The Emperor's Concubine

5: The Colour of Jade

Her cheeks were on fire! The embarrasing shade of pink almost the same shade as her equally embarrasing dress. Before coming to the palace, Li Hua had thought that The Emperor would be at least twice her age- or old enough to be her Father anyways. There was a reason why she hadn't tried to gain his attention, the thought of catching the eye of a perverted old man- disturbing.The handsome stranger's clothes had changed into a gold huang guan (robes), a heavy looking thing, with the images of dragons embroided down the side in vibrant hues of red and blue. He walked cockily through the dining hall, head held tall as he surveyed the surrounding ladies with mild interest. At least she had been half right- he was a pervert. Everyone rose to their knees as he sat down upon his seat, strategically placed at the front of the long hall. A chorus of "Welcome, Your Highness"sang through the room as girls bowed and men inclined their heads in acknowlegement. Li Hua sat back down, face turned towards the entrance of the hall, the ceiling of the room, the walls- anywhere but The Emperor himself. She had slapped The Emperor's hand! She had slapped The-Bloody-Emperor's hand!! Oh god, he was going to banish her from The Palace, or behead her for sure! But The Emperor did nothing of the sort. The man caught her eye, sending a cheeky wink her way as beside her, Leng Yue sent Li Hua a scorching glare.

"Thankyou ladies, for sparing your precious time to dine with me. I am delighted to finally be able to meet you all" his deep voice filled the room. A few girls giggled at the irony of it all- they had nothing to do all day, if anyone here were sparing precious time, it would be him. "My name Zhu Yuan Zhang, though I'm sure you all know that already"

"I apologise for my tardiness, so I shall not keep you all from feasting." he cast a dazzling smile at the girls, a few squealing in response. "Bring out the first course!"

There was a commotion as the doors to the dining hall slid open to reveal a whole troop of servants all carrying various dishes. Jingah was amongst them, holding a heavy looking tray. Li Hua wished she could rush over there to help the poor struggling girl, but her servant walked with strength. The smell of the dishes wafted through the air, a mix of fragrant spices and the delicious aroma of cooked meat. The room had a warm and friendly atmosphere as everyone chatted, but Li Hua could already see the way the girls were already trying for The Emperor's attention. She cast a glance to the front of the room, The Emperor was sitting there cheerfully, chatting to his fellow scholars. Beside her, Leng Yue stood up suddenly,a cup of wine clasped in her hands. Li Hua watched in confusion as the girl turned towards the front of the room, alluring smile on her lips.

"I wish to make a toast to our empire's great emperor!" she exclaimed dramatically. The Emperor's lips tugged up into a smile as he notices her. He lifts his glass in acknowledgement, nodding as everyone else picks up their own, a echo of "Long live The Emperor!" emanating through the hall as the all down their drinks.

"What is your name?" he asks Leng Yue. The girl bats her eyelashes shyly at him, pale skin illuminated in the candle light. The rest of the girls in the room all cast each other knowing looks, hatred already brewing.

"Leng Yue, your majesty" she replies,voice soft. Li Hua scoffs.What a good actress- not too long ago she had overheard the girl screaming at her maid to be more gentle with her hair. Li Hua catches Yao Mei's eyes, rolling her own as she gives a slight nod in the direction of Leng Yue as to say: Look at this bitch. Yao Mei gives her a small smile, face sad. No doubt she had wanted to sit at the front to catch his attention.

The rest of the dinner goes by smoothly, Leng Yue already a personal favourite of The Emperor. For some reason though, watching The Emperor flirt with the liar-of-a-girl made her blood boil. His gaze had not left Leng Yue's as she had managed to swap seats with a scholar, and was leisurely chatting away with him. Li Hua felt like throwing the miniture table at the girl's face as a fake tinkling laugh errupted from the girls lips. When the hefty meal had ended, The Emperor stood up, followed by his group of scholars.

"Thankyou, for this wonderful meal" he said smiling. The girls murmur in appreciation when all of a sudden The Emperor holds out a hand towards Leng Yue. "Would you like to accompany me on my stroll?" he asks. Her face brightens as she nods,t aking his hand. Li Hua's eye twitches erratically as she watches the pair leave. Leng Yue strolls concietedly, her arms clinging onto The Emperor's own. As she gets to the entrance,she turns, glancing at everyone in the room, smirking maliciously.

When the doors close, all the hushed whispers break loose.

A/N: Sorry for the boring chapter. This chapter is for a friend ( you know who you are) and the lovely person who commented ^^. Votes and comments make me happy!!