Walking through the grand palace with Yu Sheng leading the way, we pass many who look at me with raised brows trying to guess who I am. Yu Sheng turned to look at me from the side and wiggled his brows at me when there was no one around.
Rolling my eyes I couldn’t help but want to laugh at his silly antics, he seems very different not so domineering as before, I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with what I am planning to do in the far future but that’s for later.
We arrive in a courtyard similar to that of Xieye with the red carpet train running up the tens of stairs with guards to each side and statured at the entrance of the double doors on each side running along the borders of the walls with soldiers stationed throughout the courtyard.
Walking up the stairs behind Yu Sheng, I took in each and every face my eyes scanned over, the weapons they carry and their position… I need to plan this well before implementing it so that it runs smooth and doesn’t implicate Yu Sheng and our men in any way possible.
Stopping at the final step in front of the door, he turned to me, “Wait here, I have to let them know that you’ve arrived and it will take some time so be patient and don’t wander off, this isn’t the wild and if you are caught sneaking around the punishment will be harsh,” he says looking at me with a serious expression, his voice loud enough for those to hear around us too.
Bowing my head, “Yes general Yu,” I say keeping up the act. He nods and turns around. The doors open for him and close after he enters.
I sigh looking down at the clothes he gave me to wear. Royal fucking blue, his favourite colour! Well, at least I’m wearing pants and shirt with a robe over me. He combed my hair for me and told me that my hair looked better down, hanging loose and not in a bun or platted nor in a high ponytail… well, he would know, he’s seen many sides of me and knows what he likes.
Kicking at the red carpet under my feet I let out a sigh. Turning around I use my hand to block out the sun looking down at me and look over at the layout of the imperial palace. Archers on the wall with sword wielders by their sides. Spear wielders trailing up to the entrance with a sword at their side – typical Xieye warrior.
Walking to the edge of the staircase where the first soldier is, I lean against the stone rail and rub my head. Letting out a sigh I realise now why he said I must be patient, five minutes have already passed and he still hasn’t returned.
Closing my eyes I slid down and rested against the stone rail listening to the different sounds in the air.
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“SISTER YUE MIAN!!!”
Frowning, I open my eyes but see no one, only hearing the rushed footsteps coming from the other end of the double doors.
Slowly getting up to my feet I rub the blur out of my eyes and take in a deep breath. Looking at the soldier beside me I ask, “How long has it been since I’ve arrived?”
“Two hours,” he says without looking at me. Nodding I fix my clothes and sigh.
The doors burst open and immediately my eyes lock onto those of Xian Le. The small prince smiled from ear to ear as his eyes watered. Running up to me he wraps his arms around my waist and hits his head against my chest.
I look down at him in shock but calm down because I can hear him sobbing. Resting my hands on his back and on his head I patted his back and rubbed his head.
“Why are you crying Xian Le, who died and who must I kill?” I ask making him chuckle. He pulls away and grabs onto my hands, “This way sister YuMi,” he says and pulls me in through the double doors that close behind me.
Xian Le cuddles my side and wraps my arm around his shoulder. I smile looking down at him, he’s a head shorter than me and very cute, almost baby cute… I can’t believe I have such an adorable brother, I wonder if he is the youngest.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask as we walk through a courtyard which has a water fountain with a dragon in it facing the heavens – what a beautiful sculpture, I’ll use it as my mark!
There are beautiful bushes of flowers that I don’t stop to admire. He hugs me closer making me look down at him. He looks up at me with a frown making me raise a questioning brow.
He blushes and looks away, “Is it okay if I call you sister?” he asks nervously.
“Won’t your father and siblings disapprove?”
“They already disapprove but I told them I want you by my side, you saved my life, something my brothers and the soldiers couldn’t do.”
“Your hills and dales and flowery face, that lies near the Naiad shore. Your vines that blow by Borden’s grow, may I never see you more.”
“Where the Magnolia’s glow and the Spider Lily’s grow, where the yellow fins and angel fish play, with my line and hook, delight I took, to spend my youthful days.” Ignoring his words I sing.
“Last night I went to see my love, to hear what she might say, to see if she’d take pity on me, lest I might go away,” I sing while looking down at his curious gaze.
“She said I love the crown prince, and he was my only joy, and ever since I saw his face, I’ve loved him forever more,” I grin at him making his eyes widen.
“Well perhaps your crown prince’s star is gone, sailing over the sea of Xieye or perhaps he’s married, gone with some other one, may I never see him again,” I turn to look at the halls we pass while tapping his shoulder making him giggle.
“Where lay if my crown prince is lost, he’s the one I do adore and seven long years, I wait for him by the banks of the Naiad shore,” peeking at him who’s suddenly nervous I end as we approach a hallway with many servants, “And seven long years I wait for him at the Naiad shore.”
He takes his hand away from my waist but I firmly pull him into my side holding him firmly. He looks up at me with wide eyes, “Sister YuMi, we can’t be seen like this,” he says as the heads of servant start looking our way.
Smiling down at him gently, I caress his cheek, “I’ll kill anyone you order me to,” leaning down to his ear I whisper, “Including the emperor and your siblings.”
He looks up at me frightened about to say something but swallows it looking into my determined eyes – “I’ll protect you.”
Xian Le looks at me with watery eyes but quickly blinks it back and nods with a light smile tugging his lips. Kissing his hair, we stop in front of a closed door. Someone announces, “Prince Xian Le has arrived.”
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I look at him and he is grinning, hugging me tighter as the doors open. My eyes sweep across the room meeting everyone’s eyes making them frown as I lock eye with the emperor himself.
Xian Le takes the lead and leads me in while holding me and I can feel his body tremble under my hold so I squeeze his shoulder and he looks back at me. Smiling reassuringly at him his shoulders slump slightly.
We stop at the foot of the stairs that lead to the throne. Xian Le takes his hand away from me and mine sink to my sides, he bows slightly, “Father, this is the woman who saved brother and I from the group of bandits yesterday and fed us the day before,” he says and steps back with a bow and walks off to the side where his siblings and who I am assuming are their mothers, with my handsome husband standing not too far from them.
Raising a brow at him he motions me to bow and face forward. Turning to look at him I reluctantly did as told not wanting to piss anyone off. After prostrating I stand up and lower my eyes not to make contact with his eyes.
Looking up at him through my lashes I see that he has a conflicting gaze in his eyes.
“State your name to the crown,” the eunuch beside him steps forward and speaks. Keeping myself from laughing I raise my head, “Qin Yue Mian.”
“Where are you from?”
“I am but a traveller, I have no home,” I state quite annoyed. Sensing the annoyance in my voice he looks down at me with knitted brows. Tilting my head slightly I narrow my eyes, smiling slightly.
“What were you doing in the mountains?” asks the emperor making his eunuch side step and return to his post.
“Answering to His Majesty, this one was resting in a cave when the two princes came in, I was asleep and woke up due to the conversation between the two of them,” I answer with respect.
“What were they conversing about,” he asks making me curse inside, I never paid attention to their damn conversation so how the fuck must I know?
Knitting my brows, then raising a brow… I’m sure I look like I want to take a shit. Shaking my head, “Not really sure but something about why were we attacked, all the soldiers were killed and about a brother coming to get them,” I shrug and look over at Xian Le and Ling Tian who looked like they were about to faint.
Raising a brow at them, “What were you talking about last night?”
“Watch how you speak before the emperor!” the eunuch demanded. Smiling amused at him I forced back my laugh and raise my hands in defeat.
Folding my hands behind my back I looked at the emperor, “I’m not certain so you’ll have to ask them.”
He nods his head while looking me up and down. “What made you save my sons?”
“I wasn’t saving them, they were just there!” I shoot back narrowing my eyes.
He sits up in his chair properly, after a moment he gets up and walks to the staircase and looks down at me.
“Explain yourself,” he demands.
“I said it before, I’m a traveller and I have my reasons for being one. I was asleep and your sons disturbed my slumber. I fed them only because I know what it feels like to starve and I’m not speaking about the hunger of not eating for a few hours but starvation of not eating for days. I left the cave because I didn’t want to be associated with people who are being hunted down.
Us meeting again is only but a coincidence… the ‘BANDITS’ you should investigate them because the one who lead them had noble blood seeping off of his body so I’ll assume and that is ASSUME that your sons were being assassinated… again, I didn’t care, I only killed them because they beat me up not knowing that I was a woman… well it’s that and they trampled on the food and medicine I had collected for the villages near the mountain hill where your sons were cornered.
I went after them to teach them a lesson but they charged at me with bloodlust so, I returned it and the two that escaped was that nobleman and another after seeing that they were on the losing end. Prince Ling Tian also faced off against me because I wanted to know why he couldn’t fight against them.
I only escorted them due to Prince Xian Le’s request and the healing injury on Prince Ling Tian’s body,” I said as I glanced over at him through the corner of my eye.
His mouth gaped open, “You know?”
Nodding my head, “Yeah, it only takes me a few seconds during sparring to figure out my opponent.”
Turning back to the emperor I say, “So Your Majesty, our meeting is nothing but a coincidence.”
Nodding his head he walked back to his seat and sat down. Looking at me while tapping his finger on the armrest. After sighing he says, “The name Qin Yue Mian, I’ve never heard it before but your face… your beauty… it reminds me of someone.”
Hearing his words my brows shoot up. “Uh… your majesty, thank you for calling me beautiful but… you’re too old for me.”
“A barbarian isn’t worthy of my husband’s love!” a haughty voice comes from behind me. Turning around I see a beautiful woman walk in adorned in the finest gold jewels and silk.
The ministers and officials along with the princes and noblewoman all bowed. I look over at the princes and see the crown prince standing there ignoring this woman.
“Greetings Empress Wang!”
--
She stalked her way to me and stopped, staring at me. Her face twisted when she looked at me; she raised a brow, “You insolent! Don’t you know that you should bow before me?”
“Who are you?” I ask, throwing it in her face.
“Empress,” I hear as the hundreds of images of me killing this woman before me run through my mind.
“You heard correct, just because you saved my sons doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show your respects to this empires mother,” she says with a frown.
“Well you’re not my mother and never will be!”
“How dare you!” she yells making everyone stand up and look at us.
“Well it’s easy,” I say and step forward. Tilting my head, “I’ve returned from the dead bitch, I know it’s you that tried assassinating my mother and me when I was a baby!”
She stepped back looking at me with wide eyes, pointing her long fingers at me she mutters frightened, “You, who are you!”
Folding my hands in front of my chest I start laughing crazily and come to a stop while glaring at her, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Shim Lanhua, Shim Lanhua, Shim Lanhua… did you really think you’d get away with what you did to me?”
“GUARDS!!!” yell the minister of finance, her brother. I watch as I get circled by the soldiers as they have their swords and spears pointed at me. When they settle down I look around and scoff, turning to the emperor I smile, “You know, she spoke of you as a gracious and humble person, why are you protecting the one who tried to kill your wife and child?”
His eyes widen looking at me. The guards slightly lower their weapons but keep them pointed at me.
“Who are you?” he asks in a firm tone.
“Ye Yue Mian,” I say making everyone frown.
“My name is Ye Yue Mian, I am the daughter of Ye Ni Xing and Emperor Wang Tejo Rong. I am the granddaughter of second general General Ye of the Xieye army and I am the Goddaughter of Emperor An.” The court stays in a bitter silence as I watch all the conflicting gazes look at me.
“Impossible, Ni Xing and her daughter died!”
“Anyone who speaks my mother’s name must be ready for death!” I say shutting whoever the fuck that was up.
Turning my attention back to the emperor I say, “Meeting the princes was a coincidence and shall remain a coincidence… I was never planning on returning to this place after it kicked me out but unfortunately, fate wants me here, so daddy dearest, what shall we do, will you have your soldiers lower their weapons or will I have to kill my way to the throne and take you with me to hell?”
**
Sighing at my own stupidity I bow, “Forgive me, Your Highness, I was entranced by your beauty,” I say and step aside. She walks past me giving me a once over and makes her way up the stairs and takes her seat beside her husband the emperor.
Looking at them I frown, they’re suited for each other. They whisper before looking back at me, “Qin Yue Mian, thank you for saving my second and third son, if it wasn’t for you we would have probably been in mourning right now. Although this was all a coincidence it is also fate that brought you to save them for that I am truly grateful.
My Xian Le begged us to have you stay by his side as his personal guard, would you be willing to?” she asks me while smiling at me genuinely and I don’t know if this is a farce or maybe she means it.
Bowing my head, “Answering to Her Majesty, Prince Xian Le has already asked me if I would and I already accepted but under one condition, that is until he can defend himself in battle, when he is able to then I shall take my leave and return to being a traveller,” I say making them nod with a smile but the emperor still has this look on his face that seems like he is trying to figure me out.
“If there is nothing else, court dismissed,” says the eunuch.
Everyone gives their greetings and leaves one by one. I turn to look at Yu Sheng but he is no longer standing there nor is the crown prince. Xian Le skips to my side and wraps his arm around my waist, “Come, come, let’s leave and get married,” he says with a grin.
Rolling my eyes I flick his forehead and follow his lead. We head to his palace with Ling Tian following behind us. Seated in his palace I watch him pour tea into a cups for the three of us and he hands me one.
Sipping it, I taste the fresh fragrance of mint and orange blossom, “It tastes delicious,” I say making him smile. Ling Tian scoffs, “It’s alright.”
“Will I get paid?” I ask making them look up at me.
“Yep!” Xian Le answers popping the ‘p’. “Alright then, I will be gone tomorrow because I need to settle something so I’ll return to the palace tomorrow night after leaving tonight,” I say making him frown.
Sighing I continue, “It will just be a few hours so don’t worry, you’re safe in the palace,” I reassure him. He thins his lips and pouts.
“Why are you acting like a baby in front of her?” Ling Tian asks while poking his brother’s lips.
Shrugging he took his tea and sipped on it.