“You…come this way,” the senior eunuch said suddenly.
“You mean…me?” I asked in slight confusion as I pointed to myself. Did he mean me?“Yes, you. Come here with me,” the eunuch replied in a desperate voice as he beckoned me to follow him with his hand.Hesitantly, I started to follow him. I didn’t know where he was leading me, but he was leading me away from the group of women. I looked back over my shoulder as the group of women walked further away in the other direction. Where is he taking me?“The Emperor has graciously decided to let you stay in the White Lotus palace. You should consider yourself extremely lucky to have earned yourself such a reward on your first day at the Grand Palace,” the eunuch explained as if to answer my unasked question.Not that I knew what the White Lotus palace is. As far as I was aware, the fact that Ren seemed to show some interest in me by simply taOk. In other words, this auntie is the manager of the Crown Prince’s harem. What an interesting job to have. If I must live here or find a way out as fast as possible, it will be extremely important to remain on Chen’s good side. “It is an honor to meet you…umm…Miss Chen…” I replied with the warmest smile I could muster. “You can call me Auntie Chen. Everyone, please leave us alone for a moment,” Auntie Chen replied before turning to wave off the others in the room. With swift bows they turned to leave the room, quietly closing the door behind them. Suddenly, I was left alone with Auntie Chen. I breathed in deeply a few times to calm my own heat beat. For some reason, I had a very gad feeling about this and the atmosphere is making me nervous. I looked down to see that my hand were balled together and my palms were sweating slightly. “There is no need to be nervous. I am here to guide and prepare
“Lastly, here is a small gift for you,” Auntie Chen said as she handed me a small bottle containing some liquid inside. “And this is…?” I asked as I hesitantly took the bottle from her hand. “This is a special oil that will enhance his pleasure and lessen the pain for you upon his entry into your love flower. Let me help you apply it in between your legs…” Auntie Chen calmly stated like this was and probably is the norm. Ok, so this thing oil is like lubrication. Not like I will be needing such thing because I am not going to engage in any sexual activities with Ren tonight or any other night. Auntie Chen approached me, and I recalled the rest of her words from just now. No! “No no no…I can apply the oil myself. Thank you…like really, thank you…” I quickly protested before this mad old woman proceeded with spreading my leg to apply the oil to my private area. This is crazy.
“Fine,” I replied simply. “I see. Well, do you know why you’re here with me tonight?” Ren asked in a light tone, his eyes never leaving my face. Ren has not eaten at all. Clearly food was not on his mind right now. “Yes. I know why I’m supposed to be with you tonight…but…I don’t know why it has to be me,” I replied honestly. Out of all those women, why must it be me? “Good question. To be honest, it doesn’t matter to me who is sitting opposite me right now. It could be you…or it could be any other woman,” Ren replied emotionlessly. “Then…can you please just send me back home? Please” I pleaded with some hope in my voice. If he has no interest in me, and I didn’t think he did, then I can go, right? “That’s not entirely for me to decide. Just to cure you a bit of your curiosity. I didn’t pick you or anything like that. Th
His lips feels so hot against mine and I felt my body feel weaker as he continued kissing me. His hand dipping lower from my waist to caress my hips. I heard myself let out a sigh, followed by a soft moan. “No…crown prince…” I protested weakly in between our kisses as my mind started feeling hazy. “Ren…call me Ren,” Ren whispered seductively as he changed the angle of our kiss. Using this opportunity, Ren slowly slipped his wet tongue in between my slightly parted lips. I felt my body shudder when I felt his warm tongue enter my mouth and meeting my own. I’ve never kissed man before and this new sensation was making me feel tingly inside. I heard myself moan several times when Ren’s tongue grinded against my own. When Ren’s lips finally parted from mine, I felt so lightheaded dthat I could barely keep standing. Sensing this, Ren supported my body with his arms around me as I leaned on him. I was p
“You’ll kill me? I guess dying at a beautiful woman’s hand is not such a bad option, after all. Shall I help you out then?” Ren asked in a solemn voice. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious. Glancing away from me and at the knife held close to the side of his neck, Ren slowly moved his neck closer to the knife until his skin grazed the sharp edge of the knife. Smiling at me, he pushed his neck slightly harder against the knife and to my absolute shock, red blood started oozing out from his neck. Ren…he cut himself on purpose?! Why?!“No! Ren!” I screamed at him in shock as I let go of the knife. He’s bleeding. Almost by instinct, I grabbed the long sleeve of my robe and pressed it firmly against his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. This is bad, I don’t know if the wound is deep or not but a wound to the neck can be dangerous. He needs to be treated as soon as possible. “Ren&hell
“There’s no need for you to be so nervous. Just act natural and follow my lead,” Ren said reassuringly as he smiled brightly at me and took my hand in his. Today is the start of our pretend relationship between crown prince and his favorite concubine. Easy for him to say, how can I possibly act natural in this situation. His hand holding mine felt hot and my palm feel sweaty from nervousness. “Easy for you to say. I’ve never dated anyone before, I don’t know how to act all lovey-dovey…” I mumbled to myself. “Just hold my hand, smile sweetly at me, talk to me in a sweet voice and just follow my lead. If people ask questions, I’ll help you answer them. So just smile and keep your head up, ok?” Ren instructed confidently. At a loss for words, I just nodded. After the maids dressed me up fitting of my new position, we were ready to leave the White Lotus palace to meet the emperor at the main
“Why don’t you two join us for lunch later today?” Prince Kin asked invitingly. He seemed like a nice guy. I was about to open my mouth to answer him when Ren cut in with a cold voice. “Maybe another day. Excuse us,” Ren rejected Prince Kin’s offer without a second thought. Turning to address the emperor and the empress, he bowed, and I quickly did the same. “Wait, Ren!” the emperor called out behind us. Breathing out a silent sigh, Ren slowly turned back to face his father. “Yes, Father?” Ren asked, trying his best to hide his annoyance. “I have arranged a trip for you and Lady White Lotus to the holiday palace in Luwin province. It is not far from here but you two can relax and enjoy the hot springs there. Please make sure you leave on holiday together tomorrow. I will not expect you to be back for three days. That is all,” the emperor declared. It was clear from his tone th
I was excited and nervous for the trip that I just couldn’t sleep. After tossing and turning in bed for what seemed like an eternity, I simply gave up on the idea of sleep and decided to take a stroll in the garden instead. The palace was quite dark and dead quiet since it was late at night and the only ones awake were probably the guards that were on duty guarding the wall and the entrance. I slipped slowly outside and along the walkway leading to the garden. Since I couldn’t sleep anyways, I might as well enjoy some peace and quiet out in the garden where the lotuses were. I was able to make my way there without getting lost in the dark and also without being spotted. I sat down next to the lake as I watched the moon reflecting off its surface. Tonight, was a full moon and the moonlight provided enough light for me to see quite clearly in the garden. I sat there lost in thought as I thought about my hometown and uncle and auntie. I wonder how they were hold
“Really? I think you’re as young and as pretty as before…if not more pretty…” Ren said reassuringly before he bent down to kiss my cheek tenderly.Although I knew that he was probably just saying it to please me, I couldn’t help but feel my heart flutter at his words. The truth was that I have aged, and I definitely don’t look as fresh or young as I did all those years ago. Even I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that I haven’t aged. “Thank you, Ren…but that’s not really the point…” I replied with a small laugh. “Can’t we try for one more? Please…just one more…” Ren pleaded sweetly. “But we already have three children…” I pointed out. “But we don’t have a daughter yet…” Ren said with a sigh as he looked depressed and deflated. I wanted to roll my eyes at fate. Most women had problem pleasing their husband and his family because they couldn’t produce a son. In my case, I had no problem producing sons, but my husband was adamant in wanting a daughter so that he could spoil her like
My political influence changed again when I became pregnant with my second child and soon gave birth to another very healthy son. Having two sons for the emperor gave the entire empire confidence that the line of succession is secure. Despite Prince Kin’s women giving birth to a few sons as well at that point, it was clear that the line of succession will continue in Ren’s branch of the family, much to the dowager empress’s joy. Strangely, I have developed an amicable relationship with the dowager empress over the years as she had taken much interest in her great grandchildren. Naturally, I was favored without needing to do anything much. Unfortunately, the dowager empress passed away from old age before she got to see the face of our third child. To my utmost surprise and to many others’ jealousy, she had chosen to leave all her treasures to me so that I could distribute it to my children’s wives when they got married. I cried so much at her funeral that Ren had to step in and lead
Lately Ren has found his work as the emperor boring and repetitive. As a result, he has been spending more time with me and our children. That was a great thing for me and our family, but I wasn’t sure if it was best for the empire. “Shin can take care of most things. He’s unmarried, has no kids, and loves the empire. He’s perfect for the job,” Ren said before laughing loudly. That was his response when I asked him about skipping out on some of his royal duties. It’s been around 7 years now since Ren and I got married but Shin was still as single and free as a bird. Despite our efforts to get him to settle down, Shin had some how successfully evaded the topic of marriage all together. Even an arrangement by the previous emperor couldn’t tie him down. Shin now considers my children as his own and acts as their loving godfather. …When we arrived back at the main palace, I was greeted by my second son, Rem. Rem is more of a carefree spirit compared to Rou. He doesn’t seem super devot
“It sounds very complicated. In my town, weddings are something that you celebrate with your close friends and family in a simple way…” I mumbled. “I’m sure that doesn’t apply if you marry a prince or if you’re becoming the next empress,” Ren said with a laugh. “I guess you’re right…” I said with a nod of my head. “Don’t worry too much. We’ll both have it easy until the day itself. If you’re not too picky, you can leave the preparation to the officials and the staff. They’ll get everything done and if you have any special requests, just let them know and they’ll figure it out,” Ren said before he patted my head. I guess planning my own wedding was out of the question. I was sure that whatever the officials in charge had in mind would be very different to what I wanted. Recalling the minimal version of the wedding dress that Ren once made me wear to appear in court, I shuddered at the thought of the real wedding dress itself and the ceremony involved. “I’ll leave it to them then.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?” Ren asked the moment the door to my bedroom closed behind us. “I…I was just waiting for the right moment to tell you,” I said honestly. “When did you find out?” Ren asked. “About a month ago while we were still in the middle of war,” I confessed softly. “You should have told me,” Ren insisted. “But you were so busy, and you were out there fighting every day. I didn’t want to add to your burdens,” I explained. “Regardless, you still should have told me,” Ren repeated his same opinion. “I’m sorry, Ren. It wasn’t like I was trying to keep it from you,” I apologized sadly. “I would have taken care of you better…” Ren muttered. Is that why he was so mad? “You’re so sweet, Ren,” I said before giggling. It was probably the first time that I think I saw Ren blush. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling at the sight. “Thank you, Rin. I can’t wait to raise our baby together,” Ren said as he hugged me close to him. “Me too…” I replied before sm
“But if you go, they might kill you…” Shin said. “Isn’t there someone who can help me?” I asked as a thought struck me. “You can’t be seriously thinking about…” Shin muttered as he probably caught on to what I was thinking. “Please, Shin…please help Ren…please help me…” I begged. “Shit…this is crazy…” Shin said in pure disbelief. I watched as Shin sprinted off. After he was gone, my legs lost all its strength and I eased down onto a nearby chair and concentrated on keeping my breathing calm. I placed a hand on my tummy as I prayed that all three of us would be safe. …**Back to the present**Everyone looked towards the entrance of the hall, where a frail old woman walked in slowly with her most trusted eunuch supporting her arms on both sides. Despite her age and her weakened body, the Dowager Empress walked with a straight back full of pride. In unison as if they had practiced it beforehand, everyone stood up from their seat and bowed. Ren and I did the same. “Mother…” the em
After quite a long while had passed, all five doctors were done with inspecting my body. Ren returned back to my side before he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as we all waited for the verdict from the doctors. “So, what is your opinion regarding the Lady White Lotus,” the emperor asked impatiently. Each doctor was asked to present his view one by one starting with the least senior and ending with Doctor Pai, who was the most senior of them all. “Your Majesty, I believe that the Lady White Lotus is with child,” the first doctor stated before bowing deeply to the emperor. The whole hall erupted in whispers and gasps of shock. Some members of court who had undoubtedly been eagerly waiting for the next royal heir cheered and clapped their hands. “Silence. Next…” the emperor said firmly as he invited the next doctor to give his opinion. “Your Majesty. The Lady White Lotus is indeed pregnant,” the second doctor said before bowing to show his respect. “Next…” the emperor said
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this! “There is no need to punish the crown prince because I am without a doubt loyal to this empire. I wish for a bright future for this empire because that would mean a bright future for our child…” I said, making sure that my voice rang loud and clear. “Rin…” I heard Ren whisper my name. “What are you saying?” the emperor asked as a frown formed in between his brows. “I am with child. I am pregnant with the crown prince’s child,” I stated firmly. I could feel and hear everyone’s shock. Loud gasp of surprise filled the room followed by whispers. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, and I placed my hands over my stomach as if to protect the baby that was inside. “What are you saying? Leave with Shin right now,” Ren hissed to me as he came to my side. “No…I am not leaving you…” I said stubbornly. “Is it true, Rin?” Ren asked softly, I could feel his gaze on my stomach. I smiled weakly at him as I nodded. His eyes widened in surprise befor
Ren stood up from his seat and all eyes were on him. He took in a breath to calm himself before facing the emperor and the members of court. “I believe that the punishment decided for the town of Amber Leaves is just and fair. The emperor who also approved it seem to share my beliefs. The people of the town had no knowledge of what was going on and did not benefit from the enemy. Because of this, I believe that they should not be punished. I spent more than three months fighting the war. Compared to someone who had never stepped foot on the battlefield or the town itself, I believe that it should be fair to say that I am more knowledgeable about the situation,” Ren said calmly.“What about the punishment for Lady White Lotus? It is indeed her town that rebelled against the empire,” a senior member of court inquired sternly. “The Lady White Lotus has failed to deliver a royal heir for this empire as well. It has been a very long time and she is not yet with child,” the empress spoke