Huang Shu looked lost when his wife left him alone. He also felt powerless because he was bound by duty and filial piety, but he was also bound by love for his wife.
'Yunyu…'
"See? He is trying to stir up more ruckus because he knows you're weak to his tears! Emperor, be more mindful about the future of your nation!" Empress Dowager Aixi scolded Emperor Xianliang out in public, but the Emperor didn't seem to care about shame right now because he got worried with Bai Yunyu, his wife.
The guests all looked at the Empress Dowager and Emperor. They saw that Emperor Xianglian's gaze darkened, staring at Empress Dowager and Lady Xi Yue, but he said nothing.
Empress Dowager Aixi was satisfied with that deformed thing finally left. She said to Xi Yue, "Young Lady, Ben Gong thinks that you deserve to be the one sitting side by side with my son. Hopefully, this will turn out to be true. I believe Prime Minister Xi also has the same thinking as me."
[Note — Ben Gong: I/This lady. Used by Empress or high-rank consort.]
"Yes, yes, this minister also agrees with Your Majesty, Empress Dowager."
Lady Xi Yue blushed and lowered her head modestly, "This Lady is filial to my family and ancestor. If it is what my grandfather says, then I shall follow."
"Young lady, you're not only well-mannered, but you're also filial! This is what an Empress should be!" Empress Dowager said to further slander Yunyu.
She didn't even intend on saving face to keep her son-in-law's dignity. In fact, she seemed to have staged this to humiliate Yunyu right in front of everyone.
[Note — Saving Face or Mianzi: Not to make a ruckus in public, so it wouldn't hurt someone's dignity.]
Huang Shu couldn't handle this anymore, then he asked with a sneer on his face. He wanted to directly reject Xi Yue here, but he knew it would only create more trouble, especially with the Xi family, because they were still very influential.
With only his conscience left, he said with a sneer in his face, "Mother Empress seems to be eager to control which person I should love and should not."
"I am speaking for the good of the nation! Don't you see these officials and nobles? They won't accept a deformed thing as an Empress!"
Huang Shu got up from his seat and walked away. Empress Dowager called him, "Where are you going? Emperor, this banquet is yet to be over!"
"Mother Empress, this banquet is intended for my wife and future Empress, Bai Yunyu. Since he left, then I shall leave as well. This banquet is clearly what you want to be right now," Huang Shu said, and he left the banquet. Leaving the whole banquet in awkward silence, Empress Dowager Aixi glared at his son's back until he disappeared.
"What a troublesome son. I'm just trying to give the best for him. Right, Xi Yue?" She asked Xi Yue, and the girl nodded gently.
"This one believes so as well, Your Majesty."
***
Bai Yunyu wiped tears on his face. He didn't want to be seen in this shameful state. He took a deep breath and walked away from the banquet quicker. It was true that he was feeling sick after Empress Dowager Aixi came to the banquet. He felt his stomach turned and he was about to puke and then faint on the spot when he was put in the spotlight as the 'deformed thing.'
But it was even worse since Yunyu had this feeling of familiarity. As if he had experienced the same thing way before, maybe in a past life or very realistic dream.
And he had the feeling it was even worse in his imagination.
Larva was concerned with its Master. It kept rubbing its head to Yunyu's cheek and asked,
[Larva: Master Bai, you don't look very well. You should rest first.]
[I'm fine, I think I will have a walk around the palace first before I return back to that banquet, or well, I will just return to Palace of Serene Harmony, haha.]
[Larva: Wu… Master Han is so insensitive! Why didn't he just punch that old woman! Master Han is a BAKA!]
Yunyu chuckled at Larva, then he replied,
[That's impossible. Even though I hate that old woman, but I know Huang Shu's character. He has a strong filial piety value and sense of duty. He must be torn there because he didn't know if he had to side at my side or his mother's side.]
[Larva: So, Master Bai will just let that go?]
[Let that go?]
[Larva: Um… Master Bai is so petty and vengeful. I thought you would do bad things to that old woman… not that I want to stop you. Wu! I can help you, Master Bai! I can incarcerate that woman's body to ashes after you killed her! Let's do this!]
Yunyu watched as Larva suddenly summoned a floating flamethrower out of nowhere. He still didn't understand what this thing was and how it could know Yunyu so well. But Larva always made him laugh.
Yunyu patted Larva as they walked from one palace to another,
[Larva, I'm not that evil. Do you think I'm that petty to actually hurt an old woman?]
[Larva:… yes.]
…
Yunyu and Larva chatted until they arrived at the Palace of Serene Harmony, quite far from the banquet. This was already a sign that Yunyu had no intention of returning back to the banquet.
"Ah, too bad I already told Meilan to leave and have fun in the city while the banquet is being held…" Yunyu sighed. He told Meilan to leave because that girl was still a teenager but was too absorbed in taking care of him, so she had no time to enjoy life.
So Yunyu gave her a bit of pocket money and allowed her to shop in the city.
Yunyu sat in the garden alone, watching the spring flower but with downcast eyes. He kept thinking if it was wrong for him to leave that banquet.
But he couldn't fight there, and letting himself get humiliated over and over was enough hit for his dignity.
"Is it really wrong for me to marry Huang Shu?" Yunyu asked himself. He closed his eyes and imagined Huang Shu with Lady Xi Yue, then a tear inevitably dropped to the ground.
"Whoa—Whoa, why are you crying?" Yunyu suddenly heard the voice of a young man somewhere in the garden. He opened his eyes immediately. Like an eagle, he looked around full of vigilance.
"Who's there? Do you know this is the Palace of Serene Harmony, the Palace of the future Empress? Do you know the offense of trespassing here?" Yunyu said. He was also surprised that someone could enter his palace so easily since it was heavily guarded.
"Ehh? Your Majesty Ger Empress looks so scary. You should be a warrior instead of an Empress!" The voice of the mocking young man infuriated Yunyu. He closed his eyes again, fully concentrated on finding this scoundrel.
"Hehe, you can't find me? Of course, but I can see you, Ger Empress~."
…
'There!' Bai Yunyu dashed so quick from his chair as if he was teleporting, then he appeared behind a tree. He grabbed a young man around the age of twelve by his neck, strangled him lightly.
"Ack!" The young man struggled. He tried to release Bai Yunyu's hand from his neck to no avail.
"H—How could you…" the young man gritted his teeth. "Let me go. I said, let me go!"
Yunyu scoffed, still with his hunting gaze. He asked, "Who are you, young man. How could you suddenly enter my palace? This is not a playing ground."
Yunyu finally released the young man who coughed on the ground. He chuckled with an insulting tone, and then he crouched in front of the young man, "What are you doing here? You will be in serious trouble if a guard finds you out. Trespassing the palace is a serious crime."
"Heh, I can just call my dad, and he will solve it for me! Besides, that banquet is so boring. I leave midway because I have nothing to do there," the young man said. "Also, why are you looking so sad and nervous in front? I really thought that you'll cry like a baby there, ahaha!"
"You!" Bai Yunyu wanted to grab the young man's neck again, but the young man brushed Yunyu's hand off.
The moment their fingers touched, a red chain suddenly appeared between the young man's heart to Yunyu's heart, connecting their heart mysteriously.
Both of them looked at the chain and then stared at each other in astonishment. Bai Yunyu was the first one to ask, "Who are you?"
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