Chapter 10 : The Price Of Loyalty

Chapter 10: The Price of Loyalty

For two days after the council meeting, the palace simmered with silent fury.

The scandal had reached every corner of the empire. Courtiers whispered behind closed doors, and officials watched carefully, calculating which side would prevail. The Empress's influence had not diminished; if anything, it had become more aggressive and more calculated.

But Prince Rui had made his position clear.

He had chosen Mei Lian.

And for that, the Empress would make him bleed.

The first strike came swiftly.

It arrived not through a blade, but through a decree.

A royal summons.

Mei Lian's father, Minister Mei, was summoned to the Office of Imperial Discipline.

Accusations:

> "Neglect of duties."

> "Failure to properly manage tax reforms."

> "Misconduct during land negotiations."

All lies.

But in the empire, accusations did not need truth; only power.

Mei Lian read the summons with trembling hands. The seal of the Empress was stamped boldly at the bottom.

Her maid stood nearby, silent, eyes wide with terror. "Miss Mei, this is dangerous."

Mei Lian's heart pounded.

> *They weren't aiming at me first. They were aiming at my father.*

Her father, who had lived his life quietly and humbly, far from the games of power. A man too frail to withstand political storms.

The Empress had no intention of killing him; not yet.

She wanted him broken. Humiliated. Publicly disgraced.

To force Mei Lian into submission.

To break her resolve.

Prince Rui found her standing by the lotus pond, her expression pale and distant as she stared at the water.

He approached quietly but firmly. "I heard."

Mei Lian turned to him, forcing herself to stay composed. "They've begun."

"They want to crush your spirit," he said softly.

"They know where to strike," she whispered.

He gently took her hand, fingers threading through hers. "We'll fight this."

Her voice shook despite herself. "They will destroy him, Rui."

"They won't."

"But what if—"

He stopped her, placing a hand against her cheek, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I won't let them."

Tears burned at the edge of her lashes. "I don't know how to save him."

"We'll save him together."

The following morning, Prince Rui moved swiftly.

He stormed into the Office of Imperial Discipline, unannounced — a scandal in itself — demanding full records of Minister Mei's investigation.

The officials bowed and trembled under his cold stare, but his authority as Prince left them no choice.

Hours passed as he reviewed documents, cross-examined the officials, and personally questioned the scribes who had forged the charges.

By evening, Rui held a mountain of evidence — evidence proving the entire case was fake.

> *Meticulously fabricated, but still false.*

But evidence alone wasn't enough.

Not in a palace where power bent truth.

That night, as the rain fell quietly, Mei Lian sat beside her father's chambers.

Minister Mei was inside, coughing softly, his frail body weakened by stress and fear.

She could barely look at him.

This was her fault.

She had drawn him into this war.

Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of her silk robe. The once-beautiful embroidery felt like shackles.

> *You should have left this world. You should have remained invisible.*

The door creaked open softly. Her father's attendant bowed. "My lady, he is asking for you."

Mei Lian composed herself and entered.

Her father lay propped on a mound of silk cushions, his breathing shallow, his thin hands folded weakly over his lap.

But his eyes still held warmth.

"Lian'er," he rasped, smiling gently. "You look beautiful. Just like your mother."

Her throat tightened. "Father…"

He waved his hand faintly. "I have lived my life quietly. I've never chased glory. And yet, now I am caught in a storm I do not understand."

Tears slipped from her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

"You've done nothing to apologize for."

His gaze grew sharper. "Do not let them use me to break you, my daughter."

She knelt by his side, gripping his cold hand tightly.

"I only wanted peace for you," she whispered.

"And you still can have it."

She shook her head. "Not while you suffer for my choices."

A pause.

Her father's voice softened. "Rui loves you."

She blinked at him, startled. "How…?"

"I see it in his eyes. The way he looks at you." A weak chuckle. "And the way you look at him."

She lowered her head, tears dripping onto his sleeve.

"He will protect you," her father continued. "But you must protect yourself too. Do not let fear control your choices."

Her father closed his eyes briefly, exhaling slowly.

"Survive. That is your strength."

Her chest burned painfully.

Her entire life had been about surviving. But now, for the first time, she didn't want to merely survive.

She wanted to fight.

At dawn, the Empress made her next move.

An imperial edict was announced across the palace:

> *Minister Mei shall stand public trial within three days to answer for his alleged crimes.*

The message was clear:

**The Empress was raising the stakes.**

This wasn't just about her father's ruin. It was about humiliating Prince Rui for protecting Mei Lian. About making an example of them both.

The Empress was betting they would finally bend.

Prince Rui entered Mei Lian's chambers that morning, carrying a sealed scroll in his hand.

"It's worse than we thought."

She took the scroll, quickly reading it. Her face paled.

"If my father is convicted publicly, his entire lineage will lose titles and lands."

Rui nodded grimly. "It's not just disgrace; it's total destruction."

Mei Lian clenched the scroll in her fist. "She's daring us to react."

"Yes."

A pause.

"There's one path left," he said softly.

She looked at him sharply. "What?"

"We expose her."

Mei Lian froze.

"That's impossible."

"Not entirely," Rui said, voice calm but fierce. "The Empress's power depends on the illusion of her righteousness. If we can prove she fabricated the charges, publicly — before the full royal court — she risks losing her authority."

Her breath quickened. "You want to challenge the Empress in open court?"

"It's the only way to protect your father. And us."

Silence fell.

The weight of what he was suggesting was enormous.

> *Open war.*

"I'll do it," she whispered.

Rui's eyes searched hers. "You're sure?"

"I won't let my father be sacrificed to protect my past." Her voice hardened. "She wants to break me. But she will see just how dangerous a woman she tried to silence can become."

Rui's lips curved into a rare, fierce smile.

"You're braver than any warrior I know."

Her heart pounded as he stepped closer.

His voice lowered.

"I've never admired anyone the way I admire you."

She felt his fingers gently lift her chin, his touch soft despite the storm around them.

"And no matter what happens next," he whispered, "I will stand beside you."

Their lips met again — but this time, it was not desperation.

It was a shared promise.

A binding vow.

The war had begun.

And this time, she would not be a pawn.

She would fight as his equal.

To be continued....

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