Taoist Master

Tea

Rushing back to the grove and barely containing the laughter still rumbling the moment she entered, The Empress tried to rid herself of the visions her daughter had scarred her mind with.  She really only had herself to blame having wanted to merely check on them both, so her first visit had only been a short one and that was because she had arrived to find Mo Yuan naked and eating from a plate like a dog, which immediately had her scurrying the little spider she had taken over out the window before they noticed her.

She had seen more than enough and had satisfied her worried mind that he might actually retaliate and hurt her daughter, or worse, her grandchildren.  Only to see him calmly obeying as was expected of him, she felt he would complete the three days.  His pride might be injured, but it would be good for the both of them.

Her second visit however, put the fear of heaven into her and she was still shaking moments before Mi Gu suddenly crashed the barrier shaking every leaf on his body.  It had taken her some time to calm the poor man, and even longer to calm herself.

Sneaking out just after breakfast and with only two hours of their trial left to go, she knew that if Mo Yuan was going to lose his head, it would be in the final stages.  

Now back in the grove and making her way to the merry band of hopeless schemers, she shot her husband a look that suggested they had better not be planning anymore crazy ideas having caught them red handed when Bai Zhen was about to turn himself into a fly at Zhe Yan, Ci Hang and Bai Zhis command.

That didn't mean she couldn't use the same method to spy and now that she was back and still disturbed by what she had seen, she ignored the grumbling as she dragged her husband into the house to help her with dinner preparations.  

Her three day trial had seen him near lose his mind by the time the final day arrived, and though she felt sorry for Mo Yuan and the degradation her daughter had unleashed in his final two hours, she couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of that mighty war god licking up the small scraps of food her daughter had tossed to the floor as punishment for a command he had used his free pass on.

She dreaded to think what command he had refused, but it had something to do with his tongue and his refusal to use it.   Only it all came to an explosive end when her daughter completely lost her head during the finale.  Which was the serving of the tea.  She was meant to return them back to the state they were in before they entered the den with a submissive pouring of the tea, only instead of pouring it into the cup, she let the tea splatter all over the floor before demanding he lick it up.

Whatever had transpired the night before had enraged her enough to still be angry over it, so The Empress was not really all that surprised by what followed. 

Because of course, that was the last straw for Mo Yuan.  Not only did he upend the pot in her hand with a backlashing swipe of his fist, but the rest of the china was picked up and smashed against the wall in a rage of expletives and violent energy not even Bai Zhi had managed to reach.  

The Empress had only stayed long enough to ensure her daughter made it back to her chamber and a barrier raised before she left Mo Yuan behind with Mi Gi who arrived to find the War God about to unleash his energy on the entrance itself just to escape.

Quietly dicing the vegetables as Bai Zhi took large lamb rack she planned to roast, she couldnt help but smile at how wonderful her husband had turned out to be.

The three day trial, very much encompassed the best qualities of the Tao because it forced both parties to seek greater understanding of their inner selves once it was over.  She had no doubts that Bai Qian would soul searching at that moment and as for Mo Yuan, he too would be forced to use these final days to seek understanding in her actions, and his reaction to them.   It was only when one was at their very lowest that one is forced to acknowledge that their imperfections.   Those depravities hiding deep within the recesses of their minds they never knew existed.  The twisted desire to see another suffer and even worse, is the final acknowledgement that love is fleeting.  It cannot be controlled or contained.