I sat in my meditation position a bit longer, only pausing when the maids came in for my lunch. Grilled fish, broiled steak with jasmine rice, although they should have used regular rice, the jasmine overpowers the flavour of the steak too much. I wonder what will happen with the other rounds of this entire process. So far it has been trivial but that's what makes it even more remarkable.

~~~~~~

Xiaodan’s POV

“Alright everyone, we have a lot to do today with the new staff and new procedures to everything around us. During orientation, I explained that there is a new illness going around in the more central regions of the country. His Majesty has asked us to gather as much information on the issue before his meeting in 2 weeks. We are to look at the information and come up with several solutions and treatments based on the symptoms. We have a long few days ahead of us, so please work hard. Now off to your stations- except for Xiaodan please come into my office for a moment.” Minister Shoa looked right at me and I froze.

What I needed for that required such a private setting for the matter. I shivered as I walked into his office in awe at how he decorated it, for a man of few likes and strict taste he held a lot of plants and flowers in his office. How he finds time to name and water all of them was beyond me- but it could be because it was only him before he adopted his son.

“Xiaodan?”

I jumped in my skin, “Yes minister?”

“Why so tense?”

“Well Minister, you asked to talk to me privately. And all the other times this scene has happened with my bosses, they never end well.”

“Nonsense, I only did this because I feel like you have something to gain from what I ask of you today. Besides this could be your chance to gain better ground and reputation in the palace.”

“What do you mean by that Minister? Gain a reputation from what?”

“Are you oblivious, Xiao? I didn’t take you for that type of person- I will just ask someone else to do this favour for me.”

“Wait, wait, minister, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious about the details in the task you are recommending to me.”

“Alright, today you will be going to a spiritual training practice with His Majesty for the day. This will give you the ability to gain a reputation as a professional medic.”

“With His Majesty?”

“Well, you don’t have to go now, later around midday after lunch is when you will be needed in a sense. He is going through a sort of sacred transformation process and since it’s secret, I trust you won’t talk, not even to me about it right.” his eyes turned cold as ice stared at me threateningly. 

“Not minister, if I were to keep a secret I would lay down my life. If I speak it’s off with my tongue.”

“Good, you may leave for your little assignment whenever you like. But I must warn you, my little apprentice.”

“Yes, minister, what is it?”

“Be careful of what you say or do around His Majesty.”

“Why is that?”

He shifted from his relaxed slouch against his table, calming walking towards me and resting his hand on my shoulder before looking me into the eyes. 

“Things may be peaceful and freer now and people think they can speak anyway to the future Emperor which always leads to them underestimating him. Remember the rumour of his temper at the wall?”

“Yes, he demolished a section of the wall for someone not following his orders immediately right?”

“You see where I am going with this right?”

“Yes, minister.”

“Good, now off to your little assignment Apprentice. The master should never wait on his or her servant.”

I walked out of the office, turning into a bow. Grasping the handles of the door, quietly closing it. I walked to my station and started working on the other major assignment for the new illness. Minister raised a good point, even though His Majesty is nothing like his father and prefers to make decisions based on logical peaceful means rather than emotion- he is still to be feared in all his glory. Even if he does look quite cute for his age.

What am I even talking about?! Focus Xiao, you have a family to talk about, a sister to send to school, a dad going through rehab and a mother. I hope she gets better, I don’t think I can deal if she were to pass away- how would I explain it to Mitsuki.

~~~~~~

“You are Ye Xiaodan- the new medical apprentice under Minister ShaoLan right?”

“Yes, Monk Gong Xinya, please to make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is all mine, you look better than I thought. Aren’t you a commoner?”

I tensed up a bit before forcing a smile, “Well yes I am Miss Monk.”

“I didn’t mean it as an offence, you just look too cute to be one, if anything you are lower rank nobility.”

“Oh no, just a regular commoner.”

“Well from the looks of it, that might change.”

“What do you mean Monk Gong?”

“You will see the child, you will see.”

Child!? She doesn’t even look older than 30 and she is calling me a child?

“If you are wondering, I am 47. I do not hide from my age.”

40 what!? This lady is joking isn’t she, she must be pulling my leg. That can’t be, she dressed so young though. A simple baby blue gown with red trims on the edges with a pastel pink scarf holding a bunny. I think I might be delusional at the moment. We walked into the central garden of the palace, the garden whispered to me with the number of different plants, shrubs and trees littering the place in such a beautiful way. We walked into a rose maze and walked to the centre of the maze to see His future Majesty the Emperor, meditating with a small kitten on his head. He looked so tranquil and vulnerable- precious even.

“Monk Gong Xinya.”

“Your Majesty. This is-”

“Mr Xiaodan right? Nice to meet you again.”

“Oh no, please don’t say that your Majesty, I am lower rank than you.”

“Yeah but you are older than me.”

“I… am?”

“Yes I soon turn 21 and you are 23 correct?”

GAH!!!! I am older than him! But how he looks so mature for his age. I need to take a nap. This is too much class shock for me.

“What should we do today, Monk Gong?”

“I have been made aware that you passed the protection stage of the process so we are moving to purify and mobility. Xiaodan darling right here will be aiding you for the rest of the day as your tracker, he will monitor your condition and tell me when you either become too unstable or just about to pass out. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Alright now, Xiao-dear stands behind his Majesty, and your Majesty please go into a meditation pose and go to where you left off last time.”

His Majesty’s expression immediately changed from his cheerful happy-go-lucky expression to a more stone-cold stare with a hint of determination mixed with pure seriousness. His aura shifted and I almost swayed at the feeling against my own, if it made me shiver and sort of calmed me down a lot. I worked hard to try to suppress the noises that were trying to erupt from my throat. Why I was reacting like this was beyond me but it felt nice to mellow in his aura.

“Good, now you will repeat these lines after me, and Xiao-dear. You shouldn’t repeat these words even if you don’t know them. You weren’t here for the other processes so it would be very dangerous if you said them out of nowhere.”

“Yes, Monk Gong.”

“Good, no. Your Majesty will repeat after me please.”

“Ok.”

“Goddess of the Hun Empire, The Chin Tribe, The Danshu Tribe, The Oonitu Empire, The cousin of the Lang Empire, the Hande Tribe and the Gome Tribe- Lord Fenix. I come before you not as the emperor but as your loyal servant. Purify me, my lord, grant me the pleasure to stare at your beauty and share the secret to your purity. Jìnghuà wǒ, ràng nǐ de xiěyè liúguò wǒ de jìngmài. Xuè yīn.” 

That was a long speech, does he have to say that?

“Do I have to say all that?”

This guy is reading my mind now.

“No, not after this. You are merely introducing yourself.”

“But she already knows me.”

“Lord Fenix does but the Blood Phoenix doesn’t. All the other times you only need to say the last two lines, but because you are introducing yourself you have to do it properly- you don’t want to hinder yourself during battle when you call upon the Blood Phoenix's Magic it strikes you down.”

There is a being that can do that?

“Right.”

He looks so invested in all this nonsense, it must make sense to him since he has to go through the entire process. He looks so passionate about all this- it’s cute.

“Now go ahead. Beware, the Blood Phoenix will come on to you with a force. You need to look it in the eyes and face it, you don’t do that and you won’t be purified and the other parts of this process will be strenuous.”

“Ok.”

“Xiao, get ready.”

I stared at His Majesty, as he closed his eyes and his aura stilled and slowly ran along the grounds of the garden.

“Goddess of the Hun Empire, The Chin Tribe, The Danshu Tribe, The Oonitu Empire, The cousin of the Lang Empire, the Hande Tribe and the Gome Tribe- Lord Fenix. I come before you not as the emperor but as your loyal servant. Purify me, my lord, grant me the pleasure to stare at your beauty and share the secret to your purity. Jìnghuà wǒ, ràng nǐ de xiěyè liúguò wǒ de jìngmài. Xuè yīn.”

And with that, there was a blast of energy and I steadied myself as his aura became heavy and dense. Was that the Blood Phoenix interacting with him? What am I supposed to do in this situation, I can’t handle an emperor going through a god-servant transition. What am I to do in all this? I am a simple medic, no not a medic I don’t even qualify for that. I only have my magic, I don’t have any skills in medicine or healing. I am incapable of anything, not even this.

“He made eye contact.”

I turned towards his Majesty again and I saw his eyes open and smiling up into the sky. His eyes glowed a shimmering white with trickles of blood running down his cheek. He looked timid- was he always this timid. I bent down touching his shoulders as soon as I saw his crimson red eye colour come back unto his eyeball. 

“Your Majesty, are you ok?”

“Yes, I am now. Thank you Xiaodan.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Let me heal you a bit, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

I pressed my hands against his back, only to have him wince at my fingers.

“I am sorry, no my back burns.”

I was a bit confused so I pulled down his many garments, which one man shouldn’t be wearing so much even if it is early winter. But then I was stunned at the inky stamp of a dripping Phoenix on his back. 

“He is purified permanently, I wonder what you do to earn that Your Supreme Majesty?”

“Supreme Majesty?”

“It’s a title given to God-blessed Emperors and Empresses, only a few are well enough to get such a privileged stance.”

“The Phoenix asked about how I will use their power. All I said was Protecting the Blood of the Empire is key but if I need to give it up for the sake of the Empire, I will. Wasn’t that how great, great, great, great grandfather did it?”