Emperor's Cunning Wife

When Ning Lou reached a corner, she hid herself inside and thoroughly erased the traces of her woeful face. After a minute, she could see a feminine silhouette approaching her and lifted her head. Surprised flashed in her eyes when she saw Mother Shen giving her odd look. What's this? Confusion, surprise, and something else enclosed in those eyes. Mother Shen and that person's arrival were already out of her expectation, and now their reactions gave out some kind of shock, they have the same expression of someone's response towards their arrangement being not able to go according to plan? Ning Lou was petrified of her thoughts and soon adjusted her visage.

"Mother Shen, are you visiting Brother Long?" Her smile was light with some occasional twitching. The incense's effects still left some residue in her system.

Mother Shen also knew that she showed some facial expression she shouldn't have. She gave a nod and switched the topics. "Who is that young man that came to see you?"

Towards Mother Shen, Ning Lou knew she couldn't be fooled. It would be good to say the truth since she grasped that the situation has changed, "We met on the streets days ago. This one took pity on him and offered him a place to stay. Mother Shen, on the account of saving Brother Long, could you give me an exception and placed him under my wings. This one will make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

Mother Shen lifted her eyebrows at her request. This is a brothel. The female courtesans will be uncomfortable if there was a young man residing in the same place with the exception of Chang'e. But since, she hasn't demand anything excessive besides offering her some absurd business ideas, she couldn't say no. It's just that this decision only the Master would have the right to decide. She looked towards the corner where Master and Chang'e were residing in the moment.

With just that one look, Ning Lou knew her request would be at Brother Long's hands but it seemed she would need to wait until he wakes up. Thus she excused herself to give Mother Shen some space, "Mother Shen, I will excuse myself now."

Mother Shen never expected she would just leave without making a fuss so she was a beat late to respond, "Okay, I will ask the Master on your behalf." She thought that Ning Lou didn't know that Long was their superior and spoke as if she was talking about another person.

'Huh?'

Mother Shen waited until her silhouette was gone until she strode toward the door imitating the series of pattern knocks Ning Lou had made earlier.

"Come in." Chang'e assented.

Mother Shen opened the door and noticed a patch of stain had smeared the paper screen of Master's bedchambers. There was also a teacup on the foot of the door. Her head was filled of questions, but as a subordinate, one couldn't be too curious.

"When did you recruit a girl with a foul mouth and rude manners? Aren't you afraid that the business will go bankrupt?" Chang'e sneered as he remembered Ning Lou's infuriating words.

Mother Shen turned a blind eye towards his poisonous tongue and proceeded to knock on the Master's bedroom carefully. "Master, this one had something to report."

"Enter." Long spoke, his voice tinged with tiredness.

"Some people in this brothel have no aesthetic appreciation for beautiful things." Chang'e spoke making Mother Shen give him a second look before closing the door entirely.

Chang'e scoffed and continued to play with his l.u.s.trous hair while humming a tune.

--

"Master, this one heard some news in the palace. The Empress Dowager issued a decree to have the harem serve the man on schedule. A concubine was able to sleep with him."

Splash-

Long spat the tea he was drinking and gave Mother Shen some odd look.

"Did you double check the authenticity?" His voice carried some shock as if he heard the sun had rose from the west.

Mother Shen nodded and continued, "The Empress had been absent from the morning greetings five days ago and the Empress Dowager said that she went to the temple to pray for the Dowager's wellbeing."

The Empress is out in the palace. Isn't this quite reckless? There were factions eyeing the Phoenix seat, this piece of news was skin to someone giving the pack of hungry wolves some meat. Looks like his trip in Qin country was not in vain, at least he could fish out some information before travelling to that place.

Long wiped his mouth and stood up. "You may be excuse."

Mother Shen bowed before leaving the room. Outside, she saw Chang'e eavesdropping on the paper screen. His ear was pasted on wall, and there was a finger sized hole on it.

"Go on, the business will not earn any income if you're in this room."

Chang'e alternated between watching the interiors of the room through the small hole and pasting his ears to pick up some of their conversation. He did this until she saw a silver flicker approaching his form. He quickly dodged and a dagger with half of its body embedded on the wall appeared perpendicular to the hole.

Chang'e whistled before sitting in his previous chair, annoyance occupied his attractive face. "Poor me, the people in the brothel are creatures without tender feelings for attractive people." He mumbled while casually looking at the direction of Long's dagger.

When the silence finally returned, Long focused on giving orders to his subordinates.

The Empress' travel to the temple was no small thing, so when the others heard the same news they also quickly made preparations. The path to the throne has never been peaceful. Numerous corpses had been sacrifice for the so called 'supreme power'. Thousands of hands moved behind the cover of darkness.

--

Gao Ling watched the man seating on the dragon chair ignoring his great contributions for the country. He was busily giving out orders to his subordinates to the point Gao Ling felt his existence was not needed.

After several hours of slumping on the chaise lounge, he kneaded his numbed t.h.i.g.hs.

There was a knock on the door and the chief eunuch took the lunch to the table below the dragon chair. "Your Majesty, the lunch is served."

Then the chief eunuch also gazed at Gao Ling.

Gao Ling stood up and approached the table where a sumptuous feast was prepared for the stoic Emperor. He was halfway, when the chief eunuch blocked his way, "Young Master Gao, your Father sent words." The chief eunuch leaned on his ears to relay some private matters.

Gao Ling who was famished endured the burning sensation in his stomach and hurriedly bid the Emperor farewell, "Your Majesty, this subject's father is asking this one's presence at home. This subject asked to be excused."

The Emperor paused in steps before waving his hand.

Gao Ling bowed once more and exited the imperial study. His hurried steps entered Jinlong eyes.

--

Imperial Physician's Manor, 11:30 a.m. according to modern time calculations

The room was filled with boisterous laughter from Xuanji. It was currently lunch time but Xuanji always turned blind eye to the noble's etiquette and customs and therefore the room was quite lively. The wife of the Imperial Physician was approaching her fifties. Time had caused her skin to be wrinkled but Xuanji's love for her hadn't diminished a bit. They were pair of mandarin ducks that was envied by many noble women who lived with their husbands and several concubines.

"Yunxu, how was your travel to Zhou?"

The young man beside the main wife lifted his head. He possessed doe eyes in contrast to the Emperor's stern and handsome countenance or Long Huangtian's fierce looks. He had a cool and gentle beauty.

"Father, Zhou was a great place…"

Gao Ling arrived and witnesses a harmonious scene before his eyes. His father grabbed a young man's hands, while his mother was wiping off the rice in the corner of the young man's mouth. Gao Ling had stared for a moment before he felt the young man's gaze on him.

"Ling'gege!" Yunxu shouted causing the wife and husband to spin their sights on Gao Ling at the door.

"Yunxu." Gao Ling smiled stiffly at him.

Yunxu smiled in return albeit mirthlessly.