Chapter 4: Father and son meeting
1882 Words
The news of Xiu Ying woke up after three days in a comatose state and almost died, spread all over the palace in a flash.
Joy to Prime Minister Li and his wife but, it is a misery to the other consorts.
Wu Zhang Wei was also quite surprised with the news he heard from the Chief of eunuch. But still, he didn't try to visit Li Xiu Ying. First, he doesn't want to give any hope to him. Second, it would endanger him more if the other consorts knew about his visit.
Wu Zhang Wei knew that the poisoning was caused by one of the consorts. He already knew things like this would happen when he decided to take in those women into the imperial harem. He hated this never-ending drama.
"Prime Minister Li, I heard your son has regained his consciousness and now he is even strolling happily in the market."
Li Shizen stays calm on the outside even though he's cursing on the inside.
'He is your concubine! You should know better about him than me! You won't let me spend more time with him but, you also won't care for him! If not because you're the emperor, I've killed you a long time ago!'
"Yes, Your Majesty. Li Xiu Ying's servant already informed me that my son already woke up yesterday."
"Oh..." Wu Zhang Wei replied nonchalantly.
"You- your Majesty... Won't visit him?" Li Shizen braced himself to ask this question.
"Nope. If Zhen goes to him, the chances of him being poisoned will be doubled."
Li Shizen grits his teeth. 'Then, shouldn't you find who is the culprit?! Shouldn't you punish her?! You should protect him! If not because my son likes you, I already brought him far away from this place.'
Wu Zhang Wei dismissed the Prime Minister after saying his pieces. The Great General, Huang Fei Hong who was also in the room, watching the interaction between the father-in-law and son-in-law. He couldn't help but chuckle when Li Shizen was already out of the room.
"What?" asked the emperor.
When they're alone, they act casually as they grow up together and there's no need for formalities with your own best friend.
"You do notice that old man looks like he's going to stab you right on the spot?"
"Yeah. I know. But, what else can I do? He's the one who agreed with my conditions. I told him that I'll never care for his son but still, he insisted. So, it's not my problem if he's mad. He brought the problem upon himself." Wu Zhang Wei shrugs his shoulders.
"But still... Won't you go and see him just for a while? Other consorts, at least you've spent a few tea times with them, but him? I think you only met him when he first came to the palace. And then, every time he's approaching you, you quickly avoid him. Isn't that a little bit too cruel?" Fei Hong raises his brows.
"Can't help it. He is so annoying with the way he acts. For God's sake! He's a guy. He's trying so hard to act like a girl. I've seen a few other gers, but they're not like him. Plus, he looks so scary! I hope he won't walk around with that kind of face at night or else somebody is gonna die of a heart attack."
"Hahahahahha!!" Fei Hong laughed out loud hearing the grumbles.
He wipes the tears at the corner of his eyes. "But, I heard some of my men said, he looks different after he woke up. He has become beautiful. Even more beautiful than other consorts."
Wu Zhang Wei squints his eyes and glares at his childhood friend.
"Curious aren't you?" Fei Hong wiggles his eyebrows.
Wu Zhang Wei scoffs. "That kind of face, they said, beautiful? I bet your men are sexually frustrated. Maybe you should treat them to the brothel."
"Well...it's up to you. I just want to remind you. Don't regret if one day you're hooked to him but he'll ask you to let him go."
"That day..... Will never come. If he wants me to let him go, I'll grant it on the spot."
Huang Fei Hong shakes his head as he leaves the room. 'He's too confident. One day, he'll regret what he said just now.'
......
Xiu Ying's palace is placed a little bit further than other palaces for the consorts. And it is even further from the Main Palace where the emperor lives.
Xiu Ying's palace is called Zhongcui Palace (Palace of Accumulated Purity). This palace was given this name because it was surrounded by a green courtyard that is full of flowers, rockeries, and also a small pavilion in the courtyard. Accumulated Purity means the peace and undisturbed nature around it.
However, it also means the furthest and isolated palace.
Other servants looked down on Xiu Ying because he was the most unfavored concubine. They think that the emperor can't stand his presence, thus he was sent away from the main palace.
The old Li Xiu Ying always whines when every day he has to walk so far to go and meet.... more like trying to meet the emperor. But this new Li Xiu Ying is totally satisfied with his place. Far from other people means he can act as he likes and not bound to the strict protocol.
Right now, Xiu Ying is taking a walk around the courtyard. The silence is what he always wished for. It has always been his dream to live in a quiet place, far from the city but due to his work, he has to stop dreaming about it. But now, given the chance of living in this isolated palace, Xiu Ying looks happier and fresher than ever. Jing Yi, who is behind his young master, can't help but smile widely when he sees the real happiness on his young master's face.
"Forgive me, my lady." A servant suddenly approached them. "Prime Minister Li requires an audience with my lady."
Hearing the name of his father, Xiu Ying beaming. "My father? Yes yes. Please let him in and lead my father here." The servant kowtows and turns to the courtyard entrance.
"Jing Yi please prepare tea and some snacks. Bring it to the pavilion."
"Alright, young master."
.....
Xiu Ying waits for his father at the pavilion. He feels happy but nervous at the same time. Happy because he knows the owner of this body was doted by his father. Nervous because he is afraid if he acts out of his normal character and his father will notice it.
"Father" Greeted Xiu Ying when he saw his father coming towards him.
Li Shizen was shocked when he saw his youngest son but he quickly covered it with a smile. "Ying-er. How have you been doing?" Li Shizen approaches the young guy and gently caresses his head.
The soft touch makes Xiu Ying's eyes watery. He missed his father so bad. "I'm fine, father. How about father?" Xiu Ying holds onto Li Shizen's arm and leads him to take a seat.
"I'm fine. Just getting older." The prime minister strokes his short beard.
"Wh- what about mother?"
"She's been sick these few days but it's already getting better. She's just...worry and miss you so much."
Xiu Ying hangs his head low.
Li Shizen staring at his son. No makeup, no whines, calm and composed, gentle voice, full of manners, and the most important thing is..... he prioritize his parents first then asking about the emperor.
NO.
He didn't ask or say anything about the emperor AT ALL. A few moments later, Jing Yi comes with tea and snacks. Xiu Ying didn't let Jing Yi serves the tea because he wanted to do it on his own.
Li Shizen takes a few sips before speaking up again. "Xiu Ying....did anything happ- do you like living in this place?"
Xiu Ying bobs his head. "Hmn. It's quiet and far from other people. And so far no one is disturbing me. So I'm quite happy like this."
Li Shizen stares at his son. He missed those innocent and pure smiles. 'Is this really my son? But how can he change so much in just a few days? Did the poisoning cause him to change like this?'
Notice that his father is looking at him without saying anything, Xiu Ying reaches out his hands to hold his father's. "Father, I want to apologize for everything I said and did before. I was immature and I was selfish and carried away by my own feelings. I didn't think about father, mother, and our family. I'm really sorry. But I promise, after this, I won't be reckless anymore and I won't make father and mother worry about me and I'll behave and won't taint our family's name."
Hearing this, tears slowly roll down on Li Shizen's cheeks. He pulls Xiu Ying into his arms, "You stupid child." With no words, father, and son embraced each other and caught up with the times together that they lost.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, Wu Zhang Wei is reading a report. He needed some opinion from the prime minister so he asked the servant to call Li Shizen.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li is currently in Zhongcui Palace, visiting Concubine Li."
"Hmn. Call him here. Tell him it is urgent."
The servant is about to turn around but he was stopped by Huang Fei Hong. "It's not even that urgent. Can't you let that old man spend time with his son? He has the right, you know? Even more, his son just woke up. Don't disturb their family time." Fei Hong shakes his head.
"He can always go and visit at other times. I'm the emperor, why must I wait for him? He is the Prime Minister so the country's matter must be his priority!"
"Ha! You said he can visit at other times? But don't you realize you let him visit his son once a month only because you don't want that concubine to complain anything to Prime Minister Li? The more frequent he visits, the more complaints he'll make. Isn't that what you don't want?" Fei Hong rolls his eyes.
"If yes, so what? Didn't you see how that old man treated me lately? It looks like he no longer respects me. From the way he spoke and looked, I know he must be cursing me on the inside. If not because he's an honest and most capable minister, I've punished him!"
Fei Hong scoffs. "That's what you get after you treated his son like trash."
Wu Zhang Wei is about to say something, but Fei Hong quickly raises his palm, "Why don't you just go to Zhongcui Palace? Meet him there. At the same time, you can meet Concubine Li too. The more you avoid him, the more he'll pester you. If you act like usual but ignore his presence, maybe he'll slowly stop being a trouble. A direct rejection is more hurt than you playing hard to get. Show your power as an emperor."
'That's not...a bad idea...I guess he hasn't seen how scary I can be when I'm mad,' thought Wu Zhang Wei.
"Well then, let's go to Zhongcui Palace."
- Writer
