He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Seventy Four - A First Wife for Second Prince?

The Emperor, Wáng Yi Jun awoke beneath stained silks beside his concubine Du Xinyi.  The man lay upon his side, his face away from his husband, lashes fluttering as he slept.  Du Xinyi had been amongst the first of his Male concubines and was well versed on how to pleasure his Emperor, but in truth Wáng Yi Jun was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the men and women in his harem and no new butterflies passing by had caught his attention.  Only he knew why.  He wanted desperately the one person denied to him. 

He rose from the bed, his servants came hurrying about him to clean his soft flesh with cloths, to dress him and comb and arrange his long black hair and present fresh slippers for his feet.  He let loose a slight grunt as his feet bore the weight of his large body and proceeded to return to his own Palace, where the servants were preparing his bath.  "Where is Feng Chun?" the Emperor demanded.

"I am here, your Imperial Majesty," the eunuch knelt before him and bowed.  His knees protested as they rocked upon the cold ground.  Ah he was no longer a young man!  He looked as he saw his Emperor slip into the sunken bath.  It was well that the Emperor Wáng Fu Han had spent gold upon this feature, the current Emperor too owned too great a girth to easily fit the baths normally found within the Palaces.

"How are my sons this morning?" The Emperor asked.

"Ah Fifth Prince has begun learning to ride his first horse," Feng Chun preened, proudly.  He often spoke of the four Princes as if they were his own, such fondness he held for them.  "Third Prince has also been studying more seriously of late.  First Prince..."

"Yes, Yes," The Emperor cut him off testily.  "How is my Yu Long doing?"

Feng Chun sighed inwardly.  "The eyes of many Ministers and officials are upon Second Prince as well as First Prince. Also there are scholars seeking to gather Second Prince's poems for prosperity."

The Emperor said nothing, but there was a slight frown upon his round face, having appeared when he heard that others were watching Yu Long.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Feng Chun, cautiously spoke, "might this humble servant know if his wise majesty has any thoughts to betrothing First and Second Prince to strengthen their places within court..?"

"Just choose a suitable match for Jie Long," the Emperor dismissed Feng Chun's question with a irritable wave.

"And what of Second Prince?" Feng Chun asked.

"There is no one worthy of Yu Er," the Emperor said, shortly. Feng Chun bowed in acknowledgement, before he left the Yang Palace. The marital matter remained upon the Emperor's mind for a while longer, before deciding to visit his beloved son. He rose from the waters and waited as his servants attended him.

*****

Feng Chun approached the White Orchid Palace with trepidation; despite the power his Emperor had bestowed upon him over the years, he was at heart a humble man and did not feel worthy of making the marital decision by himself. Alas, there was no Empress nor Empress Dowager nor even Concubine mother to ensure that First Prince wed well. No one would be fool enough to seek advice from Ministers, who wanted to strengthen their own families with the Prince's marriages, as there would be concubines as well as a first wife to place beside First Prince. And as the Emperor wanted no say, Feng Chun could only discuss this matter with the First Prince himself.

He found all four Princes in the courtyard of the White Orchid Palace. First Prince was teaching Third and Fifth Prince some small martial arts, while Second Prince looked forlorn, half smiles with distant eyes. Such harmony was rare amongst Imperial Princes, for all four were expected to vie for the throne, but all four had no such thoughts upon their minds at that moment it seemed.