The night go darker as they talk.Just in few hours, the sun will rise. But both the emperor and the empress doesn't want to leave.
They are sitting together on the grass, facing the cherry blossom field. Which has not yet bloom.
The emperor took Niao Niao's hand and hold it tight. No more letting go.
She is shocked because of the sudden move. Niao Niao desperately try to cover her wrist, where her virginity mark should be.
The emperor catches her weird gesture. Is she hesitating? But actually, the emperor knows the reason.
"Niao Niao, is there anything wrong with your hand? You seem uncomfortable.." he asks straight forward.
"Hmm..? What?! Nothing.. why would you ask that?" Her eyes are getting bigger. Is she that obvious? She pulls her hand away from the emperor.
"It's just that you have been looking at your hand a lot.." 27 times to be exact.
"Your majesty, if I didn't tell you about something, would you be angry?" Niao Niao being careful not to spoil the truth. She peeks at the emperor face, trying to guess his answer.
"Hmm.. let me think.."
Oh no! She should have not said it.she doesn't want their relationship to end this fast. Now she is so tensed up and hard to breath.
"Maybe.."
Her heart skipped a beat. Will he not believe her for the rest of her life. She's doomed!
Niao Niao feels like it is the end. Her body is limp.
"Niao Niao, I'm just Kidding! Why are you so serious?" The emperor taps her head. But Niao Niao stays still.
Seeing her feeling so down, the emperor feels bad. He cups both of her cheeks, and looks into her eyes.
"Niao Niao, Im sorry.." he kisses her forehead. "Will you forgive me?" He asks.
"Your majesty.."
"Actually Niao Niao, I won't be angry to you.. I thought you already know that."
"But what if I didn't tell you about something important?" She finally asks.
"As long as you love me and you don't look at another guy, it's okay." The emperor bushes her hair. "So don't worry too much."
Niao Niao could only smile at the emperor, who is starring right into her eyes.
"Thank you.."
"Tell me if you are ready, but if until the end you aren't ready, that's okay for me. If that's the case, then you don't need to tell me about it."
Niao Niao leans forward and place a gentle kiss on the emperor's lips. Which leave the emperor in shock.
__
The empress comes a little latter than the emperor, who is already sitting on his throne. She looks tired. The emperor couldn't help but smile at her. The empress is really cute, isn't she?
Right before the meeting started, a loud sound of crying heard all over the hall. Her hair is messy and she holds her baby, the new born princess.
"Your majesty! Your majesty! Please give this Consort justice!" She cries.
All people in the hall stare at her weirdly. What happened to the graceful consort Hua?
"My daughter! My daughter is dead!"
"What?!" The emperor shocked. "Explain what happened!" He demanded.
"I received a herbal tea from Lu Hua province, but when I fed it to Xiao Xin her body couldn't take it. Please give this Consort justice!"
Lu Hua province is the empress's province. So the Consort indirectly claiming that the empress poisoned the princess.
Everyone is shocked because of consort Hua's accusation.
"Let's start the meeting." The empress says coldly, doesn't care about consort Hua.
"Your majesty please give this Consort justice!" She cried again, hitting her head to the ground.
"Empress please give explanation!" The emperor asks.
"What does Consort Hua mean?" The empress finally speaks.
The consort silenced, not lifting her head from the ground.
The ministers are whispering to them-self, could not believed what they saw.
"A beauty can brought down an entire empire." One of the minister says, meaning that the empress is afraid that consort Hua's daughter may end up being too powerful.
The empress remains unbothered. She is calm and give no attention to the fuss.
"Is it possible that her majesty feels threatened by the princess?" Minister Hua satirize her.
The other ministers don't dare to move, this is too intense.
"Why does minister Hua think that way?" The empress finally decides to answer. "Because this empress doesn't think so."
No one expect her to answer that bravely. They thought she would be silenced, because this is the favoured Consort Hua! If you don't want your head off, better not offend the Consort.
"If that's all, let's continue our meeting." The empress is not taking any of this. She take the stroll in front of her seat, next to the emperor's throne. Meanwhile Consort Hua stills crying the ground, kneeling.
Hearing the empress signals to start the meeting, the ministers sit down and prepare themselves. Seeing everyone ignore Consort Hua, minister Hua knows he must do something to get attention.
"Your majesty! Please give my poor nephew justice!" Minister Hua joins the Consort kneels.
"Let's resolve this problem first." The emperor decides. He knows that the empress didn't do this, but Xiao Xin is still his daughter!
"May the emperor lives for 100.000 years!" Minister Hua shouted.
"Explain everything, do not leave any single detail." The emperor demands.
"That's nonsense!" Minister Lin who is an empress loyal supporter stands.
"The fallen princess IS the evidence! Don't try to sidetrack this conversation!"
The empress knows why they do this. A kudeta? She wont give up that easily.
"A destined Phoenix beautifully groomed inside the palace. Trained to bring peace and fortune to the kingdom. Her wings are big and strong*.This is the Phoenix I am, an empress who is the mother of the crown prince." The empress illustrates. *meaning she has many connections and followers.
In the other words, the empress says that why would she killed the princess when she is a perfect empress with two heirs of the kingdom. Also to mention that Consort Hua couldn't bear a heir.
"This is a false accusation! How dare you!" Minister Lin gets angry.
"Stay calm minister Lin, Even the blinds could see the truth."
"Impudent!" The prime minister says.
"Lets now focus on important matter." The empress instructed, signalling everyone to stop debating.
"No, assaulting the empress is a weight full crime." The emperor says with his low voice. "Consort Hua needs to be punished."
"Your majesty.." her teary big eyes stare at his majesty, trying to find the love she believes in.
"This empress believes that Consort Hua is not a criminal. She is just confused, because I am sure wrote a letter says that the herbal tea is for her not for the princess."
She is sure a politician. Every words from her opponent could turn into her weapon. With her soft voice, she controls the court.
Don't try to offend her, because it may be your death.
With only one sentence she could turn back the situation.
The emperor smiles. This is the empress that he knew. So fierce. But deep down, he feels so sad because he just lost his first daughter. Palace is such a cruel place.
__
After a long day in the court, the empress decided to go to the harem house. Tonight, they don't have any plan to meet each other. But somehow, the harem house makes her feel better.
She walks to the pavilion, playing the harp. The emperor used to love hearing her playing.
She hears a movement from the tree. But she keeps playing, because if she stops the spy will know she heard him.
She played the song that she can play without even looking at the harp. Her eyes is searching for anything that can act as a weapon.
Until finally the spy hops down to the pavilion.
"Crown prince of Lian..?"
Heeeey! Happy Sunday! Do you guys realise that the emperor and Niao Niao talks with informal language? Just like what they used to..
#teamcrownprince or #teamemperor ?
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