I Am This Type of Woman

44

The palace hall was very quiet, so quiet that a dropped pin could have been heard.

Emperor Yunqing observed Rong Xia who stood respectfully in place, allowing the Emperor to measure him.

"Junpo," Emperor Yunqing finally broke the long period of silence, "Zhen knows you wouldn't let zhen down."

The rise of Yan Hui was prompted by his backing, but Yan Hui had recently become increasingly disobedient, Yan Hui let his relatives bought up lands, and some of them even sold titles and official positions. Emperor Yunqing had been turning a blind eye since the Right Minister shouldn't be without a rival, but it didn't mean Yan Hui was allowed to meddle with the royal relatives.

The Crown Prince was kind and generous, but indecisive. In the future as the next Emperor, he would need his brothers and sisters. Yan Hui had been inciting the Crown Prince to clash with the Second Prince, to go against his birth siblings. The Emperor himself wasn't a sibling-lover, but as an emperor, he couldn't let this go on.

"It's a pity you are too young, otherwise this Left Minister position, zhen would be relieved if it it was yours."

"Your Majesty," Rong Xia calmly said, "Serving Your Majesty and the people is chen'swish. Title is not important."

* chen 臣 = This Official. * weichen 微臣 = This Humble Official

"You," Emperor Yunqing laughed in a low voice, "You don't like women, you don't want power. Aren't you living an ascetic life?"

"Your Majesty, weichen wears luxurious clothes and has plenty of servants, it is not an ascetic living." After thinking for a while Rong Xia said, "Weichen is unable to leave the world like a monk."

"One should have something to live for," Emperor Yunqing smiled indulgently, "Aiqing is not my son, but in zhen's eyes, you are already half a son."

* aiqing 爱卿 = the term used by the emperor for his subject

Rong Xia bowed very deeply, "Your Majesty, chen doesn't deserve it."

Wang De stood silently in the corner with eyes fixed on the tip of his shoes. His Majesty always sighed in envy whenever he came across young men and women he found pleasing. So His Majesty was not satisfied with his own children?

"What deserving or not deserving," Emperor Yunqing patted Rong Xia's shoulder, "Come, take a walk with zhen, get some fresh air."

Rong Xia followed the Emperor to the Imperial Garden. He had been here many times, the garden was nothing special for him, neither was it as fascinating as written on the books.

"Zhen is old, the officials are getting bolder and bolder." The Emperor stood at the edge of the lotus pond, watching the rippling lake without an expression on his face. "Now Zhen is still around and they are like this. In a hundred years, how will this dynasty be."

Late autumn lotus pond was nothing to look at, the eunuchs had fished out wilted lotus flowers and leaves. It's surface devoid of anything, the pond gave off a deserted feeling.

"Your Majesty is in the prime, why think that way?" Rong Xia looked at His Majesty in shock and dismay, "Weichen is scared."

"Life is like that, one day it will come to this." Emperor Yunqing frowned, "Everyone calls zhen 'wansui', doesn't mean zhen will really live 10,000 years."

* wansui 万岁 = 10,000 years. Emperors were also called 'wansuiye' = the lord of 10,000 years.

"Your Majesty," Rong Xia moved a step back and bowed deeply to the Emperor.

"Imploring Your Majesty not to say these things, it is hard for weichen to hear. Father and mother had passed away early, and all these years Your Majesty took care of weichen. Weichen is disrespectful, but Your Majesty is weichen's sky, weichen's stalwart tree. Weichen is lowly and dare not be deluded, but wishing Your Majesty to remain healthy, free of sickness or troubles."