Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Even Wang Xi, for all his composure, could no longer keep smiling. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Your Majesty, please stop trying to delay the inevitable. His Majesty said that you must drink this wine today.”

How infuriating. How did Xiao Lingyue not count as one of the Xiao clan’s women and children? Liu Cong had not excluded me in his edict. It was his own oversight, yet he would not even let me exploit the loophole.

I took several deep breaths. “If I die, will Liu Cong’s anger finally be spent? He won’t drag anyone else into this?”

Wang Xi’s gaze flickered. “His Majesty said that if Your Majesty accepts death with dignity, it will end with you.”

I sighed. Aunt Fang, I tried. I struggled, humiliatingly hard, but in the end I could not preserve this last refuge.

Liu Cong might bear grudges, but his word was iron. If my death could buy Aunt Fang’s and Wenzhu’s lives, it would not be a bad trade.

I looked at the ring of eunuchs around me, then at the tightly shut doors. The stronger side held all the cards. I grabbed the pear-blossom wine and drained it in one gulp.

Its rich fragrance flooded my mouth. There was no strange bitterness, only a lingering sweetness. It seemed I owed pear-blossom wine an apology. Fragrant without being thin, it truly was excellent wine.

The alcohol rushed to my head. My thoughts began to drift as though I had fallen into a dream.

Aunt Fang, who had raised me, once said that before death, a person’s life would pass before their eyes like a revolving lantern. When the fleeting memories ended, life itself would gutter out like a spent candle.

And now I saw Liu Cong as he had been six years ago.

On our wedding night, hundreds of candles blazed through Kunning Palace. Through eyes stinging from the light, I saw the exquisite face of a boy.

His jaw was set. Fury burned in his beautiful black eyes as he hurled the solid-gold bridal rod to the floor along with the red veil he had lifted from my face.

The palace attendants retrieved them and dropped to their knees before me, trembling as they begged forgiveness.

I, the empress, looked more like the master of the imperial city than the emperor beside me.

Their fear and deference had nothing to do with me. They feared my father.

Xiao Chuo was called the pillar of the realm. He was Grand Marshal, Marquis of Wuting, and commander of half of Great Liang’s army.

He had risen during the late emperor’s reign, undefeated through campaign after campaign, carving out his power and place at the pinnacle of the court with his own blade.

Unfortunately, the late emperor died in his prime. The celebrated friendship between sovereign and minister had scarcely lasted a few years before my father changed from the late emperor’s trusted right hand into the new emperor’s greatest threat.

After twelve years as regent, my father’s ambition had swollen. Being an uncrowned king no longer satisfied him. He wanted to know what it felt like to wear the Son of Heaven’s crown himself.

His first step was to force the emperor to marry me, transforming himself from Liu Cong’s subject into his father-in-law.

Liu Cong had thrown down my veil and bridal rod, but the face he truly meant to slap was my father’s.

I glanced at the attendants kneeling all over the floor and felt a headache coming on. Still, it was my wedding day, and I was exhausted. I waved everyone out rather than make a scene.

Silk whispered as they withdrew. Soon the vast bedchamber held only Liu Cong and me.

He stood far away and turned his face aside, as if one more look at me would scorch his imperial eyes.

I was too tired to care. I stripped off my outer robes in a few brisk movements, removed my phoenix crown, and wiped the heavy cosmetics from my face.

The candles were painfully bright, so I went around extinguishing them one by one.

Liu Cong stood where they burned most fiercely. The light made his fine features even more striking, but I was too sleepy to appreciate them. I yawned. “Move, please.”

He glared at me and refused to budge.

Losing patience, I shoved him aside and blew out the candle behind him.

He had not expected the push and stumbled. “Xiao Lingyue! You dare offend your sovereign!”

I had no energy for this. “Yes, yes, I’m offending my sovereign. Call the police.”

“What?” He had no idea what the police were. “What nonsense are you babbling?”

“Little brother, it is late. What I mean is, can we go to sleep and discuss this tomorrow?” His face had its merits, so I forced myself to negotiate instead of losing my temper.

Somehow, my attempt at civility struck another nerve. The brat exploded again. “Your Xiao clan has gone too far!”

There was no reasoning with him. Teenagers ignited at the slightest spark, and I could not take any more. I turned, climbed into bed, and fell dead asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.

When I woke in the middle of the night, Liu Cong was still in the bedchamber. He wore the same magnificent wedding robes and had fallen asleep sitting against a table leg.

The position was clearly uncomfortable. His brow had knotted in his sleep.

I climbed down and patted his shoulder. “Hey. Wake up.”

He opened drowsy eyes and failed to recognize me at first. Without his usual ferocious scowl, he looked almost soft and adorable.

I pulled him to his feet and started removing his outer robes.

He lifted his arms, accepting the service as naturally as breathing.

I peeled away four layers before reaching his white inner robe. I stopped, about to push him toward the bed.

He abruptly came fully awake. Clutching his collar, he retreated several large steps. “Shameless! Utterly improper!”

I stared at him.

What was wrong with this lunatic? He could not even undress himself, yet now he was putting on airs.

Furious, I flung his clothes into his face. “Idiot!”

He trembled with rage, shook the robes off his head, and charged at me.

Liu Cong was only fourteen. I was two years older and half a head taller. I had already lived in Xiao Lingyue’s body for ten years after transmigrating into it. Ten years of climbing trees, chasing roosters, fighting dogs, and running wild on a country estate had left me looking slender but packed with muscle, agile as a young leopard.

I dropped into a fighting stance.

Liu Cong had been raised deep in the palace among women. He was no match for me. I pinned him to the floor and beat him until he howled.

Only when the attendants outside could bear it no longer did they burst in to rescue their emperor from my clutches.

Hair disheveled, his face bruised and bleeding, Liu Cong swore at me, “Xiao Lingyue, I will wipe out your entire clan! Just wait!”