Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Reasons

(WANG HUA)

Jin tried convincing the Emperor again to exclude him in the Crown Prince selection.

"I gave hints that Guo will be better in the position. But he just won't listen to me," Jin sighed as we sat on the edge of the foot bridge across the man made lake in our estate. I have my parasol with me while Jin wore a wide straw hat to keep away the rays of the cooling afternoon sun.

Dao and Jin's guards, Yong and Manchu, are under the cherry blossom tree, lounging on the grassy ground while munching on the remnants of our afternoon tea meal that we took with us.

Some chaperones. They are content to stay in the shade of the tree while squinting to guard us.

"If he won't listen..."

"I have a mind to let Master Dayu talk to my Baba. Maybe Master Dayu can persuade the Emperor. Heaven knows that your Father can present strong arguments so people will agree with him," Jin said.

I frowned, "You want my Father to threaten your Baba? The Emperor. To not give you the Crown Prince title."

Jin winced, "Not really...fine, maybe a little..."

"Jin!" I exclaimed his name loudly. Enough to make Dao stood up. "What?! What happened?!" He shouted to us.

"Shut your mouth and sit there!" I snarled loudly back at my twin who gave me an offended look before sitting sulkily on the grass again.

I turned back to Jin whose eyes were wide as they gazed at me. I flushed a little. "You and my brother can test my patience." I said.

"You are scary," Jin uttered in amazement. Then he smile. "I like it,"

I smiled happily back at him. "Let's go back to the topic at hand. We cannot threaten your father. What can we do for him to exclude you on the Crown Prince list?" I asked him.

Jin frowned, "I don't know. Maybe if I am disowned or if I have a serious sickness, I can be excluded." He looked at me. "Shall we lie and tell him that I am sick?"

"What kind of sickness?"

"I...don't know." Jin winced. "Pox? High fever? Insaneness?"

"Do you think my parents will let you marry me if we tell others that you have pox and insaneness?" I want to push him on the lake, maybe that will wake some sense on him.

Jin shook his head, "You are right, it will just cause a problem for us. Should I do something to be disowned?"

"What can a Prince do to be disown?"

"Rebel against my father. Try to usurp the throne. Kill one of my siblings. Kill the Empress. Or steal some gold from the treasury." Jin frowned some more as he listed crimes that can get him disown.

"A murderer or a thief. Your chances of marrying me just dropped to the ground if you will be branded as a murderer or a gold thief." I said.

"It's a no then?" Jin asked.

I nodded my head. "No."

We both sighed. He cannot be disowned and he cannot be sick. Those two options will jeopardized our chances of being married. We will get more harmed instead of benefitting from them.

We both sighed again. Then look at each other and smile.

"Let's put aside the Crown Prince issue and talk about us," Jin reach out to take my left hand. Where the two jade rings he gave me nestled on my fourth finger. "Where do you want to live once we got married?"