From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 152: Lovebirds
It was a rare afternoon when Liu Yao had the opportunity to leave his study early. The ministerial memorials for the day weren’t pressing; just much of the same intrusive nonsense that sought to pry into his personal life, albeit concealed beneath a thin veil of politeness.
Rather than punish himself by replying to each and every one of them, he decided to visit Aiyun Palace instead. Although Ah Yun spent most nights nestled in his arms in the dragon bed, Liu Yao was aware that after taking an early breakfast, his imperial noble consort made sure to go back to his designated residence to hold the harem’s morning assembly. Ah Yun did so without fail, despite Liu Yao mentioning on multiple occasions that he didn’t have to be so diligent about it.
"I wish for you to live the life you want," Liu Yao had explained after he’d heard from the servants of Qianqing Palace that their other master disappeared on the dot every day to attend to his inner palace duties, no matter how late Liu Yao had kept him up the night before. "What is the point of being emperor if I cannot even grant Ah Yun a measure of freedom?"
To which, Ah Yun had simply smiled. "Assisting you is a big part of the life I want," he’d reassured Liu Yao. "I’m not just leading the harem assembly to demonstrate to the empress dowager and everyone else scrutinising me that I am capable of fulfilling my duties. I better understand the inner palace’s role in politics now, Ah Yao. I too can be your eyes and ears."
Liu Yao couldn’t argue with that and hadn’t wanted to either. To say that he wasn’t moved by Ah Yun’s casual declaration of allegiance would be a lie. It’d felt as though they’d been together for many years now, with how quickly they’d lowered their walls and tried to let the other in past their defences but Liu Yao hadn’t been this happy in such a long while.
He would be happier if Ah Yun could call Qianqing Palace his permanent home but that was unthinkable even for an empress and Liu Yao wasn’t so rebellious as to test the patience of his court officials so soon again after slapping them across the face with his choice of imperial noble consort.
Hence, it was with mild ruefulness that he took a leisurely stroll over to Aiyun Palace. The door eunuchs were pleased to see him, brightening up in the manner all the servants of the inner palace did whenever he passed by, in the hopes that the emperor’s entourage would stop outside their gates to visit their masters or mistresses. Liu Yao had seldom paused for anyone but this had changed in recent times.
"At ease, no need to announce this sovereign’s presence." At this hour, it was most likely for his Ah Yun to be lounging on the noble consort divan in the small pavilion adjacent to his study, which Liu Yao had personally commissioned. It overlooked a quaint little pond where the rarest carp swam under the golden sun, their scales shimmering whenever their tails swished by like splashes of colour on a paintbrush. Ah Yun enjoyed watching them, curled up into a ball with his elaborate robes trailing carelessly off the edges of the divan, his eyes chasing lazily after their hypnotic movements like he was a pampered cat being entertained by an expensive toy.
But he was no pet. He was what made Liu Yao’s heart beat again and Liu Yao often wished to paint him like that, in soft repose, but no amount of years of tutelage under the best imperial artists could teach him to do the scene justice.
Today, however, his Ah Yun hadn’t managed to find time to enjoy himself. It quickly became apparent why when Liu Yao stepped into Aiyun Palace’s study, led by an unusually quiet Xiao De. Ah Yun sat at his desk, an elegant slope to his back as he bent over some parchment with a deep furrow on his brow. What caught Liu Yao by surprise, however, was the little boy seated on the floor, head pillowed on Ah Yun’s lap and with one hand clenched firmly in the folds of Ah Yun’s robes.
Liu Yao raised an eyebrow. How domestic. This sovereign was almost jealous.
He headed over, purposely making his footsteps audible so as to not startle his beloved. Ah Yun soon broke out of his concentration, eyes widening after he glanced up and caught sight of Liu Yao’s approach.
"You’re here early today," he greeted, gaze softening with a joy so beautiful it that stole Liu Yao’s breath away. Once upon a time, Ah Yun would have gone to great lengths to rise to his feet and perform all the formalities expected when receiving an emperor but now he stayed seated, voice deliberately gentle to refrain from waking up the napping child.
In response, Liu Yao leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek before nudging his younger brother’s plump bottom with his shoe, making the silly young prince stir and made a snuffling noise. "What’s with all this?"
Ah Yun reached out to swat lightly at his leg before shooting him a look of mild reproach. "Don’t wake His Highness up, he’s had a trying morning battling his arithmetic."
Liu Yao blinked at that. Some arithmetic was necessary for everyday life but was by no means the foundation stone of a young prince’s education. He had considered it vital for Liu An to learn history, politics, and governance but if ever Liu An required any calculations completed, there was a bureau of specialists just for that.
His Ah Yun had proven himself time and again to have many unique ideas though so he wasn’t quick to dismiss what looked like a fruitless endeavour to him.
"What is Ah Yun’s rationale?" he asked, after explaining his stance.
Ah Yun tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear and propped his chin up on his palm, twirling his calligraphy brush in his other hand in a way that would have all the stuffy old scholars flaring their nostrils and blowing out their moustaches in consternation.
"I’ll write a full proposal report for your perusal," he murmured, with absentminded whimsy, which was the way he tended to get whenever he was formulating yet another brilliant suggestion in his head. Liu Yao understood him now and was happy to be patient. "But I was just thinking...whoever is better at arithmetic would just naturally be better at administering the Ministry of Revenue, isn’t that right?"
Liu Yao went still. That was right. That was logical. The Ministry of Revenue was piled to the roofs with ledger books, each one detailed enough to give any ruler a headache. Given the colossal amount of work he had to handle each day, it was just impossible for him to go over the accounts himself and had to trust Minister of Revenue Yuan and the rest of his department to give him a fair breakdown of the situation with the imperial coffers. However, Minister of Revenue Yuan was known for his affiliations with the Hua Clan, who as of recent times, have been ambiguous at best in displaying any support for him. Liu Yao knew that they were evaluating his treatment of Hua Zhixuan before making any decisions but he had no interest in giving them the Ministry of Revenue as a boon.
"This sovereign will look forward to Ah Yun’s report then," he said, earning himself a bright smile. He was certain that Ah Yun wouldn’t disappoint.
The homework that Liu An had submitted to Ah Yun was seemingly so appalling that Ah Yun was intent on thorough correction so Liu Yao chose to divest him of the burden on his lap, bending down to pick his brother up and carry him over to a side chamber with a daybed for naps.
"You’ve become quite hefty."
In response, the little prince snuggled closer to Liu Yao’s chest before tucking his face into the crook of his big brother’s neck. "Pretty big brother..."
"...Little rascal," Liu Yao muttered but he didn’t bother concealing the upward lift to his lips.
He ascertained that Ah Yun would be a little longer yet and dinner was still a while away, so Liu Yao ordered a bath to be drawn up, Cao Mingbao especially sending for a special set of robes from Qianqing Palace.
As expected, his Ah Yun’s gaze did linger on him once he reentered the study but it wasn’t on the robes that Liu Yao had chosen, robes which were designed to complement the new set he’d gifted to Ah Yun weeks ago. Liu Yao just hadn’t had the chance to wear his version of them.
But Ah Yun’s eyes were fixated on...the single jade stick which held up Liu Yao’s hair in a casual half-bun. It soon dawned on Liu Yao why and he obligingly pulled it out, allowing his hair to cascade down his back as he handed it over to Ah Yun.
"This is...a luan too?" Ah Yun asked, the note of hesitation in his voice leaving a pang in Liu Yao’s chest.
"It is," Liu Yao confirmed.
After a moment’s pause, Ah Yun leaned forward suddenly, pillowing his head on Liu Yao’s chest before reaching up to wrap his arms around Liu Yao’s waist. He was seldom so demonstrative with his affections, often relying on Liu Yao to take the initiative. Not one to let the opportunity go to waste, Liu Yao pulled him firmly into a hug and patted his back.
"What’s wrong, Ah Yun?" he asked gently, able by now to read his beloved’s mood.
"The myth about the luan is so tragic," Ah Yun murmured. "A divine bird that brings prosperity to everyone but is doomed to an eternity of loneliness as it is the last of its kind. Desperately, it roams the lands seeking another just like it until one day it catches sight of itself in the mirror and learns of fleeting transient happiness destined to turn into despair...Ah Yao, why did you choose the luan?"
Liu Yao knew that the folklore surrounding the luan wasn’t just auspicious. But he couldn’t think of a more fitting symbol for the both of them.
Leaning back against Ah Yun’s desk, he pulled the beautiful young man out of his seat and firmly against his chest, tucking his head snugly beneath his chin before peppering his hair with soft kisses.
"Because that’s the way I feel," he explained. There was no way to tell Ah Yun of his potential connection to Ziyu and besides, as the days spent together in this newfound bliss went by, Liu Yao found that it was starting to matter less and less.
Don’t question happiness. It came so few and far between for him that he’d learnt by now to treasure it instead of doubt it, a difficult change in perspective given how cynical he’d become after ascending to the throne.
But Ah Yun was worth it. Even if it turned out that he wasn’t Ziyu, even if, like in those ludicrous inn storyteller’s tales that he used to sneak out of the imperial palace to listen to, Ziyu returned to him in a different form, he was ready to admit that he could no longer say his affections were reserved for just one.
"We’re luckier than the luan in the stories," he continued after Ah Yun made a small grumbling noise at his sudden silence. "You’re not my mirror, Ah Yun." He thought about what else might be weighing on Ah Yun’s mind. "You’re not anyone else’s reflection either."
Ah Yun raised his head to give him a wry glance. "Even if you’ve named me Ziyu too?" And Liu Yao had to marvel at how much they’d progressed since that fateful dance in that lantern-lit banquet hall. To think that just a year ago, hearing Ziyu’s name on someone else’s lips would have incensed him.
"I named you Ziyu knowing fully well that you are you." He stroked a thumb over Ah Yun’s cheek. "Whoever you are, wherever you came from, whatever your past, you’re the person I chose to marry that day, Ah Yun."
He could be referring to Ah Yun’s past life as a slave or the deaths of the Yan Family, whose blood will forever stain his hands. Or he could be referring to something else totally, something he hadn’t fathomed out fully and had no idea where to begin explaining.
For the first time in forever, Liu Yao found himself earnest, humbled. He was just a man, his love was sincere, and he wished to prove that it could withstand trial. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
After a long intent stare that surprised Liu Yao with how much it made him feel like shifting his weight on his feet, Ah Yun let out a quiet hum of laughter before tiptoeing to press his mouth to the corner of Liu Yao’s lips, just slightly off the mark the way he enjoyed being, as though he was doing so deliberately because he knew how it ignited a fire in Liu Yao’s veins. He inclined his head to slot their mouths firmly together, sighing in quiet satisfaction when he felt Ah Yun’s lips oblige his demand for entry, parting under command to let him lick his way in.
"My husband," he thought he heard Ah Yun mumble, but all other talk was soon devoured in the rest of the kiss.
