The Romance of Oblivion:Past Lifetimes

Chapter 25:The Emperor and I

"Why not present him the earing instead? I should have stopped you from going to the palace." Fang Wang Zhen slapped the desk as his eyes were full of guilt and worry along with great anger.

"Father, dont worry. Xiao Xue did not enter the palace as a concubine. Im only a musician now, also, I gained a lot of fame from this job!" Yun Ren Xie tried cheering his father. She clearly knew the promise Fang Wang Zhen have given to Fei Shengkai.

"Nonsense! That bastard clearly wants to let you live there for eternity! He even gave you a palace to live! Shameless emperor!" Fang Wang Zhen is clearly furious.

"Father!" Yun Ren Xie stomped her feet since bad mouting an emperor may result to death. This father of her's is really cunning but protective over his daughter. "Xiao Xue will take her leave. Its very dangerous if the emperor finds out I'm leaving the palace without his consent." she gave her father a warm hug as a compensation before leaving.

The old man watched his daughter leave, a tear trickled from his face, wiping it away with his hand. "My daughter have finally grown!" he weeped. If Yun Ren Xie saw this, she will surely mistook it as "my father is having a pit in his brain saying his fifteen year old daughter is still a kid".

On the other side, its been two weeks since Yun Ren Xie is announced as the Most Venerable Palace Musician. Everyone present at the banquet knew that she deserves this title. The bad news is, every noon at lunch time, Ying Zheng will summon her in the Imperial Garden and make her play different songs from different instruments. What pleased him most is that when the girl plays the guqin, another bad news is,she lost her blue pouch where the earing is placed. The good news, Ying Zheng's favorability increased to thirty five.

Yun Ren Xie have just escaped the palace since Ying Zheng is not giving his commands yet and it was past lunch already. She is now wearing her usual dark outfit. Its already two o'clock at noon and the palace is quiet since during this time, servants and masters are resting. Yun Ren Xie entered her Snow Lotus Palace freely, she leaped from roof to roof but when she stepped at her palace's roof, she accidentally slipped off.

"My butt!" she groaned in pain as she landed on the snow covered ground.

"Where did you go?" a cold voice made Yun Ren Xie panicked.

She raised her head to see a man in dragon robes sauntering towards her in a fast pace. Who else could it be other than Ying Zheng?

Yun Ren Xie gulped in fear. She did not expect that he will come here personally! Yun Ren Xie hid her shocked emotion as she stood up and removed the snow from her suit. Ying Zheng was stunned at how weird the cloth Fang Ye Xue is wearing, it was short that it revealed a huge amount of white jadeite skin. His anger got more visible once he thought that this girl escaped in order to meet with that Fang Da Lang with such sort of revealing dress!

He quickly grabbed Yun Ren Xie's hand in great force that even she raised her head in surprise. "Tell me, where did you go?" it was calm yet full of anger. Yun Ren Xie cant help but ponder, why does he care so much?

"None of you business!" she bravely said,  successfully pulling her hands away as she went inside her chamber, slamming the door with force. Why is he so annoying?! Yeah he is the emperor so what? Its not like Im in his possession! He's not even as gentle as Li Feng Qi is! I hate him!

"No one's allowed to come inside!" Yun Ren Xie yelled when she saw Ying Zheng's shadow behind the door's screen.

Ying Zheng who is about to open the door and enter, stopped in his track. He harrumphed and left the Snow Lotus Palace. Once he reached outside, he stomped his foot like a child, even Eunuch Song was surprised at his master's action.

"Speak!" Ying Zheng sat down on a cushion inside his study. In front of him is his best friend, the veiled man in white robes.

"I just escaped my brother's state to come and visit you, but this prince did not expect to see you in this temper." the veiled man said calmly, sitting in front of his friend emperor. He was currently meddling with a plum carving.

Hearing the word 'escape', the last strip of patience in Ying Zheng snapped. He picked a cup and threw it on the floor.

The veiled man stopped meddling with the plum carving and seriously looked at Ying Zheng. "Whats the matter?"

Ying Zheng clenched his fist, he stood up and kicked a pillar. "That damn girl! She loves that Da Lang so much that she even escaped this palace!"

The frustrated Ying Zheng released a very cold aura, the veiled man slowly stood up from his chair. "This prince finds her amusing, ah. Its good that you tied a leash on her but its too loose, tighten it and take control over her, Ying Zheng." the veiled man said before leaving, "Right, I just remembered. The wisteria we planted at the mountain, its blooming early this year."

"Xiang Zihui, did that prince just go there?!" Ying Zheng's eyes widened. The wisteria that his friend, Xiang Zihui just mentioned is on top of a mountain behind the capital. It was already dangerous for a Chu State prince travelling around the other Warring State's but he even dared to visit a place where there's no security around!

A day without Ying Zheng's presence around Yun Ren Xie seems a difficult thing for her. She was already used for being summoned by him during lunch. Today, it was quiet. She was in daze while staring at the guqin in front of her. Yun Ren Xie felt a bit disappointed in her heart. "Yunling!" she called out. Her personal maid entered.

"Bring me some wine here!"

"But young miss-"

"Dont worry, father is not here." she assured her maid. Yun Ren Xie went inside her bed chamber and took out a piece of paper and pen with her then sat near her guqin once more. She decided to write another lyrics from the modern times which is called Drunken Beauty.

It was already four at noon, the sun is still shining brightly. Eunuch Song came in front of Snow Lotus Palace. He expected an open gate but a maid in flustered expression closed the gate tightly. "Eunuch Song!" the troubled maid is no other than Yunling, she bowed down as a respect and kneeled. "Please call as His Majesty! The Palace Musician is getting drunk!"

"Wha-" the eunuch was surprised. Why would he call the Emperor here? To comfort a palace musician? Is this not a joke? Unless the Emperor took a liking at this palace musician.....

"Tell me why should I call the Emperor?"

Yunling who have used the wrong word bit her tongue. How will she explain that the Emperor took a liking at her young miss? Yunling have long known that the Emperor have formed a feeling for her young miss, she have seen the young Emperor himself visit the Snow Lotus Palace and often hid himself from the shadow to observe her young miss. It was just her young miss who kept blind and deaf from His Majesty's affection.