From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 146: The Weight of Destiny (R18)
It was too much.
The red curtains faintly eclipsed the bodies tangled together within the dragon bed, entwined more tightly than a lover’s knot but they couldn’t hide the sounds that drifted out onto the corridor where blushing maids and eunuchs waited.
Yan Zheyun was beyond thinking about the number of people eavesdropping on his marital bed. He couldn’t focus on anything but the way he drowned in Liu Yao’s embrace, the satisfying fullness from where he was stretched wide open around Liu Yao’s cock. It hurt but not as much as he’d anticipated and a part of him had to chuckle woefully and chalk it up to the BL smut body type he’d inherited.
The kind that was good for panting and writhing helplessly whilst held down by their forceful lovers.
But Liu Yao...was gentler than he’d anticipated too. Not in the way he thrust relentlessly into Yan Zheyun’s body like he was trying to mark him so deep inside he’d never be able to erase Liu Yao’s touch ever again, but the soft kisses he pressed to Yan Zheyun’s temple, the hand that stroked his hair lovingly, these made Yan Zheyun shudder and reach up to cling to his neck, seeking his lips out once more.
"A-ah, ngh, Ah Yao, I—I want—" The jade sceptre had long been removed and tossed aside, so just Liu Yao could hear every one of his delicious screams.
He was too far gone to notice how Liu Yao stiffened up at that pet name, one which he’d never taken the liberties to use before. A hot mouth latched down fiercely over his, Liu Yao’s tongue sliding in to consume his loud moan as he came again, in small pathetic spurts across his already stained stomach. He felt milked dry, a bone-deep but relaxing lethargy taking over, even as soft, punched-out whimpers escaped from him as Liu Yao continued to relentlessly abuse that sensitive spot within. The wet noises that his sore hole made as it clung to Liu Yao greedily made his ears burn now that it was no longer dampened by his thundering heartbeat.
Liu Yao hovered over him, his sweat running in rivulets down his sculptured muscles as he fucked Yan Zheyun at a brutal pace. There was a hint of desperation in his actions that confused Yan Zheyun as much as it left him feeling heady. He didn’t get off on power trips, had never had such a tendency even after ascending to the top of the corporate ladder at such a young age. But it was undeniably intoxicating to be looked at like he was the centre of Liu Yao’s universe, a universe that was gold-gilded and jewel-adorned.
Yan Zheyun sighed. He felt overstimulated, so much so that his hands were shaking even as he reached between their bodies to pull his legs even further apart, offering every last part of himself up to Liu Yao on a plate. Whatever the future might hold for them, they belonged to each other wholly, at least at this moment. He wanted that very much.
His dazed eyes met Liu Yao’s gaze and were set alight by the fire in them.
"Ah Yun," he heard Liu Yao rasp against his neck. "My Ah Yun, call my name again—"
"Ah Yao."
"Again."
"Ah Yao! Nngh, wait, not so fast—"
The red curtains swayed in the night. The dragon and phoenix candles burnt until dawn.
——————————
"Rowing a boat for an old man like me on the night of your nuptials, there will be rumours that your new wife failed to please you running amok in the inner palace by daylight."
Liu Yao shot his state preceptor a pointed look even as he put his back into manoeuvring the oars of the wu peng boat, regretting succumbing to the state preceptor’s request to have one put into the lake all those years ago.
"If State Preceptor didn’t feel the need to admire the scenery whilst speaking with this sovereign, I would not have to protect my Ah Yun’s reputation tomorrow."
The elderly man’s eyes twinkled. He took a carefree swig from the wine gourd he always carried around and his long white hair was almost luminescent in the pale moonlight. For such a respectable figure in the kingdom, he reminded Liu Yao of the strange tales about immortal faeries living in hidden mountains, stories that Liu Yao had been taught to disbelieve since it was unbecoming for a crown prince to entertain such frivolous notions.
The state preceptor chuckled heartily. "Boy," he said, reverting to the unceremonious means of addressing Liu Yao that he’d stopped using since Liu Yao had ascended to the throne. "You’re the one who came out here to disturb an old man’s peace." He nudged the wine gourd over to Liu Yao, who took it after a moment’s hesitation. The wine was bittersweet, much like how Liu Yao was feeling at present.
"Come on, speak up quickly and then go back to your blushing bride. What is ailing this old ’s liege?"
Liu Yao let out a shaky laugh. Their boat still hadn’t reached the pavilion but he stopped rowing anyway, letting it drift aimlessly across still waters with no clear direction and no anchor to keep it close to shore.
"I think it’s him." Years of training on how to conceal his actual emotions failed him in that instant and he couldn’t hide the quiver of excitement in his voice. "I think he has come back to me."
If this were anyone else listening to their emperor, they might have made a concerned suggestion to send for an imperial physician but the state preceptor merely regarded Liu Yao thoughtfully. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"Is Your Majesty saying this based on their similar bazi or the empress star’s rekindling?"
Liu Yao shook his head. "No," he said hoarsely. "It’s more than that." He didn’t elaborate, however. How was he to tell the state preceptor that they had the same calligraphy brushstrokes, the same sensitive spot on their right earlobe, the same patient, reassuring smile when they listened to him talk about his day wearily? Or how his Ah Yun knew how to play songs on the guqin that no one else should know about because they had been composed for Liu Yao in the dead of the night when the rest of the world was asleep and only Liu Yao was around to watch how those elegant white fingers carelessly plucked out a gift for their owner’s first love on taut strings?
For a while, there was only the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze and the chirping of crickets. The state preceptor’s silence dragged out, past the length of time it took to burn an incense stick. Liu Yao felt his unease mount but he forced himself to wait for the old man to speak.
"Your Majesty, do you remember the conversation we had months ago about whether our dearly departed could ever return to us?"
Liu Yao did. It had been on his mind periodically ever since, Yan Zheyun’s curious behaviour forcing him to ruminate on it now and then. He nodded, signalling for the state preceptor to elaborate.
"This old subject had meant what he’d said back then; granted, there are many unsolvable mysteries in this world. But for this old subject to encourage Your Majesty to pin all your hopes down on a fleeting possibility that Young Master Ziyu could return to you, forgive me but I couldn’t do it back then, this old heart would ache too much for that."
Liu Yao was distracted for a second by the rush of warmth he felt when he detected the genuine concern before he fully caught on to what the old man was trying to say.
His gaze snapped up to meet the state preceptor’s.
"Back then...." he murmured. "Then now, you’re saying that...you think that’s what has happened?"
A deep furrow gathered on the state preceptor’s brow. For the first time, he looked his age. "This old subject doesn’t know," he admitted. "These months, I have wandered around trying to gather more information on any local myths or legends that might shed some light on the matter but to little avail."
"You’ve also gotten sidetracked with expanding your herb collection, this sovereign hears," Liu Yao interjects wryly.
"Heh heh." The state preceptor waggled his finger in Liu Yao’s direction. "Don’t think this old subject doesn’t know that you’ve been keeping tabs on me with your little spy friends." He harrumphed. "All so young like babies, they would require a few more decades of experience before they found this old subject if I didn’t want to be found."
Liu Yao knew this for a fact; the state preceptor was a willing enough ally that he allowed himself to be contacted whenever Liu Yao required his assistance.
"This sovereign is grateful," he said and meant it.
"This old subject is only doing his duty. You’re the emperor your father only wished he could have been." The state preceptor reached out and patted Liu Yao’s shoulder, uncaring that he was casually committing treason by besmirching the late emperor’s name. Not that Liu Yao would have him arrested for speaking his mind on a useless tyrant that led the dynasty downhill. "This old subject just wishes for your rule to be as prosperous as the stars suggest it should be. The reappearance of the empress star is a promising sign that good times are to come and so when this old subject noticed the similarities of the bazi of Young Master Ziyu and Imperial Concubine Yue—"
"Imperial Noble Consort Yue."
The state preceptor choked. "Such a high promotion so quickly? Your Majesty’s court will have a lot to say about that." Imperial Noble Consort was a concubine rank above all others, second only to the empress. With no empress in the inner palace to hold her seat of power and balance out Imperial Noble Consort Yue, come morning and his receipt of the imperial edict, he would empress in all but name.
Liu Yao didn’t think anything of it. "They might be able to write long memorials opining on this sovereign’s choice of empress but the morning court does not yet hold so much sway over the throne that they should have any say in how or why this sovereign chooses to promote his concubines." There was a steely glint in Liu Yao’s eyes as he said this. If he had his way, there would never come a time when he would have to succumb to their wishes when he chose who slept by his side at night.
"Your Majesty’s family matters are for you to decide on, of course." The state preceptor reached out for the wine gourd that Liu Yao had conveniently forgotten to return to him. "As for the similarities in their bazi...this subject couldn’t help but do a thorough chenggu divination (1) and realised that for two people destined to be empress, the weights of their bazi are very light."
Liu Yao frowned. This was...not good news if the morning court caught wind of it. Bazi weight was determined through a complicated series of astrological-related calculations based on time and date of birth and used to determine how auspicious an individual’s life was. Liu Yao, who personally didn’t put much stock into this, was also aware that his bazi was the heaviest amongst all his imperial relatives, at seven liang and two qian (2).
Seven and two. This bazi is the rarest in the world, bestowed upon a person who has accumulated ten lifetimes of good karma. The Ziwei Star (3) in the sky illuminates this destiny and the people are blessed with peaceful rule.
Liu Yao felt dread lodge itself in his throat.
"What is the weight of his bazi?" He forced himself to ask.
The state preceptor shut his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"Two liang and four qian," the old man replied and the sympathy in his eyes was too much for Liu Yao to bear. "Uncannily, this way the same as well."
If destiny was real, if all the traditions and customs they as a society had allowed to shackle them down were real, then his Ziyu was fated to suffer from the time he’d been born.
And his Ah Yun.
"Don’t despair just yet, Your Majesty. Do you know what the fate of a bazi that weighs two and four is?"
Liu Yao shook his head. He didn’t know the detail but he knew that it wasn’t good. That it was light enough for evil spirits and death to snatch his Ziyu away from him just as he blossomed into the finest young man the capital had ever seen.
"A life devoid of good fortune. This life is bereft of prosperity, born into a poor family without any hope for glory. Unable to seek help from their kin, they will die alone far from their homeland."
The words hurt like each syllable was a sharp knife tearing deep into Liu Yao’s heart. But he didn’t allow his emotions to cloud his rationality. He could hear straightaway what the state preceptor wanted him to focus on.
"That’s not true," he protested, shocking himself with how coarse his voice had become. "Ziyu’s family, Ah Yun’s family, they might not have met with good ends but they came from long lineages that held prominent ministerial positions and wanted for nothing."
The state preceptor nodded encouragingly. "And Your Majesty gave them both a home away from home." He paused in his speech to give Liu Yao time to compose himself, Liu Yao’s shoulders relaxing when he felt that inscrutable gaze shift away to admire the waters once more.
He brought a hand up to cover his eyes.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
"I know you might think that Young Master Ziyu’s spirit might have returned to you using a different vessel or perhaps the gods have been kind and allowed him to reincarnate in a form that would have a chance to cross pathways with you." He raised the gourd and poured the last few drops of wine into his mouth before wiping it with his sleeve.
"But do you remember what this old subject said before? That every person has three souls?"
