Chapter 47

Li Yan repeatedly ignored Shen Nuo for the whole next day. Shen Nuo was also in a terrible mess. He did not know how the Emperor always know what he did. Anyway, the reason for the strange anger he held when they were at the Study was cleared. So actually the Emperor knows everything already.

Shen Nuo also withdrew back to his quarters silently. He did not cause troubles anymore. The palace was also silent and gloomy. No one spoke to each other pleasantly or held banquets as usual. Consort Sagangui was seriously ill so that Li Yan personally had to send the imperial doctor for her care. And Prince Altai was to be beheaded at the public platform at Lincheng six days later.

And strangely, there were some serious preparations carried out by the eunuchs and the maids of the Palace. Long bright red curtains embroidered with golden threads in arts of a dragon and a phoenix were hung everywhere around the palace. It looked as though the Emperor was busy with something private. He was only seen during the court sessions but disappeared soon after.

No one knew the reasons for this except the trusted aids of the Emperor. No one went prying over this either, since they loved their necks. But Shen Nuo wasn't dumb. He looked grave and pale. He had a terrible guess in his heart but he didn't dare to think too much. How can it be that way? Li Yan was a monster, impossible...

Since that day they fought at the Study, Li Yan had not summoned him back, until that one cold evening, Jinyu suddenly brought the news that was newly released by the Emperor.

"Master!" He yelled in delight.

Shen Nuo felt his heart beating wildly. But he ignored the sensation with some force and pulled his cold face, forcefully against his heart.

"What is it?" He asked darkly.

Jinyu pouted like a five years old child. "Master, now what's up with that attitude? This is happy tidings! You know? The Emperor had personally decided to remove Consort Sagangui from the harem since she repeatedly begged the Emperor to release Prince Altai!"

Shen Nuo gasped in horror. "She did that?"

Liyi nodded. "Yeah, I heard the incident too. She had just barged inside the court during the court sessions and had cried kneeling infront of His Majesty's feet asking to release the prisoner. She was never a person who would do something like that... Honestly I feel sad for her."

Shen Nuo felt as if he was struck by lightning. "When did that happen!!? Why didn't you tell me???"

Liyi and Jinyu lowered their heads. "It happened at the court yesterday." Liyi said anxiously. "We didn't tell you because we thought you would..."

Shen Nuo was so angry. "I would what???" He glared at his maid. He was shaking in his anger now. It's fine if Li Yan wants to vent over Altai but what did Sagangui do? She was purely innocent! Why did Li Yan have to embarrass her infront of the court like that? No, he needs to talk to Li Yan...

Shen Nuo angrily got up from the couch he was lying and pulled his dress over. But Jinyu pulled him back with an anxious grin.

"Calm down! Master, I'm not done speaking yet!" Jinyu said quickly, broadening his grin. "Since Consort Sagangui admitted she loved prince Altai infront of the whole court, the Emperor will officially remove her from her post as a wife of him, and marry her off to Prince Altai day after tomorrow! Cheers! A marriage is coming!"

Shen Nuo felt as if stabbed. He grasped the nearby pillar, feeling lame. Was he hearing things right? Was Li Yan someone who would do something like this? He thought Li Yan was still his merciless arrogant self like it was in his previous birth. But now... He gulped as a strong sense of guilt slowly devoured his heart.

"Li Yan... I don't know you anymore..."

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Li Yan entered into the room. Sagangui stood up from the seat infront of the mirror when her maids all suppressed their nervous smiles.

"Your Majesty!"

Li Yan silently looked at Sagangui who was dressed wholly in a bright red wedding dress that was sweeping down behind her. Her eyes had a faint touch of moistness. She pursed her thin lips tightly, lowering her head.

Li Yan kept looking at her. Finally after few seconds, he spoke. "Why were you crying?"

The maids tactfully left leaving them alone in the room. Sagangui gulped, feeling miserable. Her eyes went even red in the attempt. Finally when she couldn't take it anymore, she bursted out crying loudly and felled onto her knees. "They say it was Your Majesty who sew this dress for me... Is that true?" Her shuddering voice was slightly hoarse.

Li Yan looked confused. "Is this dress ugly for you? I -"

Sagangui shook her head furiously. "Your Majesty, this dress is very beautiful..."

It was true. For two days Li Yan spent his time sewing this dress for her. He brought the best red silk and twined golden threads in beautiful arts of phoenixes and flowers upon it amid precious pearls.

He had not done this thing for a long while, so he often got his fingertips pricked. It was painful. But everytime his hand got pricked, memories flashed across his mind how his first empress Xi Jinluo often stitched his robes.

She was the person who stitched his wedding robe back then, beautifully. She was the person who stitched all his dragon robes as well.  How many times she must have pricked her fingers when she had been stitching?

Li Yan felt so much pain at this thought. He did not try to remind those memories too deeply. His eyes would still moisten at the thoughts. He did not know what happened to him all of a sudden. But the moment he saw Shen Nuo with Zhanhua at the deserted lane that day, his spirit collapsed entirely. He lost his appetite. He often missed his meals. He often got angry for no reason.

But he endured. In this life, he did not want to ruin everything by himself anymore. If somethings are not fated to him, even at the risk of pain, he decided to let go... Those who died miserable deaths in their last life for the sake of him like Shendu, Zhangsun and the twin consorts, he will cherish them with his life...

Li Yan sighed, leaning down to pull Sagangui up to her feet. "It's nothing. You just get up."

But she kept resolutely still. "Your Majesty, how should I thank you?" She was still sobbing.

"You needn't." Li Yan said softly. "You were a good girl all these times. I ignored you. It's my fault. I came here to say sorry."

Sagangui's eyes widened. She gasped. "Your Majesty!!!"

Li Yan leaned closer and wiped her tears away with the back of his golden sleeves. "Don't cry, you become less attractive when you cry. Wash your face..."

Sagangui nodded and dipped her handkerchief in a water basin nearby and wiped away her face.

Li Yan went to the mirror table and called her over.

"Let me do the make up for you. Come, sit here." He tapped onto the seat infront of the mirror with the tip of his slender fingers.

Sagangui felt lame. He was their Emperor. Why was he suddenly strange? She did not know what to say. She was not used to this. But till she went and silently sat on the seat.

Li Yan slowly painted her long lashes with black and lips with a paint pink. Then he picked up the long brush and dipped it into the golden ink. Then he silently started drawing slender beautiful lines above her beautiful brow. Within few minutes, when Sagangui lowered her eyes to the mirror, she gasped in disbelief. Her face looked completely different.

There was a beautiful art of flowers in slender golden lines  stretching above her left brow, gently curling down by the side of her left eye in an elegant peony. It wasn't visible when she looked at her reflection straight. But when she tilted her head to the side, the glimmering lines gave a faint glow. She couldn't help but look at Li Yan. In her eyes were utter disbelief.

"Your Majesty!"

Li Yan laughed softly, shaking his head. "Is it ugly? Sorry, let your maids do it for you then."

"I didn't mean that, Your Majesty, even my maids couldn't do it this beautifully..." She said in a lame whisper. "Where did you learn this?"

"It's only a year since you came here." Li Yan said smiling but it had a touch of bitter sorrow. "So you might not know I also had a litter sister to care. I often did her makeup by myself when we were kids."

Sagangui was surprised. She obviously hadn't heard the news before. But it was clear that person wasn't here anymore. Sagangui thought it was normal. Many princesses are married off to kingdoms and would leave their home when they are big.

Sagangui smiled. "She had a caring brother then. I'm happy for her. Where was she married off to?"

Li Yan suppressed the painful itch in his heart and replied in a hoarse voice. "She died when she was seven..." Killed...

Sagangui's eyes widened in horror. She did not expect this. She just unintentionally touched the emperor's sore spot it seems.

But Li Yan sighed softly, waving his hand. "It's alright. It was long time ago. I'm already used to it."

Sagangui felt pity. She thought that Li Yan was lonely. It was true he looked always indifferent and unreachable. But it wasn't really like that. He looked so because he always choose to hide it. How miserable he might be feeling with no one of his family?

Sagangui lowered her head gravely. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, I did not know."

Finally, Li Yan gave a faint sorrowful smile. "You're very beautiful. Are you ready?"

"Huh?"

"Are you ready to be the Empress of Mongolia?"

She blushed deep pink. Her fingers kept rubbing the hem of her heavy golden-red sleeves. "I -"

Li Yan picked up the translucent red veil from the table and put it over her golden crown neatly, and clipped the sides of it to her hair. The veil flowed swaying down, completely covering her beautiful face.

Then he stretched his palm to her warmly. "From today onwards, I'm your big brother. Altai will be a good husband and I hold no doubt in that. Promise me you would visit here to show me the face of your first baby."

Sagangui's face was now steaming off. She did not know whether Li Yan was teasing her. But she smiled and clasped her hand nervously with Li Yan. Li Yan clasped back that gentle little hand in his and kissed her veiled forehead softly.

"Mongolia had been a free state since centuries." He spoke again. "And it will be so until I'm alive. If you need help, don't forget to ask me, understood?"

Sagangui nodded shyly.

Li Yan also nodded with a smile and gently guided her out of the room.

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The highest storey of the Ancestral Tower was the Altair where only important occasions were held, like ceremonies and weddings. The completely deserted altair today looked very different.

Long red curtains were draped across the walls and large vases full of peonies stood randomly. The large red carpet towards the throne of the other end of the hall was distinct against the cold blackwood tiles. The desks were set either side the hall for guests with delicious food. Maids were very busy. The noise of merrily talking and enjoying was deafening...

Almost every court officer was present except two. One was Martial Shendu who hated to be at thick of things while the other was Zhanhua who was supposed to be bedridden, sick. But it didn't matter anymore.

When the arrival of the new bride and the Emperor was announced, the entire court hall went into a silence.

Prince Altai stood in the mid, with his hands behind his back, the sweeping scarlet sleeves of his wedding robe reaching the tiles. His head was lowered. There was a smile in his face. He smiled and nodded to everyone who wished him good luck. He looked extremely handsome and majestic in that attire. He turned to look at the entrance with slightly moist eyes and his fingertips trembled convulsively, under the heavy red sleeves.

But when the Emperor entered into the court hall with Sagangui, hand in hand, the noise dropped and everyone stood, lowering their heads in courtesy. Tears left Altai's eyes when he saw his sweetheart that he had missed for a whole year. It had been like a life time for him...

Li Yan came with unhurried steps and handed over Sagangui's hand to Altai whose eyes were very red.

"Altai." He spoke in a voice that only Altai heard. "The thing I told you at the prison was a lie. Sagangui is still pure. And I don't wish to prison her her anymore. Here you go."

Altai slowly reached for Sagangui's hand as if it was a dream. Her face was veiled but still he saw the enchanting beauty hidden beneath the veil. She had become even beautiful during his absence. Her eyes were frosted with tears too. Altai just stood as stone, his gaze vaguely locked onto the gentle hand that he was holding.

Li Yan leaned closer. "She is like a sister to me. If I ever find you mistreat her, it will be your end..." The voice was still low but Altai heard it. He shook his head in pain. "I'm sorry. Your Honor, I'm sorry for everything I said yesterday. I just got carried away by emotions."

It was true. Altai regretted speaking so badly about Li Yan to his own face that day. Who thought Li Yan was testing him? He must have unknowingly hurt Li Yan too much. He felt guilty since the moment Li Yan ordered the guards at the prison to take him away. Yes, he was taken to a room where he was hastily prepared into a marriage. Who would believe? He was someone who was sentenced to death... He then realized all the rumors he heard about Li Yan being a ruthless devil when he was at Mongolia was but fake. He looked at Li Yan with grave respect.

Li Yan shook his head. "You needn't. I was only checking on you."

"..."

Altai lowered his head gravely. "Meeting Your Majesty was my greatest pleasure. I'm willing to hand over Mongolia into Li Yang Empire as a country. Would Your Majesty accept?"

"No." Li Yan said. "I'm not interested in expanding territories. You can keep it to yourself." With that, he left the couple behind and walked up the majestic white jade stairway, all the way up to the throne. His sweeping golden robe dazzled in a strange immortal light.

"Carry out the rituals!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

So that morning the Mongolian Prince and the Princess married at the main palace of Li Yang. They completed the rituals, kowtowing thrice, drinking Tsao Chün Tea, with crossed hands and even they cut strands of their hair, knotted it together, put it into a little scarlet silken bag which was given to the bride as a marriage custom of Li Yang.

And then the feast started. The noon meals were prepared magnificently. Shen Nuo bitterly poked a piece of chicken leg in a dish on his desk with his chopsticks. His eyes were fixed at the person who sat on the throne, looking paler than he usually was. But unlike other times, Li Yan had not tilted his head to the side to look at him even once. Li Yan looked as if he was really angry this time. Shen Nuo sighed.

Little Minghe who was huddled in his lap, pouted his mouth looking sad. "Hundred."

Shen Nuo rubbed his brow bone looking at Minghe's chubby face. "Hundred what?"

"The number of times daddy Shen looked at Imperial Father and sighed..."

"..."

Shen Nuo tightened his jaws, feeling his appetite gone. So he picked up the wine jug gloomily. And for a moment when Shen Nuo had lowered his head, Li Yan turned to look at Shen Nuo. He gritted his teeth in pain. He was ready to forgive Shen Nuo if he says sorry. But it looks like Shen Nuo isn't even feeling guilty. He silently shut his red eyes and the ends of his lips slightly curled up into a bitter miserable smile.

"Why do I hate myself so much?" His slightly hoarse voice whispered.

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