Part 4, Chapter 20

Trapped by responsibility

Ch 20

The next morning Shun found Xun in the kitchen filling a pack with food.

“What are you doing,” Shun asked sleepily.

“If Jianyu is in trouble I need to go back. I can’t leave him to face it alone.”

“Xun, the Dowager Empress has filled the palace with prospective brides and is actively hunting for alliances among the noble families. Enough people know about how the Emperor felt about you that if you go back she’ll see it as a direct threat to her purpose. With the Emperor gone there’s a good chance she will kill you as soon as she knows you’re back.”

Xun shrugged, “She doesn’t have to know I’m there. I can go in with one of my cousin’s trading parties, find the Emperor, get him out of whatever mess he’s in this time, and be back home before the Dowager Empress knows I’m there.”

“If you think the Dowager Empress isn’t watching your cousin’s business like a hawk you must be crazy. It’s gotten to the point where they’re had to go legitimate on almost everything.”

Xun put her bag down, “Yu’Bo and Yu’Luo have gone legitimate?”

Shun nodded. “Almost completely.”

Xun sat down. “I can’t afford to get caught… if she learns about the twins she’ll take them from me or kill them. If it has to do with the Sea Witch maybe Renping could…”

“What does Renping have to do with the Sea Witch?” Shun asked.

Xun frowned. She wasn’t sure exactly how the breaking of the spell on Renping had worked. The knowledge of who Renping was had just come to her the moment their blood had mingled, but none of the other immortals they had encountered had automatically known Renping’s identity. After discussing it the two had decided to keep the secret and Xun wouldn’t break confidence without her friend’s permission. “I was thinking if I couldn’t go back maybe Renping would now that you and Shun are here to help me mind the twins.”

Shun hugged her friend gently, “Maybe, but I’m sure the Emperor will be fine. Xun, you know you can’t go back.”

Xun put her head in her hands to cover the tears she couldn’t suppress. 

Shun and Xiaomin decided to build a bamboo cottage on the rise next to Xun and Renping. The time passed quietly as the village grew around them. More and more wanderers found their way into the land protected by Jingyi and the area they had carved out had to be expanded twice.

As the village grew into a town and then into a small city Jingyi and Taiwu cheerfully loaded more and more of the duties of managing the politics of the community onto Xun. It didn’t take long before Xun became the de facto ruler of the settlement. She was the last authority when it came to squabbles among residents, outside trade, and village development. 

Xun was happy in her role and was glad to see the village prosper, but worry for Jianyu ate at her and she harvested every scrap of news she could get from the Heavenly Realms, although there was precious little to be had.