Chapter 16

So wanna know about the first kiss of Li Yanlong and Shen Nuo? 🙃🙃🙃 WARNING - UNDER AGE **** (But it's at the end most part of the chapter so you can ignore it if you're uncomfortable but make sure to read the first half.)

________________________________________________________________

An hour later, Zhangsun reported to the Emperor personally. The Emperor's face drew pale slowly. "What did they speak?"

Zhangsun shook his head grimly. "This subordinate was too far to hear what they spoke of, Your Majesty! And Consort Shen's personal bodyguard found me spying on them. Forgive this subordinate for being incompetent!"

The Emperor looked at Zhangsun's face. "What happened to your lips?" He asked creasing his brows.

Zhangsun gritted his teeth. "This subordinate accidentally got them wounded, Your Majesty."

Yanlong nodded thoughtfully. "Recently, you seem to be distracted a lot. Are you hiding something from Zhen?"

Zhangsun pursed his lips and shook his lowered head. "Even if this lowly subordinate has troubles, he won't trouble Your Majesty with them."

The Emperor sighed and waved his hand. "Dismissed!"

Zhangsun bowed and silently walked away, closing the door behind him.

The Emperor turned to look out of the broad window of the Imperial Study. The sky looked gloomy in the evening. There was a cold wind sweeping through, and the spring peach blossoms of pink descended down one by one through the groves and groves of peach trees.

Yanlong looked at this scene with a heavy heart. He liked falling petals. He remembered well a day he had witnessed such a heavy petal fall and that was sixteen years ago. Unknowingly his memories ran back to wholesome days of olden, when he was very small.

Back then, he was only eleven, the only Crown Prince of Li Yang...

To be honest, he liked to play like other kids. He wished if he could spend that carefree life he sees other kids spending... But he was the future Emperor of a country. He was thoroughly restrained in every possible manner.

If he didn't study, he would get beaten. If he didn't practice martial arts, he would be punished or starved. There was a time little Yanlong practiced hard and studied intensely. Only he knew he must do it if he didn't want to be in hunger. He became a different person under such pressure. He always wore a cold and expressionless face and rarely came to sight.

Thus, in other's eyes, the little Crown Prince became an awe inspiring figure with great talents and capabilities and the exact airs of the future successor of the throne.

Those were also the chaotic days when the Mongolians invaded the Xu Lin Pass of far north west. The opposing army was too big and couldn't be suppressed. Thus, his father, the former Emperor of Li Yang and Shen Nuo's father, the Grand Martial of Li Yang rode to pacify the Xu Lin Pass.

Little Yanlong was left at the General's Manor for few weeks, until the Emperor and Grand Martial Shen returned. But little Yanlong still was a cold and unreachable child.

When the six kids of the General's Manor played, he sat under a tree and studied, or either went to the grounds with his sword.

He frequently practiced sword arts alone, and studied scrolls until late night. No one dared to disturb him. No one dared to go near him. He even rarely came out of his room to other's sight and that was only when he practiced martial arts.

One evening, he happened to sprawl under a peach tree to clean his sword and saw the heavy fall of pink petals. A tall slender woman walked in the direction to watch the petals, unknown of his presence.

That woman was very beautiful and kind. She was Madam Liang, the Mistress of General's Manor and the wife of Martial Shen. She was carrying a soft bundle wrapped in wool in her arms and was gently humming as she watched the petals.

Yanlong was amazed. When he saw her few days ago, she was pregnant. It looked as though she had already given birth to her seventh child. Though Yanlong was the cold faced Crown Prince, he was still good mannered.

He placed away the sword and stood up, brushing away the dirt off his dress. Then he lowered his head politely. "Greetings, Madam Liang!"

The woman was stunned to find him there. "Little prince!" She bowed to him respectfully and smiled gently. "What is little prince doing here alone? My kids are playing at the grounds. Why don't Your Little Highness join them?"

Yanlong sheathed the sword expressionlessly but he spoke genuinely. "It's too noisy!"

Madam Liang was stunned again. But she smiled back quickly. "Your Highness is surely unique!"

"If there's nothing, Madam, I shall take my leave." He took the sword and didn't wait for an answer. He straightway turned to go to his room. There was a lot for him to study for the day. He had to end them before his father arrives. Or he would be punished again.

Just as he was about to pass her, he abruptly stopped. Because the silence was suddenly interrupted by a weakly crying voice. He was attracted by that voice. Though it was a painful cry, still it was pleasing to the ear.

He turned to the bundle which was the source of the sound. Madam Liang laughed softly at the bundle. "Hungry?"

When she saw the prince staring at the bundle, she half knelt on the grass and lowered the bundle for him to take a look. "He's the new baby general of Li Yang. He'll serve you whole heartedly one-day."

Yanlong didn't say anything. He dropped the sword and picked up the small and weak kid into his hands with care and looked at him. That baby stopped crying immediately and turned his tear stained eyes to look at the bewitching scarlet mole between his brows.

That baby was pale pink and very chubby, also very adorable that Yanlong couldn't help but lower his head slowly, mesmerized by the beauty and kiss the baby's forehead gently.

Madam Liang's eyes widened in utter surprise. The little infant also broke into a cute teeth - less smile and wrapped his little fingers around Yanlong's pinky.

"What is his name?" Yanlong had asked emotionlessly.

"He's not named yet." Madam Liang said in a soothing voice. "If little prince wants, then name him. It's his honor to be named by your little Highness."

Yanlong pursed his lips and continued to look at the little baby for a long time. Then almost in a soft whisper, he spoke. "Nuoyan."

Madam Liang was amazed and couldn't help but ask in curiously. "Why?"

Yanlong kept staring at the baby expressionlessly and spoke something that completely didn't go with his face or pride. "Beautiful."

Madam Liang was purely amazed. She couldn't believe even he uttered that. She smiled gently. "Prince is wise!" She said in a soft voice. "Shen Nuoyan..."

Yanlong nodded slightly in acknowledgement, handed over the kid without another look and grimly walked away. He didn't go to see the baby after that. Two weeks later, the Emperor and General returned in victory. Yanlong left the General's Manor and entered into the Main Palace again.

Time passed by. Days turned to weeks, then months and then to years. Yanlong grew up into a handsome prince of sixteen. He was exceptionally gifted and was talented to the extreme. Each and every Minister in the court had a grave respect towards him. Everyone thought he would be a great Emperor one-day. His father was very proud.

He only had a little free time as he grew and often helped his Father Emperor to handle the court matters. And whenever he was free, he would sit in a corner of his room and would stare at his pinky finger or rub it with unfocussed eyes in a deep thought. No one knew what he was thinking...

His Father Emperor who saw him grown up into a six feet tall handsome youth, suddenly remembered of marriage and genuinely talked the matter with him. But with a single glare of Li Yanlong, the Emperor dropped the matter over to be dealt with later...

That cold spring, the Peach Blossom Festival was held. The Capital became lively again. General's family visited the Palace for a banquet. The Crown Prince locked himself in his quarters again. He did not like to hang around with too much people.

So in his private garden, he was walking while reading a scroll. Suddenly he paused in his tracks and lowered his majestic head to look down. A chubby little baby boy was lying on the grassy ground, hugging his knees and looking up at him with shining eyes. The baby was not even tall up to his waist.

Yanlong's heart skipped a beat. Though almost five years had passed, he immediately recognized that lively and excited profile.

That little fair face was very familiar. The pair of eyes that looked at him hopefully through a curtain of fluffy hair was very beautiful, big and glassy, just like the day when he had seen him first. The curve of his little nose was soft and gentle. His little cherry lips were slightly pouted. That face was insanely cute.

Yanlong pursed his lips and continued to look at the boy with his cold and icy face. But beneath that cold human mask, his heart was beating wildly. He did not know why. He had imagined for countless times what that infant's face would look like once he grow up.

Actually, this mustn't be something a Crown Prince must be worrying. He daily had a lot of matters to deal with. But still, shamelessly he had to admit in his heart that he had missed this child a lot without a cause or a reason...

"Are you Shen Nuo?" He asked grimly, but if one had given attention to that voice, he would have found that the voice was slightly shuddering. But the five years old kid only chuckled gently and stretched his baby arms to him asking for a hug.

The young prince Li Yan, slowly half knelt on the grass and wrapped his youthful arms around the little kid's back.

When theirs faces came level, Shen Nuo immediately closed the distance between them, startling the prince. He curiously looked at the bright red mole between the sword brows of the other person and found it thouroghly interesting. He gently pressed it with his supple fingertip and Yanlong's breath hitched.

This mole was his most sensitive part of the body. He never let anyone know about it or touch it. Except for his Mother Empress who died when he was just three, no one had touched it before. Not even his father. He felt a shudder down his back. He stared at the mesmerisingly adorable face forth him with a heavy breath.

His eyes slowly lowered down the gentle nose bridge and then paused at those pale pink supple lips... They looked gentle and warm...

Unable to contain any longer, he lowered his face slowly and gently sucked those soft and warm lips in his. It was as if this was something he had been wanting to do for so long.

Little Nuo still smelled of milk. He seemed to be stunned. He didn't move and continued to stare at Yanlong's eyes with big glassy eyes. Nuo Nuo was raised amid a lot of love and care. He was cuddled, hugged, patted and kissed numerous times on his cheeks, head and forehead.

Though he had not experienced this kind of a thing before, his little mind thought that it was also as simple as a kiss on his head. So unknowingly he moved his head closer to Yanlong to repeat it.

And this time, it was Yanlong's time to be stunned. He stared at the little kid's lips that was closing the space between their faces. So under a blossoming peach tree and amid the gentle spring breeze, a pair of soft and warm lips and a pair of thin, icy cold lips met again.

Yanlong was pursing his lips this time. He looked as if restraining himself hard. But he couldn't. Little Nuo was too cute to be ignored. So subconsciously Yanlong slowly opened his lips and pulled Shen Nuo into a deep lingering kiss.

He wanted to stop it briefly but once started, his wanting became craving and then it became his thirst. He couldn't stop. He wanted more.

Little Nuo's eyes teared in pain. It looked as though he couldn't breath so he tried to break the lip contact forcefully.

When Yanlong drew his lips, Shen Nuo's eyes were already moist and a little red. His face was blushed because of the loss of breath. His little cherry lips were deep red, wet and very swollen. He pouted his mouth again and rolled his glassy eyes as if to cry.

Suddenly a panicked voice called from the front side of the garden and an old man in a soldier kit came walking through the trees. "Ah'nuo! Nuo Nuo! Where are you?"

Yanlong slowly stood, wiping away his wet lips with the back of his golden sleeve. The man who saw the prince and the kid was stunned. He immediately ran there and bowed in embarrassment.

"Please forgive little Nuo for disturbing Your Majesty! He is very naughty and ran away from the Banquet!"

Yanlong's phoenix eyes were suddenly red at the ends. His ears were pink. "Why can't he speak?" He asked with a frown.

"Your Highness, little Nuo Nuo only knows how to babble and cry. He still acts like a three years old child."

Yanlong's brows furrowed. "Why is that?"

The man looked helpless. "This, Your Majesty, this old man does not know. But this servant had heard a rumour before, saying that if the seventh child of a family is born as a ger, he will be a mute."

Yanlong was shocked. "G...ger?"

The old man nodded seriously. "Little Nuo Nuo is a ger. It's still a secret that is only known by a few. Hope Your Highness can keep it a secret for now."

Yanlong couldn't recover from the shock for a long time. He thought Shen Nuo was a boy and one day, like his other siblings, he would practice martial arts and join the army... But now, he did not know how he felt. Amid nervousness, somewhere deep into his heart, he also felt a happiness. He did not know why...

He gulped and stared at the little boy huddled in the arms of the old man. After a long time, he took away the beautiful white jade tassel hung by the side of his wait belt and hung it upon Shen Nuo's little waist belt himself.

The old man was stunned. "Your Majesty, this...this -"

"Five hundred miles away to the South from the Capital, there's a town called Xuanya." Yanlong spoke grimly. "There's a temple called Wu Xiang Monastery. It's said that wishes come true there. Go there and have him blessed. He'll soon be able to speak."

Then without waiting for another second, he strode away grimly. The old man could only bow his head in confusion.

Few months later, news personally came to Yanlong's father, thanking Yanlong. The news only said that baby Nuo Nuo was a chatterbox and the family had jokingly asked the prince if he knew a temple to make little Nuo shut his mouth.

Yanlong had only slightly smiled. He smiled after such a long time that it felt strange but happy. He turned to look out of the window and sighed at the beautiful falling petals of the late spring...

Emperor Yanlong pursed his lips silently. It looked as if those days were from hundred years before. "Haoyi!" He raised his grim voice and the Head Eunuch who had been dutifully standing outside the Study, entered and bowed his head. "Your Majesty!"

"Go to Mingyue Palace!" Yanlong said narrowing his eyes. "And summon Consort Shen into the Hot Springs tonight!"

________________________________________________________________