YIYUAN

"Your Majesty―"

"Shut it."

Concubine Pi was breathing fast and hard after he tossed her aside on the bed. She was spent and her whole body hurt. Sleeping with him was never something she looked forward to, but it was worth the benefits it could reap her. She was not allowed to touch him; he said so on their first night together. Secondly, he never cared for her satisfaction.

Sleeping together was not like the dirty books she secretly bought at the market, where the man would make love to the woman, making her toes curl. The emperor would just use her body for his needs then leave. A rough kiss was what she could luckily receive as next to intimate.

Sometimes when he suspected that she was on the ripe time of her month, he would cruelly pull out and spurt his seed on her body, shaming her and deriving away her chance of bearing a heir so she could become empress. She reckoned that this was the same for every other concubine, but they were too proud to share this. Everyone wanted to look like they were favoured in his eyes when it was the same story behind the scenes.

This night he was not careful with her. He took her with the goal to get rid of his anger, which was alright, but what hurt the most was that when he looked at her intently with distant eyes, it was like he was imagining her to be someone else.

She stretched herself and raised her legs against the wall, her back lying flat on the bed. The emperor looked at what she was doing but did not say anything as he folded his hands behind his head, then stared at the roof. She heard that position helps with the making of a baby. If she got pregnant her life would be a breeze. The other concubines would look up to her and she would no longer be just n.o.ble lady, sixth ranked concubine.

After a few minutes, she turned back and relaxed on the bed. She looked over at him and admired his looks. His biceps were flexed and she wanted to touch them. His hair was a little disoriented from their activity, though the bun was still intact.

She also liked the time when he let his hair down on a particular night. It was on the day he had come back from war, taken a deep bath then requested for a woman. Luckily, that day she had been chosen by the Grand Consort to attend to him. That was after bribing her with a jade ring, which she fell for.

That night was different from all. He took good care of her and had her screaming uncontrollably, her toes curled and hands balled into fists. She had been afraid that she would touch him and this would have him stop.

It was the one night she wished to be like all other nights. It was also the same night she thought back to occasionally, when fondling herself, in want of a lover. She wanted that experience again.

Concubine Pi stretched her hand to him and touched his chest with her finger. She nervously lightened it and started to skim over the sheen of his skin that radiated heat.

"Thank you," she naughtily said to distract him. One finger became two, and she slowly slid them down his torso.

"For what?" He was bored.

"For making me scream… I enjoyed it."

He surprisingly chuckled.

At this, she smiled and confidently slipped her hands down to where he would become hard and take her again like the beast he was.

"I did nothing but take care of my needs," he lightly slapped her hand, "and you think I cannot tell when a woman is feigning their climax?"

So he knew that she had faked her act of o.r.g.a.s.m. He further pushed her hand away and grabbed his clothes to leave.

His toned biceps flexed according to his movements. She cringed at the sight of his scarred back, her body tensing. She had seen it before but it was difficult to get used to it.

Shen Hong noticed her stare of horror but she hurriedly looked down, to avoid awkwardness.

He chuckled again, as if her reaction was as he expected.

"Your Majesty, please stay with me for the night," she spoke softly, because of what she had heard of men liking vulnerable women.

"I wish to practise for the night," he curtly replied. It was not his cup of tea to address what happened to his back when she dared to ask. It was sort of incomprehensible how a strong man like him got his back abused with slashes of what looked to be sword marks.

Staying for the night was also on his 'not to do' list, but she went on to cry, "Shen Hong, I need you for this night."

She was aware that calling him by his name would brew his anger. Yes, she wanted him angry and pus.h.i.+ng her back into bed just as he had done when he arrived.

"Shen Hong!" she whined, pouting and batting her eyelashes.

Her hopes were dashed when she saw him continue to dress himself.

"I have met only one woman who can give me a hard-on and have me angry at the same time." He started to string the ties of his hand caps that he used for defense when sparing. "That woman is not you, therefore it's His Majesty to you." He picked up the loose strands of his hair and pushed them behind his ear, glancing at her for the last time. "Call me Shen Hong again and I will have you in h.e.l.l by morning."

Watching his back disappear, she screamed and started to punch the bed. She was going to get pregnant and let's see how he would mistreat her like that.

"My Lady! Good News!" Her Court Lady ran in.

"What is it?" she sighed.

"Apparently there was a wanton palace maid who tried to seduce the emperor this night. But his majesty punished her for such behaviour then said 'take me to Imperial Concubine Pi'"

"Yo! He said that?" Concubine Pi blushed.

Maybe he didn't dislike her as she thought. He probably just left because he needs to practise; he is a busy man after all.

"Just as I just said. My Lady, I think the emperor is starting to have a liking for you. This means no woman can displace you, especially a cheap maid."

Concubine Pi giggled. "And do you know who the palace maid is?"

"I asked that too but they wouldn't tell me. You know how the emperor is strict about his entourage leaking his doings. This is all they could willingly tell me."

"Doesn't matter. What matters is what he feels for me."

S.V