WARNING: The end of this arc has mentionings of torture and although not explicit, reader discretion is advised.

These days, Noble Consort Zhou is always out of it. The kind of out of it that is eating but is unable to be full, sleepy but cannot sleep, bathing but the body is not wet kind. Feng Mian watched the spaced-out look in her mistress's vacant eyes.

This can't go on much longer.

Feng Mian put the hot soup on the table but did not leave right after as she usually would. Instead, she stood next to Consort Zhou.

"Niangniang, have some soup while it's hot. You haven't eaten in days."

For many days now, Consort Zhou had been writing endless streams of letters and though Feng Mian wasn't sure who the correspondent was, every time Consort Zhou received a reply letter back, her mood grew even more solemn. The inner room will soon sprout mushrooms from its walls.

"Leave it there," Consort Zhou said distractedly.

Feng Mian insisted. "This servant will leave after you have a sip."

Noble Consort Zhou folded the piece of paper into an envelope and looked squarely at this servant of hers.

"You seem to be getting bolder by the year," she pointed out bluntly.

"It is this servant's good blessings that niangniang had spoiled me so." Feng Mian was familiar with Zhou Yunqi's bark that was worse than her bite and smiled her usual daring grin. Concubine Zhou bemoaned how lenient she was to this head servant, yet didn't say anything. Their relationship dynamic had been so intrinsically co-dependent from the very beginning that it was hard to change.

"... Tonight, don't blow out the candles," Consort Zhou instructed.

"Why?"

"No reason, bengong wants to do some reading tonight. Don't worry, bengong have thought things through. You don't have to send anyone for the night watch tonight. Wan Mei… you--" Zhou Yunqi stopped mid-sentence.

"--You can leave now. Take care of the Fifth Prince well."

When she later had the time to brew and chew over Consort Zhou's words, Feng Mian felt that she should have seen this as an omen to what was coming.

*********************

Feng Mian felt all sorts of unease that night and even as the gong resounded to indicate the hour of midnight, she couldn't get a shut-eye. Rather than stewing in her discomfort, she decisively fetched her outer robe and made a bee-line towards Consort Zhou's chamber.

As she reached the long corridors, the palace's emergency drum resounded from the tower.

'Bom! Bom! Bom!' It boomed and echoed.

The palace had been infiltrated.

The palace guards had also been summoned hastily to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to protect the emperor.

Feng Mian turned and made a mad dash towards Tian Junli's chambers.

Tian Junli was still rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes when Feng Mian dragged him out without warning and his short feet had to exert a lot of effort to keep up with her long and hurried strides. He had wanted to loosen her clinched hold on him but sensing his companion's disconsolateness that showed through the tautness of her back, he did not disrupt their haste.  Neither of them had uttered a word as they ran all the way to Consort Zhou's chamber.

When they reached the inner hall, the two was surprised by a black figure hanging from the window sill. They froze in their spots.

Even with the mask on, Feng Mian had recognised the familiarity of those eyes.

"Are you crazy?! You're planning a coup?!!" she clamoured but kept her register low enough to not attract outside suspicion.

Prince Tian Yu who was about to bring Consort Zhou away was surprised by the unforeseen interruption. The sword by his side glinted as it was partially drawn out from its' sheath.

"Wan Mei! This isn't where you should be! Go back! Pretend you saw nothing." Consort Zhou hissed as she held Prince Tian Yu back

Feng Mian was livid. This Zhou Yunqi was simply insane!

"You're insane! This is treason!"

In truth, Zhou Yunqi was also greatly unnerved and she fought to keep her voice steady and unwavering. As if she could convince herself with her own words. "It's only treason... if we fail. Histories are written by the winners...  Now go! This is none of your business!"

Feng Mian sucked in a frustrated sigh; her head had already felt like it was two tons heavier. Sharp peach blossom eyes scanned the vicinity sagaciously to make sure no witnesses were privy to their late-night rendezvous. She moved closer so that she and Consort Zhou would be toe to toe, her presence intimidating the latter despite the height leverage.

"What about the emperor?" she hissed.

We have him surrounded." Prince Tian Yu responded in confidence.

"You plan on killing him?"

The prince only succinctly nodded.

'These royal members are all nutjobs!'

Feng Mian wanted to pull her hair bald in frustration.

"How many men do you have?"

"More than the royal guards in the palace."

The saying is true, that cockiness is the cause of one's demise. Tian Yu's confidence lies in his ignorance.

The sliding panel of the room grated all too suddenly as one of Prince Tian Yu's henchmen busted into the room in a panic.

He spluttered in one breath, "Your Royal Highness, bad news!... General Ki had brought out his soldiers to the palace!... We're outnumbered."

Feng Mian jeered unapologetically. "Apparently not enough."

"He has reinforcements?" Prince Tian Yu stiffened from the news, his heart already forming waves.

"Ten thousand of them Your Highness!"

With clenched teeth, Tian Yu ordered his men resolutely. He had already made an irrevocable decision when he gathered the outskirt soldiers outside the city.

"Follow benwang. Tonight either the emperor dies or benwang dies!"

Noble Consort Zhou was frantic. "Tian Yu--"

There was a sound of blades clashing as well as flesh being slashed open in swoops coming from outside the room.

Prince Tian Yu's men who had surrounded the area fell down one by one like flies.

Consort Zhou felt her lover's sweat-ladened hands clenching around hers.

The sounds of heavy boots were drawing closer. And closer. Like the marching hymn of death bearing down on Penglai Pavilion.

Feng Mian made an on the spur decision and quickly move to hide Tian Junli inside of the closet. If things go awry, and she had the premonition that they would, the child's safety couldn't be risked.

"Stay here for a while," she told him before closing the door. A blanket of darkness was shrouded over Tian Junli who was both scared and clueless on what to do after encountering his mother's affair. The young child could only do as he was told and tucked himself into a fetal position as if he could minimise his presence by taking up lesser space.

Feng Mian's brain is working overtime to solve the current predicament.

Prince Tian Yu won't be able to make out of this with all his skin intact. But she, Tian Junli, and Consort Zhou still may have a chance.

"Knock her out!" Feng Mian brazenly ordered the Prince of Chu.

Prince Tian Yu understood what she wanted to do.

He himself wasn't willing to see Zhou Yunqi suffer alongside him, so with one quick chop at the back of the head, Consort Zhou was knocked senseless.

Feng Mian toppled every vase that she could get her hands on and flipped over any furniture that could be flipped to make the room look like a crime scene, then ran back to where she hid Tian Junli and squeezed in with him.

The emperor led a group of burly soldiers in armour inside. He looked at this disloyal brother of his straight in the eye and snickered. "Zhen knew you were brazen, but zhen didn't know that you actually have the guts to commit treason!"

Prince Tian Yu let out a boisterously hollow laugh. "Alright, brother!  How clever of you to let General Ki's infantry standby near the palace!... I've underestimated you. This didi admits his defeat!"

His sword was briskly thrown to the ground.

There was no way out, he was surrounded and his guards had fallen. He knew that he had hit a dead end with no way out.

Emperor Tai Ke didn't waste his words. "Guards, come! Arrest this treasonous official!"

Two guards escorted Prince Tian Yu who stood alone in the room and neither struggled nor fought to be unhanded.

From the crack in the wardrobe, Feng Mian could see the outline of a person's back, the emperor's brother, getting further and further away until he was out of sight. That defeated back of a person who had lost everything ingrained itself into her memory.

Tian Yu had the pride of a royal family carved into his bones. Even as a convicted criminal, he strained to keep his posture upright with formidable hauteur.

The emperor finally took a glance at the knocked out Consort Zhou, his eyes unreadable.

He walked towards her and lifted her into his arms, his feet carrying them to the rosewood bed.

General Ki who had entered the room earlier felt inclined to speak out. "Your Majesty, Prince Tian Yu's coup is really dubious. How did he know where Your Majesty would be tonight and how many guards there are? There has to be an inside spy. For him to show up at Penglai Pavilion, this--... Consort Zhou is the most suspicious."

The emperor's face was ashen. General Ki bent to one knee and performed a military salute. "This concerns a national matter. Begging the emperor to conduct a thorough investigation for this matter!"

Emperor Tai Ke felt a migraine coming in. 'Zhou Yunqi ah, Zhou Yunqi.'

He rubbed his temple. "The Noble Consort is unconscious now, whatever investigation there is can wait until tomorrow."

General Ki guessed at the emperor's thoughts and did not push. "Then… what should be done with Prince Tian Yu?"

"Zhen will go see him tonight. Let's see what he has to say."

*********************

In an underground place under the palace's walls of bricks and stones, was a dungeon that was void of windows; whether it was sunlight or moonlight, they had never found their way in. At the very end of a dark hallway was a rusty cell that was separated from the rest and its' size slightly bigger than others. Two chains held up a man by his wrist and glued him to the walls.

Prince Tian Yu's toes can barely reach the dirty ground.

That night was destined to be the longest night he had ever experienced in his life. As one torture device was brought up after another and under the intense stare from his brother, he screamed until his throat bled and could no longer produce a sound.

Every hour the emperor would open his mouth and ask him, "Who's your insider?"

And every time, he would refuse to answer. Each time this happens, the pain inflicted rose by several degrees and this cycle would continue on endlessly. Whenever he felt like he would fall unconscious, the cold water would snap him awake. Right then, he felt that oblivion was his sole escape.

Emperor Tai Ke was running out of patience.

A barb whip coated with salt was brought out. This time, the emperor himself stepped up to hold the whip.

As his skin was torn open by the whipping, a single handkerchief escaped from his lapel and drifted down.

.

.

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