Chapter Text
Luo Binghe believed he had a pretty good life. He was the son of the Emperor, he had earned his rank as general through battle, and most importantly, he had a harem full of concubines who adored him.
As he left the room of one such concubine, where he had been with her and three other women from dusk to dawn, he whistled to himself, feeling spent and content. His life truly was perfect.
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He entered the meeting room and immediately the wide, heartfelt grin he got from his father, Tianlang-jun, set him on edge. This was the grin his father only used when Luo Binghe was about to become very angry. Like the time his parents had seduced his favorite tutor and she had abruptly left after they got bored of her. Or the time they had sex on his horse and it had scared it so much it couldn’t handle loud noises anymore. Or the time they had tricked him with a fake scavenger hunt before his fourteenth birthday, but instead he had ended up trapped in the Endless Abyss for six months until they remembered to retrieve him.
The worst time had been when he was eighteen and his mother had also sported the same grin and then the two of them had informed him he was about to become a brother again. What made him angry was that it wasn't his mother who was expecting, but his soon-to-be girlfriend! He had worked so hard to woo Liu Mingyan, believing her to be his first and his only, and in the end he didn’t even get to kiss her before his parents invited her into their bed and got her pregnant! His parents had always had an open, loving relationship when he grew up, but up until then he had thought that one person would be enough for him. After the emotional trauma he had simply never allowed himself to devote his entire being to just one person, and he would keep it that way forever!
“Son, I am glad to see you return from the battlefield healthy and well. Come here.” Su Xiyan rose to allow her son to hug her, squeezing his shoulder as he then sat down next to her.
“Son, while you were away your mother and I had a talk.” His father who Luo Binghe was the spitting image of, except Luo Binghe thought himself far more handsome, put his hand on Su Xiyan’s hand where it rested on the red wood table. So, it would be a united attack against him.
“We believe it will be in the best interest for you and for the three realms and your future rule if you got married.” His father reached over and slapped his cheek in what was known amongst his children as his display of ‘fatherly love’. “You need someone by your side that the people will either love or fear, hopefully both, and you’re already thirty years old. You should start looking for a wife now.”
Luo Binghe felt a headache coming on. He would be twenty-five years old this year. He had four siblings but his parents never remembered their ages, names, or even how many of them there were. He was the only one who checked up on them, made sure they listened to their tutors and their nannies, and didn’t kill any more of the staff by accident. Three times were really one too many times.
He grimaced, but then lit up. Before he could speak his father cut in. “And no, you can’t marry any of your little concubines. It will not do to show such favoritism, and it’ll upset those who will soon come forward to ask for marriage.”
He closed his eyes and sighed, but when his father’s words sunk in he opened them wide. “Soon come forward? How would they know to come forward already?”
His mother petted his hand gently. “Your father and I sent out the notice that you were looking for a wife a month ago.” One month ago he had left for battle, which meant they already planned this before he left. Lying, rotting, in-butters!
“Alright. I will listen to mother and father.” He would listen alright and then he would send every suitor flying, either by their own will or by catapult. He could comply and then refuse to marry anyone. He would definitely not get married! One month was too short of a time for people to respond properly, he had plenty of time to come up with rebuttals!
Once their morning meeting was over, they moved into the grand reception hall, and Luo Binghe took his place on his throne next to his mother and father. His father was peering at him with his side-eye, trying to be subtle about it, but he had the bad habit of turning his head along with his eyes whenever he tried to side-eye anyone. Luo Binghe sighed to himself, realizing that the troubles were far from over that day.
He knew it the moment an entourage of people were let in, all decked out in their best clothes and jewelry, following a pompous man with a large hat and an even larger moustache.
They made their bows before them, and the Emperor greeted them with enthusiasm. “Wen Taixia! How wonderful to see you again! I hope you and your family are well!”
Wen Taixia hurried to bow again, overly formal. “Thank you your highness. My family and I are indeed well, and it is a blessing to see the Emperor and his family all well!” He motioned for two of the young women behind him to step up next to him and they bowed as he introduced them. “These are my daughters, Wen Yazhu and Wen Yi. They are both diligent, obedient, and taught how to be proper wives. I am sure they would be most pleasing to the Emperor.”
Pleasing to the Emperor? What about pleasing to Luo Binghe? He was the one who had to marry either of them, and bed them! And the worst thing was that they were both beautiful and both would have been lovely in his bed, but now, on principle, he couldn’t ever bed them! Ever! That would show his parents who was really in charge! His heart and his heavenly pillar both wept in sorrow at the necessary sacrifice.
Silence fell over the hall, and he realized they had been waiting for him to comment while he had been busy mentally consoling his sulking pillar. “Oh, right. Yes, thank you. Your daughters are truly beautiful and gifted, anyone would be honored to marry them.” Anyone but Luo Binghe that was! His words seemed to please Wen Taixia who bowed again and left.
After that there was one group after another, either parading their daughters around or extolling the beauty and virtue of women who couldn’t be there for the introduction. Usually they couldn’t travel unnecessary because they were fragile, frail, delicate, and any other synonym they could use. And really Luo Binghe didn’t mind his fragile and delicate concubines. He loved to be gentle with them, loved doing all the work and allowing them to lie there and just take it. He loved spending hours at the time with his mouth and hands on them, bringing them pleasure again and again. And now he couldn’t! Because his parents tried to set him up with them! His life was the worst!
Two figures stepped forward, dressed completely in dark grey. They wore the standard Cang Qiong Mountain sect spy robes, which were slitted and knee-length, tight-fitting around the arms and legs. Their faces were covered, and they wore veiled black veiled hats that made it hard to see their eyes but allowed them to see out. As all their spies they had suppressed their Qi, making it impossible to track them that way.
They stopped before the thrones and bowed. The shorter one stood in front of the other, and already at the first word Luo Binghe knew he was annoying. “Cang Qiong Mountain sect greets the heavenly Emperor and his family! Sect Leader Yue Qingyuan sends his regards!”
Everyone knew of the history between the major sects and his parents. How Huan Hua Palace had rallied the other sects to move against them and suppress his father, and only because Yue Qingyuan, who was then a disciple, had refused to draw his sword had Cang Qiong Mountain sect been spared his wrath once he had returned to demolish them. The sect had been heavily punished and diminished, but had graciously been allowed to continue existing.
There was a fragile balance there where the sect pretended not to exist and his parents pretended not to know of it, and it had to take either courage or stupidity for them to want one of their own to marry Luo Binghe. He wondered who had come up with such a ridiculous plan.
“All of Cang Qiong Mountain sect’s twelve Peak Lords have offered their hand in marriage to Junshang, and hopes his highness will find a suitable spouse within the sect.” Surprised, Luo Binghe laughed without restraint.
“All of them? Aren’t most of them men? I’m only interested in women. Besides, I have hear the Peak Lords are all old, boring, and weak. No thank you, next!” His mother gave him a sharp glance, but he ignored her, far more interested in seeing if his words brought forth a reaction.
The spy who spoke bristled, but the one behind him put a hand on his shoulder and silenced him without a word.
“Very well, Junshang. The offer still stands, and the sect invites you to visit if you would like to make a informed decision.” They both bowed and left, leaving Luo Binghe to laugh to himself. Like he would ever marry someone from Cang Qiong Mountain sect!