Coronation Blues

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     Ever since the "incident" as Mo Yuan preferred to call it, it was impossible to get any women to pay attention to him.  He catches their attention on something else entirely.  Like the lower part of his body.  He had to turn certain duties over to Chang Yu.  Enough!  He was going to talk to Lady Le Xu today!!  He knocked on the door to be announced.  He was let in the room and was shocked at what he saw.  The usually prim and proper lady who never had a hair out of place was a wreck and her room was a mess.  Mo Yuan sent her maid to get Bai Qian.  "Where is her adopted child, Su Jin?  Why would you all let her get in this condition?  Fetch Su Jin here!"  Su Jin arrived and bowed.  Mo Yuan's anger was written on his face for all to see.  "Su Jin, why have you let your step mother, the one who raised you herself, get in such a state?  I see you have no problem being properly attired.  Why couldn't you at least asked for help in this situation?  Answer me!"  Su Jin had a stupid grin on her face and bowed, but barely, and answered,"she is not my concern.  She can take care of herself."  "Insolence!  Do you know who I am?  Bow before me now!"  She stood there saying nothing.  "Guards!"  They entered and bowed low.  "Take this woman to the dungeon and keep her there until I can deal with her.  Maybe she will learn her place in this realm.  Send a message to Taizi Dianxia to come here immediately!"  Su Jin had the decency to beg.  Too little too late!!  Mo Yuan was pacing when Bai Qian entered the room.  The look on her face spoke volumes.  "Qian Qian, could you talk to her?  Maybe get her out of her stupor?  She is Ye Hua's mother!  She should be honored as such.  I feel her life has been a sad travesty and some of it was my own making!  She has been deprived of everything."  Bai Qian sat down beside her and slowly rubbed her back.  "Lady Le Xu!  Please tell me what is wrong?  Can I help you?  Please talk to me!  I want to help you!  Ye Hua is about to become emperor.  You have a very honored place as his mother!  Can't you see that?"  Le Xu looked up at Bai Qian.  Her hair was laying in long strands down her back and face.  Her clothes were dirty and it looked like she had been beaten.  "Who hurt you?  Who did this to you?"  She finally spoke in a broken voice.  "Yang Cao beat me all the time.  You see I was childless until Ye Hua.  It had been over 30,000 years, you see.  When Yang Cao was sentenced to die, I thought I could now survive but I was wrong.  HaoDe beat me because of Ye Hua.  When Mo Yuan banned me from Kunlun, he beat me terribly.  After that he had Su Jin do his dirty work.  You see, HaoDe was trying to set up a contract for Su Jin to marry Ye Hua.  Mo Yuan turned all marriage offers down, saying Ye Hua was too young.  Su Jin, for some reason, blamed me.  I have been kept here like a prisoner.  If Mo Yuan hadn't come today, I would have died here and no one would know."  Bai Qian looked up to see Ye Hua standing by Mo Yuan listening to her sad story.  She was after all his birth mother.  He came and put his arms around her.  "Mother.  I'm sorry this has happened to you!  I have always cared for you even though I was taken away from you.  Come now and let us help you.  I will move you into my palace to the queen mother's apartments.  You will be better taken care of." He stood and the anger on his face was there for all to see.  "All maids here report to Lord Pua  for punishment.  JieJie please help me find mother new staff.  She didn't deserve to be mistreated like this.  Where is Su Jin?  I wish to see her now!"  "Didi, I have already sent her to the dungeon.  We can deal with her as soon as we see to Lady Le Xu.  Qian Qian, could you see that she is bathed and clothed and brought something to eat in her new quarters.  She needs a woman who understands right now."
     Mo Yuan and Ye Hua both walked into the dungeon to the cell where Su Jin was being held.  She was pacing.  Ye Hua looked her over and sneered.  "How dare you treat my mother like you have!!  How dare you stand in front of me and High God Mo Yuan!  How dare you!  Who do you think you are?  On your knees now or I will kill you myself!"  The sound of Qing Ming drawing startled her but she still didn't bow.  She stood there and smiled and said nothing.  Ye Hua's anger would hold no more.  He had the guards take her straight to the throne room.  His breath was coming hard and fast and his dragon eyes were a bright brilliant blue.  "Meet me in the throne room!"  He was gone in a puff of blue smoke.  Mo Yuan smiled to himself.  He knew Ye Hua had a temper, he just chose to tamp it down.  This is going to be good!   He left in a puff of golden smoke.  Su Jin was waiting between two guards as Ye Hua appeared on his dais.  He didn't even walk in.  The people in the room were intrigued.  Mo Yuan appeared a moment later.  He walked in and took his seat.  Ye Hua stood, dragon eyes shining, and spoke in a low gravelly voice.  Fear ran through the crowd.  Donghua Dijun entered while Ye Hua was speaking.  "Su Jin is accused of mistreating Lady Le Xu to the point of near death, refusing to bow to High God Mo Yuan and refusing to bow or acknowledge her Taizi Dianxia and future emperor, Ye Hua.  I hereby sentence her to death on the rock of punishment.  She will receive lightning strikes until she dies.  Guards take her away!"  When the guards grabbed her, she finally had the bravery to speak.  "You can't kill me!  I'm your legal consort.  HaoDe decreed it after Mo Yuan turned down his offer.  You can't kill me!"  Ye Hua looked at Dijun.  "She's right.  You can't, but Mo Yuan can."  Mo Yuan stood and walked over to her.  He sneered in her face as he spoke.  "Still won't bow to me?  So be it!  Take her to Lord Pua to be struck by lightning until she is dead.  She will be thrown down to Mount Junji as food for animals.  She will be stripped of all immortal essence never to return to this realm again.  Guards! Take her away!"  Her screams were heard all over the area.  It was known that Taizi Dianxia Ye Hua would not put up with insolence or disrespect of any kind.
     Bai Qian had softly taken Lady Le Xu to her new apartments.  She had her own maids draw a bath for her and go to her old room for clean clothes for her.  There were none.  Bai Qian sent a message to Chang Yu to find appropriate clothes for the mother of the emperor.  She came with a lovely cream color dress with beading.  All of her jewelry was brought to her.  Once she was bathed and clothed, she was feeling better.  A meal was brought  to her.  It was obvious she hadn't eaten in a while.  After she finished eating, she felt better and began to talk.  "Why are you helping me, Bai Qian?  I was so rude to you before.  I'm so sorry!"  "No need to be sorry.  If my only son had been taken away from me, I would be heart broken and depressed.  I have been blessed with twin sons and now two more.  When Ye Hua marries, you will be grandmother to his children.  Have you ever wondered why you could carry Ye Hua but no children from Yang Cao?  What if he was the one at fault?  Don't let the past worry you any more.  Start fresh today.  Be renewed today.  Ye Hua needs you to be there for him.  We need you.  We need you to organize this Coronation.  I'm too pregnant to do it and I must admit, Mo Yuan is showing more and more of his God of War traits.  He's like he's in a battle and a battle formation is needed.  We need you.  Rest today and tomorrow, then he will come and get you.  These will be your new rooms now.  I will help you pick new staff.  Are there any of your old staff you want to keep?  I'll get them now if you want me too."  "No, they all followed Su Jin.  Where is she?"  "She has been sentenced to death."  "Good!  I raised her to be kind and gentle but she was cruel and calculating.  I'm going to rest now.  Thank you for helping me."  Bai Qian helped her lay down and quietly left her room.  Her back was hurting so she slowly walked to her own room.  She was almost there when she felt a wave of dizziness come over her.  She stepped toward the wall to prop up against it.  A guard came running.  "Please go find High God Mo Yuan!  And hurry!"  He left as fast as he could go. 
     Bai Qian slid down the wall holding her head.  The dizziness wouldn't stop.  It was just a few minutes before Mo Yuan was by her side.  "What's wrong my love?  Should I call the Medicine King?"  "Send For Zhe Yan please.  Hurry please!"  He picked her up and ran for their room.  Bai Xue was coming down the walkway when he saw his father carrying his mother into their room.  Mo Yuan saw him and called as he was running.  "Xue Xue!  Go get Zhe Yan!  Quickly!  Cloud jump like I showed you!  Go!"  JinDe had sensed his twins anxiety and jumped to his father's room.  He ran in.  "Fuqin!  What's wrong!  Do you need the medicine king?  What can I do?  Is mother ok?" Mo Yuan tried to stay calm.  " JinDe, calm down.  Mother is ok.  We sent Xue Xue to get Zhe Yan.  You can go tell Ye Hua.  He will want to know about it."  "I'll go right now!"  JinDe flew out the door and ran to the throne room.  He burst in like the nine heavens was on fire.  He ran forward without being announced.  Ye Hua looked at him and asked him, "what's wrong?  Why are you in such a panic?"  "Shushu, mother is ill and Fuqin sent for Zhe Yan!"  Ye Hua jumped up.  "Jia Yun!  Cancel all the rest of the meetings!  Reschedule them for two days away.  I'll be in my palace!"  He ran off the throne dais and out the door with JinDe.  Ye Hua came skidding to a halt next to his brother.  "Da ge!  What's wrong?  Is it the babies?  What can I do?  What can I do?"  "Calm down, Didi.  I think the babies are coming early.  Do you remember when the boys were born?  Go order a basin of cool water and a soft cloth.  You know what to do."  Ye Hua shot out the door screaming orders like a boss.  In no time he was back with the basin of water and a soft cloth.  "Here Didi, you help me sit behind Qian Qian so I can feed her energy.  You wipe her face.  I will need you here later to feed her energy too.  Lift her up while I position myself."  Ye Hua picked up Bai Qian and gently laid her in his brother's lap.  He reached for the cloth and wiped her brow.  "It's too late to contact the Fox Emperor.  Maybe Bai Zhen will be at the peach woods when Xue Xue gets there.  We can hope."  Bai Qian was in great pain when Zhe Yan got there two hours later.  He came running in.  "I got here as fast as I could.  I sent Bai Zhen to find his parents.  Let me examine her now."  He stood back and scanned her quickly.  "Well, the babies are coming.  It seems early, but if you remember, I told you that her time in the mortal realm during her trial may have speeded the process along.  I'm going to give her something for pain now.  Just keep giving her energy once an hour until I say otherwise.  When did this start?"  "Maybe four hours ago.  She told me a terrible wave of dizziness passed over her.  A guard came to get me.  I was back after only a few minutes.  She was slumped against the wall when I got her and brought her here.  I sent for you straight away.  Is something wrong you're not telling me?"  "I'm not sure at this point.  They keep trying to block my probe.  Maybe you can talk to them."  Mo Yuan placed his hand on Bai Qian's stomach.  The children were stressed and restless.  He talked to them with his mind.  "Easy now!  Fuqin is here now!  What is wrong?  Why did you block Zhe Yan from scanning for problems?  He is only here to help you!  Tell Fuqin what is wrong!"  He looked up at Zhe Yan in absolute terror.  Mo Yuan kept his hand there and looked at Zhe Yan.  "They are telling me that the cord of the one to be born first is wrapped around his brother's neck.  He can't come out now.  He refuses to come out unless you can save his brother.  What can you do, Zhe Yan?"  "Tell them I can use my magic to undo the cord.  Then they can be born."  Mo Yuan talked to them again.  "They agree.  They said they made their mother dizzy because her walking made it worse.  They are ready for you."  Zhe Yan scanned again to see what he must do.  He scanned for a long time.  "I'm ready now.  Let's begin."  He concentrated on his task.  He was moving his hand from one side to another and up and curving over.  Slowly, very slowly he worked.  Finally he looked at Mo Yuan again.  "Talk to them now, please.  I need to know how they are."  Mo Yuan never moved his hand but he was mind talking to them.  "The first one says he is going to switch places with his brother.  He says he needs attention now.  He is going to help him come out first.  Be ready!"  Bai Qian was breathing hard and trying to push.  Mo Yuan and Ye Hua fed her energy.  One hard push and the little boy came out.  A golden fox with white ear tips, White legs and paws and a white tipped tail!  Look Mo Yuan!  A beautiful little fox boy!  He's wounded.  Let me heal him now."  Zhe took the little cub in hand and scanned his injury.  His neck was sore where the cord had been around him.  He healed him and handed him to Mo Yuan.  Mo Yuan cried and held the little cub close to him.  His dragon was upset because the little boy was injured.  He wanted to smell him.  He wanted to love him.  He now had his own fox cub!  He purred to the baby and got a fox yip in return.  Mo Yuan cuddled him close and kissed his little muzzle.  Bai Qian was pushing again.  Her pain was increasing with each push.  She screamed and finally pushed the last baby out.  He too was a golden fox just like his brother.  He was not ill or weak and yipped loudly for his father.  Ye Hua held the first one while Mo Yuan held the second one.  He yipped at his fathers dragon and nuzzled under his neck.  Mo Yuan petted him down his back and fluffed his tails.  Two little boy foxes!  He had never expected it!  He had assumed they were dragons!  He was so wrong!  Bai Qian took them both into her arms.  "My precious little boys!  Zhe Yan, will the small one be ok?"  "He will be fine, Xiao Wu!  Once you feed him he will be much better.  Feed them now and then they can rest."  "Da ge, what are you going to name them?"  "Fuqin, if I may?"  JinDe looked down at his little brother and smiled.  "Please call the little one Bai Zhi Jinzi.  Only gold and white fox.  And after his grandfather, Bai Zhi!"  Mo Yuan laughed!  "Bai Zhi Jinzi it is!  Hopefully he will be better mannered than you, JinDe!  Now how about this boy?"  Bai Xue looked at his little fox brothers.  He thought for a moment.  "Bai Baohu Zhe!  After all, he protected his brother, didn't he?"  "Yes!  An excellent choice!  Now to clear out and let them rest.  They have been through quite an ordeal!"  They all left the room and left Bai Qian with her maids.  JinDe handed his father a cup of peach blossom wine.  They toasted and downed the wine in one swallow.  Zhe Yan came out of the room laughing.  "Be glad you have two grown sons because these two are going to lead you on a merry chase!  Or have you forgotten a certain fox who came to Kunlun Mountain to be your pupil?"  "Tell me what have I done to be punished like this?  If they are anything like their mother was, I'm doomed!  Totally undone before it ever starts!"  "Da ge, it can't be all that bad, can it?"  "Didi, you have no clue!  Trust me when I say, I'm doomed!"

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