First change after rebirth
Zhan Yanhui furrowed her eyebrows at the sound of the early bell ringing across the palace. She was slightly irritated about the noise so she opened her mouth to complain when her mind suddenly clicked. She opened her eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling, gripping the sheets tightly with her fingers. Soon tears began to flow out of her eyes and this woman who had always been one of the most feared women in the palace cried like a child, sobbing and wailing.
"Mistress, what's wrong?" Xue Li's rushed in with a worried expression seeing her mistress distressed state."Did you have a bad dream? Why are you crying?"
Zhan Yanhui wished that all the pain she had gone through was nothing but a bad dream but she knew that wasn't the case. She had see the evil nature of people and experienced the worst event one can go through during their lives; the pain of being betrayed. She was full of different emotions at the moment but the feeling of relief coursed through her veins. She was allowed to reincarnate and undo her past mistakes. She could finally save herself this time.
"What's going on? What's wrong with Hui'er?" A male figure approached her entering the room, leaving his entourage of palace maids and eunuchs by the doorstep. He easily passed the screen and curtains and raised his black and golden dragon embroidered robe before he sat down on the bed with a concerned face as he lifted his hand to touch her cheek. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Your Majesty...." Zhan Yanhui had forgotten his normal routine was to stop at her Palace of Unparalleled Glory before he attended court each morning. Tears glistened in her eyes from crying earlier and her voice was a little hoarse but that didn't stop her from touching this imposing handsome man in front of her. She also raised her hand to touch his thick eyebrows and trailed her fingertips around his smooth skin feeling his distinct features until she reached his red lips. She tried to stop herself from crying again when she confirmed that he was also alive and well.
"Hui'er, what's wrong with you?" Yi Wenkui was getting agitated seeing her so upset he pulled her into his arms and ordered Xue Li to call the imperial doctor, leaving them alone. "Are you hurt? Did someone bully you?"
He saw her gently shake her head and relax in his embrace. He wondered what could have made her so upset but before he could confirm his thoughts, he saw her wrap her arms around his waist making him stiffen for a moment. He could see that she was acting spoiled but her current behavior made him perplexed even more. She had never responded to his intimate physical contact before, no matter the occasion. They stayed like this until the imperial doctor arrived with his box. He felt her pulse and prescribed some calming medicine for her before he left with Xue Li accompanying him.
Yi Wenkui saw his eunuch's signal for him to attend the morning royal court and stood up to leave but he was stopped by a small tug of his royal robe. He turned to hear her softly say. "Your Majesty, I know you have important things to do at court this morning but...can you please stay with me today? I still feel unwell."
He opened his mouth to convince her to let him go but the plea and dependence in her pheonix watery eyes made his heart soften even more as he subconsciously sat down by her side and called out. "Zhu Bo."
A short and plump man quicklycame in dressed in eunuch's clothes and bowed. "Please give your command, Your Majesty."
The emperor didn't spare him a glance as he quietly pulled his consort into his arms once again and said. "Go and inform the ministers that court today is postponed. I won't be able to come due to personal reasons. Any problems they have should be passed to me in form of memorials and petitions. I won't receive any visitors today."
The eunuch raised his head in surprise but didn't dare comment on the romantic scenery in front of him. He felt that today was the first time he had seen the emperor so happy and peaceful in a long time so he quickly obeyed. "I will relay your orders, Your Majesty. Please excuse me."
Zhan Yanhui almost deflated out of relief seeing the eunuch leave with the emperor's orders. She had successfully diverted a great disaster from befalling the emperor and the opportunity had come at a perfect time. She could almost remember what happened today in her past life.
It was the return of her ex-lover, the Great General of War from the battle of Xuanyan in triumph to the capital. The problem was, he didn't come alone. He purposely led the remaining rebels in secret to the palace where they had attempted to kill the emperor during the morning court session when he was about to reward him. The poisoned arrow managed to miss his vital organs but it had scratched his face in a long line, leaving an ugly and disgusting scar in its trail. All the doctors had tried their best to cure the scar but they had failed, forcing the emperor to wear a mask for the rest of his life. Most of his subjects and concubine had expressed their remorse over the unfortunate incident but they secretly sneered behind his back calling him The Masked King.
She glanced at him once again, happy with herself. Now, she preferred him with or without the mask but thinking back, she knew just how much self confidence he had lost wearing that mask and she didn't want that to happen again. She just didn't know what would happen now that she had changed her past decision of keeping quiet and doing nothing.
"What are you thinking about?" Yi Wenkui gently flicked her forehead, watching her recollect herself after she furrowed her eyebrows in pain. He had been watching her for some while on silence, getting more convinced that something bad had indeed happened to her. "Are you now feeling better?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." She felt a little shy when she sensed his gaze upon her but she controlled her expression. To be honest, she was also feeling a little bit nervous about her new path, the one that she had chosen with this man with her. She wondered if she would be truly be able to protect him like she had vowed in her past life. The road....was truly filled with dangerous uncertainties this time, she pondered.
Meanwhile, in the palace of Virtuous Grace....
A teacup had just passed Zhu Bo's head, the contents spilling everywhere on the rug as a woman dressed in a phoenix embroidered golden gown. Her black eyelined eyes narrowed at the eunuch who knelt down, shivering like a cold fish. "What did you just say?"
"H-His Majesty said that the Noble Consort is not feeling well today so she would be unable to give you her morning greetings. He asked you not to blame her for his sake." Zhu Bo brought out a handkerchief to wipe his sweaty face as he repeated himself. He had faced so many difficulties in the palace but this was the one place he was truly afraid of going since he had become a eunuch.
The empress, Han Yaling clenched and unclenched her fists as she stared at the eunuch. She was surprised when she noticed that the Noble Consort was absent today from morning greetings but she hadn't expected her to be with the emperor. She was sure that he was just finding an excuse to cover for her so that she wouldn't leave his bed!
Her personal maid who stood by her side couldn't conceal her dissatisfaction about the matter and frowned. "Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty didn't attend court meeting this morning. Is the Noble Consort so sick she needs the emperor to attend to her personally?!"
Her words only fueled the anger burning in the empress's heart but she merely smiled in response. She was the phoenix in the sky, only equal to the dragon which was the king. She wasn't allowed to get emotional over these small petty issues neither was she supposed to lose her composure over his concubines. But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't control herself when she heard that woman's name.
Zhan Yanhui....
Not only were their families political enemies, they were even rivals in love, fighting for the emperor's favour! From childhood, she was also the one falling behind that wrench. Now that her opponent was down, how could she miss such a great opportunity?
She stood up with the help of her personal maid and looked down on the eunuch who was still on his knees. "Zhu Bo, this empress is greatly worried about her junior sister's health now that you have told me this news. Since it's like this, why don't I pay her visit to make sure that she recuperates well?"