Back In Time (The Reincarnation of the Cruel Concubine)
Su Dynasty
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise up, Eunuch Hao!" the Emperor of Zhou ordered a paper report on the harvest, and stared at the eunuch for a moment.
Eunuch Hao gave a golden and silver colored scroll with great respect. The scroll was an invitation coming from the neighboring empire, arriving this morning through a group of envoys.
"What's this?" Emperor Zhou opened the ribbon that bound the scroll, opened it and read some of the sentences listed in it.
An invitation to a banquet to commemorate the establishment of the Su Dynasty in the southern valley 200 years.
"A week away?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhou put down the scroll, rubbing his chin slowly. "The journey to the Su Dynasty is far away, at the earliest we are up to ten days away. It won't be on time."
"Why do you worry, Your Majesty." said Kasim Hao. "We can travel through the ocean, maybe it's time to try your new ship."
"Any right, yeah."
A medium-sized ship had just been completed about five days ago, the emperor himself had already tried to board it, very sturdy and safe. Emperor Zhou ordered shipbuilders in the Ming Dynasty to make a special ship for him. One of the things he considered at that time was to facilitate visits to various countries far away.
"Easim Hao, then prepare my journey immediately. If it's by sea, it might only take two to three days."
"Prepare enough supplies and fifty pieces of silk as my gift."
"I will go to ask the empress to accompany my journey."
"Alright, Your Majesty." reply Eunuch Hao. "The Empress?"
The Emperor frowned, "Yes, who else?"
The eunuch shook his head slowly, "Initially I thought you would go with the grand concubine."
"Wu Li Mei?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wu Li Mei, speaking of the concubine, it had been almost two weeks since she had not met the concubine. Lastly, while in the crown princess pavilion.
Many things had to be done by Emperor Zhou, such as reviewing the construction of dams, seeing the harvest, and taking care of his government. It was also the busyness that made him rarely meet the great concubine. Not much was known about it, according to a report from Commander Hong, who was in charge of overseeing the imperial family, Wu Li Mei was busy taking care of her children and the palace health center. The concubine spent a lot of time reading books in libraries and health centers. Every week, she goes to the market with her ladyboy and her two children.
"I don't think I'm gonna take Mei-er with me, she's gonna have to take care of her kids."
"Again, the empress must have felt humiliated if I hadn't invited her."
Eunuch Hao tried to express what came to his mind. "I'm sorry if I'm presumptuous, Your Honor. Do you love Her Majesty the Empress?"
Emperor Zhou chuckled, hearing how the eunuch spoke carefully. Eunuch Hao had been serving since his father was alive, the eunuch had also been considered a father to Emperor Zhou.
"Uncle Hao."
"Oh, please don't call me that, I feel bad, Your Majesty."
"Alright, Eunuch Hao." the emperor's correction. "You've known me since I was a kid, haven't you?"
Eunuch Hao nodded, he also took care of the emperor from childhood to be able to run his own government.
"Yang Jia Li is my consort, the queen of this land, it's definitely not, if I have to love her."
"Even if his nature sucks, but he's quite useful until now" he explained.
"Then, Grand Consort Wu? Do you love her?"
Emperor Zhou fell silent, this was what he had to find out. Did he love Wu Li Mei? Or all this time he was just curious, with the attitude of the concubine who changed since falling into the lake.
The longer she knew him, the more Wu Li Mei now felt she was not her true self. The Emperor often visited and invited him to talk about many things, and found a lot of awkwardness in the woman.
Emperor Zhou shook his head, "I don't think I love him."
"Oh, really?" Eunuch Hao was slightly surprised by the answer he got. "But you often spend a lot of time with the great concubine, don't you?"
"Yes." he replied quickly, the emperor nodded in approval. "The nights I spent with him, just for the satisfaction of my lust. I have a lot of concubines, so what are they for, if not as satisfied *****."
"Again, considering the old Wu Li Mei, I thought it was her wits to get my attention." added Emperor Zhou, "The woman was always full of sneaky ideas."
Eunuch Hao could only fall silent while sighing softly. Amusterment *****? Sure enough, the eunuch had known the emperor since childhood. And it is not the type of person who makes a woman just satisfied. Plus, Emperor Zhou only spent the night with Wu Li Mei. Frequent visits to the queen, never to stay overnight.
...****************...
The queen's pavilion, one of the magnificent buildings within the palace. If Wu Li Mei liked to plant a wide variety of flowers, Yang Jia Li preferred to collect gucci and high-priced luxury furniture.
"Suppose my arrival."
"Okay, Your Majesty." Dayang Yue looked down respectfully, the lady-in-waiting first.
"His Majesty the Emperor, come."
Empress Yang Jia Li was sculpting, the brush she was about to scratch on her white canvas stopped in midair.
The empress turned her head towards the entrance, sure enough, Emperor Zhou and some of his entourage came. It was really unusual, Yang Jia Li was getting curious, for what the emperor came at noon like this. Does that handsome guy miss him? Oh, it might be like that.
Yang Jia Li took off his hanfunya cloth quickly assisted by the maids, then he walked gracefully towards the emperor. Up before him, the woman looked down respectfully while smiling sweetly. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise up, queen."
Yang Jia Li looked at the emperor with a smile as bright as the sun, he was very happy to have this sudden visit. "There's a matter of whether you come to my pavilion, Your Majesty."
"I want to talk to you."
"Oh, then how about we go in and talk while drinking tea." Yang Jia Li bargained.
Emperor Zhou shook his head, "No need, empress."
"Why not?"
"I'll only talk for a moment." replied the emperor, "At any time soon you'll be busy."
Yang Jia Li frowned, "What is it that I will be busy today?"
"There is an invitation coming from the Su Dynasty in the southern valley, I want you to accompany me to the banquet as the 200th anniversary of the Su Dynasty."
Like thousands of butterflies flying in his stomach, Yang Jia Li was unable to hide the feeling of cracking him. "sure.... Of course I'm willing."
"All right."
"Prepare soon, as we're leaving this afternoon. Just bring some important items, because we leave by ship." Emperor Zhou said. "Prepare enough supplies, this trip is quite tiring."
The empress looked down respectfully as the emperor turned around and left, her happiness was simply indescribable. This was the second time he was invited to a banquet in a neighboring country.
The departure time this afternoon, Yang Jia Li was very busy picking out all the equipment he needed. The woman will prepare her best hanfu and jewelry.
...****************...
The sun was already at the top of the horizon, the air was cold as the deciduous wind started to blow. Emperor Zhou grabbed a piece of mapple leaf that fell right at his feet, the leaf and the other leaves began to turn yellow. When he returns later, maybe some leaves have fallen.
Birthday celebration parties are usually held for more than one week, even up to one month. Emperor Zhou predicted that this visit would last for a week, and he could not leave the palace for too long.
"That one, on your right!"
"Where? I can't see it."
"On your right, try to stretch your hand again, you're so bad."
"What are you saying!!"
"Dad, what else is it."
"Take a look at you!!!"
Emperor Zhou noticed a small debate between two twins who were busy picking peaches. The emperor did not realize that his footsteps took him to the western lake, where many peach trees bear fruit.
The emperor gave orders to his ladies and guards to leave him alone, he ordered them to prepare for the journey towards the Su Dynasty.
"Already, Xiao Ming, this is more than enough." said Wu Li Mei, the woman waved her hand as a code for the son to come down immediately.
Zhou Ming Hao shook his head, the young man still continued to reach for the peaches his hands could reach.
There was no telling, Zhou Fang Yin deliberately shook the tree that his brother was climbing.
"Fang Yin!!" peeking Ming Hao, he clung to the tree branch. "You want to kill me?"
"Mom asked you to come down!"
"What?"
"Mom asked you to come down!!"
"But this is a lot, I can pick five more baskets."
Zhou Fang Yin rolled his eyes lazily, the elder brother was extremely excited this time around. They've picked a lot of peaches, and that's more than enough.
The princess left her brother perched on a tree, walking slowly towards Wu Li Mei. The woman looked beautiful with a knife in her hand, understandably, surgeon Rissa. Wu Li Mei peeled and cut the peaches into small pieces, then stored them in a large container.
"What are we gonna do, Mom?"
Wu Li Mei turned her head then smiled gently, "Sweetness."
"Sweet?"
"Yes." Yeah." Wu Li Mei nodded, showing off the sand sugar he had stored in a medium bowl. "Mother, will mix peaches with sugar. Then stored in a container, this will last for a long time."
Zhou Fang Yin nodded, "So, I see, Mom."
A basket of peaches was placed right beside Wu Li Mei sitting down, the woman clucked, even though she had asked the son to stop picking.
"Mom told you to stop, Xiao Ming!" Wu Li Mei put down her knife then stared intently, but a second later she rounded her eyes.
