Living with the Empress Next Door

As the two discussed some more things, a knock was received on the door. It was female Yin servant holding out Ren Jidian's things.

"You forgot to bring this with you, sir." She said, holding them out respectfully with a bowed head in the presence of the Empress Wei.

"Oh..... I didn't know where I would be staying so I leave them be fore now. Can't be carrying a large ugly sack in the Empress' manor." Ren Jidian said.

The Yin woman seemed confused. "You didn't know where you would stay? Haven't the Lady Shu mentioned that you would be staying at the Empress' manor from now on?"

Ren Jidian suddenly exclaimed. "I would!????"

He shouted too loudly that it alarmed the lady guard outside, bursting the door open. "What happened? Who shouted??? Are we under attack???"

"No one is under attack, Gou Zhongcheng." Empress Wei just chuckled softly while putting down his tea. "My physician just could not believe that he would get to stay with me in my palace manor."

"Oh." Gou Zhongcheng said, almost disappointed.

She shrugged. "Well, you better believe it. All the other physicians stayed in the next room just beside the Empress, so that when health troubles arise, he would be swiftly taken care of."

"The Empress is a very fragile flower that needs to be tended at all times after all, as the Emperor said."

Ren Jidian did not like his Wei being compared to a flower by a Yang or Zhong so he had a slight passive anger in his voice when he said. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway, Ching-Ching, have you seen where Lady Shu went?" She asked the Yin servant excitedly. "The Emperor must be resting now from the battle, maybe I can sneak out and meet her for a while!"

She then looked like a puppy begging her owner at Empress Wei. "If the Empress would allow it, of course."

"Yes, I have Ren Guang to keep me company after all. You may take a break, Zhongcheng." The Empress gestured with a smile.

Ren Jidian felt that the way Wei Wangyi said his name was so soft and sweet to the ear that he could just pass out.

"Thank you, Empress!" Gou Zhongcheng bowed her head again and again, as she ran out with her heavy metal armor clinking as she goes.

"I would also be taking my leave, Empress. Scholar Ren." The Yin servant also bowed to both of them, and they were alone once more.

"Did you bring night robes with you? Clothes enough to last for about a month?" Empress Wei asked him as Ren Jidian opened the thin rope keeping the sack bag tied up.

Ren Jidian nodded. "My father prepared everything for me. Oh, that reminds me!"

He took out a simple tin box, and placed it on the table. He opened it revealing carefully placed fried rice cakes, red beans, and some meat, along with wooden chopsticks.

"Wow, this looks really delicious! Father must have spent much money for this lunch box alone, we couldn't even afford to eat anything other than congee and vegetables, but there's meat!" He exclaimed, picking up the chopsticks to start eating.

When he saw the Empress staring at him, he stopped and cleared his throat.

Right, this isn't the Wei Sizhi that he can just share lunch with on the school rooftops.

This is the most powerful Omega man in this ancient Chinese setting. He should mind his manners around him!

"Ahem. Would you like to have some, Your Majesty? You must be hungry after only having just tea." Ren Jidian asked nervously.

"Though I am not sure if you would like this measly food for poor people, maybe I should call out the servant to bring you lunch---"

Empress Wei shook his head. "Ah, this would suffice. I also haven't... shared a meal with anyone for a long time now."

He stood up to open his cupboard, and took out a pair of jade chopsticks. "It also looked very delicious, your father must have taken a long time to prepare it."

"My father is truly the best. I have never met such a great Yang man in my life." Ren Jidian said honestly. "Here have some of the rice cake. He also cooks very well, isn't that rare for a Yang!?"

"It is... Well, he reminds me of my own father in that regard." Wei Sizhi said, picking up the rice cake and nibbling on it gently.

"He used to cook food that he had hunted himself and we would just eat it with our hands."

Ren Jidian was surprised. "Isn't that a little.... uh....."

"Unsophisticated? Barbaric?" Empress Wei grinned.

"Yes. I came from the 'savages' of the borders, you see. I was sent here as a peace offering to stop the Great Zau from continuing to attack our small Pei tribe."

Ren Jidian frowned. "Your father sent you here for the sake of your kingdom."

"He didn't. He would rather die before that happens, actually. But he's...." Empress Wei faltered, his eyelashes fluttering like butterflies from the memory.

"I was taken from him by force, and now he must have drunk Meng Po's soup and entered the cycle of reincarnation to be someone else's father."

"That person must be very lucky indeed. I hope they cherish him and his awful jokes." Empress Wei chuckled, yet Ren Jidian could see that he was close to tears.

"He must be a really amazing man." Ren Jidian sighed, placing his chopsticks down.

"I feel guilty now. I signed my father's life along with mine to be here. If we escape, I hope they don't go after him."

"He's a Yang man. Perhaps we could send him a letter so he could escape before they come for him." Empress Wei said.

"Yes, he's a Yang but.... He's crippled. Both of his legs had been amputated."

Empress Wei stopped eating for a moment, and sighed. "Fate is cruel to the pitiful and good. That is what I have learned all these years."

Ren Jidian tried to lighten up the mood by smiling. "Have hope, Empress. My father may be disabled, but he is a very strong and intelligent man. He is also well-liked and respected by our neighborhood, they may help him once they see the guards coming."

"And.... We could escape with him to into the mountains near our neck of the woods. Depending on how we would enact our plan, that is."

Empress Wei nodded. "I have no problem living in the mountains. I would also take care of your father with you, and perhaps we could live there peacefully by just hunting for food or foraging plants. I know a thing or two about that lifestyle."

Ren Jidian grinned from ear to ear at thisz excited at the thought of a peaceful life in the mountains with Wei Sizhi.

He offered: "I could also help you discern from what is edible or not! We could also start a new garden! My father had cultured this very large garden with many fruits and vegetables and resources for herbal medicine."

They talked more about great plans for a future where they would escape this palace, all the way until nighttime.

Another Yin servant had brought them dinner, along with a wooden tub that Ren Jidian could use to bath, some coverlets, and blankets to serve as his bed in the room next door.

After eating, Ren Jidian waved goodbye to the Empress so he could take a night bath, prepare his beddings and change into new clothes. The Empress nodded, saying he would also do the same.

The night was not too cold. Ren Jidian brought along his wooden tub full of water and carefully lift it to take it outside so he could bathe under the pale moonlight. The manor looked too fancy to be dirtied.

While just sitting on the water and smiling at the silver moon above, he felt like he could be settled after a long time of anxiously waiting to meet Wei Sizhi.

Rustle! Rustle!

His eyes narrowed when he thought he heard a rustling sound at the bushes just overhead.

He waited, on his guard for anything that may appear...

But nothing happened.

"Must be the wind."

He finished bathing with his bath bean, an ancient form of soap, and went out of the tub once he was satisfied. He dried himself with some cloth towel, and went inside to get dressed, closing the door behind him.

He got into his nightrobes, and thought he would bid the Empress goodnight, when---

"Zhongcheng has still yet to return. Is it too mean-spirited of me to hope she would not return for an even longer time?"

Ren Jidian's eyes widened like two saucers, and he immediately closed the door!

"I'm so sorry, Empress! I'm so sorry--- I..... I should have knocked!"

The Empress wasn't done getting dressed yet! Holy shit!

Empress Wei's voice just sounded light and carefree behind the door. "What's the matter? We're both men, it's no big problem. What's yours is also mine."

"I-I-I know, but.... It was still disrespectful of me!" Ren Jidian covered his fully heated face. "I am so sorry!"

Empress Wei did not answer for a while.

Ren Jidian wondered why, and feared that something must have happened to him since he was currently poisoned after all. Maybe he passed out or---

Knock! Knock!

"May I come in then?"

Ren Jidian didn't know whether to laugh or cry at first. He took a while to shakily respond. "O-Of course, Your Majesty. There's no need to ask."

The Empress pushed open the door parting them, and entered now fully-clothed in red robes still, only thinner and much more comfortable.

"You reminded me of the decency we must uphold so I decided to ask. But since you told me that I would not need to...."

He went closer to whisper to Ren Jidian's ear. "There is no need for you to ask as well. You can enter my chambers any time you like."

"I... I... That's...."

"Well." The Empress adjusted the collar of Ren Jidian's robes. "I only came by to bid you good night. Sleep well, Scholar Ren."

After that, he said nothing more and just left, closing the door behind him.

Ren Jidian really did passed out this time.

A chibi goat appeared to kick his head. [Simp!]