Right after the conference was up, the emperor immediately tasked Court Lady Han and the rest of his maids, together with some of the high-ranking eunuchs to prepare the banquet to be held tonight.The Court Lady, of course, is hesitant at first. To hold a royal banquet needs time and many preparations should be made.First and foremost, the food to serve should be planned very well by the emperor himself or if not, some high-ranking eunuchs and the royal chef and his assistants.The ingredients for the menu should be chosen meticulously from the market and to be inspected as it arrives at the palace gates. Of course, when it arrives at the imperial kitchen, the chef and his assistance will pick the best of the best ingredients.The Hall of Union where the banquet will be held should be decorated as well and the adornment should suit the theme of the event. The colors that will dominate the banquet hall, as well as the musicians and performers that will e

Like a sack of rice, Emperor Yin Renshu carries his clumsy little eunuch on his shoulder. He leaps from eves to eves quietly. Every step's calculated. Every landing is like a light dip of the dragonfly's legs on the waters. Though it's broad daytime, everyone in the royal imperial palace didn't notice the swift movements of one of the former disciples of Wan MoliHua Palace.Good thing, this continues until they finally got out of the palace walls. Yin Renshu chooses a narrow alley to stop. He landed his feet on the ground before letting Xu Zhengming stand with his own feet."Prepare the writing equipment." Yin Renshu ordered."Yes, your majesty." Xu Zhengming answered as he grabs the writing materials inside the bag he's been carrying."Don't call me that outside the palace." The emperor realized it too late. He didn't tell his eunuch beforehand that he should stop the honorifics now that they're hiding their identity.Xu Zhengming, "Then what shou

"Y-Your majesty? Aren't you suppose to stay at the banquet?" He asked, still with a surprised look on his face. He never thought that he'd meet the emperor underneath the willow tree, sitting on its bulging roots, holding a broken stick cut into two."Eunuch Xu, you're here. Why aren't you there at the banquet too?" Yin Wenyan still hasn't recovered from the shock but he managed to conceal it. Xu Zhengming saw a few strokes of characters written on the ground. His majesty must have written something with his stick before he broke it into two.Yin Wenyan saw where Xu Zhengming's eyes were looking and so he quickly stamps his feet on it, erasing the writings and giving him a bashful smile.Xu Zhengming puffed a laugh and sits beside the prince."It's you who said you don't need my assistance anymore, your majesty. You even told me to retreat in the servant's quarters.""Oh." Yin Wenyan finally got the pieces together. "Sorry, that slipped in my mind.

"Nonsense? What's nonsense about it?" Emperor Yin Renshu complains as soon as they entered the Lotus Hall."Strange. Isn't she worried that the epidemic gets spread inside the imperial palace walls?" Princess Yin Xiulan also retorted."Don't be stressed over it, Grand Empress Dowager. I don't think our plans will be spoiled by this." Yin Renshu and Yin Xiulan look in the direction where the voice came from. Prince Yin Wenyan just came inside through the big circular window.He continued, "That's what the empress dowager said to our beloved grandmother,"Yin Renshu can't help but raise his eyebrows, "Do you really see her as our grandmother?" Yin Wenyan on the other hand just shrugs as a response."Plans? What sort of plans?" Yin Xiulan asks."That... I can't say just yet." Yin Wenyan answers, "We must not jump directly to conclusions but don't disregard the possibilities.""There must be something they're plotting without our knowledg

The night has finally come and the moon shines so bright and is accompanied by the twinkling stars. The gentle moonlight serves as the only illumination for Prince Yin Wenyan, who is getting ready to go wherever destiny brings him on his journey in finding the spirit herb. "Do you really have to do this?" Princess Yin Xiulan asks with a hint of worry in her voice. Without looking back at her, he answers while putting a black leather cloak on himself. "I don't want to sit still and do nothing while my dear friend is dying." Yin Xiulan closes her eyes and breathes deeply before opening her eyes again. "Wenyan, I'm sorry but I think you're being too emotional. Did you even consider the possible risks? You don't have to feel sympathy for him." She added, "To die for their master is their highest honor they can attain." "It's a warrior's line. 'To die for their leader is their greatest honor,'" Prince Wenyan finally turns around to face his sister. He's st