Servants are busy preparing the bed for the emperor. Actually, he rarely, almost never sleeps in this chamber. It is big and magnificent as it's the emperor's, but the bed is dusty.
The chamber is called Nian Jing chamber. This is the place for him to bed his concubines. The emperor isn't allowed to bring any concubine to his personal room for safety and privacy reason.
After the room is ready, the emperor enters and wait for his concubine.
Not long after, a beautiful young woman walk in wearing simple red hanfu. Her hair is tied in a loose ponytail with only minimal decoration. Her small face is snow-white as she put face powder, her red lips curved into a smile when the emperor asks her to sit on the bed.
She smiles shyly to the emperor and sits in a proper manner. The emperor brushes her hair from her face, wanting to see her. She is pretty, maybe only 17-18 years old.
The emperor removes concubine Yu's hairpins slowly and untie her long black hair, which is as smooth as silk. Her perfume scent polluted the whole room when she brushes her hair off, showing her beautiful neck and shoulder. The emperor rolled up the concubine's sleeve, checking her virginity mark.
When he found it, he kisses her neck and pulls her closer. Concubine Yu closes her eyes and gives up her body control to the emperor. Because today, is the best night in her life.
"Did you see the concubine?" A servant gossips.
"Yes, it is so shocking that the emperor personally bring someone home." Another one replies.
"From what I see, she is the innocent type. Perhaps his majesty like cute girls." She whispers.
"I was also both shocked and excited when Bai Lu told us to prepare Nian Jing palace."
"We may have a favoured concubine now!"
"Oh girls, stop the crap! You will be beheaded if the emperor hears!"
"His majesty won't hear us, he is currently busy having fun with lady Yu!" Someone jokes and they all laugh.
_
The sun rises and so do concubine Yu. She quickly takes a bath and goes to the connecting room to get her hair and makeup done.
It is a norm for a concubine to get dressed completely before the emperor wakes up. So the emperor doesn't see her in a messy appearance. And then she will greet the emperor.
Concubine Yu waited patiently with a pot of tea. She wouldn't mind to wait in her kneeling position for another day because she is that happy. However, soon after, the emperor wakes up. He looks at the girl who offers him black tea. He doesn't know why everyone thinks that he likes black tea, when it's not actually his favourite. But he'll drink it anyway, he never complained though. Maybe that's why people think he likes it.
"Thank you. You may have a cup too." The emperor sips the tea.
"This concubine wouldn't dare." She says still being a shy bunny. Her cheeks is as red as tomato.
"Do you have a pleasant night yesterday?" He asks in the name of manner.
"Yes, your majesty." She says couldn't look at the emperor.
The emperor laughs at the cute concubine and continues, "Lady Yu, is there anything that you want? Just name it, this emperor will give it to you."
"Your majesty's presence is more than enough for this lowly concubine."
After they're done, concubine Yu walks outside the palace and get into the sedan. She keeps on checking her hand, which doesn't have any red dot anymore.
-
"Prepare for my morning assembly."
"Zhi."
"Bai Lu, every time This emperor asks his imperial wives what do they want, they always answer with the same line 'I wouldn't dare to ask for more' I don't understand."
"Your majesty, the imperial wives are trained to be polite. So they won't ever ask for anything from the dragon. However, this servant suggests your majesty to send gifts even if they don't ask for it."
"Oh, is that so?" He says walking elegantly to the hall.
"Yes, your majesty."
"Then what should this emperor gives her?"
"This servant suggests silver or gold, silk is also a good idea for higher ranked concubine."
"Send it to her then."
"Zhi."
_____
The once green garden turned white. Water in her pond even froze. But a young maiden sits straight in her pavilion, writing something. She is a scholar, best in her generation. Scrolls in front of her is an official report, waiting to be read.
A young servant runs to her master, shivering from the cold weather.
"Your majesty, the emperor bedded a four ranked concubine Yu yesterday!"
The empress is taken aback but she replies as it doesn't matter. "Is that so?"
"Yes your majesty!" Mumu answers.
"Check on her background, and you may leave." The empress sees her suffering from cold and send her off.
"This servant believed that your majesty also needs to go back inside." Mumu says in sympathy.
"No, you can go first."
"This servant is not going anywhere without her majesty." Mumu says and kneels to prove her seriousness. She knows that the empress is heart broken, thus she doesn't want to leave the empress alone.
The empress, she loves him very much. She knows it is stupid to do so. But she still do. So it hurts. Yes, it was her idea, but..
A tear fell down to the frozen pond. She looks down and sees kois inside the pond still swim around.
"Aren't they cold?" The empress asks Mumu.
"They must be." Mumu says looking at the pond.
"They can't just stop swimming can they?" The empress questions but more like stating.
"Yes." Mumu understands the empress words are more than just about the kois. It has deeper meaning full of empress's sorrow.
The empress smiles painfully looking at Mumu.
"Your majesty, the white lotuses also still blooming no mater how is the weather." Mumu tried to comfort the empress.
The white lotus that she received ten years ago, is now filled up her pond. They have grown a lot.
"Mumu, tell me, is this Lu Yu has become greedy?"
"No, lady Lu is still the same person as the one Nubi served in Lu Manor." Mumu uses her old title, making it more personal. "The same hardworking little girl, the same smart and compassionate girl, the same girl ...who cried when Long Gege left for his study."
The empress cries soundlessly listening to each word from her closest servant, or a friend . The person who knows her the most.
Hardworking. Being an empress is a hard work, even before she was crowned. Don't pity her, her path might not be the easiest. But it is the only one she knows, and the only one she will follow until the rest of her life.
"Then your Lady Lu Qing Yu will stop crying about him from now on." The empress says plainly, wiping her tears . It followed by shocked expression on Mumu's face.
She is talking about Lu Qing Yu, herself, as a person. And she has given up the emperor's love.
_____
"Your majesty, the new year is soon to come, will you bring Jiang-er and Tu-er home?"
The emperor tensed when she talks about his children.
".."
"This empress misses her children a lot."
Why is talking about his son makes his heart aches?
"Of course." He says finally.
Hello.. so I decided to explain a little bit about the life of the emperor.. please don't hate him for having many wives lol. Because that's how imperial life is !
See you next week ...