Xing could not keep herself inside her room for more than three weeks and decided to take a stroll in the evening. She haven"t exercised a bit ever since she entered the harem and she felt bloated and sick and so she decided to at least take a long walk.Since she was a n.o.ble Consort, a bunch of maids also followed her as it is a show of her superiority for some reason, according to Hu Mei and that made Xing laugh hard. This place is always a wonder! Not having privacy is considered a status thing!
Xing felt when she was walking that this place felt similar to the Heavenly Flowers Palace for some reason. The air felt the similar way here and there.
Also there was a gut wrenching smell of blood in this place. It was actually worse than the execution ground Shengli previously brought her to. Add to the fact that there were a lot of spirits hanging around made Xing"s head ache. There were spirits of women and children, a lot of them and even babies wandering around here.
After walking for a while, Xing reached a fake pond inside the inner palace and there was a pavilion in it"s sh.o.r.e. But judging by the guards around there, Xing concluded the Emperor must be here and she tried to silently turn back.
The Emperor must be having tea with Consort Shu, I don"t want to disturb them!
But Xing"s attempt to leave was stopped by a honeyed, pouty voice,
" n.o.ble Consort Huang, nice meeting you. Mind joining us?"
"Gentle Consort Shu, I didn"t mean to interrupt your time with the Emperor. Allow me to leave", Xing gave a slight bow and an elegant smile to her and another bow to the Emperor standing behind her and was very much willing to leave.
"You cannot refuse us", Consort Shu said and grabbed Xing"s hand to stop her.
Xing who didn"t like to be dragged got triggered by her action but still tried to maintain her smiling face even though her face hurt smiling.
"I don"t know what Gentle Consort wants and I should get to my courtyard to have my medicines. I"ll take my leave", Xing pried her hand away from her grip and she noted the Emperor was looking at them with an indifferent expression.
"Your hair... So this is the actual colour... The colour my family should have had... The colour I must have had... ", she tried to touch Xing"s hair. She looked a bit too neurotic and her eyes were telling how envious she was of Xing.
Xing who didn"t like anyone touching her hair, instinclty grabbed her hand and immediately after she released it, Consort Shu let out a shreik and fell on the ground, "Your Majesty, look what she did! She pushed me on the ground just because I tried to touch her hair and I think she broke my wrist! " ,she did the pitiful girl act flawlessly with tears flowing endlessly.
Xing knew of this technique but didn"t expect it would be used on her now. Even though her grip was not soft, it wasn"t hard either. She is just over reacting. But this is not my place to fight and I don"t want to indulge her,
"Your Majesty! ", Xing bowed, "Although I didn"t mean to hurt Consort Shu, I accidentally hurt her. I"ll confine myself in my courtyard for a month and reflect upon my own actions. I"ll take my leave, now ", Xing said and turned to leave. Let me leave!
The Emperor was holding his laughter seeing Xing"s reaction. It was not the usual reaction and it was not something he would have expected from her. Usually women fight to prove their innocence or apologise to the other women to gain sympathy and here she is punis.h.i.+ng herself.
"Enough, Shu Rouran! I see your hand still attached to your body. I"ve personally seen Mingxia chop someone"s hand off because he touched her hair before", he chuckled.
"She really does not care about you", Consort Shu said and stood up. She had returned to her usual indifferent expression.
"Didn"t I tell you?", the Emperor replied.
Xing was confused. Is this an inside joke? What are they talking about?
Seeing her confused, the Emperor asked Xing to join them and Xing followed reluctantly. Why is that everytime I go out alone, I meet with trouble? She was mumbling.
"Shu Rouran said that you care about me having good impression about you and I refused. I won!", the Emperor chuckled and gave her a plate of pastries.
Xing didn"t refuse and accepted it. She had no shame when it comes to sweets.
Consort Shu observed Xing from top to bottom. Xing was wearing a blue dress that day with her hair all pinned up using a set of jade hairpins. She wasn"t wearing much makeup and she really looked beautiful even though she wasn"t trying hard.
"Didn"t know you were this pretty! ", Consort Shu said.
"Still nothing compared to you", Xing replied with a smile.
"They want to have a talk with you", Consort Shu said and Xing"s hands sipping tea paused.
"Not interested", she said bluntly. She knew the "they" she mentioned was the G.o.ds and since she is a Shu, it is normal for them to talk to her.
Then they can very well have a talk or two with her and leave me alone! Xing thought .
"The last time anyone from my family talked with a G.o.d was two centuries ago. And now just because of you they contacted a Shu again", she sighed.
Xing wondered what she meant. They sought a Shu family member because I cannot be contacted? And why is the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor and Empress Shu popping up in my life a lot? One or both of them must have done something that made the G.o.ds stay away from the human realm for two centuries. But why are the G.o.ds so obsessed with me now?
Seeing Xing in deep thoughts, Consort Shu added, "I heard the voice of the G.o.d of Wind inside the temple and he asked me to get you there for a talk. As a mortal it is your duty to answer their summon", she looked a t Xing with her brown eyes serious.
"Hmpf", Xing snorted, "Really? As a human? I refuse as a human to let them do what they want!", she smirked.
Xing figured out what she found similar to the Heavenly Flowers Palace and here. It was the spell that surrounded this place that prohibited the G.o.ds from entering in. So G.o.ds cannot enter the Imperial Palace except the temple. That"s why she had felt differently inside here. But who dared to put such a spell around the palace? Was it the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor? He was the one who built the palace and so that is highly likely! He kept the G.o.ds away from the palace, the court away from the G.o.d"s influence over the monarchs! For having solidarity!
Through out the ages right from the beginning, G.o.ds and Monarchs worked together and that gave the Monarchs power and authority and the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor broke that tradition?
Wow! Someone who rebelled against the G.o.ds ! If the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor was here, she"d bow to him in reverence!