Chapter Text
Character introduction:
Bang Chan - The young emperor who has just ascended the throne, lives at The Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Lee Felix – Empress Lee, or the principal wife of Emperor Chan, lives at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
Hwang Hyunjin – Concubine Hwang, a beautiful commoner, was saved by Emperor Chan and entered his harem as a low-ranking concubine.
Lee Minho – Commander Lee, commander of the imperial guard, a childhood friend of Bang Chan, brother of Lee Felix.
Seo Changbin – Prince Seo, the emperor's half-brother.
Han Jisung – Noble Consort Han, a childhood friend and a consort (higher-ranked wife but lower than the Empress) of Emperor Chan. Lives at the Palace of Eternal Spring.
Kim Seungmin – Doctor Kim, Royal doctor.
I.N - The most trusted servant and childhood friend of the Empress, having grown up with him.
Important O.C
Empress Dowager: Chan’s mother, lives at the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility
1.
"How improper!"
The sound of broken porcelain echoed in the quiet palace.
This is the main hall of the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility, which belonged to the Empress Dowager, the most powerful one in the harem.
All palace maids knelt and bowed their heads. No one seemed to dare to breathe.
The gentle spring wind blew through the jade curtains, emitting clear sounds.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, her hand twirling the rosary as if trying to calm herself down. A letter spread wide open on the intricately carved wooden table next to her.
That letter was from her only son, Bang Chan – or the reigning Emperor. After ascending the throne for half a year, the young emperor had embarked on a journey to South provinces, accompanied by his half-brother – Prince Seo, and a few trusted retainers. He had left for nearly a month and would come back in a few days. In the letter, Bang Chan said he had observed the life of commoners, punished corrupted officials or evil people, as a good Emperor should do.
However, Chan also picked up a commoner on his journey and wanted to add him into the harem.
∞
"Honorable Mother, I have come to visit you."
A calm, warm voice could be heard outside the jade curtain. A young man entered, wearing elegant light-colored apparel with simple but no less elegant jewelry. Approaching the ceremony with Empress Dowager, he smiled brightly.
The Empress Dowager's expression slowly softened. As the young man quietly glanced around, his gaze lingered at the letter on the table, probably already understanding everything. But he just calmly said: "The chef in my palace has just created a very interesting dessert. The flavor is rich, but it is not too sweet. I think you would like it, Honorable Mother.”
The Empress Dowager looked up and smiled slightly. She waved her hand and told the maids to change the tea. The palace maids stood up, their faces full of relief, looking at the young man who had just entered with gratitude in their eyes.
This young man is Lee Felix or Empress Lee. The principal wife of Emperor Chan. The ruler of Six Palaces.
Felix came from a noble family; therefore, he was carefully educated in poetry and arts. His manner was always perfect, always gentle and proper. To top all that, Felix has a very elegant face, befitting an Omega born in a noble house. He had been childhood friends with Chan, and after ascending the throne, Chan himself picked Felix outside a list of suitable candidates to become his Empress.
Even though they came from different houses, Empress Dowager was very pleased with Felix as a mother-in-law. So, at the moment, she felt even more guilty.
Felix poured tea for the Empress Dowager and started recounting miscellaneous stories in the harem, including the recent visit of Princess Sana, Emperor Chan’s elder sister, a few days ago.
The Empress Dowager sighed, pat Felix’s sender hand gently, and said: “Chan has not acted properly. But you can rest assured. When he is back, I will scold him.”
“Honorable Mother, please don’t worry.” Felix smiled and replied softly. “His Majesty is a man of moderation. Furthermore, currently, there are only fewer than ten people in the harem. It might be good to have a new person enter.”
The Empress Dowager sighed again.
“You are a good child. Handing over the harem to you, I'm very reassured. When His Majesty is back, make sure… whoever he has brought gets checked and educated properly. We could not let an improper commoner disturb the rule of the Palaces.”
“I understand, Honorable Mother.” Felix or Empress Lee replied. His smile never changed.
∞
The two chatted for a while, then Felix left, bringing back plenty of gifts from the Empress Dowager.
Leaving the Empress Dowager’s Palace, Felix’s smile slowly faded. But his face still maintained a dignified expression without showing joy or anger.
Entering the main hall of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Empress’s living space, Felix ordered his closest servant, Jeongin, to bring him some almond tea.
Jeongin quickly came back with the tea tray and saw his master sitting by the window, quietly reading a book. Light penetrates through the thin silk curtains, illuminating the elegant face of the empress.
Suddenly feeling pity, Jeong In said softly: "His Majesty is really... You two have just got married not long ago, and now, suddenly...."
“Jeongin. I always spoil you as a younger brother, but this time I guess I have to warn you.” Putting the book aside, Felix frowned. “Even though we are childhood friends, you should not speak like that about His Majesty.”
Jeongin hastily knelt: “Young Master, please forgive me.”
Jeongin was raised together with Felix to be his close servant, so even after Felix became the Empress, he still had the habit of calling Felix “Young Master”.
"Stand up, don't make the same mistake next time." Felix returned to the page, and sighed, did not want to be too harsh on the young boy.
“But I am still… slightly angry on your behalf, Young Master.” Jeongin stood up and quietly said. “You are a perfect noble Omega… The same as all the other masters in the harem. I just don’t understand what the emperor sees in a mere commoner…”
Felix suddenly laughed.
“…Perhaps… that's the reason. I or the consorts and concubines in the palace are all children of noble houses. So maybe His Majesty would find… a little wildflower grown outside to be more refreshing.”
Jeongin looked at the Empress but did not see anything but a calm expression. He sighed softly.
Bang Chan and Felix were truly the perfect royal couple. They knew each other since childhood and understood their position very well. They acted together in harmony while dealing with royal matters. But maybe because they understood each other too well, there was almost no sense of passionate love.
“…You also know, I am the Empress.” Felix suddenly smiled, raised the cup of almond tea to his lips, and leisurely replied. “The Empress must ensure everything in the harem runs smoothly. As the principal wife of His Majesty, I do not need to fight for his favor or love. As long as His Majesty still shows me proper respect as the Empress, neither I nor the Lee noble house has anything to worry about.”
Jeongin bowed his head again.
A wind blew, the silk curtains swayed slightly. Felix tilted his head slightly, as if enjoying the cool breeze, and then gently said: “… But well, one should always be careful. Please send someone to find out all possible information about… that wildflower.”
∞
At the same time, on a large boat in the middle of the river…
“You just said you are… the emperor!?”
A young man let out a high-pitched voice, filled with surprise.
He put his hands over his mouth, his eyes opened wide, unable to hide his emotion.
That was the “wildflower” the emperor just brought back. Hwang Hyunjin, a mere commoner. But an extremely beautiful commoner.
His long, lustrous hair fell down his back as if shining under the pale moonlight. The face is as beautiful as a sculpture. His full lips were red even without lipstick. A dazzling beauty that passerby cannot take their eyes off.
If Felix - the Empress was as elegant and noble as a white apricot flower, Hyunjin is a brightly dazzling dahlia.
Opposite Hyunjin was Emperor Chan himself, still dressed as an ordinary gentleman. In the South, the young emperor hid his identity from the people, so Hyunjin had not known his true identity until now. Looking at the surprised expression of the beautiful man, Bang Chan couldn't help but smile.
"If you're the emperor..." Hyunjin tilted his head, his beautiful face frowned slightly as if he was trying to organize his thoughts. "So am I… will I be…"
"You will be my concubine." Reaching his hand to gently stroke the luscious lock of Hyunjin's hair, the young emperor laughed. "Well, are you scared?"
Hyunjin looked up at the young man who was comfortably leaning back on the soft mattresses, his eyes shining brightly. He suddenly exclaimed: "I knew it! I knew right away, from the first time I met you, that you weren't like ordinary people. I didn't expect you to be… So, I am going to see the palace? Is it true that buildings are made of gold, and roads are paved with jade?”
Clinging to Bang Chan, the young man continued to speak passionately. Leaning against the pillow, the young emperor tilted his head, feeling a little surprised and curious.
The eyes that looked up at Bang Chan were filled with joy, passion, and even –pride. It was as if Hyunjin was very proud that the person he loved turned out to be the most powerful man in the Empire.
This look of total admiration is very different from the calculated eyes of people in the harem, or even of Empress Lee Felix.
As if Bang Chan was purely heaven and earth in the eyes of this beautiful teenager.
A sense of satisfaction and pride spread within the young emperor. Putting his hand on the beauty's cheek again, Bang Chan laughed out loud: "Don’t worry. As long as I am here, you will be okay."
∞
“This lovey-dovey couple makes me sick!”
Outside, Lee Minho mumbled as he glanced at the two lovers happily chatting with each other in the cabin, as if there was no one left in the world but the two of them.
Beside him, Changbin laughed, passed the wine cup to Minho, and said, "Minho, you don’t seem to be happy?"
"The Empress is my younger brother, of course, I'm not happy." Minho shrugged and replied. “Besides, as the commander of the imperial guard, I have to keep an eye on that boy.”
Changbin looked down at the river and only smiled slightly.
Changbin – or Prince Seo – was the half-brother of Bang Chan. He and his brother had known Minho since childhood. So, the two of them were allowed to accompany the emperor on his trip, together with Seungmin, a young royal doctor who Chan trusted very much.
Bang Chan decided to go incognito in a southern town, leading them to walk around in plain clothes, pretending to be a group of students who had just returned from the capital after failing their exams. At an ordinary restaurant on the edge of the city, they met Hyunjin. When entering the shop, Bang Chan, and all of them widened their eyes and gaped.
Because Hyunjin was too beautiful.
Dressed in plain, cheap clothes, he was full of sweat while working in the kitchen. But even that could not hide his abnormal beauty. There was something in his bright smile which made one feel happy, especially when he laughed so much that his eyes narrowed down like crescent moons. It was clear the man was an Omega. Even Minho, who rarely cared for romance, was dazed a bit by his look. Bang Chan became a frequent customer of that restaurant, often spending the whole night drinking while glancing at the pretty boy working behind the counter.
Hyunjin was a male Omega, which was already rare. But he was born to a commoner family. Both his parents had died a few years ago, and he was left to take care of the restaurant with an old nanny. Hyunjin was loved by many people, due to his beauty, bright smile, and cheerful disposition.
However, Hyunjin - like his parents – did not seem to be very smart.
His parents were deceived by an evil rich man, leaving him with a large amount of debt. After his parents passed away, Hyunjin worked very hard to pay it back, but it was not enough. Then, during the time Bang Chan and his retainers were still staying in that town, that rich man brought a gang of thugs to burn down the restaurant and captured Hyunjin, intending to force him to be their slaves or sell him to a brothel.
When Bang Chan heard the news, of course, he couldn't sit still. The young emperor then informed the local official, who brought in soldiers to arrest the wicked man for loan sharking, just in time to save Hyunjin in the rich man’s bedroom.
Minho still remembered that moment very well. Bang Chan rushed into the room, beat the evil man unconscious with the edge of his sword, then covered Hyunjin with his coat and laughed: "There's no need to be afraid. You are okay now. Bad men have been punished.”
At that time, Hyunjin’s clothes and hair were all messy, his eyes were red with tears, and Minho had to admit that he felt pity for the boy
Since the restaurant had been burned down, they allowed Hyunjin to stay in a room in the private residence arranged by the government. The old nanny took a hard fall trying to protect Hyunjin during the commotion, so she died not long after. Bang Chan provided money to take care of the funeral.
They intended to find a stable family to adopt Hyunjin. The boy was a beautiful male Omega, it shouldn't have been too difficult.
But no one expected that night when Hyunjin came to Chan’s room, and…
The next morning, the two of them went to the breakfast room together. Hyunjin clung tightly to Chan's arm. They kept staring at each other all the time while smiling. Looking at Hyunjin’s red cheeks and passionate eyes, Chan’s smile, and the way the young emperor's hand rested on the beauty's waist, everyone could guess what happened last night.
"Brother Chan." Minho finally couldn't help it and speak up. He still had to call Chan this way because he was still incognito. "What on earth happened last night?!”
Seungmin, sitting next to them, suddenly raised his hand to his mouth and coughed.
Seungmin was the emperor's trusted royal doctor. If last night Hyunjin was indeed… “used” by the Emperor, Seungmin would have to prepare a special medicine for Hyunjin to drink… A medicine to avoid contraception.
“Well… his nanny… also desperately told me to take care of him before she passed away, remember?” Bang Chan shyly said.
Changbin, Minho, and Seungmin all looked at each other. The same question was floating in their mind.
What kind of “taking care” included “bringing them to bed”?
That nanny was probably rolling in her grave.
Opening his mouth to receive the peeled shrimp from Hyunjin’s hand, Chan smiled at the beauty, then looked at Minho with embarrassed, even guilty eyes.
Changbin, Minho, and Seungmin instantly thought the same thing.
This sickening lovey-dovey couple makes me want to vomit!
Amongst the three of them, nobody was married yet!
∞
Recalling all that, Minho's eyebrows frowned.
What would Felix – the Empress – his younger brother think about this?
Minho knows his brother's personality well. Felix would not be angry or lose his composure over something like that. Besides, Bang Chan was truly a man who knew his duty. At best, Hyunjin could only be a low-ranked concubine, unable to cause any possible trouble. Maybe Chan would tire of the boy soon enough and forget about him after a few months. There were plenty of beautiful men and women in the harem after all.
However, Minho couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in his heart.
Beside him, Changbin was silent for a moment, then said: "I know you are worried about Empress Lee. But I think there is no need. My brother knows the limit well, he would never let a mere concubine threaten the order of the Palaces… Besides, Hyunjin is not a bad person. He is honest and clumsy… Remember the other day, he nearly choked on tangerine peels and cried?”
Thinking of that, Changbin suddenly smiled.
Minho frowned: "You are too careless. Maybe he did that on purpose to gain more sympathy from the emperor… By the way, you should not wear that thing on your wrist .”
Changbin looked down at his wrist, startled.
On his hand was a beaded bracelet, made from colored stones. During the long trip back to the capital, Hyunjin often killed time by making beaded bracelets. He said it was something his mother taught him since childhood.
A few days ago, Changbin entered the emperor’s cabin to discuss some matters with Chan. Hyunjin was there and just finished a new batch of bracelets, and happily gave him one of them.
“His Majesty was there too. He allowed me to wear it. It will be okay.”
Chan laughed and told Changbin to put it on while raising his hand to reveal the even more elaborate beaded bracelet as if showing off.
“Even so, Hyunjin will eventually become His Majesty’s concubine. To avoid scandalous rumors, you should keep a proper distance, Prince Seo.”
With those words, Minho turned to leave, saying that there was something urgent to do.
Looking up at the sky as the night was falling, Changbin sighed softly.
Tonight, in the Forbidden City, there must be many people who could not sleep well.