It was the first time she really saw his face — the man she was once betrothed to but never met — and she was stunned.
His face looked like it had been carved by hand. His jaw was sharp, his nose narrow and elegant, his lips soft and pink. And despite how handsome his face was, his body was strong. He looked both manly and beautiful at the same time.
She was so lost in staring at him that she didn't notice Ling'er waving a hand in front of her face.
"Tsk. For someone so serious and quiet, you're just like the rest of us," Ling'er said with a smirk.
"Attracted to good-looking men."
Mei looked away quickly, feeling embarrassed.
Just then, a eunuch entered the hall and bowed.
"Your Majesty," he announced.
"Duke Chiang is outside, requesting an audience."
Both Mei and Ling'er looked toward the emperor.
His face changed immediately — his jaw tightened, and his brows pulled down.
"What does he want now?" he asked coldly.
His voice was calm, but the annoyance in it was clear.
"He hates him," Ling'er said, watching the emperor carefully.
She turned to Mei.
"Why do you think he hates the Duke so much?" she whispered.
"Did he betray someone? Steal a lover? Try to plot something against the crown?"
Ling'er's eyes were wide with curiosity as she rubbed her hands together excitedly.
"I bet it's something juicy."
Mei looked at her, and Ling'er just shrugged.
"Why? I like my gossip with context," she said.
Mei didn't reply. She just kept watching in silence.
"Let him in," the emperor finally granted permission.
The Duke entered the hall shortly after, bowing deeply to pay his respects. Mei noticed the emperor didn't let him rise right away.
He kept him kneeling for a while.
Ling'er buzzed around happily, waiting for information.
"Oh, Duke — sorry! I forgot you were still kneeling," the emperor said sharply.
"What are you doing, eunuch? Help the Duke up."
Ling'er was over the moon laughing.
"I've never seen this side of him!" she said, clapping.
"He's really good at acting."
Mei smiled. She felt a little avenged. His mother and he had made her kneel for so long once — pretending to talk while ignoring her pain. Now, looking at the Duke's face, he looked like he'd swallowed a fly.
It's not fun when you're on the receiving end, is it?
"What brings you to the palace that couldn't wait until tomorrow's court, Duke?" the emperor asked right after the Duke sat.
The Duke jumped slightly.
"Sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive this humble one," he said.
"I wanted to request an edict from Your Majesty."
The emperor put down the scroll he was reading and looked up, interested.
"What is it about?"
"As Your Majesty is aware," the Duke began nervously, rubbing his sweaty hand on his silk robe,
"The Princess of Diguo is currently at my residence as a guest. I would like to ask Your Highness for an edict to marry her."
The emperor looked shocked.
"If I'm not wrong," he said slowly,
"you are married to Minister De's daughter. What marriage are you asking for?"
That question rattled all three people in the room.
The Duke cleared his throat.
"Sorry, Your Majesty. The former Duchess committed adultery — witnessed by all the nobles in the capital — and was punished under the family law," he said.
Mei looked at him and noticed his pinky finger trembling.
He wasn't even man enough to face the truth. He bullied the weak and cowered before the powerful.
She turned to look at the emperor and thought she saw something — maybe she imagined it — but for a second, there was sadness and hurt in his eyes.
"When was that?" the emperor asked solemnly
The Duke stuttered.
"Yesterday."
The emperor went quiet.
The air was thick. Suffocating.
Then came his voice, low and sharp:
"And you want an edict for another marriage… when her body hasn't even gone cold yet?"
Even Ling'er was quiet now.
After a long silence, the emperor said;
"Go back home. If you are dying to get married, I'll send you drawings of every single girl in the capital. You can pick one."
He paused.
"And as for the princess — ask her to pack. She's going back to her empire."
His tone was final.
The Duke was so shocked he couldn't speak.
After what felt like forever, he finally said,
"But, Your Majesty—"
The emperor didn't let him finish.
"Eunuch. Escort the Duke out."
The eunuch bowed and led the speechless Duke away.
Mei and Ling'er stood frozen, their minds reeling from what just happened.
They looked up at the emperor — and then saw it.
A single tear ran silently down his cheek.
"Is he crying?" Ling'er asked, unsure of what she was seeing.
Mei couldn't look away.
She stared at the emperor with all her heart, something stirring deep inside her.
She felt relieved. She wasn't completely forgotten.
Someone was crying for her.
That one tear gave her all the confidence she had lost — both in life and in death.
The soft sound of a drawer opening pulled her out of her thoughts.
The emperor opened one from his throne and pulled something out.
Ling'er floated over instantly.
"What is that—?" she gasped.
Mei followed, curious.
What she saw made her freeze.
In the emperor's hand was a drawing of her — when she was thirteen. Smiling.
She had no idea how he got it.
He lightly traced his finger over her face and whispered,
"I don't know why you rejected me and chose that loser. I would've treated you a thousand times better."
Ling'er gasped again.
Then the emperor pulled out a scroll and began writing.
Short sentences. Direct words.
"Investigate what happened to Duchess Chiang."
When he finished, he folded it carefully and called out softly.
A hidden guard stepped from the shadows, and the emperor handed him the message.
"Deliver it to General Gao."
Mei reached up and touched her own cheek.
She could've sworn…
She felt a tear.