Our Journey - Chapter 22 Meet The Emperor

“Father, are we going to meet with Bixia (Emperor)?” I asked my father as we were at the front gate of the Palace. My father looks at me with a serious face.

“Right, we will meet him,” my father answered calmly. He looked at the gate in front of him. He approached the guard guarding the gate and handed a letter. The bodyguard at the gate nodded his head and gave his greetings. When my father stepped into the palace area, I prevented him. I grabbed his hand.

“Father, you said that Bixia suspected you in the past. Why did we meet him today?” I asked him. My feelings are not calm. My Father smiled.

“We have solved the problem both of us. I’ve met him before today. We both don’t have suspicion each other like before. Bixia said that she wanted to meet you,” my father answer me calmly. I still pulled his hand. I don’t want to go into the Palace and meet Bixia. However, my father took off my hand that held him back. He even pulled my hand. We both entered the Palace with one of the Palace guards.

Arriving at a building, the palace guard met a Eunuch. He gave him the letter that my father had brought. The eunuch read it and nodded his head. He met my father then saluted.

“General Zhang, please follow me,” the eunuch said after greeting. My father and I walked through many buildings and stopped in front of an old building. The eunuch approached another eunuch who was guarding in front of the old building. The guardian eunuch entered the old building. Not long after, he came out and approached my father.

“General Zhang, please come in!” The eunuch told my father. The building’s door was opened and we both entered it. A man who seemed to be the same age as my father was standing by the window. My father immediately did kowtow. I did the same with him. We both prostrated on the ground.

“Hopefully Bixia will live long!” My father said in a loud voice. The man who my father called as Bixia answered him in a calm voice.

“Thank you. Stand up, General Zhang! ”

After hearing the order, my father and I stood up. Bixia watched me carefully.

“Is she your daughter?” Bixia asked my father.

“Right, Bixia. She is a this subordinat’s daughter,” my father answered firmly. I immediately gave a greeting while introducing my name.

“This servant is Liu Fang,” I answered in a voice trembling because of my nervousness. Bixia nodded his head. He smiled. I feel a little calmer seeing him smile like that.

“General Zhang, sit down! Eunuch Deng, give news to Huanghou,” Bixia said to the eunuch who was standing in the corner of the room.

“Yes, Bixia,” the eunuch spoke in a loud voice then came out of the room. My father and I sat in one of the chairs on the left side of the room. Bixia sits in front with a separate table. The palace maid’s immediately arrived and served snacks and tea for us.

“General Zhang, your daughter is very beautiful,” Bixia gave praise. I glanced at my father who looked happy. I smiled stiffly at the compliment. I know that Bixia is just making small talk.

“Thank you for your praise, Bixia. My daughter is similar to my late wife so she is beautyfull like her mother,” my father said.

“Too bad, I can’t meet your wife and son again. I remember when I meet your son, he is still three years. He looks charming and clever,” Bixia said and I saw her face showing regret. I feel he is not pretending and his behaviour make me believe that my father’s words that they had resolve their problem is true.

“Bixia, Zhiqiang Wangye has arrived,” a eunuch entered the room and gave the news. I was surprised to hear his words. I did not expect to meet the arrogant prince again. I wish I will never meet him again.

“Send him in,” Bixia gave the order. After the eunuch went out of the room, Zhiqiang Wangye entered the room. My father and I stood up and gave our greetings to Zhiqiang Wangye, after that we sat down again.

Zhiqiang Wangye saluted Bixia and sat on the bench on Bixia’s left side. We both face each other. I can see that his mood is bad. He looked at me with a sharp look. I can understand it. He certainly thought that both of our problems were over. However, both of us are now in front of Bixia. This means our problem is not over.

“General Zhang’s daughter turned out to be very beautiful,” Bixia said by looking at Zhiqiang Wangye. I saw Zhiqiang’s expression. He clearly disagreed with his father’s words. I sighed.

“Bixia, why are you call me to the Palace today?” Zhiqiang Wangye immediately asked his father. Bixia sighed.

“We have to wait for Huanghou’s arrival. After that, you know my reason to call yo came to palace,” Bixia said and Zhiqiang Wangye sighed. He looked at me again with a sharp gaze. I’m sure he is angry. My father and Bixia talked, while me and Zhiqiang Wangye were silent. I feel uneasy. I didn’t even care about the topic that my father was talking about with Bixia.

“Huanghou arrived,” the eunuch at the door shouted and the door opened. I saw a beautiful woman enter our room. Seeing her youthful face, I became curious about the food she consumed every day. Did she drink a lot of expensive herbs? Or she had drinks eternity elixir. If we stand together, peope could said that she is my sister because her youthfull.

“Liu Fang,” my father admonished me. I wake up from my daydream. I immediately kowtow with my father.

“Hopefully Huanghou will live long,” my father shouted. Huanghou immediately walked towards the chair next to Bixia.

“Get up!” Huanghou said so we stood up and sat in our chairs.

“You have also come, Zhiqiang Wangye. Good” Huanghou said while looking at Zhiqiang Wangye’s face sharply. I could see that Huanghou was not happy.

“I immediately came to the Palace after Eunuch Deng delivered an order from Bixia,” Zhiqiang Wangye said.

“I will say directly now. I’m disappointed in you, Zhiqiang Wangye. After what you did, you don’t regret even urging General Zhang’s daughter to become a female anchoress,” Huanghou said in a rather loud voice.

I looked at my father. He pretended that he did not understand the meaning of my gaze. My father clearly lied to Bixia and Huanghou. He lied that Zhiqiang Wangye told me to become a anchoress.

“Huanghou, please forgive me. Zhiqiang Wangye never forced me to become a female ascetic. That was my wish,” I immediately kowtow and said in a loud voice.

“Liu Fang,” my father said my name, but I didn’t care.
for visiting.

“Miss Zhang, you don’t cover up my son’s mistakes. I know that he tried to run away and didn’t want to be responsible to you. “Huanghou spoke firmly. He even helped me to stand up.

“Huanghou, I don’t run away or don’t want to be responsible. Actually, both of us have never done anything that would embarrass the royal family,” Zhiqiang Wangye tried to give an explanation.

“Have you never heard rumors circulating in the capital city? They say that you fell in love with Miss Zhang and have slept with her. Even though that wasn’t true, but Miss Zhang’s reputation was broken,” Huanghou said firmly.

“Huanghou, I’m fine. This subordinate really intend to devote myself became female ascetic, “I tried to make her believe. Huanghou sighed.

“Miss Zhang, have you never thought of your father? He has lost his son. If his daughter leaves her by severing ties with the world and then enters the Monastery, she will feel sad,” Huanghou said. Hearing her words, I feel sad. I saw my father’s face. I’ve never thought about this before. If I become a female ascetic, then we won’t be able to meet again.

“Zhiqiang Wangye, you must marry Miss Zhang. I will arrange a wedding for you two,” Huanghou gave her decision. I was surprised to hear that.

“Huanghou, you know that I have loved someone else. I can’t marry him, “Zhiqiang Wangye protested.

“Your relationship with that woman is over,” Bixia suddenly spoke.

“Zhiqiang Wangye, you know that you and Xiaoying will not be able to unite in marriage. Her family has betrayed Bixia,” Huanghou said firmly. I saw Zhiqiang Wangye’s face turn worse.

“I will conduct a re-investigation of Xiaoying’s problem. I believe that his family is innocent,” Zhiqiang Wangye insisted.

“Zhiqiang Wangye, I have decided you and Zhang Liu Fang will get married. You can’t refuse the Emperor’s orders,” Bixia spoke loudly. I feel our situation is bad. However, I don’t know what to do to improve this situation.

“I will only marry Miss Zhang as my concubine,” Zhiqiang Wangye said firmly.

“Do you think that Zhang family is an ordinary family? The Zhang family has a lot of contributed to this country. You will marry her as your first wife,” Bixia said again. Sign that the order is not negotiable anymore. I saw my father smile.

“This subordinate very grateful to Bixia,” my father answered while doing kowtow. I feel unhappy.