The Guzheng of The Moon

XXXII

All the guests are almost certainly coming. The An Kingdom that is hosting has prepared everything well. Includes entertainment for the guests.

Cheng Li had originally intended to announce her engagement to Yue, but she broke it off. It was too early if he tied Yue up now. The girl refused every touch. He would wait until Yue was really willing to accept it.

Surprisingly, it was not usually also that Cheng Li was generous like this. He can have any girl but for that one, it needs a fight. Any girl was willing to climb into her bed without being asked but Yue was not.

It was almost frustrating to have to hold back. Should she make Yue her empress? He already had four concubines, but did not yet have an empress.

"If only she was just like the other girls," Cheng Li muttered.

But come to think of it once more, that was what made Yue special. Different from girls in general. Especially with Yue's status as a princess. In accordance with the expectations of his late father, who hoped for cooperation between An and Sichuan. It seemed like he had to seriously make Yue his empress.

The problem was that he could not if he had to be number two, his pride as Emperor was at stake. Cheng Li hated that.

"Cursed be Gu Zheng," he said softly.

Cheng Li felt, he fell back in love with the girl. Love at first sight is like thirteen years ago. But the Yue Yang now was not the Yue he knew just yet.

The bright brown eyes were no longer warm. His smile was not as subtle as it used to be. It was a bit as if he could see Xiaoli in Yue.

And most importantly, the girl was no longer a virgin, the main and absolute requirement to become an empress. The moment he realized it made Cheng Li feel even more frustrated.

He could tell with just one look, which virgin girl and not. Let's say he's very experienced about that one. Perhaps it was because he liked to play women and almost all noble girls of An Kingdom had once climbed into his bed.

All of his concubines also had their own roles. Cheng Li considered them to be the controlling ropes, as their fathers were the councils of the An Kingdom. Political marriage, that was what Cheng Li got from all four of his marriages.

And Yue will be one of them. The difference, if he married Yue, of course he would get a political marriage, but this time also based on love even though one way.

The first thing he had to do was to get Gu Zheng out of the girl's mind. Maybe he should be a little pushy too. A full day with Yue, it was enough to let Cheng Li know how stubborn the girl was.

"Can't you undo your intention to marry that mute girl?" xiaoli asked standing beside her.

"The answer will remain the same" Cheng Li replied. "As I used to remember, you liked that girl."

"That was. Before all this trouble happens. I used to be so grateful to God for sending that girl to you, but now it's all turned into a disaster."

"Who triggered this first?" cheng Li Syndicate.

"Who started it?" xiaoli asked back with a mocking look. "Well! If you hadn't fucked that girl, none of this would have happened."

"It seems that you forgot the saying 'words can be as sharp as swords'" Cheng Li replied.

No more chiming in after each other. They were both staring at the An Kingdom from above the palace balcony. From a distance lanterns shone along the road to the palace. Neatly arranged.

The city is also filled with lanterns and decorations typical of the five-kingdom festival. Events held only once every five years. On the streets, the guests' horse carriages lined up and waited for their turn to enter the palace grounds.

"It's time to party" Cheng Li said.

*****

Ah Mei moved uneasily inside the horse carriage. Gu Zheng who was sitting next to him was indifferent and threw his face away. The man also kept his distance from coming into contact with her.

Blame Gu Zheng for taking the engagement vows in front of the Emperor without making any advance confirmation. Ah Mei just took the opportunity that God gave her, was that wrong?

And now he also still has to crawl to maintain his position. I don't know what Yue will do there. Perhaps the girl had prepared a poison for herself in return for what she had done.

Of course, if necessary he would not eat and drink during the banquet in the Kingdom of An. Not eating things a day or two is not a problem for Ah Mei. He used to do that while still living with his drunken father.

"I know, you must be very hopeful of getting an apology from Yue. But will it be that easy?" said Ah Mei. "Remember we are the same."

"Do you think the Emperor is comparable to an assassin?"

"Don't be naive. You kill even more than me" Ah Mei said.

Gu Zheng smiled sinisterly. "really. And I could've lost my own queen's life. Eliminating one more life is not a problem for me."

Every time Ah heard Gu Zheng's threat, it felt like earnest. If only there were no Empress Dowager Jia, she would be finished. Luckily, the old woman loved her very much. Provides protection as well as absolute cover for Ah Mei.

"My grandmother won't be able to protect you forever, remember that. Thank him for giving you a chance to sit in the empress' chair."

"You're right. Isn't it like this God still gives me a chance. I'm very lucky."

"Say, what makes a village girl like you dare to dream of an empress seat? I gotta admit you have guts."

Silent for a moment. Ah Mei weighed her every word against the Emperor. Boldly too, he touched Gu Zheng's arm. Put his arm there.

"You. You made me like this. Because I fell in love with you. You alone gave me that opportunity. Doesn't life have to have the guts to dream" said Ah Mei. "The dream of the beginning of everything."

Roughly and quickly, Gu Zheng flicked Ah Mei's hand from her arm. Then throw your face back without retaliating.

*****

Gu Zheng was extremely careless towards the girl walking beside him. Pretending to be the Emperor and the Empress getting along really fed up with him. Especially with Cheng Li's cynical smile when welcoming him.

"How does it feel?" whispered Cheng Li.

"You want to try it?" reply Gu Zheng cynical.

A short, but very annoying innuendo. Luckily he did not carry his sword right now. So as to avoid himself slashing Ah Mei and Cheng Li will also be the opening event of the festival of five kingdoms.

They were led to a pre-prepared seat. The moment Gu Zheng entered the throne room where the banquet took place, many of the invited dossiers. Guess who they were talking about. Like Gu Zheng only cared.

The banquet was very lively. The host seems unmitigated this time. But that excitement still made Gu Zheng feel caught off guard. Especially with the piercing look of Queen Hwei Yang and Lai Xin. It seemed that Cheng Li was intending to kill Gu Zheng through the two girls.

But his attention was instantly distracted when he saw a girl enter the throne hall wearing a red dress and carrying two sword blades in her hands.

Yes, he is Yue.

Tbc...