Please wait for another chapter after this one. To be released in the next hour. Guys if I'm updating a lot, do me a favor to still support all chapters I uploaded at once. Because to be honest with you, I am kind of preferring slow updates now as that way all my work gets appreciated. Anyway, I'm done for the week! Love you all!

Chapter 49

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian
Hougong

"How are you feeling Dao?"

"My Lady, the medicine you gave me works as if it is magic! My buttocks healed within two days after drinking it and there are no scars at all. Please give me some in the future!"

Li Lian laughed. "You are a cheerful person for someone who got punished."

Li Lian cut herself and drained a large amount of blood into the herbal tea for Dao. After researching for quite a while, using wounded animals for testing, she realised a wound could be treated and healed while leaving no scar if her blood was drunk within five days. Also, how quick a person was healed was determined by the quantity of the blood.

That is why Yuwen Hong developed a scar and took a week or so to heal. She gave him not much blood and also he drank it after weeks of being bed sick―not within 5 days. Maybe that was why Nameless said she must give him only a spoonful, that way he would not heal as fast and cause her suspicion.

Li Lian could not handle to see Dao in pain after three days, thus she also made a mixture for her.

Dao rolled her eyes to her mistress' words. "Life passes away swiftly, I must live happily."

"Hao, hao. I agree." This situation had hurt them both and maybe Li Lian should not have been as harsh toward Dao. Surely there could be other ways to reprimand servants than the way Mistress Ki did it. There had to be another way, always, the same way there is more than one way to kill a rat. "Are you still angry at me?"

"My Lady, how can I be angry at you for so long? I know you care for me and what you wish for me is the best."

Li Lian smiled with a downhearted expression. "All I wished for you Dao is that you would stay pure so that when enough years have passed with you serving in the palace, I could organise for you to get married to a good scholar that would love you and have you taken care of. You would even be titled as Lady Han of the South Wing."

Dao laughed. "Oh, My Lady. Why would I like that? I would be leaving you."

"Is it? All right. You will stay with me forever and I will have Ai married."

"Bù yào," Ai refused. "I will be with my lady forever, let Dao get married. She is the person who likes naughty books!"

"Ai!" Dao rebuked.

This resulted in them laughing.

Li Lian stood from the bedside chair where Ai and Dao were putting pins in her hair. She sashayed, then twirled around. "How do I look?"

"Like a true palace maid!" Ai and Dao said in unison.

It was Yuwen Hong's birthday and there was going to be an official palace outing. At this event, only the official wives could attend with the emperor. Li Lian wasn't one, yet she badly wanted to go along.

She begged Grand Consort Shu all week to take her along as her maid. And it was only after Li Lian made many hair oils and fragrant soaps that the woman finally relented. Li Lian suspected that Grand Consort Shu did not mind it but had refused just to get many things out of Li Lian's desperation.

They left the palace in grandeur. Leading the way was General Feng and Luo Meng in grey uniform, riding the horses, followed by the six pairs of  generals. Then there were pairs of eunuchs walking behind, followed by the maids, who had the emperor's palanquin after them. Many palace guards surrounded the huge wooden palanquin decorated by brocades of gold, brown and white. It was so big that forty eunuchs had to carry it to manage.

Behind the emperor's palanquin was the Grand Dowager Empress, Grand Consort Shu, Noble Consort Qi, Consort Wang and the other royal members. Li Lian walked beside Grand Consort Shu's palanquin with the rest of the palace maids she was dressed as.

As they got onto the outskirts of the city, they were met with crowds of people lined along the dusty road. The proud citizens pointed, speculated and wondered aloud, completely mesmerised by the showy entourage of the emperor. Some people were beyond excited just to get a tiny glimpse of the emperor from afar. While others shouted praises and bowed, honoring him passionately.

The entourage arrived at the stationed place of donations after an hour of walking. It was a camp where the clothes they sewed were to be given to the gathered poor people. There were also large pots of food for the malnourished people that came to get a dish.

Surprising his people, the emperor, in his gold attire decided to humble himself and dish the food for the people. It was unknown of for a royal member to do such a thing, thus people were elated and cried tears of joy that they got to see the day the emperor personally dished food for them. It was embarrassing to just watch only the emperor do this commendable work, so the rest of the royal family joined in the dishing of the food.

His Majesty even held some of the children that were there, although the physicians kept pestering him about this, stating that the emperor was not aware where those children had been and what diseases they could have. The generals were also worried over how this could compromise the dragon's security, as children could be used for evil plans.

However, at the end of it all nothing happened, they got back to the palace with no wild happenings.

The emperor did see Li Lian with the Grand Consort Shu and did not comment on it. He chose to hold his peace.

Li Lian did not regret going out. It was great to be out of the palace for once because it smelt like the thing she desired most.

Freedom.

The bonus was that she got to see another side of the emperor, his kind and caring side. No wonder the citizens adored their emperor. He made sure they were well off.

Well, as long as they lived their life honestly. Li Lian remembered the blood bath that rained because of the market that was established on the bridge. Even her pleas did not stop him from murdering all who were involved in allowing the unauthorised markets.

When she got back to her quarters, Li Lian hurriedly bathed and prepared for the night banquet. Other concubines spent all day preparing for the event, choosing the best make up, the best perfume, nail guards and so on. It was another opportunity to spend time with the emperor, who would let this opportunity go?

After bathing, Li Lian walked into her bed chambers and was surprised to see an enveloped letter on her table. Her father had not spoken to her in quite a while so she knew it was him.

The letter was left just anywhere without a care if someone else saw it, which just proved how her father did not care for her and had lost all hope concerning her.

Suspended daughter Le-anne (no longer recognised as a princess),

You have failed me. All my hard-work on you was a waste and if I continue to spend all my resources on you, it will be a further waste. I have retracted all my support and even General Feng won't have to help you anymore. Your mission is half-way from being aborted.

I give you only three months to turn the situation around and make the tides favor you based on your sole effort.

If you succeed, King Tobba forgives you.

If you fail, King Tobba shall be serving a death sentence to you. In this regard, I have decided it is I who will do the job for myself. I would enjoy seeing life seep away from my useless bastard daughter's eyes.

Temporary father,

King Tobba.

She hated him! She really did hate him.

"We shall see who will kill who first, Tobba." She venomously said.

If she failed, she was going to snitch to have Yuwen Hong kill her first and with him knowing the truth, he would go after her father next.

Li Lian squeezed the paper in her hand wishing it would turn to ashes. She wouldn't let this lowly letter ruin her night.

"The emperor arrives!" The eunuch later shouted at the banquet.

Everyone got on their feet. "Greetings and a good evening to His Majesty! Thousands and thousands of years to the emperor!" They all said.

"Seat down." Yuwen Hong walked past, now in a more casual outfit, black and gold robes.

He patted the head of Princess Cai Wenjin who sat on a smaller table with two princess cousins there to entertain her as everyone else was an adult. Yuwen Hong took the stairs to the elevated table behind the princesses' and sat on his grand throne chair. By his sides was the Grand Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Pi, then next to Concubine Pi was the Grand Dowager Empress.

Imperial Concubine Pi was called to sit there by the Grand Dowager who adored her a lot because of the love the grandmother had for her unborn grandchild.

Li Lian felt relieved to not have the attention on her anymore. To the harem, she was old news. Nobody bothered with her because the women had now turned against Imperial Concubine Pi, jealous that she was receiving all the love.

"Look at how ugly her stomach is growing." They started gossiping as they sat.

"Yes, I can tell it will be a girl by the shape of it."

"She will be so fat the emperor won't want her afterwards."

S.V