65 Selfish To Have Her (2/2)

”Mother, I and Li Lian like each other.”

She gave him the 'I don't believe you stare'.

”Otherwise why would she tell me about the truth everyone was trying to hide from me?” He used the Military Grounds Camp situation to validate himself. More lies. If Little Fox was there, she would not have it.

”She told you that? So it was true that she gave the letter to the wrong person?”

Looks like he just sold Little Fox out. But that didn't matter to him for he just wanted her in his palace.

”Since she is not well, why doesn't muqin give her to me? I will have my Imperial physician treat her. He is the best and you know that.”

”No. Have him treat her here, instead.”

”The palace walls have eyes and ears, if they see that happening they will become suspicious of your maid. Will she be safe from some concubines?”

”And they wouldn't be when they see her in the dragon palace?”

”My dragon palace doesn't have eyes and ears,” he winked.

”You don't understand. Li'er is here to dance for my birthday celebration and she has been doing well teaching me to behave like a palace consort.”

”Looks like both of us have selfish reasons.” He swiftly rose.

”Where are you going?” She panicked as she saw him head for her bed chambers.

”Letting Li Lian decide for herself,” he shouted as he went down the passage. He didn't think she was going to follow him, not when she was enjoying her foot massage.

The inevitable happened.

Li Lian gave him a cold shoulder and refused to go with him and he was lethally furious. Banging and crushing things in a fit of rage on his way out, Shen Hong didn't even bid his mother goodbye. Grand Consort Shu screamed after him to come back. If her feet where not dipped in oil, it wouldn't be a false presumption that she would run after him.

After visiting Hougong, he found the Dowager Empress Wang waiting for him in his Dragon Study quarters. As a child he was scared of her because she had the power to take from him, be it his life, his title, his mother. But now that he had power, he loathed her.

Dowager Empress Wang requested for permission to confess to the Dragon Court about Yang Liu's true gender.

Shen Hong was pleased. His sister had suffered much and deserved justice.

”What will my punishment be?” she bravely asked.

”You will be banished to the Lone Frost palace to repent and after five summers, you will take poison for death.” He loved the idea of banishing her to the place she locked his mother in when she stole him from her.

”Your Majesty, that is-”

”You are a mere palace woman, you dare refute my punishment?” he growled. ”Lying to the fallen dragon is still treason even though he is gone.” Shen Hong was aware that if Little Fox's response to him had been pleasing, Dowager Empress Wang would probably had received a lesser punishment. What a shame.

The rest of the day he took study with the palace scholars who passed the exam to become officials. He asked them questions, discussing matters with them. They were the future of the nation and it was the emperor's duty to teach them well.

At night he was given the list of concubines he was to choose from, selected by his dear mother. During lunch, his mother emphasized that he should commit to his imperial duty of spending the night with women in his harem. He couldn't object. She was his soft spot and moreover, he needed to release what was knotted inside because of little Fox.

That fox.

He had never met such a frustrating woman.

He chose a random concubine who he dined with and finely screwed after, letting go of the pent up frustration ignited that afternoon. The concubine desperately begged for more of him, but he rather retired to his chambers. He was a person who didn't share his bed with anyone over the night.

S. V