Chapter 17: Kiss and Command
Night had fallen, but inside the Empress's chambers, the air was burning.
Li Feng stood near the elaborate carved screen, his black robes from the court session discarded for a simple, inner silk garment. He had expected coldness, but not this.
Empress Wan Qing stood in the center of the room, her eyes red, her posture rigid with an anger so profound it was shaking the air.
Empress Wan Qing:
"Go! Go live with her! With the Jin Consort! Or the Northern Steppe Princess! You just want me here for my name! Just depose me and have a new one!"
Li Feng (mental): What in the abyss did I miss? We just appeared together in court! We made peace!
Divine Emperor Xuan Tian (floating near the ceiling, looking thrilled):
"Oh my! This is magnificent! Pure, unfiltered, dynastic jealousy! I haven't seen this kind of passion since the Founding Emperor's third wife burned down the entire treasury!"
Li Feng (mental): "Shut up, you're not helping! Why is she this angry?"
Empress Wan Qing gestured wildly toward a small table where two wrapped packages rested.
Empress Wan Qing:
"Look! Balance, you said! You think you can placate me with jade and then send a courtesy to her? You gave two gifts! You've already chosen!"
Li Feng's mind snapped back to the morning's conversation with the Heavenly Emperor. Balance. Add one more gift.
Li Feng (mental, horrified): Oh, my God. She saw the eunuch taking the second gift to Consort Mei Lian. She thinks I am distributing favor and using her gift as political cover! I am so screwed.
He understood the depth of the transgression now. He hadn't just angered her; he had insulted her dignity and her love simultaneously.
Li Feng walked toward her, hands open in surrender.
Li Feng:
"My little hungry bunny, please calm down. It was not meant to be an insult. The gift to the Jin Consort was merely gratitude for her clan's critical military report, nothing more. You—you are my Empress. How can I even compare a political courtesy to the peace offering I made to you?"
Empress Wan Qing did not fold. Her voice was sharp, fueled by betrayal.
Empress Wan Qing:
"Do not call me that! You lie constantly! You use me for court appearances, then you fall asleep in her lap! And now the foreign princess? You barely spoke to her, yet she's on your mind enough for the competition! I read the books! I know the techniques!"
Li Feng realized words wouldn't work. The rage was too complete.
He sighed, exhaustion winning over strategy.
Li Feng:
"So, you will not listen to my words. You will believe the jealousy in your heart over the man standing in front of you."
Empress Wan Qing challenged him, chin lifted high. "Yes! I am not listening!"
Li Feng's own temper, strained by two days of court suppression, finally snapped. The frustration of dealing with political spies, assassinations, and now this furious rabbit boiled over.
He moved quickly, pulling her toward him with one arm wrapped around her waist, and used his other hand to cup her chin firmly, tilting her head back.
Li Feng:
"Then don't listen!"
He sealed the question with a sudden, dominating kiss. It was rough, frustrated, and completely unexpected. He did not ask permission; he asserted his presence.
He broke the kiss quickly, leaving her stunned, her eyes wide, her breath ragged.
Li Feng (his voice suddenly commanding, the Emperor emerging):
"Now behave, little rabbit. I am tired. We will argue tomorrow."
He released her chin, turned his back, and walked directly to the imperial bed. He was asleep within five minutes, collapsing under the strain of the day.
The Cradling
Empress Wan Qing stood frozen. What just happened? He had treated her like a rebellious subordinate, kissed her into silence, and then commanded her to behave. She felt utterly furious, utterly confused, and utterly... flustered.
She walked slowly toward the bed. He was sprawled out, his face completely slack. The mask of the Emperor, the composure of the politician, the calculated charm of the lover—it was all gone.
She stopped by the bedside.
The maids are true, she realized. When he slept, he truly did default into the posture of a weary child. He was defenseless, utterly dependent on the silence she provided.
Her fury drained away, replaced by a painful, protective tenderness. She sat on the edge of the bed, slowly pulling his heavy head into her lap. She cradled him, her fingers tentatively brushing his forehead.
Empress Wan Qing (whispering):
"This man… you are going to drive me completely mad."
The reconciliation, brutal and honest, was complete.
Morning After
Li Feng woke up with a sharp, surprised gasp.
He was in bed, but his head was resting comfortably in the Empress's lap, which was now leaning against the headboard. She was still sitting up, her head resting against the silk curtains, sound asleep.
Li Feng (mental, panicking): Oh, God! Did I pass out? Did she murder me in my sleep?
He gently eased himself out of her lap, careful not to wake her. Her dedication to sitting up all night to cradle him was either profoundly moving or clinically insane.
He cupped her cheek gently. She was still asleep, her lips slightly parted, her face peaceful. She's just too cute to be an Empress, he thought. She should just be a perpetually hungry rabbit.
He stretched, hearing his own joints pop. "I should have slept more, damn it."
Divine Emperor Xuan Tian (floating in the corner, holding a tiny, invisible scoreboard):
"Good morning! Your relationship status has been upgraded from 'Furious' to 'Violently Protective.' You owe me an explanation for the sudden kiss assault, by the way. Very unexpected."
Li Feng (mental): "I owe you nothing, old goat. I'm going to go get tortured by paperwork now."
He walked out, already formulating the day's political strategy.
The Courtesy of Tea
Later that morning, before his meeting to discuss the hunting competition, Li Feng issued a small, quiet order.
Li Feng:
"Gao Ming. Find the most potent Imperial Calming Tea. Package it without a formal note, but ensure it is delivered to the Dowager's residence immediately. Tell the attendant it is for 'easing the current administrative stress.'"
He wasn't gloating over the Dowager's fall. He was recognizing her service, honoring the woman who had protected his predecessor. It was a gesture of respect and political closure, not cruelty.
The Hunt Protocol
The Imperial Court session was brief and focused entirely on the Imperial Hunting Competition scheduled in two days—a critical event where the Empire hosted diplomatic missions, including Princess Anya of the Northern Steppe.
Li Feng listened, composed, as the protocol was laid out. The hunting grounds, the seating arrangements for the foreign dignitaries, and the display of the military units.
Li Feng (mental): The Second Prince will use this event to display his wealth and support from the nobility. I need to make sure my own assets are secure before I step into the public eye.
The need for military security was now paramount.
Li Feng has secured his emotional bonds, and the Dowager is neutralized.