Chapter Text
Sunlight came streaming from outside and leaked into the room, however it barely touched the two figures cuddled in bed with a small table with food.
Shen Yuan chuckled as Luo Binghe gave him another piece of food he had prepared and relished when he rejoiced at the flavor, a knock was heard.
“Your Majesty, Minister Fan is here,” one of the servants called.
“A moment,” The Emperor answered.
“I should go, you are busy and I shouldn’t be here,” Shen Yuan tried to move when arms brought him back against Binghe’s chest.
“This is exactly where my Empress should be,”
“I’m stil not... Empress,”
“You can be anytime,”
“Give me a bit more time, I don’t want to come here with just a few days of knowledge and you haven’t taught me anything, all we do in these supposedly teaching visits is cuddle and gossip,”
“And kiss,” He leaned in to steal one.
“And kiss! How am I supposed to learn anything from your world?”
Luo Binghe pouted “I told you, my Empress doesn’t need to do anything if he doesn’t wish to,”
“I don’t want to be useless, we’ll talk more later, see you at the café tomorrow?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything!”
“Good,” Shen Yuan leaned in for another kiss and began his walk to a handy portal that from Binghe’s rooms to Shen Yuan’s.
“Come in,”
“Your majesty, your faithful ministers would like to enquire about the Empress, we are preparing the bride price but we have yet to know to who we shall send it to,”
“We’ll discuss that later, the Empress needs some days, I’ll tell you when to prepare it and the details, is that all?”
“Yes, this one shall instruct the rest,” with a bow the minister left.
Shen Yuan was hidden from view when he heard it and didn’t cross the portal, so once he heard the minister leave he went back to Binghe’s side.
“My Empress! You didn’t leave,” Luo Binghe immediately embraced him.
“What they said, how are we going to explain where I’m from?”
“The Emperor doesn’t need to explain a thing,”
“You can’t just say you found me on the street, what if they ask me? What am I supposed to say?”
“You are my Empress, you also don’t need to explain yourself,”
“Binghe! We have to figure something out otherwise I refuse to marry! I don’t want to be dodging the subject or look arrogant, you told me that as Emperor you would challenge all obstacles for me, then this is one!” Shen Yuan was silent for a moment before something dawned to him “Oh I’ll also need to make one for you, oh dear,”
“I don’t need one,”
“If you want to meet my parents you do, my parents will never accept some random guy I picked up,”
“I am an Emperor, that is what I am,”
“Binghe! I don’t want to go through explaining everyone how we are doing some cross world relationship!”
“Fine, this one will think of something for my world and my Empress will find an identity for the one that loves him the most,”
“My mom already has her own identity,” Shen Yuan teased.
“Eh?! No! I meant me!”
“I know you did silly, I was just teasing,” He gave Binghe a last kiss “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something too,”
-
“A-Luo is distracted,”
“Ah, this one apologizes Yingying-shijie,”
“A-Luo should tell me what is troubling him, this shijie can help!”
“Well, it’s not something easy to explain,”
“This shijie will do her best!”
She was so excited he couldn’t say no to her so eventually he told her the whole truth.
“Oh, another world,”
“Yes, shijie, but now I must find him an identity, who can he be? He should only be my Empress,”
Ning Yingying pondered for a moment before she excitedly stood up.
“A-Luo, A-Luo! Yingying-shijie has a solution! Come on!” She excitedly said and dragged Luo Binghe up and into another room, they barged in only to find Shen Jiu taking his tea.
“Shizun! Shizun!”
“Ning Yingying, I already told you not to yell inside,” He looked up and saw Luo Binghe “And why have you brought him here?”
“Yingying-shijie, maybe we shouldn’t intrude,”
“No, this shijie can help A-Luo! Shizun please hear me,”
“Alright, some light entertainment shouldn’t be a bother,”
-
“And this master needs to know the Emperor’s love life for what reason? This master will acknowledge that knowing of this other world is quite interesting, other than that, why are we discussing this?”
“A-Luo’s Empress is called Shen Yuan, Shizun should take him in as his brother!”
Luo Binghe’s eyes widened as Shen Jiu coughed all the tea he just drank.
“What?! Ning Yingying, this master recognizes his indulgence to you, however this is simply too much,”
“I appreciate your effort, shijie, truly,”
“Eh? How could Shizun not see? A-Luo will marry Shen Yuan, he’ll be his Empress, that means Cang Qiong would be politically allied to the Heavenly Emperor! Only Huan Hua has the honor of having the Emperor as their ally!”
“Well not as much, my mother has little to no dealing with Huan Hua and they retired from the position. No other cultivation clan has an alliance with us,”
“See? Shizun, the last Immortal Alliance Conference was hosted by Huan Hua and they boasted on having the largest number of beasts!”
Shen Jiu scoffed “Mediocre beasts, only very little worth any points. Once the head disciples slayed them there was hardly any worthy of their attention,”
“Cang Qiong will host the next one, surely A-Luo would gladly help Shizun get everything Shizun needs, after all his Empress would belong to Cang Qiong. Our success will be A-Luo’s too,”
Luo Binghe thought over the idea, it was great also on his part! No one would bother suggesting on any other marriage since his Empress would be so well-connected, what is better that the very brother of Cang Qiong’s sect leader? Or well, the husband but it’s the same, also, no one would dare to touch his Empress if they consider Shen Jiu is related to him. He hated to admit it but Shen Jiu was more threatening than him. Luo Binghe suddenly stood up and bowed.
“This Emperor will personally capture any and all beasts Shen-Xiansheng desires. Cang Qiong had been a second home for this Emperor due to Ning Yingying-shijie and will further help in any way he can if Shen-Xiansheng recognizes my future Empress as his family,”
“That is an interesting concept indeed, however I can’t accept at this moment,”
“Shizun!”
“First this master must make sure this Shen Yuan is worthy of the name. As Ning Yingying precisely explained, this would include a political alliance. This Shen Yuan will become the representative of Cang Qiong in the demon realm as your Empress. This master will not take chances on letting someone, not even from this world, to represent not only our sect but also my own family name,”
“My Empress is the most elegant and graceful and beautiful-!”
“Your opinion is the least one that should be heard, however back to the point. Bring this Shen Yuan to me and I’ll train him in exactly everything he needs to know to correctly represent Cang Qiong and my name, if I find him suitable then this master vows to acknowledge him as my brother,”
Ning Yingying smiled and excitedly began to clap “A-Luo! A-Luo! Shijie helped you,”
The Emperor grasped her hands and excitedly shook them “Yingying-shijie did! Yingying-shijie is the best!”
Shen Jiu coughed “This has been dealt with now get out of my sight,”
“Yes,” Both said and bowed.
-
“So again, why are you taking me there if he is so unbearable?” Shen Yuan said as both made their way to Cang Qiong by sword.
“He is, however he'll recognize my Empress as his brother so long as my Empress correctly represent them, it shouldn’t be any trouble! My Empress is already elegant and divine, anyone could recognize he is from Cang Qiong!”
“Well at least you found me a teacher, that is what we needed and an identity!”
“Soon we shall be married,” Luo Binghe squeezed him.
“Don’t get impatient, we’ll get there when we get there,” No more words came from him as he could finally see Cang Qiong, he marveled at the impressive sight.
The Emperor pouted.
“Surely my Empress doesn’t think Cang Qiong is better?”
“I find everything impressive,”
The Emperor sulked more.
“They all may be impressive but my favorite will always the one where Binghe is,” Shen Yuan placated his boyfriend. Binghe just beamed at him and squeezed him again.
-
“So this is Shen Yuan,” Shen Jiu gave a once over to him.
“Wha! Young master Shen can definitely pass as Shizun’s brother!” Ning Yingying said excitedly.
Luo Binghe puffed his chest “Yes, my Empress has the demeanor fit of a Peak Lord, even more beautiful than any!”
“Oh? I doubt anyone could surpass my husband in beauty,” Yue Qingyuan arrived. Ning Yingying chuckled while his husband hid his face behind his fan.
“Eh?!” Luo Binghe looked deeply wronged and held Shen Yuan close “No! My Empress is more beautiful!”
Yue Qingyuan chuckled before a childish glint shone in his eyes. “No, my Shen Jiu is undoubtedly more beautiful,” he too squeezed his husband but unlike Shen Yuan, Shen Jiu began hitting him with his fan and tried to squirm out of his hold.
“What’s with this nonsense!”
“My Empress is more beautiful!”
“My Xiao Jiu is even more!” Yue Qingyuan said while unabashedly receiving the fan swats.
“Are you both children?!” Shen Jiu screeched louder and finally dislodged himself from his laughing husband.
“Binghe! He’s just playing you,” Shen Yuan scolded the pouting Emperor.
“But he said-!,” the Emperor looked at Yue Qingyuan and saw the man laughing good naturedly, seeing that he just pouted more.
“Young master Shen, a pleasure having you here. Cang Qiong is at your service, I’m sure you’ll be able to find the guidance you seek with my husband,” he finally greeted Shen Yuan with a polite nod.
Shen Yuan returned the gesture “Thank you for giving me the opportunity,”
“Enough talk, time to get to work,” Shen Jiu said with finality.
Yue Qingyuan gave his husband one fond look before he gave his good byes and left, Ning Yingying at his heels.
“You too little beast,” Shen Jiu sneered at Luo Binghe that was still attached to Shen Yuan.
“Eh? No! I want to stay with my Empress,”
“You little-!”
“Binghe, just do as he says, don’t worry, this is all for us to get married,”
“But then I won’t see you for a month!”
“Well, we’ll make up for it, one more date a week,”
“Then it’ll be three dates a week! How long until we marry?”
Shen Jiu cleared his throat “Is this master going to have a student or should I look for one that is actually interested,”
“Apologies, seriously Binghe, it’ll be alright,”
“Alright,” he pouted “I’ll wait for you my Empress,”
With one last kiss and mournful looks he made his way to the door, he gave one last sad look at Shen Yuan but it was cut by Shen Jiu slamming the door close.
-
The sound of a qin was heard as leaves fluttered around the bamboo house, one figure had his eyes closed as he judged the player’s skill, the lack of words coming from him a positive sign his student was doing well so far.
-
“And so on the eve of the full moon...”
The student carefully heard the history of renowned poets and the significance of their works.
-
“Lower the tea pot, be mindful of your sleeves,”
-
“Good composition, although I would suggest to replace...”
-
“We have covered Cang Qiong, we move to Huan Hua, their sect is second in power but first in wealth, a vulgar display really,”
-
Shen Yuan was battered, after a whole month relentlessly learning under Shen Jiu he could almost feel his brain explode. It was just a month but it felt like a year, if this were a novel it would’ve just been some interludes and time skipping. It was done, he still had much to learn but he had covered the bases of music, literature, poetry and manners. He now kneeled before his teacher, Shen Jiu.
“Over the month your growth and enthusiasm for the arts has indeed impressed this master, while still much to learn, this master believes Shen Yuan can show a proper face for Cang Qiong and the name Shen. You may be included as my younger brother,”
“Does this mean I can call you Jiu-ge?”
She Jiu coughed out his tea “Out of the question,”
“Not even in private?”
Shen Jiu took a long sip of his tea “Only when no one is around, absolutely no one, not even my husband or yours,”
“Alright Jiu-ge!”
Shen Jiu hid a small smile behind his tea before he stood. He went to the door and when he opened it there was Binghe dutifully sitting outside.
“My Empress!” He shamelessly jumped Shen Yuan.
“What is the verdict?” Yue Qingyuan asked with an excited Ning Yingying at his side.
“Heavenly Emperor Luo Binghe may send a marriage proposal to Cang Qiong for the hand of Shen Yuan, younger brother of Shen Jiu, husband to Sect Leader Yue Qingyuan,”