Luo Binghe has often found their lack of physical intimacy to be a strength of their relationship. With his other wives, seduction and sex is such a large part of how they relate to each other—how they satisfy each other. But he and Liu Mingyan have a deeper understanding. Their affection is shown by the things they have done for each other. Of course Mingyan isn't threatened by him falling for another; her position is not based on love. It is based on respect.
And yet... At times it leaves him at a loss for how to express his care. He has given Mingyan everything she's asked for politically, and he seeks her presence often. These are already the highest indicators of esteem that he can provide. Yet he still wants to express his understanding and affection—his empathy for how she must feel—and there are no remaining avenues to do so.
"It has been illuminating," he says. "It's made me realize that... what I am seeking, when I seek a new marriage, is simple companionship. Accordingly, I have tried to achieve it without romance. I've... made friends." He really does feel nervous, as though risking rejection from his own Empress. The thought is laughable—yet the anxiety persists. "I hoped that perhaps I could consider you among their number—rather, the finest of their number, just as your grace and bearing have always outshone the rest of my wives."
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2023-12-14 09:12 pm (UTC)And yet... At times it leaves him at a loss for how to express his care. He has given Mingyan everything she's asked for politically, and he seeks her presence often. These are already the highest indicators of esteem that he can provide. Yet he still wants to express his understanding and affection—his empathy for how she must feel—and there are no remaining avenues to do so.
"It has been illuminating," he says. "It's made me realize that... what I am seeking, when I seek a new marriage, is simple companionship. Accordingly, I have tried to achieve it without romance. I've... made friends." He really does feel nervous, as though risking rejection from his own Empress. The thought is laughable—yet the anxiety persists. "I hoped that perhaps I could consider you among their number—rather, the finest of their number, just as your grace and bearing have always outshone the rest of my wives."