*Illustrations are included in the papers*
It was running the 5th year of Kun Dynasty, Year of the Dragon, during a Spring late and slow to come.

The delicate sunbeams shimmered over the pale, porcelain skin of the beautiful maiden upon her arrival at the Palace.
A soft breeze harmoniously lifted her hair, darker than the abyss of night, in a twisted dance.
Many among the servants and guards couldn't force their gazes away, as the beauty advanced through the path separating her from what would be her home till the day of her departure from this world.
An ominous fate followed her, yet nobody could foretell until very late times, when the wrongdoings could no longer be undone.

Hei Tianè. images.app.goo.gl/Ui36ckMxYUi5KvYD8 The Black Swan *Allegory for a mean witch* had been sold to the court by her family to serve as a mere maid, but her ambitions were her own and nobody could take them away from her.
Although she looked as fragile as a flower, a fierce storm enraged in her heart, that not even the radiant light of a Golden Sun *Allegory for a good ruler* could ever tame.
Like an inersorable tide, her reputation only kept growing, submerging everything standing on her way. Not even the young Emperor could escape and without the material support, Hei Tianè could soon enough dig her spot in the warm arms of the gentle Golden Sun images.app.goo.gl/WHDDNaftECyvLKdg6

Although he eventually made it to become a cairen, he can tell the Emperor has not been enthusiastic about him at all. Even starting from the fact all the other male cairen made it to become Jieju days after the arrival while he is still rank 1 and without having ever had a night with the Emperor.
In truth he doesn't really mind that fact. It was his father to force him to join the harem, after finding out about his homosexuality. PanAn's choose was either turn into a beggar, as his father would disown and kick him out of home, or serve the Emperor.

Not having much to do in the harem, he often goes to the nursery to lean a hand. He knows nothing of medicine, he mainly brings stuff is someone asks. He can't even be considered a nurse or something like that.

When Coco was taken to the Palace, he was brought to the nursery right away, since he didn't look in a good health state and also to check signs of abuse. That were of course found in large amount, but nothing happened within the last 5 months, which matches with the time he was found and rescued by the IA.
PanAn was present when they brought Coco in the nursery and also overheard some of the things the Physicians who visited him said to each others, which immediately triggered sympathy towards that unlucky creature.

~ After Tero's funeral, which he witnessed from afar, not daring to interfere into something he was not explicitly invited to, he notices that after the Emperor, Bang-sul and the people who decide to join them to.the throne room to discuss about the babe leave, Coco remains there, knelt and motionless.

Basic information:
• Nian PanAn.
• 17 years old.
• From Suhyen.
• Only child.
• Son of Imperial Navy third Admiral Nian Kun.
• Mother died during the recent war.
• Privately instructed.
• In a very troubled relationship with the father.

~ It's pretty early in the morning.
~ Members of the court are leaving the Red Hall after the daily reunion.

> Someone reaches the northern gates of the Spring Palace.
"Stop right there, citizen", utters a guard. "Identify yourself and tell what brought you so close to the Imperial Palace."
The boy joins his hands and bows graciously to the guards of the gate. "Shiix Xu. I am Nian PanAn, son of... Admiral Nian."
"And what leads the son of Admiral Yang so far from home?" asks the other guard, apparently knowing his father, hut maybe just from his fame.
"I seek audience from the Emperor... it's... urgent..." he says in a low tone, looking down.
"You can't set a foot in the Palace if you weren't granted a meeting by Jeonha. Return on your steps, contact the Imperial Office and wait for a date."
He shakes his head. They can't understand his situation, nobody can. There is no way he can return home... "Please, I beg of you, allow me to have a meeting with Jeonha today, I can wait any time for him to have a moment for me..."
The guard rolls his eyes. "Are you deaf? I explained you, now leave." The tone turning fed up and threatening.
The boy kneels down, intending to insist regardless he will probably be hit. "Can you bring my plea to Jeonha? I shall wait here for his response..."
And one of the guards indeed punches him on the face. "This is your last chance to leave."
"I can't... I can't leave..." he says while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What's going on?" suddenly asks a new voice, totally unknown to PanAn. The boy raises his gaze onto the new man; clearly someone of high rank, considering the way he is dressed.
"This fool refuses to leave, Your Grace. Keeps insisting he has to meet the Emperor right now", promptly reports a guard, although he doesn't seem to like the man much.
He lowers his gaze under the glare of the man. "Please..." he murmurs in a desperate tone.
"His Grace could intercede for him and persuade Jeonha to meet the boy without an appointment", says the high ranked eunuch.
The man remains silent for some time, likely pondering his decision. "Raise", he orders and PanAn stands up from the muddy ground, bowing to him. "Let's go."
The boy's eyes widen at the command and doesn't think twice to follow the man and the eunuch through the gates. "Gamsahamnida... I'm in your debt!"
"Good to know."
Not the answer he expected, but he is not in position to object.

The two lead him to a building that he assumes to be where the throne is. He has never set a foot in any Palace and doesn't know how it works or where the Emperor spends his time, meets people etc.
Reached a thin corridor and approached a door, with a little crowd of servants, the eunuch turns to them. "Wait here. I shall warn Jeonha and bring his response." The eunuch walks away, leaving PanAn and the man alone.
Awkwardness and heavy silence. He is curious about him and why he decided to help, but dares not making questions.
"So... who are you? What do you want?" finally asks the man.
Before he could answer though, the same eunuch who left them appears from.the door in the corridor. "Concubine Yi, Jeonha wants to confer with you."
Concubine Yi? - he repeats in his mind while following the man with his gaze, as he walks through the door and disappears from his sight.

Left alone with the servants of the door, he just waits nervously. He feels just as worried as any person meeting the Emperor, but he is also shaken for what he has to ask and the reason that made it so urgent. It's not a good period for him.
The wait is not too long, just a couple of minutes later, a voice from inside utters: "Let the visitor in!".
The servants promptly open the door and motion PanAn to walk in. He just grants himself a moment to take a breath and gets inside. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't look the best. Hair is messy, his robe got dirty of mud as he knelt and there is that wound on his mouth...
He kneels as quickly as possible, trying to hide the mess. "Shiix Xu, Jeonha, gamsahamnida for granting me audience..." Nobody has instructed him on what he exactly has to do to be respectful towards the Emperor, so he doesn't prostrate himself.
He hardly sends a glance to the man sat on the throne, finding him just as scary as he would expect. Except the weird thing that Concubine Yi is sitting on his lap.
"So... Who are you and what brings you here with such urgency?" asks LianBi.
"I'm Nian PanAn, s-"
"Son of Admiral Nian?"
"Ye, Jeonha... as for the reason... I have come with a plea." And there he finally prostrates himself. "To admit me to the Imperial Harem..." he says in such a low tone. He shuts his eyes.
The Emperor sighs. "The selections are closed. You will be able to candidate yourself when they will be open again."
"Please Jeonha... make me an exception, I bed of you..."
"Aniyo. I am certain you will find a way to fill the waiting time, meanwhile. If there is nothing else..."
"Please... don't discard me Jeonha, I swear I will serve you well..."
LianBi hits the short table with his hand. "I gave my answer. You are dismissed."
The eunuch grabs him and basically drags him.out or the throne room, then the Palace, leaving him in the same spot as where they met.

Left without options, PanAn is forced to move to Taifuan. ~

As the discussion in the throne hall progressed, he kept saying things he shouldn't have and to behave a little too... familiarly towards his actual relatives, because his aunt was Jeonha's wife, thus he is his uncle, not just the father of his cousin.
He crossed every limit when, demanded to apologize to the First Prince, he spat on his face instead. He couldn't help it, he thinks they are deliverable dragging Chang Mi to suicide, that nobody in there cares for him and all sort of conspiracies against his cousin. Naturally nothing of what he believes is true, but he can be such a fire when he is triggered.

In the end, he gets dragged away and whipped for a little while for his disrespect. They went pretty easy on him, considering how rude he was for he First Prince, but still he got a bleeding back with a good dose of pain.
He is also a little discomforted and now convinced his cousin is in desperate need for help.
After the punishment, as they let him go, he walks slowly towards the gates to leave the Palace. He intends to return to the wood to search, despite his father and uncle are probably still working on it and he should really go to get some medication, especially for his dislocated shoulder, happened after falling from the horse.

Every now and then, the aristocracy organizes some hunting games, for the whole nobility of highest ranks to participate. The main purposes of these events are to show off, especially how good and promising their sons are, and to create connections.
One of such events is very close to happen and, under the plea of many nobles, the Princes were demanded to participate as well, to join the other young aristocrats and have some quality time, hopefully.

Among the many participants is Zhou Jin XingFu. Other than being famous for its most infamous member, the late General, Zhou family is one of the richest and most influential in Xhuanghen.
Jin is considered the 'Golden Heir', not just because he is the only male of his generation (to bear Zhou surname), but because he is already so rich to swim in gold. He is also the cousin of the Second Prince; Consort Zhou, mother of Chang Mi, was the sister of his father, the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy Gouju. If being son of an high officer and grandson of one of the richest men in the world (and Minister of Finance) wasn't enough, his mother is also an extremely famous Alchemist, the coordinator of the whole discipline in Xhuanghen. This is why he is said to have been born with a whole set of silver cutlery in his pockets.

Although he and Qing are first cousins, they have hardly met three times before in their lives. Even when you are a relative, it's not so simple to enter the Palace for a visit. Especially if your family is not exactly 'Jeonha's favourite'.
Despite the lack of direct contacts with his cousin, as much as his whole family, he is the utmost loyal to the Second Prince and supports him from the outside.
For this and other reason, he is very glad the Princes will take part to the hunting games. It's not his first time and it probably won't be the last, but this one is definitely the most thrilling. He will finally see his cousin again after over 10 years and get the chance to hunt side by side with him. goo.gl/images/MEr7Bp

Qing, on the other hand, couldn't be any more indifferent and even annoyed about having to participate to something he deeply hates. Nothing against his cousin, that he hardly remembers, but he is not happy at all. Add to it that he will have to be together with the First Prince and even the sons of Tian, the cousins of Jeonha, and a bunch of other nobles who will lick XinLi's boots and ignore his existance entirely, as if he was just a lost ghost in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that's the weather is terrible, cold and cloudy and you'll understand why he'd rather go to do Dragon Stand than there.
How he expects the experience to be like anyway: goo.gl/images/6SHNxJ

The morning of the event comes. It's super early, tents were set during the night, really big tents full of comfort and luxury, servants everywhere, scouts, guards of all orders and ranks... all prepared for the arrival of the Princes, who join the others accompanied by a huge procession of defenders and eunuchs. It looks like they are going to war, rather than to participate to a game.
General reaction of the other noble boys goo.gl/images/q9XS2V
In there are also the children of the Generals of course, the younger family members of the Archdukes and many, many other.

They are divided in several, small groups, to be able to hunt while at the same time keeping an eye on each others. If there is something Jeonha was deadly clear about is that his sons best both come back from this 'game'.

The place is a forest in the countryside, a very controlled and safe place, with no dangerous predator or other difficulties, it's not even too thick in vegetation, which is why the guards can relax a little. Even if someone got lost, it wouldn't take more than an hour to find them, also since there are several scouts and rangers that know the place like their pockets.

Now they have to be divided in small teams of 2 or 3 members to start.
Only requisite : he has to start in Qing's same team that can be 3-members.