For the next two weeks after the news of the Crown Prince being deposed, Zheng and I remained cooped up at Ping He Fu.
We turned away every visitor who had come with gifts, leaving most cases and reports back in the General and Lieutenant's hands.
It was almost impossible to work on cases with Assemblymen and even scholars asking to come in and talk to Zheng.
Autumn fully set in.
"It's your 20th birthday soon," I murmured to him as we sat outside, books in hand. Zheng hadn't been in the best of moods, unwilling to speak much unless I started the conversation.
At the same time, he didn't want to be too far away from me at any given moment. Thus, he followed me everywhere.
If I went to the kitchen to make food, he would watch me in action while squatting at the side, almost like a little kid. I didn't mind, though it hurt my heart to see him like this.
"What do you want for your birthday?" I asked, turning to look at him.
