Chapter Two

‘Your majesty, your court officials are loyal to you,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

Xiao Shun Tu lowered his head and his voice. ‘Their honest words are hard to hear. Your majesty, don’t take it to heart.’

‘What honest words?’ Na Lam asked. ‘I only see they want to commit treason! I’m the emperor but in front of me they dare to criticize me. If my imperial father didn’t give them imperial tablets then I would have beheaded all of them by now.’

‘Your majesty, I believe if you give them time they will see your true abilities and treat you better,’ Xiao Shun Tu said. ‘Your majesty, compared to your majesty they live lowly on the ground under your sky. Your majesty doesn’t need to be too concerned about them.’

‘If they dare to criticize me again then I’m not going to spare them!’ Na Lam said.

Xiao Shun Tu wasted sweat. ‘Yes, yes.’

‘Change my clothes!’ Na Lam ordered and stretched his arms.

‘Yes, your majesty,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

Xiao Shun Tu efficiently took off the emperor’s crown and official imperial gold clothes. Then he helped the emperor changed into comfortable gold clothes.

‘Your majesty, where do you want to go?’ Xiao Shun Tu asked.

‘Of course to the imperial guards’ courtyard,’ Na Lam said. ‘I still haven’t vented enough.’

‘Your majesty-’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

‘I need to use all my strength to fight Cao Qian and Jing Lu,’ Na Lam said.

Na Lam ignored the palace maids and eunuchs who knelt in front of him.

‘Yes, your majesty,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

Xiao Shun Tu wanted to cry.

A while later Cao Qian and Jing Lu were forced to use different methods to lose in a way that satisfied the emperor.

Na Lam defeated Jing Lu. ‘Fight again!’

‘Your majesty, perhaps you should take a rest,’ Xiao Shun Tu suggested. ‘Your majesty must be tired after fighting for a long time.’

‘Who said I’m tired?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Cao Qian!’

‘Yes, your majesty,’ Cao Qian said.

Xiao Shun Tu rubbed his sweaty forehead.

In the shadows the empress dowager was talking with a young lady Ling Fei who the empress dowager invited to stay in the palace the past few days.

The empress dowager shook her head helplessly. ‘The emperor’s behaviour is becoming poorer by the day. He forces the imperial guards to fight with him. He doesn’t care that many lives rely on him being alive and performing his imperial duties. If something bad happens, who’ll take responsibility? Ling Fei, I’m relying on you to change the emperor’s bad bahaviour.’

‘Empress dowager, I fear I’ll only disappoint you,’ Ling Fei said.

‘Ling Fei, even you don’t have a solution?’ the empress dowager asked. ‘Apart from you, I don’t know who else can help me. Ling Fei, I believe you do have a solution. Regardless of what methods you use, I’ll support you fully.’

The empress dowager remembered how impressive Ling Fei was as a little girl and she believed the young lady Ling Fei would have a solution.

‘But the emperor’s body is precious gold,’ Ling Fei said. ‘I’m scared if I’m not careful and use too much force… I’ll injure the emperor.’

‘That is the emperor’s own fault for not learning how to be a good fighter,’ the empress dowager said. ‘I’ll not blame you. You’re my guest and you have my permission to do anything to change the emperor’s bad behaviour.’

Ling Fei didn’t have the heart to refuse the empress dowager’s sincere request and she reluctantly nodded her head.

‘I’ll help empress dowager,’ Ling Fei said.

The empress dowager was happy Ling Fei accepted her request. She gratefully held Ling Fei’s small hand. ‘Thank you Ling Fei. My heart will always remember your good deed.’

‘Empress dowager, a thousand times you don’t need to thank me,’ Ling Fei said. ‘If the emperor becomes a good ruler it’ll be the citizen’s blessing. If I can help the emperor become a better ruler then I’ll use all my capabilities.’

‘Then I’ll give the emperor to you,’ the empress dowager said.

The empress dowager felt like a burden that weighed a thousand pieces of gold had fallen off her shoulders.

Ling Fei looked back at the imperial guards’ courtyard. All the imperial guards purposely fell on the ground.

Ling Fei like a swift small bird flew into the courtyard and she landed in front of Na Lam.

Cao Qian and Jing Lu immediately stood and they shielded the emperor from the stranger.

‘Who are you?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Are you tired of living? Don’t you know entering the palace without permission is a crime punished by death?’

The empress dowager quickly entered the courtyard. She didn’t want anyone to misunderstand Ling Fei.

‘She is Ling Fei,’ the empress dowager said. ‘Ling Fei is my guest I invited to the palace. Everyone leave.’

Cao Qian and Jing Lu were relieved Ling Fei wasn’t an a.s.sa.s.sin and they ran away from the courtyard.

Na Lam arrogantly a.s.sessed the beautiful young lady who had fast arms and legs. He thought she was a little girl who still drank breastmilk.

‘Imperial mother, if she is your guest then why haven’t I heard about her before?’ Na Lam asked.

‘Ling Fei isn’t an ordinary guest,’ the empress dowager said. ‘She is also your future empress.’

The empress dowager’s words not only scared Na Lam but it also scared Ling Fei.

‘Empress dowager-’ Ling Fei said.

The empress dowager secretly winked at Ling Fei to signal to Ling Fei not to reveal their plan.

‘Imperial mother, when did I say I wanted a wife?’ Na Lam asked.

Na Lam had forgotten he had met Ling Fei a few years ago.

‘How old are you?’ the empress dowager asked. ‘You’re old enough to marry and have children. At your age your imperial father married me and I gave birth to you. Ling Fei’s father is your imperial father’s savior. If her father didn’t save your imperial father’s life then you wouldn’t be born. That’s why I want Ling Fei to be your empress.’

‘Imperial mother, because you want to repay her father for saving imperial father’s life you’re asking me to marry someone I don’t know?’ Na Lam asked. ‘I’m the emperor, I refuse to marry a commoner.’

Ling Fei patiently waited for a good opportunity to interrupt the empress dowager and Na Lam’s conversation. She was resolute to help the empress dowager.

‘Your majesty, if you can defeat me in a dual then our betrothal will cease to exist,’ Ling Fei said.

Ling Fei knew Na Lam’s fighting skills had no possibility of defeating her in a dual.

Na Lam laughed coldly. ‘You need to keep your promise.’

End of Chapter Two