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Uh-oh!
Qi didn't last one hour to 'work' as maid. It took as long as 'am I supposed to put my hands in that?' - a water bucket - and a 'ye' to bring to the conclusion Zhou Palace wasn't definitely the right one for a young Prince disguised as a girl.
As Prince, there are very few people knowing of him, MinQi, by his mother - Consort Wen - will. Not even all the people of the Palace know of him, only the Imperial Family and the closest to them, but his mother always made sure he wouldn't end up on the eyesight of any of the Generals or the Ministers.
Hence, in his mother's mind, disguising him as a girl would be the safest possible measure, as almost nobody knows his face.
What Consort Wen didn't calculate so well, though, is that a kid who has always lived inside the Palace and knows nothing about the world won't have many chances to survive on his own, even less while running around alone in a rich dress.
As a matter of fact...
Almost as soon as he leaves Zhou Palace and reaches the street he comes across such a kiiiind man who sooooooo happily offers to take him to his home with him, that how could he not be enthusiastic?
He follows the man for some time, as they get farther and farther from the nice-looking and well-lit side of the city.
"Is your home still far?"
"Ani, it's here, just round this corner!" says the man with a smirk, but at that point he grabs Qi and slams him against the wall of what seems a totally deserted and dark alley.
"AH!! ANIYO, YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME!!"
As Prince, there are very few people knowing of him, MinQi, by his mother - Consort Wen - will. Not even all the people of the Palace know of him, only the Imperial Family and the closest to them, but his mother always made sure he wouldn't end up on the eyesight of any of the Generals or the Ministers.
Hence, in his mother's mind, disguising him as a girl would be the safest possible measure, as almost nobody knows his face.
What Consort Wen didn't calculate so well, though, is that a kid who has always lived inside the Palace and knows nothing about the world won't have many chances to survive on his own, even less while running around alone in a rich dress.
As a matter of fact...
Almost as soon as he leaves Zhou Palace and reaches the street he comes across such a kiiiind man who sooooooo happily offers to take him to his home with him, that how could he not be enthusiastic?
He follows the man for some time, as they get farther and farther from the nice-looking and well-lit side of the city.
"Is your home still far?"
"Ani, it's here, just round this corner!" says the man with a smirk, but at that point he grabs Qi and slams him against the wall of what seems a totally deserted and dark alley.
"AH!! ANIYO, YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME!!"
Owo
When Song comes back home from the Palace, he finds one weird surprise to wait for him but it's not the only one coming in that evening.
Many servants are gathered outside Jin's door, arguing with someone who seems to be locked inside and refusing to come out.
Luckily Jin is out, but he will come back that evening and the servants are freaking out at the thought he'd come across the scene.
Some servants are even by the stairs to monitor the door, to warn the others in case Jin returns.
Many servants are gathered outside Jin's door, arguing with someone who seems to be locked inside and refusing to come out.
Luckily Jin is out, but he will come back that evening and the servants are freaking out at the thought he'd come across the scene.
Some servants are even by the stairs to monitor the door, to warn the others in case Jin returns.
Doubtful.
He had to head to the Imperial Prison on the order of his master, just to hand over some reports to the commander of the prison guards.
Nothing much, he didn't even have to go to him personally, just gave the parchments to a guard there and was done. Not even that scum working at the Imperial Prison can stand the presence of Imperial Assassins and the feeling is surely mutual. He finds the prison guards the most lowly forms of life in the Empire and has his reasons to believe so.
Eager to leave, on his way to the exit he hears some unsettling screams. Nothing new nor weird from that place, just what the person was screaming caught his ear. 'Brother of the Emperor?' Does the Emperor have a brother? He never heard of it before, but there was something in the tone of that person that made his skin crawl. That note of desperation that no real guilty scum is able to mimick, he has a strong instinct when it comes of honour.
Deciding what to do next doesn't require him more than a few moments of thinking, the conclusion? It would harm more if it was true and he didn't act, than it if was false and he acted. Thus, he heads to the Spring Palace outright. He and the Emperor are friends, he must do this.
When at the gate, though, the guards refuse to let him pass. Despite LianBi told him he could go anytime, without needing for formalities, the palace guards refuse to let someone like him in, without an audition granted from the Emperor first.
Annoyed, he has no other choice than to return on his steps and back to the capital until it will be time to return to the headquarters. On his way, though, he comes across another old friend.
She knows him well enough to realize instantly that something is upsetting him.
"What's the matter?" Carlie asks, just back from Earth. She heard YooJin say QinShi had gone to Nortrig and she decided to go to look for him.
"I needed to see the Emperor, but his men won't let me approach, although he granted me permission..."
"Don't take it heavy, there have been so many messes that it's only natural they are over careful. What did you need to tell to the Emperor, anyway?"
"I was at the Imperial Prison earlier and there was a person screaming to be his brother. I know that most people there would invent anything to escape their punishment, but who would really be so foolish to say that?" He looks at Carlie, that seems to have turned extremely concerned.
"Who was it?" she gasps.
"He called himself 'Huang QinShi'. I know nothing about him, though."
She instantly covers her mouth with hands. "Oh my Gods, no! Impossible! Why would they arrest him?"
He shakes his head. "I don't know, but I think that even if we went there and asked, they wouldn't tell us."
"We must save him!" She sounded totally worried and somewhat panicked, even. "What is going to happen to someone like him in such a disgusting place? I can't leave him there, we can't!"
Shinrin looks around and lowers his voice. "There is only one thing I could do: frame him so that he'll be suspected of treason. That way, they'll be forced to hand him over to the Imperial Assassins and from there, it will be more possible to take him away."
"Do what you can, please! I'll do all that is in my power to help you..."
Easier done than said, for once. He has worked in this sector for long enough to know the coded language used by conspirators and traitors to share their plans, it takes him only a few minutes to produce some fake proofs and pretend he found them in QinShi's room in Zhou mansion.
He brings the stuff to the hq and tells to Hun Zin about the matter. To make the version match, he made it sound as if QinShi would be planning to use necromancy for a terror attack against the capital.
Less than 20 minutes later, both him and the Captain are back to the Imperial Prison, showing a report to be handed the prisoner. The commander looks amused and almost eager to transfer the prisoner to their hands, strangely.
He could feel something fishy in the whole matter.
They are sent to pick the prisoner straight from the torture chamber. Why would they torture someone that allegedly confessed his guilt? That's just yet another piece that doesn't seem to fit, in the whole matter.
They are escorted to the place and find QinShi chained to a pole. Entirely covered in his own blood, not even able to hold his head up.
"What have you done?!" growls Hun Zin at that sight, to the torturers.
"The commander ordered the prisoner to be tortured", replies one.
"That's not torturing, that's killing! Unchain him immediately. If there was anything he could say, we'll have to wait a week before he'll be able to speak again!"
Shinrin approaches the person and picks him up as soon as they unchain him, preventing him from falling on the dirty ground. He holds him in arms, intending to carry him.
"Something is off", grumbles Hun Zin while on the way to the gates of the city. "They are trying to hide something."
"Definitely."
He hates to betray Hun Zin like this, but he is too clueless about everything. He did this only for the sake of Carlie, since she seemed so upset for this person.
As soon as they reach a clear spot, he teleports away, all of a sudden, so that the other would not have the time to react. He gets straight to the place, previously agreed with his friend, to meet up. And there she is indeed, together with another person.
Nothing much, he didn't even have to go to him personally, just gave the parchments to a guard there and was done. Not even that scum working at the Imperial Prison can stand the presence of Imperial Assassins and the feeling is surely mutual. He finds the prison guards the most lowly forms of life in the Empire and has his reasons to believe so.
Eager to leave, on his way to the exit he hears some unsettling screams. Nothing new nor weird from that place, just what the person was screaming caught his ear. 'Brother of the Emperor?' Does the Emperor have a brother? He never heard of it before, but there was something in the tone of that person that made his skin crawl. That note of desperation that no real guilty scum is able to mimick, he has a strong instinct when it comes of honour.
Deciding what to do next doesn't require him more than a few moments of thinking, the conclusion? It would harm more if it was true and he didn't act, than it if was false and he acted. Thus, he heads to the Spring Palace outright. He and the Emperor are friends, he must do this.
When at the gate, though, the guards refuse to let him pass. Despite LianBi told him he could go anytime, without needing for formalities, the palace guards refuse to let someone like him in, without an audition granted from the Emperor first.
Annoyed, he has no other choice than to return on his steps and back to the capital until it will be time to return to the headquarters. On his way, though, he comes across another old friend.
She knows him well enough to realize instantly that something is upsetting him.
"What's the matter?" Carlie asks, just back from Earth. She heard YooJin say QinShi had gone to Nortrig and she decided to go to look for him.
"I needed to see the Emperor, but his men won't let me approach, although he granted me permission..."
"Don't take it heavy, there have been so many messes that it's only natural they are over careful. What did you need to tell to the Emperor, anyway?"
"I was at the Imperial Prison earlier and there was a person screaming to be his brother. I know that most people there would invent anything to escape their punishment, but who would really be so foolish to say that?" He looks at Carlie, that seems to have turned extremely concerned.
"Who was it?" she gasps.
"He called himself 'Huang QinShi'. I know nothing about him, though."
She instantly covers her mouth with hands. "Oh my Gods, no! Impossible! Why would they arrest him?"
He shakes his head. "I don't know, but I think that even if we went there and asked, they wouldn't tell us."
"We must save him!" She sounded totally worried and somewhat panicked, even. "What is going to happen to someone like him in such a disgusting place? I can't leave him there, we can't!"
Shinrin looks around and lowers his voice. "There is only one thing I could do: frame him so that he'll be suspected of treason. That way, they'll be forced to hand him over to the Imperial Assassins and from there, it will be more possible to take him away."
"Do what you can, please! I'll do all that is in my power to help you..."
Easier done than said, for once. He has worked in this sector for long enough to know the coded language used by conspirators and traitors to share their plans, it takes him only a few minutes to produce some fake proofs and pretend he found them in QinShi's room in Zhou mansion.
He brings the stuff to the hq and tells to Hun Zin about the matter. To make the version match, he made it sound as if QinShi would be planning to use necromancy for a terror attack against the capital.
Less than 20 minutes later, both him and the Captain are back to the Imperial Prison, showing a report to be handed the prisoner. The commander looks amused and almost eager to transfer the prisoner to their hands, strangely.
He could feel something fishy in the whole matter.
They are sent to pick the prisoner straight from the torture chamber. Why would they torture someone that allegedly confessed his guilt? That's just yet another piece that doesn't seem to fit, in the whole matter.
They are escorted to the place and find QinShi chained to a pole. Entirely covered in his own blood, not even able to hold his head up.
"What have you done?!" growls Hun Zin at that sight, to the torturers.
"The commander ordered the prisoner to be tortured", replies one.
"That's not torturing, that's killing! Unchain him immediately. If there was anything he could say, we'll have to wait a week before he'll be able to speak again!"
Shinrin approaches the person and picks him up as soon as they unchain him, preventing him from falling on the dirty ground. He holds him in arms, intending to carry him.
"Something is off", grumbles Hun Zin while on the way to the gates of the city. "They are trying to hide something."
"Definitely."
He hates to betray Hun Zin like this, but he is too clueless about everything. He did this only for the sake of Carlie, since she seemed so upset for this person.
As soon as they reach a clear spot, he teleports away, all of a sudden, so that the other would not have the time to react. He gets straight to the place, previously agreed with his friend, to meet up. And there she is indeed, together with another person.
Lots of friends.
Every now and then, his father, when wanting to reduce the risk of alcohol coma from granny's juices and milks and waters and everything, takes him to the Palace to play with the Princes, It was the Emperor himself to propose that, he also proposed to let him study with them if they want, but Coco sure doesn't want.
He enters the Palace, sure. He always speaks about how cool the 'Princes' are, except that, of course, he has never even met the actual Princes and only follows little eunuchs around, gossiping with them. He probably knows more obscene rumors than all the wenches of the harem by now.
On his defence, he honestly thinks the eunuchs are Princes, since he doesn't know what the word prince means and he sees them dressed so fine!
After having a good talk with his friends, he sits down with a tray of biscuits that fell on the floor to eat them while watching at the passerbyes. Maybe another prince will show up, with something interesting to hear!
He enters the Palace, sure. He always speaks about how cool the 'Princes' are, except that, of course, he has never even met the actual Princes and only follows little eunuchs around, gossiping with them. He probably knows more obscene rumors than all the wenches of the harem by now.
On his defence, he honestly thinks the eunuchs are Princes, since he doesn't know what the word prince means and he sees them dressed so fine!
After having a good talk with his friends, he sits down with a tray of biscuits that fell on the floor to eat them while watching at the passerbyes. Maybe another prince will show up, with something interesting to hear!