Guard Dog

chapter 3

"How could Yang Xi escape ?" Xingchen hears emperor Zixuan, shouting at his entire court.

Today early in the morning, he woke up with news of Yang Xi's escape. The main culprit who killed the emperor's consort , attempted to kill the noble consort Yuzu and schemed against the emperor .. escaped.

Xingchen has a mixed reaction in his mind throughout the court. He loved Yang Xi even when Yang Xi just pretended. So , he couldn't handle the death sentence of Yang Xi. But being happy with a traitor's escape, that's a direct betrayal to the emperor.

He feels like he is betraying his highness.

"How is Zemin ?".

Xingchen comes out of his thoughts hearing noble consort's voice. He looks at noble consort or the current empress Yuzu with a frown. He doesn't know when he got assigned as a care-taker of Zemin. But everything about Zemin is asked to him.

Xingchen gives a light bow just to acknowledge the question "getting better."

"Did he leave his room yesterday or today ?"

Xingchen frowns seriously this time. Zemin's bedchamber is just beside his bedchamber, outside the main palace.  

Outside the main palace there are only five rooms. Once belongs to him, one belongs to the defence minister, one was the abandoned chamber where empress Yuzu used to live once and two guest rooms. With five rooms this area is called Wú Dián.

In Wú Dián .. if one leaves his or her room , others automatically notice. And with Zemin living next to him, he knows Zemin never left his room. But "I didn't notice, empress Yuzu."

Empress Yuzu looks at Xingchen in confusion. Of course, he was an abandoned consort living in Wú Dián in the past. So he knows , Xingchen is lying.

Xingchen looks away from empress Yuzu.

"Search every corners of Zi, find Yang Xi. I want him alive. Also find out, who helped him to escape.. without a traitor inside, he couldn't have escaped. Court Dismissed."

***

Xingchen felt someone following him since he left royal court. But he ignored it till he reached his bed chamber.

"Does empress Yuzu need me for anything ?" Xingchen asks without turning around.

"You seem different, Xingchen."

Xingchen hears Yuzu's reply. He sighs. He has always respected consort Yuzu even when nobody in the palace respected him. But these days, he feels so distant from Zi that .. 

"Sorry for my misbehaviour !" Xingchen turns around with a bow.

Yuzu studies Xingchen's face carefully. "Are you ok ?"

Xingchen nods.

"Then why did you lie to his highness? You can't help but notice if anyone leaves Wú Dián. Xingchen, we need to know if Zemin still have the plans to replace his highness. What if he helped Yang xi to escape ?"

"I did nothing of that sort." 

Both Yuzu and Xingchen look at the entrance hearing a third party voice.

Zemin enters the room with a little limp "I have no intention of being a life-saver. But, Yang Xi has other people who can be his life-saver anytime."