His Majesty And I ✔️

Qin, Wine, Poems

Early upload cause I'm really busy this week. See you Friday! And happy Father's Day to all the fathers. We honour and appreciate you.

Chapter 26

Bai Shen Hong
Emperor Huizhong
The Dragon Palace

A person who masters the art of playing the qin is considered refined and fine-tuned.

Shen Hong's favourite hobbies entailed wine, poems and the qin. His qin was a treasured instrument handed to him by his father. It was Royal Father who taught him to play and appreciate music.

The qin has thirteen major notes on its one string. It also has a lingering sound when compared to other instruments.

Shen Hong wiped the shiny wooden surface, though it was already at its best in cleanliness. It was his way of giving it love and greeting. He then ensured the instrument was balanced well on the lengthy table before he could play.

Underneath the deck he sat on, the flowing water trickled as it passed to the rest of the palace. It was a wonderful afternoon and the sun blazed, a rare occasion since winter was already here. His perspiring skin enjoyed the breeze that would pass by the deck's shade to cool him off.

"Do you know any poem by a Confucian scholar, Luo Meng?"

Luo Meng rested against one of the poles holding the shade.

"Luo Meng is illiterate, Your Majesty."

It was an empty reply, the one like the rest of the people who spoke to Shen Hong as the dragon.

Respect is when someone belittles themselves to be lesser than the emperor. Luo Meng was not illiterate but he spoke in such a manner to indicate he was inferior compared to the dragon.

Adding on to that, Luo Meng brooded half the time nowadays. Probably issues to do with the woman who captured his heart. Shen Hong dared not ask about it because he did not have any advice. Matters of the heart were only something he willed to talk about with a bottle of wine in hand. It was a complicated subject best avoided when sober.

"Alone I sit in you huang li(deep and quiet bamboo forest)." Shen Hong began to recite a poem, downing his first cup of wine. "Plucking the strings of my qin." His hand strummed on a string, producing a soft graceful tone. "In joys and sorrows, I sing. Yet who will understand me?"

The melody was raw, remote and a sombre melancholy that mashed well with his soul, his unspoken words and the state of his heart.

"Right, Luo Meng." Shen Hong stopped, remembering something.

His shadow guard jerked, caught in the midst of falling asleep. Did Shen Hong really need him as a guard in this state?

"At His Majesty's service." The sword clanked on the floor as Luo Meng tried to sit straight and proper.

"Any reports for me?" Shen Hong preferred to hear any reports Luo Meng had when he was in a calm state. Unless a matter was urgent, Luo Meng was to withhold information until he asked for it. This was how he managed his temper. News told to him in a miserable state resulted in him judging negatively and easily punishing.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Luo Meng got up and clasped his hands at chest level, bowing his head. This was a respectful manner to speak to the dragon. Though they shared kinship, they would always be separated by status and position. "No response has come from Queen Elora, Your Grace. Her non-responsiveness may mean Furia is willing to still stand with Huticah if we attack."

"They are not strong enough."

"This servant agrees. What do we do?"

"We proceed with our plans. If they defend Huticah, we destroy them too." His empire was above many nations, who would stand against them? "Anything else?"