Jinghua woke up alone in Bingwen's bed. He sat up, squinting his eyes as the light shined through the window. It was eleven so Bingwen must've woken up early despite how late they went to sleep. Jinghua pulled the sheets up to his face, smelling them. It was the scent of Bingwen. His scent was everywhere around the room. From the clothes on his floor he changed from, his sheets, everything around him. He felt refreshed somehow, having someone he liked in his arms the whole night. He adjusted his robes and his hair and left Bingwen's room after making Bingwen's bed. Although, it was strange. The whole palace was very quiet. There were no signs of maids, no guards or disciples, no yelling or complaining for Madam Yusheng. He passed by the courtyard, there was snow but no Bingwen. On the way to the main hall, he ran into Yuming. She seemed panicked.
"Please help!" she whispered, taking Jinghua's hand and taking him to a corner. They peeked into the main hall to see someone else on Master Yusheng's throne. Bingwen sat on his mother's throne, he sat quiet, not moving, afraid. Below them stood a beat up and bruised Chisheng Wei. She kept her head down. And Lady Hung was nowhere to be seen.
"Where are your parents?" Jinghua whispered as they hid behind the corner.
"My mother is sick in her bed and father is speaking in Hung. Hung Meifeng had to go back."
Before the two could say anything else, chuckling echoed through the main hall. Chuckling from none other than Xue Quan. Jinghua peaked around the corner again, Yuming hid behind him. He stared at Bingwen who sat on his mother's throne. He looked frightened. Jinghua then looked at the bruised and beaten Chisheng Wei. she stood below the two, staring at the ground. He watched as Xue Quan teased Bingwen.
"We should stay like this forever, Bingwen!" Xue Quan said, teasing and twisting his fingers through Bingwen's hair.
"Don't call me by that name."
"Well then, what else should I call you? Qin ai de?
Bingwen's face turned red, Jinghua knew he was angry. But the anger went away and Bingwen's eyes stared straight ahead. He spotted Jinghua from around the corner. Bingwen didn't say anything, he just stared. Yuming pulled Jinghua back behind the wall.
"Did they see you?" She asked fearfully, but trying to hide that fear with her blank gaze into Jinghua's eyes.
"Bingwen saw me but he said nothing." Jinghua was angry. Pissed. It seemed lately that Xue Quan had been getting in the way of everything. But what really pissed Bingwen off was what Xue Quan had said and continued to say. He heard everything.
"Bingwen, we should just get married now. Since that brat isn't going to interrupt our time together, we should just wed here!"
A loud slap echoed and a gasp through the hall followed by the rustling of cloth and Bingwen's small feet tapping as he walked away. Chisheng Wei didn't move. Bingwen heard the grumbles of Xue Quan as he went to Jinghua around the corner. He first hugged his sister then hugged Jinghua, which, of course, surprised him, making him turn away, flushing. Yuming walked out into the hall, presenting herself to Xue Quan. Jinghua neither Bingwen nor Jinghua tried to stop her.
Instead of staying, both ran back to Bingwen's bedroom. Yuming Marched her way into the main hall, her sword in her hands.
"Stand up, Lady Chisheng." Yuming said, passing by the kneeling Chisheng Wei. She did what Yuming asked and followed her to where Xue Quan sat.
"Get off of my father's throne." she demanded him, aiming her sword towards him. "You've bothered my brother for too long."
"You say that with tears in your eyes!" Xue Quan laughed, calling his sword to him.
"I'm not afraid of you!" she clenched onto her sword tighter, standing firmly.
"You're not," Xue Quan said, throwing his sword, "But she is!"
A gasp came from Chisheng Wei, followed by a thump to the ground as Li Hua pierced through her chest. Blood gushed onto the Yusheng palace tiles. Yuming rushed to her aid, putting pressure on Chisheng's wound with her sleeves. Xue Quan got up and came over, claiming back his sword and leaving the palace. Chisheng Wei passed out as Xue Quan made his way to where Bingwen and Jinghua disappeared to.
Meanwhile, Bingwen and Jinghua had made their way to Bingwen's bedroom. Jinghua sat Bingwen down on the bed.
"Did he do anything to you?"
"You mean, besides calling me silly names and trying to kiss me, no. I didn't let him because he isn't you-" Bingwen paused, realizing what he said. Jinghua smiled, relieved that nothing awful happened. Jinghua put his temple against Bingwen's.
"I'm annoyed with his constant return. Xue Quan has no reason to keep coming back." Bingwen said, his forehead scrunched against Jinghua's. "And with mother sick and father gone, there's nothing I can really do."
"What do you mean you can't do anything? You should step into power when all the other leaders are gone. You're next in line anyway." Jinghua argued, pulling his head away. "I'll kill him if I must! I'll kill him and my father for your sake!"
Bingwen chuckled. He was learning to accept everything he was receiving.
"Maybe not for my sake, but for yours as well, and your village and home, for your clan and nation. But right now isn't the time to be discussing revenge. We can't stay in hiding, we have to do something."
Jinghua noticed a hole in Bingwen's robes. The hole was surrounded by stained red. It was a wound.
"He hurt you!" Jinghua exclaimed, grabbing his sword. Bingwen tried to lower his sword.
"Hurting someone who has hurt others isn't always the answer."
"Well, it was for Yuxuan Shi, and Xue Quan deserves to die!"
A blood curdling scream filled the Yusheng Palace. It was Chisheng Wei's scream. The two never saw her get hurt so they were confused until they ran to the main hall. Bingwen quivered and felt queasy at the sight of Chisheng Wei's blood on the floor of his home. Her intestines were tangled around her arms as she coughed up blood. It had almost seemed like she was turned inside out. She was quickly bleeding out and squirming around on the ground underneath a sobbing Yuming who held a ripped piece of her dress on Chisheng Wei's wound. Yuming turned to the boys with a horrified look in her eyes.
"PLEASE HELP HER!!" Yuming shouted.