From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 143: An Apple Today

Yan Ziyu.

Yun Ziyu.

Yan Zheyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He would have to be a fool not to realise the implications of such a courtesy name just as he would have to be a thankless wretch to not place himself in Liu Yao’s shoes.

These were large shoes to fill indeed. To be a good emperor was by no means an easy task but to be a good emperor in a court determined to undo every earnest attempt at governing the country well was a colossal feat. Liu Yao couldn’t afford weakness, which meant that he had to stop Yan Zheyun from turning into his weakness.

By the time the rumours exaggerated themselves through countless retellings, all of the capital would know that the emperor’s beloved concubine, the slave who had climbed the dragon bed with one sultry dance, was nothing more than a replacement for the emperor’s lost love. A mere substitute to be used and discarded once His Majesty became bored or a better one was found.

A substitute was worth a lot less. A substitute also held a lot less sway. Those who worried that the emperor had lost his good senses dallying with the lowly child of a traitor would be comforted by this version of the truth. And those who were hoping to use Yan Zheyun as a hostage against Liu Yao were going to be sorely disappointed.

Liu Yao said to trust him and Yan Zheyun did. He was capable of rationalising out Liu Yao’s actions for himself, which was why, even through Hua Zhixuan’s rare admonishment of Liu Yao and Lord Chen’s begrudging but heartwarming attempts at comfort, Yan Zheyun found himself remaining calm as he studied the scenery outside his window. The stone garden right outside was bathed in the golden light of the afternoon. Liu Yao could not set aside an entire day just to accompany him. They lived in times when paid leave was a foreign concept and even though Liu Yao was technically his own boss, the literary officials who dogged his every move in search of a mistake were bitchier and more nitpicky than any board of directors Yan Zheyun had ever met.

Still, he had expected Liu Yao to at least summon him to Tianlu Pavilion for some company. This radio silence, coupled together with the discomfort of the courtesy name fiasco, was admittedly galling and no amount of reminding himself that he was a sensible adult seemed to be able to help him change that.

As if picking up on the frustration in his thoughts, Hua Zhixuan tugged gently on Yan Zheyun’s sleeve and said, just out of earshot of Lord Chen who was sending for more snacks from the imperial buttery, "Will Brother Yue be attending to His Majesty in Qianqing Palace this evening? If not, it has been a long time since we’ve gathered together for a game of Mahjong."

Yan Zheyun returned his concern with a reassuring smile. "I don’t know what the plan is," he confessed. "His Majesty has important matters to attend to and it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t have time for the rest of the day—"

"He’s getting ready for your wedding," Lord Chen interrupted. Hua Zhixuan nudged his foot subtly with the tip of his shoe and earned an impatient glare in return. "What? It’s true. My family has connections in the Ministry of Rites, as you might know. I’m not sure what the old man heard because he doesn’t tell me anything important but he wrote me a letter asking about whether the eunuchs of the inner palace have been investing a lot of effort into the preparations. So...don’t worry." He fiddled with the hem of his sleeves, folding them over and over again. It reminded Yan Zheyun of when his father would toy with his cufflinks whenever he was about to say something uncharacteristically mushy.

Yan Zheyun reached out and pat Lord Chen on the hand, earning himself a disgusted wrinkle of the nose as Lord Chen quickly snatched it back.

"Thank you for your kind words," he said with amused exasperation. "But next time, consider them carefully before speaking. It wouldn’t do to tell just anyone that you’ve received communications from outside the palace, especially about sensitive matters."

The harrumph Lord Chen made was unrepentant and Hua Zhixuan shared a long glance and an eye-roll—ironically, this was an unbecoming habit he seemed to have adopted from Lord Chen himself—but Yan Zheyun knew that he had become fond of Lord Chen in the past couple of months too. He was the embodiment of the saying "a knife for a mouth and tofu for a heart" (1) and as far as Yan Zheyun could tell, was as harmless as they came in the inner palace. Sure, he was an exuberant participant in gossip and enjoyed stirring the murky waters up when the occasion arose, but compared to the hidden thorns amongst the roses, he was as refreshing as a summer’s breeze.

"Just be careful," Yan Zheyun reminded again before allowing his thoughts to drift to what Lord Chen had said earlier. The rumours about Liu Yao’s intention to marry him in an unofficial ceremony had abounded ever since their return from the summer palace. Yan Zheyun had privately thought it too far-fetched to be believed; Liu Yao would occasionally speak of a future as Yan Zheyun’s husband but Yan Zheyun had thought it too distant an affair to put a date to. He’d assumed that Liu Yao had reasons to allow the word the spread, had known his place so well that he hadn’t sought to clarify...

Perhaps this was another form of miscommunication that they would need to address. Yan Zheyun’s realisation of this only strengthened when, a couple of hours or so before dusk, just as he was about to cave and indulge in a round of mahjong with his companions, Gracious Consort Yao’s presence was announced by the door eunuchs of Yan Zheyun’s quarters.

Ordinarily, this would not have been strange; the gracious consort was a frequent visitor, particularly during hours when Lord Hua could be found having tea or lounging around on Yan Zheyun’s divans. What was unusual was the auspicious red robes he was donning, the same colour as the entourage of eunuchs and gaggle of matronly women who followed close behind.

"Lord Chen wasn’t making a joke," Hua Zhixuan managed, blinking rapidly as he rose to greet Gracious Consort Yao, only to be dragged over gently by the arm.

"Come along now, Little Rabbit," Gracious Consort Yao cajoled, signalling for Lord Chen to join them as well. "Yue Langjun has much to prepare for."

The excited gleam in the eyes of the ladies, reminded Yan Zheyun too much of his very fussy aunts whenever they’d tried to matchmake him with their colleague’s/neighbour’s/friend from the marketplace’s daughter. Their voices were loud and shrill as they heaped on their congratulations, making them more intimidating than even the grand preceptor earlier in the day. They swarmed around him before he could try to catch hold of Xiao De, who had been butted aside with a flummoxed expression on his face.

"Aiya, what a beautiful langjun (2)! No doubt you would make such a perfect groom!"

"W-wait, Momo—no, Gugu—" For someone used to fast-paced city life, Yan Zheyun was having a very difficult time keeping up with them. He couldn’t tell whether these women were servants. They had to be because he didn’t think Liu Yao would be insane enough to allow random women to enter the imperial city without vetting them through rigorous security checks and as far as Yan Zheyun knew, security was way too busy with the autumn hunt preparations to be spared on something like this. And yet, the way they addressed him, their casual sincere cheerfulness brightening up the atmosphere, it was almost like the weddings Yan Zheyun had grown up attending with his relatives back in the modern times.

Without the stern pomp and circumstance that Yan Zheyun had learnt to associate with the imperial family. Just personal, cosy, and most important, like how he told Liu Yao he would like it.

Liu Yao had asked and Liu Yao had listened. The clouds of melancholy that had hung overhead ever since he’d received his courtesy name parted, making way for a ray of warmth that stole into his heart.

"Langjun, the auspicious hour is almost upon us, we have no time to lose!" The matron in charge was all smiles but this didn’t detract from the formidable way she directed the younger girls and eunuchs around, ensuring that all the trays of attire and accessories that they’d carried in with them on silk-lined trays were all accounted for. Before Yan Zheyun knew it, he was being ushered behind folding screens and it was all he could do to keep the enthusiastic ladies out as he cleansed himself, Xiao De holding fort as best as he could.

The glaring realisation that a whole room of people was waiting just a stone’s throw away for him to take a bath made it impossible to relax so Yan Zheyun opted for a perfunctory scrub with the scented bath beans they provided, noting with a slight flush that they were perfumed with the fragrance of plum, which he was well-aware was Liu Yao’s favourite.

The red under robes he was presented with after had also been smoked with the same elegant smell. Sweet but not too cloying, their association with those red blossoms in winter invoking the faintest suggestion of a chilly morning after a snowfall.

"Plum has always been a popular scent amongst the noble class (3)," one of the young eunuchs responsible for carrying the layers upon layers of convoluted wedding robes said suddenly. "But in this servant’s humble opinion, it best suits Yue Langjun’s natural gracefulness."

Yan Zheyun didn’t comment on the obvious, clumsy flattery, knowing that customarily, Xiao De would know to give them a little token something for their hard work anyway. Instead, he permitted himself to think about the events of the day—his wedding day, apparently—and decided it was not worth letting his doubts ruin it for him.

The dead might forever be remembered but if Liu Yao was willing to move on, he was willing to respect and work with that.

"Little Master," Xiao De called out to him as he helped slip the garments over Yan Zheyun’s shoulders one by one. He spoke so softly that no one but Yan Zheyun could hear him and accuse him of being arrogant on behalf of his pampered master. "Looking at the embroidery, His Majesty has been planning for this well in advance."

It was true. The crimson dye was a vivid splash of colour against pale skin and the golden thread glittered in the glow of the late afternoon sun, showing off its status as the finest silks spun from the famed cocoons of the southern region. They were used to depict a breathtaking phoenix, whose tail feathers fanned out along with the hem of the robe and whose wings stretched out to encompass his sleeves.

The phoenix was a traditional symbol of a bride in a marriage but the robe was decidedly tailored in a style fitting for men.

And more importantly, the phoenix was the traditional symbol for an empress.

If Yan Zheyun thought back to a time when he first transmigrated, the implications of this—the wife of the emperor held rights to the phoenix throne—would have shaken him to the core. His goal back then had been to find some means of protecting himself before helping the host body move on from its lingering regrets.

But now, the power and prestige of the empress role meant a lot less to him when compared to Liu Yao’s offer of a family.

Ah, it’s too much.

Chuckling lightly to himself, he pressed one hand over his eyes to ease some of the gentle stinging. He really wished his real family could be here to witness this big day. It was hard to imagine the twins as anything but supportive and although it might have taken his parents a bit of time to warm up to the idea, they would have succumbed to Liu Yao’s charms too, he was sure of it.

The rest of the preparations passed in a blur. Xiao De seemed to be able to pick up the tinge of wistfulness in Yan Zheyun’s mood because he stuck fiercely by Yan Zheyun’s side, sneaking him worried glances when he thought Yan Zheyun wasn’t paying attention. In truth, Yan Zheyun was feeling every inch as happy as he ought to be. Although the wedding ceremony today would not be acknowledged by the morning court, would be met with violent protest should Liu Yao even try to crown him empress after, it still meant the world to him.

For both of them, it was genuine at least.

"An apple for a peaceful union (4)!" The fruit was placed in Yan Zheyun’s cupped hands, leaving him feeling slightly foolish. It was strange seeing these things from the perspective of the ’bridal party’, going through the customs and traditions that his female relatives would have undergone instead had they been the ones to transmigrate.

He wondered vaguely whether, upon the arrival of the groom, he would be expected to be carried to the bridal sedan by an older male relative. He didn’t have one, that was for sure, so unless Liu Yao was happy for one of the concubines of Yuyang Palace to fill in as a last-minute replacement...

It turned out that Liu Yao was a lot less traditional than anyone had given him credit for. His arrival was heralded by a horse’s loud nicker and Yan Zheyun could hear the sonorous wedding instruments following closely behind along with much laughter and jesting.

"Your Majesty! Why are you in such a rush!" Yan Zheyun could recognise the teasing lilt of Gracious Consort Yao; he was possibly the only person in the palace who would dare to speak to Liu Yao like that.

"Royal Big Brother is shameful!" A childish voice piped up. "He can’t wait to bring his bride home!"

No, kid, your big brother is shameless, I’m the one dying of mortification. Yan Zheyun was glad he put his foot down firmly when the momos and gugus attempted to put more than a light layer of makeup on him. Otherwise, the blush colouring his face right now, coupled together with whatever rouge they had wanted to put on him, would be sufficient to give him cheeks the shade of a baboon’s butt.

He strained his ears to try and catch any replies Liu Yao might have for them but his husband-to-be was perhaps too preoccupied with the task at hand because mere seconds later, the eunuchs were yelling an exuberant, "His Majesty has arrived!" and instead of waiting for them to open doors for him, Liu Yao came bursting through them himself.

"Aiya! Your Majesty!" the matron in charge clicked her tongue in a chastising manner but her features were soft with kindly happiness as she regarded the both of them. Yan Zheyun found himself even more curious as to who she was. "You shouldn’t be in here!"

Liu Yao waved aside all attempts to greet him. "Dispense with formalities, today is a day of celebration." Their eyes met and Yan Zheyun could see Liu Yao’s widened as he caught sight of him, sparking a fiery appreciation in their depths that made the light flush on Yan Zheyun’s face become a burn.

"It’s not auspicious to see the bride before the unveiling! Quick, where is the veil—"

"There are only two grooms," was Liu Yao’s calm retort. He took Yan Zheyun’s hand in his and pulled him to his feet.

"Your Majesty, behave," Yan Zheyun murmured, nearly fumbling and dropping the apple but Liu Yao’s smile just widened. He looked boyishly handsome in a way Yan Zheyun hadn’t thought him capable of, having shrugged off the emperor’s mantle for the eye-catching scarlet of wedding robes. They wore the same cut, Yan Zheyun noticed, pleasure bubbling in his chest as he studied the intricate dragon woven into Liu Yao’s.

Dragon and phoenix. They were a perfect pair today indeed.

"Come." Liu Yao entwined their fingers together. He brushed off the meek protests of the wedding entourage that he’d chosen, brushing Yan Zheyun’s fringe out of his eyes, his gaze admiring as he took in the ornate gold-gilded guan that secured half of Yan Zheyun’s hair in a tall bun, the rest of it cascading to spill down his back like a fountain.

One after another, they stepped over the threshold together. There was no sedan, only two horses, one black, one white, and both majestic.

"The auspicious hour has arrived!"