Yi Changpu had taken Cao Peizhi to another tent, letting him see Xu Meili and Chun Yunchen, unconscious with bandages wrapped around them. "Yunchen had almost been beaten to death by those men while Meili had lost too much blood from a dagger piercing her and...." Yi Changpu didn't know how else to tell Cao Peizhi another unfortunate thing.

"What?" Cao Peizhi wanted to know what else had happened. Yi Changpu had gone over to a spot in the tent, pulling a sheet off to reveal Mei Mei's lifeless body. "Mei Mei..." Cao Peizhi was left shocked to see the wolf that he and Lin Ning considered as their child. Going over to the wolf, he knelt, stretching his hand forth to touch and make sure that this was not some bad dream. Feeling the stiff and cold body, he saw the stab wound on Mei Mei's body made by a sword. "AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!" Cao Peizhi stood on his feet. He shouted in anger, used his only hand, and punched the thick wood used to keep part of the tent from falling.

"Peizhi!!! Calm down!!!!" Yi Changpu had to hold him back from causing any more injuries to himself. "I know just how you feel, but hurting yourself will not get you anywhere!" Trying to knock some sense back into him before it was too late.

Cao Peizhi panted while trying to calm down, his friends had been harmed, Mei Mei was killed, and he had lost Lin Ning. "Who did this?" Cao Peizhi wanted to know who was the one who caused all the damage. Yi Changpu had never seen Cao Peizhi this mad before throughout his entire life. "Who did all of this?!"

Yi Changpu had let out a sigh, pulling out from his sleeve pocket was a Jade Amulet that would only belong to the princes born within the Zhao State. "It was found near Mei Mei's body so that she could have clawed it off him during the struggle. The second prince came to the border. He found Lin Ning and took her back to the Zhao Palace."

"I have to save her!" Cao Peizhi was about to go when Hun Cuifen came into the tent.

"You are still injured, so I suggest you rest a little longer. You are lucky that this silver necklace you wore saved your life." Hun Cuifen handed Cao Peizhi a silver amulet necklace and then checked up on Chun Yunchen and Xu Meili to see if they were getting better than before.

Cao Peizhi took a look at the necklace with his eyes growing wide to see that it was the silver amulet that he bought for Lin Ning that day. 'That time when she hugged me. She must have put it on me without me noticing.'

"Uuggghh..." Chun Yunchen was starting to wake up, staring around while trying to see where he was. His body stung in pain all over, along with his face. "No... Don't hurt... Them." He was confused with everyone around, unable to see them.

"Yunchen, your safe. No one is going to hurt anyone." Yi Changpu went over to the young boy's side, who willingly got beaten up to keep Xu Meili safe from harm.

"They took Ning. That b*stard took her! I was too weak!" Chun Yunchen started to cry out; he was too sore and weak to get up and remain in bed. 'What is their motive in all of this?!' He held the question inside.

"No one is at fault. He came here when we were cornered. There was nothing that we could have done." Cao Peizhi knew how Chun Yunchen felt; he was full of anger towards the second prince. 'Hmph, like father like son. They aren't any different. They would take another man's wife.' He compared the second prince to the Zhao Emperor. "You said that I was announced dead." He then said.

Yi Changpu turned to Cao Peizhi, seeing that his friend was full of anger, but his mind was calm now and thinking clearer. "The Zhao Empress wanted to kill you. We can let her have her short-lived fill for now, but we will have to come back at her stronger to the point that she will regret her decision for messing with us."

Cao Peizhi held a gaze that meant that he would fight for his people who were involved in all of this and bring back his wife. 'They will pay for all of this.'

***

Lin Ning woke up, recalling that she had been with Mei Mei until she had been knocked unconscious. "Concubine Ning, the Second Prince has ordered us to prepare you a bath. Please do not make it hard for us." Hearing the maids around, she could not believe that he would get this crazy. "I'm no one's concubine! Where am I?!" She wanted to know exactly where she was. Getting up from the bed that she was unconscious in. There was no sign of any dried-up blood which she assumed that the Second Prince had the maids clean her up before placing her in the bed.

"We are resting in the Second Prince's manor in Ming Jian City. The second prince had asked us to help you dress and bathe, but you cannot leave."

"Tch... please leave me alone. I will call you when I need help." Lin Ning had dismissed them, hitting the bed behind her as she sat down on it. "Mei Mei... hic..." Recalling her dear friend in her arms, she could even save her. She did not have her blindfold as she felt her tears trailing down and hitting her hands. 'It's all my fault.'

"The second prince would do anything to get what he wants. He would even kill to get it. I'm sorry. You lost someone important because of his selfishness and greed." She then heard a voice say from outside of the room.

***

"Second Prince, will the empress and Princess Consort be alright with this?" The second prince's guard worried that things would become hectic once the second prince arrived at the palace with Lin Ning and announced her as his concubine. 'The empress would make sure that the woman involved in his life will benefit him, but this lady won't benefit him in any way. The second princess consort may look all innocent and would not mind another woman, but she is obsessed with her husband to get rid of women in his life. Lin Ning will be killed by all of this no matter how I see it.'

"Tai Yuqing." The second prince was getting tired of being repeatedly reminded about the situation of his parents and his princess consort. "If you have so much free time, then go and watch her. Don't keep wailing at me."

Tai Yuqing held his anger inside, bowing his head as he headed off to Lin Ning, who had been locked away in her room. He could hear her crying inside while calling out Mei Mei, which he figured must have been the wolf. "The second prince would do anything to get what he wants. He would even kill to get it. I'm sorry. You lost someone important because of his selfishness and greed." Tai Yuqing had always been with the second prince and was placed as his guard. He would even take the blame if the second prince did something wrong.

"It's not your fault. He is a man who would never leave things peacefully." Lin Ning had spoken back to the man, apologizing when it should be the second prince doing it. "He isn't a man worthy to rule. He will only bring disaster." Lin Ning had let out a sigh and leaned back against the bed. "What's your name?" She asked, glancing to see his aura that only held sorrow for her and guilt. 'Perhaps he feels guilty for all of this nuisance that happened.

"Tai Yuqing." He responded.