18- Im a Better Swordsman

"Your majesty, the hairpin that you requested has just arrived." Bai Lu gives him a simple hairpin.

The emperor finally smiles, he's been frowning since he came back from the hall and found Out that his daughter is dead.

"Your majesty, sorry for being impudent. But who is the lucky woman that get your heart?"  Bai Lu is very curious.

"You don't know her." He answers halfheartedly, still looking at the hairpin. "She will like it, won't she?"

"Of course your majesty.. but, what about the empress? Bai Lu saw your majesty had been drawing other woman these few weeks, also that your majesty always went to the harem house and come back in the morning."

"Is my love life your concern now?" The emperor asks coldly.

"This servant won't dare."

The emperor sips his tea and exhale a deep breath.

"Bai Lu, do you think she would be there tonight?"

"Who?"

"Niao Niao."

"Where?"

"In the harem house."

"Where else can she be? She must be there right?" This time, Bai Lu is truly confused.

"If that so, I should be going to the harem house." He stands and prepare to go. "If I came back before midnight that's mean she's not there." He says.

"..what?"

______

The empress goes to the harem house that day, even though they don't have any appointment that night. She just couldn't believe Consort Hua.. how.. and why?

She sits there alone, playing the Chinese harp in front of her. Her melody is joyful, unlike her heart. She keeps playing until the sun sets.. at least this could make her heart feels better.

Something is strange.. someone is here. She hears a slight movement from the tree. If she stops playing, the spy is going to realise that she know he's there, so she keeps playing. Her eyes are searching for anything that can be a weapon. If he's just an ordinary spy, she is sure that she can take him down. She's a trained swordsman after all.

She plays the notes wrong, so it sounds really bad. Niao Niao intentionally strums the string very hard until  the string broken off. Now she has her weapon.

When the string broken off, it makes the spy startle and fall from the tree.

"Who sent you?!" She points at the spy.

"Why do you think someone sent me here?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but do you know how dumb you sound?" She crossed her arm. "Then finishing you will be easy for me." She mumbles as she heading towards the spy.

She just need to tangle the string to his neck.

He dodges her attack.

"Not so easy, young miss?"

She must think of something.. her plan won't work. She examines his whole body. Right! He has swords.

She took his right sword, getting ready in her position.

"Take your sword!" She instructs.

"I won't hurt a mei Gu Niang* " *beautiful young lady

"You will be sorry for looking down on me!"

She is sure a skilled swordsman. Her moves are swifts and hard to predict. Yet so sharp. She points the sword multiple times at the spy, but he manages to dodge it all. When she tries to slash his abdomen, he finally takes his sword to defend his precious life.

He's not an ordinary spy. He dodges all of her attack.

"Young lady's move is very unordinary.. a mere concubine won't be this skilled, perhaps you are also a spy?!" He commented as they fight each other.

This guy, he is a master! She fights with all her strength, but it was nothing to him. He can even chit chat while fighting! There's no way she can win against him!

"Tel me, which kingdom are you from? Fu kingdom? Tao kingdom?" He ward her sword attack, while interrogating her.

"Then you must be from Lian kingdom!" Niao Niao answers.

"Mei Nu* is sure an intelligent." *beautiful lady. He strikes straight to her heart, making Niao Niao turn around to avoid the attack.

She's so close. Her hair is long and black, sweeping his face. She smells good. He lulled for a second. He suddenly wants to touch her.

-

How can a small body like her holds so much power?

Even if she can't beat him, she did caught him off guard multiple times.

He takes off her hair pin.

He doesn't know why he did that. This is such an insult to the lady. Lian Tian feels guilty for doing that. His face is still shocked, as he starred at the girl.

But the girl is even shocker. She uses her sword to reveal Lian Tian's face.

"Crown prince of Lian ?" She mumbles.

Lian tian smiles proudly. "You know I am the crown prince of Lian, and you are not kneeling? "

"Even the emperor never told me to kneel before him! Who are you to order me?!" She refuses coldly.

"Beautiful lady, that confidence of yours could even make Consort Hua hides in shame.." Lian Tian smirks.

Niao Niao took a deep breath and say,

"Crown prince, it is well known that Lian Kingdom scenery is heavenly, but perhaps the woman are not so beautiful that you need to go to other emperor's harem house!" Niao Niao satrizise him.

"Your tongue is sharper than the sword on your hand." He circles her. "Young lady, don't you afraid that I might kill you?"

"The fact that I know you are here is enough for you to kill me." She throws the sword to the ground. "Kill me then!" She puts her head up, not afraid.

This girl is unordinary. Not a single fear displayed on her eyes. She is so sure that he won't kill her, while her words are the exact opposite.

This is interesting. Lian Tian smiles. This girl is playing a mind game with him. And she just won against the crown prince of Lian.

He hops to the nearest tree and left his sword there. So Niao Niao could have an evidence when she tells the emperor.

____

What is Lian Kingdom planning this time? Isn't poisoned river enough? Niao Niao exhale her deep breath, feeling hard to think.

That Lian Tian left his sword. His right sword. What is his motive?

She quickly takes the sword and hide it in the pavilion, under the marble table.

"Niao Niao, is that you?" The emperor voice stops her from thinking.

"Your majesty.."

"Let's go with me!" He takes her hand.

"Where?"

"A place that you always want to go." The emperor leads her out of the harem house, they are going to forbidden city.. gate?

"Your majesty, are we going.. out?" Ever since she stepped inside the palace, she never even going out once. This..

His white horse is already waiting in front of the gate. Wang Ma. When she was little, she rode Wang Ma a lot with the emperor. It's been so long.

The emperor pull her up and hug her waist. He signals the guard to open the gate.

"Niao Niao, why aren't you wear any hairpin today?"

She just realised! She touches her hair and its completely untied.Oh no!

"I'm sorry your majesty, I must have forgotten!" Unlike Consorts and empress, low ranked concubines only wear one hairpin to tie their hair. And it is can only be opened when they go to sleep or by their husband before bed.

"It's okay, I'll buy you a new one." The emperor says as he brushes her hair. "I don't like other men seeing your hair, don't forget to wear it again."

"I won't." Niao Niao closes her eyes when they pass the gate. Is she ready? His hugs is warm and cozy. Even riding a horse could be comfortable. She holds his hand. This.. she wants to be like this forever.

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