A regalia with seven jewels adorn the bottom of the piece of paper. During the month of April in Thirty-Six Year of Tian De, the Righteous and Loyal Marquis Jing, seventh son of The Emperor.. That was all Lin Chen managed to read before Mei Changsu crumbled the piece of paper up. They both knew the piece of paper only reflected public knowledge, which was the least reliable type of knowledge. Lin Chen came around from behind Mei Changsu and crouched in front of him. The first words that came out of Mei Changsu's mouth were exactly the ones Lin Chen expected to hear, "Please, just tell me if he is safe." Lin Chen sighed and reached out a hand to stroke Mei Changsu's cheek, smearing away the tears that'd begun to fall. Mei Changsu lifted …show more content…
Mei Changsu squirmed against his chest, simultaneously pulling him closer while pushing him away. Lin Chen rolled his eyes. Holding a twitchy Mei Changsu still was uncomfortable and Lin Chen might've felt safer sticking his head into a crocodile's jaw, but he tightened his arms until Mei Changsu relaxed. "I know," said Lin Chen, simply. Mei Changsu, through Xiao Jingyan, might be able to command an re-investigation into to the Chiyan Army's Massacre to prove the army's innocence, but that kind of probe would reveal a truth Lin Chen didn't know how to tell Mei Changsu: Marshal Lin Xie was treacherous. Lin Chen was not presumptuous enough to imagine that he could stop Mei Changsu, but he knew the truth would unravel Mei Changsu's will to stay alive. When that time comes, Lin Chen thought, perhaps only the man's obsession with Prince Jing could save him. Such was life - what didn't kill you just might save your life on another day. When Mei Changsu pressed a hand against his chest and pushed him away, Lin Chen released his hold and stepped back, acknowledging with a wry smile that Mei Changsu hadn't return his embrace at all. Mei Changsu had only relaxed against him and borrowed his body until the tears stopped and his mind cleared. Their eyes met, unwavering calm against dead …show more content…
Interacting with Mei Changsu usually left Lin Chen in doubt and weary. Out of spite, he walked to Jingyan Lake, a lake at the outskirt of Jiangling City that the Liang Emperor named after the "deceased" Prince Jing. The crystal clear, blue water in the lake reflected the dazzling sunlight as well as the vivid green of the grass on the shore, creating an image that felt too beautiful for this world. Angrily, Lin Chen swooped down to grab the biggest rock he could find and threw it into Jingyan Lake. The rock tore ripples onto the surface of the lake, distorting the picturesque reflection. Lin Chen grinned. After walking a short distance down the road, Lin Chen was about to throw another rock when something else distracted his attention. Someone else - the masked man from two weeks ago. The man wore white robes with a red trim on the edge of his sleeve and three-quarters of his face was covered by the silver mask. A breeze blew every so often and the man's clothes swayed rhythmically. A jade flute with a jasmine flower tassel was held to his lips and his sight appeared set on nothing as he played his flute. The melody was airy, but the song came out weighted and