Love In The Forbidden City (Completed)

Chapter XXIV - Choosing the Plates (Revised)

It would take forever for one to forget his love, but at least Die Hard Thirteen no longer immersed in the ocean of ale. My mood became brighter and I felt relieved seeing a healthy colour rose on his cheeks. One day, I made some desserts and decided to bring them to Ice Face. When I was about to step into his study, I saw his herald bringing in a tray of nameplates, with the names of the palace's most gorgeous concubines written on them.

"Your Majesty, please choose the concubine you would like to sleep with tonight."

Ice Face tossed a nameplate on a table without looking at it and resumed his work.

A wave of jealousy surged over me and I brought the desserts back to my residence. That night, his ambassador sent fur kneecap protectors to me, indicating that this was a gift from the emperor. I stared emotionless at the soft round pillows. Men are all jerks, I muttered inwardly. Why would you still send me gifts when you sleep with another woman? I knew that the emperor could enjoy the companionship of three thousand concubines, but I believed I reserved the right to get jealous. The next day, I went to his chamber when he was having a meeting. As I stared at his bed, an illusion of him having fun with his concubine crossed my mind.

Irked, I threw the pillows on his bed. When I prepared to leave, I saw him standing behind me.

"You have come," he said.

"I came to return something."

I walked past him without looking at him but he embraced me. His stiff face melted and he broke into merry laughter. The newly grown mustache curled up, complementing his mood.

"What are you laughing at? What made you so elated?"

"I am delighted because you are jealous of yesterday's incident."

Feeling fooled, I hit his abdomen with my elbow. He let out a soft "ouch" and bent over his stomach.

"Oh, did I hurt you?" I bent forward as well and caressed the spot where I'd hit him.

"I am fine. You look like a grumpy angel and that made me want to pinch your cheeks so much. What I could assure you is that I did not have fun with her. I brought along my paperwork to her residence. I believe you could guess what happened next."

I continued to put on my grumpy-angel expression.

He said, "What would you like me to do to make you smile again? I can do anything for you."

"Turn around."

He looked confused but obeyed my instructions. He always looked cute when I dropped him with my sudden suggestion. Grinning, I grabbed his long braid.

"You always forbid people to grab your braid. Now, I demand you to only let me touch it."

"No one would dare touch it even though I allow them to. Only you would possess such guts."

Grabbing his hands, I said, "The Lunar New Year is approaching. I had embroidered a portrait of a peony garden for your mother. I hope she will be delighted when she receives it."

"I am sure she will. Your embroidering skill is complemented by all. But I know she will be happier if you become her daughter-in-law and bring the family lots of offspring."

I removed my hands from his.

"Why? You are unwilling to become my wife?"

Quickly, I diverted the topic of conversation. "You can collect the portrait anytime. It's done."

He gave a slight nod.

Thinking that I might have hurt his pride for my obvious rejection, I added, "Why don't you bring me along when you pay her a visit next time?"

Cloud shaded his eyes; his curled lips dropped. "You do not have to do so. I have invited Fourteenth Brother to go with me." He lied. He didn't want me to see their broken relationship.

I focused on the carpet as I didn't want to imprint his crestfallen expression in my mind.

He approached the table and began to gulp down the ale. "All these times, only Fourteenth Brother resides in her heart. No matter how or what I do, I can never surpass him."

"You are already an emperor."

"Do you think that I am a good emperor?"

"As long as you want to be."

"Do you know that it requires tremendous hardship to be a good emperor? I have to face those hypocrites every day but I have to be patient and not let anger overrule me. I treat myself harsher. I endure sleepless nights, thinking of the ways to build an advanced country. But I am also human. There will be times when I feel weak. In this enormous Forbidden City, there are words that I can never tell the others because I do not want my followers to lose faith in me."

I said nothing and filled my teacup. I tried to hold his gaze, even though my vision was misted by my tears. Smiling miserably, we clanked our teacups and cheered as we both acquired the wisdom and courage to walk down the path of the future, which was loaded with predicaments.

That night, the mighty emperor dozed on my lap.

Wincing slightly, he clasped his head the next morning and murmured, "I did not believe it when Thirteenth Brother told me that you have a high capacity for alcohol. Now I have to salute you. I am amazed that you can really make me drunk."

"You are just a lousy drinker. Come get dressed." I brought his yellow outer coat to him.

He rummaged the pockets, wearing a panic look.

"Are you looking for this?" I held out a thin rectangular wood chest.

"Have you seen the contents?"

I shook my head.

"Then open it." He smiled in a sincere way.

I removed the lid and was shocked to see a crystal Mulan hair clasp. It looked similar to the one which was damaged by Queenpin. Of course, I lied to him that I was the one who smashed it. I had experienced the way he avenged his misery with extreme cruelty.

"Do you like it?" He asked and helped me wear it. "You really look great with it."

This was how we led our days. Each page of the calendar was smudged with grief and coloured with jubilance. The Lunar New Year approached soon and as the rules set by the ancestors, the emperor had to spend the First Day of the New Year with the Queen. The similar evil fairy of jealousy visited me as if my heart was a market it couldn't miss to stop by. I spent the festive season alone but what could I do. I wasn't even his wife.

After a month, I was heralded by Yu Tan suddenly. "Sister, the emperor wants to meet you."

I dashed to his study and was shocked to see the emperor and the Eighth Bei'Le sitting together, in grief. The Eighth Bei'Le looked as if he had aged ten years more. What was he doing here? Was the emperor going to punish him because his son burned the firecrackers during the Lunar New Year? The late emperor had just passed away and we weren't allowed to decorate our residences or organize a grand celebration during the festive season. Was Ice Face going to use this as an excuse to punish the Eighth Bei'Le and he wanted me to witness the tragedy? But the latter looked devastating as if he'd lost something precious and he couldn't retrieve it.

He didn't look like he was mourning for his own death.

Ice Face pointed to the Eighth Bei'Le nonchalantly. "Tell her yourself."

The Eighth Bei'Le turned to me and his words came like a splatter of water. "Ruo Lan wants to meet you. I am afraid she... she is not going to make it."

Edited by YvonneKindle