"Master, Why are you not sleeping?"

Zhehan asked as he stood beside Wen Qing, as placed a warm tea on her table,  who was sitting on her chair and going through some files.

Wen Qing smiled, "Thank you." She said and grabbed the cup to drink her tea and once she felt the hot drink in her mouth, she sighed as she felt her nerves calm.

"You have become an expert now in making tea."

Zhehan smiled, "thank you master, but why aren't you sleeping? is something bothering you?"

Wen Qing smiled, "I just think that something is not right.... somewhere something seems to be going south."

Zhehan spoke, "What do you mean master?"

Wen Qing didn't reply instantly she took her tome before she turned around and spoke, "What I mean is dearest that I want you to leave the palace soon."

"What?"

Wen Qing smiled, "This palace is not a safe place, if someday you feel that there is something wrong then run away, go to the duke to Simon but never let them get their hands on you. The Queen and the temple both."

Zhehan frowned, "But master I cannot leave you alone."

Wen Qing smiled, "You little kid I am your master, It's my duty to protect you and not vice -versa... and I am not going to die that easily no unless I get married."

Zhehan smiled when he heard that although he felt a little unsettled to think that Wen Qing would be in danger he didn't pursue the matter anymore.

~~~~~~~~

The day when Simon had to go for the ceremony in the temple came soon.

While Yibo and Zhan were worried, Simon assured them, "Everything will be okay."

Zhan said, "what if something happens? let us come with you."

Simon smiled, "Nothing will happen, dad, I talked to mom and the Queen won't be there, it will be the Saint and some of his trusted disciples." 

Yibo sighed, "But Simon...."

Simon smiled, "Father just relax it will be over soon."

"What are you planning to do?" Yibo asked, "Are you going to free him from the curse?"

Simon smiled, "No father I am not going to undo the curse I am just going to make it worse. Such that the priest can die by tonight."

Zhan and Yibo were quiet but Simon knew that they were worried so he smiled and reassured them, "It's going to be okay, I assure you."

Yibo sighed, "Simon just in case let us come with you we will stand outside so there will be nothing to worry about."

Simon sighed, "Father please relax because I am sure that mom will not like you going."

"She has nothing to do with where I can go or not..."

Simon spoke, "But she has the right to tell you to be nowhere near me and you cannot undo that."

Yibo groaned. Simon then looked at Zhan as a signal to help him here.

Zhan sighed and gently grabbed Yibo's hand, "Let's trust him okay?"

Yibo sighed, "Fine go."

Simon smiled, "Relax okay? I will be back soon."

"And once you are I am done being nice with these bastards." Yibo said, "Now they want you to do ritual, and tomorrow they would want you to rule..."

Simon smiled," I came back to avoid that exactly."

Yibo stopped when he heard and Zhan looked at him, in these past five years Simon told them many things about his past life.

However, he didn't tell them that Simon was literally involved in the killing of everyone but he did tell them he witness the killings and how he was left alone.

How guilty he is and always will be.

As much as Yibo and Zhan hate to think that their son went through something like this but at the end of the day they can't change it they just give as much love as they can to him.

Yibo sighed, "Simon... just be careful."

"I will." Simon said before he left but before he left he gave one last glace to his beloved book and said jokingly, "Take care of my book." before he left.

Once he was gone Yibo spoke, "You know I don't really like this."

Zhan just remained quiet before he spoke, "let's have faith in him okay?"

Yibo tried his best to calm down but he can't after a few seconds he stood up and said, "You stay here I am going to leave and observe from outside the temple."

"Yibo..." Zhan tried to say something but Yibo stopped, "I am not going to hear anything about the safety of my son."

Zhan sighed, "I was saying that take Hoaxuan with you, don't go alone and if soemthing goes wrong then you always send a message through rue right?"

Rue was a bird trained by Cheng, actually, a lot of animals were trained by Cheng, and were special Yibo nodded before he left.

~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Wen Qing was getting really anxious, something was not right and she knew it.

A few seconds later Miles came in and he looked really tense, "Princess just like you predicted something is indeed wrong I tried to get some information and I found that the Queen's men were spotted near the army of the kingdoms who have surrendered."

Wen Qing stood up,  while Miles said, "Moreover I saw Queen's guard and some soldiers gathering... they looked suspicious..."

Wen Qing sighed, "She knows..."

"Zhehan!" she called and Zhehan came in a few seconds.

"Yes, master."

Wen Qing looked at her, "I want you to go to the duke's residence, no I actually want you to go to King Orion's kingdom. With Miles."

Zhehan was confused, "But master why so suddenly?"

Wen Qing yelled at him, "I said leave Zhehna followed my orders right now!"

Zhehan flinched, but he knew that something was wrong, "But master..."

Wen Qing spoke, "Miles take him."

Miles nodded and grabbed Zhehan before leaving with him through a secret passage. 

"What's going on?" Zhehan asked.

Miles shook his head, "I don't know but you have to be safe."

Zhehan stopped, and Miles looked at him, "what now?"

"Did the Queen find out about the rebellion? because I can't think of anything worse than that, something that can make my master scared."

Instead of replying to his Question Miles just said, "We have to leave."

"No..." Zhehan said, "If my master is in danger then so are the others, If I cannot save her then I can save the others... my master has worked hard for this day. I will not let it go waste."

Zhehan said and lead the way to get out of the secret dark tunnel.

While Wen Qing was in her room, thinking about her next move, she suddenly sat down and wrote a letter and tied it around the bird's leg and stood near the window, she let go of the bird and saw it fly but before it could go out Wen Qing saw it getting shot.

Her eyes widened and she heard a voice, "My dearest daughter wants to contact someone? " Wen Qing turned around and saw Cassandra, with a very wicked and sinister smile on her face with her hands crossed in front of her chest, "Your mother is here to help dear daughter."

Wen Qing glared at her, "You have raised me well enough to not need your help dear mother."

Cassandra smiled and leisurely walked and sat on the couch, "I think you and I need to have a talk."

Wen Qing also sat down, "About what?"

"I was actually thinking about a new addition to my harem." Wen Qing clenched her fists and Cassandra smirked, "Cheng? will be a perfect choice right? after all he is a mentally disabled being. And for his service to the nation, it will be a good reward to be my bed warmer."

Wen Qing glared at her, "No mother it is not a good idea, I do not support it."

"Oh and Why? Cheng is not a commander anymore, he dies nothing to contribute to the nation and is leeching of, of his brother and sister he will live exactly like that here." 

"Mother!" Wen Qing yelled, "He is half your age, how can you think about him like that!"

"why not? it's not like I am the first monarch to have someone half their age in their Harem the Monarchs before me even had children in their Harem."

"You cannot have him because I love him mother" Wen Qing, "He is mine."

Cassandra smiled, "Oh I didn't know that... that was quite surprising but tell me dear daughter how far can you go for him?"

This time Cassandra also stood up and came face to face with Wen Qing before she spoke, "Can you give him to me if I ask?"

"No." She replied without hesitation.

"Will you go against me for him?"

"Yes."

"Will you disrespect me for him?"

"Yes."

Cassandra's smile was gone and her eyes hardened as she heard the answers in her daughter's mouth before she asked the last question, "Will you rebel against me for him?"

The way Cassandra asked it, made Wen Qing feel that Cassandra wanted 'no' as an answer she wanted a hope that her daughter will not go that far.

But Wen Qing had lost her respect for her mother long ago so she gave her a firm and clear answer, "Yes."

The room was silent as Cassandra looked into her daughter's eyes looking for a hint of a lie to joke but she found nothing.

She scoffed and moved back, "I guess children really become ungrateful after they grow up." She said in a whisper before she turned around and slapped Wen Qing.

"Ungrateful Bitch!" she said, "I raised you and gave you a home, food, and clothes and this is how you pay me back?"

Wen Qing looked at her and said, "Mother you also gave me a lot of disappointment and fear and neglect while growing up."

Cassandra was fuming before she said, "Guards!"

The guards came into the room headed by the head guard Elijah, "Take this ungrateful princess to the garden and announce that from today, princess Wen Qing is dead!"