"And do you believe that he would truly not let us down when the time comes?"
"In killing the Emperor, yes. But in letting us escape... No."
Ren Jidian recounted everything that Song Xiu had told him to Empress Wei and Gou Zhongcheng.
"I share the same sentiment." Gou Zhongcheng agreed. "But do not worry about it. When the time comes, I'll take care of it."
Ren Jidian nodded, then took notice of something.
"What happened to your lips?"
"What about it?"
Gou Zhongcheng just touched her lower lip and only noticed the tiny wound and some of the blood from it. "Oh... It's nothing."
Empress Wei could tell that it was not nothing, but just let it slide for now.
"His birthday... How shall I distract and lure him during his birthday?"
"Perhaps say that you have a gift for him. A surprise prepared." Gou Zhongcheng suggested.
"Hmm..... Well, in the kingdom of Pei, we do have a dance that the Yin do for their Yang spouse before they... breed."
Ren Jidian smiled bitterly. "That would truly be something he looks forward too. I would need materials for setting the fire as well. Taking it from the Palace would be far too suspicious."
"We could pretend to shop for clothes and the sash for the dance." Empress Wei offered. "I have also yearned to go outside for a long time now, but he does not allow me to do so without any viable reason and without him by my side."
"But I'll also be by your side this time, Empress." Ren Jidian held his hand. "I won't let him do anything to you as we travel and shop for materials."
He saw Wei Wangyi's cheeks reddened, and he just sipped more of his soup.
Gou Zhongcheng also brought out. "There is also a nearby river with lotuses that was believed to bring miraculous healing properties near the market. You can also make an excuse to go bathe there for the Empress' sake if the other excuses didn't work."
Empress Wei nodded. "Good suggestion. After all, he can never say no when it comes to bringing me back to my health."
"B-But... You would be bathing in the river. In front of him and me." Ren Jidian swallowed.
"Ah, I have no qualms with that. Both of you had already seen my naked body after all."
Gou Zhongcheng spat out her soup, and coughed. "Ahem..... I'm sorry... That just caught me off guard."
Ren Jidian frowned from jealousy. "When did he see you naked?"
"On the night after our wedding, when we almost consummated. I have stripped off my clothes and I bit the inside of my cheek so I can look like I vomitted blood."
Ren Jidian sighed. "I'm still not comfortable with having a lecherous Yang see your body, Empress."
"Then you can cover it for me." Empress Wei grinned. "Take me to the woods and undress me yourself, then hide my body from his sight."
It was Ren Jidian's turn to almost spat out his soup, but he held it in and instead swallowed too fast, choking.
"Cough, cough... I see."
"Haha, I'm just teasing you, Scholar Ren." He chuckeld softly. "But if you wanted to do so..... I wouldn't mind and shall not resist."
Ever since that night where he wore Yang clothes during his heat, the Empress became more and more..... playful with him. Just like the old Wei Sizhi.
This meant that he was becoming more comfortable with him, and they were getting closer. It made him relieved, but also made him so embarassed and sometimes frustrated at the same time.
The next day after that conversation, he and Gou Zhongcheng went to request to be allowed to shop and visit the miraculous river.
They were right. The Emperor was not convinced with the concept of shopping for clothes for his birthday, but he was eventually coerced into agreeing to let his Empress bathe in healing waters.
And so, they travelled in an intimidating group. There was the Emperor and Empress, a dozen Yin servants to carry the things they bought, Gou Zhongcheng the guard, and Scholar Ren.
However, a voice called out as the went our of the Palace, running along to join them.
"Qing Guang! You didn't say you would be off to bring the Empress to the River of Wonders!" Song Xiu's sickeningly sweet voice called out.
The stern Emperor raised an eyebrow. "You also know this lake, Uncle? How come you never told me about it?"
"Ah, it slipped my mind. But I know its location, and I also know a nearby cave that serves as a temple to pray to the Yin god of childbirth."
The Emperor's eyes gleamed with interest at this. "Childbirth, huh... Perhaps we do indeed need to pray there once Yi-Yi and I consummated on my birthday."
Empress Wei said nothing, simply walking ahead of them and pulling the awkward scholar beside him. It was his first time to go outside again, and to walk beyond the manor.
He pointed in amazement at everything the passed by, clinging onto Ren Jidian's arms.
The Emperor couldn't help but scowl somehow. He hoped that since Yi-Yi was willing to even dance and consummate with him during his birthday, that he would show more adoration and warmth towards him.
But why was all that warmth going towards that Yin scholar?
He shared these grievances to his advisor, who just laughed it off while patting his head.
"Ah, A-Ting! You worry too much! The Empress does have softened up to you, otherwise he wouldn't have went all this way just to buy the best clothes for his dance and to let himself be healed."
He grinned dryly. "They're just friends. Very goods friends, that is why they are close to each other."
"After all, how can a Yin ever satisfy another Yin? His body would still call out for the touch of a Yang in the end."
Emperor Zau Ting was convinced by this and so, he let the two shop happily together at the market and pick up and ogle at clothes and food.
Laughing and joking around, playfully feeding each other and getting all touchy with one another.
There was even a time when Empress Wei took a sash and wrapped it around Scholar Ren's eyes so he can't see him and place a kiss on his cheek.
Or like when sauce dripped onto Ren Jidian's finger and the Empress licked it with his tongue. Giving him a sultry look as he did so.
Just like 'good friends', indeed.