Zhan wept bitterly, so much that even an enemy would have pitied him. But no matter how much Mah and the others pleaded with him to give up and escape, he stood firm, insisting that he was ready to marry King Yibo. Their hearts grew restless with fear at his stubbornness.
He had grown frail, his health failing him entirely. In this state, Babiy suddenly received a summons from the Palace. Just as he was preparing to leave, Grandfa appeared. His arrival shocked them all, for it was rare for him to come unless there was a weighty reason.
They welcomed him respectfully as always, acknowledging his status as an elder. After greetings, his eyes rested on Zhan, who lay under a blanket, gaunt and pale. Ever since losing his siblings, his body had wasted away, and though naturally slender, now he looked skeletal.
Zhan, unlike his sisters, had never been plump...he was of lean build, suited to his frame. Despite his youth, his strength had withered. Grandfa quietly turned his gaze from him back to Babiy.
"Zinnu," he said calmly, "steady your heart and abandon thoughts of leaving this house, for that is not the solution. From the moment you answered the Palace summons, this house has been surrounded by soldiers of the Beiping Empire, hidden in places you cannot even imagine. Do you think they would let you walk away so freely? No.....they are only waiting for you to go to them yourself, convinced you will not resist."
Mah, Huan, and Zhan all stared at Grandfa in fearful surprise. He gave a small nod, confirming his words.
"Do not trouble yourselves with how I know," he added. "Simply go when summoned. Show no resistance...just give your consent when they speak of marriage."
Mah broke into tears at her father's words, but he only smiled faintly and turned away, as though he did not notice her sorrow. Seeing this, Huan, his eyes bloodshot, spoke in anger, his voice choked:
"But Grandfa, why should he be sacrificed too? Must we lose him as well? I swear... if he dies like my sisters, I will take the King's life with these hands, even if it costs me my body torn to pieces!"
Grandfa's gaze sharpened.
"You will not be the one to avenge him, Huan-ge. It is I...Xiao Zinnu Zhan...who will break the tyrant's power with my own hands. I will crush the King until he breathes his last while staring into my eyes."
They all turned in shock toward Zhan, for in his voice there was no trace of hesitation or reason. Mah made to protest, but Grandfa shook his head, signaling her to remain silent.
As Grandfa instructed, Babiy answered the Palace summons. This time, he was allowed to go alone, without guards escorting him. From the moment he arrived, the treatment he received proved they had been waiting for him.
As always, he did not see King Yibo himself. Yet for the first time in his life, he was taken deep into the Palace halls, where he beheld the King's throne....a seat of solid gold, gleaming in wealth beyond imagination.
This display did not surprise him, for King Yibo's power was unmatched. Even if his throne were set with diamonds, it would be no great wonder, since gold itself was the lifeblood of the Beiping Empire. To the people, it was a treasure too distant to taste, but to the King, it was nothing but abundance.
It was also the first time Babiy witnessed the honor of being addressed by the Empire's elders...men so high in status that ordinary citizens could never dream of seeing them. Despite his trembling heart, Babiy somehow found calm enough to answer them with steady voice.
They gave their thanks and confirmed that tomorrow, they would come to request the marriage proposal. Their courtesy astonished him, yet deep inside he knew it was nothing but another layer of deception.
Escorted back home in a grand carriage, he sat in silence, following the instructions left by Grandfa. For though he had never spoken it aloud, Babiy knows Grandfa had long carried in his heart a deep hatred for everything tied to the Palace of the Beiping Empire.
That night, Babiy wept the kind of tears that came from both the body and the soul. Deep down, he knew he could no longer obey Grandfa's will...he wanted to take Zhan and run away from Beiping, even if it meant they would live in hiding, just the two of them.
Yet another part of his heart reminded him of Grandfa's warning. He knew the old man spoke the truth: the Beiping empire would never stand idly by and let them escape so easily. Even the heavily armed guards stationed outside his home were proof enough of that.
Mah too did not sleep that night. Unlike Babiy, however, she spent her hours awake pacing and whispering her worries into the night, desperate for protection and safety for her son. Huan, on the other hand, plotted in silence...thinking of how he would end King Yibo's life with his own hands.
Meanwhile, Zhan lay restless, nursing his own plans and thoughts. He had already resolved that even if it meant his death, he would drag King Yibo down with him. If need be, his body could be buried in the heart of Beiping...a reminder to history itself all he care.
The Next Morning
It was a Wednesday afternoon, around five o'clock, when important visitors from the Beiping Palace arrived. Their arrival was no ordinary one. They were elders of high standing, influential figures in the empire, and closely tied to the King's own bloodline.
Trumpets of the Palace sounded, heralding their presence, and long lines of attendants, luxurious vehicles, and richly adorned escorts filled the neighborhood. The people of the district rushed out of their homes to witness the spectacle, murmuring in awe.
Babiy and his family, under Grandfa's strict instructions, came forward to receive the guests. After lodging arrangements were made, they were settled in Babiy's garden, where fruit from the trees was spread before them, though none expected the visitors to eat.
Babiy, Grandfa, and two other elders... one from Babiy's side of the family and the other from Mah's side...sat with the delegation. They offered respectful greetings, fully aware that these men were powerful beyond anything commoners like them could hope to match.
The elders were pleased by the respect shown and praised Grandfa's manner. In return, they honored the family with kind words, confirming the purpose of their visit: they had come to seek marriage. To the family's surprise, the suitors presented not just the customary bridal offerings of Beiping tradition but ten times more than expected.
This revelation shook Babiy to his core. The weight of such riches terrified him, for it confirmed that his son's fate was being sealed into something far beyond his control. His heart ached as he realized his son's life was being traded at a price no one could refuse. He could not find the strength to protest...he only sat silently, tears pressing against his chest, while Grandfa handled the negotiations.
Everything was settled in that sitting: the marriage day, the formalities, and the ceremonies. Once the arrangements were complete, the visitors offered parting words of blessing before leaving behind carts of gifts....so numerous they filled Babiy's courtyard.
Babiy and Mah sat stunned, staring at the wealth now scattered before them. Huan too watched silently, his mind dark with schemes, while the two elders stayed until the next day when they were to depart with Grandfa.
Grandfa, however, sat quietly to the side, unmoved, as if all of this chaos in the house did not concern him. Meanwhile, Zhan lay feverish in Mah's room, his body weakened by a sudden illness that had plagued him since the previous day.
The following morning, the elders departed without a word more to Babiy. Grandfa gave one last stern warning...Babiy must not dare attempt anything reckless. He also ordered that all the gifts from the Palace be locked away.
It seemed as if fate itself was in a hurry, for in no time the whole city was buzzing with the news that the King was preparing to marry again. Yet, this time, the signs pointed toward something far more unusual...he was to marry a man. Despite the shock of it, no one dared to speak too loudly.
Zhan's family had long carried the scars of King Yibo, for his two elder sisters had both fallen victim to the curse of his marriage...wives who lived only a single night with him before dying. These whispers of fear passed quietly from mouth to mouth, while in the public media and on social platforms, no one dared to raise a voice beyond offering shallow words of congratulations.
The people became convinced that this marriage was unlike the ones before. For the first time, it was announced openly in the news, and great dignitaries of the Beiping Empire were invited. Preparations could be seen everywhere in the capital, subtle changes in the city meant to welcome the wedding day.
Still, people talked in hushed tones. No one could gain any real answers.... especially now that the Babiy's house was surrounded by soldiers, guarding Wang Fu/Huang Fu, the beautiful King Consort Mo Yichen. (King's Husband in English)
Inside the house, no one was allowed to leave...not even Huan, who was pursuing his PhD at Beiping University.
***
The days to the wedding crept closer, yet the supposed groom, Zhan, showed no interest in the matter, not even sparing it a glance. He had changed, even Mah, his mother, could not fully understand him.
He kept his grief sealed away, refusing to shed tears. His entire focus was bent toward his endless writing, papers filled with words no one else was allowed to read. But anyone with eyes could see the storm in his heart. The burden he carried was heavy enough to turn him into someone capable of anything.
That evening, after finishing the housework he usually helped Mah with, Zhan locked himself in his room. His silent grief had become his only companion. His eyes were dry, but their redness revealed the torment inside.
He bent over his papers, writing furiously, exhaling deeply every now and then. Mah entered quietly and sat beside him, watching his hand move across the page.
"My son," she whispered.
Zhan finally lifted his head, though he had already noticed her when she walked in. He gave a faint, tired smile before lowering his gaze again.
"You blame us for this, don't you, my son?"
Zhan froze for a moment, then let out another weak smile. After a pause, he put down his pen and looked at her.
"My Mah, if I were to blame anyone for this, it would be myself. You and Babiy are the kind of parents any child would be proud to have. I am the one who has filled your hearts with sorrow and fear. I know every second, every minute, every day of these last months has been filled with the dread of losing me too. Forgive me please for that.
I don't need you to tell me...I already know the pain you carry, for I feel it too. But I give you this promise: if you must cry again, your tears will not be like before. This time, they will come with laughter as well. I swear my soul will avenge Juan Jie, Feng Jie and bring peace to their spirits before leaving this world.
And when the news of my death reaches you, it will be bound together with that of the tyrant King Yibo's end. So do not mourn for me, Mah. Think of it as the sacrifice of a life for the freedom of Beiping and its people."
Mah trembled, tears streaming down her face. "My son…"
"Please, say no more, Mah. Your blessing is all my soul needs. My fate has long been written, and no hand can erase it. I will give my life, if I must, but I will not leave this world without ending King Yibo too."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛