Chapter 7 : Dismiss from imperial harem
2049 Words
Time flies. It's been two weeks since Xiu Ying went home. He feels like he wants to stay with Prime Minister Li and Madam Feng forever and never return to the palace. Even though Li Shizen and Madam Feng are not his real parents, he can shift the missing and longingness for his real parents to the sweet middle-aged couple.
"Ying-er... " Madam Feng called his son who is crouching on the grass, tending the garden.
"Yes, mother."
"Mother feels so happy that Ying-er stayed here with mother but... is it alright to leave the palace for so long?"
Xiu Ying sighs. "Mother, for an abandoned and unwanted concubine like me, I bet His Majesty won't even notice when I'm away." Xiu Ying shrugs his shoulders.
"But Ying-er... "
"Mother... Is it possible to ask His Majesty to let me go?"
Madam Feng's eyes bulged. "Wh- what do you mean? Don't you... "
"Mother, it's all in the past. Right now, I don't feel anything towards His Majesty. My feelings for him have died. So, I want to get out of that place. I want to stay here... with mother and father. Can I?"
Xiu Ying knows the body owner is madly in love with the emperor that's why he forced his father to ask the emperor to make him a concubine. But now, the old Li Xiu Ying is no longer here. So do the feelings for the emperor. Thus, there's no reason for this new Xiu Ying to keep staying in the palace and be dragged into the imperial harem's evil schemes. He wants to live freely. Doing everything he wants, together with his parents.
"Ying-er... About that... Let me discuss this with your father okay? Mother sure he'll know what to do." Madam Feng smiles gently.
The truth is Madam Feng also doesn't like his son to live in the palace. She wants his son to marry into a normal family. They don't have to be rich but good enough to take care of their baby boy. However, when Xiu Ying threatened to run away from home if his father didn't convince His Majesty to make him a concubine, Madam Feng couldn't say anything.
Right after dinner, Madam Feng pulls her husband into their room. "Husband, during the day, Ying-er said that he wanted to leave the palace. He no longer wants to be the concubine as the feeling for His Majesty has died. Do you think it's possible to ask His Majesty to let him go?" Madam Feng grips her husband's hand tightly.
Li Shizen hangs his head down and falls speechless. "Husband... Why won't you say anything? Don't you feel it is better for Ying-er to stay with us? Since the day he stepped into the palace, my heart never felt at ease. That incident before is proof that he is not safe living there!"
"Dear... it's not that easy to take back the title concubine unless there's a solid reason for it. Don't you think His Majesty will think that we're playing with him? Asking him to take in our son, then suddenly wanting to back off. Even if he didn't like our son, he still got a face to be saved."
Both of them were lost for words. They're torn between giving their son a better life or saving their whole family's lives. The emperor might not be so cruel as to kill or punish them heavily but for sure, the treatment toward Li's family will be not so kind afterward.
.......
In the next two days, after gaining some encouragement, Li Shizen decided to talk with Emperor Wu Zhang Wei. He is trying his luck and keeps on praying that the emperor won't throw a fit.
Inside the study room, Wu Zhang Wei couldn't help but smirk when he saw the middle-aged man asking to meet him personally. "Yes, Prime Minister Li. What else do you want to say to Zhen this time? Ah! Let me guess... It's about Concubine Li, isn't it? So, what is his wish this time? A higher title? A better palace? Or maybe, he wants me to come and visit him often?" said Wu Zhang Wei sarcastically.
"Hmn....it- it's not like that Your Majesty..."
"Ohh... Not like that? Then, what did he want?" Wu Zhang Wei stares at Li Shizen with his palm supporting his chin.
"P- pardon Your Majesty... My son, Concubine Li wished to be dismissed from the imperial harem. He wants to give back the title concubine."
Feeling shocked, the elbows that supported his head slipped off the table, making Wu Zhang Wei slightly fall off to the right side. "Wh- what did you say?" Wu Zhang Wei quickly straightens his body back.
"Concubine Li Xiu Ying deeply apologized but he said he wants to give back the title concubine. He wished to be released from the palace."
Wu Zhang Wei laughs stiffly. "May Zhen know, what makes him suddenly decide like this? Did he feel afraid of other consorts after the poisoning case? Or.....he actually has found someone else he fell in love with?" When he said the latter part, the cold voice makes Li Shizen flinches.
"N- no! It's not Your Majesty. Li Xiu Ying doesn't have someone else or he fell in love with others. All he did at home was spend time with my wife. He didn't even make friends, what's more, a lover."
The emperor sneers. "Oh really? From what Zhen heard, he received a few marriage proposals, didn't he? Who knows, maybe one of the guys caught his eyes."
Li Shizen quickly kneels down and kowtows. "This servant begs for your forgiveness, Your Majesty! Th- those people didn't know Li Xiu Ying's position as Your Majesty's concubine. But worry not, my wife already rejected all of them and even Li Xiu Ying didn't meet any of them."
Wu Zhang Wei hums. "Prime Minister Li, do you think this topic is such a trivial matter? Don't you know thousands of girls and gers out there desperately want to be my concubine even when they know Zhen never wished to have one? But Zhen, in consideration of you, as one of the people that I trusted the most, willingly took your son into the imperial harem. And now, you suddenly said your son wants to be dismissed? Ha! Am I a joke to you? Don't you think that Zhen being so kind and lenient towards you, Zhen won't do anything towards you and your family?" Wu Zhang Wei clenches his fist.
"Your Majesty... I..."
"Enough. Rise. Zhen doesn't want to hear any more excuses from you. You go back and tell Concubine Li to come back here and meet me. Let me hear the real reasons from his mouth. That's all. You can dismiss." Wu Zhang Wei waves his hand, asking Li Shizen to leave his study room.
With a heavy heart, Li Xiu Ying unwillingly returns to the palace for the next two days. The only thing that gives him the courage is the sooner he settles this, the faster he can go away from this place.
Jing Yi watches his young master's pale face and couldn't help but feel worried. "Young master, are you alright? If you feel sick, I'll inform His Majesty and ask him to postpone your meeting."
Li Xiu Ying shakes his head. "No. It's okay. I'm fine. We can't let His Majesty wait for us. Let's go now."
"Yes, young master."
Li Xiu Ying slowly walked toward Wu Zhang Wei's study room with Jing Yi behind him. As he was about to reach the study room, General Huang Fei Hong just stepped out of the room. The Great General saw him and he politely greeted, "Greetings, Concubine Li."
With a gentle smile, Xiu Ying inclines his head, "Greetings General Huang."
The servant announces his presence and Wu Zhang Wei asks him to enter the room, alone. Jing Yi who heard this can't help but feel even more worried for his young master. Xiu Ying turns around, "Don't worry. You wait for me here. I'll be out in a while."
"Yes, young master," said Jing Yi dejectedly.
Huang Fei Hong, who is still in front of the room, can't help but stare at the guy who was left alone by his master. He tilts his head and keeps on looking at the frail figure. Jing Yi feels uncomfortable with the gaze. He bobs his head, taking a few steps backward. Then, he stands in front of the room with his back facing the room wall. Fei Hong chuckles when Jing Yi clearly avoids him. Fei Hong takes a few steps forwards then he stops right in front of Jing Yi. Jing Yi, who is staring at the floor, flinches when a pair of legs standing in front of him.
Jing Yi steals a few glances but still didn't meet the eyes of the other person, "Y- yes, General? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Jing Yi fidgets under the heated stare and it makes Fei Hong can't contain his smile. But, he quickly covered it. Fei Hong pretends to cough. "Ahem...hmn... I need to ask a few questions regarding your master. Can I?"
"Y- yes sure."
"Okay, before that.... your name?" Fei Hong raises his brows in expectancy.
"I- it's Jing Yi, sir."
"Okay, Jing Yi. No need to be on the alert with me. It's not like I'm going to eat you." Jing Yi slowly calms down and relaxes, but that's only because he didn't see the smirk on the Great General's face.
"Alright. The first question is, how can Concubine Li recover after three days of coma? What kind of medication did he take?"
"This servant is also not sure, sir. I only give him the same decoction based on the prescription provided by the physician. Nothing else." Jing Yi answered unwaveringly.
Fei Hong slightly frowns, "Then, did you notice anything different on Concubine Li when he woke up?"
Jing Yi blinked his eyes nervously and it didn't miss Fei Hong's eyes. "No. Nothing different. When my master woke up, he felt extremely dizzy then he fainted again. Later on, he woke up again but his condition was slightly better, only left with a sore body from lying too long."
Fei Hong didn't avert his eyes even one second from Jing Yi. He observes his tiny expression, finding the hint of lies. However, besides the short moment of indifference before, Jing Yi maintains his calm and composed manner. "Then, care to share why Concubine Li suddenly decided to change the way he dressed and why he won't use makeup anymore? Even though he's been extremely obsessed with it in the past." Fei Hong squints his eyes.
"Pardon General. This servant also didn't know about that. Right after my master woke up, he asked me to get new sets of robes and he even asked me to put away all of his makeup. This servant only followed his orders. Didn't dare to question further."
Since the beginning, never once has Jing Yi raised his head and looked at Fei Hong's face. And it makes the Great General slightly frustrated.
"Is there anything else General wants to know?" asked Jing Yi when Fei Hong stayed silent.
" *cough* Hm...no. Nothing else. Thank you for answering me." Fei Hong rubs his nose.
"No problem General." Jing Yi bobs his head. It's just a few seconds but the lips that curved upwards couldn't be missed from Fei Hong's view.
The sound of the door opening made both of their heads turn to the side. Jing Yi quickly runs towards his young master, leaving the general behind. Seeing the frowns on Li Xiu Ying's face makes Jing Yi feel anxious. "Young master...what's wrong? Was His Majesty...mad at you? You were punished?"
Li Xiu Ying is about to say something but he notices the emperor's childhood friend, he quickly changes his words. "Let's go back to my room first." Li Xiu Ying nodded to Huang Fei Hong and walked past him. Jing Yi strutted behind him. Huang Fei Hong stares between the room and two figures that are slowly walking further away. He decided to enter the study room again to dig up some juicy news.
- Writer
