Emperor Yang Long's domineering figure walked up the steps with a leisure smile at the corner of his lips. His ink-black eyes were sharing a short message with his mother before looking away in content.
There was no hesitation in his steps as he walked over and sat down on his throne. It was as if this was like any other ordinary day and not his wedding day.
Once he was fully seated, Empress Dowager Xin was just about to open her mouth when her son was faster.
"Please, please, everyone be at ease." Emperor Yang Long spoke with a hint of pleasure in his tone as he kindly let his officials return to their normal standing. However, the bride had yet to reach the seat beside the Emperor, so how was this supposed to show respect to the Empress to be?
Below General Hong Yi's face was beginnning to turn red as he was watching this play out. This Emperor! Why did he not see any kind of respect coming from this Emperor?
...If so, then he'll just cancel this all!
General Hong Yi's expression was being observed closely without him knowing. Just as the General's hard feelings were about to elevate…
"And everyone, here is Zhen's new wife, may you warmly welcome her." Emperor Shen Yang Long spoke in the end, full of smiles, causing a few puzzled looks as they became unclear of how the Emperor thought of this marriage.
Just a moment ago, was it a moment of misunderstanding?
"General Hong Yi, Zhen is quite sick, so I was late due to the medical check-up, hoping that General Hong Yi would understand." The Emperor then took the chance to 'clear' himself.
"No, no, your majesty. Your health comes first over all things." The General coming from a military was not a man of literary or poetic words hence his reply was viewed as slightly too haughty by others.
Nevertheless, the Emperor merely smiled a small smile back, but deep inside he knew better how he felt. If it were not for the military power in this General's hand, they would not even have the chance to step into this palace walls.
In the past, there was only one big kingdom which included Xin Li, Mu He, Sha Yin, and Fu Ke. It was called Da Ning which was passed down with four brothers ruling the four directions of Da Ning. It had been peaceful among the four brothers were until the late Emperor of Xin Li decided to wage war among the rest of the Kingdom. His father was a crude man and his followers were no different, all believing that the kingdoms that once belonged to Da Ning were not supposed to be in harmony,
However, he thought otherwise, harmony was the only key for all four kingdoms to survive. Though it was also a matter of harmony, all four needed to depend on each other. Mu He provided crops, while Sha Yin had a great matter of minerals, Fu Ke providing trade from their ships, while Xin Li being the literal kingdom that resourced most of the other business in other kingdoms. After his father had passed, he was given this throne so were his brothers or cousins that were all Emperors.
Although he and his cousins had wanted to bring back all the four kingdoms together, his father's old roots were not easy to take down, so each step needed to be done carefully else the court would break into internal war.
On the outside, Emperor Yang Long slowly rested his chin on his the back of his hand as he watched his bride walk up closer to him. This General Hong Yi was also one of his father's favourite military force. Furthermore, the only reason he took this deal from his mother was not only because he could take 'her' in, but because he this General would be the next one in line to be rooted out. Soon, he'll take this military power bit by bit, until there was nothing left.
.
.
.
The wedding procedures were all done and now the groom was at his party and receiving blessings for his marriage. Meanwhile, the bride was preparing herself in their wedding chamber. No ladies were within the party and the Empress Dowager also did not attend.
Meanwhile, Hui Lan had taken a shower and changed into a light silky red dress. She was sitting around a circular table which had two cups of wine prepared for the bride and the groom.
There was still the red veil covering over her head which was for the groom to lift it up.
Hui Lan was feeling many different kinds of emotions in her heart. There was one part of that felt slightly hurt at the Emperor for walking ahead of her, but what could she say? Then, there was another part of her that was feeling this weird feeling, bittersweet it may seem, but his good side that she knew of seemed to have left a deep imprint in her heart.
Not long the door opened and a sound of clothes rustling was heard on the gold wooden floor.
When the door opened, Hui Lan's heart skipped a beat. Her heart was pounding like the drums of the border gates. If anyone was near her, they would have thought there were some problems with her heart.
The newcomer walked inside and stopped just in front of her.
However, the other person merely stopped a few steps away and did nothing else.
Hui Lan could hardly contain her curious heart and wanted to take off the veil so badly. Never in her life has she seen the Emperor's face before.
"Take off your veil."
Underneath the red scarlet veil, Hui Lan was stunned.
...This voice? This was not the Emperor's voice.
"It's Ai jia. Now, Hui Lan, listen carefully."
Although Hui Lan did not know why the Empress Dowager was here, once she became aware, she nodded her head gently.
"The Emperor already has a lover." Empress Dowager's voice was very distant despite being the one who chose Hui Lan as the Empress.
As for Hui Lan, it was as if thunder had struck her, no as if she was smacked with cold water over and over.
...From when?
"Ai Jia will keep this short. This lover of his is nothing but a white lotus flower, so you might not be in this palace for long and your family might get implicated, unless…"
"Unless?"
"...Unless you bare my son a child, no a son would be even better."
Hui Lan felt helpless. If his majesty had someone he loved, then how was he ever going to touch her? "Taihou, what if chenqie can't?"
As if she had expected this question, Empress Dowager Xin replied almost immediately, "Make a deal with him. If you cannot do this, then you cannot enter this palace either." Though she was lending a helping hand to this new daughter in law of hers, if she was too incapable then she would also not want her.
Hui Lan's hands that were underneath her sleaves were holding onto each other tightly, so tight that her nails were almost cutting through her delicate skin, "Chenqie understands."
Empress Dowager felt a slight relief that Hui Lan was able to understand her. The elder of the palace took a deep breathe in, "Very well. From now onwards, call me muhou like how bixie calls me."
"Yes, muhou." Hui Lan heeded almost immediately.
"Good." Empress Dowager of Xin Li gave a small nod before walking her way out.
When the doors to the wedding chamber were closed and she was outside, the senior halted. She looked around directionlessly with her owl-like eyes, "Don't you think of telling my son this, else you have lost my trust and your mothers, I shall definitely tell them that you had betrayed me." Her words were not directed at anyone. It was just her, her court ladies and the darkness.
However, beyond the darkness, there was always something darker.
The Ke Men were patrolling the entire palace walls. However, this job was passed on through the generations. Whenever there was a change of Emperors, these men would also change. Now was the new generation. However, there were the Ke Woman that provided information and the mothers of these men were all working for her in the group, so if they really wanted to step on her, then she would not hesitate to tell their mothers of what they did to her.
The Ke Men were like a wolf pack, but what would they do if they had to face with the mother wolf? Of course, tremble with fear?
Empress Dowager Xin did not linger around any longer and proceeded back to her own chambers. It was getting late.
...Hopefully, her son would be cured of this blindness.