13- Who is She? I've Seen Her Before..

At the Hua Yang Palace

"Your majesty, Minister Hua wants to see you."

"Let him in."

An old minister enters with happy face to her study.

"Good afternoon Consort."

"What takes my uncle here?" Consort Hua says, uninterested.

"I have a good news!"

"This Consort doesn't feel like hearing any good news" Consort Hua is still in a bad mood.

"Please calm down, Consort."

"Tell me why should I calm down?"

"A disadvantage can be an advantage if we see it from other perspective." Minister Hua smirks.

"This consort can't find any good sign at all."

"I got a news that The emperor asks the Empress to have a cup of tea with him."

"WHAT HOW-"

"But she rejected the offer." Minister Hua quickly says

"There must be something bad happens between them."

"That's right! A tiny slit, and we'll make it into a big gap."

"How? We don't even know their problems."

"Oh my virtuous little Consort. We don't need to know how the fires started, putting gasoline will ALWAYS make it bigger."

"Hmm, so what is your plan?"

"A princess is not strong enough to be your warranty, but a dead one is."

____

The emperor is sitting alone at his study, waiting for Bai Lu to come. They will start making the 'well' and giant box of water very soon. At the mean time, a group of soldiers will stock water for the commoners.

Finally, Bai Lu comes.

"Your majesty, how are you today?"

"Good.. prepare my clothes."

"Zhi."

Bai Lu comes back with a grand clothing. It is gold with dragon embroidered on it.

Seeing the emperor face confused, Bai Lu explains

"Your majesty needs to show his happiness Because of the newborn princess."

"Hmm.."

"Tonight, do your majesty want nucai to call a certain concubine or go find a match in the harem house?"

"Why do I need to do that?" The emperor stops

"Because consort Hua just bear a child, it symbolise gratefulness to the imperial wives."

"This emperor didn't have to to do anything when Tu-er was born." *his second child

"It's because your majesty hadn't have a harem house at that time."

"Our customs are so weird. Bai Lu, I'm not a womaniser." The emperor tries to dodge his obligation.

Bai Lu only smiles, "So, Do your majesty want nubi to call a concubine or-"

"I'll go there by myself." Says the emperor while going away.

-

At night, the emperor is preparing himself

He decided to not wear a grand clothing, the emperor doesn't want to get attention. But only with his face, he could make any girl go down on their knees.

Just a normal clothes the emperor says, but what is his 'normal' clothes. Bai Lu face palm himself. Huh! Such a difficult master!

At the end, after a very long session of choosing outfit. The emperor picks an eunuch-like uniform.

Ckckck.. Bai Lu exhale his breath. Weird.

"Okay, I'm ready! Says the emperor."

Even the stupidest person in the capital can guess that he half-heartedly go to the harem house and have no intention to bed anyone.

Bai Lu send him off, the emperor decided to spend a night at the house, AS AN EUNUCH! Bai Lu really couldn't understand him.

The emperor walking around the place he's not familiar with. He goes to small alleys. Exploring the house.

At night, there are not many concubines going out of their room. Most of them are inside playing, chatting or sleeping. But there are some who strolling outside to get some fresh air.

He walks to the secret place where anyone rarely visit. The concubines he met the first time told him about the place and the emperor thinks it is the best place to spend the night.

Harem house is so beautiful, walking here makes his heart so peaceful. Cherry blossom trees along the path are ready to bloom. Right at the moment he notices a movement in the bush.

Someone is there.

There are some young girls playing in the pavilion. Is someone spying on them?

The emperor walk slowly to the bush trying to make no sound. He turn around so he could see the spy. But the spy is actually a young girl, perhaps a concubine?

"What are you doing?" The emperor asks

The girl who is so concentrated shocked and fell down. The mao bi* on her hand deface the emperor's feet. *chinese brush

The girl quickly wipes off the black ink with her yellow hanfu.

"Your majesty, nubi makes a terrible mistake. Please forgive this lowly concubine." She bows at him.

".."

The girl is still bowing at him, but the emperor says nothing.

She calls him 'your majesty' even before looking at him. And he wears an eunuch clothes.

"Get up."

The girl quickly shove her book inside her hanfu. Looks like she is hiding something. The emperor is suspicious. From her clothes she must be a lower ranked concubine. But a low concubine who knows how to write? The chance is almost impossible. Very few woman knows how to write maybe only 1% in the whole country. Even consort Hua is not that good in writing.

But this white powdered face concubine?

"Tell me your name." Since she already knows he is the emperor, he doesn't try to hide it anymore.

"Nubi.. my name.. my name is.. is.. Huang Li Niao." The concubine is looking everywhere but him. Clearly she tries to avoid eye contact.

The emperor frowns, she is named after a yellow bird? "What are you doing here?" The emperor continues the investigation.

"Nubi is.. just looking around. Sorry to interrupt your majesty, if that's it, nubi will take her leave." The concubine says quickly, getting ready to run away.

"Wait. I'm not saying that you can go."

She exhale her breath hopelessly.

The emperor still couldn't see her face clearly, because she is always looking at the ground. And asking her to show her face will be so creepy.

But something about her is so familiar. So familiar that the emperor thought it is- no that's so stupid.

"This emperor is bored, do you know how to play chess?"

Just finished my national exam.. and it's not very great Huhu.. anyway, enjoy this chapter! Please vote comment and follow me.. it will make my day!

Thankyou for 10k! Shout out to everyone reading, sharing and loving this story.. have a nice day!