The Queen In Red

The Queen In Red 21

Seventy-five thousand years ago.

"Do you have any good ideas, Dijun?" asked Haode.

"Good ideas?" Dong Hua chuckled. "Haven't you been thinking of a marriage alliance with Qing Qiu?"

---

Dong Hua and Lian Song were playing Go in the courtyard of Tai Chen Palace.

"So whose idea was it Dong Hua? Yours or my fathers?" Lian Song asked while tapping his closed fan to his chin.

"Why does it matter? A marriage alliance with Qing Qiu is needed to suppress Qing Cang."

"Are you not friends with The Fox Emperor?" Lian Song asked with a smirk

"What does that have to do with anything?" Dong Hua asked with his eyebrow raised

"I guess it matters not."

"Where is your wife? Should you not be with her instead of me?" Dong Hua asked while placing a piece down.

"Shhhh," Lian Song said, lifting his finger to his lips. "You know better than I that my father cannot bear the thought of me falling in love with a mortal, let alone a commoner." Lian Song shook his head. "He truly is a snob. But I worry sometimes leaving her. I have had to place a protective shield over our home in the mortal realm; It's getting harder to protect her from being attacked."

"Then why do you go back?" Dong Hua asked, lifting his brow as if suggesting, 'You will be the death of her.'

"Love, of course, she's the reason for my existence." Lian Song said with a grin on his face.

Dong Hua rolled his eyes and shook his head again. "It will not end well. It never does."

"You are such a sad sack Dong Hua, no wonder you remain alone, who would bother loving a rock." Lian Song said, placing his piece down.

"It is as I have planned it to be." Dong Hua won the round with his piece. He reset the game and started another round while waiting for Lian Song to play his piece.

"Ohh, have you heard?. The Fox Emperor has finally had a granddaughter. The Fox Empress had practically claimed her while The Fox Emperor named her the next in line to reign as the Queen of the Eastern Lands after Bai Qian."

Dong Hua had little interest in children, let alone Fox children.

"The little Bai Feng Jiu has a red phoenix birthmark on her forehead. It's supposedly quite mesmerising." Lian Song continued.

"What was her name?" Dong Hua asked suddenly interested

"Bai Feng Jiu, why?"

Dong Hua's eyes glazed over as he had not thought of her name in years. 'So she is real?' He wasn't sure why he thought she wouldn't exist.

"We will have nothing to do with each other in the future." Dong Hua had unconsciously said aloud.

"Why would you?" Asked Lian Song

"Exactly" Dong Hua stated.

Lian Song snickered at Dong Hua because he thought he was teasing him. He turned his face and quietly whispered, "Weird Old Man."

Dong Hua sat back and eyed him as if he was considering his words.

As Dong Hua waved his hand in front of himself, he revealed six boards with the game of Go being played on each, surrounding them. Dong Hua had been playing six games by himself while playing with Lian Song. He smirked back at him. "You were saying?"