SB 2 - Rumored childhood lover 

 

The first time Long Lian met the rumored childhood lover of the King of Munzhu, it was when she visited Munzhu country on behalf of her Emperor brother. The content of the document was too important that no danger should befall it, and Long Lian volunteered to deliver it right to the hands of the King of Munzhu. 

 

A maiden in love, Long Lian naturally seized this chance to spend more time with Tian Liang, who was busy with his demanding officials and had not visited her for quite some time.

 

Tian Liang may look barbaric and unfriendly, but he was strangely deferential to his officials. It was very different from her Emperor brother with his young and innocent appearance which one would assume to be easily bullied. Who would foresee that the young Emperor would have full control over the court not long after he took over the throne?

 

Instead of the officials bullying him, Heise was the one that bullied the officials with his big smile and sunny attitude. Armed with those polite attributes, he did not restrain his glib mouth that uttered sarcastic comments whenever he was annoyed. To those that tried to verbally force their opinion onto the Emperor, they were met with sadistic punishment.

 

Long Lian secretly cheered for her Emperor brother to keep up his performance in hammering those old and arrogant officials' blind arrogance!

 

"Welcome to my humble country, beautiful Princess." Sitting on top of his black horse, Tian Liang looked dashing and it reminded Long Lian of the heroes in the storybooks she had secretly read from one of her maid's hidden stash.

 

Long Lian smiled politely. "Thank you for your warm welcome." 

 

The officials of Munzhu were surprised that their King would personally go to welcome the Princess of Guilin and even treated her in a very hospitable manner. 

 

This was a sight that was rare to be seen. 

 

However, they would never embarrass the King even if they dislike him for his background. They mirrored Tian Liang's attitude towards Princess Long Lian and showered her with polite praises. They were still Munzhu's citizens and shall be united before the outsiders. 

 

However, in just one day, a new rumor gave birth in Munzhu, about their strong King had fallen in love with the beautiful Princess of Guilin.

 

Long Lian had been happily chatting with Tian Liang when a servant announced that Concubine Pei Jin requested to meet His Majesty. Although Long Lian told herself not to be sensitive, she was still a little offended that a servant dared to interrupt their conversation without hesitation. She also tried to tell herself to be more open-minded and maintain her smile when Tian Liang allowed his concubine.

 

From first sight, Concubine Pei Jin was indeed a beauty, with her fair skin and delicate features that were rare in the Munzhu country. Her walking speed was full of gracefulness with steady steps where one would praise with admiration. 

 

Long Lian only spared her a glance before looking away, not willing to pay much attention to a concubine or allow the other person to think they could be friends. 

 

She had long heard of this concubine, who was rumored to be King of Munzhu's childhood love. There were doubts about the genuinity of this rumor, but she quickly forgot about it when Tian Liang was rather frank about his feelings towards her. If Long Lian indeed wed to Tian Liang, they would be sisters, but their feelings for one another would be far from friendly. 

 

"This concubine greets Your Majesty and Princess of Guilin," Pei Jin greeted softly, in a way a gentleman's stoic heart would have softened.

 

Tian Liang nodded and had her straighten up from her bow. "Princess, this is my concubine, Pei Jin. I hope both of you could get along well and be friends."

 

Hidden under the table, the hands holding onto her skirt tightened, crumbling the smooth and expensive material. Long Lian smiled with aloofness, with her gaze full of arrogance. "Your Majesty, surely you jest? Why would I befriend a concubine from another country?"

 

Long Lian's gaze was asking how much the concubine worth to have her lower herself to play the friendship game with her. Tian Liang's brows wrinkled and Concubine Pei lowered her head as if to hide her expression. Even if he was displeased with Long Lian's words, he did not tell her off. 

 

"Your Majesty," Pei Jin called sweetly. "This concubine heard that Your Majesty is working late lately, so I have the kitchen prepare some nourishment to prevent Your Majesty from falling sick."

 

Tian Liang chuckled. "That is not a concern. I had not been sick since childhood."

 

Concubine Pei giggled sweetly and they looked like a pair of matching couples with good relationships, with Long Lian looking as if she does not belong in the picture.

 

After Concubine Pei left, Tian Liang noticed Long Lian's mood was far from good. "Pei Jin is a nice girl. There is no need for you to treat her so rudely."

 

"Oh?" Long Lian sneered. "If you like her that much, why would you still court me? I understand men such as you like to collect beauties around you, but this princess is not willing to be one of them."

 

Tian Liang frowned, starting to get annoyed. "I have no feelings for Pei Jin and never touched her inappropriately. I only gave her a concubine title to protect her."

 

Long Lian smiled sarcastically. "If you have such a noble intention, she surely does not. I can see she clearly likes you."

 

Tian Liang suddenly smiled and then became a full-blown grin. "Is Ah Lian jealous?"

 

Eyes widened, Long Lian quickly denied. "Why would I be jealous of some lowly person? I have everything better than hers."

 

The previous conversation was forgotten as Tian Liang mercilessly teased her and she kept on refuting them. 

 

But Long Lian could never forget about it. 

 

She does not believe their relationship was pure with how that concubine acted, but she still wanted to trust him. Trust was needed in a lasting relationship. Suspicious without proof will only deteriorate their relationship. 

 

Tian Liang might be a scary looking guy, but he never outright lied to her. Even when she grumbled about learning archery, he had bluntly listed out all her defects without giving her any face. But he made it up by coaching her to control her fire element and help her improve her archery by teaching her a few tricks.

 

Her Imperial Mother had told her that a wife needs to be virtuous and accepting when her husband took in concubines. She had grown up without properly thinking about her words, and now she was at the age where she needed to face the fact.

 

But her Imperial Mother suddenly says she will not agree with Long Lian and Tian Liang's union. Upon hearing that, her Imperial Father quickly supported her decision, even giving the excuse of not wanting his only daughter to go so far away.

 

Unlike her previous self, Long Lian does not have the strong determination to fight against her parents, because her heart was unable to let go of the idea of her future husband with concubines. She does not know her silence had worried her parents, making their dislike towards the King of Munzhu grow.

 

Other than the eyesore Concubine Pei Jin, Long Lian was also troubled by the unknown future of the last prince of the previous King of Munzhu. 

 

Early on, Xiao Hua had voiced her concern about the last prince and Long Lian had asked Tian Liang about it. He told her not to worry, that Nu Li will not do what they feared and he has plans for the prince. But he never shared the plan with her and Long Lian also thinks it’s inappropriate to ask further about another country’s business.

 

Even if she married him, a wife should not meddle in court matters and only take care of the backyard. That was how she was taught and how the other proper madams acted. 

 

Even if she knew it, understand it, her heart still felt stifled and uncomfortable. 

 

She tried to ignore it because Tian Liang was the man she loved and willing to spend the rest of her life with. Such matters would not be able to break them up! But after celebrating Long Lian and Xiao Hua's birthday in 'Lucky Rock' town, they got into an argument about Concubine Pei again. 

 

When they traveled back to Guilin, Tian Liang noticed her red-rimmed eyes and knew that she cried. He was not so stupid as to not know what Xiao Hua had hinted to him, or what Long Lian had cried about. He realized he was too naive for thinking Long Lian would understand his standing in time and end up hurting his princess' heart. 

 

This might be the time for him to speak of his intentions clearly.

 

"Ah Lian, I have promised my good friend that I will take care of his sister before he dies. Originally, I was going to look for a good husband for her, but she does not want to marry. So I let her be my concubine in name, let her live comfortably, in return for being my shield to push away other concubine and principal wife candidates."

 

Long Lian scoffed with disdain in her eyes. "Then why would she purposely appear before me, making ‘we have a secret love together’, or ‘I only have you in my eyes’ when she stares at you for me to see? If that is not malicious, then what is it? Treating you like a toy that she would not let go of? If she knew that you wish to marry me, as your good friend, she should have shown support and not played tricks to disrupt our feelings!” 

 

All this time, Tian Liang had never thought Pei Jin would have any feelings for him because if she did, she had hidden that well. She never approached him and maintained a proper distance from him. When he was tired, she showed concern by reminding his servants to make sure he eats properly and even has a warm, nutritious soap prepared for him. 

 

Long Lian sneered at how blind he was. “Is that not to get your interest in her and have you slowly appreciate her to be a good wife material? A man like you hated clingy females the most and she knows it well. This type of trick is normal in the imperial harem!”

 

“Aren’t you thinking too much?” Tian Liang frowned. “She knows me well, but I know her well too. Do you think I don’t know that all these are told to you by that little chili?”

 

“Do you dare to admit they are not the truth?” Long Lian demanded fiercely, her claws out in preparation to fight. 

 

Tian Liang grinned widely until his teeth were shown. "Suppose you are right, but I still want to keep her as my concubine. Are you going to throw me aside?"

 

Long Lian knew he was angry, but she refused to back down and ignore her wounded heart. She could not let the wound fester until it could no longer be healed.

 

"Then let's do that."

 

The arrogant feral grin on Tian Liang slipped.