Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter Four

‘I promise I’ll be here tomorrow,’ Ling Fei said.

‘I don’t believe you would dare to not be here tomorrow,’ Na Lam said.

Na Lam was the emperor, he wouldn’t let anyone have the final word.

Ling Fei looked at Na Lam’s defiant eyes. She thought he was naive and his childish behaviour was laughable. She had her own pride. If he kept provoking her then of course she would retaliate.

‘Tomorrow I’ll be focused,’ Ling Fei said.

Na Lam felt Ling Fei left a deep impression on him. She was the first person who openly dared to oppose him.

Later that evening Na Lam practiced the Kung Fu moves his s.h.i.+fu taught him in his courtyard.

‘Your majesty it’s late in the evening and your majesty needs to return to your chamber and rest,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

‘Too noisy!’ Na Lam said. ‘Do you know how to be quiet? If you make me forget what my s.h.i.+fu taught me then I’ll behead you.’

Xiao Shun Tu closed his mouth and he didn’t dare to persuade the emperor to sleep anymore.

Na Lam thought he was too conceited about his fighting skills, which was why his head fell beneath a demoness’ feet. He would be laughed at if news of his lost to Ling Fei was spread.

Na Lam practiced what his s.h.i.+fu taught to the middle of the night. Even Xiao Shun Tu’s eyes couldn’t stay opened and Xiao Shun Tu napped while Na Lam continued to practice Kung Fu.

‘Xiao Shun Tu!’ Na Lam called.

Xiao Shun Tu opened his eyes wide. ‘Yes, your majesty.’

‘Where is the demoness staying?’ Na Lam asked.

Xiao Shun Tu was thankful he asked the palace maids and eunuchs news about which chamber Ling Fei slept in.

‘Your majesty, she is staying in the chamber reserved for the empress,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

‘What?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Who gave her permission to stay there?’

Na Lam was enraged. Only his empress had the right to stay in the empress’ chamber but he didn’t have an empress.

‘It was the empress dowager’s order-’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

Xiao Shun Tu thought it was obvious no one would dare stay in the empress’ chamber unless the empress dowager gave permission.

Na Lam’s face turned red and green. ‘Imperial mother wants me to marry her? Unless the sun rises in the west, I will never marry her.’

‘But it’s the empress dowager’s-’ Xiao Shun Tu said.

‘I’m the emperor,’ Na Lam said. ‘Imperial mother can’t force me to marry her. I’m going to kick the demoness out of the palace.’

Xiao Shun Tu was sweating. He thought it wouldn’t be easy for the emperor to defeat someone like Ling Fei after a few fights… no not even if they fought for years the emperor would still lose to Ling Fei. He decided he had to use a trick to let the emperor defeat Ling Fei otherwise everyone in the palace would suffer.

In the empress’ chamber, Ling Fei couldn’t sleep comfortably. The pillow on the bed had a strong scent, her stomach wasn’t satisfied because she couldn’t eat her full and the palace maids helped changed her clothes. She wasn’t comfortable having other people serve her and the palace life didn’t suit her.

That night Ling Fei couldn’t sleep. Her heart missed her mother who lived outside the imperial city. Although Elder Qin was taking care of her mother, it was the first time she was separated from her mother.

In the morning a palace maid, Shen Huang brought dresses to Ling Fei’s chamber.

‘Lady Ling, the empress dowager gave you many dresses but why don’t you want to wear any of the dresses?’ Shen Huang asked. ‘Is it because you don’t like the dresses?’