Chang Sheng reached the palace of the Wu Wei Kingdom by nightfall, entering the gates with his billowing robes. Sometime between visiting Yu Hua and returning, Chang Sheng had layered on outer black robes with embroidered gold stitching, giving him the true impression of an Emperor.
"Emperor!" Numerous noble-women supposedly admiring the palace garden flocked to his side, faces painted heavily with makeup, kowtowing unanimously. "We welcome His Majesty back -"
Chang Sheng brushed past them, even daring to use his martial arts to hurry by faster.
"Emperor," a court official appeared at Chang Sheng's side, giving him a half bow. "You should not ignore those women, those are potential concubines -"
The women looked up, grinning, only to stare wide-eyed in shock as Chang Sheng brushed the official away.
"When has xiao ren become brazen enough to challenge Zhen?!" Chang Sheng demanded.
The court official bowed again. "No, xiao ren doesn't dare, it was only a suggestion -"
"Xiao ren let the words of these women affect xiao ren's judgment?" Chang Sheng sneered.
The court official bowed lower. "Xiao ren doesn't dare -"
"Hmph, get out of Zhen's sight!" Chang Sheng flapped his sleeve in the official's face, quickly walking away.
"Your Majesty, please wait - !" Many of the women called out desperately, but not before Chang Sheng had already made his way into his own courtyard, as large as a miniature palace.
"Please, Court Official Gu," one of the ladies turned to where the official once stood. "Eh? He's gone?"
"Are those pesky flies far away enough?" Chang Sheng scowled.
"Mm, they cannot hear us." Court Official Gu said, appearing at Chang Sheng's side but lowering himself.
"Good." Chang Sheng yawned, stretching his arms. "Zhen has no ideas why you keep pushing them onto me, Gu. You know I will not take those annoying, over-done camels."
"Camels is a little too much," Court Official Gu retorted.
"They are camels." Chang Sheng hissed. "They spit at you, ugly, always trying to show off their lumps..."
Court Official Gu started coughing out of laughter.
"Ah, I need my little Yu Hua." Chang Sheng smiled, putting a hand on his chest. "I am already dying inside this palace."
"How is your little hideaway doing?" Court Official Gu asked teasingly.
"Fine, thank you very much." Chang Sheng sneered in response.
"You have never once let me seen him since we were all eight years old," Court Official Gu smiled. "I remember he was exceptionally beautiful -"
"Forget him! Yu Hua's beauty is only for this Zhen to enjoy ~" Chang Sheng hissed.
"My, you would make quite the creepy husband," Court Official Gu laughed.
Chang Sheng smiled a little in response.
Chang Sheng and Court Official Gu were actually good friends. It was just that they held up a pretense in front of others, especially since Court Official Gu's family was the same family of Marquis Gu, the man who had murdered Chang Sheng's father.
All the other court officials wanted to burn Court Official Gu along with his father, but Chang Sheng saw potential in the young boy.
Undoubtedly, Court Official Gu was a textbook genius. Not only that, but he was abused by his family since young for being born from a concubine mother that passed away at birth, no matter how brilliant he was. Court Official Gu, to prove his loyalty in front of Chang Sheng, confessed the sins of his siblings and their many betrayals of the state, then killed them firsthand himself. He swore absolute loyalty and Chang Sheng, also gifted intelligence from the heavens above understood that Court Offical Gu spoke truth and took him as his right-hand man.
Oh, also that Yu Hua wouldn't be his unless if Court Offical Gu's father had not murdered the last Emperor.
In this sense, Chang Sheng was unfilial, but all are unfilial for the sake of love.
"Yes, I will be." Chang Sheng smiled warmly.
"A - ah?!" Court Official Gu called out, looking very disgruntled. "Y - you intend to - "
"Yes!" Chang Sheng smiled, shining brilliantly. "We shall be wed by next week, on the date of his birth."
"Next week?!" Court Official Gu exclaimed. "No no no - we have to find a good auspicious date, when the Heavens are shining brightly -"
"His birthday is already enough of an auspicious day." Chang Sheng smiled. "That day, all the rainbow birds of the heavens must have been called out, the sky to shine in brilliant multicolors -"
"Okay, okay, Chang Sheng, we get it." Court Official Gu sighed, closing his eyes in exhaustion. "Now, how should you tell the rest of the officials -"
Court Official Gu opened his eyes. Chang Sheng had disappeared. "Eh? Chang Sheng?"
***
The court officials were muttering to themselves angrily, sitting around their seats.
"Where has the Emperor gone off to?" One of them wondered.
"Aigh, this Emperor is already eighteen and has not wedded anybody. What are we to do if there is no heir -?"
"No - what if he - "
The court officials paled.
"C-ca-cannot get it up?"
"Impossible!"
"Our Emperor is a genius, but still doesn't have a wife..."
"We must pick out somebody good for him!"
"En! En!"
"I've heard a rumor that he has a beautiful little lady hidden away somewhere..."
The doors burst open abruptly as Chang Sheng entered.
"What is with this chatter?" He exclaimed. The court officials shut up pretty quickly.
"Note this down," Chang Sheng declared, standing tall. "In a week, I shall marry my Empress."
The court erupted into chaos.
"WHHAAATT?!!?" Many court officials exclaimed.
"HUUHH??!!"
One court official got down into a kowtow, forehead pressed against the marble floor. "Xiao ren dare ask, who is this... mysterious person that has captured his Majesty's heart?"
"Your future Empress!" Chang Sheng boomed.
Another court official got down into a kowtow as well. "Please, Emperor, think through this. Who is your Empress? She cannot be of common birth -"
"You dare question Zhen's decisions?" Chang Sheng snarled.
The court official flinched back. "No - no x-xiao ren doesn't dare."
"Hmph!" Chang Sheng snorted.
"Yes, yes..." a court official whispered. "Chang Sheng's expectations have always been over the moon... he wouldn't even look at the legendary princess of Bai Bei... how - how could he possibly just choose a random partner?"
"W-what if he was deceived, drugged - "
"Do you really doubt our Emperor to fall under tricks and lies?!" The court official roared. "He has Mo to protect him, for goodness' sake! And remember when he turned fourteen -"
"Yes," one of the officials murmured in fear. "He returned from the Dark Forest, having conquered and tamed 10,000 spirit animals."
"How can a man like that, a man flying over the clouds, settle for anybody less?!" The court official demanded.
"What if he was blackmailed - "
"He is the Emperor! With a flick of his fingers, everything is arranged! Preposterous!"
No doubt, Chang Sheng's people trusted him greatly without even and ounce of doubt.
"My partner will be a blessing to Wu Wei Empire as an Empress, I promise you." Chang Sheng said, reassuring his people.
"He is gentle, beautiful, kind loving -"
Chang Sheng snapped out of his thoughts. "It will be a stroke of luck for you to even catch a glimpse of him!"
"Emperor's partner is a man?"
"Whatever! Shut up, he will hear you!"
"Must be a stunning man..."
"Have you heard the rumors of a young boy captured ten years ago..."
"Quiet!" Chang Sheng roared.
The court officials all stood to attention.
"Preparations must be made!" Chang Sheng demanded. "This shall be the most extravagant party in history!"
"Yes!" The court officials exclaimed, all pumped up.
For the next week, the entire palace was in a flurry of motion. They draped the palace with bright red and gold, hurriedly made Chang Sheng's betrothal robes, started prepping delicacies meant to be consumed on the day of the wedding. And when the needlewomen asked for their Empress' sizes, Chang Sheng simply threw them one of Yu Hua's robes unhappily.
***
"You really don't appear to be that nervous." Mo appeared out of the shadows as Chang Sheng drew a lovely image of Yu Hua from memory.
"Why should I," Chang Sheng replied.
"You've been anticipating this day for eight years," Mo said.
"Hmph. You really make me sound like a pervy kid." Chang Sheng snorted.
"You were a pervy kid." Mo sighed. "I remember seeing you draw many dirty pictures of Yu Hua at eight -"
"Shut the hell up!" Chang Sheng exclaimed, turning red at the ears.
"Mm. You've become much better." Mo leaned over, looking at the Yu Hua Chang Sheng was sketching now.
The drawing of Yu Hua was so realistic, it was almost as if he was on the verge of stepping out of the paper.
"I wonder what Yu Hua would think if he ever saw your collection," Mo snickered.
"Shut up." Chang Sheng scowled. "Tell me. How is he."
"He is far more nervous than you," Mo replied. "Every day, he takes a steaming bath in his large wooden tub in his backyard, the water littered with rose petals -"
"You've seen him take a bath?" Chang Sheng hissed, turning and grabbing Mo by his neck.
Mo swallowed.
"N-n-no, I've seen his silhouette -"
"If you ever dare touch my Yu Hua," Chang Sheng murmured, his killing aura spreading out all over the palace. Some of the nearby maids passed out.
"C-chang Sheng, relax." Mo gulped. "I - I won't touch him."
"Have you touched him?" Chang Sheng growled lowly, his eyes turning dark.
"N - no - no - of course not - !"
Chang Sheng let go of Mo, his killing aura gradually disappearing.
Mo swallowed, fixing his clothes.
Yu Hua truly is incredible, Mo thought. Chang Sheng would be a scary partner.
Chang Sheng noticed Mo looking at him and flashed Mo a scowl.
Mo quickly hurried away, blending into the shadows.
***
"Three days left," Yu Hua murmured, chanting incessantly while pacing across the floor. He had already worn a groove into the ground from the past four days. The small rabbit, now healed, perked up, staring at Yu Hua.
"Ahhhahah," Yu Hua walked in front of a mirror, patting his cheeks. "Have I gotten wrinkles yet? I look so old. Will Chang Sheng want this?" He pulled at his soft, white skin holding the scent of roses. "Wh-what if he already has a lover?"
In anxiety, he pulled the rabbit onto his lap and began petting in a panic. "W-what if he already has a wife? A young, pretty little lady - !" Yu Hua's eyes widened. "I-is he just marrying because he has to?"
Yu Hua stood up, determination running through his blood. "No! Chang Sheng loves me! I know that much."
With another thought, he began blushing furiously. "W-what? Ch-chang Sheng loves me? A-am I getting ahead of myself?"
Yu Hua pinched his cheeks, feeling the pain snap him back to reality. "Yes. Yes he does love me. And I love him back!"
Almost exploding out of embarrassment, he jumped onto his bed and buried his face into his pillows. "Wuuu!! Ahh, so embarrassing ~"
Yu Hua sat up. "What's embarrassing about this? I am going to marry him!"
His eyes widened as if it had just sunk him.
"I - I am going to marry Chang Sheng!" He stood, running to his bookshelves. "I-is there anything on here about marriage? How should I act? Be a housewife? What is being a housewife like?"
Fortunately for him, Chang Sheng had never given Yu Hua any dirty books, as to, quote unquote, "keep his lovely jade flower untouched and pure." This sentence was said with a nosebleed.
And so forth, Yu Hua continued freaking out for the next three days.
***
"Crafted from gold with numerous emeralds speckled around the design -"
"No." Chang Sheng sighed. "What's so hard about creating a good enough ring? Makes Zhen think you all aren't trying hard enough..."
What do you mean so hard? Court Official Gu wanted to cry. You've already turned down one hundred and six rings...
"Zhen's Empress must have a ring befitting Empress!" Chang Sheng roared passionately.
"Next design!" Court Official Gu yelled, feeling a headache start.
"This is a ring made out of Spiritual Ice Wind Silver and Raining Peak Jade in the shape of a jasmine flower inlaid with a peacock design made out of gold on the silver -"
"Wah!" Chang Sheng exclaimed. "Perfect!"
Court Official Gu, along with the numerous legendary jewelers all standing together in the courtroom had their jaws drop open.
"Emperor... are you sure of this design? Silver is not befitting for an Empress -"
"Yu Hua has the air and looks of a beautiful jade ice fairy, or a deity, or a stunning waterfall, the appearance of the Nine Heavens... whatever he wears, it shall shine like him! Besides, this design is perfect." Chang Sheng carefully picked the box from the crafter's hands, and smiled at the jade flower. "It must convey the meaning Zhen wants it to convey."
"EYahhhHH?!!?" The court erupted into chaos. "We've found out something about our precious Empress! His name is Yu Hua!"
"A-ah?!" Chang Sheng realized his mistake. "Ah - stop spreading the news! Yu Hua is all mine! How dare you even utter or know his name - !"
And so forth, for the remaining three days, Chang Sheng was crying tears of vinegar as the palace continued to hurriedly prepare.