Blood-Sucking Empress Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Summoning An guifei

“Empress, would Your Majesty like some tea?” Feng Ying cautiously entered the room with a palace attendant trailing closely behind her, carrying a plate of steaming tea. Glancing at the Empress' angry expression, whether it was intentionally or unconsciously, Feng Ying's hesitant expression gave off the impression that she had something to say.

“Say what you have to say!” It looked like everyone wanted to say something to her today, but they would always hesitate before doing so. This made Qianhe Liyou feel very aggravated and annoyed when she saw it.

“Empress, did your Majesty order the King Consort to kneel outside near the entrance? This servant is nosy and just wanted to inform that lunch has been prepared and is being sent here right now. Does Your Majesty wish to dine here?” Feng Ying lowered her head after speaking, not daring to look at the Empress' expression. Naturally, Feng Ying missed the Empress' facial expression, one that was originally unhappy but it had become even darker.

Qianhe Liyou's eyes inadvertently swiveled towards the Imperial study's entrance. Kneeling outside? Just what did Luo Weiqing mean?

“After half an hour, have the dishes prepared and delivered. During this time, no one is to enter zhen's study without permission.”

“This servant obeys!”

After half an hour, Feng Ying and another palace attendant carried in plates of sumptuous dishes, preparing the dining area inside the Imperial Study. After they were finished setting down the dishes and cleaning the area, they respectfully reminded the Empress that lunch was ready.

“Is the King Consort still kneeling?” Qianhe Liyou sat down at the dining table. She asked after Luo Weiqing, but whether intentionally or otherwise, only she would know.

“Responding to your Majesty, the King Consort is still kneeling near the entrance.” Just what happened to the Empress and the King Consort? The King Consort had been kneeling outside the Imperial Study for half an hour and the entire Imperial palace had already learned of the matter. The Imperial palace was known to be a place full of secrets, but it was also the least secret place.

Qianhe Liyou said nothing and relaxedly ate a few bites of food. She didn't require sustenance, but she didn't want to come off as strange to bystanders.

After she finished off a few more bites, Qianhe Liyou dismissed the palace attendants. She then stood up and swiftly walked outside the Imperial Study. The palace attendants and guards waiting on standby outside the study immediately greeted her.

“Empress!” One of the palace attendants closest to the door respectfully greeted the Empress, reminding her that there was still a person who was kneeling outside the door. Luo Weiqing was inwardly startled, but still had his head bowed towards the floor.

“Zhen didn't order you to kneel here, just what is the meaning of this?” Qianhe Liyou walked in front of Luo Weiqing, her voice unfeeling and harsh.

“This consort begs for the Empress' forgiveness, this consort doesn't dare to preach my principles, but this consort hopes that your Majesty can spare the child.” For nearly an hour, he had already clearly pondered over his next course of action. Even if it were to anger the Empress or invite punishment from the Empress, he insisted on sticking to his morals. He had already endured long enough in this stifling and cold palace, and he could no longer just stand by and restrain himself on this matter.

“Impudent! Do you think that just because you kneel here that zhen will agree?”

“Of course not, this consort is merely making a request.”

“Zhen has already told you, zhen will not agree to your request, yet you still kneel here. What is the meaning of this?”

Hearing the Empress' response, Luo Weiqing pursed his lips tightly. After a moment of silence, he slowly, but firmly said: “This consort simply wishes, to my greatest capability, to persevere in changing the Empress' mind. All humans under the Heavens must follow the Mandate of Heaven and one's fate. This consort kneels here and once again requests the Empress to reconsider!”

“Then what if zhen never changes?”

“Then this consort will keep on kneeling here!”

“Good, very good, Luo Weiwing, zhen's King Consort, zhen finally understands why you are not liked. Since you want to kneel here, then zhen will fulfill your wishes then!” If he liked to kneel, he can kneel, did he really think that he could threaten her? How ridiculous.

Qianhe Liyou forcefully threw these words out, and with a flick of her sleeve, she turned to walk into the Imperial Study. This left the palace attendants and guards who were kneeling in the courtyard full of fear and apprehension.

“King Consort, why does Your Majesty insist on doing so? Whatever the Empress says is the Imperial decree, there is no need for your Majesty to quarrel with the Empress because of this matter and…well that person's child ah, is just like what the Empress' said. Even if that child was to be spared, it doesn't mean…” Feng Ying's impression of the King Consort had softened a tad. Seeing the Empress angrily return to the Imperial study, she couldn't help but stay behind and advise the King Consort a few words on the matter..

Luo Weiqing fell silent, his knees firmly planted to the ground.

Soon it was evening and as the sun sank into the horizon, the yellow rays slowly started to fade, casting shadows into the night. Palace attendants bustled about in the courtyard, coming and going, rus.h.i.+ng to prepare the Empress' dinner. Qianhe Liyou sat alone at the table and was once again reminded of Luo Weiqing. The man had been kneeling for an entire day without drink or food. Although she didn't order Feng Ying to do so, Feng Ying would always report Luo Weiqing's situation once in a while, making her upset.

“Feng Ying.”

“Empress, what orders does Your Majesty have?”

“Prepare for zhen's bedtime and arrange for a consort to serve zhen tonight!” In her memory, this should have been a common occurrence for the previous Empress. Although she had no desires or wants in this regard, she suddenly thought of Luo Weiqing's actions today. After this incident, perhaps she should use extreme measures to tell Luo Weiqing that he shouldn't think of himself as someone special. He shouldn't have tried to do anything to test her patience.

“Serve?” Empress, which niangniang would Your Majesty prefer to attend to you tonight?” Feng Ying quickly responded,  a little taken aback by the sudden orders.

Niangniang:suffix which should only be applied to the empress or imperial concubines

“It's up to you.” The Imperial harem was headed by the King Consort, Luo Weiqing, followed directly by the guifei. Of the guifei level, there was Ning guifei, Qing Ning, and An guifei, Murong Xuanhe. Lastly, there was the currently imprisoned Enchanting guifei. They were all guifei, or Imperial Consorts of the highest rank in a harem. In addition to this, there were three n.o.ble Consorts, or guiren below the guifei. There was Yun guiren, Yun Tailing, Li guiren, Li Qujun and Luo guiren, Luo Xingchen. Luo Xingchen and Luo Weiqing were cousins, but Luo Xingchen entered the palace two years later after Luo Weiqing. Besides the t.i.tled Imperial and n.o.ble consorts, there were also several palace attendants who were favored by the Empress once or twice. But because Qianhe Liyou had no recollection of these experiences in her memory, she could only name the main members of the Imperial harem.

Guifei: Imperial Consort of the highest rank and is below the Empress

Guiren: means n.o.ble Consort/lady and is ranked below Imperial Consort

“Then…how about An guifei?” Feng Ying had served by the Empress' side for many years and knew her preferences the best. The Empress didn't like the King Consort, nor would he summon Ning guifei to attend to her in bed. However, the previously favored Enchanting guifei, Situ Hongyu, was currently imprisoned in the Sky Prison, so naturally the next best choice was An guifei, Murong Xuanhe.

“En.” Qianhe Liyou didn't have much of an opinion.

Within a few minutes, An guifei arrived at the Empress' quarters, his presence announced by Feng Ying. Qianhe Liyou only nodded indifferently and did not look up from her book.

“Greetings to the Empress, long live the Empress.” A crisp voice laced with tension and fear sounded out into the empty room. Qianhe Liyou heard this and lifted her head to look up. Upon the first glance, the man in front of her seemed somewhat pet.i.te and frail-boned, but upon further inspection, she realized that was not necessarily the case. The man was about the same height as her and generally the men in the empire were taller than women. The current social system in place had women in superior positions, making men the inferior gender. However, because of the current trend, many of the women preferred pet.i.te and slim men, making Murong Xuanhe not an exception to this standard. He could be considered outstanding given his pet.i.te and delicate facial structure, a soft beauty that could arouse pity.

However, this man could be regarded as the most miserable of the consorts and concubines in the harem. The softer and more pitiful-looking, the more it made someone want to impulsively destroy them. She could understand why the previous soul who occupied her body favored the pet.i.te man in front of her, faint recollection of brutal and cruel scenes flas.h.i.+ng before her eyes. Now that she thought of it, Qianhe Liyou really thought those actions had been a little intolerable.

“En.” She didn't want to make things difficult for the child, he was only eighteen, only a child in front of her.

Qianhe Liyou hadn't said anything, but Murong Xuanhe, who had been kneeling on the ground was already ashen-faced and had begun to move. Without getting up, he started to slip off his flowy, thin robes, still kneeling on the ground. The pale viridescent gown slipped soundlessly onto the floor, revealing his snow-white skin. However, the scattered traces of abuse that littered his skin were incomparably shocking. These were traces left by the previous Empress' 'favor'!

Qianhe Liyou wordlessly watched the boy's movements in front of him, watching him take off his clothes with trembling hands. His face turned paler with every pa.s.sing second…

There was no need to ask, she knew why he was acting the way he was. In this respect, she could only say that the previous Empress' education and discipline had been too good.

After taking off his pale green robes, Murong Xuanhe was left with only a pair of white underwear, half-naked, with long black hair, looking unspeakably tempting. He timidly glanced at the Empress, but found only a pair of cold eyes staring back at him, intensifying his feelings of terror. Recalling the 'teachings' of the Empress before, Murong Xuanhe gritted his teeth. Slowly, little by little, he crawled on the floor until he reached the Empress' feet.

“Empress, should this consort start to serve?” Murong Xuanhe shakily asked, his voice trembling.

“Lie down on the bed and close your eyes.” Qianhe Liyou pointed to the luxurious and large dragon bed beside him.

“Yes!” Murong Xuanhe's entire body shuddered, but he obediently approached the bed, softly laying down with his eyes closed. His half-naked body was still uncovered and his long black hair fell to the ground along the dragon bed.

He did not know if he would be able to survive this night. Every time he was summoned to serve the Empress, he arrived walking and upright, but he would always leave crawling sideways. It was absolutely impossible for him to get up without recovering and resting for half a month afterward. There were a couple of times where he almost never got up again. Well…sometimes, he thought, that if he couldn't get up one day, how nice it would be. He wouldn't need to live here anymore, in a palace that was like living h.e.l.l!