My Liege And I

Love

Chapter 16

Wei Li Lian
Lady Wei
The Dragon Palace

“Is His Majesty in his bedchambers yet?” Li Lian asked Eunuch Nam as she entered the Dragon Palace hallway with her entourage. She was coming from the bathing chambers, after having dined alone since the emperor was busy with the many preparations concerning his departure for Gurio, which was to happen sooner than Li Lian would like to think.

It could be two weeks or even days from then. Yuwen Hong didn’t seem to want to confide in her about it. Because when she asked about such matters, coincidentally, he always complained about being tired of working all day and her being the place he came to for distressing and relaxation.

“Yes, My Lady. His Majesty is in his bedchambers,” Eunuch Nam answered.

She smiled, relieved to know she would not fall asleep before he was back, like on the other days. However, the events of the day also made her upset. How could he?

“Yuwen Hong!” she barged into his large sleeping chambers. Well, now theirs.

He sat on his floor table, drinking tea and reading a wooden scroll.

“I like that it is louder than ever in this palace, recently,” he responded calmly and drew back his attention to the contents of the scroll.

“Yuwen Hong! How could you make decisions concerning my entourage without my permission?” Her afternoon anger was rising again. She was an awakening lioness.

“Pardon?”

“My entourage, Yu’er. How could you marry Dao to Luo Meng?” Of all the people. Of all the thousands of servants in the palace, Dao chose Luo Meng for herself.

“Dao? I didn’t.” He seemed to be still taken by surprise and not quite figuring out what she was actually upset about. “She was already pregnant, wasn’t it inevitable she would marry the father?”

Li Lian felt like throwing up remembering the sight of Dao with a baby bump, her hair plaited differently, the style of a married woman; clothes no longer of youth but with a sense of a woman given away. Thank heavens Luo Meng was not at the Lady Queens Manor. Li Lian could already picture his smug expression.

Thinking of it all. It made sense now, why he kept addressing her as his sister-in-law when they were still at the Blacksword Academy. He was already engaged to be married to Dao at that time.

“They got married during the time you were with me at the Blacksword Academy, Yuwen Hong. And did you not consider it appropriate to tell me about it since Dao was my serving maidservant?”

“I saved them from death and you are unhappy?” He avoided her question. And it worked.

“What do you mean you saved them?”

He then scoffed. “You do not seem to know the full story, why don’t we just leave it?”

“She is my maid and—”

“Was.”

“She would still be one if there was no Luo Meng who led my maid into committing this sin.”

Yuwen Hong sighed as he closed the scroll, stood from his mat and headed for the rack where he started loosening his robes.

She followed him. “I am just angry and not happy, Yu’er.”

“And you want to vent it on someone, so since Luo Meng could not be found, I am the only option for it.”

“Dao knew I didn't like Luo Meng, yet she did that.” Li Lian really felt betrayed.