Back In Time (The Reincarnation of the Cruel Concubine)

First snow

This morning the weather felt very cold, Wu Li Mei even had to wear two warm clothes at once to dispel the cold. Because his health condition has not fully recovered, the beautiful woman must be clever to take care of herself. Wu Li Mei arranged her own makeup, this time she did not want the ladies to dress her up.

"Your Majesty?" Dayang Yi faced the lord with a tray of jasmine tea and a few small dishes.

Dayang Yi placed his tea on the little nightstand near the dresser of the great concubine, Wu Li Mei's habit from long ago to start the day with a cup of warm tea. Wu Li Mei never even had breakfast, he only drank tea accompanied by a light appetizer. "Are you sure you want to visit Princess Xie Ling today? I mean, you still have to make a recovery."

Wu Li Mei smiled as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Calm down, Dayang Yi." she said.

"I'm fine, after all, the princess pavilion is only a few meters away. It won't make me tired, instead I have to move more to recover faster." he continued.

"Do I have to prepare a stretcher?" ask the lady.

"Standoo?" Wu Li Mei frowned, she turned to the lady.

Dayang Yi nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty. A stretcher or maybe a horse carriage?"

"For what?"

"Of course for you, Your Majesty. So you're not too tired."

Wu Li Mei shook her head as she moved away from her dresser, "No need, my legs are strong, still able to walk there!"

"Alright, Your Majesty." resigned the lady-in-waiting.

Wu Li Mei stepped her feet out of the grand concubine pavilion, and right as she expected, the air outside was extremely cold. Wu Li Mei hugged her body for a while, she stared up at the sky, it seemed like the snow was about to fall.

Several maids and bodyguards followed behind him, to go visit Zhou Xie Ling. This morning, the woman got word that the princess had started to improve. So, he had to make sure that it was true.

Wu Li Mei turned her head towards the western lake when she heard the laughter, the concubine frowned at the sight. Emperor Zhou was joking with his three beautiful concubines by the lake. Oh, that's right!

Trying indifferently, the great concubine continued to force her steps, as much as possible away from the situation that would probably make her awkward.

"May-er?"

Wu Li Mei came to a halt, he sighed softly before finally turning around. The great concubine was forced to approach the emperor and his three concubines. Wu Li Mei looked down respectfully, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Rise, Mei-er!" the Emperor Zhou.

"Greetings, Your Highness Grand Concubine." Wu Li Mei only smiled gently as the three imperial concubines greeted her.

"Are you better?" ask the emperor. "You're supposed to use a stretcher if you want to go."

Wu Li Mei shook her head softly in response, the woman was still reluctant to pull the corner of her lips. I don't know what, but the concubine felt that something was stirring in her heart. Like anger and tightness, maybe this is a taste that belongs to the owner of the original body. "What's wrong, Your Honor. I can go alone without a stretcher."

"Where are you going?"

"Daughter's pavilion."

Emperor Zhou felt that something was strange with Wu Li Mei, of course, because since then the attitude of the great concubine had become very cold. The emperor gave orders to his three concubines to leave the two of them. The ladies and guards were ordered to turn around.

"Are you okay, Mei-er?" ask the emperor.

Wu Li Mei nodded, "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Why are you getting so cold?"

Wu Li Mei fell silent, the concubine had no intention of answering because she had no answer either. He just felt angry, claustrophobic, sad and disappointed at this moment. But he also did not know what caused it.

"Is there something wrong with us?" asked the emperor again, increasingly curious about the silence of Wu Li Mei.

The concubine shook her head again, "Nothing."

"What makes you so cold to me?"

"Sorry, Your Honor. I'm tid---"

Grreeep......

Wu Li Mei stiffened, he held his breath for a split second. With a sudden movement, the emperor tightly wound him. Wu Li Mei could feel a subtle swipe on her back, one thing that could calm her down in an instant.

"I'm sorry." said the emperor.

"For?"

"Because it's too late to save you." honestly, the grown man.

Fine grains of ice descended from the clouds that these days enveloped the Ming Dynasty, Wu Li Mei slightly looked up for snow to fall on her face.

The emperor's embrace unraveled, they were both silent for a long time. "May I ask you one thing?" ask Wu Li Mei.

"What, Mei-er?"

"What did you do to save me?"

Emperor Zhou blinked confusedly, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so silent, emperor?" ask Wu Li Mei. "Where were you when I was cold in prison?"

"And what did you do to save me?"

The emperor did not immediately reply, confirming that Wu Li Mei must have been disappointed with his attitude over the past few days. The Emperor did not not want to save Wu Li Meu, but he also had to take care of the other palace matters. This does not mean that the concubine's life is no more important than the people's lack of winter supplies, but her main task is to serve the people of the Ming Dynasty.

The emperor felt that he had taken on many roles in Wu Li Mei's rescue plan, one of which was to send Master Zhang to arrest the mercury seller at the border.

The Emperor grabbed Wu Li Mei's cold palm, "Let's go back, the snow will make you sick again."

Wu Li Mei shook her head, "Didn't you want to save me?"

One question that escaped the concubine again made the emperor frown, the man was not good at stringing up words of tranquillity if that was what Wu Li Mei needed.

"Mei-er, what do you mean?"

"Why do you just shut up when I'm being blamed?" ask Wu Li Mei again.

"Why didn't you prevent me when I captured Yang Jian Zhu?"

"Where were you when I shook in fear because the execution was in sight?"

Both of Wu Li Mei's eyes started to heat up, he did not know why he had to follow his ego by asking further. As the effects of high fever last night had not completely disappeared, so Wu Li Mei became more sensitive.

"Mei-er, let's talk about this in the west hall only. It's snowing more and more, you're gonna get cold."

Wu Li Mei jerked her hand to escape the emperor's grasp, the concubine glazedly looking at the man before her. "Did you really not love me?"

The snow fell more and more, the edge of the lake that was dry because autumn has now been covered with snow completely. In the snow, the emperor and his concubine were silent with a rashness in each other's minds.

The silence between them made Wu Li Mei even more disappointed, the concubine stepped back with shaky steps. He gripped his chest that felt tight, like this was the feeling of the owner of the body all this time? For a second the poor concubine never got any love from the emperor.

"May-er!" the Emperor extended his hand, but Wu Li Mei retreated.

"May-er?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you" said the emperor.

Wu Li Mei lowered her head as her tears decayed, along with that her gaze began to blur and twitch. However, the concubine forced herself to endure. "You don't... love...ku?" ogre.

"My answer!" pekik Wu Li Mei's.

"May-er?"

"Java!"

"I love you!" Emperor Zhou managed to grab the concubine's arm before the woman was dazed to the ground, the emperor immediately carried Wu Li Mei towards the western hall. He laid the concubine on a small cot.

The man's hand stretched out to touch the concubine's forehead, hot, Wu Li Mei must still have a fever but forced herself.

"May-er?" call emperor.

"Day---" The concubine's delicate hand was raised to touch the emperor's resolute jaw, stopping the man from summoning the maids.

"Say one more time?" pinta Wu Li Mei is weak.

"What?"

"Say you love me."

Emperor Zhou grabbed a delicate hand that touched his cheek, then grasped it tightly. "I love you, Mei-er!"

Wu Li Mei gave a small smile before her eyes closed again, "Company me, I want to sleep for a while." he muttered.