Might contain mature content but not too much... (Don't read if you feel uncomfortable...)
(Memories of five years ago... Shen Nuo 11yrs and Li Yan 22yrs).
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"You don't have to be scared." Shen Nuo said smiling pleasantly. "I came here to meet His Majesty under his orders. I have something to discuss with His Majesty. I'll be out soon."
The guards still looked reluctant. Though they did not know what an eleven years old boy had to discuss with an Emperor of a state, they looked uneasy. "Prince Shen, this...this..."
"Please..." Shen Nuo begged with puppy eyes. "I really don't have further chances to sneak off my home. I only have a little time. Please let me in. I'll come back soon, ok?"
The guards at the gates really couldn't stand his puppy eyes. They looked furious but still let Shen Nuo in. But they did not forget to warn him beforehand.
Shen Nuo entered into a silent and a peaceful courtyard. Beautifully built pavilions and halls loomed amid random lakes and waterfalls full of lotuses and carps. This place was really beautiful.
He found his way to the residence side himself. He wanted to meet Li Yan and get back the white jade tassel that was snatched off him one years ago...
Meanwhile, the young Emperor visited the chamber of his Empress. He was distressed. It had been one whole year since he snatched the jade tassel from Shen Nuo. But Shen Nuo hadn't come to get it back.
He felt irritated. Could it be that Shen Nuo had forgotten about it? Could it be he doesn't want it anymore? Was he too afraid to come? Or could it be he didn't dare? Li Yan did not know.
"Your Majesty..." Empress Xi smiled softly. She blushed when Li Yan waved his hand and dismissed all the maids in the room.
Li Yan sat himself beside the desk and poured himself tea. His face was cold and indifferent than ever.
"Empress. How are you doing lately?" He asked expressionlessly, sipping the tea.
Empress Xi lowered her head elegantly. "Chen qie's doing fine." She said softly. But her voice wasn't genuine. Li Yan was a person with sharp senses. He sensed the tone difference in her voice and raised his eyes to look at her face. Those eyes were normally unsheathed daggers capable of piercing a soul.
She gulped, and pursed her lips, looking down. "I... I -"
Li Yan slowly got up from his seat and stood forth her. "What do you want?" He asked grimly.
Empress Xi blushed red until her face was burning. She rubbed her fingers nervously beneath the heavy red sleeves of her phoenix robe. True. She had badly wanted something since the day she married him. But she was too embarrassed to ask for it.
But to be honest, her parents were forcing her too. She had no choice but to make her mind for it. So she decided to speak frankly in a different way. She tightened her fingertips into her robes and looked at him.
"Your Majesty, this is the thing. My... my family is... forcing me to have ... have children. I -"
But she immediately stopped speaking when she felt the air around the Emperor drop down by several degrees.
"Empress." Li Yan said in a cold warning voice. "There were some important things that Zhen made clear in our wedding night." He reminded in a gloomy voice.
Empress Xi couldn't help but gulp. To be honest, the Emperor never consummated their marriage. He had not even touched her once. During the wedding night, he had spoken to her coldly about something that she never expected. He had said that he married her only because his Father Emperor forced him to.
She had actually adored him since she was small. She was a good and a kind person. So when she heard the imperial decree arrive at her Palace at Xi Kingdom, asking for her hand in marriage as the Empress, she couldn't stop her tears...
But after she entered the Palace only did she realize the truth behind the marriage. But still she endured. She was sad. But she never got angry.
She never ate until Li Yan took his meals. Some days, Li Yan was too occupied with his matters and would forget to eat. He was a person with a good cultivation base so it didn't cause him much harm.
But she was a weak woman. Still she refused to eat when he missed meals...
When Li Yan was too busy with court matters, she would always make his favorite snacks herself and silently pass them by the hands of his eunuchs.
When Li Yan had so much memorials and reports to read, she would silently sit by the side of the desk with him and read a book under the weak candle flame. She would sit there like that accompanying him until he ends the work. Perhaps it would already be morning when he finished reading them all. But she endured it silently.
She often became sick with this. But she never showed him her pains. She silently bore everything herself. She only wished if he could see her one-day. She wished if she could at least sleep in his snuggle even for once...
Li Yan frowned. "Are you sick? Why are your eyes red?"
Empress Xi's eyes widened. She moved her face away hiding her moist eyes with a beating heart. She smiled nodding slowly. "It's nothing, Your Majesty, I forgot to eat the morning meals this morning. It's fine."
Her voice was suddenly hoarse. Li Yan's frown deepened. "What is the matter with you that you forgot even your morning meals?"
But she was definitely not going to say that she didn't eat because he didn't. She pursed her lips and lowered her head.
Li Yan looked around and saw a beautiful golden robe with sewing accessories upon the corner of her couch. His brows furrowed. "You were sewing Zhen a robe?"
She nodded mildly.
Li Yan shook his head feeling even lost. "Xi Jinluo! How many times have I told you to not to do these? I can give you anything. But you have to understand that I can't return your feelings!"
Empress Xi looked at him innocently. "Your Majesty!" She said in a furious voice. "I'm not expecting anything from Your Majesty by doing this. I... I love Your Majesty. But I don't want to force you. As long as I'm true to myself and I know why I'm doing all these, I'm contented."
Li Yan continued to look at her eyes darkly. "You're an honest fool, Xi Jiu, I regret marrying you!" He pressed his fingertips upon his forehead, feeling a headache coming. "Ok. Zhen will give you anything this one last time. Except love, what do you want?"
Empress Xi nervously stood for a moment. Then she slowly coiled her arms around Li Yan's neck. His face was cold and freezing. But he didn't move this time. Taking chance, she slowly raised herself to his face and tried to kiss his lips. But Li Yan moved his face away and the scarlet lips of her just ended up pressing against his jaw bone.
He never kissed her even during their wedding night. She actually liked him. She liked if he could kiss her but he didn't.
She silently pursed her lips and lowered her head and smiled. It was painful. "Nevermind." She said shaking her head."It's the best choice of Your Majesty to have chosen me as your Empress. I won't force you anymore." She wiped away her tears furiously.
"Your Majesty, if there is someone whom you like, please feel free to bring her to the Palace." She gulped. "And if Your Majesty wants her to be Empress, it's also fine. One day if I bear a child, ask her to adopt my child and demote me to a concubine. Anyway, Your Majesty won't be going against Your Majesty's Father Emperor's will. The child will still be from my bloodline and will claim the throne one day..."
And now, Li Yan slowly turned to look at her face. She spoke genuinely. And her honesty was written in her face.
Li Yan's face was colder but deeper to his eyes, there was a trace of endless sorrow. "I'm sorry to have pulled you into this." He said in a faint whisper. "This was not what I wanted to happen."
Empress Xi nodded smiling with eyes full of tears. "I understand." She still looked very beautiful. "I wonder which fortunate lady drew Your Majesty's heart. She must be very lucky..."
Li Yan felt suffocated. He felt a strong sense of guilt of having pulled her into this. If she became a wife of someone else, she should have been a virtuous wife...
But she got her life wasted for someone who did not like her. Li Yan felt that he was wrong. At least he should have paid her more attention. He should have looked into her wantings. She was still his wife. He sighed.
Nevermind! What's so hard about this thing? Sooner or later, he would have to face this no matter what. If he can make her happy that way, wouldn't that also be fine?
He can fulfill his father's wish and also can break off with her once and forever. She wouldn't lose from it. She would still be his Empress, their son would claim the future throne... Thus, he pressed her onto the wooden wall and slammed his hands onto the wall above her head.
"Are you sure you're not going to regret it?" He asked darkly. "If you stay pure, Zhen can at least set you free if there's someone you like oneday. But if you loose your chastity to Zhen, love you or not, Zhen would still prison you for the rest of your life! Decide now!"
Empress Xi felt her heart beating wildly. This was the first time he touched her willingly. Though he obviously lacked feelings towards her, still she loved if he was like this. She blushed deep red. Then she lowered her head shyly. "I'm already married to Your Highness and won't be thinking of a second person ever in my life."
Li Yan's eye even darkened. "Even if it means that I don't love you? Would you still be my prisoner, watching me love the person I adore without regrets?"
Xi Jinluo smiled. "So what if Your Majesty do so? I'll be happy for that person for making Your Majesty happy. I'll protect her with my life. I'll hmmmmmmmmm-" !!!
She couldn't continue when her last words were swallowed. The Emperor slammed his lips onto her fiercely and blocked the muffled scream that was just about to escape her mouth.
The Empress was caught off guard by this action and her eyes widened.
She was dumbfounded. Li Yan was kissing her! She stood shuddering and did not come back to her senses for a long time.
When Li Yan broke the lip contact, she was breathing hard. Her face was blushed and her eyes were slightly red. She looked at him still in disbelief. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something. But in the end, her lips got sealed again.
He did not let her even to breath. He only wanted her permission and now that he got it, he wanted to end the matter soon and fulfill his father's wish. Then he won't want to feel sorry for her anymore... He pulled her into a bridal carry and strode to the corner of the room with steady steps. Then he threw her onto the enormous bed.
The Empress gasped when she realized what was going to happen. Of course she had wanted this since the day she married him. But it was that this was too sudden. She couldn't handle the embarrassment she felt. "Li Yan, you-"
Li Yan's face was still emotionless. To be honest, he wasn't interested in her. Neither did he get sexually aroused. He was just doing what he should. He pulled away her waist laces and undressed her. Her outer robe of deep red felled onto the clean black wood tiles in a moment.
He knelt above her and pulled off his waist belt. "Now cooperate with me. It won't take too long..."
Her face nearly dripped blood when she heard this.
Li Yan was still neatly dressed and did not have any idea of getting his golden robe off. He only loosened his long white pants, with his face, still expressionless.
She gasped when he pressed her down under him. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and kissed her lips repeatedly.
Just as he was about to stretch apart her legs, the door suddenly threw open without warning.
Shen Nuo was stunned. He was shocked. His face went immediately red. When he heard helpless whimpers and muffled screams from the room, he just wanted to help...
Who thought he would meet with such a scene? His face went blood red in an instant. Though he was small, he had indeed heard about matters regarding the bed...
Li Yan went pale. Color left his face. He immediately pulled the golden quilt over Empress Xi's half nude body.
His hands were nearly clenched into fists as he gritted his teeth. He did not know what to feel. Why was Shen Nuo here!!?
Shen Nuo had really chosen the right time to barge in. What was there to doubt? He must have clearly seen everything with his own eyes.
Li Yan's face became even colder in anger or whatever it was. He quickly fixed his pants and tried to get off the bed.
But the Empress grasped from his wrist pulling him back weakly. "Li Yan, calm down, he's a small child. It's alright! Don't scare him!"
She silently pulled the quilt over her pearl white bare shoulders and smiled to Shen Nuo weakly. "Little kid, who are you? Why did you come here? Did you mistake the room?"
Her voice was very gentle and soft although it was a bit shaky.
Shen Nuo still did not recover from the shock he just had. He shook his head like a rattle drum. "I'm ... I'm sorry! I ... I happened to hear a ... scream so I only wanted to ... help..."
But his own words seemed betraying him. What whimpers? What muffled screams? Yeah, alright, he heard them and it's true. But did he eat lion's guts to open the door when he knew he was inside the Imperial Residence of the Emperor? The logo of a phoenix was clearly framed upon the sliding door revealing this was the private chamber of the Empress but he didn't see!!!
He was horror struck for a moment. And by the next second, he immediately turned out and fled.
Empress: "..."
The Emperor's eyes were suddenly red. His face was very pale and deadly. She was stunned. She had never seen his face like this. What was the big deal with this? It was clearly a little child who seems to understand nothing. Perhaps he must have been gotten scared off by the face of the Emperor and must have fled. Why was the Emperor suddenly looking frightening?
Before she could speak a word, he silently got down from the bed. He didn't say anything while he fixed his disheveled golden robes. Neither did he look at her. He directly exited the room shutting the door behind him with a bang. He should meet Shen Nuo personally and talk about this...
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Sorry, I'm not good at writhing these stuff though... Hehe! Li Yan's gonna settle some scores with Nuo Nuo...
EMPRESS XI JINLUO (XI JIU)
• The Princess of Xi Kingdom. 20 years old.
• The former Empress of Emperor Li Yanlong and the biological mother of Crown Prince Li Minghe. But unfortunately she passed away at child birth.
• Very kind and reachable, understanding and forgiving. Loves to cuddle children the most. So during the first few years when she didn't have a child, she would often ask for her maid's children to cuddle them and teach them.
• Treated the harem as her family and managed the Palaces.
• Personally did many things for the benefit of citizens of the state under the name of her husband.
• Loved Li Yan truly.