Chapter 114 - Fit of Fury

The Empress saw Jun Shan looking at her and smiled at him, then she turned to Zhong Ji, "Zhong Ji, if I hadn't coincidentally passed by your palace today, then this poor child would have died here like this."

Zhong Ji knit her brows and got on her knees, "Your majesty, it really wasn't me who did this, it wa-"

"I don't care who did it! The child was put in your care and so you are responsible for his welfare. Don't think that because you currently have the Emperor's favor that you are beyond punishment." The Empress scolded.

Zhong Ji frowned and then kowtowed, "I apologize for my incompetence, it will never happen again."

"It better not." The Empress coldly said and walked out. Jun Shan watched the whole thing and stared on as the Empress left with her servants. He then closed his eyes feeling a sense of relief wash over him and slipped back into unconsciousness. 

Later when he woke up, he asked his personal maid how the Empress got involved. She knit her brows in contemplation for a bit, then sighed and told him that he had been locked in the room for two days and Zhong Ji refused to see her and she was worried about his injuries so she went to plead with the Empress for help. And that thankfully, the Empress was gracious enough to come to his aid. Jun Shan quietly nodded and did not say anything, feeling a sense of gratitude towards the Empress and a renewed sense of hope for his life.

The next morning, Jun Kai came to visit him. He noticed that he was behaving awkwardly and was standing at a distance. He then called for him to come sit on the bed. Jun Kai complied but still seemed to be avoiding looking at him. 

Jun Shan scrutinized him for a bit and then smiled, "How about I come live with you? It'll be fun, don't you think? You can ask the Empre-"

Jun Kai frowned and flatly said, "No."

"You don't have to worry, I won't get in the way or anything. I won't ask for anything. I, I...I just hate it here." Jun Shan finished in a pained voice as tears rolled down his face and he looked at him with pleading eyes begging for help. Jun Kai glanced at his face, then quickly looked down and scowled, bit his lip and then quietly murmured, "I'm sorry."

Jun Shan then grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Please...I really can't stand it here anymore. I'm starting to hate my life...You can ask father, he'll listen to you or just ask the Empress, she's nice, she'll agree. I know she will, just ask...just try, please."

Jun Kai looked up at the desperate expression on his face and knit his brows then looked down and repeated, "I'm sorry."

Jun Shan frowned but before he could respond one of the Empress's maids arrived, bowed toward Jun Kai and said, "Your highness, the Empress ordered for you to return, the candidates for your playmate will be arriving soon."

Jun Kai nodded and then got up to leave, but Jun Shan tightened his grip on his arm. Jun Kai then took a deep breath and turned to him and advised, "It's better for you here. Consort Ji is not bad, as long as you just stay out of her way, she won't go out of her way to make things difficult for you. And something like this won't happen again..."

Jun Shan looked up at his face, and Jun Kai knit his brows and looked away. Jun Shan blankly stared at him and then asked, "Am I nothing to you now too?"

Jun Kai blinked and turned back to him, "No, that's not i-"

"Then what is it?" Jun Kai knit his brows, looked down and did not respond, Jun Shan then released him and looked away, "You can leave."

Jun Kai looked at him with slightly teary eyes, then looked down and bit his lip again then said, "I'm sorry." Then he turned and left with the maid.

Jun Shan watched him leave and whispered, "This is unfair." As tears streamed down his face as he fisted his hands in anger.

This was unfair. When Jun Kai had nothing and no one, he even offered him his little courtyard with his mother, although Jun Kai had ignored his offer, but still, he had offered. Now that their situation was reversed and he had nowhere to go, Jun Kai ignored him. Just like his offer then, he was of significance to someone of his caliber. Of course, he wouldn't leave his comfortable large palace to move into his small courtyard to live a cramped life. Jun Kai was a prince and he was...he was not sure what he was anymore.

It was unfair.

Why is it that his mother is a criminal and yet he is sent to the Empress to continue to live a pampered life, while he was sent here to suffer. What crime did he need to be punished for? 

After his mother's death his father never cared for him, yet when Jun Kai was ill after leaving the cold palace, his father had him nursed back to health in his palace. Who knows he may even have let him continue living there if Jun Kai had not left on his own. Yet, he had never even been to his father's palace before. 

Life was unfair.

He remembered the scene where he and his mother walked away bruised all over, while people crowded Jun Kai because of a single wound and he came to a realization that he meant nothing, while Jun Kai apparently meant everything. 

Jun Kai was the genius while he was useless. He had only ever gotten criticized by his father, never praised while Jun Kai always got praised. Even while Jun Kai did not need or care for it, he still got it, while he would do anything to get that approval. He tried his best but was only ever met with nothing but criticisms. It was not that he was stupid or useless, he was just never given the same opportunity to excel. 

Jun Shan sat there drowning in his tears and being suffocated by the overwhelming sense of pain he felt...pain that was quickly turning to rage. Rage at everything, his mother's death, his father, Zhong Ji, Zhong Hua, at how unfair life was, ...Jun Kai.

{...Why do I have to live like a prisoner while he gets to pick a playmate?... It's unfair. He's unfair!...}

{...*Hmm...}

Jun Shan blinked and looked around the room, he was alone. He sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeves.

{...I am not useless...}

{...*You seem to have a surprising capacity for rage...It turns out you are actually not as boring as I thought hehe~...}

Jun Shan became a bit panicked and wanted to run out of the room but his back hurt as soon as he moved and he bent over in pain.

{...*Relax, I'm...your friend? Yeah, that works! A friend! A useful one too!...}

{...Friend? What is this?...}

Jun Shan inquired still glancing around the room, but he was truly alone.

{...*Yep! I will say though that your rage here is a bit misplaced...That little prince holds no fault here. Frankly, he deserves a lot of pity too. His life has is not easy either..}

Jun Shan scowled.

{...It does not concern you!...}

{...*Hehe~ forget that. I see your situation here is quite pitiful too, so I'll be your Shifu! I'm very bored anyway and I'm very wise too! You're in good hands! ^_^)...}

Prince Yi opened his eyes and glanced around the room. He saw the Imperial doctor dozing off on the side and then sat up, holding his head and then frowned when he felt his cheeks were wet. He removed his hand and stared at the tears on it and his frown deepened.

{...Even you have abandoned me too now...}