A Crown for a Tail

Turning Tables

Facing Zhe Yan with wide eyes and a look of sudden contrition, Ye Huas guilt was obvious, but trying his best to retain a calm expression considering Qian Qians giggling beside him was causing him to lose it, he tried to smile as if nothing was amiss, gaining an even larger stunned expression from Zhe Yan who was beyond angry.  Bending down to pick up an empty bottle, his temper soured.

Not only had they raided almost every hidden wine stash in his Peach Tree Woods leaving it in a absolute mess with giant holes, dirt flung in every direction and unearthed bottles strewn everywhere,  they had drunk the one bottle of his thousand year wine that he had been saving for a special occasion, the one bottle that had almost become his baby, he had been nurturing it since the day he buried it and to find the bottle empty next to them which he now held in his hand, snapped any last ounce of reason he may have had left.

"Get up now!" he ordered both of them, but no sooner did they try to stand, than they both stumbled back to the ground in a heap with Bai Qian in fits of giggles, and Ye Hua trying his very best to keep his mind orderly, when all he wanted to do was sleep.  He was so drunk he couldn't think straight let alone stand.

"I'm sorry...." Ye Hua tried to speak, but unable to string more than those two words together, he held onto both sides of his head beside a still giggling Bai Qian groaning.  The sudden movement to stand, caused him to become dizzy and the Grove to spin wildly around him.  Closing his eyes shut tightly, he tried to still the sudden nausea that had erupted and Zhe Yans sudden outburst that followed only made him feel worse.

"Xiao Wu." he said throwing his arms out wide towards the Grove.  "I expect nothing less from you, your mischief is and always will be nothing less than grand, you just can't help yourself can you?  But you Ye Hua!" He roared.  "For a Crown Prince, I expected so much more.  And to think you will one day rule the realms, I can only hope that after tonight you can show me why your Grandfather in all his wisdom chose you to succeed his position when your abysmal behavior is just as bad as Xiao Wus." he ranted, ignoring the boys obvious drunkenness and sudden attempts to keep his head together.

"I'm sorry....." he repeated himself, if only to keep himself in the moment and his head from splitting open.

"Yan Yan, go easy on them." Bai Zhens soft voice broke through the barrage of less than eloquent speech coming from Zhe Yans mouth. Placing his hand lightly on his shoulder, he forced him around to look at him. Lightly stroking his cheek, Bai Zhen smiled tenderly at him.  If Ye Hua noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere, he gave it no reaction as the two men shared their silent thoughts without a care to his presence.

 "You know what she's like, she would have instigated all of it, and Ye Hua would not have known any better." he added.  Years of experience with her mischief backed up his words and going by the mortification on Ye Huas face, said as much.  Bai Zhen could have bet money that this was the first time he had been caught doing something naughty, it was actually laughable.

Zhe Yan was so close to throwing them both out with a permanent forever ban on his Peach Tree Grove, and had Bai Zhen not arrived when he did, he might have opened his magic and thrown them out by force.  Taking several deep breaths, he ordered Ye Hua to the hut to sleep it off, and to report back to him in the morning.  What he had in mind for Bai Qian, would still any more mischief at least for a couple of years, and he would not go lightly on Ye Hua either.  He would learn along with her, that his Peach Tree Grove was Sacred Ground.

Turning swiftly, he left Bai Qian giggling and Ye Hua feeling utterly miserable while Bai Zhen soothed his now reclining temper with more soft words and gentle touches.

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The Celestial Palace.