15- Our Second Date pt.1

Hey guys, I just graduated from high school yesterday! Finally lol!

Niao Niao sees the emperor back fading away, but she can not sweep her smile away. After making sure the emperor is gone, she goes back to her palace.

The empress walks happily back to her chamber, which confuse Mumu.

Mumu silently follows her master and assist the empress to take off her hanfu.

"By the way, Mumu, do we still have the herbal tea?"

"Probably your majesty."

"Great then! Go pack it, this empress will bring it tomorrow to the harem house. You are dismissed."

"Zhi." Why does the empress want to take such expensive tea to the harem house? And why is she extremely happy? So weird!

_____

The next morning, the empress goes to the hall as usual. From what they heard, the plan went very smoothly. Even if there's water shortage it isn't so crucial like before.

The empress relieved because of the current situation is fine, even if it still needs some progress.

At the Phoenix palace, Mumu is waiting for her master to come back.

"Your majesty, what do you want to eat?"

"It doesn't matter." The empress answers quickly as she gets into her chamber.

The empress must be so happy today, Mumu thinks. She prepared swiftlet nest soup for the empress.

Mumu still waits at the eating place but there's no sign that the empress will come. It is already pass mid-day. What is her majesty doing?

Mumu knocks the door, but there's no answer. She quietly enters the chamber and saw the empress sleeping. But why? As long as Mumu knows her, the empress almost never take a nap. Is the empress sick? Mumu shake her lady gently. Seeing from her face, she doesn't look sick.

"Your majesty please eat your lunch."

"Hmm?" The empress finally wakes up.

"Is your majesty sick?" Mumu concerns.

"N-no."

"Great then! Let's eat lunch."

"Mumu, have you packed the herbal tea?"

"Yes your majesty, but what does her majesty need it for?" Mumu asks in curiosity.

The empress only smiles as the answer and starts to eat her lunch.

"Mumu, prepare my clothes, this empress is going to the harem house tonight." The empress instructed.

Again?

The empress is applying her makeup neatly that day. Way too neatly in Mumu's opinion. The empress usually just put on whatever and not caring how she looks when going to the harem house. White face and red lips is enough. But tonight the empress is taking her time to put on her makeup.

"Mumu, which lip colour matches my hanfu best?" The empress showed red and pink lip powder.

Mumu is taken a back by the question. Since when does the empress care?

"Nubi thinks the pink one mattes better." Mumu said finally .

"Yes, I think so!" The empress agreed happily and apply the lip powder.

"I'm done!" She says. "Mumu, how do this empress look? Do I look good?"

Her moon shaped eyebrows are neater than usual, her face is white and beautiful, a smile curved from her lips. Very captivating. A true beauty indeed.

"Of course your majesty!"

"Are you sure? Don't you think my face is too white?" The empress says tapping her face.

"No, your majesty is very beautiful."

Yes that's right! Too beautiful.. the empress doesn't even dress this nicely for her birthday. Mumu worries because a concubine is not supposed to look that good.

"Okay then, this empress will go now!" She says, straightening her hanfu. She even take perfume bag with her!

"Now? It's still too early your majesty."  Mumu reminds her.

"It's okay!" The empress goes excitingly.

Huh! What happens to the empress?

____

"Bai Lu, do we still have the treasured white jade?" The emperor asks

"Yes your majesty."

"I need you to make a hairpin."

"H-hairpin?" In ancient china hairpins is a big deal. When a man give it to his woman, it is a pledge of love. That's why Bai Lu is confused.

"I have made the design. Here!" The emperor handed Bai Lu a stroll of his own drawing. Bai Lu couldn't resist but to open it. It is a very simple hairpin. Too simple to be given to the empress?

-

Because the empress is coming too early, she is sitting alone in the pavilion. They choose the farthest pavilion, but the scenery is amazing there. In the pavilion there's a harp. Since the empress is bored, she starts playing.

"It's been a long time." She says to herself.

When she touches the harp, she realise that she misses it so much. She played the song that she always play years ago. The notes are dancing beautifully, every string plays a dreamy sounds. It's makes everyone who hears it dream of peaceful life. The heavenly sounds attracts birds to sing along. Her playing is so beautiful that fishes in the pond start gathering around.

"You are very talented." The emperor praised her.

She quickly stopped paying and hide her hand.

"When did your majesty come?" She asks shockingly, it's still a long time from sunset, when they decide to meet.

Maybe the emperor is also too excited.

"This emperor just came, did you wait for a long time?"

"N-no your majesty. Let's have a cup of tea, nubi have a herbal tea which is very good for blood circulation. Would your majesty have a cup?"

"Sure!"

The empress is having a hard time to pour the tea. The reason is because she have to hide her wrist, which in this case doesn't have any virginity mark anymore.

"Do you need a help?" The emperor senses her weird gesture.

"Please.."

_______

At Lian kingdom, the atmosphere is tensed because they found out about Zhang kingdom solution. They held a meeting to talk about this problem.

"What do you say?! They find a solution? How come?!" The king is raged at the meeting.

"Please be calm your majesty."

The king throws the report to a vase, making it shatter. He blames the table very harshly, until it almost broke.

"That Zhang kingdom really full of smarties, don't they?" The king asks sarcastically.

"..." all of the minister bowed, afraid to make even the slightest sound.

"Nobody wants to talk? Huh?! No one have any idea?!" He asks angrily. "HHAHAHA!! My court is sure full of idiots!"

"Imperial father, this crown prince has an idea." A young man stands. His manly posture stand tall, towering his own father. His sharp eyes and well built body have been trained since he is a child. That is the crown prince of Lian, Lian Tian.

"What could it be?"

"This crown prince will go to the Great Zhang to spy on them." He declares.

"A crown prince as a spy? Are you kidding?!" The king doesn't buy his words.

"I am no ordinary spy. To know their plan better, I need to go there by myself! By going there I will be able to understand their situation better, and find.. the one that is the brain of Zhang Kingdom." The crown prince explains.

"This minister agrees! Crown prince is a very capable man. His martial art skills is unordinary, one of a kind!"

"With crown prince's brain and knowledge we will get much more information from inside the palace!Nubi thinks it is a great idea!" Another minister says.

"The crown prince spying ability is magnificent, no one would expect or sense his wind-like movement!"

Because of many ministers agree, the king finally let his son to personally spy on the Zhang Emperor.

Thank you for reading! I am always so happy if you guys commented and voted this story.. so thank you very much! See you next week ❤️