Keeping my fuming thoughts aside, I'll bring you to my current situation. So, here I was sitting in a carriage as it jumped into life and rode towards my home-the Ji mansion. Till the time we reached the mansion, my brain had silently shut down. My mind was blank and vacuous so I didn't indulge myself in doing anything. Believe it or not, I didn't have the guts or the energy to do anything. That was the emblematic version of myself that would surface at times of distress.

 So, as the carriage passed through so many busy towns and beautiful landscapes of the countryside, I didn't even bother to look outside the little window. Instead, I was in a state of shock and my face obviously had this bluish dull mood painted all over it. As I was lost in my own convoluted emotions, I didn't even realize that the carriage had already reached the Ji mansion. 

    .    .     .

Just when the carriage entered the mansion, soldiers and servants flooded the gate panting with anxiety and exhaustion. Some were even sobbing with tearful eyes. I wondered what the fuss was all about. Did they actually think I was dead just because I've disappeared for a few hours? Oh please! I wasn't a 6 year old kid anymore!

Within the bursting commotion, a soldier quickly marched forward and opened the door of the carriage. I stepped out of the carriage with my eyes shooting in every direction, wondering where to look at. 

 "We are blessed! Our young master is so lucky to have won the emperor's favor! We are truly lucky this year!" the maids screamed nonstop as if the world really depended on their loud cheers. What in the world!? Here I was thinking that they actually missed me and were weeping for my disappearance, but they were actually cheering me for spending time with the emperor!? Winning his favor?...like hell no. How dare my own people think of me as some brothel lady of the king! 

Before my anger could explode like a bunch of grand fireworks, Shi Lian- my personal attendant walked up to me and bowed thus showing her respects. 

"Young master, let me escort you inside," she said with a warm smile.  Only Shi Lian wasn't out of her senses unlike all the other dim-witted people around here. 

Ignoring the dim-witted souls, I let her take my hand and lead me into the mansion. The servants and the soldiers all stepped aside, clearing the path for me  .  .    .

But just as I entered the mansion, I felt that something was off. Father wasn't at home.

 If he was, I would definitely feel his presence and which is why his lack of presence made all the servants act so jolly. Furthermore, excluding my father's absence, the worse case was, a stranger was sitting on the divan chair of the living room.

A stranger...this does not seem good.

Dressed in golden shining armor with his braided raven hair falling over his shoulder, he was giving off the aura of an imperial soldier with a high rank. This was so bad. So so bad. This meant that the vile emperor sent him over here. He probably has some sort of plan playing in his horrible brain. This stinks!

I finally thought that I will be free from his devious acquaintance but it appears to be that he is up to something. Was he really after me again? I thought I was some drunk lousy mistake of his.

"Why are you here?" I manned up myself and asked with a serious tone. 

The soldier stood up instantly and bowed his head."I'm here to deliver an invitation from the palace. An invitation to the Spring banquet which will be held tonight to which your presence could be referred to as 'COMPULSORY'. Your father Jianyu has been sent to the borderlands to solve some urgent matters so he won't be present for the banquet today which is why you should be there. A representative of the Lan family must be present... Oh and here's something you ought to have...it's a compliment," he hastily gave me a small golden box that had designs of flowers sculptured onto its golden surface. Um, I don't need it! No thanks! 

But I took it anyway. The well trained strict guard remained expressionless as he gave me a bow. This was definitely a plan. A plan to lure me into the palace. There wasn't any secret pathway for me to run away from this evil scheme.

 Maybe it was my shock or maybe it was my utter repugnance towards the emperor. But this sudden burst of emotion and antipathy made me run fast out of the mansion. I ran as fast as I could, leaving Shi Lian and the soldier stupified with the horrifying reaction I gave them.

Soon I was standing on the front porch with the mysterious box lying soberly in my hands. I took a deep breath of fresh air to push away my furious rancor and opened it. 

Inside the box laid a beautiful jade hairpin. A red crystal rose flower was attached to its top and it glittered with the scintillating sunlight. It definitely was an exquisite piece of decoration. I remained soundless, blinking expressionlessly whilst staring at the wonderful headpiece.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I could see She Lian running towards me in a rush."Young master! Why did you run so fast? How did you run so fast?" Shi Lian was out of breath and was fighting to make a worthwhile sentence. I didn't listen to her next few words and instead probed over the hairpin by taking it to my hand. As I looked at it closely, some characters which were etched on the hairpin came into my view. I moved my finger on each deftly carved character as I whispered every word the characters formed. "The... Romance...Of.. Dragon.. And.. Rose," I almost dropped the hairpin out of the sudden revelation.

'The Romance Of Dragon And Rose'- the story of how the dragon emperor kidnapped a beautiful maiden called Rose who was known to be as beautiful and as pure as a Polyantha rose. The dragon emperor forcefully asked the maiden to fall in love with him to which she had to obey and follow in the end. 

Right now, remembering this story and seeing the vermillion tinged rose flower of the hairpin, I realized that this was not a coincidence. 

My legs trembled and I incontinently sat on the ground with my weak legs spread out in front of me. I could feel Shi Lian's worried face examining me as she reached out her hand to pat my shoulder. "Young master, what is wrong? Tell me," she sat beside me with her alarmed face still engrossed in my nervous disposition.

I looked at the peach blossom trees growing in our front yard while the wind hit my face gently and blew away the long strands of hair that had fallen over my forehead. A flurry of peach blossoms blew away with the wind and rained around me like snowflakes. 

I closed my eyes and voiced the words that I abhorred to say. The words that feared me the most out of my senses and the words that I thought I would never be confessing=

"It seems that I have already fallen in his trap."

Silver's notes= Back with an update!!!!! You'll find a fun question below like in the last chapter!

I'm not well you guys! I got hit with diarrhea and my stomach is aching a lot. I managed to finish this chapter by lying on the couch with a lot of pillows around me. But don't worry, I'm feeling better. I'll update the next chapter tomorrow! I'll be adding a new book cover too! I hope it'll be good. It's my gift to you all for the consistent support you guys are giving me. Plus, we are close to hitting 200 subs! I'll organize something special when that happens. Thank you all again and I love you all!I have another fun question session made for you guys! Let me know what you think in the comment section! :)

**What will happen at the banquet? 

a. Ziyi won't go and instead hide at home

b. Ziyi will go and win the emperor's heart.

c. Ziyi will perform something special at the banquet.

d. A hidden enemy will attack the banquet.