Samaya finally let out a sigh of relief when she reached her courtyard. It was nit the isolated, safe haven that her small hut was, but it was good enough. She just needed to be left alone for a bit.
But first.
“Have you finished gathering all the information about the Empress and the concubines?” She asked Ah-Liu the moment the maids walked out after being dismissed.
Ah-Liu shook his head. “Not all of it. I’ll need a bit more time. But I do have the information on the Empress and the Imperial Consort, as well as some of the others. Would you like to listen?”
She tilted her head thoughtfully and nodded. “Use an insulation talisman first.”
She sat down on the table and Ah-Liu stuck a talisman under it before starting to speak softly.
The Empress - Xie Taiying. Daughter of the Grand Preceptor. The Grand Preceptor was the closest advisor to the Emperor and the one whose opinion held the most value in state matters. Basically, the Vice President of the Emperor. This particular Grand Preceptor - Xie Wanyin - was a cunning strategist.
When the current Emperor had been running for his life from his uncle, he had taken him in for a few days for him to ‘recover’ and then promptly threw him out, with the excuse that they could not afford to invite the wrath of Huang Chengxuan and asked what was the guarantee that they would survive the conflict and why he should aid a child in the conflict. The young Huang Yasheng back then had been desperate enough to say that he would do anything. With the man’s aid, he had been able to get back his throne, and the price was that Xie Taiying - Xie Wanyin’s daughter - would sit on the throne.
Apparently, he had convinced many of the current ministers to lend their private soldiers and armies while Huang Yasheng and Han Qin had scoured the land for information, strategic positions, and talented subordinates. What kind of silver tongue did the man have - Samaya wondered - that he was able to turn so many self serving ministers against a tyrant?
It was clear to see whom the Empress got her sharp mind from. Perhaps that was why the man had sent her to become the Empress, despite the fact that he had another older daughter.
The Imperial Consort - Yun Shuyao. Daughter of the Prime Minister Yun Yuxuan. The Prime Minister had supported Huang Chengxuan when he ascended. But as the young Huang Yasheng’s army got stronger and his men started to infiltrate the Capital, even making their way into the Palace, Yun Yuxuan apparently ‘found his conscience’. He turned against the False Emperor and opened the gates for the army.
You could see that kind of opportunistic intention from a mile away.
And then he ‘requested’ his child be given the position of Imperial Consort. The Emperor not only needed the support of his ministers at the beginning of his reign, but he also wanted to keep a balance between the different powers in his Court. So Yun Shuyao became the Imperial Consort and Yun Yuxuan became the Prime Minister, and the Grand Preceptor had a rival in the Court.
Samaya could not help but feel a bit of pity for the Emperor. No matter which way he went, there were all these boot licking, backstabbing, and scheming courtiers around whom he could not let his guard down even for a moment. Samaya supposed that came with the throne and crown.
She sighed and looked at him. “Anyone else?”
He nodded. “Yes, there is Song Yuhan-”
“Ah, the woman who used her position to lift up her family from the bottom?”
If Ah-Liu was surprised, he did not show it. “Yes. She is very clever and can be quite ruthless when it comes to protecting her family. I found that she had her father’s business rivals who had tried to sabotage his business either killed or exiled.”
Samaya chuckled at that. “Ah, my kind of woman.” She held her hands up in surrender at the look Ah-Liu gave her. “Okay, okay, I’ll be careful.”
Ah-Liu let out a sigh, exasperation tinging it. He then spoke again.
“There is another woman you must be careful about. Yi Yingxiu.”
Samaya blinked in surprise. “Yi Yingxiu?”
All she knew about that woman was that she was quiet and graceful and did not vie for the Emperor’s favor. She also seemed to be kinder than most. She could be called what Samaya would describe as a typical demure and delicate ancient beauty. Nothing she saw suggested otherwise.
“Yes,” the boy nodded. “She helped the Emperor bring down her family. Her family had pretended to turn to the Emperor’s side but was actually feeding Huang Chengxuan information, even after the Emperor was enthroned. She helped the Emperor by finding evidence and bringing it to him. Her entire family was killed - the children brought into slavery - and she did not even flinch.”
She frowned at that. “Have you found out why?”
Ah-Liu shook his head. “No one knows. All I know is that she was abducted when she was around 15 and was found a year later. She was never the same again.”
What could drive a woman - any person, really - to wilfully hurt her entire family like that?
“And the children?”
“They work in the palace. She takes care of them.”
She released a breath that she did not realize she was holding.
Samaya could condone a lot of things. But hurting children was not one of them. Not that she was completely innocent. She did not know how many children she had hurt whenever she had to do something reckless and wreak havoc in a particular area. But she had always tried to avoid wilfully and maliciously harming children.
“Is that all?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
“Alright. Good work. Finish this first and then map out the Palace whenever you can. I need to know all escapes, exits and secret pathways. Be careful, though. There are many talented martial artists here. Don’t get caught.”
He nodded again.
She dismissed him and then spent the rest of the day almost listlessly. Worry for Manu and worry about what would be next for her in the Harem occupied her mind. She would never admit to anyone how out of place and nervous she was here. She knew her training was enough to handle herself. But she could do nothing about the nervous energy that permeated throughout her body now that she had nothing to do but think. She would take some Syrian terrorists shooting at her any day over this.
It was when the sun was close to setting that she decided that she needed to relieve her stress. She quietly told her maids to draw a lukewarm bath and then once they were done, she asked them to leave her alone, ignoring their requests to serve her.
She wanted … no, she needed to be alone.
She had only a little time before Manu would come back.
She took off her clothes and stepped into the tub. It was filled with fragranced water with oils and soaps lining up the edges. The water was beautiful and clear. A pity it would be stained soon.
Everything that happened in the past two weeks came crashing down on her as soon as she sat down in the bath. She slumped slightly, letting her bare skin soak in the water, and then tried to clear her mind.
When was the last time she had actually taken the time to relax?
Probably a few months ago.
She sighed softly and took the water to rub her arms, her hands trailing up her arms to her shoulders, to her neck, down to her breasts.
She did not particularly need or want the bath. She needed the sweet, sweet release that would unwind her tense body.
Her left hand gently kneaded her breast, her finger teasing the nipple, while her right hand gently slithered down towards her privates.
She had not had sex in five years now.
Not that she wanted to have unsafe, unprotected sex with the brutish, leering men in this world. She had no interest, despite the many, many flirtatious offers from Siwang.
But she did have some needs.
So for now, she was the only one who could fulfill them.
She used her fingers to gently part the folds. She felt water press up against her crotch, and it was cold. Ignoring the sensation, she pressed her middle finger in between her inner lips and started to rub the place ever so gently. That was how she always preferred to start. Slow and gentle.
She pulled her finger up and pressed beneath her clit, not quite touching it, but pressing it just enough to stimulate it. She gasped out softly as she rubbed gentle circles in the place. She was getting wet, she could feel it. She could feel herself throb gently with need.
She finally reached down and pressed one finger inside, moving around to see if she could take more at the moment. Once she pumped it in and out a few times, she put another in. She closed her eyes, imagining the familiar face of her lover over herself. His blue eyes that usually crinkled now darkened with desire, his wavy brown hair falling over his eyes, his usually charming smile curled up into an insufferable smirk as he growled into her hair how wet she was for him and how he would ravish her all night.
“You’ll beg me to stop.”
She used to take that as a challenge. They would drive each other insane, chasing their pleasure while at the same time refusing to give up, trying to drive the other over the edge however they could, finding and kissing all the right spots, driving their flesh against one another, their nerves burning with fire they only felt with each other.
“Ah!” She gasped out, as she curled her fingers inside herself.
She added another finger and her left hand left her breast, going down to find her clit. She pressed it, gasping softly once again, and then gently pinched and teased it around. She knew she was almost halfway there. Honestly, five years of loneliness in which she had to find some window of time to relieve her sexual tension had forced her to almost perfect her techniques.
She gently rubbed and stimulated it, slowly at first, but increasing her speed after a few moments. She massaged it, the area around it, changing her pace every few moments while arching her back slightly in order to drive her fingers deeper and spreading her legs a bit more.
She was panting softly, lips parted and eyes clenched shut as she tried to bring herself to the edge. She was reaching there, it would take just a bit more time. Her fingers now moved on their own, whichever way and however it felt natural, as she chased her pleasure. Her toes curled slightly as she felt the pressure start to build.
A sudden knock on the door that separated the bath chamber from the main room startled her out of her trance.
Her eyes snapped open and she pulled her fingers away from her privates on reflex. She could not help the frown of annoyance that came over her face as she tilted her head towards the door.
“What?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended.
She could not help it. She was just coming closer to a much needed orgasm and now she was being interrupted. Who would not be annoyed?
“My lady, it is Su.” The girl’s voice was nervous
She let out a sigh through gritted teeth and this time tried to be gentler. “What is it, Su?”
“My lady, are you done?’’
“Not yet,” she said, impatient. “Why?”
“That is … His Majesty is here.”
…..
Fuck!
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