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boylovefanfics · 3 years ago

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Empress Mei Changsu: Chapter 2

“Sir Meng,” She says and bows to him. “Don’t do that. We both are from the north. You don’t need to perform any pleasantries if no one is around.”

Meng Shu immediately proceeds and helps the beta up. Lulu nods at him, “I am headed back to finish stitching knee pads. The mistress wants to give them to someone.”

“Ah, here, I just came from the market and had some extra.” He says and hands her one stick of the sugar-coated fruits. “Thank you, Daren.” LuLu excitedly accepts them and starts to eat as she walks down the path with him. They talk about irrelevant like the weather, their favourite foods, the sky and more as they both finish the tanghulu.

Lulu is about to bid goodnight to Sir Meng when they hear someone whimpering. Both of them share a glance before following the sound.

Soon they find one of the eunuchs hitting a small servant boy with a whip. “Oh no, what is it this time?” Lulu mutters as she quietly makes her way around the pillars of the palace and listens to what was happening. Mei Changsu follows her but, unlike her, doesn’t hide himself as he approaches the scene before him with anger on his face.

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“I didn’t steal them.” the young boy says, almost on the verge of crying.

Mei Changsu quietly observes and notices the boy’s frail body. Definitely raised in prison, he surmises. He watches as Lulu runs towards the boy and pulls him in a hug in the next instant. The young boy almost slumps in relief at being embraced by the beta and being saved from another lash.

“Please do not hurt him. I had given him those hazelnut pastries as my mistress had asked us to throw them away.” Lulu speaks urgently and closes her eyes when she sees the eunuch raise his whip again. Hearing Lulu’s words, Mei Changsu immediately realised what was happening. The Eunuch served concubine Zhu and was punishing the servant boy because he had seen him eat hazelnut pastries. The same hazelnut pastries which Xiao Jingyan had refused and the very fact had made the concubine despise them so much that she had ordered to have them thrown away.

“How dare you trouble me! You have also been acting undisciplined for the past couple of days, plating with his highness! Do not think that I haven’t been observing!” The eunuch shouts.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me!” The eunuch abruptly drops to his knees and touches his head on the ground. “Is this how you have been disciplining servants? Hasn’t his majesty already banned the whip from being used!” Mei Changsu says in anger.

Xiao Jingyan had always been bothered by the suffering Ting Sheng had gone through as a servant. When he had seen the whip marks on the young boy’s body, he had vowed to shield Ting Sheng from such treatment with everything he had. The inner palace’s methods of disciplining the young servants were inhuman and made Xiao Jingyan feel guilty for not being able to protect Ting Sheng from it. Hence he had banned the whip and other such tactics from being used as punishments.

“Guards!” Mei Changsu’s voice reverberates, and immediately, two imperial guards approach him, waiting for their command. “Take him to the dungeons! He has disregarded his Majesty, the emperor’s orders. Let the Minister of Justice deal with him. I think the punishment for that is a month in the dungeons. Make sure no one can get him out till then and no visitors.”

Mei Changsu had three reasons for doing this. The first was to right the injustice that was happening in front of his eyes, where a young boy of mere eleven or twelve years old was getting beaten with a whip for a crime that didn’t exist. The second was to get in the good graces of Lulu, and the third and the most important one was that now the eunuch had recognised him as the empress. He didn’t want the eunuch to ruin his plan and disclose his real identity.

—

One fine evening, Concubine Zhu sends Lulu to deliver some sweets for the emperor and inform them that the concubine will be visiting him the next day. Usually, such tasks of high importance are done by the eunuch, but after the encounter they had with him on the palace grounds, he is nowhere to be seen. Based on the rumours that Lulu had heard from her fellow maids, the eunuch was put into prison because of using a whip. She was amazed that Meng Shu had gone to this extent to help her and the young servant boy.

She is stopped at the entrance by a guard, who inspects the box and sighs in resignation as if anticipating something. Out of nowhere, Lulu feels a gust of wind behind her, and before she can check what had happened, someone suddenly lands in front of her. It was a young man with a brilliant smile. He glanced at Lulu before staring at the box in her hand in interest. “Sweets?” the boy asks. From his manner of asking, Lulu immediately takes a liking to the boy who behaved like a small child.

“Feilu!” A man’s voice comes from the front yard. The guard, Lulu, and the boy, whom she assumes is Feilu, turn towards the voice. Lulu is surprised at the intimate moment she sees before her eyes. Two men were under a tree; one was leaning against it while the other’s head rested on the other man’s lap. Occasionally, the other man caressed the head of the person in his lap.

“Su-gege.” Feilu says with a small smile, “Feilu wants sweets.”

She tries to make out the face of the Empress but cannot see more than the outline of his body. “No sweets till you finish your medicine.” the empress scolds. “Have medicine first, then I’ll ask Auntie Ji to bring it.”

At that, Feliu huffs in anger and walks away. The guard then turns to her and says, “Thank you. Please be on your way back.”

Lulu is still looking at the scene in front of her in a trance. “Actually, the concubine also has told me to inform the Emperor’s palace that she would be visiting tomorrow to discuss an important matter. ”The guard nods and gestures for her to leave. Lulu slowly turns away and sees the empress leaning down and whispering something to the emperor. She immediately feels her ears redden as she walks away.

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She heads back to her mistress, Concubine Zhu, to report that her task was successfully done and conveys what she saw. Her mistress starts sobbing and tells her that Mei Changsu has ensnared his majesty’s heart and is now targeting her. Else why would her head eunuch be punished so severely for such a minor matter?

The next day she thinks of what her mistress had said. The empress targeted her by putting away the head eunuch? That seemed highly improbable as it was Meng Shu who had put away the eunuch and not Mei Changsu. Offhandedly, she comments about her mistress’s delusion to Mei Changsu and also mentions how the concubine believed Mei Changsu had ensnared his majesty.

Both of them were sitting in the garden of the grand empress dowager and eating the tanghulu that Sir Meng had bought. Sir Meng had told Lulu that no one would disturb them here as the garden was off-limits since the grand empress dowager’s death.

“That is ridiculous.” Changsu says in response to what Lulu had just told him, “according to what I have heard, his majesty was against building a harem and had clearly mentioned this to all the concubines and consorts who, despite knowing this, pledged their lives out of a misconceived notion that they would be able to seduce him later.” Meng Shu huffs as he stares at the plum blossom trees in front of them.

Lulu immediately feels like she should not have told these things to Meng Shu, who had some or the other connection with the imperial family. However, she feels the need to clarify that these were her mistress’ beliefs and not her’s, but as a servant, she couldn’t do anything but obey. “Sir Meng, as a maid, I cannot help but follow my mistress’s orders. However misconceived the idea of them being with the emperor may be, I have no option but to do as she demands or get beaten to death.” She defends herself, “Furthermore, I do not believe what she said. I saw the emperor with the empress. They couldn’t be any happier.”

Meng Shu’s face turns red, and he visibly relaxes. “I understand what you are trying to say. It’s just that I don’t like the politics of the harem. So petty and unnecessary.” He sighs, “Anyway, do you have any news from the north? I have written to my relatives there but haven’t heard from them yet. It is making me worried.”

“I thought they would just keep it to the district,” Lulu says with a frown. She then guiltily looks up at Meng Shu, “I am afraid that it’s the bandits.”

“Bandits? Does it mean that my family is in danger? Please tell me everything you know.” Meng Shu says with worry.

Lulu tells him how one day, a ship full of injured men had come to Xilong. They had stayed and healed there with the people. These people had claimed that they were from a neighbouring country and had gotten lost. They also had a lot of gold and riches, which made the Xilong leader, Prince Nie, greedy. He married his daughter to them. However, they started plundering the towns and used the prince’s daughter to blackmail him into silence. They prevented anyone from leaving or sending missives. They warned everyone that they would start killing family members if the news of them being there leaked and had killed many because of this. Lulu was one of the few people that had escaped, but her family was there, and hence she wouldn’t take the risk of telling anyone.

Meng Shu quietly hears her and encourages her to speak more until she gives him all the details he requires. “Thank you for telling me.” He tells her and bows to her before walking away.

–

Hearing Lulu’s words, Mei Changsu hurries back to the emperor’s palace to report to him what he had already suspected. When he doesn’t find the emperor in his study, he rushes to the front hall and finds him in conversation with Concubine Zhu.

“He is being punished by the law and nothing more; I, as an emperor, cannot help you out in this manner.” Xiao Jingyan says sternly to the concubine.

Mei Changsu rolls his eyes. He doesn’t even wait for the servant to announce him as he heads inside the hall and kneels in front of the emperor. The emperor is lightly dressed in his daily robes and sitting without his crown as if waiting to retire for the night. Mei Changsu, the lover, almost feels sad to send off Jingyan in such a tired state, but Mei Changsu, the subject, the empress, knows that it needs to be done.

“Your Majesty, I need to discuss an urgent matter. I am afraid it cannot wait at all.” Concubine Zhu is soon escorted out of the palace, and Mei Changsu immediately tells Lie Zhangyin to summon the military general and the minister of war. He then turns to the emperor and explains the entire situation. They soon head to the study and pull out the map of Xilong to plan their attack.

It is but a few hours from dawn when the ministers and generals leave them to prepare the troops. Mei Changsu immediately drags the emperor onto the bed and asks him to go to sleep.

“There are a few things I need to figure out,” comes Mei Changsu’s reply as he smiles at his husband. “Changsu.” The emperor almost whines, “I need to leave in a few hours. Whatever is pending can wait. Please come here.” He taps the empty space beside him.

Mei Changsu’s eyes flicker between the bed and the direction of their study. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulls off his outer robe and snuggles against Xiao Jingyan on the bed.

Xiao Jingyan immediately pulls him closer and nuzzles his face. “It’s going to be alright, Xiao-shu. Don’t overthink.” He tilts the other man’s face and places a kiss on his mouth.

Mei Changsu cups Jingyan’s face and kisses him deeply while the other’s hand rides up from Mei Changsu’s hips to his waist, undoing his belt.

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Jingyan is soon to follow and slumps down against Changsu. “Move, you are heavy,” Changsu mutters, almost asleep. Jingyan lets out a small laugh as he leans up and kisses Changsu once more before lying down next to him.

“We should take a bath; if not that, then at least get cleaned up,” Jingyan mutters. After saying this, Jingyan goes utterly silent at the thought of a bath.

Changsu looks at the alpha at his sudden silence and then pokes his head, “You told me not to think, and now you are thinking,” he says, stifling a yawn. Jingyan stares at Changsu in suspicion, “I still cannot believe you got your intel by breaking a few tubs. I am almost certain that it is also stirring some trouble in the harem. I am just not sure how.” Jingyan says.

Mei Changsu snorts. “Took you longer than usual. Go to sleep, Jingyan. We still have a couple of hours,” he says, pillowing his head on the alpha’s chest and falling fast asleep.

–

Once Jingyan is dressed, he makes his way to the chambers of the department of war, where everyone is awaiting the emperor. As soon as he enters, everyone bows down to him. He spots Changsu in the corner, next to a map with a stick in his hands.

“Rise,” Jingyan says as he walks towards the empress, “anything new?”

Mei Changsu shakes his head, “I was just going over the strategy once again,” he then glances at the sky before turning to Jingyan, who nods in understanding. It was time for him to leave.

“Please prepare for departure; I need to speak with the empress alone,” Jingyan says, addressing the room.

“Sire, you need to hurry up. We want the troops to cross the western pass by sundown. I have already discussed-” Mei Changsu starts speaking only to be stopped by a hand on his mouth.

“After such a passionate night, the first thing you tell me is this?” Jingyan asks with a sly smile on his face. Mei Changsu hits him hard on the chest, making the emperor step back, “Jingyan, now is not the time,” he admonishes.

Jingyan ignores the scolding and takes Mei Changsu’s hands in his. “Take care of yourself. Don’t forget to take medicine on time,” he says and pulls his mate closer to nuzzle at the bond mark. “Don’t worry about me. Also, Fei Lu is going with you.” Mei Changsu tries his best to sound nonchalant, hoping Jingyan wouldn’t make anything of what he had said. “What? No, you need him here to protect you. I only trust him-” Jingyan looks up and protests, only to be stopped by Changsu.

“Jingyan, this won’t change no matter how much you argue with me. We will just be wasting time.” Mei Changsu tries to explain. “Plus, I need him to be away from me.“

Xiao Jingyan is immediately alarmed when he understands what Mei Changsu is saying, “You want someone to hurt you? Who? Xiao Shu, don’t be daft! You have just recovered from the poison.”

“Xiao Jingyan, you need to trust me, okay?” Mei Changsu says firmly, and Jingyan nods in understanding, “Plus, the worst the harem will make me do is kneel in the ancestral hall.”

“Harem?” Jingyan repeats and sighs, “Be safe, or I will-” Jingyan frowns, thinking of a good threat, “I will not lay with you for a month!”

Jingyan smiles at Changsu before stepping away and nodding at him. Their eyes lock on each other for a moment before the emperor walks away.

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#Empress Mei Changsu #Nirvana in Fire #Xiao Jingyan/ Lin Shu | Mei ChangSu

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