"So that was where that scar came from…" Luqi's head was leaning on his chest. She remembered seeing a few healed wounds on his body, but that one stood out. "I thought it was from the war."
"I wouldn't let myself be wounded like that out there. Li Chen was just heartless."
"He was remorseful for what he did, wasn't he."
"After I recovered, he was back to normal." The smirk on the emperor's face looked hopeless. "He stopped experimenting on people, but he still did it to himself and the animals he hunted."
"What a maniac."
"What about you."
"What about me, your majesty."
"Weren't you a maniac too."
"I was slightly better than that."
"The scars on your body did not seem like they were from battles."
"…" She awkwardly dazed away. "What, can't you tell."
"Of course. You tried to cultivate curative divination." Li Wan stretched her cheeks.
"Even though I knew that it was only possible with Pure Lin? Yes."
"Foolish." He tightened his hug as his face buried into her hair.
"Who's to say I wouldn't suddenly channel Pure Lin, your majesty?"
"Anyone with common sense."
"Stop that." She pouted. "What about you, your majesty, weren't YOU obsessed with anything?"
"Women."
"…"
"…"
"Are you serious?"
"Hm. What do you think?"
"I think I don't want you to touch me anymore."
He let out a small chuckle. "No, I was never obsessed with anything," he continued. "I was focused on how to make Tianxia a better nation and watched my father's decisions closely."
"You knew you would be the next emperor."
He shrugged. "Could you imagine Li Chen on the throne?"
"…Nightmare."
"There was not much I cared about. I lived day by day until I was the emperor."
"You said that, but the rumours said otherwise."
"I did have countless beautiful women around," he justified. "They were good momentary distractions and served their purpose."
"You still have countless beautiful women around, your majesty. Why are you using the past tense."
"Look around, Luqi."
"??? Why?"
He gently grabbed her face and pulled it closer to his. "There's only you."
She glared. "Pft," helpless smile plastered in her face, "and for how long? you'll switch me out soon enough."
"I won't."
"You will."
"I won't, your seducing divination works a bit too well."
"Wish that's a divination power I actually have." They started laughing.
.
.
.
And so the banters prolonged. They sat as their bodies soaked in the comfort of nature, their gazes ambling throughout the dazzling body of water and colourful garden.
.
.
.
.
"It's been almost a week…" Mei Ying sat by the tea table in her chamber, hands trembling as she chewed her nails. "His majesty glued that useless princess to himself… every night… every meal…" Her hollow orbs were shackled with anguish.
"M-mistress…" Xin Yi shook in worry.
"This had never happened before…" The concubine sprang up from her seat. "Even with me… his majesty had never held around for that long… I knew it… I called it… that witch was bad news…"
The maid's gaze loomed back and forth. She was plugging every strand of her brain to find a way to fix this.
Xin Yi had dedicated her time to serving the mistress ever since she became part of the palace. Despite the mistress's overbearing manners at times, she was a considerate woman who paid attention to the small details of those around her.
Whether it was Xin Yi being harassed by other maidens or personal problems she had with her family, Mistress Mei had always noticed and offered help.
She was grateful. More grateful than she had ever been to anyone. And therefore she needed to be of help, to return the favour to her master.
She knew everything Mei Ying ever wanted was to become empress, and had witnessed all the suffering her mistress went through to accomplish that goal.
Throughout the many years, Mistress Mei underwent a strict regimen, cultivating skills and necessary manners to make herself the most suited for the position of her dream.
All of that was now being challenged by the recent appearance of this "princess of Qi Tian."
There was only one way to become empress, and that was to get chosen by the emperor, whatever he saw as most fitted.
However, one's chances increased if they were carrying the blood of his majesty in their womb, granted the higher position that no one was holding right now, the noble consort.
And soon, THE EMPRESS if the child is assigned as the crown prince.
"Mistress… what do you think about implanting your womb with his majesty's blood…" The maid tacitly suggested.
"Easier said than done. His majesty has always purposely avoided impregnating any maiden. That is just not possible."
"But if he was drunk and… drugged…"
"What are you… still, if I don't get pregnant after that one night and am found out…"
"Mistress, in my hometown, we have a certain medication that can make a woman's body more impregnable."
The room was quiet with thought-filled figures.
"Then the problem now must be how we can remove that witch from his majesty. I can't do anything with her by his side."
"Then, Mistress, shouldn't you just invite her over for… tea?" Xin Yi's shy expression hinted at mischief.
.
.
.
It was late in the evening when the letter arrived.
The night air carried a faint chill, soft ripples spreading across the pond beneath the pavilion. Lanterns floated nearby, their reflections trembling like drifting fireflies.
Luqi lay across the emperor's lap, her white hanfu flowing over the edge of the standium, looking like a celestial maiden who had accidentally descended to the mortal world. She had fallen asleep there, head resting on his lap. She failed to chase him away earlier that evening.
Li Wan leaned against the wooden pillar, a book open in his hand. His gaze danced between the letters and her peaceful face.
The scene was calm, dreamlike. The faint scent of flowers from the garden below, the sound of koi tails flicking through water, the rustle of willow leaves swaying against the night breeze.
Then came soft footsteps.
"Your Majesty… Princess Luqi…"
Bai Yi's voice came hesitantly towards the garden.
Li Wan looked toward the sound, eyes slightly narrowed. "Come in," he said quietly, so as not to disturb the woman asleep on his lap.
Bai Yi stepped in, head bowed. "A letter arrived, Your Majesty."
Luqi stirred at the sound of her maid's voice.
Her lashes fluttered open, revealing hazy, half-awake eyes. "what?" she mumbled, pressing her face deeper into the emperor's stomach as if retreating from the world.
Without looking down, Li Wan lazily brushed his hand through her hair, his thumb tracing slow circles.
"Princess," Bai Yi continued carefully, "Mistress Mei Ying sent a letter."
That jolted her awake. Luqi's eyes snapped open. "What? Why?"
She sat up, strands of her hair slightly messy, a small frown forming. Of course. She should have expected this. The palace must have been whispering ever since the emperor began calling for her daily.
"Ugh." She groaned, flopping backward again.
That made Li Wan chuckle. "You seem troubled, my princess."
"Please, Your Majesty," she muttered, covering her face with her sleeve. "Call upon some other concubine tomorrow. You've stuck with me for more than a week now. They're going to skin me alive."
"Skin the princess of Qi Tian?" he teased. "The strongest female in the country?" His tone softened, half-mocking. "Upon some thinking," he continued, "I actually realise it was wasteful that I didn't assign you as a general."
"Ughhh…" She groaned again, burying her face into his stomach once more. "Stop joking, I'm being serious…"
"Princess," Bai Yi spoke again timidly, "should I prepare a reply?"
"Whatever," Luqi mumbled from where she lay. "Write to her that I'm sick or something."
"Understood."
She sighed deeply and turned her face sideways, cheek resting against the emperor's lap. "And you, Your Majesty, for the love of all that's holy, please spend time with someone else for the next two or three days?"
Li Wan's hand paused mid-motion. His voice lowered. "You keep pushing me away, Luqi. Do you hate the emperor of Tianxia that much?"
"I don't, Your Majesty." She tilted her head up, looking at his expression. His gaze displeased.
"You'd be happy if I left you alone completely, wouldn't you?"
"No. I wouldn't."
A silence stretched between them. The faint hum of night cicadas filled the air.
Finally, she turned her gaze toward the pond again. She whispered, almost to herself, "If only you weren't an emperor… it would've been less trouble to love."
He froze.
"…To what?"
Her eyes were lost in the shimmering water. "Nothing."
Her voice was soft, almost like a sigh. The breeze carried it away before he could ask again.