A Phoenix With No Wings

33- The Great Emperor

He touches her. That enemy guy touches his wife. The emperor's whole world just fall in front of his eyes. His eyes turns red, not because he's angry or feel insulted. The fact that she doesn't pull away hurts more.

His love allows another guy to touch her.

He walks faster to their direction, to the bridge. But they seem to not notice his arrival, until he talks

"What are you guys doing?" His voice shakes because his heart aches too much. Good that it's dark, so no one could see his teary eyes.

"Y-your majesty.." they are so shocked that he almost believes they did something more terrible that night.

He inhales the cold air.

"Nothing. We did nothing." The crown prince answers, even making it more suspicious. "We just met accidentally."

We. He said it like the emperor is an outsider. Like the crown prince and empress is the one who is supposed to be a 'we'.

Is it wrong for him to be cautious of their relationship? Why does he get the wrong vibe out of them?

"Your majesty.." the crown prince calls him. When the emperor looks at him, he notices that the crown prince doesn't use any hairpin.

Instead, it's on her hair. The hairpin that the emperor thinks doesn't matches the crown prince's outfit. The simple jade hairpin stands out between empress's golds ones.

"Hmm?" The emperor still wondering how is it there, or more likely he just wants to come up with something other than the idea of the crown prince put it on her.

"Take a good care of her. A very good care."  Just like that the crown prince left.

__
The emperor goes back to his palace, still feeling stressed out. The took off his own robe, ignoring Bai Lu who insists to help him.

"Your majesty, where are you going?"

"Don't follow this emperor, go back!"

"Zhi." Bai Lu knows something is wrong but he couldn't figure it out since the emperor is too distant and cold.

The emperor walks to his study not far from his chamber. This is the place he visits the most, he basically lives there. He lit the candles on his desk and sits surrounded by the dark of the night.

He's alone. He was always alone.

The feeling of losing his lover worsen his headache. The emperor walks to the room where he stores all of his paintings of her. So beautiful, she was always so beautiful. He walks around, looking at the girl inside the painting. He smiles when he sees old drawings of the empress, so pure and cute. His love, his whole world.

He suddenly stops when he realized it. The empress, she's not smiling anymore. Even in the drawings, she looks lost. Unhappy. Like she's suffering, tired of life.

Why doesn't he realize it sooner? Why couldn't he sees her wondering eyes?

He just made her wait, without considering her feelings. The emperor always thought it's for her own good, but never asks for her opinion.

He might be the best emperor in Zhang's history. But he's not a good husband for the empress. He fails to makes her happy.

The emperor can't let her wait anymore. He can't let her go through hell once again. But only, if she still.. has him in her heart.

Making her wait is the most selfish thing he ever did. In the name of love or the kingdom, because in fact he's not the only one that's hurting, she does too.

"Lu Yu, please forgive me.." he talks alone.

After a while, he stands tall and say

"I need to get her back." He decided.

With that mindset, he started to plan whatever he needs to do to win her heart again. But the emperor couldn't come up with anything. He really is not romantic at all. He frustrates and banged his head on the table.

"Right! Let's call Bai Lu, he must have ideas!" He suddenly getting excited and ring the bell to call Bai Lu.

After a while, a puffy faced Bai Lu arrived.

"Your servant is here Your majesty." Bai Lu says in a very lazy tone, clearly annoyed by the emperor.

This emperor, he just repel me and now he calls me in the middle of the night.

"Bai Lu, this emperor needs your help."

"Just say it Your majesty.." what help does the emperor needs him to do?

"Wh-what does girls like?" The emperor asks cautiously, he peeks at Bai Lu face to see his reaction.

Is this about that Niao Niao girl again? Let's be real, Bai Lu doesn't like her nor wants her to be the emperor's favorite. She can't even compare to the empress!

"Hmm.. that's depends on the girl." He says halfheartedly.

"I want to win over her heart. She's a perfect woman.." the emperor smiles while describing her.

Oh, the emperor has fallen in love. Bai Lu needs to come up with something.. something that will make the emperor doesn't like her anymore and fall out of this love.

"Maybe Your majesty needs to go on a date.." Bai Lu suggests.

"I have been on a date with her several times.."

Bai Lu knows it! Ck!

"But this time, it needs to be unique.. special.."

"Like?" The emperor is curious what kind of date does Bai Lu mean.

"Go on a date to wash the royal horse, in the river.." Bai Lu says seriously.

"Wash the horse..?" The emperor frowns.

"Yes Your majesty, that way she will think that your majesty is a caring person and very down to earth." Bai Lu made up a stupid explanation.

"..really?"

"Yes! But don't tell her at first, make it like a surprise. You know, girls like surprises."

"I think you are right! Okay, I'll ask her.."

"Say something like, lets go on a date to do something that this emperor loves to do, would you come and accompany this emperor?" Bai Lu says that in a loving way, to make the emperor trust him.

"Hmm.."

"She will feels so special because it's something that your majesty like and she will be part of it."

"I get it." With the explanation, the emperor believes that it's a good way to say it.

"But your majesty have to go at night." Bai Lu reminds him.

"Why?"

"Everything is more romantic under the moonlight and with stars on the sky.."

"Oh, you are right! She loves watching the stars! You are a genius Bai Lu!"

Actually, Bai Lu just doesn't want anything to happen at night. So he says that.

"Thank you Bai Lu!"

"It's my pleasure.." Bai Lu left happily.

Who on this earth would like to go on a date to wash a horse? HAHAHHA. She must be so annoyed and act recklessly, that's awesome because the emperor will hate her after this!

Okay, so will you go on a date to wash a horse with your crush?!

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