Chapter 479: The emperor’s gift

Ten minutes before the driver arrived, the old madam sat her down and gave her a long talk on the expected etiquette when one met an emperor. She was not to look at him but bow her head immediately, ensuring that her eyes met the floor. She should not be tempted even for one second to look up before the emperor said she could. If she was asked to kneel down she was to get on her knees with no hesitation no matter how much her heart resisted it. Even though she had committed a meritus deed she could not look arrogant, act smug or boast about her deed, she had to be extremely humble.

Whatever the emperor asked she should be direct and precise, no attempts to be funny whatsoever. If the emperor cracked a joke, she should laugh moderately. Not too much and not too little, whether he was funny or not.

If he asked for her opinion on politics she should take a neutral stand, relaying information from the perspective of a common citizen. Chi Lian had asked why and the old madam said that sounding too politically opinionated would make the emperor guard against them. Her answer in fact to tricky questions which might seek to trap her should be "I have not given it any thought before." basically, act dumb, ignorant and stupid if necessary.

She could not smile too much at the emperor for it could appear as if her aim was to seduce but she also could not smile too little because her body language might portray hostility.

There were so many rules to follow, all of them related to the curbing of one’s behavior to indulge the all powerful emperor. In her opinion, an independent country ruled by a president was perhaps better than this. This was a modern traditional world and it’s ways were uncomfortable, so uncomfortable.

Five minutes before the one hour was up, the car showed and parked outside. Chi Lian was informed about it’s presence but the driver did not step out of the car.

The old madam dressed conservatively, in a traditional pink hanfu dress, she looked as if she was going somewhere extremely important. Chi Lian on the other hand simply dressed in a white sundress that she bought in LA and flat sandals. Jun Muyang tagged along, he carried the semi conscious Yi Sijui and put him in the trunk of the car.

Off the car went to the palace, branching off the main road that led to the capital base and disappearing into an underground secret tunnel which none of them had ever seen or known about. Even Jun Muyang whose information network in the empire spread quite wide was not aware of this secret tunnel.

"Ho, I guess the royal family still has a multitude of secrets." the old madam whispered.

"Will the emperor be comfortable with us knowing?" she whispered back.

"If they wanted to keep the secret they would not have used it, I hope it’s not a sign of trouble. Emperors have been known to go to great lengths to keep their secrets. At times those lengths included the murder of entire families down to the last children. Are you sure about why he seeks our audience?’ she asked her.

Chi Lian was extremely sure about why they had been invited to the palace because she initiated the contact.

"Yes grandmother, that person Muyang put in the trunk of the car is a wanted rebel."

"What?" the old madam said in shock.

The surprises were unending it seemed, from her granddaughter in-laws return, the ugly visit by the crown princess’s maid and now this. "Oh mighty Buddha!!, Chi-Chi where did you find a rebel? What are you talking about? Muyang do you know about this?"

Muyang nodded, "A little bit, she informed about a few of the things she encountered. We will discuss it at home, I think we have arrived."

A black gate was opened and the car parked in an underground unfinished parking like structure. The doors of the car were opened and royal guards whose faces were covered with black clothing were pointing guns at them.

One of them said authoritatively, "Get out, hands where we can see them, prepare to be searched."

One by one they got out of the car and they were searched, their bags, watches and phones were taken.

"Follow me." the authoritative voice said.

"We have someone in the trunk, the reason for our visit." Chi Lian said.

Mr. authoritative voice signaled with his head and the trunk was opened. A black cloth was put over Yi Sijui’s head and he was searched from head to toe. If they were not here Chi Lian suspected that they would have undressed him.

After receiving an all clear, they were handed blindfolds to cover their own eyes. "Hurry up." authoritative voice said.

The emperor’s private guard really didn’t mess around with his safety, they were cold and stern. She could not see their faces but their bodies were all masculine and their auras cold. Whatever training they had received, it had turned them into brutal men.

They were held by their arms and carefully walked through a path that they could not see. When the blindfolds were taken off they were inside the royal palace. The room they were standing in had a large painting of a life like coiling dragon, it was colored red, yellow and gold, the colors of the royal family. It had long floating whiskers and piercing red eyes that reflected a large fire within. This was a painting worthy of being put in the national museum for the people to view. It was mesmerizing, breath taking and probably worth a lot of money. She wondered how old it was and how much it was worth.

Her eyes and feet moved elsewhere, but the old madam gripped her hand tightly and shook her head, forcing Chi Lian to stay in one place. A long wooden smoothly carved table with edges of gold was standing in the middle of the room. The chairs around the table looked like ordinary chairs, with no special designs but she knew that they could not be cheap. The wood from which they were carved was probably very expensive and rare or ancient. Royal families had the tendency to pass down things like furniture and treasures. At the front was a large seat, in the shape of a throne but it was not the throne. Chi Lian had seen pictures of the throne so she knew that this was not the throne room.

Behind them were those wooden movable screens which were all painted with with floral and mountainous scenes.

"The emperor’s private quarters." Muyang said.

Chi Lian that never seen them wanted to take pictures but her identity as the peep star would be revealed the moment she did. However good the peep star was, gaining access to the emperor’s private quarters was not something that anybody could do simply. If she dared to take a picture and make it public, as the peep star she would probably be declared a national enemy or something. She put her greed aside and stood still just as the old madam and Muyang were doing.

Two to three minutes later, the royal butler that personally served the emperor strode into the room and she knew that the emperor had arrived.

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