21 White Lotus Hall

She LiangLin swallowed as the looming gate doors creaked open before them.

He had punched the emperor in the face. Not once, but twice. He even tried to knee him in the groin. He could only imagine what would have befallen him and his family if he crushed the most important family jewels of the Empire.

The snakes, who had frozen in place from pure shock, were pushed gently up the stone steps and over the threshold to the forbidden city. It was safe to say, none of the snakes had ever seen a building that gigantic. It looked like the entire city was smashed into one and smacked in the middle of the forbidden city.

"You-your future husband i-is the Emperor?" LiYue managed to stutter with her stiff jaw.

Lan QingYu looked like someone had taken his soul. He walked as if in a trance. His lips parted, but there was no answer from him. He just gaped at the palace, while clinging to LiangLin's arm like a blind person.

"You'd think they'd have an inkling about him being the emperor, travelling this far and all that." Xie JingYi, the rooster-shifter, said to the other men as they gently guided the snakes from walking into any pillars or walls.

"Ah, I guess they never thought the Emperor would be a molester." Wei KaiJun snickered as they reached the base of pure white steps that led to the imperial palace's main hall.

"I told you, it was dark." Zhang YaYun muttered as he fanned himself under the scorching sun. "I swear, if we didn't grow up together, I would have had you beheaded years ago for being so annoying."

For the emperor himself to walk all these steps to reach his own home was, somehow, degrading to Zhang YaYun. Maybe he should have ordered someone to carry him up the stairs. He gave the ox-shifter a side-glance and decided it was better to just suck it up and walk. Being manhandled by the mountainous ox would be a near-death experience he didn't want to go through, again.

"We are on palace grounds, please, don't talk of this matter out loud. It is not good for the reputation of Emperor Zhang." Yu Zhong said, his eyes narrowing as he shot the ape-shifter a stare that could only be considered deadly. Wei KaiJun gave him an impish grin.

"There is literally no one in a mile radius." Xie JingYi said drily. Their crew was the only people walking up the white stairs that looked like it was a mile long and at least half as wide.

"We have to always be on alert." Yu Zhong said. "Can't let what happened in Lushan repeat itself."

"I said it was dark!"

"Your highness, we must not talk about it out loud." Wei KaiJun chirped in.

"You-!" Zhang YaYun gnashed his teeth as he furiously fanned himself to distract his hands from reaching out and strangling that damn monkey.

The snakes and Emperor Zhang were all winded as they reached the level ground. Zhang YaYun had never had to climb so many stairs by himself in his life before. He was slightly flushed but held his demeanour. He couldn't let himself look tired or vulnerable, especially not in front of a possible concubine.

LiangLin was heaving, his arms were squeezing his knees as he cursed. "Why the hell are there so many stairs?"

"It would tire anyone who tries to assassinate the emperor." Xie JingYi offered.

"It would also buy us time to escape from the back entrance." Wei KaiJun added.

"Nonsense, the Emperor always goes down with his empire." Yu Zhong said tightly.

"What, I-" Zhang YaYun quieted down under Yu Zhong's intense glare. The ox would make sure the Emperor went down with his empire, either willingly or by force. Dishonour was worse than death in his books.

"Yes, down with the empire. Naturally." YaYun muttered, then cleared his throat. Turning to the snakes, he gave LiangLin an encouraging smile. "Not that bad, now was it? A little exercise is good."

LiangLin looked at him like one looked at a madman. His lips tightened into a snarl. "A little exercise? We aren't even halfway up the damned thing!"

YaYun's smile froze in place as he realised they only reached a large clearing before the stairs continued skywards ten yards ahead of them. He bravely held in a groan. No wonder so many officials plotted to overthrow the emperors. They had to walk up these stairs every time they wanted to meet the man on the throne!

When they finally reached the top, the real top of the stairs, the snakes were practically crawling. ChangChang was getting a lot of attention from LiYue as she hung onto its neck for her dear life.

Zhang YaYun's knees were shaking, but he wouldn't succumb to the excruciating pain hammering at his thighs. Sweat droplets made their way down his collar as he fanned his pain away. Stairs were good for the muscles, they tightened the glutes. Yes, thinking positively gave YaYun a good idea. He let his eyes trail over the two male snakes. They were too winded to notice him checking them out. The glutes looked good, but exercise wouldn't hurt it. Yes, stairs were definitely a good invention.

Zhang YaYun was pulled out of his less than admirable thoughts as Yu Zhong cleared his throat. The sound was like thunder was brewing in his chest.

"Your highness. About the guests."

"Yes, yes, take them to the White Lotus Hall, for now. There is space there," YaYun said hurriedly. He had to sit down. If he stood in place any longer, someone would have to carry him. His feet would give out any second now.

The snakes were guided towards the west wing of the palace, where the White Lotus Hall situated. The moment they disappeared behind the corner, Zhang YaYun's posture faltered. Letting out a pained breath, he held onto Yu Zhong's hefty shoulder for support. The ox had sensed his distress and stayed behind for assistance.

"Exercise is good for-" Yu Zhong started.

"I don't want to talk about it!"

--

White Lotus Hall was a white brick building, with dark brown pillars supporting the low swooping roof. Golden lotuses were handcrafted and embedded into the pillars. Muted yellow lanterns swayed in the wind, as the snakes were brought into the yard.

A narrow pathway was built over the bodies of water that surrounded the house. Large lotus ponds ran beneath their feet, with the white lotuses in full bloom. Brightly coloured koi fish swam in the clear water, nipping at the lotus stems as they moved past it.

"The area has been vacant for a while now, so no servants have been notified of any guest arriving. We came in with little notice." Xie JingYi offered the snakes a bashful smile.

"Don't worry. We will get you as many servants as you want. Special guests and all." Wei KaiJun assured them. "What kinds do you like? Short? Tall? Stubby or slender? Moles? We got ones with lots of those too."

"Eh, we can take care of ourselves just fine," LiAi said as she looked around the place with an approving eye. She could get used to this lavish lifestyle.

"Oi, we are just trying to be nice." Wei KaiJun's slanted eyes squinted as he shot LiAi an annoyed look. He didn't appreciate LiAi's snappy tone.

"What? You want to fight? I'll chop you up and make monkey soup!"

LiangLin opened his mouth to say something to calm the situation when Wei KaiJun stepped closer to LiAi. He was slender in built with compact muscles and the agility of a monkey, but compared to LiAi, he was towering over her slender stature by a head. So when he stepped right in front of her, he had to curl his neck down to talk to her. She was standing her ground and looked up at him with fire in her eyes.

LiangLin took a step closer to prevent a brewing war from erupting. They just arrived at the palace!

"I've got something even better. I just designed a weapon that chops your victims for you! Want to take a look?"

LiangLin's jaw dropped at Wei KaiJun's words. How the hell did it escalate into this?!

LiAi's eyes widened in surprise, then sparkled as KaiJun's words finally sank in. "Really?"

"Yes, KaiJun is our weapons and torture device enthusiast." Xie JingYi said with a grin.

"Show me!" LiAi was now clinging to KaiJun's arm, like a baby panda to a bamboo tree. LiChun squealed and ran over to the two.

"I want to see it too!"

"Ok, ok! Ladies, follow me if you want to see the weapon's chamber!" Wei KaiJun hollered as he walked with LiChun and LiAi in tow out of the White Lotus Hall.

"What just happened?" LiangLin croaked. Lan QingYu was still hanging on to him like a drowning man, but he didn't pay the green snake any attention.

"There are more pressing matters at hand, AhLin," LiYue said as she moved away from the edge of the pond and turned to JingYi's way. "Where are the sleeping chambers? I'm in a dire need of a beauty sleep."

"You just slept in the carriage." LiBai pointed out.

"Do you see how pretty I am? I need lots of beauty sleep." LiYue declared and without another word, strolled inside the hall, with ChangChang close behind her.

"Someone get this dog away from me!" They could hear her screaming from inside.

"ChangChang!" Xie JingYi ordered, and the husky patted out of the house with a pained expression on its face.

"We will leave you to get accommodated to the housing situation. Rest well, we will send in food and beverages as soon as possible." With that, Xie JingYi took hold of ChangChang and dragged it out of White Lotus Hall.