Guard Dog

Chapter 10*

Zixuan looks at the dead body of the attacker with a serious face. "So , you are saying Yang Xi is threatening you to stay away from Xingchen ? And also he tried to murder Xingchen because you ignored the threat ?"

Zemin nods beside Zixuan. "Yang xi got away with two murders, Zixuan. One or two more is not a big deal for him."

"But why is he doing this ? I mean what's his profit in keeping Xingchen away from you ?"

"I don't know." Zemin sighs "but there is someone inside the palace who is giving him news. A spy. Otherwise how would he know that Xingchen agreed to marry me at the last moment."

Zixuan looks directly at Zemin's face now "Is it the only reason you didn't repeat the vow ?"

Zemin nods "I can't risk Xingchen's life."

"Then why did you let him take the vow ? You could've said no even before he walked down the aisle ?"

Zemin stays silent for sometimes "I... wanted him... He is my concubine now. He is... mine."

"That was a very cowardly move. You humiliated him and ..."

"What else could I do ? Reject him after he finally agreed to marry me ? Then what, watch him falling in love with someone else , marrying someone else ?" Zemin asks a little frustrated.

"Is he going to love you after what you did to him ? What made you think that he wouldn't fall in love with someone else ?"

Zemin shrugs "he is mine..already."

Zixuan takes in a deep breath. He can't argue with Zemin. Zemin's logic and his logic never comes to one end. "Take care of your injury. I will look for the spy. You look for Yang Xi and his motive."

Zemin nods "Thanks."

Zixuan turns to leave but then he remembers something "Xingchen asked me not to move his bedchamber to your courtyard."

"Huh ? Why ?"

***

"You already know the reason" Xingchen replies casually. He didn't expect Empress Yuzu would ask him something' like this "I agreed to marry Zemin, because I wanted to stop him. But I couldn't."

"And ? He is already your husband, Xingchen ? Don't you have any feelings for him ?"

Xingchen shakes his head firmly "I have no feelings for him. I don't even respect him as a person. Whatever I am doing, is because of my responsibility towards Zi kingdom."

Yuzu frowns "Is it ?"

Xingchen nods.

Yuzu blinks. "By doing this, you will push Zemin towards Yaad. You know that right ?"

"Don't worry, empress Yuzu.I will not let any of their schemes succeed."

Yuzu sighs "I am not talking about schemes, Xingchen. Not everything is about schemes...

Do you remember ? How I drugged to whole palace once, how I lied about being sick, how I fooled the shadow guards to know his highness's whereabouts ... I schemed so many times. Do you consider me as a bad person ? Do I not deserve your trust ?"

Xingchen widens his eyes "no ..empress, you did all those because you love his highness."

Yuzu nods "that's the thing, Xingchen. We Don't always judge a person by his actions, sometimes we need to know the reasons too. I schemed because I loved Zixuan, Zemin schemed because..