she gestured for the physician to enter. "Yìlán is injured, I need you to treat her wound."

The door swung open, and Sir Wu, a dignified man with a short, gray beard, walked in. He bowed respectfully to the princess and then turned his attention to Yìlán, his eyes assessing her injury. "Let me take a look, young one," he said, his voice gentle and soothing.

The royal physician finished cleaning and wrapping her injury, he bowed and took his leave, leaving Yìlán and the princess alone in the chamber. As the door closed, Yìlán rose from where she sat, intent on returning to her duties. However, the princess's gentle voice stayed her.

"Yìlán , you're not to return to the kitchen just yet. Your wound needs time to heal, and I won't have you overexerting yourself," Princess Xiāng said, her expression firm but kind.

Yìlan's eyes dropped, and she nodded obediently, knowing better than to disobey the princess's orders. "Yes, Your Highness. I will return to my quarter." she said.

Princess Xiāng watched her leave, she cursed her brother inwardly for not noticing such a rare beauty.

"Careful," a voice startled the princess as she jumps. "He may have his powers sealed, but he's still...."

"Yeah, i know, i know." She replied.

Prince Dù smiles, he walks over to the table and sits, pouring himself a cup of tea. "We should be helping him, not distracting him."

Princess Xiāng rolled her eyes, she sat opposite him. "I am helping."

"How?"

"He needs to learn love, and i feel Yìlán is the best woman to teach him that."

"And what if he doesn't find her in his next tribulation, he still has four to go."

"There won't be a next if he learns to love in this one."

Prince Dù sighs, and so did Princess Xiāng. They felt like parents babysitting a child learning to walk, the emperor was indeed a handful obviously.

He had made so many enemies in the human world, leaving prince Dù to watch his back and clean his mess. While princess Xiāng finds the woman who would love him despite his coldness and make him love her back in return. The emperor always finds a way to make the task almost impossible.

As Yìlán turned into the corridor leading to the servant's quarter, she bumped into lady wen. "Greetings, Lady Wen." She said

Yìlán eyes widened in pain as Lady Wen grasped her injured arm, pulling her towards the kitchen. "Where have you been?" Lady Wen demanded, her voice cold and unforgiving.

Yìlán tried to shake off Lady Wen's grip, but the woman's hold only tightened, causing Yìlán to wince in agony. "I...I was with the princess," Yìlán stammered, trying to free herself.

Lady Wen's eyes flashed with anger, and she yanked Yìlán harder, dragging her into the kitchen. "You're supposed to be working, not gallivanting with the princess," Lady Wen snapped, her voice dripping with malice.

Lady Wen's face twisted in anger as she forced Yìng Yìlán to kneel in front of the kitchen. "You think you're above your station, don't you?" Lady Wen sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "I'll teach you a lesson."

With a cold smile, Lady Wen called out to a nearby servant, "Bring me the whip. I'll show her what happens when she disobeys me."

The servant scurried off to fetch the whip, while some of the maids in the kitchen couldn't help but smile and whisper to each other, clearly enjoying Yìlan's situation. Others, however, looked on with concern and disapproval, their faces frowning at Lady Wen's harsh treatment.

As the servant returned with the whip, Lady Wen's eyes gleamed with cruelty. "You should learn to stick to your duties." Lady Wen said, her voice cold and menacing.

The whip cracked through the air, striking Yìlan's skin with a loud thud. She bit back a cry of pain, her body trembling beneath the onslaught. Lady Wen's face was twisted in a cruel smile as she continued to flog Yìlán, her movements relentless.

Just as it seemed Lady Wen would show no mercy, Chef Wang burst out of the kitchen, his face red with anger. "Stop this, Lady Wen!" he thundered, grabbing her arm and holding it in a tight grip. "You're going too far!"

But Lady Wen shook him off, her eyes flashing with fury. "Mind your own business, Chef Wang," she spat, her voice venomous.

Meanwhile, Yìlan's friend, heng had slipped away, hurrying to inform the princess of Yìng Yìlan's plight. Yìlán battered body slumped forward, her skin bruised and bleeding.