Chapter 19: Wandering the Heavens in Linglin Palace
In the stillness of the night, the faint moonlight slipped through delicate veils of clouds, casting a dreamlike glow over the silent Linglin Palace, as if it were a place enchanted.
Beneath the cloak of shadows, a man's figure moved with the grace of a whispering breeze. Li Feitian glided stealthily along the wooden corridors of the palace, his footsteps as silent as if he were but a specter.
He came not to steal treasures of great worth, but to revisit a place long neglected. A seedling, once sown with care, would wither without nurturing waters; so too would bonds, if left untended, fade into cold indifference.
Yet, by chance, he stumbled upon tidings most alarming.
**Whispers in the Dark**
Behind a gossamer silk curtain, the voices of two men drifted forth, heavy with solemn intent.
"Have you given thought to the matter I spoke of before?"
The first voice belonged to Minister Liu Shang, its tone icy and resolute.
"Of course. Does my uncle think we have any other choice? I, the Second Prince, must stand by and watch that beast Qi Feihong claim the throne!"
The Second Prince's reply brimmed with fury and envy.
Li Feitian's brow furrowed slightly. He inched closer, his movements so subtle that not even the rustle of his robes betrayed him.
"The armies of the Chu Kingdom stand ready to lend their aid…"
Minister Liu Shang continued,
"…in exchange for ten border cities of the Qi Kingdom and annual tributes. Is that not a fair price for the throne?"
Ten cities! Li Feitian's heart pounded. This was no mere rebellion—it was shameless treason against the nation!
"But as long as General Yao remains, this will not be an easy task," the Second Prince said, his voice tinged with hesitation.
"No need for concern. I have ways to deal with General Yao!" Minister Liu Shang sneered coldly.
"The key is that you must secure the support of the Empress Dowager, your own mother!"
A moment of silence fell, broken by the soft, weary voice of a woman.
"What can I do? Liu Shang, you are my brother, and the Second Prince is my son…" Empress Linglin's voice trembled.
"…but what you and the Second Prince plan will bring calamity upon me. I, too, will perish!"
"Blood kin must stand together! Do not forget, you owe your place as Empress to my support…" Minister Liu Shang scoffed.
"…or would you rather see the Crown Prince ascend and a new Empress take your place? If you aid this plan, you will remain the Empress Dowager, and the Second Prince will be Emperor! Is that not what you desire?"
The Minister sighed.
"…I did not wish to decide so swiftly, but with the Emperor forcing me to face the trial myself, I have no other path. Victory against Chu in the contest is nigh impossible. Defeat means losing everything. This path is the best for the Liu clan. Judging by the circumstances, the Emperor no longer trusts me."
"How many soldiers do you command?"
"General Sun Bian has already stationed twenty thousand troops outside the city, ready to act on my orders."
"How did you move such forces without word reaching the palace?"
"General Sun was once under General Yao's command. Can we be certain this won't leak?"
"No, Zhang Li, fear not. We have planned and controlled every detail."
The conversation of the Liu clan beneath the shadows of Linglin Palace foretold a great calamity looming on the horizon.
Li Feitian, concealed in the darkness, gazed at the Empress, torn by her plight. Her hands clenched tightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if caught between her own survival and the honor of the realm.
If she refused, she might be eliminated…
If she agreed, she would be etched in history as a conspirator.
Li Feitian's lips curled into a cold smirk in the shadows. The scent of betrayal began to permeate Linglin Palace.
"Hmph… scheming grandly, playing with fire, are we…" he thought to himself.
"…let us see who this rebellious blaze consumes first!"
Within the silent Linglin Palace, oil lamps cast flickering light, their shadows stretching long across walls adorned with dragon and cloud motifs. The Empress, mistress of the palace, sat motionless on a low throne. Her gracefully curved figure was rigid, her hands clasped so tightly that her knuckles paled.
Minister Liu Shang and the Second Prince had departed, leaving behind only silence and a crushing burden upon her shoulders.
What could she do?
She was the Empress, the most exalted woman of the Qi dynasty, duty-bound to protect the realm. Yet… the ones plotting rebellion were her own brother and the only son she had nurtured.
To oppose them would brand her a traitor to her blood. To conspire with them would mark her in history as a queen who betrayed her nation.
She could find no answer, for every path seemed to lead only to ruin.
"What should a mother like me choose?"
Her eyes blurred with tears, her heart pounding like war drums, her thoughts filled with silent screams unheard by any.
A memory surfaced in her mind—the image of the Emperor.
Her husband, though cold and never truly offering her love, was the sovereign of this land, the father of the Second Prince, Qi Feizhen.
Then another figure stirred in her heart—the Ninth Prince, Qi Dongyang.
If this plot succeeded, Qi Dongyang would surely be eliminated, with no hope of survival. He was a young man, like a son to her, who had claimed a corner of her lonely heart. Though her care for him could never be revealed to the world, she cherished the joy he brought her.
Her body began to tremble. A single tear fell onto her golden silk robe, embroidered with twin phoenixes. Her once-delicate hands clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.
She knew well that refusal meant her death.
But agreement… would see the Qi dynasty trampled by the Chu Kingdom.
"What am I to do…"
The whispering breeze seemed to echo her question from the shadows. She closed her eyes, curling into herself like a child abandoned in a storm.
The night stretched on endlessly, but in the end, she must choose.
And when dawn arrived, her decision might alter the fate of the realm forever…
Empress Liu Zhangli sat beneath the dim glow of a lantern, her trembling form beyond her control. Her once-regal face was now pale, like a plum blossom touched by frost.
Yet she remained unaware that, in the shadows of Linglin Palace, another had been watching her for some time, gazing upon her with pity.
"Why have you not retired to rest?"
A familiar voice spoke softly, gentle yet commanding. The Empress started, lifting her gaze. A young man in black robes, blending with the shadows, approached slowly. His sharp, profound eyes gleamed in the darkness.
"Dongyang…"
Her voice was faint, her gaze upon him as if he were her sole thread of hope in the dark.
Li Feitian, or rather, the Ninth Prince Qi Dongyang, stopped before her, looking at her with tenderness.
"I know… I understand your fears. You need not say a word."
He knelt before her, one hand reaching to hold her trembling one. His warm fingertips brushed lightly, assuring her she was not alone.
"You need not choose me… nor the Emperor… nor the Minister or the Second Prince… Trust only in me."
His voice was soft, yet each word carried weight. Li Feitian's lips brushed her cheek lightly, a touch of sincerity.
Empress Linglin's eyes widened. The warmth she felt was like that of a lost child in a storm, pulled to safety by a steady hand.
"Trust me, Zhangli. You need do nothing."
Li Feitian gazed at her with an inscrutable look.
"I will protect you… no matter what comes."
The Empress closed her eyes, letting silent tears fall onto the back of his hand.
Tonight… she would not have to choose. She would listen to him alone.
"Dongyang, you will not abandon me."
"No… as long as I am here, you are safe."
"And if you are no longer here?"
"That would be the result of your choice."
"You heard everything, didn't you, Dongyang?"
"I knew before this night. Out of concern for you, I came to you now."
"Will you spare Feizhen?"
"I am not the one to decide, but I promise I will not harm your Feizhen."
She closed her eyes, surrendering to the soft touch of Qi Dongyang's lips. In a moment, she felt her full figure lifted and carried toward the grand bed.
All her anxieties melted away as Qi Dongyang appeared in her moment of need.
Her soft skin was caressed and explored in every curve, her fragrance a rare essence no other woman on earth could rival.
Li Feitian sensed the uniqueness of the Empress's form and the ardent responses to his every advance. This time, the mother of the realm used her skilled tongue to tease his core, making the scepter of Qi Tianda tremble and swell to its fullest.
Beneath the moonlight filtering through delicate pearl curtains in the tranquil palace, the cool fragrance of lotus and incense wafted like a dreamlike mist.
Empress Liu Zhangli, the exalted lady of the court, spoke in a sweet, shimmering voice.
"Do you take such delight in this? Why do you linger, unable to part even for a moment?"
Her beautiful eyes gazed at Qi Dongyang, or Li Feitian, as his warm lips continued to caress the peaks of her full breasts. His face nestled against their softness, like the first petals of a peony, with exquisite care.
"Every part of this form is so beautiful, I cannot tear my eyes away for even a moment."
He whispered softly, his voice sweet as honey, as if he knew the secret desires of every woman's heart. She drew a deep breath.
"Mmm… ah… I am so pleased… ooh…"
A sweet moan escaped her crimson lips as his tongue and lips ventured lower, tracing her smooth, taut abdomen, quivering with pleasure.
She lifted her hands to guide his face downward to the lush meadow, as verdant as the Qi Lianshan hills.
Pressing his head close to the moist petals of her sacred stream, he drank deeply of the warm essence of her desire, flowing ceaselessly.
She held nothing back, pressing his face closer, as if inviting him to savor the sweet nectar of paradise to his fill.
"Ah… ooh… it's too divine, Dongyang, you are truly peerless… mmm…"
Her soft, fervent moans blended with passion, escaping her slender throat. Her full form writhed under the uncontainable fire of desire stoked by his teasing tongue.
She shuddered with exquisite pleasure.
Her legs entwined his head like silken threads, then relaxed in languid surrender, like a flower exhausted from blooming. Li Feitian rose, cradling her soft form to rest atop his lap.
The Empress Liu Zhangli's slender fingers touched his firm core, guiding it through the glistening petals of her heavenly bloom.
"Ooh… Dongyang, what bliss… ahh…"
Her sweet moans rang like a nocturne. His strong hands encircled her full hips, kneading gently, urging her to move with grace.
Her elegant arms wrapped tightly around his sturdy frame, her soft form pressing close, moving slowly like a breeze stirring petals.
Every touch was as smooth as silk, the fire of love in her breast fully awakened with ecstasy.
Her full breasts, pressed against him, tempted him to lower his lips, caressing them with ease.
She arched her body, swaying like a willow in the wind, her heart racing like war drums, yet warmed by the heat spreading through her.
A honeyed sweetness coursed through her veins. Every touch, every glance, carried her into a timeless realm.
This touch of love was as sweet as morning dew and as rich as freshly brewed tea.
Every fiber of her being awakened, as if infused with new life. In a moment, she bit his broad shoulder, unable to restrain her fervor.
His warm essence surged within her, like an unending stream.
"Ah… I wish to freeze time here, Dongyang…"
She murmured sweetly, enveloped in the silent embrace of the night's tender passion.
To be continued…
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