His Majesty And I ✔️

Your Majesty

Chapter 85

Yuwen Hong
Bai Shen Hong
Emperor Huizhong
The Dragon Palace

Yuwen Hong delicately lined the wine bottles before him and poured a little of each into his wine cups. On this day he would do wine tasting and choose which was the best so they would place priority in serving more of what he favoured. With each taste he scribbled a few notes of his.

Recently, he got into the habit of doing things he enjoyed, resting and keeping warm. The latter was for the better management of his cold disease which he did not seek to aggravate and flare up.

Time healed, time was swift, it waited for no one. His heart still ached for Li Lian and she would always have his heart but as a leader, he had to get better and be well; have a sane mind to make decisions and military moves.

"Your Majesty, General Ling seeks for your audience."

"Let her in."

General Ling was starting to win his heart due to her diligence, attentiveness and skill in her job. She was doing remarkably well with whatever he assigned her with. Luo Meng had a competitor who Yuwen Hong already considered as a probable replacement.

"This subject greets His Majesty, the emperor."

"Don't hold the formalities." He took a sip and enjoyed the burn of his first wine taste. "What is the matter?"

"The crown prince still won't confess, Your Majesty."

"Did you tell him that if he confessed all the major secrets of Huticah, he would be spared and be a prisoner with his own manor while being well taken care of?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but he spit in my face."

Yuwen Hong grinned, his expression malicious and coated with evil. "Hao, then I will be cutting him bit by bit whenever I miss the fallen dragon. Let us see for how long he will keep his silence."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He whirled the second wine cup and smelt it in pleasure. Wine was a delight to the senses that it caressed the heart of the person in sorrow, was a friend to the lonely and a companion to the suffering.

"You are still bowing before me and not leaving, anything else?"

"Your Majesty... Forgive this servant for asking My Liege a question."

"Ask."

"Has His Majesty found pleasure in this subject's services?"

His eyebrow skipped up. "You could say so."

"Then if Grand General Meng comes back, will this subject be demoted back to her original duties?"

"Depends."

He saw her face frown in puzzlement, wanting to ask him, "depends on what?" but unable to because of inferiority.

She then chose to say, "His Majesty's words are worthy." Of course they were. "And this subject is also letting you know that Grand General Meng is outside, seeking for your audience."

No wonder she had asked what she did. It made sense where her insecurity came from.

Welcome to Luo Meng, a dog that attempted to bark toward its master then rub away from home. He prepared to teach him a lesson, if not ending this with his neck bleeding.

"Call him in."

"Yes." She saluted and walked out.

No matter how much he sought to punish. It was wise to remember the great poet Li Bai's words to his friend Wang Lun. "If you have friends who know your heart, distance cannot keep you apart."

Luo Meng was back, that was what mattered and everything else was not really of importance. Besides, he missed a confidant that was not Ruo Xi who never replied to his letters.

"This unworthy servant greets His Majesty."

Luo Meng still wore all black, nothing had changed. He was still the kindred spirit to Yuwen Hong. Nothing changed.

"You ran away, didn't you?"

"This servant dared to be a traitor. Indeed, His Majesty's words are true."

Still truthful. He knew the way to Yuwen Hong's heart. No matter how the truth hurt, the dragon preferred it over lies.

"And it is not the only sin I have against His Majesty."

Now Luo Meng was pushing it. "What else have you done?"

"This servant ran away with a maid and also back then, this servant knew about Imperial Concubine Wei's identity way before His Majesty, but never spoke up."

"I don't understand."

"Luo Meng knew Elora was Li Lian for months before His Majesty became aware of it. No confession was made as it was the process of savoring ties with the Grand Dowager."

Yuwen Hong bit his bottom lip as his mind ran. He contemplated fully whether this was worthy of punishment too, or he was overreacting. Because Li Lian was dead, was the fuss necessary?

He was tired and just wanted to move on at this point or he would be forever pining for the dead, and that wasn't living.

"Anything else you should confess?"

"Those are all this servant's sins before His Majesty."

"Then that is not at all difficult to resolve."

"This servant asks for his master's clarification."

Yuwen Hong laughed. "Death for death, Luo Meng. That maid that you ran away with? She must die." Then it would be fair and square.

His demeanor became one of a defeated soldier, repeated kowtowing following through. "This servant begs to differ! This servant begs for leniency!"

Luo Meng never begged for anything. It seemed like the maid was someone who had his heart to the point that Yuwen Hong came second.

"If you continue with that, then I will kill you. Someone who has you like a lunatic, going against me, risking your servitude toward me. What if I command you to kill her one day? Then you will rebel against me, and that is not loyalty."

"Your Maje―"

"General Ling! Come and take this traitor out of my sight! Throw him in the dungeon till he repents and cut off the head of the twat that has made him lose his mind!"

General Ling rushed back, quite pleased to have her job uncompromised due to Luo Meng's foolishness.

"Your Majesty! Please listen to this servant!" Luo Meng still protested.

"Get him out!" Yuwen Hong cleared the table with his arm in anger, the falling clutter ringing in his welcoming room.

"Your Majesty, I have to confess something else."

"Shut your mouth."

"Li Lian is alive,Your Majesty! She is not dead!"

◦•●◉✿ THE END ✿◉●•◦

~Author's Note~

Here are my questions for you.

Now that you have read both books, which one did you enjoy the most?

What would you like to see in the third book?

Who deserves to win as the best character of His Majesty And I? (who amazed you and made you feel the most, good or bad)

Thank you so much everyone for this wonderful journey. Please go on to save My Liege And I to your library and reading list. It is on my profile.

For the last time on His Majesty And I,

S.V