Eunuch Lin immediatelyes to his master’s defense, "The Prime Minister must not speak thoughtlessly. His Majesty did not touch his concubines because he puts too much importance in feelings, because he has not met anyone he likes."
"There are 3000 beauties inside the pce, each beautiful in their own ways. Howe not even one of them managed to attract him? Something must be really wrong with him. Oh right, why are you standing here? Is the emperor asleep? It is still too early!" Chu Ling Xiao finally sensed something off.
Eunuch Lin sighs, "His Majesty is in a bad mood. He kicked us all out and drinks all by himself inside."
"Him? Drinking? Hahaha, am I hearing this wrong? He is a very controlled person in both bed and drinking matters. He never drinks unless he has to, mostly in pce’s banquets. Something must have really gone wrong. Let me check him out," Chu Ling Xiao walks into the room in anticipation.
Jun Qian Che is sitting in front of a table while drinking, he looks fairly drunk. There is a bitter smile on his lips as he downs cups after cups of wine.
Chu Ling Xiao sits next to him, looking stunned, "Your Majesty, you are drinking wine like it is water."
Jun Qian Che nces at him icily, "Why are you here?"
Chu Ling Xiao shrugs, "I thought you looked off these past few days, so I came to take a look. Why are you drinking in sorrow here? Did you fight with the empress?"
His hand pauses for a moment upon the mentioning of Mo Qi Qi before he continues drinking.
Seeing his reaction, Chu Ling Xiao pours himself a cup, "Since Your Majesty wants to drink, this official will drink with you."
After 3 cups and noticing that Jun Qian Che has gotten tipsier, Chu Ling Xiao curiously asks, "Did something happened, Your Majesty?"
Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly, "Ling Xiao, do you think <i>zhen</i> is pitiful?"
"Pitiful? Are you joking, Your Majesty? Everything under the sky belongs to you. You only need to wave your hand to get what you want. If you are pitiful, everyone else are worse."
"You are right, <i>zhen</i> can get everything that <i>zhen</i> wants with a simplemand. Everything, everything but her heart." Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly as he downs another cup. The bitter taste of the wine is nothingpared to the one in his heart.
"Are you talking about the empress, Your Majesty? Did you two fight?" He thought the emperor does not care for the empress...
"Fight? <i>Zhen</i> can only wish so. She tries too hard in front of <i>zhen</i>, she has be too cautious. It makes <i>zhen</i> really angry." The grip he has on the cup tightens.
Chu Ling Xiao looks at the cup in his hand, he looks like he is going to break it, "You are the emperor, which woman wouldn’t try hard and be cautious in front of you? Do you want her to fight with you everyday in front of everyone?"
"She is not any other woman; she is <i>zhen’s</i> wife, <i>zhen’s</i> empress. The one whom <i>zhen</i> will hold hands with until <i>zhen</i> dies. Our road is still long ahead of us. <i>Zhen</i> only wants her to be honest in front of <i>zhen</i>, to be the person she really is. Seeing her acting that way makes <i>zhen</i> feels tired on her behalf."
Chu Ling Xiao finds it hard to believe that those emotional words areing from Jun Qian Che’s mouth. That ice block has fallen in love?
Impossible!
Mo Qi Qi actually has the ability to break his fa?ade.
"You must have drank too much, Your Majesty. You are actually saying such touching words."
"<i>Zhen</i> have always thought that <i>zhen</i> knows her; <i>zhen</i> believed in what <i>zhen</i> could see. Only now did <i>zhen</i> realized that maybe <i>zhen</i>had misunderstood her. What the eyes could see and the ears could hear might not always be the truth."
He suddenly remembers what she said to him in the viewing tower, "Your Majesty, please listen to <i>chenqie’s</i> exnation. Someone has trapped<i> chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> has never wronged you!"
"You cheap woman, you actually dared to betray <i>zhen</i>? Do you think <i>zhen</i> is blind?"
"Haha— betrayed?"
"What are youughing at?"
"Who exactly is the one who betrayed whom between the two of us? We have been married for two years, but how have you treated me? You have never stayed with me. There is only that lowly Yang Shi Han in your heart!"
"Mo Qi Qi, you are arrogant, overbearing, jealous, totally unworthy of your position as the mother of the nation. <i>Zhen</i> amodated you, turning a blind eye at everything you have done. You know that <i>zhen</i>is the ruler of the kingdom, <i>zhen</i> cannot be monogamous."
"No, I don’t! Why must I dedicate my heart and soul for you if you won’t do the same for me? If you dislike me so much, why did you marry me? Was it because you wanted to borrow my father’s military power so that you could ascend the throne peacefully?" she finally gathered up the courage to ask him the question that she feared the most.
He did not answer her, silently acknowledging it.
"Hahaha, so it was only wishful thinking on my part! You have never loved me! Jun Qian Che, I hate you! I want to humiliate you! I will make you the biggestughingstock in the world!"
Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly when he remembers that incident: he always thought he could read people, but turns out he couldn’t read her. He misunderstood her, she really was innocent.
"Your Majesty, have you fallen in love with the empress?" Chu Ling Xiao directly asks.
"Love?" Jun Qian Cheughs mockingly. "<i>Zhen</i> will never fall for any woman, much less one whoes from Mo n. <i>Zhen</i> only feels guilty, that is all."
Chu Ling Xiaoughs while shaking his head, "You will never fall in love with her or you don’t have the guts to? I’m afraid, you know that better than anyone else. Things like love and emotion have never been clear anyway. Let’s drink!"
Although alcohol makes one even more sorrowful, at least it can temporarily help them forget their problem.
The next day, Feng Yang Pce’s door is finally opened again. Mo Qi Qi gathers herself up to face a brand new day.
She is not the type that dwells in sorrow, so she gathers up her courage to face what is ahead of her.
When the rest of the concubines find out that the empress is now willing to meet them, they rush to Feng Yang Pce in worry.
"Your Ladyship, we were so worried when we heard that you refused to meet anyone. We thought something has happened!"
"Right! Right! Did you fight with His Majesty, Your Ladyship?"
Mo Qi Qi who is sitting on the phoenix seat looks at them as they speak. She used to find them troublesome and noisy. She was only nice to them because she didn’t want them to conspire against her. But now, she finds them warm and fulfilling. It doesn’t matter if they are being real or are only feigning concern, chatting with them makes her happy. No matter what, they are all pitiful in their own ways. They are so young and are forced to enter the pce to keep their families safe. They have to tread on thin ice. If they receive favour, they will be the subject of another’s envy. If they don’t receive favour, they will be ridiculed by everyone, including servants. Being in their spots are not easy. She can be considered a little luckypared to them.
"Thank you for your concerns, sisters. <i>Bengong</i> just needed a little rest, that is all," Mo Qi Qi smiles as she looks at them.
The concubinesugh, "As long as you are fine, Your Ladyship. We thought you and the emperor had a big fight. You refused to meet anyone for a couple of days while His Majesty seems so busy that he hadn’t had time to meet Yang Shi Han. You must not fight with His Majesty, Your Ladyship. You will only end up pushing him to Yang Shi Han. At the end of the day, you will be the one suffering a loss."
"Chun Fei is right, Your Ladyship! You must try and get along with His Majesty. With your beauty and your background, Yang Shi Han will never catch up to you!"
"True! Yang Shi Han always thought she is pretty, but honestly, you are a lot prettier than her!"
Mo Qi Qiughs, "Enough. Let’s not talk about unpleasant things. A few days have passed, <i>bengong</i> is curious about meimeis’ yoga and dancing skills."
The concubines smile happily, "The dances and the yoga that you taught us are really good. We feel so refreshed!"
"<i>Bengong</i> is d that all of you like it. Today, <i>bengong</i> would like to teach all of you a new set of skill." Mo Qi Qi purposely tries to sound mysterious.
Everyone listens to her curiously, "What is it, Your Ladyship?"
"<i>Bengong</i> is going to teach you a special kind of virtue: singing." She looks at the concubines who are dressed beautifully. She nods in satisfaction. "Let’s go to the courtyard to dance and sing together."
"Let’s go! Let’s go!"
They follow Mo Qi Qi outside.
After the morning court ends, Jun Qian Che finds out that Feng Yang Pce has opened it’s door once more.
There is this inexplicable excitement in him. He goes to Feng Yang Pce directly without taking his breakfast. He just wants to see if she is doing okay. Remembering what happened that night, his heart is filled with remorse.
He can hear the sound ofughter as he stands outside Feng Yang Pce’s gate.
Eunuch Lin wants to announce his arrival, but he stops him.
Eunuch Lin asks him curiously, "Aren’t you going in, Your Majesty?"
"No. They are ying happily, do not bother her," Jun Qian Che rests his gaze on Mo Qi Qi. She is looking at everyone while smiling brightly. Even the sun pales inparison to that smile. Who would have thought that she would be ying so happily with the concubines that she used to regard as her enemies? Why is it so? It is because her heart is not longer how it used to be. A woman will not be jealous if she does not love that man. Mo Qi Qi, what should <i>zhen</i> do with you?
Mo Qi Qi is looking at the concubines happily, "Meimeis must have worked so hard with your dancings, these past few days. <i>Bengong</i> is very happy. The emperor will be touched if he knows this. Next, <i>bengong</i> would like to teach all of you a song called, ’The Most Romantic Thing’!
’Back to back, sitting on a rug,
Listening to music, talking about our dreams
I hope, you will be even softer and gentler over time,
And you hope that you are the one in my heart,
I said I wanted to give you a romantic dream,
Thank you for taking me to paradise,
I am not afraid if it will take my whole life,
I cherish every moment with you,
I know what the most romantic thing is,
It is to grow old with you,
Smiling along the journey,
From walking, to sitting on a rocking chair, just talking,
I know what the most romantic thing is,
It is to grow old with you,
Until we both have grey hair, and we can no longer walk,
I still want for you to be the treasure of my heart.’"
(<strong>TN</strong>: The credit for the trantion of the lyrics is .)
Something stirs inside Jun Qian Che’s heart as he listens to her song. He wonders how it will be like if they grow old together.
Impossible. Mo n will have to go, sooner orter. He and Mo Qi Qi will be enemies in the future. He knows all that, so why did he even bother imagining what could have been?
He shakes his head and turns around to walk away. Now that he has seen her, his heart is at peace.
"Your Majesty—-" he bumps into Qiu Fei who has just arrived. She didn’t think that her tardiness would result to her identally meeting the emperor. She has a hard time hiding her delight, "Greeting, Your Majesty."
Qiu Fei’s voice attracts the attention of everyone inside the courtyard. They turn to the entrance and are shocked to find the emperor there. They run over to him and surround him, "Your Majesty—-"
Jun Qian Che wants to cry. Everyone envies him for having 3000 beauties, but to him, they are all troublesome.
He turns around and looks at the courtyard again.
Mo Qi Qi is still standing at her original spot, smiling mockingly while shaking her head.
He opens his mouth coldly, "<i>Zhen</i> has something to say to the empress. All of you should retreat first."