"to have Your Majesty came to visit, I am very honour." Prince Suk Nin with his two wife and four of his children, interlock their finger and kneeled down to greet Emperor Lam.
"Brother, don't said that. I am but your little brother, but all of the state affairs made me too busy and can't come to visit you regularly, I am at fault too. I'm hope you and your family still healthy." Emperor Lam said.
"thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, me and my family are still very healthy." Prince Suk Nin said.
"brother, I know you love of fine wine, so today I have brought with me several bottles of fine yellow wine, a gift of from Chihan's ambassador." Emperor Lam said, then call a servant bring forth a white ceramic bottle, with blue ink painting of landscape, flower and mountains, from the casket and give it to his brother.
"whoah, isn't this is the famous yellow wine of the Jar Nan region of Chihan. I am graceful of your fondness, Your Majesty." Prince Suk Nin staring at the bottle in his hand, then bow down in thankfulness.
"ey, don't do that, it's just a bottle of wine. We're brother, you shouldn't be too formal." Emperor Lam said, pulling his brother to stand up.
"Your Majesty, fine wine should not drink along. Why don't we go to the garden and open this bottle of wine, I'll tell the servants to prepare some dishes to accompany the wine." Prince Suk Nin said.
"great idea, thank you brother." Emperor Lam said. And so the two brothers heading to Prince Suk Nin mansion's garden to enjoy the wine, after a few toast and chatting. Emperor Lam mention the rumours that he had heard lately.
"brother, I… er… have a few things, I wish to ask you, hope you don't mind." Emperor Lam said.
"what do you want to know, Your Majesty?" Prince Suk Nin said.
"it's just… a couple days ago, I had heard rumours about some stranger, break into your mansion in the night, numerous times, and committed vandalize act. Is it true?" Emperor Lam asked.
"well… er, Your Majesty… that… did happened, but… eh… it was only one time, from three night ago, it's… just some random drunken thug, make some random carving on my mansion front gate's door. That's all, there was no numerous break in or anything like that, the rumours just blow thing out of proportion." Prince Suk Nin diffidently answer, his face slightly pale, his mouth corner gently twitched when Emperor Lam mention the intrusions, trying to hide his stress.
"brother, are you alright? Your face suddenly turn pale. Are you sick or something?" Emperor Lam asked
"oh, no, no, it's nothing. Come now, stop mention those unpleasant silly rumours anymore, drink up" Prince Suk Nin empty his glass and then changed the subject. Afternoon, Emperor Lam bit farewell to his brother and return to the palace, but he still felt strange about his brother reaction when he mentions the rumours.
The next day, rumour about a new break in spreading all over the capital, and this time some peoples got hurt when trying to apprehend the intruder. Curious about this, Emperor Lam sent his son, Crown Prince Suk Tua to visit Prince Suk Nin mansion. Until noon, Crown Prince Tua return and said he didn't meet Prince Suk Nin, then retold what he had heard from Prince Suk Nin's wives.
"what? Brother, had went somewhere from early morning without telling anyone in his family."
"yes, father. The two lady had told me that, after wakeup and know about another intrusion had occurred, uncle became very troubled and anxious. Then he locked himself in the study room for an hour or so, after that, he saddles the velelis and leave the mansion without saying where he going, he even doesn't bring any attendance with him, just a small sack. Moreover, I had heard weird things from uncle's two lady." Crown Prince Tua said
"tell me." Emperor Lam said
"from what I heard, the rumours about the numerous intrusion is true. About four day ago, a stranger carved a strange symbol on the front gate with a number "5" beneath it. After that, that strange symbol appeared again each night with the number "4" then the number "3". And yesterday night, an intruder was drawing the symbol with the number "2" on uncle bedroom then get caught by servants. After a struggling he injured some of the servants and escape through the rooftop." Crown Prince Tua said.
"that strange, yesterday when I came to visit, brother told me a difference story, and acting quite strange when I mention those intrusion rumours…" Emperor Lam stroking his beard thinking. "so Tua… do you learn how that strange symbol look like?"
"ah yes, I had drawn it from the servant description." Crown Prince Tua said, retreated a piece of paper from his inner sleeve pocket.
Staring at the drawing for a minute, Emperor Lam mumbling "hum… it's… look like a… spider or something, laying on its net." Then he turns to his son "hum… this is getting me curious. Tua, now you bring a company of Brocade Cloak Guard to patrolling brother's mansion, just in case the intruder return" he ordered his son then go to the seraglio to meet his wife asking for her knowledge about the drawing.