Langhua: The Codependence of a Prince and His General

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Now that Hua Yuheng could finally stand up straight, he could properly appraise these women of the imperial harem.

According to what his father had told him, the Empress had married the Emperor as his first wife before the latter ascended the throne, and the two of them were about equal in age. That would mean the Empress was in her forties... and Hua Yuheng could see that. Unlike some other rich wives he had met, the Empress was surprisingly forthright with her age. Rather than try to hide her wrinkles with thick powder and meticulous routines, she seemed to embody her age in a way that only added power to her otherwise average physical stature.

She was clearly a woman who wore the phoenix robes, while lesser women might find themselves being drowned out.

Next to her, Concubine Liang should be a good ten years younger, but she somehow looked the same age, perhaps even slightly older. Where the Empress' appearance was impeccable, Concubine Liang seemed to make even the palace's top-quality silk look only marginally better than common cotton. There was a homeliness about her that was at odds with the opulence of the palace, but when Hua Yuheng looked between her and Xuanyuan Lang, he suddenly understood.

Perhaps only a woman like Concubine Liang could have raised a prince like Xuanyuan Lang.

Suddenly, Hua Yuheng felt a cold gaze on him. All the hairs on the back of his neck rose, his body screaming that he was in danger.

"It is rude to stare, Master Hua," the Empress said evenly. "If you were a few years older, you could be executed for openly gawking at the Emperor's wives."

Hua Yuheng lowered his head once more. The truth in her words made him tremble. "I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty —"

"Enough, Seventh Prince. You have defended him once already. As a prince, you should choose your acquaintances wisely. I find it hard to believe that such an uncouth boy would be worth your efforts. Surround yourself with allies, not burdens."

Hua Yuheng's trembling intensified. Xuanyuan Lang could not bite back his words in time. "Your Majesty —"

"Your Majesty," Concubine Liang interrupted her son. "We appreciate your advice, truly, but they are just boys. I'm sure they have learned their lesson. Now, shouldn't we get them changed out of their wet clothes before they catch a cold?"

The Empress cast her eye on the outsider, who was now shaking like a leaf.

"I care not about the savage, but the Seventh Prince is already ten, Concubine Liang. If you continue to coddle him so, he will not grow to be of any use. A sheltered tree will not outgrow its supports."

"Then I will simply have to shelter and support him for longer," Concubine Liang said cheerfully. "Until my pillars rot and fade."

There was a short pause before the Empress said, "What a naïve fool you are. But if you are intent on ruining your son, I won't stop you." As though done with the ignorant concubine and the equally hopeless boys, she turned her head away and addressed her handmaidens. "Let us tarry no longer. We shall return to Phoenix Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Once the Empress and her retinue were out of sight, Hua Yuheng found himself swaying on his feet. Before he collapsed, he fell into a gentle, warm, sweet-smelling embrace.

"Poor thing. You've gone all pale," Concubine Liang said softly. "Come now, let's return to my palace and get you dried up, shall we?"

She waved away her handmaidens' offer to help, walking slowly back to her quarters with the boy in her arms. Somewhere along the way, Xuanyuan Lang quietly caught up to them. His head lowered as he walked, he held onto his mother's sleeve, like a weightless leaf clinging onto its branch in the wind.