“Your Majesty, Noble Consort Lin requests an audience!” Eunuch Lu reported to Emperor Feng Xuan who was currently reviewing memorials.

“What’s she doing here?  Just say zhen is busy with work.  Tell her to go back!” Emperor said impatiently.  Many consorts were accepted into the palace to maintain the balance between the various powers.  Although he enjoyed their different bodies, he only loved one person.

“Yes!” Eunuch Lu went out to tell Noble Consort Lin what His Majesty said, but Noble Consort Lin did not withdraw and continued to wait outside the imperial study.

“Has she left?” The Emperor asked his personal eunuch, Eunuch Lu.  Towards these consorts, he only went to their palaces every night to retire, spreading the rain and dew, but there was no feeling of affection for any of them.  He will not give any consort the chance of giving birth to a prince or princess.

“Not yet.  Noble Consort Lin is still waiting outside.  Should this slave have someone send Consort Lin back?” Eunuch Lu asked while grinding the ink.  He has been with the Emperor for so many years.  He was not just a simple servant.  Perhaps the only one who truly understood the Emperor wasn’t his consorts nor his children but him.

“Let her in.  This harem can’t be peaceful for a single moment!” The Emperor put down the memorial, said to Eunuch Lu.

“Greetings to Your Majesty!” Noble Consort Lin curtsied.  Noble Consort Lin was dressed in a red cloud patterned silk with white flowers scattered on the skirt, styled hair inserted with a white yulan magnolia jade hairpin, her face tender and eyebrows like spring water.

“Beloved consort rise.  Why has beloved consort come?” Emperor helped up Noble Consort Lin and asked her gently but behind the gentle surface was ruthlessness.

“Chenqie has nothing important, only that I miss Your Majesty terribly after so many days without seeing Your Majesty.  I specially made some pastries to present them to you.  I hope Your Majesty doesn’t work too hard and take care of your dragon body!” Noble Consort Lin said shyly.  It was clearly a young girl’s actions but she did them with skill and ease.

“Beloved consort is thoughtful…” Emperor Feng Xuan smiled then to Eunuch Lu, “Today zhen will go to Noble Consort Lin’s place!”

Noble Consort Lin’s eyes flashed with delight.  His Majesty did not favor one woman in the harem over the other.  Since the former Empress passed away, although the Emperor still entered every consort’s palace, no consort has gotten pregnant.  There hasn’t been a happy event in this imperial palace for a long time.  If she got pregnant, then the Empress’s position…

“Your Majesty…” Noble Consort Lin said shyly with a flushed face, but her voice contained endless spring.

“Beloved consort is shy, haha, alright, zhen still has state affairs to deal with, beloved consort go back first!” Emperor said to Noble Noble Consort Lin.

“Your Majesty, chenqie came today with one request to ask of Your Majesty!” Noble Consort Lin looked at Emperor obligingly.  She knew what kind of women men liked, so she was always considerate and charming, never rebelling against the Emperor.

“Oh?  Tell me!” The Emperor’s eyes flashed with displeasure.  What he disliked most was the harem interfering with matters of political affairs.  No consort was an exception.

“Your Majesty, Che’er is now twenty-three.  In the manor, he only has one side consort.  Chenqie hopes to find an official consort for Che’er.  This way there’s someone to take care of Che’er” Noble Consort Lin asked, “Besides fourth wangyeis now twenty-one, and Ming wang nineteen. Not only ’don’t those two have a side consort, but they also don’t even have any concubines.  Although chenqieisn’t their biological mother, I am worried about the two wangye.   Your Majesty, please pick a good marriage for each of the wangye!”

Noble Consort Lin was smart.  She knew if wanted His Majesty to only sanction marriage for third wangye Feng Lin Che, the Emperor will definitely not agree.  However, the Emperor was very fond of fourth wangye and Ming wang.  He especially preferred Ming wang.  If she used them as an excuse, the Emperor would definitely consider this matter.

As expected, Emperor Feng Xuan’s face became serious.  Who knew how many times he worried about the marriage of these two children he loved most?  Every time he mentioned marriage to his fourth son, he always smiled but when he looked at this woman, he didn’t like, that woman, he didn’t like either.  He had no way of making them marry.  His sixth son was even worse.  Every time he mentioned it, he won’t even listen before he directly left.  In the past, he’s sent a beauty to this child, but the woman didn’t even get to enter the doors of Ming wang manor before she was killed by the guards.  Now that the two children have already grown up.  Some wangye already had a herd of children.  It just left the two of them who were still by themselves.  This time no matter what he must make them marry.

“Beloved consort is correct.  The children affairs need to be considered, but we still must ask the children’s thoughts, to see if they have a young miss they like!” Feng Xuan nodded, very much in agreement.

“Chenqie thanks Your Majesty!” Noble Consort Lin curtsied and left the imperial study with a eunuch.  Her purpose today has already been achieved.  Recently, the battle for the throne became even more fierce, but her son’s power wasn’t as good as second wangye and fourth wangye, so she can only find an helper for her son.  Therefore, he must marry a useful woman.  This way that power will belong to them, so they can have a chance at competing with Feng Shao Chu and Feng Xia Qi.

“Send people to let Xia Qi and Yi Xuan come over.  Say zhen has something to say to them!” Emperor Feng Xuan ordered down.  Although he was sure his fourth son will definitely come, his sixth son he wasn’t sure about.  Usually, when he summoned him, eight times out of ten, he didn’t show up.  He was helpless against him.

“Yes!”

“Eunuch Lu ah, do you think Yi Xuan still hates zhen?  Every time zhen sees him, I can see the hatred towards zhen in his eyes.  Zhen…” Feng Xuan painfully sat in front of the desk.  Eunuch Lu only quietly stood beside him.  His Majesty wasn’t really asking him.  He only wanted to release the remorse in his heart.

Eunuch Lu still remembered the previous Empress was a beautiful woman with a strong character.  Because of this decisiveness and strength, in the end, she dissipated in the harem.  When the Empress died, the Emperor was inconsolable for a long time.  Even for some time, he couldn’t keep on going.  Although there appears to be nothing wrong with the Emperor on the surface, inside, he missed the former Empress a lot.  Otherwise, why would he give the consorts in the palace pregnancy prevention medicine?

Unsurprisingly, the first one who came was Feng Xia Qi.  Feng Xia Qi paid respects to the Emperor, “Greetings to Imperial Father.  Why did Imperial father summon erchen?”

“There’s no hurry.  Sit down first.  Wait for Yi Xuan to come before we talk!” The Emperor said.  Eunuch Lu immediately brought a chair over.  Feng Xia Qi dropped formalities and sat down, thinking that something must have happened for Imperial Father to summon him and his younger brother.

When the Emperor finished drinking his fourth cup of tea, Feng Yi Xuan arrived late.  His face was still frozen without any expression.  When he saw the Emperor, he bowed, “Imperial Father” then Eunuch Lu brought in another chair and sat down without any formalities a subject was supposed to have.

“Imperial father, since imperial brother is here, can Imperial father tell erchenwhat is this for?” Feng Xia Qi smiled, but in front of the Emperor, he still wore a mask.  The smile he wore was only the smile of a sly fox.

“En, zhen today called you here because you have already come of age.  Yet you two don’t have any consorts.  I want to ask if you have any woman you like.  Imperial father will sanction a marriage!” the Emperor said benevolently.  Although he wanted to sanction a marriage for these two children straightaway, find a woman with good looks and character for them to marry, neither of these two children were easily fooled.  The sanctioned marriage will probably end up being a fail and backfire on him.

“Imperial father, erchen doesn’t want to get married yet.  Imperial father doesn’t need to worry!” Feng Xia Qi said.  His attitude towards woman was to run as far away as he can.  Most women were hypocrites.  In this world probably only a woman like Nian’er meimei is the best candidate for a wife.

Feng Yi Xuan didn’t even look at Emperor, his words cold as usual, “Meddlesome!”

“Fooling around!  You are already this age.  Imperial father still looks forward to the birth of your children!  If you don’t like then just pick one.  If you meet the one you like in the future, then bring them into the manor later!” Emperor was anxious.  After all, there was a particular emphasis on the problem of children when fighting for the throne.  How can one who didn’t even have an official consort or a side consort make the civil and martial officials in court support him sincerely?

“Just like Mother Empress?” Feng Yi Xuan’s gaze chilled and Feng Xia Qi’s face became ugly.

“Zhen really loved your Empress Mother.  She is the only woman zhen loved.  It is this Emperor who wronged her!” Emperor looked at Feng Xia Qi and Feng Yi Xuan guiltily.  In this life, he regretted nothing he did but his only regret was that he did not cherish that woman.

“Imperial father’s love is really great.  I think Empress Mother’s greatest regret is marrying imperial father!” Feng Yi Xuan sneered, that pair of black eyes already began to glow purple.

“Impudent!” Emperor scolded.  His former wife was the pain in his heart.  Now it was said out loud by his son, he felt miserable.

“This wang already has a beloved woman.  In this life, this wang will only have her.  If you dare give me another woman, I will kill them all!” Finished, Feng Yi Xuan left the imperial study.

“Father, erchen also wants to find a woman who I truly love to spend the rest of my life with.  So concerning the matter of sanctioning a marriage, I ask Imperial Father to give up!” Feng Xia Qi looked at his remorseful father without any words of comfort, “Erchen withdraws!”

Emperor wants to say something but the two children already left without agreeing, “Eunuch Lu, should zhen allow them to continue on like this?”

“Your Majesty, fourth wangye and Ming wang are dragons amongst people.  They can find their own beloved.  Besides didn’t Ming wang say he already has a beloved woman?  Perhaps it won’t be long before Ming wang wants Your Majesty to sanction a marriage!” Eunuch Lu brewed a cup of tea for Emperor as he consoled him.

“Right, Yi Xuan has his own beloved woman.  He even said that in this life, he will only have one person.  Whose family’s girl is it?” Emperor wondered anxiously.  After all, this son has never been amiable to another woman before.  It was good enough that he didn’t kill them.  The Emperor was really afraid this son will be alone for the rest of his life.

“Don’t worry Your Majesty.  With Ming wang’s temper, if he likes, then he will definitely marry her!” Eunuch Lu said.  It was true, after all, Feng Yi Xuan’s temper was overbearing beyond belief.

“Right, right, it seems zhen is worried for nothing!” Emperor relaxed.

“Your Majesty, are you still going to Noble Consort Lin’s place today?” Eunuch Lu asked.  It was getting late.  The Emperor usually retires to other consorts’ palace.  Most of the time, however, he will go to the former Empress’s palace to rest.  The former Empress’s palace still remained and has now become the Emperor’s resting place.

“Not going.  Eunuch Lu ah, you don’t know how much zhen is disgusted by those women in the harem.  Zhen doesn’t want to touch them at all.  In the past zhen was wrong, zhen had to do this for the throne!” The Emperor said, returning to his own palace.

“A’Xuan, wait a minute!” Once they were out of the palace, Feng Xia Qi chased after Feng Yi Xuan.

“Imperial brother still has a problem?” Feng Yi Xuan asked coldly.

“Just in front of Imperial father you said you have a beloved woman, is this true?” Feng Xia Qi really wanted to slap his brother’s shoulders, but then thought of brother’s mysophobia, better forget about it!

“En, it’s real!” Feng Yi Xuan didn’t hide anything from his Imperial brother.  The two of them were real brothers and family, so there were no thoughts of fighting against each other.

“You really hid it deeply ah!  Which family’s lady did you take a fancy to?  Want brother’s help?” Feng Xia Qi asked happily.  After all, he still felt some guilt towards this brother.  This brother was always solitary.  If he had a girl he liked, he probably would be much happier.

“This wang can do it. There’s no need for you to worry!” Feng Yi Xuan said and used qinggong to leave.  He started to miss Nian Nian.  He didn’t know if Nian Nian has fallen asleep yet.

T/N: As promised, seven chapters for reaching the first $50 goal. Thank you!

chenqie-a consort to the Emperor calls herself this

erchen-subject son/daughter

zhen-this emperor

wangye/wang-first ranked prince

qinggong-martial arts ability of lightness on feet