26- Niao Niao is The Empress

First of all, I need to apologise for the late post.. yesterday is my brother's wedding so I'm kinda busy.. but I post the chapter today! Hehehehe

Nothing could describe his feelings right now, Lian Tian leans back on a pillar next to the general's mansion. His head feels heavy so he rested and closes his eyes. Trying his best to control his breath, or more likely, his emotions.

Niao Niao is the empress.

What is the possibility? He somehow feel betrayed.

After confessing his love, Lian Tian feels uneasy. So he decided to follow Niao Niao. Little did he know he would find out something so outrageous.

It will be a lie if he says that he's not heart broken. But he won't give up too easily.

"She is the empress, that's why.. " everything starts to come in pieces. Like a puzzle. Everything that she did, she's not like a normal concubine. But that time, he refused to think about it. Her strange behaviour, her extreme intelligence and amusing abilities now make sense.

Lian Tian quickly jumps to the roof, disappearing through the dark night. He goes to his own camp, outside the forbidden city.

"Crown prince, you have arrived!" His right hand greets him.

"There's a change of plan, prepare my desk." He walks pass his confused right hand, not even facing him.

His fast steps makes everyone nervous, the Generals eyed each other just to find they are all just as clueless.

The meeting room inside the crown prince tent is ready. And so do the generals and high officials. They sits at their place, not saying anything.

No one dares to break the ice. Yet the crown prince is still in his own world. They starts to assume that something terrible must happened.

"Let's retreat." Short and clear.

"..."

"Your majesty, why do we need to retreat? Giving pressure like this is the best way to make them lose confidence! Furthermore- " The general is stopped by hand gestures of an official, he stops but giving the official disapproving look.

When everyone is silent, Lian Tian continues "Also, stop the river poisoning." He says. He then raises to his feet and left.

"A beautiful lady, can bring an entire empire down"

Maybe it's true.. let's just see how this ends.

_

"Where is her majesty?" Mumu looks around the Phoenix chamber but could not find the empress. "Does anyone see the empress?" She asks her servants.

As usual, they have the clothes ready for the empress. But she is nowhere. Mumu and a dozen of her servants are trying to find the empress all around the palace. At that moment Mumu realised her mistake.

"Ai ya.. let's stop searching now!" She face palms herself and tells everyone to stop.

"Head servant, why do you tell us to stop searching?" They all gathered around curiously.

"Eii.. you guys are so slow. Don't you remember that the emperor visited us for the first time yesterday?"

They all nods in unison, but still don't get the point.

Mumu smirks and says, "let this senior tell you, her majesty must be going out with the emperor right now. So we don't need to find her, she will come back safely and happily! Just wait!" Mumu says confidently, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"Oooo.." now they all understand.

"Is that means the empress will get pregnant?" A young servant asks with all seriousness.

"Eh? Where do you learn that Xiao Ming? People don't get pregnant just by holding hands.." Mumu is amused by this young servant's pure thoughts.

"Wasn't that what happen to consort Hua?" She is sure that her thought is correct, she blinks a few times showing that she's curious.

"You are still very young.." Mumu taps her head, smiling.

"What are you all dong here?" A familiar voice asks.

"Her majesty.." they all bow to her.

"Raise." The empress says. "Mumu prepare my clothes."

"Zhi." Mumu peeks out to see the emperor, doesn't realise that the empress already walks away.

Where is he? Mumu thinks, does he just left like that?

"Mumu, what are you doing?" The empress looks back and finds Mumu is still standing at her position, not following her.

"Oh!" Luckily Mumu comes back to her senses and walks quickly to the empress.

-

After parting with the empress, the emperor starts to feel insecure again. It's like the reality starts to come to him, not allowing him to be happy. His moods is dropping because of the morning assembly and the fact that he still couldn't come up with good idea.

The emperor walks heavily entering the hall, greeted by all officials. He sits on his throne and tells the to raise.

"Thank you your majesty, we hope the emperor live for 100.000 years." The ministers say in unison.

After such ceremony, the assembly starts.

Ministers Wei comes up to the center,

"Your majesty! Good news!" Minister Wei declares.

"What is it?" The emperor who is not in a good mood asks. What good news is worth hearing in such a hard situation like now?

"The Lian soldiers retreated last night." Minister Wei who spies on the Lian soldiers get the information faster, and he has to be the one who broke this good news to the emperor.

"Long live the emperor!" All ministers shouted, celebrating Lian soldiers retreatment.

The emperor is confused, why are they retreating when they have upper hand by not doing so..

Another minister come to the center, showing that he has something to report.

"Your majesty, the river is not poisoned anymore.. people of my province already used the water since last night, they says it is fresh.."

"Long live the emperor!" They shouted again.

Even though the news are all good, but the emperor is frowning. He can't figure what is Lian kingdom's plan.

Next to him, the empress is also frowning. She is sure she didn't say yes to the Crown Prince's proposal, but how could this happen?

Because this is exactly what she asks from him. To retreat and stop the river poisoning.. The empress is frustrated because she can't find another reason.

Don't say the crown prince has a wrong idea..

In the middle of her thoughts, a palace guard interrupted.

"Your majesty, someone from the Lian Kingdom wish to meet the emperor."

".." the emperor stays still for a moment, before he lets him in.

The Lian guy look like he is a high official, he kneeled in front of the emperor and handed a letter.

"Who are you and what do you want?" The emperor asks him inpatiently.

"This servant is a mere official. I am told to hand this letter by the Crown Prince."

The crown prince is coming to Zhang kingdom officially.

He must get the wrong idea! The empress needs to meet the crown prince as soon as possible.. or not, her nightmare might come true..

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