Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 181: She’ll Make me a Better Emperor

Chapter 181: She’ll Make me a Better Emperor

"Commander Bai works for me," the prince said after a lengthy pause. "He will give her to me on my request."

"He might," said Lord Mei carefully, "but you shouldn’t ask it of him; he has an Imperial order. Also, highness, my wife and I have long been troubled by the idea of Meili entering the palace harem. We’ve already seen what a dangerous place it is for her, swimming with sharks well beyond her political capabilities. We raised her in the inner courtyards," Lord Mei shrugged. "She never developed those skills. She never needed them."

"Highness, you’ll be obliged to build out your harem to secure alliances and produce sufficient heirs. It’s not a life her mother or I want for her. If you truly care for Meili, your highness, you’ll eventually come to the same conclusion. She deserves a husband who loves her and her alone, and a life filled with family and happiness, not a life of competition, back-biting, danger and confinement."

Yicai’s face was a mask of pain now, as he felt the woman he loved slipping away from him.

Had he been living in a dreamland where having her was his fantasy? Had it all been his own foolish daydreams?

He wanted her enough to take her against her will. He was confident he could make her fall in love with him. But while he had thought he would have her under any circumstances, he had misjudged his Father’s ambitions in the North and missed his brother’s scheming. Two big errors that had now converged to create this stumbling block of a marriage order.

The stark reality of what might happen suddenly hit home, and Yicai was swamped by an overwhelming wave of grief.

He refused to give up without a fight!

"I understand your concerns, Lord Mei, but I cannot agree with them. I would protect Meili from all of that. What’s the point in being the Emperor if I can’t at least protect my own Empress? I must speak with Bai Li," his voice was strained.

Though his emotions were clouding his judgment, he understood clearly, that Bai Li was the only chance he had of hanging onto her.

"Lord Mei, leave me to discuss this situation with Commander Bai."

"B...but highness, your Fa..."

"Bring me Commander Bai," the Crown Prince interrupted Lord Mei with his order, and his Chief Eunuch nodded and rushed out to find Bai Li.

"Commander Bai!" Shi Lei announced a minute later.

Lord Mei shook his head imperceptibly at Bai Li as he exited the throne room, mouthing the words ’he’s not happy’.

Bai Li turned his eyes ahead, not wanting to further anger the prince.

He kowtowed deeply. "Your highness."

"Commander Bai," the prince spoke formally. "Thank you for the timely support yesterday. I shudder to think what might have happened if you were even a day later returning to the capital."

"I was only doing my duty, your highness. Thankfully the Emperor’s message arrived when it did."

He politely refrained from mentioning by whose hand the message had reached him, though he knew that the Crown Prince was aware that it was Meili’s doing.

"I understand you have the message from my Father naming me as heir?"

"I do, your highness."

Bai Li pulled the message from his sleeve and handed it to Shi Lei, who reverentially carried the scrap of paper to his master.

Yicai smoothed open the precious words. He read them rapidly, hearing his Father in the scant lines.

"Put this in a safe place," he ordered his Chief Eunuch, who hurried over and took the paper, smoothing it officiously as he carried it to a waiting servant.

"Leave us," the Crown Prince gestured at Shi Lei, and the man quickly cleared the room of servants, though the missing walls meant that there could be no guarantee they wouldn’t be overheard.

"Bai Li," said the Crown Prince, less formally, but with no less authority. "After I’m officially enthroned tomorrow, I intend to marry Mei Meili."

"But your highness, I have..."

"I know, I know," the prince forestalled him. "Lord Mei told me you bear a marriage grant from my Father. I suppose he promised you that if you beat Arughtai?"

"He did, highness. We had agreed that was to be my reward."

"Well, unfortunately for you, my Father was killed right after he wrote that grant, and before you had a chance to marry Mei Meili. And I don’t intend to honour it. She’s the woman I love, Bai Li, and I need her. She’ll make me a better Emperor. We already saw how much she supported my Father."

"Crown Prince, this marriage grant was given by your Emperor Father on his death day. It counts as a dying wish, which you have a filial obligation to fulfil."

"As the new Emperor, I don’t plan to continue with all of my Father’s wishes and orders. I’m my own man, Bai Li. This is the start of a new rule and a new era. I’m not asking your permission, you know. I’m just doing you the courtesy of telling you."

Bai Li’s eyes flew open wide, and he clenched his hands into fists as he struggled to keep his cool. "This is not the act of a benevolent ruler, your highness. How can you start your reign by stealing another man’s rightful wife?" he growled.

"She’s not your wife yet, Bai Li, so I’m not stealing anyone’s wife," the prince said witheringly. "You’re just feeling aggrieved because you thought I would honour the grant my Father made. If he were still alive, I would have protested and worked to overturn it."

"You wouldn’t have been successful. Your Father cared for Mei Meili you know. Part of this marriage grant was my reward, but the rest was Meili’s doing. Do you know she requested it from your Father? He knew she has me in her heart and he wanted her to be happy. Are you comfortable marrying a woman who loves another man?" Bai Li’s voice was raised now.

The prince’s face reddened, and his lips thinned. "You’re dismissed Commander. Go home and cool down. You’re exhausted from your campaign and putting down the Rebellion. You’re not thinking clearly. Get out of here before you say something you’ll regret."

"I’ll regret it if I leave without saying these things, and my head couldn’t be clearer than on this topic. She doesn’t love y..."

"I said you’re dismissed, Commander Bai!" the prince interrupted him loudly. "Guards!" he called, and four men came running into the throne room. "Your Commander here is dismissed. He needs some assistance understanding my order."

The men looked nervously at their leader. "C...Commander. C...come with us, Sir," stuttered the most senior among them.

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