Rebirth of the Abandoned Male Empress

Chapter 6

Chapter Six:
“Vivid Dreams of past”

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(In Xiaoniao's dream of his past life)

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Another night had passed, and Xiaoniao couldn't help but sigh once more. The emperor hadn't come to visit him again. The night was young and quiet, with stars softly twinkling in the night sky. Only the sounds of night insects filled the air. Xiaoniao shivered in the cold, adjusting his thick cape and rubbing his arms while keeping his eyes fixed on the gate of his castle. He huddled on the pavement.

Lixin had scolded him earlier for exposing himself to the cold every night, but he never listened. Instead, he sneaked out once he was certain that Yangfan and Lixin were both fast asleep.

Xiaoniao gazed up at the leaves of the sturdy maple tree that he had planted. A week ago, a tragic event had unfolded - the late Crowned Prince and elder brother of the Emperor, Crowned Prince Cheng Xuesong, had taken his own life in front of the ancestral hall. He left behind a note addressed to his deceased lover.

No one knew the identity of the late prince's lover, but a few months prior, after the great war against Hundun, the beast of Chaos, they the Great Imperial Army lead by Marshal Wu had emerged victorious but at a great cost. The war had caused extensive damage, depleting the resources of the five nations, and even the four great sects were left in a battered state. In response, the Emperor had decided to send troops out to gather more resources. Since Marshal Wu was in poor condition due to the previous war and with the absence of the prince from current Emperor lineage, the ministers had voted to send Shen Yuze, the eldest son of Governor Shen Changli, to lead the troops.

However, tragedy struck on their way back. The troops were ambushed by rogue cultivators who appeared to be remnants of the worshippers of Hundun. No one survived that brutal ambush, not even Shen Yuze himself. When Prince Xuesong received the news, he was devastated to the point of refusing food and sleep, and nobody knew the reason for his despair. It wasn't until some of the First Prince's handmaids couldn't keep their mouths shut that the truth was revealed - one of the deceased members of the troop was the secret lover of the prince.

But no one knew the true identity of the late prince's lover. This uncertainty weighed heavily on the Emperor, causing him to grow more restless with each passing day. He would visit his older brother's palace and attempt to console him, but the prince remained stubborn, refusing to heed anyone's words, not even those of his dear little brother.

Fearing the toll this was taking on the Emperor, Xiaoniao, as his Empress, yearned to provide comfort. Sadly, the Empress Dowager had forbidden him from leaving the palace, so every night, Xiaoniao would patiently wait at the palace gate, hoping the Emperor would come to him. Yet, night after night, his beloved never appeared.

One day, while playing by the lake near his palace and assisting Yangfan with their laundry, Xiaoniao encountered the First Prince. They quickly became close acquaintances, often meeting and engaging in heartfelt conversations. Their interactions began to ease the prince's troubled soul, offering him some solace.

However, unexpected tragedy struck. One afternoon, the prince failed to arrive for their usual meeting, and it was during this absence that Xiaoniao received the heartbreaking news: Prince Cheng Xuesong had taken his own life, leaving behind an almost 8-month-old hatchling that had yet to emerge from its shell. The Emperor, consumed by grief, mourned for days on end over the sudden loss of his elder brother.

Xiaoniao, who could empathize with loss, having recently lost his own brother, penned numerous letters to the Emperor to convey his emotional support. He assured the Emperor that he was always welcome to visit if he needed someone to talk to. Days and nights, Xiaoniao patiently waited, ensuring he had warm cookies and tea prepared. His desire to help was fueled not only by his empathy but also by a promise he had made to his late brother, Xuesong - a promise to take care of the Emperor, no matter what.