The tension in the Star Luo Imperial Palace reached a breaking point as the Emperor looked for any way to save his family's traditions.
"What about the Zhu family?!" the Emperor roared, sounding like a man clinging to a piece of wood in a storm. "Is no one going to do anything? What about the youngest, Zhu Zhuyu? Surely she isn't a problem too!".
Dai Mubai looked at his father, who was shaking with anger. He shrunk back, his voice becoming very soft as he spoke. "Zhu Zhuyu... she wasn't actually taken by Ye Yin...".
The Emperor started to let out a sigh of relief, thinking at least one daughter was safe. But then Mubai added more. "...But it seems she has fallen for him on her own. The way she looks at Ye Yin... it just isn't right".
The news hit the Emperor like a punch to the chest. His last bit of hope was gone. All three sisters from the Zhu family were lost to the same man—two snatched away and the last one offering herself up. He wondered if Ye Yin was sent by fate just to destroy the bond between the Imperial Family and the Zhu family. He slumped back into his throne, feeling dizzy and confused.
After a long, dead silence, the Emperor looked at his son with a mix of anger and pity. "Mubai... tell me the truth," he said, his voice sounding tired and old. "You keep saying no to the Zhu family. Is it because you already love someone else?".
The Emperor thought maybe his son loved a noble lady from a far-off place. If it was true love, he might have allowed it, even if it broke tradition. But Mubai's face turned bright red, and he started fidgeting with his clothes. He looked ashamed and couldn't even finish a sentence.
The Emperor's heart sank. He worried the person was someone beneath their station or something even worse. "Speak!" he yelled, slamming his hand on the desk. "Who is it? If you don't tell me right now, you won't be the Crown Prince anymore!".
Pushed into a corner, Mubai closed his eyes and shouted his secret. "It's Davis! I'm in love with Davis!".
The Emperor froze. He stared at his son with his mouth open, wondering if he was dreaming or if his ears had stopped working. "You... what did you just say?" he asked, his voice shaking.
Mubai's face was burning, but he didn't back down. "It's my big brother... Davis," he whispered. "I feel like he is... very good now".
The Emperor felt like the world was spinning. The son he had worked so hard to train had just told him he loved his own brother. The dignity of the Star Luo Imperial Family was completely gone. He blamed Ye Yin for everything; ever since that man arrived, nothing made sense anymore.
[Resentment from the Star Luo Emperor +99!].
The Emperor pointed a shaking finger at Mubai but couldn't find any words to say. Finally, he just leaned back and waved his hand weakly. "Get out... just get out of my sight". He needed to be alone to think about the strange future of his family.
Mubai didn't wait; he bowed quickly and ran out of the room. Alone in the large study, the Emperor looked up at the ceiling and asked the air, "Ancestors... what did I do wrong? How did our family end up like this?".
He felt powerless. He believed Ye Yin must have used some kind of dark magic to change Davis's body and twist Mubai's mind. He wanted to stop Ye Yin, but he knew the man was too important. Ye Yin had the power to change a Spirit and even help with Spirit Rings. Plus, Mubai trusted him completely. Fighting Ye Yin would only make the Empire fall apart.
With a long, heavy sigh, the Emperor seemed to age years in just a few seconds. He rubbed his head and called out to his guards. "Tell the court... the marriage with the Zhu family is delayed. And tell the marriage office to change the rules... the Crown Prince can now choose whoever he wants to marry". Saying those words took everything he had left.
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